Hey everyone! Welcome back to the story, and a huge milestone to this dynamic fanfiction. This chapter I will hit 150,000 words! I know! It's unbelievable to think I came this far with this story with this amount of devotion. And speaking of devotion, to those who have been with me since the start, thank you so much. I love each and every one of ya'll!
I'm more than just a little relieved I was able to follow through on my promise, so thanks for everyone for sticking with me.
There's just one or two things below I need to address, and that should be it. You all have waited patiently enough for me, so I won't delay you much more. As a thank you for waiting nearly two months longer than my usual upload time, I hope you enjoy my longest chapter EVER! Please follow, favorite, and review the story! Let's keep the grind up boys!
Before I go any further, I want to address a review I got from a guest. As you all know, while I always respond to reviews and PM's from people with FF accounts, I do not respond to guest reviews unless I have a very good reason to do so. One of those reasons came up this past chapter, and I wanted to give a direct shoutout to Marine Cpl. Shippee for taking the time to review on my story.
I don't generally do shoutouts like this, but I want you to know that I respect you for the sacrifices you make every single day to defend your country, and those people that take those sacrifices for granted don't deserve you. Whether or not your review was legit, thank you for your service. Words can't describe the thanks I feel because of you, and all people like you, and what you give up to us every single day.
This is the least I can do for those who risk their lives every day for us
This chapter is for you Corporal.
Let us Begin.
LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 19
Last Chapter…
As Tangrowth slowly got to its feet thanks to its commendable effort, Ghost called across the field to Erika. "That was an improvised Psystrike, Ms. Gym Leader." She looked at the man with mixed emotions. There was little doubt in her mind that this trainer would win the tournament. His tactics, his strategies, his raw power, and his Pokémon… they were just off the charts in terms of… well… everything.
She knew Psystrike was not meant to be used like that. It was meant to surround the Pokémon and then attack. He had a plan for everything. He knew why she had used Sunny Day; he knew how to sell the trap… it was seemingly hopeless. She hadn't the foggiest idea why this trainer had gone around so quietly, he was truly powerful, and had an endless reservoir of strategies to back it up.
"There is no shame in admitting defeat when the time is right." A voice called up from across the way. Ghost was once again speaking to her.
"We both know Tangrowth cannot defeat my entire team. Sometimes, defeat is the right move. Do not be ashamed to concede for the greater good of your Pokémon." Ghost said. Erika bit her lip, knowing she was caught in a pickle. Tangrowth did look like it was beaten and battered, and it had only been hit with one attack!
"Let me point something else out to you…" He pointed up to the sky, indicating the Sunny Day was still in full effect. "Delveon's move Sun Beam increases its power when the sun is high in the sky. As you can see… Sunny Day is about to backfire." Delveon, meanwhile, had its rainbow orb on its head shining brightly, glowing multiple colors. Ash continued his pitch. "At the state your Tangrowth is in, Chlorophyll's speed boost won't be able to save Tangrowth. You know this. You and your Pokémon have fought valiantly, Ms. Gym Leader. Make the right call here."
Erika looked at her Pokémon, who looked back curiously. After a moment, she decided.
"Thank you for the opportunity to battle you Ghost. I will gratefully forfeit the fight." The crowd exploded into cheers as the referee announced.
"Erika Grassal has forfeited the fight for the sake of her Pokémon! Therefore, the winners of the match are Delveon, and her trainer, Ghost!"
Ash was in his room, deep in thought. He was pondering what he was going to about the rest of the traitors. On one hand, part of him honestly wanted to forgive them for what they did… regardless of the fact that they tried to take his life with malicious intent. Still, he couldn't stop thinking that the reason they had was so… stupid. There had to be something else that he could do to battle them.
The problem was, he was fairly certain that he'd need help, and he couldn't take everything on there without at least a little bit of backup. That left him with a difficult choice or two to make. He pictured the upcoming battles in his mind:
Arceus Bracket
Paul Shinji vs Abel Winchine (1)
Max Maple vs Aaron Readkin (2)
Zekrom Bracket
Ghost vs Falkner Corsto (1)
Axel Fractera vs Cynthia Shirona (2)
Yvetal Bracket
Alder Forevaborn vs Xavier Blackmon (1)
Trip Craggier vs Malva Keenfire (2)
Giratina Bracket
Koga Briarwood vs Gary Oak (1)
Lance Dragonwright vs Zandra Polisik (2)
The issue was that he couldn't picture July running the region on her own for a little bit, and because the rest of the elites were in the tournament, he'd have to talk with them to see if they could help him out. He pictured himself against Abel in the Semi-Finals. He mentally scolded himself for being so confident, but it was just how he was. He knew nobody could beat him for at least another round or two. After that, it would really start getting difficult. He knew what he was going to likely have to have to do soon.
He wasn't exactly sure how his elites would take it, but he knew the obstacle that was going to be facing him in the face in just days, hours, or even minutes.
It was time.
He was going to do it.
He was going to reveal himself to May.
He was going to reveal himself to Paul and Gary.
The question was, who else would he reveal himself to?
Present… Enjoy Everyone!
It was morning. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, Pidgey flocks were sweeping the area, chirping loudly. A soft breeze swept through the air, almost romantically. It was a gorgeous morning, to say the least. Ash sat in his favorite spot in the entire league: on top of the roof, where he could see the entire city that he had created.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, he could try and make out figures walking around a great distance away, to no success. However, he could make out the districts nicely. He saw that the high-tech shopping district wasn't bustling yet, but on a weekend this nice, it was just a matter of time. He saw the grocery district and market areas also thriving. He admired the way the ports of ALT City were having so much positive attention. The water sparkled around the ports from the sun, and Ash thoughtfully looked up to the sky, wondering how he got to this point.
Some time had passed since the round of 32. There was a week long period of time where people, trainers and spectators alike, were dormant in activities. In other words, there was a week long period of no battles before everything resumed. Ash found this particular break quite refreshing… for a day or so. Then, he immediately began to realize just how much was piling up on his plate.
First, the break was timed so the media could get an unrealistic amount of interviews off in order to keep the public with something to keep rolling with. So for a day or so, Ash found himself begrudgingly answering various questions, and often times, questions that had little to nothing to do battling whatsoever. An example of this could be when a female reporter with long orange hair and looked as though she was in her late teens questioned his relationship with one May Maple. She looked an odd amount like Misty Waterflower in the eyes of Ash, but he knew it couldn't be her. For one, she was still locked up and awaiting trial. He was fairly certain he was blessed by Arceus in more ways than one, because he hadn't gotten a single complaint about her while being held.
Once questions were done, Ash thought that he may finally have a few days to himself.
How wrong he was.
It seemed the media weren't the only ones trying to use the given break to their advantage. Mr. Goodshow had called a champions meeting in order to talk about the round of 16 and the upcoming events surrounding the tournament. Ash thought about ditching it for a bit, but then realized a couple of problems that could surface if he did.
