Hello! Gosh, already at Chapter 11, hm? How times flies, I still see myself posting the first version of Chapter 1. Still, I have plenty ideas, so let's move onto the story.
I did my best to reread and check for spellings mistakes, but I'm nowhere near perfect. So if something really irks you, let me know.
Little warning, right of the bat, there's bound to be some swearing. I… have my own take on every character I've seen in Pokémon so far and I can't imagine anyone with a special ability of some sorts be calm all the time. Small apology for the flu-induced hiatus, but well... Here I am again!
Enjoy~
"I'm pleased to see that this human rumour was true, friend." Mewtwo said as it had appeared next to the boy's bed, just like usual.
"… Rumour?"
"The bedtime story. You're completely relaxed, Ash, it's amazing. I will endeavour to find more."
The teen didn't have the heart to tell the Pokémon what a horrible morning he actually had today, as he had really liked the story. Maybe, if he ever got the chance, he would tell Lance about it. Might make the man's day a little better.
And really, the young trainer was bewildered to notice that the powerful Psychic-type Pokémon had no idea of what actually occurred. In the past, when it had taken the form of Finley and became his teacher, Mewtwo had always read his mind to see whether he was indeed feeling okay. And while the being had been able to tell he was calm, his psychic friend hadn't looked further into it.
"You asked me to be calm, so… here I am!" Ash said happily, dismissing the ridiculous idea, figuring it was him just overthinking things again. "What are we going to be doing today?"
"I will take advantage of your positivity and make another attempt to learn you the meditating."
"Aww, really?"
"Please understand, friend, once you know how to calm yourself, you can train by yourself."
"Wait… What? I thought no one was supposed to see me doing anything Aura related?"
The Pokémon sighed and shook his head.
"What you need to understand, Ash, is that you cannot attack anyone."
"Yeah, right. Watch me throw an Aura Sphere at anyone who's threatening me."
"That would electrocute this person until life has left them. I would advise you to only throw any Aura phenomenon at things that weren't even alive, to begin with."
"… Oh…"
"Allow me to explain, friend." Mewtwo said patiently. "Can I sit next to you?"
"Sure!" the teen said, scooting over. "Soooo… I can kill someone, huh?"
"Everyone and anything can. I have met an unfortunate soul of which a relative ran out of breath in the middle of a pile made up of the substance you humans call glitter. At the same time, I have seen very young children play with it, unharmed by the slightest."
"Yeah well, we drink water on a daily basis and still so many people…"
Ash trailed off but Mewtwo nodded, happy that the boy understood.
"Believe me when I say that deadly attacks are the easiest to teach, for it does not use any human aspect except muscles, which are the easiest to train."
"Easy?"
"Training your mind to do specific things is hard enough for humans, who have too much brain and use so little of it. It is thanks to Mew and its healing which changed you so greatly that I am even willing to try and teach you. And besides, you are young and very willing to learn."
"Oh yeah, I've actually read a book, you know?"
"… Congratulations." The Pokémon said simply. "Allow me to express one of my worries in the hopes of getting you a little more invested in this training. For you seem to forget your biggest enemy, are the Aura Users themselves."
"… Well yeah, they're trained and… Ah, right, I make them stronger…"
"Indeed. And yes, their training puts you at a disadvantage as well."
"Is there really nothing I can do against it? Like, can't I turn off that effect?"
"We can try closing off your Aura again, but I would like to hope that you notice how well that turned out for you, friend. Besides, there is no use in worrying over people who, nine out of ten times, will not even bother with you. And if they notice you are a Source, expect sudden friendships from them, for they too will realise you are not affiliated with any group for a good reason."
"But you know me and my ability to attract trouble, even though I would like nothing more than just… you know?"
"I know. But try to relax, Pokémon will potentially come to your aid and really, I am not quite done training you. In fact, we hardly started so please do not despair right away."
"Yeah but… what you just said is that I'm basically screwed unless I can spot any Aura User and get away from them as soon as possible?"
"That would indeed be the best course of action in your case."
"Then I'm still screwed because running really isn't my forte."
"Keep hope, my friend." Mewtwo said. "For you have a teacher who has made it their speciality in finding cunning ways to escape from meeting people. And it would damage my principle to never physically run from a potential opponent."
Ash chuckled and nodded, knowing he could trust his teacher on that.
