I don't own Pokemon

Chapter 42: Pokemon, Cravings, and Legends

After Ash and Aaron were defeated by Agatha, they decided to head on to Pallet. They had two months to prepare for the Pokemon League.

But first,

"How about we train on Seafoam Island for a while before we get too lazy?" Andy suggested.

"Resort side or wilderness side?" Aaron asked.

"Resort of course. Have to let the girls have some fun."

"What about us?" Brock and Andy asked.

"Yeah. Might as well have the guides and chefs have some rest as well." Aaron said jokingly.

"Nice to know that's how you think about us." Brock said.

"Yeah. Without us, they'd be lost and hungry."

"I was being sarcastic, but you do make a good point." Brock said to the other eighteen year old.

"You know, we can leave you in Pallet Town to take care of Mom during those mood swings." Ash told him.

"To Seafoam Island!"

0000

On the island,

"I bet you two love this kind of training." Andy said as he watched the Pokemon play.

"Yeah. Even Lance agrees with us." Ash told him

"You mean "Uncle Lance"?" Misty corrected him.

"Right. I'm just so used to hiding it from you guys, I sometimes forget."

"Hey Ash."

"Yeah Aaron?"

"What all Pokemon do you have? You always seem to have new ones every time I turn around."

"Pot. Kettle Again."

"We have to learn to stop that."

"Right. Anyway. Pikachu, Eevee, Kingler, Heracross, Charizard, Noctowl, Bayleef, Butterfree, Croconaw, Phanpy, Quilava, Snorlax, Tauros, Bulbasaur, Dratini, Pidgeot, Larvitar, Jigglypuff, Squirtle, Primeape, Chancey, and a Nidoran Male. You?"

"Static, Eevee, Iglybuff, Pidgeot, Charizard, Feraligatr, Butterfree, Beedrill, Dratini, Clefairy, Gastly, Tauros, Lapras, Ditto, Unown, Tyrouge, Bellosom, Nidorino, Nidorina, Graveler, and Typholsion."

"Ok. I've known about all except the last eight."

"Hey. I used to also have a Togepi." He added with a glare aimed at Marie.

"Is it MY fault your Togepi likes me better?" Marie added innocently.

"Yes. If it didn't know about my feelings for you at the time and my stubbornness, it would still belong to me."

"If you had gone on and told me your feelings, then it would be."

"I was eleven!"

"Anyways. About the last eight?"

"The Unown I'm letting Marie study. As for six of them, besides Static, they're my strongest. And I found use for the Sun Stone."

"The Bellosom?"

"Right. And if I knew I'd be facing Agatha and Uncle Lance, then I'd have Typlosion with me."

"Sure."

"Really. I found a sick Cyndaquil before I met Andy and it took a liking to me. It was my first capture."

"I believe you. I was just giving you a hard time."

"Thanks a lot."

"Why didn't you use them in the Silver Conference?" Brock asked.

"To train my others."

"Makes sense." Ash said.

0000

A month later,

It was a bright and beautiful day in the small town of Pallet. Since it was a Sunday, Daniel Ketchem had the day off. However, he wished he didn't.

"I thought she was bad with the twins." He said walking home from the grocery store. "I mean, c'mon. Strawberry ice cream and PICKLES! YUCK!"

"Mime Mime. Mr. Mime" (Don't let her hear you.)

"That's why I volunteered to go get it. Why didn't you stay home?"

"Mr. Mime" (Same reason)

"You wanted to make funny faces at the thought of the combination?"

"Mime" (Yes)

"Well, it'll only get worse. When Delia was pregnant with the twins, once she craved…"

"MIME!" (YUCK!)

"DAD!"

"Ash! Aaron!"

The two boys ran towards their father from the direction of the coast and into his arms.

"I can't believe you're back already."

"Hi Mr. Ketchem." The rest of the gang finally caught up to the twins.

"Hi kids. What brings you back so soon?"

"We were going to be a month earlier, but SOMEONE wanted to go to Seafoam Island." Aaron said.

"At least we were on the resort side this time." Andy defended himself

"Hey Dad?"

"Yes Ash."

"What did you get?" he asked pointing at the grocery bag.

"Well, you mother had started her cravings." He put it simply.

"What did she want?" Aaron asked.

"Trust me. You don't want to know. And you don't want to say it's disgusting in front of her. Last time I did that, I had a black eye for a week"

"Ouch"

0000

When they got home, Mrs. Ketchem was ecstatic to see her two boys again. She became even happier when she saw the ice cream her husband got her. When the kids figured out what she was craving, they very quickly excused themselves and ran upstairs.

"How can she EAT that?" Ash said.

"Well. Once Dad told me that Mom craved Sushi and French Toast at the same time before she had us."

"Not even I would eat that."

"Maybe we should have asked ourselves what we craved when we went into the future." Marie whispered to Misty.

"Probably. That way we could warn the boys."

Then, they decided to change the subject.

"Do you think we'll tie again for this?"

"I'm not sure Ash. Maybe."

"By the way. How are you coming on the book Grandpa gave us?"

"I'm done"

"What book?"

"Just a journal of our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great uncle." Ash explained without the full detail.

"Ash has the painting of him in the closet." Aaron told them.

"Thank you Mr. Big Mouth."

"What are brothers for?"

"Let's see it." The other four said.

"Ok."

Ash went over to his closet and unlocked it. He then dug through the comics, clothes, and other nick-nacks when he pulled out the painting.

The others looked closely at it.

"Wow." Misty said

"What's with the scepter?" Andy asked

"What happened to him?" Marie asked

"I don't know. The journal stops before that. But it did mention this pokemon I've never heard of."

"What pokemon is that?" Marie asked

"Hold on." Aaron said as he pulled out the journal and turned to a page that he had already read.

"Here it is. Today, Lucario and I are going to live at Aldoran Castle to do some training. Lucario is coming along with his training, but he still needs to believe in himself. I have faith in him. I believe he will make a great "Hero of the Wave" when and if the time comes. Hopefully, we will not need to take drastic action to stop this war."

"So the pokemon is Lucario?" Brock asked.

"I think I heard a legend concerning that pokemon." Marie said.

"What do you know about it?" Aaron asked his girlfriend.

"This wave-user named Aaron lived at Aldoran Castle in Rota at a time of war with Queen Leen and his pokemon. One day, the two sides decided to use the castle as a battle field and Aaron and his pokemon disappeared. Legend goes that Queen Leen believed that Aaron had used the power of the Tree of World's Origin to stop the war. But whatever happened, it worked. The war stopped and Aaron and his top pokemon were never seen again."

"I remember the last entry saying something about if the next battle can't be stopped, he would take drastic action" Ash said.

"We think the only way to get the true story is to go to Rota." Aaron told them.

"How long have you two been planning this?" Misty asked almost dangerously.

Ash and Aaron thought.

"Since last time we were in Pallet."

"AND YOU TWO ARE JUST NOW TELLING US?" the girls screamed.

"Is everything ok in there?" Delia knocked on the door before opening it.

Ash quickly put the painting back in the closet and shut the door just before his mother stepped in.

"Everything's fine Mom. We were just talking about plans after the league."

"Ok. Well, dinner will be ready in a half and hour."

"Thanks Mom."

TBC

Preview:

"Aaron?" the girl asked while approaching Ash.

"No. I'm Ash. That's Aaron." Ash pointed at his twin brother.

"Kira?"

"Talk about long time no see. How have you been?"

"I've been ok. Some ups and downs, but who doesn't have those?"

"That's good. Have you heard from the others?"

"Tom quit his first day and Greg is off in Hoenn."

"Hey Aaron. Care to let us in on the conversation?"