POKEMON HEART SOUL ADVENTURES
Welcome back! First of all, let me apologize for the way the latest chapter turned out, what with the random Italian popping up towards the end - you see, I am translating this fanfiction after having written it in Italian, and a part which I had not translated in the original document had eluded me. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out, and I'll try and make sure this doesn't happen again. Meanwhile, I've corrected the chapter, and it should be alright now.
I apologize for the lateness again, and hope you will enjoy reading the new chapter as much as I did writing it!
Chapter 11 - Home Sweet Home
'Yes, Dawn... we're back! This is my hometown, Pallet Town!"
"Pikachu..." said the electric mouse, with a solemn nod. He, too, was experiencing a flood of memories, especially of their first faltering steps on the road to become a Pokemon Master...
"Pallet Town..." Dawn said to herself. The blue-haired girl was still lagging a little behind the rest of the group, but even from her position, the cozy little town surrounded by the soft light of the sunset was still visible, giving everyone a feeling of coming back home...
"Pidgeot ..." the giant pigeon cooed in agreement... although, just like them, even he could not help but notice that Pallet Town had changed quite a lot with time. It still looked like your run-of-the-mill country village, but it was clear, even from the top of the hill they were standing on, that the city had been expanded and upgraded quite a bit: a few two or three stories houses were visible, with extensive gardens surrounding them. Somewhat further in, Ash and his friends recognized the unmistakable form of a Pokemon Center that had certainly been built not long time ago, and to the side of that, there was a marked area that would probably have been used to build a Pokemon Mart or something along those lines. Professor Oak's lab, in turn, seemed a little more modern, with a dome-shaped roof from which a telescope protruded, and several antennas and strange instruments, whose purpose Ash could only guess at. However, the small city still had its warm and friendly atmosphere, and Ash felt a few tears of emotion as he watched the place where he was born...
Finally, Pikachu and the three trainers decided it was time to move before the sun went down completely... and Brock cleared his voice, recalling the group back to reality. "Um ... okay, guys, now I think we would do well to reach the city before nightfall. What do you say?"
"You're right, Brock! It's true that Kanto is somewhat warmer than Sinnoh, but I don't really like the idea of sleeping in the cold tonight! Hehehee ..." Dawn joked. Ash nodded, then turned to Pidgeot...
"Right then, Pidgeot, what do you want to do?" asked the young Sinnoh League champion. "Remember that if you want to come back in my team, I'm always ready to welcome you! In fact, I think it's the least I can do to apologize!"
The giant pigeon seemed to smile for a moment, but shook his head, politely refusing the offer. "Pidgeot..." he murmured, pointing his beak to the woods they had left behind. Ash understood and nodded, patting Pidgeot's mane of feathers.
'Yes, I understand... you want to stay with those other Pidgey and Pidgeotto with which you've been living all this time... " the boy said. "Well, I respect your choice! And remember that in any case, if for some reason you change your mind, I'm always ready to welcome you back! I promise to come see you soon... and this time, I intend to fulfill it! "
This light-hearted joke elicited a giggle out of Pikachu, Brock and Dawn... even Pidgeot shrugged his shoulders and let out what, in Pokemon language, could very well be the equivalent of a laugh! Then, his eyes watering up a little, he turned to his ex-trainer, accepting his new promise.
"Pidgeot! Pi Pidgeot, Pidgeot!" he cooed as he extended one of its magnificent wings to Ash. The young boy grabbed the tip of the wing, like a handshake... and soon after, with a final squeal that sounded like a wish of good luck, Pidgeot took flight and soared to the orange-tinted sky.
"Goodbye, Pidgeot! Have a safe journey!" Brock exclaimed as they all waved to the departing Pidgeot.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called to his old friend one last time as he flew away, and the rest of the group watched Pidgeot as he flew towards the horizon, until he became nothing more than a pinpoint in the orange background. Finally, the yellow mouse sighed and motioned to his friends and fellow travelers to head together towards Pallet Town.
