Poke-genetics: family reunion
She could see the look of incredulity, of restrained horror that was quickly spreading to the few that could still hear her. Goodness, this was how good it felt to crush enemies? No wonder so many people turn bad. She took a mental note to tell her boss about this; it may be useful.
But no matter, she had something to do.
«Seize every single one of them. We'll… »
She stopped, a flaring light caught her attention.
The blonde woman turned around, carefully trying to identify the source of that orange light.
Her followers heard her quickly give an order.
«Everyone! Take out your water types now! »
As they obeyed, they saw a figure walking toward them in a slow motion.
«What is that…? » asked one of the woman's subordinate.
She didn't know the answer. It looked like a monkey pokemon, but she never saw one like that before. While it was walking in a sloppy manner, the intense flame on its head was not weak at all.
From her right, she heard another pokemon yell.
«PIKA! PI PIKACHU!»
The fire pokemon moved so fast it startled her. It raised its head and faced them. Without losing a heartbeat, it opened its mouth and spat fire.
«EVERYONE USE WATER ATTACKS! » she ordered as fast as she could.
The wall of fire met their pokemon's water attacks in a blast of boiling steam. They shielded their faces and body as well as they could.
For a moment, she lost sight of their targets. «Hum… this was unexpected… » she thought. «But it doesn't really matter; our superior numbers will be enough to ensure victory. Not to mention the level of fatigue that plagues their ranks. »
When her vision was cleared, she noticed the disappearance of the cornered Team Blast captain. In spite, she bit her lips. He would have been a valuable hostage and source of information.
In the end, she shook her shoulders. It wasn't that big of a loss if the others members were still in her hands… and they were.
While half the pokemon had disappeared in the same fashion, both the members of Team Rocket and of Team Blast were still lying on the ground, just like a minute ago.
She hid her smirk behind her command.
«Tie them up; we'll see what we can get from them later. »
Pensive, she wondered about those pokemon. They were clearly not Team Blast's pokemon as they fought them and it was the same for Team Rocket, so… whose pokemon were they?
His body felt sore. His countershield had drained the last of his strength; now just walking was painful. But more than his physical pain, it was Ash's pride that was hurting the most. They had failed!
As soon as Infernape had unleashed its flamethrower, powered by his Blaze ability, that guy from Team Blast had jumped out of the way… and ran to Blackbird. Without giving time to any of Ash' s or Gary's pokemon to react, he called a Mr Mime and disappeared with the item he was holding.
Ash felt like punching trees right and left… or at least he would was he not so tired.
«Ash… » a voice from his left came to his ears.
«I'm fine, Gary! » he shrugged off rudely. «I…I'm… fine… »
He felt his eyes close as the darkness numbed his body, claiming him.
His body was lifted carefully by human hands.
«You really give everything your all… even if it hurts you. »
Without any other word, he led the pokemon back to Pallet Town.
The next day, rumors rose from the cities. A new team had appeared they said. Men and women in green and white trying to eliminate Team Blast were spotted in a few places. While anything that could threaten Team Blast was to be cheered, some feared they'd be as dangerous as them… if not worse.
Those words seemed carried by the winds, as they spread through Kanto faster than any other rumor before.
It even reached down the darkest places…
«Another Team? Ridiculous! » a man shouted.
«Shut up, Elliot. » a woman next to him ordered.
«Don't tell me what to do, Elizabeth! »
«Both of you, knock it off. » a third person interjected.
This time, the man stopped talking. It was Sarah, their team leader and Elizabeth's friend. Even in prison, hierarchy was something that members of Team Blast had to respect.
The black-haired woman didn't even look at the two quarrelling teammates. She knew they'd obey her orders as soon as she uttered them. It was like that in Team Blast… or it had been.
Sarah sighted. She missed Marco. That man… that man had changed her life and her friend's life for the better… but he was sick. Nailed to a bed… where she had visited him multiples times. Every single time, he had been unconscious, healing from the injury he had gotten from his fight with Giovanni.
But the more she thought about it, the more confused she was. How could he have gotten injuries when Giovanni had been neutralized? Had the man fought back in desperation?
Even then it could not have been that serious.
Janes's had refused to talk and as her superior, Sarah didn't have the right to interrogate her. She had always been suspicious of the teary tale she had first given. Everyone knew she was a complete sadist… and the number one authority in field missions. She was the equivalent of Captain Seriza when it came to direct actions. She was not number two in Team Blast for nothing…
Sarah had kept her mouth shut, but in the darkness of her cell, she could freely let her doubts loose. Their true leader was not sick like Jonathan Avery had pretended. She knew that much and she wanted to act on that intuition.
Team Blast was not Team Blast without Marco Blaze leading it.
«Good grief… you kids can't stop quarrelling when I'm not around, can you? » a familiar voice interrupted her train of thoughts.
They all recognized her.
«Captain Seriza! »
Delia walked to her son's room, checking on his pink pokeball. When Gary had come back with her son in his arms, she didn't lose time and put him back in his healing pokeball. It was in time like this that she realized how inconsequent it was for their town not to have a pokemon center or a hospital. She couldn't thank Mew enough for that healing pokeball. While Professor Oak had some knowledge in that field, the item was much more efficient.
