Hey Guys, this is chapter 21 to the Chosen One's Wrath. I hope you've been saving that popcorn, because it's finally time to get back to my roots and back into what has been, hands down, my most popular fanfiction to date. This is where we continue the story of Ash, otherwise known as the Ghost, his four elites in Zandra, Xavier, Axel and July, and all of his friends, whether they know him as Ash or the Ghost.
If you're new, please follow and favorite the story if you enjoy it. Feel free to message me or leave a review if you have something to say.
Because I'll be removing the placeholder chapter that is currently stated as "Do you want the story to return" or something of the sort, I'll be explaining briefly what happened in case anyone is confused.
This story began in June of 2019 and rapidly took off as one of my most popular stories. Before long it had cleared 500 followers and favorites. However, approximately a year later, I had a difficult decision to make. I was coming up on my junior year of college and my grades were in dire need of a boost. This usually wasn't an issue for me, but now I was forced into an all-hands-on-deck situation. For a story that pushed me to commit so much to time to, I knew I needed to make a rough choice. That being said, I don't regret it, and here we are, a year later, with the intentions to see this story to the end.
I'll be honest, I don't see this story ending in the foreseeable future. I can legitimately see this story going for more than twenty or thirty chapters. Yes, you're seeing that correct. Obviously, nothing is guaranteed, but let's see what happens huh? Before I post this chapter though, I'll have made some updates on my past chapters. This is myself trying to correct every grammar error I can possibly find.
If you see a grammar error in any chapter, please let me know. I'll be sure to thank you for your contribution in the next chapter posted.
For all those who put their hand in the basket to become the next writer, I thank you for your time. It honestly meant a lot to me and while it didn't work out in the end, you did push me to continue this story. In a way, you're the reason I'm continuing the story. And without further ado, let's begin once again.
LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 21
Thank You to SeanCityNavy for the assistance on this chapter.
Last Chapter…
Pikachu seemed to scold him. "Pika Pi! Pi Pi Pika-Chi!" He frowned. "You're right about that too, Drew could've had something to do with this. If he used May to send me over the edge, then he needs to pay. I hope Paul is able to do what I assigned him to do."
Pikachu tapped his foot a few times, then got an enlightened look on his face. "Chu! Chi Chi PikaPika Chi!"
"What do you mean, it'll make you feel better?"
Ash opened his mouth again to speak, but was cut off by his partner. "Pika Chu! Chuuu… Pika Chi!" Ash bit his lip roughly. "Why would visiting the grave of my close friend make me feel better? It's my fault he—"
Ash grimaced and gritted his teeth together tightly and Pikachu released a light thunderbolt head onto him, as if to say, "It was not your fault, so stop blaming yourself!"
Ghost explained as simply as he could. "So, outside of my duties as a champion, I also open myself up to the public when solving issues. I pride myself on being able to help my people in any way I can. This includes solving disputes, criminals, gangs, disappearances, murders, etc. I always set time aside to try and assist everyone I can. While the tournament was going on, I got an anonymous tip that a person that had believed to have died by a tragic accident, actually died from a murder."
Oak's eyes widened. "W-why that's horrible! Who would do such a heinous thing?"
Ghost nodded bitterly. "I know. It's unreal to think that some people and Pokémon can be so cruel to kill innocents. But, I suppose that point is moot. What really confused me was that they wanted me to investigate people associated with the victim, not the actual crime itself. It was very ridiculous, but as I said before, I try to make time for each and every tip I get."
Gary added. "So, the champions are all on break as all the competitors as well are on a bye week in order to rest, relax, and prepare for the rounds of sub-32. Ghost recognized me at a restaurant and remembered I was from Pallet Town, and began to ask me questions about it."
Oak held up his hand. "I must have missed something; What does you being from Pallet town have to do with the murder Ghost here is investigating?"
Ghost nodded. "Ah yes! That would be because the deceased individual I'm investigating is named Ash Ketchum." Gary watched his grandfather closely, as Ash couldn't really afford to do so or else look suspicious. He looked as nonchalant as possible while continuing. "I discovered that Ash Ketchum was known in Pallet Town as a hero, and that he and his friends mourned his death when it happened. However, I'm trying to learn the full story, as I believe I don't currently have it."
Oak appeared to be keeping his cool on the outside. "I see… so is that why you are here?"
Ghost looked confused. "Is that why I am here? As in, here in this building, or here in this town?"
Oak bit his lip for the briefest of seconds before answering. "Both."
Ash fought the urge to laugh. He feigned confusion before acting understanding. "Oh! No no Mr. Oak! I'm simply here because I wanted to meet you in person before I headed out to my target's house. And in fact…" He stood up and checked his wrist watch. "It's time I went out there anyway. Gary, Professor, perhaps I shall see you in the near future." He made to leave, but then Professor Oak called out to him.
"Call me curious, but who exactly is your target?"
The Ghost smirked, back still facing the two Oak's.
"Delia Ketchum."
Ghost grinned. "First, I would give this pill to Mr. Mime, and he'd regain consciousness in approximately twelve hours. I keep this pill in my pocket until we finish our little chat." He pulled out another pokeball and it opened up to reveal his faithful psychic. "I will give you fair warning: if you are lying, my Pokémon will detect it. If you omit details to any question I have, my Pokémon will detect it. If you choose to answer differently to any question I have… my Pokémon will detect it. Am I understood Mrs. Ketchum?"
The woman nodded, though the hesitance was clearly there. As he prepared himself to take the plunge, Ash realized he had been calling her Mrs. Ketchum the entire time, and felt a little bit guilty. Whatever happened to his father, she didn't deserve the pain and suffering, well, unless she took out her bottled up anger on him and possibly caused, or at least aided, his betrayal.
He motioned to Espeon, who rolled Mr. Mime over on its back. It was still clearly passed out and unmoving, with the lone exception of its chest slowing heaving up and down. He gently jarred the Pokémon's mouth open and popped the pill inside. The Pokémon swallowed it whole. He watched it for a moment before the breathing pattern of the Pokémon slightly changed. Ash knew it had worked.
He cleared his throat and sighed. "Now… let's begin…"
He looked the older woman straight in the eye and asked the million dollar question with all the seriousness in the world.
"Were you guilty in helping murder your son, Ash Ketchum?"
Present… (Enjoy Guys!)
The sudden look of horror was obvious on her face. Ash took a small bit of pride when he saw the color of her face start to turn a shady of deadly white. She clearly hadn't expected Ghost to suspect she was a part of the murder; she was under the impression that he only was only interested in her dead son's ex-friends… and not herself. Ash fought to keep the growing smirk off his face. It was finally time to get the—
"I don't know." She whispered quietly. Ash didn't move. He waited six years for that? No, he needed more… much more than what she just gave him. He rubbed his temples to soothe the stress that was rapidly taking him over.
"Ms. Ketchum… you need to understand that the answer you just provided will not be enough to suffice… as I'm sure you can imagine." Ghost said quietly.
The panic on her face continued to grow more and more obvious. She said quietly in response to the champion in front of her. "I… I don't know what prompted him to leave… but… I fear I may have had a hand in it."
"Elaborate." He motioned for her to continue.
She cleared her throat and began her explanation. "When… when I was young and I gave birth to Ash… I made a promise to him that we wouldn't have any secrets. We w-were very close to one another. He was my pride and j-joy… but I would be lying if I said I hadn't made any m-mistakes…"
Ash shook his head, still unsure of what his mother spoke of. "As I said before… elaborate."
