A/N: Well to see some positive feedback on the first chapter definitely floored me a bit. I am very appreciative of my readers and hope this next installment is to your liking. I know it's going to be slow getting to the mystery of Ash, so bear with me here. For those of you who don't like to read semi graphic torture please note you were warned this chapter has some.
Landing in Tangelo Island, Charlie and Skye saw plenty of older retired people on the Island. However, it was hotter than expected. Charlie was starting to wish he was wearing shorts instead of his usual joggers due to the heat. Skye just looked at him and rolled her eyes saying, "You knew it was going to be hot when we boarded."
"I just hadn't been to such a 'hot' place I couldn't wear joggers to." Charlie said, a bead of sweat coming down from his eyebrow. Looking over the beach they noticed a mix of trainers training, and people just having fun on the beach.
"Your mom said there was a Pokemon league here right?" Charlie asked as they walked towards the Pokemon Center.
"Mmhm, she said the gym leaders are a little different. They don't often have battles of Pokemon vs Pokemon, there are often challenges of certain skills of Pokemon." Skye stated.
"Sounds interesting, but I am not sure if I want to go through skill challenges." Charlie said as they entered the Center. Skye walked over to the phone and called her mom while Charlie got them checked in for a room.
"Hey Skye." Misty said as the image of her daughter appeared on the face phone call.
"Hi Mom, just wanted to let you know we are checking in here on Tangelo Island." Skye said with no hint of annoyance.
"That's great honey, have you seen any trainers training there?" Misty inquired, having not been back to Tangelo since she was there with Ash and Tracey.
"A few, we are not sure if we want to challenge the Orange Crew though." Skye stated.
Misty thought and said, "Well I think you should at least visit and learn from each of the Orange Crew. Even if you don't plan on challenging them or Drake for the Championship."
"We'll keep that in mind mom, thanks again for helping get us here." Skye said.
Misty just smiled and said, "You're welcome, when you make your way home just let me know."
At that Skye waved at her mom and they hung up the call. Charlie came behind Skye asking, "How is your mom?"
"Good actually, she didn't even helicopter about things." Skye said with a smile.
When Charlie and Skye entered the room they found bunk beds, with one already occupied by a guy who was slightly older than them, meditating on his bunk. He had brown skin, with long almost flowing black hair just past his shoulders, he wore jeans, with a plain white shirt underneath a green and blue tropical shirt. While the pair stood in the doorway, the guy felt their presence and said flatly, "If you two wouldn't mind fucking on the oppossite bunk that would be much appreciated."
Both of Charlie and Skye's faces were bright red as they stumbled over responding to this guy. Hearing their stuttering he peaked an eye open and said, "My bad, you two are way too young to be worrying about that."
"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" They both shouted.
"Ok, then dude feel free to take the bottom bunk." The guy said, closing his eyes almost ignoring that they both were still there in the doorway.
Skye pulled Charlie away from the door and whispered, "We can't stay in a room with this guy."
"We don't have any other options. This is the last available room with space." Charlie said, "At least that's what Nurse Joy said."
"FINE!" Skye said loudly, then went to the opposite bunk and then said rather threateningly at the guy, "You better not try to sneak into my bed."
"I don't know where you come from, but my people would think such behavior as offensive as killing someone for sport." The guy said his eyes still closed.
Deciding to try and be friendly with the guy Charlie said, "My name is Charlie Oris, what's your name?"
"My name is August Wawona." His eyes closed until he felt Charlie climbing up the bunk slightly offering his hand. A little bewildered by Charlie's actions he looked at him and smiled before shaking his hand.
"It's a pleasure meeting you August." Charlie said.
Smirking August looked over at Skye and said, "What is your name miss…?"
"Skye Waterflower." Skye said through gritted teeth, while trying to shoot looks at Charlie signaling we didn't need to be friendly.
"It is nice to meet you Skye, you really do look almost exactly like your mother." August said.