Ash felt his heart speed up, while he and his companions approached their goal... finally, their long journey was over! Finally, he could hug his mom and his friends in Kanto!
oooooooooo
In another part of Kanto, near the checkpoint located on the road leading to Mount Silver, two Pokemon League agents seemed to be relaxing, reveling in the boredom that their job entailed. It was their turn to guard that checkpoint, after all, and for all that week, their duty had been to check the trainers who passed along that road, making sure they had all the necessary medals to enter what was considered the most dangerous place in the continent. For obvious reasons, they hadn't seen anybody for the longest time. Most trainers were too afraid of that place to even approach it, and even among those who had actually come, only a few had been admitted entrance.
Logically, the result was that standing guard at that checkpoint was not exactly the most exciting work in this world... as one of the guardians pointed out to the other.
"Ugh... it sure isn't pleasant to be stuck here... now I understand why our colleagues are always praying not to get stationed her for the week!" he complained. "I mean, nothing exciting ever happens! I guess it's understandable, considering that nobody in their right mind would go to Mount Silver without some pretty strong Pokemon, and they need the badges of at least two Leagues to enter anyway... but it would be nice if anything happen, y'know?"
"I hear you, man... but rules are rules!" the other guard said as he stretched. "On the bright side, at least nothing dangerous happens here as well... and anyway, in a week we will be assigned to another checkpoint."
"Yeah, guess we just have to be patient and... hey, wait a minute! It seems to me that someone is coming!" said the first guard, pointing to a point in the distance on the dusty road. His colleague, suddenly intrigued, took out a pair of binoculars and looked in that direction... where a boy in his early teens, with longish purple hair and a grim expression on his face, was approaching, holding his hands in his pockets and carrying on his shoulders a very heavy-looking backpack. Immediately, the guards sprung to attention, somewhat relieved that someone had come to relieve their boredom.
A few minutes later, Paul arrived in front of the checkpoint... and the two agents motioned for him to stop. "Wait!" one of them exclaimed. "This is the road leading to Mount Silver, and only the strongest trainers can pass. Show how many badges you've got."
Paul did not change expression, and pulled a small, black badge case out of his pocket. "Here. Check them." he said coldly, giving the case to the two guards, who opened and looked inside it. To their surprise, they counted a total of 32 badges... all the badges of the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh leagues, except one who did not match the 8th Sinnoh badge, but was still legal!
"Wow... it sure was a long time ever since such a strong trainer had passed through here!" the second guard said, quickly checking the badges to see if they were the genuine article. "Okay... I guess we have no reason to dismiss you, boy. You can pass, but be very careful."
Paul nodded without saying a word as he was handed his badge case back and walked past the guard post, coldly determined to get to a Pokemon Center before nightfall. Good. One obstacle was overcome. The really hard part came next, but Paul was not one to be daunted by a difficult task. His goal was clear, and he was going to get the best out of himself and his Pokemon!
And maybe catch some more wild Pokemon while he was at it. Always a good idea to keep a varied team...
oooooooooo
As the old saying goes ... There is no place like home!
The smll town was in quite an uproar after seeing Ash, Pikachu and their friends coming back, and many people were out on the road, cogratulating the boy and his Pokemon, and welcoming his traveling companions! They seemed to be especially glad to welcome Dawn, both because she was a foreigner and because she was a Grand Festival finalist!
"We saw you on TV, kiddo!"
"You were great!"
"You have done our town proud!"
"Hey, you two! You are his friends, right? Welcome to Pallet Town!"
"Congratulations on your victory, little girl... and welcome to Pallet Town!"
"Wow..." Dawn murmured, surprised by the tide of people looking out of their windows or leaving the house to congratulate Ash. "I never imagined that people in Kanto were so friendly... but that means I will enjoy my stay, or at least I hope!"
"Yes, the hospitality of the Kanto region is quite well known around the world..." Brock said. "Good evening... Er... thanks! Okay then, Ash... where to go for your home?"
"Hehehee... don't worry, Brock, I may have been away for a long time, but I remember where I live!" the young champion laughed. "So... a little down this road and then left at the fork... I remember it like it was yesterday when I walked this route in the opposite direction!"
"It... was your first day as a trainer, right?" Dawn asked, still in the mood to listen to his friend who spoke of his past. The applause and compliments had died down a little, but still continued to accompany them like some sort of background music.
Pikachu answered instead of his coach, crossing his arms in front of himself with a smug grin! "Pikapi pika chu!" he squeaked. He too remembered very well how he was not at all enthusiastic to be Ash's starter at the beginning of the adventure!
