Shippings in this chapter: Advanceshipping

Rating: PG (K+)

Chapter seven

"Jump up high Raichu!" My father raised his arm high up in the air, to signal Raichu was meant to jump up high.

"Stop it by grabbing Raichu by the tail!" Iris commanded back harshly.

Haxorus moved its feet quickly and stop Raichu from jumping into the air and dragged Raichu back onto the ground. Raichu was on the ground but Haxorus still held its tail.

"Dragon pulse now!" Iris commanded from the top of her lungs.

"Use thunder to intercept it now!" My father commanded. Both of them called out in anger and determination to win.

Raichu's body began to shoot out a powerful beam attack right at the dragon type attack. The ball was smashed into tiny fragments of aura. The electric type attack exploded with contact, sending smoke right into their Pokémon's faces.

"Iron tail now!" Ash called out. "Use that smoke to your advantage!" He added.

Raichu's tail quickly turned into a hard iron steel colour and slammed its iron fixed tail right in Haxorus's face. Haxorus took a few steps back, moaning in pain. Haxorus soon got over its pain and glared Raichu with its deep crimson eyes, showing it wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Sword Dance!"

"Aglity!"

Both called out moves that would improve their status condition. Haxorus started to dance in some sort of dragon vigorously dance as black and red clouds appeared from the feet upwards as neon blue lighting sparked time to time as it continued to dance. On the other hand Raichu relaxed its body and calmed down and letting its speed increased. Soon after they used their move their trainers called out again.

"Giga Impact!" Iris called out. Pointing at Raichu as her Pokémon's target.

"Volt Tackle Raichu!" My father called out.

Both Pokémon used their most powerful move they had both mastered. Haxorus began to move slowly at Raichu but started to get fasted. Its body getting engulfed by a transparent pink colour with streaks of yellow going straight in the direction it was heading to. Raichu's volt tackle burst around my father's electric type quickly and also engulfed Raichu in a bright yellow colour with sparks shooting off. Smoke was arising from their feet the faster they went, and when both collided everyone could feel the force when both powerful Pokémon crashed right into each other. As the smoke covered the field like a blanket I had to wait in my seat with my brother and Mr. Drayden, all of us eager to like the smoke subside and see what had truly happened after the attack.

The smoke subsided and both pokemon were on the floor, tired but not knocked out. The referee was looking at both pokemon, left and right multiple times. He was about to raise both of his flags when he saw Haxorus starting to rise onto his feet.

"No…" I gasped. I covered my mouth. "No…" I repeated softly. I couldn't believe what was happening in front of me that…my dad was about to lose.

But my hope was raised when I saw Raichu rising to his feet. It was muttering his own name as he pushed himself off the ground.

"Alright time to end this!" My father called out. "Iron tail!" My father spoke in a slight cheerful manner.

Raichu jumped up high into the air and began to spin in a clockwise direction really fast like he was a drill. Raichu's tail glow a heavy iron colour as it continued to spin in mid air. Since Haxorus used Giga impact he need to rest to attack once more. It felt like I was watching a contest appeal in the videos mother would show me back home. Raichu began to dive down and continuing to spin at high speeds. Raichu soon exposed himself at Haxorus when their faces touched. Raichu grinned before slamming iron tail right into the dragon's face. Raichu landed onto his own feet and watched Haxorus fall and faint. A few seconds later, the grin on Raichu's face melted away and he too fainted onto the ground. The referee raised my father's flag.

"The winner is Elite four Sinnoh member, Ash!" the referee called out in a loud clear voice. Maykel and I turned to each other and smiled. We stood up from our seats and ran down to the field. Our father was at Raichu's side and helping him to his feet when he noticed me and Maykel running towards his direction. He grinned and opened his arms wide.

"That was awesome Dad!" Maykel cheered. I heard my father laugh afterwards.

"Didn't I say I was going to give you a battle you would never forget?" he continued to grin at us. We both nodded. The crowd and father's fan stood from their seats and either clapped or whistled or yelled out my father's name out loud and waved their banners up in the air as high as they could. I saw Iris return her pokemon back to its ball and made her way to us.

