A/N: Whoa, sorry for the long wait, peeps! Time for a new chapter! ENJOY! :D
Ketchum Month Stadium
Ketchum City
Enigma moaned as he felt his surroundings rush back to the forefront of his mind. Weakly, he looked up and saw all of his men lying unconscious, with the exception of Streak, who was directing his Noivern as it battled a Lucario wielding a bone-shaped staff of light-blue energy. His eyes then shifted towards a blue-haired Trainer and a group of Pokémon, all crowded around something he couldn't see. Mayor Harrington was nearby, struggling against his bonds.
Moaning again, he stood up with great difficulty and glanced out of the balcony, seeing, with immense relief, Ho-Oh still held to the battlefield of the stadium. However, his Sky Soldiers were being quickly overwhelmed by the civilians in the audience seats below; he knew he should've trained them better for combat. And now, all of the civilians were focusing their attention towards the devices tethering Ho-Oh, attempting to reach them, fighting against the efforts of the Sky Soldiers guarding them.
A growl escaped his mouth. He knew he should've trained them better. His New Sky Soldiers was immediately falling, and by the hands of motivated civilians...
Then, a roar pierced the air, stopping everyone in their tracks. Enigma followed everyone's gazes towards the sky, and spotted a white blur flying towards the stadium with its mighty wings, a reddish-orange flame trailing behind it. The white blur fired a large sphere of orange flames with two rings surrounding it at the helicopter that contained Curtis and several Sky Soldiers, hitting it and creating a violent explosion that engulfed the helicopter, but not before Enigma saw Curtis leap out and deploy an issued parachute. His eyes widened in surprise the moment the blur stopped, revealing a white dragon, but then, he smirked.
"Ten years, and it had to reappear today," he whispered to himself, blood trickling from his lip. "Reshiram..."
Just then, everyone heard another roar, much deeper and more menacing than Reshiram's roar. Everyone watched as a familiar black dragon flew into the stadium and landed directly in front of Ho-Oh. It lowered its head, a large sphere of light-blue energy forming in front of its forehead. The dragon then raised its head and slammed its head down onto one of the electrical chains that held Ho-Oh down, enabling it to break free from the other chain.
As Ho-Oh flew away from the battleground, Reshiram's body became encircled by multiple rings of red-yellow fire, and it opened its mouth, firing two separate streams of fire at the generating devices. The streams of fire hit the devices, its flames wrapping around it and trapping it in an orb of flames, internally destroying them.
"NO!" Enigma screamed as he watched the devices explode and send the remaining Sky Soldiers backward. "NO, NO, NO!"
Suddenly, he heard a crashing noise, followed by a short grunt of pain. He glanced over at his side and saw that Lucario knocked Noivern out before sending its body hurtling at Streak, knocking him out as well. Lucario then spotted Enigma and held out its paw, a light-blue sphere forming in front of it. Enigma knew that Lucario was going to attack it, and he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact of the Aura Sphere... He heard it fire...
But the impact never came. He opened his eyes and saw that the Cryogonal accompanying him recovered, the Shiny one now hovering in front of him, protecting him from the Aura Sphere. The Shiny Cryogonal then fired an Ice-type attack, forcing Lucario back from them. The Pokémon standing beside the blue-haired Trainer, led by a Pikachu, immediately engaged the Cryogonal in battle. Enigma seized this opportunity to flee the balcony.
As he did, only one thought crossed his mind.
"I failed you, Father..."
Hugh watched as Nate's Pokémon, as well as his own, plus the Pikachu and the Lucario, all battled the Cryogonal. He then spotted, through the railing of the balcony railing, a gigantic swarm of Cryogonal flooding inside the stadium, overwhelming civilians and Sky Soldiers alike and forcing them to evacuate the stadium in a chaotic stampede. He looked up to the sky and watched as Reshiram and Zekrom battled the Cryogonal swarm, while Ho-Oh flew in a strange pattern, looking badly wounded.
"How is he?" a voice asked, catching his attention.
