Locked Away, Chapter 46
Sunnyshore City was still a mile away when Brock and Misty stopped at the side of the road to catch their breath. The first few hours of their walk were void of conversation, silent thoughts passed between the two of them, lost in their own minds. Would Ash be okay?
Would they be okay?
Brock tried once or twice to start a conversation; focus on the now rather than the what if's. For example, what they were going to say to Dawn when they arrived on her doorstep. They couldn't very well lead with they fact that they released the majority of legendary pokemon and destroyed Unova, a facility that no one really knew was a secret, undercover Team Rocket base. Along with the initial dread, they were not sure what Dawn was going to say to them. Sure, she was on board when they were planning the events to stop Team Rocket; but they were playing the real game now. Plus, they had technically gone missing and Dawn was the superstitious type—what if she thought they were brainwashed, or something?
So Brock tried to mask his concerns with conversation with Misty, but the former gym leader was like a steel trap, lost in her own thoughts with the occasional hum or nod to his comments. Thus, making the initial walk dull and unconventional. He knew, he understood her anguish, the boy-no, the man, Brock corrected with a turn of his chin, a man that Misty was quite possibly in love with was being whisked away by two super villains under the guise that he might possibly be the hero they have been looking for. Said villains almost got them killed only a little over twenty four hours ago, and while Brock and Ash were more accepting of the situation, Misty was not. Misty was worried, Ash was their friend, her best friend. Brock didn't blame her, but the lack of social interaction to vent his concerns to was becoming problematic. Anymore, and he was going to start talking to geodude, and he couldn't speak pokemon.
Having caught onto his withering, apathetic gaze, Misty looked up, sea-green eyes flickering at Brock while he packed up what was left of their boat rations and hummed to himself.
"I think he'll be okay." She finally managed ending the long silence, and Brock stifled a snort.
"You're only realizing that now?" Brock questioned sarcastically. "For someone so smart, you're pretty dense." He mocked her playfully, face stoic while she glared.
"He can take care of himself, you know." He added earnestly while patting her firmly on the shoulder. Misty smiled at him, and playfully swat him on the upper arm.
"Shut up, you haven't known him as long as I have." She paused. "He can be insanely reckless."
"I know!" Brock whined, "I can't believe I'm helping save the world with people who are practically strangers when I could be at home, checking out hot..."
He didn't finish his statement, save for the glare presented by his slightly-red-haired companion. A flinch, then a giggle erupted from the two of them as they walked off into the distance, towards the gleaming city of Sunnyshore.
"What do you think they're doing right now? They've probably reached that village Jessie and James were talking about." Misty hummed throwing Brock a bone while looking up at the blue sky. Brock shrugged a smile across his face.
"Probably wondering what we're doing."
XOX
Brock was not wrong, Ash was spending his time talking with pikachu and togepi during the two hour trek into the forest that Jessie and James led him through. The trio didn't talk much, at least not to him. Either the four them them were still uncomfortable around one another, or they were silent, unwitting individuals.
How completely dull. Ash's mind yelled at him while he rubbed his temples. With his companions, Brock and Misty, they always managed to have fun, in the worst situations, in the best situations. Now, he spent two hours walking behind Jessie, James and meowth, listening to the scuff of his shoots against the dirt, and the crunch of branches and leaves underneath.
Learn to listen, kid. Meowth pestered him earlier, scolding his many questions.
Where are we going, what are we doing, what's the plan; which pokemon are we going to see first? Were only a few of the many questions that Ash had. He wished for awhile that Brock and Misty had created the arrangement, since theirs was so neatly mapped out, while his was skewed, and frankly, a little terrifying being led by the former Team Rocket members.
They could assure him over and over again that it was better if he didn't know, but no matter what they implied and insisted, Ash knew better. It wasn't like this was his first ballgame working with the trio, whether they knew it or not, he was an expert in how horrible their plots and ideas could be. They were never successful.
In the end, Ash settled with scratching behind the older pikachu's ears, and juggling togepi in his arms, allowing the sounds of the forest to encapsulate his entire being. Crickets sung in the background, the sound of distant pokemon sung loudly their howls and voices, and he could hear the moving stream probably only a few meters away from him. Nature was peaceful, humane and untouched by the chaos created by humans, it wasn't normal for the world to be unbalanced. People did that.
Eyes falling to the road before him, he watched trails of dust blow with the gentle wind, and a breath left him as he recalled Misty's words.
Are you sure you're okay? She asked in correspondence to his injured shoulder, and it hadn't been the first time his recovery was marked with a question. Every time he seemed to heal faster than the last time. The infected tissue at his side should have barred him from training for at least a few weeks, and he was traveling through Kalos within a few days. He saw how bruised and beaten Misty was after their escapades through the Team Rocket facility, and more importantly, he knew he shouldn't have been any better.
But he was.
