Here we are again then, with Chapter 11 rearing its ugly head. Five badges, but there'll be no more in this chap! The gang finds a young boy, but it is a struggle to get him reunited with his family, in...

Parents Reunited

.sdrawkcab sdrow etirw REVEN I dna, nomékoP nwo ton od I: remialcsiD (Legal blokes & blokesses: it's written backwards. Or you could just read chaps 1- 10.)

"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
Misty turned to Ash. "You've been moaning so long we've already arrived."
"So it's a yes then?" Misty banged her head on a nearby fence. They were at Route 13 – the maze of posts below Route 12 – because they were taking the long, boring, Ad- approved route rather than the easy, interesting, Ash-approved route (using Fly).

Flashback

Ad pulled out the giant map, which Brock now had to help him hold. (It had mysteriously grown to accommodate Kanto: and more sea, but that goes without saying.) "Right. If we're wanted in Viridian for the next Gym, we could go south to Fuchsia City, then sail past the Seafoam and Cinnabar islands to Pallet. We can go from there to Cerulean!" Ash sweatdropped at the thought of all that work. "Or...we cold just use Fly." "Where's the fun in that?" asked Ad. Everyone sighed.

Flashback ends

"How long have we been walking?" asked Misty to Brock. Brock asked Ad the same thing, and he replied, "About five minutes. But we're definitely in front of schedule.
"Let's stop for a rest then." Ash, Misty and Brock sat down, with Ad doing the same reluctantly. Ash gazed into the distance. He could see the island off Route 12. There was a small boy sitting on it, daydreaming and swinging his head from side to side. He saw Ash, and froze.
Then, he shouted at he top of his voice. "TIK-IBU!!!!" The gang winced and closed their eyes. As soon as the sound stopped, Ash whipped his head up. The boy was gone.
"Where..." He turned.
"Where has that boy gone?"
Brock was bewildered. "Who? I didn't see a boy. Did you see one?" He twisted to the rest of the gang. They answered in the negative.
Ash sighed, and got up. "Maybe I was hallucinating."
"No way! You're not ill. If you were hallucinating, then we would all be..."said Brock, waving his arms up and down in front of him, "...a dreeeeeaaaaaam."
Ash fixed Brock with an evil stare. "Shut up."

They were now fiddling around on Route 15, looking to see if there was a way to get to the PP Up without using Cut. Misty was watching everyone else rush around while she sat on the signpost. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a little boy. She span around and looked at him. He froze. "TIK-IBU!" She winced, and saw a faint flicker as the boy sped off. She turned around to face everyone. They had stopped.
Ash walked up to Misty. "Did you see him as well?"
"Yeah." Misty looked into Ash's eyes to see that he was smiling. "I guess I believe you now."
Ash grinned, and patted Misty on the back. He then went back to the rest of the group. They continued searching for another entrance, but slower, and looking timidly around occasionally in case the boy returned. Misty whispered to herself under her breath. "I've always believed you Ash."

In the gatehouse, Brock walked up to the man.
"Um, excuse me?" The man ignored him.
"Excuse me?" Brock said, a bit louder. The man carried on shuffling through some papers.
"EXCUSE ME?" The man looked up, shaking.
"For Entei's sake there's no reason to shout! What do you want?" Everyone anime-fell.
"Well? Whaddya want?"
"We would like to know," said Brock, exaggerating his lip movement in case the guard went deaf again, "about a little boy these two," he gestured to Ash and Misty, who waved shyly, "have seen."
"Ah, the ghost of the–"
"GHOST!" screamed Misty, leaping into the air.
Ash put his hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be scared." Misty calmed down.
The man continued, oblivious to Misty's scream: "There is a legend about a ghost of a boy who appears and screams on the hour every hour."
Ad glanced at the clock. It was five past half past three (15.35); twenty- five to four. He interrupted the man: "But they," again pointing to Ash and Misty, "saw the boy ten minutes ago. That's five to half past three (15.25); twenty-five past three, which is definitely not on the hour."
The guard rubbed his neck. "Um, legends are just that: legends. They aren't always reliable."

Having gathered no information, the gang walked back into Route 15. They carefully examined the land as they walked through it, looking out for the boy. Ash noticed the sapling, which had now been cut down. A light bulb clicked on in his head (for once)... "Hey! Are you saying I'm dumb?"
No.
"Good."
I'm saying you're brainless, unintelligent and dim-witted.
"Thank you...I think."
...and he gathered the gang around. He then told them his plan.

The boy studied the area fearfully. Nobody there. He crept out from the trees surrounding the guardhouse, vaulted over the low fence (the one that stops you getting in) and sprinted to the other end of the Route. He pulled out a PokéBall, and was about to throw it into the water, when Ash, Brock and Ad leapt out from the trees by where the sapling used to be. The boy jumped, and the gang herded him into the area where the PP Up was. Misty bounded from the tree, and called out Staryu. It used Surf, and the sapling immediately re-sprouted. The boy was trapped.
"What are you doing?" asked Ash to the boy, who was now sitting down in the makeshift pen.
"I-I'm just looking for my p-parents. I-I-I got lost here one d-d-day and they haven't come b-back." Tears started welling up in his eyes. Misty stepped forward.
"But why were you screaming that thing (what was it now – t-t-tick – tick, that's it –I – like EE - as in bee, was it? – yes, it was – boo, like a ghost – tikibu, that's it) tikibu?"
"I-I-I'd got lost before, and my m-mum and d-dad said that I should say that and they'd come." He started to sob. Brock jumped over the fence, and patted the boy.
"There, there. We'll find your parents. What did you say your name was?"
"I-I-I didn't. But it's G-George B-B-Barnes." The gang led the now straight-faced boy into the gatehouse and through into Fuchsia City.
"Good morning again!" said the guard cheerfully. He opened his eyes and saw the boy.
"W-what?" He took up the phone, trembling, and dialed the main guardhouse number.
"Hello? Is this the guardhouse? I'd like to retire for the day..."

In the Pokémon Centre, the boy sat shivering, a blanket around his shoulders, drinking a cup of hot soup. Nurse Joy was sifting through some old records, looking for Mr and Mrs Barnes. She slowly shook her head.
"I'll pop down to the police station to see what records they have there. But I can't promise anything."

Time passed. George lay down on the hospital bed, twiddling his thumbs. Ash called the station to check on things. The phone was engaged.

Time passed. Nurse Joy knocked on the door. Ad opened it. She came in with two complete strangers. George looked up, and his eyes widened. The woman stepped forward, and George leapt into her arms. The man stood by, watching. Nurse Joy announced, "These are Mr and Mrs Barnes."

And so, our friends wave goodbye to George and his parents, and head off into the depths of Fuchsia City.

You like? If so, REVIEW! Sorry about the wait, but I've been a bit occupied. The next chapter will be coming up soon!

And so, in the immortal words of E.J. Thribbs...

"So. Farewell, then."

GOODBYE!

N.B. Tikibu is pronouced "tick-EE-BOO"