Alright, guys, lucky chapter number 13! Are you guys ready?
I got a bit of flack for the last chapter, most people not enjoying the filler that much. I figured that it would have been nice to get a more in-depth backstory to the 3 years Ash spent away, it was barely skated over. Plus, I wanted to get at least a few things set up for the future. So, sorry you didn't really enjoy the last chapter, but here's to hoping this one is more to your guys' liking!
Now, without further adieu (because at this point, I bet you've all had enough 'adieu'), let's get this started.
The three figures situated in the house had their mouths agape as they stared at the doorway. Everyone seemed to freeze, from Ash to Glaceon, they all just looked at the door, and the figure who stood just outside of it.
"I'm dead" Ash groaned inwardly. Had he not just been talking about how he was going to continue under his alias of 'Aaron Satoshi' just so that he wouldn't get the boot from the tournament, so he could save Mew. And of course, who better to find him soon following, than one of the highest members of the council behind organizing the whole thing? "I'm so dead, even dead people would be amazed at how dead I am. Dead!"
The one thing he couldn't figure, why was Scott acting like this was such a common occurrence. As bruised and battered as he was, and for how long it had been, he recognized him immediately and gave him a quick, cool greeting. Ash was beyond confused.
"S-Scott?" Ash stuttered.
Scott flashed a grin. "The one and only, Ketchum, how's it hanging?"
May looked at Scott in surprise. "But, how did you-?"
"-Know Ketchum was here?" Scott asked. "Come on. I know all, I see all. I-"
"Am Oz, the great and terrible?" Brock finished to the amusement of several in the room, Scott included.
"Ah, I thought that line sounded a bit familiar" Scott chuckled.
Ash looked around confusedly, not getting what reference had been made himself, but smiled lightly at the enjoyment the others had gotten from it. Of course, it quickly died as the ominous air to the atmosphere retook its hold. They still had no idea…
"Why are you here, Scott?" Ash asked lowly. He didn't mean to come out with such a depressed tone, but a combination of pain, stress, and fear didn't give him many options.
Glancing into the room, towards Brock, a silent question was asked. Brock nodded, and Scott stepped inside, following May back into the living room. He came to a stop a few feet away from the couch Ash was occupying. "Well, I came to offer my thanks, of course" he said simply. "And the thanks of a few others besides."
For how confused Ash had been before, it only grew as he was fed information. "Your thanks?" he asked.
"Yeah, for saving the island and everyone here from catastrophe" Scott said with an obvious tone. When he saw Ash's shocked face, he raised his eyebrows. "What, you didn't think we'd want to thank you for that?"
"I didn't think you'd even know I was here, or that it was me that was out there" Ash said, shocked. "How did you even…"
Scott gave a grin, but it wasn't his usual 'cool' grin, it was more of a sympathetic one. "Well, you see here, that's the thing" he said. "The tournament had prerequisites for entering, you know? A certain achievement, logged in your Pokedex. Imagine my surprise when the achievements listed under a new trainer I had yet to hear of, Aaron Satoshi, not only listed you as a conquerer of the Battle Frontier, but all of your others were in direct correlation with an old trainer, real hot stuff, that I used to know. Went by the name, Ash Ketchum."
May looked at Scott incredulously. "You knew he was Ash?!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us?!"
Scott raised his eyebrows above his glasses. "Well, a couple reasons for that" Scott said. "For one, I don't have contact information for any of you. May, I may have invited you here myself, but I didn't know where you were. Besides, it was but a hunch. After all, only a fraction of the trainers her can claim to have beaten Brandon."
"So what made it go from hunch to fact?" Ash questioned.
"Well, what kind of resort would this be without some form of security?" Scott pointed out. "You revealed yourself in your battle with that Articuno." Another grin, what was with those? "I must say, even better a battle than against Noland and his own. Quit intense, I wish that we could release that on tape. But, something tells me that that's not in the best interest of you or them."
Ash frowned and shook his head. "Yeah, it really wouldn't be" he muttered.
Scott nodded. "I figured as much. So, Ash, I am quite curious. What does a guy like you need with a false name and a cloaked face?"
The other three in the room visibly tensed at this question. This was it, the moment of truth. Brock and May glanced worriedly at Ash while he took a shaky breath. "Um… Well… You see…" Ash couldn't believe it. It had been so long since he had been confronted in this fashion that he was drawing a complete blank.
He half wanted to conjure a bone and whack himself over the head with it to see if that would get his mind working properly, but he knew better than to do that. After all, in his current state, he would probably just knock himself out.
"I had to be dead to help the world" Ash managed to squeeze out lamely. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how dumb they sounded, and how little he managed to actually explain.
Mentally facepalming at Scott's further confused expression, he tried again. "Well, there was a Legendary Pokemon that said I needed to help him, and I had so much to do, I had to leave in order to take care of it all." It wasn't an outright lie, and he managed to keep a lot of the more sensitive details private.
Scott's eyebrows raised above his glasses once more. "Kind of a tall tale, wouldn't you say?" he chuckled. "All the same, that doesn't sound too far out from you."
"Wait, what?" Ash asked.
"I mean, come on, you don't think I know your hand with the Legendary Pokemon?" Scott asked. "I know at least about the battle with Kyogre and Groudon."
"You did?" Brock asked, shocked as the rest of them. "But how?"
"Lance" Scott said simply.
It was no surprise, as connected as Scott was, that he knew the Champion of the joint-Kanto-Johto Elite 4. Lance, of course, had been present at the fiasco with Kyogre and Groudon back in Hoenn, being one of the frontline fighters besides the four of them. However, Ash hadn't expected for Lance to disclose something like that, even to Scott himself. Ash's brow furrowed. Lance had been there on a mission for the Pokemon G-Men, after all.
"Lance mentioned he had seen you on the battlefield there when I asked him if he knew you" Scott continued. "He had been quite impressed with the level you acted at, because after all, trying to break up a battle between two gods isn't necessarily an easy task."
Lance seemed to have left out a few details, much more believable, then.
"I see…" Ash said. He let out a sigh. He assumed that the time for pleasantries was over. "So, what's it going to be?"
"What's what gonna be?" Scott asked.
"You're running the tournament, and I'm here under a false identity" Ash said. "How bad is it?"
Scott visibly started. "Really?" he asked. "You're worried about being here under a false identity?"
Ash was shocked when Scott began visibly laughing. "Oh, come now, Ash, you didn't think being under an assumed name actually meant anything, did you?" he asked. "Come on, there's a professor from Alola here under the name of Masked Royal. At least a hundred people on the island, myself included, know who he is. It's not a biggie."
"But-" Ash began, but Scott beat him to it.
"I know, it must have felt a lot more severe, considering you're assumed to be dead and all" Scott said dismissively "But honestly, it's no big fuss. As long as you didn't fake your credentials, we'll let anyone under any name in." He flashed another grin. "And I know for a fact that your credentials are solid. You beat Brandon right before my eyes, after all."
Ash's mouth moved, but sound failed to emerge. He didn't know whether to think that Arceus had forsaken him or tried to save him anymore. One moment, he sees numbered days for Mew and all the Pokemon he guarded. Now, it was as if those worries were all for naught. How could that be?
"And since we've got everything cleared up, if you wanted to, I could pull a couple strings" Scott said. "If you so desired, you could go on under your real name, from here on out. You ready to make an official debut back on the scene?"
Ash blinked, and shook his head to clear his thoughts. "No more Aaron Satoshi? Just… Ash Ketchum?" It had been so long since he said those words. They almost felt foreign in his mouth now. He frowned. That wasn't a good sign.
Scott nodded. "I take it that I've piqued your interest?"
