Fincache - thanks for explaining your nickname to me!!! I will definitely consider using it… somewhere. Lol… what does cache come from, if I may ask??
AshK – hmm, where I thought about that too, but I want something like… "in character". Could you think about that?
Chapter 9 – I have a Ho-oh.
To all reviewers: PEOPLE! I'D APPRECIATE IT IF MORE THAN JUST ASHK WOULD READ MY AUTHOR'S NOTE BEFORE THE CHAPTER… I HAD A QUESTION (I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU GUYS LOOKED BACK ON THE EARLIER CHAPTER AND ANSWERED IT IN YOUR NEXT REVIEW!! THANKS!
"Dragonite, quick attack!" an elderly voice called.
May and Max were sent flying to the side and opened their eyes to see a determined Dragonite defending them, holding Team Rocket's Pokemon away from the cowering siblings.
"Thank you," May and Max smiled happily to see a group of people at the entrance of the destroyed Pokemon Center.
"No problem," a redhead appeared and winked, a group of shadows joining her.
Professor Oak appeared determinedly and ordered Dragonite, "Now, finish them off!"
"Dra," Dragonite stood his ground before the scared looking Team Rocket and their Pokemon.
The dragon Pokemon quickly shot out at full speed toward Jessie, James, Meowth, and the others.
"Oop," James looked unsurely at his team mates, "sie."
As the Dragonite rushed toward them, Meowth jumped up and pressed a small device in the palm of his hand, "Haha!"
There was another explosion and Dragonite was shot back in a rough manner.
"Dragonite!" The Professor skidded over to his injured Pokemon.
"Ready for another one?" Meowth threatened maliciously.
Misty stepped back and remembered, "Hey, was Ash with you guys?"
May looked at her strangely at first then recalled, "yes he was, we lost him in the explosion, I got to him earlier but then I left to look for Brock and Max."
The conversation was soon forgotten when there was another large explosion and they went flying in multiple directions. Everyone was toppled over and portions of the ceiling began to fall.
"We're invincible." Team Rocket cheered and Jessie put on some rubber gloves.
The group was in a daze and unable to protect themselves or stop anything. Jessie strutted past the aching souls and took the Pikachu.
"Finally!" Jessie laughed and hugged the Pokemon, "this was so easy!" Meowth and James quickly yelled, "C'mon Jessie, into the balloon!"
"Oh, right," she stood and with Pikachu in hand, disappeared.
"Pika…" Misty looked up and murmured softly, "…chu."
Ash heard yelling and tried to get up but felt he was unable. The pain was excruciatingly immense but nonetheless, he moved himself to a sitting-up state. He looked around and saw in distant places of the crumbling Pokemon Center Misty… and Brock and Max, and Professor Oak and May. Where was Pikachu? He looked left and right and saw Team Rocket sprinting out of the threshold.
"Hey!" he called with an ounce of strength.
Jessie turned and in her hands was a very distraught-looking Pikachu. Ash's eyes widened and reached for a Pokeball from his belt. Before he could throw it out, Meowth appeared before him.
"Hey, you should be like everyone else," he grinned, shoved a small compartment in front of Ash's face and placed his paw dangerously close to the button, "bye twerp!"
Then there was an explosion. But not from the box. From an outer wall. A giant bird flew in. It landed before Team Rocket and Ash. The large bird screeched loudly, spread its wings and sent a powerful wave to envelope Ash. And that's what it did. Ash's body was in a giant wispy force field. Ash smiled, knowing someone had come to save him and before he knew it, Team Rocket went flying. How it happened? He didn't know. He couldn't remember. He felt tired, he forgot about Pikachu, he fell into a deep sleep… What was happening?
"Oh thank goodness they're alright!" a voice called from what seemed like a distance, "they could've been killed!"
"Wha…" Misty tried to stretch her arms but had found no strength to do so, "where am I?"
"Oh thank goodness she's awake!" A blue blur appeared before Misty and a pink blur took Misty's wrist, "she's so weak, let her sleep Jenny."
"Alright Joy," the blur began clearing up slightly, "goodnight Misty."
They disappeared and Misty's mind began recalling the events that had taken place.
"Oh no!" she shot up and groaned as an immense headache filled her brain, "Ugh! Pikachu! They stole Pikachu!"
She heard someone yawn and she looked around. She was in what seemed like a room with rows and rows of beds. She must be in a hospital. Misty looked for familiar faces and spotted Max across from her, sitting up tiredly.
