Hey, guys, so I guess I'm continuing this story, huh, suprisingly. Well then, let's get started! I noticed a few of you were talking about pairings in the last chapter, and I've got a few ideas in mind. I'm thinking of pairing him with either Dawn, Serena, or Lillie, and I'm not really sold on a harem.
Let me know who you want Ash to be together with in the reviews below, and please enjoy the chapter! More reviews= faster upload time!
Ash walked back inside with Dawn and Pikachu, his mind on the tournament that he had decided to hold in this very city, as Dawn handed him his old trainers cap from his desk stand.
Quite a lot had happened after he was betrayed by his so-called friends, it had been almost 5 years and Ash had only gotten that much stronger as a result. Dawn, Brock, Serena, and Ash had gone on a journey in the Alola region, it being one of the only regions that didn't believe nor need Professor Oak's lies. Before that, however, Ash recovered the Pokémon he had let go which included his Pidgeot, Lapras, Goodra, and Greninja. Butterfree would've loved to come along, but he now had a family (one with roughly 18 children) and promised to visit occasionally. Ash did make a point to visit Primeape quickly, but the Fighting-type was content with the trainer he had, and honestly, Ash was okay with that. He had also trained his aura somewhat, and while it wasn't to the point where he could use it offensively, like shooting an aura sphere, he could at least understand his Pokémon.
On his journey, Ash made it a point to train with his old and new Pokémon, evolving most of his Pokémon to their final evolutions. With the exception of Pikachu, nearly every one of his Pokémon evolved to their max. Of course, there were some that didn't want to evolve, or some that wanted to stay in their secondary evolution forms. In their cases, Ash helped them train to their strengths, and make them strong in their own rights.
Additionally, with the help of his friends, Ash had also gathered quite the number of Mega Stones, giving them to the Pokémon that could Mega Evolve as a symbol of the bonds that they shared. Along with all this, Ash also caught some new Pokémon as well. There was Espeon and Umbreon(who were twins from birth, Dawn had been given Espeon as a gift while Ash had kept the Eevee that would soon become Umbreon), Incineroar, Decidueye, a Dusk Lycanroc, Gardevior, Ampharos, Lucario, and Mudsdale.
Along with Espeon, Dawn had obtained some new Pokémon throughout her journey as well, opting not to fully evolve her Pokémon. Well, she had with some, but she didn't have the same talent for battling that Ash did, although she still got strong enough to make sure no one would hurt her friend ever again. There was Froslass, Komala, Florges, Vaporeon, Leafeon, Wishiwashi, Blastoise, and an Alolan Raichu. For Brock, he had kept all of his old Pokémon, and caught a few new ones as well. He had Turtonator, Drampa, Bewear, Venusaur, Flygon, an Alolan Sandslash, and a Midnight Lycanroc. Serena had chosen to keep her Pokémon the same as well, catching Absol, Mismagius, Jellicent, Flareon, Delcatty, Comfey, Toucannon, and Masquerain.
The four of them had traveled throughout the Alola region, making it their new home, seeing as they had nowhere else to go as a result of Oak's lies. They had grand adventures, and ran into their other friends as well such as Paul, Barry, Sawyer, Alain, and Marron. They even ran into Bonnie, when she was old enough to be a trainer. They also found new friends in the trial captains and others, like Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, Acerola, Sophocles, Malayne, Nanu, Olivia, Hala, Hau, Lusamine, Lillie, and Gladion. When about 3 years had gone by since the traitors' betrayal, Ash, Paul, Barry, Alain, Sawyer, Gladion, and Bonnie all took part in the Alolan League tournament that Professor Kukui had set up, while Dawn took part in Alola's Grand Festival, and Serena pursued her performing career by competing for the title of Alola Queen.
The tournament didn't garner much attention, but the battles that took place were certainly ones for the ages. Through the challenges his rivals put up, Ash emerged victoriously and challenged the Elite 4, leading to him being crowned the Champion, a feat that went widely unrecognized by the other regions. Now one of the leaders of his region, Ash quickly set up his Elite 4, selecting Bonnie, Paul, Lillie, and Brock for the job. Lance, now the Johto Champion at this time, had eventually found out about Ash's new role, but was willing to sit down peacefully with Ash and have a talk.