Asking discerningly, "You know my mother?"
"Not personally, no." August stated, "But she is known far and wide, even to my people across the sea."
Charlie decided to intervene as Skye kept eyeing him suspiciously, "Do you train Pokemon too?"
"I do, but right now I only keep with me my trusty Braviary." August said throwing a Nest ball out came a Braviary with its red feathers and regal looking face. Charlie and Skye looked at it and were impressed as August recalled it.
Less apprehensive, Skye asked, "What brought you here?"
Sighing August said, "Just needed an escape from my own problems back home."
"I am sorry." Skye said sympathetically.
"August, would you like to join us for dinner, since we are going to be roommates for at least 1 night?" Charlie asked.
"So long as we don't eat bear meat, I am down." August said now jumping down from the top bunk and standing to his full height. Though he was taller than them at around 14-15 years old, they knew he was tall even for adults. Heading out, they found a nice diner by the beachfront, while sitting waiting for their food, Charlie regaled his triumphs before meeting Skye to August. Skye in turn did her own exploits including some Charlie had yet to hear, like how she found a Rockruff that was abandoned by the road. After nursing it back to health, it had become one of her most trusted companions. Just as their food came, Charlie noticed an attractive blonde, with violet eyes, in a red bikini walking by. Skye leaned her head in his line of sight causing Charlie to blush when she said, "Listen genius, you are barely going to be 11 and she is closer to my mom's age, you got no chance." A bit gobsmacked by the dressing down from Skye, she continued, "Also close your mouth, it's gross enough no need to drool." Skye shivered as August merely smirked, eating his noodle dish.
"What, you think she is attractive too?" Skye remarked at August.
"Do I have two eyes?" August said his cocky smirk was still present.
"Yes." Skye dragged out saying with sarcasm.
"Then there is your answer." August said matter of factly, Skye just rolled her eyes. Charlie chuckled a bit while trying not to choke on his own food. Finishing their food without incident, and Charlie thinking he saw Skye looking at August differently. Not realizing they had caught up to the attractive blonde who was now on the beach following a couple of men dressed in black jumpsuits towards a hard to see alcove on the beach.
"Do you think she is going of her own free will?" Skye asked.
"Only one way to find out." Charlie said, jumping down to the beach but trying to keep distance to not be heard. August and Skye followed and as they drew closer they heard what sounded like muffled racked their face as they peaked over a rock near the alcove seeing to their horror. Wires hooked to a Magneton attached to a mantis haired man with gray flecks who was gagged and tied to a wooden chair. The blonde came up and they noticed the other men in jumpsuits had a big red R on their chests. Making sure they were not seen, they could hear the question, "What drew out the beast of the sea?" The blonde said in a tone that was implying more pain would come if he did not answer. The man shook his head implying he wouldn't answer, the Magneton did its thunderbolt, causing the man's own violet eyes to widen in pain. When they removed the gag he threw up on the beach.
"Quite the strong man, to not succumb to telling us what we want to know." The blonde said in a rather soft almost seductive tone. Charlie decided it was time to act, even though Skye was going to tell Charlie to wait till they came up with a plan. Charlie pulled out his smart phone and began recording video and threw down his Charmander and said, "Charmander use flamethrower." The attack hit the Magneton, causing it to try and hit Charmander with its electric attacks. Charmander anticipating this dodged its attacks and did another flamethrower causing the Magneton to pass out. The blonde woman threw a black flower that sent an electrical bind on Charlie's Charmander. Charlie cried out for Charmander as one of the jumpsuit men who had not fled was about to pick up Charmander when Skye and August released their own Pokemon, Milotic and Braviary. Milotic using its tail smacked against the one closest to Charmander. Just as the blonde threw another black flower device, Braviary used whirlwind to send it flying away. Noticing the trio running towards the man who was still bound to the chair laying in the sand, the blonde woman threw down some powder causing smoke to emit and when they reached the spot she was standing, she was gone. Charlie made sure to remove the device from Charmander making sure he was ok then recalled him to his pokeball.