"Um... thank you, Pikachu, but maybe I should be the one telling Dawn how it went!" Ash laughed, somewhat embarrassed by the fact that his Pokemon just remember so well his first not-so-glorious day. "You see, Dawn, I and Pikachu really did not get along, on the first day... I even had to have him on a leash and try to catch my first Pokemon on my own, because Pikachu refused to listen to me! I ended up trying to catch a Pokemon by throwing a stone at him... and the result was, I got a flock of Spearows angry at us both! Now that I think of it, this was also how I met Misty..."
"So it's true... every cloud has a silver lining!" Dawn laughed. "Well... I'd say we've arrived! The lady watching you from the door of that house... she must be your mom, right?"
Ash raised his head in surprise... and his face beamed up with a large smile as he saw his mother and her faithful Mr. Mime standing near the door, welcoming him back! The young boy felt a rush of joy, and tears of happiness spring to his eyes as he saw his mom and their housekeeping Pokemon... and without further ado, Ash and Pikachu broke away from Dawn and Brock, and rushed to Delia and Mimy!
"Mom!" he exclaimed, throwing himself in Mrs. Ketchum's embrace!
"Ash, honey!" said Mrs. Ketchum, holding back a few tears of joy. "Welcome home, Ash ... I'm so happy to see you come back after all this time!"
"Heheheee... me too, Mom... me too!" Ash said as Pikachu stood up on his shoulder and waved to Mrs. Ketchum, raising an arm and emitting a few harmless sparks from his red round cheeks!
"Hey, Pikachu! I see you're doing very well ..." said the young mother, using one hand to caress the electric mouse between his long ears. Pikachu accepted the affectionate gesture with a satisfied squeak. "And I see that you took good care of Ash too, so... thanks for everything, Pikachu!"
"Pika!" said the electric Pokemon, flexing a bicep like a bodybuilder! Ash and his mom giggled, amused by the funny poses Pikachu was striking... then turned to Brock and Dawn, who were approaching slowly, backpacks on their shoulders and hands raised in greeting.
"Mrs. Ketchum... it's a pleasure for me to see you again after so long." Brock said politely.
Dawn, a little uncertainly, approached and bowed gracefully, clasping her hands together. "You are... Mrs. Delia Ketchum... Ash's mom, right?" asked the blue-haired girl. "I'm honored to meet you, ma'am! My name is Dawn, and I'm a Pokemon coordinator from Sinnoh. Ash and I have traveled together for all these months!"
Delia looked at Brock and Dawn, clearly happy to see them. "Oh, Brock... it is a pleasure for me to see you again as well... and this lovely young lady we have here? Your name is Dawn, right? And you come from Sinnoh?"
"Yes, Mrs. Ketchum!" she said, finally getting her hat in position. "I'm a Pokemon Coordinator, to be exact... I, Brock and your son have traveled together throughout Sinnoh, and it was a great experience! Now... well, let's just say I wanted to see Kanto, and the Pokemon who live here! I hope I'm not bothering you or anything..."
"Not at all, dear ..." Delia said. "In fact, if you want to spend the night here, you're welcome to stay! We always have some space for guests!"
Dawn was a little embarassed at that. "Well, Mrs. Ketchum, I don't want to be a bother to you! I'm okay with sleeping in the new Pokemon Center!"
But Mrs. Ketchum was not going to let the newcomer out and cold. "And forcing you to sleep on the cold hard floor, when you could get a nice warm bed? No way, Dawn dear! Ash's friends are my friends too, and there is always room for a guest! Furthermore, Ash... there is someone here who can't wait to see you! So... don't just stay there, guys! Come in, there's a nice surprise waiting for you!"
A little puzzled, Pikachu cocked his head to one side. "Pika?" he asked.
"... A surprise?" Ash asked, equally confused. "And... what is it? Is it... someone we know?"
Delia winked. "Hehee... now, now, Ash, my boy, if I were to tell you, that wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it? Why don't you come in and see with your own eyes?"
"Mr. Mime!" Mimy exclaimed, politely gesturing for the trio of friends to come in. A little confused, and curious to see what that was all about, Ash and hi friends walked inside...
