Hey everyone! I promised I wouldn't be too late so here I am with the next chapter. I don't know if I'm satisfied with this chapter but it is quite late so if you pick up any errors please tell me. Also just a note: I know Pikachu is hardly ever in his pokeball but in this story he is so just remember that. Also I want to make it clear that although you may read about a character from the anime in the story he or she may not necessarily play a major role and may just be making a cameo appearance. So without further ado, enjoy reading this chapter!
Chapter Two: Enactment
The bus bumped along at a steady pace, rattling on the dirt road that led through Viridian Forest. Outside of the bus numerous species of bug pokémon scuttled or flew out of the way of the heavy vehicle up into the trees. Inside the bus sat the proud sons of Kanto, ready to face their destiny. Ash and Gary sat towards the middle of the bus, pumped and ready for the most intense training of their lives.
'I wonder what it will be like?' inquired Ash, whose mind was running wild with thoughts of barracks and mess halls and pokémon practice arenas; all facilities he was sure would be present at the camp.
Gary shrugged his shoulders. 'How should I know? I've never been there'
Ash rolled his eyes in annoyance. That was Gary for you. But this time he wouldn't let him get off the hook so easily.
'What, you don't have an imagination? Aren't you curious at all about what it will be like?' he asked slowly.
'Oh my sweet naïve Ash, believe me, Gary Oak's imagination is top notch but the thing is, I really don't care what it's like' he stated faking a yawn. He knew his careless attitude would infuriate Ash and that was something that never failed to amuse him. As expected Ash was almost ready to explode at his best friend. How could he not care? Gary almost burst out laughing at Ash's angry expression but restrained himself, lest he give the game away.
Ah, Ashy – boy, you would think after the thousandth time that you wouldn't fall for this but hey, I'm not complaining!
'Come on Gary, you're telling me that you're not even the least beat curious about what our training camp will be like… or at least the training, that ought to interest you!' he half shouted in a scandalized tone. Gary remained unperturbed.
'Meh'
Ash groaned in frustration. Gary could be really annoying at the best of times.
Unfortunately for the prankster, despite his attempt to control himself, slowly but surely a smile began to creep up on Gary's face which continued to widen until it was obvious enough for Ash to notice. Ash face – palmed himself for his stupidity. He had fallen for one of Gary's obvious attempts to rile him up yet again. Gary laughed at Ash's sudden realization.
'Oh Ash, you should have seen your face, you looked like you were going to explode!' he laughed, clutching his aching sides. Ash punched him playfully on the arm.
'Yeah, yeah whatever, have your moment Mr Bigshot' said Ash sarcastically. Gary wiped a small tear from the corner of his eye finally getting his laughter under control.
'Excuse me,' interjected a voice from the seat behind the two boys. Gary and Ash turned around to face a green haired boy with a sketch pad staring at them with an annoyed expression on his face.
'Would you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to concentrate on drawing those beedril' he said pointing his pencil towards the flying bug pokémon just outside the bus.
Gary narrowed his eyes at the sketch artist. 'Tell me er….' He trailed off unaware of the boy's name.
'Tracy, my name is Tracy Sketchit' he stated staring down Gary.
'Yeah whatever, Tracy, (Girls name, he whispered under his breath) do you know who you're talking to?' he boasted pointing between himself and Ash.
Ash was tempted to cuff Gary over the head. If the others knew who he was then he would be bombarded by constant questions about his brother and father and that was something he definitely wanted to avoid. He wanted to make a name for himself not ride on the coattails of his famous brother and he certainly didn't want to be given special treatment because of his fathers' position.
Tracy looked at Gary unimpressed by his posturing but his eyes widened upon resting on Ash, who he hadn't really noticed until now.
'You're… Ash Ketchum' he whispered, gulping nervously. Ash groaned internally. Now that one person knew, by tonight they would all know for sure. Gary looked smugger than ever.
'Another victory for Gary Oak' he thought triumphantly.
Ash looked at Tracy who for some strange reason was saluting him, his hand quivering in nervously.
'Listen uh… Tracy was it? You really don't need to do that' he reasoned pushing Tracy's arm down slowly.
'But you are Ash Ketchum! Do you know who you brother is? Better still, do you know who your father is?!' he asked exasperatedly.