Just as they reached the man who still had some puke on the corners of his mouth. Sirens began to go off loudly near them. All three of them were untying the man when Officer Jenny came down to the group on the beach. "What happened here?" Officer Jenny asked when arriving on the scene.
"This man was being tortured," Charlie stated to Officer Jenny. When he looked around he noticed August standing behind Skye while trying to peak over at the man, and his eyes kept flickering to Officer Jenny.
The man groaned and coughed, as they untied him from the chair. His violet eyes met Skye's face, he scrunched his face like he recognized her. Shaking his head the man then said, "Thank you, for stopping them." As the ambulance came roaring to the beach, Jenny helped assist the one paramedic then they asked the trio to help lift the man into the ambulance from the beach.
After the ambulance was away, Officer Jenny asked to take their statements. Skye and Charlie regaled her with what they saw. From the blonde who was interrogating the mantis haired man, to the Team Rocket grunts who surrounded them. Looking over at August, Jenny asked, "Anything to add Mr….?"
"August." August stated, "It was just as they said." It came across a bit surly, but Officer Jenny smiled and nodded at him.
"Hopefully he makes a full recovery and he can try to tell me what they were after." Jenny said before getting onto her motorbike and leaving the trio.
Charlie decided after Officer Jenny left to ask August, "Are you ok, August?"
"Yes." August stated, looking at Charlie and in that moment, both understood each other. Charlie remembered a few stories that his father had told him when he was doing something minor like speeding. Skye looked at the two of them and wasn't sure what to think of the look they shared. Getting back to their room at the Pokemon Center, August said he would use the shower room before coming to bed.
"Did you notice August getting uncomfortable when Officer Jenny came?" Skye asked Charlie when the door was closed.
"Yes, and before you think he is involved with Team Rocket," Charlie started Skye looked a bit surprised by him figuring out her next question, "He came from over the sea, let's just say my father had a handful of interesting experiences when he was there, particularly involving law enforcement."
The next few days had been very uneventful. Charlie was working with Larvitar on the beach doing runs, and testing how well they could anticipate the waves crashing into them as they meditated near the waterline. They were told by Officer Jenny that the man was awake and in a stable condition. Deciding they wanted to visit and see that the man was ok, August wanted to come because he did notice the man double taking when his eyes came to Skye. Coming into the hospital room, the man looked better.
"You three, it's good to see you again." The man said in a somewhat regal voice that was slightly strained.
"We're just glad to know you are alright." Charlie said.
August came forward and, deciding not to beat around the bush asked, "Why did you recognize Skye?" Gesturing towards Skye who looked surprised.
The man sighed and said, "My name is Lawrence, young lady, are you related to a woman known as Misty?"
"Yes…." Skye started a little weirded out how this Lawrence knew her mom, "How do you know my mom?"
"Oh, well that explains a bit." Lawrence said smiling, "Your resemblance to her was a bit uncanny."
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, starting to feel like they were running into a decent amount of people who knew or met Skye's mom.
"Close the door please." Lawrence stated.
