Elsewhere, the next day, Ash had come to the outskirts of Crimson City, but
had passed out, too hot and too tired.
"Hey look Tracy." A boy said, he had brown hair and wore a camera around his neck.
"What is it Todd, better not be another one of your photo ops." The other boy came over.
"No, not this time." Todd turned back to Ash's body. "Is he dead?"
"I doubt it, but we should help him."
"But how, we're only like six and seven years old."
"So? Come on." Tracy motioned for Todd to help him pick up Ash and they carried him to town.
Tracy and Todd were two kids at The Orphanage School For Future Pokemon Trainers, and any other professions dealing with Pokemon. The duo weren't abandoned, they just when there for school because they wanted to grow up and work around Pokemon.
Later, Ash opened his eyes to see Tracy and Todd standing over him.
"Hu?" Ash sat up slowly, tired.
"Here, you must be thirsty." Todd gave Ash a cup of water. Ash drank it and wiped his mouth.
"What's up?" Tracey asked.
"Nothing but past problems." Ash sighed. "Thanks for helping me, but no thanks." He stood up weakly.
"Forget the past and think about the present." Tracy smiled, Ash looked at him confused.
"Yea, you're with us now. Come on." Todd smiled.
They walked off. Ash shrugged and followed. They took Ash under their wing and they were together for five more years. They had grown up to be ten, eleven and twelve. Tracy and Todd had already graduated from the academy, which Ash chose never to attend. Ash seemed happier, but something was missing.
"I miss Pallet, and the things I left behind." He said to himself one night.
He stopped in the street and found a piece of paper on the ground. He made a paper airplane out of it and wrote Ash-Airlines, one way to Pallet. He then threw it off and it was carried away by the wind. Ash sighed and decided to go to sleep.
Elsewhere in Pallet, Prof. Oak was gazing at the stars when something hit him.
"Ow, what the.?" He turned and saw a paper airplane, he read what is said. Prof. Oak looked confused, Ash had always made paper airplanes like that, but he was killed five years ago. right? Prof. Oak saw the Crimson City logo on the corner of the paper airplane. He grinned and ran inside. He picked up the clipboard, still grinning. He grinned even more when he found himself writing Ash's name back in its place. "It's time to begin." Professor Oak set his sights for Crimson City, right on course.
The next day in Crimson City, Tracy had gone to show Ash his newly captured Venonat. Todd had gone out to take pictures when he spotted a Pidgey. He followed it and took its picture.
"Hmm." Todd examined the photo. "This background seems unprofessional, in other words. ugly."
"Ugly! So I'm ugly hu?" Todd looked up at the voice to see a girl standing in front of him. She had red-orange hair tied to a ponytail on one side. She wore blue shorts and a yellow shirt. "I'll teach you, go Starmie! She threw her Pokeball and out came Starmie.
"Ah!" Todd dropped the picture and ran with the girl and her Starmie on his tail.
"What a nice day?" Tracy said as he strolled through the field by Crimson City.
"Help!" Todd cried. Tracy saw a blast of water just miss himself.
"What's going on?" Tracy turned to see Todd being chased.
"Mad lady at twelve o clock!" Todd cried.
Tracy saw the girl and the Starmie. They cowered just as they were about to be hit by Starmie's spin, when a boy knocked it out of the way. The girl looked shocked as her Starmie's jewel flashed, signaling that it was hurt. She returned it and looked angrily at the stranger. He had dark messy hair with a cap, he wore blue jeans and a black shirt with a blue vest jacket. They scowled at each other with a growl and leaped towards the other.
"Wow, what a champ." Tracy cheered. "He could pass for a pro boxer or a backyard street fighter, it's spectacular."
"Yea. Go for the neck, go for the neck. But watch your neck!" Todd added. Ash leaped and tackled the girl but she threw him onto his back and put a foot on his chest.
"Oh. We lost.." Tracy sighed.
Ash looked up at the girl and gasped, "No way."
"What, can't believe you lost?" The girl panted.
"Misty?" The girl looked at him confused but helped him up. "It's been a long time."
"Do I know you?"
"Yea it's me, Ash." He stood proudly.
"Ash?" She cocked an eyebrow and he nodded. They returned a smile. "Hi."
"Hey, what is this?" Tracy interrupted their moment.
"Oh! Sorry. Misty these are my friends, Tracy and Todd."
"Hi." They nodded and Misty smiled back. Then she turned to Ash.
"Wait until Pallet knows you're alive, and your mom will be so happy. After all, none of us ever got over hearing about the indecent." Misty's words caused Tracy and Todd to look at each other confused.
"Uh, can we talk for a while?" Ash asked his friends. Tracy and Todd nodded and left.
"Ash, we really need you at home. Why did you leave anyway, did you ever think about your mom?"
"I can't explain." He let out a sigh.
"Look Ash," Misty started as she saw Ash frown up at the sky. "You don't know what's happened to Kanto. The things Giovanni has done, I always thought he was a nice guy. We need you to set things strait, you should be in charge."