"Alright, I will leave myself in your capable hands once more then." He said, grinning.
"Excellent choice. Let's get going."
In one of the many buildings that one would simply describe as a League building, two men were waiting for a phone call… Or rather, any kind of response would be welcome now, considering they had just bypassed Lance in getting some G-men to go investigate their findings. It was already getting late, so any signal was welcome.
"It a shame someone so talented has the social skills of a nugget." Will said, trying to keep the silence from becoming awkward. "How did you get to know this Étienne, though?"
"Brandon knew him before I did." Scott answered, heavily leaning on the desk in front of him. "They went to this bizarre workshop about some sort of outlandish culture knowledge… No idea what it was about, but it was probably something I wouldn't understand for the life of me. So I never even bothered to fully ask what went on."
"Still, of all people, Brandon… I'm surprised Étienne still lives."
"Then you don't know him very well, Will, he has titanium nerves. Nothing can really phase him, with what happened when Anabel joined the Frontier."
"Anabel?"
"Mm, empathic. She was a downright mess but thanks to Brandon's investigating and persistence, has become a very good trainer and now, she's completely able to live normally. Needless to say, if you hurt Brandon, you'll have something coming for you."
"An empath won't be doing much for me." Will said simply. "Though I see no reason why I should ever pose a voluntary dangerous towards anyone in the League. I was merely curious."
"Mm…"
"Could I ever get to meet them?"
"You'll have to go on your own volition. They were… or rather, still are irked by my reaction I had when Ash told everyone to watch out and keep inside at night."
"That was him!? As well?!"
Scott blinked, bewildered by the sudden reaction.
"The Ash who send that message and the one who got attacked and told me of this demon cereal are one and the same, yes."
"… That kid is something else. Where does he live?"
"I can't tell you that, because… well, reasons. And unless you want Mr. Goodshow breathing in your neck, I would stay away from the kid's trainer profile, since there's no real reason why you should be visiting his page at this current moment.
"Well, why not invite him to the League? We're going to need his statement, aren't we?"
"If we ever will be getting a response from those G-men, we probably will, yes."
Before Will could even answer, the phone rang and so, Scott grabbed the receiver as soon as his reaction time allowed.
"Yes?"
"Good evening, sir, I was wondering whether I could request the usage of a room and invite a trainer."
The curly-haired man lowered the receiver with a really bummed expression on his face, as the phone was actually on speaker. And really, it couldn't be clearer that this absolutely wasn't the message either of the men had been expecting.
"Probably, if you actually called the League Administration."
"I did but no one picked up. I patiently waited until I was sent through and then you picked up, sir." The female voice answered, clearly used to dealing with obtuse people.
"Right well, I'll write it in a mail and send it through to the League Administration with priority. Could you please give me your name, the name of the trainer you wish to invite, along with the date and particular room you would like to use and the reason for this request?"
"My name is Professor Burnet and I would like to invite Ash Ketchum tomorrow or the day after in any given room, really. I've been told he was the victim of an accident which fits perfectly in my research, so I figured it might be a good idea to tell him exactly what happened."
Both Scott and Will stared at each other until the younger man couldn't help but look away, as he started laughing.
"… Sir?" the Professor asked.
"Don't worry, Professor Burnet, I've got your message. Can I make you a proposition, though?"
"As long as I get at least five minutes to talk to the boy, I will readily accept anything, sir."
"Alright, in that case, please leave your number, I will call you tomorrow with specificities. Is that okay?"
"Of course, I am currently staying in a hotel in Celadon for the rest of the week, so as long as that is the case, I will be available to you."
That was an admirable attitude, with already told Scott that this was one of the younger Professors. But still, he was glad this call was over and done with because he was expecting a different call.
"Where do I know this Professor Burnet from…?" the older man said, frowning slightly.
"She invented the Dream Radar. You know, the device that doctors found out actually helps get people out of Darkrai nightmares?"
"Fitting." Scott stated dryly but flinched when the telephone actually rang.
And this time, it was the call they had actually been waiting for.
"Ash, my friend, I think it is a good idea to simply practise these two ways of defence for now."
"Eh? Why?"
"Because I might run out of ideas at the rate you are learning."
The boy gave the Pokémon a really confused look, but Mewtwo understood. In fact, it was pleased with the progress Ash was making and while he wasn't the greatest at meditating, the kid made up for it with gusto. Initially, seeing that the boy was bored to death with the task of merely concentrating on nothing, the being had figured it would allow to show the teen how to make a protective shield.