After using Psychic types as informational probers, and getting proof that Ash's Pokémon were completely healthy, Lance fully believed Ash's story, and promised to keep his success a secret from the rest of the regions as best as he could. Mr. Goodshow found out as well, but sided with Ash instantly, promising to keep the secret as well. They proved to be quite helpful in keeping Ash's secret, as there would've been many times where the world would've found out about Ash if not for them. Ash certainly owed them a great deal, but they had insisted over and over no reward was required.
Under Ash's leadership, the Alola region prospered and ushered in two outstanding years of peace, their first champion ever turning out to be the best the region could hope for. Finishing his recollection of events, Ash slipped on his hat and Mega Z Ring, a gift from Professor Kukui, heading out for breakfast with Dawn and Pikachu. He had accomplished quite a lot in his life, but one thing still remained. The traitors.
"Man, this region sure is sunny!" Misty said, stretching her arms out as she let the sun touch her body, currently wearing a bikini as she and her friends walked out of the airport, entering Malie City. "It's like a tropical paradise everywhere you go!"
"I know, right?" May said, following her out, holding hands with Drew, also wearing a bikini, her assets more noticeable than Misty's. "It'll be perfect for getting a spectacular tan, which will definitely pay off!"
"You're fine just the way you are, May," Drew said, seemingly disinterested in his surroundings, although his focus on the steaming hot brunette that was his girlfriend (Most importantly, her larger than average breasts). "Why would you need a tan when you're practically a supermodel already?"
"Hey, don't forget why we're here!" Max said, walking ahead of them, interrupting their conversation. "We're for that Tournament of the Stars, remember? Man, I can't wait!"
"Yeah, yeah, calm down, Max, okay?" May said, sighing at her little brother's antics. There were times when he was almost as annoying as Ash used to be... almost.
"Your sister's right, you know," Cilan said, currently wearing a horrible pair of sunglasses, which he thought looked cool on him. They only served to make him look more ridiculous, however, with the horrendous accessory making his stupid waiter's uniform stand out even more. "Your constant eagerness for battle, combined with your childish, simplistic arrogance might lead to your downfall."
"Shut up with that nonsense already!" Max said, turning back to face Cilan, an annoyed look on his face as he pointed a short finger at his green-haired friend. "No one even understands your gibberish anyway!"
"Anyway, I can't believe that the Alolan Champion invited us along with every single Gym leader, Elite 4, and Champion in the world to this tournament!" Iris said, sporting her own pair of sunglasses. "Wonder why?"
"Who cares?" Gary said, dismissively as he began to eye Misty's chest and body, appreciating the fact that his girlfriend's body was available for him to admire. "This region has got to be the weakest of the bunch. No Gym battles, just something called the 'island challenge'. Not to mention this Champion isn't very well known."
"That's true," Clemont said, adjusting his glasses as he walked alongside Iris. "Despite this region being known for its open hearts, no one really knows all that much about the Champion, do they?"
"Does it matter?" Max said, walking onwards triumphantly, twirling the Pokéball that held his Gallade inside, the prized Pokémon that he had trained up ever since it was a Ralts. "Whoever their champion is, he OBVIOUSLY has enough sense to recognize my talent as a trainer!"
"Just be cautious, Max." Professor Oak said, walking at the back of the group. "It's true that you win most of your battles, but that's no reason to get cocky."
"The professor's right, Max," Tracy said, already sketching away on his pad, currently drawing the image of a nearby Pikipek. "All kinds of trainers are coming to this tournament, there may be some that you simply can't beat! Personally, I'm kinda worried about the Champions themselves!"
"Yeah, yeah, you make it sound like I'm going to turn out like that loser, Ash!" Max said, putting his Pokéball back on his belt, putting his arms behind his head. "That loser probably wouldn't even make it past the prelims!"
