Chapter 39
Saturday, April 1st
"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man," Ash and Macy said together as they sat on the floor in their living room. "Bake me a cake as fast as you can."
Macy giggled gleefully as she clapped her hands with Ash as they said an old nursery rhyme together. As an agreement for running out on her the day before, Ash promised to spend the entire evening doing whatever Macy wanted. As promised, he played every game she could think of while Casey was absorbed with something on TV.
"Pat it, and prick it, and mark with an 'M,'" They continued. "Put in the oven for Macy and me!"
"We did it!" Macy exclaimed as she threw hands up in the air. She looked to Pikachu who was watching them from the couch. "Your turn Pikachu!"
Ash snickered as Pikachu took his place and began to recite the rhyme in his own words. Seeing them together, Ash quickly snatched up his phone to record them briefly. It was nothing more than an eight-second video that he sent off to Dawn and May in a group text. Their response came almost immediately.
'Aww, soooo cute!' – May.
'I want to smush the two of them in a hug!' – Dawn.
'Do you have any pictures of Max, May?' – Ash.
'One sec,' – May.
Ash raised his brow, expecting some sort of embarrassing picture May took in the past. Instead, it was a picture of Max at a school concert playing the clarinet. He was all dressed up with his hair gelled back and a spiffy bowtie around his neck.
'Wow, I didn't think you'd have good pictures of Max.' – Ash.
'What's that supposed to mean?' – May.
'I was expecting something less…dignified.' – Ash.
'Ash used a school word.' – Dawn
Ash rolled his eyes at Dawn's comment which came accompanied by a smiley face.
'Well, you put up a good picture of Macy, I thought I'd show a good one of Max.' – May.
'I wish I had siblings to show pictures of.' -Dawn.
'I can loan you Max! In fact, you can keep him!' – May.
Ash stifled a laugh at how quickly May reply came. There was a call of his name from the corridor, forcing Ash to look up from his phone. It was Cassidy. Setting his phone down, Ash went off in search of Cassidy and found her seated in the kitchen.
"What's up? Did you need anything?" Ash asked her as he approached.
"I wanted to ask you a few questions," She replied casually. Ash became tense for a moment, and then relaxed when Cassidy made a gesture for him to take a seat next to her. "You're not in trouble or anything, not that you'd care if I was going to give you a good scolding."
Ash gave a chuckle as he eased into his seat.
"What did you want to ask me?"
"I saw your latest battle," Cassidy answered as she showed her phone. She was viewing his battle against Laura within the old steel mill. "I was curious about how you got involved in all of it."
"Hmm?" Ash stuck out his lip, brow furrowed in question. "What do you mean?"
Cassidy paused the video to zoom in on a person that was barely visible off to the side. It was a man with silver hair. Hun.
"I know him," Cassidy as she placed her finger below Hun on the screen.
"You do?" Ash exclaimed, and she gave him a nod. "How?"
"He's an old friend, someone I certainly didn't expect to see," Cassidy continued. "Do you know him?"
Ash looked to Cassidy and saw that her gaze rested firmly on her phone. He exhaled, biting down on his lower lip as he considered his answer. Months and months of keeping secrets from Cassidy weighed on his mind. His activity with the Red Skulls, his late nights out to see street battles. He never once stopped to consider how she felt above all of it because…because Cassidy wasn't his mother.
But that night at the hospital when she finally woke up, and the girls saw her again for the first time in months. It reminded him that even though she wasn't his biological mother…she was more than capable of filling that role if he allowed her to. And perhaps…now was a time to stop fighting it and let Cassidy fill that missing piece of the puzzle.
"I know him too," Ash stated.
"How?"
"He works with the Red Skulls and…I did a job with him last year," Ash answered slowly.
"And do you care to share what he was doing there during the battle?" Cassidy pressed.
Ash did his best to ignore Cassidy's intrusive behavior, though it felt eerily similar to the night he argued with Serena about the Red Skulls.
"He was…captured by the White Lotus. He called me there to help him out."
"The White Lotus is not a group you want to be around, Ash," Cassidy pointed out as she looked toward him. Her eyes were unrelenting. "They're a dangerous group of trainers."
"I know," Ash mumbled out. "I learned that the hard way."
"But you still went to help Hun," Cassidy went on, getting a nod from Ash. "Why? If you know the White Lotus are dangerous, why get yourself caught up in their mess?"
"It was part of a condition to get the White Lotus to let him go. If I came and beat one of their leaders in a battle, they'd let him go."
Cassidy narrowed her eyes.
"And what if you lost?" Cassidy asked him. "What then?"
Ash held onto his response and averted his gaze.
"You would've been in the same boat as Hun, huh?" She concluded, and Ash's silence was answer enough. "How could you do something so stupid?"
Ash winced and swallowed his urge to snap back at her.
"It wasn't stupid, it was a chance…" Ash paused, using that moment to study Cassidy's expression. She watched him expectantly, waiting for an answer that could hopefully justify such a reckless decision. "A chance to see my dad again."
Her eyes softened briefly as she looked away from him. She propped up her chin on one hand, needing some time to think of what to say next.
"Why would…?" Cassidy stopped as the pieces fell into place.
The White Lotus wanted Aaron from the start. When they couldn't get him, Hun was taken as a hostage. Hun alone wasn't enough to get Aaron to make an appearance, so Ash was brought in to be used as a bargaining chip.
"Well for all of the trouble you went through, did you get to see him?" Cassidy inquired. The answer was written all over Ash's face as he donned a faraway look.
-X-X-
Even with his most recent conversation with N still fresh on his mind, Ash was still able to focus on what was likely the most important event of the day. His victory over Laura meant that Hun would be arranging a meeting with his father.
"Sheesh, I was beginning to think that N kidnapped you," Brock noted with a chuckle as Ash joined them outside of the main entrance of the steel mill.
"We just had some things to discuss…" Ash responded sheepishly, scratching at the back of his neck.
"Oh really?" Brock said with a raised brow. "Like what?"
"A match at the Hidden Cove," Ash answered with a grin.
"No way, he wants to battle you?" Brock exclaimed, though Hun's response was much more theatrical.
"You?!" He practically shouted. "You're going to battle that monster?!"
Ash wasn't fazed by Hun's reaction as he looked toward him.
"Well yeah, he's the best trainer in the city," Ash stated the obvious with a shrug. "I want to know how I stack up against him…after I battle my dad, of course."
Hun stroked at his chin, attempting the visualize Ash facing off against N. He struggled to imagine Pikachu doing anything against that beast of a Pokemon. Hun saw N's Zoroark on more than a few occasions, and he'd never seen him so much as flinch in combat, even when he was facing more than a dozen foes. What could Pikachu possibly do against Zoroark on his own?
However, the mention of Ash's father reminded Hun of the deal they had in place.
"Right, your dad," Hun said as he abandoned his imagination. "Sometimes it's like you have to send out a search party for him…but, I'm going to apologize in advance,"
Ash narrowed eyes as he looked at Hun who refused to meet his gaze.
"For what?" Ash asked, though he had a pretty good idea of what Hun would say next.
"I'm going to be honest with you, because I know that you just want answers…" Hun began as he pulled at the collar of his jacket. "I used your dad as bait because I knew that would get you to help me."
Hun was expecting some sort of reaction from Ash, but his attention was drawn to Brock who took a step toward him with a menacing stare.
"I really thought you were looking out for him," Brock growled. Hun was a bit bigger than him in terms of size and bulk, but Brock was undeterred as he grabbed a fistful of Hun's jacket. "But you were just using him to you out of your own mess. That's beyond messed up."
"I'm not going to act like what I didn't wasn't wrong," Hun said in reply. "But there wasn't much else I could do. I could either take may chances and hope Aaron shows up, or try getting Ash to help me. I knew I had a batter chance with Ash than his dad. But it's not like there isn't a possibility of him talking to Aaron."
"You've been watching him, so you know how badly he wants this," Brock pointed out with a gesture to his friend. "Then you do crap like dangle a possibility of talking to his dad in front of him. That's not right!"
"Brock," Ash interjected, causing Brock to glance his way. "It doesn't matter at this point. It's like I said last time, I shouldn't have been expecting anything in the first place. I should know better."
