The worst is over! For the readers who stuck through those last two chapters, we appreciate it! As always, your attention and feedback is appreciated. We hope you like what's coming up next!
The air was ripped through his nostrils and sucked deep into his lungs as he jolted up, hair along the nape of his neck stuck to his skin with slick, chilled sweat. His chest heaved with silent cries as bitter tears welled on the brim of his bottom lashes. "Pikachu…!" Ash called out, looking around wildly before realizing where he was.
He gripped the sheets of his bed tightly as his pulse began to slow. He was home, in his own room. He looked down to see Pikachu looking up at him, a paw rested on Ash's chest. The electric type must had been asleep there and fallen off when Ash jolted up.
The trainer relaxed his tense shoulders, smiling down at his starter. "Pikachu…"
"Pikapi," the mouse squeaked back, rising onto his tiptoes to lick Ash's cheek.
Trying to distance himself from the quickly muddied dream, Ash looked over the side of his bed. There, Dawn and Empoleon were sleeping. He smiled at how Dawn had used her blanket to pad Empoleon's hard metal surfaces rather than to keep herself warm.
"Hey, Pikachu, let's take a walk, huh? I've gotta get that dream out of my head," Ash whispered.
Thankfully, the nightmare was already fleeing his memory like dirt from hands when they are washed, but the absolute terror remained in his mind and heart. It squeezed down on him with every pulse and made him feel heavy.
Pikachu nodded and led the way, hopping off the end of Ash's bed and making his way to the door. Ash followed suit, keeping his steps light to not disturb Dawn.
The moment he opened his door, however, he looked over to check if she was sleeping. She was not. Rather, she'd grabbed a boot in her half sleep, watching him with squinty eyes, holding it as if she meant to launch it.
Briefly, Ash felt very protected by his girlfriend. Quickly, however, he called out. "Don't throw it at me!" he hissed.
"... Ash?" Dawn yawned, putting the shoe down. She scratched her stomach. "What're you doin' up?"
He looked to the ground. "Bad dream. I gotta go to a different room while I clear my head."
"We're coming with you," she said with a nod. She stood up and nudged Empoleon.
The bird squawked in protest, but after realizing everyone else was awake, grew both curious and concerned, and happily followed. He wasn't letting Ash or Pikachu out of his sight again for a while.
Pikachu led the troop down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, the whole group turned to look at Ash.
"Whatcha wanna do?" Dawn asked. She flicked her eyes towards the door. It still glimmered faintly with Mr. Mime's Barrier upon it. It wasn't absolute protection but covering it and the windows with psychic energy was a bit of insurance for them. She didn't want to go out of their relatively safe haven.
Ash's mind wasn't on the outdoors. He was very content to stay inside right now, at three in the morning. He shrugged. "Uh… Cereal, I guess? And, see if there's anything cool on TV…"
Dawn nodded. She turned to Empoleon. "Will you get me and you some snacks with Ash and Pikachu? I'll find something to watch."
The water type saluted. "Empo!"
"Pi…" Pikachu chided. Delia was still sleeping, so they should be quiet.
While Dawn settled on the couch and turned the television on, quickly lowering the volume, the boys all headed into the kitchen. Ash quickly found the pokemon treats, giving the whole bag to Empoleon and Pikachu to share. He thought about it and took out a hand full, putting them in a ziplock bag. He figured Mr. Mime wouldn't appreciate all of his treats being eaten, but after the last few days, he probably wouldn't really blame Empoleon or Pikachu for being a bit piggy.
For him and Dawn, he began searching for the cereal. He made a face at the shredded wheat cereal his mother kept. His heart sank at the thought that his cereal might not be here… But, there, he saw it! A brand new box, even! He smiled as he took down the fruity goodness. "Just in case I come home, huh…?" he quietly realized.
He quickly poured himself and Dawn a bowl, dousing them both in milk before sticking a spoon in each. With that, he and the pokemon walked into the living room.
A cartoon was playing; it was a very old one, in fact. It was a Rattata and a Persian.
Ash grinned as he sat down by dawn. "Oh, man, Tam and Jenny! It's been ages since I've seen this."