The group of traitors soon made it to the Pokémon Center, where the registration center was, Max still believing that he stood no chance of losing in this tournament. The others had given up all hope of convincing him otherwise, as they simply decided to register. Since there was a battling section, a performing section, and a coordinating section, each of the traitors signed up for what they wished to take part in.
"I can't wait to win this tournament, it'll be a cinch!" Max said to himself as the group walked out of the Pokémon Center.
"Look!" May said, pointing ahead to clear water, bubbling out from a marble fountain while reading from her guidebook. "That's one of Alola's most treasured landmarks, the Malie Springs! It's supposed to be a reminder of the bond that the Champion shares with the CEO of the Aether Foundation!"
"Of course, what would you know about bonds?" The traitors turned around to see who had said those words, only to find a young blonde haired man glaring at them. His hair came down in front of his right eye in rectangular shaped bangs, his left eye a brilliant jade green. He wore a white hoodie with orange highlights, one of his hands clutching a Pokéball.
Beside him was a pale blonde young woman, giving the traitors a glare of their own. Her hair came down around her face in bangs, a ponytail tied with a braid coming down from the back of her head. She had on a white sailor-like shirt with a blue ribbon that was covered by a white vest with orange highlights and a short white miniskirt with a light blue line, and on top of all that she was clutching a Pokéball of her own.
"What do you mean by that?" Misty said, returning their glares with a nasty one of her own. "We're all friends here, so of course we know what bonds are!"
The boy huffed, holding his hand up to his face. "I see, you're right. After all, in order to sever bonds, one must know of them, am I correct?"
"I've had enough of you and your cryptic bullshit!" Max said, stepping forward towards the young man and woman, drawing attention from natives and tourists alike. As he noticed the attention on him, the spectacled boy couldn't help but smirk. He'd spent 5 years training his skills, and with this tournament, he'd finally have the attention of the whole world! "You'd better tell me you who are, cause I, Max Maple, challenge you to a battle, right now!"
"You can't challenge someone to a battle without even knowing who they are, that's absurd!" The young woman said, but her companion stepped forward, a confident smirk on his face, though his eyes glinted with rage.
"Very well then, it's been a while since I've battled, and my partner and I could use the practice." He said, taking out a Pokéball from within his hoodie, twirling it on his index finger. "The name's Gladion, figures I should at least share that with you, given the fact that you've shared yours."
"Doesn't matter to me what your name is, I'll beat you all the same!" Max let out, adjusting his glasses in what he thought to be a cool fashion, giving Gladion a smug smirk. "Remember that name, cause you're looking at the future winner of the Tournament of the Stars!"
"So you think you'll win, huh?" Gladion mused to himself, before turning to his female companion, his expression shifting almost instantly to a much kinder, gentler one. "Lillie, would you mind refereeing our match?"
"But, big brother..." Lillie grumbled, sending a disgusted glance at the traitors, before turning back to give him a pout. "We're gonna be late for breakfast with the others!"
Gladion paid her no heed, however, as he and Max walked away from the group, standing right in front of the Malie Springs. A crowd had begun to form, eager to see how this match played out. Gladion made a mental note to himself to keep the fight contained; he didn't want an Officer Jenny getting involved. Not to mention his mother scolding him about the image a CEO should present once more... "It'll be a one on one match, okay Lillie?" He said.
Seeing that Gladion wasn't going to change his mind, Lillie let out a resigned sigh. "You idiots, go over there and watch..." She said to the traitors, gesturing to an area about 20 feet from where Gladion and Max were about to fight.
"Hey, don't call us idiots!" May yelled out, her friends having to restrain her from launching herself at the blonde girl, the brunette's sight filled with red.
Lillie shrugged, as she got to a reasonable refereeing position, focusing on the match that was about to unfold. "Sorry, but I went to the Prometheus School of Calling it As I See it. So without further ado, let the one on one match between Max Maple and Gladion... begin!"