He had never called himself normal, though Brock and Misty insisted he was pretty special for a normal guy. Was he? Was there something more to this that he didn't know? Obviously there had to be. He knew things he shouldn't have, he knew about legendary pokemon that tied him directly to Team Rocket, Giovanni knew to watch him while he was in a coma; but why him?
Ash's childhood seemed foggy now, after so many years spent reliving the age of ten, but he still remembered waking up that morning, being playfully shocked by pikachu and starting his journey by throwing a rock at a pidgey.
He remembered before that, fighting with Gary with fishing lures, attending pokemon camps and watching his mother leave to work every morning before he would run off on his own to play. Ash remembered having few friends, being the butt of most of Gary's jokes, and the barring dependence on the dream of becoming the world's greatest pokemon trainer—a pokemon master.
Yet, the world had no intention of creating that dream.
He was not a kid anymore, and his entire life changed on his tenth birthday. A full year since he woke up, he had plenty of time to cope with the sensation of dread, coated fear and constant reminders of reality knocking at his door, but never in his mind had he been convinced that his dreams meant something more than he did now.
Something, somewhere, knew this was going to happen; and whether it have been by chance, or destiny, Ash was tied to it. He was the chosen one.
Then, there was the now looming dread in his mind that this was all a dream. He felt guilty, more about his ill-fit feelings than anything else; but how could he not? He survived a literal prison, showered by flying bullets without being grazed, ran away from crazed dragons, survived a wound on his stomach that after hours of floating in the ocean should have poisoned him; met most of his former companions; discovered that his mother, who disowned him was actually being blackmailed—or something, and he got the girl.
Aside from the huge mess, Ash obtained everything so far; a justifiable reason for the actions people were taking, proof that he wasn't as crazy as he was made out to be in the beginning, and the motivation and determination to not give up—with friends and even villains backing up his crazed dreams and connections.
How could he not believe this was a dream? At least partially? Ash kept bouncing back, events worked in his favor, and each time they moved in a direction that helped people—what if he never woke up after all? What if this was some kind of huge nightmare twisted by his slowly aging mind as a gateway to end his own—No.
No.
He couldn't think that way.
Swallowing hard against the lump that formed into his throat, he looked ahead once again, ignoring the look of concern fragmented through pikachu's eyes, while topepi remained otherwise oblivious.
After months of being told he lived comatose in some dreamland where he was special and the world was different, and that he and his companions had the power to change everything was unrealistic and fake; well, now that exactly what happened in his dreams was happening; the lines between reality and his dream blurred. Not intentionally, but the small, lingering thought pressed forever at the back of his mind.
It all just seemed too convenient, so laid out and prepared that maybe, a small part, of Ash believed this couldn't be really happening. Somewhere along the way, he passed out again, and didn't wake up. Was it before or after his adventure through the region? Maybe he never woke up, but his body shifted dreams to accommodate for his fading consciousness—this world was dark after all, but somehow there was always a light at the end of the tunnel.
….What was wrong with him?
So badly he wanted to scream, bang his fists against the trees and scream his concerns to the world; whatever world he was stuck in, but the rampage never surfaced past a quip. He couldn't tell anyone, especially not Misty and Brock, that he wasn't sure if what he was facing was real or not. Or that it was easier to deal with because at any second he was expecting to wake up in a cold sweat in some abandoned hospital miles away from here with no proper memory of the events that transpired. Months he spent convincing himself that this world was real, but now, the two weren't so different. One was darker, but he was still at the center of it all. Did that make this real? How could he explain that to someone without earning an amount of pity. The more they told him this was real, the more terrified his muscles felt, the more his nerves were on fire and every bone ached for rest.
Ash swallowed hard.
Listening wasn't for him so he finally snapped.
"Where are we going?" He barked, approaching Jessie and James who stopped abruptly at his abrasiveness.
"We already told you that..."
"No!" Ash said sternly, eyes narrowed, brows furrowed, and foot dug into the dirt.
"I'm not going anymore until I know what's going on. I followed you this far, and I understand that you have secrets, but I'm not playing this game with you three, tell me now, or I'm going back to find my friends."
Their surprised expressions were not shocking to Ash, he was surprised at himself for his authoritative stance on the subject, usually, he gave people the space and time that they needed to eventually crack and warm up to him—but he didn't have the time for that anymore. They didn't have long to fix this world.
"We're going to Mt. Coronets. To the north to find Dialga and Palkia." James dodged Jessie's disapproving glances. "If we're lucky, they've remained untouched, but we're not sure how many pokemon they have discovered after using the information you gave them." James explained, earning a glare from Jessie, who was content in telling Ash nothing.
"I didn't give them anything." Ash growled. "Maybe if people had told me what was going on from the very start, we wouldn't be in this mess." with a twist of his hips, he took the lead, much to Jessie and James surprise.
