Hey my readers, Unknown entity328 is back with a new chapter! I realize it's been months since I last updated this fanfic and left you all hanging like that. For that I apologize, but you all know how much reality loves rearing its head in out lives. Top that off with writer's block and you end up keeping people waiting for far too long. It doesn't help my case as I was busy with work, school, and playing a mobile game called Shadowverse most of the time. I've also been occupying myself by playing Genshin Impact with my niece. I won't make excuses, those games are rather fun, and help me clear my mind to come up with ideas. I've also been working on my first crossover, which I'll be posting soon, so I would greatly appreciate some feedback on that when you have the time. With all that said, on with the chapter!
Chapter Two: Different Paths That Still Connects
Ash and Serena sat patiently as they watched Prof. Oak examined Latios and Latias. It still amazes them that they watched legendary pokemon hatch from eggs. Occasionally, Latios and Latias glance over to them to make sure they were still there. Whenever they did that, Serena waved while Ash smiled brightly. The two pokemon smiled back before relaxing as Porf. Oak continued his examination.
Prof. Oak did a myriad of tests, ranging from health checks to full body examinations. While not as experienced as Nurse Joy, he still knows proper procedures. He checked their pulse, heartbeats, and lungs as gently as possible. From what he gathered, both pokemon were quite healthy. When testing their reflexes, he found no problems there either. He checked their eyes and ears for signs of infection, nodding when he found none.
"Alright, all done." Prof. Oak eventually said, backing away as Latios and Latias floated off the beds. He turned to Ash and Serena and gave the children a reassuring smile. "Both of them are the picture of perfect health."
"That's good." Serena sighed in relief, a hand over her heart as Latias made a beeline for her as Latios went to Ash.
"That's great to hear, right Latios?" Ash ran a hand along Latios' neck, feeling his soft down, getting a happy coo from the pokemon.
Prof. Oak smiled as he watched the children and pokemon interact as he filed his findings away. He made a mental note to lock the file securely so it didn't wind up in the wrong hands. Just the thought of those poor pokemon being experimented on or used for evil sent a chill down the old professor's spine. No pokemon, especially newly hatched ones, should ever have to experience something like that. He believes that people and pokemon should live peacefully together.
Prof. Oak watched as Ash and Serena started playing with Latios and Latias before going to the only computer in the medical tent. He quickly sent emails to both the children's mothers, asking them to come over to the campsite for a discussion. He left out mentioning Latios and Latias out of caution that the emails be intercepted. The sooner they come up with a solution, the better the wellbeing of the two pokemon will be.
"Ash, Serena." Prof. Oak called out, getting the attention of the children and pokemon present. "Why don't you two show Latios and Latias around the campsite?" He then raised a finger as an afterthought crossed his mind. "But they have to be invisible, just in case."
"Okay." Ash and Serena nodded, walking to the entrance of the tent. Latios and Latias were quick to follow, flashing for a moment before vanishing.
Ash and Serena then began to show the two legendary pokemon around the campsite. They also told them about how the camp is about learning about pokemon. They had lots of other activities such as treasure hunts, swimming in the lake, etc. They got a few curious looks from the other children. From their point of view, it looked like Ash and Serena were talking to thin air.
They paid them no mind as they continued to show Latios and Latias around the campsite. While walking around, Ash talked about pokemon battles and how fun they seemed on tv. While they couldn't see it, Latios was interested in Ash's descriptions of pokemon battling. He also told Serena and the two pokemon his dream of becoming a pokemon master. When asked about what a pokemon master was, Ash just said that they were the best of the best.
"What about you, Serena?" Ash asked, looking at the girl in question as he tossed a ball into the air.
"Huh?" Serena looked at the boy in confusion while Latias happily caught the ball.
After showing Latios and Latias around the campsite, they decided to play ball for a while. Because they were supposed to keep the two legendary pokemon a secret, they decided to play in the forest. They made sure they didn't go too far from the campsite, but still had enough cover from the trees. Latios and Latias were quick learners, already having fun catching the ball when Ash and Serena tossed it.