"You like it?" Dawn asked. "I tried to find something that wouldn't upset you, but all that's really on this late is infomercials or… late night talk shows." She looked to the side. "You know… News and stuff."
Ash passed her one of the bowls as Empoleon and Pikachu settled down on the rug in front of them to eat.
"This is perfect," he assured.
Some time went by, perhaps ten minutes. The episode of Tam and Jenny finished up and a show about a young boy who regularly visited Mt. Moon to see the Clefairy be had befriended began.
As it did, Ash spoke up. "Dawn," he said.
On the screen, the moon began to set over the Clefairy, the boy, and the lake they met at.
"I don't feel safe here."
The coordinator turned her head toward Ash, alarmed.
The Clefairy spoke to the boy, telling him that she needed to hide away once the sun came up.
Dawn calmed, understanding what the trainer meant. "Where do you want to go? We can go anywhere you want."
The boy in the red coat grabbed the Clefairy's hand.
Ash shrugged, looking down at the mush of his second bowl of cereal. "... I dunno."
The boy in the red coat told the Clefairy that he'd follow her down into the caves, if only they could remain friends.
At that moment, the lights flicked on. Pikachu hopped onto Ash's lap and Empoleon stood, flippers gleaming silver. Dawn was already standing, cereal bowl dropped onto the table. Ash turned quickly, fist raised.
It was just his mother, though.
Delia cocked her head, knowing too well why they were worried but somehow finding it funny that they had been so quick to stir. "I hate to eavesdrop, but when I hear someone talking in my house… Well. I can't relax either." She shrugged.
"Sorry, Mom."
"Sorry, Delia…"
"Pika Pika…"
"Leon."
"You guys having a midnight snack?" Delia asked, coming around to sit in the armchair. She crossed her legs, one pecha-berry print pajama pants leg over the other. "You and Dawn really should get away for a while. I'm glad you brought it up, actually."
"Do you know where we could go?" the coordinator inquired.
Delia shook her head. "I actually asked Professor Oak if he'd find a region with no Rocket activity for you last night. I haven't heard back yet. He wakes up at six, though, so we've got…" She looked at the wall clock. "About two hours or so left."
Ash counted on his fingers. "Well, then, we can't stay in Kanto and can't go to… Johto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh… Orange islands, neither." He huffed.
"I'm sorry, kiddo," Delia said with a sigh. "Why don't you finish sleeping? I'll clean up here and keep a home phone by me. As soon as the professor lets me know something, I'll let you know."
"Thanks, Mom."
The meeting room was surprisingly plain. A wall of the room was completely made of windows, a faint blue sheen over them suggesting that the two Drowzee positioned at either end of the room were for security as much as ambiance. Jessie and James took a pair of seats at the far end of the room while Meowth begrudgingly took a seat in Jessie's lap. Seated around them were perhaps ten other agents, some also with their partner pokemon. At the opposite end of the table from the agents gathered were the absolute pinnacle of Team Rocket-Proton, Petrel, Ariana, Archer, and Giovanni.
"All the trackers have arrived, Lord Giovanni," the secretary said from where she sat apart from the table, quietly typing up notes on her computer.
Giovanni's Persian was resting at her feet, flicking his ear once at her announcement.
"Right," Giovanni replied. He spoke in a booming voice, not yelling but still drowning out the silence in the room and leaving no space devoid of his intentions. "After yesterday's events, I have come to an executive decision: Ash Ketchum cannot be allowed to live." The boss looked to Archer, then.
Archer nodded. "This is strictly an intra-organization issue. We are issuing a bonus bounty on any Team Rocket member who brings in Ash Ketchum to us alive." He tilted his head. "A slightly lesser amount is available if he is brought in dead."
Proton slammed his fist on the table, eyes gleaming. "We need him alive! I've got a project I need him for. Can't film it if he's dead."
Petrel nodded. "Dawn the coordinator is also being sought. We're not sure if she's a rogue agent or if she's truly just Ketchum's ally."
Ariana crossed her arms. "Regardless, she was the one who came to Ash's rescue. We will frame her if Ash is brought in dead."