"Thanks for such a wonderful battle Ash." she bowed slightly. "It taught me a lot today. If there is anything you need help with, please call me." She grinned and waved to the three of us before making her way from us. I looked at my father.

"Do you believe mother was watching from the stands?" He looked up from the stands and I saw his eyes widen, well more like in shock. He took a few steps away from us and looked at one part of the stage. My heart jumped when I heard my father mutter a word.

"May?" He asked. I looked to where my father was gazing at but saw no one. I soon saw Uncle Alex and Aunty Amelia making their way down the stage and to the three of us. Their presence made my father snap from his trance.

"Ash!" Aunty waved as she ran to us. "Awesome battle there!" She smiled.

"Another great pull off there. I thought you were gone for a moment there." Uncle sweat dropped.

"So did I." My father chuckled and placed both of his hands behind his hair. "But when I saw Raichu standing up I knew I still had a chance to win." He grinned. "That was such a fulfilling battle." I looked at the entrance and saw Miss Cynthia at the entrance with a serious look all over her face. I tugged my father's black leather coat to gain his attention and pointed at the Sinnoh champ. He looked at her and turned serious and nodded. My father walked to her and at the same time waved at the audience and soon after we all tagged behind him.

The halls were much quieter than in the battlefield. Hardly anyone walked through them after battles so people could talk about anything they wanted without worrying about anyone hearing them. The walls were painted with a green-grey colour as the floors were polished with a light blue tile colour. Uncle, Aunty and father told me and Maykel to wait in the dressing room but their conversation was hard not to get interested by. I jumped myself off the mattress without gaining Maykel's attention who was wrapping white toilet paper around Raichu. In hope that it would help Raichu to get better.

"Liar!" was the first words I heard my father yell. "That note is just plain bull-"

"Ash." Cynthia spoke in a calm manner. "A stranger gave this to me weeks ago and said to give it to you personally. He said you would react something like this."

"Something like this?" my father yelled. "We were all meant to believe his dead and now his back from the grave?"

"I wish I knew why this is happening to you three but I simply just don't know." Cynthia shook her head sadly.

"So what's next? You're going to get another note saying that May's alive now, are you hm?" I heard my father continue to ask in an angry manner. "Even my mother was meant to believe his dead too. Do you even know the pain us three went through when we found out he was dead?" I peeked through the door and saw my father scrunching a note in his hands. "Our father isn't alive okay? His DEAD!" he threw the note on the floor and continued to look on the tiles with both his hands clutched tightly. "Dead, just like with everyone I care about…" I saw my father wipe his face with his arm.

"Ash…" Aunty added. "Cynthia told me that…father is in Unova right now. It said in the note. We could go there…if you want…of course."

"Ash, toughen up. I don't want to see my niece and nephew to see you like this again." Alex asked. My father didn't reply to any of their questions at first.

"We need to see father if we want to truly move on." Aunty added.

"And what else you want me to move on? Mother's death, May's death? Should I believe their alive now as well?" my father asked in an irritated manner. "If his alive all this time then why can't he come right here!" Dad pointed onto the floor while looking at Aunty and Uncle. "And tell me right in my face where the hell he has been for nearly all my life!"

"Ash please calm down." Cynthia asked in a calm manner as usual.

"Cynthia." My father turned to her. "I'm taking a break from work." He spoke. "I'm going to see my father in Unova and ask why he left me like that, ask why his wasn't at my mother funeral or my wedding with May!" He yelled and walked towards my direction.

"Ash!" Cynthia called out. My father looked over his shoulder. "Take Iris with you to Unova. I've heard she's nearly travelled in nearly every town in that region." My father glanced away from her. I hid myself behind the door and panicked that I would see my father's frustrated face as he entered into the room, but he didn't come in. I poked my head out of the door and saw father had walked right past our room.

"Father…" I spoke under my breath. "…please be okay…"

It was such a horrible day.

I watched as the doctors and nurses pressed the machine against my mother's chest in hope that her heart would wake up from its slumber and start pumping again. They did this over and over again but the result was the same. I yelled and yelled as my father held me closer to him. I soon heard the door burst open with everyone there, Uncle and Aunty with Maykel in her arms. Mommy Dawny was with Paul, Dawny with her hands over her mouth as Paul watched in shock in what was happening. Misty was near the door with her hands clasped together tightly and Gary was trying not to watching my mother's dying moments.