Aura Users had this particular habit of giving their attacks names, but the forms of defence usually remained nameless. Mewtwo would not lower itself to human standards and so, it merely gave the boy a mental projection of how to create a shield by using Aura.
And while it was impressive that Ash actually managed to perform it, the Pokémon felt a little concerned that he could call it up as easily as that. Oh yes, Arceus would be proud of his Chosen One, but somehow, Mewtwo figured that it might have underestimated how much Aura the boy had at his disposal.
But then, as the Psychic being had been so pleased that its student was doing so well, it had figured another lesson would not hurt. Showing yet another mental projection of a defensive, or rather, evasive use of Aura, Mewtwo expected the young trainer to react the same way as he previously had done with the shield…
But no, it wasn't an exact copy this time. If Ash's eyes didn't have that particular blue glow in them, the Pokémon might have thought the teen was using something else to trace just how many Pokémon there were on this island. Mewtwo couldn't care any less about knowing that, but it was a good exercise nonetheless.
Yet none of the other Pokémon were detecting anything -they were incredibly sensitive to Aura, even more to Aura Sources- as they would have undoubtedly come over for a sniff or even a cuddle. That too was something Mewtwo had wanted Ash to have experienced, however, it seems like the boy had been sufficiently spooked by the idea of getting tracked with his own Aura… and so it made itself undetectable.
"… What do you mean, only these two or you'll run out?"
"You're very apt at using Aura, Ash, to the point where I fear I might not even be good enough to be your teacher right now."
"… Okay?"
"Don't get me wrong, I hate to admit you're better at something than I am. So I will be sure to correct that and find plenty of sneaky exercises for you, which I know you will be able to use."
"And that ability? Influencing those machines?"
"Do you not have machines at home to try it out on, friend? And it is actually metal based, so not just machines."
"Mm…"
Mewtwo would have raised an eyebrow if it had one at this particular shift in mood. It could almost taste the boy's disappointment.
"I made a promise, Ash, so there's no reason why you should be getting so upset. I will fulfil it, even if I have to search every Aura idiot on this earths plane."
That at least got a giggle from the teen.
"And I'm going to be stuck with the meditating, aren't I?"
"It's the only thing so far you're not good at, so yes."
"I never was one to be sitting still, you know." Ash said.
"Do I ever? But you're never too old to learn, Ash. Why are you so averse to the fact you can sit down and just… take a deep breath and relax?"
"… I'm not against it but… adventure! I wanna go somewhere, you know? Outside!" Ash said, making a wild gesture with his arms, which Mewtwo barely dodged.
'Your Spirit Pokémon would highly likely be a Mankey, friend.' The being though, rather impressed with the endless energy the teen displayed.
"Could I possibly make your suffering a little less when I tell you there is a chance you would be able to feel your own Aura whilst meditating?"
"Really?"
"Yes, the more you try, the larger the chance of it happening."
"… It's one of your ploys, isn't it?"
"Maybe so. Or maybe I want you to understand why I feel a little powerless against you."
"Oh." Ash said simply, the implication only getting to him now.
"Don't worry, we will be okay. I shall talk to you in two days, then." Mewtwo stated.
"Oh, good, that gives me time to rest up for the Blood Moon event."
"Indeed so. Can I still ask you to train up the exercises I showed you as well?"
"Sure, I can do that. Any reason why?"
"You will find you might experience pain or discomfort if you do not use your Aura regularly. If that is not the case then it might only give you the experience of using that way of defence a bit more easily."
"Will I be able to feel that with me being sedated by medications and all that?"
"Oh, yes."
"Right, I'll be prepared, then."
"That might be for the best. I will take my leave now. Sweet dreams, friends."
"Goodnight, Mewtwo."
Ash had slept like the dead and barely noticed that his mom had come into his bedroom. He only woke up because she opened the curtains.
"Mom…?"
"It's half past nine, sweetie, time to get up."
The teen groaned but pushed his blankets off him, straight over Gliscor, who shot up in surprise. The Pokémon was clearly confused but was doing a very good impression of a very confused ghost underneath that blanket, probably without knowing he was doing it. Ash chuckled before he freed his friend from the sheets.
"Morning, Gliscor."
"Scor!" the Pokémon said happily.
