Author's Note: Hello my readers! It's been a while, hasn't it? This holiday season and among other things, has kept me insanely busy, but I managed to finish this chapter just before New Year's. I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer, so with my beta reader's stamp of approval with thorough feedback, I have posted it for you all to enjoy!
I had a decent amount of orders during Christmas, which has kept me very occupied with the shop and my time. I don't tend to advertise a lot of my personal life, but I will say that I've been very emotionally drained from dealing with a lot of personal strain and family issues these last few months. Let's just say it hasn't been easy, and it's taken a real toll. So writing when I have the chance, definitely helps brings some enjoyment back into my life, and I hope you all enjoy reading this new chapter too. And I would also like to thank everyone who has been supportive this year with this story! It means more than I can express to be able to share this with you guys.
Let's hope the new year will bring us all some joy! :) I wish you guys the best, and I hope everyone has an absolutely fun and safe new year!
DISCLAIMER: Pokémon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri. My oc's belong to me.
Sunlight's Return
Chapter 25
"The Truth Cannot Bear the Sunlight"
Something felt cold.
The air was oddly drafty for summer being in season. And there was a metallic smell, too.
Rigidly, sore fingers scraped against the stone ground. A faint moan was produced.
Ash was beginning to stir. Fading in and out of his current reality and the unpredictable happenings of the very night before.
His mind was foggy. His head heavy with aches in between. Eyelids were just in the midst of crinkling, but could not fully open as dark subjective memories flashed in his dreaming state.
In an attempt to sneak out the window, feet stopped short. Ash recalled the motion of turning his head, both he and Pikachu looking immediately to his bedroom door. There was a loud crash downstairs. A very distinct noise. Like glass had shattered and a noticeable tumble followed forthwith.
Then there was a distinct yelp.
It sounded like his mother.
With panic, concern, and outright confusion, Ash hastily made his way to the door and swung it open. However, it was when Pikachu's ears pricked with such precision and he jumped from his master's shoulder with raised hackles, did Ash believe something was far worse than Delia taking a simple fall. He stalked down the hall with caution, Pikachu in the lead as they reached the middle of the steps. The living room was only lit by the lights on in the kitchen, but he could make out the silhouette of his mother, struggling on the floor, gasping for air as a strange manly figure loomed right over her body with vicious hands. Then, another man approached, hands prepping something thin and sharp.
Nothing could prepare Ash for what was to come next.
He didn't need to think. There was no hesitation. Within a flash, the teenager reacted on instinct, his adrenaline pumping as he crept down the staircase, and soon found himself ordering Pikachu to fire off a thunderbolt. The electrical surge caused all the lights to blow out instantly, light bulbs popping and flickering as the whole house was consumed into chaotic black. Only faintly could Ash make anything out. The intruder standing had fallen prey to Pikachu's shocking attack, leaving Ash to viciously grab the man still choking Delia. A tight arm managed to wrap around the strangers neck before he could react, Ash pressing his hold further into the man's airway. They stumbled back a few steps before the attacker spun around and forcefully threw Ash off of him. Nearly being rammed into the fireplace, Ash jumped up with hardly a limp as he charged forward, only to be pushed back again with an agonizing kick to the stomach. No punch Gary threw his way could be compared to immense plain the current blow brought about.
Clenching his stomach, Ash had fallen to his knees and winced loudly in agony. His sight grew fuzzy as dark silhouettes resumed another round of battle. He could hear his mother wince and fight back as she tried to stand up with Pikachu soon coming to the rescue. The horrific crash of something immediately hitting a wall alerted Ash his mouse had been either hit or pushed to the side. And so, a deep primitive desire to protect his furry companion prompted Ash to bottle his current uncomfortable state and bolt back into action. He was about ready to take a vicious swing at the assailant, when he felt something sharp and startling plunge into the side of his neck. Instantly, dreary eyes locked with that of an unknown pair. The eyes were intense and frightening. Ash gasped a little, petrified to be met with such a menacing stare.
In mere seconds, he felt numb and immobilized. Helpless.
Whatever he could make out began to fade into nothing, as did the crying of Pikachu and yelps of Delia.
Then, he collapsed.
And now, he was beginning to awaken. Unsure how long he had been out or where he was currently located. His eyelids began to flutter. And the pains of the aftermath persisted. Eyes barely open, Ash could feel how incredibly cold his cheek was. With a disoriented shake of his head, he attempted to arch his neck and back. Sharp, indescribable pains intensified as his body rose, hands plastered on what appeared to be cement. His whole body was unsteady and sore, and he could smell the remnants of dried caked blood upon his nose and mouth.
His surroundings were unfamiliar. For a moment, he wondered where Pikachu was, and soon realized the inevitable if Team Rocket was indeed behind this, as Brock had warned hours before. Ash cursed inwardly at this, until his focus was stolen. The first thing he caught sight of was a silhouette of thick, dark lines until his vision became clear. Bars. Then, he turned to the side. Panic intensified in his chocolate eyes as they gazed at his motionless mother. Stretching his arm as far as he could, Ash pushed his limb through the bars, feeling the metal rub comfortably against him as fingers flailed out. He leaned in closer to successfully take hold of his mom's shoulder, forcefully shaking her awake.
"M-mom, Mom- Mom, wake up! Please! Please, Mom! Please, be okay!" he begged desperately.
A few seconds had passed, but eventually, Ash saw Delia's eyelids crack open, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Her response was similar as his initial one to waking up; hazy, discombobulated, and achy as she struggled to rise up on her elbows and look to him. As she moved, Ash took notice of the hideous bruising around her neck, cringe worthy for him to think the torture she endured, and how he didn't intervene in time.
All it took was casting her eyes upon the vivid bruises, blood, and disheveled clothing on her son for the woman's chestnut eyes to dilate.
Some of those marks weren't caused by Gary.
"Ash- Ash..."
"Mom, it's me! I'm here!"
Despite being weak, Delia found enough strength to crawl up on her hands and hurry towards her son. Between the bars that separated them, Delia's hands reached out, her arms sticking less than halfway through as the opening was small. In return, Ash scooted closer and Delia's tremulous hands stroked her son's cheeks.
"Oh, Ash!" she cooed with an unsteady voice. "Your face- honey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he answered swallowing, slightly winded. "A-are you all right?"
"Y-yes..." She obviously had not and could not see the physical damage that had been done to her. But all Delia cared about was the assurance that her son was still in one piece. And...that she did see him again- even after their horrific fight.
Out of nowhere, the woman's eyes filled with plump tears. "I'm so sorry I yelled, Ash. I lost my temper. I didn't mean to say- And then those men- I was so scared!" she declared, caressing his blood-ridden cheek again. "Ash, I was so worried I was going to lose you! I couldn't protect you-"
"It's okay, Mom," the teenager eased, placing his hand over hers. "It's okay... I'm here, it's okay..."
Delia nodded in return at his assuring words, but found everything all too unbearable and broke down. The sniffing began to commence and somehow, morphed into a furious moan. "I didn't get home in time- Damnit! I didn't get home to hear it..."