With a cry of surprise, Hugh glanced at the newcomer. It was a young man who appeared to be around his late-twenties or early-thirties. He had unkempt raven-black hair and hollow auburn eyes. He was wearing shabby clothing consisting of a handmade (in Hugh's opinion) shirt and pants, a faded gray cloak, and a rather large hat, the latter being the first article of clothing that caught the Trainer's attention. It was blue and had a large brim that would've obscured the man's face if his head was lowered by another degree or two. There was a hint of a concerned frown as the man examined Nate, softly feeling one of the gashes left by Noivern's Bite.
The man closed his eyes, and he suddenly began to glow a light-blue aura. It then disappeared, and he shook his head gravely. Hugh's eyes widened.
"Is he...?" he asked.
"No," the man replied. His frown became more pronounced. "Strange... Why'd he call me here? After all of my efforts?..."
"What're you talking about?" Hugh asked.
The man didn't respond. Instead, he glanced at Pikachu and Lucario, both of whom had just noticed him.
"PIKAPI!" Pikachu cried, hopping onto the man's shoulder. However, the man didn't smile.
"I told you not to cause trouble, you two, over and over again."
"We are sorry, Master-"
"What have I told you about calling me 'Master', Lucario?"
"My apologies. But the boy was in trouble-"
"And this gives you every right to intrude into his personal affairs?" the man replied sternly, anger filling his face as he crossed his arms. The Pikachu looked guilty and nervous. "What have I told you two? Only interact with civilization when it involves getting food and supplies. No other interaction!"
"But the boy-"
"The boy will survive," the man interrupted unflinchingly.
"But, mister!" exclaimed Hugh. "My friend is seriously wounded here! You somehow knew about his condition, but he won't be alive for much longer! Please, help him!"
The man glanced at Hugh, studying him. His lips pursed, and his auburn eyes narrowed menacingly. Hugh prepared to call one of his Pokémon to aid him, but...
"Fine," he said. "But no Pokémon Center. He has to come to my home. And you're coming with me, young man." He gestured towards Hugh in signal before flicking his head towards Lucario. "We'll talk about this later." Lucario nodded, and the man looked at Pikachu, who also nodded in response.
Hugh didn't know what to say, and merely watched as the stranger lifted Nate's body into his arms. He didn't know why, but there was an aura of trustworthiness in the man, no matter how strange and mysterious he was. In fact, this aura of trustworthiness felt a little familiar...
"Are you coming?" the man asked, looking at Hugh.
Hugh knew he had no choice. He glanced at his Pokémon and Nate's, who were still holding back the Cryogonal.
"Guys, we're outta here!" he shouted.
"Are you alright, Father?" Curtis asked as Enigma ran up to him as fast as he could. The two were currently outside of the Ketchum Month Stadium, blending in with the stampeding civilians. Chaos had just broken out, with civilians flooding the walkways of Ketchum City, screaming in fear as Cryogonal began to invade the city.
"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?!" roared Enigma furiously. He then looked at the stadium, where the roars of Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem could be heard.
"What should we do?" asked Curtis cautiously, wary of Enigma's anger.
"We retreat..." The syndicate leader looked at the ground, and Curtis couldn't read his father's expression. "And we initiate the backup plan..."
"It is an utmost pleasure to see you again, my dear Brother," said Zekrom as it fired an Electric-type attack at several advancing Cryogonal. "Where in Arceus's name have you been for the past decade? Under great leisure at your own expense?"
"Just traveling for truth, Zekrom," Reshiram replied as it repelled attacking Cryogonal with a Fire-type attack, defeating many of them. "What is Ho-Oh's status?"
"The devices the evil humans used on him have severely wounded him. It is necessary to relocate him somewhere for protection." Zekrom's head shifted for a fraction of an inch as it sensed an almost supernatural feeling that provoked all of its senses. "We take Ho-Oh to him."
"Him? I thought he had perished sparing Ho-Oh from certain death?"
"Arceus has recently informed me that we were misled. Now, we guide Ho-Oh-"
Suddenly, Reshiram's eyes narrowed as it sensed something approach. "Wait, Brother. He is here..."