Max sent out his Pokémon first, confidence practically flowing off of him. "Gallade! Show this jerk what he's dealing with!"
In a flash of light, Gallade burst from his Pokéball, radiating the same confidence as his trainer as he let out a battle cry, experimentally swinging his arm blades.
"You've been by my side, along with him..." Gladion murmured as he let out his Pokémon. "Now it's time we stay by his! Silvally, stand by for battle!"
Silvally let out a roar as he exited his Pokéball, glaring fiercely at Gallade once he realized who he was up against. Gladion quickly tossed a disk to Silvally, a slot opening up on the side of his head to accept it. Instantly, the fins on his head and tail turned black, signifying his transformation into a dark type.
"Wow, what kind of Pokémon is that?" Tracy said in awe, instantly beginning to sketch it. "Are all Pokémon in Alola like that?"
"Shut your mouth, Tracey!" May said, whacking the artist upside the head, as she noticed Lillie's smug smile at their amazement. But the brown-haired trainer couldn't deny that Silvally definitely looked impressive.
"Silvally, now use Crush Claw!" Gladion called out, with a sweep of his arm. Silvally's claws on its front legs glowed a bright white, as the chimera leaped at Gallade with repeated strikes.
"Whoa, what speed!" Iris said, her eyes shining, her jaw practically falling to the floor at the sight of Silvally's speed. "That's gotta be a Dragon-type with that kind of attack speed! Where can I get one?"
Lillie sighed in exasperation as all Max could do was call for Gallade to dodge. She always enjoyed getting the opportunity to watch her brother battle, but she could do without the annoying side chat. "That's a Dark-type, as of now, anyway. Gladion's Pokémon is one of a kind, it can change its types by using Memory Disks like the one Gladion used before the battle."
"Are you serious?" Misty said, breaking away from Gary to get a closer look at Silvally. "There's no Pokémon that can do that, I don't believe that!"
"Perhaps Alola houses some truly special Pokémon that the rest of the world is unaware of..." Professor Oak mused, thoroughly intrigued by the battle unfolding. "But it seems that Max's Gallade is simply better. A shame, really."
Hearing his last statement, Lillie turned back to the battle in worry, as Silvally soon began to tire, its attacks slowing down. Unfortunately, this was Max's hidden opportunity.
"Ha! You may talk big, but your Pokémon sure can't carry it out!" Max said, grinning as Silvally launched its last Crush Claw, resulting in another miss. "Gallade, use Close Combat, back to back!"
Gallade nodded as it dodged Silvally's last Crush Claw, then rushed at the chimera with amazing speed. As it got in range, it unleashed its fists in a rapid flurry, each hit connecting with Silvally. Silvally went flying back, only for Gallade to rush at it again and repeat the process.
"Silvally!" Gladion cried out as his partner was mercilessly beaten twice more by Close Combat, Max jeering from the other side of the battle. "Try to intercept with Crush Claw!"
Silvally nodded to show its acknowledgment, its claws glowing white once more. As Gallade unleashed Close Combat once again, Silvally swung its claws in a defensive manner, but Gallade simply overwhelmed Silvally, sending it flying once again, the chimera Pokémon slamming against the rim of the Malie Fountain.
"And that's the fifth time I've hit you with Close Combat!" Max jeered, calling off Gallade for a bit. Noticing that the crowd had grown in size, his confidence grew as well, the younger Maple pleased that such a large amount of people would be able to see his battle skills before the tournament even started. "Gotta say, you make a pretty good punching bag if nothing else!"
"Hah, see?" May jeered from her spot, noticing the smug look disappearing from Lillie's face. "My brother's gonna win against that fake Pokémon, how bout that?"
"Big brother..." Lillie said, ignoring the Hoenn native's jeers, concerned for her brother instead, remembering the promise he had made to Ash and Silvally.
"My mother..." Gladion said, looking down at the hospital floor from the bench he sat on, Silvally nuzzling him as he talked to Ash. "They're saying that the poison is unlike that of which they've seen before, they've got no clue how to proceed. They're saying that the way she was released from the Nihilego largely contributed to her current condition."