"Do you have a dream?" Ash clarified, taking the ball when Latias handed it to him before tossing it again.
"Oh, um, not really." Serena said softly, looking up to see Latios use his head to pass the ball to her. She caught the ball, holding it in her hands as she stared at it with uncertainty in her eyes. "My mom wants me to be a Rhyhorn racer like her, though."
"What's a Rhyhorn racer?" Ash tilted his head curiously, unfamiliar of the sport.
"It's a sport from where I live." Serena explained, bouncing the ball a few times before tossing it over to Latias. She looked at Ash when Latias caught the ball and passed it to Latios. "People ride Rhyhorn and race across a track."
"That sounds so cool!" Ash grinned, an excited gleam in his eyes at the thought of racing with pokemon. He got in the girl's face, which she felt was slightly heated. "Does that mean you have a Rhyhorn?!"
"Uh, yeah." Serena nodded, feeling anxious with how close the boy was to her.
"Lucky." Ash backed away, hands behind his head as he let out a sigh. He looked up in time to see Latios bouncing the ball on his head. "My mom and I don't have any pokemon at home."
The children stayed silent, watching Latios and Latias continue to play catch with each other. The pokemon then tossed the ball over to them and urged them to join in on the fun. They played many different ball games for the next hour before playing a different game. The game they decided to play was tag with Ash being it. Despite Latias and Latios having the advantage of flight, they all still had fun chasing each other.
What they were unaware of was that as they ran around, they were going deeper into the forest. Serena was the next to be it when Ash tagged her and she was chasing after Latias. The red pokemon laughed when she raised herself higher just as Serena was about to tag her. Serena pouted with how close she was before moving to tag the next closest, which happened to be Latios. She managed to tag him and quickly ran to make some distance between them.
Latios was chasing after Ash, who hid behind a tree, peeking his head out the side opposite of Latios. They went back and forth a few times before Ash ran into the bushes. However, because he was looking over his shoulder, the boy didn't see another tree in front of him. This resulted in him running face first into the tree, much the surprise of Serena and Latias. Ash fell back onto the ground, his body twitching at the pain he was feeling.
"Are you okay, Ash?" Serena asked worriedly, looking down at the boy.
"Yeah." Ash moaned, sitting up with a hand to rub his face that had a red vertical line down the middle.
Before anything else could be said, the children and pokemon heard the sound of something buzzing. They looked around to see a swarm of insect pokemon which mostly resembles a bipedal, yellow wasp. However, these pokemon only have four legs instead of six and lack pigment pits. Their heads are round with a slightly pointed mouth; large, red eyes; and black antennae with a sharp bend in the middle. their forelegs are tipped with long, conical stingers. They stand on their other two legs, which are long, segmented, and insectoid in shape. They have two pairs of rounded, veined wings, and another stinger on its yellow-and-black striped abdomen.
"Beedrill!" The children screamed, looks of panic on their faces at the sight of the swarm. Latios and Latias also looked panicked when they saw the stingers the insect pokemon wielded.
Meanwhile, back at the campsite, Prof. Oak was seated across from two women in his lab. The women in question were Delia Ketchum and Grace Gabena, the mothers of Ash and Serena respectively. Delia was a former student of Prof. Oak's when she was younger, making him a friend of the family. She now runs Pallet Town's only restaurant, Pallet House, which she inherited from her mother. Grace was a former Rhyhorn racer back in the Kalos region, visiting Kanto so her daughter could participate in Prof. Oak's pokemon summer camp.
They received emails from Prof. Oak, asking to speak to them regarding their children. Initially, the mothers were worried their children got injured or were in some sort of trouble. The moment they arrived, Prof. Oak guided them to his lab, reassuring them Ash and Serena were fine and not in trouble. This confused the mothers even more, wondering why they were here if that wasn't the case.
"I'm sure you're both wondering why I called you here." Prof. Oak said, getting nods from the mothers in front of him. He let out a sigh as he contemplated how to tell them before speaking again. "Ash and Serena discovered something extraordinary earlier today."
