Author's notes: So, about 19 people have been been reading the first chapter, but no one has reviewed, followed or favorited. Maybe it's because the prologue was bleak, maybe you have prejudices, maybe it's something I can't come up with right now. Anyway, the beginning and so forth of this story is still so freshly in my mind that I needed to pour it out here so I can have more room in my head to think about other things. It would still be friendly if I was given a review from bigger Pokémon fans than me on what I have done right and what I should correct in the future chapters, when it comes to Pokémon battles and contests.
Anyway, after I posted the previous prologue chapter, I went to and watched all the dubbed episodes of Pokémon Sun & Moon(there are pros and cons) and I got the gist of what the status quo is, pretty much. I have also watched the older episodes to refresh my Pokémon knowledge which have helped me write other main characters, mainly Dawn and Serena, to which I want to address the Pearlshippers and Amourshippers with the following: I like to play with fire.
As for the Batman half of the story, I mainly wrote the character of Bruce Wayne as doing the performance of being Bruce Wayne rather than being the man under the cape and cowl. The other character who made his debut in this chapter is, as I said in the previous chapter's A/N:S, from my previous stories and now that this chapter is posted I need to go finish one of those other stories to explain how he is here.
Chapter 1: Old Man Thomas Jr
Alola Region – Melemele Island
A man wearing a hooded poncho over his clothes made his way through the forest. He glanced at the Pokémon on his way, nodding at the ones that left him alone and glared back at the ones that glared at him. The Island he was one was still beautiful in his opinion, but he didn't believe he deserved to be there.
Getting out of the forest, the poncho wearing man arrived at the beach with houses and kept walking towards them. As he stopped at one of the houses, the man removed the hood off his head, revealing his hair had grown long and his face was noticeably long bearded.
''Sigh, I need a shave and a haircut,'' the poncho wearing man said running his hand through his bear and pushed his hair away from his eyes.
''Thomas, is that you?''
The poncho wearing man turned around to see one of his neighbors, accompanied by a teenager who had just become a legal adult and a Pokémon.
''I almost didn't recognize you with the beard.''
''Yes, Kukui, it's me,'' the poncho wearing man said identifying himself. ''I'm back from my hike. Who's he?''
''I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region,'' the teenager said as a quite proud greeting. ''This is my partner, Pikachu.''
''Pika!'' the yellow mouse Pokémon on the teenager's shoulder said as it's greetings.
''Thomas Wayne Jr,'' Thomas Jr said nodding his head backwards.
''Ash attended the Pokémon School at the last day of his vacation here and has been living at my home during his time here,'' Professor Kukui said explaining why Ash and Pikachu were in his company before turning to them. ''As for Thomas here, he moved to the Alola Region a month or two before you first visited the school. He just left his stuff in there and left to wander the island.''
''I needed to find a spot for something personal that I don't want to be kept in the house,'' Thomas Jr said, correcting or explaining his actions. ''Took a little longer than I thought.''
''But you're back now, aren't you?'' Professor Kukui asked, without questioning Thomas Jr further.
''Yes, I suppose,'' Thomas Jr said with a tired nod. ''I need to start settling in with my affairs anyway. Now that I live here.''
''Hey, since you're relatively new to this Region too, why don't you join us at Mallow's restaurant?'' Ash said suddenly. ''You could introduce yourself to all the locals while getting new friends while you're at it.''
''Pikachu!'' the electric Pokémon on Ash's shoulder said with a happy agreement.
Thomas Jr didn't answer right away as he was surprised of the invitation. He looked inside his house at the boxes of unpacked belongings and everything he had left there before going to wander the island. Then he turned back to Ash, Pikachu and Professor Kukui.
''I'll just need to change my clothes and shave this off,'' Thomas Jr said running his hand through his beard. ''After that, I have no other plans for today.''