Ash, 15 years old now, couldn't help but frown, recalling the Z-Move he and Pikachu and pulled on Lusamine, effectively defeating her. Guilt overcoming him, he moved to sit next to the blonde boy. "Gladion, I-I'm-"
"Stop." Gladion said instantly, waving him away. "I went to see her, you know. I don't think Lillie has yet, but I hope she does soon. Anyway, I went to see her, expecting the worst. Expecting the Nihilego poison to still have some hold on her. Expecting a vengeful old hag who would despise me and my sister for her condition."
"Gladion..." Lillie murmured from behind a corner, watching the exchange between her brother and Ash, a concerned look on her face.
"I went into her room.." Gladion continued, his voice breaking as he continued. "A-and for the first time in a long time, I talked with my mother. As soon as I went in, she immediately asked me how I was doing, about my life, and what I hope accomplish. Ash, she's my MOM again. None of that Nihilego parasite talking through her, its finally just her."
"Pika, pika..." Pikachu murmured, leaping into Gladion's shoulder despite his resistance, giving him a cheek nuzzle.
"But you know what?" Gladion said, gathering himself as he looked at Silvally and then Ash. "If not for everything you did, I wouldn't have my mom back. Thanks to Silvally and you, my family could be just that, a family. The doctors don't know if Mom will make through the year, but she and I are okay with that. I-If not for you..."
Seeing Gladion on the verge of tears, a rare sight to see, Ash sat beside him, giving him a comforting hug. Gladion reluctantly accepted, but pulled away for a sec, standing from the bench, putting distance between him and Ash, giving a grateful look to Ash. They shared eye contact for a while, until Gladion spoke again.
"...Ash?" He finally asked, after a while of silence.
"Yeah?" Ash asked, curious to know what Gladion wanted. "What is it?"
"You've done a lot for me and Silvally in this past year..." Gladion said, a resolved look on his face. "If you ever, EVER need my help, I'll be right by your side. I swear on my life, Silvally and I will repay what you've done."
"I know you can do this..." Lillie murmured to herself, seeing the frustration on Gladion's face.
Unknown to her, Gladion was thinking of that very same conversation as well, wracking his brain desperately for a way out of this. His Dark-type Silvally wasn't the best for taking these kinds of attack, but he didn't see an opening anywhere. "He's hit me 5 times... we can't take another one of those..." The blonde boy mused, before it suddenly struck him. "That's it!"
"What's it?" Max questioned, before deciding he didn't care anyway. "Whatever, Gallade hit that freakish Pokémon with Close Combat one last time!"
Gladion grimaced, Silvally couldn't take another one of those, so he needed to tire Gallade out now. "Silvally, please, use Protect!"
The chimera nodded, a luminous green glow surrounding its body, just as Gallade closed in and unleashed its full power Close Combat. Silvally held up its Protect, although it inched back a bit due to the force Gallade was currently exerting on it, the Psychic/Fighting-type threatening to shove Silvally into the fountain. Lillie couldn't help clasping her hands, hoping that Silvally would manage to pull through.
"Stop hiding behind your shield already, or have you already recognized your defeat?" Max said, growing impatient with this battle, the thirteen-year-old certain that his skills were already established. "Gallade, keep using Close Combat and don't let up!"
True to its trainer's command, Gallade unleashed more blows than before, putting all of its power into its attacks. The traitors watched on, honestly not sure how the battle would turn out, but one look at her brother's face was all that Lillie needed to know how this battle would end.
Max laughed out loud, thinking already of his victory, when, suddenly, his Gallade tired out, stumbling back a short distance. "What?! Gallade, keep going!" Max cried out, as astonished as the rest of his friends.
Gladion gave a short chuckle, a ghost of a smirk on his face as he shook his head at Max. "Close Combat is a move that allows the user to move at incredible speeds and deal massive damage." He explained to the spectacled boy. "Overuse of such a move will lead to burnout, much like the burnout a Pokémon can receive from using Hyper Beam. Of course, there's one other thing you may have forgotten about Close Combat."