For one, he had plans of his own that couldn't be interrupted once they were put in motion. These plans would take him out of the region while the tournament was being played. Because of this, if he ditched the meeting and something catastrophic came to light while he was gone, he would surely be thrashed by everyone for not being present. He couldn't let that happen; so he would inform the champions at the meeting.
And it just so happened that, at that exact moment, that Ash was preparing for the meeting, which was to be held in a conference room inside the Pokémon league. Well, preparing may not be the correct word for him. Xavier had drawn the short straw, and been forced to oversee the arrival of the champions and Mr. Goodshow. So, perhaps the more accurate term was 'Waiting.'
His mind drifted off to his plans after this meeting. He had been thinking long and hard about who he was going to reveal himself to and when it would happen. This decision was crucial to the league, to the traitors arrest, and of course, to himself. The more and more he thought about it, the more and more he realized he would need help if he was going to go to Kanto. Part of him thought about asking Team Rocket to assist him, but then he realized it wouldn't be possible.
They were all travelling in Unova at the moment, Jessie attempting to do contests once more, and James taking the gym battle challenge, though not all gym leaders were present there at the exact moment. Meowth was, obviously, tagging along with them, and Ash didn't want to take them off their trip at the moment; they deserved a break for their hard work. Hell, he wouldn't be travelling to Kanto in the first place if not for Meowth and the tape…
He shook his head on instinct, he couldn't think about the tape right now. That was a story for later. His mind was locked into what he knew he would have to do.
The first person he would reveal himself to would not be the one he originally thought; May would have to wait for a small time.
He needed to reveal himself to one or two people that he could take to Kanto without arousing too much suspicion. Who better than Gary and his best buddy Paul?
Ash fought the urge to scratch his head in bewilderment. Since when had Gary and Paul been good friends anyway? He knew it had to have been at least somewhat recent, since he sure as he couldn't remember them knowing each other when he was around. However, since Gary was well aware of the lay of the land in Pallet Town, nobody would question his presence. With Paul being extra muscle to the extra muscle, Ash could get what he needed in Pallet.
The problem was, he needed to get some questions that he had answered before he revealed himself to the two of them. If he rushed into this, he could make a crucial mistake or two that would seriously, or at least could seriously, hurt his chances at playing his hand correctly. He would reveal himself very shortly to the two.
He planned on doing it that very night.
However, he had to set his plan in motion. While still staring out over his city, he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He then proceeded to rip it in half. He wrote separate paragraphs on each one, and although both paragraphs had the same thing on it, neither one would end up in the same hands.
Each message read,
"Thank you for your assistance with Misty Waterflower. I have not had the chance to properly thank you. Please go to this address at precisely 8 o clock tonight. I have set a private reservation for you. I want to thank you in person, as well as your good friend (Gary/Paul) who assisted the both of us. I do hope you're coming tonight. Hope to see you.
Ghost."
His plan was simple, roll through the champions meeting as smoothly as possible, and preferably as quickly as possible as well. However, while this was going on, he would send out both July and Axel to deliver the messages to Gary and Paul, no matter how long it would take the two of them to find them. Ash jokingly would tell them a few hours later than they could have the rest of the day to make out, and that these had been his only orders for the day. Axel would turn a light shade a pink in his cheeks, while July would let out an annoyed huff. They had already long since delivered the messages to their respective recipients.
Once these messages were delivered and, hopefully, both of them showed up, Ash would thank them, and begin his hook, line and sinker, all without looking the least bit suspicious. At least, in his mind, that was how it would go. Ash chose not to dwell on the thought for some reason, somehow thinking the more he thought about it, the more flawed the plan would get.
Either way, Ash would extract information from them, figure out if they were legit or not, and if they were, reveal himself to the two of them, as well as his plan to them, and how they fit into the plan as well. Then, if they agreed, they'd set off for Pallet as soon as possible. Then, it was all up to what happened overseas after that. Time would only tell.
And as if on cue, Zandra spoke from behind him, startling him a bit. "Everyone is waiting for you in the conference room." He stood up and walked to her. He held out both halves of paper, to which she took curiously. "Thank you for telling me. I have a small assignment for you Zan."
She was looking at the papers, not bothering to look up when she retorted. "Don't call me that. What's this for?"
Ash responded. "Find our favorite couple, wherever they are. Tell them that these two need to be delivered to Gary and Paul safely and within three hours, no less. I want these letters directly in their hands, not given to someone else who claims they'll give it to them, I want it to be direct. Use their status as elites to get anywhere, and that if they run into a problem, to contact me. This is important work."
Zandra nodded once, her pink hair still draped over her one eye. She made her exit, and Ash soon followed, intent on going straight to the conference room. He walked down two flights of stairs, then walked down a luxurious-looking hallway filled with paintings of Pokémon and rustic looking wooden-walls. He walked to the very end of the hallway, which took him a couple of minutes to complete. He pushed on the golden handles of the double doors and he stepped through the doorframe.
The conference room was gorgeous, a look of the ocean visible by a giant glass window. The walls shared the same rustic-looking wood, and a few Pokémon painting were in the room as well. In the middle was one giant rounded table, and large, fluffy executive chairs around the table too. Ash grinned, this room had been his personal design. He saw all the Champions look at him, as well as Xavier and Mr. Goodshow.
Ash motioned for Xavier. He whispered in his ear. "Thank you. You are excused." The brown-haired man nodded, usual Black Suit and all still firmly attached. He made his exit with a curt nod to the people still in the room.
Ash turned around and said. "Hello everyone, fancy seeing you all here."
Mr. Goodshow frowned at those words and commented. "Yes Yes, fancy indeed."
Ash waved his hand at the old man. "Not helping. Hey Lance!" He exclaimed loudly, obviously attempting to change the subject. "How's that relationship with Zandra going!?" Nobody else had seen it, but Lance had been about to comment on his entrance and how cheesy it was. However, the comment had come out before Lance could say anything. Instead, he turned the color of his hair and shut up.
Ghost's smirk was clear, and Cynthia was the one who opted to comment on it. "Um… care to elaborate Lance?"
Lance's blush did not leave his face, but he managed to say with a straight face. "No… I don't think I will."
Alder, however, let out a whoop of laughter. "Oh ho ho! This I've got to hear! You're not getting out of this one Lance!"
Mr. Goodshow interrupted. "Actually, he can, because it's not important in the slightest. We're not here to talk about Lance's love life, we're here to talk about the upcoming weeks in this tournament."
Ash interrupted this time and said. "Actually, you all may be, but I'm not."
The entire room turned to face him with bewilderment written all over their faces. Mr. Goodshow's face was the funniest one though, by far. He looked like he was going to make a sarcastic remark but thought better of it.