"I've made some pancakes for breakfast, sweetie."
"Nice! I'll hurry up, then!"
And that the boy did, already glad that he was able to still be a little independent. Alright, so maybe he would need one of those weekly pillboxes the nurses used so that he wouldn't forget his medicine, but otherwise, Ash was super happy he could still wash and dress himself. Who knew how it would have ended if the Mew hadn't arrived as soon as it did, huh?
Still, he had a feeling he would have a busy day today and figured he would have to save his energy if he would ever make it to even wake up at one in the morning. But, when Ash came out of the shower, he couldn't help but feel as if he was coming down with the flu or some other harmless but sleep-inducing illness.
Feeling extremely comfortably numb, the teen went to grab one of his fuzzy sweaters and wore that instead of the T-shirt he had been planning on wearing. He didn't know where the sudden feeling to be cosy came from, but it seemed to be going to be today's general mood. Ash ended up taking his sweet time in getting down the stairs, which seemed to alert Delia that something was up.
"Sweetie? Are you okay?" she asked, appearing from the kitchen door.
"Mm, I'm fine. Just not feeling up to much today." He sighed, incredibly happy to have reached the last step of the stairs.
"Ah well, Dr. Martin did say you might experience 'off' days, so maybe… But how are you feeling?"
"Fluffy… Just… you know…"
The woman knew alright, already turning to get the thermometer. For all she knew, Ash was having a fever, which meant she would have to take him to hospital again. But the teen didn't seem to mind anything, not even waiting for his breakfast, making Delia worry he wasn't even hungry. Something must be really wrong if that wasn't the case.
"Here we are, put it under your armpit for me." She said, hurrying towards him with the small device, fully ready to read his temperature."
"Mm-hm…"
Ash seemed to be completely ready to plainly fall asleep on the table again if only Gliscor wasn't keeping him awake. The thermometer beeped pretty quick as well, but it displayed a completely normal body temperature."
"Huh…" Delia said. "Alright, then it's probably an off day for you."
"Mm. I think I can still make it to Professor Oak, though."
"That would be a good idea. I'm pretty sure he was still going to shove that Delta Pokémon under your nose even after that panic attack, so please go see it before he takes drastic measures." she said, knowing some fresh air would do her son some good.
"It's probably going to be relocated soon, so hence why he's probably so adamant in making me go see it as soon as possible." Ash answered simply. "Can I have two pancakes, please?"
"Of course, sweetheart!"
Still, no matter what that thermometer said or how cute her son acted, Delia's mother instinct told her something was wrong and kept a good eye on him even as he made his way over to put on his shoes and got ready to leave. Professor Oak would probably also notice it, so Ash would be watched there too but that did little to ease her worries since the man could be an airhead. Her son's Pokémon -except Pikachu, of course- were recalled in their Pokéball straight after breakfast, as per usual so…
"I'll be off now, mom."
"Be safe, dear. And call me if something's wrong, okay?"
"Will do." He said, not even bothering to raise his voice because she was right behind him anyway.
She even opened the door for him, which earned her a small smile and so, Ash was off, to go and relieve Professor Oak from whatever he wanted to tell him.
As soon as the teen had crossed the street, he couldn't help but notice the bright yellow Pokémon in the shrubbery. It stopped slithering away from the laboratory when it noticed the boy, and instead, came towards him.
"Oooh~ You're the Dratini, aren't you? Does Professor Oak know you're outside?"
But the poor Pokémon let out a mechanical sounding whine and shivered.
'Part steel, alright.' Ash thought, gently scooping up the unusually coloured Dratini. 'They're pretty much always cold…'
Good thing he was wearing the sweater, because the Delta being happily snuggled against him, appreciating the soft material just as much as he did. Now, it did mean that it was very close to Pikachu, who had perched on its usual spot on Ash's shoulder, but it seemed like neither Pokémon were averse to each other. Which was good, considering the teen was way to close in case either of them attacked.
Now that he had the little Pokémon with him -which was surprisingly heavy for how small it was-, it might be good to get to Professor Oak as soon as he could. The fresh air had made him feel a little better so he wasn't as slow as before. And really, it was clear that the Dratini had just straight up escaped, so much so that Ash didn't even need to ask. All anyone needed to notice were a pair of working ears.
"This is the second time- Don't you dare interrupt me!"