"Why? I'm no trainer. Besides, you don't know what I've been through."
"I'm heading back in the morning, at least consider it." And with that, Misty walked away.
That night, Ash saw his three friends sleeping peacefully. But he couldn't relax, not with what Misty had said. But he couldn't go back.. could he?
"Why did this have to happen to me? Even if I could go back, I'm no trainer. I'm a push over compared to Giovanni. Why do I have to go back anyway, I'm happy here." Ash was alone with his thoughts as he walked around the city streets.
"Ash, no one can make you go back. But are you truly happy here?" It may have been five years, but Ash could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Professor Oak? How did you find.."
"Never mind that Ash. I can't make you, nor can Misty. It's up to you, you must decide. Think of Pallet and think of here. Decide Ash, it's all up to you. The fate of Kanto rests solely on your shoulders." And with that, Prof. Oak walked off, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts. Finally, he walked off too.
The next morning, nobody could find Ash. Misty knew he'd gone back.
"Why'd he leave?" Todd asked. "Doesn't he like us anymore?"
"Yes of course." Misty replied. "It's just that he knew he had to go back home."
"Well, let's go too." Tracy stepped up.
Misty smiled. Tracy and Todd nodded at each other, if Ash had to go, then they'd go too.
Elsewhere, Ash was making his way through Kanto to get back to Pallet.
"I have to set things right." He knew his destiny.
He stood on top of a cliff that overlooked Pallet. His angry game face turned to one of shock at what he saw. What had happened to his hometown? It was a dark, desolate, gloomy, run down place. It looked as if the town had a curse on it. Ash felt a wind blowing at him.
"Ash!" Three voices cried and his friends appeared at his side.
"You decided to come back?" Misty approached him.
"Yea. Besides, this is my home, I have to avenge it, as well as my dad. I must follow in his footsteps, but first, I must face Giovanni."
"Whoa, what a test." Tracy whispered over to Todd.
They all started down to Pallet. Thunder was heard in the distance as they neared the town's Memorial Hall.
"Rockets." Misty growled as the dark suited members surrounded the building.
"Friends of those bullies?" Ash asked and Misty nodded.
Meanwhile, those 'bullies' were talking to some of the other Rockets on the other side of the building. They too had grown older, they were now seventeen, but still together.
"Hey, listen to this." Jessy was saying, she and James had a new motto to try out. "To protect the world from de-forestation."
"To unite all people within plant-ation."
"To denounce the evils of forest fires."
"To keep all trees behind barbed wires."
"Jessy."
"James."
"Our role model is democrat Al Gore."
"Join us now, or you'll think we're a bore."
"What are you two saying?" Meowth cut in.
"Oops, wrong one." James blushed. "Here's the real motto." Meowth rolled his eyes.
"Prepare for trouble."
"Make it double."
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all people within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessy."
"James."
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."
"That's right!" Meowth jumped in. "And that's the real motto."
The trio looked at the other Rockets. They all grinned and applauded, and one even gave them a thumbs up. While this went on, Ash was telling the others his plan.
"Tracy, Todd, distract the Rockets. Misty, go find everyone. I'll see to Giovanni."
The group nodded and ran off. Todd and Tracy taunted the Rockets until they chased them away. Ash nodded and went to go find Giovanni.
"Delia, report to me at once!" Giovanni's voice was heard booming inside the main auditorium. Ash heard and snuck into the meeting.
"Now what?" Delia appeared down the aisle.
"It's about Pallet, you're not improving your work efforts."
"It's been five years, haven't you learned that we're not your slaves?"
"Don't forget who rules over this county region. One more mistake Ketchum, and you'll feel the blunt of my iron fist on Pallet."
"Oh yea? Really?" Delia asked slyly. That did it, Giovanni growled angrily.
"Persian, sic her!"
His Persian leaped out from behind the podium and pounced on Delia. Ash shook his head in disbelief. Delia struggled to hold the growling wildcat back. Persian raised a paw, the sharp claws fully extended.
"No!" Ash yelled, he couldn't take it anymore. Everyone gasped as Ash ran over and shoved Persian off his mom. Persian landed wrong and was hurt. "Are you ok?"
"Ash?" Delia gasped as he tried to help prop her up.
"Yea."
While the two talked, Giovanni turned to Team Rocket, "Why is he alive?" Team Rocket slunk away from their growling boss.
"Giovanni." Giovanni turned to see Ash walking towards him, cornering him against the back wall of the stage. "You aren't a real master, go back to your gym."
"That's no greeting Ash." Giovanni said coolly as he walked away from him. "After all, I have kept your secret after all these years."
"Secret?" Everyone started whispering. Ash looked around, growing nervous.
"What secret?" Misty came out through the floor crowd.
"Go ahead and tell them Ash. After all, they're curious now. You came back to Pallet, accept your consequences." Giovanni gestured Ash towards the crowd.