His mother bit her lip roughly. She spoke after a moment. "One of my cardinal sins that I made and never got to tell him… I feared if he ever found out he would shun me. I... when Ash was a young boy, I always told him that his father wasn't a subject I particularly enjoyed talking about. I always… tried to convince him to become the best man possible so that he didn't end up like his father."
She shook her head miserably. "I… I lied to him. When he was a young boy… very young… I… decided that I wanted to be intimate with another man that hadn't been his father." Seeing the look turn to surprise on Ghost's face, she quickly added. "This was after his father left us. It was just me at this point."
Ash's mind was spinning, but he willed himself forward with a frown. "Why would something such as that be motive to cause your only son to potentially leave you? I don't buy into that whatsoever. There must be more behind this reasoning."
And there was… and it all came out.
"I… this man I was with… he had a way with words… and a way with actions. He was very special to me for the period of time I was with him. He… he supported me in many ways, though he had his mysteries. I didn't ask much of him, and he did the same for me. After some time with being… intimate… we began to take things further and further. After some time… Ash was… Oh… I'm not sure how old… but…"
She took a deep breath.
"He… got me Pregnant."
Ghost wasn't moving. She took a deep breath and continued talking as though Ghost was listening contently. Ash himself was not doing anything of the sort. He was a deathly shade of pale, his eyes wide in shock, yet shielded by his hat. His mind was running a thousand miles a minutes. This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening. His mother continued to talk, but everything appeared to just sound warbled to him.
He had grown up as an only child his entire life. This couldn't be true. His mother was telling him that he had a sibling?
This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. This was too farfetched. Ash couldn't see how this was possibly legitimate. And fortunately for him, he had a way to tell.
Delia Ketchum continued talking, still unaware of Ghost's lack of perception. "He left rather suddenly and I was utterly devastated; I think the pregnancy was still a secret to Ash since he never—"
"Espeon, please check her mind. Is she telling the truth?" Ghost's words honestly surprised her, and he could see her recoil ever-so-slightly, as if she was appalled that he didn't believe her. Espeon's eyes glowed a bright blue for a good ten seconds, give or take, and then faded. "Everything she has said so far is legitimate Master. I cannot detect anything out of the ordinary; anything that would say she is lying."
Ash felt his world crash. He was now at a horrible impasse. He now had to decide whether or not he wanted pursue this line of questioning. He came to his mother to talk about his death, the traitors, and her involvement in it.
Instead, he was now being told that he had a brother or sister that he never knew about, and was desperate to get answers about. Was this sibling a brother or sister? Why did he never know about them? Where were they now? Who was their father? Ash would have to carefully direct his line of questioning. Sure, it likely wouldn't matter in the end, since Delia wouldn't remember that he even questioned her this aggressively in the first place. The issue was… the pill itself wasn't exactly a hundred percent accurate.
It was a benefit of being so closely connected to Aether Paradise. He got to test out plenty of awesome gadgets that they came out with. The pill itself was guaranteed to work… on Pokémon. It wasn't a hundred percent tested on humans, though in theory… it was supposed to work.
That was why Ash wouldn't be revealing himself to his mother; too many things could go wrong for him. He bit his lip, trying to think on how to question his mother without sounding all too suspicious in the sibling.
'…To hell with it.' Ash thought.
"Satisfy my curiosity… is it a boy or a girl?"
Mrs. Ketchum, bless his heart, didn't seem to notice the oddity of the request. "It's a boy… although embarrassed to say that I don't even know this boy's name."
"How is that?" Ash had to bite his lip from cursing aloud at the bluntness of his request.
Mrs. Ketchum hesitated, possibly picking up on something, but Espeon said nothing from beside him, so he assumed it was just her debating with her inner demons. She explained. "After I gave birth to him… I gave him up for adoption. I was so ashamed. The father had left immediately after I found out I was pregnant. I…" She stifled a sob. "I… made so many m-mistakes when Ash was in the house. Thank Arceus he never seemed to notice."
'Hm… she's right. I never can recall noticing…' Ash's blood went still. He recalled something that a very powerful being had recently told him…
Flashback… Chapter 14
The Pokémon said. "I will admit, that was not the reaction I was expecting from my chosen one."
In his stunned state, Ash did not even hear the ending of Arceus' sentence. He saw Delveon get up and stand next to Arceus and Ash managed to get out. "S-so… you asked her to take me to here? Why? Why me? And why… wait it's a she?" Delveon hmphed and turned her head away from Ash in annoyance. Arceus spoke. "Yes, my child is a she. She is also the last of her species, and is in desperate need."
Ash blinked. "Desperate Need? Of what?"
Ash wasn't so sure, but he could've sworn he saw Arceus smile. "A leader." Ash blinked again. "A-A leader? But didn't it's last uh… leader not work out so well? What kind of Pokémon do I need to search for…?" Arceus chuckled. "When did I say it was a Pokémon that was needed?"
Ash frowned. "I thought you just said that—"
"That Delveon needs a leader. Yes, that's what I said. Think about that sentence more, chosen one." Arceus explained. Ash still wasn't catching onto Arceus' true meaning, but he did catch onto what Arceus said before that he missed. He raised an eyebrow. "Chosen One? Me?" Arceus frowned a little. "Don't you remember?"
Ash said. "I don't remember what?" Arceus' mind was reeling rapidly, how could this happen? Unless Ash had no idea what actually happened and legitimately forgot. Arceus questioned him as calmly as he could. "My Chosen One, do you remember my final words to you upon our last meeting…?"
Ash was frozen for a moment or two. He racked his brain desperately before Arceus. Arceus' worst fears had become realized. His chosen one was suffering from an illness called Amnesia. But why? How could he have amnesia about certain situations. After rapidly thinking, Arceus began to ask Ash questions about his past to determine what had been affected: Battle Frontier victories, legendary Pokémon sightings, Gym battles, every Pokémon he had ever caught, the betrayal, etc.
However, after some decent questioning with Delveon listening contently, Arceus came to the conclusion that Ash was only missing memories of the times he and Ash previously talked, most specifically, when he met Ash in person many, many years ago. It was a bit confusing though, why were only those specific memories affected?
End of Flashback…
Ash cocked his head slightly to the left, deep in thought. According to Arceus, the only memories that had been affected were memories of his previous meetings with the legend of legends. Was it possible for the mythical being to be wrong? Still, it was much more likely that Ash just couldn't recall paying enough attention to his mother at such a young age. Still…
It seemed odd that even for himself to not notice his mother's abnormally large stomach, or his baby brother either. What's more was that he couldn't recall ever getting sent away for more than a few days at a time either, so it wasn't like Delia was out of his sight for long as well. He still wasn't sure how to contact the legendary, but when he did speak to Arceus again, he'd have to bring this up.
Ash was now mentally debating if his mother truly had the primary motive to get rid of Ash. Still though, keeping a brother away from him hurt. He felt betrayed. However, why did his mother give up the child for adoption in the first place? She was well-off enough to pay for him, and she didn't mention finances for two children being a problem. On top of that, why not just tell Ash the truth? What did she have to gain from keeping his presumably half-brother away from her biological son? It didn't make sense. The blocks weren't falling into place.
