Author's Note:
I fucked up with the drama in this chapter. I cringed as I re-read it as it was too melodramatic. Apologies for that. I'll try to keep romance healthy in future chapters.
"We should stop Garchomp before she turns the city into a graveyard," Ash said through his bared teeth. The dragon type dashed towards the Prism Tower firing random Dragon Pulses and Hyper Beams at every structure on her way.
Ash browsed below: several buildings have already collapsed, citizens scurried in fear, flames on shops and trees rampantly spread among themselves. A lawless uproar ignited in the city. Hope Gary and the other will handle things below.
Ash gently patted his bird. "Faster, Pidgeot. No more holding back."
Pidgeot's training at the Assumption Island had helped her achieve monstrous speeds most Pokémon only dreamt of, and Ash was well aware of that. Pidgeot accelerated and closed in towards Garchomp in seconds.
Garchomp flew faster, in an attempt to outrun her chasers, but too bad, Pidgeot's aerial artistry was beyond Garchomp's league. Despite the dragon's irregular movements, Pidgeot adroitly maintained proximity to her.
As Pidgeot hurtled, Ash's vision deteriorated. The flurry of winds bombarded into his eyes and without protective eye gear, there was no way he could keep his eyes open. He realized why Pidgeot was holding back all this while, but it did not matter if he couldn't see properly; they had to stop Garchomp at all costs.
A tug on Ash's shoulders grabbed his attention. Froakie was struggling to maintain a grip on his jacket. He grabbed the water-type and placed him before him, right behind Pikachu. "It'll be over soon, Froakie. We'll get Garchomp to safety," he screamed as the wind whooshed in his ears.
"Okay."
Ash strengthened his hold on Pidgeot as his bird tilted her body to make a turn. "Pikachu, I want you to use Thunderbolt on Garchomp when I tell you," he said. Distracting Garchomp should fend her off the city. Although his plan might provoke the dragon to target them, they had to compromise with the risk. Keeping the Mach Pokémon at bay was the primary goal.
"Right!" Pikachu charged his electric sacs and waited for his trainer's command. He had well mastered the art of limiting his static only to his cheek sacs, which allowed Ash to hold him in place and not get electrocuted.
Pidgeot inclined her body and flew over Garchomp parallelly.
"Now, Pikachu!" Ash shouted as Pidgeot dipped, close to the dragon-type.
At his trainer's word, Pikachu released a mighty Thunderbolt at the Mach Pokémon, hoping to distract him, but alas, it caused no substantial effect other than to annoy the dragon type.
Garchomp spun her face up and roared. Ash gulped at her expression Garchomp carried. Maybe a sneaky approach was not something that she appreciated.
Garchomp rotated her body and growled. She generated violet energy in her mouth and launched a dragon pulse at Ash and his Pokémon.
"Dodge, Pidgeot!" Pidgeot sailed with the air as she dodged the incoming beam. She craned her body and fell back, gaining a healthy distance.
Garchomp did not fetter there, she continued with her onslaught, repeatedly launching more Dragon Pulses, but Pidgeot, the aerial queen she was, dodged them all with grace. She receded back to an elevation for instructions as Garchomp redirected her rage on the city.
"Orders, Ash," Pidgeot said.
"Looks like she's part ground type, Pidgeot," Ash said. "All right then, use your Air Slash."
Pidgeot closed her wings and dived with her beak pointed down. As Garchomp came within a considerable distance, she spread her wings out, lifted herself in the air, and blasted a series of compressed air blades at the dragon. Ash's secure grip protected him from falling.
"Gaaarrrr!" Garchomp grunted as the cannonade barged into her body. Her resilient build added to her partial ground typing seemed to shield her from any major damage. She recoiled, gave herself distance, and retaliated with a brutal Dragon Breath.
"Watch out!" Pidgeot, seemingly aware of the counter, agilely slid aside. "We can't afford to get hit."
Garchomp launched more Dragon Breaths at them, but this time both Froakie and Pikachu came to rescue. They leaped and cancelled them with Water Pulse and Thunderbolt, respectively. "Way to go, guys!"
Unable to score an accurate strike, Garchomp bailed from the aeronautic tussle and focused her aim back to the city. She shot hyper beams at the partially burnt buildings, wrecking them beyond repair.
"Why is she targeting the city for no reason?" Ash asked himself.
"Ash, look." At Pikachu's voice, Ash peeked up.
Garchomp took a U-turn. She was ready to circle the city again from scratch. While they had successfully managed to detract the dragon's focus from Prism Tower, her demonic blitzkrieg was far from over. She displayed no signs of fatigue.
"Pidgeot, no matter what, follow Garchomp. We need to drive her away from the city."
"On it."
Gary, along with Serena and Shauna, arrived near the Prism Tower. As Gary had envisaged, chaos cloaked the city. Garchomp's outburst had visibly destroyed everything in vicinity. Concrete materials broke down from blazing buildings. Most of the shops and stores were charred and obliterated beyond recognition. People were nomadically bustling in all directions. The Business District of Lumiose City fell prey to the draconic Pokémon's insane acrimony, decaying under her savage atrocities.
In their defense, far off, was Tierno with the water types holding their end of the bargain, putting out the unrestrained fires permeating all around. Calem and Trevor flew on their flying types, assisted by his Fearow, and rescued the citizens stuck in tall buildings. They transported them to the safer perimeter, Officer Jenny had herself marked with barricades. She seemed to have found a few additional junior officers' assistance as well as the trainers in the city.
"Serena, Shauna, both of you start helping in clearing the paths near to any buildings. No citizen should lurk around the sidewalks," Gary said in an authoritative voice. "It is likely the buildings will continue to collapse, and that's the first impact area."
"Right!" Both girls immediately diverged, heeding to Gary's instructions. Serena took the left wing while Shauna advanced right.
"Umbreon, it's you and me now."
"Umbre."
Gary and his dark-type dashed towards a nearby building. It had over twenty levels and was critically shedding broken concrete and debris. About ten trainers used their flying types to evacuate the building, but there was no one to fence the danger area and guide the citizens coming out of the stairs. Gary took it upon himself.
As soon as Gary reached there, he spotted a young lady in a working outfit who had her leg stuck under a large rubble. She was trying to free herself by digging through the rock pile. While she struggled with her endeavor, unaware of her surroundings, a hefty concrete rock mass, fractured from the adjacent building, plummeted down. The lady was right underneath the descending rock. It was twice her size and had iron rods sticking out of it.
"Shadow Ball!" Gary called. Umbreon shot an ominous orb at the falling rock, dissipating it into dust.
Gary rushed to the lady. "Are you all right, ma'am?" he offered his hand to her. Umbreon used a weaker Shadow Ball on the rock rubble over the girl's foot and helped her escape her pickle.
"Ye-yes, sir, I am." The girl tucked her blue hair back and smiled. She held Gary's hand and got back on her feet. She had angular glasses and by her voice, she seemed a few years older than Gary. "All thanks to you."
"It's all right. You should be careful next time. Didn't you hear Officer Jenny's announcement? You shouldn't be here."
