Pokemon: 4 Years After

Chapter 5. Answers in Viridian

"I have to talk to you about Team Rocket… I think I know what they're up to," Gary revealed.

Ash replayed those words over and over again in his head. He lay on his bed with his arms behind his head. His eyes fixed to the ceiling above. He and everyone had left to go to the Viridian City Pokemon Center after he had come back from meeting Gary in the fields. When he had returned to his house it no longer was on fire. Misty and Brock had taken care of that, though it did little to help. But his mother did manage to salvage his old hat that he had left in his room earlier.

"Ash…" Misty mumbled in her sleep. She and he shared a bed due to the lack of space in the Center that night. His mother thought it was cute. Ash turned his head and looked over to Misty. She was sleeping soundly. He gave a smile. Ash then threw his legs over the side of the bed and planted his feet on the ground. He held his head with his hands, covering his eyes.

"What was it that Gary knew about Team Rocket?" He asked himself. "Why did they send that assassin? It still can't be all about Pikachu, can it?" He raised his arm and tugged the necklace that held a Pokeball around his neck. It unlatched and he stared at it. The lightning bolt on the front was as bright as the day he got it.

"Ash…Are you okay?" Misty was sitting up now next to him. She gave out a yawn.

"Huh?"

"Why aren't you asleep?" She asked.

"I can't."

"Is what Gary told you still bothering you?" As soon as she said Gary's name Ash turned and faced her. She looked into his eyes with the help of the moonlight coming from the window.

"…Yeah," he said hesitantly.

"Oh Ash, don't worry about it," she laid her head onto his bare back and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever he's got to tell you, he'll tell you tomorrow."

"I-I guess," Ash looked down and placed one of his hands on top of her hand on his shoulder.

"Ok, then go back to sleep. For all you know he might wanna battle you tomorrow like he wanted to today," she said playfully. Ash smiled.

"Alright," he gave him. Misty then got up and leaned over closer to him. He came towards her and they shared a deep kiss before getting back to sleep. When they pulled back Misty gave out another yawn and then lay back down in the same position she was a second ago. Ash did the same.

"G'nite," Misty said softly.

"'nite," Ash replied as he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over the two of them.

When Ash opened his eyes the next morning he found himself alone in bed. A note was at his side. Ash yawned then read the note slowly.

"Ashy boy,

Good morning. Sorry, I'm not there, I didn't wanna wake you up. I thought you might have had a long trip to get home so I decided to let you sleep in. Your mom, Brock, and I went to get something to eat. I'll bring you something when we get back.

See ya soon,

Misty"

Ash smiled at the note then yawned again. He put the note down and got out of bed.

"I hope Mist gets me my favorite," he thought to himself. He grabbed his shirt and brought it down over his head.

"I wonder when Gary's goin to show up," although very tired and hungry Ash still remembered the appointment he had later. He was still very eager to get some answers. Ash slipped on his gloves and tightened his belt. A knock then came at the door.

"Come in," Ash said. Nurse Joy creaked open the door and stuck her head inside the room.

"Ash Ketchum?" She asked.

"That's me."

"You have a guest in the lobby."

"Oh really!" His mind began to race. Could it be Gary already? "I'll be there in a sec!"

"Okay," Nurse Joy said. She closed the door behind herself as she left. Ash grabbed his hat and topped his head off with it.

When he got to the lobby, instead of seeing Gary, he saw two old familiar faces.

"Ash!" The two yelled out at the same time. It was Max, who still wore the same big glasses and had grown a bit, and May, who looked more womanly since the last he saw her. May's hair was almost identical to how it used to be, but now she had a long tail of hair going to her mid-back as well. She wore something that accentuated her long legs, although it was quite short, not that Ash minded.

"I missed you so much!" May said as she stood inches away from him. She had grown a lot too. She had to be at least one or two inches taller than he was now. He however wasn't expecting what she was going to do next. She threw her arms around him and embraced him tightly. At that moment, the double doors to the Center slid open and Misty and the others walked in. When May pulled back her head she leaned in and gave Ash a kiss on the cheek. He turned red and blushed. Immediately, however, Ash heard a loud voice come from the front.

"What are you doing to him?" Misty called out. May let go of Ash and turned around. Misty was now walking toward them. She shoved the food she had in a bag into Ash's arms and stood toe to toe with May. The two girls' eyes met.

"Oh no. Here we go again," Max rolled his eyes.

"I'll uhhh be in the room," Delia hurried over to the back to avoid the conflict.

"Oh…M-Misty, I-I didn't know you were here," May sized Misty up.

"Well, I am here, but the question is why are you here?" Ash's eyes widened at the sound of Misty's voice. "Shouldn't you be back in home helping your "Daddy" with the gym?" Misty said in a harsh tone. Electricity was being sent back and forth between the girls' stares.