Ash could hardly comprehend it. Could it be, that after all this time sliding through the shadows, he could come back out. Not have to worry about stealth, to be known by the public.
Almost immediately, his mind rejected the idea. He wasn't one for popularity. It would have come with the territory of his dream, but it had never been real in his eyes. This was different. If he came back out, everyone would know about him. Scott already said that he was here on behalf of others besides himself too. If word got out that Aaron turned out to be the thought-to-be-dead Ash…
But on the other hand, it would be nice to live a less stressful life. Maybe Scott could get those others to keep quiet, and he could emerge as quietly as possible, not letting his past follow him, and hopefully, severing ties with the trainer that had helped save the island, Aaron Satoshi.
But before he could arrive at a conclusion, the answer he felt the most comfortable with, May suddenly spoke up. "Wait, Ash" she said.
"Huh?" Ash asked, glancing at May, confused.
Squeezing his hand with hers, May turned to Scott. "On the announcement last night, they said something about added safety precautions, right? One of them was that no one could come or go from the island until the tournament was all said and done, right?"
"Yes, that's correct" Scott said.
Receiving the information, May took a deep breath, and looked at Ash, deep in the eyes. "Ash… As much as I hate to say it… You'd probably be better going on for the rest of the tournament as Aaron."
"Why's that, May?" Ash asked. He didn't reject the idea, but he wanted to know why May thought it so strongly.
May sighed. "Ash, there's someone that's going to be watching the tournament, and to see you here, under your name and everything, but unable to reach you for almost another month, it would kill her."
"Her…" Ash said, eyes widening as he realized who May was talking about. "Mom…"
May nodded, patting him on the shoulder, careful to avoid any wounded areas. "As cruel as it sounds to sneak around more and not let her know that you're alive, I think that it would be even worse if she learned, and then realized that she couldn't come here." She sighed. "Delia, she's strong, but it would be very hard on her. I think we should wait, and then you can come home, and we'll try to break the news lightly."
Brock interjected. "Do you really think that there's any way to do this lightly?"
"Maybe slightly lighter" May admitted. "Like mixing a drop of white paint into a bucket of black paint."
"Very slightly" Scott chuckled at the analogy. "I must say, that's very sound advice, Ms. Maple. Ash, what do you say?"
Ash let out a breath he had been subconsciously holding. "I… I think that May's right. It would be really confusing for everyone if I came back as Ash Ketchum now, I think it's best I keep my alias, even just for a little while, until things are all said and done."
Scott nodded. "Well, I can certainly respect that." Stepping forward, he held his hand out. "Well, Ash, I think I speak for the entire island when I say that we're indebted to you."
Ash reached up, shaking Scott's hand. "I was just doing what I could to help things go right" he said.
"And you're a great person for doing that" Scott said, smiling. "I'll be sure to tell those other few that you're fine, and recovering."
"Oh, I'm actually a bit curious" Ash admitted. "Who else wanted to thank me?"
"Actually, I think you know at least a couple of them" Scott said. "Anabel saw enough of your faceoff with Articuno to realize your role. And your partner out there, guy named Paul, with the purple hair. There were some others that I doubt you'd recognize, but saw you and wanted to thank you too. A fellow named Charles, and his gal Sarah. Charles, or 'Chuck' as he told me to call him, said that you beat him in the prelims, and he saw you out there. He was rooting for you before the crowd swept him away. Another guy named Jake saw you battle, and wanted to make sure you were ok. After all, the entire experience was terrifying." He nodded slightly. "And the last one, boy, you sure do have a talent for attracting the eyes of the well known, eh?"
Ash cocked his head to the side, confused at what Scott meant.
"Zeta wanted to make sure of your well-being too" Scott said.
"Zeta…" Ash said slowly, not remembering where he heard the name.
"Zeta, the Champion of Vesryn" Scott said, smirking. "I must say, he felt hella frustrated that he couldn't help because of the whole 'Pokeball lock' deal. He assisted in the evacuation of the areas, but saw a few glimpses of your battle. He felt indebted personally when he saw you fighting with your bare hands to help everyone out. He wasn't sure how to go about tracking you down to thank you, but like the others, he figured if anyone could find you, I could."
May chuckled, squeezing Ash's hand. "Gee, Ash, you certainly have a knack for getting the attention of the Champions, huh? Lance, Wallace, you told me a lot about Cynthia too. And now another."
Ash shrugged. "Same reason I used to meet Legendary Pokemon every other day, I guess" he said.
"No arguing with that logic" Brock said, amused.
Scott smiled at their conversation. "Well, as much as I'd like to hang around…" for the first time, his face seemed to fall, "I have a very big job. Casualties were prevented, but there's a lot of property damage that has to be fixed before we can resume the tournament."
"Oh, yeah…" Ash said sheepishly, remembering Articuno's attacks, how they plowed through the landscape. And for how dangerous it was, Ice was the least destructive of the types the birds held. He could only imagine how much damage Zapdos' Electric attacks, or Moltres' Fire attacks, had down to the island.
"Don't sweat it" Scott said, noticing his face. "Place probably be a lot worse off if you didn't do what you did. Any damages caused by your battle were best-case scenario."
"Oh, yeah" Ash said, visibly relieved. "Well, thanks for checking on me, Scott. It means a lot to me."
"Hey, no problem, Ash" Scott said. "I'll admit, it's pretty great to see you back. I'll be rooting for you from the sidelines, even though I'm not supposed to have favorites." He cracked a grin. "Good luck out there."
Ash smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Scott. See you soon."
Nodding, Scott turned on the spot, and walked back out of the room, a gust of cold air blowing into the room as the door opened again. As the sound of the door closing snapped through the room, Ash couldn't help but smile slightly, the sizable burden he had been carrying finally fully off of his chest. He let out a light sigh, tension in his muscles leaving.
The Pokemon, who had remained rather silent during Scott's visit, started talking to each other once more, their voices coming up from behind the couch, as Ash turned away from the door, and back to the other two.
"So, I guess I'm stuck as Aaron" Ash said, with a disappointed tone.
"For now" May said, hugging him. "I know it sounds cruel, but Delia isn't losing anything by not knowing you're back. I just don't want her to worry. If she learns your back, and stuck on the island, after the news of the attack, she'll worry herself too much."
"I know… It's just…" Ash broke off. "It's just hard. I've missed her too. She thought I was dead, and me again. I had to live, knowing that, and knowing that I'd never be able to see her again even though we were both alive. I know, it was harder on her, but still, that doesn't mean I don't feel different about how much it… Just sucks having to wait longer."
May smiled sympathetically, and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "..." No further words needed to be spoken, they sat in silence for a moment, trying to relax through the tension they shared.
Feeling his disturbance, Riolu jumped onto the back of the couch, and Kirlia appeared in a soft flash of light, right next to him, shocking the duo by their sudden appearance. The two of them placed their hands on Ash, both of them sensing his current sorrow through their empathetic abilities. He had been in a constant state of it over the past years, but this was different enough to catch their attention. Riolu felt the aggravated Aura of Ash calm as they all stood there.
Minutes passed, and Ash sat up. He smiled at the three surrounding him, the silent message thanks coming from his eyes. Riolu smiled, and nodded at Kirlia, both of them happy that they helped calm their trainer. It was always uplifting when they were able to help their friend.
Ash held his hands forward. The gems embedded in the gloves began to swirl with light blue energy, which spread between his hands, solidifying into the clubbed staff he used so often. Bracing it against the ground, he pushed himself to his feet once more, wobbling momentarily, but finding his balance. May stood up with him, making sure he didn't fall over.