"I'm sorry," she bowed apologetically. "I was late for work this morning and the moment I arrived, Garchomp was rampaging the city. I tried to escape, but my leg got stuck here."
"The danger level of this place is escalating with every second. Please go behind that barricade Officer Jenny erected." He pointed towards Jenny who was on loudspeaker. "You should be safe there."
"Yes, I will. Thanks for saving my life." The girl pecked Gary's cheek and ran towards said location.
Gary watched in surprise as the stranger disappeared into the hurrying crowd. He brushed his cheek and chuckled. "Well, I got something out of this mess, at least."
Another nearby building fell prey to Garchomp's rage, fortunately, it was long evacuated.
Officer Jenny's assistants were moving around the city in cars, announcing safety measures. They managed to evacuate almost half of the city, but the other half still remained.
Gary furrowed his brow. "Come on, Umbreon, we're not done yet."
Gary continued with his mission and saved another eight people and guided dozens of others to safety.
"Good job, Umbreon," Gary said as Umbreon instinctively destroyed a falling boulder, about to hit a man.
"Umbreon!" the Moonlight Pokémon motioned towards a building. It was Gary's Alakazam. He was teleporting the older citizens to safety. In a situation like this, the senior folk were the most neglected, but his Psi Pokémon thought otherwise and tended to them first. Gary grinned with pride; his psychic-type saved at least fifty lives by then.
"What's the plan, Gary?" Clemont asked as he rode on his Luxray. Bonnie tightly clung to his waist from behind.
The sight of Bonnie with Clemont infuriated Gary. "I specifically told you to leave her behind," he yelled. "Do you really think it's a good idea to bring a kid like her here?" he asked with a raised voice.
"B-Bonnie w-wouldn't listen. She threatened to run away if I didn't bring her," Clemont said fearfully. "Don't you worry though; I'll keep her close to me."
Talkative, over-smart, and a real pain in the ass. What a combination for a sister, Clemont. Gary sighed. "Fine, she is your responsibility from here on," he said. "Now help me clear the public. I'm taking the east." He bulleted ahead and left the west wing to siblings.
"Air Slash!" Pidgeot fired her compressed air currents at Garchomp again, but the dragon type shook her head and refused to yield. She far long gave up on retaliating against Ash. Her attacks hardly grazed Pidgeot and she was on bloody carnage. Destruction and chaos seemed to gratify her; hence she directed her entire outburst on the city.
Pidgeot's attacks aren't working. There must be another way to stop Garchomp, but what? Ash clenched his teeth as Pidgeot spread her wings and rotated her body. They flew higher and gained distance from Garchomp.
Ash's eyes lit up as an idea struck his mind. That's it. That might work. He eyed Froakie. "I will need you to help, Froakie."
"What do you want?" Froakie asked.
"Pidgeot, overtake Garchomp and head towards the outskirts." Ash being seated on Pidgeot restricted her from using any physical moves, and her only special move, Air Slash, hardly tickled Garchomp. But, Froakie's water moves could inflict some damage and he could multiply that with this plan of his. "Froakie, I want you to fire your strongest water pulse at Garchomp and provoke him to follow us. Pikachu, add in your Thunderbolt to that."
"I'm in," Froakie said.
"Me too."
"Let's go, Pidgeot," Ash yelled.
Pidgeot dashed through the wind in her supersonic speed. Ash held his cap tight for the umptieth time, preventing it from falling. Though Pidgeot was away from Garchomp while Ash deliberated on his plan, it her took mere seconds to chase and overtake the dragon.
"Now guys!" Pikachu and Froakie leaped onto Ash's shoulder and fired their respective attacks.
"Gaaarrrrrrr!" Garchomp cried in pain, unlike when hit by Pidgeot's Air Slash, this time her cry sounded more agonic.
As Ash had anticipated, his plan worked. Froakie's Water Pulse not only caused damage to Garchomp, but also dampened her body which allowed Pikachu's electricity to conduct inside of her.
"Pidgeot, away from the city," Ash said, expecting Garchomp to follow behind, but that wasn't the case. Garchomp ignored them again. She was dead persistent on rampaging the city than seeking revenge. "Damn it! I thought she'd follow us."
"All her eyes want is destruction," Pikachu said.
Garchomp wrecked another building with her hyper beam. Hopefully, it was empty.
"Argh!" Ash grunted at the failure of his idea. He took a deep breath and decided to play his risky ace in the hole, the last resort he formulated before he even began his wild dragon chase. "Guys, I have one last plan and I think this will work."
"I am all ears," Pikachu said.
Ash placed his palm on Pidgeot's mane. "Pidgeot, get close to Garchomp again. I am jumping on her. Clemont said that the device around his neck is the cause for her aggression. I can destroy it."
Pidgeot jerked her head towards Ash. "Are you crazy? Sorry, I am not doing that."
"Pidgeot is right, Ash, you can't do that," Pikachu said. "Why don't I do it instead? My Iron Tail can destroy the device in one shot," he wagged his crooked tail.
"No, Pikachu. You're too small to get a good grip on Garchomp. She'll throw you before you even land on her," Ash said. "Trust me, guys, I know I can do this. The old man trained me well to face such situations."
"No, Ash. Garchomp is in pure rage, you don't know what'll happen once you land on her," Pikachu said. "She is not your Pokémon to make sure you land properly."
"Look guys, if I feel it's getting risky, I'll dive down. Can I count on you Pidgeot?"
"Have I ever let you down?" Pidgeot said.
"You never will." Ash stroked Pidgeot's mane.
"All right, Ash," Pikachu gave in. "But, be careful."
"I will." Ash nodded. Froakie stared at Ash in confusion, seemingly unable to comprehend what was going on. "I know what you are thinking, Froakie, and I promise to explain everything later. But before that, I need to stop Garchomp," Ash said. He looked at Garchomp and tapped Pidgeot's head. "Let's do this."
Pidgeot cruised after Garchomp, quickly diminishing the gap between them. As she gained enough span, Ash gingerly loosened his grip on Pidgeot and straightened his knees.
"Closer, Pidgeot," he said as gusts of wind tried knocking him off balance. To add salt to the wound, Garchomp's sporadic movements meddled with his calculations. He could not find the right moment to jump.
He looked down at the miniaturized city. His heart rate elevated, and vertigo seemed to kick in. He did not falter.
He breathed in, fixed his gaze on the dragon, and hurled himself in mid-air.
Serena made her way through the infinite rubble piles across the Lumiose streets. She minded her steps and carefully skipped the several craters staining the immaculate roads. She headed towards the temporary barricade Officer Jenny had constituted—away from Garchomp's invasive threshold.
Sounds of piercing ambulance sirens and dulled babbles of the citizens rang in her ears.
She panned her head to detect any last stranded civilians but found none. With the added assistance of the resident trainers, her team, and Officer Jenny's team, they've expedited their task of absolute evacuation. Although the property loss was severe, their efforts immensely minimized the casualty count.