Ash leaned over and asked Brock in a whisper, "What's with them?"

"May's had a crush on you ever since we were in Hoenn. So when Misty found out she got pretty upset. That's why she decided to travel with us again after you finished the Battle Frontier. They're fighting over you dude," Brock nudged Ash.

"….WHAA!" Ash jumped.

"She's here to visit Ash," a male's voice came from the front. May and Misty turned at the same time to the voice. Ash, Brock, and Max looked over as well. Standing in front of the double doors was Gary, in his usual cloak. Then, without a second of hesitation, Ash gave the bag of food he had to Brock and then left the Pokemon Center with Gary.

"So what's up?" Ash asked. Gary remained silent. He looked like something was bothering him. They continued to walk down the sidewalk until finally Gary broke the silence.

"Look over there," Gary stopped and pointed.

"The Gym?" Ash asked.

"The Viridan Gym, you've been there twice. Am I right?" Ash took a second to think. Gary began to walk again, leaving Ash to his thoughts.

"Yeah. Once against Team Rocket and another time against Agatha. Why do you-"

Gary turned his head over his shoulder, "We can't stop or we'll be spotted here."

Ash ran back up to catch up with Gary.

"Agatha's dead."

"Dead!" Ash exclaimed in shock. "W-what happened to her?"

"After you left they took care of her."

"They?" Ash looked down at the ground.

"They did it in order to take back the gym," Gary explained, still looking straight ahead.

"They?" Ash looked up at Gary, "Who's they?"

Gary turned and looked at Ash, "Team Rocket." Ash was taken by this news.

"Team Rocket killed Agatha?" He said in his head. "How was that possible? She was a Pokemon Master, also, one of the original Elite Four of the past. How could she have been done in so easily?" But before he could continue, Gary cut off his thoughts.

"It seems that once you left they decided to come out into the open. And when they had taken back the Gym, they needed someone to run it for them," he turned to Ash. "A Gym Leader. And they came to me."

"And what did you tell them?"

"I refused, but that didn't stop them."

"What do you mean?"

"After I told them no, they kept messing with me. So in return I began to take down some of their agents in the middle of their assignments. They began to get angry and actually send out groups to come and finish me. I suppose they saw me as another you."

"Another me?" Ash wondered what that meant.

"Another annoyance…" Gary grinned. Ash shook his head. "It took them a while, but they figured I was too smart for them to handle personally, so they -"

"Took out your grandpa's lab?" Ash asked, also finishing what Gary was about to say.

Gary looked to Ash, who had a very serious look on his face. "…Yeah," he answered slowly. He stared down at his feet then back at Ash. "I heard about you when I came back to pokemon training. 'The trainer with the Pikachu.' They say he beat anyone who came to battle him," Gary looked to Ash but he didn't look back. "Some even called him a Pokemon Master…" Ash continued to stare off in the distance. "I want to know," Gary stopped. "Where were you?" Ash walked about two steps more in front of him and then stopped himself. He turned around and then scratched the back of his head.

"I was training," Ash smiled. Gary did the same.

"That's about as much of an answer I was expecting to get," he laughed. "But I do have one more thing to ask.

"You want me to help you stop Team Rocket?"

"I know we can do it."

"You ask me like you think I'm going to say no…" Ash smiled.

"So, you'll help me?" Gary asked seriously. Ash looked him in the eye.

"Of course. I have to pay them back for what they've been doing," Ash caught a punch he gave to his left hand.

"Great."

"Something been bothering me though," Ash folded his arms.

"What is it?" They began to start walking again.

"How could Team Rocket have killed Agatha?" Ash lifted one arm for a gesture. One of Gary's eyes twitched at the question.

"How is it hard to believe? They could've done it the way they tried to kill my grandfather."

"But the Professor wasn't a Pokemon Master," Ash clearly pointed out. "It would've taken a really experienced and powerful trainer to defeat her. And honestly, Jessie and James weren't that strong the last time I met up with them." Gary shrugged.

"You're pretty smart… I don't know the answer to your question now," Gary added. "It's a mystery. And I guess you'll have to solve it."

Suddenly, a blaring police siren could be heard far away. Ash's pocket vibrated soon after. He took out his PokeGear, which was the cause for the vibration. He opened it and May came onto the screen.

"Ash!"

"May? What's wrong?"

"Ash! You gotta get here quick!"

"What happened?"

"T-team Rocket's here! They're all over the place!"

"I'll be there as soon as I can! Where's everyone else?" Ash and Gary looked at each other and then began to run back towards the Pokemon Center.

"All of us are trying to battle them, but I think they got Misty- hey, let go of me- Ash! Get here quick!" The PokeGear's screen then snowed out.