Meowth's blood ran cold. "Geez, the twoips really done got in over their heads…"
Jessie gripped her fist tight. "The twerp's a pain in the butt, but he and the twerpette don't deserve this…"
James twiddled his thumbs. The situation wasn't good.
Giovanni spoke again. "While the entire organization is invited to keep an eye out for the boy, those gathered in this room are being assigned certain locations to check. Half of you will be sent to Sinnoh while the rest will remain here in Kanto." Giovanni snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, slips of paper were teleported before each group. Jessie, James and Meowth held their breath as they read their assignment.
It was Pallet Town.
The sensation of dense bristles running along his scalp initially made Pikachu wince, taking a moment to calm and adjust to gentle strokes of the brush. He cooed, his fear displaced by the pleasant sensation of Dawn brushing his bright yellow fur, now free of any dirt or sweat from the night before. "Chu~"
"How's that, Pikachu? You'll be nice and stylish once you let me finish!" The coordinator chirped, winking at the Electric Mouse who sat in her lap. Nestled into the cozy living room couch of the Ketchum household, Dawn pampered Pikachu
Beside them, Ash reclined into the sofa, arms strewn over the top of the cushions, legs crossed. His blank, lost expression vanished long enough for a smile to appear on his lips, brought on by the innocent bonding between his best friend and companion beside him.
His lips purse together, and his eyes turned up towards the ceiling again. 'Pikachu's still really antsy… He didn't even want to battle, yesterday.' It wasn't like Ash blamed him. But, he was always the first to stand at Ash's side in the face of danger, all the way up to Giovanni, himself.
Then again, they'd both been held captive in the worst way… He was actually grateful that he'd been too drugged up to clearly remember half of it. Pikachu had been in better shape, physically… But, to react the way he did… It made Ash shudder to guess what he'd experienced.
Should they even continue their challenge, like this?
Ash swallowed. "Hey, Dawn, Pikachu… I keep thinking. With everything going on like it is… You think we should even take on the league this year? I mean, with Team Rocket, and you not wanting to battle…" He made eye contact with Pikachu, quickly averting his eyes towards the floor.
"I-I mean, not like I blame ya… I just…"
It was hard to imagine doing anything without Pikachu. The thought made him queasy.
Pikachu's ears descended. On top of all of this, upsetting Ash was definitely not on his to-do list. But, the thought of going back into combat, in that dark, dingy arena… He shuddered again.
Dawn pursed her lips. Watching either of them struggle like this, let alone both, left her perplexed. Uncomfortable, even. She returned to gently brushing Pikachu to calm him down. "You've got to remember, Ash. Our dreams aren't ripe yet. The Pokemon League'll wait for you."
Or, at least long enough for them to regroup.
"They'll be ready to be picked this summer!" Dawn insisted in all of her poetic passion, her free hand clutching the cushion below her. "But, Ash Ketchum wouldn't let them rot on the vine, just because the rain won't stop!" Blue brows furrowed tight, and she gently stroked Pikachu's fur. "And, I know Pikachu wouldn't, either."
Dawn's speech left Ash staring, a few blinks telling her that he was trying to process it. That was definitely her poetic side talking. "So… You're saying that we'll have time to sort things out before the league comes along?"
"Exactly!"
"I guess… But, if we kick the bucket before we get there, what's the point?" Ash sunk into the sofa, lowered brows barely containing black irises that averted towards the ceiling.
Even Dawn winced, then. Ash talking like this was very unlike him.
"Pikachu…" The mouse recoiled from the brush, then. If even Ash couldn't be a pillar of optimism, then things looked pretty bleak.
This just wasn't acceptable. Not to Dawn. She reached to place a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me something, Ash." She met him with her sapphire, steely gaze. "Who's going to beat them if you don't become strong enough to win the league?"
Pikachu's brush was set aside. "If. it weren't for people like you, or people like Cynthia… There'd be a lot more bad guys running around! You were always so strong, and courageous… Even in the worst situations, you gave everyone the guts to stand up to people like Cyrus, or Giovanni. You reminded me that I was strong enough to step in and help. Now, it's my turn."
