We were walking down the dirt road towards Vermillion City.
"Adam, I think you've got your places mixed up." Jason said suddenly.
"Yeah, this is the long way to Vermillion City and it'll completely bypass Saffron City." Michelle added.
"I know. But just trust me, guys. I know what I'm doing. My dad has an old friend who lives around these parts. I wanted to drop by and say hi." I replied.
"Okay, then. No problem with me." Jason replied.
"Fine by me." Michelle added.
We walked in silence for a while.
"So...do you have any brothers or sisters?" Michelle asked, breaking the silence.
"No, neither of us do. But Jason and I grew up together, as close as brothers." I replied. "I sometimes think it's strange, since our dads weren't always on good terms with each other when they were younger, yet Jason and I hit it off right when we first met."
"Ain't that the truth! I think what made us become friends so fast was because we shared an interest. Adam and I were united by a common goal: to become Pokemon trainers." Jason added. "Adam's parents are like a second family to me. Same thing with Adam and my parents."
"That explains why you two seem really tight. I wish that I had a sister, but not like my mom's. That would be torture."
Jason and I laughed. We had heard the stories from our dads about Misty's three older sisters. Poor Misty was the tomboy and had girly-girl sisters. She was the youngest of the four and not considered as beautiful as the others.
"I know this might be a little weird, but how did your parents meet?" Michelle asked.
For a moment, I wondered why she wanted to know these things. I figured that she wanted to get to know us better, but was there more to it than that? Did she want to think about how Misty and her dad got together or have an idea of how her dad was doing?
"Well, my dad and mom met in Sinnoh. Team Rocket had captured Pikachu but they were attacked and that caused Pikachu to fall into a forest." I explained. My parents told this story to me many times when I was younger. I loved that their first meeting was so out of the blue, not to mention that it was Team Rocket's doing that brought them together in the first place. At least Team Rocket did SOMETHING good!
"Anyways, my mom and Piplup had already tried to capture two Pokemon, but failed each time. The third Pokemon they came across was my dad's Pikachu. My mom tried to capture Pikachu, but of course, it didn't work. Team Rocket then found her and Pikachu and their Pokemon surrounded Pikachu. My mom and Piplup helped fend them off until Pikachu was captured and being held by one of Team Rocket's machines. Piplup was exhausted and couldn't fight anymore, then they began attacking my mom, now helpless to defend herself.
"My dad, hearing the commotion, arrived just in time, climbed onto the machine and tried and tried to free Pikachu. My mom told me that day she was amazed by the bond between my dad and Pikachu, risking his own life to help his Pokemon. She knew there was something different about him, something special. She also told me she was scared for my dad since he was putting himself in danger. After jumping around, he caused the machine to attack itself and blow up. One blastoff later, my dad and Pikachu were buried under the rubble.
"My dad and Pikachu finally got out and were reunited. My dad was pretty beat up after that, but he had rescued Pikachu and saved my mom's life...and it wouldn't be the last time he'd save her, either! After some phone calls and my dad getting cleaned up, my mom asked to travel across Sinnoh with him and Brock." I said, finishing.
"That's one crazy story of how your parents met." Michelle said.
"Yeah? Well, it's no crazier than the way YOUR mom met him! She caught him with her fishing rod while fishing for Pokemon and caught him instead!" Jason said.
"True," Michelle said, laughing.
"So how did your parents meet?" Michelle now asked Jason.
"Well, my mom, dad, and Adam's dad all grew up together, all living in Pallet Town. So my parents have known each other for practically all their lives." Jason answered.
"What exactly does your mom look like, Jason?"
"She had long dark brown hair, blue eyes, and her skin's a bit more pale than my dad's skin, and mine." Jason said.
"Oh, okay. But you look more like your dad, right?"
"Yeah, exactly like him. Except the darker hair color, which I got from my mom."
"Even his personality is like his dad's." I joked.
"Ha ha. Very funny, Adam." he muttered sarcastically.
"So, is there anything about your family, Michelle?" Jason asked.
