"Dad," A.J. spoke quietly.
"What?" Ash's voice was reduced to a ragged whisper.
"Maybe Mom just took Riviera and Jace with her to Professor Oak's to heal your Pokémon."
Trying to compose himself, Ash nodded weakly. Even though he could not push the uneasy thoughts to the back of his mind, he knew his son had to be right...He had to be...
But, somehow, he didn't think he was.
"You and Pikachu go check the house to make sure they are gone. I'll go look to see if Misty left a note." Stepping over the shattered remains of the antique vase—an heirloom—that his mother had given him and Misty for their wedding anniversary the year before, Ash Ketchum determinedly made his way into the kitchen. He first scanned the refrigerator quickly, then more slowly.
Colorful pictures, Pokémon magnets, and cheerful photographs adorned the refrigerator, but no note signed by his beloved wife was to be found. Calming himself down, Ash checked the spotless kitchen table, the floor, the counters, anywhere that Misty might have left some clue of her departure.
After thoroughly looking over the kitchen, Ash moved back to the living room, where his oldest son and his Pikachu met him. "I can't find them, Dad."
"Look outside," was the Pokémon Master's reply.
Nodding, A.J. and Pikachu disappeared. Growing more frantic by the minute, Ash hurried his search, hoping, wishing, praying...
Still nothing.
Looking down at the confused baby Pokémon, Ash blinked his eyes free of moisture. He couldn't fall apart. He would find his wife and children, no matter what the cost.
They're gone, Smoochum informed Ash psychically.
Shaking his head in denial and finally giving in to the urge he had hoped to avoid, the Pokémon Master transformed into a Mew, whizzing throughout the house faster than the eye could see, Psychic powers stretched to their fullest.
When he returned to the living room where the young creatures waited for him, he was in the form of a solid black Arcanine, brown eyes flashing and nose twitching. He morphed back into his human form with a gruff growl of frustration, "Gone."
A.J. and Pikachu entered the house. "We looked everywhere, Dad."
"Pi," the sorrowful electric rat nodded in agreement.
"Gone," Ash repeated, staring at the phone. He quickly grabbed it, about to dial the police or even Professor Oak, but paused. What if she had talked to one of his friends right before she left? What if the note had gotten lost, or Misty had simply forgotten to leave one? He knew Misty wouldn't be that careless, but nonetheless...
Snarling in frustration, Ash Ketchum directed his call to someone who had unexpectedly turned out to be a great friend: Gary Oak.
"Ash!" Gary grinned at him. "Didn't expect to hear from you today."
"Have you talked to Misty lately?" Ash went straight to the point.
"No. Why?"
"She's gone, the kids are gone, and my Pokéballs are gone."
"I'll ask Gramps about it, and then I'll be right over," Gary's face disappeared.
Ash dialed up Brock next.
Looking rather ruffled, Brock answered. "Yes?" Professor Ivy appeared by his side.
A similar process was repeated, again with the same results, except since Brock didn't live in Pallet Town like Gary it would take him longer to get to Ash's place.
"I might not be here, but I'm sure someone will," Ash told Brock.
"All right."
A.J. watched in numb shock as his frantic father called Jessie and James. Both Ketchums knew that something bad had happened, but neither wanted to admit it aloud. A.J. moved his chin slightly to look across the room at his suddenly-not-so-defiant Pichu, who was sitting quizzically beside the other Egg Pokémon. A.J. moved his eyes back to the videophone screen as the former Team Rocket members informed him that they did not know where Misty, Meowth, or the Mews were, said they would get a babysitter, call A.J.'s grandparents, and rush over.
Gary came in without knocking, and Ash immediately hung up the phone and grabbed a jacket.
"Has Professor Oak—?" Ash looked hopeful.
"No."
"Call the police. I'm going out to look for them."
Knowing enough not to protest, Gary Oak went straight for the phone. Ash looked down at the hopeful yellow mouse. "Come with me, Pikachu. A.J., you stay here with the other Pokémon."
"But—"
"Do it!" Ash was out the door. A.J. soon followed with a herd of baby Pokémon.
"We're coming with you."
"You can't—"
"Dad," A.J.'s eyes flashed, "we're coming."
Sighing, Ash recognized the stubborn streak that his son had inherited from him. He looked down at the Egg Pokémon. "Can you keep up?"
There was a chorus of affirmatives in various Pokélanguages. Knowing that he couldn't prevent them from going, Ash immediately switched back to his sable Arcanine form. "Arc!" he snarled, nose to the ground, sniffing so harshly that A.J. was almost afraid that he would snort a patch of grass up his nose.
A.J. transformed into the only form he knew how to: a Mew. The ashy Arcanine began to frown since the boy had not asked for permission, but the frown was annulled by a smile which was brought on by the sight of a sable, brown-eyed Mew wearing his old cap. A cap which had gotten Ash through the bad times and the good.