As she examined it, she realized it was no longer glowing. Smiling, she opened it, letting out her son. When he materialized, he stretched out, as if he had been sleeping.
«Huuum… I've passed out, didn't I? » he said with a tired voice.
Noticing the scent of his mother, he turned around.
«Mom! » he exclaimed as he jumped in her arms.
«I'm glad you're alright. » she whispered to his ears.
Ash hid a faint smile. No matter how badly things were turning out, he still had people to cheer him up.
When she loosened her grip, he asked her.
«What happened, mom? I fell unconscious in the woods… I think. »
For some reason, he thought he saw a hint of pain in her eyes, but that impression disappeared quickly. With a bright smile, Delia put him on his bed and sat down. There, she put her hands in her pocket and took out a small device.
«Here, I bought this for you yesterday. This is an electronic notebook. You can use it to talk with anyone you want to. The best thing is you can hang it around your neck with its cord. »
Touched by the gift, he whispered a grateful «thanks».
«Try it. » his mom encouraged.
Controlling his shaking paws, he typed his first message.
«Oh, Ash, you know it's the least a mother can do. » she said while rubbing his hair.
«I still want to thank you. »
«In that case, I'll accept it, my cute little hardheaded son. »
The nickname made him chuckle lightly. This was so… perfect. No pain, no conflict, just enjoying a little bit of peace with his one the people he loved. If only it could last forever…
But it couldn't. Team Blast had gotten what they shouldn't… and he had no idea what it was.
«Mom… what happened while I was in my pokeball? »
Her smile faded as she explained the situation to her son.
«When Gary brought you here, you were wounded. Your ribs had taken a nasty hit and I put you back in your healing pokeball. Your other pokemon are resting; some were hurt pretty badly. You've been in your pokeball for the past twelve hours. During that time, I've heard something strange. A new team has appeared and is striking down any place with a link to Team Blast. I'm not sure if this is true. »
«It's true. » Ash wrote bitterly.
«Really? »
«They attacked us when we were fighting the other Teams. »
Delia suddenly lost the last of her brightness and looked in deep thoughts.
«You met them yesterday and there are already rumors about them circulating… I wonder how much they did to get themselves known so quickly. »
The thought made him shiver. How much had they actually done for them to be known in the space of a day? He was glad he was not their targets. That was a nice change of habits.
Before either him or Delia could elaborate on that thought, they heard the sound of a ringing doorbell.
«I'm coming. » Delia said loudly, hoping to be heard by the people waiting downstairs.
Curious, Ash followed her. Nowadays, people always had reasons to do things. It was probably a side-effect of the whole conflict with Team Blast they had to deal with.
Delia reached for the doorknob and turned it around, opening the door and revealing who was behind it.
Ash froze.
The ones he wanted to see the most were standing in front of him!
« Misty, Pikachu! »
Misty and Pikachu looked like they had been struck by lightning. However, as they saw Ash ran toward them, their shock was washed away by a relief so big their knees gave in.
Delia looked with delight as her son was reunited with his love and his best friend.
Tears flowed as the joy overwhelmed them, a moment of pure happiness. For as Ash missed them and felt guilty to leave them, Pikachu and Misty had to fight the horrible thought of him being dead. They had to cling to feeble hopes and hints of contradictions.
Not anymore.
Oblivious to all those strange thoughts, a little pokemon climbed down from Pikachu's back with a curious «Chu? ».
The noise immediately caught Ash's attention. A small yellow head appeared from behind Pikachu.
«ALEX! » Ash yelled, unable to contain his emotions.
The pichu's eyes were lit by comprehension as he recognized his father. With a «Chu! » filled to the utmost with happiness, he ran to his father and jumped on him.
Ash hugged his son with as much affection he could muster. There were no words to express how glad he was to feel his son's presence at his sides… nor to express how guilty he felt for fighting selfishly.
«I'm sorry, Alex. Dad should not have left you so selfishly. I'm sorry. » he repeated in a whisper.
«Chuuuu! Ch… c… Dad. »
Ash's heart missed a beat. Had… had he heard right? Had his son, his Alex, called him Dad? Had his son said his very first word?
His mouth wide open, he shot a stunned look at Pikachu who only smiled and nodded.
Having never felt so proud before, Ash rose his son over his head and smiled tenderly at his giggling pichu of a son.
He felt two soft hands find their places on his shoulders and their warmth was another drop of perfection to add to this moment. Delia and Misty couldn't tell what happened, but the look on both Ash's and Pikachu's faces were more than enough to understand how wonderful this had to be for him.
Not wanting to be left out, Pikachu punched Ash's jaw friendly, winking.
«Congratulation, Ash. »
«Thanks, Pikachu… it's… wow, I'm… I'm really touched. » he tried to say with a shaking voice.
«Take it easy… and cheer that moment. Pichus learns quickly how to become talkative. You won't feel that way in a few years. »
His laugh joined Alex's.
