Silverleone: Pikachu is one tough mouse. I've taken part of his attitude from how regular animals if they lose their sight fall back on their other senses to continue living. Which is also why he's pretty much gungo "BATTLE" like 90% of the time. Though, if I had to say, I don't know what sense I would prefer to lose. I kinda like all five XD. AS for Ash's communication, think of where it's at now as like morse code before the telephone was invented. As they fall into a rhythm again, their communication is going to evolve and they'll pick up cues from their travels which'll affect how they operate. Aka spoilers. If you wanna guess what they'll do feel free, I'm curious to see where you'll go.

Eternatus: Thanks! The battles make me worry I'm either over doing it or not portraying them well enough so that's a bit a nail-biter when I post them.

Shorter chap this week folks, but there are reasons for my chaos (Damnit Herald) That said, I hope ya enjoy and let me know what ya think. I love to hear your thoughts and theories. Kindly review and I'll see y'all next week.

Chapter 9

Wisdom in Goodbyes

The memorial service was tomorrow. His grandfather and Ms. Ketchum decided to host it at the ranch, which meant they would spend all day cleaning up to get ready. They would. He wouldn't be found until he wanted to be. Gary simply slipped out his window before dawn, sneaking off to one of the lesser-used barns near the ranch boundary line. He wanted to be with his pokemon, to discuss the decisions he'd made, and how they were going to affect their lives from here on out.

When he stepped out of the trees, the trainer spotted Umbreon sitting in the entrance to the hayloft, red eyes solemnly watching him approach. Giving the dark type a small, if strained, smile, Gary slipped through the open door to the barn. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he found all twelve of his current pokemon standing or sitting, waiting for him. He'd asked Umbreon the night before to round everybody up and was glad to see she hadn't had a problem getting everyone here.

The trainer came to a stop in the middle of the floor, turning to look at each pokemon. There was his trusty starter, Blastoise, standing in between two stacks of hay bales, an immovable mountain of water blasting damage. On one side of him sat a yellow bipedal pokemon, wearing brown shoulder, knee, and elbow guards and carrying two spoons in his paws. On the opposite side, Gary's sharp beak pokemon, Fearow, stood tall.

Across the space, Arcanine and Magmar sat side by side, playing with a smoking stick the pseudo-legendary must have found. Only Arcanine could find a branch and convince the more conservative spitfire pokemon to willingly play with her. Nearby, a tan bird pokemon watched, both heads intrigued by what appeared to be a game of Flip the Stick. Shaking his head at the fire types, Gary turned his attention to the massive purple and blue pokemon at the other end of the barn. Nidoking and Nidoqueen, both well known for their ability to cause a lot of damage with little effort.

Closer to the Nidos' than Blastoise, a massive boulder-like pokemon, with two thick arms and legs, a beetle pokemon with large horns, and an enormous crab stood, attempting to ignore everyone, including each other, while they waited.

When Umbreon finally descended from the loft to sit beside Blastoise, Gary sighed. "I don't know if you've heard, but the reason we're back is that Ash is dead." Surprise rippled through some of them, the fire types halting their game to listen. "We're here for Ash's memorial." The trainer murmured, barely loud enough for them to hear. Even now, there was a pit in his stomach when thinking about it.

"That's what Pallet Town and the rest of the world is going to think." Here came the hard part. Gary crossed his arms, tilting his chin down as he did. "Ash isn't dead. Not really. I don't know the full story, only the bits and pieces I've gathered, but he got mixed up in some serious trouble and lost his memories. He knows his name but doesn't remember Pallet Town or anyone else he may have known besides me. Because of this, and a vow he made, he's going to go after Team Rocket under the name 'Red'."

He stopped, hesitating over his next statement before he nodded to himself and turned to his pokemon. "Now, I know most of you don't like him, and I know I'm the reason for that, but you have to understand he and I weren't always rivals. There was a time we were friends, brothers even. Because of this bond, Mew was able to save his life and return him. I plan on making sure her hard work doesn't go to waste. There are two reasons I have called you all here, and I'm afraid one of them is extremely selfish of me to ask of you."

The pokemon began exchanging looks of worry and curiosity. What worried Gary the most was the stoic look his water starter was giving him. Would Blastoise leave him after so long? Would Blastoise stay with him? The cannon turtle had been grumpy since Ash fell into their camp. If he was grumpy now, what would happen when the young Oak made his request?

"If Red intends to go after Team Rocket, he's going to need help doing so. Help that Gary Oak of Pallet Town cannot give. Therefore, after I leave, Gary Oak will be no more. I ask you, who will go with me when I leave? If you do not want to, I can release you now, or you can wait until the Professor gives you the option. If you simply want to stay at the ranch, I ask you to leave this barn and not speak a word of this conversation to anyone, human or pokemon." His hands weren't shaking. He was simply putting them in his pockets so they would stop getting in the way.

Looking at the gathered pokemon, the trainer tried to discern who would stay with him and who would leave. He hadn't been the nicest or kindest trainer to his pokemon. More than once he'd pushed each to their limits trying to make them stronger. Only in the months after the Indigo League did he begin changing his tune, becoming nicer and kinder to them.

Movement behind Nidoking snapped his viridian eyes to the boulder pokemon as she slowly stepped forward. When she came to a stop in front of him, Gary frowned.

"Golem, what is your choice?" The boulder pokemon gestured to his belt, then the door, and shook her head. Raising a foot, she stomped the ground hard enough to leave an indent and comprehension flooded the trainer's expression. "You want to be released?"