He rubbed his temples and tried to recap aloud. "So… if I'm not mistaken… you're telling me that the reason you believe that you may have caused your first son's death is because you had a son behind Ash's back and that he happened to find out at the exact wrong moment. Still, what was so bad about this son of yours that you couldn't speak to Ash? What was the reasoning behind this?"
She bit her lip. "I… I always gave Ash my undivided attention. When I gave birth… I panicked. I… gave the boy up for adoption, immediately. When I did so, just a few days later, I felt horrible for what I had done, and had a change of heart. I went back to the adoption agency to see if I could…" She got quiet. "…get him back… but when I got there, I was told that not only had the boy already been adopted, but I couldn't even find out who had adopted him due to confidentiality forms the adoption agency made everyone fill out."
The interrogation continued, but as it went on, Ash could tell something was off with Espeon. The cat had a look of bewilderment plastered on her face. Her trainer narrowed his eyes. What was wrong with his psychic type?
That Night…
Ash found himself staring at the moon, completely unaware of everything around him. His mother had a motive to betray him and Espeon had only detected things to see if she was lying about if she knew of Ash's demise. There was a horribly realistic chance that Delia Ketchum was the one who orchestrated his death. However, there was something that was bothering him: his psychic type was acting strange. He would worry about that later though.
The rest of the interrogation had gone rather smoothly. Delia hadn't been fully honest, that much was obvious. But he stuck to his word and gave Mr. Mime the antidote pill, which was the same pill he gave Delia. Both would wake up in a few hours and would not remember anything. The issue with the blue pill was that now if he tried to interrogate her again, it would fail, they wouldn't remember the past interview.
Now though, he only had a few short hours to form a plan at getting into Oak's laboratory and bypassing Oak's security. He frowned and sat there with Pikachu, unsure of how to proceed.
'What could the password be? It's only four characters long… it could be anything though. Maybe something corny? No, it's Oak… he wouldn't make anything easy when it's his life's work on the line… maybe I could break in? No, that wouldn't work, he's gotta have a boatload of things on all the windows. What if I… no I can't do that without the punch code to the doors. I already have what I need to get around the handprint identifier, but I need to solve this issue within the next few hours.'
"Pika!"
Ash looked at his partner, who was waving his arms wildly at him and pointing to a hill not too far away. The raven-haired trainer turned to glare at his partner.
"No buddy. We already talked about this."
"Pika Pi! Pika Pi!" He crossed his arms in annoyance. Ash held his head. "Fine. I'll do it… for your sake." The duo walked to the top of the hill and Ash began to lose his train of thought. He morosely stared amongst the rocks and stones there.
More accurately, the tombstones that were there. The raven-haired champion found himself staring at a small grave that was buried some years ago.
Tracy Sketchit: A friend, a true artist
It had happened so many years ago. Why had this happened to him? Tracy had a perfect life ahead of him, and it had been ruthlessly thrown away due to cruel fate. It wasn't fair. Ash sat down on the soft grass and stared at the stone, agony beginning to eat away at his nerves. He murmured. "It didn't have to be this way, you know buddy? If we had been strong enough back then, Tracy would be still alive. Why…"
He held his head lower, tears threatening to spill out. "Why did Arceus take him all those years ago?"
Pikachu pointed at him. "Pika Pi… Pika-chi!" Ash looked appalled. "What do you mean, I'm wallowing again? That's not true Pikachu. I'm just…" He chuckled weakly and shook his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right buddy. Like… I'm supposed to have this incredible connection with Arceus, right buddy? Why is it I feel like that whatever happens to me, it's all things that are bad?"
"Pika!"
"I know it's not all bad, but… the betrayal, the deaths, my arm, the other Pokémon, this supposed half-brother that I never knew I had! This is starting to take a toll on me buddy. We need to seriously think about what it is our tactic is to get into the building. You have any ideas?"
Pikachu shook his head slowly. Ash shook his head. "Me neither."
Ash flopped down on the ground, uncaring if his outfit would get dirty. "This is just distracting me buddy. I don't know if this distraction is a good—" Ash's eyes widened at his own words, as if something dawned on him. He shot up, a grin on his face.
"T-That's It!"
The next day officially hit for Gary and Professor Oak. The duo was packing for Saffron, a decent trip to say the least. They'd be taking a ferry over to Vermillion and then heading the rest of the way there. What concerned the brown haired boy was the radio silence he'd gotten from Ash regarding information on Delia.
Yes, had said to not text back, but he hadn't actually expected Ash to take it so seriously. It was still coming to him that Ash Ketchum, his old rival and the boy presumed dead for so long was in fact still kicking in, and as a champion no less. There were so many questions that flooded his mind. For one, if Ash really did fall into that Volcano, how did he and his Pokémon survive? Nobody could survive a volcanic eruption, if it was really all true.
How did he win his title? How did he pick his elites? What mistakes did he make on the way? What changed him from being the ominous, dark and downright scary Ghost to the version of Ghost that they knew today? These questions were plaguing him, and worst of all, he knew answers would be scarce, if existent at all.
For now, he considered himself grateful and fortunate to be in his friends presence and aimed to help Ash out any way he possibly could. For now, that meant sucking it up and going to Saffron with his old man for awhile.
'Could be worse, I could be Paul right now.' He thought as he hoisted their bags up. As the good professor began to lock up, Gary's mind continued to wander.
While he had been assigned the task of distracting Professor Oak, Paul was out in Viridian City, picking up an old face for Ash. He didn't want to be in Paul's spot right now, then again he didn't really want to be in this spot right now either. He couldn't stand his gramps at the moment; all Professor Oak cared about was research and it irritated Gary to no end.
That being said, Ash was back now and was in need for some support; of course Gary would step in and back him up. That went without question. The questions Gary did have though revolved around the next steps. He could only distract his relative for so long after all.
"Ready to go?" Gary looked back at his grandfather and said briskly.
"Yeah, let's move." The doorway to the laboratory opened, with Gary walking out before Oak. The teenager sighed and glanced back at his grandfather, who was humming as he walked out of the doorframe.
"Garchomp, shield them quick!" Gary and Professor Oak were blinded by an explosion of dust and smoke. Professor Oak sputtered. "W-what on… good heavens!"
Gary was staring in utter astonishment as the Ghost himself stood in front of him, red hat backwards and red vest ever-so-slightly coated with debris. His faithful ground-dragon type stood in front of him, eyes glowing at its opponent. The dust had yet to settle, and the Ghost called out. "Are either one of you injured?"
"No, I-I'm fine! Son, how about you?" Professor Oak responded. Gary was about to retort on the term of endearment but opted against it. "Still in one piece here."
"Good! Let me handle this troublemaker!"
"What troublemaker?" the professor questioned. It was quickly answered though as a small green Pokémon was jeering at the group. It had an onion-like object on its back and was very easily recognizable. Professor Oak blinked. "A Bulbasaur? They're fairly common in these parts, but's it's odd to see one this arrogant."
The grass-type unleashed a blob of purple energy towards the group. Gary cried. "That's Venoshock!"
Ghost waved his arm downward. "Dragon Rush through it! Then spin and use Dragon Claw!" The beast nodded and in a split second, the attack had vanished entirely. The large blueish dragon charged forward, claws glowing white. The starter Pokémon leapt out of the way and fired off two vine whip attacks. Both struck Garchomp and did borderline nothing. The Pokémon was barely moved by the attack, and Bulbasaur could see that it would be a long battle against the Pseudo legendary.