"I." Ash tensed. "I, killed my dad." Everyone gasped. "I didn't mean to!" He saw his mom in the crowd, being aided by Misty's sisters. "It was an accident!" Giovanni started to back Ash up on the stage front.
"You see Ash, you can't hide that you're a murderer." Ash backed up against the stairwell, and because Giovanni was still backing him up, he began to climb up them backwards until he was on the balcony above the rows of seats below. "I told you, you would be safe someplace else. But you didn't listen, as usual. And now that you disobeyed once again, you must pay the consequences!"
And with that, Ash tripped backwards over the guardrail bar on the edge of the balcony and slipped over, hanging onto the ledge for dear life. Thunder boomed and the lights flickered on the high ceiling. The storm was coming in fast now.
"Ash!" Misty cried and turned to everyone. "I don't care what he's done, but we can't let him get killed too!"
"Well Ash, I guess you never knew what the penalty was. Death." Giovanni grabbed one of Ash's hands and pulled him close. "And what's really ironic is that the true killer is being rewarded while the blackmailed boy is about to be killed, just like the one he was said to believe he murdered."
Giovanni raised a fist to deliver the final blow, but it was too late. Ash had already put two and two together. He glared angrily at Giovanni and ducked the punch and grabbed his first.
"Aha! I got you know." Ash jumped up and pinned Giovanni up against the corner.
"Uh oh. I never thought my brilliant plan would end up this way."
"Go ahead Giovanni." Ash grabbed his collar and rammed him up. "Tell them what you told me."
"Fine. I'm the real murderer, not Ash." Giovanni snapped his fingers.
Everyone growled, growing angry. Ash looked confused, why had Giovanni snapped? But the answer literally hit him, Persian attacked him. Brock ran up to the balcony and knocked Persian off, Prof. Oak helped Ash up.
"Thanks. Now if you'll excuse me." Ash ran off to find Giovanni and face him in a final showdown.
"Whoops, wrong turn." Giovanni skidded to a halt in the upper level and was at the top suite. He whirled around, but it was too late, Ash had already found him. "Uh, um, I.." "I don't want to kill you," Ash began.
"You can't kill me, I'm a gym leader, the one with the Earth Badge."
"But I can't kill you." Ash sighed.
"So don't kill me- what?"
"What you said is true, but it's not because of that. I don't want to be a real killer, even if it was for someone like you. I could never live with it."
"Well that's a relief. So, no hard feelings then?"
But before Ash could answer, nor less think, Giovanni shoved him down. The Rockets and the crowd of townspeople below watched as the fight on the high suite began.
"Ow, man that hurt." Ash rubbed his back, but his eyes snapped open. There were Pokeballs on his belt. His dad's Pokeballs! Ash looked over at Prof. Oak who grinned. Ash grinned back and stood up, getting out a Pokeball. "Pokeball, here we go!"
"What?" Giovanni gasped. Out came Mr. Ketchum's powerful looking Raichu.
"Pokemon battle." Ash grinned over at Giovanni.
"You want a battle, you got it! Five each, battle mode."
Giovanni sent out his Pokeballs. Out came the Pokemon- Cloyster, Machamp, Golem, Rhydon and Kingler.
"Well Raichu, here comes your backup."
Ash threw other Pokeballs, out came- Blastoise, Venusaur, Arcanine and Eevee.
"Let's get started. Cloyster, use your water attack."
Cloyster shot a big blast of water at Blastoise, but he hid in his shell.
"Tackle him Blastoise."
Blastoise spun into Cloyster, cracking his shell. Blastoise punched open Cloyster's shell, he was fainted. Blastoise kicked Cloyster away.
"Grr, go get him Machamp!"
Machamp picked up Blastoise and threw him off the edge of the balcony. Ash gasped as Blastoise hit the floor. He looked up weakly, he was in no condition to keep fighting.
"Good job Blastoise." Ash returned him. "Team him a lesson Venusaur, vine whip!"
Venusaur wrapped his vines around Machamp, but he surprisingly used a swords dance attack. The vines pulled Venusaur towards Machamp, who burst from the vines. Venusaur fell, hurt.
"That's teaching him." Giovanni laughed.
Machamp picked up Venusaur and threw him into the air, he kicked and punched him. Venusaur was weakened by the powerful fighting moves, and since Ash wasn't a trainer, he didn't know how to fight like Giovanni.
"Take a break Venusaur." Ash returned him. "I bet you can show him Raichu."
Raichu leaped for Machamp and swung his electrifying tail. It hit Machamp down, he was very weak.
"Impossible!" Giovanni gasped. "But it can't beat this. Go Golem!"
"You don't know who you're dealing with. Hyper beam!"
"Say what the..!" Giovanni was shocked and confused. Raichu's tail glowed white and he shot a hyper beam out of his paws right at Golem, fainting him. "That's it, go get them Rhydon." Rhydon roared and towered over Raichu. He wasn't afraid, he shocked Rhydon on his horn. The attack paralyzed him. "No! It's up to you now Kingler." Kingler walked up to Raichu and took him by surprise, freezing him with an ice beam. "Yea, alright."
