Well Ri2, I think that after all of the years and I had it where Giovanni had been searching for Ash, but he came to a dead end and plus he had his organization to run. I think someone can divorce without the others consent if that person disappeared or something happen to them. Also why she did not do the divorce was she did not want her husband finding her and taking away her son, reason, for the safety for her and her son.
Three days later Ash's fever had lowered, but he did not come out of his room much. He still had many nightmares throughout the night and everyone rotated to watch him. Pikachu never left his side, making sure he did not wonder off again. He barely ate his meals and everyone was worried about him. He came out the morning they were leaving for Pallet for breakfast. His friends tried to get him to talk, but only got a few words out of him. He apologized for running out on them at the pokemon center and how he acted. They did the same, but the small riff between them was still visible. Birch warned the others to give him some distance. They left after breakfast, to their ship that will be taking them to Kanto.
In Pallet Town, Professor Oak and Delia were busy making preparations for Ash's party. Delia was worried about him, but she knew his friends would be there for him. They are at Oaks place getting the back yard ready. Oak had heard his door bell ringed and left to answer it. He opened it and found a man in a business suite holding a briefcase and an Officer Jenny standing behind him.
"Yes how may I help you?"
"I am searching for Mrs. Ketchum. I did not find her at her place of residence and was told she visited here often."
"Yes she is here. I will get her for you."
Oak dashed off and brought Delia to the front door.
"Yes, I am Delia Ketchum."
"Mrs. Ketchum, I am here to present to you divorced papers and a court order for you to surrender your son to the custody of his father as of now."
He handed the court papers to her. She did not look at them when she received them. She was puzzled with what the man said.
"What?"
"You heard me, Miss. Ketchum; I do not like to repeat myself. Where is your son?"
Oak came up and took the papers from her. He read through them and was surprised at what he found. He looked up at the man and at Officer Jenny. Delia started to cry. He excused himself and Delia and lead her to the living room. He sat her down on the couch.
"What am I supposed to do Samuel? I do not want to give him my son."
"I do not know, but we do not have to give him up so soon. It will take a few days for the ship to reach port here. We can get a hold of my lawyer and see what we can do. Don't worry, I will take care of this."
Oak left her in his living room and walked back to the front door. When he got back, he found the man in an impudent mood for having to wait.
"Mr.?"
"Mr. Motes. Now get a hold of Ash Ketchum right now and have him ready to leave."
"I am sorry, but he is not here at the moment. He is in Hoenn right now traveling home. I do not know were he is right now. I had not seen or heard from him since the Hoenn League Championship. His mother does not know were he is also."
"You better be telling the truth. Contact me at once when you received word from him."
Mr. Motes pulled out a business card and forcefully placed it into Oaks hands. Both Mr. Motes and Officer Jenny left in separate cars. As they disappeared, Oak went back to Delia.
"Delia do you know were they are now?"
"Yes they should have boarded the ship by now. I do not know which one though."
"I will get a hold on my lawyer and see what she can do."
Oak took off to his phone and franticly look for the number to his lawyer. Delia sobbed away hoping with hope that Samuel could help her.
Three days onboard of the ship and almost to the port of Pallet, Ash was beginning to be his old self. His fever was about gone. He still did not eat very much, but his nights where becoming more peaceful. His friends thought this was due coming home to a familiarly surroundings. He half listened to his friends while they exchanged stories of their adventures. They brought up the question they wanted to ask Ash.
"Hey Ash, you know the night you ran off?" Max asked
"Yah, I am sorry I did."
"So are we, but that was not what I was going to ask. Did you see a suicune?"
"What?"
"When I took your cloths, when we were at Professor's Birches lab, I found hairs all over your clothes. The color of the hairs matches that like the suicune we saw in Johto." Brock said
Ash was struck at what his friends said. He thought back to that night. He knew he did not see the pokemon.
"We saw him around noon, in the same area we found you. Misty and Brock said he has a gift of cleaning water. We saw him in the lake with fog all over the clearing. Professor Birch told us that the day before the water was unfit to even drink. It was the best water I have ever tasted" May said
"I did not see a suicune."
His friends where surprised, but Max was not done asking questions.
"So I heard from Misty that when you first left on your journey with pikachu, that you actually saw a Ho-oh? Is that true?"