"Well... truth be told, home looks the same as always to me..." Ash began. The lights were all switched off, and the living room was wrapped in darkness. He was about to say more, when Delia smiled slyly and hit a switch on the wall...
And Ash, Pikachu, Brock and Dawn got the surprise of their lives, as the electric lights revealed a table filled with all kinds of snacks and beverages, over which a colourful 'WELCOME HOME' sign was clearly visible... and standing in front of the table were a few old faces from Pallet Town - namely, professor Samuel Oak, his nephew Gary, and Tracy, joined by his aging Scyther... all of whom were dressed in their usual attires and applauding warmly to the newcomers!
"P-Professor Oak... Gary... Tracey... you're all here, guys!" the young champion exclaimed, as flabbergasted as Brock and Dawn. "You... you were here already? All waiting for me?"
"Yeah! Long time no see, huh, Ash?" Tracy kindly asked, as he and his Scyther came forward first, a jovial smile on the artist's face. "Glad too have you back, guys! I see you're doing well!"
"Scyther!" the old mantis Pokemon greeted, crossing his blades in front of himself and bowing respectfully.
"Thank you, Tracy! You seem to be doing nice, too!" Ash said, shaking hands with the Pokemon artist before turning to Professor Oak and Gary.
"Welcome home, Ash, my boy! Yes, we kinda though you would be here soon, and we set things up to greet you and your friends properly" Professor Oak welcomed him after a quick round of applause. "We have watched the Sinnoh finals here in Pallet Town, and I have to say, it was an impressive match! You and your Pokemon have come a long way, and have learned a lot of things!"
Gary gave his old friend and rival a thumbs up. "Yeah... I have to admit that you're far ahead of me! And here at first I thought I was the better trainer!" he said with a sly grin. Ash frowned jokingly as Delia, Brock and Dawn chuckled to themselves. "Anyway... congratulations, man! You did great, and I mean it!"
"Well... thank you very much, Gary! And I'm glad to see you as well!" Ash said. "So... er... how are things at the lab now? I guess you're well on your way to become a researcher."
"Yeah, guess so." Gary said, after exchanging an understanding look with his grandfather. "It's a lot more interesting and fun than I first thought. As of now... we are researching some weird phenomena... but now is not the time for talking about this, is it? We have to celebrate your return!"
"Right... about that, Ash, there's someone else here who wants to greet you back!" Delia went on, smiling seraphically. "Let's see if you can recognize... her! Oops, guess I already said too much, didn't I? Hehehee..."
Ash and Dawn looked bewildered at that, while Brock smiled knowingly to himself... and one second later, a female figure popped out from behind Prof. Oak - a familiar girl who had Pikachu raise his ears in surprise!
"Pika pi! Pika... pika..." Pikachu murmured, pointing at the newcomer - a girl no more than one year older than Ash, dressed in a yellow top and shorts, with red sneakers and, perhaps, most notable of all, bright red hairtied in a ponytail at the side of her head, and bright green eyes looking at Ash with joy, excitement, pride... a mixture of feelings that time had not dampened at all!
"Welcome back, Ash!" Misty said, takking a few steps towards the stunned young boy. "It's been a long time."
"Wh-wh-wh... y... you..." Ash stammered, too stunned for articulated speech. His face was taking on a wide range of colours in quick succession, to the amusement of the more level-headed Brock and to Dawn's surprise, as the blue-haired coordinator had no idea who that girl was and why Ash was acting like this in front of her...
The answer came a second later.
"Mi... Misty?" Ash mouthed. "Is... is that... really you? What... what... when did you...?"
Misty chuckled briefly. Just like Ash to behave that way... time had passed, but in some ways, he remained the naive little kid he was back then! "Hehee... well, when a friend of mine returns from a journey abroad, after taking part and winning a major tournament, the least I can do is come and greet him properly! I called Mrs. Ketchum a few days ago, after hearing of your victory..." Misty said, deliberately omitting the fact that her sisters had pushed her to it. "And she told that you'd probably be back one of these days! So... here I am! Hope you're glad to see me!"
"Er... well, of course! Of course I'm glad! Indeed, while we were on our way here, I was wondering how you were doing!" Ash replied with some embarassment. Misty reappearing in front of him so suddently had weirded him out somewhat.