Ash chuckled. "You know May, you don't have to treat me like I'm so weak" he said.
"It's not always about you, Ash" May said with a smirk. "Maybe I just want to help because I care, whether or not you feel like you need it."
Ash rolled his eyes playfully. "Well, if you're so insistent…"
Brock smiled as he heard the banter between the two. In his studies to become a Pokemon Doctor, he had to learn quite a bit of Psychology to go along with it. Ash, he was obviously making an effort. It was forced on his part, to an extent, to fall back into old patterns. He was different now, it was harder to act the same way. But all the same, it was heartwarming to see the old dynamic between the two of them.
"...out and check on my Pokemon" Ash said. "I trust you guys completely with taking care of them, but you know how it is. I still want to check on them myself."
May nodded. "If it were Blaziken and the others, I would feel the same way" she said.
Brock stood up just as the two made to make their way towards the back door. "Hey Ash" he said. "I was thinking, I think I should go grab Max, Dawn, and Gary real fast, and bring them over. After all, they'll be worrying themselves sick over your condition."
Ash smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to see them again…" he said.
"I'll bet" Brock said. "I'll have them up and over in just a few minutes, so don't go anywhere."
Ash chuckled. "Just how fast do you think I can move right now?"
"What?! What's happened to him?!" Dawn exclaimed.
"Shut it, Dawn!" Max shot over, pushing past her. "Stop yapping, let's get over there!"
"Guys…"
Before Brock could get a word in edgewise, the three of them barrelled out the door past him, rushing up the street at speeds that would put a Jolteon to shame.
He sighed. "I knew I shouldn't have opened by saying 'It's about Ash...'"
No choice remaining, he ran up the street after them.
After barely surviving the onslaught of exceptionally affectionate and worried Pokemon Ash sat down, breathing hard, attempting to recover from the attack. Hey, it could have been worse. At least he taught Rotom how to not let out sporadic Discharge attacks when he was excited. Although, he still had to work on the strength with which Pidgeot tackled him. She seemed to revert back to her days as a Pidgeotto whenever she got wound up, and forgot just how much force she carried with a tackling hug.
After making sure that all of his limbs were still attached after the impact, Ash sat back, and subconsciously gave everyone the once-over. Besides looking tired, most of them appeared fine. Pidgeot was the only one who showed a sign of injury, her front feathers were seared from what appeared to be an Electric attack. But it wasn't a major injury.
"I'm so proud of you all" Ash said immediately. To his satisfaction, each of his Pokemon seemed significantly happier as he said that. "You are all great. Even without me, you guys went and risked your lives to help everyone. I couldn't ask for better partners, better friends."
Narrowly avoiding another collision between him and all his Pokemon, he chuckled. "You guys, get good rest today. It sounds like we've got a bit of a break, so… We'll find something to do, something… Relaxing."
Riolu glanced up at his trainer. "Ri Ri?" he asked incredulously.
Ash rolled his eyes. "What do you mean I never let you guys relax?" he asked.
"Iolu, Rio Ri Riolu Rio" Riolu barked.
"Come on, Mt. Quena wasn't that bad of a place to hang out between missions" Ash countered. "It just seems different now because we're taking a break mid-mission."
"Lu" Riolu said dismissively, waving his paw.
May looked back and forth between the two of them, eyebrows raised. "Ash, I know you understand some of what your Pokemon are saying, but did you just have a full-blown conversation with Riolu?"
"Yeah" Ash nodded. "Me and Riolu have been Aura training together, we have this link together that helps us communicate. We've gone further, but this is our basic connection."
May smiled. "Well, I never knew Aura allowed for that level of communication, besides Lucario's telepathy. That's really cool."
"Yeah, well…" Ash shrugged. "It's not all it's cracked up to be."
He visibly tensed up. "For example…" he groaned, holding up a hand, spread wide.
Slowly, he began retracting fingers. Four, three, two, one…
There was a sound like a cannon blast behind them, causing May to snap her head back, but not before she saw Ash sit, appearing to curl up and brace himself. And at a second's glance, she knew exactly why he was doing that.
A trio of familiar people stood at the far end of the living room, having just thrown the door open rather violently, a panting, dark-skinned Pokemon Doctor running up behind them. Dawn was the first to notice May just outside of the back door. And a mere instant later, she noticed the figure beside her.
She immediately sprinted across the room, Gary and Max noticing her and following behind. Brock, realizing he couldn't slow them, took his time making his way across the room.
The three of them appeared in the gap of the sliding glass door that stood between the living room and the backyard. "May!" Dawn said, briefly hugging her friend before turning to the side, noticing Ash, who was hunched over on the ground, "Is he…" her tone betrayed something akin to fear.
Looking down, May finally realized what had happened, and a smirk danced across her face. "Oh, don't worry about him" she said in a singsong voice. "He just felt you coming and prepared himself for a preemptive tackle-hug."
If you listened closely, you could hear a short moan emerge from the bundle as May spilled the beans. Riolu shot a glare up at the brunette, and she could tell that he was merely passing a message along for Ash.
A well deserved message too. Slowly, Dawn turned to Ash, being the first to take in the news. A massive smile ballooned on her face as she looked at him. She dived forward in a hug "ASH!"
"Crap!"
Feeling even more sore than after he had been all but struck down by Articuno, Ash tenderly sat back against the house. As comfortable as the couch was, he needed the fresh air right then. He had to survive a double improvised Vicegrip from Dawn and Max, followed by a very energetic pat on the back from his old rival and friend, Gary.
Of course, Pidgeot, Butterfree, and Primeape recognized Gary, at least. But after they got over their shock, the remaining group flocked to defend their trainer, unleashing a combination of attacks. Dawn was on the receiving end of a bad Discharge from Rotom, causing her hair to stand on end, poofing outwards, while Max couldn't separate Ash's Kirlia from how his own used to look, just long enough to be knocked back by a Confusion attack. Gary had to jump nearly five feet in the air to avoid having his legs broken by a particularly ferocious Brick Break from Riolu.
It took a solid minute for Ash to recover from his friends' 'affection' enough to try and get his Pokemon to calm down. Once he was able to get the message across the Riolu, Riolu was able to take command and communicate with the others/beat some sense into them. Pidgeot joined in to help stop the fighting, while Primeape watched with interest.
Ash let out a groan. Between the anguish of reliving the past three years, the stress of Scott's visit, and recent events, this first morning was turning out to be quite a bit more draining than almost any time he could remember in the past years.
"Um… Sorry, Ash" Dawn apologized sheepishly. "I guess we got a bit carried away."
Ash let out another groan in agreement, not currently having the energy to form coherent words. Cracking an eye open, he looked at the three surrounding him. May sat by his side, trying to help him. Brock stood just inside the house, letting these three have their moment with him.
With a cough, he found words again. "Remind me, why did I miss you guys?" he croaked, his voice sounding raw, yet slightly amused.
At once, all three of them became very interested in their shoes. "We, we just really missed you" Max piped up.
Ash chuckled. "I know…" he said. "I missed you guys too."
Summoning all of his strength, he managed to push himself into a position where he sat slightly taller. He cracked a small grin. "Wow, Max, you're like twice the size you used it be" he commented. "Is that really still you?"
Blushing slightly, Max nodded. "Yeah, it's me." His voice was noticeably deeper too. He still had that childish tone, but it had changed a good amount. "I could ask the same thing of you, though. You look almost completely different."
"Well, I'm very much different, but I'm still me" Ash admitted. He looked to the side. "It's great to see you too, Gary. And you, Dawn." He laughed lightly. "You guys look pretty much the same as you did before, though."
