Disclaimer: Welcome to the wonderful world that is Pokémon. Of course everything related to Pokémon is owned and licensed by Nintendo, and I'm sure the author of this story will do his best to treat Nintendo and Pokémon with as much respect as possible. Now, the characters in this story are all original except for professor Oak, Ash, Gary, Misty, Brock, several Jenny's and Joy's and some other weirdo's that wander around in the game and/or series and of course, the Pokémon.
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Chapter 16 – Forced return
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I woke up screaming that morning. Those images from the day before still haunted me and the last thing I wanted to do was dream about a new pokémon, called Fuckachu. I staggered towards my bedroom and splashed some water on my face. That couldn't chase the thoughts from my head, so I turned on my stereo. Soon I was playing air guitar wildly without any thoughts of pokémon whatsoever. I was just ready to smash my air guitar against my air amplifier when my phone rang. Turtle stage dived from my desk on my bed and I snatched him out of the air after his first bounce before I turned off my stereo.
"Hunter," I greeted the person on the other side of the line.
"Tony? It's David, we're in serious shit."
"David? What is it? Does this involve Jaeger?" I asked.
"No," he said, "It's fucking bigger than that."
"Relax," I said, "tell me what you can tell me, and then tell me what you know…"
So he started telling. And I didn't like it.
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I sat in the park over thinking the situation. This wasn't good. I had no idea what I had to do, but…
"What was it?"
Tony looked up at Ash.
"What was what?"
"The phone call," Ash repeated, "you didn't say what David said."
"It'll come later," Tony sighed, "just let me tell the story, okay?"
"So you will tell, won't you?" Ash asked again.
"I will tell, but I won't tell you." Tony said grim and returned his attention to the others.
…maybe I should confide in someone who could help me make a decision, I thought. But who?
"Hey Tony!"
I looked up and blinked. I didn't immediately recognise the brunette who stood next to me. When I noticed the Persian a bell rang.
"Hey!" I smiled, and immediately apologised, "I'm terribly sorry, I forgot your name."
"It's Stephanie," she said, "and I'll only be mad about it if you won't buy me dinner tonight."
Great, like I didn't have enough trouble already. Not that I didn't want to buy her dinner, but…
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight," I sighed, "but I don't know yet."
"Well, in that case," she nodded, "I will be mad."
"How about next week?" I tried.
Well, of course I tried, she was a looker.
"Then I'll stay mad until next week," she smiled, "how come you can't tonight, if I may ask?"
I know I said I wanted to confide in someone, but I didn't know her, and I would rather confide in Allan, so I hesitated a bit to answer.
"I'm sorry," I shook my head when I couldn't think of a good lie, "personal problems."
"I hope nothing serious."
Well, serious was the word David had used, so…
"I'm afraid so," I sighed, "you see…"
Well, she didn't know who I was, so maybe I could tell her without revealing too much information…
"Hey Tony!"
Fuck!
"Hey Allan, what's up?" I tried to grin.
"I'm fine," he said while he pushed his glasses back on his nose, "hey, who's your friend?"
"She's…" I started, but Stephanie interrupted me.
"Leaving. You sure you can't go sooner than next week?"
"I'm sorry," I said, "but I might go back to Kanto for a while, so…"
"See you next time," she said as she turned and walked away, "but, you better remember my name then."
"Wow, that was a good looking girl," Allan grinned as he said next to me, "you two good friends? Think you could introduce me?"
"What for?" I asked him as I raised my eyebrows, "you should wait to talk like that until you hit puberty."
"Hey!" he scowled, "I'm seventeen, you know."
"And still not old enough to shave…" I sighed.
"It's not like you could entertain her if you're going back to Kanto…" he grumbled.
"That's not decided yet."
"Why are you going back to Kanto anyway?" Allan asked.
"…Personal business," I answered after some hesitation.
I know I said I would confide in Allan, but I changed my mind, okay?
"Okay," he said quietly, "I won't insist then."
He went quiet for a while, which gave me time to think.
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I heard Allan laugh at some kid who yelped when a Venonat jumped out of the grass and grinned. Normally it would have been me who laughed. I had a life here. This was me now. I didn't have to go back…
"That looks like a nice ring."
Allan had startled me and I looked down at my hands. I had been turning the ring around my finger subconsciously.
"You didn't have that back in Kanto, did you?" he asked as he stopped a vendor to buy some candy, "I mean I don't remember you wearing it."
"I… had it," I said, "but I didn't wear it…"
"Want something?" Allan asked as he gave his money to the vendor.
"Huh? Sure, you buying?"