Garchomp snorted, as if amused by the prospect of battling this runt. Ghost held out his arm. "Don't worry, nothing out here can touch my Pokémon in any way. Garchomp, let's finish this."
Garchomp grinned and turned back to the grass type, who had a small bead of sweat appear on the side of its head, indicating it's nervousness. Ghost commanded. "Time to use the terrain to our advantage; Use Rock Tomb!" Forming multiple large boulders in the air, the dynamic dragon-type let out a mighty roar and hurled the boulders at the grass type. Due to the incline of the laboratory, the boulders were being rolled at increased speeds towards the helpless Pokémon, making the attack even more dangerous.
Bulbasaur avoided the first three, jumping and rolling away from them, but eventually, one of the boulders clipped its side. The next one staggered it, and the one after was a dead-on collision. A cry emitted from the starter Pokémon as it was launched from the brutal attack. Bulbasaur was sent tumbling down the hill to the laboratory and far out of sight. Ghost chuckled aloud. "Good riddance, and a good fight indeed."
Professor Oak nervously joined in on the laughing. "That seemed oddly closer than I anticipated a fight with a champion would."
Ghost gave him a calculating look. "Are you questioning my talents professor?"
The old man waved his arms rapidly. "No no! Not at all! Your battling talents would surpass mine a hundred times over! I was just expecting the battle to be done in one move is all!" Ghost shrugged. "Not every fight is as simple as I make it look Professor." The professor's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, much like a gaping fish of sorts. Gary stifled his laughter at the look.
"Why was the Bulbasaur attacking anyway?" Oak questioned, very perplexed by the events that just took place.
"I was having a nice midday stroll when the little grass-type attacked. He ran up this hill and I swore I would send him back down it. Have you ever considered building stairs? Or perhaps an escalator? I think that'd be a worthwhile investment?" Ghost jested. Gary stifled his laughter again and then motioned to his grandfather who seemed to be laughing as well.
"I'm sorry Ghost, as much as I'd love to hear more of your comedy pitches we're in a big hurry here, we need to catch our ferry! We'll miss it if we wait much longer!" The teenager spoke urgently.
"Oh my! You're right son!" Gary let out the smallest of scoffs at that. Oak didn't notice, he was too busy speaking to Ghost. "I don't know why that Bulbasaur was so intent on battling, but thank you very much for stopping it." Ghost nodded. "It's my job… sir. Go, don't keep your grandson waiting."
"Ah yes yes, you're correct. Farewell then!" The professor waved to the champion as he hopped into the small white car. Gary was already conveniently in the passenger's seat, and as the car slowly pulled out, Gary watched Ash walk slowly away from the laboratory and towards the nearest forest. The brown-haired teen could see the smallest of grins plastered on Ash's face, his hat now covering his eyes.
What was on his mind?
An hour passed by, and there was so activity whatsoever near the laboratory. There was no movement, no Pokémon, no reporters or trainers either. Thankfully, the laboratory gates had been shut at the base of the hill, preventing just about anyone from getting in through a vehicle. There was silence and tranquility in the area.
"… time to go buddy." Pikachu nimbly hopped off his shoulder and ran out from the woods, Ash close on his heels. Ash smirked and slowed his pace to a walk once he got within the range of the security cameras outside his house. Instead of walking around them though, he casually strolled in front of them and went to the main door. A small green Pokémon was already sitting there, waiting patiently. Ash himself stared at the doorcode on a panel nearby and shrugged cheerfully.
He lightly tapped on the door six times and as if by magic, the door opened. Ash smiled at the sight. "All defenses down I presume?"
"Gre-Ninia!" His faithful water-type nodded. "And the device?" Ash took back the glove from Greninja with a smile. "Sophocles is gonna love to hear this." It was another Aether Paradise prototype from ALT City's own Sophocles that allowed him to bypass Oak's security. Ash realized that the keycode needed would make things impossible to make it inside, but Oak's handprint could bypass the keycode if you could make it inside beforehand.
Firstly, Ash needed to get Oak's handprint or fingerprints in order to get in without setting everything off. He had used the final few seconds from the day before to casually slip on the glove when nobody was looking and shake the professors hand, getting what he needed to disable security. The handprint and partial fingerprints had been collected. Next, he needed a way to get inside without setting anything off.
Instead of sneaking in himself, he knew what he could do as a replacement strategy. He could give the glove to Greninja, who could slip in undetected with the right amount of a distraction. Ash knew using Garchomp would be a safe bet to use and more importantly, Bulbasaur would be the best Pokémon to cause the distraction since Bulbasaur's were very common in the area.
Ash had known Oak would dismiss the Pokémon as wild.
Bulbasaur and Garchomp put on a fake battle, making sure that Greninja, who was lurking just outside the main entrance, slipped inside of the doorway just as the explosion hit. The smoke and dust would blind the cameras and nobody would expect the Pokémon to be already inside the laboratory and ready to disable all of Oak's defenses with his own fingerprints.
Before disabling them though, Ash knew he had to be seen walking away on the camera's if they couldn't clear the footage and then give himself an hour to go by before the camera's would shut down. This way since nothing looked out of the ordinary, there was no way anyone could trace the break-in back to him. The cameras were down, his passcodes were down, his security was done and now, Ash had his path to find out every last bit of information he needed to know about the Pokémon professor.
Ash smirked and walked inside with his hands behind head. "Let's make ourselves at home, yeah?" The doors closed behind them, and with another glove to the handprint identifier, it was as though nobody was there.
Meanwhile, in Viridian City, another member of Ash's little stealth squadron was undertaking his assigned work. Paul muttered some choice words under his breath as he staked out a particular Pokémon Center in Viridian City. He was sitting casually on a bench, waiting for his designated target to appear. That was always an issue; waiting was never a strong suit of his. Using the information Ash had given him, Paul was preparing to retrieve the bounty.
Well, It wasn't exactly a bounty per se. It was just the person themselves was the bounty. Drew Saiga was his target, as voiced by the Ghost himself.
When Ash had passed on, Paul hadn't been too affected by it at first. His brother had been moping around for a decent bit of time after that, to which he would normally just grumble at his sibling in unrestrained annoyance. But as time went on, Paul found himself with a growing issue: the lack of a suitable rival. When he had been defeated by Ash in the quarterfinals, it gave him something to fight for: the chance at a rematch, and to prove he could change.
As Ash left their world and into his next life, Paul realized he would never get that chance to prove it to Ketchum that not only could he change, but that he would change. And from that point of realization on, Paul pushed himself to be a dynamic battler so that one day, when Ash was looking down on him winning a title, rather than be angry at his ex-rival for finally winning a title, Ash would be proud of Paul for showing compassion and still being ruthless on the battlefield.
For years, he would push to that goal. For years, he would never stop attempting to be not only the best battler, but best person he could be. He owed that to Ketchum, if nothing else.
And now, here he was with an opportunity he could have never seen coming: a chance to impress Ash. He was alive. He was seriously still alive, and the champion of a region no less. He had never stopped pumping and kicking. It legitimately got him to be a superstar in his own region. He had to do this and show Ash he had changed.
As he stopped to think about it, the old Paul would've probably never considered helping out a rival. But here he was anyway.