"W-what?" Max asked, dreading Gladion's answer.
"Close Combat lowers your defenses immensely." Gladion continued, snapping his fingers, causing Silvally to charge up its Mutil Attack, its body taking on a dark sheen. "Both physical and special defenses are massively decreased, and after all those times you used it? Well, I'm sure that even an idiot like you could figure out what comes next."
"G-Gallade, get out of there!" Max cried, realizing his mistake, as the traitors watched on in horror and Lillie watched on in relief for her brother. "Get away from him!"
"Well, let's wrap this up," Gladion said, smirking as he readied to end the battle. "Silvally, finish Gallade off by using Multi Attack!"
"Vally!" Silvally cried, letting out a roar as it fired its Multi Attack, firing a darkly colored beam. It hit Gallade dead on, sending the Psychic and Fighting-type sprawling, Gallade skidding to a stop at Max's feet. For a second, Gallade stood strong, looking as if it could keep going, much to Gladion's and Lillie's surprise. Unfortunately for Max, it was just that; a second. It quickly fell backward, landing onto the ground unconscious.
"G-Gallade..." Max stammered, eyes widened with disbelief, as he feebly returned his Pokémon. The traitors all rushed to him, May being one of the first to comfort him on his first loss of the region. Gladion simply scoffed, they displayed this camaraderie for each other, but not for the man who brought them all together?
Lillie came up to Gladion, disrupting him from his thoughts, a pleased look on her face. "Okay, I have to admit, that was fun to watch!" She began, before tugging in her brother's arm. "But we're running late! We're late!"
"Yes, yes, I know," Gladion said, rolling his eyes at his sister's impatience. Sometimes he wished she had never discovered her "Z-Powered form". "It's a very important date. Just go ahead, all right? I'll catch up real soon."
Lillie let out a little huff, and continued on her way, not sparing a second glance for the traitors. She made her way through the crowd, apologizing to the people that she passed on her way. Of course, there was excitement throughout the crowd due to the fact that one of their Elite 4 was passing by, but the traitors barely heard, their attention on the beaten Max.
Gladion found himself lingering for a bit, containing his anger as the traitors all gave Max words of encouragement, ensuring that he'd do better next time. After a few minutes, he spoke up.
"Hey," He said, drawing their attention, and some of their glares.
"What do you want?" May nearly hissed, sending a venomous glare at Gladion.
"I'll just tell you this one thing before I go," Gladion said dismissively as he began to head on his way. "You should try to see if you really understand what bonds are. Cause during this tournament, I can promise you that you'll learn of them for sure."
And with that, the blonde boy walked away, his Silvally dutifully following him, their bond one of many in the region of Alola.
And as the traitors began to head for where they would be staying, they couldn't help but overhear the whispers of the people around them, now that their attention was off their spectacled friend.
"Man, that boy got schooled, didn't he?"
"Serves him right, arrogance never leads to greatness."
"But wasn't Gladion just a bit harsher than usual?"
"You don't think-"
"What else would you expect from the president of the Aether Foundation?"
(10 years ago, in the region of Kanto)
Ash groaned as he lay on the charred grass of his backyard, disoriented from the massive explosion. He tried to get up, but failed as he lowered himself back down. Pikachu lay still beside him, causing Ash to panic, Pikachu couldn't be dead! After checking him over, Ash let out a sigh of relief as he found Pikachu to be only unconscious.
"Ash!" He heard Serena call, and suddenly found the honey blonde performer in his view. "Oh, thank goodness you're all right!"
She pulled Ash up off of the ground, slinging him onto her shoulder, grunting at the effort. Luckily, Dawn was nearby, also looking for Ash in the aftermath, her eyes catching the two as she rushed over immediately, her blue hair flying as she ran.
"Serena, Ash!" Dawn cried in relief, quickly moving to assist Serena in carrying in Ash. They slowly moved him towards where the others were, which was just outside the Ketchum house. As soon as the guys saw Ash, they took him from the two girls, setting him down on the ground.