"No! Raichu return." Ash looked down at Eevee, who nodded. "Go attack Eevee, use your take down!" Eevee ran towards Kingler, but Giovanni just laughed. "Quick, before you're attacked, use rage tackle!" Eevee jetted like a bolt of lightning.
"Double team, reflect." Giovanni commanded with a grin. Eevee suddenly saw three Kinglers. He tried to hit them all but the reflect attack put a mirror up. "Now use your blizzard." The three Kinglers shot a blizzard at Eevee who looked around nervously as he became frozen solid.
"Return Eevee, good try. You couldn't beat the double team. It looks like your up Arcanine." Arcanine howled and ran towards Kingler. "Take down!" The attack hit the wrong Kingler, it disappeared. Ash grinned, "Fire spin!" Arcanine ran to another Kingler and the tornado of flames made it disappear too. "There's the real one, finish it with a fire blast." Arcanine barked and flashed red. A giant fire star shot from his mouth and hit the real Kingler, fainting it. "Ha, way to go."
"So, Arcanine beat my five Pokemon. But haven't you forgot.." Giovanni hinted.
"Oh no, Persian!" Ash gasped. As he spoke, a water attack surrounded by electricity shot at Arcanine. He fainted. "Uh oh, return." Persian stood by Giovanni, ready to face Ash. He grabbed the last remaining Pokeball. "I have one more too. I wonder who it is?"
"Come on, come on, I don't have all day." Giovanni called in protest.
"Go Pokeball, go!" Ash threw the Pokeball, which contained the only hope left for Ash and Pallet. Out came a Psyduck!
"Whoops, wrong Pokeball." Prof. Oak gulped, everyone groaned and leered at him
"Oh, a Psyduck." Giovanni laughed. "I always knew your dad was a looser. This looser Pokemon proves it. Claw him Persian."
All Ash could do was watch as Persian scratched the yellow duck over and over again.
"Use your water gun" Psyduck shot his water attack at Persian, but he just flinched and growled. "What the, aw man."
"This is hardly a battle." Giovanni grinned at himself.
"Try to get him." Ash encouraged.
Psyduck ran towards Persian with an arm out in front. But when Psyduck opened his eyes, he was in Persian's mouth. He got scared and popped out, he began to run around in circles. Persian rolled with laughter, this was hardly any challenge at all. Psyduck held his head and closed his eyes. Everyone saw but Persian, he was still laughing. Suddenly Persian glowed blue, Psyduck had disabled him. He then threw him onto Giovanni with his confusion attack. They fell backwards and rolled down the stairs back onto the main stage. All of the Rockets ran over, except for Team Rocket. Jessy, James and Meowth, were nowhere to be seen.
"He got us off guard, what a looser that cheater is." Giovanni grumbled.
But Giovanni couldn't do anything now, he'd lost control over Pallet, and Kanto. He was no longer the Pokemon Master, but once yet again the gym leader of Veridian City. He looked up at Ash who stood on top of the suite.
"I hereby banish all of you to Veridian City. Go back to where you came from, and that is where you'll stay."
Giovanni and the Rockets were out of their territory, so they had to do as he said. They all walked off out of the town's main meeting hall, ashamed at the loss of disgrace. The townspeople turned back to Ash. Thunder boomed and rain began to fall outside. Ash limped down the steps and appeared on the main lecture stage. He came down and approached his friends. Brock passed by and smiled at him. Misty's sisters helped Delia over as Todd and Tracy stood next to Brock. The rest of the town gathered around. Ash hugged his mom and smiled over at Misty.
"Ahem?" Everyone turned to see Prof. Oak. They knew why, so they followed him to his house. Prof. Oak stood on his porch as the rain continued to fall. On one side of the stairs was Gary and on the other side was Damian and Melony, they each held a Pokeball. Ash understood now, he walked up to the top of the steps. Prof. Oak had a Pokeball in his hand, he held it over to Ash. Ash grinned and hugged him. Prof. Oak blushed, "It's time now, Ash." He placed it in his hand. Ash stood on the side by Gary and the four trainers began to walk down the stairs with Prof. Oak standing in the lead, "Behold. The next generation of Pokemon trainers has arrived." Everyone cheered as the four aspiring young trainers held their Pokeballs high over their heads.
'Someday, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, you will too.' The former PokeMaster, Mr. Ketchum's, words echoed in Ash's mind. He looked down at his mom, her hair dripping with rain. She grinned back. And Ash couldn't tell if the falling water droplets on her face were from tears or rain, but he knew it was probably both.
Many years later..
Ash Ketchum looked up at the sun, his first Pokemon, Pikachu, stood by his side. The yellow mouse wasn't the only one there, so was Misty. Ash and Misty were both all grown up now, so were Brock, Tracy and Todd. They stood beside the couple. Ash had become the Pokemon Master, he was in his dad's place now. For he and Misty turned around and Professor Oak came up with a baby, their baby. The next generation of Pokemon trainers had begun. And maybe one day, it too will become a Pokemon Master
"Hey look Tracy." A boy said, he had brown hair and wore a camera around his neck.