Ash laughed at this. He was glad they where becoming friends again.
"Yes I did and before I left for Hoenn."
Everyone around went bug eyed. They could not believe it. Before they could ask him anymore questions, the horn on the ship sounded that they where about to dock in Pallet. They got up and moved to the railing to see where they where docking. All had smiles on their faces. They gathered their stuff and moved to the exit of the ship.
It had taken Mr. Motes three days to find Ash. He tried all the planes and ship ports around Hoenn. His luck came to him from a ticket seller who remembered seeing a kid he described to him with a group of friends. The key factor was that Ash was the only one to have a pikachu on his shoulder and the ticket seller took more notice of that. Mr. Motes waited with Giovanni at the Ash's home. Oak was there to help Delia out. The two of them where busy packing some of Ash's things for him to take.
The ship had docked around noon. They exited with the rush of people and made their way to Ash's home. It took them about two hours to reach his home. Ash could not contain his excitement and started to run the last few yards from his home. Pikachu ran along with him happy as him. The rest started running after him knowing they will never catch up to him. They saw him stop on top a hill in the road. They caught up to him, wondering why he stopped. When they looked in the direction he was looking in, they saw a black limo along with two police cars. There was a man standing next to the limo talking away with an Officer Jenny.
"Ash what is going on, is that your house?" May asks
"Yes that is my house, but I don't know what is going on? I guess we will find out when we get to my house."
They continue walking on, pikachu climbing onto Ash's shoulder. As they got closer, the man standing by the limo stopped talking to Officer Jenny. He unfurled his arms and watched the group as they came closer. A window on the limo rolled down slightly, to revel cold looking eyes. Everyone was unnerved by this. As Ash reached the walk path to his home the man by the limo walked in front of him. Pikachu did not like the man from how his posture was and started to shoot sparks out of his cheeks. Ash placed a hand on his head to calm him.
"Ash Ketchum, you are to leave your pokemon with your friends and come with me, I will be taking you to your father."
"What? Ash said
Misty got in front of Ash and gave the man a stare that would send cold silvers down Ash and Brocks back.
"Who do you think you are ordering him around?"
By this time Oak was running out of the Ketchum's home to the group. Mr. Motes shifted his weight on his feet. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a folded pieces of paper. He had a look of disgust on his face and handed the papers to Ash. Ash looked down at the papers and read the main text on the outside of the paper, Viridian Magistrate Court. He opened up the papers and started to read the contents of the paper. Oak walked up to Ash and placed a hand of his shoulder.Ash paled at what he found in the paper. He looked up at Oak wanting to know how did this happen. The others started asking questions of what was going on.
"Mr. Oak, my client is a busy man, and we have wasted enough time here. Ash come with me now, leave you backpack and you pokemon here."
Ash looked up at the man, crumpling the paper in his hand.
"I will not be leaving with you and I will never abandon my pokemon."
"I am sorry, but the courts decision is finial. Your father has full custody of you." Officer Jenny said walking up to the group.
"I will never go to that man!"
Ash yelled this out to the lawyer and officer, throwing the paper down at the feet of Mr. Motes. He turned around and started to walk towards him home. Giovanni had grown impatience and came up to the group, with his Persian following him.
"Ash."
Ash turned around and looked straight at his father, with hate in his eyes. Ash's friends wanted to know what was going on and started to ask Oak questions. They quit once they saw that his hands where balled up in fists.
"Ash, I do not have time for this. Please hand over your pokemon to the professor and come along."
"I will never go with you."
Giovanni moved closer and slapped Ash across the face causing him to fall to the ground and his hat flying off. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and landed in front of his trainer to protect him. He sent a small spark at the mans feet, to warn him he will not hesitate to attack him. Gary moved to Ash's side. He found his nose was bleeding. Ash sat up wiping the blood from his face.
"You will do as I tell you to do. I am your father."
Giovanni stepped forward to grab Ash by the arm and forcefully take him. Pikachu sent small spark at the man, but he kept advancing, and was knocked away by his Persian. Ash got up to go to his pokemon, but Giovanni grab him by his arm. Giovanni turned him around and pulled his pokeballs off his belt throwing them towards Oak. When he was done he dragged Ash towards the limo. Brock and the others was about to run up to help Ash, but Officer Jenny got in the way. Oak went over to where pikachu was and picked him up. He had hit a tree and was about to run to his trainer, but Oak prevented it. Ash struggled under his fathers grip. Giovanni stopped and slap Ash across the face again.