"Ash, I'm going to give you something, okay?" Brock said, taking out some medicine from his backpack and putting it under Ash's nose. "It's like smelling salts, and more potent."
Ash barely had time to register or make any sort of reply before his senses were suddenly widened, allowing him to fully take in his surroundings. The air was full of smoke, the scent of burning wood filling the air. The sky was blood red in the aftermath of the explosion, flames rising up to the sky. When Ash's eyes wandered to where the flames where coming from, his eyes widened in shock. In front of him, his own house was in flames, giving caught fire from the battle.
"M-Mom..." Ash muttered, remembering that his mom had gone inside before the traitors had started to confront him.
"Ash... I'm sorry," Brock began to say as he placed his hand on Ash's shoulder, before Ash rushed into the burning house. "Ash!" He cried out, running after his friend but to no avail. Even in his condition, Ash was quicker, and the smelling salts helped him out.
Coughing, Ash made his way through the house, smoke filling his eyes and lungs. The heat was nearly unbearable, but Ash pushed onwards. He began to make his way to the laundry room, where his mom had said she'd go, wheezing as he went. As he came into the room, however, he was greeted with the sight of his mother being crushed under a plank of wood.
"Mom!" Ash cried out, rushing to her, immediately trying to lift the wooden plank. "Don't worry, I'll get you out!"
He attempted to lift the plank off of her and upwards, but no avail, the wooden plank staying right where it was. He tried again, and again, determined not to give up. Each time he failed, he found himself with cut fingers and more blisters than before. He kept trying, however, no matter how many times he failed. "I-I won't leave you here!"
"Ash..." Delia managed to get out, trying to talk to her son, coughing as she did so.
"Save... save your energy, Mom!" Ash said, hissing in pain as he failed to lift the plank yet again. "I'm gonna get you out of here!"
"Ash... just listen to me..." Delia said, drawing her son's attention as he momentarily stopped. "Take... take what's in... my hand."
Ash bent down, knowing that those could've easily been his mother's last words, eyes widening when he saw what she held, tearing up a bit. "That's... that's for me?"
"I... made it for... the next step of your journey..." Delia said, managing to give her son a warm smile despite all that was happening. "I... want you to... take it... please..."
"Okay..." Ash said, wiping tears from his eyes, giving a nod, before going back to attempting to free his mother. "But I'm getting you out of here too!"
In his attempts to free his mother, Ash became unaware of his surroundings, focusing only on the task he had set forward for himself. Unfortunately, that made him unaware to the creaking ceiling, slowly breaking under the flames.
"Ash, move!" Delia cried, just as the floor caved in, pushing her son out of the way, the wood and furniture covering the rest of her body, as Ash landed just outside the laundry room.
Ash coughed, getting up slowly, disoriented from what had just happened. Once realization had sunk in, however, tears began falling from his eyes. "Mom..." He muttered, before looking once more at what she had made for him; a new variation of his very first trainer's hat, but the green check had been made into a rectangular shape, the color scheme remaining mostly the same.
Getting back up, Ash managed to make his way out of the house, exhaustion wracking his body. Brock found him halfway, allowing the raven-haired trainer to lean on him as exited the house. Dawn and Serena were there to help him as well, helping him walk to the edge of the road. Paul, Barry, Sawyer, and Bonnie looked at Ash expectantly when he got there, giving him more than a few moments to grieve, the raven-haired trainer clutching the hat.
After a moment, he looked at the others, resolve burning in his eyes. "Allright, guys. It's time for us to head out, on our next journey."
"But Ash, where would we go?" Dawn asked. "Professor Oak's lies will keep us from going on a journey in most regions, not to mention label you as a criminal."
"I-I don't know..." Ash said, hesitantly. "That's why we're going to get some help."
And that's it for this chapter, hope you enjoyed! If you did, leave a review in the comments below! If you didn't, well tell me what you didn't like about it in your review!