"If we're going there, we can use the pass on route 215, they had the mountain road closed the last time I was there, and assuming it's still closed, we'll have to take the back way."
Eyebrows quirked all around, togepi stuck its tongue out at the bemused trio quickly while Ash walked with confident strides. James followed after him, leaving Jessie and meowth with pikachu to ponder their next move.
"The village up ahead will give us access to a change of clothes and supplies." James pointed to the lights shinning above the tree lines.
"And a pokedex?" Ash asked, glancing over his shoulder briefly.
James buckled. "We..." The older man cleared his throat. "Lied about... We can't get a pokedex that doesn't leave tracking signals. We told your girlfriend that so she would-"
Before James finished Ash nodded and rolled his shoulders tiredly. "I already figured that." Ash hummed sadly, glancing downward. Not only was he unable to reach Misty and Brock, but his pokemon at Gary's were probably missing him, as well. "It doesn't matter, right now we have bigger things to think about, let's get there before sunset."
"Yeah..." James hummed, amazed by the young man's strength, it was nothing like he remembered.
From the back of the group, pikachu followed after Ash quietly, ears lowered while he watched his trainer move confidently, just as he watched Ash many times before; through league battles, and gym matches, his shoulders rose higher and higher after each match. Ash was changing, pikachu only hoped that in the end, there would still be enough of him left to remember.
XOX
After a good hour, they arrived at the front of the Sinnoh offices of the Pokemon League; the place to be before entering Victory Road, where people applied for the league, and where the magic happened. It was also home to one Dawn Matthews office.
Arriving at the league, they realized how big their grand adventure in Unova had become in the news. Apparently, dragon pokemon were running wild for the first time in years, and the weather was diluted and murky thanks to the sudden release of legendaries. Their power cascading disrupted the natural balance of the world, and now, the regions were suffering from it. Brock and Misty looked on in awe at the rushing by of people holding stacks of paper, the news media, article writers, everyone gathered at the corner of the lobby entrance, and the lobby was streamed with security. What was usually a well rounded, organized facility was now rampant with news reporters and chaos. How were they supposed to find anything here?
"I...had no idea." Brock muttered while he looked at the sudden rise in accidents that were coming through the telephone. He couldn't imagine what the police station looked like right now.
"...Yeah, I know. Everything has a consequence." Misty hummed, biting down on her lip while she looked outside the grand windows. In the forest, their vision was clouded by the looming presence of trees, but now that the forest had cleared, and they approached the very tip of the Sunnyshore City, she could see in the distance of the ocean a large, black cloud lumbering over the ocean in the very same direction of Unova.
Why hadn't they seen it before? Misty swallowed hard against the lump in her throat while Brock led her to the counter where a frazzled, red-haired receptionist sat answering frantic phone calls.
"Yes, I know you said your sewage was backed up, and we have our best people working—no we aren't sure of the cause—I'm sorry ma'am. I can't call a plumber-" She smacked her lips, more than likely in the frustration that the woman on the other end hung up on her in a huff, and Misty could have awarded the receptionist a golden star for keeping her cool under such pressure.
However, the duo shared a very knowing look. So Sinnoh didn't know what happened in Unova? Could that mean Jessie and James were right? They weren't going to bring out reports of what happened there. Misty tried to contain her excitement as the woman looked up at the two of them with tired, auburn eyes.
"Can I help you?"
"Yeah, actually. We're here to speak with Dawn."
"I'm sorry, she's all booked up and..." While the woman talked, Misty very carefully leaned over the counter to give the woman a better look of her, and she froze and her mouth opened in an "o"
"Oh my... Oh my gosh. Misty Waterflower." She gaped, standing upright immediately and Brock nodded in approval. An appropriate reaction to someone who was supposed to be missing.
"What are you—how are you? We heard but we didn't.."
"I'm fine," Misty squinted at the woman's name tag. "Zoey? I decided to take a short vacation after the attack, kind of freaked me out a little and the police said to stay under the radar—so, you wouldn't by any chance be able to get me in with a little convo with Miss Matthews, would you?"
Brock was surprised by her sudden change in demeanor, Ash mentioned it once or twice when they wrote letters during his original journey, but Brock never witnessed it. It was like seeing her again for the first time since their first introduction. So smooth, almost...hostile with that cheery, ear to ear grin that made his skin crawl. Zoey couldn't say no.
"Yes, c-come with me." Zoey snapped upright, her smile returning to her features as she ignored the phone which rang endlessly, and maneuvered Brock and Misty around the back counter and into the hallway. With her back to them, Misty held up her fist to Brock, who bounced his own against hers and shook his head. It was all an act, a well, cultivated and practiced act.
...But deep down she was still Misty, and he could see that in the light in her eyes, a gleaming, proud look of egotistical proportions.
Once they arrived at the end of a long hallway, Zoey held up her well manicured hand, and nodded to them before wrapping her knuckles against the hard wooden door several times. When no reply emerged, she tapped again, and Dawn's voice sprung from the inside.