Dawn's strong sentiment left Ash speechless. Had he really inspired people that much?
"I'm not sure if Kanto has a Cynthia," she started again. If it did, they sure as heck wouldn't take this sitting down. "But if the strongest people around here can't handle things like this, then you'll get stronger than them, and you can fix it!"
The Stantler-in-headlights look Ash was giving Dawn clued her in on her mistake. "Sorry. We can fix it!"
Fingers that had been persistently tapping at his arms closed into a tight fist. Ash took a deep breath in, pausing before letting it out in an audible huff. Both of his hands raised to give his cheeks a light slap. "Dawn, you're right. If that's what it's gonna take, then we'll get stronger than ever! To protect the first friends I ever had…" His coal-colored eyes turned down to Pikachu. "To protect pokemon."
Watching Ash recover his blazing spirit put a smile on Dawn's face. But as soon as he recovered, she watched him slink back into the sofa.
"...We'll do that, but we need a breather. We're not ready for that, now."
"Right. We've all got some healing to do, huh?" Dawn resigned, subconsciously reaching to rub the top of Pikachu's head.
"Ash, honey!" Delia's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Could you come here, please?"
Ash sat up, his attention snatched away. "Sure thing!" Curious, he walked into the kitchen, with Dawn and Pikachu following close behind.
Delia stood towards the other end of the kitchen, a telephone connected to the wall in one hand, the other bearing a cloth that was currently being used to polish a content Empoleon's crown. "...Yes, here he is. I'll put you on speaker." The auburn-haired woman spoke, clicking a button on the phone.
"...Yes? Hello?" Professor Oak's scratchy voice could be heard from the speaker.
"Professor!" Ash blurted out.
"Ah, Ash, there you are!" A loud cough could be heard from over the phone. "I… I overheard what happened. I'm terribly sorry to hear that you went through such hardship." The usual jovial spring was missing from Samuel's voice. He sounded subdued, uncomfortable, even.
Ash's face scrunched, and no words came out.
The silence spoke volumes. The elder man continued. "I agree with your mother; it'd be wise to stay far from Kanto, if at least for a little bit… On that note, I spoke with a colleague of mine from Unova, Professor Juniper. As far as she's ever heard, there's been no reported presence of Team Rocket in the Unova region. On this short notice, it might be the safest place to recoup."
"Unova…" Ash's brows furrowed, before raising in an epiphany. "Right, you told me about that place, a while back. You said there were lots of new pokemon." It was as enticing an idea as any, right now.
"But, where would we go?" Dawn chimed in. "We don't know the first thing about that region."
"Indeed. On that note… This fiasco made it onto the news, and I got a call from someone who was concerned for you, Ash - and you, too, Dawn. I'm certain you're familiar with the Elite Four member, Bertha?"
"Bertha!?" Ash's eyes grew wide. That's right… They'd gotten into some trouble, themselves.
"She asked about you both… I was reluctant to say anything, but she had all the persistence of a ground type expert. I'm not quite sure why, but she seemed to feel responsible for your troubles… At any rate, she wanted me to let you know that she has a getaway apartment in Unova that she offered for your use in your refuge. If you come to stay by the end of the week, the building clerk will accommodate you and allow you entry."
"Seriously?" Ash blinked, and Pikachu scaled his shoulder to hear the Professor more easily. Anything that got them out of predatory clutches was fine with him, at this point.
"Yes, she insisted on it. Professor Juniper has also been gracious enough to offer covering the cost of up to three plane tickets! I wasn't quite comfortable giving out your information, given the circumstances… But she was eager to show Unovan hospitality to someone in need."
Delia placed her free hand to her heart. "We very much appreciate it… Would you like to go to Unova, Ash?"
Ash paused. This whole situation still left him rather overwhelmed. He looked between his companions for a sign. Dawn and Empoleon were difficult to read and his eyes landed on Pikachu last. The hopeful look in his face was telling. That gaze was practically begging for Ash to say yes. The stubby paws clinging tightly to his shoulders brought the point home.
He looked back to Dawn, holding a hand out. "Well, Dawn, whaddya say?"