"Greetings, my dear Brethren," a new voice, laced with a tone of malice, greeted. Reshiram and Zekrom both looked behind them and saw none other than Kyurem hovering behind them. The three dragons began to circle over the stadium in midair; the Cryogonal swarm began to retreat, while Ho-Oh took cover at a corner of the stadium, recovering from its sustained injuries. A chuckle escaped Kyurem as it shifted slightly.
"Kyurem, we know of your intentions for affiliating yourself with the evil humans," said Zekrom in warning. "Reshiram and I advise against it, for any and all resulting consequences shall culminate in the destruction of the planet you swore to protect. We urge you to abandon all selfish pride and listen to sense."
At the corner of Reshiram's eye, it spotted five blurs, four colored purple and the fifth colored red, whizzing into the stadium and escorting Ho-Oh away. It then focused its full attention back at Kyurem as its yellow eyes glowed brighter menacingly, a sign of its escalating fury.
"The Fairy type is emerging, and gaining dominance over the almighty Dragon type," replied Kyurem nastily. "That, I shall not allow..."
"You are defying the oath Arceus assigned you, a punishable offense," Reshiram warned. "Surrender, and we shall testify for your amnesty to Arceus."
"Arceus, Arceus, Arceus." The Boundary Pokémon chuckled again, with more malice this time as its yellow eyes glinted in the sunlight. "Tell me, my dear Brethren, what has the almighty Arceus done as of late that can be deemed as trustworthy? Hm? ...Enlighten me."
Hilda, Kelly, and Cheren were in the lead when the ran onto the balcony, followed quickly by the others ran onto the balcony. There, they were greeted by the sight of unconscious Sky Soldiers and their Pokémon. In the corner, they spotted Mayor Harrington, who was still struggling against his bonds.
"Mayor Harrington!" exclaimed Marina, running up to him and untying him.
"WHAT IN ARCEUS'S NAME IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BRASS?!" screamed Harrington madly, spit flying out of his mouth as the corner of his eye twitched. He pointed at her in an accusing manner, prompting Jimmy to stand between the mayor and his wife. "IS THIS PART OF THE TOURNAMENT PROMOTION?!"
"No, it isn't," Cheren said calmly as he marched up to Harrington and stared him down. "This was an attempt by a criminal syndicate to ascend to power. They are the Sky Soldiers, and they would have likely led to the destruction of this world." His eyes narrowed darkly as Harrington began to shrink in fear and intimidation. "Now you tell me, Mr. Mayor, who battled these Sky Soldiers and knocked all of them and their Pokémon out? It obviously wasn't your work."
The mayor's face turned a dark shade of scarlet, and he gritted his teeth as he mumbled almost incoherently, "That damn boy who nearly destroyed the bell tower..."
"Nate?!" Kelly exclaimed, stepping forward. "Is he okay?! Where is he?!"
"That strange Pokémon over there." Harrington pointed at the unconscious Noivern, who still had blood dripping from its jaws. "It took a bite out of him."
Everyone gasped in horror, and Hilda pushed Cheren aside as she grabbed Harrington's shoulders and shook him angrily.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" she screamed. "TELL ME THAT'S NOT TRUE!"
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME NOW," Harrington snapped, "OR I'LL HAVE YOU ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT ON THE MAYOR OF KETCHUM CITY!"
"Mr. Mayor," Cheren said, still in a calm tone, "I'd hate to say this, but it appears you're no longer in charge."
"Huh?..." Harrington glared at the Gym Leader stupidly.
Cheren's eyes narrowed again as he explained, "Swarms of Cryogonal have run amok throughout Ketchum City. Your civilians have gone into a frenzied panic. Ho-Oh is severely wounded, and if it dies, an unimaginable force of destruction will be unleashed, a force that will send this world into nothing more than absolute oblivion. And if you don't tell us what happened to Nate or not, then I swear to Arceus that before we all die, I shall let the civilians that you have served for so long know that you were succumbed to cowardice and failed to disclose this important information. Now, do us a favor and talk, Mr. Mayor."
Harrington growled nastily at Cheren's threat before replying, "Some homeless guy came here, checked on the kid, and then fled with him, another kid that was there, and their Pokémon. Those two kids are responsible for defeating those lunatics you call Sky Soldiers."
"A homeless guy?" asked Dawn.