His travelling companions stepped forward, with Brock bowing a little to greet Misty. "I'm very pleased to meet you again, Misty!" he said. "I was just wondering how you were doing in Cerulean City..."
"Thanks, Brock! The pleasure's all mine!" the redhead answered, before turning her attention to the blue-haired girl who was with him and Ash. She had never seen her before, and she was curious to know a little more about her. "Er... and you myst be a newcomer in the team, right? I don't think I've ever seen you..."
Dawn came forward to introduce herself. "Indeed... my name's Dawn, I'm eleven years old, and I'm a Pokemon coordinator from Sinnoh. I've been travelling with Ash and Brock ever since their journey in Sinnoh started! They taught me a lot of things... and I was able to win a few competitions all thanks to them! Now... let's say I'm here in Kanto to study a little more, and I was also curious to see the place where Ash comes from!"
"I see, then... pleased to meet you as well!" Misty said as the two girls shook hands. "I'm sure we'll get along real well!"
It was a very exciting moment for the group of friends. After so many eventful days, after living their own lives apart from each other, the old team had regrouped and was almost complete. Only May, Max and Drew were missing, Ash thought to himself. But still, this was a moment to celebrate!
"Well, guys... I can see you're all very happy, and you want to celebrate this event!" Delia said, pointing to the table filled with food. "So why waste time? We have all night to celebrate, therefore... c'mon, dig in!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, leapt down from Ash's shoulder and almost literally flew to the dinner table, taking a ketchup-covered pretzel and beginning to eat it with gusto! Ash and Misty couldn't help but chuckle at the scene...
"Heheheee... time passes, but some habits remain always the same!" said Misty.
"Well, then... let's just kick back and enjoy our meal!" Tracy proposed. "Tonight, we celebrate the homecoming of Ash Ketchum, champion of the Sinnoh League and future Pokemon Master!"
oooooooooo
"Aaaah! After we traveled all day, I really needed a break!" Dawn sighed in content as she flopped down on a sofa.
The party in Ash's home had lasted well until the little hours of the night, and nothing much was left on the living room table apart from a few breadcrumbs here and there, and some stained paper handkerchieves. All the ones who had taken part in the party were just now exchanging the proper greetings and farewells, before turning in for the night.
"So, Professor... Gary, Tracy... see you tomorrow! There are many tings I'd like to tell you about Hoenn and Sinnoh..." Ash was saying at the moment. "And I can't wait to see my Pokemon and hear what you have to tell me as well!"
The old Pokemon expert laughed fullheartedly. "Hahahaaa! You're right, Ash, my boy, several things happened here in Pallet while you were away, and it will take some time for me to tell you all!" he answered, before clearing his throat and getting more serious. "About that... In fact there is something I'd like to talk to you about, and it concerns those strange happenings I spoke to your Mom. Of course, if you are still willing to, I'd never force you or anything."
Ash looked thoughtful at that. In fact, his mother had hinted at problems, but she hadn't been very precise about it. "Well... I have no problem with that at all!" he said, bbefore looking to Brock, Misty and Dawn, who all answered with a nod. "Exactly, what is this about?"
"We're not sure about that..." Gary answered in turn. ""But it seems that recently, some strange happenings have been going on in the Sevii Islands, an archipelago near the equator, south of Kanto. And the Pokemon in that area are behaving a little strangely... it all seems linked to some activities conducted by some unknown individals inside Mt. Ember, an active volcano located on Knot Island, the closest to Kanto of all the islands."
"Yeah, I heard about it as well..." Tracy went on. "And this was not the only strange happening... a lot of strong storms have been brewing up in the oceans between Hoenn and sinnoh... and while the news are still fragmentary at best, it seems that an avalanche has hit Snowpoint City, in the northern region of Sinnoh."
Dawn's eyes flew open in fear, and her heart missed a beat. "Wh... What?" she murmured. "Snowpoint City? We've been there, a friend of mine lives there! What... what happened there? Are there any victims?"
The same alarmed expression was on the faces of Ash, Brock and Pikachu, and Prof. Oak tried to reassure them. "Well, we don't know much yet, but it seems that, luckily, the damage was limited. Dawn, if you want, tomorrow we can try to call the Snowpoint City Gym, and check things out..."