Delicately, Delia's hand reached for the pichu. Curious, the little pokemon sniffed the human that was close to him. Oblivious to the attention of others, he sneezed at the flowery perfume and tried to lick it.
«Aren't you the cutest pichu on earth? » Delia said brightly.
«He sure is. » Ash confirmed with a proud nod.
The «cutest pichu on earth» suddenly had a weird look. He put his chubby paws on his belly and complained with another «chu». Not a second later, a growling sound echoed in the corridor. Immediately, Alex started to cry, hungry.
Delia held her laugh quite well and simply said:
«Come in the kitchen, we'll get something for this hungry little pokemon. Can he eat solid food?»
At the question, Pikachu simply frowned and tilted his head to the side. Alexchu had not started, but he was old enough to try.
«Oh, it doesn't matter and he'll decide. »
As his mother made her way to the kitchen, Ash whispered to his son's ears alone.
«Now, don't burp after you've eaten or grandma will get mad at Dad, okay? »
His only answer was another giggle and Ash couldn't help but grin.
He was panting heavily. Sitting on a stump, he was trying to catch his breath. Carrying the teen for so long had been a task to his limit. He could only thank nature for having put so many berry trees on his way… and somehow, he thanked whoever was responsible for such a heavy sleep. When he was awake, things could get… awkward extremely fast or stay still for lengthy periods of time. He simply hoped that there would be a good solution where he was going.
As his breathing finally stabilized, he stood up. It was best not to lose time. He knew that things weren't going well for his former team and he wanted to save its remains.
Getting out of his thoughts, he grabbed the sleeping teen and put him on his shoulders.
«Come on, I can already see the borders of Pallet Town. » he said to encourage himself.
With his burden on his back, Marco Blaze walked toward the one place he thought he'd never see again, the one place he sent letters and money for years, the one place he longed to get back, the one place his family had lived in.
As he got there, he was hit by a sudden anxiety. How was Delia going to react to his reappearance? How was Ash going to react? Did he even know he was his father?
That last thought almost made him turn around. Almost.
With a trembling hand, he reached for the doorbell.
The light hearted sound resonated in the hallway. It was so much like Delia to have a doorbell like that one. He literally jumped as he heard someone said:
«I'm coming! »
That… that was Delia's voice. It was such a beautiful melody to his ears. Her steps came as if synchronized with his pounding heart. His mouth felt dry and his knees were threatening to flinch.
The door opened, letting him finally see the woman he loved. The sight of her erased any thoughts he had. He... could finally see her again.
However, his joy was not shared. Delia's expression was full of defiance as she asked.
«Who are you? And why are you looking at me like that? »
It was like being hit by a Snorlax's Body slam. What a total, absolutely, freaking, idiot? He was not in his body and he was expecting her to recognize him. What a moron! However… that meant things were going to be even harder. He slowly opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated.
«Sir, if you have any business with me, say it. »she ordered.
«Lilia… » he whispered.
Delia felt her strength leave her. No… that was impossible. Her hands were clutching against her doorknob like a safety boat. That nickname… she hadn't heard it in years. It was… what Marco used to call her.
«You… » she blabbered.
«I… I'm sorry. » he could only say.
Something snapped inside Delia. It was a boiling feeling that was rising in her and threatening to overcome her. Pouring her anger in that single gesture, she slapped him.
«How… how could you? »
«I… » he tried to explain.
«You have brought so much suffering. »
«I was trying to protect you. » he pleaded, almost desperately.
«To protect me? » she repeated.
«And Ash. » he précised.
At that remark, Delia lost most of her anger.
«You would have done the same. »
Seeing her staying silent, he developed his point.
«We both know what we'd do for Ash. Team Blast is supposed to have sent moles disguised as Ash in lots of place, including here. It was one of the reasons I wanted to come… did he come? »
«Yes… »
«And did you let him have his way? »
«Stop this, Marco… » she asked, quietly.
«Lilia! Don't blame me for something you'd have done in my place! »
At that, he saw her anger returned.
«I may have done it, but I would not have forgiven myself… and don't expect me to forgive you.»
Those words were like a knife stabbing him in the heart. As painful as it was, he had to bring something to her attention.
«Thanks… at least I know you understand. That alone… means a lot. »
«Why are you here? » she demanded.
«It's… because of him. » he explained, designing the sleeping Genno on his back.
Her anger was replaced by curiosity. Was this the friend Ash had talked about? But… didn't he say he was with the gym leaders? This was a mystery that they better shed some light unto.
«Come in… and think before you talk. Ash is here. »
At the warning, Marco's heart skipped yet another beat. His son… that would be the first time he could speak to him face to face.
Their voices echoed in the hallway… or was it more one human voice? He could understand the pokemon as well, but there was a difference…
One of those voices, one of them, was his son's.
As if time had slowed down, he took a step inside the living room.
They were four: one teenage girl and three pokemon. Out of those, there was a peculiar pikachu. He knew it with just a look; that was Ash.
A pair of brown eyes met another and, for the first time in fourteen years, father and son looked at each other.