Hear it? With a wrinkling of his forehead, Ash was lost. "Mom? Mom, what are you talking about?"
Swallowing, she was about to muster the strength to tell him of the explanation for their attack, until the pair heard a sudden groan emerged behind Delia. Gazing past Delia's personal cell, the mother and son witnessed Sam beginning to stir with very slow yet jolted movements.
"Prof. Oak!"
On her knees, Delia crawled over to the other side of her cage and grappled the bars. "Sam? Samuel, are you all right?!" she cried. Her initial reaction was pure shock at the professor's abrupt appearance, but was soon reminded very quickly of the mention of Sam's name in her husband's message.
Sam had a hand in this...and in doing so, he was prey, too.
"Uggh..." A moan eventually slipped between the professor's cracked lips. Much slower than Ash or Delia awakening, Sam's bones creaked and shook as he tried to rise to his palms. "Wh-what happened?" he soon groaned, a hand pressed to his pounding head.
Ash, however, took no sympathies in seeing his mentor in discomfort. "I think you know the answer," he instead shot coldly.
This remark pricked both Delia and Sam's attention simultaneously. It was the old man, though, who reacted first. His aging eyes widened in surprise by the sound of their voices, and then seeing their disheveled presences before him left the professor twice as flabbergasted.
"A-ash, Delia!"
The surprise in his voice was beyond evident, but wasn't analyzed by either the mother or son as they caught sight of another presence starting to stir behind Sam. In his own cell, Michael was also beginning to awaken, causing Delia to call out to him.
"Dr. Strayer! Michael, can you hear me?" she said, clenching the bars.
Her cries appeared to stir the psychologist awake, rising with a very shaky hand gracing his forehead. Michael rubbed his head intensively as a groan was produced, barely glancing to his friend as he started, "Sam, are we?-"
"I'm afraid so," the professor finished with an unfortunate tune.
Instantly, Delia jumped in with pleading eyes. "Sam, you have to tell me! What did-"
But Delia's question was prematurely cut short. The abrupt and long squeaking of a door opening led to three figures making a grand entrance. They took center stage in the middle of the faintly lit room, lights eventually brightening to their full capacity to reveal the new faces.
Faces that both stunned Ash and didn't at the same time.
"I see our catch of the day is finally awake."
"Den I suppose we betta give dem the low down!"
"You three?!" Ash blurted, tightly gripping the bars.
"We're on the outside so prepare for trouble!"
"But we were on the inside and made the deceptive trouble double!"
Those distinct voices, those silly action poses, and those contrived threats through rhyming... Ash should have considered this particular Team Rocket trio to be prime suspects. They were, after all, the ones who constantly trailed him and practically had come to know nearly everything about him as much as his friends had. To put it in simple terms, Ash felt duped for not finding it odd they weren't lurking around town, waiting to snatch Pikachu for another round of senseless battling. They must have blended in somehow, feeding information to Giovanni, somewhere close by so they could keep watch...
Delia appeared very startled by their sudden reveal, as she pointed her index finger with blinking stunned eyes. "Wait! Are you two?-"
"Don't even bother with your stupid motto!" Ash hastily cut in. He was in no mood to tolerate hearing their ridiculous motto, and overlooked the start of his mother's pondering.
Jessie, and James, and Meowth nearly fell to their feet amidst their rehearsed poses at the trainer's brash and abrupt declare. Though the three villains snapped back rather quickly, Jessie being the first to react with a snarky retort. "Oh, but twerp, don't you want to know who was the mastermind behind your ensnaring?"
"Your boss," Ash snidely responded, as if it wasn't already obvious enough.
"It was the boss's idea all right, but it was us who orchestrated the whole event!" James chimed in, baring a smile. A grin that showed so many teeth it almost seemed forced...
While his mouth was agape, the words were difficult to form and escape from his throat. "H-how?!" Ash eventually shouted eyes wide. "How could you three clowns possibly do- this?!"
Their track record was a bit askew- basically consisting of countless times they failed rather than achieved their mission. Natural born failures they were. Not hardened criminals who had a knack for executing the most sensitive of crimes. Ash could see those grunts relaying simple messages and, at some point, mess that task up somehow. But to be the ones in charge of the kidnapping and oversee it? That seemed almost unfathomable. Especially after that chilling break-in... Even Ash thought those three agents weren't that bad. Indeed, how could this particularly foppish trio be responsible for their kidnapping?
"We ain't idiots!" Meowth attempted to defend.
Though with such pompous coolness, Jessie boasted about their victory. "We had reinforcements, as you obviously meant. And if you hadn't put up such a fuss, you'd be in much better condition. But I must say, our identities of Jason and Celia really sealed the deal," she admitted with a giggle.
A small gasp fell from Delia's mouth. "So you are- and you!- You two- y-you lied to me?" Her heart instantly sunk, then rose with intensified outright fury. "You used me! Pretending to be some couple in desperate need of help! How could you stoop so low?"
"'Fraid we had to, Snow White," Jessie answered, unmoved. "Of course, we only used you so the boss could get to your runaway husband."
Now, Delia's heart made a giant leap up into her throat. No. No, they couldn't have captured Jay! While she didn't have the slightest idea what was occurring, the idea of Jay being in just as much danger terrified the woman. Even if he had been absent for so long... Ash, too, was feeling a similar tingle of foreboding anxiety. The expression was translated upon his face with bright worry, until Jessie extinguished it with another smirk.
"Don't worry, twerp. Daddy and his little friends got away- again. He's about as difficult to catch as your Pikachu. Lucky for us, though, we doubled our capturing rate!"
"That's right, twerp!" James jumped in, the first time he appeared genuinely excited. "We not only fulfilled a mission, but we finally caught Pikachu! For real!"
To hear Jay and Misty and whoever else was with them was safe was beyond relieving, but to hear that Pikachu had been successfully captured by Team Rocket who could be doing God knows what to him...that wasn't shocking to discover, but was severely alarming.
Ash's fears immediately escalated to a whole new level, clenched teeth showing between the cold solid bars that entrapped him. "Give me back Pikachu!" he demanded as always.
"Why do you always say that?" Jessie asked in annoyance. "You know we won't comply, so why bother?"
"If you idiots hurt or use him, I swear to God I'll-"
"You'll what?" she continued to mock. "Kick and scream 'til you turn blue in the face?"
That about did him in. Any sort of composure had dissipated and was long gone. After that horrendous night of combating Gary, publicly humiliating his family, and then to be ambushed in his own home... Ash couldn't take anymore. Wouldn't take anymore. He didn't care what was to come next. His mind was in a whirl of hatred and revenge, and those zealous feelings were going to be lashed out to the man who stirred this whole pot of trouble to begin with.
"Arrgh! I want to speak with Giovanni right now!" Ash ordered passionately.
In response, Jessie wagged her finger with a shake of her head. "No can do, twerp. The boss is occupied."
"And besides, you've gotta be kiddin' yourself if you seriously tink da boss would take orders from da likes of you," Meowth threw in with a toothy snicker.