Or maybe not. "Oh? This wouldn't be the first time you've…" He trailed off when he noticed Ghost looking pointedly at him, as if trying to feed him a message of some sort. Mr. Goodshow was heavily split; on one hand, Ghost had never seemed to listen to him. He wondered why this was. That part of him felt the need to enforce his status of league commissioner on the Alola Champion. However, the other part of him hesitated in a big way. Ghost was, by far, the tournament favorite. He decimated each of his opponents in a big way. And because of this, the league was getting so much popularity that it was staggering to see the increasing ratings.
To add to it, the people of Alola seemed to worship their leader. It was understandable. Ghost had come in when all seemed lost in the region. He then proceeded to take the entire region under his wing and turn it around for the better. Mr. Goodshow wouldn't admit it, but he secretly envied the near flawless work Ghost had pulled off.
After a moment, he sighed and said. "Well then… what is it that you want… more accurately… why are you here?"
The champions, Lance included, were totally shocked at Mr. Goodshow's behavior. He may have been an old man, but he never bowed to anyone, certainly not a somewhat rogue champion with only his own self-interests as his motives to his actions.
Ghost spoke. "Before I tell you what it is I am here for and what I am going to do, I must say something. As you all know, I am very mysterious with my actions, and why I take each one, it is a mystery to everybody as well. I want everyone to know why I do what I do, but I cannot explain until after this tournament. I myself know that nobody here, perhaps with the exception of one or two of you at this table, don't trust me. Here is what I have to say to you all: I don't blame you for that. What I ask of you, though, is that you leave me to my devices for the next week, give or take. This is the "break" period of the tournament, and although I would love to leave without giving any notice, I do believe I've kept you all in the dark long enough. In due time, I will reveal my actions, my motives, and of course…"
He paused for a moment, making a deliberate and dramatic pause for added effect. "… my identity."
That seemed to get the attention of the champions, who were looking at each other in disbelief. Nobody actually seemed to buy in that Ghost would drop his persona after the tournament. Lance himself seemed to be questioning it, and he already knew who Ghost was!
"Forgive me if I sound skeptical, but you're asking us to trust in your judgement when you refuse to share your motives, actions, reasoning, and identity to us, when we are, in fact, your equals." Diantha, who had been eliminated early in the tournament, said with a frown.
Cynthia added. "And we've seen decisions whose reasonings were masked by you multiple times in the past. Things aren't adding up. I'd like to know everything sooner rather than later."
Alder waved his hand in the air dismissingly. "Ahhhh I trust the man! Look at all the good he's done for his region under his control. Clearly he's someone I can trust!"
Steven commented dryly. "You trust anyone Alder…"
But it wasn't up to the champions to make the decision, it was one Mr. Charles Goodshow's call in whether or not to approve of the message. Almost at once, everyone turned to the commissioner who appeared to be close to be taking the bait. He bit his lip and pondered what the best course of action was here. He, like a great portion of his champions, were curious behind the Ghost's actions.
The old man got up from his seat and went to the window and stared out of it, deep in thought. In Mr. Goodshow's mind, there were two different persona's for the Ghost, and it was very odd to think about them both.
On one hand, there was the cold version of Ghost, the version that would shut down and kept secrets from everyone. This was the version that the general public got to see, and as much as it seemed to scare them, they trusted him simply because of his past success and dedication to the region. The team known as Team Skull was frightened by the leader of Alola because of his cold mask that he wore over his face at every moment.
Whenever he was in battle, he became the most feared trainer in the world, and nothing could change that. When you stood opposite to him, all you wanted to do was crumble up and wither into nothingness. He was someone that you never wanted to get on the wrong side of. In the public's eyes, as long as he was commanding the ship, anything was possible because of his cold and angry outside, and yet, they knew he cared for them and wouldn't allow anything less than success. Of course, then there was the other persona of Ghost: The kind person, and the noble leader. The general consensus amongst everyone was that Ghost may look scary, but he was a person who had a good heart. He cared a great amountfor the people he commanded.
The creatures known as Ultra Beasts had rightfully frightened the public and the Ghost had recognized this. Instead of nonchalantly disregarding it or putting it off until later, he gave an official announcement.
He was planning to make a city that would not only inhabit his elites, the Pokémon league, and a prime tourist hotspot, but it would also connect with a place that was called Aether Paradise, a group dedicated to a better world and was firm on protecting Alola and the world from Ultra Beasts. Naturally, at first, the general public had been concerned that these were nothing more than claims. They didn't buy into it, after all, their leader hadn't done too much to win them over yet, so there wasn't much that could be said.
However, as soon as the city's construction plan had been approved, people began to realize Ghost was not one to sit around and wait for things to slowly develop. He wanted to make Alola great. He was commonly seen travelling from city to city, checking on the condition of each of them and seeing what he could do to help.
Mr. Goodshow knew that Alola's beaches, shopping centers, and relatively unheard of Pokémon had the potential to attract brand new trainers and allow him to continue running the Pokémon league at peak efficiency. If Ghost truly wanted to, he could do some serious damage. He needed to tread carefully.
Unfortunately for him, someone else spoke first. "Personally Ghost, I don't think you realize what position you're in here. If Mr. Goodshow wanted, he could kick you out of the league altogether, I think you should give him a little more respect than what you've been doing so far." Cynthia said, crossing her arms in front of Ghost defiantly.
Mr. Goodshow paled profusely. "N-now Cynthia… let's n-not—" He was cut off by Ghost. "Are you sure about that Ms. Shirona? Because the last I checked, as the latest region to join a Pokémon league, and as this region's champion, I can withdraw my region from your Pokémon league, and would make Alola permanently separate from the Pokémon league." He was looking straight at her with a smirk plastered on his face. To his delight, Cynthia didn't seem to understand how bad that was.
Nor did Diantha. She snorted. "And how exactly is that supposed to threaten us, Mr. Ghost?"
Ash's grin widened. "I'm so glad you asked." He sarcastically remarked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small remote, and after clicking a few buttons, a projector lit up the room. He motioned to the screen. There were a bunch of bar graphs and numbers across the screen.
Upon seeing the champions confused faces, he elaborated. "You see, I was curious, so I decided to dig into the numbers: just how popular was Alola in comparison to other regions? It got me thinking, and I found that the approval ratings of Alola had gone up by a staggering 12% since the start of the tournament to this exact moment. Compared to other regions, that is unbelievable, because the greatest increase of approval in the past five decades had been when Kalos earned its first chance to host a tournament. It went up by 4%."
Diantha smirked. "Well that's nothing out of the ordi—"
Ghost continued. "And after that first intermission, it dropped a whopping seven percent, with the primary reasons being "Lack of Concern for participants friends and family, lack of interest in battle from competitors, etc." Diantha was paling by the second.
Lance interrupted. "Err… maybe we should just—"
Ash wasn't listening though, and continued with a grin. "Alola has the greatest reviews for everything, and unlike the rest of the regions, you don't need to worry about travelling up mountains and victory roads in order to get to our Pokémon league. That gets a good rep for us here, as you can likely imagine."