"Well, we've already gone through puberty" Dawn chuckled.
"And besides, just because we look the same on the surface, doesn't mean that things are just the same" Gary pointed out, subtly taking ahold of Dawn's hand, gripping it tightly.
The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Ash, who's mouth opened slightly. "Oh wow, you two?" Ash asked. "I never would have seen that coming…"
"Too bad I can't say the same" Dawn smirked, shooting a look over at May. "You didn't waste much time, did you, girl?" she teased.
May's face glowed a light red from the prodding. "Dawn…" May said lowly. She suddenly broke out into a grin. "Do you honestly think that will really be able to get to me? It's nothing to be ashamed of, after all."
Dawn's grin exceeded May's. "Nah, but it's good to hear you confirm it, straight from the Ponyta's mouth."
Smiling right back, May found her own fingers laced between Ash's. Feeling the contact, Ash looked over, an unconscious smile forming on his face as well. "You know, I would have told you too" he complained.
"Yeah, but I figured I'd reserve the teasing for the one of you that didn't look like you just got dragged through the Reverse World with a close scrape with Giratina to boot" Dawn pointed out.
Ash blinked. "Do I really look that bad?" he asked, looking down at his mummified torso.
"You kidding? You look like death incarnate right now" Gary said.
May shot a look at Gary. "He does not look that bad" she said sharply. Anyone listening knew for a fact, that she left no room for argument.
As the conversation went down, Max looked back and forth between his sister, and Ash. "Wait, you two are together?" he asked the pair.
May smiled and looked up at Max. "There's not anything wrong with that, is there?"
For a second, Max didn't react. Then, he couldn't help but smile either, and shook his head. "No, I'm just surprised that it happened so fast!" he admitted. "Heck, if anyone were going to be my brother-in-law, Ash would be the top of my list."
Ash blinked. "'Brother-in-law'?" he asked.
May flushed. "Max, we literally just found each other, and we aren't even of age yet" she pointed out. "It's a little soon to start throwing terms like 'in-laws' into the mix."
Ash blinked again, then what May and Max had both gone at sunk in completely. Face pinkening slightly as well, he rehashed what May had said.
After the incident, Ash looked at Max again. "Oh, and for what it's worth, Max…" he said. "Sorry for knocking you out of the tournament so early on."
"Knocking me…?" Max began, before recognition dawned on his face. "You were Aaron Satoshi?" he asked. He looked behind him, and was immediately able to pick out Ash's Butterfree from the group. "I knew I remembered you having a Pidgeot!"
Ash chuckled at Max's immediate enthusiasm. He was still just the same. "Smart, remembering my old Pokemon. I would think you would have recognized Butterfree too, though."
"Max knew a lot about your past from watching your old battles" Brock pointed out. "Butterfree never really made any big appearances, not even in a Gym Battle, if I remember" he paused. "Well, with Misty, you did, but that wasn't a recorded battle at all. He wouldn't have had any way to know about him."
Max took stock of all of Ash's Pokemon. "So, the Pidgeot that you released a long time ago, a Butterfree that you've had for a long time also, wow, your Volcarona looks really strong! Rotom, Riolu, you have a Kirlia?!" He turned around. "Do you think you can give me tips with Gardevoir? Kirlia looks like it's really strong and happy at the same time!"
Max rattled off the questions at the speed of light, and Ash took a while to catch up. The first thing he noticed, was a pair missing from Max's list. "Hey Brock?" he asked. "Where's Lapras and the baby?"
"I kept them in their balls" Brock said. "I left them there because we didn't have anywhere around here where they could stay out."
Ash nodded. "Thanks for that, we'll just have to find time to let them out on the beach, so they can spend some time out in the open" he said. He looked back at Max. "Um, I can tell you what's worked for Kirlia, but every Pokemon is different, Max. I don't remember much about the Ralts we saw back in Hoenn, but she could have been the complete opposite of Kirlia."
"Yeah, I know…" Max admitted. "But maybe some of the things that you learned about Kirlia as a Pokemon could have helped. I still want to get better, even if I'm not in the tournament anymore. Gardevoir wants to get stronger too."
"I'll see about it sometime, Max" Ash promised. "Alright?"
Max smiled hugely and nodded. "That would be great, Ash" he said. He scratched his head in a sheepish manner. "I don't even see you for five minutes, and I'm already all over your Trainer's skills again, sorry about that."
Ash let out a low chuckle. "It's no problem, Max, I know you. It's perfectly fine."
Gary cleared his throat. "So…" he said. "Ash, you want to tell us where you've been these past few years? And why you're here, now, of all times and places?"
It didn't take a psychologist to see how Ash visibly tensed, and retracted when the question was asked. His eyes almost seemed to pull backwards into his head.
May noticed this more than anyone. "Ash…" she said, catching his attention.
When he turned his head, May felt a pit in her stomach. He must still have felt so vulnerable, so raw, from reliving it all earlier. She could see that the thought of going through it twice in such a short span of time was quite stressful to him.
She realized, at that moment while looking at him, that he really skipped over a lot of his story.
"Is everything alright?" Gary asked, looking at his childhood friend in worry.
Ash glanced back up. A quiet scratching emerged from his throat, as he began to get ready to talk.
"Wait, Ash, how about you let me?" May offered. When Ash looked at her in surprise, she squeezed his hand comfortably. "You told us enough earlier, I can tell them for you so you don't have to."
"..." Ash didn't say anything, but his eyes softened. A look of great thanks came through, filling May with an inexplicable warm feeling.
"One thing, Ash" May said, lowering her voice. "Do you want me to tell them why you're here? Mewtwo made it sound like it's something you really wanted to keep close."
Ash let out a small breath. "...You can tell them, I trust them too…"
May nodded, and the two of them shared a small smile.
Dawn looked back and forth between the two. "What's going on, here?" she asked.
May gave the tiniest of nods Ash's way, before turning towards the three. "Well, I'm about to tell you all what I know about what Ash has been up to" she stated. "I just had to make sure he was fine with that."
Gary looked back at his childhood friend. "And you gave her the 'go'?" he asked.
Ash nodded. "Yeah, she's good to go" he said. "Sorry, but, just saying it myself, again…"
"Hey, no problem, Ashy-boy" Gary said, smirking as he used the old nickname. "You've got to have your reasons, we won't pry."
Ash briefly nodded, just before Max nearly exploded in excitement. "So, how long until we hear this thing?!" he asked.
"Right now" May assured her little brother. "You all remember that day, three years ago? Well, it all started right after that, with this Mewtwo…
Afterwards
"So, let me wrap this all up with a nice little bow" Gary said. "That fake Mew from your little adventure on Mt. Quena saved your life so you could risk it on a bi-weekly basis saving the world from catastrophe, at one point saving the time-space continuum, and you came here because the people behind the tournament ended up capturing Mew and you need to save it?"
"More or less, yeah" Ash said, slightly amused by Gary's summary.
"So you got Volcarona from Alder and Kirlia from Diantha?" Max asked. "Wow, two of your Pokemon have Champion's blood running through them?!"
"You've been gone, all these years, because you blamed yourself for everything?" Dawn asked sadly. "Oh, dangit, I should have been there that night! Maybe I could have said something to help you not feel so bad about it!"
"Don't feel guilty about that at all, Dawn" Ash commanded. "That wasn't your fault in the slightest. It was mine for being a stubborn Mudbray about it. I can see just how stupid it was of me to stay away this entire time, now. Hindsight's always perfect, after all…"
"But we can hardly blame you for what you did" Dawn said, pulling Ash into another big hug. Luckily, during the rehashing of Ash's past few years, Ash had recovered enough to stagger to his feet. He waited for May to get to the part about him learning about how to harness his Aura, however, to do so, so that the Bone Rush he created didn't cause as massive a shock. Dawn had also calmed down, so his bones weren't nearly liquified again by her Vice Grip of a hug. "I know that it wasn't my fault, but that doesn't change how sorry for you I feel about it."