August closed the door, "I just didn't want anyone overhearing us." Lawrence responded in a light tone. "It was about 20 years ago, I did something that almost destroyed the entire world." Lawrence started explaining to the trio about how he built up a large collection of rare artifacts. Using the value of the collection to leverage more and more money, he eventually built a flying palace to house his collection. When he found a stone tablet talking about a legend about a 'Chosen One' taming a beast of the sea. He thought he could bring about the beast which he interpreted to be Lugia. His hopes had been for his collection to be legendary, but while he was pursuing the capture of Zapdos, he accidentally took in some incopetenat Team Rocket members that had a Meowth with them. He said Skye's mom was also caught in that capture with a guy in a light green shirt, that Skye identified as her now Uncle Tracey, a girl with brown hair in a tribal cloth dress. The other boy was identified by Lawrence as Ash Ketchum, the former monarch that went missing. Clearly they had all led to the escape of both Moltres and Zapados from his palace which led to them crash landing on Lightning Island. He said while he was stranded there he saw Lugia appear, and while Ash was riding Lugia back to Shamouti Island, he attacked. This had caused Lugia to use its signature attack Aeroblast, destroying the last remnants of his flying palace. He survived but upon seeing the true beast of the sea being tamed, Lawrence took his Ancient Mew card, and slowly rebuilt his collection. While also prioritizing returning cultural artifacts that he found in other collections, to the indigenous groups and cultures they came from. When he returned the stone tablet about the prophecy of the chosen one to Shamouti, he asked for forgiveness in not returning it but acquiring it. The tribal leaders embraced him and forgave him for returning the artifact. The trio's jaw dropped, even Skye who looked like she hadn't even heard of this adventure before.
"What happened to my mom and her friends after that?" Skye asked.
"I do not know what happened right after that." Lawrence said, "I only found out about your mom when she became an Elite Four member in Kanto, and Ash…well pretty much everyone heard what happened to him." Lawrence's eyes lingered on Skye like he was trying to gauge her reaction. Charlie noticed that but didn't say anything.
"Do you happen to know where the other girl that wasn't Misty went?" August asked.
"Last I know she was on Shamouti Island, her family still puts on the annual festival honoring this prophecy." Lawrence said.
"Why are you telling us this?" Charlie asked, "As opposed to the cops?"
"Nothing against the Officer Jenny's of the world, but Team Rocket has spies everywhere." Lawrence said. "I do not want them to be able to figure out and replicate my mistakes."
"Did they say anything, about a base or what they were working on?" August asked.
"No, and if they did I was brought to such pain I didn't hear all the questions just that I wouldn't answer them." Lawrence said.
When they got back to their room at the Pokemon Center. The trio were debating what to do. August said without any more clues how they could try and track down this blonde Team Rocket agent. Charlie was suggesting they go and search that cluster of Islands. Skye said she needed a minute and walked down to the phone and called her mom.
Misty yawned as she answered saying, "Hi Skye, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon, are you on a new Island?"
"No, mom…" Skye started, "Did you meet a Team Rocket agent with blonde hair and violet eyes?"
At that Misty's eyes popped open, "Did she come after you?" Worry dripping from Misty's voice.
"No, we stumbled on her torturing a man called Lawrence." Misty's face changed as she heard that name, "He said he met you after he captured Zapdos from Lightning Island."
"Yes…was Team Rocket asking how he drew out Lugia?" Misty asked.
"Yes…." Skye responded, "Either way mom, who was that Team Rocket agent?"
Sighing, she took a breath before telling her daughter, "Her name is Domino aka The Black Tulip, she is very skilled and not to be trusted."
"Was this another misadventure with Ash and Uncle Tracey?" Skye asked.
Misty tried not to flinch at his name but knew that she failed. She closed her eyes to steady her voice and sighed before saying, "No, it was with Ash…" Even with taking a breath beforehand, there was still a sting as the name came off her lips and even after all these years it hurt to say, "and Brock, we were at Mount Quena in Johto."
"Care to give more detail than that?" Skye asked.
"Nope, young lady, I will not, we promised to keep parts of this adventure very secret." Misty said.
Rolling her eyes Skye then worked up a smile and said. "Do you know what kind of Pokemon she uses?"
Misty thought about it for a second before saying, "No because when I saw her all those years ago she didn't use any Pokemon, she herself was in some ways the weapon, that and her black tulips she would throw paralyzing Pokemon."
"Yeah, Charlie's Charmander got one of those, don't worry mom Milotic and I made sure Charmander is ok." Skye said.
"Ok, now Skye do not try to go after her… okay?" Misty pleaded.
"Yes mom, we won't, what should we do if we run into her again?" Skye asked.