Ash was afraid of this happening. 'Yes I am well aware of my brilliant family but listen to me carefully. To be honest I'm starting my training today just like you. When we get to the training camp we are equals and I don't want to be treated differently than any other person, I want to prove my own worth' he explained.
Tracy listened closely, his respect for the son of the nation's supreme leader growing more and more with each word he spoke.
Gary looked at Ash with admiration in his eyes. He might be dense but his words could sure as hell inspire people.
'I suppose it runs in the family' he thought recalling memories of Giovanni giving one of his famous public speeches.
'Of course sir, I mean Ash' he stuttered, stunned by Ash's humility. Ash nodded appreciatively.
'Thanks. You're drawings' are really good by the way, are you thinking of becoming a cartographer?' asked Ash observing Tracy's fantastic sketch of the bug pokémon. Tracy nodded and pulled out a second sketch book from his bag.
'I want my maps to be good enough to be used by the military' he stated proudly showing off the maps he had drawn to Ash and Gary. Ash was amazed by the intricate detail and professionalism of the maps and even Gary was forced to concede that Tracy certainly had talent.
'Wow Tracy, these are really good! And I mean really good!' exclaimed Ash, devouring each map with his eyes, going over every contour line and landmark that had been carefully drawn onto the paper. It really was a work of art.
'Thanks' replied Tracy happily. If the son of Giovanni liked his maps then maybe he just had a chance of getting them publicized in Saffron City.
'Alright boys' yelled the bus driver suddenly from the front of the bus. All three boys snapped their heads forwards, their eyes widening in awe as the beautiful city of Viridian came into view.
'Here we… Viridian City!' cackled the bus driver jovially.
Viridian City was a comfortable blend of modernization and nature, which was to be expected in a city surrounded by the sprawling Viridian Forest. It was the second largest city in Kanto and played host to the headquarters of the Rocket Party.
It was a place of great fun and merriment where once a year, people from all over Kanto would come to celebrate the arrival of spring with the coming of Moltres, Kanto's national pokémon, by decorating the city with arrangements of the flowers that had first appeared at winter's end. Then at night there would be a huge festival swirling with bright colors and the smell of delicious food celebrating the end of the cold and darkness and the return of warmth and life, until finally at midnight, everyone would gather in the city center to witness the return of Moltres, whose brilliant fiery plumage would light up the night sky and amaze all who saw it. And now at last, they had arrived in this cultural hotspot. From the windows of the bus they could see the decorations being put around the city; arrangements of beautiful flowers, festive lights and many figurines of Moltres as well as its counterparts Zapdos and Articuno had been carefully placed so every inch of the city was occupied by some form of decoration.
'Well I see everyone here is excited for spring' commented Tracy, enjoying the festive mood.
'Yeah… too bad we don't get to enjoy it though' sighed Gary slumping back in his seat. Ash grinned.
'Cheer up Gary' said Ash cheerfully patting his disappointed friend on the back. 'I'll tell you what, how about next year, you and I hit the town and celebrate to Kanto's inevitable victory'
Gary smiled, his spirits lifted by his friends optimism. 'Alright Ashy Boy, I'll wait until next year but let's just try and survive the war first alright?' he laughed.
'You bet' promised Ash.
Meanwhile
'Clemont' whispered Bonnie who was shaking her brother awake. It was clear she had just awoken for she was still in her Tyrannatrum pyjamas but despite this she seemed to be full of energy. Clemont on the other hand was not and he groaned tiredly, pulling the covers over his head.
'Come on Clemont, you have to get up now!' complained Bonnie who attempted to remove the covers completely with little success. Clemont being stronger had no trouble keeping the covers over him. Bonnie sat on the floor tired and a little annoyed with her big brother. She looked at dedenne and pouted.
'Dedenne, would you mind?' she asked kindly. Dedenne nodded and hopped of her shoulder. The pokémon squeezed through a gap in the covers and made its way to Clemonts' chest.
'Alright dedenne, thundershock!' cried Bonnie. Clemont was instantly awakened by the jolt of electricity surging through his body. He quickly threw off the covers and jumped of out bed reeling in shock from the electric attack.
'I'm up, I'm up!' he wailed, his body still crackling with electricity.
