HEY PEEPS! Welcome to another chapter of Pokémon: Hopes & Dreams!
Last time, Ash was found standing over his dead parents with a bloody knife and fled from the authorities. Now it's up to Officer Jenny to find and catch the serial killer and bring him to… oh wait that's not what happened.
Well anyway, the next chapter is here! And a message for all my Halo 4: ARiT fans; I am still working on the chapter I lost to my FREAKIN-bhyu(Y^,.UHxbcs324
*Sighs* You know what? Don't even make me go there. I made a rant about it in the ARiT story, so just go read that. In the meantime, enjoy another awesome chapter (pops collar confidently) of Pokémon: Hopes & Dreams! (Oh, and please tell me if I miss-spell the names of Pokemon. Just had to go through and respell Togepi because I was spelling it Togapi.)
-Arc 1-
Chapter 3: Preparations
It was a beautiful winter morning in Pallet Town. The sun was just coming out; setting a fiery orange glow on the rolling hills that almost hindered the cold weather. Brock was sound asleep on his air mattress; snoring away like a Snorlax. "Hmm…um… grl..." Brock mumbled in his sleep, dreaming about being treated by a certain nurse. "That's right Nurse Joy… spread that rubbing alcohol… all over my kneecap…" He said – drooling as he slept.
Misty was also sound asleep in the room across from Brock, dreaming about the walk she had with Ash the night before. Togepi slept peacefully in her arms, all curled up to look like an egg. The sunlight pierced through a tiny crack in the window curtains, shining directly onto Misty's eyes. She started stirring, and glared right at the curtains with an aggravated grimace. "Ninety-three million miles away and yet you still have perfect aim." She said to the sun.
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the entire house from the outside. Brock practically fell off of the mattress as he was shocked awake. "Whoa - what's going on?!" He looked around, wearing nothing but his green boxers and a white T-shirt. "Ash, did you…" Brock looked around, but there was no sign of Ash or Pikachu anywhere. "Damn!" Now, fully awake, Brock grabbed his Pokéball belt and dashed to the door. When he got into the hallway he was met with Misty, who was also rushing out of her room with a Pokéball belt. Togepi hitched a ride in the un-used hood in Misty's sweater. "Misty, what's happening?!" He asked, wondering if she saw anything.
"I don't know, but it came from outside!" She said, dashing past him and towards the stairs. Brock kept hot on her tail down the steps. "Where's Ash?" She asked.
"I don't know, he's not in our room!" Brock said, sprinting down the steps. "You don't think its Team Rocket do you?" Brock asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The duo busted through the front door, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Ash said they'd been following him for years." Another explosion shook the ground they stood on, emanating from the Ketchum backyard. Brock and Misty immediately took off for the back.
"If they are here, they're so dead!" Misty grabbed Starmie's Pokéball off of her belt, ready to summon it if need be. Brock did the same, grabbing Onyx from his belt.
In the distance, they heard Ash's voice yelling something. A third explosion shook the Earth, nearly knocking Brock and Misty off their feet. "That's Ash!" Brock yelled. Brock and Misty were about ready to throw their Pokémon into battle as they came around the bend, but stopped dead in their tracks as they saw who Ash was fighting.
"Metagross, use Hyperbeam!" Jay ordered. His massive Metagross roared and began charging the Hyperbeam into a single point in its mouth.
Ash grinned, then pointed right at Metagross. "Now's our chance! Typhlosion, use Blast Burn!" Ash ordered. Typhlosion pulled its head up into the air, gathering a powerful flame in its mouth. Just as Metagross was about to fire it's Hyperbeam, Typhlosion unleashed its Blast Burn and scored a direct hit. Metagross was pushed back from the blast, firing its Hyperbeam up into the air.
"Oh damn!" Jay shouted as Metagross fell to the ground, officially K.O.'d.
Ash pumped a fist in the air as he cheered. "Aw yeah! That was awesome!" Typhlosion shot flames up into the air – signaling its victory. "Great work Typhlosion!" Ash said before recalling Typhlosion into its Pokéball.
"I can't believe I freakin lost." Jay laughed, recalling an unconscious Metagross into its Pokéball. "Congratulations pal! You've trained your Pokémon well!" Jay was genuinely surprised at how good Ash had gotten.
"What the hell guys?!" Ash and Jay were startled as Misty yelled at them from behind the house. "It's 6:30 in the morning! Some people are trying to sleep!"