Surprisingly, Ash felt an immense comforting at Dawn's words. It felt as if a knife had stabbed right through him, releasing a dam. He had felt similarly around Brock and May, but this had been the first time that he heard that one of his friends that hadn't been present didn't blame him. Having the knowledge was one thing, but hearing it firsthand…
Ash hurriedly blinked the tears that had sprung to his eyes away, and returned the hug that Dawn was giving him. Moments passed, and the two separated. Dawn smiled cheerfully at Ash. "But you're back now" she pointed out. "And you're with May. Come on, no need to worry."
Ash couldn't help but let out a low chuckle. Much has changed in three years, sure. But 'no need to worry' was still Dawn's most common phrase. "Thanks, Dawn, you always knew just how to cheer me up."
"She's infectious at it, I'll say" May chimed in. She had a feeling that she should have been sort of jealous that Dawn had hugged Ash for so long, but she knew a few things, like that her best friend was already in a relationship, and those two were close in more of a sibling way than anything. Besides, Dawn was her best friend. How could she be mad at her for anything?
Gary sat down and let out a deep breath. "So, this tournament is a lot more important that I originally thought, eh?" he asked. "I mean, an entire colony of Pokemon, plus the ancestor of all Pokemon, at risk of being taken out by Team Rocket?" He rubbed his temples. "You know, I knew I should have kept up on my training, even during my studies… I feel like this is gonna bite me in the rear."
"Don't beat yourself up about it, Gary" Ash said. "I don't mean to brag, but I could probably hold my own against the Champions right now, and I barely stood a chance against their attack yesterday."
He frowned in concentration. "I just wish I could figure out how they managed to control the Shamouti Birds. Not only were they one a destructive rampage, but I know them. They're powerful, but they aren't that powerful."
May gave Ash a worried look. "Wait, then what exactly are they capable of, Ash?" she asked. "That doesn't sound like something Team Rocket would be capable of."
"May, when we travelled together, you only really saw Jessie, James, and Meowth in action" Ash said. "You saw a bit of Team Magma and Team Aqua. They were what these criminal organizations look like. And they were misguided. They did bad, laboring under the illusion that they were helping the world. And we saw them change when they saw their errors."
Gary nodded. "But Team Rocket is different. I've seen a bit of a few of this organizations in my studies. Galactic, sure, but my home is Kanto. Team Rocket is the largest of the groups, based in Kanto, and the only one to have fallen, yet risen again." Gary leaned back. "About three years before me and Ash set out from Pallet Town, there was another trainer that left, named Red. That kid single-handedly fought through scores of Rocket Agents when they took over the Silph Company, the biggest corporation in Kanto, and pursued their boss until he was defeated and sent packing. But soon after Red left Kanto, their boss returned, and they started rising up again. Any other group that has fallen, stayed down for good. But not these lunatics."
"Team Rocket doesn't even have a false goal" Ash continued. "They aim to rule to world through any means necessary, by collecting power, stealing, and even killing." Ash shuddered. "One time, during those few years, I came across a small battalion of them, terrorizing a town. They had a leader, Archer, who was commanding his Houndoom to burn down buildings, and attack innocents. Even children…" The horrified look on all five of the other's faces was tangible.
"They were looking to send a message of fear across Johto" Ash said. "Mewtwo has a special hatred for Team Rocket, so whenever we have a chance to spot them in action, Mewtwo makes us fight them. Mewtwo fights to kill the Rockets, but not me. Usually…" Ash's eyes glazed over, and a faint blue light took up around him.
May, standing directly beside Ash, holding him, suddenly felt an extreme distress. Several emotions, rage, fear, horror, all of them, began flooding her senses. She had no idea where they were coming from, but her breathing became shallow; it was as if something was happening, as if she were experiencing something without being able to sense it.
Without warning, Ash pulled away from her. When he left her side, all of a sudden, the emotions died out. Her bod was still tense from the experience, but she was no longer actively feeling the raw emotion. She looked up at Ash, and she could see a look of regret in his eyes.
"May, I'm sorry" Ash said quickly. "I should have kept in control, I completely forgot-"
May took a shuddering breath. She remembered, Tracey and Misty had mentioned a blue mist coming off of Aaron, that seemed to transmit the force of unknown horrors, directly into Misty. She had a feeling, that she had just experienced that herself. She had literally been doused in what Ash had been feeling. It was almost as if she had been there, but only the emotions of the experience remained. Everything else was just out of reach… Almost out of reach…
She looked back up at Ash. "Mewtwo… Mentioned something about you murdering someone… And the name 'Archer'" she connected. Looking at the pained expression on Ash's face, she knew she had struck home.
"For a brief moment, I lost myself" Ash admitted, now oblivious to everyone but May. "He was actively commanding his Houndoom, that vicious Pokemon, to use Flamethrower and Bite attacks on everyone from the people fighting back, to the children watching, running away. I saw red… I knew that I couldn't let him get away with it…"
He let out a shaky breath. "I did it, and even though I felt he deserved it, I've regretted what I did every day since." He didn't know how May would react. He just confessed that he had killed in cold blood, he had murdered a man, who while he had committed terrible atrocities himself, to his knowledge, hadn't murdered anyone yet.
He was a killer.
The last though was the source of his surprise when seconds later, May had stepped forward and held his hand tightly in her own. "Ash…" she whispered. "I know you. You aren't that person. What happened, you can't beat yourself up over." She looked down. "I… I think… No, I know. If I had been in that situation, with your abilities, I would have done the same. Attacking children, that is unforgivable, no matter what angle it's looked at from."
Leaning in close, May briefly pressed her lips against his own. The kiss only lasted a second, but in Ash's mind, it seemed to be much longer than that. She pulled away, and smiled at him. "You never were one to show anything but kindness to the people who fought against you, after all. That's who you are."
The pair merely looked at each other for several more moments, before a rather loud throat clearing interrupted them. They both looked up, blushing slightly at their lack of attention to the situation around them. Gary lowered his hand, having been the one to clear his throat. "Sorry to break up the moment, but you were telling us what you knew about Team Rocket?" The other four were visibly shocked at the knowledge that Ash had killed someone, but appeared to be thinking along similar lines to May.
"Oh yeah" Ash said. "Well, yeah. Team Rocket knows that they're being evil, they aren't going to have an epiphany and come to the light like all the others. They have vast resources too. They controlled the Legendary Birds of Shamouti, and that's no easy task."
Brock frowned. "Ash, I can think of one person from Team Rocket that knows how to take control of a Pokemon and increase their power" he said.
Ash realized where Brock was going, and he shook his head. "It wasn't him, it wasn't even a Dark Ball" Ash dismissed. "A Dark Ball doesn't lose its influence when the Pokemon captured in it is defeated, and Riolu told me that the other birds came back to their senses when the others defeated them."
"Wait, a Dark Ball?" Max asked. "I know every kind of Pokeball, from basic ones, to Master Balls, Cherish Balls, even about the rumored Dream Balls. But I've never heard of Dark Balls."
"Be glad you haven't, Max" Brock said darkly. "Back when me and Ash were in Johto, we met a Rocket agent called the Iron-Masked Marauder. He specialized in using a special kind of ball called a Dark Ball. They had really high catching power, he even managed to catch a Celebi in one. A Pokemon in a Dark Ball immediately loses their conscience and gains a massive power boost, making them powerful slaves."