"No, just the same story that my mom told me. They divorced when I was a baby. Sometimes I feel like my dad walked out on my mom. There aren't any pictures of him. Nothing that shows he was even in her life. It's like he was erased from her memory. There aren't any pictures of him with me as a baby, either." Michelle replied.
"...Sorry, Michelle."
"It's fine. I don't really mind talking about it. Still, I'd like to know who he was and why he and my mom broke up. I'm just curious and it's a question about my life that's never been answered."
Michelle and I seemed to be very much alike. I was looking for my father, and deep down, I knew that Michelle wanted to find her father somehow, too.
"Alright, be careful." I warned.
"Be careful? Be careful for what?" Michelle asked.
"Yeah, it's just an empty forest." Jason said.
"There are traps set up to keep intruders away. My dad told me about it. He was caught in a net with Misty when he came here for the first time." I said, walking slowly through the forest. "So watch your step. Luckily, my dad told me what to expect from the time he was here, so stick with me or you might get caught."
I then heard a scream from behind me. I turned and saw Jason hanging upside-down from a rope tied around his foot and the other end of the rope was tied to a tree branch. "...Like that." I finished.
"This isn't as fun as it looks, guys." said Jason, frowning. "Get me down!" Michelle climbed the tree and untied the rope around the branch, letting Jason free-fall and hit the ground. "OW! What was that for?"
"Well, you just told me to get you down. You never said that I had to let you down slowly! Hahahaha!" Michelle said, laughing.
Jason just growled at her and pulled the remains of the rope off of his leg.
After walking for a while and not hitting anymore traps, I started hearing Pokemon cries.
"We're almost there!" I cheered.
"Almost where?" Michelle asked.
"Here," I said, stepping out of the forest. Jason and Michelle followed me out and looked around.
A cabin was right in the middle of an open area. A stream was on one side of the cabin, leading to a pond in front of it. Many Pokemon roamed around the area and there was a woman who looked to be around forty, kneeling next to a Oddish. She stood up and looked around and her eyes landed on us.
"Well...you look like a boy I met many years ago." she said to me as she walked over to us. "I'm Melanie." Melanie had blue hair that was short and she was slightly tanned. Her blue hair was pushed back by an orange headband. She wore a green short sleeve shirt, jeans, and sneakers.
"I'm Adam Ketchum. The boy you're probably referring to is my dad; Ash Ketchum. This is also his Pikachu." I greeted.
"I'm Jason Oak." Jason said.
"Michelle Waterflower, and this is Eevee." Michelle said.
"Eevee!" Eevee cried happily.
I tossed out Bulbasaur's Pokeball.
"Wow, you even have a Bulbasaur like your dad!" she said, amazed. "His Bulbasaur used to live here, protecting the Pokemon that live here from harm."
"Yeah, my dad told me that this was the place where he caught his Bulbasaur."
"Well Adam, how is that Bulbasaur that your dad caught?"
"Fully evolved into a Venusaur. I've seen him in battle before, and he's a real powerhouse!"
"That's wonderful! So what brings you all the way out here? Almost nobody knows about this place."
"I just wanted to see the place where my dad caught his Bulbasaur, and to show my Bulbasaur, too."
Normal POV
Three figures landed on the ground.
"Sir, we've landed and we're about to start." a female's voice said.
"Understood."
"Alright, boys. We have a mission to get done." she said.
She wore a black Team Rocket uniform, meaning she was a higher-ranking grunt. She had blonde hair that fell across her left eye and she looked like she was in her late twenties.
The other two figures were guys who wore white Team Rocket uniforms, meaning they were lower-ranking grunts. One had orange hair and he looked in his early twenties and the other had brown hair who looked in his late twenties.
The three moved quickly through the forest, avoiding every trap. Soon they stopped and looked through the trees.
"Look, there are the boys the boss told us to capture! But...I thought he said that there were only two? Who's the girl with the Eevee?" the girl asked.
"There were only the two boys the last time when they bumped into the grunts at Mt. Moon." the brunette answered.