That was unmistakably Professor Oak, who sounded upset. And judging from what Ash was hearing, it probably had been Tracey and Gary who had been a little too lenient in their watch over the Pokémon last night. But that also meant that the Delta Pokémon had been outside for the whole night already.
"No wonder you were shivering like that." Ash said motherly and held the yellow Dratini close.
It purred as thanks to the gentle treatment and the boy couldn't help but feel bad for it. Heaven help the one who was responsible for this too, because it was clear Professor Oak was incredibly bothered. So much even, that he didn't stop his rant to open the door. Thankfully, Tracey was there and boy, did the teen look relieved to see him and the Pokémon.
"Ooooh~ Bless you, Ash, the Professor is going to be so happy."
"I hope so. This kind of stress is bad for his heart."
The brunette chuckled, even though he still looked a little stressed. As soon as Ash entered the laboratory, Tracey called out for the upset man.
"Professor, Ash is here and he's found the Dratini."
"Ash, my boy!" Professor Oak said happily, making a 180° turn in mood and direction pretty fast. "Good of you to have found Dratini, is she okay?"
"Warm and purring, curtesy of my sweater." The teen answered, feeling a little sorry for the young man in the back.
It was probably a trainee, hoping to become a researcher one day. But chances of this person staying here in this laboratory were dwindling into single digits. Right now, the young man was doing a very good impression of a deflating balloon, trying to take up as little space as possible.
"I'm glad you two get along. Dratini seems to have quite the attitude when something doesn't go her way, so I'm pleased that nothing happened… Or did something happen?"
"No, Professor, I'm just a little tired. I just found Dratini under the bushes, not too far away from here. In fact, if you didn't waste time shouting, you might have found her."
"Ash, don't start that on me. You shouldn't leave the door open when you're cleaning."
"Then don't let a trainee clean the Pokémon's room, especially when you suspect it to be hostile and prone to harming people." The teen said calmly, though he couldn't understand why anyone would believe the Dratini to be a danger.
Well, unless it was anyone who saw the Pokémon fry Pallet's electric network, of course.
"How will they learn otherwise?"
"He's certainly learning to have thick skin now."
The man stared at the boy and sighed.
"Dan, go back to the quarantine area and start your usual routine, please."
"Y-yes, Professor Oak."
The young man quickly moved out of the way and disappeared in one of the doorway's the Professor had never allowed Ash to go through. That being said, if it was the way to the quarantine zone, the teen was glad to never have gone in there.
"You're not going to be able to save all the trainee's that make mistakes, Ash."
"Someone once told me that you learn more from your mistakes than from succeeding. How do you think I became a little smarter over time?"
"Oh, Ash, my boy." The man sighed but smiled. "You probably have a point, but I'm under a little too much stress these days."
"… Can I relieve some of your curiosity resulting in stress if we go over the results of my League test?"
"Certainly so, I've been burning up to know what they make of you, my boy. Let's go."
Ash just had to smile as Professor Oak shuffled off. No one would be able to convince him that women were the only ones prone to mood swings, though.
"Here we go, I put the envelope next to Orre's gift, so I wouldn't be able to lose either one. A shame that Professor Ivy hasn't returned yet, I would have loved to have seen her face when she noticed you were holding Dratini like this."
"I can hold her a little longer if that would help?"
"I think a picture would be better, my boy. I fear Professor Ivy severely underestimated how strong Pallet's Pumpkin Ale actually is."
"… She got herself drunk?"
"Unintentionally, I'm sure. After all, it was one glass and she dropped to the ground like a brick."
"… Should I go check on her after this?"
"Better not, my boy. I… She is asleep in the guest bedroom and frankly… when Gary went to bring her some breakfast, he was instantly sent out of the room, followed by a rather creative string of curses. So it's best you stay here."
"Oh…"
"Don't fret, my boy and don't let her own choices ruin your day. Here, sit down and open your results." The man said hastily, pushing the envelope towards the boy.
"Let me put Dratini a little more comfortable first." Ash said and already lowered the Pokémon before he even sat down.
The Delta being whined a little, but not for long, as the teen's sweater was long enough to make sure there was plenty of fabric left for her to curl up under. And that was exactly what she did.
"There we go." The boy sighed and took the still outstretched envelope. "Oh, nice, they're letting me carry more Pokémon with me if I need to." He added when he got the first look at the letter from it.
"… What?"