"Oh, you guys heard the battle?" Ash scratched the back of his head nervously.
"How could we not?" Brock asked, crossing his arms.
"Well… maybe we did get a bit carried away." Jay admitted as he softly laughed. As much as he didn't want to admit it… he was partly to blame. He wanted to see just how good of a Pokémon Trainer Ash had become and things kind of spiraled into a Pokémon battle.
"Well uh… at least you guys are up now." Ash put on a smile as he tried to turn the situation around, noticing Misty's obvious disapproval of the battle. "Once my Mom gets back from the store then we can all have breakfast! That'll be great, right?" Jay nodded in agreement to his son, letting out a happy "Mmm hmm!" as he did so.
Misty, however, didn't share Jay's enthusiasm. "Ugh!" Misty stomped her foot on the ground furiously. She couldn't believe this! She thought he'd matured after all this time, but to her it looked like he was the same as ever. "Ash Ketchum… you bone head!" She shouted as she stormed back into the house. Ash, Jay, and even Brock frowned at her outburst.
"Uh oh… I think she's mad." Jay said, letting out a sigh.
"Oh gee thanks. I didn't notice, Captain obvious." Ash scratched his forehead as he thought of what to do. It's not like him getting on Misty's nerves was anything new; it was just that Ash felt… well… regretful this time.
"You're welcome, Sargent sarcastic." Jay replied jokingly.
While Brock was aggravated that he was woken up early, he didn't see any point in making a big deal out of it. He saw that it was an accident made by two excited Ketchums that hadn't seen each other in years, trying to catch up on lost time while they had the chance. "Hey Ash, maybe you should try apologizing to her?" Brock recommended.
"But-" Ash stopped himself, realizing that Brock was right. Ash let out a sigh before looking to Brock. "No, you're right. I'll… uh… see what I can do." Ash started making his way into the house, and closed the screen door behind him.
Brock raised his eyebrows in surprise to how easy it was convincing Ash to apologize. If this exact situation happened five years ago, Ash would've down right refused to admit he was in the wrong. But this Ash was different somehow… he was more calm and collected. I guess wisdom really does come with age. Brock thought.
"So uh… we should probably go stop this, shouldn't we?" Jay asked Brock, hoping for some input.
"Nah." Brock replied. "This used to happen all the time. They'll straighten things out eventually."
"So… what? We just stay out here in the cold until they're done?" Jay adjusted himself to try and peek through one of the windows, but to no avail.
Brock face palmed himself, suddenly realizing what Jay meant. "Oh crap… why didn't we have them argue out here?"
Meanwhile, in the house, Misty was just starting to storm her way up the stairs when Ash dashed into the living room. "Misty! Hold on a second! Please!"
"Ooh…. Don't you even start, Ash Ketchum!" Misty stopped about halfway up the steps, with Togepi now in her arms. The tiny egg Pokémon tensed as he sensed his master's stress, and let out a tiny chirp in a vain attempt to calm her down.
"Just, hang on!" Ash motioned his hands out in front of him in a slow manner. "Try to calm down."
"You want me to calm down?" Misty placed her free left hand on her hip, while her right held Togepi.
Ash scratched the back of his head nervously. Crap, that's not right. Ash realized. "Uh… that didn't come out right!"
"Just how was it supposed to come out?" Misty questioned. Togepi let out another small chirp that would go unheard by the duo.
"I… well… it was…" Ash was getting tongue tied as he tried to think of something to say.
Misty shook her head in aggravation. "What made you think having a Pokémon battle at 6:30 am was a good idea?!"
"I don't know!" Ash replied, looking up to Misty from the bottom step.
"Oh, you don't know?" Misty asked, growing more infuriated by the second. "Why don't you know?"
Ash tightened his hands into fists, and threw them at his side. "Because I'm an idiot, ok!" Ash blurted out, taking Misty off guard. Ash threw his hands up in the air as he turned away from her, swallowing his pride. "I do things without thinking what comes next, and it always ends in disaster!" Ash started. "I make us go through the mountains during a snow storm, and I end up getting stuck in a cave! I run straight into a freaking haunted mansion, and surprise! I died!"
"Well… that was only for a few minutes." Misty pointed out as she thought back on the event. "And I don't think you were really 'dead'."
"That's not the point!" Ash took a deep breath. "Every single time I've ever done something, it always comes back to bite me in the ass. Just like the mansion! Just like Charizard at the Indigo League! Just like-"
"What about taking my bike?" Misty suddenly asked out of the blue. "Do you consider that… a disaster too?"
