I.

Pallet Town, the definition of countryside. Rolling green hills stretched against the great blue sky like paint on a canvas. Windmills rose from the earth, monoliths of power making their mark on the horizon. The freshly paved roads of Kanto turned to their former dirt paths the closer one continued toward Pallet. Tall grass remained here, taking refugees from across the land, such as the meowth from Route 5. Viridian Forest seemed more alive than ever as they passed along the edge, now world renowned as the bug catcher's paradise. Thankfully, only the real fanatics would travel far and wide to see a bug paradise, or so Misty thought. Pallet was the slow reprieve that Brock needed, similar to the one he had expected when his flight left Sinnoh just twelve hours earlier.

The town showed the fewest signs of modernization, but some of the older shops had seemed to disappear. It seemed that a trip to Viridian or Pewter was easier to get bulk supplies, and the residents of Pallet had betrayed their mom and pop roots to some degree. Nevertheless, the ranches and farms around Pallet remained, Tauros and Miltank roaming the fields.

"Oak's lab is just up ahead," their Soodo™ driver said.

"Thank you! It's super appreciated," Misty said cheerfully.

The two exited the car at the gate to Oak's lab, the entrance path winding up the side of a hill to where the laboratory resided.

"That was awfully cheery, thought you might've lost your capacity for joy," Brock joked, looking up at Oak's grand gate.

"Well, I take pride in my perfect Starmie score on Soodo™."

"Starmie score?"
"Nevermind, let's just see if Oak can give us any answers."

Approaching the gate's intercom system, Misty pushed her pointer finger into the button. It was a GirafaRing™ system, brand new and state of the art in home protection.

"Hello, are you a boy or a girl?" A crackling voice asked.

It was Oak no doubt, a strange question, but his voice reminded them of a warm winter fire. Something about his raspy old tenor made them feel young, they were glad to hear him as Oak-ish as ever.

"Professor, it's Misty. Brock is here too!" Misty shouted, speaking loudly so the old man would hear.

"Oh, Misty! How grand, and Brock too. Please, come in, come in."
After a moment of silence, the large gates shifted and the mechanisms pulled them open.

The two pushed up the path, different species of pokemon on all sides. Grazing in the grass stood Ash's Bayleef, who greeted them with a cheer and a wide smile. Both remembered how ferocious the little Chikorita once was, basically defeating Charizard in a duel with a sneaky Vine Whip. It was one of the best, and if Ash were with them it would've come charging in a fit of love. Besides Bayleef there were other pokemon, all presumably belonging to trainers that Oak was a close mentor to. A Tropius shared bananas with a Mankey and an Aipom, a Mudsdale towed a cart of supplies across one of the fields, and an Arcanine rested upon a raised spire, ignoring the playful yelps of a Growlithe litter. Brock imagined it was Gary's Arcanine here on leave, it seemed to share his too-cool-for-school type swagger. On the subject of school, of all people Brock had actually meant to reach out to, it was Gary about university. He knew Gary spent time studying and wondered if his apprenticeship with Professor Rowan had ended yet.

II.

Oak's Lab, probably the only reason to really visit Pallet Town nowadays. It was lucky Oak was home in fact, even he had become a bit of a world traveler in his old age. He was at the forefront of Pokemon studies, and he was well respected across all of academia, so his travels were generally well purposed. Nevertheless, something about his quaint little lab on the hills of Pallet held a special quality to it. The interior was long, stretching far back to where two sets of stairs led to an upper deck. Shelves lined the walls, various beakers, books, and cases containing pokeballs at his disposal. Oak leaned against a center table, typing away on one of his research computers. Right by his side was Ash's Muk, smiling at the arrival of his old friends.

"Misty and Brock! What a pleasant surprise!"

The cheery professor stood upright with a creaky back and slowly made his way over to hug the pair. He had definitely aged, and though Brock had always felt him to be spry in his old age, the past eight years had seemingly taken a toll.

"Please take a seat," He said, motioning to two seats near his workbench. "I'll make you both tea."
"Thank you, professor," Misty said, bowing her head.

They took their seats and admired the work spread out across the workbench. Various research documents and classified folders were stacked as if on display in an old card shop, but what caught Brock's eye were the sketches.

"Professor, are these Tracey's sketches?" He asked.

"The one of the Scizor? Yes, last he was here we were doing research on the common ancestor of Scyther and Kabutops, research seems to suggest a connection," The professor answered, his back turned as he prepared the tea.

It had been quite a while since Brock had seen Tracey Sketchit, the two had met in passing various times, but he recalled that Ash was fond of the boy. In fact, he recalled Ash comparing Tracey's loyal and sensitive nature to Brock's very own.

"Where has Tracey found himself these days, professor? Last I saw him he helped Daisy with tasks around the gym, in fact, I might've even wanted them to hit it off," Misty rattled.

"Tracey is in Hoenn, doing research in Mossdeep for me. I sent him there on assignment a few months ago, I'm sure he'll find his way home slowly though. He was excited to visit their Safari Zone and sketch some Pokemon."
Misty was excited at the mention of Tracey's current whereabouts, but Brock felt the uneasy wave of their reason for visiting overcome him. Turning, Professor Oak faced them while the tea boiled behind him.

"So, what can I owe the pleasure of two old friends coming to visit an elderly man like me?" He asked, adding a laugh and a smile.

"Is it so hard to believe we might just want to check in, especially with Brock back in Kanto?"
Misty's answer was warm in nature, but Brock was unsure if she was vamping because she was simply nervous or unable to ask the question on both their minds.