He finished while nonchalantly explaining. "So, to counter your statement Ms. Shirona, yes, I do believe I hold the upper hand here. I am the champion of this region, host of this tournament. If you believe that you are so high and mighty then let my tournament dominance prove your arrogance wrong. Alola is not to be trifled with, nor are my leaders, my elites, or most especially… myself."
He got into Cynthia's face; grin lost entirely. "Have I made myself clear, Ms. Shirona? Or, do you need to be reminded of who you happen to be getting very close to battling?" He smirked at Cynthia, who appeared to be quite shaken. He slowly took a step away before taking another jab at her. "Of course… that implies Axel won't end your hopes before I get a chance to do so."
Diantha muttered something to Steven, who didn't seem to be listening. But Ghost was. He whirled to Diantha, finger immediately in her face. "And you, you snobbishly arrogant woman—" Her jaw dropped at this. "Two words: Cram. It. I've already made it dangerously clear that all I have to do is cancel this tournament and the world will know just dysfunctional the rest of the league is. All I've ever done is establish that I am the most powerful trainer in this region, and considering you were already eliminated, you hold no more power than the title you earned many years ago. If you and your damn elites didn't have side jobs, maybe the lot of you wouldn't have been blown aside by the competition!"
Diantha finally found her words. "M-Malva is still—"
"A royal waste of space, time, and consideration." He spat at her. "You think I don't know Malva's rather disturbing past that you opted not to include in past reports?" Her eyes bulged open in surprise, clearly not expecting Ghost to know such a thing. And, much to his amusement and cheerful surprise, the rest of the champions turned to her in surprise. Lance, however, first looked to Ghost, awe on his face. "Y-you actually read the reports?"
Ghost snorted. "Yes, I did. I may have opted not come to the meetings, but I didn't neglect my duties as a champion of this region, nor setting an example for all of my people. Diantha here, however, failed to include the little known fact that Malva Keenfire happened to be a member of a very dangerous group known as Team Flare."
The table gasped and Mr. Goodshow whirled to Diantha, shock written on his features. "I-Is this true?!" Diantha sighed and nodded. "I cannot deny it."
Ghost slammed his fist down on the table in disgust. "As Champions, we have jobs to the regions we serve. That job also applies to our elites; they must learn how to set an example to the people. They are supposed to be able to not just defend themselves, but also be able to battle better than anyone else, with the possible exception of the closest people on their left and right."
He mentioned the rest of the champions. "These champions, while not the brightest, the lot of them…" His eyes darted to Cynthia and then to Alder for the smallest of seconds, "Actually are firm-set on keeping up dominant appearances and backing them up by training consistently."
Diantha tried to argue. "What about Alder?! You speak of side-jobs as if they are some sort of plague that must be avoided at all costs. Alder frankly ignores half of our protocol, and leisurely roams the region with nothing to do! How is that responsible?"
Mr. Goodshow was losing his patience on the Kalos champion. "Diantha, you will be—"
Ghost beat him to the punch. "It is quite alright Mr. Goodshow. Let me ask you something, Ms. Champion. Would you say you are confident in your Pokémon's abilities in a fight that you are totally unsure of what Pokémon they have, or what to expect?"
She bit her lip. "Yes." However, Ash had caught the strand of hesitance and fed off it. "There is the hesitance I was looking for; you have doubts. Your Gardevoir is a one Pokémon-wrecking ball. But take away it's mega stone. Take away strategy, and your Gardevoir can easily be overwhelmed. How many battles have you won with Gardevoir outside of using Mega Evolution?"
Her silence told the story. "As I thought." He smirked. "Dragonwright here had an unbreakable bond with Dragonite, one that was forged over countless hours of training, bonding… not acting." He was very angry now; they had the nerve to try and insult him like this; they clearly didn't think before they spoke.
He pointed towards Steven. "His Metagross is possibly the most ferocious steel-type to exist. Does he allow it to doze off? No. Steven here always trains with it, making sure nobody can top it. The only reason he lost was because a trainer with powers that rivaled a champion stood in his path, and someone had to lose."
He then pointed at Cynthia. "As stupid as remarks go, Ms. Shirona had the stupidest. However, there may be no greater threat to other Pokémon than her Garchomp. Type disadvantage or not, it always finds a way to win. While she is investigating archeological sites, Garchomp aids with breaking boulders and clearing a path every time they go exploring."
He looked towards Alder. "And unlike you, Alder finds the time to relax and enjoy his Pokémon's presence. It may not be the best training, but having a clear mind, one devoid of emotions and outside thoughts is possible the most damning thing to have during a battle. A wise man once said: "If you aren't winning, it doesn't mean that you're losing."
Ghost smirked at her, nearly done with his rant. "So let me ask you this: if every other champion at least has a good reason to why they do what they do as an outside job, and how incorporates their Pokémon as well, how do you defend yours? Because all I see is a drama queen who is more obsessed with looking great off the battlefield rather than on it. Until you get that through your thick skull, I'm not even frankly sure why you're here in the first place."
The group was eerily silent as they stared at Ghost, Diantha turning a shade that looked like she had seen a Ghost, literally in this case. Mr. Goodshow quietly broke the silence with a single statement. "What is it you were going to say, Ghost?"
Ghost actually sighed in relief. "In the days before I was the Champion here in Alola, I was in contact with the Kanto region… in multiple ways. Before I came here, I had… unfinished business in certain areas in Kanto and Johto as well. I'll need a week to complete my business, and I'll be out of contact for a short while. My elites, however, will remain here to keep the peace and keep order. Axel will be put in charge until I return."
Lance himself couldn't help but question. "Is this visit business or…" He bit his lip a little and continued. "…personal?"
Ash smirked. "Personal."
Mr. Goodshow looked at Ghost with a calculating glance once more. He weighed both choices inside his mind, and wasn't very hesitant to make his decision.
"Very well Ghost. I grant you your request. You have one week from tomorrow to return home from your mission. We will not contact you in any way, but, you must grant my request that I have."
Ghost looked at the older man with an unreadable glance. "Name it."
"It is a few of them, to be specific. The first is that either way, you must promise me that you will not break off from the league, at least now until the end of this tournament."
Ghost shrugged. "Done."
"The next request I have is a simple one: Notify us of when you return; that isn't much of a challenge is it?"
Lance muttered under his breath. "He has no idea what he's talking about…"
Ghost shot him a look, to which Lance sent back a sheepish smirk. He then turned back to Mr. Goodshow and nodded fiercely. "Agreed. Is there anything else?"
Mr. Goodshow nodded. "And only one." He paused briefly before speaking. "After this tournament has come to an end, after everything has been concluded, and after we complete business here with the tournament, its competitors, and your own business in Kanto, there is something you must do for me."
He walked up to Ghost, a surprising amount of determination laced into his features.
"You must reveal your identity to myself, and the rest of the champions by the tournament's close."