"You'll just have to wait for the little meet and greet. I promise you it won't be long! So until then, enjoy prison!"
And with that, the villainous trio left, closing the door with a thunderous slam that blended perfectly with their boisterous cackles. All four captives sat in their cells with utter looks of fright and dread. That is, until Ash's eyes grew exceptionally dark, turning his focus on the professor with a blinding glare. It was impossible to glance away. It was a look far worse than any glower Sam had received. This look surpassed any shame he endured from his wife during their divorce, or any fervent disappointment from Chad when the man accidentally taped over his son's seventh birthday party to record and study the awkward copulation of the infamous headache ridden Pysduck. No. This glare was something the professor couldn't tear away from without a lump logging in his airways and refusing to disembark down his throat.
Ash's voice rumbled as low as it could go. "You."
"Ash, I can explain-"
"You bastard!" he snarled without hesitation.
Delia immediately reacted. "Ashton!"
Her disapproving and appalled expression did no good in wavering her son's temper. "He lied to us, Mom!" Ash adamantly declared, as if his vulgar language was justified. "He knew where Dad was and what he was doing the whole time! You practically took him away from me! My dad, and you didn't even have the decency to tell Mom what was going on!-"
"Ash, I know! I'm upset about all of this, too!" she shouted back, matching his level of volume. "But that still doesn't give you the right to call him that!"
Her words surprisingly made Ash pause, squinting in befuddlement. "What do you mean you know?" the trainer rebutted. Then, his eyes hardened. "Have you known the entire time, too?-"
"Ash, no," Delia quickly clarified, wanting to ease his excitement. "I- I just found out last night."
Now it was Sam's turn to balk in amazement. How did Delia find out about any of this? Had Jay finally caved into the temptation of at last speaking to his wife? Is that why they were embroiled in this hapless predicament? Drawing close to the bars, the professor leaned in and croaked. "From whom?"
His hoarse voice drew Delia's eyes back to him. Instead of fierce anger and betrayal like her son's, Delia's were mixed with another combination altogether. Perplexity was obviously evident, but there was also a sense of sadness, regret, and somehow-
Blame.
It took her some odd long painstaking seconds, but eventually, Delia's trembling lips uttered his name. "From Jay. He called the house, Sam. And I still don't understand what in the world is going on! What has Jay done?!"
Delia's cheeks were already beginning to cascade with tears, forcing Sam to glance away out of guilt- behaving like a coward. But there was nowhere to run to anymore. And Michael reminded him of such as he stared at him, silently telling his old friend to speak up. Confronting Delia about the truth had been long overdue. The professor just never imagined having to tell both her and Ash what had happened to the man they loved while sitting in their own designated cells.
"You have no idea how much I've wanted to tell you about Jayce, Delia," Prof. Oak started quietly. Then, his eyes met hers. "I'll explain what he told me, what happened to him...why he left. I'll explain everything."
It was early morning; the sun was not even kissing its rays upon the quiet town.
All night, he couldn't get a wink of sleep.
Brock had taken refuge on the Parkers' living room sofa, which, while fairly comfortable, had plush cushions that did him no good in drifting off to slumber land.
Tracey had snored and stirred on and off during the night. He was sleeping rather askew on the recliner, the blanket halfway dangling off his body. They had talked a good portion of the night in low whispers before accepting they needed their rest by the bright glow of the moon.
But eyes refused to close for Brock.
Every time he forcefully shut his eyes, all he could think about was Ash. What Ash had said to him and the sincere look of disbelief he cast upon his face when Brock revealed the truth concerning Jay. And then, the glare of hatred that soon followed.
And those words. Those angry, bewildered, hurt words that poured between every just tear that graced Ash's bruised face. Those words swarmed in Brock's head, and slowly, without any rebuke or mercy, glided down his throat and into his sunken heart.
As he swung his legs onto the floor and sat up, the college student gazed up forlornly at the ceiling. Brock was going to make things right. One way or another, he wasn't going to let this deception come between him and his friend.
"Couldn't sleep?"
He turned to find Dani standing at the end of the staircase, wearing just shorts and a Dedenne printed tank top. Her hair was a little tousled from sleeping, which caused Brock's cheeks to immediately redden. But he kept himself in check as he stared back down at the outdated shag carpet.
"Nope," was all he said.
Wandering eyes glanced off to the side as Dani pulled her arms tightly around her body. She drew closer. "Me neither," the girl replied, biting her lower lip.
Eventually, she made her way over and plopped down next to Brock. With just her first glimpse of Brock that morning, Dani could see how Ash and Gary's brawl had taken a toll on him. He looked like a wreck, and she could only imagine how he felt. Whatever was exchanged between him and Ash, it wasn't pretty and clearly didn't help Ash any...or Brock. Bags under his eyes and the constant rubbing of his face indicated such.
In a bath of silence, both teenagers remained sitting on the couch, fidgeting with their hands awkwardly. Well, besides Tracey's obvious faint snoring.
Until Dani decided to speak up. "Last night was something else, wasn't it?" she started to say, the hint of residual shock evident in her voice.
Brock nodded steadily, still staring down. "Yeah. Unbelievable." He tried not to get too wrapped up in the idea of Dani sitting so close to him. Especially with her thigh just barely caressing his own...
"When Ash ran off-" Dani paused for a moment, as if considering her wording. Then, she continued. "Did- did he say anything to you? I mean, about why he did it. Why he fought with Gary? All I can say is, it better not have been something petty."
Oh, it wasn't. But being bound by silence, Brock could not speak of such truths. Instead, he held Dani's gaze with unmoved eyes and definite frown. "No. He wouldn't say."
This seemed to suffice the girl as she stared back ahead, eyes cast upon the unlit fireplace. "Well, whatever it was... I just hope everything will be remedied sooner than later."
Unfortunately for Brock, he knew that wish was more than far reaching.
It felt impossible.
He sat there. Sulking.
Gary's eyes refused to tear away from the kitchen tabletop as he endured yet another lecturing rant from his mother. To say Annie was livid was an understatement. She had given him the most brutal verbal grueling he had ever received, and Gary didn't dare fight back against her warranted angered words.
He knew he was in the wrong. He knew the damage he had caused. Gary did have to admit, however, that while his mom was in the right, he didn't need to be reminded over and over again about his ghastly mistakes. Especially with Harper being present. He had already made a giant ass of himself in front of her, and so, the teenager didn't need his riled mother embarrassing him all the more.
It was Chad who remained unflappable. He was the parent trying to ease the distressed and infuriated waters before anything got too out of hand. It was his neutral words that at last gave Annie's hoarse voice and sore throat a reprieve for the late night, having him step in to talk to his son.
Man to man.
Yet nothing. Gary didn't bother cooperating much, other than shrugging at his father's questioning. Being emotionally and physically drained, Chad didn't push the teenager too much and wandered off to bed without making any headway.
Night felt like an eternity for Gary. Lying there without a wink of sleep. Thinking. Regretting.
Hoping he could somehow mend things with everyone.