Then, a flash caught his eye. "Hm? What have we here?" Paul saw the Pokémon center open up and a green haired man walk out, holding a small paper bag closely to him. His arrogant smirk was still plastered on his face; even across a major street Paul could see it. The purple-haired teen scoffed under his breath. "He never changes does he?"
Drew looked around for a moment or so before beginning to walk on the sidewalk away from Paul. The younger teen carefully got up and began following him. He knew what he had to do. Paul had to keep his distance though as Pokémon and people alike were giving him funny looks as he carefully kept an eye on Drew.
His task was a simple one: Pacify Drew and await the signal. The catch was getting to Drew without being seen or worse, caught. He could wave his orders around in Drew's face, demanding he see the Ghost, but if word got out that Ghost was taking random people in a region he didn't have jurisdiction in, bad things would begin to happen.
This was the only way around it.
A handful of minutes passed by with Drew passing by group after group. Never once did his grasp on the bag loosen. In fact, the more Paul watched the older teen, he began to notice that Drew actually seemed… tentative? Nervous? Anxious? Something of the sort at least.
Drew would pass by the department store building, multiple apartment complexes and even a park or two. It would seem Drew was walking throughout the entire city just for one specific reason. Eventually though, as the green-haired boy was coming on an intersection in the heart of the city, Drew was stopped by a group of three rather attractive females and began to chat with them. They seemed to recognize who he was and were gushing over him. Being the pompous man he was, Drew soaked it all in, puffed out his chest and could clearly be seen lavishing in the praise.
Paul resisted the urge to gag as Drew took multiple selfies with them. "What a fucking dork…" He muttered.
But then, it would seem fate had an interesting card stashed away in its hand. A hooded figure snatched the bag right out of Drew's hands and broke out into a sprint. Drew reacted a split second too late. "Hey! Thief!"
He too broke out into a run, intent on chasing the person down. Paul swore and broke out into a run as well, the girls whispering and pointing in the direction Drew went. He pumped his arms and legs as fast as they could possibly go, but he knew that he was at a disadvantage against the two ahead of him. Paul could see them fading in the distance and knew he had to do something as fast as he could.
His eyes darted around for a solution and found it in a dark alley. He stepped into the darkness and allowed it to consume him fully. He grasped a pokeball and tossed it out. "Honchcrow, stand by for battle."
The black bird with a large black hat materialized. "Honch!" Paul hopped on its back and ordered. "Honchcrow, I need you to do me a huge favor." The black bird looked curious at its master, awaiting his next words.
As for Drew and the hooded thief, they were still sprinting down road after road and alley after alley. Drew didn't know the complete routes to the City, but he did know the general directions of where he was going. The hooded figure leapt through a building that was currently under construction and began to weave through the infrastructure as fast as they could.
Drew remained hot on their heels, desperate to stop the thief from getting away. And he would get that opportunity. They would begin to trek up level after level of stairways until finally, as they reached a large open space with white paper scattered about, the thief finally messed up. It was just one bad trip and the thief was down on the ground. They looked up swiftly and in a haste, didn't look where they were going. The lousy infrastructure of the building being built had been horribly unstable and thus, the figure was sent toppling down multiple stories below, crashing and smashing through wood and debris.
By some sort of miracle however, the thief had landed on a pile of insulation that was intent on keeping the building warm, not robbers alive. However, as the person recovered from the long fall, they realized something was missing: the bag. A swift and desperate search yielded nothing for the figure, and the familiar sound of sirens began to approach. They let out the smallest of curses and ran out of the building and into the alleyway.
Paul, who was hovering above, could only make out one thing on the arm of the delinquent: a skull and crossbones tattoo on their arm, just above the wrist. Paul had to wonder why they'd leave it out so easily to see. He didn't realize the thief had taken a massive tumble and was scratched up from the debris they'd hit.
However, what Paul did notice was Drew standing over a balcony inside the closest construction building. He was holding a small paper bag in his hand while staring out into the alley the thief had ran. Paul was about to seize his opportunity and snatch Drew while he still could, but then a snag hit.
The police had arrived with Officer Jenny leading the way. Paul cursed and motioned for Honchcrow to land on a nearby building. The bird picked the nearest one and Paul leapt off the bird athletically to The duo patiently waited and watched the scenes unfold below.
Meanwhile, Paul was considering why a thief would want to steal a paper bag from a random person on a street corner. Unless someone had a grudge against Drew, the whole chase didn't make a whole ton of sense.
'Maybe there's something valuable inside it?' Paul reasoned.
No, that wouldn't add up either. If there was something valuable to him in there, why carry it around in a paper bag like it didn't matter? Why keep it out in the first place?
'Could be someone who's just got it out for Drew then? Maybe an ex or her new flame?'
Then why specifically take the bag? Why not just go straight for the head of the snake instead of aiming elsewhere? Something wasn't adding up, but as the minutes passed by and people began to leave, Paul happened to notice Drew staying behind. Why?
Fortunately for him, Drew was completely unaware of his presence. The seconds ticked away aimlessly before Paul opted to switch positions on the building to where he could see the whole floor around Drew. He didn't realize what a smart decision he'd made until a figure appeared behind the green-haired coordinator.
She was wearing a pink skirt, a black top and a beanie that was a mix of blue and white. She sported a blue scarf on as well, which matched with her blue eyes and blueish hair. Paul's eyes widened considerably as the girl threw her arms around Drew and kissed him senseless. The girl broke off and let out a giggle.
Paul could only manage a small breath. "Dawn?"
Honchcrow didn't appear to be as bewildered as it's trainer was; it knew this girl from its first travels long ago. It didn't hold her in particularly high standards. Paul, meanwhile, was trying to figure out what the two were saying. Why wasn't Dawn with the rest of the backstabber brigade in Alola?
Come to think of it, Paul couldn't recall Dawn being in Alola for the past few weeks of the tournament in the first place. Was this all part of Ghost's big plan that he just didn't let Paul onto or was this pure chance that this was happening? Either way, Ash needed to know about this. The seconds flew by and warped into minutes. Paul could feel his impatience start to attack him. Sitting here and doing nothing felt wrong.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait much longer. Dawn gave Drew another small kill on the lips and after a few more words, she turned and left, leaving Drew on the balcony alone.
'Finally. Showtime.'
He swiftly took out his phone and called the assigned number. The moment it was answered, Paul reacted. "Now. Now, send her now."
In a flash, Drew was zapped from the spot he'd been sitting with a purple burst of lightning. A moment later and Paul was launched away as well.
While this had been going on, Ash had been thoroughly investigating Professor Oak's space. With the security down, the gate to the laboratory fully closed and nobody to be back in some time, Ash let out his Pokémon and allowed them to roam and search for anything of decent note. His current six were Bulbasaur, Greninja, Garchomp, Espeon, Manectric and of course, Pikachu.
The group was looking for anything out of the ordinary. While his Pokémon scoured the area, Ash prepared to get into the computer. Oak's whole security system was around his handprint from the looks of it, and Ash couldn't have been more thrilled. This was it. He was finally going to get his answers on the Pokémon professor. One handprint identifier later and he was into the main computer. It was situated in the air, mounted on one of the main walls. There were file cabinets aplenty around them, with Pikachu peering through them as fast as his little paws could take him.
As soon as the large computer loaded up, Ash found himself scanning over his available folder choices. Before he copied each one, he wanted to decipher what was on each one first. The first few didn't really seem like anything special. It looked fairly dull and legitimately seemed like work stuff.