"What is it Zoey?"
"I have a couple of guests who need to talk with you."
"Guests? I'm not taking visitors right now! Send them away!" Dawn hissed and Misty and Brock both flinched and looked at each other worriedly. She didn't sound well.
"Dawn, I mean, Ms. Matthews, it's Misty Waterflower, and her friend."
A stilling calm answered them while Brock and Misty's eyes turned to the door where they both awaited an answer. Instead, the rapid pound of heels clanking against a marble floor echoed from within the room, until coming to a full stop at the entrance.
"...did you ask for their ID?"
Zoey felt sweat pool at her hairline. "Uhh.. No, miss..." She spared a glance to Misty and Brock who immediately felt remorse for Zoey's position, and Misty spoke up.
"Dawn, open up, it's us."
Neither could see it, the way Dawn's blue eyes brightened up at the sound of their voice from beyond the door. The way her fingers curled around the door knob, and she looked both thrilled and terrified at the very moment she pulled it open, and saw Brock and Misty standing behind Zoey.
Had Brock or Misty had anymore emotion to spare after the long nights, they might have teared up alongside Dawn, who grasped her mouth upon seeing then, and then her shoulders rocked before plunging forward.
"You're okay! You're both okay!" She wailed, ugly, wet tears falling from her eyes while brushing against their dirty arms. How strange, Misty would have never imagined that Dawn would be the one missing her. Brock shared the concern as they looked at one another and shrugged awkwardly. Eventually, both tried to comfort the woman while Zoey's gaze shifted away from the trio and Dawn collected herself.
"When we didn't hear from you—oh god, Saffron City was shut down, Gary he... You guys are alive you're..." Dawn stopped, her immediate, emotionally filled response stalling in great fear upon recognition that the third member of their party, a man with a boy's face, and a yellow pikachu, was missing. Her guts twisted inside.
"Where's Ash? Did something happen?"
"No!" Misty snapped, taking Dawn's shoulders and smiling at Zoey who was growing gravely uncomfortable. "Everything is..." Misty stammered. "...okay" She decided after a moment.
"Let's just go inside. Thanks for the help Zoey." Misty waved to the redhead, and ushered Brock and Dawn back into the woman's office, and shut the door quietly behind them.
At first, silence funneled between them while Dawn thought of the proper words to say. She wore a skin tight black skirt, and a pink blouse over black heels. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, and unlike Brock and Misty, she looked professional, business ready...and mortified. She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her blouse and licked her lips quietly while collecting her thoughts.
"What happened to you guys?" She asked, spinning on her heels to face them. Misty, more than likely the most aware and used to delivering bad news pointed to one of the chairs in the small office, and led Dawn to them while Brock followed. They settled into the leather couch facing Dawn who's knee bounced relentlessly against the rugged floor.
"First we need to ask if it's safe to talk here." Misty spoke, and Brock shared a proud glance to her; his conspiracy theory ways finally protruding from her own systems of belief.
Eyes still puffy while she picked at her nails, which were bitten down into practically nothing, Dawn nodded.
"Yeah, Sinnoh league headquarters are one of the safest in the league."
Misty inhaled. "Are you sure?"
Dawn's eyes flashed up to her green ones, then to Brock who shrugged. Uncertainty crossed in her eyes. The past few months questioned every belief she had, not that she had strong ones to begin with. Dawn shook her head.
"I'm not for certain, but we can go to my mother's house. She moved here a few years ago. It'll be safe there."
"Okay." Misty nodded to Brock while he leaned forward, taking Dawn's shaking hands in an attempt to sooth her.
"Dawn, I know it's a bit unprofessional dropping in like this, especially after how the news handled the situation after the party, but if there's anyone else we can trust, we're going to need as many hands as we can get." Fatherly. Looking at Brock, his voice was the same tone she imagined a father would talk to their child—one he probably spent years practicing with his handful of brothers. She inhaled, a shudder running down her spine while Dawn smacked her lips.
Dawn blinked once, then twice, and nodded while Brock continued.
"...This is big, Dawn."
"I know a few people in the league, they'll help." She added, feeling silly for becoming so emotional while they were so distant.
"Can we trust them?" Misty questioned and Dawn nodded.
"Yes!" She chirped, her voice losing it's quake while she released her hands from Brock's grasp and nodded. "...Yes." She assured them, inhaling a breath of fresh air.
XOX
Brock and Misty arrived in disguise to Dawn's house shortly before dawn. Joanna had a nice house on a hilltop in the outskirts of town so she could over look the ocean, and the city at the same time. Her motto was she would always watch over her little girl. Dawn happened to live in Sunnyshore City, which while having the lowest crime rate in all of Sinnoh region, meant that Joanna had to move to watch over her little girl. Mother's were naturally protective of their children.