"Call me, I will be sure to bring help ok." Misty said.
With that Misty and Skye merely discussed other training techniques, maybe even an island or two to visit. Meanwhile, Charlie and August had now got onto the subject of Ash. Charlie had just finished explaining the conversation he overheard between Misty and Delia when they thought he was asleep.
"You're positive that's his mom?" Charlie asked.
"Very positive, so now you want to head to Shamouti to see if whomever this other person was is still around to tell us the other details Lawrence didn't have?" August clarified.
"Yes, maybe if we come across more people who knew him, maybe we can figure out what happened to him." Charlie said
"And what exactly do you hope to gain from finding out what happened to him?" August asked.
"Some way I guess to give Skye and Misty some closure." Charlie said, "She seems to already suspect a relationship between her mother and him, but I did the math. It's not impossible that he is her father."
"The only issue is that they were never officially "out" as a couple." August said realizing the main issue is no one would necessarily tell them that they were or were not a couple. August just looked around the room then ran his hand over his face. Just as he was about to speak Skye came into the room.
"I think we should find a way to Shamouti Island." Skye stated.
"Huh?" Both of the boys asked in unison, "What brought you to this conclusion?" Charlie asked.
"My mom, she keeps certain things tight lipped but she did confirm she was here about 20 years ago." Skye said.
"Did she say anything about this blonde Team Rocket agent?" August asked.
"Yeah…she is known as Domino, or the Black Tulip. She really hopes we don't run into her again." Skye said not really looking at either boy as she began pulling her bedding back to get ready to sleep for the night. Just as they heard the zipper on her shorts, both boys exited the room. August didn't really have anything but a vacant expression, while Charlie was trying hard not to blush. Even though Charlie had been traveling with her now for a while, he still wasn't used to being around a cute girl who slept near him.
"The only problem with your theory Charlie, is she doesn't even really look like him." August said when they were far enough away from the door, "You would think there would be at least a few physical traits from Ash that would have been passed onto her." Charlie didn't like knowing that August was right to a degree, but there wasn't really anything to indicate something Skye did or had was similar to Ash. At least nothing physically, both boys had heard about him and knew some tales about his sighting of Ho-Oh and a feather that he got on that first day of his Pokemon journey. They of course saw highlights of him beating Leon in the finals of the Coronation series. Well, August remembered seeing them live when he was 4, seeing him win gave him hope that even he could overcome his own circumstances.
The next morning, the trio set out from the Pokemon Center and went down to the docks to try and charter a boat to take them to Shamouti Island. As they kept looking they kept getting turned down, till they finally saw a boat with a green base, with an accent of beige above the green markings. Sitting on the bow was an auburn-haired man with light tan skin, and black eyes, he was starting to show some gray highlights on the edge of his hair. Dressed in a sweater vest with a blue undershirt and what looked like cargo shorts. Coming out of the inside was a green haired woman, with auburn-colored eyes and a backwards navy-blue cap. The rest of her outfit was orange, almost like a jumpsuit.
Skye started saying, "Hi, we were hoping someone could take us to Shamouti Island?"
The man looked up and smiled before asking, "Misty?"
Both boys flinched, for a couple of times on the Island while at the beach other guys assumed she was her mom, and they saw Skye rip them new ones.
Skye blinked before responding, "Um…no my name is Skye…you knew my mom?"
The green haired woman looked up when Skye responded and went, "Danny, you are right she does look an awful lot like Misty, you must be the daughter we have heard rumors about."
All three of them blinked, not really knowing what to say to that. August decided to speak up, "Does this mean you can help us get to Shamouti?"
"Yes, I love Shamouti, we've been needing an excuse to drop by for the festival that will be happening soon. So, your timing couldn't be more perfect." The green haired woman said, "My name is Maren, this guy is my husband Danny, come on climb aboard."
The entire trio was confused but climbed aboard and was wondering just who exactly they ran into.