"Do not struggle against me son, for if you do, it will be a lot worse."
"Can at least he say goodbye to his mother." Oak yelled out
Giovanni did not acknowledge Oak's request. He moved on and tightened his grip on Ash's arm. As they came close to the limo, a flock of pidgeys and pidgeottos flew towards them. Giovanni saw them coming once they let out their cries. He released his grip on Ash and Ash back away from his father. The flock of birds came between them and circled around Ash and returned back into the forest. Once the dust cleared Ash was gone.
No one saw the pidgeot that moved form the back of the flock to the middle as they turn around Ash and grab him by the shoulders. Every one was left stun. Mr. Motes spoke up accusing Oak of taking him. Oak told him he did no such thing. Officer Jenny came between the two. She told Oak she will talk to him later and turned back to Giovanni and told him that she will find his son. Giovanni turned around and entered into his limo. Mr. Motes glared at them before leaving himself.
Brock and the others gathered Ash's pokeballs and his backpack and hat he dropped when he was knocked down. They followed Oak in silence wondering what was going on. Misty finally broke the silence before entering the Ketchum's house.
"Professor what's going on?"
"I will tell you once we get in."
They entered into the house and found Delia in the living room crying away. Mr. Mime was trying to confront her. She looked up and saw that Ash was not with them. She started to cry again. Oak walked up to the couch and placed pikachu down on a pillow. He sat down by Delia and told her what happen and that they should not give up hope. He looked at the group and took a deep breath before talking.
"Ash's father has gotten custody of him a few days ago. We tried to appeal the decision, but the judge is holding firm to his decision. We are trying to get another judge to hear us, but at this moment it seems that we may not be heard for some time. The courts in Viridian are backlog with other cases."
"Could not Ash have a say so who has custody of him." May asked
"It is not that simple, but the judge we are trying may go for what he wants."
"Then who took off with Ash? I never saw so many bird pokemon in one area." Max asked
"I would like to know myself." Officer Jenny said walking in.
Behind her where two police officers. Everyone looked at her with a surprised look.
"Mrs. Ketchum, Professor Oak, where is Ash Ketchum?"
"I do not know Officer." Oak said
"Then tell me whose pokemon that took him."
"I do not know. I never had seen those pokemon myself."
"Please do not lie to me Professor."
"I am not Officer. I do not know who own those pokemon."
"Fine. If you do not mind Mrs. Ketchum, I will have my officers search your house for your son. Professor I need you to come with me to your Lab. I will also need to search your place for him too."
She waved her hand and the two officers searched though the house. They came back empty handed. She left with Oak to his lab in her car. The group looked outside and saw that she stationed a police car at the house. They all found a seat in the living room wondering what to do now.
Ash tried to get free from his fathers grip. He did not want to go with the man and he was afraid of him. He got hit again in the same place. He gripped at his face and felt pain in his arm as his father tightened his grip. He heard a cry from the forest on his right and watched as a flock of pidgeys and pidgeottos flew towards them. He felt his father release his grip on him and turn to see his father watching the pokemon coming towards them. He stepped back, not for sure what to do. They moved in front of him, and he covered his face to keep the dirt out of his eyes. He closed them, wanting this to be over with. He then felt as he was griped by the shoulders with sharp objects and lifted up into the air. He kept his eyes closed and could hear the flapping wings of the bird pokemon around him.
He kept his eyes closed till he was dropped on the ground. He opened them and saw many pidgeys and pidgeottos around him. He looked around till he found a pidgeot sitting up in a tree looking down at him. Ash got up and had a big simile on his face. The pokemon jumped down and Ash wrapped his arms around the pokemon.
"You have gotten bigger since the last time I saw you."
He released his grip and rubbed at his shoulders. He pulled back his hand and found blood. He took off his shirts and saw two puncture wounds on the front of his chest and reached back to find six on his back. The pokemon hung its head, but Ash told it was okay.