'Thanks dedenne' said Bonnie. The little electric mouse nodded and jumped back into Bonnie's bag to take yet another nap. Bonnie looked smugly at Clemont, an air of superiority surrounding her.
'Thanks for being so cooperative Clemont' said Bonnie in an overly sweet tone.
'Yeah… cooperatively' Clemont muttered vindictively under his breath. Bonnie pretended not to hear him and continued speaking unhindered.
'Ms Grace wants you down for breakfast, but you better hurry. I think she made pancakes and if you're not there in time there will be nothing left for you!' she exclaimed. She turned and ran down the hall towards the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.
Clemont groaned inwardly. He was too keen on having another meal with this strange family after their incredibly awkward dinner last night.
He recalled how it all went down. They had all sat at the table eating the delicious vegetable soup that Grace had prepared. It was hot and flavorsome, perfect for the chilly night. All that is, except for Serena, who despite many attempts by Bonnie to persuade her to join them, still refused to come downstairs. The three who remained sat in stone cold silence, quietly sipping their soup. Even Bonnie who was usually extremely talkative was unusually silent. When they were done, they volunteered to wash their own dishes but their offer was graciously turned down by Grace. The blond siblings took this opportunity to sneak up to their room. It had been a long day and they were extremely tired. They crawled under the covers and were asleep before their heads hit the pillow.
Clemont straightened the collar of his pyjamas and dragged himself downstairs, each thud down the stairs ringing in his ears. When he finally reached the bottom of the apparently never ending staircase, Bonnie was already helping herself to a large stack of pancakes, squirting maple syrup all over them. Clemont chuckled at her appearance. From where he was standing it almost looked like a mini Tyrannatrum was devouring the stack of pancakes.
Clemonts' eyes widened in shock. Bonnie wasn't kidding. The little girl was devouring pancake after pancake with even taking a breath much like a Tyrannatrum.
'Hey, Bonnie leave some for me!' Clemont hollered jogging over to the table. Just then Grace walked in carrying another plate heaped with pancakes. When she saw the siblings she laughed heartily.
'Don't worry, I made plenty for everyone' she proclaimed placing the plate before Clemont.
'Thanks Ms Grace' said Clemont licking his lips in eager anticipation of tasting the golden brown delicacy. It couldn't be denied that Grace was a fantastic cook. Clemont squirted maple syrup and melted butter on his pancakes and tore in them. They were light and fluffy yet packed with flavor. He hadn't remembered having such a good breakfast in all of his life. Grace looked at the satisfied siblings hungrily munching away and concluded that she had done a good job with breakfast.
If only Serena enjoyed my cooking like that' she thought thinking of her rebellious daughter who had refused to even answer a knock on her door let alone come downstairs.
'Ah' breathed a satisfied Bonnie patting her stomach.
'Someone certainly looks full' commented Grace. Bonnie slowly nodded, her Tyrannatrum pyjama head bobbing along with her.
'And you Clemont?' she asked turning to Clemont who had slumped back in his chair, catching his breath after eating too fast.
'Fantastic Ms Grace, you really are a culinary genius' he complimented burping slightly. Grace beamed at him.
'Thank you dear! Now if only I could Serena to eat something, I'm worried for her. If she doesn't eat she could get sick' she explained concernedly staring into the distance. 'But she won't talk to me…' said Grace sadly.
'I'll take her something to eat' offered Bonnie who had recovered from her fatigued state. Grace looked at the little girl with gratitude in her eyes.
'Thank you dear' she said turning to the kitchen to prepare a tray for Serena. She returned with a tray, bearing a plate of pancakes with maple syrup and a glass of orange juice. Bonnie carefully took the tray and made her way upstairs. Thankfully the tray wasn't too heavy so she was able to knock on Serena's door without putting the tray down.
'What do you want?' echoed a sullen voice from inside the room.
'I've got breakfast' exclaimed Bonnie cheerfully.
'Thanks but no thanks. I'm not hungry' she answered without opening the door.
Bonnie frowned. This was harder than she thought.
'Come on Serena, you need to eat. Besides, it's really yummy, I've got pancakes' she reasoned trying to entice Serena to open the door. From inside her room Serena sighed and reluctantly opened the door revealing a cheerful Bonnie with the tray of food. Serena took one look at Bonnie's cheerful face and knew it would be pointless arguing with her.