Being a mother, Joanna was stunned and a bit confused to see Dawn approach her so late in the evening, with a duo that looked like they walked from a costume contest. Misty was wearing an improper, green wig, and Brock had on a rain jacket. In July. She recgonized right away something was wrong, and rightfully kept her mouth closed.
"...Dawn?" Joanna masked her confusion, sharing a glance with Dawn who smiled warmly at her mother, recovered from her previous episode of panic.
"Momma! It's great to see you." She sounded elated while she grasped the older woman's hands and brought her pink lips to both cheeks. "These are my friends, do you think we could come inside for a minute? Maybe have some dinner? Or something." Dawn questioned, nudging the easy-going woman.
"Yes, of course, Dawnie." She stepped aside, showing the inside of a well groomed, well scented home. Something Misty and Brock both missed. "Come in!" she exclaimed nudging the chidren.
Misty bit her tongue to contain her snort while mimicking Joanna. "Dawnie?" She mouthed to Brock who shrugged. Apparently it was only funny to Misty.
"Actually, a few of your colleagues showed up earlier. They're in the living room when you're ready." Joanna brushed her hand against Dawn's face, a knowing look in her eyes. "I'll be in the kitchen. Let me know if you need anything?"
"Thanks, mom." Dawn cooed, walking in and removing her shoes. While Misty and Brock followed suit, the blue-haired woman glared at Misty.
"Don't you say a thing."
"Wasn't gunna." Misty hummed. "...Dawnie." She added, skipping past the younger woman to approach the living room where curious gazes met her every movement. The living room was decorated with the careful eye of a previous coordinator, from the carpet to the curtains, everything had a flow, a movement that was only broken up by the bodies of two men sitting on separate ends of the couch. Misty recognized the first to be Paul Shinji, a member of the Elite Four of the Sinnoh region, and the other to be Drew Hayden; the coordinator she was introduced to at the league party. While Dawn prepared introductions, Misty and Brock removed their disguises, and approached the men.
"Thanks for coming, guys." Dawn announced while taking a seat on the love seat, where Misty took a seat beside her, but Brock remained standing.
A pause.
"Well?" Paul started, his voice harsh, and cold, and Misty might have thrown something at him if she knew better. "What are we here for?"
"Well, to start, we need to know what we've missed in the last week, have you guys heard anything about the Kanto region?" Misty shared a glance with Brock. "...or, you know, Unova?"
Dawn shook her head. "Nothing but the usual. They have Ash painted as a complete arsonist, and kidnapper. He's even on the milk cartons in Sinnoh, and we're a peaceful region."
Misty nodded quietly. "And what about me?"
"Just that you went missing, and all relations lead back to Ash taking you. They said there was another, I'm thinking they meant Brock but he hasn't been named yet. I think it's because he's a gym leader..." Dawn licked her lips trying to recall all the information. "We didn't know what happened to you guys. I came back to Sinnoh only because I didn't know what else to do. The Elite Four have started a legitimate man hunt for Ash."
"Well, that's wonderful." Misty muttered, sarcasm laced through every word. The boyfriend of an Elite Four member was a wanted criminal. How poetic. Misty cracked her neck while Brock cleared his throat.
"...Anything else?"
"Not really. They blamed the attack on Ash, Team Rocket hasn't been given recognition for the attacks in Kanto. The news media tried to cover some of it, but it was quickly shut down. Last I checked Kanto looks as normal as usual on the outside. Those of us with experience can see the extra loaded guns around the market though..."
Misty nodded, nothing they didn't expect to hear. "So they haven't mentioned anything about Unova?"
"...No, why do you keep mentioning that place? Is that where you were?" Dawn asked, though Paul's expression seemed more intent on listening to a story about Unova than that there was a man hunt for Ash. Drew remained stoic for the majority of the compilation, and Brock nodded, stealing the floor save for Misty's reaction. Distress? Brock hadn't the time to think about her expression while he leaned against the fire place.
"...Unova was taken over by Team Rocket during their 'war'. They've been sending in false reports and turned the shore into a prison facility. They were holding the legendary pokemon hostage there but Ash and Misty freed them...but that's not all." Brock cleared his throat again, waiting for their reactions.
"Oh my god..." Dawn muttered under her breath, though Paul sat back, his fists curling on his knees while Drew inhaled and nodded quietly. Brock continued.
"We realize Kanto's problems aren't Sinnoh's problems, but we think by doing this, we've pissed Giovanni off, the leader of Team Rocket, and he's going to come back swinging—he's been putting these chips in pokemon's heads and we aren't sure what they do yet, but we think he might be trying to make an army... or... we don't know, really. We need to get into Silph Co to find out more, and we need Dawn's help to do it. It could be just Kanto he's targeting, or it could be all the regions."
"A prison facility?" Paul asked suddenly, trying to upkeep his masculine persona. "...you didn't by any chance see my brother's name in there, did you, Red?" He asked, gesturing to Misty who flinched uncomfortably.