"What'd he look like?" Lyra replied, suddenly feeling a new sense coming to her.
"Don't know. He wore a really large hat. I couldn't see his face. ...He did have spiky black hair..."
Just then, a explosion threw everyone backward. Tory was the first to recover, and he looked out of the balcony. Plusle and Minum both gasped.
"Guys!" he cried. "Check this out!"
Everyone crowded around the balcony railing and gasped in shock. Reshiram and Zekrom were battling against Kyurem.
Before they could see the battle in full detail, they saw a blimp flying across the sky, directly above the stadium. The familiar purple R logo adorned both sides. A ladder unfurled from the side of the blimp vehicle, and everyone watched as Meowth climbed down the ladder quickly.
"Quick, twoips!" he exclaimed. "Get in!"
"Welcome, viewers, to a special report from Johto TV. Almost 48 hours ago, during the first day of the Ketchum Month Tournament, a criminal organization calling themselves the Sky Soldiers took control of the Ketchum Month Stadium for under an hour, during which they attempted to capture the Rainbow Pokémon Ho-Oh, who was flying near the vicinity of the stadium for unspecified reasons. This is not the first time the Sky Soldiers have attempted to capture a Ho-Oh by force: ten years ago, an organization that bore the same name and modus operandi nearly destroyed the planet by capturing Ho-Oh and amplifying its power to dangerous levels, before being overthrown by Ash Ketchum.
"The Rainbow Pokémon was rescued from the would-be capture by none other than the Vast White Pokémon, Reshiram, who hadn't been seen in ten years, since the death of Ash Ketchum. Then, swarms of Cryogonal invaded the city, whilst Reshiram engaged in a battle against the Boundary Pokémon, Kyurem, alongside its partner, the Deep Black Pokémon, Zekrom. It's been confirmed that the Cryogonal are under Kyurem's servitude, as they have come to its defense multiple times.
"At this hour, the Cryogonal invasion and the battle between the three Unova dragons continues. Ketchum City, now in utter devastation, has now been evacuated, with the civilians being relocated over to the nearby Silver Town. Pokémon Rangers, who have rounded up most of the Sky Soldiers and put them under arrest, are presently working to remedy the unfolding situation. Stay tuned as we continue our live report coverage of the crisis at Ketchum City."
Unknown location
Nate's eyelids fluttered open, and he found himself staring at trees. A stinging pain dominated the forefront of his mind as he examined his surroundings, attempting to adjust to them. Though ice was coating the trunks and branches, the leaves remained intact, some of them even falling from their twigs of origin and fluttering down to the ground, all around the young Trainer. He slowly sat up and found Hugh sleeping, lying against a tree.
"Hugh?" he asked. However, the blue-haired Trainer didn't respond. So, Nate stood up, and as he did, he realized where the stinging pain was coming from: there was a number of homemade bandages wrapped around his arm and covering the wounds he suffered from the Noivern's Bite. Some of the bandages were stained crimson.
Adjusting the bandages a bit, Nate then examined his surroundings.
He appeared to be in a thicket. However, it seemed that the trees that constructed the thicket were all reshaped into a protective dome of sorts. Nate took a step back and felt his heel hit something solid. The Trainer looked at the ground and saw that it was a strange plate-like object with engraving on it. His curiosity peaking, Nate picked the object up, finding it to be surprisingly light for something so large and thick. He had to squint his eyes a little to read the engraving.
'From it, the Original One conceived the heart and the soul to balance the cycle of purity.'
"'From it, the Original One conceived the heart and the soul to balance the cycle of purity'," repeated Nate.
"Hands to yourself," a voice said. Nate turned around and saw a man standing in front of a small hole, likely the only way to get in and out of the thicket. The man was wearing a large hat, which obscured most of his face, but Nate could see he sported a crop of long, spiky jet-black hair. The man also wore shabby, clothing, giving off the appearance of some sort of hermit. The Trainer cautiously lowered the object back to the ground.
"Who are you?" asked Nate.
"The person who saved you," the man replied smoothly. "You also have your friend over there to thank for that." He pointed at the sleeping Hugh.
Nate looked at the bandages wrapped around his wounds, then back at the man. He smiled slightly and said, "Thanks, I guess."