Ash had his hands in his pockets as he spoke, concealing the fact that they were balled into tight fists. His eyes were downcast, the visor of his cap keeping them hidden from their sight.
"Pika-pi?" Pikachu asked him and Ash gave a nod.
"Yeah, we might as well go," Ash said as he turned.
"Hold on," Hun cut in before they could go, trying to step past Brock. "I know I pulled one over on you, but there is a way that you can still talk to Aaron…or at least, let him hear your voice for a little while."
Brock released his hold on Hun's jacket and pushed him back, though it only forced back a step or two.
"And what would that be?" Brock asked as he held his position between Ash and Hun.
"Aaron's a recluse at times, so it's hard to keep up with him. He's got a home phone that we leave message on to keep him up to date when he's gone for a while," Hun explained, keeping his eyes on Ash who turned to face him. "He never answers, but you can leave a message. I don't know when he'll hear it, it's a shot in the dark honestly…but you never know."
There was a brief silence between them.
"Do you want to try?"
Ash wanted to say no. He wanted to move past all of the nonsense with his father. It was reaching the point where he could do without the answers to his questions. Things would be easier if he abandoned this pursuit…wouldn't it? He could focus on that fated match with N, as opposed to this pointless pursuit. But those same questions would always be there, and he would be left to wonder if the answers would ease his mind, or cause him more heartache. He might have been better off not knowing.
Could he…could he settle for that? Could he deal with that little voice in the back of his head asking him what happened to his mother? How did she die? Why did she die? Could he live out of the rest of his life without knowing? Ash's chest grew tight as he drew in a sharp breath.
He knew what he needed to do.
He made the phone call.
The phone rang for some time, just as Hun said it would. And finally, the answering machine played its message.
"…after the tone, you may begin recording your message," The monotone voice stated, and it was followed by the low chime that was Ash's cue.
"Dad…it's Ash. I don't know when or if you'll even hear this message, but I thought it might be best if you heard this from me," Ash stated as he held the phone. His hand was shaking, though he kept this detail hidden as he turned away from Brock and Hun. "Two weeks ago, me and Pikachu beat Flint to become the number one contender in the circuit. Mr. Goodshow gave me one condition to challenge you. He said I have to be ranked among the top ten trainers in the circuit. I've held up my end of the deal and made a request to battle you, but like I said, I want you to hear it from me. Dad…I challenge you to an official one on one Pokemon battle at the Hidden Cove. And after I beat you…I want you to tell me what happened to mom ten years ago. I need to know."
-X-X-
Cassidy cleared her throat to end the silence that set in. Ash blinked twice to refocus his sight.
"Sorry," Ash said softly as he shook his head. "I was really hoping that I would get to see him…he didn't show up."
Cassidy frowned and raised a hand to place it on his shoulder.
"Oh, I'm sorry Ash," She consoled him. "Try not to fixate on it. Focus on what you've been doing. After all, you've got a lot of things coming up, like graduation."
Ash took a deep breath and gave a nod.
"Yeah, you're right. It'd be a waste of time to fuss over it," Ash agreed as he looked up. A connection occurred that caused Ash to look at Cassidy. "Just out of curiosity, how do you know Hun?"
Cassidy pursed her lips when Ash posed the question. Then she tilted her head shrugged her shoulders.
"I used to work with him too, years ago," Cassidy replied.
"Really? I know you mentioned that you were a trainer, but you used to work with the Red Skulls?" Ash asked her, causing Cassidy to shake her head.
"They weren't called the Red Skulls back then," Cassidy replied. "And I didn't work with Hun, he used to work for me."
Ash sat stupefied for a moment, letting the information settle in his mind.
"Hun used to work for you?" He repeated, his face contorting as he put the pieces together. "Does that mean you used to work with my dad?"
Cassidy gave a slow nod. Ash didn't hesitate with his next question.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"Do you remember how I've mentioned that my husband passed away?" Cassidy asked him softly.
"Well, you've never told me exactly how he died," Ash pointed out to her.
"Right," Cassidy sighed. "Sorry, I'm still not going to get into specifics, all I'll say is that Butch and I were involved in something similar to what you got caught in yesterday. Fights between trainer gangs. They've never been pretty, Ash." Cassidy said with a sigh.
"Wait, so Butch was killed in a street gang battle?" Ash asked her.
"No," Cassidy answered. "Something much more than that. Butch and I were caught up in…in a heated feud that had bigger implications than you could ever imagine."
"And it…involved my dad?" Ash concluded, earning another nod of confirmation from Cassidy. "Was he the cause?"
"Far from it, Ash, but that's all I can say," Cassidy stated and Ash felt his chest become tight.
"Why? What is it that you guys are hiding?" He barked suddenly. Cassidy flinched at the sharpness in his tone.
"It's not my place to tell, Ash," Cassidy stated and Ash felt his head become hot. "It's something only your father can explain."
"It's not my place to tell," Cassidy said as she shook her head.
"It's a story that only your dad can tell," Hun stated.
"Why do you all keep saying that?!" He exclaimed vehemently. "I'm getting tired of hearing that answer. It's like everyone is protecting him and I have no idea why because all you won't say anything, and he won't talk to me!"
"I wouldn't say anyone is protecting him," Cassidy interjected.
"Then why do you keep trying to act like he's some sort of saint?" Ash snapped at her, slapping the table as he did so.
"Because he's been through a lot himself, Ash," Cassidy cut in sternly. "You don't think Aaron wasn't hurt when your mother died?"
Cassidy was hoping to reason with Ash, but she quickly regretted her question as Ash's nostrils flared with resentment.
"How would I know?! I've only seen him once in the last ten years!" Ash shouted in return. "And of course, he wants to spout some crap about how he's been watching me the whole time? Do you really think I could feel bad for him if he's watching us all the time? That means he was watching while you were in the hospital and I was looking after the girls. He was watching while we were barely keeping things together before that! We almost lost everything, and I bet he would've been perfectly fine just watching!"
Ash exhaled, his hands trembling.
He rose from his seat, deciding that it was best to leave.
Cassidy heard the front door open and close, and a few moments later Casey, Macy, and Pikachu entered the kitchen.
"Is everything alright?" Casey asked as the trio stood in the doorway.
Cassidy gave the group a faint yet reassuring smile.
"Everything is fine. I…said some things that I shouldn't have to Ash," Cassidy answered. "He needs some time to cool his head, he'll be back."
While the girls returned to the living room, Pikachu wasn't quite so convinced. He approached Cassidy, jumping up onto the table to address her.
"Don't worry, Pikachu," She assured him to him, patting his head. "I have to apologize to him when he comes back home."
Pikachu shot her a gaze filled with skepticism, but it went ignored by Cassidy as she returned her focus to her phone. She dialed in a number and pressed her phone against her ear.
The answering machine gave its recorded message before Cassidy began to speak.
"Aaron…this is Cassidy," She stated, causing Pikachu's ears to perk up. "I don't know what exactly you're waiting for…but Ash isn't going to wait around for you forever."
Monday, April 3rd
Ash sat in Fantina's classroom, drumming his fingers on the edge of his desk as he stared at the clock. There was nearly half an hour before class began, and he was struggling to focus on the worksheet in front of him. It was the only homework he needed to do over the weekend, but like any high schooler, he didn't bother until the last possible minute.
He felt such a mixed bag of emotions after he stormed out of the house on Saturday. There was a part of him that really and truly wanted to reconcile with his father. But every mention of his father caused Ash to think of Aaron's ten-year absence. The illusion that Ash held onto, that Aaron was still the same lively and adventurous spirit that he was ten years ago, continued to fade.
"Earth to Ash Ketchum!" A voice exclaimed, snatching him from his thoughts.
With a semblance of focus, Ash saw that it was Dawn and May standing in front of his desk. May shot him a small wave and Dawn smiled cheerily as a greeting.
"You had me worried there for a moment," May continued with a grin. "I figured you forgot your brain at home."
"Oh, you're so funny," Ash said mockingly.