"That would be a good idea." Brock said with a nod. "In fact, we're on good terms with the Gym Leader Candice, an Ice Pokemon user. She's a friendly person, and one who'll be more than willing to help us out."
"Among other things, she's my friend Zoey's sempai..." Dawn added, more calm but still visibly nervous. "So... well, it's only natural that I'm worried about her. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her."
Pikachu rubbed his chin for a second, then raised his ears. "Pikaka! Pichu Pichu Pika ... pika pika pikachu?"
"Uh ... actually, Pikachu is making sense..." Ash said. "As the ferries from Hoenn to Sinnoh are suspended, this means that Zoey probably did not to Hoenn as her intention was!"
"'True... " Dawn said. "I wonder where she is now..."
"I see... well, Pikachu... what do you think? Are you willing to start a new journey?" Ash asked his first Pokemon. The yellow mouse flexed a bicep, squealing his name as loud as he could.
"Truth be told, I would like to come as well." Brock said, joining the volunteers.
"Yeah, me too!" Dawn said. "I can go see Kanto later on... and in the meanwhile, I can take a trip to the Sevii Islands! And if can lend a hand to Ash and his friends, well..."
"If you think I'm gonna be sidelined here, you really don't know me at all!" Misty chuckled. "I'm on it as well! Besides, it could be a very important matter, right? So... count me in! And don't worry, Dawn, I'm sure nothing happened to your friend!"
Dawn smiled in relief. She had only known Misty for a few hours, but she still felt that the two were becoming fast friends. "Thanks, Misty! Glad to hear you say that!"
"Well, guys... seeing as you're all so willing to help out, I am all too glad to accept!" Prof. Oak said kindly. "If you all agree on that, we can meet in my lab tomorrow, in the afternoon, to discuss details. After that, you can start your journey to Sevii Islands... they're really a nice place to be, and I'm sure you'll like them a lot! Although they're getting to be somewhat dangerous lately..."
"Yeah, I can imagine that..." Ash answered. "However... it's not like it's the first time we do something dangerous, right? Heheheee..."
Gary rolled his eyes slightly. "Yeah, right... so, Ashy-boy, see you tomorrow... and try to be well-rested, it won't be an easy journey!" he concluded, running a hand through his messy marroon hair.
"Okay, Ash, see you tomorrow... and good night!" Tracy finally said, and the two groups waved at each other for a while, as Prof. Oak, his grandson and his assistant walked back to the lab.
"Alright... that's settled, then!" Delia commented with a sigh. "Misty, Dawn... I've already prepared a room for you two! Ash and Brock can sleep in Ash's room, there's enough space for another bed!"
"We appreciate that, Mrs. Ketchum..." Brock answered. "But at least let us help you with tidying the house and doing the dishes, it's the very least we can do to thank you for your kindness!"
"I agree, I'm on it too!" Dawn answered, lightly slapping herself on the cheeks to ward off fatigue.
"Me too, Mrs. Ketchum! Leave the work to us!" Misty went on.
Ash chuckled to himself. Housework was definitely not his forte, but he could live with that for once, couldn't he? "Well, it just wouldn't be right if I bailed out on this, right? So, I'm giving you a hand in this as well!"
"Thanks, guys, that's really kind of you..." Delia said, relieved at not having to do all that work by herself. "So, let's see... we can begin by taking out the trays..."
oooooooooo
It took almost one hour to get everything done, and in the end, Ash was all too glad to change into his pyjamas and flop down on his bed, with Pikachu curled at his feet like a lazy cat! Brock had also put his night shirt and pants on, and was sitting on the bed Mrs. Ketchum had set up for him.
"Well, nothing's better than a nice soft bed to relax on after sch an eventful day!" the dark-skinned boy commented. The two friends were now lying on their backs, taking advantage of those few moments to exchange a few words before going to sleep. "And I must say, I kinda missed it, after all these night out in the open!"
"You said it, man!" Ash replied. "By the way, Brock... do you know something more on these Sevii Islands? You're always the more informed of us all..."