"What is it Todd, better not be another one of your photo ops." The other boy came over.
"No, not this time." Todd turned back to Ash's body. "Is he dead?"
"I doubt it, but we should help him."
"But how, we're only like six and seven years old."
"So? Come on." Tracy motioned for Todd to help him pick up Ash and they carried him to town.
Tracy and Todd were two kids at The Orphanage School For Future Pokemon Trainers, and any other professions dealing with Pokemon. The duo weren't abandoned, they just when there for school because they wanted to grow up and work around Pokemon.
Later, Ash opened his eyes to see Tracy and Todd standing over him.
"Hu?" Ash sat up slowly, tired.
"Here, you must be thirsty." Todd gave Ash a cup of water. Ash drank it and wiped his mouth.
"What's up?" Tracey asked.
"Nothing but past problems." Ash sighed. "Thanks for helping me, but no thanks." He stood up weakly.
"Forget the past and think about the present." Tracy smiled, Ash looked at him confused.
"Yea, you're with us now. Come on." Todd smiled.
They walked off. Ash shrugged and followed. They took Ash under their wing and they were together for five more years. They had grown up to be ten, eleven and twelve. Tracy and Todd had already graduated from the academy, which Ash chose never to attend. Ash seemed happier, but something was missing.
"I miss Pallet, and the things I left behind." He said to himself one night.
He stopped in the street and found a piece of paper on the ground. He made a paper airplane out of it and wrote Ash-Airlines, one way to Pallet. He then threw it off and it was carried away by the wind. Ash sighed and decided to go to sleep.
Elsewhere in Pallet, Prof. Oak was gazing at the stars when something hit him.
"Ow, what the.?" He turned and saw a paper airplane, he read what is said. Prof. Oak looked confused, Ash had always made paper airplanes like that, but he was killed five years ago. right? Prof. Oak saw the Crimson City logo on the corner of the paper airplane. He grinned and ran inside. He picked up the clipboard, still grinning. He grinned even more when he found himself writing Ash's name back in its place. "It's time to begin." Professor Oak set his sights for Crimson City, right on course.
The next day in Crimson City, Tracy had gone to show Ash his newly captured Venonat. Todd had gone out to take pictures when he spotted a Pidgey. He followed it and took its picture.
"Hmm." Todd examined the photo. "This background seems unprofessional, in other words. ugly."
"Ugly! So I'm ugly hu?" Todd looked up at the voice to see a girl standing in front of him. She had red-orange hair tied to a ponytail on one side. She wore blue shorts and a yellow shirt. "I'll teach you, go Starmie! She threw her Pokeball and out came Starmie.
"Ah!" Todd dropped the picture and ran with the girl and her Starmie on his tail.
"What a nice day?" Tracy said as he strolled through the field by Crimson City.
"Help!" Todd cried. Tracy saw a blast of water just miss himself.
"What's going on?" Tracy turned to see Todd being chased.
"Mad lady at twelve o clock!" Todd cried.
Tracy saw the girl and the Starmie. They cowered just as they were about to be hit by Starmie's spin, when a boy knocked it out of the way. The girl looked shocked as her Starmie's jewel flashed, signaling that it was hurt. She returned it and looked angrily at the stranger. He had dark messy hair with a cap, he wore blue jeans and a black shirt with a blue vest jacket. They scowled at each other with a growl and leaped towards the other.
"Wow, what a champ." Tracy cheered. "He could pass for a pro boxer or a backyard street fighter, it's spectacular."
"Yea. Go for the neck, go for the neck. But watch your neck!" Todd added. Ash leaped and tackled the girl but she threw him onto his back and put a foot on his chest.
"Oh. We lost.." Tracy sighed.
Ash looked up at the girl and gasped, "No way."
"What, can't believe you lost?" The girl panted.
"Misty?" The girl looked at him confused but helped him up. "It's been a long time."
"Do I know you?"
"Yea it's me, Ash." He stood proudly.
"Ash?" She cocked an eyebrow and he nodded. They returned a smile. "Hi."
"Hey, what is this?" Tracy interrupted their moment.
"Oh! Sorry. Misty these are my friends, Tracy and Todd."
"Hi." They nodded and Misty smiled back. Then she turned to Ash.
"Wait until Pallet knows you're alive, and your mom will be so happy. After all, none of us ever got over hearing about the indecent." Misty's words caused Tracy and Todd to look at each other confused.
"Uh, can we talk for a while?" Ash asked his friends. Tracy and Todd nodded and left.
"Ash, we really need you at home. Why did you leave anyway, did you ever think about your mom?"
"I can't explain." He let out a sigh.
"Look Ash," Misty started as she saw Ash frown up at the sky. "You don't know what's happened to Kanto. The things Giovanni has done, I always thought he was a nice guy. We need you to set things strait, you should be in charge."
"Why? I'm no trainer. Besides, you don't know what I've been through."