However, that all began to change when he reached the Diaries section of his computer. Another handprint verification later and he was in. A small smirk appeared on his face. This was too easy.
To his surprise though, the diary dates went back far beyond than what Ash expected. They were back to when he was born, and some even before that. They were dated in days since 1999. He had been born on May 22nd, 2000. 'This will take forever. But it's not like we're on a schedule.' Ash's mind reeled.
The first entry that really caught his eye was:
June 2nd, 2000
It's quite enjoyable towalk around wherever you go and have people love your presence. It's very humbling. I'm at the top of my game right now. None of the other four regions can touch Kanto, thanks to me. All the other Professor's know if anything is wrong, come to Oak. He's the one… as it should be. I love helping people and they love when I help them. It works to a T.
In other news, Delia had a son not too long ago. Ashura Ketchum. He'll undeniably ask me to give him his first Pokémon somewhere down the road. It's almost poetic if you think about it. Delia and I have been such close friends since she's moved here. It's fate that young Ashura will be here in a decade to ask me those fateful words: Can I have my first Pokémon Professor?
The first entry since he'd been born. Ash made a face; it didn't really give him a ton to go on. What was next? A handful of entries later and he found one particularly interesting.
May 30th, 2001
Another few days of being myself. It's quite nice to feel wanted. I love this feeling and I never want it to end. My own grandson Gary is still too young to understand my work, as expected. Ashura, or now known as Ash from Delia, is growing close to Gary. It's not completely unexpected, Pallet Town isn't the largest of places after all.
Speaking of Delia, she's been acting rather odd as of late. Not totally sure why. Random mental attacks just seem to hit her and then they're gone as fast as they arrive. Maybe it has something to do with Ash's father? I don't want to leave anything to guesswork, but that's all I have as of now.
Still nothing concrete from Oak. Continuing.
July 28th, 2001
I met the strangest man today. He had spiky black hair and was enormously tall. He was surprisingly young for a man of his size. He spoke with such vigor and power; it was honestly surprising. He spoke of making a better world that we should all be proud of and asked me what I thought of this world.
I was honest when I told him I liked the world we had thus far. I have money, I have fame, I have family. Why else would I want to live in a world that's anything else when for myself, it seems perfect?
The man berated me for thinking so 'Close Sighted' as he put it. He doesn't see the world for what he himself is either, so I found it a bit ironic. I can't remember his name though. I know it was something easily recognizable though, that's why I feel so embarrassed to say that. Also odd, I've noticed this man multiple times around Pallet Town and never had a conversation with him until now. I wonder why.
Interesting enough. It wasn't anything other than satisfying his curiosity. It wasn't anything that told him information on Oak. He pushed on.
March 14th, 2002
I can't believe I missed it. The signs were all there. I knew something was wrong with her. I should've been doing something.
Delia has been lying to me for some time. Apparently nobody else knew. Delia had an affair behind young Ash's father's back. Even worse, she had a child. She plead with me to keep it quiet. I'm torn at what to do. On one hand I know that Ash's father deserves to know but at the other I can't tell him because it will tear apart their family.
She's already given the child up for adoption. Ash will likely be too young to remember it. There's no pictures of her or the child that I saw while I was last in her home. I have to make a decision. This will be a life-altering one.
Ash was staring at the screen, unmoving. Why hadn't Espeon given him this information? This was crucial! His mother had been cheating on his father before his dad left? That hadn't been part of the interrogation.
He needed to speak with the psychic cat as soon as possible, but before he did so, he heard his pokegear begin to ring. He flicked it open. The voice was raspy but understandable. He recognized the voice perfectly, and right on schedule.
'Now. Now, send her now.' Ash let out a whistle, giving the signal to his Psychic type and off she went. There was a purple flash, and then silence. Ash grimaced. There went asking his trusted eeveeolution about why she hadn't detected this from Delia a day prior. The only thing he could do now was keep moving forward in Oak's diary.
But for years, there didn't seem to be anything of too much importance. Oak would talk about money, fame, conventions with the other professors, regions rising to power but nothing really stood out to the champion of Alola. Well, not until he found something a bit odd.
December 21st, 2008
I'm starting to think differently than I did some years ago. I never thought I'd be getting jumped by other professors when I'm the original. I'm the one everyone should follow. It sadly doesn't feel like that anymore. Money's never been a problem for me, in fact, its been a luxury as of past years. My pokedex was considered to be the best of the best.
Young trainers don't want the original versions anymore. They want the higher-tech stuff. I don't blame them personally, but the feeling still hurts. It's not like the income isn't enough, but a few extra dollars here and there would be something nice.
Anyway, let's back up a minute or so. I have an assistant now! His name is Tracey. That's part of the reason money may be tighter- sorry, off track again. He's constantly out doing research, which I think is great for him and myself. If he's a natural researcher, I may be able to train him as my successor. Gary seems to prefer battling. I think maybe Ash would be better than my own grandson as well. He seems to love all Pokémon, while Gary is obsessed with battling and raw power. I'm so proud of him.
A few entries later:
April 1st, 2011
A day that I had been waiting for is here. Today is the day Gary will receive his first Pokémon. Ash will also be doing so. As I'm typing this, it's just past midnight, and I can hardly contain my excitement. I envision Gary as champion one day, while Ash and Tracey are taking over my role as Pokémon Professor. Both are cut out as it.
This day will take away the pain that I've been feeling for the past few years. I can't wait for them. They are amongst the future of our world, if groomed correctly.
Ash was just chuckling. How wrong the professor had been on him and Gary. Funny how one turned out to be the researcher/battler and the other became the champion. Honestly, it was a touch surprising that Gary had fought through the first few rounds of the tournament with ease. He could be a gym leader if he wanted to.
January 8th, 2013
I know what I must do. I received a strange offer today from someone I thought I'd never see again. It'd been around a decade… was it really that long? No? I can't remember and don't want to bother with turning back the clock and digging through all these entries to figure the exact time out. How ironic, is that not what diaries are for?
In a way, I can see this whole thing working out for me. Who knows, perhaps I can become his equal one day. I've been blinded this whole time by my 'Ambitions' of being a professor. I now can see them for what they are.
The feeling of dread was growing in Ash's stomach, by this point, Ash would've likely been just about finishing up his trips in the orange islands… no wait, he would've long since been in Sinnoh, right? He couldn't recall.
May 22nd, 2013
Happy Birthday to one Ash Ketchum. He's in Unova now from what I know. Not like it matters anymore.
I knew it. I KNEW it. I knew Professor Sycamore was up to no good. I should have never went to Kalos with Tracey. I should've never mentioned it to anyone, Gary, Delia, Ash. What was I thinking? He cannot be trusted. He did this behind my back and recruited my assistant to do so? Why would he not mention this to me? I must have answers from his mouth, not Tracey's. His are one thing, but Sycamore is up to something. I must figure out what.
Before it's too late for me.
Ash reread the entry, total bewilderment threatening to take over. Oak had a grudge against Professor Sycamore? Why? Where was random urge of jealously coming from? He rechecked the entries from January 8th to his birthday and confirmed that Sycamore wasn't brought up in any spot prior to that. It only made the situation that much more peculiar. What was the pattern?