"Extraordinary?" Delia blinked, wondering what her son discovered that had her former mentor so deep in thought.
"What was it, Professor?" Grace asked, also wondering what her daughter found.
"They found the eggs of legendary pokemon." Prof. Oak replied, getting looks of shocked disbelief from the mothers. He leaned back into his chair as he waited a moment for them to process what they heard. "Not only that, they also hatched and imprinted on them."
"Legendary pokemon, seriously?" Grace said softly, having trouble believing what she was hearing right now.
"What pokemon were they, Professor?" Delia asked, alreadying listing the legendary pokemon she knew were native to Kanto in her head.
"They were Latios and Latias." Prof. Oak replied, further shocking the women as they knew they were pokemon native to Hoenn. He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. "What I don't know is how or why they got to the forest here in Kanto."
"What are we going to do, Professor?" Delia asked, a look of worry on her face as to what the appearance of legendary pokemon entails.
"As I'm sure you're both aware, when a pokemon egg hatches, the pokemon sees the first thing it sees as its parent." Prof. Oak said, eyeing the mother as they slowly nodded in confirmation. He held up a hand, palm facing up while his other hand rested on his knee. "Due to that, it's usually not recommended to separate them, because it would prove difficult to do so if the pokemon throws a fit." He crossed his arms, eyes closed in deep thought. "This is especially true if the pokemon in question is a psychic-type."
"What are you trying to say, Professor?" Grace raised an eyebrow, her arms also crossed as she waited for the pokemon professor to get to the point.
"Since Latios imprinted on Ash and Latias on Serena, I was thinking it would be best if they took care of them." Prof. Oak finally said, waiting for the mothers to say anything in protest. When he heard none and saw them staring patiently at him, he continued. "I believe doing so will benefit them in the long run." He laced his fingers together, resting his elbows on his knees. "It'll teach the children to be responsible and the pokemon will grow accustomed to people."
Delia and Grace shared a look as they considered what the pokemon professor was suggesting. While neither had a problem with their children taking care of pokemon, it's a different matter with legendary pokemon. They worry for their wellbeing if the wrong person hears about them owning such rare pokemon. Both mothers are aware of evil organizations and hunters who would do anything to get their hands on rare and valuable pokemon.
Before the conversation could continue, the sound of screams could be heard outside. The three quickly got to their feet and made their way out of the lab to see what's wrong. Once outside, they were shocked to see a swarm of Beedrill flying around the campsite. The children had their hands over their heads as they tried to run away from the insect pokemon.
"Quick children, get in the lab!" Prof. Oak called out urgently, pulling out a pokeball and tossing it. "Dragonite, help me out!"
The pokeball popped open and out came the pseudo-legendary pokemon. With a roar, Dragonite flew around the campsite, tackling any Beedrill that got too close to the children. Delia and Grace were quick in guiding the children inside, doing their best to calm them. While doing so, the mothers kept their eyes out for Ash and Serena.
"Mommy!" Grace looked in the direction of the voice to see Serena running towards her.
"Serena!" Grace ran towards her daughter, relieved to see she was alright. She went to her knees and pulled Serena into a tight hug. "Thank goodness you're alright."
"I-I was so scared!" Serena sobbed, tightly gripping her mother's shirt as tears rolled down her face. "If-if it wasn't for Ash, me and Latias couldn't have gotten away!"
"Latias?" Grace frowned at the name of the legendary pokemon, looking around but saw nothing but the Beedrills. There was a flash of light and Latias appeared in Grace's face, causing the woman to gasp in shock. "Goodness!"
"Grace!" Delia called out, running towards the mother and daughter, surprised to see there was indeed a Latias here. She shook it off and had a look of worry on her face. "All the children are in the lab, but I can't find Ash anywhere!"
"Serena, do you know where he is?" Grace asked, looking her daughter in the eyes as she wiped away her tears. "You said it was because of him you got away, right?"
"He's in the forest." Serena said, pointing in the direction she came from. "He and Latios lured them away so we could escape."
"Oh no." Delia gasped, a look of horror on her face as she ran towards the direction of the forest. "Ash!"