Hoenn Region - Lilycove City
Serena entered Lilycove City shaking hands with the new friend she had made on the road, along with her Braixen. Bruce Wayne, as the man had introduced himself, was an older man with wide shoulders and the outlook that he was a man who had seen his fair share of the world. That made Serena's next question to him obvious:
''So, what Pokémon do you have?''
''This might shock you, but I have never owned any,'' Bruce answered with an awkward smile, which indeed did shock Serena a bit. ''I have… I have been quite too busy with other matters in my life that I… this is embarrassing… That I missed the point when I was supposed to get one and start training them.''
Serena looked at Bruce and tried to process what he had just to her. She had herself started her own journey with Fennekin at the age of 16, because she had not been that fond of Pokémon and being stuck at home with her mother's Rhyhorn riding lessons, before she had seen Ash on TV at Luminose City helping Professor Sycamore's Garshtomp. After that she had left home, gotten Fennekin as her starter Pokémon and started her journey at Kalos with Ash, Clemont and Bonnie before coming to Hoenn.
''What kept you busy from starting your journey at a younger age?'' Serena asked, glancing at Bruce and his greying hair, which suggested that he was not exactly a young man anymore.
''My parents were murdered in front of my eyes when I was 7,'' Bruce said, with his attitude turning to a more serious one. ''Their deaths have shaped my life as the focal point of what kind of man I am today as their killer was not found and brought to justice, so I spent most of my youth obsessed in learning why they were killed, while all the other kids got their Pokémon.''
Serena stopped walking with her face showing a broken poker face. What Bruce had just told her was both sad and tragic for multiple reasons. For one, losing his parents at such a young age was something she wouldn't have wished for anyone and the fact that it had caused Bruce to become so obsessed with it that he had missed getting his own Pokémon was such an unfortunate missed opportunity to have been caused on himself.
''Hey, Serena?'' Bruce asked from a few meters away from her. ''You still coming?''
''Yes, sorry,'' Serena said picking up her pace and caught up with Bruce. ''I just… I had think through what you just told me and-''
''Serena, it's okay,'' Bruce said in a calm retort and raised his hand gesturing her to stop. ''I'm a 46-year-old man now and what happened to my parents is in the past. I'm also a father of a 13-year-old who has his own Pokémon and my son is the one suggested me to go out there and experience the missed opportunity from my childhood.''
''Your son sent you to do this?'' Serena said surprised. ''What Pokémon does he have?''
''I got him a… um, wait a minute,'' Bruce said before raising his left hand with the palm up, ''I'm still trying to figure out the names.''
What looked like a holographic Pokédex rose from Bruce's left hand. Serena was confused looking at it as she had never seen a Pokédex model like that, while Bruce browsed through the list of Pokémon on it.
''Not that one, not that one, not that one, not that one,'' Bruce said going through the list until, ''found it. Poochyena, he named it Titus.''
''That's nice of you,'' Serena said turning to her Braixen. ''I started with Fennekin that has now evolved into this Braixen.''
''Braixen,'' the Fire Type said in a serene voice as it was being acknowledged.
''I can see and imagine how well you have raised it,'' Bruce said taking a better look at Braixen. ''You said you were a performer earlier? And that you were-''
''Here to attend the contests to gain more experience,'' Serena said rising both of her fists up with high confidence. ''I have a very high standard in what I want to become as a trainer and a performer.''
''Good to hear that,'' Bruce said with an approving nod and crossed his arms. ''Having a goal in life is something that really pushes us forward. I know we haven't known each other for that long, but based on what I have heard from you now, I expect you to be very successful by the time you're my age.''
Serena took this complement as a high boost of confidence and nodded back at Bruce.
''So, what time was that contest, again?'' Bruce asked looking around their surroundings, probably trying to spot where the contest hall was.
Serena answered by taking out her digital guidebook and brought up the map for Lilycove City.
''We are standing here and this is where the Contest Spectacular Hall is,'' Serena said showing the map to Bruce, ''but first I need to go register for the contest at the Pokémon Center, which is that way, as well as have my Pokémon checked in.''