The coordinator's hues drifted from Ash's eyes to his hand. For him to stop and ask like that… For someone as impulsive as Ash, that was unusual. A smile picked up on Dawn's lips. Ash didn't want to be alone. They'd promised to have each other's backs, barely a week ago.
"I say it's a good idea!" Dawn's hand reached forward, rising high, rather than dropping into Ash's. It was held above her head, waiting for reciprocation. She flashed a wink at Ash and Pikachu.
Delia could watch the light in Ash's eyes return, glimmering in real time, before her. A loose fist and thumb were held to her lip, brows furrowing at the scene before her.
When she heard the first laugh come from Ash she'd witnessed in months, and watched his hand meet Dawn's above their heads in an enthusiastic clap, Delia knew that Ash had brought home someone special.
A cough could be heard from over the phone. "Hello?" Oak interrupted. "Are you all still there?"
A smile had spread across Delia's lips. "If you wouldn't mind, ask Professor Juniper for two tickets as soon as possible!"
On the other end of the phone line, the Professor nodded with a murmuring of affirmation. "Right, then…" His aging fingers tapped at the keyboard in front of him, growing a tad tired of the repetitive motion. "I'll just go and notify her… Oh!" He sputtered, reclining into his seat with wide eyes. "Ahah… She's… Already arranged the flight! It'll be leaving this evening."
"Great news. Thank you, Samuel!" Delia chimed. "What would we do without you?"
"A friend in need is a friend indeed, it is said, you know!"
Samuel was prepared for the gushing that could be heard from over the phone.
"Another A-class poem from the best of the best! Thank you so much, Professor!"
A hearty chuckle came in return. "You're quite welcome. Now, I'll be looking forward to hearing from the both of you. And you, Pikachu!"
"Pol!" An indignant squawk followed.
"Oh! Is that an Empoleon I hear? Well, congratulations, Pi- er, Empoleon! I'll look forward to hearing from you, too!"
A satisfied "poleon" followed.
"Thanks, Professor!" Ash added.
A clack of the phone concluded the conversation.
"Well, that settles that… I guess we're going to Unova!" Ash announced, reaching to gently scratch under Pikachu's chin. "How's that sound, buddy?"
"Pika-cha~!" Pikachu leaned into Ash's hand, chin tilted upward. A vacation somewhere safe was just what he needed!
"We could really use the R&R…" Dawn's contentment was suddenly shattered, her face dropping. "Wait… I don't have anything packed for the beach! Or any vacation clothes… This was on such short notice…" The blue-haired girl fell into a dramatic slump.
"Most o' mine was probably too old, now," Ash muttered, his arms crossing over his chest.
Delia's arms crossed over his chest. "Hmm… Dawn, can you sew?"
Dawn blinked. That caught her off-guard. "I'm okay at it, yeah."
Delia beamed, winking at the coordinator. "Then, you stay here with Ash! I'm going to run to the store to pick up some clothes and supplies! We'll have you all ready in no time!"
The trainer flicked his eyes at length between the two women who were in the kitchen sewing together and last week's late night comedy show playing on the television. Delia was in the middle of helping Dawn accessorize some clothes. Between the time restraints and Dawn's limited skill with sewing, new clothes couldn't be made from whole cloth. Delia had gone out and gotten some comfortable but basic pieces and now Dawn was, as it were, upgrading them.
In fact, as Ash watched, Dawn was sewing on a colorful collar to a new button up shirt for Ash. Ash listened closely and heard Delia talking.
"And, it's the ultimate way you can show someone that you love them." The mother hummed softly as she ironed out the dress Dawn had already put together for herself. "You show them that you love them and they're one of a kind," she said.
Dawn nodded. "You're so right!" She smiled down at the shirt she held in her hands. "Thanks for teaching me more about sewing."
"Of course!" Delia said with a chuckle. "Can't have my future daughter-in-law clueless about these things!"
"F-Future…?!" Dawn choked out.
On that cue, Ash jumped up, storming into the dining room to try and stop whatever tirade his mom was on. "What's going on in here?" he asked, pleading with his mom to not make this weird.