"Hmm... Sevii Islands, huh?" Brock said as he tried to think of what he knew of the place. "I did read a few things about them, but it was quite a long time ago... anyway, yes, I remember a rumour about Mt. Ember, the volcano on the northern island, being the new lair of one of Kanto's Legendary Birds, Moltres, the Fire Titan... I guess that must be somehow tied with the recent happenings."
"I see..." Ash said, then tried to move the conversation to less vexing topics. "Anyway, I'm really happy Misty joined us again, I have to say! I've been thinking of her more and more, lately..."
Brock smiled cunningly to himself. "Well... yes, you're right! Truth be told, there was something missing in our team, without her to stir things around! It will be nice to travel with her, just like the old times!"
"I think so as well!" Ash said. "Still, I guess it's time for us to go to sleep! See you tomorrow, Brock!"
"Of course!" the older boy answered. "Good night, and don't worry! We'll get to the bottom of this mystery!"
"Thanks, Brock... and good night to you too, Pikachu!"
"Pika pika, pikapi!" the yellow mouse winked at his trainer before getting to sleep as well...
oooooooooo
"So... you were Ash's first travelling companion! Hehehee... he sure seems to have a thing for destroying girls' bicycles!" Dawn was saying, enthralled by Misty's retelling of how she and Ash first met. The two girls were lying on their respective beds, in the Ketchum house's guest room, and had spent their time telling each other stories about their trip.
"Hehehee... yeah, must be a problem of his! He can't meet a new girl without destroying her bike first!" Misty laughed. "But never mind these tiny details! Rather, I'm curious to know... what kind of Pokemon do you prefer to use?"
"Well, I like to use different types to mix things up..." the blue-haired girl replied. "But there is a Pokemon I like to use above all others... that's my Piplup, the Pokemon I began my journey with!"
"Piplup? That's a Water-type Pokemon, right?" Misty asked, already eager to know more. "Well... if you don't mind, could you show him to me tomorrow? I really love Water-type Pokemon, especially my Starmie! Luckily my sisters allowed me to take her with me, when I left the Gym..."
"I see..." Dawn said. "Well, I'd really love to hear more stories, Misty, but I'm afraid it's a little late now..."
"You're right..." Misty said, looking at the clock beside her bed. "It's two o'clock already, and we all need a little rest, so... okay, Dawn, see you tomorrow! Good night!"
"Goodnight, Misty!" Dawn concluded as she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, excited at what was to come, but still unable to silence that voice in her head, still worrying about what had happened to Snowpoint City... she sighed as she closed her eyes and tried to sleep. There was not much she, or anyone else, could do at the moment. Tomorrow morning, hopefully, they'd be able to contact the Snowpoint Gym and see what had happened...
Hopefully, they'd get good news... or at least, discover that nobody was harmed...
oooooooooo
Meanwhile, in a small clearing a short distance away from Pallet, Meowth was carefully looking around the place he, Jessie and James had camped in for the night. After seeing, thanks to his cat-like vision, that there was nothing threatening around, the feline Pokemon stretched lazily and went back to his travelling companions, who were sitting around a small campfire. Jessie tossed a few dry twigs into the fire to rekindle it, then turned to Meowth to see if everything was OK...
"All quiet around here!" the cat Pokemon answered as he sa down by the fire, enjoying a little heat. "A few wild Pokemon, but nothing serious... and no trace of the twerps since they arrived in town! They don't seem to know we managed to follow them."
Jessie grinned in satisfaction. "That's good to know. this means we can attack them when they least expect it! In a few days, we'll be delivering Pikachu to the boss, and we'll get our reward!" she said, convinced that the electric mouse was going to fall in their hands soon. She turned to James, expecting her less graceful companion to share her excitement...
And was a little surprised when she saw that James was staring up to the starry sky, looking unusually pensive, as if he was reflecting on something very important. Such behaviour mystified Jessie... it was not like James to act like that. She was used to him being his usual bumbling self...
"James? He, James, you hear me?" Jessie said, waving a hand in front of his face. "James, when you're done dreaming with your eyes open, you might want to come back down to Earth and listen to what we have to say!"
"I was thinking, Jessie..." James answered, without paying too much attention to his companion's annoyed tone. "Don't you feel like going back in time?"
Jessie blinked in confusion. What was James trying to say, and what did that have to do with the situation at hand?
