Ch. 10 Inconvincible
"Isn't this a nice place?" Ash concluded the tour.
"Yes it is, but what I don't get is, if you were alive, why didn't you return to Pallet?" Misty asked. Ash gave a confused frown but just sat on a bench.
"I had to be on my own and live my own life. So I did, and it's great." Ash said.
"We've really needed you." Misty sighed.
"Nobody does." Ash frowned.
"Yes we do, you're Pokemon Master." Misty replied.
"No I'm not, Giovanni is." Ash pouted.
"Ash, he let Team Rocket take over Kanto." Misty sat down. "Everything's destroyed and decimated. No food or water, Johto is almost half populated with Kanto residence, if not more."
"What?" Ash was in shock, but then sighed. "Well, I can't go back."
"Why not?" Misty complained.
"You wouldn't understand." Ash got up. "It doesn't matter, so says our motto."
"What?" Misty was really confused now.
"Our motto is something I learned out here. Sometimes bad things happen and you can't do anything about them, so why worry." Ash defined.
"Ash, it's your responsibility." Misty added.
"Well, what about you, you left." Ash pointed out.
"I left to find help, but found you." Misty pouted. "Don't you see, you're all we have."
"Sorry." Ash muttered with a sigh and then walked off.
"What's happened to you?" Misty growled. "You're not the Ash I remember."
"Ok, I'm not. Are you satisfied now?" Ash grumbled.
"No, I'm only more disappointed." Misty pouted.
"You're starting to sound like my dad." Ash leered and walked off again.
"Good, at least one of us does." Misty muttered. Ash heard and growled.
"Look, you think you can just come up and tell me how to live my life?" Ash turned and yelled. "You don't even know what I've been through."
"I would if you told me." Misty called after Ash, startled at his tone of voice.
"Forget it." Ash yelled as he walked off to cool his head.
"Fine!" Misty turned her back and pouted. Ash was alone in a big field.
"What does she know, what does it matter. I can't go back, what would it prove anyway, you can't change anything. You can't change the past." Ash looked up. "You said you'd always be there for me, but you're not. It's because of me, it's my fault." As Ash stood in the field sniffing away his sorrows, Prof. Oak was nearing. He was humming and singing for joy, knowing he'd find Ash. Ash heard him coming and gave a miffed growl and walked off. Prof. Oak grinned from on a hill and saw Ash standing now by the lake. He threw a rock at him and it fell into the water.
"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander." Prof. Oak repeated.
"Will you cut that out?" Ash growled and walked off.
"Why cut it out, who do you choose?" Prof. Oak grinned.
"Creepy old man." Ash saw him following him. "Will you, grr, who are you?"
"No, I should be asking who you are?" Prof. Oak corrected. Ash opened his mouth to speak but didn't.
"I thought I knew, now I'm not sure." Ash sighed.
"I know three guys who know who you are. I can only reveal their names to you, so come close." Prof. Oak pulled Ash over and whispered. "Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander."
"Enough, what does that mean anyway?" Ash jerked away.
"They're the starter Pokemon you could have had." Prof. Oak hinted.
"I think you're a little mixed up." Ash made circles by his forehead to say crazy.
"Wrong, I'm not mixed up, you don't even know who you are." Prof. Oak added.
"Oh, I suppose you do." Ash turned his back to him.
"Sure do, you're Ketchum's boy." Prof. Oak grinned, Ash gasped and turned. "By." Prof. Oak ran off, happy now that he finally got the stubborn kids attention.
"Hey, wait!" Ash ran after him and caught up. "You knew my dad?"
"I know your dad." Prof. Oak corrected.
"I hate to tell you this, but he died quite a while ago." Ash sighed.
"No, wrong again, he's alive and I'll show him to you. Just follow Prof. Oak here, I know the way." Prof. Oak ran into a strange cave Ash had never seen before. Ash hesitated, but this man knew his dad, and the name Prof. Oak rang a distant bell. So, he followed. "Don't slow down, hurry up. Come on."
"Hey, wait, would you slow down!" Ash called as he kept his eyes on Prof. Oak to not loose him. He often tripped or stumbled as he got hit by branches or bits of rock. Just as he thought he lost Prof. Oak he saw a small light ahead grow bigger.
"Stop." Prof. Oak suddenly appeared and Ash skidded to a halt. "Go down there." Prof. Oak pointed to a small pond. Ash gulped and looked at Prof. Oak as he went to the water. Ash looked in and gasped, seeing a different face. But he sighed.
"That's not my dad, only my reflection." Ash looked away, realizing now that a lot of time had passed and he was a lot older than he thought.
"No, look harder." Prof. Oak insisted. Ash looked again and he saw the ripples change his face in the water to his dads. "You see, he lives in you." Prof. Oak said as Ash gasped. Clouds began to appear in the sky and take shape.
"Ash." A distant voice called. Ash tensed as he heard the voice nearing.
"Dad?" Ash looked up as the clouds formed his dad's face in the sky.
"Ash, you've forgotten me." The ghost said.
"What, how could I?" Ash was shocked at his dad's words.