"Well, let's just capture the girl, too. Just to be on the safe side." the orange-haired replied. "I'm also taking a picture of them for future reference so all of Team Rocket knows what they look like and what to look for."
"Good thinking. But remember, the boss said that the blue-haired woman has to die!"
The three figures emerged from the trees and tossed out three Pokeballs crying, "Go!"
"Ekans!"
"Seviper!"
"Raticate!"
Adam's POV
I turned around after hearing the sound of the voices and Pokemon. I quickly noticed that there were red R's on their shirts. Team Rocket!
"Bulbasaur, let's show 'em!" I cried. Bulbasaur ran forward and waited.
"Charmander, go!" Jason cried, tossing the Pokeball.
"Char!" Charmander cried.
"Poliwag!" Michelle cried, tossing her Pokeball.
I quickly remembered what Misty had told me and the last time we encountered Team Rocket. "Ash's disappearance and their reappearance at around the same time can't be a coincidence." I also remembered that Jason and I couldn't get any answers out of Team Rocket when we met them at Mt. Moon. I wasn't going to miss my chance here!
"Don't battle yet." I said quietly to Jason and Michelle. They just nodded and waited, looking slightly confused.
"What do you know about my dad, Ash Ketchum?" I asked them.
"He's dead!" they yelled.
He's not dead. He can't be...is he? NO! He can't be dead! They're just trying to throw me off!
"You're lying!" I yelled.
"Haven't you seen the news lately? It's not just us. All of the world is confirming it!" they yelled.
"The news...?"
"Attack!" the grunts cried quickly.
"Bulbasaur, time to protect the village! Use Razor Leaf!" I cried. Bulbasaur quickly jumped and used Razor Leaf.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower!" Jason cried.
"Poliwag, use Water Gun!" Michelle cried.
The attacks hit the Team Rocket Pokemon as they cancelled out their attacks.
"Don't let these brats win!" the girl cried.
"Poison Sting!"
"Poison Sting!"
"Bite!"
"Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!" I cried.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower once more!" Jason cried.
"Poliwag, use Bubble Beam!" Michelle cried.
The battle raged on for ten long minutes until Bulbasaur ended it with one final well-placed Solar Beam! The attacks hit Team Rocket's Pokemon and they were returned. The three grunts ran off.
"Thank you. Adam, you and your Bulbasaur are just like your dad and his Bulbasaur. You two remind me of how he and his Bulbasaur protected me and the Pokemon here from Team Rocket so many years ago. Thank you all for helping." Melanie said.
"You're welcome," we replied.
A small silence passed.
"Well Melanie, it was nice meeting you, but we have to go now. We're just passing through and wanted to say hi." I said.
"Nice to meet you, too. Farewell!" she said.
"Bye!" we chorused, waving over our shoulders. We continued our way to Vermillion City and the walk was quiet.
"Do you think what those grunts said was true?" I asked quietly and stopped walking.
Jason insistently stopped walking and looked at me.
"You're kidding, right? Adam, don't believe anything those idiots say." he said.
"Yeah, Jason's right. Don't believe them. They're just trying to discourage you" Michelle said.
I knew they were right, but part of me was starting to believe my dad was dead. After all, they had said that other people around the world were saying he was dead, too. And if that was true, then maybe they were right about dad.
"I'm going to call my mom as soon as we get to a phone. Is that okay?" I asked.
"Yeah,"
If anyone knew what was on the news, it would be my mom. Ever since he went missing she stayed watching the news for any sign of him, so she would be up-to-date on all the details. She could confirm whether or not it was true.
How can people be believing he's dead? My dad isn't dead, he's alive and he's out there...somewhere. Dad, I will find you.
Author's Note: So the kids have found out some more about each other and their families. Adam and Michelle both seem to want to find their missing fathers. Bulbasaur and Adam have defended the hidden village just like Ash had done before them, so many years earlier. Another run-in with Team Rocket, but they were able to drive them off and learn some information about Ash.
Is what Team Rocket said true? Is Ash really dead? Or is this just a ploy to distract the kids?
Find out next time on Pokemon NG!