"I'm heading back in the morning, at least consider it." And with that, Misty walked away.
That night, Ash saw his three friends sleeping peacefully. But he couldn't relax, not with what Misty had said. But he couldn't go back.. could he?
"Why did this have to happen to me? Even if I could go back, I'm no trainer. I'm a push over compared to Giovanni. Why do I have to go back anyway, I'm happy here." Ash was alone with his thoughts as he walked around the city streets.
"Ash, no one can make you go back. But are you truly happy here?" It may have been five years, but Ash could recognize that voice anywhere.
"Professor Oak? How did you find.."
"Never mind that Ash. I can't make you, nor can Misty. It's up to you, you must decide. Think of Pallet and think of here. Decide Ash, it's all up to you. The fate of Kanto rests solely on your shoulders." And with that, Prof. Oak walked off, leaving Ash alone with his thoughts. Finally, he walked off too.
The next morning, nobody could find Ash. Misty knew he'd gone back.
"Why'd he leave?" Todd asked. "Doesn't he like us anymore?"
"Yes of course." Misty replied. "It's just that he knew he had to go back home."
"Well, let's go too." Tracy stepped up.
Misty smiled. Tracy and Todd nodded at each other, if Ash had to go, then they'd go too.
Elsewhere, Ash was making his way through Kanto to get back to Pallet.
"I have to set things right." He knew his destiny.
He stood on top of a cliff that overlooked Pallet. His angry game face turned to one of shock at what he saw. What had happened to his hometown? It was a dark, desolate, gloomy, run down place. It looked as if the town had a curse on it. Ash felt a wind blowing at him.
"Ash!" Three voices cried and his friends appeared at his side.
"You decided to come back?" Misty approached him.
"Yea. Besides, this is my home, I have to avenge it, as well as my dad. I must follow in his footsteps, but first, I must face Giovanni."
"Whoa, what a test." Tracy whispered over to Todd.
They all started down to Pallet. Thunder was heard in the distance as they neared the town's Memorial Hall.
"Rockets." Misty growled as the dark suited members surrounded the building.
"Friends of those bullies?" Ash asked and Misty nodded.
Meanwhile, those 'bullies' were talking to some of the other Rockets on the other side of the building. They too had grown older, they were now seventeen, but still together.
"Hey, listen to this." Jessy was saying, she and James had a new motto to try out. "To protect the world from de-forestation."
"To unite all people within plant-ation."
"To denounce the evils of forest fires."
"To keep all trees behind barbed wires."
"Jessy."
"James."
"Our role model is democrat Al Gore."
"Join us now, or you'll think we're a bore."
"What are you two saying?" Meowth cut in.
"Oops, wrong one." James blushed. "Here's the real motto." Meowth rolled his eyes.
"Prepare for trouble."
"Make it double."
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all people within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessy."
"James."
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight."
"That's right!" Meowth jumped in. "And that's the real motto."
The trio looked at the other Rockets. They all grinned and applauded, and one even gave them a thumbs up. While this went on, Ash was telling the others his plan.
"Tracy, Todd, distract the Rockets. Misty, go find everyone. I'll see to Giovanni."
The group nodded and ran off. Todd and Tracy taunted the Rockets until they chased them away. Ash nodded and went to go find Giovanni.
"Delia, report to me at once!" Giovanni's voice was heard booming inside the main auditorium. Ash heard and snuck into the meeting.
"Now what?" Delia appeared down the aisle.
"It's about Pallet, you're not improving your work efforts."
"It's been five years, haven't you learned that we're not your slaves?"
"Don't forget who rules over this county region. One more mistake Ketchum, and you'll feel the blunt of my iron fist on Pallet."
"Oh yea? Really?" Delia asked slyly. That did it, Giovanni growled angrily.
"Persian, sic her!"
His Persian leaped out from behind the podium and pounced on Delia. Ash shook his head in disbelief. Delia struggled to hold the growling wildcat back. Persian raised a paw, the sharp claws fully extended.
"No!" Ash yelled, he couldn't take it anymore. Everyone gasped as Ash ran over and shoved Persian off his mom. Persian landed wrong and was hurt. "Are you ok?"
"Ash?" Delia gasped as he tried to help prop her up.
"Yea."
While the two talked, Giovanni turned to Team Rocket, "Why is he alive?" Team Rocket slunk away from their growling boss.
"Giovanni." Giovanni turned to see Ash walking towards him, cornering him against the back wall of the stage. "You aren't a real master, go back to your gym."
"That's no greeting Ash." Giovanni said coolly as he walked away from him. "After all, I have kept your secret after all these years."
"Secret?" Everyone started whispering. Ash looked around, growing nervous.
"What secret?" Misty came out through the floor crowd.
"Go ahead and tell them Ash. After all, they're curious now. You came back to Pallet, accept your consequences." Giovanni gestured Ash towards the crowd.
"I." Ash tensed. "I, killed my dad." Everyone gasped. "I didn't mean to!" He saw his mom in the crowd, being aided by Misty's sisters. "It was an accident!" Giovanni started to back Ash up on the stage front.