"You've forgotten who you are and hence forgotten me." The figure in the clouds explained. "Look at yourself Ash, you're more than what you've become. You must take your rightful place in life."
"But how can I, I'm not who I used to be?" Ash asked.
"Remember who you are, you are my son, the true Pokemon Master." His dad said as Ash watched in amazement. The wind began to blow the clouds away. "Remember." He said as he faded away.
"No, dad, please don't leave me!" Ash called but it was too late.
"What was that, very strange weather? I think so." Prof. Oak came up.
"Yea, the wind changed." Ash noticed.
"Change is good." Prof. Oak said.
"But not easy. I know going back means I'll have to face my past, but I've been running from it for so long." Ash sighed; Prof. Oak hit him with a Pokeball. "Ow, man, what was that for?"
"Why does it matter, it's in the past." Prof. Oak grinned.
"So, it still hurts." Ash rubbed his forehead.
"The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it." Prof. Oak threw another Pokeball, but Ash saw it coming so ducked. "You see, so, what are you going to do now?"
"First, I'm gonna throw down your Pokeballs." Ash hit them off Prof. Oak's belt.
"Hey, be careful." Prof. Oak caught them. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I'm going back." Ash called, running for Pallet.
"Good, go on, get out of here!" Prof. Oak cheered. The next morning, Misty found Tracey and Todd asleep.
"Hey, guys, wake up." She called and stood above them. Tracey opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were the Pokeballs on her belt. He screamed and woke Todd and he screamed. "Whoa, it's me."
"Don't do that again, ok?" Tracey sighed. "Geez, trainers."
"Have you guys seen Ash?" Misty cut in, trying not to get mad.
"Wasn't he with you?" Tracey asked.
"Yea, but now he's gone. Have you seen him?" Misty asked.
"You wont around here, he has returned." Prof. Oak appeared and was gone in a flash. Misty, Tracey and Todd turned to each other.
"What's going on here, who's the geezer?" Tracey asked.
"Ash has gone back to challenge Giovanni." Misty grinned. "I don't believe it!"
"Who?" Tracey and Todd asked.
"Giovanni. He's a gym leader." Misty replied.
"The old guy's a gym leader?" Tracey gasped.
"No, Ash has gone back home to beat Giovanni the gym leader, and take his place as Pokemon Master..eventually." Misty said fast and sighed to catch her breath.
"Oh." Tracey and Todd understood. Ash meanwhile, was already in the desert. He was running as fast as he could go in order to make it back home in time. This time he didn't fall from thirst or tiredness, his motivation was too much for him to loose strength.
"Isn't this a nice place?" Ash concluded the tour.
"Yes it is, but what I don't get is, if you were alive, why didn't you return to Pallet?" Misty asked. Ash gave a confused frown but just sat on a bench.
"I had to be on my own and live my own life. So I did, and it's great." Ash said.
"We've really needed you." Misty sighed.
"Nobody does." Ash frowned.
"Yes we do, you're Pokemon Master." Misty replied.
"No I'm not, Giovanni is." Ash pouted.
"Ash, he let Team Rocket take over Kanto." Misty sat down. "Everything's destroyed and decimated. No food or water, Johto is almost half populated with Kanto residence, if not more."
"What?" Ash was in shock, but then sighed. "Well, I can't go back."
"Why not?" Misty complained.
"You wouldn't understand." Ash got up. "It doesn't matter, so says our motto."
"What?" Misty was really confused now.
"Our motto is something I learned out here. Sometimes bad things happen and you can't do anything about them, so why worry." Ash defined.
"Ash, it's your responsibility." Misty added.
"Well, what about you, you left." Ash pointed out.
"I left to find help, but found you." Misty pouted. "Don't you see, you're all we have."
"Sorry." Ash muttered with a sigh and then walked off.
"What's happened to you?" Misty growled. "You're not the Ash I remember."
"Ok, I'm not. Are you satisfied now?" Ash grumbled.
"No, I'm only more disappointed." Misty pouted.
"You're starting to sound like my dad." Ash leered and walked off again.
"Good, at least one of us does." Misty muttered. Ash heard and growled.
"Look, you think you can just come up and tell me how to live my life?" Ash turned and yelled. "You don't even know what I've been through."
"I would if you told me." Misty called after Ash, startled at his tone of voice.
"Forget it." Ash yelled as he walked off to cool his head.
"Fine!" Misty turned her back and pouted. Ash was alone in a big field.
"What does she know, what does it matter. I can't go back, what would it prove anyway, you can't change anything. You can't change the past." Ash looked up. "You said you'd always be there for me, but you're not. It's because of me, it's my fault." As Ash stood in the field sniffing away his sorrows, Prof. Oak was nearing. He was humming and singing for joy, knowing he'd find Ash. Ash heard him coming and gave a miffed growl and walked off. Prof. Oak grinned from on a hill and saw Ash standing now by the lake. He threw a rock at him and it fell into the water.
"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander." Prof. Oak repeated.
"Will you cut that out?" Ash growled and walked off.
"Why cut it out, who do you choose?" Prof. Oak grinned.