'Alright Bonnie, come in' she said in a bored tone. Bonnie entered the room which she noticed was a lot darker when the curtains were drawn. She placed the tray on Serena's desk and casually observed Serena who looked quite tired and depressed, a complete parallel from the spirited girl she had met last night.
'Serena, did you sleep at all last night?' asked Bonnie concernedly upon noticing the dark circles around Serena's eyes.
'Does it matter?' replied Serena stabbing her fork into a pancake. Bonnie wasn't sure if she liked this version of Serena.
'What's the matter with you Serena? I liked you much more last night' stated Bonnie taking a seat on her cold bed. Serena failed to respond for a few moments only continuing to eat her food. After taking a sip of juice she turned around to face Bonnie. Apparently the food had brought back some energy because she looked slightly less tired.
'Don't worry about it Bonnie. I'm fine, I was just tired' she explained wearily although she still managed to smile at the little girl. Bonnie wasn't quite convinced by her explanation but conceded to herself that what Serena needed right now was rest. She was certainly in no state to answer questions.
'Alright, but promise me you'll get some sleep' implored Bonnie standing up. Serena nodded gratefully and turned back to finish her breakfast. Bonnie frowned but did not say anything. She left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
I hope she'll be alright' thought Bonnie as she walked back down the stairs.
Meanwhile
The bus had taken a sharp turn left towards Mt Silver, one of the most gruelingly harsh places in Kanto. This was the mountain that had previously been the dividing line between Kanto and Johto but as Johto had now been completely annexed by Kanto the mountain had also fallen under their control.
'Whoa…' breathed Tracy who stared in awe at the colossal mountain looming above them. Ash and Gary on the other hand were undaunted by the massive structure and instead became more determined than ever to prove themselves worthy … and there was certainly no better place to do that than Mt Ember.
'Hey Ash, didn't Red come here to train a while ago?' asked Gary, recalling Red's strange period of absence a couple of years before he left to study pokémon in Sinnoh. As far as he remembered, Red had come here to train in the hopes of becoming stronger and forging a more powerful bond with his pokémon.
'Yep, that's Red for you' replied Ash staring at the summit that seemingly rose into the heavens.
Suddenly the bus halted to a sudden stop sending everyone head first into the seat in front of them.
'That bus driver's going to be toast when I'm finished with him' muttered Gary spitefully while rubbing his aching head. Ash, who was also rubbing a bump on his head, couldn't agree more.
'Eh… sorry about that folks, she's an old gal' apologized the bus driver who was scratching his head, a sheepish expression on his face.
Gary was about to insult the bus driver's incompetence when suddenly the doors earning total silence from the occupants of the bus. Ash had to crane his neck to see who it was. Onto the bus stepped a tall tanned man with spiky hair and extremely thin eyes, which were more or less slits. He wore a commander's uniform which was neatly ironed and straightened without any creases. On his uniform hung the boulder badge. Ash realized who the man was but did not give him any sign of recognition. The recruits started to whisper among themselves, some in excitement from realizing who he was and others in confusion for the opposite reason.
'Hey Ash, do you think he can see at all?' joked Gary nudging Ash in the ribs.
'Recruits' cut in the man before Ash could retort. The chatter instantly ended and all eyes turned to the stranger.
'My name is Commander Brock and for the next few months I will be guiding you through your journey from everyday civilians to Kanto's finest soldiers. While you are here you are expected to maintain the utmost level of discipline and self – control. Behave and you will find that your experience here can be pleasant. Misbehave or break a rule and you will wish that you were rather a prisoner in the Sinnohian Union than a citizen of Kanto' he warned, satisfied with the panicked looks on the faces of the new recruits.
'Do I make myself clear?' he asked crisply. He frowned deeply when no one responded.
'I said, do I make myself clear?!' he yelled, snapping the men back into attention.
'Yes sir!' they echoed quickly in unison.
'Good, now get out this bus and give me one hundred push – ups!' he yelled. The boys quickly filed out with Ash, Gary and Tracy taking the rear.
'Not you three' he said blocking the exit. The boys exchanged confused looks.
'I need you three to come with me' he said escorting them outside. Before Brock left the bus he turned and flipped a golden coin for the bus driver to catch.