She flipped her sight skyward—Ash still involved in the fatal skirmish against the dragon type.
She clasped her palms, intertwining her fingers, and brought them close to her chest. Please be careful.
She sauntered ahead with her head inclined upwards. Blobs of fearful tears welled in her shimmering eyes, her lips constantly oscillated radiating prayers of safety for Ash. She lost her vector perception in her trance.
"Whoa, look out!" A strong tug on Serena's shoulder pulled her aside.
She flapped her eyelids and saw Shauna, who had just saved her from crashing into a wrecked lamppost.
"You okay?" Shauna asked.
"Huh? Yeah, I guess so," Serena said meekly. "I'm just worried about Ash. I haven't even met him properly, and then this happens." She peeked up again. "He's been up there for so long."
"Don't worry, Serena, Gary said that Ash has been in such situations before. If he is right, then I'm sure Ash will pull through." Shauna's assurance did no good for Serena; in fact, it multiplied her fears. What if Ash failed this time? And what did Gary mean by such situations before? Doubts drilled her weary brain.
"I'm still scared, Shauna."
"Why don't we join the others? Gary is giving an interview to the Kalos press, maybe he'll say something about Ash. I don't think you'd wanna miss it." Shauna winked.
In normal circumstances, Shauna's cryptic tease would have flustered Serena, but this was no normal circumstance. She was too distressed to react. "I don't think so, Shauna, you go on ahead. I'll join later."
"No, you are coming with me." Shauna dragged Serena towards the interview spot. She gripped her wrist around Serena tightly, preventing her from making any moves.
Serena constantly flitted her eyes between Ash and Gary, but she somehow overheard the brief interview.
"Hello, Kalos, this is Alexa reporting from Lumiose City, and we are bringing to you the live coverage of a rampaging Garchomp here," the reporter named Alexa said into the camera. "However, with the help of a few brave and altruistic souls, no citizen has been harmed, and the destruction was limited to only property. Now, let us speak to one of the few who have helped save the city." She extended the mike towards Gary. "What is your name, young man, and could you tell us more about the situation?"
"Yo, Kalos, I am Gary Oak from Kanto region, and the situation, though it was critical, was in the end contained with the help of many trainers, at least it for now," Gary said. "It was Team Rocket's vicious plan of capturing Professor Sycamore's Garchomp which resulted this destruction."
"So, you say that Team Rocket has spread their roots to Kalos, too?"
"Of course. The culprits are Jessie, James, and their talking Pokémon, Meowth."
"You are quite brave to say the names of wanted criminals on national television, Gary, but that aside, what the viewers really want to know is: who is that boy chasing Garchomp? And why is he risking his life to do so?"
"Ha-ha." Gary chuckled. "That boy is my friend, Ash Ketchum. And why is he risking his life? Well, the answer is simple. He can't see a Pokémon in trouble, and will do anything to protect them."
"That's quite a claim. You sound like you're describing a hero from fairy tales, don't you think?"
"Maybe I am, but as far as I know, Ash is just that. He has—"
"Look, the boy is doing something!" A stranger in the crowd shrieked.
Serena snapped her vision to Ash. She gasped at what Ash was trying to attempt.
You idiot! she screamed internally as Ash was about to take a plunge onto Garchomp. The press cameras and the infinite eyes of Lumiose snapped towards the sky.
Serena held her breath as she watched Ash calculate his jump. Her heart throbbed against her ribs as Ash propelled himself mid-air.
"Yay!" several cheers and applause followed as Ash successfully landed on Garchomp's back.
A huge load vaporized off Serena's soul. She sighed and gave a protracted blink in relief. Just don't die till I kill you, asshole.
"Calm down, Garchomp, I'm only here to help you," Ash said as he tried to earn a secure grip on the Mach Pokémon.
As soon as he propelled his weight on Garchomp, the pseudo-legendary had gone berserk with her movements, whimsically fluttering her winged appendages, struggling to fling the added burden on her.
"Try to listen, Garchomp," Ash tried to reason, but the Mach Pokémon exhibited no signs of comprehension.
Determined against surrendering, Ash entwined his brawny arms around the dragon's elongated neck, sealing himself with a tight clutch.
Garchomp inclined her face towards Ash. With a magnified irritation in her eyes, the beast escalated her speed, vacillating her body, rocking Ash unsteadily. But no matter how hard she tried, Ash refused to let go. He tightened his already tight hold, intertwining his fingers together.
Defeated in her repeated pursuits of freeing herself, Garchomp gave a minacious grunt. She launched a streak of aileron rolls and exploited the centrifugal force to her advantage.
Ash's head spiraled, hat flew away, and hands began to slide—he was gradually losing his grip. "Stoooop… Gar… chomp," he screeched at Garchomp's volatile maneuvers, but Garchomp wouldn't listen. He coiled his legs around the dragon's abdomen, to save himself from falling.
Splash! A water pulse smacked Garchomp in her head and put an end to her dicey gyrations.
Ash looked ahead and saw multiple illusions of his Pidgeot. He shook his head and squinted his eyes, his vision sharpened—Froakie and his Pokémon had come to his rescue, initiating a scuffle against the Mach Pokémon.
Pikachu and Froakie rampantly barraged the dragon with an array of assorted attacks, distracting her from the scar-faced trainer's task. They made sure their attacks didn't touch Ash, directing their aim at the dragon's snout.
Garchomp countered with repeated Dragon Breaths, engaging in a conflict with the Pokémon.
Ash was grateful for the diversion created. Since, Garchomp averted her focus from him, he could now work on destroying the device.
He wasted no time and punched the device around Garchomp's neck. The moment his fist connected the gadget, the dragon type exuded a deafening roar. The scream sounded like she was being brutally tortured.
She shot a fierce Dragon Pulse at Pidgeot, but fortunately, his bird brilliantly drifted aside.
Clemont was right; it is the device which is controlling Garchomp. I need to smash it in one shot. I can't let her go through any more pain.
Ash hoisted his head up; his Pokémon kept the dragon busy. With both Ash and his Pokémon attacking her on all fronts, Garchomp couldn't disregard them anymore and was compelled to fight. She shot a Hyper Beam at Pidgeot, but missed. Ash felt the beam's heat from on Garchomp.
While she got busy trading shots with his Pokémon, Ash concentrated on the task at hand. This was his chance. He had to do this now and he had to do it in one go. His master's words rang like celestial bells in his head: "Your mind controls your strike. Speed or power is not the key, the vision behind it is. Relax your brain, forget everything around you, and channel your inner strength into your blow. Power is in emotion within you, bring it out. Focus more on your opponent than on yourself. One strike; that's it. Sometimes, one strike is all you get, and it's all you should ever need."
Ash calmly shut his eyes and relaxed his respiration. He searched for that core strength the old man talked so much about. The sounds from the people below and the Pokémon above dimmed. The world around him gradually went mute. An electrifying sensation grew in his belly and before he knew, it spread throughout his body. It was like this new wave of enigmatic energy ignited in him.
He fixed his gaze on his target, positioned his palm above his head, and swung his hand onto it with a swift exhale. "Haahr!"