Ghost froze for a split second, seriously beginning to grasp that he would have to show the world that Ash Ketchum did not die that night. He bit his lip, so harshly in fact that he drew blood. He suddenly felt the black band that had been wrapped around his arm at all times begin to gnaw away at the already ruined flesh. It was a sign everyday of why he did what he did; why he fought, why he battled, and why he served.
Ghost looked Mr. Goodshow in the eye and said to him.
"You have my word."
ALT City… A seaside restaurant…
Ghost sat on a pier, sipping a rather light drink. He was pondering the deal he had just made with Mr. Goodshow, and was wondering if he had made the right decision to reveal himself. Naturally, he had made sure he left himself a few outs, but he also knew it wouldn't be wise to take them unless he absolutely had to.
Now that his little operation had been approved by the Pokémon league council, he had completed his step one, though it could've been smoother to say the least. Now, he had a few more steps to complete. The second one, however, was the one that he believed would cause him the most issues.
He was going to finally reveal himself. And after careful consideration, he decided who this would be to:
Gary Oak, and Paul Shinji.
His original plan had been to reveal himself to May. However, time flew by quickly, and he found himself swapping some plans out and accelerating others. The more and more he thought about it, however, if people caught wind that May was leaving with him, it could raise eyebrows across seas. If he left with Gary and Paul, two fellow competitors, it could be regarded as a training retreat over break.
Telling May he would be gone for a week was nothing easy. She had gotten a bit upset, but he promised her he would keep in touch with her discreetly. She wondered what was up with all this secrecy, but she didn't argue it any further. She said she had made some new friends while in ALT city, and that she'd get some much needed "girl time" while he was away. He had jokingly jabbed back at her that he hoped she wouldn't be corrupted by the time he returned.
She had punched him playfully on the shoulder as a response.
Now, he sat on the pier, completely alone, waiting for his companions to arrive. He hoped they would take this alright, but he honestly had no idea how they'd react. Would Gary pass out? Would Paul punch him? Would they reveal to the world that he was, in fact, alive and well? He tried to think the worst wouldn't happen, but in the back of his mind, he knew it could happen.
"Good to see you again Ghost."
The man turned on his chair and saw the duo he was looking for walking towards him.
Ghost didn't move for a second, before grinning and saying. "Hey Gary, Paul. Have a seat I have something to tell you."
Before the two had even spoke or sat down, he said directly. "I'm actually Ash from our old journeys."
Gary was frozen for the briefest of moments before he roared. "WHAT THE—" He then punched him as hard as he could, and Paul threw him off the pier. Paul bitterly responded. "You're worthless Ketchum, completely and utterly worthless."
The words fazed in his ears, and then suddenly he was back to reality. He blinked once or twice, not really comprehending words for a moment or two. He bit his lip and said aloud. "Forgive me, I was in a daydream for a moment."
Paul joked. "The almighty Ghost in his own fantasy land? The press would get a kick out of that."
Gary chuckled and Ghost motioned them to sit down. Gary spoke. "You know, I appreciate you getting our food ready ahead of time and paying for it." Paul opened his mouth to chime in but Ghost held his hand up, effectively silencing them. "Please. It is the least I can do. Enjoy yourselves gentlemen."
Gary and Paul didn't miss the rather mysterious tone in his voice. They had only known Ghost for a short time, but he hadn't ever spoken in that tone to them.
Paul grinned a little. "So Ghost, tell us about yourself."
Ghost craned an eyebrow towards him, as if testing the young man. Paul quickly added. "Anything that you're comfortable sharing of course." The man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and responded. "Well, I'm originally from Kanto."
Gary's eyes widened and he responded cheerfully. "Aye! That's where I'm from! How 'bout it!?"
Ash wasn't thinking when he responded. "I know that."
Paul looked at him in surprise. "You know? How?"
Ash bit his lip and smirked. "I have my ways. I am the champion, after all."
Paul made a face and then nodded. "Suppose I can't argue with that…"
Ash marveled at how Paul had changed from his Sinnoh days. He remembered how they had never gotten along, but on that final day when they had seen each other, Ash knew Paul was on the right path. All it had taken was a single smile for him to see it like that. If only the rest of his so-called friends could be or would ever be like that…
Ash casually sipped his drink again before speaking. "I have a question for you all. I'd appreciate it if you answered with the truth, and only the truth."
Gary and Paul exchanged glances. "Fire away." Gary responded, but Ash could hear the hesitance in his voice. Ghost prepared for reactions.
"What do you know about Ash Ketchum?"
The results were instantaneous. Gary's eyes had bulged out of their sockets for the briefest of seconds, shock laced into his features. Paul's face had dramatically paled, almost to the point that Ash would've believed he was choking. He had restrain himself from laughing. Gary and Paul once more exchanged glances, and after a moment or two Gary finally responded. "Erm… why exactly do you want to know about him?"
Ghost casually played with his drink. "A few reasons, really. Enlighten me of what you know about him."
Paul seemed to be fighting something back in his mind. Ghost, without even looking at him, said. "Care to say something Mr. Shinji?"
Paul's mouth opened and closed, caught totally off guard. Gary, fortunately for him, came to his rescue.
"Ash is a touchy subject for us."
Ghost looked at him. "And the reason for that is?"
Gary looked at Paul before he began to speak. "Because Ash died in a volcano over half a decade ago. We weren't with him when it happened, but what was really suspicious was that his entire friend group was with him."
Paul added. "You know the group of idiots who stole that kids Pokémon that we helped rescue? That was them; Ash's friends."
Gary continued. "We heard about it, and thought it was really odd that they were there in the first place. Why would Ash throw himself into danger without his Pokémon? Why did he not call out Charizard? Why did nobody help him? Why were there so many holes in their story? Why…" Gary held his head low and shook it in confusion.
Paul continued for Gary. "It didn't make any sense. Gary reached out to me and we confronted his friends about it, but they avoided every question we had. It wasn't like they were in mourning or anything, it was like they didn't want to answer anything we had to ask them. It was really off, but then again, it may have been because we were both rivals with Ash at one point and another. That may have put them off."
Ghost sighed and said. "Not what I was asking about."
Paul raised an eyebrow. "It's not?"
Ghost shook his head. "No, why is Ash Ketchum a touchy subject for you?"
Paul and Gary, for possibly the fifth time since they had begun speaking to Ghost, looked at one another, as if silently contemplating what to do. Paul spoke, guilt seeping into his voice.
"I personally feel like Ash didn't accidentally die. I don't know how it could've happened. Ash wasn't some clumsy kid when it happened, he was prepared for anything. The thing is that we were never able to find any information on his death, because his body was never found, as we knew was likely. His friends refused to help us, and nobody else we knew of had anything to say about it." He paused for a moment before speaking again. "I feel guilty because I know Ash would go to hell and back for any of us, and we don't know what to do from here to help him… it's silently haunting us."
Ash studied them with a calculating glance. Paul wouldn't let Ash speak though. "You should answer to us though, why do you want to know about him?"