'Thanks Old Man' he said politely. Although it might have sounded disrespectful to strangers that is indeed what the bus driver preferred to be addressed as: Old Man, the old man of Viridian City.
'Not a problem Brock, you just get those young' ins into tip top form and bring home the victory alright' he said while starting the bus.
'Will do sir, will do' he answered as the bus rolled off back towards the city. The three boys were forced once again to exchange confused looks with each other but thought it best not to question their commanding officer's actions.
'Alright boys, this way' he said motioning for the boys to follow him. They followed him to a nearby compound which they guessed acted as a base of operations for the training camp. Inside were numerous maps of Kanto as well of occupied Johto and Kalos. Tracy marveled at the craftsmanship of the maps, imagining what it would be like for his maps to go up there someday. Gary and Ash were not as engrossed by the maps as Tracy instead noticing the numerous poke balls lining the shelves of the compound.
Brock took a seat at his desk which was covered with papers and files that he had been going through before the bus had arrived. In addition to that was a lamp which stood next to a framed picture containing Brock and a host of other individuals which they guessed must be his family.
Only Ash however noticed the three files positioned exactly in front of where Brock was sitting. Each of the files, which were marked confidential were labelled with their full names. Ash assumed that they must have been their government issued information files, which were introduced by Giovanni as a method of keeping control over the people.
'So' began Brock, carefully observing the three confused boys.
'Do you three know why you are here and not doing push – ups with the rest of your peers outside?' he asked casually. All three shook their heads, preferring not to speak.
'Well then I won't keep you in the dark. You see boys, each of you have specialized skills that our Supreme Leader thinks can be put to good use' he explained. For the third time that day the boys exchanged confused looks with each other. Brock rolled his eyes at their confusion.
Arceus help us
'You, Mr Tracy Sketchit, have proven yourself to be a master cartographer. You come highly recommended by Giovanni University' he complimented looking at Tracy.
'T – Thank you sir' mumbled Tracy nervously.
'And you, Gary Oak. Well, we all know who your grandfather is and he believes that there is no better pokémon biologist in the world than you' he stated calmly.
Gary puffed out his chest with pride.
'Gramps thought me everyone I know but of course I couldn't have made his work look any better without having the raw natural talent first' he stated brashly.
'Yeah, I'll bet' said Brock sarcastically before turning to Ash.
'And you Mr Ketchum… well, you know as well as anyone of what your father and older brother have achieved. But your file tells me that you are also a master of stealth and reconnaissance, strange I must admit but useful all the same. We are expecting big things from you Ash'
'I won't let you down sir' exclaimed Ash confidently. Brock genuinely smiled at Ash's enthusiasm, it reminded him of Red when he was here.
'That's the spirit Ash. Now that you understand, I need you to listen extremely carefully' he whispered. He marched over to the door and made sure it was secure before returning to his seat.
'Because of your skills you three are going to skip basic training. You are all being sent off on special missions where your skills can be applied to good use' he explained slowly, making sure every word was understood.
'Gary and Tracy, you two will be going undercover to the Sinnohian Union. Once there, Tracy, you will be required to map as much of the country as you can. I know it is a particularly large country but we are only asking you to get a layout of the land. For some reason we seem to be lacking any proper maps of Sinnoh. Are you up to the task?' he inquired of Tracy.
'Of course sir' affirmed the young map maker.
'As for you Mr Oak, we understand that you have experience with the Sinnohian pokémon. Well we want you to go back and document the entire Sinnoh pokedex excluding mythical pokémon of course. What we are really looking for are their strengths and weaknesses, do you accept this mission?' he asked seriously.
'I'll do whatever it takes' he answered. Brock frowned.
'Sir' he added quickly appeasing Brock.
'And what about me sir, what is my mission?' asked Ash, hoping that this would his chance to truly prove himself.
'Ash, you are to travel to occupied Kalos where you will help local authorities crush a rising insurgency in one of the main strategic towns under our control. We need you to integrate into the town, find out whose leading this resistance movement and crush them. Do you understand?' he asked straightening the papers on his desk.
'Yes sir, I will not fail' he assured to both Brock and himself.
Alright Ketchum, this is it. This is your chance to prove yourself.