They did one more heavy and deep push against her chest in hope my mother would arise but the ending was simple.

She was dead.

The doctor shook his head and the nurses looked down on my forever sleeping mother in sadness. They walked out and leaving us in such pain, sadness and depression. Mommy Dawny was the first to cry in tears. She ran and embraced my mother's cold dead body as Paul placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her on the lost of her good, close friend. I heard her telling that she will always be her role model when it came to contests and she would never forget what they had been through.

Next were Misty and Gary. Gary spoke little and said that he was happy that she had found Ash. He also said that thanks for making his good old friend so happy in the times when he needed it. Misty grabbed my mother's cold hands and held it tight. I remember her saying that even though they didn't speak often she always saw her as her good friend and she being gone was going to stick on her forever. Uncle Alex and Aunty Mimi followed. Aunty collapsed on her body in tears as Uncle did the talking for them both, saying that they haven't met such a wonderful and cheerful person in their life and that their lives were never going to be the same.

I soon felt my father stand up from the carpet and I followed. The others moved back as I watched my father look at mother with such sadness that was so painful to watch. He ran the back of his fingers down her cheeks. The others decided it was best to walk out of the room and invited me to join them but I wanted to stay by my father's side. When everyone left I saw my father finally break and watched tear by tear run down his face. My father ran his fingers through my mother's silk brown hair. My father moved his face closer to my mother and shared what was the painful thing I saw my father do.

They shared their last kiss.

My father lifted his face away from my mothers and during this time was when he cried the most. He opened his eyes and gazed at my mother's face. He clutched his fist and cried even more.

"Why!" he slammed his fist on the mattress. "Why did you do this to us!" my father repeated the same actions. "You know I need you, I can't do this without you!" my father opened his eyes. He held my mother's hand and dragged them close to his chest. "Please don't go. Come back…please." He closed his eyes and started to act like he was praying. "If not now then soon." My father opened his eyes once more. "I still believe you're alive, no matter what they all tell me."

And that was the first day that I to, believed my mother was still alive.

"We're heading to Unova?" I asked with confusion. "Where's that?" I stopped folding my pajamas as I asked the question.

"The Unova region is a very far region from here. I thought you were listening in my classes?" My Aunt glared at me. She was helping packing my clothes as well.

"I just forgot Aunty Mimi." I scratch the back of my head and sweat dropped. "So anyway..." I dragged our conversation back to our trip to Unova. "I thought we were staying here in Sinnoh for our holiday?"

"Well that's what we all thought until your father received that letter." My Aunt replied as she continued to fold my clothes into my luggage. I was helping as well as we both sat on my bed. "To be honest I wished he never got that letter. Your father is acting funny again." Aunt sighed as she placed my top half of my pajamas into my white luggage bag.

"What was that letter about Aunty?" I asked as I placed the bottom half of my pajamas on top of its other match inside the luggage.

"Remember that story Uncle Alex and your mother told you that your grandfather died out in sea when we were all very young?" I nodded in response that I did remember that story. Aunty sighed sadly afterwards. "That story isn't exactly true anymore."

"I don't understand…" I asked. My voice started to trail into confusion.

"Your grandfather…he isn't dead."

"Who's that Mom?" I asked as I pointed to a photo of a man next to my father. My father was around seven when the photo was taken. The photo was wrinkly and had many folds on it.

"That's your grandfather." My mother carried me onto her lap as I continued to hold out family album book. "On your father's side of course."

"Where is he now?" I asked. I laid my head on my mother's chest and held the book in front of me as if I was reading a novel.

"He passed away when your father was a young boy." mother untied my left piggy tail as it was starting to get loose. "I remember your father telling me that he was a loving and caring man. He lost his life at sea while travelling to this region called the Unova region." My mother explained. I brought the photo album closer to my face.

"He looks nothing like father mommy." I asked in confusion.

"It because your father's looks were mostly off Grandma Delia." My mother chuckled. She tied my piggy tail back up tightly.