"Gol." The ground type nodded.

Knowing this was what he'd promised, Gary reached for his pokedex. Pulling up the pokemon's information, his thumb hovered over the release option before his eyes hardened and he clicked 'yes.' A soft blue glow overtook Golem before it faded. "It's done. You're free to go." He sighed.

Before Golem left, she set a hefty hand on his shoulder, catching his attention. When he looked up, she smiled. "Gol, gol, em, gole." Then she marched off, pushing through the barn doors and disappearing into the bushes of the forest beyond. Gary turned back to the others, taking in their looks of surprise.

"Does anybody else share her thoughts? I mean it, if you want to go free and not be given to another trainer, this is your only chance." In answer, the beetle, the crab, and the two-headed bird pokemon all stepped forward. The first two chose to be released, not bothering to say anything before they disappeared out the doors. When Gary got to the two-headed pokemon, one of the heads pecked at him, stopping him from releasing him.

"Doduo?" He asked him quietly, his heart hurting after watching his friends leave.

The pokemon shook his heads. "Do, do, duo." One head pointed at the door, the other giving Gary a look that reminded him of Ms. Ketchum's no-nonsense expression. For the first time since this meeting started, the trainer gave a small smile, tucking his pokedex away to reach up and stroke the normal type's heads.

"If you want to stay at the ranch then so be it. I hope you find a trainer who will treat you better than I have."

"Dooo." The bird hummed. Gary let his hands fall, and Doduo stepped forward, ruffling his hair with a beak before he ran out the door.

And then there were eight. The young Oak thought as he turned back to the other pokemon in the barn. "Is there anyone else who wants to leave?" He quietly asked past the lump in his throat. It hurt to see them walk out on him, but he knew it needed to be done. This road he was taking...He had a feeling it was going to be a long and bumpy one, full of trials. If he was going to help Red, he needed pokemon who he could trust and who trusted him to guide them. If that bond wasn't there, then he hoped they found it somewhere else.

"Not leaving, but certainly not staying." The unexpected voice had the young Oak spinning on his heel. No one but his pokemon could have known about this meeting.

Gary could only stare at the Mr. Mime standing in front of him. There was no sound, no visual cues, the pokemon was just there. Why he wasn't trying to scream his head off, the trainer wasn't sure—something told him it was because he recognized this Mr. Mime, but after all his experiences as of late, it could have been anything really. Really. Right? He sighed, pinching his nose in exasperation. Mew, I'm losing my mind.

Mimey tilted her head, frowning at Gary before walking up and offered him an oran berry. He eyed it suspiciously, unsure he wanted to trust such an innocuous appearing item. "Eat it, young Oak. You become grumpy when you miss meals."

Definitely Mimey. Gary's lips twitched at the thought, and he reached for the berry in her palm. Only Ms. Ketchum's companion would force him to eat at a time like this. It—She—had always been in tune with both his and Ash's thoughts, to the point there was little they wanted for before it was given to them. A bite filled his mouth with the same, almost overripe, sweetness that accompanied any berries the caretaker pokemon gave them, and within moments the remainder was devoured.

"Thank you, Mimey." He muttered once it was gone. "But why are you here? How did you even know where to find me?"

Mimey snorted, looking at all the pokemon remaining before she turned to him, black, beady eyes cutting through his facade and deceit. "I know many things, young Oak. I have been around for longer than both you and my Mistress' Ash have been alive. I have seen and done many things, met many people and Pokemon, and learned more about the world than you could hope to by the time you are twice your age. As for why I am here...For someone who dreams so big, you do not fortify your mind enough to prevent others from spying on those dreams."

"W-W-What? What does that even mean?" Gary spluttered, looking at the pokemon in confusion and frustration. Did Mimey know Ash was alive? Did she somehow learn it from him? That was a terrifying thought.

The psychic caretaker shuffled forward in her wobbling step, one hand coming up to tap a finger against Gary's head, much like Mew had done the night this adventure started. In his mind's eye, a hundred images flowed with the strength of Blastoise's Hydro cannon. Once it was over, he stepped back, setting his head in his hands while he attempted to absorb everything. There was so much he'd seen, yet so little he knew or recognized from it. After it had settled, Gary looked up at the pokemon, squinting as if he'd been blinded.

"Mimey, what was that?"

"You will know when you need it." She replied cryptically. "For now, I only have a few pieces of wisdom to impart to you, young Oak, before you return to your journey. Will you accept the experiences of an old 'mon?"

She was serious about this, which meant Gary needed to be as well. If Mimey really knew as much, if not more than that flood of information he'd just witnessed, then it was best to listen to her. He'd learned that from years of watching his grandfather. "Yes. Any advice is much appreciated." It surprised him how strong his voice was. Yes, it was daunting thinking about what was to come. Yes, he was scared. But...He, more than most, could understand what would be lost to save everyone.

"Very well." She hummed, spinning on a foot to gesture to the pokemon remaining. "Trust those who have not turned tail. They understand more than you think and are willing to lay their lives down for you and your cause. Never slack in your training. Your 'mon are only as strong as you. A strong mind is difficult to break."

The mime stopped spinning, pinning him with a knowing look. "All psychic 'mon can read minds. It is up to you to practice your mental defense. This goes for young Ash as well. You will both need much training and practice before you are ready to face the enemies you are after. Never doubt your connection, always trust there is a reason and, last but not least...fight with all your might. Should you doubt your abilities, you will have already lost the battle."