''Meaning it won't start for the next few hours,'' Bruce said taking that as an answer.
''Plenty of time to visit the Pokémon Center,'' Serena responded, waving her hand to Bruce as a gesture to follow her. ''It would be good for you and your journey too.''
''Red-Death, what-is-your-position?''
''Still on top of the Lilycove Hotel,'' Red Death answered to Murder Machine's call from his vantage point. ''I was wrong earlier, those were just the construction crew getting the place ready for the contest.''
''Meaning-you-have-time-for-a-side-quest?''
''If it's here in Hoenn,'' Red Death answered turning around interested. ''What do need done?''
''I-have-reviewed-Team-Rocket's-intel-on-legendary-Pokémon-and-Hoenn-had-some-we-can-use-to-upgrade-our-strengths,'' Murder Machine told Red Death briefing him on the new intel. ''6-years-ago-Hoenn-was-being-covertly-being-terrorised-by-two-groups. Team-Aqua-and-Team-Magma, who-tried-to-control-two-legendary-Pokémon, Kyogre-and-Groudon.''
''I'm listening,'' Red Death said.
''To-control-them-both-Team-Aqua-and-Team-Magma-had-stolen-two-orbs, red-and-blue-ones-from-the-shrine-on-Mt.-Pyre, which-should-be-near-your-location,'' Murder Machine continued. ''Get-the-orbs-while-you-wait-for-the-contest-to-begin. It-wouldn't-take-you-long.''
''Yeah, it won't,'' Red Death said flexing his muscles before getting ready to run. ''I'll be done with those orbs in a flash.''
ZOOOOOOOOM!
Alola – Melemele Island
Thomas Jr threw his poncho off himself as soon as he had close the door to his house behind him. He had not lied to Kukui and his house guest about not having plans, but agreeing to a social gathering had been a mistake. Maybe, he wasn't sure. Then again, the fact that Thomas Jr had ended up setting himself up Melemele with a house had been another thing that he had consciously done and as a resident of the island, it was better not to stand out and draw attention to himself. So, it was better be part of the local community and hope that as one of them, they wouldn't end up paying too much attention to him.
Shaving the beard was easy, first cutting most of it off with scissors and using the blades of his owlarangs to shave the rest of his cheeks and chin clean. The hair was another thing. Using the scissors to cut off the mullet was the only easy part since after that came the styling and Thomas Jr was not a hairstylist.
''Screw it,'' Thomas Jr said cutting all his hair off, leaving just a few centimeters long buzzcut. ''I can just wear hat over this.''
Having done that, Thomas Jr took a relatively long shower to clean himself out of all the sweat and cut off hair on his body. After that he changed into a knee long cargo shorts and a loose long-sleeved shirt that he could hide the pouched equipment belt on his waist. Although he buried his old equipment to the forest on the island, there were some essentials that Thomas Jr had decided that he needed to keep at his person in case of emergencies. One of them was the belt and another thing were his old goggles which, as he was going to wear a hat to cover his current buzzcut hair, he allowed to hang by his neck.
''Now what was that restaurant's name again?'' Thomas Jr asked himself as he stepped out of his house and look in the direction of Hau'oli. ''Goddammit, maybe I'll keep an eye out for… for…''
Thomas Jr looked up and snapped his fingers as he walked trying to remember what that boy's yellow Pokémon was called.
''Pikachu, I see one of those and I'll find that restaurant,'' Thomas Jr spoke out loud and then shook his head with his hand on his forehead. ''I really do need a social life.''
Eventually lifting his head back up, Thomas Jr saw that he was walking right towards a Pokémon battle between Kukui's house guest and his Pikachu fighting
''Those losers,'' Thomas Jr said recognizing the juvenile delinquents calling themselves Team Skull.