Klam! The device shattered into pieces.
The very next moment, Garchomp jerked at the sudden loss of her rage. Her bloodshot eyes reverted to their golden shade. She ceased her violent duel and breathed out in relief.
She spiraled her head and took notice of Ash. "You-you saved me?"
"Yes, you're free now, Garchomp. Nobody will hurt you anymore." Ash gently fondled the dragon's snout. Garchomp slowly nodded, appreciating the inky-haired trainer's help. "Now, why don't we go down? Professor Sycamore should be worried about you."
At Ash's suggestion, Garchomp began her gradual descent.
"Ash." Pikachu called as Pidgeot closed in towards him.
Ash grinned and waved his arms in elation. "We did it, guys!"
Both Pikachu and Froakie were celebrating jubilantly on Pidgeot's back. Lost in his euphoria, Pikachu accidentally wiggled his tail a little too vigorously and knocked Froakie off balance.
Froakie tumbled and fell.
Without any second thoughts, Ash dived.
Serena's strained brain relentlessly computed the possible outcomes of Ash's asinine gamble of jumping on Garchomp. Her soggy eyes cascaded streaks of dreadful tears. They strayed from their course and marginally brushed her lips. She could taste their bitter saltiness.
She clutched onto the blue handkerchief in her hands and snuffed her cloggy breath. A few muted whispers of the public talking of Ash's bravery and how they were all indebted to him battered her ears. Serena bit her lips—she could not care less. If the cost of Ash's life was the city's demise, she would unhesitatingly accept the trade.
Why would you do this? She raised her head up and whimpered.
When Garchomp maniacally executed his erratic rolls, her heart skipped a beat, but when Froakie came to Ash's rescue, her hysteria slightly ebbed. She shut her eyes. Ash has his Pokémon to protect him. He has his Pokémon, she constantly reassured herself.
"Hey?" Serena yelped as something unfamiliar touched her shoulder. It was Shauna.
She gasped at the expression Serena carried. She immediately wrapped her arms around the honey-blonde. "He will be fine, girl. Please don't worry like that," she said softly in her ear.
Serena appreciated Shauna's thoughtful gesture, but her embrace hardly made any difference. Her whole body and soul yearned for only one thing—Ash's safety, and by the likes of it, safety was the last item on Ash's agenda.
"I'll be fine," Serena said feebly.
"Now's his chance to destroy that device," a stranger in the crowd yelled.
Shauna intertwined her arm around Serena's. "I didn't think he was so important to you," she said, her voice lacking any trace of frisky undertone.
Serena didn't know what it was, but the mere thought of never getting to start her journey with Ash pained her like her only joy in life was being snatched away. She didn't spend much time with him, she didn't meet him once in eight years, she didn't even know the kind of person he became—he was practically a stranger who was her friend during childhood. But that friend had left such an everlasting impression on her that she could never fade him away from her life. She valued him like how an artist valued her first painting. She may paint a million better ones later, but the importance of the one which taught her that art would be etched in her heart for a lifetime. That was how important Ash was to her. Yes, she did desire a relationship with him, but that was only the consequence of the admiration she had for him.
"He is," Serena lowered her head.
Shauna leaned her head on Serena's shoulder. "He'll be safe, at least for you."
Serena smiled at Shauna's compassionate words. "I hope so too."
"That's what I'm talking about!" Gary hollered as the device around Garchomp shattered into pieces. A boisterous clamor of claps and cheers followed.
Serena released her held breath and beamed flawlessly. "He did it," she whispered to herself. Somehow, all her prayers have been answered. Ash could now come down intact. But to her misery, her bliss was short-lived.
The whole Lumiose crowd gasped as Froakie slipped off Pidgeot's back, but their expressions turned aghast when the boy who saved their city jumped after the bubble frog.
Serena's face ashened. Her chest ached and her heart gave out. The entire world around her froze for a second as her fears came alive and her only companion, her tears, abandoned her too. She stood like an emotionless sculpture watching Ash plunge into death. She had a dream once, a dream she wished to turn into reality—she wanted to go on a never ending journey with Ash, get to know him, spend time with him, and eventually, and hopefully fall in love with him—she held that naïve dream in her ginger little palms for over a decade, but now, it slithered out of her—it was gone. She can't travel with him. She can't talk to him. She can't fall in love with him. She can't even see that beacon-like smile of his again. The blue cloth slipped from her palms as her decade long sealed feelings came crashing down upon her, just to leave her forever without saying a hi or even a goodbye.
Ash straightened his spine as he dived, his nose down and arms glued to his sides. His heart rate increased rapidly and the contrasting wind clawed through his face and flesh—the planet's gravity comfortably overpowered the atmospheric might. What he did might be a foolish act, and he unequivocally put himself in the mouth of death, but Froakie was his priority now.
Due to his superior weight, and his arrow-like positioning, Ash easily caught up to the water-type. Froakie was now a few feet away from him horizontally.
Ash released his arms out, spreading them, and inclined his torso parallel to the ground. He swam across the air towards Froakie. He had to catch him before they made an impact and they already covered nearly half the distance.
He paddled his way across the stormy currents and with much effort, he finally caught hold of Froakie. "Gotcha."
He curled in on himself and secured Froakie into his body. He turned his back towards the ground and shielded the Pokémon from any threat.
Any second now. Ash shut his eyes.
The citizens shrieked in horror as the winds hissed past him, but Ash wasn't scared. This wasn't the day he died. A slender smile formed on his lips as his instincts registered a familiar presence.
As he sank towards the earth, his body met a soft surface.
His dip ceased with a jerk.
Pidgeot saved him.
He adjusted his position on his royal bird and placed Froakie before him. "Thanks, Pidgeot." He hugged her.
"Yes, thanks a lot," Froakie said, performing the same gesture.
"Your welcome," Pidgeot said as she sailed. "That was a good catch, Ash, but you didn't have to do that, I could have saved Froakie."
"Sorry, Pidgeot. I wasn't thinking much."
Froakie gawked at Ash as the trainer and Pokémon exchanged their conversation, but before Ash could address the Bubble Frog Pokémon, Pikachu, who was settled on Pidgeot's crest, broke his silence. "I-I'm really sorry for what I did Froakie, I didn't mean—"
"It's all right." Froakie smiled. "I am still alive, ain't I?"
"But if I had been careful, you wouldn't have slipped. I put you in unnecessary trouble," Pikachu said. "You didn't sign up for this."
"But it was fun. By your conversation before I knew Pidgeot would save, though I didn't expect your trainer to dive. But if it means anything to you, then I forgive you. You didn't do it on purpose, and I know that."
Pikachu's eyes sparkled. "Thanks a lot, Froakie. That means a lot."
Ash gave a satisfied smile at Pikachu and Froakie's talk, glad that there weren't any unresolved hard feelings. He was about to add his own thoughts, but Pidgeot grabbed his attention before that. "Brace yourself, Ash, we are landing. Get ready to face the party," Pidgeot chuckled.