"I know, it's one of my many talents," May replied as she stuck out her tongue. Her response to sarcasm was to simply take it as a compliment. Dawn found it endearing as she giggled. Ash, on the other hand, found it annoying and dropped his head onto his desk with a groan.
"So, what are you hiding there, Ash?" Dawn asked as she tugged at his worksheet. He raised his head for her to see his homework that was still completely blank outside of his name.
"Ashy is going to get chewed out for not doing his homework again," May noted, earning a narrow glance from Ash for her choice of a nickname.
"Can it, May," He retorted.
"Do you need some help, Ash?" Dawn asked him. Ash immediately raised a hand toward her and looked at May expectantly.
"See? I can count on Dawn to help me out, but you," He pointed to May. "You just like to kick me while I'm down."
"I know when to pick my battles," May said in reply with a snide little grin. "It's one of my many talents."
Dawn stifled a laugh as Ash chewed on his lower lip, searching for a response. However, he lacked a cutting remark and begrudgingly gave in to defeat. May sat down triumphantly next to him while Dawn pulled up a seat to share Ash's desk. They made quick work of Ash's homework together and passed the remaining time left before class started talking.
Fantina was extremely excited today as she called for the attention of her students with a clap of her hands.
"I have a spécial announcement for you all today, one that I know you all will be very happy to hear!" Fantina began merrily, twirling as she spoke. "Since we are in the final term of the school year and our class has strictly seniors in it, I have decided that we will start our final project. Once completed, my class will become optional going forward and any missed classes will not be counted against you."
"Ms. Fantina, you're awesome!"
"The best teacher ever!"
Fantina bowed gracefully as she accepted the praise from her students. Once she heard enough, she raised a hand to stop them and explain their upcoming assignment.
"This project will be a group assignment. Unlike our last group assignment, I am giving you almost total freedom. However, I will need a rough draft of your plan by the end of the week to see if it meets approval." Fantina explained to her students.
"Why would it need approval?" May inquired immediately.
"The principal has agreed to display your artwork as a part of a small showcase at your graduation. He doesn't want anything inappropriate being displayed," Fantina answered, carefully eyeing a few of her students that had a more scandalous sense of creativity. "As I said, you have total freedom as long as you stay within those guidelines. Compris?"
"Oui madame!" Her class responded in unison and Fantina beamed.
"Alright, you will be working in groups of three and I will allow you to pick your partners. If there are any disagreements, I will take over the process and select your partners. I shouldn't have to do that because we are all adults here, correct?" Fantina asked them, receiving a collective nod from everyone. "Très bon."
"Dawn!" Three different pairs came rushing to Dawn, seeking to claim her as their third project partner. Fortunately, she had a response prepared for all of them.
"I'm sorry guys, I've got my partners right here," She said with a nod toward May and Ash. May thumbed her nose at the group, making a face as she did so. Ash leaned back into his seat, recalling when it was both he and Dawn that used to get hounded to work with their classmates.
Ever since their last group project where Ash argued with his classmates about trusting Pokemon, he wasn't viewed as favorably. Not that Ash could blame them. It was how they were brought up, and even as young adults, they were already getting stuck in their ways. Ash wasn't bothered in the least that he wasn't a hot commodity anymore. In fact, he was grateful for it. Being on the less popular end of the spectrum led to him having all the time in the world to think about practicing with Pikachu during the school day.
"So, I guess that means we ought to start brainstorming now so that Ash can turn down like a thousand times idea, right?" Dawn asked as she turned back to her partners. She was expecting to get a response from both of them for her little jab at Ash, but she discovered that her friends were simply sat inattentive in their seats. "Hello?"
Ash was the first to come back, perking up as he focused. "Yeah?"
"I was saying we should start brainstorming," Dawn repeated herself, though she kept her joke to herself.
"We don't need to do that, our theme is easy this time," Ash responded, causing Dawn to raise her eyebrow. She turned to face him in her seat and made a gesture for him to go on. "Graduation!"
"Okay, but what did you have in mind?"
"Picture this, a big graduation cap that we illustrate some of our memories on," Ash explained which caused Dawn to wrinkle her nose with uncertainty.
"How is that going to work?"
"Think of the top of the cap as like a canvas that we can paint on," Ash continued as he tried to explain the dimensions of their project through hand gestures. "Once we've finished painting, we can punch a hole through the middle of the canvas to add a tassel and we could have the whole 'class of ninety-five' and everything."
"Draw a sketch, let me see it," Dawn stated.
"I'm on it!" Ash exclaimed as he flipped over his history worksheet to draw on the blank side of it.
"Ash, no!" Dawn said harshly, though that didn't stop him from starting. "There's scrap paper right over there!"
"It's too late, I'm going!" Ash responded as he scribbled wildly on the sheet, causing Dawn to palm her forehead.
"Alright then, did you understand what he was talking about, May?" Dawn asked as she looked toward the brunette beside her. May was still lost in thought, forcing Dawn to snap her fingers in front of her friend's face.
"Huh, wha-what's going on?"
"Did you hear anything we talked about?" Dawn asked her.
"No, I wasn't listening," May stated shamelessly. "You want to hear something funny?"
Dawn pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh as May proceeded with the subject she brought up.
"So, I took Ms. Fantina's class to get better at art because I suck at it. The year is almost over and I still suck at art. Instead, I actually learned a decent amount of French from her," May explained with a laugh. "I took an art class but got better at French! Isn't that funny?"
May smiled sweetly at Dawn, who deadpanned. Then as the bluenette looked toward Ash as he sketched on the back of his homework, Dawn couldn't help but think she might have been better off working with a different tandem of her classmates.
Wedged into the seat cushions of the couch in his living room, Ash laid back comfortably with his gaze fixated on the ceiling. He skipped yet another training session with Giselle in favor of resting, though Shauna and Cassidy recommended that he rest a little more often. At first, he ignored their input, but over the last few weeks, he came to understand why they insisted on it.
Built-up exhaustion from months of constant training with Pikachu ravaged his body in recent weeks. It took the form of drowsiness at school and multiple underwhelming performances against Giselle during their regular training sessions. In fact, Giselle was the straw that broke his back. While Shauna and Cassidy obviously cared for his health, hearing Giselle tell him that rest was necessary changed his stance on the subject.
She explained that their devotion to training led to some fast progress in Pikachu's development, but rest was an opportunity for Ash to further his own development. Training led to the development of the body, but during a period of rest, was a chance to sharpen his mind.
Even with the critiques from Giselle, she pointed out that merely listening to someone else wouldn't lead to further progress. Ash needed to sit down and examine himself to understand his own weaknesses. It wasn't something he could do freely. It had to be done with clarity of mind, otherwise, it wouldn't be a true examination of oneself.
Ash took her suggestion to heart, for his sake as well as Pikachu's. Shifting on the couch, Ash looked across the room to see his little partner in crime splayed out on the other sofa, snoozing peacefully. Pikachu was long overdue for a real break as well, after all, he was the one doing all of the hard work each day. Their training was strenuous, and the workload only increased after they started training with Volkner back in January. Between their close combat exercises with Giselle, and the electrical manipulation practice with Volkner, Pikachu's training regime was jam-packed! Giselle was helping them polish Pikachu's fundamentals, his footwork, defense, and decision making.
The instruction they received from Volkner and Ampharos was less intense as of late, but that was because Ash and Pikachu focused on developing their Electric Terrain. This move was uncharted territory for Volkner since he and Ampharos could go no farther with it. It was up to Ash and Pikachu to see how they could expand on the move, so they were left to experiment on their own.
With their most recent battles against both Flint and Laura, Ash witnessed Pikachu manipulating the electricity on the field that was provided by Electric Terrain. It left him to wonder if that was the next step they could take with the move: learning how to wield the electricity on the field as a weapon to complement Pikachu's expanded offense with Electric Terrain in effect. Unfortunately, they struggled to reproduce what Pikachu did during an actual battle in practice, so their training had yet to yield results. But that would come with time.
The match date with his father was still up in the air, so Ash wasn't exactly in a rush to figure out how to improve Electric Terrain. For now, he focused on Giselle's advice. To continue to sharpen his mind. She gave him a goal, to battle the way he battled against Laura all the time.