"We hereby grant Ash Ketchum the feature to add up Pokémon to his team until the grand total of ten is reached." Ash read. "Wanna bet it's got something to do with my medical afflictions?"
"A-Ash, my boy, I doubt that anyone in the League can look into your medical file. Not even Mr. Goodshow will be even to do that, even if he says 'pretty please' to your doctor."
"Oh, so then I miraculously scored so well they let me do this?"
"Yes, my boy, you weren't wrong when you said you learned from your mistakes. Can I see your results?"
"Sure."
The boy handed the letter over to the Professor, who quickly took it and gingerly read it.
"I'm so proud of you, my boy."
"Yeah, but it wasn't as if those questions were hard. And they were so focused on my disability that's not really bringing me down as much as they think, that even the physical test was a joke."
"Don't sell yourself short, Ash, even if you don't have the knowledge, you clearly make up for it in instinct."
"Oooh, I've got plenty of that." The teen grinned.
"See, that's more than enough to be a-"
The phone started ringing, rudely interrupting the Professor, who answered the call more than a bit moody.
"Yes? Yes, this is Professor Oak… Yes, he's here." The man said, glancing at the boy, who tilted his head to the side slightly. "I'll ask him." He added and held the receiver against his chest. "Ash, do you have time to go to the Indigo League today?"
"Euhm… Yeah, if I leave after lunch, that should work. Why?"
"Scott's on the phone. He wants to talk to you. Personally."
"Why doesn't he call my transceiver?"
"He has, but he called here when you weren't picking up." The Professor said. "Can I tell him you'll be coming?"
"Yeah, I'll go by bus, because I'm not feeling up too much, so… Around two-ish?"
"Alright."
As Professor Oak told Scott about the boy's decision, Ash frowned and felt his pockets. He sighed when he remembered that his transceiver was still on his desk. It was probably thanks to his tiredness that he forgot to take it with him and made a mental note to go get if before he left to the League.
"So, that's that." The man sighed as he laid the receiver back on its usual spot. "I was going to tell you that having a good instinct was more than enough for any trainer, seeing as that's much better than being senseless… but well, thanks to this call, it hardly feels right, saying that now with this interruption."
"It's okay, I appreciate it anyway." Ash grinned.
"Rightly so. Here, open the gift Orre send you."
"Ah, I keep forgetting about that. Let's just…"
Ash really didn't understand why anyone in Orre would go as far as to search for a gift for anyone and he doubted that anyone there knew who he was, not to mention how old he was… So the chance of him not liking what they had sent was pretty big, yet the boy got faced with a blast from the past.
"Hey… I used to have marbles like that. Do you remember them, Professor?"
"I do, my boy, but I hardly think that is a marble. Why would there be such a chain attached to it and a strange trinket with a flat but very similar marble like medallion along with it too?"
"It's a bracelet." Ash said, holding the detailed object up for the man to see. "It's too big for my wrist, though."
"I… think it's a necklace, Ash. And they were probably notified that you were a teen because they made it so that you could make it larger."
"Wish they would've made it smaller. I'm not too keen on necklaces. They're usually hanging in my way and keep getting caught up in things."
"It's a choker, my boy."
"… They're trying to kill me?"
The Professor blinked, but then smiled warmly at the naïve response.
"No, Ash, it used to be a fashion statement a while ago but somehow it's making its return to fashion yet again. Let me demonstrate, so you can notice that it really won't be in your way."
The teen was already dubious about it, but let the man do his thing. He was already pleased that this choker thing didn't feel like ice when it touched his skin, but as he felt where the Professor was putting it, Ash realised that it would indeed be difficult to get anything stuck in it.
At the same time, Professor Oak was amazed at the simple but incredibly sturdy lock that snapped into place. He was super lucky his fingers didn't get caught in it, because judging from the sound the lock made, it seemed very unforgiving for soft material like, for example, skin.
"Well, that's not going anywhere anytime soon." He said, walking back in front of the boy. "You might have to ask for help if you're planning to put it on or off."
"Eh, I'll make do. How does it look, though? I once wore one like these but it made my head look detached from the rest of me…"
"No, my boy, it's chainmail, which allows some colour to come through from behind it. It's very nicely made, I don't think it will be easy to break at all."
"Oh, perfect! Now all I need to know what it is before people start thinking I'm actually into fashion and will have to disappoint them by saying I really don't care."