"Sir, we actually have a question about Ash. Some, strange things have happened recently."
Oak gave them a concerned look with a tilt of his head before turning back to check on the tea.

"Oh, please, if it's about Ash I'd like to know."
Misty looked over at Brock, fear and uncertainty in her eyes. It was true, she and Ash had always counted on him as an older brother. Though Ash was the one unwittingly barreling his way through Kanto with the two of them on his coattails, the group would've stood no chance without Brock's resourcefulness. He had more experience as a trainer and had a greater capacity for selflessness that came with age. He'd take initiative with their question.

"Recently Misty was visited by a hooded figure, and he had some rather strange questions about Ash, yet, as strange as they were, they did make sense. H-"
"He asked me about Ash's eternal youth. Brock and I both recognize it as true, but- we just, we're hoping you might've realized something too," Misty blurted, joining Brock to speak for herself.

Oak paused, his back turned to them both as he was halfway through pouring their tea. He placed the teapot down on the counter and took a deep breath. Slowly, the professor turned and looked at them.

"Ash's, eternal youth?" The professor asked, pausing with seeming confusion. "Hah! If there were such a thing as eternal youth, I would've sought it out ages ago."

The professor chortled and turned to grab their tea and carry it over. Awkwardly, Brock and Misty looked at one another, the professor had dismissed their question as nothing more than a joke. Handing them their tea, Brock confessed again.

"Sir, with all due respect, we aren't joking. You- haven't noticed Ash's failure to age? He's stayed ten, for the last eight years."
Sitting, Oak gripped his teacup and gave a genuine, pensive look.

"So, Ash has remained ten years old for the last eight years. Wouldn't that seem, well, impossible?" Oak wondered.

"Exactly! That's why we're coming to you, hoping you might have some sort of explanation," Misty exclaimed, becoming upset again with the oblivious response of a close friend.

"I- think you two might just need some rest. Misty, I hear you've been working hard as the leader of Cerulean, and Brock, how long have you spent traveling? I don't think there's anything wrong with Ash at all."
The professor rose, finishing his tea and walking back over the backend of the laboratory to where the counter was. He shuffled through some papers and typed something into one of his computers.

"Sir, when was the last time you actually saw Ash?" Brock implored.

With his back still turned, Oak answered, "Recently, and there was nothing strange about him. Look, you two. I think you're barking up the wrong tree. You should just let it go."
His tone had turned sour, as if their question was blasphemous. They hadn't noticed, but Muk stood between them and the professor. Brock could've sworn it, the pokemon's eyes turned red. Not only that, but creeping down the railing toward the upper level was Ash's Sceptile, its eyes glowing red too.

"I suggest you two go visit Delia, if you have questions about Ash it feels more appropriate you ask her."
Oak never turned his back again, but the message was clear: They should leave.

"Of course sir, we're sorry to have bothered you."
The old man didn't answer, and in a quick fit of movements, Brock shuffled Misty out of the lab and down the path.

III.

"What was that, Brock? What just happened?!" Misty cried, panicking as they hastened toward the Ketchum's townhouse.

"I don't know, but from the moment we asked Oak about Ash, he didn't seem happy."
"Why? What do you think he knows that we don't?"
Brock frowned, he just wasn't sure what the old professor might know, what he might be hiding. There was one thing he was sure of, Oak immediately shut them out when they asked about Ash.

"Brock! Do you have a good answer?"
"No, I really don't. Yet, I sympathise with your panic. That undoubtedly did not go well."

"You have pokemon on you just in case, right? I brought Gyarados, Starmie, and Golduck with me."
She lifted the sweatshirt she wore over her swim outfit to reveal her belt with clipped pokeballs.

"Yes, I've currently got Croagunk, Chansey, and Sudowoodo. But, I don't think we'll need to battle."
"Brock, I know you saw it too. Sceptile and Muk, their eyes were glowing, like, red. As if they were… i don't even know."

Brock nodded, she was admittedly correct. A battle might lie ahead, but it could be out of sight and out of mind for now. They rounded the corner, the Ketchum residency was just ahead. They looked for any sign that Delia might be home, but the lights seemed to be off. Just as it seemed their luck had run out, however, Mimey turned around the house's edge with a broom.

"Mime!" He shouted, waving as the two arrived at the yard's fence.

"Mimey, how are you? Is Delia home?" Misty asked, leaning over the fence's gate.

Nodding in excitement, the pokemon skipped to the front door and invited them in with a gesture of his hand.
"Thank you, Mimey," Brock said, patting the pokemon on the head.

Misty and Brock entered the front hallway to the Ketchum's home, but all the lights were off.

"Mrs. Ketchum! It's Misty, are you home?"
They were met with no answer, but it was rude to just barge in. It was possible that she had just showered or was unable to answer for some other reason. After a few moments with no answer, Brock turned with the intention of asking Mime for help.

"Mimey, do you k-" Brock started, turning just in time to see Mimey slamming the front door closed behind them.

"Oh shit! It's a trap!" Misty cried, running toward the door and lowering her shoulder into it.
Busting through, she stumbled out onto a bed of sand. The sky above had turned a vantablack, balls of white fire speckling the expanse. Spread out before her were no longer the rolling hills of Pallet but the rolling dunes of a desert. The door dug slightly lopsided in the sand, on one side the Ketchum's front hallway, on the other, the nighttime desert. It now seemed they were trapped in some sort of trick, Mimey's voice booming in the distance, mocking them in a fit of laughter.