'Excellent, we are placing you in the household of one of the local collaborators where we feel would be a good place to gain information from'
Ash nodded in understanding.
'Each of your missions will last for one month and will commence tonight. We are taking no chances here boys' he said standing up.
'Um sir, forgive me for asking but, although I understand Ash's mission, I don't quite understand the necessity of ours' pondered Tracy, puzzled by their odd mission.
'Sorry boys but that's on a need to know basis' said Brock knowingly without showing a trace of emotion.
'You are to report back here with your things at 19:00 hours. But for now you are dismissed' he added while opening the door for them. The boys saluted and leaved in single file formation.
Ash's mind was abuzz with excitement and anticipation, so much so that he didn't even notice the concerned whispers of Gary and Tracy as they contemplated a reason for their unique mission.
I'm ready, I'm gonna be the very best, like no one ever was!
Meanwhile
A few hundred miles of the coast of occupied Kalos lay the island nation of Hoenn, whose people much like Kalos before them were fearing an invasion from Kanto.
In one particular household in Petalburg City the television blared at full volume enrapturing the family of four sitting in front of it. On the couch sat Norman with his arms crossed, a grim expression plastered on his face along with his wife Caroline who looked extremely worried with her hands covering her mouth. On the next sofa sat their daughter May who looked on with shock and seated on the floor was her little brother Max who looked almost as grim as his father. They had just turned on the TV to listen to the announcement being made about the Kalosian surrender.
'Breaking news from the continent. We have just received word that Kalos has signed an official document detailing their surrender to the Kantonian High Command. Earlier yesterday in the ruins of the devastated capital of Lumiose, General Lance made the announcement that Kalos had subsequently surrendered'
The family gasped in horror as they watched the footage of the Kantonian flag being placed atop Lumiose Tower.
'Prime Minister Stone has urged all citizens to remain calm in these troubling times. He has declared for all citizens to buckle down for a long war' she stated. A video of Hoenn Prime Minister Steven Stone appeared. He took looked grim and tired as well, most likely from the stress of handling the events of the last few days.
'We have received an ultimatum from Kantonian Supreme Leader, Giovanni stating that unless we submit to unconditional surrender our cities will be burnt to the ground' he said slowly as if every word in the sentence was doing him physical harm.
'We will never surrender to those barbarians' declared Norman loudly. His family felt his determination and resolved themselves to stay strong as well.
'We are facing troubling times my friends. Not since the Great War twenty two years ago has Hoenn faced such danger. But I stand before all of you to remind you that we beat the Kantonians once, and we can do it again!' he stated proudly. 'We shall never surrender!' he openly declared, insinuating a direct challenge to Kanto.
All around Hoenn families cheered at home and in the streets and from his office in Saffron City, Giovanni also listened with great interest.
Very well then, they have brought this upon themselves. I absolve myself of the destruction that is about to befall Hoenn… I am guiltless' he thought before turning the television off to continue reading his novel.
'We won't lose!' yelled Max confidently. 'Right dad?' he asked determinedly turning to his father.
'That's right son, we'll give those Kantonians what for!' he cried just as enthusiastically. Caroline and May exchanged amused looks with each other.
They truly had no idea what was coming.
Meanwhile
By 18:45 hours the boys were packed and ready to go, eagerly awaiting their departure. At precisely 19:00 hours sharp, Brock appeared from the compound. He looked to see if they were prepared. Satisfied, he nodded and asked them to enter.
'Alright boys, this is it. Gary and Tracy, you two will be posing as tourists so we have cleared your passports and given you enough currency to suffice for at least two months in case of an emergency. You will be transported to the border where you will board a ferry to the Sinnohian Battle Frontier before taking another ferry to the mainland. Any details you need to be reminded of and all communication equipment is in this suitcase' he stated handing Gary a black suitcase. It wasn't very heavy but the technology inside would ensure that a secure communications line was always present and that was all that mattered.
'As for you Ash, you will be driven to the outskirts of the Kalosian town in secret. Once there two guards will pretend to apprehend you and will then 'escort' you to the residence where you will be staying. You know your mission from there. Unfortunately, because you may be surrounded by hostile company we will not be giving you any communication equipment. Any messages you wish to send will be transferred through one of the elite guards protecting the house' he explained.