Ash slowly turned around to face Misty, realizing what she was getting at. "Misty… you know that's not what I meant." Ash slowly started up the steps towards Misty. "And… hold on… are you telling me that the bike incident was my fault?" Ash asked jokingly.
"You stole my bike." Misty smiled slightly, but seemed to remember that she was supposed to be mad and made it vanish. Unfortunately for her though, Ash had already seen the tiny smile.
Ash slowly kept making his way up closer to Misty, with a nervous smile on his face. "Stole? I didn't steal anything. I… uh… commandeered it to save an injured Pokémon." Ash eventually made it to the step right beneath the one Misty was standing on, yet he was still slightly taller than her.
"'Commandeered' my ass." Misty replied, growing relaxed. "You straight up jacked it." This time Misty couldn't help the smile that stretched its way across her lips, so she tried to hide it by looking down at the ground.
"Yeah… but if I didn't… quote un-quote… 'jack' your bike, you never would've gone with me on my Pokémon journey, now would you?" Ash asked, placing his hands on his hips. Misty kept trying to hide her smile, but she wasn't doing a good job of it. After an awkward moment of silence Ash pulled in Misty for a small hug, causing her face to flush red. "I'm sorry for being a dick and waking you up this morning. It was irresponsible of me, and it'll never happen again."
Togepi was caught in the middle of this hug between the duo, but he didn't care. His master had calmed down and that was all he needed to know. Togepi let out a happy chirp as Misty wrapped her free arm around Ash. "Plus… uh… it was partially my Dad's fault too." Ash added in. Misty let out a small giggle, knowing it was all in good fun. After another moment, the duo released their embrace and stood in front of one another. "My mom will be home with the stuff for breakfast soon. Do you… do you want to stay up and wait with me?" He asked. "We could watch that water Pokémon channel you like."
Misty smirked slightly, and hesitantly started descending the stairs with Ash. "Alright… but only if we can watch the water Pokémon channel." Misty stated as they reached the bottom of the steps. Brock and Jay watched the scene unfold from the kitchen archway, doing their best to not be seen.
"I'm impressed." Jay whispered. "I didn't think Ash would actually do it."
"He really has changed, hasn't he?" Brock asked quietly, watching Ash and Misty sit down on the couch and turn on the TV.
"Indeed." Jay nodded. "Come on, Delia will be home soon. Let's start getting everything ready."
It only took a few minutes for Brock and Jay to set up the kitchen, and when they were done they made their way into the living room and watched some TV with Ash and Misty. Jay apologized to Misty for the ruckus he had a hand in causing that morning, but Misty had assured that all was forgiven.
After about another fifteen minutes, the group heard the sound of jingling keys unlocking the door. The door opened with a creak and Delia walked in with Pikachu on her shoulder and grocery bags in her hands. She smiled happily at the group and closed the door with her foot as she walked in. "Good morning everyone! Who's ready for breakfast?"
"Pika!" Pikachu raised his tiny paw up into the air and cheered, which had everyone laughing. Delia and Brock made their way into the kitchen and started preparing breakfast for everyone, while Ash and Jay prepared the dining table. Misty looked on from the couch and observed how happy Ash and Brock were. They still thought she was going on a journey with them after Ash's birthday, and they looked positively thrilled.
I can't do this… Misty thought to herself. Ash glanced over at Misty and shot her a smile whom returned the smile before Ash went back to work. I… I've got to do something about this. To be honest, she didn't want to go back to the gym. The endless battles with almost no variation to them; never seaming to catch a break for more than an hour. At first she thought being a Gym Leader wouldn't be so bad, but she hated how she was always standing in the way of some trainer's dream of getting to the league. It was a daunting job and she was getting sick of it.
But, she did make a promise to her sisters. They actually agreed to look after the gym while she was gone, and even that took a lot of bribing and begging. There was no way they'd take her leaving on an adventure lying down. She actually pondered leaving without saying anything to her sisters, but soon realized that it wasn't a very good option. With the kind of connections that they had, they might find her anyway and drag her back to the gym.
"Hey Misty, are you ok?" Misty snapped out of her day dream and noticed Ash standing right next to her, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. I was just thinking." Misty replied.
"Watch'a thinking about?" Ash asked, curious.
"Oh, you know. Stuff." Misty deflected Ash's question, and this didn't go unnoticed.