It took him a while to understand what she meant. He felt really good during that battle like he was seeing the field clearly and making all the right decisions. Ash didn't think much of it, though Giselle said that he was more than capable of replicating that all the time. She encouraged him to sit down and watch as many battles as he could and put himself in the shoes of each participating. Slowly take the time to consider every move he would make, imagine how his opponent would act and how he would react accordingly. It was actually a really fun exercise, allowing Ash to pass more time than he was expecting.
As soon as he got home from school, he got started with his exercise, and before he knew it, it was four o'clock! The front door opened, and several footsteps tore Ash out of thoughts.
"Ashy!" Macy exclaimed as she rushed into the living room, approaching her older brother. "I'm home!"
Ash grinned at her as he sat upright to greet her.
"How was your day, Macy?" Ash asked her as he lifted her up onto the couch beside him to help her take off her shoes.
"We went to the doctor's place," Macy explained, recounting the details of her day. "Me and Shauna had fun. We did coloring and reading while we waited for mommy."
"That's great kiddo," Ash said as he ruffled her hair. "I'm glad you had a good time."
"I'm going to get started on dinner," Ash could hear Shauna say this as she passed by the living room. "Casey!" She hollered at the top of her lungs. "Get down here and help with dinner!"
"Get Macy to help!" Casey shouted in return from her room upstairs.
"Casey, don't make me come up there!" Shauna and Cassidy shouted together. Ash could imagine their eyes glowing red in the same fashion as Cross' Lycanroc as they combined their voice as a final warning for Casey. It caused Macy to inch a bit closer to him on the sofa, and Pikachu was startled by their outburst. In an instant, he was alert, attentive and…airborne.
Pikachu hit the floor with a thud, having rolled off the couch as his initial reaction to the shouting. He groaned, rubbing at the top of his head before he shot a leer at Ash who was snickering at his expense.
"Are you o-kay, Pikachu?" Macy asked as she rushed over to the small Pokemon to examine him.
"Pikapi," He responded as Macy rubbed the top of his head.
"Macy," Cassidy said as she stood in the doorway. "Why don't you help Casey and Shauna with dinner?"
Macy gave her mother a nod and jumped to her feet to follow Casey who went stomping into the kitchen. Cassidy chuckled as she joined Ash in the living room, taking a seat on the sofa Pikachu previously occupied. Pikachu scurried up onto the lap of his trainer and poked at Ash's arm using his tail. Ash rolled his eyes as Pikachu rolled onto his stomach, waiting for his massage to begin.
"So how was it at the doctor?" Ash inquired to break the silence that set in.
"It was like any other appointment for me," Cassidy answered, watching as Ash used one hand to stroke Pikachu's back, the small Pokemon wearing a content smile as he did so.
"Ah, that's good," Ash noted as he looked to Cassidy. He took a quick breath before he moved onto a subject he was avoiding up until this point. "I wanted to apologize for blowing up at you the other day. It wasn't right of me to start shouting and everything."
Apologies were never Cassidy's strong suit. She hated apologizing, whether it was to her former husband or even her adoptive children. She was grateful that Ash took the initiative here, as it made it easier for her to follow up.
"I owe you one too," Cassidy began with a huff. "I spoke out of turn, something I was famous for when I was younger. You'd think I would've learned by now, especially trying to talk to my own kids."
Ash smiled faintly at her statement. Her own kids…
"Aren't you like, in your fifties?" He said with a raised brow.
"Forty-one," She stated with a leer. "Nice try though,"
Ash gave a brief laugh.
"I feel bad," Cassidy continued. "I've always been friends with your father, so I knew about everything that took place. It's why I'm the one who's looking after you."
"Can't you tell me what happened to my mother?" Ash asked, causing Cassidy to shake her head.
"I'm sorry Ash, like I said, it's the one thing that I'm under no circumstances to tell you," Cassidy repeated. Ash held an expressionless face. "Only your father has the right to tell you that."
Ash sat in silence for a moment, attempting to discern what he could from her cryptic statements. Something only his father would know…? What could that be? The killers? No, Ash saw them himself that day. So, it had to be…Aaron knew the reason why his mother died.
"I get it…" Ash mumbled before he looked back to Cassidy. "Can you at least tell me what happened after all of that? Like where he went and all of that? Do you know?"
Cassidy heaved out a sigh to start her reply.
"I fell out of contact with your dad right after he gave you to me," Cassidy said softly as she pulled at the fringes of her shirt. "He was gone for about two years before he suddenly popped up here in Vermilion City. We haven't spoken face to face since so I don't know how he's doing. To be honest, I don't really know much Ash. Just like everyone else."
"Yeah, that seems to be the norm," Ash muttered, causing Pikachu to glance up at him. "So, you don't know if there was a reason that he couldn't look after me himself?"
"I wouldn't know Ash, I'm sorry," Cassidy apologized once again. "It's something you'll have to ask him yourself."
Ash frowned as he looked down at his partner.
Today he accepted a simple truth.
Aaron Ketchum was simply an enigma.
Thursday, April 6th
The closing bell chimed, and all of North Vermilion High gave a shout of praise. One more day until the weekend!
The vast majority of the students inside began rushing for the exits, anxious to make it home and relax. It was the end of the year, so their curriculum was at its peak intensity as prep work for their final exams became the focus. It was no time to slouch as a student with twenty percent of your grade on the line.
Ash, Dawn, and May met the majority of the basic graduation requirements as juniors, which granted them a much lighter workload when compared to their underclassman. This afforded them the time to focus on Fantina's final project with all the freedom in the world.
"So, you guys are coming to my house today?" Dawn asked as the trio walked out the main entrance, joining the masses of students that crowded the sidewalk.
"That's the plan," Ash said with a nod.
"Just making sure, because I told Darach we would have some company riding back home with us," Dawn explained, causing May to do a double-take.
"Wait, did you say Darach is coming for us?" May exclaimed, causing Ash to furrow his brow.
"Yeah, that's what she said," Ash cut in to answer for Dawn. May removed her bag from her shoulder and to rummage through it haphazardly, dropping some of her belongings on the sidewalk. "What's the big deal?"
"What's the big deal?" May repeated as she looked at him. "Dawn's mom is usually her ride to school and back home. But when her mom can't do it, Darach comes to get her in the car that they use to drive her dad around!"
"So?" Ash said as he and Dawn kneeled down to collect what May dropped moments ago.
"It's the kind of car you'd see a celebrity get out of for an award show! We're going to look so cool getting into a car like that in front of the school!" May went on as she found the item she was searching for. "Got them!"
She pulled out a pair of aviators which she proudly adorned, striking a pose for her friends. Ash and Dawn only stared at her in a deadpan.
"What's with that look?" May chirped at them.
"You can be so hopeless sometimes," Dawn muttered as she shook her head, earning a laugh from Ash.
Feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, Ash whipped it out to answer.
"Hello?"
"Ash Ketchum, right?"
Ash raised his brow at the unfamiliar voice.
"Yeah, who am I speaking to?"
"You may not remember my name, but its Joe," The voice answered.
"How did you get my number?" Ash interjected immediately.
"I have my sources," He answered. "Now do me a favor, look across the street."
Ash became tense, tightening his hold on his phone. He was being watched.
Following Joe's request, Ash looked through the heavy traffic of honking cars and high school kids. Leaning against the wall of an alleyway was a young man in his early twenties. It took a moment for Ash to recognize him, but it was none other than 'Gateway' Joe, one of the elites of the White Lotus!
He stood calmly looking directly at Ash, one hand in his pocket while the other held a phone to his ear.
"I want to talk to you, can you come over here?" Joe asked him.
"Can't you say it over the phone?" Ash asked him in return. Joe frowned visibly, so much so that Ash could see it even at a distance.
"Come on man, don't be an ass," Joe muttered. "I'm trying to look cool with N watching!"
"N?!" Ash exclaimed, earning the attention of the girls beside him.
"What's the matter, Ash?" Dawn quickly inquired. Ash scratched at the bridge of his nose as he gave a nervous laugh.
"It's nothing," He said before he turned away from them to continue speaking with Joe in a whisper. "Is N really here?"