"Creepy old man." Ash saw him following him. "Will you, grr, who are you?"
"No, I should be asking who you are?" Prof. Oak corrected. Ash opened his mouth to speak but didn't.
"I thought I knew, now I'm not sure." Ash sighed.
"I know three guys who know who you are. I can only reveal their names to you, so come close." Prof. Oak pulled Ash over and whispered. "Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander."
"Enough, what does that mean anyway?" Ash jerked away.
"They're the starter Pokemon you could have had." Prof. Oak hinted.
"I think you're a little mixed up." Ash made circles by his forehead to say crazy.
"Wrong, I'm not mixed up, you don't even know who you are." Prof. Oak added.
"Oh, I suppose you do." Ash turned his back to him.
"Sure do, you're Ketchum's boy." Prof. Oak grinned, Ash gasped and turned. "By." Prof. Oak ran off, happy now that he finally got the stubborn kids attention.
"Hey, wait!" Ash ran after him and caught up. "You knew my dad?"
"I know your dad." Prof. Oak corrected.
"I hate to tell you this, but he died quite a while ago." Ash sighed.
"No, wrong again, he's alive and I'll show him to you. Just follow Prof. Oak here, I know the way." Prof. Oak ran into a strange cave Ash had never seen before. Ash hesitated, but this man knew his dad, and the name Prof. Oak rang a distant bell. So, he followed. "Don't slow down, hurry up. Come on."
"Hey, wait, would you slow down!" Ash called as he kept his eyes on Prof. Oak to not loose him. He often tripped or stumbled as he got hit by branches or bits of rock. Just as he thought he lost Prof. Oak he saw a small light ahead grow bigger.
"Stop." Prof. Oak suddenly appeared and Ash skidded to a halt. "Go down there." Prof. Oak pointed to a small pond. Ash gulped and looked at Prof. Oak as he went to the water. Ash looked in and gasped, seeing a different face. But he sighed.
"That's not my dad, only my reflection." Ash looked away, realizing now that a lot of time had passed and he was a lot older than he thought.
"No, look harder." Prof. Oak insisted. Ash looked again and he saw the ripples change his face in the water to his dads. "You see, he lives in you." Prof. Oak said as Ash gasped. Clouds began to appear in the sky and take shape.
"Ash." A distant voice called. Ash tensed as he heard the voice nearing.
"Dad?" Ash looked up as the clouds formed his dad's face in the sky.
"Ash, you've forgotten me." The ghost said.
"What, how could I?" Ash was shocked at his dad's words.
"You've forgotten who you are and hence forgotten me." The figure in the clouds explained. "Look at yourself Ash, you're more than what you've become. You must take your rightful place in life."
"But how can I, I'm not who I used to be?" Ash asked.
"Remember who you are, you are my son, the true Pokemon Master." His dad said as Ash watched in amazement. The wind began to blow the clouds away. "Remember." He said as he faded away.
"No, dad, please don't leave me!" Ash called but it was too late.
"What was that, very strange weather? I think so." Prof. Oak came up.
"Yea, the wind changed." Ash noticed.
"Change is good." Prof. Oak said.
"But not easy. I know going back means I'll have to face my past, but I've been running from it for so long." Ash sighed; Prof. Oak hit him with a Pokeball. "Ow, man, what was that for?"
"Why does it matter, it's in the past." Prof. Oak grinned.
"So, it still hurts." Ash rubbed his forehead.
"The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it." Prof. Oak threw another Pokeball, but Ash saw it coming so ducked. "You see, so, what are you going to do now?"
"First, I'm gonna throw down your Pokeballs." Ash hit them off Prof. Oak's belt.
"Hey, be careful." Prof. Oak caught them. "Hey, where are you going?"
"I'm going back." Ash called, running for Pallet.
"Good, go on, get out of here!" Prof. Oak cheered. The next morning, Misty found Tracey and Todd asleep.
"Hey, guys, wake up." She called and stood above them. Tracey opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were the Pokeballs on her belt. He screamed and woke Todd and he screamed. "Whoa, it's me."
"Don't do that again, ok?" Tracey sighed. "Geez, trainers."
"Have you guys seen Ash?" Misty cut in, trying not to get mad.
"Wasn't he with you?" Tracey asked.
"Yea, but now he's gone. Have you seen him?" Misty asked.
"You wont around here, he has returned." Prof. Oak appeared and was gone in a flash. Misty, Tracey and Todd turned to each other.
"What's going on here, who's the geezer?" Tracey asked.
"Ash has gone back to challenge Giovanni." Misty grinned. "I don't believe it!"
"Who?" Tracey and Todd asked.
"Giovanni. He's a gym leader." Misty replied.
"The old guy's a gym leader?" Tracey gasped.
"No, Ash has gone back home to beat Giovanni the gym leader, and take his place as Pokemon Master..eventually." Misty said fast and sighed to catch her breath.
"Oh." Tracey and Todd understood. Ash meanwhile, was already in the desert. He was running as fast as he could go in order to make it back home in time. This time he didn't fall from thirst or tiredness, his motivation was too much for him to loose strength.