"Luckily, he was locked up, and to my knowledge, still it" Ash said. "In fact, I doubt anyone but him know the secret to making Dark Balls, otherwise I'm sure that I would have seen at least one other Rocket with one."
"But then I can't see the way they took control of them" Brock persisted. "About the only other thing that could take control of a Pokemon that powerful would be Hypnosis, but not even Mewtwo would have enough Psychic power to take over a Pokemon like that, and Mewtwo is the most powerful Psychic in existence."
"Maybe he could do it when he's Mega Evolved or Bursting, but even then, it's doubtful" Ash mused.
"'Bursting'?" Dawn asked.
"Another long story" Ash said. "Involving a particular mission that took place in another region called Ferrum."
"Oh" Dawn said.
Max struck a thinking pose. "So we can rule out control by another Pokemon, because Hypnosis isn't powerful enough."
"And Lugia wasn't here, and he's the only one that has some form of leadership over them" Ash said.
Max nodded. "And the only things you know that can bring a Pokemon under complete control, the Dark Balls, don't fit the circumstances." He looked upwards. "Is it possible that they caught them a while back and broke them to their will? Wild Pokemon tend to obey trainers without question after a while."
Ash shook his head. "No, I've seen them too recently for that" he stated. "Maybe a month is enough time to get to bond that closely with a normal Pokemon with a normal Trainer. But with those as cruel as Team Rocket, and Pokemon as powerful as the Shamouti Birds, there wasn't nearly enough time for that to be an option. Besides, Riolu told me that the others were completely feral when they fought, and once they were defeated, they seemed themselves once again. More confused than anything."
"Gah!" Max exclaimed. "This is driving me crazy. We've run through just about every possibility, and each one is getting turned down!"
Ash sighed. "I know, Max. I nearly drove myself crazy a few days ago when we learned that Team Rocket had something planned. Me and Mewtwo brainstormed everything from Shadow Pokemon to an armed strike, and we couldn't have been further…" Ash's eyes widened. "Wait a moment… Shadow Pokemon…"
"Um… Shadow Pokemon?" Dawn asked.
"Something we came across in our travels, another evil team found a way to drastically increase a Pokemon's power by closing their hearts. Effectively the powers of a Dark Ball, but revolving around the Pokemon and not the capsule they're in" Ash explained. "They've rarely been harnessed outside of the Orre Region, however, Mewtwo told me that he knew that one of the neighboring regions once faced a similar problem, even though it was solved without us."
"So Shadow Pokemon go back to normal Pokemon when defeated?" May asked.
"Not exactly, May" surprisingly, Gary answered, to the general shock of Ash.
"You know about them?" Ash asked.
"Of course, I'm a researcher, and those events in Orre were documented, after all" Gary said. "Heck, one of the headmasters of the most recent plan, dude by the name Greevil, confessed the secrets to making and breaking a Shadow Pokemon as a way to try and make up for what he had done." He shook his head. "Sadly, the only way that a Shadow Pokemon can be cured is through a long process of treating the Pokemon kindly. In order to fully banish the Shadow effects, special energy is required."
"They weren't Shadow Pokemon, then" Ash summed up. "I got ahead of myself. Not only did they not use any darkened moves, but I could have felt a Shadow Aura. Even without trying, they're make themselves known."
"You know, it would appear that I have the capabilities to find the answer myself."
Ash blinked, and looked around. While the others looked confused and surprised, he let out a breath. "Well, Mewtwo, are you going to keep us in the dark about it? Or just keep spying?"
A brief flash of purple energy lit up the morning yard, as Mewtwo materialized, a figure levitating above him.
"I wasn't spying" Mewtwo said cooly, oblivious to the shock that his sudden appearance had caused the others, especially Gary, who recognized Mewtwo from back in his Kanto League days. "However, when I looked your way, I gathered enough to discover what you were discussing."
It was at this point that attention seemed to be drawn to the curled figure above the Genetic Pokemon. "Who is that, Mewtwo?" Ash asked.
"This?" Mewtwo asked, throwing the figure to the ground, eliciting a groan from the person. "My inside source."
It was at this moment, as the man rolled over, that a small, bright red 'R' became apparently visible on the man's uniform. The man appeared to be more elderly than most Rocket agents, and donned an orange mustache and frizzy hair of the same color around his head, leaving a large bald patch in the center.
Ash's brow furrowed in recognition. "Hey…" he growled.
"He's the guy who was helping Butch and Cassidy go after that baby Lugia" Brock said, recognizing him as well. "Professor Nimbus."
"Doctor Namba" the figure groaned faintly in response.
"I was unaware that you trapped any of the Rockets" Ash said, looking at Mewtwo. "I thought you would have just taken them down on the spot."
"Many of them managed to flee" Mewtwo growled. "I don't know how, but they managed to escape me. However, I managed to ensnare this one before he could re-board the helicopter, fleeing among the rest. And lucky I did, for he seems to be the brains behind yesterday's attack!"
"P-p-p-please, d-d-d-don't hurt me" Namba said, quivering in fear on the ground.
Mewtwo growled again, and a Psycho Cut extended from his hand, right next to the face of the terrified scientist. "How much I hurt you depends on how quickly you explain what exactly you scumbags did here the previous night!" he said threateningly.
Even though Mewtwo wasn't directing his anger towards them, Dawn, Gary, and Max were frozen in terror. The stories did no justice to the killing intent Mewtwo's mere presence could put out. If Mewtwo could use Glare, they'd be permanently paralyzed.
"Alright, just p-p-p-please, don't use t-t-t-that thing!" Namba shrieked.
Ash frowned. "I don't remember him being this cowardly" he muttered. "Just what have you done to him, Mewtwo?"
"Who can care to remember?" Mewtwo said nonchalantly, retracting his Psycho Cut. "Now, talk, or perhaps you don't feel the need for your left arm anymore?"
"No, no, I'll talk!" Namba said. "Just, please, don't tell Giovanni!"
"At this rate, it is extremely unlikely that you'll ever see Giovanni again" Ash muttered. "You're either getting thrown into prison, or Mewtwo is going to have his way with you. So don't worry about that."
The differences between the two's methods was strange. Ash seemed to remain authoritative over the fallen scientist, keeping him feeling threatened without actually delivering threats. Mewtwo, on the other hand, constantly put the pressure of looming death over him.
It was a master's game of good cop/bad cop.
"O-o-o-ok" Namba stuttered, sighing. "W-w-w-we knew we needed a way to keep everyone restricted until w-w-w-we were done. I d-d-developed a wave frequency machine that could briefly lock Pokeballs, b-b-but we knew that there may have been Pokemon that were out at the t-t-time. S-s-s-so we needed Pokemon c-c-c-capable of holding them down."
"So you locked our Pokeballs. We figured that much" Ash said. "How did you take control of the Legendary Pokemon?"
"W-w-w-we used M-m-m-mega Evolution energy" Namba revealed.
Everyone blinked. "Wait, hold on" Max said. "Mega Evolution energy? I thought the only thing that that was actually good for was, well, Mega Evolving."
"How did you learn about the energy?" Ash asked.
"W-w-w-we bought the secrets from a t-t-team in Kalos" he said. "T-t-t-team Flare. They had b-b-b-been practicing with the energy for something much larger. It could take control of a Pokemon and release all inhibitions. They had yet t-t-t-to test it on a Legendary Pokemon, but they were confident that it would work."
"Wait, what's Team Flare?" May asked, looking at Ash.