"Yup, look up to the roof of the building to the left," Joe said, though he quickly corrected himself as Ash looked to the wrong rooftop. "My left!"
Ash followed Joe's instructions and spotted the current subject of their discussion. Just as Joe said, N was standing on the rooftop, leaning over the banister as he watched on from above. Making eye contact with Ash, N put on a cheeky grin, as he always did, and gave Ash a peace sign.
"So, are you willing to come over here now?" Joe asked him.
"I'll be right back!" Ash declared to Dawn and May before he charged into the street. The traffic was at a standstill, allowing Ash to cross without any complaint from the preoccupied drivers. Once Ash got onto the opposite sidewalk, he put away his phone and slowed his pace to a saunter as he approached Joe. They stood against the corner of the building, Joe on one side while Ash was on the other. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"This Saturday, N has a match at the Hidden Cove," Joe said with a nod toward his superior.
"Yeah, I heard about it. I was going to be there, to begin with." Ash answered.
"We're making sure," Joe continued. "He really wants you to see this battle. It's not often that he'll go out of his way to talk to someone, so I get the feeling he has something special in mind."
"Hmm…well I'll be there," Ash said before he put on a grin and stole another glance at their audience up above. "And tell him it better be a good show."
Joe stifled a laugh before he bid Ash a farewell and he went off into the alleyway. When Ash looked up to check for N one last time, the young man was gone as well, likely meeting up with Joe. The traffic light at the end of the cul-de-sac changed, and the street became active as cars moved briskly to escape the roundabout in front of North Vermilion High.
As a new and smaller wave of cars entered the roundabout, Ash's attention was drawn to a sparkling burgundy luxury car as it rolled by. As it passed him, he caught sight of the driver, a familiar face in Dawn's butler, Darach. It went around the cul-de-sac and came to a stop in front of Dawn and May. Ash blinked a few times, and gawked at the car as Darach got out of the driver's seat to open the door for Dawn and May,
May wasn't kidding when she said it was a car for celebrities! If not for that brief encounter with Joe and N, this would have surely been the highlight of Ash's day.
When the traffic came to a stop, Ash crossed the street to join the girls, though May was making a scene as she entered the car. Waving to her peers who still stood on the sidewalk, May started blow kisses and declare that she 'loved them all!'
"May, get in!" Ash and Dawn said to her. Dawn grabbed May's arm to yank her inside, but she resisted, forcing Ash to join the effort and shove May into the car. Once the three of them were in the backseat despite May's protests, Darach shut the door and returned to the driver's seat.
"You guys are such killjoys!" May exclaimed. "I was only trying to enjoy my moment!"
"That was like a full thirty seconds of you acting like an idiot, May!" Dawn yapped in return.
"I was not!" May said indignantly, emphasizing each word.
As the two of them went back and forth, Ash admired how spacious the back seat of the car was. It was comparable to the space provided in a limousine where the three of them had elbow room even as May did her best to take up extra space in the middle to bother them. There was a black glass between the front and the back of the car to create some privacy between the driver and the passengers. As Ash took notice of the glass, it was lowered to reveal Darach who was looking back at the three of them.
"Are we going straight home, Miss Dawn?" He asked. "Or would you like to stop somewhere first?"
"Nope, straight home Darach! We've got work to do!" Dawn declared.
As their ride home began, May directed the conversation back to Ash's brief absence.
"Who was that guy you were talking too, Ash?" May inquired as she and Dawn stared at him expectantly. "An old friend or something?"
"Umm, not really a friend," Ash answered through pursed lips. "He's a Pokemon trainer that came to tell me about a battle that's coming up on Saturday. He wanted me to be there."
"Don't you go to see every battle anyway? What's so special about this one?"
"I don't go to see every battle," Ash replied with a chuckle. "But one of the best trainers in the world is going to be battling, and he wants me there to see it."
"I didn't know you were so popular, Ash," May commented, causing him to scratch the back of his head bashfully.
"Well, I wouldn't say that," Ash said as he waved off her statement. "I've been in the circuit for a few months, so I've met a few people."
"I'll bet you can't wait to see it," Dawn said, and her heart skipped a beat as Ash put on a broad grin. He always seemed to shine when he smiled like this; like he could bring light into a darkened room.
"Definitely!" He declared. "Whenever I think about him, my blood starts to boil because I really want to battle him too! Hopefully, I'll get the chance to sometime in the summer!"
May rattled off some questions about N, using her imagination to create his appearance. In the end, Ash took out his phone to show her N's trainer profile. May was expecting to see some big hulking behemoth of a man with an even bigger Pokemon as his partner, but the actual image of N went against her imagination. She wasn't expecting one of the best trainers to be such a kind-looking young man. As the two of them went back and forth, Dawn was left to muddle through her thoughts.
She found herself wadding through the conversation she had with her father last month concerning Ash.
"Dawn, Pokemon trainers are different from regular people…if you keep getting closer to Ash, he will only hurt you."
"Pokemon trainers only take, Dawn…Ash is no different."
Dawn stole a glance at the Ash, watching as he laughed heartily with May. Witnessing his jubilance, Dawn could only wonder what would make her father say something like that.
Saturday, April 8th
The intermission between tonight's semi-final and the main event felt especially long at the Hidden Cove stadium. Tonight, was one of the most anticipated matches of the month that warranted the high price of entry.
Main Event – The Right to Rule – 'Chosen One' vs 'Stonehenge.'
The 'Chosen One' was one of the most revered trainers to ever grace the underground circuit.
"Oh man, I've never actually seen N battle live and in person, I can't wait!"
"I've seen him battle twice, it's different from a normal battle because he's really passive and can end the battle with one move, so never know how long it's going to last."
"That's pretty crazy when you think about it. He only faces the best trainers, but it still feels like he's going to win against anybody."
"When you're the best, that's how it is."
As Ash listened to the ongoing conversations from his seat in the front row, he bounced in his seat with a giddy smile of a small child. His constant movement was enough to bother Pikachu to the point where he decided that Brock's shoulder was more comfortable to occupy.
"Pii-ka," Pikachu muttered with a gesture toward Ash, causing Brock to chuckle.
"I'm sorry Pikachu, I can't help it!" Ash exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. "I want the battle to start right now!"
"The intermission just started, so you gotta relax," Brock pointed out.
"Pi, Pika-pi!" Pikachu commanded as he pointed at Ash's seat.
"I don't want to sit down!" Ash retorted with a glare at his partner. "Not even for the battle!"
"Well if you think you're going to block my view of the battle, you got another thing coming," This declaration came from the man seated directly behind Ash. It was a small, well dressed elderly man with a cane in hand which he waved at Ash as a warning.
"I'm sorry sir," Ash said quickly as he planted his behind in his seat.
"Wait a second, turn around lad," The old man requested. As Ash did so, he came face to face with the man who squinted at him, adjusting his glasses for a moment. "Well I'll be, it's that teenager they let in the circuit…the Ketchum boy. I'm James Graham, a sponsor of the circuit."
James extended a hand, wearing a warm smile on his face. They shook hands and Ash gave him a nod.
"Nice to meet you," Ash said politely.
"Would you be interested in battling the trainer I'm sponsoring? I'm sure I can make it worth your while," James offered, rubbing his thumb against the tips of his fingers. Ash and Brock raised their brows, causing James to smirk knowing that he had their full attention.
"What kind of trainer is he?" Brock interjected before Ash could give an answer.
"Oh, you'll get a full display in a few minutes. He's N's challenger tonight," Lewis continued with a gesture toward the tunnel his trainer would be coming out of. "He's a big strong guy, goes by the name of Russell Hopkins. We spent the last year traveling across Kanto in search of rare and powerful Pokemon."
A grin broke out on Ash's face at James' statement.
"And did you guys find anything?"
James beamed as he gave a nod.
"That we did, since we have the time, would you like to see that Pokemon in action?" James offered, causing both Ash and Brock to nod immediately. It was clear James was prepared to show footage of his trainer, because a video was already queued up on his tablet. "This is their first three matches since Russell came back to the circuit."
Their eyes became wide at the sight of the gargantuan Pokemon that Russell commanded. The rocky Pokemon roared defiantly as he attacked, causing the entirety of the stadium to tremble as he moved across the field.