Delia shrugged, Dawn's dress in one hand and the iron in the other. "Did you kids really think I wouldn't notice how close you've gotten?" She paused. "Also, Ash, ever since you were a kid, you've always been kind of…" She waved the iron back and forth. "Iffy… on other people touching you. Dawn, though? You've stuck by her side like glue." She tilted her head. "... Plus, Empoleon and Pikachu told me when I was getting them treats. All I had to do was ask!"
"Oh," Dawn said with a blush. "Well… Glad we got that squared away." She lifted the shirt to Ash, trying to focus on something else. "Can you try this on?"
"Sure!" Ash replied, shrugging off the pajama top he'd been wearing around for most of the day. His mother was still doing their laundry from the last few days, so he'd been reduced to lounging in it.
As he shrugged on the shirt, Ash turned back and forth for his mother and girlfriend. Dawn and Delia cooed in approval before Dawn gagged.
"That collar!" she lamented. She immediately turned to Delia. "I'm so sorry for wasting your material…! And, time! Ah, and you, Ash, for ruining the shirt!"
As Dawn panicked, Ash looked down at the collar. It was slightly longer on one side than the other, but if he popped it just right, no one could tell. He quietly thought it over, recalling what the girls had been talking about earlier. He smiled before putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder. A cheeky smile was put on display, accompanied by a roll of his eyes. "I'll wear it. No need to worry."
"Are you sure?!"
"If you made it for me, I'll wear it." He shrugged. "Besides, Gary used to wear his shirts like this. I'll just bring back in style, but cooler!"
Dawn laughed. "Thanks, Ash. I'll make the pajamas really comfortable and cool to make it up to you!"
Watching it all quietly, Delia tilted her head. The children were truly adorable. Ash had grown over the journey, too. He would have been more upset about this a few years ago. Still… He wasn't that mature, and she could prove it. "I knew I was right about Dawn being daughter-in-law material!"
"Mo-o-om!" Ash lamented.
Delia giggled. There it was.
The crackle of snapping twigs was only barely covered by the ruffling of leaves, bushes rustled by the cautious steps of two grown adults and a Meowth accompanying them. A heavy silence hung in the air, only broken by the occasional chatter of wild pokemon.
James' chest tightened at the familiar sight of Pallet Town at the bottom of the hill, his lavender brows knitting together. "Well, it looks like we're here…" He crouched behind a bush, rummaging through his black bag that blended with the rest of his uniform. A pair of binoculars were drawn, scanning over the entirety of Pallet Town. A slow eye-crawl over Professor Oak's ranch delayed the inevitable.
Meowth heaved a heavy sigh, absently swatting at an Oran Berry that dangled from the bush he was hiding behind. If neither of these chuckleheads were going to get the ball rolling, he supposed it had to be him. "...So, what da heck are we gonna do? I don't love the idea of da twoip havin' to sleep with da Magikarp."
"We'll just have to keep thinking," Jessie asserted. Her usual loud confidence, though, was absent today. Her eyes were obscured behind a second pair of binoculars. "I was both blessed and cursed as creative type. If we can scheme the twerp, we can scheme him out of this."
"Then show us, O wise one," James sulked. He could distinctly spot Ash's home among the hills. Why couldn't he have grown up in a more crowded area…?
"Well, if he wanted to high-tail it outta dere, dere's his chance." Meowth blinked, catching sight of what looked to be a shuttle on one of Pallet's dirt roads.
"What? Let me see!" Jessie barked, scooting over to unceremoniously rest her elbows atop Meowth's head. His whines and threats were ignored in favor of peering through the lens, zooming in on a short blue shuttle bus at a nearby corner. 'Pallet International Airport,' it read.
James was the next to scope in. "The airport…" A couple of passengers stepped off, going their own way. A few residents at the corner began to board, including… "...It's the twerp!"
A rough shove pushed Jessie off of Meowth, who grabbed the flipping binoculars for his own. "...And, the twerpette!"
A gloved hand shoved Meowth to the side, and Jessie reclaimed her gear. "...And, Pikachu!"