"I wish I got to meet him Mom." I sighed.

"Your father would never let you meet him if he was still alive." My mother spoke in a disappointed manner. I looked up at her.

"What do you mean mommy?" I asked.

"It's complicated honey." She looked down and me and grinned. She opened her eyes and looked down at me. "But what I can tell you is that you don't want to be raised in a world full of problems."

"A world full of problems eh?" I asked. In my hands I held an old photo of mother and fathers journey in the Hoenn region.

In the middle of the photo was Uncle Max, he looked really nerdy and annoying with the expression on his face, added with his glasses. He had a huge smile all over his face and his arms were open wide in the air. On the side was my mother, she had here red T-shirt top with a red bandana wrapped around her brown hair. Underneath her red top was what seemed to be a white mini skirt. She had a smile on her face but not as big as Uncle Max. Then there was Uncle Brock as well. We never got to see him often back home since he was looking after the gym as well as a Pokémon doctor. I admired that he could do two jobs at once. He had a brown vest with orange collar on the side. He had a calm and glad expression over his face. And lastly was my father with Pikachu on top of his red and black cap. He looked so happy back then and his grin was something I never saw from him in a very long time. He wore a blue vest with a black shirt underneath with a light blue hood as well. They all looked so happy that it made me wonder that when I graduate from trainer school if my journey would be as happy and lively as this photo right here.

I was on the bed and nearly all of my clothes were packed up and in the luggage's and were ready as we were about to leave soon. I was on the bed and soon fell onto my back, still looking at the photo. I began to wonder how life was back then and if my father had the same personality he had right now. He looked like he wasn't the type of boy that was interested in girls and my mother looked like she never had any interest in boys either. When my family tells stories of how mother and father fell in love with each other it's really hard to put them together with photos such as theses. My questions faded away from me when I heard a knock on the door. I turned my head to the door and saw my father entering into the room, looking to see if anyone was inside. He soon found me lying on the bed with a photo in my hands.

"Lynlyn?" my father asked. "What are you still doing in here?" he asked.

"Dunno." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Hey I remember that photo." My father took a seat next to me. I soon sat up and handed the photo to my father. "This was back in Hoenn, just a few weeks after Max joined us."

"Hey dad." I asked. My father looked back at me. "Is it fun to travel in a new region by yourself?"

"Of course it is." My father patted me on the head. "But it's more fun with friends."

"I see." I looked back at the photo. "At first, did you ever wanted to travel with your friends?" I looked up at him.

"Well at first, I didn't but that changed over time." He handed the photo back to me. He soon lied on the bed with his arms under his head, acting like a pillow. "I had so much fun over the years. I met so many new people, made so many friends, caught heaps of Pokémon, and made new rivals. I don't regret anything that happened to me in my young years." He looked up to the ceiling.

"Even forgetting your memories dad?" I asked. He didn't reply back at first but soon replied.

"Yeah." He took a breath before adding. "Back then I was so upset that I forget nearly everything about myself but if that never happened I would never travel with your mother back in Johto or find new things about my background." He sat up and patted me on my shoulder. "Bad things happen to us for a reason. At first we would question ourselves why these bad things are happening to us but later on the track you will find out why and say you don't regret any of it."

"I don't see anything non-regretful about mother's death." I spoke softly.

"Everything except that Ashlyn." He stood up from the bed and slipped his hands into his pockets. "I couldn't save her, that's something I have to deal with the rest of my life." My father sighed. "If only…I knew that she was missing earlier then…you guys would still have a mother right now." I slipped the photo into my green fanny pack and embraced my father from behind.

"At least me and Maykel didn't lose you either dad." I stopped our embraced and father turned around and kneeled down to my height.

"I'm just glad I have you both with me. I don't think I would be able to wake up every day without you two." He smiled softly at me. I put my hands on his cheeks and lifted his smile higher.

"Smile like this next time, okay?" I told him in a cheeky manner. "You look so old when you smile like that." My father burst into laughter right after. I laughed right after him as well.

"Alright I will." My father replied. "Just remind me next time okay?" he smiled.

"Sure thing dad!" I cheered.

End of Chapter Seven