Misty bit down on her lip, sitting back while rubbing her cheek. The whole incident was a blur now—she knew Iris and Cilan off the top of her head, that Samuel Oak was written in, and they had little files for most of them; but... Shinji, she couldn't remember.
"Ash might've... I didn't get a good look at them, everything kind of went to shit pretty fast. I'm sorry." Misty spoke, her voice coated in her greatest sympathies while she watched Paul sit back. It was small, and insignificant, but his disappointment reflected through his narrowed eyes and Brock smacked his lips.
"They were holding a monstorous amount of dragon pokemon in that facility. Most of which were released..." While she spoke, Misty looked down, eyes wide, "And...some legendaries—Moltres, Zapdos, Arcticuno, Entei—there were others, but I can't remember them all. We busted Moltres out...and it finished the job."
"You saw a real legendary, Misty?" Dawn gawked, eyes wide. A grin pulled on her lips in spite of the situation. "That's pretty bad ass, my friend." She swat Misty's shoulder in an attempt to cheer her up, but Misty could only manage a weak shrug.
"I wish it had been under better circumstances. Regardless, Brock and I are planning on getting into Silph Co, but when I go back to Kanto, they're going to make me report to the Elite Four—who attacked us, by the way."
Dawn shook her head. "Given the situation, the kidnapping allegations and so forth, they might not let me back out, or let me keep my title. We're going to try to use the media against them, but if for some reason I can't leave... Well, this is where you come in. I need to know someone else is going to finish this." Misty hummed. "Ash is counting on us to figure out what Silph Co is doing, and Brock can't do it on his own."
"We can't do it on our own." She corrected, earning a smile from Brock.
"Misty, you can't just walk in there and let the take you. That's not safe."
"So I've heard, but they're going to want a press conference, I figure if I can turn some of their atrocious reports against them, I'll be fine... but really, you can never know with the league anymore, can you?"
Dawn pursed her lips. "...No, I guess not."
"Name the place." Drew urged, finally speaking with bout of determination while shifting forward. "We'll help. Kanto may not be related to Sinnoh, but if Team Rocket does successfully take over, that puts the other regions in danger too."
"So, Team Rocket, they're not influencing the Sinnoh region's Elite Four?" Misty asked, watching Paul.
Paul shook his head silently. "Not that I know of. There's... talk about some of the other members, but our Chief Executive seems to be pretty clean so far. We haven't been told to hide information from the media yet, and we're not supporting pointless allegations and rivalries. Thanks to..." His eyes shifted to Dawn for a moment, who smiled modestly at him, then back to Misty. "...thanks to movement of coordinators, we don't have as much control over Sinnoh as the Elite Four does in Kanto. It's definitely not a bad thing."
"Gee, you weren't in support of it three years ago." Dawn mocked playfully while Paul shot her a tired look. Misty smiled in response, recalling Dawn's words.
Paul was the only one who was in favor of equal rights for trainers. Though, Misty had the idea it wasn't Paul's nature to be an activist, but someone much older, and very far away.
"Low and behold," Misty muttered. "I need to get to Kanto, Dawn. And I want you to come with me."
"Oh, Misty, I can't leave Sinnoh right now. Things are a mad house with all the weather changes. Something happened in the mountains and it's not settling." Dawn pointed to Drew. "Take Drew, he's not as notable as I am, but he can vouch on my behalf, and if something happens, I can still bail you guys out."
Misty nodded, though slowly and a little disheartened. "I get that."
"If it comes out that Unova was attacked, how should we handle the situation? Blame Team Rocket?" Paul's voice boomed through the living room, his leadership and class evident in how posture and motionless tone.
Brock straightened his shoulders. "They won't. There's too much evidence, and right now with the legendary pokemon and dragons guarding the island, it's a war zone. If they come forward, the peaceful mask they've forced us to believe comes off, and people will start to panic. The population may be sheep, but we're still human. We'll know when something is off."
"Giovanni won't do anything to make the situation harder than it is. I think for awhile, at least, Unova will remain as it was." Misty added confidently. When she defeated charizard in route 25, the news reports went through the very next day, as well as the issue with Ash; and the league party. It was clear they weren't prepared to dish out the information of Unova, otherwise. They would have.
Paul nodded. "Then I'll check in with the executives. If the Elite Four is being controlled, that means their champion must be as well. We might be able to undermine them from a regional level and have them removed from power. In the mean time, I'll figure a way out to make sure when the news about Unova comes out, it's in our favor."
Surprised by his sudden take over, Misty looked at Brock who nodded, impressed. "Yeah, that would be great."
They shared ideas, plans; obligations—such as Ash heading out with two 'people' to find the remaining legendary pokemon in an attempt to save them. That they didn't know where he was right now... In the end, they each had jobs to do, and it all started with a revolving press conference.