"I only did it at their request," said the man, just as Lucario and Pikachu entered the thicket.
Nate's eyes widened in surprise as the realization hit him. "You're the Lucario's Trainer..."
The man cringed suddenly. "I don't think 'Trainer' is the proper title to refer me as. I prefer 'protector' better."
"You're not a Trainer?"
The man gazed at Nate seriously; the Trainer noticed that he had auburn eyes. "Why would I be?"
"About everyone I know is a Trainer."
The man scoffed. "Well then, I'm glad to know that I'm the first non-Pokémon Trainer you ever met."
Nate ignored the man's attitude and observed the thicket for a second time. He was very intrigued by the strange shape of the trees; it was as if they were shaped to be this way. It was like some sort of shield, designed to protect anyone inside from external forces. His eye wandered briefly to the plate-like object...
"Where are we?" Nate asked, facing the man again.
"My home. You and your friend were lucky enough to be allowed in here. No one else can come in here unless they were Pokémon."
Nate's eyes softened. He read about these kinds of people in Cheren's textbooks. Sometimes, there were some people who refused to interact with society, and as a result, they would retreat deep into the wilderness, where they lived off whatever they could possibly find, where Pokémon would be their only means of socialization. He also knew about how hostile these kinds of people would be. ...He didn't think he would meet this kind of person in his entire lifetime.
"Anyway," the man continued, "you're welcome. It wasn't in my checklist to save a person for today, but I did it for Lucario and Pikachu's sake."
"But you came on your own accord, A-" Lucario began, but the man held up a hand to silence the Aura Pokémon.
"I don't need to hear anything from you, Lucario. Now, you resume watching the community."
Lucario was silent for a moment. Then, he bowed and replied, "Yes."
Nate watched as Lucario left the thicket. He then looked at the man, whose Pikachu was now perched on his shoulder.
"Community, you say?" he asked.
For the first time he saw him, the man's lips curved into a slight smile. "Yes," he replied. "For years, I've spent my time taking Pokémon under their wing. Orphans, lost ones, anyone who is in need. And I've formed a little community with them. Pikachu, Lucario, and I are the leaders and supervisors."
"That's cool!" exclaimed Nate. "May...May I see this community?"
The man looked at him, surprised, while Pikachu looked surprisingly pleased. He observed Nate for a minute, then reluctantly nodded. "Sure, you may. Let's go."
"What about Hugh?" Nate looked at his friend's sleeping form.
"He'll know where to find us," the man replied. "We won't go that far." He approached the hole in the thicket and gestured towards it. "Come."
"Pika!" Pikachu said encouragingly.
Nate looked at the opening, seeing that light was coming out from it. It looked rather welcoming. Staring at the man, he nodded and approached the hole, making his way through it. Once he got out of the thicket, an explosion of light bombarded his eyes; he squinted as his eyes tried to adjust to the light.
Once they did, Nate fully opened his eyes...and gasped in awe.
He was standing in the middle of a large clearing. Though there was a fair amount of unnatural ice present, coating the otherwise fertile landscape, it didn't hinder the beauty of the waving grass blades and flowers. A small, short gust of wind blew across a still-growing dandelion, stripping the head of its seeds. These seeds floated across the air, being carried by the wind; they flew farther and farther into the air, some of them twirling around in small vortexes, making a show for themselves.
But that was only half of it. The thing that caught Nate's attention next, a few split-seconds later, were the Pokémon frolicking about the clearing happily, optimistically enduring themselves in the sparkles brought by the ice that coated some of the plants. A male and female Nidoran played as a Nidoking and Nidoqueen, obviously the youngsters' parents, watched on with delight. Several Butterfree and Ledian flew across the air. Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff bounced up and down from the taller blades of grass. A patch of Sunflora and Sunkern greeted Nate happily when he gazed at them. Three Miltank grazed peacefully at a distance. An Espeon sunbathed on the surface of a rock, while an Umbreon yawned as it slept soundly under the shade of the rock.
"Wow," Nate said, as the man stepped beside him. "I've never seen anything so peaceful..."