'I hope you all understand the importance of your respective missions' boys. The future of Kanto is rests on your shoulders. From now on you are no longer children, you are soldiers' he stressed.
The three young soldiers saluted and marched out of the room where two black cars were waiting for them.
'Well I guess this is goodbye for now' mentioned Ash. Tracy and Gary only now seemed to realize that Ash wasn't coming with them.
'Well Ashy Boy, I wish you the best of luck. Don't get yourself killed out there alright?' he said giving Ash a brotherly hug.
'Ha, I think it is I who should be worried about you. Don't run your mouth in Sinnoh Gary, you know what happens to smart asses there' Ash teased before turning to Tracy. Gary smirked at his friends' comeback.
'Well Tracy it was nice meeting you, I'm sure we'll meet again soon. I wish you all the best of luck' smiled Ash, shaking Tracy's hand.
'Thanks Ash, I hope you succeed as well' added Tracy. Ash smiled one last time at the pair before entering his car which drove off immediately. Gary and Tracy waved as the black vehicle dissipated into the night.
'Well we better get going as well' intoned Gary. Tracy nodded and the two entered their car which sped off in the opposite direction.
'Arceus speed men, Arceus speed' muttered Brock as he heard the cars leave.
Meanwhile
Serena awoke from her slumber feeling much better after her long rest. Her anger had evaporated into thin air and she felt a general mood of well – being. But along with this uplifting feeling, she also felt quite guilty. She remembered how she had treated her mother the previous night and this made her feel ashamed of herself. It wasn't her mother's fault that she was rebellious.
I should really apologize to her' she thought.
She looked at the time and assumed that her mother would still be awake. After all it wasn't that late and her she knew her mother to be quite the night nocturne. She slowly opened her door which opened into the brightly lit corridor and then silently made her way downstairs. Her mother was clearing the dinner table. Clemont and Bonnie were absent so she assumed that they must have turned in for the night.
'Mom' Serena whispered. Grace spun around in surprise.
'Serena, honey, what's wrong' asked Grace concernedly upon seeing her daughter's guilty expression which she mistook for illness. She ran up to her daughter and felt her forehead before wrapping her in a big hug.
Serena almost pushed her away out of shame. She didn't deserve this, not after the way she had treated her only mother.
'Mom I'm sorry' she sobbed into Grace's shoulder. Grace was startled by her actions but understood completely.
'Shhh, it's alright sweetie, I should've known how you would feel. I'm sorry too' she admitted, allowing a tear to roll down her cheek.
'Can you ever forgive me mom?' asked Serena desperately.
'Of course honey, you're my daughter. Nothing will ever stop me from loving you' soothed Grace who was just happy that her daughter was talking to her again.
Just then the doorbell rang for the second time in two days. Grace was tempted to ignore it but she knew that if there were Kantonians at the door then the consequences of ignoring their authority would be… severe to say the least.
She opened the door to see the two soldiers that normally guarded her house holding a young man by both of his arms.
'What is the meaning of this?!' barked Grace.
'You've got another refugee from Lumiose. Make sure he's taken good care of' warned the soldier.
Grace took one look at the young man struggling in the soldiers' grasp and was overwhelmed with pity.
'Of course, please sweetie come in' she gestured, herding the young man inside the house. She gave the soldiers a hard look before slamming the door in their face. The soldiers snickered before marching back to their posts.
Serena watched as the young man entered the house with interest. He was handsome, there was no doubt about that but there was also an air of mystery surrounding him which intrigued the young women. He gave her a toothy smile causing her to blush furiously.
Get a hold of yourself, you don't even know him' she thought angrily to herself. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to say hello.
'Hi, I'm Serena. It's nice to meet you' she said shaking his hand. 'What's your name?' she inquired of the handsome stranger. He grinned again showing off his sparkling white teeth causing Serena's' heart to flutter.
'Hi my name is Ash, Ash Ketchum'
Chapter done! Ash has finally met Serena and what do you know, she already has a soft spot for him. How will develop in the future. And why are Gary and Tracy going undercover in Sinnoh? If you think you know why, then don't hesitate to shout out your guess. Also, if you know anything about history I think it is pretty clear about what period of time this story is modeled on. If you think you know that it as well then give it a go. But that is all for now. Until next time!