"I mean..." the blue-haired boy quickly corrected himself. "When we met the twerps for the first time, it was around here... near Viridian City, back when we still had Ekans and Koffing, remember?"
"Um... sure..." Jessie said, hiding her nostalgia at the mention of their first Pokemon. "And... now we're back here where everything started, and still trying to capture Pikachu and get the better of the twerps... that's what you meant, right?"
James smiled and laughed a little in embarassment. "Er... well, yes, more or less that's what I meant!" he said. "I know, I know, it wasn't the smartest thing I could say, at a time like this..."
But surprisingly enough, Jessie did not seem annoyed... rather, she and Meowth seemed to be quite impressed with James' comments. "Hmmm... you know what, James? That's actually quite deep. coming from you of all people..." the cat Pokemon said.
"I admit I feel a little nostalgic myself..." Jessie said, losing herself a little in her memories. "Sigh... those were the times when we, as Team Rocket, were terrifying and dangerous! Now, it seems to me we've been relegated as this show's comedic interlude... stupid writers..."
"Well, this will change soon!" Meowth decided, smacking his palm with the opposite fist. "Next time, we'll get the job done, and rebuild our reputation! This will be our rebirth! And... thanks for rminding us of our best times, James! That was just the encouragement we needed!"
"Let it never be said you're useless, James!" Jessie said triumphantly, patting the boy on his shoulder. For his part, James smiled nervously - that wasn't exactly what he had in mind...
Oh well, it still managed to motivate Jessie and Meowth well enough. He could live with that, for now...
oooooooooo
The Pokemon Center on the road to Mount Silver was almost completely empty, now that the night had fallen and Nurse Joy was about to do her last checks and go to sleep. She had to admit that was not the best place to manage a Pokemon Center. Very few people stopped there... obviously, as only the most experienced and skilled trainers dared to face Mt. Silver and its perils, and deal with the mighty Pokemon that lived in its valleys and caves. As a consequence, there were never many people to exchange words with, and sometimes her job got a bit boring. Although, as all the other Joys, she still liked to take care of Pokemon and put them back on their feet...
At that moment, the only people there besides her were two young trainers who were sleeping wrapped in their sleeping bags in a corner of the main hall. Joy once again checked that nothing was wrong... and just when she was almost finished, the sound of an opening door almost made her jump in surprise. Raising her eyes quickly, the pink haired nurse saw that it was a teenage boy, no more than fourteen years old, with longish purple hair and a cynical, almost grim, expression on his face. Surprised by the late visit, but still determined to do her job, the nurse bowed to the boy, who came in with barely a nod of recognition.
"Good evening, and welcome to the Pokemon center!" Joy welcomed him. "I guess you're here to spend the night and rest your Pokemon, right?"
Paul nodded, without changing expression. "Exactly. Tomorrow morning we get to Mount Silver, and my Pokemon have to be in perfect shape." he said. "Will they be ready for tomorrow morning?"
Before Paul's sharp tone, Joy maintained an impeccable politeness. "Of course. If you want to stay here for the night, there's a lot of free space in the living room, and you can put your sleeping bag there." she said, without losing her smile as she took the Sinnoh trainer's Pokeballs one by one. "Only, try not to disturb the others, okay?"
"Hm." Paul responded with a nod, then headed into the main hall without a sound, to start preparing for the night. It was time to rest for him as well. If he had his way, the next days would be very intense for both him and his Pokemon...
oooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
Author's Note: Phew... I really liked writing this chapter! Sure, I ended up concentrating mostly on Ash and his team... and I apologize to Pidgeot fans, but there was no way I could plausibly keep him in the story, at least not for now! He will be back later, though, so don't worry! For now, I needed to make sure the team arrived in Pallet Town and settled down... and above all, they needed to know of the strange events happening worldwide! Later, I will concentrate on Max, May, possibly Drew as well... and on Zoey's little group! For now I just hope Ash's return to his hometown was satisfying!
I really liked writing the interactions between Misty and Dawn! I am sure that, if they came to know each other, they would be great friends!
That's all for now! I'll be back as soon as possible, as soon as I'm back from my struggle with my own depression. Writing can really do wonders to cheer you up!