Ash grinned a little, having formulated an answer to the inevitable question. "The reason I ask is because I had a young woman by the name of Serena Yvonne ask me to track down the ones who supposedly… murdered Ash." Gary's eyes widened. "I knew someone else had to agree with us! Serena is an old friend of Ash's, but…" His eyes darkened. "Wasn't she… part of the group that backstabbed him? Why would she want you to investigate the group she was a part of?"
Ghost replied. "It would seem not everything is at is appears. I do not know what has become of Serena as of late, but I'm sure she will turn up. She has not been responding to my texts, so perhaps she is visiting family. I hear she values it quite a bit…" He discretely send the two a hint to what could've happened, but neither one got it, since they didn't know the information that Ghost had.
Paul spoke to Gary. "We should find Serena and give her our help. If she really was on Ash's side, we need to get her side of the story. Maybe she has opinions we should know about."
Gary shrugged. "Definitely couldn't hurt."
Paul looked back at Ghost, who was grinning. "What's so funny?"
Ghost's grin didn't leave his face. "Tell me, if Ash truly was murdered by his so called friends, what would you do to avenge him?"
Paul blinked. "I mean, I'd obviously want to bring those bastards to justice. There's nothing else I'd want more if that's the case." Gary added in. "That makes two of us; Ash made us both better people as a whole and the fact that someone could be low enough to try and do something so horrible makes me sick."
Ghost was quiet. "Let me ask you something else: what would you do if Ash was still alive? Would you do anything to help him?"
Gary's response was instant. "Absolutely, so long as it's legal." Ash bit back a grin and turned to Paul. "And you?"
"Definitely."
Ash looked back and forth between the two and then promptly got up. He walked back to the doorway and told the waiter standing there. "Please leave us. I'll call you back when we need your assistance again."
The man nodded. "As you wish sir." The man promptly took his leave and Ash closed the door behind him. Ash walked back to the two, who looked a little on edge at the prospect of having zero clue what Ghost was planning. He sat back down again and rubbed his temples, which were now throbbing. He took a deep breath and planned what he would say. He knew if this went awry, things could get rough. He leaned in and said quietly.
"What am I about to say from here on out, does not leave the three of us. Am I understood?" Gary and Paul looked at one another yet again before turning back to Ghost, nodding and eyes ablaze.
Ghost took a deep breath.
"I have it on very good authority that Ash Ketchum is alive."
Gary's jaw dropped and Paul cried out. "W-what!? It… it's impossible!"
Ghost merely smiled. "I assure you gentlemen, I am One-Hundred Percent confident that Mr. Ketchum is still alive, and has been in hiding for quite some time now. If I was estimating… I would say the past half-decade or so."
Gary pointed out. "How do you know this? The best investigators in the world couldn't help us, so how is it that you know what happened to him, when you're all the way out in Alola?"
Ghost cocked his head to the left, as if mocking him. "What was it that I said was my home region, Mr. Oak?"
Gary froze for a split second. He breathed out in shock. "K-Kanto…"
Ghost nodded once. "Would it be that ludicrous to believe I have connections from back home? The champion of a region, not having any informants from his home region?" Paul nodded at Ghost. "Point taken. Doesn't explain how the informant knows Ash is alive, or how you know with 100% certainty that he's alive."
Ghost nodded. "I shall explain what happened. And, I shall answer your questions. From my very trusted informant, this is what happened."
The two leaned in, anxious to hear what Ghost said was the true story of Ash Ketchum. "While all his friends were at his home, they drugged him. They managed to get him to Kalos, where he was convinced by his so called friends that he had been hit over the head with a rock or boulder of sorts, and that he had suffered short term memory loss as a result."
Gary opened his mouth to interject, but Ghost cut him off. "Please, I'll answer your questions after I'm done." Gary opened his mouth again to argue, but Paul cut him off by slapping a hand over his mouth. "Agreed. Go ahead."
Ghost continued. "Once they had done enough convincing to Ash that he had been lucky to not be concussed or things of the sort, they convinced him to run ahead with them, completely unaware of the trap that had been set. Their method to get him to move had been the story they used to convince him why they were in a volcano in the first place: they were here to save Moltres. He was so lost in thought that he ran straight into the trap. He stepped right into it unknowing that his friends would betray him. He was clenching onto a handful of rocks as the only thing separating him from near certain death. Then, the traitors announced their plan to him, simply to demoralize him or perhaps something else…" He trailed off for a moment before continuing. "After taking turns at swinging at Ash's heart, they gave him a choice. They told him he could either pursue something else, or that they would let him fall."
Ghost paused before speaking. "Rather than submit to them, he decided to try and fight his way out. Clenching the rocks with one hand, he reached for his Pokémon to aid him, only to realize his Pokémon belt wasn't there. He saw one of the people he had called friend… rival… holding it. Ash realized they may have taken the belt off when he was unconscious. He pled with them to not do what seemed inevitable, and as he feared, they didn't listen. They tossed the belt of Pokémon into the volcano. In that instant, with a loud cry, he jumped in after them."
Gary was slack-jawed. Paul didn't look as shocked, but did find the power to create some words. "Serena was the informant wasn't she?" Ghost turned to look at the man. He shrugged. "I mean, look at what you've told us so far. You've only told us things that Serena has likely been present for, right? She was one of those who drugged Ash, she was there to possibly berate him, and she saw him jump into the volcano. That's only one opinion; it doesn't mean any of that is true."
Ghost grinned weakly. "You would be correct… if that was the end of the story."
That seemed to get Paul's attention. He was now leaning in further. "Unbeknownst to the traitors, Ash survived the fall into the Volcano, and was rescued by a very notable name, one that the informant didn't opt to give. He was transported to a person Ash knew he could trust that wasn't part of the traitors. Over time, Ash healed and prepared his revenge. After some time, he decided to leave Kanto, not just because of the haunted memories he had, but because his Pokémon, aside from the Pokémon on his belt and his trusted Pikachu, had been either sold for other's gain, or released into the wild. Who the seller was is a mystery, but what was known is that if Professor Oak himself did have a hand in it, he wasn't the seller."
He motioned to Gary and said quickly, "And I'm not implying it's you," and reiterated. "Ash believed it was the traitors who acquired all of the funds. What was puzzling to Ash was that the good Professor didn't know about it until it was too late, or as it seemed."
He continued his tale. "After Kanto, it is unclear where Ash went. What he did swear though, was that he'd get his revenge on those who damned him. He would get to the bottom of everything… whether it came sooner or later."
Everything was silent for a moment or two. Ghost calmly watched the two men, watching for any reactions whatsoever. Ash decided that the time was finally here. While the two were deep in thought, Ash reached into his pocket carefully and pulled out the device he used to carefully remove his Aether Paradise-style contacts. They shielded his auburn eyes from the world. Instantly, his brown eyes appeared and changed from what had previously been a light green.