Dreary eyes peered up from his soggy cereal to his mother. Annie was busy sprucing up the kitchen before Ash and Delia arrived. The mothers had very briefly discussed what to do about the damages before Delia took off searching for Ash. While their conversation was rushed, it was evident the two agreed that consequences needed to be in place and, more importantly, their sons needed to get past whatever had spurred this ugly skirmish.
And they were going to do it right then and there.
After wiping the bar counter top, Annie rung out her dishcloth in the sink and began to cleanse the kitchen counters. Then, she gave Gary a counseling eye. "Now when they get here, don't you dare give Ash one look or say anything remotely snide, or so help me God, Gareth-"
She stopped herself short at that, her frazzled mind finding it challenging to focus on her train of thought. Instead, the blonde woman just huffed loudly and went back to scrubbing the marbled surface.
Gareth, he scoffed silently. She never called him by his full name. Then again, he had never had his mother this infuriated with him before, either.
The teenager continued to frown, feeling too weak to bother worrying about how he was going to explain himself. About what would happen when Ash declared Gary's little exchange of information- because Gary knew that wasn't a might. It was a definite belief that his cousin would tell the truth. And Gary had no grandiose lie to cover his tracks. He was cornered, like a lower-leveled Pokémon he had ensnared once in the wild. And he knew he deserved every bit of it.
Entering the kitchen, Chad walked by and glanced at his son. The physical marks left behind by Gary and Ash's violent escapade made him cringe a little. Bruises were evident on his face and arms, as well as a cut lip. Chad could see why his son had a bottle of ibuprofen sitting beside his hardly touched breakfast.
He was also aware Annie wasn't too pleased having to abruptly cancel her meeting with a potential client, one of Emily's friends in particular, who was looking for someone to redesign both her kitchen and dining room. This woman was an important client, and having to reschedule under these unfortunate circumstances... Annie's tolerance was thinning minute by minute. Plus, she was anxious about Delia and Ash coming over, which was obvious to Chad as well. The last thing she needed was for Gary to make an ass of himself- again. No. This time, she wasn't going to beat around the bush and allow another meaningless bicker between the boys slide by. Whatever happened between the teenagers was going to be sorted out whether it took mere minutes or hours.
It was finally time to cut through all the nonsense and get to the real source of their ongoing animosity.
Coming up by her side, Chad leaned into his wife's ear. "Annie, try easing up on him a little," he cautioned softly. "Ya already gave him an earful last night. I think he's got the message." He too took the day off from work, which he wasn't thrilled about, but recognized it was necessary.
Annie bristled at his request and twirled to face him. "Ease up? Chad, do you have any idea what kind of damage Gary's caused?"
He sighed. "Annie, I know he destroyed a lot of stuff at the inn-"
"It's not just about collateral damage, Chad. It's about his reputation as a person! What people will think of him! About how his choices affected others. Do you think many people are gonna want to stay at the inn now?"
Chad matched her lowered, but assertive whisper. "It's not like there were guests or anything. And who's gonna tell?"
"Oh, you should know better than that, Chad!" Annie retorted, as she started scrubbing the counter again. This time pointlessly out of frustration. "With all the gossiping biddies around- this news will be like crack cocaine to them!-"
A gentle but firm hand reached out and ceased Annie's senseless cleaning. Chad rubbed his wife's knuckles affectionately, a silent reminder to stay calm and that, in time, everything was going to be fine. That Gary was capable of owning up to his poor choices.
That they hadn't totally failed.
Beyond her husband's broad but toned shoulder, Annie thought of just that as she gazed upon her depressed son. By the glum expression on Gary's face alone, she knew he was drowning in guilt. In the past, whenever a scuffle occurred between him and Ash, her son was quick to defend and deflect the trouble and blame away from him. So perhaps age had matured him to fall silent and endure his parents' ongoing rants of disappointment, soaking it all in... And yet, Annie felt there was more to the situation than simple maturity.
Grounding herself with a deep breath, Annie glanced at the clock on the wall nearby, then back into her husband's green eyes. "I think I'll have to call Delia," she started. "She was supposed to be here by now with Ash."
In return, Chad nodded and proceeded to fetch his own breakfast while Annie retrieved the handset.
Within mere seconds of their conversation, Harper strolled down the stairs. She was wearing a casual summer dress with a messy bun, appearing to be ready to leave the Oaks' residence with her belongings in tow. Rather pathetically, Gary peered at his girlfriend for under a minute, trying to quietly translate his late and overheard apologies. How he couldn't stand the thought of losing her once more after he had attempted to gain her love back due to his own faults. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to read Harper's expression, as Chad called out for the girl's attention.
"Harper, do you still need me to give you a ride home this morning?" Chad inquired, figuring she was eager to leave after last night's fiasco.
It had been discussed—no, settled without the teenagers' decision that Harper was to head back home the next morning. They had made the arrangements late that evening with her father, which he agreed to without argument, though he hardly knew what exactly his daughter's boyfriend had done. As of now, Gary was beyond grounded- and taking away phone rights, laptop rights, and anything involving Harper was essential until he got his act together.
And silently, Harper too thought it was best.
The green haired girl flashed a small smile at Chad. "I talked with my dad and he said I could come home this afternoon. I was hoping to go to the lab and see the new water habitat the professor and Tracey made. As long as it's okay with you, Mr. Oak."
With his neck sinking into his shoulders, Gary watched his dad converse with Harper, stating he was perfectly fine with her request. After that, she didn't even give a second look. No, couldn't look at him. But he couldn't help himself from being fixated on her. Gradually, over his shoulder, Gary observed the first girl he ever truly cared about walk out the door without any hesitation.
It would be the most bitter of goodbyes if she chose never to see or speak to him again.
All she could do was watch for her to walk in the front entrance.
The clock ticked past nine thirty. Still no sign of Delia.
Leah twisted her mouth in befuddlement. On most occasions, Delia would arrive at the inn before Leah herself even would. Once Ash left for his journey, it seemed Delia found most of her time spent usefully working, instead of brooding at home worrying herself to death. It kept her busy, and in doing so, left Leah with little to do in the morning. The woman budgeted her time very wisely, putting it to good use with a particular morning routine. The desk straightened and organized, coffee brewing, Delia already wrangling in Michelle for the day with her latest excitement in the kitchen...
But like most humans, Delia running late was a reasonable and highly likely explanation. Besides, she was speaking with Annie and Chad after all. Perhaps it would take much longer than anyone anticipated for things to be half-way straightened out...
A lot had to be said. And a lot needed fixing. Not just the inn's interior design, but between Ash and Gary too.
Keeping an even and calm mind, Leah tried to give Delia a little more time before becoming too engrossed in her concerns. That is, until the company phone rang.
"Hello, Butterfree Inn. Oh, hi Annie." Leah instantly made a face. "What? Delia still hasn't shown up?" She listened, swallowed, and eased her thoughts again. "Okay," she said into the phone. "Let me try calling her. Maybe she and Ash are talking. All right. I'll call you back soon."