He looked around and found himself deep into the forest. A small lake behind him. He walked over to it and bent down on his knees. He looked into the lake and saw that the right side of his face was bruising up. He dunk his outer shirt in the water and wiped the cuts on his chest and back. He riped part of it of off, soaked it and placed it on his face. He sat down and looked down at the necklace around his neck. He sighed and pulled on his black shirt once the bleeding stopped.
"Pidgeot, why don't you fly me to the Professors place?"
It nodded it head and Ash climb on its back. It took off with the rest of the flock behind it. They come to the edge of the forest close to the back of the professor's house and landed. He was about to walk up to the house, till he saw two police cars pull up with their lights on. An Officer Jenny stepped out and with two other officers. Also the man Ash meet earlier came out of one of the cars. He looked mad. Ash retreated back into the forest before being seen. He climbed the tree his pokemon was in and watched.
Some time later, the officers came walking out with Oak. He saw the look disgust on the Professors face before he went back into his house. One of the cars drove off. The one car that stayed behind, one of the officers came out and hopped on the hood with a newspaper in his hands. He began reading it, while the other one took a nap. He hopped down from the tree he was in and ran to the backyard of the lab. He looked in through the sliding door windows and saw the Professor talking on the phone. Once he hung up the receiver, Ash knocked on the door. Oak came running and open the door. He was surprised to see Ash. He grabbed him and pulled him inside leading him upstairs to Gary's room, setting him down on the bed.
"Ash how did you get here?"
"Pidgeot brought me here."
Oak gave him a puzzled look. Ash explained that pidgeot was the one who took him. Oak smiled till he saw the holes in his shirt. He pulled Ash's shirt off and saw the claw marks on his chest and back. He brought Ash to the bathroom and cleaned out the cuts. He felt how warm Ash was and took his temperature. It was still a high fever. He wrapped Ash's cuts.
"You should still be in bed. Brock told me on the phone you had not been well the past week. Also you had not eaten much and had not gotten enough sleep. You look worse now then when I first saw you."
He said this as he placed an ice pack on Ash's face. Ash looked down at the floor. Oak just squeezed his shoulder and left Ash in the bathroom for a minute. He came back and brought Ash back to Gary's room and forced him into bed. He went down stairs and called Delia. She picked it up.
"Delia, Ash is here."
"How is he? How did he get there?" she said with a bit of panic in her voice.
"He is okay, but I think his fever has gone up and he had gotten cut up from his pidgeot, and that is how he got here. What are we going to do now?"
"Giving him up to his father would be the wise choice. It will show I am responsible and willing to give him up for now until we are able to get him back."
"That should show some favor with the judge. Do I or you call Officer Jenny?"
"I will. It will break pikachu's heart to be separated from Ash."
"Both of them will have to understand. I will let you go."
Oak hung up and went into the kitchen. He looked through the cabinets for something for Ash. He only found a bag of instant ramen. He sighed and wished he could cook. He placed the noodles on to boil and when done he brought them up to Ash. As he open the door he found him sleeping away. He shook Ash awake and gave him the bowl of noodles. Ash just sat it aside and Oak let out a sigh. He brought some water over for him when Ash started to cough. He was getting worried for Ash now. Ash laid back down and went to sleep. Oak got up and took the food and went back down stairs. He started to eat the noodles, but found he had not the appetite to eat them. He placed the bowl in the sink and went to his living room, sitting down in a recliner. He placed his head in his hands wondering what to do.
Sometime later his door bell went off. He got up with a headache and went to the door. When he opened it, he found Officer Jenny with Mr. Motes. He allowed them in.
"Mr. Oak, how did he get here?" Jenny asked
"His pidgeot brought him here about an hour ago. He is in my grandson's room now."
"Mr. Oak, I demand you bring him to me at once."
"He is asleep right now. He is not feeling well…"
"Humph, do not try to weasel your way with me. Take me to him at once."
Oak closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Come if you must."
Oak lead them upstairs to Gary's room. As he reached for the door knob, Mr. Motes pushed Oak away and enter into the room. He walked up to the bed and was about to shake Ash awake till Officer Jenny placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mr. Motes, I advise you not to wake him."
"I will not take any advice from you Officer…"
"Please Mr. Motes, I think you should. Look to the window."
He looked up and saw a pidgey perched on the window sill, eyeing the man carefully.
"Like a mere pokemon will scare me."