"Yes, nature is such an astounding beauty in its own right," replied the man softly, as Pikachu hopped off of its owner's shoulder and ran over to greet two Butterfree that were flying considerably low. Nate noticed that one of the Butterfree had a scarf wrapped around its neck, while the other was colored pink.
"They look happy." Nate gazed at all of the Pokémon. "They all look happy. Not a care in the world..."
"Something you deserve as well."
"Huh?" Nate looked at the man, who was staring at him seriously. "What do you mean?"
"I know what got you in those bandages in the first place. You've gotten yourself affiliated with matters that don't concern you. Matters that result in death. You don't have to get yourself involved. You can still pull out, while you still have your chance. Don't make the same mistake Ash Ketchum did."
"What do you know about Ash Ketchum?" the Trainer asked curiously.
The man looked away quickly. "Your friend told me everything," he replied in a voice that sounded...strange to Nate. However, the man continued speaking, looking at Nate again. "And I happen to know a thing or two about the so-called legend of Ash Ketchum. Like how he died, affiliating himself in matters that didn't concern him."
Nate frowned and replied defensively, "You're wrong. Whatever happened ten years ago...whatever is happening now...it DID concern him, and it concerns ME. We're connected to Ho-Oh in such a deep level, and it cannot be denied. I've come to accept the fact that I might die if I follow my destiny. But I also accept the fact that I've gotta do it, otherwise the world, and everyone and everything we know, will be destroyed. No one else can do it other than me. Ash knew that, and I know that."
The man sighed, shook his head, and looked back at the clearing, as the Pokémon continued playing, resting, or grazing.
"Do you also know that no matter how much you try to seek a regular life, it will never come to you?"
Nate raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," the man replied quickly.
"No, you had a reason to say that. Why did you say that?"
Then, Nate watched as Pikachu hopped back onto the man's shoulder, and became suspicious.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"No one special," the man replied calmly, as if this merely was a conversation between friends.
"Then how come you know so much about Ash Ketchum? There is no one who can know you better than...yourself..."
Nate's eyes widened in shock, and he took a couple of steps backward as the realization hit him, this time with the force of a thousand bricks. He felt himself bump into someone, but he didn't care who it was. All he cared about was how the dots were now all connected. The man's jet-black hair, which he saw in storybooks relating to Ash Ketchum; the auburn eyes, so much like his; the Pikachu that stood firmly on the man's shoulder with all of the trust in the world, just like the Pikachu depicted on the statue at the Ketchum Center... And most of all, the strange sense of trust that Nate held the moment he first saw the man...
"You're Ash Ketchum, aren't you?" Nate concluded.
"Master-" Lucario said, from behind Nate. However, the man held up his hand to silence the Aura Pokémon. Then, he removed his hat, revealing his face in full detail.
Nate stared into the face of his childhood hero.
"Hello...son..." greeted Ash hesitantly.
A local prison
Silver Town
Two days later
"Are you sure, Gary?" Misty asked as the Pokémon Professor approached the sliding door. "I mean, he hasn't spoken a word ever since...that time..."
"He led the original Sky Soldiers," replied Gary tersely. "These new Sky Soldiers operated in the exact same way as the original organization, the difference being their amateurish quality. Nevertheless, some of them got away, and no one knows the Sky Soldiers better than him."
"Why not let-"
"You know he can't. You saw him. He couldn't even step inside the prison. But I'll talk to him. I was the last person he spoke to before he went mute. I'll talk to him."
The last sentence was spoken solidly, with determination and assertion. Misty knew that she wouldn't be able to convince Gary otherwise, so she turned around, just as she heard the door slide open slowly. She walked away and reentered the waiting room, where the rest of the group waited.
"I take it that Gary's going through with it?" asked May.
Misty nodded silently in response before looking back at the doorway with concern.
At a local shelter
Rosa didn't know why everyone was ignoring her right now. ...Actually, she did know; after all, everyone was busy searching for Nate and Hugh, who hadn't been seen in the last two days since the incident at the Ketchum Month Stadium. However, every time she tried to talk them, they seemed to ignore her on purpose.
As if they had something to hide from her... But what?