"If da twoips got half a brain between 'em, they gotta be makin' like an egg and scrammin'." Meowth deduced, his little, greedy heart slowing just a bit. Maybe there was a chance.
"And, if they don't go to Sinnoh, they'll be safe!" James followed, his eyes growing wide.
"Yeah, but…" Meowth's shoulders began to sink. "How're we gonna word it to da boss?"
"It's simple," Jessie argued, the corners of her cherry lips pulling up. "We'll just drop by, and tell the boss that the twerp isn't home! That there's no evidence of Ash Ketchum hiding in Pallet Town. It's technically true!"
"Ya gotta point… But, I still feel like this is really treadin' the line o' mutiny, here." Meowth shuddered at the thought. They wouldn't ever have to face the same fate, would they?
"Mutiny, shmutiny!" James barked, glaring into the eyes of his feline companion. If one looked closely enough, tears were beginning to build. "We may be crooks, and we may be dirty, rotten thieves! But, we still have standards!"
"If we got standards, dey're pretty low."
"Maybe so, but of all people, the twerp…" Any image of a lifeless Ash that threatened to spark James' imagination was tearfully shoved away. "...I don't think I'd be able to call myself a Rocket again."
"Well, then, it's settled!" Jessie interjected, standing tall with one hand raised high, the other over her chest. Stealth be damned. "It's our responsibility as members of Team Rocket to maintain our ability to serve the boss! If we started crossing those lines, we'd be out of work, and they'd be out of geniuses! So, turning a blind eye is the right thing to do!"
"Right!"
"Right!"
Two hands and a paw were joined in unison, followed by the stealthy patter of feet into Pallet Town.
The image of the trio was obscured by dust and exhaust kicked up by the shuttle that had just left the corner, greeting the innocents a well-timed escape.
Bare hands that were too far too used to being gloved fumbled with the cold metal of a seatbelt, making several clumsy attempts to clasp it shut. A few grunts and muttered expletives concluded in the belt finally snapping together. "Ah-ha," Ash vocalized in triumph, leaning back in his seat. "'Bout time this thing cooperated… Now, we're good to go!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu's little nose nudged his trainer's chest, pointing his attention to the small bottle in his paws. A small container of medicine from one of the airport convenience stores.
"Oh, right. Sorry, buddy… You got a nasty headache last time we were up that high, didn't you?" Ash took the bottle from his companion's hands, unscrewing the top. A tiny pill was poured into Ash's palm, fit for a small pokemon. It was pinched between his index finger and thumb, held up to Pikachu's mouth.
"Chu," Pikachu thanked his trainer, flicking up the pill with his tongue.
"Down the hatch," the teen followed, hoisting a small bottle of water. He tipped it just enough so Pikachu could lap up droplets of pouring water, pulling it back when it started to drip.
"Brrr," Pikachu shook his face free of moisture, gulping down the medicine. "Pika!" Content and confident that he'd go without pain this time, he lovingly rubbed his cheek into Ash's chest. "Chu~"
"Aha," Ash chuckled, squirming in his seat. "Hey, that tickles!" Tickled at the sensation of his best friend's fuzzy face rubbing into his cotton button-up, Ash breathed a sigh of relief. Things were beginning to look like they were back to normal, hopefully.
"It's just a shame Empoleon was too big to sit with us," Dawn lamented, leaning a squished cheek into her palm beside the two. "When he was a Piplup, he really liked the view."
"Yeah, it is a bummer… Well, he'll get to see plenty of new sights once we touch down in Unova! For now, you're stuck with us." Ash winked, resting a hand playfully on Dawn's opposite shoulder.
"Maybe I should take one of those things for a headache." Dawn stuck her tongue out. She made herself comfortable nestled into Ash's shoulder.
"Very funny." The raven-haired trainer leaned his cheek against Dawn's forehead. He began flipping through the pages of a Sky Attack Mall magazine provided by the seat in front of him.
"Hey, check it out… An Ambipom pinball machine."
A beep from the intercom rang over his thoughts on impulse purchases.
"We are cleared for takeoff. Please make sure your seatbelts are fastened and your tray tables are stowed. We hope you enjoy your overnight flight to Unova!"