Hanging up, Leah breathed deeply through her nostrils. What in the world was going on? The uncharacteristic behavior began to stir an awful wrenching in the pit of the woman's stomach. But, she forcefully suppressed the temptation to worry. There was no need to jump to any outlandish conclusions. No need to think of the absolute worst. Delia could have stopped somewhere. Perhaps the grocery store, or the post office, or she could just be outside watering the garden... But still, the idea of her not being at Annie's like she had said she would, and then being over an hour late to work with no word...
The only rational explanation Leah could think of was that either Delia just left for Annie and Chad's and was running behind, or she and Ash were having a heated argument that no ringing device could halt.
As promised, Leah quickly punched in the numbers to her daughter's residence and pressed the handset to her ear.
The phone rang once. Then twice, Then three times. The four times. The five times...
Nothing. No answer. Just the answering machine.
So Leah waited a few minutes or so. Then called again. Still nothing.
Confused, the woman placed the phone down and leaned against the top of the front desk. There had to be a logical answer to both Delia and Ash's inability to answer the phone. Something reasonable had to explain everything and soothe the start of something strangely foreboding festering inside Leah.
But the inn keeper wasn't going to sit by and wait for a reply. She was going to call Annie back and tell the woman of her fruitless phone calls. And then, to be on the safe side, Leah decided she would call her husband and ask him to do a small favor.
The pleasant sound of Pidgey chirping filled the air.
The morning sun was about the only form of stress relief Harper had been graced with.
Going to sleep was impossible and then to wake with Gary and his mother at battle left her on edge and wishing to leave. She couldn't even give her boyfriend a glance as they rode home that previous night, and hadn't said a word to him since.
But then to see him this morning... Harper pitied Gary, and while displeased with his outrageous actions, she could see the cast of shame in his blue eyes. Something wasn't right. There was something more to it all. Gary wasn't combating his parents with his usual quick wit and snarky remarks of defense. He almost appeared sedate. Staring down with a thin frown. He took in all their words, not even making an ounce of a fuss.
Gary knew what he did was wrong. He agreed with his parent's outright fury and in doing so, couldn't concoct an exemplary counter argument.
What hurt the most was Harper's own warning. She had given Gary one final chance to prove himself decent and worthy of her company, only for it to be thrown back in her face. As if he didn't take her seriously.
As if it meant nothing to him.
A misting of tears swelled up in her eyes. Upon their birth, she removed her foggy glasses and smeared them with the back of her hand. Harper didn't want to end her relationship with the boy she had grown to love- but could she stand his erratic behavior, his instigating and belittling of Ash? And what about his temper? His gumption to fight openly at a public event with no restraints?
It was that rehashing of hideous events that made Harper question everything.
In time, the trainer climbed to the very top of the winding staircase. From there, she knocked on the door of the lab and waited patiently. A minute or so passed before she attempted to peep into the window of the lab. The curtains were drawn. Harper frowned at this and stood in front of the door again. Then, her ears keened in on the surrounding noises.
No resonating animalistic calls were heard from inside the lab or out on Prof. Oak's property. Actually, there were no Pokémon out to begin with. That alone indicated to the trainer that something was amidst. She knew Prof. Oak was an early riser, as Gary had brought her over to the lab at an ungodly hour a time or two. Surely, Tracey would be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as well, along with the Pokémon trailing behind him. And what about that Dr. Strayer fellow?
For a final time Harper knocked on the door. When she received no indicator of someone's presence, she dared to grip the door of the home. Strangely, it was unlocked.
And what was stranger, is what the girl found inside.
Back at the Parker residence, the kitchen was bustling with traffic.
On each side of the table, as if to claim their begging territory, Rex and Fly took to whimpering for food scraps by susceptible diners with soft eyes and wagging behinds. Dani and Tracey had helped themselves to the scrumptious meal, prepared by Ophelia and Brock with Mr. Mime's swift assistance of setting the table. The pair was occupied finishing off cooking the pancake batter, while Ernest entered into the house, his hand-workers following from behind. They had taken care of the early morning chores, now rewarding themselves with some buttery grub before getting back out there in the pasture.
As the men washed up and took their spots at the table, the phone suddenly chimed.
Wiping her mouth, Dani hastily rose from her seat. "I'll get it!" she volunteered.
She went for the old phone stationed on the wall by one of the kitchen counters, and answered. "Hello? Oh, hi Grandma." She glanced over her shoulder, her eyes focused on one person alone. "Uh yeah, I'll get Grandpa."
As he dried his hands with a towel, Ernest picked up at the sound of himself being mentioned. He arched a brow in curiosity as Dani motioned for him to come over. By the tone of his granddaughter's voice, the farmer's mind pricked with interest, wondering why Dani's words seemed hesitant.
"It's Grandma," she announced, covering the phone with her hand. "She sounds worried."
Ernest nodded, thanking the girl, then took the phone. "What do ya need, hon?" he asked.
"I need you to go by Delia's house and check on her and Ash," he heard his wife say rather speedily. "Delia didn't show up at Annie's this morning. She was supposed to be there an hour ago and be here at work by now and-"
"Slow down, Leah," Ernest urged with warmth and yet confusion. "What do you mean Delia ain't at work?"
Now everyone in the house was intrigued. Those dining stopped eating. Brock and Ophelia soon took a break from flipping pancakes, and even Mr. Mime paused from his obsessive sweeping ritual. They all observed Ernest attentively, seeing deep wrinkles soon form across his forehead as he listened to his wife's rant.
"That's odd," he started slowly. Then, the man listened some more. "All right. All right, I'll go and check in on 'em. I'm sure they're there, Leah. They're probably just fighting or somethin' about going over to Annie's. Okay. I'll call you back to let you know. Don't worry.
"No need to rush, you two." His words were directed to his hand workers, once he hung up the phone. Sighing, Ernest elaborated on the development. "I gotta run over to Delia's. Apparently she and Ash didn't show up at Annie's. And now your momma's worried 'cause Delia or Ash ain't answering."
This time, his attention was directed at his eldest daughter. Ophelia frowned at this with lowered eyebrows. "Fighting about last night, I presume?"
"Oh, I'm sure." Ernest sighed loudly, as if he was almost dreading to head over to Delia's house. He had about had it with Ash's behavior, and was in no mood to deal with his grandson's combativeness for another round. Last night about dealt Ernest in, his voice faintly hoarse, his eyes dreary, his muscles achy... The emotional fatigue really wore on him.
As the farmer began his journey to the front door, he nearly tripped over the constant swishing of a worn dust filled broom. "Goddammit!" Stumbling a little, Ernest caught himself by clinging onto the stairway banister, before peering over his shoulder to glower rather harshly at the culprit.
It was Mr. Mime, fully equipped in his personal apron and sweat dropping at his accidental run in. He was in the process of setting the broom aside, already eager to run over to Delia's residence with Ernest. Though the farmer wasn't reciprocating his kind advances too well.
"Get outta my way you stupid son of a!-"
"Dad!" Ophelia scolded very sternly as she stood in between the kitchen and living room. "He just wants to help!"