Misty nodded. "Good... Now, Dawn, last request..." She looked to the blue haired woman with honest eyes. "Can we bother you for supplies?"
"Always." Dawn nudged Misty and grinned. "But only if you let me fix that hair of yours. What did you do to it?"
XOX
A week passed at a slow-pokes pace, on their way to the mountain. The weathe was unpredictable, snow storms in the middle of rain storms, and sudden dry heat when a few minutes ago, it was down pouring. The fluctuating weather was the reason Ash, and the rest of Team Rocket were huddled inside of a worn down inn. One that they didn't pay for. That they couldn't pay for.
Being bad was a new sensation entirely, he dealt with being lost, and confused, occasionally fictional on his worst days—but Ash was never bad; never a theif. Now, Team Rocket expected him to be. Since the start of their trek, pikachu had been quieter than usual, and togepi used what little time they had to spare to train with the rest of Ash's pokemon. Goodra still did a number on Monferno, so the ape was off limits until they managed to find a place to heal them—but greninja and snorlax occasionally helped togepi and pikachu out. Ash could only imagine what garchomp and goodra were doing now—so far away, alone. With the legendary pokemon released, there was no telling that they were even alive.
In the end, Ash's thoughts kept him awake, sitting below the cracked window, wrapped in a wool blanket and holding both togepi and pikachu in his lap. Two weeks was all it took for his name to be drug through the mud. Originally a nobody, now he was a wanted felon on several charges. He didn't see a lot of the papers, didn't have time to read them, but when he could, he picked one up.
Kidnapping, attempted murder, and arson were only some of the few he was being charged with. He had a shot on sight on his back released three days ago; thanks to the Unova incident, no doubt, but luckily, Misty was released.
Whatever she and Brock planned, it worked. Her arrival in Kanto nearly broke the game; either Team Rocket wasn't prepared for such a bold decision, or they had plans even bigger than the three of them, because they let Misty walk. With Dawn's help, she was placed in Sinnoh during the week they were running from Team Rocket, and the media had to record it. Obviously because she wasn't kidnapped, or dead, everyone wanted to know what she was doing.
...and she lied so well even Jessie complimented her.
That girl has class. Though he couldn't see Brock with her anywhere. More than likely, they wanted to keep their appearances separate, just in case. From the sounds of it, she hadn't met with the Elite Four yet, and so watching her was like pins and needles.
Right now, however, the television was turned off, and Ash sat alone. Awake. Since the revelation he could be dreaming again, sleep wasn't an easy task. He was not sure he had it in him—what if he never woke up, or what if he did, and it was somewhere else entirely. Given the circumstances, Ash decided against sleeping, and opted for staying awake forever; maybe his sheer belief that this world was the real one meant he wasn't dreaming—but only a year ago, he would have sworn to heaven above that his dream world was real as well.
Nodding off slowly, Ash knocked his head against the wall behind him to draw his attention back to Jessie and James. They shared a bed, but they weren't...together. He over heard them sometimes, their relationship was rocky at best—they both blamed each other for the situation they were in, but blamed themselves the most. According to meowth, this was their last mission together, if they were successful, they were done. No more stealing, no more hiding.
Weird. Ash couldn't imagine them separated, but meowth was sure that sometimes, separation makes the heart grow fonder.
A smile tugged at his lips while he listened to James snore quietly. His mother used to tell him that, too. When Ash would ask about his father, Delia would tell him that distance would make his heart grow fonder—but the man never came back. If he did, Ash never met him... right now, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Really, Ash wasn't sure he wanted to meet anyone other than pokemon; he was a wanted felon and unless by some miracle he could convince people he was a real upstanding citizen, he didn't want to see people., not that he was really ever given the chance. Jessie and James were anti-people.
They wanted to save everyone, but they didn't understand what it was like to be civilized anymore. They stole right out of peoples pockets, and laughed about it. It wasn't horrible. James and meowth were friendly on most occasions—they even tried to show Ash how to pick pocket.
...it just wasn't the same.
They were stealing. They were thieves, they told Ash a million times after each robbery, and had Ash and his pokemon not been so hungry, he wouldn't have participated in any illegal activities, but they were right. Ash was wanted everywhere, he was marked as an international criminal now. No matter where he went, he had no where to go. He couldn't get a part time job like before and earn some money—he didn't have the time, and he didn't have rich friends.
Unfortunately, stealing was his only option.
"Pika, pika chu." The mouse commented, watching his trainers expression. Don't think like that, the mouse warned him, watching his brow crinkle in response. This is only temporary.
"Don't worry buddy," Ash hummed, though pikachu's shoulders fell, and he moved forward to find perch on Ash's lap, much to his surprise.
"What's wrong?" Ash whispered.
"Cha..." The mouse whined, quite affectionate for the first time in months. It pawed at Ash, who stroked is fur pleasantly, and finally cracked a faint smile.
