Ties to Family

Ch. 3- An Odd Reunion

As morning came, and the sun began to shine on the lawn in front of the Pokemon Center, Ash opened his eyes. It was then he realized that he, Misty, and Brock were still on the bench that they had been talking on during the night. Brock was scrunched up at the opposite end of the bench, while Misty was leaning against Ash's shoulder.

"Must've fallen asleep out here..." Ash mumbled, starting to sit up more.

He nudged Misty's head off of him gently, and she in turn then nudged Brock awake.

The three of them, still a little groggy, went wandering into the Pokemon Center.

Nurse Joy surveyed them as they came through the automatic door. "Where have the three of you been? Where you out past curfew time?" she asked them, her usual pleasant smile fading.

"Uh, yeah, but I needed to sort some things out," replied Ash.

Brock raced forward, now fully awake, "Oh Nurse Joy!! I'm sooo sorry that we went out after the enormously important curfew time that you yourself, so bravely enforces!"

"Uh..." said Nurse Joy, attempting to pull back the hand of hers that Brock had seized.

"Oh Brock, give it a break already!" said Misty, yanking him away from her.

Nurse Joy ignored what had just happened, and turned suddenly, to Ash. "Ash, a man left a message for you earlier this morning," she said, sounding serious.

Ash looked puzzled. "Who was it?" he asked, getting curious.

"I don't know... but here's the note," she said, pulling out an envelope that was addressed to Ash Ketchum.

Ash grabbed it, and looked it over as Pikachu sniffed it. Misty came back over with Brock still in tow.

"Sorry I took so long," she said, without noticing the note, and giving Brock a very annoyed look, "But Casanova here met another 'girl he couldn't live without' down the hall so I took longer..." She trailed off, taking note of the envelope that Ash was now opening.

"What's that?" asked Brock.

"I don't know, some note for me that a man brought..." said Ash, still mesmerized by the letter.

He brought it out, and read it aloud so that Misty and Brock could hear.

"Ash, meet me at the biggest tree in Johto, which is just outside town as soon as you can..."

He looked up for Brock and Misty's reactions. When they stood there silent, he went back to his reading.

"I look forward to seeing what a wonderful person you have grown up to be... love....."

But Ash stopped at this part. The person who sent the letter, was, well, it couldn't be, could it? Ash's stomach tightened.

"Ash," asked Brock, looking concerned, "What's wrong? Who sent it?"

Ash didn't look up at him.

"It says... love, Adam Ketchum..."

"What?" said Brock, still confused, "Who's that? A cousin of yours?"

Misty whacked him on the head.

"No! Adam is Ash's... dad's... name..." she said, staring at Ash, who was still holding the letter.

"Your Dad?" said Brock, feeling that this was a very odd coincidence. "That's strange..." he added, looking at the letter himself.

"Well," said Misty, "Should we do it?"

"I say yes!" said Ash, suddenly looking determined.

Brock and Misty looked at each other.

"Well?" Misty said to Brock.

"I'm all for it," he said, "I want to meet Ash's dad."

"All right," said Misty, suspicious all the same.

Pikachu still sniffed the letter carefully. Where had he smelled that smell before?

----------------------------------------------------

Giovanni, Jessie, and James all stood at the biggest tree in Johto, watching for any sign of the twerp.

"Now, remember, you're going to attack to try and steal Pikachu, and I'm going to save the little rat, got it?" said Giovanni.

He had obviously had some makeup put on, his hair arranged differently, and the usual orange suit had been replaced by a pair of jeans and a dark blue T-shirt. He looked very much like the man in Ash's picture.

"But why do we have to be a part of this?" said James bravely.

Giovanni looked annoyed, "Because, then I will have saved his furry, yellow nuisance, and he will think that I'm his dad for sure!"

"I tawt you wanted Pikachu," said Meowth.

"I do," said Giovanni, unsure of what Meowth meant.

"Then why do you awways call him bad names?" asked Meowth.

"Because I hate Pikachu, they're too cute for my taste... but if this one's as powerful as you three and Butch and Cassidy say it is, then it's worth this lame charade! And if I can get that brat on our side, then we'll have a much better chance at taking over!" Giovanni yelled, his temper getting to breaking point.

"Are you sure you can be a dad?" asked James doubtfully.

"Yes of course I can you imbecile!!" snapped Giovanni.