"That's all he ever wants to do! Never means no harm, just wants to help in any way he can!" Ernest carried on, as if he had heard this speech delivered time and time again. "And why do ya'll always gotta defend that damn mime anyhow?! Even you two do it!"
The finger pointing was directed at Keith and Rick, one still busily eating away while the other balanced a tooth pink in between his teeth.
"Like Ophelia said, he's only tryin' to help," Keith justified with a subtle smirk.
Ernest narrowed his eyebrows and huffed in return. "Yeah, uh-huh," he muttered under his breath as walked to the front door. "Some help he is. Shoulda nicknamed him Lassie. Now wait!-"
Before the farmer knew it, that overly neighborly mime was out the door and down the porch steps. Ernest's fists tightened against his sides as the Pokémon encouraged him to hurry along with constant calling.
Ophelia leaned against the entryway between the kitchen and living room with her arms folded. "Just let him go with you, Dad."
If he was anticipating a screaming match with Ash, which was highly plausible, Ernest stubbornly took his daughter's advice and decided not to fuss over Mr. Mime's eagerness to please. Instead, he stuck to his signature response: grumbling.
"The things I do for this family..."
The jaunt over to the house was short, yet with Mr. Mime right by his side, it felt like an eternity for Ernest. The neighborhood was its usual quiet and quaint self. Nothing odd or out of the ordinary. Which included Delia's house. When he approached the white picket fence, Ernest heard no signs of yelling or refusals to leave. Actually, Delia's truck remained park by the fence. Scratching his head at this, Ernest waltzed up to the door and gave a good knock. No response. He knocked again. Then twice. Then three times...
Mr. Mime cast an expression of anxiety, followed by a soft cry of some sort. In response, Ernest raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Pokémon then back to the front door. He had knocked out of courtesy, but decided to set politeness aside and venture in himself. He turned the knob only to find it locked. The whole situation felt strange to him, and when the farmer tried to think of a logical explanation, rationale was tainted by festering concern. Even so, he kept on calming his nerves silently for both himself and wife. The last thing he needed was to let his imagination get the best of him.
Rummaging through his jean pocket, Ernest pulled out a ring of keys and soon inserted the correct one into the knob. With one twist and click, he and Mr. Mime were permitted to enter, but what they found inside left them both nearly falling to their knees. Instantaneously, the pair became engrossed at the evidence of chaos before them. The house looked like a tornado had whipped through. Mr. Mime was the first to move, his manic yelps intensifying as he raced into the living room and then into the kitchen. Neither could believe what they saw. Broken furniture, shattered and dispersed glass, fallen items, and-
Blood. Little pools of deep red coagulated liquid trailing across the living room rug.
He turned a ghostly complexion and panicked.
"DELIA! ASH!"
Frantically, Ernest nearly lost his footing as he hysterically called out their names as loud as his lungs would allow and charged up the stairs. Like a maniac, he looked about everywhere, from the bathroom to the bedrooms. No sign of their presence. His head spun at an incredible rate, feeling dizzy and utterly stupefied. Grappling with logic and calmness was becoming impossible as he struggled back down the stairs.
"Delia, Ash- PIKACHU?!" His tone had grown weak and uneasy, a hand running through his balding head. "Oh, God!"
Abruptly, his wild eyes dash to the presence beside him holding a cordless phone.
Perhaps Ernest needed Mr. Mime after all. If it wasn't for him, Ernest wasn't too sure he would have picked up the phone to call 911. And that was something he was willing to admit.
The morning in the senior Ketchum household went about as normal.
Though Emily was more irritable and short than ever.
"Gretchen, I can still smell that Bruxish from two nights ago! I want the odor gone by the time I get back home!"
She was walking with her usual prideful stride, until stopping to find her daughter coming down the stairs. She had slept in and taken a soothing bath earlier that morning, taking full advantage of a slow-paced morning compared to her usual schedule.
"Zelda, will you make sure that it's done?"
The woman nodded, overhearing her mother's strange demand earlier at the top of the staircase. "I'll try to help."
"I don't want you doing her job," Emily made sure to make clear. "I just want you to keep on her so she doesn't let it slide by. I'll be hosting a D.K.R meeting tomorrow with that abhorrent Martha Pennington, and I'll be damned if Gretchen lets that putrid odor linger for another day."
Any other day Zelda would have complied instantly without question. But as she watched her mother's rigid movements and heard her rather sharp tone, the woman began to wonder if there was something more than just the smell of a flamboyantly colored fish that irked Emily Ketchum.
"You okay, Mom?" Zelda questioned carefully.
"Yes," she breathed, exasperated, "why wouldn't I be?"
"Uh, no reason. You just seem a little tense-"
"I'm fine, Zelda."
It would appear not. Still, Zelda didn't make a fuss over it. Reading her mother's facial signals alone, she restrained herself from prying, even though her intentions were good. She was fully aware how upset her mother was over Ash and Gary's latest debacle, assuming quickly Emily's mood had something to do with that.
"When you get a chance, call your brother today and tell him to stop sending us Bruxish," Emily instructed, cutting off Zelda's wondering thoughts.
The mention of Drake alone prompted Zelda to blink. "But he's on vacation-"
"They have cellphone reception at the Valencia Pokémon Center and I'm sure he can spare a few minutes from surfing in that infested water. If he doesn't answer, just leave a message. And don't forget to pick out your wedding dress from those samples I ordered. I want to get your custom dress placed before some plastic bridezilla fills our spot."
She attempted to speak again, but found no voice as Emily hollered for her father to move along from upstairs. "Richard, you better hurry up! You'll be late for your meeting."
And with that, Zelda withdrew herself from any attempt to coerce Emily into talking, for it would most likely end in failure. Breathing a sigh of mild annoyance, Zelda journeyed to the gathering room sofa and flipped through the magazine at her mother's request. Though she knew, inevitably, Emily would dislike the dress she picked, and select one she believed would flatter her daughter's features and figure. As much as she wanted a veil, she already knew Emily had a crown in mind for her.
Examining herself one last time in the lavish hanging mirror nearby, Emily could hear her husband come down the stairs, eventually freezing in his tracks.
At the very bottom of the steps, Richard gave a disgusted sniff. "Is that?-"
"The fish, I know," his wife finished without even glancing over her shoulder. She grabbed her hospital ID tag from her purse. "Zelda's going to tell Drake not to send us any more Bruxish."
"Fine by me," Richard replied too willingly as he came forward. "I've always been a more meat and potatoes man myself."
Now she looked at him with a stern eye. "Don't think you're getting out of eating healthier meat, Richard," Emily warned. "I'll just tell Drake to send us some Finneon instead."
"Oh Emily, there's hardly any flavor to that, let alone meat-!"
"Richard, I thought you had a meeting to prepare for?" she remarked sharply, changing the subject before a pointless spat broke out.
The tone of his wife's voice either went unnoticed or he gave it no attention as the man seemed to snap back into focus. "Oh, right, right. I just need to get my shoes and I shall be out."