Sighing and bringing his head back to the ground, he finally got a fresh scent. He howled to inform the others, and was off like a flash.
The three Electric-types kept up easily, and with his Psychic powers A.J. helped Magby, Smoochum, Cleffa, and Igglybuff when they had trouble, which basically meant they were hovering along in the air nearly the entire time.
Ash stopped, craning his neck upwards, nostrils flaring. Then he hung his head dejectedly. The scent was gone.
Pikachu tottered forward, pulling on Ash's black fur. "Pi." Brown eyes turned inquisitively. The electric Pokémon held up a piece of paper on which two spaced apart triangles without bottoms with a sort of rainbow-like curve in between had been scribbled in black. In the corner it had a picture of a Pokéball, which was on all of the paper from Jace's Make-Your-Own-Pokémon Kit.
The Arcanine sniffed it, just to make sure it was his son's, then with a heavy sigh he transformed back into his human form. "It's Jace's, all right. But what does it mean?"
His yellow Pokémon shrugged, "Pikachu."
"We'll keep a look-out for your wife, Mr. Ketchum," Officer Jenny tried to soothe Ash.
"For all the good it'll do," he muttered.
Ignoring him, she continued, "How about you take your son, your friends, and your Pokémon out to get something to eat while we continue to look for clues?"
"Oh, only the Pikachu and Pichu are ours. My son found the rest of them in a bag out in the forest."
"In a bag, hmm?" Officer Jenny appeared to be pensive. "Well, they might've been Pokénapped from their owner, and somehow lost. I'll keep an eye out for anyone missing a—"
"Magby, Igglybuff, Elekid, Smoochum, and Cleffa," A.J. offered quickly.
"Right," she agreed, writing it down. "Do they have any distinguishing tags or markings?" Ash stared at her. "I had to ask!" she exclaimed defensively. "Well," Officer Jenny sighed, "I'm afraid we have no place to keep those baby Pokémon-"
"We'll take care of them!" Ash's son volunteered, getting a frustrated look from his father. The last thing they needed were five Egg Pokémon to take care of.
"That will be great!" Jenny smiled, finally shooing them away. "Go to your mother's house, Mr. Ketchum," she suggested.
"Oh, all right."
The group moved outside, where Jessie, James, Brock, and Gary awaited them. "Well?"
"We're going to Grandma's house!" A.J. piped up. "You can come, too, if you want!"
And so they did. Giovanni answered the door. "Hello, son. Your mother and I have been expecting you."
The woman he was speaking about stepped forward, enveloping her adult son in the same type of hug she gave him when he was ten years old. "Oh, Ash! I'm so sorry to hear what happened!"
"You and me both, Mom," he said softly.
"I know my Ashy boy never tires of eating, so I fixed you and your friends quite a feast!" she beamed.
"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum," Brock brightened up a little bit.
"Professor Oak will be over soon. He has a few things to do, first," Giovanni's wife ushered them all to the table, where there were places already set. "Give me a minute!" She flew into the kitchen.
Ash gave his father an inquisitive look. Giovanni shrugged, "It's her way of handling with stress. Humor her."
Seeing the glum look on his trainer's face, Pikachu darted into the kitchen, coming out with a ketchup bottle, clinging to it like a life line. He walked over to Ash slowly, lifting up the red bottle, "Pi."
The Pokémon Master gave a small smile, "That's okay, Pikachu. You can have it."
Almost delighted at not having to share, though still depressed about the disappearance of Pikachu-pi and two of her and Pika-pi's children, Pikachu started gushing down the bottle, then looked at the six Egg Pokémon which were staring at him. Reluctantly, Pikachu held up the ketchup offeringly, "Pi..."
The others looked a little uneasy about taking away the electric rat's favorite food, all except for Pichu, who rushed up and grabbed the bottle, instantly trying to empty all of its contents into its mouth. "Pika!" Pikachu scolded, snatching it back and bopping the little yellow mouse over the head with it. "Pi!" He gestured to the others. Magby came up first, mouth opened. Pikachu squirted some in the Fire-type's mouth, but Magby made a face. Magby didn't like ketchup.
Cleffa came next, thinking the liquid was okay, but not the best, then Igglybuff, with the same opinion, then Elekid who enjoyed it but didn't want very much, and finally Smoochum, who disliked it with a passion. The whole time, Pichu stared at them all sourly. Ash's Pokémon squirted some into its hand, and offered it to Pichu, who turned its head aside with a snobbish "Pich."
Elekid toddled over, sheepishly, "Kid?" Pikachu held out his paw, and Elekid took the red condiment and stuffed it in its mouth. "Elek."
Ash stared at them all unseeingly. As wonderful as they were, new Pokémon could not replace the family that had been stolen from him.