Although Thomas Jr had not been on Melemele Island that long, he had heard from the word on the streets about the gangbangers operating as poachers with the personality of Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad. Well, maybe it was to time introduce them Heisenberg. Or not, that was an idiotic thing to even think about. Maybe Thomas Jr just approached this with surgical precision by using an owlarang and ducktape. Or maybe, just maybe, Thomas Jr just stood there and watched the battle go along, not interfering with it unless it got out of hand.
Hoenn
As they got to the Pokémon Center, Serena and Bruce separated as she went to give her Pokémon to Nurse Joy and register for the Pokémon Contest, while Bruce stood behind, until he was outside Serena's hearing range to say:
''Thanks for the acting classes, Alfred,'' crediting his performance and lies based on actual truth that he had told Serena on his oldest friend, then looking at his left hand. ''And thank you for helping me out with the local wild life.''
Then Bruce decided to look around the Pokémon Center and better understand where he was. From the first glance it appeared to be a clinic or a veterinarian's office. The reception was held by a nurse and she was accompanied by a Pokémon called, Bruce quickly consulted his left hand, a Chansey. And the otherwise the lobby of the Pokémon Center was large waiting room for everyone to wait for their Pokémon to have been restored. And by everyone, the trainers who seemed to be mostly people younger than Bruce, which made him stand out from a crowd. It was better to stop standing by the entrance and go somewhere. Noticing the telephones with video screens at the side of the lobby, Bruce decided to try something since the piece of technology on his hand was originally from an alien phone box.
''Okay, this can either work or it won't,'' Bruce said sitting down on a stool next to the videophones and put the headset on his head before starting to input a phone number. ''The cave first.''
Three dots appeared and disappeared on the screen as a sign of the call being made. Bruce put his left hand on the phone console and tapped it with his fingers, guessing that would have helped boost the signal to where he was calling. Familiar blue glow shined from his palm, making Bruce believe that it was doing something and then the screen went to showing static and shapes.
''Hello? Is anyone there?'' Bruce asked pushing his headset against his ear and keeping the speaker near his mouth as he spoke.
''…ster Bruce…''
''…Bruce? Where a…''
''…ther, is that yo…''
''Alfred? Dick? Damian?!'' Bruce said recognizing the voices and then remembering that the Bat-Computer recorded every call made to it. ''Listen, I'm somewhere called Lilycove City. It's at-''
Bruce glanced at a map on the wall.
''-Hoenn, a country called Hoenn. Have the Justice League look into those names and on the word Pokémon. I know they are not local phrases, so consult everyone you need to and… Argh!''
Bruce felt a spike on his arm, meaning that the connection would break soon.
''I'm alive. I still alive and I'm working on getting back to you. Keep doing best. I believe in all of you.''
With that, Bruce ended the call. It was a chance and luck that he had, IF he had managed to get the videophone call to the Batcave across the dimensions, but at least he had managed to send a word out and hear his family's voices. Some good news, and little more as Bruce looked at his left hand to check how the piece of technology in it was working, it still glowed, but weaker so it was better not to use it for a while.
''Piplup!''
''Hmph,'' Bruce hummed reacting to the voice and turned towards it.
At his feet there was a small Pokémon, that looked like a small, blue and white furred baby penguin, looking up to him like it had seen an old friend.
''Piplup!'' the little one said again and turned to look left and right as if it was looking for someone with huge enthusiasm. ''Pip-Pip-Pip-Piplup!''
''Hello,'' Bruce said turning to better face the little penguin Pokémon and not to seem hostile at it, ''are you looking for something or someone?''
''Piplup!'' it said again now pointing its fin at Bruce and then spread them in the gesture of demand. ''Piplup-lup-Piplup!?''
''Piplup, where did you run off to?!'' Bruce heard and turned to look around, catching the sight of a dark blue haired girl wearing a pink skirt with white long-sleeved shirt and a sleeveless jacket at the nurse's station called out as she kept looking around. ''Piplup!''
''I assume that's your trainer,'' Bruce said reaching to pick up the penguin Pokémon and stood up from the stool. ''Miss!''