Ash and Latios were running, flying in Latios' case, as fast as they could to get away from the swarm. They couldn't lure away all of the Beedrill, but at least they gained the attention of enough for Serena and Latias to get away. The boy misjudged the number of Beedrill that were chasing them. What should have been a small swarm, quickly grew in number until they were surrounded again.
The boy and pokemon eventually found themselves unable to run anymore with their backs against a cliff face. Ash broke into a nervous sweat as he warily eyed the swarm of Beedrill. Latios floated protectively in front of the boy, glaring at any Beedrill that got too close. Although just hatched, Latios was willing to battle if it meant Ash gets out unscathed.
"Oh man, now what do we do?" Ash muttered, looking around for a possible escape route or hiding place. The boy was disappointed to find nothing but Beedrill in all directions.
One Beedrill of the swarm dove down, stingers forward in preparation to strike. The boy and legendary pokemon let out cries of surprise before moving to the side. Unable to change trajectory, the Beedrill's stingers dug into the cliff face, unable to free itself.
"Let's go!" Ash shouted, grabbing hold of Latios and pulling him through the gap the Beedrill made. The boy ran with all his might, occasionally looking back to make sure Latios was alright. "Don't worry, Latios, I won't let them hurt you!"
Latios cooed in worry for the boy, knowing he was more vulnerable than he was. Because he wasn't looking forward, Ash's foot got caught in a tree root, resulting in the boy tripping. Ash cried out as he fell to the ground, Latios hovering worriedly over him. The distinct sound of buzzing reached their ears as they looked to see the Beedrill after them again. Ash quickly got to his feet and stood in front of Latios, arms held out to the side protectively as he stared at the insect pokemon with unwavering eyes.
Latios looked on in awe, watching the boy bravely staring down a swarm of Beedrill. Although knowing that he was scared, Latios admired how Ash was still risking himself to protect the legendary pokemon. Once the Beedrill all dived down at Ash, Latios flew past the boy. Ash had a look of surprise and worry at seeing Latios floating in front of him.
Latios lets out a loud coo as his body becomes outlined in light blue, and its eyes also glow light blue. Latios opened his mouth before firing light blue rings at the swarm of Beedrill. When the rings hit the swarm, they were pushed back and falling to the ground one after another.
"Whoa." Ash stared in awe, looking at the swarm of insect pokemon as their legs twitched. He then looked at Latios, who was breathing heavily before also falling to the ground. "Latios!"
Ash ran over to the legendary pokemon, a look of worry as he searched Latios for injuries. He then heard the Beedrill getting back in the air and held Latios protectively. The boy was relieved to see the Beedrill flying back into the forest. Knowing the danger's passed, Ash returned his attention to Latios.
"Latios, are you alright?" Ash asked, watching as Latios opened his eyes and gave a small coo. The legendary pokemon then began to nuzzle Ash in comfort, which got a small laugh out of the boy. He then pulled Latios into a tight hug, rubbing his cheek against his soft down. "That's great, I was so worried."
"Ash!" The boy and legendary pokemon looked in the direction the voice came from to see Delia running towards them. Once she reached them, Delia fell to her knees and pulled Ash into a hug, tears running down her face. "Thank goodness you're alright, I was worried something bad happened to you!"
"I'm sorry mom." Ash said softly, returning his mother's hug while Latios watched on. The boy soon broke the hug and looked over to the legendary pokemon. "Latios protected me."
"Is that so?" Delia looked over at Latios, who just watched the interaction of mother and son. She gave the legendary pokemon a warm smile and rested a hand on his head. "Thank you for keeping my son safe."
Latios stared at the woman for a moment, looking into her eyes as if to see her soul. He then gave a happy coo and pressed his head against the hand. Delia and Ash smiled at the legendary pokemon's reaction.
Once the Beedrill had all returned to their nest, the children were once again playing happily outside. Inside Prof. Oak's lab, Ash and Serena sat across from him and their respective mothers. They explained what happened in the forest that got the Beedrill swarm agitated. The children were anxious as, while unintentional, they were the ones who the Beedrill were chasing. Latios and Latias remained close to the children as a form of comfort.