"Misty?" He squinted and searched for his glasses, "Where are my glasses?"
"They broke," another voice murmured to his right.
It was May. She was half asleep and turned in her white sheets.
"Where's Brock? Tracey and the Professor?" she strained her eyesight, "Richie? Georgio?"
She laid back down and sighed, "I'm so tired I can barely concentrate!"
Then just sleep… A voice murmured in her head and a redhead appeared at her bedside.
"M-misty?" she heard Max asked very confused, "but you're in bed."
Sleep Misty… the voice continued and the figure pushed Misty back down to her pillow softly, sleep.
"Why do you—" Misty murmured as her vision got blurry again, "—look so familiar?"
Then she was knocked out for what would be hours.
"Ash stop being childish!" his mother yelled angrily, marching toward the bratty child, "you're going to hurt yourself."
"Mom," Ash whined from the top of the tree, "I'm fine!"
"Don't 'I'm fine' me! Come down here now!" The mother began reaching toward the child but he dodged her grasp, "Aha!"
"Ash!" Mrs. Ketchum began losing her temper, "fine! I'll go in and get your father then!"
"What's he gonna do?" Ash demanded angrily, climbing higher into the tree.
He looked over the tops and breathed in the fresh air, enjoying the sense of being free.
He reached for an orange hanging dangerously from a far branch, but Ash took his risks. He began stepping slowly bit by bit, in his blue shorts and yellow vest with red suspenders. Keeping his balance, he bravely made a swing for the fruit. Just as he did so, the sound of his father's angry footsteps could be heard.
"Oh no," Ash began hearing the branch he was on crack.
He had the orange but not his safety. He felt the world fall as he slipped from the branch. Or was it that the branch broke? He could no longer recall, it wasn't important. He squinted his eyes to see something swoop down and suddenly he wasn't falling. He was elevated. He was flying. He was safe. But what was he on? Ash turned his head to see a large red and gold bird smiling at him at the corner of its eye. It flew him around for what seemed like forever. Then it brought him down and he was in his mother's crying arms. He could see his father stepping sternly toward the creature that instantly flew off.
"Mom what was that?" Ash asked softly.
"A Pokemon dear," the mother responded in a whisper, "a Pokemon saved you."
"A Pokemon?" Ash smiled, "that's what I want to be!"
"A Pokemon?" the mother asked puzzled.
No, Ash thought, a Pokemon trainer.
Ash sat up and looked around, sweat on his face, "huh?"
He was in a dark place. Somewhere dark. He tried to sit up, but felt he couldn't. It was too painful.
Do not worry, you are safe, a voice hushed Ash's anxiety.
"Ho-oh?" Ash called out hoarsely, squinting in the darkness.
Yes, Ash, do not worry, I shall bring you back to the Pokemon Center soon, I just took this opportunity to speak to you, I saved you from the final explosion, his eyes flowed in the dark.
Ash became aware that he was lying on a soft mattress in the same alleyway as before, "Um thanks, I guess…"
His facial features contorted as he clutched his side in pain.
It shall wear off, you took quite a hit when the first explosion occurred, Ho-oh continued.
Ash tried to smile through his pain and laid back, groaning from an oncoming headache.
Ho-oh waited patiently as he tried to straighten up and calm down. It took him a good 15 minutes to do so. When he was ready, the teen settled on the mattress and looked intently at the Pokemon.
"Alright, now what is it you need to talk about?"
Well you see, I have been tracking you for a while because I, er, you could say that I lost my trainer long before you were ever born, Ho-oh's voice became soft, I need you to be my trainer Ash.
"W-what?" Ash sat up in surprise and immediately regretted it, "ow."
Well, of course, temporarily my boy. Ho-oh calmed him down, if you mind, I shall find another.
"No it's fine, I just have a question," Ash looked confused, "why do you want me to be you err temporary trainer?"
Well it is in Ho-oh blood, we are to be legendary Pokemon and once we have fulfilled our job of, let's call it, 'protection', we must find a legendary trainer.
"You think I'm legendary?" Ash smiled in contentment.
Yes, Ho-oh grinned strangely, I have fulfilled my protection and if I go without a trainer I'm afraid I'll disappear.
"Disappear?" Ash scratched his head but nodded nonetheless, "If that's what I need to do, sure, why not? I'll train you for the time being."
Of course, Ho-oh smiled, but not now, you need your rest, I shall return you in the morning.
Ash yawned, "okay," he stretched and laid back with one last thought; I have a Ho-oh.