"For the moment."
"Chocolate bar with nuts," I told the vendor, "no, I didn't wear it then. Somebody… kept it safe for me…"
"Wow, wish I had a ring like that," he said as he opened a package of gummy bears, "it looks like a nice ring."
"Yeah, it is…" I said as I watched the ring.
Fuck, I had no idea what I was to do, but I knew the answer lied within me. What to do when you have the answers but don't know the questions? Go to a guy who knows his way around questions! Time for another visit to that sweeper in the Sprout Tower.
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I said my goodbyes to Alan and left the park at the east entrance. I decided to walk the way (I know I was gonna regret it), but I had to clear my head. I couldn't concentrate enough to ride my bike. I had just started walking when I suddenly heard a sound. I looked up and checked my surroundings. I could still see the entrance of the park in the distance, but for the rest trees and bushes surrounded me. Hmm, it was probably some pokémon, now what was around here? Oh yeah, Growliths probably. So I wasn't really surprised when a doglike shape stepped out of the… WHAT THE FUCK? I slowly reached for my pokédex, knowing sudden movements would scare it away. I slowly clicked it open while the longhaired dog came closer, looking at my other hand. I glanced down and saw my chocolate bar. I quickly took it out of the wrapper and held it in my open hand. The dog started to eat the bar out of my hand, thoroughly licking it to get all the chocolate. I scanned it with my pokédex and it told me it was a fucking legendary pokémon!
"Wow, your pokédex said fucking?" Ash's eyes grew wide.
"Shut the fuck up, kid."
I slowly put my pokédex back to the pocket at my belt and wondered what I was going to do next. Since it was finished with the bar, he had stopped licking and looked at me. I tried to pet it on the head, and surprisingly succeeded. With my other hand, I went over my pokéballs, wondering if I would try to weaken it by fighting, or try to capture it like this. I mean, it was practically presenting itself! Of course, if it broke free, there would be hell to pay, but then again, I'm familiar with hell. I got out an empty pokéball and tried to capture it. One flash, two flashes, three… RED LIGHT!
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"YES!" I shouted as I raised my arms, "I CAUGHT A FUCKING ENTEI!"
But then it hit me.
"FUCK!" I shouted, still with my arms raised, "I CAUGHT A FUCKING ENTEI!"
My life, as I knew it, was over.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Misty frowned, "you should be glad for capturing a legendary pokémon. Most people hardly even see one, and you've captured two!"
"I know, that was why I was so euphoric. But unfortunately," Tony explained, "I tried to stay hidden from professor Oak, so as long as I didn't mess with my stored pokémon, nobody would have any idea where I was, so I could never have more than six pokémon at my side, since a seventh would transfer automatically to my store box, giving Oak my whereabouts. And since I had four pokémon, Blaster, War, Turtle and Frostbite, I had two empty slots I could use for my profession. And I really needed those two slots. I had sometimes even regretted I had only two, but now I had five pokémon, making my profession a bit harder, if not to say, impossible."
"Then why didn't you just release it?" Gary asked.
"Are you fucking insane? It's a legendary pokémon!" Tony shrieked.
I
I returned to the park in a bit of a depressed mood, and sat next to Allan who was still feasting on candy. I now had no other option but to return to Kanto and come out in public again. Well, get out of hiding anyway, I don't know, there's something surrealistic to say in plain public you want to come out in public again. Anyway, I'm straying. I thought for a second, but not anymore about my predicament. Now, I thought, if I really wanted to torture myself.
"Allan?" I sighed, silently deciding I must be masochistic.
" 'esh?" he said with a mouth full gummy bears.
"What are you doing the next couple of days?"
" 'o'in'," he shrugged.
"Want to come with me to Kanto?"
"Sure," he said after he had swallowed the gummy bears, "guess I should return anyway."
"Perfect, but first we have to make a small detour."
"Okay, what kind of detour?"
"The big kind."
"You said small," Allan frowned.
"I did, but that's because you can't say that you have to make a big detour."
"That's true," he agreed, "so, how big are we talking about?"
"First we'll have to make a stop in Cianwood."
Hey, I still had one slot open, and I was determined to fill it before I went back.
"The furthest away from Kanto? Guess detours don't come any bigger than that."
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AN: I'm sorry for pressuring you for leavin reviews, I realised my Review History is permanently "currently disabled" but I thought that was just me. So it's kinda natural less reviews are made since you can't tell when I've just updated, but I normally update every two weeks (since I still have other things to do during my life like "work"). But this of course doesn't mean you shouldn't leave a review when you read this! REVIEW DAMNIT! Please?