Currently, she was sitting on a chair inside a tent, which was one of many at a shelter designed to house civilians of Ketchum City that were evacuated. A grimy mirror stood in front of her, and she stared at her reflection as she began to muse over Nate. Rosa felt that she needed to apologize to him, for having to eavesdrop his little monologue at the fountain. However, she also knew that Nate needed to apologize to her too; he didn't know why she tagged along with the group in the first place...
Just then, an image of an expansive, ice-coated field full of joyous, frolicking Pokémon flashed across her mind, followed by a familiar voice.
"Then how come you know so much about Ash Ketchum? There is no one who can know you better than...yourself..."
Rosa's eyes widened in surprise. "Nate?!" she exclaimed, turning around, expecting to see him there, but she found that she was still the only one in the tent.
She blinked in surprise and confusion before looking down at the ground.
"What just happened?" she thought. Then, her eyes widened again as a strange realization hit her.
Instinctively, Rosa stood up and left the tent. Outside, she found Kelly pacing around nervously, taking occasional fleeting glances at the sun as she did so.
"Ms. Brown?" asked Rosa.
"Huh? Rosa, what is it?" replied Kelly.
"I think I know where Nate might be..."
Temporary Cell #002318
The holding cell of Wayne Ketchum
"It's an honor to meet you in person, Professor Oak," the prison guard said, almost in a giddy manner. He was clutching his clipboard to his chest in excitement. "I am such a big fan of your research! In fact, I've got your article on the protection and preservation of Legendary Pokémon and their habitat memorized to a tee!"
"Glad to see I have a fan here," Gary replied quickly. He stopped in front of the cell door of #002318 and pointed towards it. "This it?"
"Yeah. Oh, I forgot to tell you! The guy's started talking again!"
Gary's eyes widened, and he flicked his head towards the guard. "What?! Are you sure?"
"It definitely says so in the report." The guard handed the clipboard to Gary, and the Professor quickly read it. His eyes were instantly attracted to the latest entry of the report, which was dated two days ago. The same day as the attack on the Ketchum Month Stadium...
"Let me in," said Gary sternly. The guard nodded and quickly pressed a button, to which the door automatically slid open slowly, revealing a room with a single bed, a simple wooden table, and a TV set that hung in a corner of the ceiling. There were two chairs, one at each side of the wooden table.
One of them was already occupied.
"Be sure to press the button at the side of the door when you want to come out," instructed the guard as Gary slowly stepped inside the cell.
Gary didn't respond, instead staring down the cell's occupant. He was a man, aged around his late-thirties, but his jet-black hair was already graying, a bit premature for a man his age. He wore grayish-white clothing that was issued by the Silver Town prison, its frame sporting a few stains in the form of grime-marks. The man's right eye was covered in a black patch, while his left, completely healthy, sported a pupil that was colored in an auburn all too familiar with Gary. The man's lips curved into a strange smile that appeared to be meant as a welcome, but Gary instinctively knew it was anything but.
"Hello, Gary Oak," the man greeted, his voice hoarse as his head moved slightly so he could look at the Professor. "Long time, no see. I saved you a seat."
A/N: So, it appears Rosa might have some sort of connection with Nate, since she knows where he might be at. And finally, the meeting between Nate and Ash finally happened! YES! And now, what will result will be quite an interesting scene. Next chapter, we will find out the actual circumstances of Ash's disappearance, and all of the other crud that's been going on in the entire story! I guarantee you, the next chapter will be quite a read!
I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing:
woodland59 (guest reviewer): You'll find out Arceus's true motivations later on. It's actually quite shocking and contradictory!
Galaxina-the-Seedrian: I was made aware of that after I posted the chapter, but thanks anyway! :D And yes, it was about time Ash showed up. :P
IronPikachu: Ash shall go into the fray, but I will tell you that it'll take some convincing...
LordofSilverDragons: Here's the 'more' you wanted! :D
Alpha B. A. 7: HA! If you've noticed from your reading experience so far, you've seen a lot in the story, yet learned little about why. As a result, you'll find Arceus's true motivations quite, as I said with woodland59, shocking and contradictory! ;D ;D ;D
BlueLightningXD: Oh, you'll see what this is all about... ;D
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!