"You see Ash, you can't hide that you're a murderer." Ash backed up against the stairwell, and because Giovanni was still backing him up, he began to climb up them backwards until he was on the balcony above the rows of seats below. "I told you, you would be safe someplace else. But you didn't listen, as usual. And now that you disobeyed once again, you must pay the consequences!"
And with that, Ash tripped backwards over the guardrail bar on the edge of the balcony and slipped over, hanging onto the ledge for dear life. Thunder boomed and the lights flickered on the high ceiling. The storm was coming in fast now.
"Ash!" Misty cried and turned to everyone. "I don't care what he's done, but we can't let him get killed too!"
"Well Ash, I guess you never knew what the penalty was. Death." Giovanni grabbed one of Ash's hands and pulled him close. "And what's really ironic is that the true killer is being rewarded while the blackmailed boy is about to be killed, just like the one he was said to believe he murdered."
Giovanni raised a fist to deliver the final blow, but it was too late. Ash had already put two and two together. He glared angrily at Giovanni and ducked the punch and grabbed his first.
"Aha! I got you know." Ash jumped up and pinned Giovanni up against the corner.
"Uh oh. I never thought my brilliant plan would end up this way."
"Go ahead Giovanni." Ash grabbed his collar and rammed him up. "Tell them what you told me."
"Fine. I'm the real murderer, not Ash." Giovanni snapped his fingers.
Everyone growled, growing angry. Ash looked confused, why had Giovanni snapped? But the answer literally hit him, Persian attacked him. Brock ran up to the balcony and knocked Persian off, Prof. Oak helped Ash up.
"Thanks. Now if you'll excuse me." Ash ran off to find Giovanni and face him in a final showdown.
"Whoops, wrong turn." Giovanni skidded to a halt in the upper level and was at the top suite. He whirled around, but it was too late, Ash had already found him. "Uh, um, I.." "I don't want to kill you," Ash began.
"You can't kill me, I'm a gym leader, the one with the Earth Badge."
"But I can't kill you." Ash sighed.
"So don't kill me- what?"
"What you said is true, but it's not because of that. I don't want to be a real killer, even if it was for someone like you. I could never live with it."
"Well that's a relief. So, no hard feelings then?"
But before Ash could answer, nor less think, Giovanni shoved him down. The Rockets and the crowd of townspeople below watched as the fight on the high suite began.
"Ow, man that hurt." Ash rubbed his back, but his eyes snapped open. There were Pokeballs on his belt. His dad's Pokeballs! Ash looked over at Prof. Oak who grinned. Ash grinned back and stood up, getting out a Pokeball. "Pokeball, here we go!"
"What?" Giovanni gasped. Out came Mr. Ketchum's powerful looking Raichu.
"Pokemon battle." Ash grinned over at Giovanni.
"You want a battle, you got it! Five each, battle mode."
Giovanni sent out his Pokeballs. Out came the Pokemon- Cloyster, Machamp, Golem, Rhydon and Kingler.
"Well Raichu, here comes your backup."
Ash threw other Pokeballs, out came- Blastoise, Venusaur, Arcanine and Eevee.
"Let's get started. Cloyster, use your water attack."
Cloyster shot a big blast of water at Blastoise, but he hid in his shell.
"Tackle him Blastoise."
Blastoise spun into Cloyster, cracking his shell. Blastoise punched open Cloyster's shell, he was fainted. Blastoise kicked Cloyster away.
"Grr, go get him Machamp!"
Machamp picked up Blastoise and threw him off the edge of the balcony. Ash gasped as Blastoise hit the floor. He looked up weakly, he was in no condition to keep fighting.
"Good job Blastoise." Ash returned him. "Team him a lesson Venusaur, vine whip!"
Venusaur wrapped his vines around Machamp, but he surprisingly used a swords dance attack. The vines pulled Venusaur towards Machamp, who burst from the vines. Venusaur fell, hurt.
"That's teaching him." Giovanni laughed.
Machamp picked up Venusaur and threw him into the air, he kicked and punched him. Venusaur was weakened by the powerful fighting moves, and since Ash wasn't a trainer, he didn't know how to fight like Giovanni.
"Take a break Venusaur." Ash returned him. "I bet you can show him Raichu."
Raichu leaped for Machamp and swung his electrifying tail. It hit Machamp down, he was very weak.
"Impossible!" Giovanni gasped. "But it can't beat this. Go Golem!"
"You don't know who you're dealing with. Hyper beam!"
"Say what the..!" Giovanni was shocked and confused. Raichu's tail glowed white and he shot a hyper beam out of his paws right at Golem, fainting him. "That's it, go get them Rhydon." Rhydon roared and towered over Raichu. He wasn't afraid, he shocked Rhydon on his horn. The attack paralyzed him. "No! It's up to you now Kingler." Kingler walked up to Raichu and took him by surprise, freezing him with an ice beam. "Yea, alright."