He moved closer to Ash and placed a hand on him. As he shocked Ash awake, the so called mere pokemon took off straight at Mr. Motes, hitting the man in the stomach. Mr. Motes fell down to the ground and the pidgey landed on Ash's shoulder. It started to coo away, happy at what it did. Ash looked around wondering what was going on. He saw Officer Jenny and Mr. Motes in the room. Mr. Motes got up, trying to catch his breath. Officer Jenny was shock at what the pokemon did.
"Mr. Oak, what happen to my client's son, why is he wrapped up in bandages?"
"He got cut from his pidgeot when it took off with him. It saw that its trainer was in trouble and it acted to protect him."
"Mr. Oak, whose pokemon is this?" Jenny asked
"It is part of a flock that Ash's pidgeot protects."
"Officer Jenny, I am not here to chit chat, I am here to take my clients son home to his father."
"I know Mr. Motes. Mr. Oak, can you have Ash ready to leave?"
"Yes Officer."
Officer Jenny made Mr. Motes leave with her downstairs. Oak sat down by Ash and knew this was not what he wanted to hear.
"Ash, you are going have to go to your fathers for now. We are trying our best to get custody of you. Just be patient. Do you understand?"
"Yes, but I don't want to go to my fathers. Why can't I just stay home with mom?"
"I wish you could. Now come along, before Mr. Motes gets angrier."
He and Ash walked out of Gary's room and down to the living room. The pidgey stayed on Ash's shoulder, keeping an eye on Oak. They found Officer Jenny looking out in the backyard at all the pokemon in the fields. Mr. Motes was talking on a cell phone. Officer Jenny turned around and gave a small apololigic smile.
"Mr. Oak, do you have something for Ash to wear?"
"Yes I do."
Oak walked over to the hall closet on the bottom floor. He opened it up and pushed coats away. He looked down for a minute and knelt down. He pulled out a black backpack and walked back to the living room. He handed the bag to Ash and Ash was surprised.
"It was to be one of your presents at your party. Inside, there are some new clothes for you and some traveling items."
"Thank you professor."
"Officer Jenny, Ash's mom had packed some items for him to take."
"I know, I picked them up before we came."
Ash took a shirt out of his new bag. He put his hand up to the pidgey to move it off his shoulder, but the pokemon hopped on his head. Ash slipped on the shirt and the pidgey resumed its post on his shoulder.
"Mr. Motes can his father reconsider and let Ash take his pikachu?"
"You heard him, he did not want his son to bring any of his pokemon with him."
"Mr. Motes, I think it would be a good ideal." Jenny said
"Fine, I will call him."
He called Giovanni not happy to do so. Ash sat down and was rummaging through his bag. The little pidgey watch in content as he did. Ash pulled out a candy bar and a jar of generic pokemon food. The pidgey flapped it wings, showing it wanted to be feed. He opened the jar and the pokemon dove its head into the jar greedily.
Mr. Motes got off his cell phone. He looked at Ash and rolled his eyes.
"Your father said you can bring only two pokemon with you. Make you decision now."
"I want pikachu and…"
Before Ash could finish his sentence, the pidgey jumped into his bag. It came out with a pokeball in its talons and it dropped the ball in Ash's lap. It landed by the ball and hit the button twice. It disappeared inside it in a beam of red light. The pokeball did not jerk around and it ding once the ball was closed. Ash looked up at the professor for an explanation but the man shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess pidgey is my other choice."
"Officer Jenny can we please go. I have wasted enough time here. It is getting late."
"Yes Mr. Motes, we just have to make a quick stop to pick up his pikachu."
Jenny pickup up his backpack. Ash followed them outside to one of the cars. He looked around and found his pidgeot flying back into the forest. He entered into the car and it took off to his home. The car stopped, Officer Jenny and Ash stepped out. Brock and the gang along with his mother came rushing out. Pikachu jumped into his trainers arms, happy to see him. His friends started to ask him questions. Officer Jenny held up a hand and told them they have to leave. Pikachu was happy to learn it could come with Ash. His goodbyes were short to his friends and mother. He got back into the car and left to his fathers, dreading it. Pikachu looked at him puzzled and pointed down to his belt. It saw he had a pokeball there along with its. Ash smiled.
"It is a pidgey. It wanted to come with me."
Pikachu settled down on Ash's lap falling asleep. Ash did the same.
