The Change Of His Life!
A sequel to "My Son, the Lugia."
Synopsis: Ash Ketchum goes to Shamouti Island to answer questions raised by the events in "My Son, The Lugia," and gets more proof than he ever expected!
Chapter OneThe Search for Answers.
Male Ash had closed the Pallet Town gym, and decided that he and his family needed a six-week holiday on Shamouti. It was good timing, for the two-week Legend festival fell smack-bang in the middle of the six weeks. Male Ash had another agenda, however, that he had confided to his wife.
Earlier that summer, he had been engaged in an argument with Gary Oak, and Gary Oak had pushed Ash too far. Ash had felt enraged. He had been about to call him some choice names, storm over and wipe the smug grin off his face with a well-placed right hook. He didn't care that his mother was in the back door entrance and would see the whole thing. However, when he'd opened his mouth to utter some of the aforementioned choice names, an Aeroblast had shot out and hit Gary Oak square in the chest. No-one was more shocked then Ash (except perhaps Gary) but oddly enough, Gary had avoided him ever since.
His mother had contacted the island, and then informed Ash that somehow-and she couldn't remember how herself-Lugia was Ash's father. Ash was finding it very difficult to believe. Ash had decided to go to the island, confront Tobias, (and even Lugia if it came to that) and find out how, why, and even if it was true-although he couldn't imagine how else he had produced an Aeroblast. On the other hand, neither could he imagine just how Lugia had turned out to be his father. Just the thought of Lugia and his mother…..together….. made him squirm.
The ferry made land in Shamouti, and the three Ashes got off. The owner of the guesthouse they were staying at, Mrs Farraday, was waiting for them, and walked back with them to the guesthouse and showed them their rooms.
"Tobias has said that he wants you to come and see him at eleven tonight." Mrs Farraday said. "He said he will talk to you about it, and if he can't convince you, he can contact somebody who can. And Ash, you've got to go alone."
Male Ash had no problems with this. It had been difficult enough to confide in his wife about what his mother had told him.
Baby Ash and Female Ash went off to swim in the lagoon during the day, and Male Ash spent the time preparing the questions he wished to ask Tobias and this mysterious "other" if need be. Time flew, and at eleven that night, Male Ash was being ushered into Tobias' and Adele's home, given the comfiest seat in the place, and offered a drink. Ash shook his head, waving away the glass Adele was offering.
"No, that stuff you brew will addle my brain. I want a clear head tonight." he said.
"This is just fruit juice. We know you don't want to drink tonight, particularly not if we need to take you to the only one who can provide irrefutable proof of what we say." Tobias said.
"So why, and how?" Ash asked.
"Well, for the Chosen One to be the one in whose hands the spheres will glow, he must be special. He must have the blood of royalty, the King of the Sea, the Guardian of the Oceans, running in his veins. Of course, the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will all have enough of it, even if it dilutes over time, but at some point, the bloodline will become too thin, and must be refreshed. Your mother happened to be visiting Shamouti Island at the time, and I have kept the records of the Chosen Ones and their descendants for more than forty years now. I noticed that your mother had a "look" about her, and checked the records, and sure enough, there she was."
"A "look?" What do you mean?" asked Ash.
"Not everyone can see one of the "Sea-Touched", as we call them." Tobias said. "I could, and that is why I was made record-keeper. It's something about their eyes. Anyway, when she walked out of our house in the might under a trance, I knew what was happening. She was the great-great-great-granddaughter of one of the earlier Chosen Ones-one who was never called upon to perform that duty-and it was time for the bloodline to be refreshed."
"A trance? Is that why Mum can't remember?" asked Ash. Tobias nodded.
"Some people are pretty squeamish on the subject of Pokemon-human relations of that sort." Tobias said. "Lugia feels it is better that those he calls have no memory of the event. It's usually a closely-guarded secret known to just a few of us Islanders, but we had to tell your mother after your little-dispute-with your neighbour."
"I want to see these charts!" Ash said. Tobias nodded, and Adele went upstairs.
"You say you can see something about the eyes of the…Sea-Touched?" asked Ash. Tobias nodded.
"Yes." He said.
"Is that why you picked me out on the beach that day in 2000?" Ash asked. Tobias nodded again.
"I knew you had to be the Guardian's son. It was obvious in your eyes, the intensity of your gaze." He looked at Ash closely. "There's even something of him in the set of your mouth."
"Great, I look like a Lugia, do I?" muttered Ash.
At that moment, Adele came down with a huge sheaf of parchment. Tobias showed Ash the top sheet, which had deteriorated so badly that the print was unreadable.
"That's not a problem." Tobias said. These records stretch back for centuries. All we need is the records for the generations stretching back six generations or more." He found a particular entry, featuring the name of some woman, with a line connecting her to a printed Lugia-shape. "Your great-great-great-great grandmother." Tobias told him. He followed the lines down with his fingers, showing Ash great uncles, aunts, grandparents, until he reached a familiar name. "Delia Ketchum." He read. It was connected by a line-like his four times great grandmother-to a print of a Lugia. Descending from this was a line leading to his own name. He followed the line leading to his wife, and was surprised to see that she was connected by a straight line to another bunch of descendants. Tobias nodded as Ash stared at him. "Follow the lines up." He said. Ash did, and got a shock.
"We're related?" he asked. Tobias nodded.
"Yes. Very distantly, of course. She, like your mother, is a sixth-generation Sea-Touched." Ash looked at Tobias, then stood up suddenly.
"No way! He'd better not dare! He's had my mother and he's not having my wife too!"
"He doesn't need to, don't you worry, she has you, and his line in your blood is more than strong enough. As long as you have some offspring-and you have one son already-the need will not arise for another six generations. In fact, as your wife is Sea-Touched, the Lugia part of your bloodline may stay strong a little longer."
"How do I know that these are accurate, or true?" Ash asked. "You said you knew someone who could give me irrefutable proof. I want it. Take me to them!"
Adele and Tobias exchanged a look that Ash couldn't read, and then Tobias nodded.
"You can, as I recall, swim?" Tobias said. Ash nodded.
"But-why?" he asked. "What has that got to do with anything?"
"Because the only one who can give you irrefutable proof lives in the sea." Tobias told him.
Ash took a whole two seconds to work it out. "You mean-Lugia has this proof?" Tobias nodded.
"Then what are we waiting for? Maybe I can see Lu again." Ash said, referring to the young offspring of the two Shamouti Lugias.
"Your little half-brother." said Tobias. Ash's mouth hardened.
"We'll see." He said sceptically.
"This may take some time, he warned me." Tobias said, handing Ash a loose set of shorts. "Wear these, they'll serve as trunks.
They walked down to the shore, and Tobias took out two items-a glowing silver feather on a necklace, and a flute similar to the one Melody had. Tobias put the necklace on, and began playing a slow version of the Lugia song tune that Melody had played. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but then the dark waters ahead of them parted, and the head of a Lugia, on the end of a long neck emerged. Without even giving Ash or Tobias a chance to speak, Lugia dropped his head down, grabbed the front of Ash's shorts gently but firmly in his mouth, and pulled Ash under the waves before he could even cry out. Tobias and Adele, as surprised as anyone, waited to see if Ash would resurface, but all that floated up was the shorts.
Tobias and Adele exchanged a look, and Tobias said "It's in the wings of the Guardian now, and I know the Guardian will not harm him. We should go home."
"I hope his family will see him again soon." Adele said. "After all, Lugias live for centuries. Who knows how long "some time" is to a Guardian?"