"Oh, no!" Ash paled. The entire city cheered at him as Pidgeot neared the ground. If allowed, they seemed ready to build his statue in the city centre. "I hope mom doesn't hear any of this."
"That would be difficult, Ash," Pikachu said. "Look, TV reporters are here too. Even if people leave you, they won't."
"Damn it! Guess there is no way out."
Pidgeot flurried her wings, decelerating her flight. She docked a few yards away from the horde of people. A rambunctious applause welcomed their descent.
Ash stepped down off his bird and returned her back into her Pokeball after a quick thank you. He watched the noisy crowd as Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder; Froakie took the other one.
A smaller pack from among the mob, led by Serena, hurried towards him. He could spot Gary, Serena's friends from before, a few citizens, and the media. He put on a radiant grin and waved at them.
Serena left everyone behind and raced towards Ash. Pikachu and Froakie, for some odd reason, jumped down from his shoulders and distanced themselves. Before he could ask why, Serena approached him. She rooted her tracks, a foot away, and inhaled deeply. Ash thought she wanted to be the first to thank him for saving the city, but—
Pfhaat! She slapped him.
Ash held his cheek and stood agape. The crowd's booming clamor instantly quelled into unmarred silence. A pin drop could have echoed throughout the city. None dared to speak or interfere. Pikachu, Gary, Serena's friends, the whole city—all were mum and grounded to their positions.
A gentle breeze blew between Ash and Serena, indicating the prevailing tension between them.
"What's wrong with you?" Serena screamed her lungs out. Her voice sounded cracked and coarse.
Serena's outburst initially confused Ash. He did the right thing in going after Garchomp and saving Froakie from falling. The whole city seemed happy with him, but not Serena. His mind could not deduce what went wrong. However, when he continued to look into her lustrous eyes which were tainted by abominable tears, things slowly started to fall in place.
While he was busy with his near death mission of saving the city; in the same city was a girl waiting to meet him for eight long years. He remembered how ecstatic and glittery her smile was when he informed her of his Kalos plan last week. She looked like a gullible little kid who just got the news of a reward for remaining disciplined the whole day. And the day they were supposed to meet, after eight years of partition, was the same day he could have died (at least in her perspective). Standing in her shoes was a tough ask, even for him. She must have held her heart in her hand while he was busy risking his life. But what could even he do? Leaving the city to Garchomp's rage was not an option. He had to act on impulse, so he did. However, he failed to consider the feelings of this one girl, who had been waiting forever to see him. He sincerely regretted what he put her through, but to his misery, even if time had to revert and give him another chance, he probably would repeat the same. That was who he was and that was who he'll always be.
Tears cascaded from Serena's sapphire eyes. She lunged at Ash and clutched his jacket, shaking him vehemently. "You know how worried I Was?"
Ash remained still, allowing the girl to unleash her outburst, which he thought she deserved to do.
She pounded her fists on his chest. "Idiot! Idiot! Stupid! Idiot! You could have died! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot—" she cried. Her face had streaks of erased makeup—some were dry while some still trickled tears.
Ash couldn't articulate any response, knowing that he was the one responsible for Serena's distressed state. It pained him deeply. He had seen several bitter sights in his past, but none disturbed him like the image of those beautiful eyes in tears. It was almost as if tears were a sacrilege to her eyes, they looked so out of place.
"I-I'm sorry," he said guiltily, but honestly.
Serena gradually stopped her pounding and buried her face into his chest. She wiped her face on his jacket and wrapped her arms around him. She shivered vulnerably as she sunk into him. She gingerly raised her head, "pl-please don-don't do s-such things a-again," she said between sniffles. Her eyes were glassy and her voice—it made Ash feel miserable inside. To sound that way, she must've been crying for a long time. His heart stung again.
Not wasting any longer, he too wrapped his arms around her. As he touched her, he couldn't help but admire the smoothness of her creamy white arms. He used his wrist to pat her back in an attempt to comfort her. "I won't. I'm really sorry." It wasn't a reunion she deserved, but a reunion she needed. Comforting her was the least he could do after putting her through such an ordeal.
Time seemed to fly and Ash's act of comforting quickly escalated into something beyond his dominion of knowledge. The floral fragrance from her hair titillated his senses, instinctually drawing his arms towards them. His fingers sunk into her velvety blonde hair. It felt like digging into a sack of loosely packed silk fibers.
Serena adjusted the position of her face and tightened her hold around him. Her breasts pressed into Ash's body. A vague fluttering sensation incepted in his chest, and with Serena's enticing scent and touch, its intensity brimmed. His pulse escalated and his heartbeat sounded loud and dramatic. It was like how he felt during an intense battle, but only in a different form. He couldn't discern it, or describe it, so rode the tide, and enjoyed it.
"You done, Ashy-boy?" Gary said as he walked towards him. "You both seem to be having some fun, ey?" He had an evil smirk which threw a hundred different taunts at Ash.
Ash and Serena instinctively withdrew from their short moment. Serena's cheeks were flushed to an extent that even the color, red would've been ashamed of its brilliance and Ash was sure that he carried a similar expression, only in a more moderate tone.
"It's not—"
Gary raised a palm and stopped Ash. "It's not what I think it is, correct?"
Ash nodded.
"You both were in that position for about five minutes," Gary raised five open fingers. "Got a defense to that?"
Ash gulped and looked at an embarrassed Serena who was looking back at him with an even embarrassed look.
"Anyway, it's none of my business. Here you go." Gary handed Ash 's hat, which he seemed to have caught a while ago. "I think this belongs to you."
Ash gladly accepted his hat, placed it on his head, and fixed it in position. "Thanks, Gary."
"Mr. Ketchum, would you be kind enough to give us an interview," a female reporter asked as she rammed a microphone into Ash's face. "Please, sir, the whole region wants to know about you."
Had it been a few years ago, Ash would have jumped into an opportunity to appear on TV, but if his past experiences had taught him anything, he had to resist on such offers. Fame can only worsen situations and he hadn't even landed properly in the region yet. "Err, I don't know. Why don't you interview Gary? He's good with such stuff," Ash scratched his head.
"We have already done that, sir, besides the region is more interested in you."
Ash nervously looked at Gary, asking to bail him out. A TV interview was not in his calendar. Besides, an interview would obliterate whatever slim chance there was of his mom not finding out about this incident. He couldn't toy with that, even if Gary already ruined most of it with his interview, he'd salvage whatever was remaining.
Gary nodded in understanding and came to Ash's rescue. He placed his hand on the reporter's shoulder. "Why don't we do this some other time, Alexa? Ash must be tired after all that has occurred. We should give him a break."
Alexa tried to argue back, but Gary skillfully escorted her aside. Ash was thankful for that.
"Young man, I thank you for rescuing my Garchomp." Professor Sycamore said. "You were marvelous in saving him and Froakie. I don't know how to offer my gratitude to you."
"It's all right, Professor. I did it because I couldn't see Garchomp in pain," Ash said. "Is she all right now?"