"Holy crap, an Onix!" Brock exclaimed as he witnessed the terrifying strength of this Pokemon.
The video covered the conclusion to the three battles that Onix took part in so far. In each battle, he secured his victory in the same fashion. By wrapping his lengthy body around his opponent and suffocating them until their trainer forfeited the match. Of course, such a simple strategy alone wasn't enough to win matches at this level. Onix was a rarity, never before seen in the underground circuit.
"Nobody's seen an Onix since the Great Crisis," James commented. "Rumor has it that went north to the mountains beyond Kanto."
"Is that where you found him?"
"Oh no, we were fortunate. Onix lived alone in a deep cave between Lavender Town and Cerulean City. It took us weeks to find his little nest in there," James snorted at his statement. "Perhaps I shouldn't say little nest, it was as big as the stadium after all."
"What did it take to capture Onix?" Ash demanded to know.
"Russell is no slouch as a trainer, he's got a trio of Pokemon that he's trained with for years. Their combined efforts led to Onix's capture," James explained with a smirk as he saw Ash's intense curiosity.
"Three Pokemon? Sheesh, Onix must have been tough!" Ash exclaimed before he glanced at Pikachu. "Do you think we could beat Onix, Pikachu?"
Pikachu paled at Ash's suggestion, earning a laugh from him and Brock.
"You don't have to worry about Onix anyway," Ash noted as he sent a glance back at James. "We're focused only on N and Zoroark because we know they're going to win."
James narrowed his eyes.
"We'll see about that," James said in reply as he met Ash's gaze. "N has never faced an Onix before. He may be an excellent trainer, but facing the unknown will pose its own challenge."
As James made his declaration, the MC called for everyone's attention. The crowd became hushed immediately, their earnest attention now placed on the battlefield.
"To our viewing audience, the Hidden Cove is proud to present tonight's main event!" He began as the spotlights were aimed down at one of the tunnels that led to the field. "In the blue box tonight, sporting a record of forty-eight wins and six losses, now ranked at fifteenth in the circuit, welcome to the field, 'Stonehenge!'"
The audience erupted as Russell, a well-built man in his thirties stepped out onto the field. He waved to the audience with a grin that stretched from one ear to the next. Despite his warm reception from the audience, everyone became quiet as the MC continued with an introduction for the star of tonight's battles.
"And now, in the red box! The highest-ranked trainer in our circuit with an undefeated record over the course of ninety-nine battles, please welcome, the 'Chosen One!'"
The cheers Russell received couldn't even begin to compare to the reaction N received. The audience went hysterical as he made his appearance under the spotlights with his signature Zoroark traveling alongside him. There was a 'kingly' air around N, a sense of royalty as walked to his box. He waved with great poise, using only one hand and Zoroark did the same.
N went straight to centerfield where he met with Russell and gave him a kind smile.
"May the best team win," N stated, and Russell gave him a nod.
They shook hands as the referee listed the rules for them briefly. Once the process was complete, they returned to their boxes the referee invited each trainer to release their Pokemon. N gave a nod to Zoroark who stepped forward, eyeing Russell wearily.
"Alright, Onix, the title for strongest Pokemon is on the line tonight!" Russell declared as he detached a black Pokeball from his belt and hurled onto the field. "Let's show them what you've got!"
Onix's arrival came with a quake as he landed on the field, earning some wild cheers from the audience as some of the witnessed his actual size for the first time. Ash and Brock were left in awe as they observed a Pokemon whose height could rival that of a three-story building. Seeing it on a tablet couldn't possibly replicate what it looked like in real life. In the front row of the stands, Onix towered over them. Ash could imagine what Zoroark was feeling as he looked up at the massive Pokemon in front of him.
To further make his presence known, Onix threw his head back and gave a mighty roar. However, when he looked down at Zoroark, he saw that his opponent was undeterred.
"Battle begin!" The referee declared.
N made a gesture toward Russell.
"We'll allow you to have the opening move," N stated, earning a grin from Russell.
"I wouldn't keep looking down on us, Onix is the real deal!" Russell responded. "I guess we'll have to show you. Onix, let's start off with Screech!"
Onix's head rotated before he opened his mouth to release a bone-chilling soundwave that pulsated through the air. Many people in the audience cringed visibly, and Pokemon such as Pikachu quickly covered their ears. Zoroark withstood the attack, only raising an arm to cover his face as the soundwave washed over him, causing Onix to perk up at the lack of a reaction to it.
"Don't waste time Onix, follow up with Rock Tomb!" Russell called out quickly.
The battlefield was left in good condition from the prior matches tonight until Russell gave the command for Rock Tomb. With a great roar, a white glow coalesced around Onix before he slammed his tail against the ground. The field smooth surface of the field was shredded as several boulders were unearthed and hurled at Zoroark.
"Use Detect and approach Onix," N stated comfortably, but Zoroark peeked over his shoulder in search of a command. N repeated himself and immediately took note of the disconnect between them. He crossed his arms in front of his chest immediately, a gesture for Zoroark to defend himself.
Zoroark responded by raising his arms, causing a dark power to manifest around his paws. It mimicked the form of his claws, expanding in size to allow him to dice the boulders to pieces. Despite his best efforts with Shadow Claw, Zoroark wasn't unscathed. His arms were battered and bruised from the debris and his typically well-groomed fur was in disarray. It wasn't often Zoroark was seen in such a state.
"How'd you like Onix's patented Screech attack?" Russell asked with a grin.
"Patented?" N repeated curiously.
"Yup, most trainers know Screech as a scare tactic. With Onix, his Screech hits on different sound frequencies that cause the target to temporarily lose their hearing," Russell explained proudly, hitting his chest twice as spoke. "I learned that the hard way trying to capture him."
"I see," N muttered as he looked to his partner. That would explain the hesitation. N stroked at his chin for a moment before a smile formed on his face. "Alright then, we'll show you the pinnacle of our strength. A victory without commands!"
N's declaration caused Russell to whistle as a reply.
"Boy, you sure know how to make the best of a bad situation," Russell noted. "Let's see how they feel Dig!"
The audience grasped the edge of their seats as Onix dove into the field headfirst, burrowing his way underground. Everything shook as he did so, the tremors earning shouts of awe from the audience as Onix went to work. With Onix out of sight, Zoroark looked to N for their next move.
N simply placed his hands together in a meditative stance. A command for Zoroark to focus. Zoroark shut his eyes and drew in a calming breath as his trainer instructed, using a moment to check himself physically. His hearing vanished so abruptly that he didn't realize it as the combat began. Even without his hearing, Zoroark could feel the tremors beneath his feet as Onix traveled beneath the field. If N wanted him to focus, Zoroark was certain it was in preparation for the move Detect to react quickly to Onix's next attack.
As the tremors grew violent, Zoroark's eyes snapped open as his knees buckled beneath him. He fell to his side as Onix burst from the ground beneath him, throwing Zoroark high into the air. N watched as Zoroark plummet back down the field, unable to reorient himself in the air. He hit the field with a thud, causing N to cringe at the impact.
"Oh, did I forget to mention some of the side effects?" Russell asked out loud as he stuck out his tongue. "Like a loss of balance."
N didn't even attempt to hide his smile as he marveled at Onix as it climbed back onto the field. That Screech attack was far more punishing than either N or Zoroark could've anticipated, but it only made N happier knowing that his opponent was finding success against them.
The smile on N's face left Russell unnerved. He was well aware of N's reputation, so he couldn't expect N to sit back idly for much longer. Zoroark was at a clear disadvantage while suffering from the temporary loss of his hearing, so they needed to secure their victory while everything was in their favor.
"Onix, let's go with Double Edge!" Russell commanded and Onix surged forward. The field was covered in craters and rock mounds from Onix's earlier use of Rock Tomb, but as he raced across the field, he created a sizable trench as his tracks.
Zoroark carefully timed Onix's approach and desperately dove to his left to evade the attack. Due to Onix's lengthy body, it took time for him to turn and locate his target before attempting Double Edge again. Rather than drag himself across the field, Onix propped himself up and lunged at Zoroark. The bipedal Pokemon barely avoided the straightforward attack, though the shock from Onix's impact with the field threw him off his feet again.