Ash looked grim. "They're a Kalos native team." He looked over at Mewtwo. "Hey-"
"I know, I know" Mewtwo griped. "I'll go give Hoopa a visit sometime today, and see if he has anything for us. If not, he can at least keep an eye through those rings of his."
Ash nodded. "Make sure he knows to be careful. It sounds like Team Flare might still be around. Either that or these guys were preparing for this ahead of time, before they fell. Either way, I'd rather not take chances. If Hoopa falls under their control…"
There was no need for him to finish. The others may have known nothing about Hoopa besides a mention from Ash, and by extent, May, but between Ash and Mewtwo, they knew. If Hoopa fell under someone's control, it could easily mean the end of the world. Especially if they managed to get ahold of the Prison Bottle as well.
"So…" Ash began to sum up. "You guys bought the secrets of Mega Evolution energy from Team Flare to use it to control Legendary Pokemon to attack the island and capture Mew?"
Namba nodded vigorously. "Yes, and I tampered with the energy, s-s-s-so that it enhanced their powers as well as controlled it."
"That explains their power boost…" Ash muttered. Looking up, Ash's eyes softened, and he opened a brief link with Mewtwo. "He isn't going to go back to Team Rocket now, and he helped us. Put your killing urge aside, drop him in the nearest prison, and let them know that he was mostly responsible for the attack yesterday. He won't die, but he'll be behind bars for life."
"Come on, do I have to let him live?" Mewtwo complained, almost childishly.
"Yes" Ash commanded more forcibly. "After all, he did assist us in the end, even if it was with the mess he created. He broken even."
There was a moment of silence, before Mewtwo looked Ash directly in the eyes. "Fine" he growled, and in a flash of light, he and Namba vanished.
Max blinked. "Fine?" he asked. "Where did that come from?"
"I won an argument" Ash said simply.
"Um, what argument?" Dawn asked. "You didn't even say anything."
"Aura Link" Ash answered. "I can briefly synchronize Auras with Mewtwo to allow for communication, more if need be, like sharing power."
Gary raised his eyebrows. "Color me impressed" he answered. "Hearing about it is one thing, but man, you're kind of a superhero now, aren't you?"
"Not really" Ash said confusedly. "Technically, anyone could do it, I just happened to be able to catch on really fast. It's like that old anime, the part where the really powerful kid went to highschool and didn't realize just how much he had to suppress his power because people didn't understand it. Anyone could do it if they knew how, but it's a little freaky to those who don't."
"Well, when you put it that way…" Gary shrugged. "You're running around in a cape when you need to use your powers too, coincidentally enough."
"Oh, enough with the teasing" Dawn chuckled at her boyfriend.
While the banter was going on, May looked over at Ash. She didn't know how to feel about the situation that just went down. While she had been with Ash this morning, he seemed to be a more scarred version of himself. But when he and Mewtwo were interrogating Namba, he seemed, completely different. It was no surprise, he was bound to have changed a lot in the past three years, she just didn't realize just how much he had been holding the change back.
She sealed her lips and looked at him. His new personality seemed, quite dominating. He almost seemed to radiate superiority while he was talking. She wondered if that was something that came from his Aura, releasing a pressure into the air.
However, mere moments after Mewtwo left, Ash seemed to shrink back down. Was that just a face he put on when he needed to be so for the mission?
Ash looked back at her and smiled. "Sorry about that" he said, surprising her. "I didn't expect things to kick back up so fast this morning. It kinda surprised me that Mewtwo imprisoned one of them."
May blinked. "That's alright" she said. "I mean, you figured out something helpful, right?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah…" he said. "While I'm here, well, Team Rocket is still a threat to Mew. And I need to make sure he stays safe until the end."
"Speaking of which, Ash, why haven't you just tried to find Mew through your Aura yet?" May wondered. "I mean, wouldn't it be easier to find Mew and free him rather than have to win the tournament?"
"Well, the thing is, Mew may have been captured unfairly, but no one here knows that" Ash explained. "They don't even know that it's Mew, they just think that it's an exceptionally powerful Zoroark with some moves that it shouldn't know. Pokemon that know moves that that species can't normally learn have always been popular…"
"And because everyone thinks it's just a really powerful Pokemon, you'd just be labeled a thief if you tried to free him" May realized where he was going.
Ash nodded. "It's hard enough being the Chosen One with the villains against you, let alone the rest of the world" Ash pointed out. "People can be really smart with their technology, I'd be found out even if I got away without anyone seeing me on the way out." Ash paused. "If I wanted to keep doing my duties, I need to win and set Mew free. If worst comes to worse, Mewtwo found Mew and put a fault in his cage, so that if he was moved at all should the Rockets get ahold of him, he'd be able to escape on his own."
"Well that's good news" May smiled. "I wasn't sure why I didn't think about that when you were talking about more of us competing, more of us having a chance to win and free Mew. I guess I just figured you had your reasons."
Ash nodded. "You know, speaking of the competition, do you know who else is on the island?" Ash asked. "I know about you guys, of course, and about Tracey and Misty…" he trailed off again. "...The latter of whom is probably going to try in kill me…"
May felt torn between amusement and true fear for Ash's life, remembering the fiery redhead's temperament. "Yeah…"
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Well, yeah, there's us and those two. Professor Oak came and joined us the other day. Scott said you fought alongside Paul, so you already know about him-"
"Oh crap!" Ash suddenly remembered. "Paul got attacked by Articuno too."
"Scott made him sound like he's still fine" May soothed Ash.
Ash took some deep breathes, but still seemed pretty worried. In the meantime, she continued. "According to Max and Gary, a lot of your old league rivals were here. Um, let's see. There was a Ritchie, a Cameron, oh, Morrison and Tyson were here too. And besides them, we ran into Iris and Cilan a couple days ago." Her eyes widened. "Oh, Ash, you'll never guess what."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"
"When we ran into Iris, we learned she got a pretty big promotion" she said. "Turns out, she's currently the Champion of Unova."
At this, Ash's eyes literally bugged. "Wait, she became Champion?" he asked. "Wow, she really, wow…"
May laughed at Ash's reaction. After all, Champions are a pretty big deal! "Yeah, and she was pretty much role-playing as Diantha, opting for complete and utter isolation over publicity. We ran into her on accident."
Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Man, and I thought I was crazy when I thought that it was her" he chuckled. "I guess Champion is a pretty big step towards Dragon Master, or maybe even the next level above it, depending on how she sees it."
"Yeah, she seemed pretty proud of it herself" May said. She looked up. "Then there's all the Champions, Elite 4, Gym Leaders, and Frontier Brains from all the regions beside her and the others. We also ran into, Tobias" she said.
Ash nodded. "I heard about all the others, and I saw Tobias the day before it all started" he said. Rubbing the side of his head, he sighed. "He's going to be the biggest threat here, I just know it."
"Don't worry about that for now, Ash" May said. "We've got a whole week before things even start back up."
"Yeah, I know" Ash said, lowering his hand. Looking up at May, he let out a breath. "Well, I know what I want to do first, anyways. I want to go check up on Paul."
"You're going to see Paul?" Max asked, walking up behind them. Apparently, the squabbling between the three had settled down, and they were back in the conversation.
Ash nodded. "Yeah, Paul and Electivire both risked their lives, helping me deal with Articuno out there. I need to check on him and make sure he's ok. He at least deserves to know who who helped fight alongside out there."
Dawn couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, once he gets over his shock, he's going to be so mad that it was you. That he helped you. I mean, he's changed, but he hasn't changed that much."
Ash let out a real laugh. "Yeah, well, either way, he deserves it" he said. "I'm guessing he'd probably be resting at the Pokemon Center?"