"Yes, yes, she is." The professor showed the Pokeball in his hand. "The incident consumed most of her energy, but with a few days of rest and she should revert into her marvelous condition."
"Glad to hear that, Professor." Ash looked at Froakie, who was perched on the professor's shoulder. "I think I owe you an explanation, right, Froakie?"
Froakie nodded.
"What explanation?" Serena asked. She stood close to Ash, her arm nearly bumping into his.
"Don't worry, you already know about it," Ash said. "Hey, where is Pikachu?" He searched around.
"Whphhaaeeuuooooeeeooooeeeaawwwpphhh!" Pikachu whistled from behind. "Look here, partner."
"There he is," Serena said. "Your Wartortle's with him too."
"You ungrateful mouse, you left me alone out there," Ash said.
Pikachu shrugged. "Don't blame me, blame yourself. That was your fight and I don't want any part of it."
"There will come I time when our roles will be reversed, I'll show you then. Just wait and watch."
"Fine, but be sure to not go easy on me." Pikachu jumped back to his claimed shoulder. "I wouldn't if I were you."
Ash sighed and shook his head. A conversation with Pikachu was always an elongated argument. Sometimes he wondered if there was some mis-wiring in his partner's brain, such was the extent of his presumptuous attitude. He turned his attention to his Turtle Pokémon. "How did firefighting go, Wartortle?"
"Awesome, boss. I and the others rocked the show," Wartortle said, pointing a thumb at himself.
"Well done. Why don't you rest for now?" Ash said. On Wartortle's nod, he recalled his water-type back into his device.
"Serena, won't you introduce your friend to us?" A pigtailed brunette chimed in. There were three boys were behind her. Ash recognized them to be Serena's friends.
"Oh yes, of course."
It was mid-afternoon, a few hours since the catastrophe of Garchomp concluded. After the brief introductions between Serena's friends and Ash, followed by several autograph requests by the Lumiose residents which Ash denied, the professor had invited everyone for lunch at the lab—a small token of his gratitude. They had finished with their food a while ago and were now relaxing. The professor had a few errands to run, so he left them all to chat. They were getting to know each other better, but it was mostly Bonnie who spoke.
"Why didn't you bring more Pokémon, Ash? I wanted to meet all your Pokémon," Bonnie said with a pout from beside Clemont. When she asked Ash to show his whole team, he told her that Pikachu, Pidgeot and Wartortle were the only ones he had on hand. That revelation irked the little girl who wanted nothing, but too see all kinds of Pokémon. She reminded Ash a lot of his childhood.
"Bonnie! Be polite," Clemont scolded.
"It's alright, Clemont," Ash said. He sat beside Serena in a two-seater couch. Pikachu was in Serena's lap, enjoying the delicate caress she gave his fur. "I know how it is to be of her age. Since you're no allowed into forest alone, you want to meet as many Pokémon you can. Right, Bonnie?"
"Uh-huh," Bonnie nodded. "I want to meet all the Pokémon in the world," she spread her arms out, accidently knocking Clemont's glasses off.
"Bonnie!" Clemont yelled. He bent down and collected his glasses. "Be careful from next time," he said, wiping the glasses with a cloth. But Bonnie acted like she heard nothing.
"But why didn't you bring all your team, Ash?" Trevor asked. All the eyes in the room shifted on him. He became nervous and fidgeted with his camera. "Err, I-I-I"—sigh—"I guess I overstepped. I'm sorry."
Ash tilted his head. "Don't be, it's okay to be curious. I didn't bring my Pokémon because we all just came from a long training period. I wanted to give them some rest before they joined me."
Serena softly elbowed Ash's gut. She seemed to grumble something inaudible under her breath, but Ash got her hidden message.
He chuckled foolishly.
"Then why those three?" Shauna asked. She sat on the larger couch with Gary, Trevor, Tierno, and Calem. She was squashed between Gary and Tierno, while Trevor and Calem took Tierno's end. "I am not complaining since without them and you, who knows what might have happened to the city. I am just curious like Trevor. You could have filled your roster, brought only one, or brought someone else. Why only those three?"
"Simple," Gary said. "You see, Ash never travels without Pikachu so there was no question on him leaving the mouse out." The electric-type was sipping a ketchup sachet on Serena's lap. Serena placed a white napkin under him to prevent any spilled stains on her dress. For a first-time meeting, they got along quite well. "As for Pidgeot and Wartortle, a trainer never travels to new places without a flying and water type on hand. That's why those two types are the most sought after by beginner trainers."
"He is right," Calem said. "You never know when you need to fly or swim somewhere urgently. It's trainer tips one 'O one."
"Yes." Ash nodded.
"So, what are your plans then, Ash?" Tierno asked. "Are you here to challenge the Kalos League?"
"No. I'm here to win it." Ash grinned with conviction.
Almost all sets of eyes there, except for Gary's and Serena's rolled towards him. Ash blushed sheepishly.
Bonnie elbowed Clemont. "That is called confidence. Watch and learn, brother."
Clemont stayed quiet.
"Urm, are you planning on challenging the Lumiose Gym then?" Trevor asked.
"Lumiose City has a gym?" Ash shot out his seat, his eyes twinkling. "All right! I wanna challenge it right now. Where is it?"
"The Prism Tower is the Lumiose Gym," Tierno said. "I am surprised you didn't know since you have already met the leader's son and daughter."
"What?" Ash asked in confusion. "Who are they?" His eyes flitted across the heads in the room. He stopped at Shauna. "Is that you?"
"That would be us, Ash," Clemont said, raising a reluctant hand. "The Lumiose Gym Leader is our father."
"Yes, daddy is so strong," Bonnie said as she spread her arms wide open. "He is the strongest trainer in the whole world! You can't beat him. No one can."
"That's awesome, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Ash pumped his fist against his palm. "You ready for it, buddy?"
"As long as I'm involved in the battle," Pikachu replied from Serena's lap. He was quite comfortable there. Since Ash's hands were rough, he enjoyed the soft touch from the cerulean-eyed beauty for a change.
"I am sorry Ash, but you can't challenge my dad," Clemont said. "Not anytime soon, at least."
"What?" Ash rushed to Clemont and pushed his face close to him. "But why Clemont? I've been waiting for a gym battle for so long. Why can't I challenge him?"
Clemont uncomfortably scratched his cheek. "You see, my dad is out of town at the moment, and I don't know when he'll be back. So, you'll be better off challenging another gym for now."
"Damn!" Ash whined. He walked back and fell into his seat. "That's such a bummer."
"Don't worry, Ash, the closest gym is in the next city," Serena said as she showed Ash the region's map on her smartphone. "It shouldn't take us long to reach there." She bit her tongue like she said something she shouldn't have.
"All right, let's go right now," Ash punched the air. "We can start our journey today itself, Serena. I hope you brought your stuff."
Serena shut her eyes and hid her face behind her falling hairs.
"What?" Tierno exclaimed like the order of the world fell out of place. "Serena is traveling with you?"
"Huh? Didn't you tell your friends?" Ash asked the honey-blonde.