N watched quietly as Onix chased down Zoroark, nodding to his Pokemon every time he successfully avoided getting hit by Double Edge. Slowly but surely, Zoroark was adjusting to his current condition. His movements regained their usual sharpness and precision, to the point that he remained on his feet despite the quakes Onix produced. Zoroark looked back to N who beamed and waved his hand through the air. It was time to begin!
Onix came hurtling toward Zoroark for another Double Edge, which Zoroark dodged comfortably. Using one of the raised slabs of earth that was left back from Rock Tomb, Zoroark bounded off of it to jump onto Onix's body, landing near his tail. Zoroark raised his arms, summoning his Shadow Claw once again. Unfortunately, the attack couldn't even scratch Onix's sturdy form. There must be a weak point somewhere.
"Onix, Zoroark is climbing your back, shake him off with Gyro Ball!" Russell called out, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice.
Onix came skidding to a halt and raised his body from the ground, scanning for Zoroark. The dark Pokemon was still near his tail, but his approach began. To ward off Zoroark, some of the rocks that made up Onix's body rotated rapidly, however, Zoroark leaped over each threat with ease. Russell clicked his tongue when he saw that Zoroark was unphased by Gyro Ball, and opted for their second defense.
"Quick Onix, use Iron Tail!"
As Zoroark landed again, he felt Onix lurch beneath him which forced the dark type to glance at his surroundings. His eyes became wide as he saw that Onix lifted his tail and positioned it to swat him away like a Ninjask. Facing a combination of Gyro Ball and Iron Tail from his current position, Zoroark was certain that if remained on Onix, he would be tossed off his body by Gyro Ball. If jumped to avoid that, Iron Tail was set to strike him out of the air.
So much effort to stop him from getting closer to Onix's head…
Zoroark smirked before he jumped into the air and prepared a cross arm block. He took the full force of Onix's Iron Tail which sent him flying back down to the field. To cushion his landing, Zoroark rolled to land on all fours with a grunt. He then looked back to N and placed a hand on his head.
N blinked before he looked back to Onix and clapped his hands.
"Of course, his head!" N exclaimed as he rolled his eyes. Even the strongest defenses had an Achilles heel…or in this case, head.
Studying his opponent, N knew that getting to Onix's head was no small task. Their combination of Gyro Ball and Iron Tail was proof that they were prepared to cover that weakness at all costs. N tilted his head, thinking back to the videos he watched of Onix's previous matches. None of his opponents could strike his head, and N was positive their opponents didn't even target that area either. So, he didn't have much to work with…
An image of Onix crushing a Parasect in his Bind attack flashed in N's mind. He could remember Onix lowering his head down to his foe, waiting for either them or their trainer to call for forfeit. It wasn't just that one occasion either, it was during every battle he did that!
N smiled and Zoroark caught sight of it, triggering their next exchange. N waved a hand in front of his face, earning a nod from Zoroark. However, Russell was paying close attention to that interchange and he wrinkled his nose at the sight of it. It felt safe to assume that they figured out where they needed to target to do some significant damage to Onix. With that thought in mind, Russell decided that now was the time to go 'all in.'
"Onix, let's get back at it! Combine Dig and Rock Tomb!" Russell commanded emphatically.
Returning to his subterranean comforts beneath the battlefield, Onix was like an Ekans on the prowl, ready to strike his opponent. Even though he lacked a visual of his opponent, Zoroark maintained his composure as he waited for Onix to take action. From the tunnels Onix created, the entire audience heard his great roar from below the field before the whole field shook violently. The many jagged stones and sheets of rock that was left in Onix's wake across the field were lifted into the air, causing in Zoroark's stoicism to break for a moment.
He was completely surrounded!
N thrusted both of his hands forward, an action that Zoroark thankfully took note of. Clapping his paws together, Zoroark summoned his shadowy claws to combat the Rock Tomb as the onslaught began. With the grace of a Nuzleaf dashing through a forest canopy and the power of a Slaking, Zoroark selectively dodged or destroyed the relentless Rock Tomb. There were gasps from the crowd at Zoroark's incredible display of defense, but the awe was short-lived.
Amidst the steady attack, Onix burst from the field right beneath Zoroark, startling the dark Pokemon, who was tossed in the air. Despite the target now being airborne, the Rock Tomb was aimed well and caught Zoroark, dragging him down to the field. Pinned to the ground, Zoroark wasn't even allowed to try and escape before Russell's next command came through.
"Onix, end it with Bind!"
Onix slithered his way across the field quickly, wrapping himself around the pile of boulders that held down Zoroark. As he closed up around Zoroark, the large rocks shattered under the pressure until it was just Zoroark remaining in Onix's grasp. Even the referee leaned forward, recognizing Onix's KO pattern. He had to be ready to end the contest at a moment's notice.
Up in the stands, Ash's eyes became narrow as James applauded his trainer.
"Fantastic Russell!" James declared. "You're now the number one trainer in the circuit!"
Ash bit down on his lower lip as he stared at the battlefield, gripping the armrests of his chair tightly.
Was that really it?! Did Onix really possess such terrifying strength that it kept N and Zoroark at bay for the entire battle? Ash could hardly believe it!
N was supposed to be the greatest…the strongest!
He never lost!
Looking to N on the battlefield, Ash felt his chest become tight as N looked back at him. During their brief eye contact, N shot him his signature smirk before he raised one hand as a closed fist.
A symbol of power.
Onix continued to apply pressure to Zoroark, lowering his head to observe his trapped opponent. Zoroark wasn't even struggling, so Onix continued to test the resilience of his foe. With a low grumble, Onix tightened up around Zoroark even further, to the point where Zoroark's form started to contort under the force. His upper body swelled, chest and eyes bulging before Zoroark finally burst in a scene that caused many to cringe and look away.
Russell and Onix stared, dumbfounded.
The referee stumbled forward and blinked in shock.
As a moment of hysteria began in the audience, Zoroark took action.
A rock that rested beside Onix's body wavered until it became the furry dark Pokemon that everyone thought was lost. He raised one arm and left his paw open as the focal point of his next attack. A white energy coalesced around his body that gathered at the palm of his open paw into a shining white sphere.
Zoroark leaped at Onix's head which was only a few meters from his former hiding spot. The distance was closed far too quickly for Onix to even react as Zoroark thrusted the sphere into Onix's forehead, producing a blinding light that drew in everyone's attention.
Onix's entire body was lifted from the ground and tossed across the field. He gained enough height to clear the wall of the stadium which would send his colossal form into the stands, liking crushing hundreds of people in the process. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu were among those that were seated in the path of the approaching Onix, and their hearts climbed into their throats. Like Onix, they didn't have an opportunity to react.
There were screams as people jumped to their feet to get away. Perhaps a dozen people would've escaped being crushed if not for the safety precautions taken by the staff of the Hidden Cove.
Onix collided with a wall, a psychic barrier that was raised by the many Solosis' that watched over the battlefield. It took their combined strength to maintain a psychic barrier that didn't shatter from the impact, leaving Onix to go crashing down to the field inside the wall. The audience struggled to react, everyone at a loss for words. There was a moment where everyone thought that N had been dethroned…and then in an instant, N pulled out the rug right from underneath Russell!
Ash jumped to his feet as he caught sight of N on the battlefield. N was looking at him with a closed fist raised above his head still. On the field, Zoroark mirrored the actions of his trainer, looking directly at Ash and Pikachu as well.
Ash looked down to Onix who remained still on the ground, unconscious from that one blow.
"…unquestioned strength will prevail over anything…"
Ash felt his heart racing as he grabbed a fistful of his shirt.
Ash couldn't help but wonder if the title of the main event was a message from N.
'The Right to Rule.'
Whether it was or not, there was one thought that remained on Ash's mind.
N and Zoroark were simply…unbelievable!
Ash, Brock, and Pikachu stood on the beach of the Hidden Cove, waiting in line for their Mantine taxi to return to the coast of Vermilion City. There was still quite a crowd present on the beach, and the talk of the town was, of course, N's spectacular finish.
"Oh, so that move at the end was Substitute?"