Gary and Paul had both been so deep in thought, neither one caught the slow movement made by the Alola champion. Finally, Gary was the one who broke the ice. "I… I have a few questions Ghost."
Ghost nodded, a small smirk on his face. They still hadn't seen his eyes. "You… you said Ash had healed?" Ghost nodded once more.
"How is it that he was even able to heal completely? A fall from as high up as you made it sound like, I think that would've killed any normal person."
Ghost firmly said. "When did I ever say he completely healed?"
Gary paled. "Yes, Gary. I have it on good authority that Ash never fully healed, and hasn't to this day."
Paul cut in. "I have a question. Those motherfu—" he bit his lip and corrected himself. "people… tossed in his Pokémon. You mentioned only the Pokémon on his belt hadn't been sold or released. Does that mean the rest of the Pokémon he was unable to save? Did they all die?"
Ghost looked bitter for a moment before shaking his head. "No… they didn't. Ash saved them; he was able to grab them in midair and make sure they didn't fall into the lava. They were the only Pokémon he was able to save."
Gary questioned. "I have only one more question, if that's alright?"
Ghost nodded.
"What kind of injuries did Ash sustain? Falling into a volcano can't be good for one's health…" Gary said worriedly.
Ash bit his lip. "Ironically, Ash was concussed on the fall down, when he thought he had already been concussed as his friends has told him. He landed on a rock below, and he landed on it so hard that a large spray of lava flew up in the air and seared his entire arm, melting off the skin horrifically."
Ash chuckled so quietly the men didn't think they heard him chuckle at all. Ash reached for his arm band and slowly pulled it down. "It somewhat looks…" He pulled it down to his wrist. "…Like this."
Gary's hands flew to his mouth as he attempted not to wretch. Paul appeared to be too paralyzed to move. Ghost's right arm appeared to have melted off. It was utterly horrific. The skin was a combination of blotchy red and semi-pale skin in terrifying patterns. It looked like something from a nightmare. Paul stuttered softly. "Unbelievable… how did you suffer from those burns… those look almost like they were caused…" He trailed off, unable to form any more words.
Gary was deep in thought, as if trying to place together the pieces that had been presented. Suddenly, words tore through his state of mind before he knew what was happening. Paul was the one who spoke. "Hey… I could've sworn you had blue eyes… what happened? Did I just imagine it?"
Gary suddenly began remembering every Pokémon that Ghost had, and gasped aloud. He remembered who Ghost had put as some of his Pokémon entrees. There was no doubt in his mind that Ghost had a Pikachu…
Gary froze entirely. In one more instant, Paul let out a gasp. The two looked at one another, each thinking the same thing. Gary whispered. "No… it… it can't be…"
Paul's eyes were wide as could be. "It's… n-not possible…"
"Gentlemen…" The duo looked at Ghost, who was standing out overlooking the pier, wearing his standard attire. Paul and Gary got up from their seats and slowly walked over to the edge of the pier in a state of utter bewilderment. Gary managed to get out a single word, which was laced with disbelief.
"…Ash?"
The man removed his hat slowly and turned around with a grin. His black locks were somewhat the same, but the hat itself had somehow shielded him from recognition. His bright red vest, dark t-shirt, and black jeans looked very odd for Ash Ketchum. However, what hadn't changed was his signature grin.
"Gentlemen."
The reaction was nothing short of absolutely priceless. Gary passed out, collapsing on the ground, totally out for the count. Paul stumbled forward, trying to catch himself before he hit the ground, and failed miserably. He fell to his knees and stared at the young man he once called his rival. He shook his head over and over, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
He was finally able to form a few words. "But… how… what… why… I don't… it's…" Ash chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you after all this time."
Paul was still not moving, nor was Gary. Finally though, Paul wrapped his arms around him. "I… I'm glad you're alright Ash… I just…I…" He was truly struck into speechless. They broke the hug and then Paul wound up and swung his fist. Ash promptly side stepped the punch and allowed Paul to fall on the ground. He chuckled from the floor and was promptly helped up.
"At least you're taking it a little better than Gare-bear over there." Ash jabbed.
Paul laughed at this. "Guess you're here to explain why you're explaining your identity now?" Ash raised an eyebrow at the grammar of his statement but didn't comment on it. He just walked over to Gary with a grin on his face. He punched his friend on the shoulder in an attempt to wake his friend up. After a moment or two, Gary came to.
He saw Paul staring down at him. Gary groaned. "Damn Paul, I just had the weirdest dream. I just dreamed that Ghost revealed himself to be Ash after all this time and—" His breath hitched a little when he saw Ash's cheery face grinning down at him. Gary's mouth opened and closed like a fish over and over again, unable to comprehend what it was that he was seeing.
"You… You're alive…"
Ash joked. "I did say it was a solid informant, yes?
Paul jested. "Oh cram it Ketchum. Why is it you waited until now to reveal to us? Who else even knows about your identity?"
Ash pondered this for a moment or two before answering. "Lance, the champion of Kanto, my elites, Brock, my friend Clemont from Kalos… and a few others." Gary looked legitimately surprised. "Wow, I'm shocked you're letting in that many people on your identity…"
Gary's eyes darkened. "So that means you were betrayed by those bastards…"
Ash sighed. "Everything I've told you both has been true, unfortunately. They backstabbed me in that volcano, I never saw it coming until it was too late. There's still a few holes to the story I need to fill, but I could use some help if you don't mind."
Paul blinked. "You need our help? You have elites right, why risk revealing yourself to more people if you know you have people you can trust?"
Ash grinned. "Would you believe me if I said I missed some of the people I could actually stand from my old life?"
Gary laughed and clapped Ash on the shoulder, safely on his feet and moving by this point. "I'd buy into it. If I was gone from my old life for a long six years with little to no contact with my past life, I wouldn't blame myself, so it's hard to blame you. Still though, I agree with Paul on one thing: the timing of this seems a little odd. Something's got to have happened. Mind filling Paul and I in on what your plan is?"
Ash grinned. "Of course. You guys remember Team Rocket?"
Paul groaned. "I don't like where this is going and I haven't even heard any context to this plan…"
"I got them out of Team Rocket, and hired them as my personal and most elite spies in my entire core." Gary honestly looked between a mixture of surprise and cheerfulness. "That's great, great news!"
Paul frowned. "Why's that?"
Gary joked. "Better have them on other people than us!"
Paul blinked once or twice before nodding in agreement after some serious consideration. "Damn, never thought of it like that. What does Team Rocket have to do with us though?"
Ash grinned and began to explain rapidly. "I asked them to spy on a certain… group… and after I got all the information, I remembered that Meowth had given me a tape with very important information. I've only ever listened to it once, and I want you both to listen to this." Ash reached into his vest pocket and pulled out the tape.
A few moments later, and the tape began to play.