Serena swallowed and looked at Calem and Tierno. "I was about to tell you guys, but then Garchomp happened. I'm sorry."
"But you were suppo… Aaaahhh! Shauna, please, stooop." Tierno winced at Shauna's pinch on his cheek.
"She has made her choice. Now you better behave yourself." Shauna released Tierno's cheek from her hold.
"Okay," Tierno said as he rubbed his swollen red cheek.
"Calem," Serena softly said. "I know you've asked me before, but Ash—"
Calem held his palm up. "You don't need to explain yourself," he said. "I am glad that you've finally decided to step out of the house and explore the world. I hope we cross paths during our journeys," he smiled.
Serena's face brightened. "Thanks for understanding," she said. "I didn't know how to tell you, but I am glad you have no hard feelings."
"Don't—" Calem's Holo Caster beeped. "Excuse me." He pulled out his device and covertly read its contents. He swiftly typed in his reply. "I am sorry, but I have to leave. I've got a calling."
He stood from his seat, approached Ash, and shook his hand. "We'll meet again, Ash, and when we do, let's battle."
"Sure, Calem. I'd take you on any time."
Calem chuckled. "We'll see about that." He walked out of the room.
"Calem challenged?" Tierno said to nobody. "Weird."
"So, shall we leave, Serena?" Ash asked. If he could reach the next city before nightfall, maybe he could convince the Gym Leader into the day's last battle. It's been three years since he's had a decent Gym Battle. His nerves couldn't bear another delayed second.
Professor Sycamore entered and announced, "I have made marvelous sleeping arrangements in the dormitory for all of you'll. Whoever wants to stay can do so."
"Ash wants to leave now, Professor," Trevor said.
"What? Ash, you've had a long day. I think you should take the rest of the day off and relax," Professor Sycamore said. "You can leave early next morning."
"You should do that, Ashy-boy," Gary said. "It's only half a day, besides even if you start now, it would get dark by the time you cover any ground."
"Gary is right, Ash. The next city is close, but it'll take us a while to reach there," Serena said. "Starting in the morning makes perfect sense."
"Hmm, all right. We can postpone our travel for a day." Ash slumped in his seat.
"By the way, Ash, I think Froakie wants to talk to you," the professor said. "You can meet him in the field now."
"All right professor, I'll go see him," Ash said and raised from his seat. "You coming, buddy?"
"Nah, I know what's going to happen, you carry on. I'm good here." Pikachu snuggled into Serena's lap.
"Suit yourself," Ash said. "Serena, please don't pamper him too much. You have no idea how devious he is."
Pikachu stuck his tongue out to his trainer at his remark.
Serena giggled and stroked Pikachu's fur. "I'll take note of that."
Ash walked out to meet Froakie.
"I am leaving too, Professor," Tierno said. "I have dance practice in the evening."
"Me too." Trevor joined in. "I need to develop today's photos. I got some nice ones." He held his camera up.
"All right, Tierno and Trevor. It was marvelous to have you. I thank you again for your assistance today. You both did save some lives," the professor said.
"It's our duty, Professor. We are the graduates of this academy, after all," Tierno said.
"That's right," Trevor said.
Professor Sycamore smiled with a nod. "I'll leave the rest of you alone, I have some more errands to run and I've left my assistant all alone with it. Gary, how about we talk of your internship tomorrow, I might be caught up with work today."
"That would be fine, Professor."
Tierno and Trevor bayed their farewell and left the room with Professor Sycamore.
Bonnie left Clemont's side and joined Serena in playing with Pikachu. Both girls gave the mouse the attention of his lifetime. Clemont abruptly opened his ginormous bag and took out a few weird devices and toolbox. He attentively used a screwdriver to open the devices. Shauna was about to go and join Serena and Bonnie, but Gary stopped her.
"What is it?" Shauna asked.
"Need to talk, is that alright?"
"Sure." Shauna sat back in her seat. "What do you wanna talk?"
"What's up with Calem?" Gary raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He got a vague idea about all the people he met, but Calem was the only one he couldn't dissect. He had an inkling something was up.
"What do you mean by what's up with him?"
"I mean, he appears to be older than all of you. His accent doesn't sound native to this region. He talks less and he's secretive," Gary put his hand on his chin. "He somewhat interests me."
"Well, you're guessed right there. Calem isn't from this region, nor was he our classmate at the academy."
"How did you'll meet him, then?"
"It was about eight or nine months ago, I think." Shauna stared towards the ceiling, tapping a finger on her chin. "No, a little longer than that," she exclaimed. "We met him through Trevor, who knew him from a photography convention he once took part it. They both became good friends there. Trevor introduced him to us."
"What about him and Serena?"
"You worried for Ash, huh?" Shauna smirked playfully.
Gary shut his eyes and nodded. "You can say that in a way, but please continue."
"Continue to what? I don't even know what you want to know."
"Tell me more about him. How he entered into your group and stuff like that."
"Okay, so, a few weeks after we became friends, we met him again at a Pokémon Showcase which Serena and I participated in." Shauna excitedly slapped her thighs. "You know about showcases, don't you?"
"I've heard of them, but we can get to that later."
"Okay, now where was I?" Shauna tilted her head. "Yes, the showcase. Okay, he came to the showcase and supported me and Serena, for which we were very grateful. We could use all the support we could get. But that idiot didn't come for me. He was supporting Serena the whole time," she pursed her lips.
"Go on."
"Since then, Calem attended every showcase Serena participated in and one fine day he finally decided to challenge his first league."
"Finally decided? Isn't he a trainer already?" Gary asked, now attentive. His Braviary was well raised and emulated at battle persona. Even Calem himself carried the aura of an experienced trainer. Gary thought he must have at least participated in four-five leagues before.
"He is, but he told us that leagues never interested him, so he never took part in any. That time also, he registered in mid-circuit."
"That's weird." Gary furrowed his brow.
"Yes, it is." Shauna nodded. "What's even weirder is that he suddenly asked Serena to join him on his journey."
"And she declined?"
"Yep. Not just once, but every time he brought it up. The good thing was that he never pestered or forced her to join him, so we never thought anything bad of him. However, all of us decided to support him in the league when he is not facing any of our other friends."
"Priorities, ey?" Gary rolled his eyes.
"Yes, sir." Shauna crossed her arms and legs. "Do you want me to finish? Or you can choose to ask your questions to someone else. I have no problem." She spread her arms out openly.
"All right, all right. I'm sorry. Please, go ahead."
"When we saw his battles, we couldn't believe that he never participated in any leagues before."
"Was he good?"
"Good?" Shauna raised her brows. "He was the runner up last year, Gary. He plans on winning it this time. That's why everybody rolled their eyes at Ash when he said the same."
"Whoa, didn't see that coming," Gary said, his mouth wide open. "Who did he lose to in the final?"
"His final was against a very strong trainer, none of us saw any Pokémon with such strength before. His strength was beyond normal." Shauna shook her head. "He overwhelmed Calem and beat him with just three Pokémon, Gary. Just three. Can you believe that?" she said, holding three fingers out.