"Mhmm, that's why it looked so freaky when Zoroark kind of like…exploded."
"The ridiculous part was that Focus Blast!"
"He freakin' lifted Onix with it and threw him into the stands!"
"That could've been a tragedy if it weren't for the Solosis."
"Yeah, no kidding. I mean, how strong is that Zoroark if he could just toss Onix like that?"
"It's scary, the PokeHub has Onix listed at almost a thousand pounds! You wouldn't think another Pokemon could move an Onix like that."
Listening to everyone's discussions of the final battle, Ash found himself bouncing on his toes. For the second time tonight, Pikachu abandoned Ash's shoulder due to his inability to sit still. Pikachu's actions earned a comment from Ash that he couldn't help himself. After seeing such an incredible display, he wanted to battle N more than ever!
From the moment the battle concluded, Ash was tempted to go straight to Charles' office to speak with him about arranging a battle between him and N. Ash would've gladly been N's next challenger.
After all, the match with his father didn't seem like it would ever materialize. He put in a request for a battle almost three weeks ago with Charles, and he even left a direct challenge on his father's answering machine. However, there wasn't any news from Charles about if this battle would take place.
Perhaps it was time Ash adjusted his focus and made N his top priority.
However, every time Ash tried to convince himself that he was making the right choice, some of his recent conversations came to mind.
"It's not my place to tell," Cassidy said as she shook her head.
"It's a story that only your dad can tell," Hun stated.
"I'm sorry," Cassidy apologized once again. "It's something you'll have to ask him yourself."
Ash did everything in his power to push these thoughts to the back of his mind, but they continued to pound on the front door of his brain. He couldn't put these aside. He spent months training to challenge his father. He worked his way up the circuit rankings to official challenge Aaron. He was so close now.
After all that, he couldn't walk away.
He had to beat his dad.
He needed to know about his mother…
Ash was snatched from his thoughts when he felt Pikachu jump back onto his shoulder.
"Pi-ka?" Pikachu asked him as their eyes met.
Ash put on a smile for his partner.
"I'm okay buddy, I was thinking a little too hard there," Ash replied as he scratched behind Pikachu's ear. But as thoughts of his father took his focus again, Ash's smile faded causing Pikachu to observe him carefully.
The west end of Vermilion City was regarded as the armpit of the vast metropolis. Remnants of the old industrial district remained, plagued from the rust of inactivity. Abandoned apartment buildings stood in disrepair with only ghosts of Vermilion City's industrial age as their guests.
In the tallest of the buildings, the highest apartment saw a measure of use thanks to a middle-aged man. It wasn't often that he returned to his small home, but the urge to sleep in his own bed brought him back to his home.
Opening the front door of his apartment, Aaron Ketchum entered his humble abode with weary eyes and his Kadabra in tow. Flipping the light switch beside the door, Aaron let out a groan at the sight of his apartment. It looked like a stampede of Tauros passed through, leaving only wreckage in their wake.
Almost all of the furniture was overturned with the couch cushions lying about. The curtains lay on the ground, having been torn from their rungs. Damage to the walls was the latest addition to the apartment, a metal rod protruding from the broken plaster of the walls.
"I might as well…clean up a little," Aaron muttered as he and Kadabra stepped further inside to shut the door and his cleaning process started with the first and most crucial step. A search.
Entering his living room, he began to undo the damage. Placing his palms underneath the sofa, he pushed hard to set it upright on its legs. As he did so, he recalled the incensed rage that coursed through his veins when he was last here. He could hardly recall the order in which he ransacked his apartment while he was away, but standing in the middle of it now, he possessed clarity.
It started in the living room, as always…with the picture.
It was beneath the sofa, and Aaron felt his chest become tight at the sight of it. The wooden frame was split in multiple locations, and the glass shattered. Thankfully, the picture that occupied the frame was in fair condition. Aaron kneeled down and brushed aside the broken glass so that he could collect the picture from the floor. Holding it gingerly, he lifted it and took a closer look.
It was Ash's fifth birthday. Aaron proudly held his son and his new Pikachu, beaming for the camera. Beside them was Delia, wearing her brilliant smile as she admired the purity of their son.
Aaron drew in a sharp breath as he caught sight of his hand beginning to tremble. He looked away from the picture, using the opportunity to slow his breathing and relax. Once his heart settled, Aaron looked to the picture once more and blew on it to clear away any remaining fragments of glass. With the picture in hand, he then went to his hallway closet to retrieve a spare frame, one of many that rested on the shelf within the room.
Taking it into the kitchen, Aaron set it on the counter and loosened the bolts to open the back of the new frame. As he did so, Kadabra stood by the phone and answering machine that sat on the kitchen table. Kadabra expertly used the device, putting in Aaron's passcode to enter the voicemail.
"Three new messages," The monotone voice stated. "Message one, Wednesday, April 5th, 9:48pm."
The tone sounded and the message began.
"Hey Aaron, its Hun here. We haven't seen you in a while, so I thought I'd check in with you. I'm not sure when you'll hear this, but when you do, there should be a message from Ash after. Listen to it…" Hun paused for a few moments. "It's not my place to tell you how to raise your son, but he's going to keep chasing you until you do something. You can't wait forever."
The message ended, and the answering machine immediately moved on to the next one.
"Message two, Saturday, April 1st, 3:08pm."
The chime sounded, and a familiar voice earned Aaron's attention as he stopped what he was doing.
"Aaron…this is Cassidy. I don't know what exactly you're waiting for…but Ash isn't going to wait around for you forever."
The brief message ended as soon as it started and Aaron heard Cassidy's solemn tone clearly as she expressed her concern for Ash. Before Aaron could glean anything else from Cassidy, the final message played.
"Message three, Friday, March 31st. 7:43pm."
"Dad…it's Ash." Aaron whirled around to stare at the answering machine, his eyes wide at the sound of Ash's voice. "I don't know when or if you'll even hear this message, but I thought it might be best if you heard this from me. Two weeks ago, me and Pikachu beat Flint to become the number one contender in the circuit. Mr. Goodshow gave me one condition to challenge you. He said I have to be ranked among the top ten trainers in the circuit. I've held up my end of the deal and made a request to battle you, but like I said, I want you to hear it from me. Dad…I challenge you to an official one on one Pokemon battle at the Hidden Cove. And after I beat you…I want you to tell me what happened to mom ten years ago. I need to know."
There was another chime as Kadabra deleted the messaged from the answering machine. Aaron blinked several times to refocus his vision, checking his surroundings for a moment. Then with a great sigh, he returned to the task of placing the picture in its new frame.
With great care, he fit it into place and resealed the back of the frame. He set the frame upright and turned it around to observe his family once more.
He focused only on his son. Aaron remembered the first night he held Ash after he was born, talking in whispers with Delia about what Ash might become when he was grown up. Aaron remembered when he took Ash for walks along the coastline of Pallet Town to watch the sunset.
Aaron then looked to Delia. He remembered their first date, their first kiss, their wedding day…the day they became homeowners in Pallet Town. He remembered the day Delia told him she was pregnant.
He remembered…he remembered…
The man who took everything from him.
It was finally time…
A/N
Hello again everyone, so we're all trapped at home, I don't have an excuse for not dropping at least one chapter lol. My inbox got flooded by all the stories I follow so I felt I had to put something out as well. Hopefully, this helped with some of the boredom you might have been experiencing.
In my last chapter, I said I got a new job, but I did hold onto my old one, which worked out in my favor since I'm likely going to lose my new job at some point in April. It's crazy how quickly things can change…so to those of you who are still going out to work, a shout out to you guys, and be safe!
As for little tidbits about this chapter, all I can say is that we're about knee-deep into the final story arc. Get ready, because things are really going to pick up in the coming chapters.
I'm always happy to hear your thoughts guys. How was N's battle? What do you think of these discussions Ash and N are having? In fact, I think N might have been the highlight of this chapter. This was one of the biggest appearances I've given him There's more of those in store, so keep an eye on them!
Be safe everyone, and hopefully, I'll be able to deliver another chapter sometime this month. Thank you for all your support and patience with me. My usual shoutout to MjrGenMatt for his help! See you all next time!