As would she. But God, did she feel like an utter mess. A headache insisted on lingering from the prior evening, in which she hardly obtained any sort of rest. There was no exception of showing her current feelings, however. She and Richard had gone home in near silence. He had attempted speaking to her once she had left Delia's house, only to receive a cold reply that everything was fine and Delia could handle locating Ash on her own. To Emily's relief, Richard was too physically and emotionally bushed to bother interrogating any further and gave up without much of a fight.
While no one knew it, Emily herself couldn't dismiss what had been exchanged between her and Delia. She was still piqued by her daughter-in-law's words, dreading the idea of simply driving by her residence.
After one final minor fluffing to her hair, Emily reached for the strap of her purse and took one step forward. Her tracks unexpectedly ended there as the phone suddenly blared close by. She let it ring twice before huffing noticeably. Impatient for the hired help to pick up the line, the doctor took matters into her own hands, marched over, and in a slightly exasperated voice answered the phone.
"Yes, Ketchum Residence?"
Out of nowhere, as the color began to dramatically drain from her face, Richard entered into the room once again. However, he began to speak rather loudly with irritation, completely unaware of his wife's currently stunned state.
"Emily!" he belted, throwing his hands up into the air, and then, they soon hit his sides. "I can't seem to find the shoe-horn! I'm already late for my phone conference with Sinnoh's League and I can't find it. We are picking up a new client, a champion- that Cynthia woman who's all over those wretched global enquirers at the checkout stand.
"Now, have you taken it again?" he asked, sounding twice as peeved as before. He didn't appreciate her blatant ignoring of his presence. "I know that you need if for those four inch torture devices you call shoes, but I need it once in a while, so would you kindly make it expendable for my use?"
Again, no response. It was then Richard walked forward, coming to his wife's side with both agitation and wonderment to her total disregard.
"Emily, have you a heard a word I said? Emily?"
At last, the insurance man became witness to his wife's lack of pigment to her cheeks. Her mouth was agape, eyes wide and full of something Richard could only interpret as distraught. Instantly, a gentle hand placed itself upon her shoulder, all indignation melting away as concern rapidly took over.
"Emily, what's wrong?"
Emily didn't flinch. All she did was swallow.
"Yes. Yes, we'll be down immediately."
Remaining in suspense, Richard observed his wife hang up the phone with an unsteady hand. It took her a few seconds before she turned to him, brown eyes full of unimaginable shock, yet sedate at the same time.
"Cancel your phone conference," Emily ordered in a rather strange flat tone.
Richard huffed at this. "I can't do that-"
"Ash and Delia are missing."
A roll of crime scene tape unraveled itself across the Ketchum residence's front lawn.
From word of mouth, a huge crowd of townsfolk circled the outskirts of the Ketchum's small lot of property. It was as if the entire town crawled out of their homes, half standing before Delia's house while an even larger herd wandered off to the Oak lab. Many approached and shoved as far as they could to get the Ketchum's fence, only to be blocked and harshly whistled and yelled at to back up and respect the boundaries by police officers.
Closest to the residence were Leah, Ernest, and Michelle. Behind them, Ophelia stood with Dani, Brock, and Tracey. No one knew what to think. No one could process the images before them.
Nothing made sense.
Located on the Ketchum lawn was the one and only Officer Jenny from the Viridian Police Force. She was now the deputy chief of her division, officially presented with the right to give orders and receive reports. Half of her team went to the Oak lab to investigate, while five other officers stood by, two standing outside handling the crowd, the others inside the house.
As for her, the deputy chief stood scanning her surroundings. Thinking. Reflecting over the report Detective Lieutenant Liam Robinson had given her.
We're dealing with a missing persons case here. Delia Marie Ketchum, age thirty-four, reported missing and possibly assaulted and kidnapped along with her sixteen year old son Ashton Jayce Ketchum. Delia grew up in Pallet; she works for her mother as a manager at the local Butterfree Inn; never attended college, no petty offences, no criminal history in total...
No reason for her to be involved in a crime.
And then there was Ash.
Jenny didn't need Liam to explain who he was. At least, the boy she recalled those six years ago. The young Pokémon trainer from Pallet with an injured Pikachu he was struggling to care for. Being a new trainer sure brought about unforeseen challenges Ash hadn't clearly prepared himself for at the time. And now she had learned he had grown in his field, and had become somewhat of a success story for Pallet's trainers and its small community. Thinking how simple their lives were made it difficult to conceive the concept of this boy and his mother being involved in some unexplainable disappearance.
It just didn't add up. Jenny had no idea where this investigation was going to lead her.
Coming to her side, Jenny's second in command, Liam, left the house and approached the woman with a low voice and foreboding eyes.
"Jenny," he started quietly in her ear as be came from behind, "I think you should take a look at this."
With a motion of his head the deputy chief followed, only for their whispering and sudden venture into the house to cause an uproar on the dirt road. They ignored such, though, and proceeded into the broken home.
Taking a few steps in, Jenny soaked in the crime scene. She had spoken with the Parker family outside while her officers did an intense scope of the house. Now it was her turn to investigate, and unfortunately, she caught sight of a liquid she had hoped she wouldn't see.
"Blood."
Jenny glanced at Liam, then back down at the little pool. Small droplets trailed away from the coagulated puddle, eventually disappearing altogether. Then, there was splatter of blood in the kitchen and an uneven streak stretching on the dismantled coffee table.
At least, that's all she took note of at the time.
"Is this all?" the deputy chief asked.
"As far as we can tell," Liam answered.
Jenny placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "I want samples collected immediately."
"Already on it."
"There must have been a struggle," she pondered, now stroking her chin. "It started in the kitchen and ended up here... Is anything missing?"
Liam shook his head. "Not as far as we could tell," he responded. "The back door looks like it had been picked, so there could have been a break-in. But from what Mr. Parker says, nothing was stolen."
Then what kind of crime was this? Right off the bat, Jenny figured this wasn't going to be a simple burglary. Perhaps there was motive behind it all. After all, Prof. Oak and Dr. Strayer weren't only gone, but the Oak lab was ransacked too, as if an intruder had been passionately searching for something- so why wasn't Delia's house scavenged? What was occurring that made both these neighbors involved?
Jenny said nothing for a few moments, and then sputtered out another question. "Do we know if Delia and the professor had any kind of a relationship?"
Liam arched a brow at this. "Other than that Prof. Oak stored her son's Pokémon for him and that they were neighbors, no. There's no suggestion anything was going on... Do you think they were involved?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, feeling a bit puzzled by it all. "I'm just going off any possible lead I can think of."
That wild lead, however, didn't go too far as the detective's thoughts were hastily disconnected by the sound of footsteps. Soon, two officers, a man and woman, came down the staircase. Evidently they had finished their sweep of the bedrooms and upstairs bathroom. Looking up, Jenny acknowledged her subordinates' presences, noticing them coming forward with a new piece of evidence in a transparent bag.
"We found what looks like the boy's pokebelt," the female officer informed, holding the 'belt with gloves. "There's only five pokeballs on this 'belt, ma'am. Do you think one Pokémon's missing?"
It would be considered sacrilege for any Pokémon trainer to go anywhere without their pokebelt, especially in the training community. That and- if there was a commotion of some kind- why didn't Ash use his Pokémon to put a stop to the skirmish?