"What? What was that trainer's name?" Gary asked, wide-eyed.
"Paul."
"Nope." Gary shook his head. "Never heard that name before. Anyway, tell me this, does Calem like Serena?"
"I think so, but he never said or did anything explicitly."
"Like Tierno?"
"Didn't take you long to figure, huh?"
"The dude isn't really good with stealth."
"Yeah, I know, but Serena never showed interest in either of them. In fact, she never showed interest in anyone, until today."
"Yeah, I know where this is going. What I really wanna know is, why is Calem so silent and secretive? I mean, he hardly spoke to anyone. Even while saving citizens, all he did was help. Not a word from him."
"That's how he has always been." Shauna spread her palms out. "But why are you asking all this?"
"If I tell you, would you be willing to keep it between us?"
"Sure, it isn't like Calem is my best friend anyway." Shauna shrugged. "And the others don't really care much—maybe Trevor, but I hide a lot of things from him, so it won't be a problem."
"All right." Gary nodded. "The whole time during that Garchomp incident, I noticed Calem's eyes glued to Serena. Even when he was flying and rescuing people, he made sure she was in his line of vision. I thought it was because he liked her or something, but now when Serena told him she was journeying with Ash, he didn't even flinch. You saw how Tierno reacted, but Calem didn't move a muscle. It was like, he didn't care with whom Serena went. That's not how someone with any romantic feelings would act in such a situation. I have a gut feeling that he is either suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, or is up to something shady."
"Hmm. I don't really care what his intentions are, I just hope he doesn't mess around with Serena."
"I hope so too, Shauna," Gary said, staring at Serena and Bonnie playing with Pikachu. "I hope so too."
Ash reached the stands as per the Professor's instructions and found the water type. He was facing away from him. They were they only ones around since the Professor sent back all the students due to the Garchomp episode. Since the lab and its porch were the only victims of Team Rocket's terror, this part and the academy remained unscathed. It was chilly and remotely peaceful.
"Froakie?" Ash called.
Froakie turned around with a hop and smiled at Ash. "Hello?" he tilted his head.
Ash chuckled. "It's Ash, Froakie," he kneeled to the water-type's level.
"Hello, Ash."
Ash rubbed Froakie's head. "Hello, Froakie. I guess I have somethings to explain—"
"That you can understand Pokémon?"
Ash laughed. "I'm not surprised you figured."
"Wasn't too hard, you talk to your Pokémon like they are humans."
"Ha-ha, guess you're right, but that not all I came here to tell you. I also wanted to thank you for saving back there."
"Are you kidding?" Froakie asked with widened eyes. "You risked your life to save mine. I should be the one thanking you."
"I didn't really risk my life, you know. I knew Pidgeot would catch us before we crashed, but if you didn't come with Pikachu and Pidgeot, Garchomp would have threw me from her and who knows what might have happened then?"
"Your Pidgeot would have caught you?"
"Yeah, maybe." Ash rubbed under his nose.
"I guess we should both thank each other then," Froakie suggested.
"Yeah, sure."
"Thankyou!" both said together. They shared a short chuckle at the jinx.
"C-can I ask you something?"
"Anything, Froakie."
Froakie bashfully looked down and away. "Would you take me as your Pokémon?" he asked softly. "I may not be as strong as your other Pokémon, but I promise to work the hardest of all."
"Huh?" Ash's face went blank. "You're joking, right? I heard you help people and Pokémon in the city. That's a very noble thing you're doing and I'm sure it makes you feel good, but if you join me, you won't be able to do that anymore. You probably won't see this city again. I can't do that to you, Froakie."
"I know that, but—" Froakie paused. "—I always wanted to join a trainer and see the world, but I never found the right one. The trainers who choose me as a starter only wanted me for my strength and the experienced ones treated me like another puppet in their collection. I thought I lost my dream of traveling the world, so I settled in this city. But today, when you risked your life for me, a Pokémon you never met before, I knew you'd do anything for your own. I'm sure you treat all your Pokémon with respect and care for them equally. That is the type of trainer I've been searching for as my master." He extended his arms forward and bowed his head. "Please, Master Ash. Please accept me. I beg you."
"You don't need to ask like that, Froakie." Ash picked the water type and met his gaze. He had a fierce resolution behind those yellow ovoid eyes. "I will be glad to have a Pokémon like you join me, Froakie, but what about Professor Sycamore? Would he allow? You are a regional starter, after all."
"Don't worry about the Professor," Froakie said. "He gave me permission long ago to choose any trainer I like."
Ash grinned, flashing his teeth. "All right then, Froakie, but, I'll have to warn you: joining my team means playing with fire every day."
"That's what I want," Froakie grinned. "I'm a water type, so playing with fire should be easy for me."
Ash deadpanned.
"Bad joke?" Froakie grinned foolishly.
"Very," Ash said. "But if you really wanna join my team, then there are some secrets you should know before that. I want your word that these secrets will remain only with you, should you refuse to join me after hearing them." Ash placed Froakie back on the ground. He too took a seat of the dusty surface; this might take a while.
"You have my word, but is it that serious?"
"Yes. Only my Pokémon know about it," Ash said. He went on to explain all the events related to his aura at The Tree of Beginning, his dream, conversations with Mew, his training at Assumption Island, the seven spirits, and the Keystones of Infinity.
Froakie's jaw dropped. He blinked protractedly. "Wow!"
Ash rubbed his finger under his nose. "Yeah, in short: me and every Pokémon in my team is destined to fight for the world's fate. Are you still interested to join?"
Froakie jumped in his position with a grin. "I couldn't ask for more. I'd love to be a part of the Chosen One's army."
"Ha-ha-ha, one more thing, Froakie. In my team, nobody calls me with a title like master, or anything else. Ash will suffice."
"Sure."
"All right, then, Froakie, you ready?" Ash pulled out an empty Pokéball.
Froakie nodded.
"Go, pokéball." Ash threw the Pokéball at Froakie.
A red glare engulfed the Bubble Frog Pokémon. The Pokéball shook a few times and stooped with a beep.
Ash picked up Froakie's Pokéball. This was his fourteenth member in his team and for some odd reason, Ash felt Froakie would not only be another part of his family but also be an integral part of his destined quests. He had a hunch, together they'd accomplish some of the greatest feats ever.
"Let's win the league and save this world together, Froakie."
The Pokéball shook in his hand.
Author's Note: (1st May, 2020)
[Slight Spoiler but it's something that has to be addressed]
I just received a guest review which said what's the point of Pokemon training so hard if Ash will just catch new ones? I felt many new readers will have the same question, so let me address it here itself.
I agree totally with that doubt because it makes no sense to do that. I thought it was evident when I limited Ash's rooster but let me put it straight: Ash will catch newer Pokemon but hardly 4 in total (Froakie included). I wish I could've made him not catch any new ones but my bias towards a few and the demands of the plot are the reasons for that decision. Make sense? I hope it does.
Any review is much appreciated. Thank you and have a nice day ahead.
"Gotta Bond 'em all"