"I have a faint suspicion it's a Mega Stone, but it's really not my field of research."
"And this? What's this then?" Ash asked, pointing at the necklace.
"Well, as I said, I'm not an expert, but from what I know, Mega Evolution needs both a Mega Stone and an activator."
"Wait… So this is a Mega choker?"
"Yes, probably."
"… That sounds so wrong on so many levels."
The Professor chuckled and shook his head.
"It still is a valuable gift, Ash. Besides, I assume you'll want to go travelling soon, so why not take it with you to see Professor Sycamore and identify what Pokémon this Mega Stone is for?"
"Will do, but not this month. Or rather, not this year." The teen said and quickly continued as the Professor frowned. "You see, I need to go see my doctor in the second week of January, who'll give me the final verdict whether I'm good enough to go travelling."
"Aah, I see."
"Though I wasn't going to leave anyway, I want to celebrate Christmas and New Year in Pallet. It's been three years that I've let mom on her own after all."
"Good choice, my boy." The man said. "Come on, let's go put Dratini back in her room, so you can go tell your mom you'll be gone in the afternoon."
"Okay!"
Ash gingerly followed the man, having put the Mega Stone with the chain in his right pocket and had awkwardly stuffed the letter in the pocket at the back of his jeans. It was probably sticking out but he would put it away decently later.
Now, this was the first time that the boy actually saw the room where Tracey had bothered Dratini and man, it did look like something really bad had happened here. Ash even felt a little bad for the bend metal panes by the sides, sighing as he ran a hand over them.
Then again, Mewtwo had said his ability was not just mechanical manipulation, right? And that he could train it on his own? The teen turned to see if someone was watching him and as soon as he found that this part of the laboratory was empty, safe for Professor Oak, who was coddling the Delta Pokémon in the special heat-regulated room, he focused.
'Come on, panes. Work with me.' The boy thought, concentrating pretty hard, having even closed his eyes and sticking out his tongue in the process.
To his delight, everything that had been bend was straightened out by the time he opened his eyes again. Ash needed every bit of self-control not to squeal, that pleased he was with himself. But he knew better than to draw attention to himself right now.
"Well, I better get going if I want to get home in time. Bye, Professor!" he said quickly.
"Ah yes, goodbye, my boy! Do tell me all about your League visit next time!" the man answered, sounding a little muffled as he was still in Dratini's room.
"Will do!"
Now, as the teen went away -somehow feeling a little better all of a sudden-, there was someone who really wasn't looking forward to today. Or tomorrow. Professor Ivy felt as if her head was about three times its normal size and every sound seemed ten times louder, if not more. But she couldn't stay in bed all the time, knowing that it was her own fault for letting people convince her to consume that foul drink.
As such, the Professor shuffled downstairs, keeping a firm hand on the railing. She knew that drinking lots of water would somehow help but considering she was finally getting a little hungry, the woman happily managed to make herself a small sandwich.
Professor Ivy didn't feel like sitting down and so, she sauntered out into the rest of the laboratory. She could clearly hear Professor Oak talking to the Delta Pokémon, so that was her new destination. However, the woman wouldn't help but frown –even if it caused her headache to become a little more prominent- at the incredibly straight and even walls.
"Professor Oak?"
"Yes, Professor Ivy?" the man asked.
"How long was I in bed for?"
"Just this morning, Professor. You just missed Ash but I'm sure he'll be coming back soon enough."
"… I thought the mechanic was coming to replace those metal panes tomorrow, though?"
"… Professor?"
"Samuel, see it for yourself. It's not my hangover, I swear." she sighed.
The man did come out of the room, his face scrunched up in frowns… but his eyes grew wide when he noticed the pristine and straightened walls.
"Good Lord…"
"Are you sure a trainee didn't let the mechanic in or something?"
"No, our appointment was tomorrow and really, one doesn't change a wall without anyone noticing, Professor Ivy. In fact, I was sitting right next to this area, going over Ash's results with him so…" he said, still looking bewildered. "And I'm pretty sure they wouldn't leave without dropping off their bill, either."
"Well… whatever happened, I think it's best you cancel that appointment, seeing as it fixed."
"Yes, yes." Professor Oak nodded. "Bless the one who did this, heaven knows I cannot afford to invest any more money these days…"
At home, Ash sneezed.