"I remember Ash had a Pikachu," Jenny reminisced, "and his grandfather said that Pikachu doesn't care much for a pokeball. And he was nowhere in the house when Mr. Parker entered... Wherever they went, Pikachu must have gone with them."
"The fuse box was also burnt out too, ma'am," the male officer also mentioned. "It made quite a detrimental impact."
"Think it was the mouse?" Liam concluded.
His fellow officer shrugged. "Sounds highly plausible... Now thinking about what Jenny said- What if Pikachu was trying to intervene in the scuffle?"
"So you're saying you think the boy did this?" Liam said, entertaining the idea. "That he either commanded Pikachu to act violently or Pikachu was trying to stop them from fighting?"
"I'd like to say no on Ash being the perpetrator," Jenny hurriedly shot down. "It makes no sense for him to leave the rest of his Pokémon if he had intentions of running away and kidnapping his mom in the process. Plus, their truck is still here. It makes logical sense for him to have taken a vehicle, rather than forcing her and himself to walk. Plus, the door looks like it was picked from the outside."
"Maybe he left in a hurry before getting caught and staged the whole thing," the other male officer retorted.
"Yes...but I doubt Ash would do something like this."
Honestly, anything was possible at this point. Jenny was fully aware that if she wished to remain as an open-minded and critical detective, she wouldn't allow any biases or hopeful thinking stand in the way of performing her job. And yet, for some reason, that image of that ten year old boy remained stuck in her mind...
Eventually, the officers who reported were dismissed and continued collecting samples. Liam stood watching Jenny with keen attention, soon placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. They had worked together for a good few years, and because of that, he could read both his fellow officer and friend like a book.
"Jenny," Liam began in a gentler tone, "you knew the kid years ago- and it was for only a day. Kids grow up and sometimes...they do unspeakable things."
Liam was trying to help her keep things in prospective. Jenny could see this. She reassured him with a nod as if she understood. And she did, truly. Nothing about her job was easy, especially on the occasion when these crimes involved children. Children who might do "unspeakable things," as Liam noted. But from what the crime scene was telling her, and the distant but clear memory of how dedicated Ash once was in saving his brutally injured Pikachu after that horrific attack from the Spearow and Fearow, plus the storm...
The chief's eyes drifted towards a picture frame with a photo of Delia and Ash inside. One of the few decorations in the house that withstood the struggle. Then, her gaze softened.
Not this one...
"Chief?"
A feminine voice from the doorway snapped Jenny back into focus as she twirled around. "Yes?"
It was another one of her officers, a younger trainee. "The boy's paternal grandparents are here. I'd suggest preparing yourself."
While she didn't knew what to expect, Jenny had a decent idea of what might come by the woman's tone. Within seconds, the chief abandoned the house and followed the gesturing of her subordinate, who pointed out the senior Ketchum couple within the multiplying crowd. She could see the look of distress upon both their faces as they moved their heads about to get a glimpse of what was happening on their daughter-in-law's property.
Coming underneath the crime scene tape, Jenny flashed her badge to the pair. "Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum, I'm Deputy Chief Jennifer Anderson of the Viridian Police-"
"What's happened?" Emily interrupted in sheer panic. "Where are they?!-"
"Mrs. Ketchum," the chief put her hands out, "I need you to calm down-"
"Calm down?!" the wealthy woman boomed. "Don't tell me to calm down! What you need to do is inform my family as to what has happened to my grandson!"
It was evident Emily was holding back tears, anger claiming her emotions while fear took a backseat. She never liked to appear weak to others, and feeling out of control in a situation as terrifying as this only furthered to rattle her nerves.
Carefully, Jenny elucidated what she could provide. "We believe that an altercation of some kind happened here late last night and now...your grandson and daughter-in-law have seemed to have vanished. Along with Prof. Samuel Oak and Dr. Michael Strayer. It appears there was a break in at the lab."
"Samuel and Michael, too?!" Emily repeated, twice as alarmed.
"Good God," Richard breathed out in sheer shock. "So what you are saying? Are you suggesting that they are connected?" he quickly presumed, trying to remain even for the both of them during this time of distress. "Like this was- a kidnapping?"
She had come to the same conclusion herself. "Perhaps. If you wouldn't mind, could you and your wife answer a few questions? It's standard procedure."
"What kind of questions?" The last word Emily uttered had a rather sharp and peeved tone to it, as if she knew what the chief was already implying.
Jenny ignored such though, and proceeded. "When was the last time you both spoke to Delia and Ash?"
"It was at the party last night for the Parker's inn," Richard began, looking tired. "Ash had gotten into a physical altercation with Gary. Our other grandson and Samuel's, too."
"Prof. Oak's grandson, too?" repeated Jenny, somewhat surprised by this news.
"Yes. Ash had stormed out after that, and several of us went to look for him. Me, my wife, and my daughter Zelda included."
"And I'm assuming someone found Ash? That's what Mr. Parker had said," she clarified.
"Well, if Ernest had said that, then I presume that's correct," Emily hurriedly answered for the both of them.
Appearing stumped, Jenny cocked an eyebrow. "You both were unaware of this?" she said, looking back and forth between them. "Didn't Delia call you to tell you Ash had come home?-"
It appeared Richard was about to speak up, only for his wife to cut him off in a rather definite tone. "No. Now, look, officer-"
"It's Chief." She always hated it when people still called her that- especially when they used such a pious tone like Emily was.
The older woman wrinkled her nose in response. "Chief," Emily corrected herself, mockingly. "We had a very long and strenuous evening last night. None of us were in a good frame of mind. Everyone was a little- disoriented."
Clearly. From what she was being told and Emily's dismissive and fast-paced answers, something was attempting to cloak itself from the young police chief. Steadily, she held Emily's gaze and answered. "I understand the situation, Mrs. Ketchum. But even so, I'm going to have to ask both of you and your daughter to come down to the police station for questioning. We need as much information as possible so we can locate your grandson and daughter-in-law."
As much information as possible... Maybe Jenny finally had something to go off of. If they were cooperative, that is.
"Of course," Richard was eager to comply. "You can ask us anything."
A/N COUNT.: As you can see, with the police involved, things may finally be straightened or might get just more complicated for our heroes! The most I know about crime scenes and how they're handled is by watching TV. LOL But I will try to dig a little deeper as the story progresses! ;)
But what is to come next? Will Ash and the others find a way to escape from Team Rocket's hideout? Will Ash and Delia truly discuss what happened the night before? And let's not forget about Jay and the others coping with the recent aftermath. Plus, is Entei Giovanni's last target? Will the legend truly be conceived? So much more to come! :) All I can say is, be prepared for Ash and Delia's reactions to it all! They are definitely not going to just accept this or wait for Jay to come to the rescue! Again, I really don't want to spoil anything, but there will be more developments coming up for all the characters. Things are definitely going to be challenging for Ash, Jay, and Delia in particular. But I can tell you this, none of them are going to give up so easily!
Thank you all again for reading!