''Piplup!''
The blue haired girl turned to look at Bruce's direction and her face grew a happy smile as she saw her Pokémon.
''There you are, Piplup!'' she said happy as Bruce gave her Pokémon back to her. ''Thank you.''
''You're welcome,'' Bruce said, as Piplup kept looking around as if he was still looking for something. ''Did he loose something?''
''Piplup! Piplup!'' the penguin Pokémon kept looking around and then started to point his right fin a at Bruce again. ''Pip-Lup! Pip-Lup!''
''I think Piplup is either mistaking you for someone else or he thinks you have something it likes,'' Piplup's trainer looking at her Pokémon and trying to understand it's behavior. ''Might just be exhaustion from the coming here, so he should be alright after Nurse Joy has had him treated.''
''Your Pokémon will be fine soon,'' Nurse Joy said as she took Piplup with Chansey carrying Pokéballs on a trolley. ''Will there be anything else?''
''Oh, yes, I also want to register for the Pokémon Contest,'' the blue hair girl said digging up an ID card from her jacket's pocket and presented it to Nurse Joy. ''Dawn Berlitz from Twinleaf Town of the Sinnoh Region.''
''Oh, you're going to attend that too?'' Bruce said, surprising Dawn.
''You're also a coordinator?'' Dawn asked looking at Bruce.
''No, not me. I met someone the road here, who said she was attending the contest'' Bruce said quickly correcting a misunderstanding and extended his hand. ''Bruce Wayne.''
''Oh,'' Dawn said partly disappointed, but brushed it off quickly and answered to the handshake. ''I'm Dawn. Nice to meet you, Bruce.''
''Likewise,'' Bruce said shaking hands with Dawn, then noticed Serena at the Pokémon Center's cafeteria area. ''Hey, there's the friend I mentioned who said she was going to attend the contest. I think you two could have a lot to talk about.''
Hoenn – Mt. Pyre
ZOOOOOOOOOM!
Red Death ran over the water to the island of Mt. Pyre, through the Pokémon Graveyard, past the gravestones and up to the summit. There were trainers with their Pokémon paying respects to their deceased Pokémon and among the trainers were, as Red Death saw them, pokémaniacs and psychics, young couples and black belters as well as Hex maniacs. In other words, bunch of weirdos you'd expect to hang out at the cemetery, so Red Death slowed down his running and slowed down to test a theory of if he could walk among them and if he would fit among them as someone they'd expect to see.
Only few turned to look at the Red Death, with most turning away and others trying to understand what they were looking at. After walking at normal pace for 5 seconds, Red Death realized it was a stupid idea letting any potential witnesses see him and started vibrating his body as he moved to disappear from their view. As this was a graveyard, the best-case scenario was that the witnesses would register him as a spirit of a deceased Pokémon.
''Murder Machine,'' Red Death spoke to his comms as he approached the shrine two orbs, ''I have visual of the red and blue orbs.''
''Take-them-both,'' Murder Machine's voice answered. ''Once-you-are-done-at-Lilycove-City-Contest, regroup-with-the-Drowned-and-give-them-to-her.''
''Copy that,'' Red Death said reaching both of his hands to take the two orbs. ''Kyogre and Groudon, I take one of them is a Water Type Pokémon for her to control.''
''Kyogre-is,'' Murder Machine answered. ''As-for-Groudon, I-am-still-researching-Team-Rocket's-intel-on the-Ground-Type-with-the-possibilities-of-turning-it-to-our-enforcer-as-well.''
''I have them now,'' Red Death reported back and to the position of starting to run again. ''I'm getting back to Lilycove.''
ZOOOOOOOOM!
Alola Region – Melemele Island
''We're not losing next time!'' the three Team Skull grunts yelled back at Ash as they ran away, having lost their Pokémon Battle to the young trainer and his Pikachu.