"Hey Twerp! It's the happy brew crew, and we're here with a message for you! Let me just say it's a great honor to work for you, and I can't express how much gratitude I have for you and your elites. You twerps are the best, and we can't wait to continue working with you dorks! Now, if you're listening to this message, you are listening to try and figure out who to suspect when it comes time to try and solve your mystery. The brew crew and I placed together a plethora of things you should definitely look into."
"Let's begin with the obvious Twerp. As you probably know, The group of dorks who betrayed you is relatively large: The sinnoh twerpete, the kalos twerpete multiple unova twerps and twerpettes, among others. Now, here's what we was thinking: who caused a great portion of you'zes betrayal? It was because the green-haired twerp was putting his mouth on your girls, right? Well, we think that the green haired dork is da key to unlocking key information in your hunt to find out why ya were betrayed. If you're thinking about how to find him, I don't think it'll be too hard, because we know where da twerp is gonna be! As of when we are recording this right now, we're participating in a bunch of different contests across kanto, I think it'll be worth it to pay the green bean a long overdue visit."
"Next thing we thought to mention was dat the motive of the murder didn't make sense, dig? We thought that maybe a bit of digging from da Professor. Da fact that you weren't able to find any motives is kinda suspicious, and because all your Pokémon were magically sold off without any information on what happened… I think da professor may have some serious stuff that he's choosing not to include certain things in his reports. As a Professor who swears himself to the greater good, he certainly doesn't act like it. If you ever get a chance, perhaps some investigating is due up for da good Professor eh?"
"Finally Twerp, I think da last person you should be investigating is your mother. She was very much aware that you were missing, or at least, she knew your friends took ya away. We weren't able to get concrete evidence that she was with da ones who betrayed you, but all we're saying is dat there's a chance she was involved. I would make sure that, if you see her, to try and uncover as much information as you can. She could have an alternate perspective to what happened, she may not have anything. Either way, I would do your best to try and lock up some very specific information that you can use to your advantage."
"I realize that this information may not immediately help ya twerp. That being said, I hope ya figure out what it is you're looking for twerp. If you can get some time to go out to Kanto, I would try and check out all of these people out. I don't know what you will need to do to get the information that may or may not be required, but I hope you find what you're looking for twerp. Hope this information helps. Good luck twerp, don't be afraid to contact the brew crew if you need anything!"
The tape ended, and then Gary and Paul turned to look at Ghost with curious eyes.
"When did Team Rocket give you this tape?"
Ash frowned. "Why?"
Paul reiterated. "Because the tournament may not still be happening in Kanto, meaning finding Drew won't be easy."
Ash frowned and tried to recall when it happened.
Chapter 10… Flashback…
Ash frowned and shook his head. "No, I can't say I have."
James grinned. "Exactly; if my prediction is correct, she's filming this for one person: you." Ash realized James' prediction was actually a good one, and it connected all the gaps. Ghost was supposedly someone who got jobs done for prices, the question was, what was she giving him?
"I don't work for free after all, nor do you. What exactly is she planning to do when she finds me, in other words, how is she paying me?"
James frowned a little. "That little piece of information has thus eluded me, I'm afraid." Ash nodded slowly and said with a small smile. "You did good James, thanks." James bowed and said politely. "It was an honor." He then backed off and Jessie came forward and sadly said. "Ghost, I wish I bore the same news James had, but I do not. They are simple and rather dull in all honesty. Forgive me for my lack of knowledge on the situation."
Ash waved it off. "I expected as much from the traitors, don't worry about a thing." Jessie thanked him and backed off. Meowth walked up and handed him a device of some sorts. He nodded to Ash and said calmly. "You better watch this twerp, but not now… later. This video is for your eyes only, you'll know why when you see it, just trust me on this."
Ash took him for his word, and said to the group. "I need you all to stay on alert. I was given word today that a new Ultra Beast may go on the loose soon, so just stay frosty. I may need you all to help defend Alola, but for the time being, you all can go back onto your journey. Keep your phone close to you, I may need your help within time."
Meowth nodded. "You got it, boss!"
With that, all three rockets leapt off the rooftop and Ash turned away and looked down at the odd device. It looked like it had a small screen on it, so if Ash was guessing, it would show a video of some sort. He would look at it in his private chambers, that oughta be safe enough from anyone with prying eyes to get a vision on what Meowth had given him.
Present…
"So… a couple weeks then?" Paul confirmed. Ash nodded in agreement. Gary cocked his head to the side. "So does that mean what I think you're hinting towards?"
Ash nodded. "I'm planning on going to Kanto tomorrow morning. I need help to find Drew, unlock information about the Professor, and I could use help trying to find out anything about my mom's involvement with the betrayal." The duo looked at one another. Paul joked. "Well I got nothing to do for the next week give or take… though I was planning to visit my buddy's memorial in Kanto…"
Ash groaned and punched his shoulder.
Gary blinked. "Wait, does May know that…"
Paul suddenly caught wind of what Gary was talking about and turned to Ash with wide eyes. Ash bit his lip and shook his head back and forth. Gary's jaw dropped. "She doesn't know you're alive?! B-but your death devastated her! How could you not tell her?" Ash sighed and explained.
"The reason is because I spent years thinking she backstabbed me the worst in comparison to every traitor. I spent every month thinking she hated me. I spent every week believing that she was in bed with that green-haired asshole. And I…" He closed his eyes to prevent the tears from flowing out. "I spent every day knowing she would never be mine…"
Gary placed a hand on his shoulder. "I trust you'll do it soon mate, just… don't keep her waiting, right?"
Ash nodded. "Right." He hesitated again. "So… are you guys in?"
Ash watched as Gary and Paul exchanged looks before grinning back at the champion of Alola.
"Where do we sign up?"
AN: Andddd that's it folks! After not posting for nearly 3 months due to schoolwork, actual work, and the coronavirus, I've officially completed chapter 19 of the story! I know I mentioned this earlier, but I wanted to thank you all for hanging tough with me. This has been a great run I've had in this story so far, so thanks for keeping with me guys.
So how about this story? In just this chapter alone, we learned what was on the mysterious tape Meowth gave Ash nearly 10 chapters ago, Ash finally broke and lost his patience with the League council, Ash revealed himself to two of his close friends, and they both agreed to take a trip with him to Kanto in order to lock up some seriously important information! What will Ash find when he travels back home for the first time in years? How will the information affect him and his outlook on the betrayal? Is Professor Oak responsible? Did his mother orchestrate the entire thing? You'll have to come back to find out!
Please follow and favorite everyone! Speaking of, you guys are the absolute
best! This story, which just hit 500 followers, hit 600 followers and 500 favorites in a month's time period! Thank you all so much for this unrelenting support. I don't deserve all the love you all keep sending me, and I honestly can't thank you guys enough.
Make sure you leave a review if you're new, and like I said, follow, favorite, and share the story too! Let's continue growing!
Thanks for reading everyone. I hope to have the next upload out in a month's time.
Till Next time!
LegionZ