"Here they come!" Jessie whispered to them, "Places Meowth, James!"

Meowth and James went into their usual positions, and Giovanni, or Adam, hid behind a distant tree.

Ash looked around nervously. "Well, this is the spot... I don't see anyone..." he said, beginning to give up hope.

Misty heard a rustling sound. "What was that?!" she said, looking over to a couple bushes some feet away.

"AHA!" cried Jessie, James, and Meowth as they burst from the large bush.

"Prepare for trouble!" "Make it double!" "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unite all people's within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

Giovanni shook his head from behind the tree. 'They don't even say the damn motto right...'

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Jessie!" "James!" "Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" "Meowth that's right!"

Ash and friends looked at each other, disgusted.

"Can't you guys just leave us alone?" said Ash, angry that they were interfering with his meeting.

"Oh sorry," said Jessie in her fake sweet voice, "We'll just go now, but we'll be taking Pikachu with us!"

"What? No way!" yelled Ash, holding Pikachu tightly.

"I don't think so," said James, "Meet, our new secret weapon! The Super Magic Grabby Rope!"

"The what?" said Brock.

James threw a lasso around Pikachu, narrowly missing Ash himself.

"It's a lasso..." said Misty, still totally disgusted by them.

Togepi retreated into its shell.

James gave the rope a yank, but Ash wouldn't let go.

"I'm not... letting...go!" he said, holding as tightly as he could onto Pikachu.

James kept pulling. He knew Ash couldn't last forever. And he was right, the more he pulled, the weaker Ash was getting. He couldn't hold it much longer... "No....." said Ash, buckling under the pulling.

Just then, a huge Nidoking came rushing to the middle of the rope and sliced it in two. It stood growling triumphantly as Ash and friends stared at it.

A man came walking out from the trees.

Jessie, James, and Meowth all recognized him, but tried their best not to look it.

Ash, realizing who this must be, smiled and turned to Team Rocket. "You guys are in big trouble now!" he said, waiting for their reactions.

Jessie and James did their best to now look petrified.

Adam Ketchum looked over to his Nidoking. "Nidoking, use your Hyper Beam!"

Nidoking obeyed, and sent a bright orange beam out of its horn, straight at Jessie and James.

"WWAAAHHHH!!!" yelled the three of them as they soared through the sky, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!!"

They all laughed as Jessie and James' figures became a mere light in the sky.

Ash turned to his father, doing his best not to cry.

"Ash," said Adam, "I've been waiting a long time to see you... I know I haven't been the best father, but, I'll try to be a good one from now on... if you'll give me the chance..."

Ash nodded with tears in his eyes. He hesitated, but then went straight up to his father, and gave him a great big hug.

Nidoking was very puzzled as to what was going on, but did nothing except stand there, staring at Pikachu.

Pikachu, however, was behaving very odd.

Ash looked over to his friend. "Pikachu?" Ash asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Pikachu looked as if it were poised to strike Ash's father. It was on all fours, wearing a very angry expression,, and its cheeks were sparking. It had suddenly remembered where it had smelled that smell before, and he knew at once that this was not Ash's real father.

"Pi pika pika!" it yelled at Adam.

Ash picked up Pikachu, "Pikachu! Don't do that!"

He turned back to his father, "I'm sorry, he usually doesn't act like this... maybe he's just mad that you've never been there for me... yeah, that must be it!"

"Well," said Adam, greatly relieved, "I wouldn't blame him... I've been a terrible example of a father!"

"Don't worry," said Ash, "I forgive you."

"Oh!" said Ash, remembering Misty and Brock, "These are my best friends Misty and Brock," he said, pointing to each of them in turn.

"Nice to meet all of you, I hope you two have helped my son out a lot."

They smiled and nodded.

Misty stepped forward, "It's really nice to finally meet you sir!"

Adam smiled, "Well, Ash I see you've met a young lady with both looks and manners!"

Misty blushed.

Ash glanced sideways at her, "She's not always so charming..."

"Oh yeah!" yelled Misty, "Neither are you!"

"Come on now guys," said Brock, "How about we go back to town, drop our stuff off at the Pokemon Center, and then chat over lunch with Ash's dad."

No one objected, and with that, Ash, Adam, and the others all began to walk off back to the Pokemon Center.

A/N: Well, two chapters posted in one day! I'd say that's pretty good. Reviews welcomed as always!