''Nice of you to have been waiting for me,'' a distantly familiar voice said behind Ash and he turned around to see a completely unfamiliar man. ''I'm Thomas Jr, if you're having difficulties in recognizing me.''
''Pii-ka?'' Pikachu said leaning forward from Ash's shoulder, also having some difficulties in recognizing him.
''All I did was cut my hair and shaved my beard. I can't seem that different to you,'' Thomas Jr said taking another step toward the trainer and Pokémon. ''Where's Kukui? I thought you two were going ahead me.''
''Oh,'' Ash said now accepting that this was the same Thomas Jr he had met with Professor Kukui earlier. ''He got a call to go back to the Pokémon School about something, but I was still on the way to Mallow's Restaurant.''
''Mallow's Restaurant,'' Thomas Jr repeated walking towards Ash and looked up with squinted eyes, ''Mallow's Restaurant. That's the name of that place.''
''So how long have you lived on Alola Region?'' Ash asked as they begun to walk together towards Hau'oli City.
''Probably as long as you have, give or take a few weeks, but I spent the last few months doing a walkabout,'' Thomas Jr said, referencing to his earlier appearance. ''Before moving here, I was caught in something that I really needed to get a change of scenery afterwards.''
''What happened to you?'' Ash asked looking up at Thomas Jr, who was noticeably taller than him.
Thomas Jr didn't answer at first. His face was not happy, meaning whatever he was thinking was nothing pleasant and so he probably wasn't comfortable sharing what it was.
''I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk-
''Let's just say,'' Thomas Jr said cutting Ash's sentence and gesturing him to let him speak, ''I lost some people, who I was- who I had spent most of my life with. People, I wouldn't call my friends, but people I had lived and fought through most of my life's accomplishments.''
Thomas Jr took a break from talking for a few seconds before continuing.
''And with those people now gone from my life, I decided that I needed to get a fresh, new start in life. A change of scenery, as I told you previously. So now I'm here and hope to start my life again, hopefully getting new friends along the way and so, make new accomplishments that…''
Thomas Jr went silent again, like he was trying to think what to tell and what not to. Ash couldn't tell if he was sad over the losses he said he had suffered or if he was angry at himself.
''It's fine,'' Ash said after Thomas Jr had been silent long enough. ''You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just focus on making those new friends at Mallow's Restaurant. Hey, we're here now.''
''Pika-Pika!'' Pikachu said as they walked into Mallow's Restaurant and were greeted by…a silence created by a news report that everyone was watching.
All the friends Ash had made at the Pokémon School had seated themselves near the television on the wall which was reporting news, with all the tables almost empty with everyone focused on learning what was being broadcasted.
''Did something bad happen?'' Thomas Jr asked as they approached the other customers at the restaurant and looked at the television screen for news headlines.
''Ash,'' Mallow, the green haired girl in overalls with a mild tan, said noticing Ash's arrival and looked really concerned about him and letting everyone else see him too, ''we're all here for you.''
''What happened?'' Ash asked looking at his friends and at the television to understand.
''We can't begin to imagine what you must be going through, right now,'' Kiawe, the dark skinned Alola native in shorts, said with support and sympathy in his voice. ''You will always-''
''-still no word from our ground team, but what we can see from here is clear,'' the television newscaster said as Thomas Jr had managed to get his hands on the tv-remote and raised the volume to hear better what was being reported. ''Pallet Town is gone. The unknown monster is still at large and somewhere out there in Kanto Region. We still have no confirmation on what Pokémon it was or if it was a Pokémon at all.''
''Pallet Town is… gone?'' Ash asked in confusion, not sure if it was denial keeping him from understanding what was happening or- ''WHAT DO YOU MEAN PALLET TOWN IS GONE!?''
Author's notes: I would also like to be informed on improvements on how to write Ash in the future chapters, what I wrote of him here was minimal and going forward he would need to stand out more than be seen through other people's point of view.
Next chapter will involve a Pokémon Contest too.