July 23rd, 2013
I went all in, and it seems to be paying off right now. I'm beginning to climb the ranks silently and make all the money in the world for it. I can begin to start fueling my own research into the Ultra Beast Project. I've got an idea on how to keep up the old appearances though. I knew I made the right decision keeping the affair quiet all those years ago.
The boss is unaware of my intentions. He's too busy focusing on Team Rocket. How convenient! Gary is blissfully unaware. Tracey is acting a bit off though. He's rarely here anymore, studying out in the field. I have a bad feeling about him as of now. His studies of the Rainbow Yzerlock are becoming worrisome.
Is it time for me to step in and confront him on this research? No, not yet. I must keep this quiet for now and let it all play out. Let's see what happens.
Ash had stood up and began to pace.
Professor Oak had known about Ultra Beasts before he had even gone to Kalos? What was the pattern there? Also, another question had dug its way into his mind and set up shop there as well.
What the hell was a Rainbow Yzerlock? That didn't make any sense. It must be connected with Kalos then. It certainly wasn't connected with Ultra Beasts, whatever it was. He would've heard of it from Aether Paradise if that was the case. Regardless, he would ask Lusamine when he returned if she had any clue what it was.
Tracey was doing his own research away from Professor Oak? As long as Ash could recall, he would always remember Oak and Tracey working side by side in their work. It seems even they would have their problems.
Finally, who could the boss be? His immediate first thought was Giovanni, but that was thrown out the window. That didn't add up with the rest of the entry though, for obvious reasons. What possibility to consider next? Maybe Oak was working with another researcher? No, that didn't add up either. With all of Oak's talk of how he was the best researcher, how did that make any sense to call one his superior?
He kept digging away.
September 16th, 2013
This can't be happening. Tracey had finally opened up to me about the Rainbow Yzerlock, it's powers, it's abilities, and it's supposed location. I can't believe a device of such magnitude actually exists. This is my golden ticket.
But then, it was gone. The boss finally caught wind of Ultra Beasts and the Rainbow Yzerlock. Wish I knew how. Bless my heart, he doesn't seem to know I was aware for this long. They're ordering some sort of operation. This could be bad, and I'm in the dark. They're giving me last minute instructions on what's happening. I can't back out now.
What are they planning?
The one question remained, "Who is they?" Ash would muse over it and come up empty handed. This was just giving him more questions than answers.
September 24th, 2013
… I never thought I would see the day my successor would die. I was in the plaza with Delia and Tracey. The Power Tower competition was going on and everyone was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. All of the sudden, there was just chaos. I heard a scream from Tracey and I saw the most grizzly sight I've ever laid eyes on. A spike, who knows how long, impaled straight in his torso.
God damn it, my primary source of information for the Yzerlock is my successor and here he was, bleeding out. I yelled for Delia to get him to cover as people were cut down all around us. The attackers were fought off as best as the responders could. They weren't aware of our true colors, obviously.
It took a bit, but we got him to the woods, and Delia ran off, like I expected her to. What I didn't expect was for Tracey to begin talking about the Yzerlock. I panicked. I made a crucial mistake. I didn't expect him to die. I shouldn't have trusted the boss. The next thing I knew, spikes flew out of the trees. I got hit in the arm. I dropped Tracey and ran, knowing he was dead, and fearing the boss had found me out.
That's when I realized the 'mission' was likely to isolate me with the one other person who had information on the Yzerlock. Damn them. I'm the reason my disciple has blood gushing from his mouth and a spike lodged in his body.
It only got worse. I realized what I was doing, how immorally wrong I was for leaving him. I went back. That's when I saw him: Ash, laying over Tracey's body, holding him up. Why was Ash here? He was supposed to be in Unova! That's when it hit me, the Unova League had just finished. Ash had been eliminated early. Of course he picked that moment to be there. Tracey was whispering to him. Something in my stomach is doing backflips. I now know I've failed in my course of action. I couldn't go out there. I was lucky to be alive. Not sure how I made it out.
My disciple is dead. He told only one person what I pled to know: where is the Yzerlock? I have to believe my employer knows I cannot be trusted. This may be the end of the line. I have to know before it's too late. But if I ask Ash, will he be struck down as well for my impiety? Can I live with that guilt?
The cold grip that was latched around Ash's heart was threatening to squeeze until Ash himself burst. Professor Oak had been there. Professor Oak was part of some sort of organization. It sounded like he had made a mistake trusting them, and Tracey was collateral damage. He sank into the chair, taking in all the information he'd just been given.
It had to be Team Rocket; Professor Oak had been working with Team Rocket. But in reading his entries, there was clearly some guilt and even hostility against his employer. Was Professor Oak really evil if he just wanted to find the Yzerlock, Tracey's supposed final work? Was he really just that misunderstood?
Ash closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, preparing to flashback to the day Tracey Sketchit passed on to his next life.
Flashback… 2013… Approximately 7 Years Ago…
"This is going to be awesome buddy! I know Mom and Professor Oak won't have any idea that we're coming to this event! It's going to be an awesome surprise!" A much younger Ash Ketchum beamed.
"Pi-Pi Ka Chi!" His partner heartily agreed. The duo was returning from their journey from Unova. Getting eliminated in the Top 8 was a tough pill to swallow for him, but it didn't sway his confidence as much as it would to most. He'd lost hard before. It was time to keep powering through. He'd spend a few days here and then head out to the next region. Only problem was, he couldn't decide which one.
At the moment, he only had Pikachu with him. He wasn't too concerned, Pallet Town was always a safe spot, plus the Pokémon at the Power Tower competition were juggernauts. They could handle anything thrown them way, whether it was a few tons or not.
Ash and Pikachu were running down the dirt road to the Pallet Beachfront in search of his mother and the Pokémon professor himself. The raven-haired boy flexed his right arm as he ran and Pikachu hopped up, the sunlight beaming off his smooth, unblemished skin. "Let's go see them buddy! What'll you think they'll say? I hope they're still going to be so supportive. Top 8 isn't my usual placing."
"Pika-chi!" His partner scolded him, as if berating his own trainer for thinking such a way. Ash slowed to a walk. "Yeah, you're right buddy. Still, I wonder when this whole thing ends for us, right? I mean, look at us!" Ash motioned to the two of them.
"We've been to Kanto and breezed through it. We went through Johto too. We did that in what, just over a year? That counted the Orange Islands too! Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova done too in two years? That's actually crazy! We always got great timing it felt like for the leagues too, well except for that one time—"
They were cut off from their banter when an earth-shaking explosion was heard and spotted from up ahead. The magnitude of the explosion knocked both Ash and Pikachu to the ground. The electric type was up rapidly. His trainer was not as quick. He pushed himself to his feet. It was only then that Ash gasped. "That's the beachfront! What happened?"
"Ka! Ka-Chi!" Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and broke out into a sprint. Ash ran as fast as his legs could carry him. "We have to get there as fast as we can buddy! We need to help everyone before they—heads up!" A large chunk of debris had landed nearby, nearly hitting the both of them. Ash yelled. "What in Arceus' name is happening buddy? Let's move!" They made their way to the beachfront, where a decent bit of houses and landmarks in Pallet Town could be seen. A few minutes of running later, and the duo was in the heart of the city. Ash was hurdling any obstacle in his way, but he and Pikachu ran into a firefight with some of the first responders and a group of people wearing black clothes and white masks.