"With all the Pokemon on the island that got attacked yesterday? Doubt that they'd have the room" Brock said, rejoining the conversation himself now that the others had had some time with Ash. "There's an actual hospital on the island, Paul will probably at least being checked up there. After all, an exploding Hyper Beam from that Articuno? I'm guessing he's at least being demanded a day of bed rest."
"Well, you are the doctor, you'd probably know most" Gary pointed out. "You know, I never actually met Paul, even though I was in Sinnoh around the same time as you guys."
"Let me put it this way" Ash said. "Picture yourself back in our Kanto days, with purple hair, less cockieness, and more of an attitude problem, viewing everyone else as inferior more than yourself as superior, if that makes sense."
"Boy, he sounds like a nightmare" Gary grinned.
"He changed a bit after I beat him in Sinnoh. Never saw him after the League, though."
"Well, now you'll have a chance" May pointed out.
"Just hope that his Electivire is still resting too" Dawn said. "He might just command him to strangle you."
"Ah, come on, he was never like that" Ash said, uncertainty showing in his voice.
"Sure, Ash, let's go with that" Dawn rolled her eyes.
"Hey, I hate to break things up, but we'd better get going if we want to get there before things get crowded" Brock pointed out.
Ash groaned. The last thing he wanted was even more attention around him. "Where's my cloak at?" he asked.
"Err…" Brock stuttered. "It's more bloody ribbons than anything, now. So… It's basically gone."
"What?" Ash groaned again. He facepalmed. "I still need to hide in public. How am I supposed to do that?"
"Well, your hat's intact" May pointed out. "We could just find a baggy coat with a hood, that ought to do the trick, right?"
"I guess."
"Perfect" Dawn said, clapping her hands together. "I'll go grab something for you!" In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
Ash rubbed his eyes, making sure he was seeing right. "Did Dawn just use Extremespeed?"
"Anything that has to do with clothes, no matter what" Gary conceded. "It's her superpower. We can't all be Aura Guardians, after all."
Ash and the others stumbled back inside. Quite honestly, Ash was feeling better quite rapidly. Sure, he still needed the bone to remain standing at all, but his chest was feeling less tight than it had earlier.
Grabbing his hat, he tossed it on his head. Then he looked down, where a couple of the Pokemon were resting. "Hey, Riolu" Ash said. "Ready to go see the guy that helped us out yesterday?"
Riolu glanced up at Ash, and nodded, hopping to his feet. "Ri Ri."
"Alright" Ash said. "And hey, Pikachu, you want to come with?"
A redundant question indeed. Had Ash not been in such a bad condition already, Pikachu would have given him one hell of a Thunderbolt for even needing to ask the question. "Pi-Ka!" Pikachu nodded, running up the couch and sitting right next to where Ash was standing.
May giggled. "You know, I think that's a yes."
"What gave it away?" Ash asked, eyebrows raised amusedly. Clearing his throat, he looked back down. "Kirlia, I want you to stay here and rest, though. Ok?"
"Lia Kirlia?!" Kirlia complained.
"You took a lot more damage than Riolu yesterday" Ash said. "Your Aura is still a lot weaker than it is normally, and I don't want you getting hurt at all, ok?"
His tone was gentle as he tried to soothe the small Psychic and Fairy type. Kirlia didn't appear happy, but she knew where he was coming from. "Lia…" Kirlia said smally, sitting back down.
May walked up beside Ash. "Ash, what about Glaceon? Do you think she's good to go?"
Ash frowned and looked down at the Fresh Snow Pokemon. He didn't have a normal Aura level to go off of, so he did his best to try and sense her condition. "Well, she's still pretty weakened, but she's recovered enough that if she really wanted to, she could come. I wouldn't recommend it, though. What happened to her yesterday?"
"She took Zapdos' Thunderbolt to launch a Mirror Coat attack at it" May answered. "It did a lot, but of course, in order to use it-"
"Glaceon had to take the attack head on" Ash finished, piecing it together. "That was really brave of her."
Glaceon smiled kindly at Ash's words, then looked at May. "Glace, Gla Gla Glaceon" she barked.
May nodded. "It sounds like Glaceon's staying for a while" she said. "She's going to take your advice and rest."
Ash nodded. "Sounds good" he said. "Hey, why don't you two hang out with each other and get to know each other?" he asked Kirlia and Glaceon. "I have a feeling you two will get along."
Just before the two could respond, there was a thumping of something flying down the stairs. The two of them turned around just in time to see Dawn skid to a stop in front of them. "Alright, Ash, I got the perfect thing" she said, holding a bundle of fabric in her arms.
Before he got a good look at it, she tossed it up and opened it, pulling it down over his head in one swift motion. His training told him he was being attacked, while he told himself that it was just Dawn. His momentary confusion immobilized him until the coat was completely on.
"What do you think? Just like your old outfit?" she asked.
Ash blinked and looked down. What we was wearing, it was a thick black coat that fell almost to his ankles and hung loosely off his body, with a massive hood in the back.
"Dawn?!" Ash asked. "I don't think she meant a trenchcoat when May said I should wear a coat."
Dawn looked confused. "Well, that's just about the only spare cloak we have that has a hood. Besides, it looks like your old uniform, right?"
"My uniform was just a dark shirt and a cape, not something that makes me look creepy, just different" Ash explained.
"Well, Ash, you're going to have to deal with it until we can fix up your old outfit or get you a new one" Dawn pointed out. "Unless you'd rather do without something disguising yourself?"
"Almost would" Ash thought. "Fine" he said out loud. "I'll wear it to disguise myself."
"Good, let's go then!" Dawn said, changing tact at the speed of sound and pulling the front door open.
Ash stepped outside hesitantly, May right beside him, Max and Gary coming out right ahead of Dawn. He gulped nervously. "Well, it keeps me hidden" he admitted. "I just wish I could find something that didn't draw attention to myself!"
None of his further concerns voiced, they all stepped into the open air, as Brock closed the door behind them. Walking to the head of the group, he looked around. "The infirmary is this way" he said, leading the way.
Following his lead, the group of eight, including Pikachu and Riolu, set out. Brock glanced back at Ash as they walked. "You know, as soon as Paul realizes that it's you, and once he's in a condition to do so, he's going to challenge you. There's no way around it."
Ash hadn't thought of that. "We'll, he'll have to wait, then, because most of my team happen to be recovering from yesterday" he said stoically.
Brock laughed. "Yeah, Paul? Waiting on battling you? Good luck with that!"
That seemed to be as good of a place as any to end things. One of the most difficult things about writing is finding a good way to end a chapter without it being awkward.
Another mainly fluff chapter, but I hope you guys enjoyed this one more. I would have updated the story a lot sooner, but besides college, now I have a mom in constant pain on bedrest after surgery. It's about as pleasant as it sounds. At least I finally got it up.
Yes, I'm planning on having at least a small battle with Paul in the next chapter. Let's be honest, I was writing more of a DBZ fight than a Pokemon Battle when they fought Articuno. I need to practice actual Pokemon battles. Hopefully you guys are looking forward to that.
I only have one other small note. I've been meaning to announce it here, but I don't think I ever got around to telling you guys about it. If you visit my profile and look at my stories, you'll see an old story there. Some of you may recognize it, some of you may not. It's called Time Can't Heal Every Pain. This story was an old favorite of mine, written by the author Legendary Mew. It's actually how I got a lot of my inspiration for the story. It got deleted a while back, but recently, I got permission from him to re-post it on my profile. It's not the greatest story, and it's incomplete, but I liked it. Feel free to check it out.
But anyways, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, well, I love seeing reviews pop up in my inbox. Anyways, until next time, have a good time, and I'll cya all later!