"You both could have been seriously injured if Latios and Latias weren't with you." Prof. Oak finally said, crossing his arms and giving the children a stern look.
"Sorry, professor." Ash and Serena apologized, heads lowered remorsefully at the professor's words.
"The bright side is that you're all okay." Grace pointed out, reaching over to place a hand on Latias' head and smiled. "And we have you to thank for that."
"I agree with Grace." Delia nodded in agreement, her eyes focused on Latios and how close he was to her son. "If it wasn't for Latios, I don't even want to think what would have happened to Ash."
"I suppose you're both right." Prof. Oak sighed, lowering his arms as he watched the children interact with the legendary pokemon. When his attention focused on Ash, he remembered something. "By the way, Ash." Upon hearing his name, Ash and Latios looked at the pokemon professor. "You said that Latios defended you, can you elaborate on that?"
"Well, the Beedrill went all zoom straight at us!" Ash said, waving his arms in exaggerated motions to describe what happened. "Then Latios went whoosh past me and let out these rings from his mouth!"
"Hmm." Prof. Oak hummed thoughtfully, going over what the boy told him. "Sounds to me like the move Psywave."
"Really?" Ash asked, his eyes shining in excitement before wrapping his arms around Latios' neck in a hug. "That's great Latios, you just hatched and you can use a move!"
Latios cooed happily, returning the hug and lifting the boy up to fly around in circles. The rest of the occupants smiled at the sight of the laughing boy and legendary pokemon. Once Latios set Ash down, the boy immediately went about asking if Latios can use any other moves. The legendary pokemon just tilted his head and looked at the boy curiously.
"There's one more thing to discuss." Prof. Oak said, gaining the attention of the children and pokemon. He gave Delia and Grace side glances and saw them nodding in return before focusing on Ash and Serena. "I talked things over with your mothers, and we've decided that you two should look after Latios and Latias."
"Really?!" Ash smiled excitedly, pulling Latios in for another hug that was happily returned. "That's awesome, Latios!"
"Isn't that great, Latias?" Serena smiled happily at the legendary pokemon, who coo'd back and nuzzled the girl.
The pokemon professor and two mothers smiled at the children, talking to one another about what to do next. It was a heartwarming sight to behold as they tried to decide what to do. The more they talked, the more games they thought of to play with the legendary pokemon.
"Alright, you two." Prof. Oak said, gaining the children's attention once again. He lifted a finger as he gave them a serious look in his eyes. "Taking care of a pokemon is a big responsibility, legendary pokemon especially, can you handle it?"
"Yes!" Ash and Serena nodded, identical looks of determination on their faces.
Prof. Oak nodded in approval before dismissing the children and their mothers. Once they left the lab, he went over everything that transpired. Was it mere coincidence that Ash and Serena found those eggs? Or was there some greater power at work from behind the scenes? If it was the latter, what is their motive?
These questions filled the pokemon professor's head as he returned to supervising the summer camp. He kept an especially close eye on Ash and Serena, who were playing near the lake. He saw shimmers of blue and red occasionally, indicating that Latios and Latias were invisible. The old professor already had a feeling he made the right choice in entrusting the pokemon to the children.
'I certainly hope nothing bad happens to them in the future.' Prof. Oak thought, hands behind his back as he looked up to the sky. 'I should probably discuss this with the professors from other regions, just in case.'
The question remained on who could be trusted with this information. Prof. Ivy and Prof. Rowan came to mind, as they were colleagues of his. Prof. Elm, while talented, can be absent minded most of the time. He might let something slip if in a conversation while absorbed in his research. Prof. Birch is a must, as he's the professor of the region the legendary pokemon originated from. Then there's Prof. Sycamore, a Kalos professor who can look after Serena and Latias.
In his personal opinion, those professors are the ones Prof. Oak can trust unconditionally. They, much like himself, care deeply for pokemon and wish to coexist with them. They also specialize in a different field of researching pokemon. Their opinions will matter going forward.