They didn't look like the usual team rockets. They also had pointed spikes lodged in their shoulder pads for added style. "Kid, stop there! Houndour, flamethrower! Burn that kid alive!" Ash didn't hesitate. "Pikachu, electro ball!" A large explosion levelled the nearby area, causing Ash to look away and protect his eyes. The air was almost toxic at this point, there was the smell of decay and flesh nearby. Ash didn't even want to think about that or how that happened.
"Pikachu! You okay buddy?" He called into the smog.
"Ka!" He heard the affirmative cry of his trusted partner.
"Goo-" He was cut off as he noticed not two but three familiar figures in the distance. In a gap between the houses he could make out silhouettes running into the forest. One was wearing a lab coat and the other had auburn hair. The last was being held up by both the other figures, seemingly wounded. That figure was sporting a recognizable orange backpack. The figures were definitely unaware of his presence, both seemed focused on the one in the middle. Within seconds, they vanished into the treeline.
'No…' Ash's mind turmoiled rapidly.
His impulsive trainer instincts took over. He knew what he had to do. While leaving all these people behind to combat what seemed to be an elite force of Team Rocket soldiers, It didn't take him more than a couple of seconds to react further. "Pikachu, let's go! I saw Mom with Professor Oak and Tracey! Tracey looked like he was hurt! We've gotta help them!" The duo turned tail and sprinted into the forest Ash had seen them run into not a minute or so prior. Ash ran into the thick brush and yelled.
"Mom! Professor Oak! Tracey! Answer me! It's Ash! Where are you?" The only greeting was the soft echo of his own voice. He ran through bush after bush, unsure of where to go next. He called out once more. "Mom! Can you hear me? I'm here to help you! I saw Tracey was hurting! Is everything alright? Please, answer me!"
This time, he got a response, but not one he expected. A snicker from a Pokémon that Ash knew all too well filled the area, and on instinct, Ash took Pikachu in his arms and rolled on the ground. The sound of a spike cannon filled up the evening sky, and Ash blessed his luck he'd known what to do.
Rapidly scanning his surroundings with what little daylight he had left; Ash devised a plan. In a flash, Ash had reacted. He stood up swiftly and got into the belly of a slightly hollowed out oak tree. He ordered. "Pikachu, spin and use thunderbolt!" His partner agreed, and rolling out of the tree it commenced the ingenius attack. The bright bolts of electricity lit up the sky and eventually struck the Cloyster lurking nearby. It let out a cry of unrestrained pain from the attack proceeded to flee back to the action at the beachfront.
Ash came out from the now damaged tree, fully unscathed. "Nice work Pikachu."
The yellow rodent held it's paw up in the air and beamed. "Pika!"
The trainer stared around the area warily, as if searching for the next possible route to search. Pikachu's ears began to twitch and the rodent took off running into the bushes and brush. Ash called out. "Pikachu! Wait up buddy!" The Pallet native followed the path his partner had taken. A minute or so passed with Ash barely keeping up with his faithful partner.
"Pikachu! Where are you going buddy! Do you sense them?" Ash called out.
His partner said nothing though and kept wading through the obstacles ahead of him. Ash could feel a pool of dread filling inside his stomach. This didn't feel right. He wasn't sure where they were now or how they'd gotten there, but eventually they hit a small clearing, and Ash's heart gave a horrible lurch as he spotted his good friend Tracey on the ground, a large spike nesting in his body.
"Tracey!" Ash cried. He ran over to where Professor Oak's assistant and his partner both were on the ground.
"O-Oh my god! Are you alright? What happened?" Ash grabbed Tracey by the shoulders, hoping for movement of any kind. He got some.
"Mmm… Ambush. Got hit in… a-at the beachfront… g-got hit twice here…" Rather than take it as though he may be the next to be ambushed, Ash's panic rose for a different reason. "Where did you get hit twice Tracey? We need to get you out of here!"
"mmm…. 's too late." He rolled over with what little strength he had left and Ash fought the urge to vomit. Two large spikes were fully lodged into his back and lower neck.
"I'm going to call for help Tracey… t-they can do something!"
"N-No… don't. The p-people out in the beachfront… t-they're fighting… t-they need help. They'll go for them first, a-as they should. Please A-Ash… j-just…" Tracey let out a loud groan and rolled back down, energy expended.
"Hey hey hey, stay with me Tracey!"
Tracey instead let out a quiet murmur. "I-I've only had the honor o-of being true friends w-with a handful of p-people Ash… I'm b-blessed to be h-having my final moments w-with one of t-them. T-Thank you… Thank you."
Ash felt the tears threatening to spill out in waterfalls. "No… not like this."
Tracey whispered. "Ash… come closer…"
Ash leaned down, unsure of what else to do. His eyes were filled with salt water and the slightest bit of action could be all it took to make them overflow. Tracey gently grabbed Ash's hand, now stained with Tracey's blood.
"M-My work… is h-hidden. I-I can't… trust… anybody with it… you c-can't get to it… yet. B-But you will… in time." Tracey rasped. "Ash. You… ehhh… A…" He let out a blood filled cough. "Y-You two… the o-only ones, w-who can d-do this…" He fell back down to the ground and uttered his final words.
"N-Never forget Ash… m-my… m-my will… t-there's a-a will… there's a-a… way." With his final words, Tracey's eyelids drooped closed and his hand fell from Ash's grip onto the grass below. The tears had long since fallen and were still cascading out. Ash reached for Tracey's neck to confirm what he already knew.
Tracey was dead.
Ash sniffed and whispered. "Goodbye, old friend." He then reached for his pokegear and called in emergency services, letting them know of the death of his old friend. Not once did he ever think about Professor Oak or his mother, who were seen leaving with him.
Flashback End…
'Hm… I wonder why I never thought of Oak or my mother in that situation. Maybe it was because I was so concerned about Tracey? That would seem logical.' Ash mused.
Then, a flash of purple filled the room, and out came a handful of people and Pokémon. A honchcrow landed along with his Espeon, neither so gracefully. Paul came out next, and finally, his target. They landed in a pile on the ground, and in an instant, Ash's dormant Pokémon who'd been either on guard watch or looking around the lab came to life, all prepared to attack if need be.
"W-what the-? Where am I?" The next thing Drew knew, though, he was knocked out with a swift punch in the jaw from the purple-haired trainer. "That's for making me run through a city to get you here."
Ash eyed up his purple cat, who looked utterly gassed. "Espeon, are you-" He didn't have time to finish as the cat collapsed on the ground, unmoving. He picked her up and immediately returned her to his pokeball. She was just tired, but why say nothing to him during the interrogation or after that? She must've expended the last of her energy to bring Paul back here with Drew. He'd have to let her rest.
"One tied up Drew Saiga, prime for interrogation… coming right up." Paul gruffly gritted.
AN: And that's the end of the chapter! You guys have been waiting long enough, so I decided to surprise you with my largest chapter ever! That's right, nearly 13,000 words in a single chapter for your enjoyment. You've earned it if you've been waiting this long, and next chapter, you'll get even more goodies.
If you're new, please follow and favorite the story. For those keeping track of the months and days and years, yes, you'll find it doesn't add up exactly to the timeline. I know it doesn't completely make sense, I'm sorry for that. It's a fanfiction, what can I say?
If you're new, please follow and favorite the story.
Anyway, that's all I've got. I hope this chapter satisfied your curiosity a bit, or maybe gave you a bit more for you to try and dive into. Thanks guys, until the next one!
LegionZ