"Goodness, sweetie, you really are coming down with something, aren't you?"
"No, mom, I'm fine. I think people were talking behind my back. And with my League results out in the open, I don't have to think long about who might be doing the talking."
"… You're not just saying that to go to the League today, aren't you? Because if you are sick, young man, you're staying at home."
"Mom, I'm not sick, I swear."
"Hm, alright." Delia said but managed to look suspicious nonetheless. "Any other plans, today?"
"No, I don't think I will have time or energy for anything else. Besides, it's the Blood Moon today!" Ash answered happily, nestling himself behind the table where his puzzle was placed.
It was nearing completion so he felt compelled to finish it and then he would send Morty a picture, preferable with his smug face reflected in something so the man would see how chuffed the teen actually was.
"Let's hope they won't keep you in the League for long, then. Did you already set your alarm?"
"I think I did, yes. But I'll be checking it again before I go to sleep."
"Alright."
A comfortable silence fell but as the boy was busy with his puzzle, his mind couldn't help wandering off again. Ash knew his mother was bothered that he was going away so often, even though she didn't mind him travelling. He supposed that knowing he wasn't feeling well and still get called away to an appointment he couldn't miss was his mom's limit.
'Might be time to drop a not-so-subtle hint that I'm best off at home. Scott will understand.' Ash thought, successfully placing the right puzzle piece in its designated spot.
Today was one of those days the teen wanted to stay at home as well, and he would only end up more tired and irritated. No, might be good to tell everyone willing to listen that this needed to stop if they wanted him to be okay soon.
Ash's brilliant idea of taking his slime with him on the bus actually payed off, since he felt the need to squeeze something really soon. He wished he had taken his crutches as well, if only it made people a little more gallant in like, not pushing him forward if he didn't walk fast enough. Alright, it only took one look at his face before they started apologising but honestly…
The boy was already happy to have something to poke throughout the journey towards the Indigo League. His mood hadn't been the greatest before getting on the slightly damp smelling bus, but having just felt a small source of Aura in another person on the vehicle had just… obliterated whatever happy thoughts he had left.
Yeah, Mewtwo's speech about those other Aura Users made him feel more on edge than he wanted to admit and it was really getting to him. Ash was starting to feel even more miserable than before as it started raining, causing the bus to smell even worse. If his slime didn't smell as bad as it did, he might just have been keeping that close to his face but that wasn't an option, with it smelling extremely like glue.
The only thing that was keeping the teen at bay during the long ride towards the League building was Pikachu, who was doing his best in being cute and huggable. Oh, and the Pokémon was really good at giving people poisonous looks whenever they shoved his trainer or complained when they found the boy in the handicap seat.
"Man, am I ever so glad to be out of that thing!" Ash bristled annoyed, trying to get his umbrella out of his backpack before he was completely soaked.
"Pikachu, Pikapi." The Pokémon said, purring as he pressed his cheek against his trainer's cheek.
It made the teen a little calmer, but thanks to his mysterious tiredness, his irritation was very much present still.
"I just don't get it, Pikachu, it's not as if I got a tattoo with 'HANDICAP' on my forehead. I really hate being judged like that, next time I'm pushing this card up their-"
"Pika!"
"Yeah, yeah, as if it's fun for me, huh? My head hurts, everything inside me is screaming to go to bed and this shitty weather isn't helping my leg feeling better at all! In fact, in a little bit, they'll see me limping alright."
"Pikachu, Pichu pika… Pikapi…"
"I'm gonna keep complaining until I'm inside, Pikachu, there's no amount of Pika's that can change that." The teen grumbled and yes, his Pokémon noticed all too well that his trainer was limping.
Pikachu would never understand why people were so greatly affected by changes in the weather, but he knew his trainer was acting weird. Well, weirder, at any rate. The best course of action now was to keep silent and divert his attention if anything went south.
The Pokémon couldn't possibly have known that the situation would go south so badly, it eventually went up north, though. And it completely wasn't Ash's fault either, as he had been busy getting some of the rain off his umbrella before closing it when suddenly a man grabbed him from behind.
"NOBODY MOVES OR THE KID GETS IT!" he screamed, pulling the teen inside fully and holding something metal against his cheek and…
The boy's stress level shoots up, noticing all too well what was happening, but everything inside him was opposing to it. So his instincts took over in the only way they knew and Ash... lets it happen.
( … to be continued…)
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