Everything was peaceful, with the pokemon summer camp continuing without any more incidents. Ash and Serena grew closer as friends with each passing day. In fact, one is never seen without the other. Their bonds with Latios and Latias were also getting stronger. The children and legendary pokemon enjoyed the time they spent at camp.
However, like all nice things, it came to an end all too soon. It was now the final day of the pokemon summer camp, and time for the children to return home. While most children are excited to go home and tell their families what they did, two were sad. Because the final day of camp was the day Serena returns to the Kalos region.
Serena, Grace, and Latias stood outside of Ash and Delia's home, wanting to say good-bye. Serena had to fight back tears knowing she won't be able to see Ash again. Ash also had a sad look in his eyes, he had so much fun with Serena and didn't want to see her go. Latios and Latias were also sad, because the two would be separated from each other as well.
"H-here, Ash." Serena sniffled, approaching the boy and holding out her sunhat, but with the ribbon removed. "Something to remember me by."
"Thanks, Serena." Ash gently took the sunhat and placed it on his head. He gave the girl a small sad smile. "I'll take good care of it."
"You know, it's not like you'll never see each other again." Delia gently pointed out, leaning down to give her son a reassuring smile. "When you become a trainer, you'll be able to go to lots of places."
"Delia's right." Grace nodded in agreement, placing a hand on her daughter's back. "When that happens, he might end up in Kalos and you'll meet each other again."
"Promise?" Serena asked, the question directed at her mother, but her eyes were on the boy in front of her.
"I promise, Serena." Ash said, placing a fist on his chest as he gave her his best grin. "And when we do meet again, I'll have lots to tell you!"
Serena could feel the tears she was holding back finally overflow and went down her face. Despite not wanting to say good-bye to the only friend she made in camp, she knew it wasn't forever. She remembered what the boy told her about his dream of becoming a pokemon master. Such a dream meant he would travel through different regions, meet lots of people and pokemon, and make lots of memories.
Knowing that they'll meet again someday was all the reassuring she needed. Just the thought of everything the boy will tell her was enough. It actually gave her something to look forward to when they're reunited. So, after wiping away her tears, Serena gave Ash her best smile.
"I'll look forward to that day." Serena, reached to the side and ran a hand along Latias' neck. "Both Latias and I."
"You can count on it!" Ash's grin grew as he looked over to Latios who floated beside him. "Right, Latios?"
Both legendary pokemon gave their coos of agreement, giving each other one final hug before separating. With their good-byes said, Grace, Serena, and Latias entered a taxi cab. The cab drove down the streets of Pallet Town, with Serena poking out the window and waving to Ash. Ash was waving as well, and continued to do so until the cab was out of sight. As he and Latios watched the cab disappear into the sunset, they promised that they would see Serena and Latias again someday.
Now for my favorite part of the chapter, answering your reviews via Review Corner!
Karsap: Greatly appreciated.
Reader: Altomare will be part of this in the future, hard to keep something like that out of the picture with this kind of fanfic.
foxchick1: Glad that you liked it, and I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter.
Guest: Happy to hear that you thought it was an interesting concept. I hope that you're staying safe as well.
YamiChaos27: Happy to hear I piqued your curiosity, and I'm glad that someone caught on to that little detail.
Hall Gowrt: Thank you for your kind words, I tried to get that first chapter as perfect as possible.
HunterHQ: Sorry for being inactive for so long, but my reasons were explained above, so I hope you understand. I have full intention of finishing my digimon story. They aren't actually shapeshifting, they're actually using their glass-like, downy feathers to refract light, which allows it to become invisible or alter their appearance.
ColsonOtis: I noticed their aren't that many of them, so I figured I try my hand in making one. I'm happy to hear you thought it was amazing and I'll do my best to meet your expectations.
John: Thank you, you stay safe as well.
Jake: Apologies for the wait, the reason why is explained above in the intro. I hope that you stay safe as well and I'll do my best.
DragonBladeB5: The reason for my long absence has been explained in the intro above.
Thank you all for your reviews and I look forward to seeing you all again in the future!