"Pikachu, what's wrong?" He asked again and the mouse looked to him with sincere, worried brown eyes and his ears fell back.
"Pikachu-pi, pika pi chu..." It started and Ash felt his chest lower and his stomach churned.
This is real, you're not dreaming. The mouse said, though his words didn't alleviate Ash's concerns. At least, not right away.
"Ow." Ash grumbled when pikachu shocked his hand, eyes glaring at his trainer, then, he did it again until Ash snapped his hand away and glared at him.
"Cha!" The mouse growled, and Ash's eyebrows rose.
It wouldn't hurt if it wasn't real. Pikachu continued his squeal, quietly pacing in Ash's lap, digging his claws into his pants. Ash watched him with sympathetic eyes, and glanced away momentarily.
Misty's real, Brock is real, this whole nasty event is real. You're real. Don't regress. Ash's eyes closed while he breathed, thinking once again of his companions lost warmth. Since traveling with the former Team Rocket members, he felt so cold inside. Misty and Brock radiated heat like a volcano, and it sucked him in when he was near. Now it was the opposite, wandering a frozen tundra of fears, and doubts...
Ash squeezed pikachu affectionately, unable to think further and his eyes squeezed shut, preventing tears. "Thank you." Ash muttered quietly and the mouse nuzzled into his collar for warmth.
Of course pikachu would know, they've always been connected.
"I'm scared, buddy." Ash whined, pulling away to stare down at the yellow rodent and stroke his head. Words he couldn't speak to anyone else were passed between the two of them.
"What if something happens? I didn't think it was going to be this hard, before everything always had a neat fix...but now there's-I was supposed to start a new journey, battle pokemon; it wasn't supposed to be like this. It's only been a year pikachu, and I can't...Maybe a small part of me didn't want this to be real." Ash hummed quietly, lips twitching as repressed emotions funneled.
Optimism shattered under dense moonlight while pikachu pat his trainers arm and tears flowed from his eyes. We can do this! It's hard, that's how we know it's real. Real life doesn't have an easy solution!
"Pika...chuu pikapika." The mouse assured him, to which Ash silenced his sniffling and nodded. If this was a dream, it obviously wasn't his anymore.
A pause.
"...Wanna go for a walk?" pikachu nodded, and without skipping a beat or telling anyone, Ash opened the window they broke into moments ago, and slipped into the summer air.
Getting away was a treat, one that Ash needed more than he needed air.
In many ways, he was still a kid; a selfish, stubborn child forced to grow up too quickly. On the other hand, he was a hero, saving his pokemon, promising to help Brock and Misty, charging forward to change the world. A lot changed, but the more they changed, the more his life stayed the same. He was the hero he was always redeemed as, and now, that heroism would finally complete something. Whether or not he wondered about his own realities shouldn't matter; even if he was dreaming, by some small chance, his resolve to save the world wouldn't change.
Ash would always save the world.
While he skipped with pikachu, a faint glimmer in the night sky brought his attention roaring from the ground, to the sky above the mountain, past the forest and his face drained of color.
"...Pikachu, get Jessie and James and tell them we need to leave now." Ash gaped, eyes wide staring up at the glowing mountain.
XOX
Today was the day. Bright and early on a Monday morning, with Drew and Brock one room over, and her hair tied back, red as fire. Dawn did a wonderful job dying and trimming her hair once again. Her cascade earrings dangled from her ears, and the necklace Daisy gave her hung proudly over her yellow vest, and red tank top that fell to the middle of her thigh. Beneath that, she wore a pair of black tights, and knee high boots.
Misty Waterflower stood in front of her borrowed mirror. The same Misty Waterflower that walked into a hospital room one year ago and watched her life slowly change. Inhaling, the woman brushed the wrinkles from her shirt and slowly spun to exit the room, and meet her companions. Brock smiled appreciatively at her outfit, seeing her dressed in something other than shorts and appearing so grown up might have brought a tear to his eye if the next step wasn't killing him inside.
"Today's the day I meet with the rest of the Elite Four and the champion." She swallowed and smacked her lips sardonically. "Wish me luck?"
Author's Note:
Thank you for all the patience.
I wrote this at like three different times, so I am sorry if anything is repetitive, and sorry if it's drawn out? Drew went with Misty and Brock instead of Dawn because if things are getting weird in Sinnoh, I don't think it makes sense for her to leave? I really wanted to focus on how Ash is handling all this news, I thought for awhile about removing Ash's disbelief, but it makes sense to me. Things are more 'gritty' but the weight of the world is still being flung at him, which he spent what, a year telling himself was unrealistic? In my head it makes sense, but it's only a small plot and I felt like it showed Ash and pikachu's connection a little better?
As always, thank you, thank you for all the lovely reviews and comments and questions and favs and follows; I appreciate them all.
NINT