"No! Raichu return." Ash looked down at Eevee, who nodded. "Go attack Eevee, use your take down!" Eevee ran towards Kingler, but Giovanni just laughed. "Quick, before you're attacked, use rage tackle!" Eevee jetted like a bolt of lightning.
"Double team, reflect." Giovanni commanded with a grin. Eevee suddenly saw three Kinglers. He tried to hit them all but the reflect attack put a mirror up. "Now use your blizzard." The three Kinglers shot a blizzard at Eevee who looked around nervously as he became frozen solid.
"Return Eevee, good try. You couldn't beat the double team. It looks like your up Arcanine." Arcanine howled and ran towards Kingler. "Take down!" The attack hit the wrong Kingler, it disappeared. Ash grinned, "Fire spin!" Arcanine ran to another Kingler and the tornado of flames made it disappear too. "There's the real one, finish it with a fire blast." Arcanine barked and flashed red. A giant fire star shot from his mouth and hit the real Kingler, fainting it. "Ha, way to go."
"So, Arcanine beat my five Pokemon. But haven't you forgot.." Giovanni hinted.
"Oh no, Persian!" Ash gasped. As he spoke, a water attack surrounded by electricity shot at Arcanine. He fainted. "Uh oh, return." Persian stood by Giovanni, ready to face Ash. He grabbed the last remaining Pokeball. "I have one more too. I wonder who it is?"
"Come on, come on, I don't have all day." Giovanni called in protest.
"Go Pokeball, go!" Ash threw the Pokeball, which contained the only hope left for Ash and Pallet. Out came a Psyduck!
"Whoops, wrong Pokeball." Prof. Oak gulped, everyone groaned and leered at him
"Oh, a Psyduck." Giovanni laughed. "I always knew your dad was a looser. This looser Pokemon proves it. Claw him Persian."
All Ash could do was watch as Persian scratched the yellow duck over and over again.
"Use your water gun" Psyduck shot his water attack at Persian, but he just flinched and growled. "What the, aw man."
"This is hardly a battle." Giovanni grinned at himself.
"Try to get him." Ash encouraged.
Psyduck ran towards Persian with an arm out in front. But when Psyduck opened his eyes, he was in Persian's mouth. He got scared and popped out, he began to run around in circles. Persian rolled with laughter, this was hardly any challenge at all. Psyduck held his head and closed his eyes. Everyone saw but Persian, he was still laughing. Suddenly Persian glowed blue, Psyduck had disabled him. He then threw him onto Giovanni with his confusion attack. They fell backwards and rolled down the stairs back onto the main stage. All of the Rockets ran over, except for Team Rocket. Jessy, James and Meowth, were nowhere to be seen.
"He got us off guard, what a looser that cheater is." Giovanni grumbled.
But Giovanni couldn't do anything now, he'd lost control over Pallet, and Kanto. He was no longer the Pokemon Master, but once yet again the gym leader of Veridian City. He looked up at Ash who stood on top of the suite.
"I hereby banish all of you to Veridian City. Go back to where you came from, and that is where you'll stay."
Giovanni and the Rockets were out of their territory, so they had to do as he said. They all walked off out of the town's main meeting hall, ashamed at the loss of disgrace. The townspeople turned back to Ash. Thunder boomed and rain began to fall outside. Ash limped down the steps and appeared on the main lecture stage. He came down and approached his friends. Brock passed by and smiled at him. Misty's sisters helped Delia over as Todd and Tracy stood next to Brock. The rest of the town gathered around. Ash hugged his mom and smiled over at Misty.
"Ahem?" Everyone turned to see Prof. Oak. They knew why, so they followed him to his house. Prof. Oak stood on his porch as the rain continued to fall. On one side of the stairs was Gary and on the other side was Damian and Melony, they each held a Pokeball. Ash understood now, he walked up to the top of the steps. Prof. Oak had a Pokeball in his hand, he held it over to Ash. Ash grinned and hugged him. Prof. Oak blushed, "It's time now, Ash." He placed it in his hand. Ash stood on the side by Gary and the four trainers began to walk down the stairs with Prof. Oak standing in the lead, "Behold. The next generation of Pokemon trainers has arrived." Everyone cheered as the four aspiring young trainers held their Pokeballs high over their heads.
'Someday, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, you will too.' The former PokeMaster, Mr. Ketchum's, words echoed in Ash's mind. He looked down at his mom, her hair dripping with rain. She grinned back. And Ash couldn't tell if the falling water droplets on her face were from tears or rain, but he knew it was probably both.
Many years later..
Ash Ketchum looked up at the sun, his first Pokemon, Pikachu, stood by his side. The yellow mouse wasn't the only one there, so was Misty. Ash and Misty were both all grown up now, so were Brock, Tracy and Todd. They stood beside the couple. Ash had become the Pokemon Master, he was in his dad's place now. For he and Misty turned around and Professor Oak came up with a baby, their baby. The next generation of Pokemon trainers had begun. And maybe one day, it too will become a Pokemon Master