"Riiiiiight." Ash cocked his head. "Well anyway, breakfast is ready. Time to eat."
"Ok, thanks!" Misty conjured a smile before getting up off the couch and following him over to the table. Brock and Delia had prepared fresh bacon and eggs, as well as some made-from-scratch homefries that Delia came up with on the fly. She explained how they kept the grease from the bacon in the pan, and then used it to start cooking some chopped onion. When the onion was about halfway cooked they put in the diced potatoes, covering them as they cooked for several minutes. It wasn't long before the table was set and everybody dug in, devouring the delicious breakfast.
After a quick chat on some miscellaneous topics, the group began cleaning up both the dining area and the kitchen. Just like the day before; Ash, Misty, and Brock were handling the dishes while Jay and Delia handled the table. Once everything was done, Delia and Jay suddenly started getting all dressed up like they were going somewhere. Jay put on a long black trench coat while Delia wore her yellow hoodie. "Hey, where are you guys going?" Ash asked from the kitchen.
Delia froze as she reached for the front door handle, wondering what she was going to say. Jay looked to her and exchanged a slight smirk with her, letting Delia know that he had this. "We still have some things we need to grab for your little party tomorrow." Jay started. "Cake, ice cream, strippers, stuff like that." Delia slapped Jay's arm at the stripper comment, which earned a laugh from Jay. "Ok fine, no strippers this time." Delia raised her hand to slap Jay again, causing Jay to laugh and raise his arms in defense. "I'm kidding! Jeez! No strippers ever, alright?"
"Hmm. That's better." Delia smiled.
"Alright, we'll be going now." Jay waved as he began to close the door behind them. "Stay out of trouble while we're gone!"
The trio stood at the kitchen archway, staring at the door in curiosity. "That was… weird." Brock finally said with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah, forget about it." Ash said cheerfully. "I wanted to do something later anyway, and now we have some time to ourselves to do it!"
"Do what?" Misty asked.
"Oh, you'll see." Ash put a devilish smile on his face. "Let's finish up here, first."
oooOOOOooo
"Ash, can you please tell us where we're going?" Misty asked as the trio walked through the woods. The season was starting out a little on the chilly side and some trees had prematurely shed leafs. Light from the rising sun shone through the forest's canopy, illuminating random spots on the dirt below.
"It's a surprise!" Ash smiled as he pushed a branch out of his way. He looked around the forest, looking for something completely unknown to Brock and Misty. "Where are you…" He asked under his breath. He looked around for a moment before spotting a large tree with several branches leading up to the top. "Hmm… maybe if I get up high enough…" He pondered out loud before jogging over to the tree.
"Ash, come on!" Misty put her hands to her hips as she watched the fellow trainer start jumping up on the trunk of the tree. "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" He asked. "I'm climbing this tree! Come on!" He said as he made his way up the length of the tree. Pikachu followed him up immediately, leaving Brock and Misty to wonder what was going on.
"Ladies first." Brock said with a sarcastic smile.
"Gee, thanks." Misty replied as she hesitantly climbed up the tree, following Ash's lead. It only took a few minutes for the trio to reach the top of the tree, but the payoff for their assent was well worth it. "Wow… this is amazing." Misty said as she looked out at the wide expanse of trees and shrubs. The tree line appeared to go on for miles into the distance, giving it a very picturesque feel.
"Yeah… but what are we doing out here?" Brock asked as he looked at Ash.
Ash didn't say a word as he looked around the forest for his mysterious objective, eventually removing his hat for a moment and rubbing his head. Suddenly, his face beamed as he snapped his fingers and placed the hat back on his head. "I've got it!" He exclaimed excitedly. He placed both his pinky fingers in his mouth and let out a loud whistle that echoed into the distance.
Brock and Misty paused for a moment and looked around the forest. Pikachu leapt up on his master's shoulder and looked around as well… until he heard the sound of flapping wings. Pikachu's ears perked up at the familiar sound and he smiled. "Pikachu! Pika-Pi!" He exclaimed.
"What's up with Pikachu?" Brock asked.
"He's here." Ash said with a smile. Before Misty or Brock could say anything, a shadow flew past the trio with blinding speed, kicking up a gust of wind that nearly blew them out of the trees. Misty held in a scream as she clung to Ash for dear life, only to look up in the sky and discover what Ash had been searching for.
"Is that… Pigeot?!" Brock asked as the massive bird Pokemon descended from the clouds with a yell.
"Hey, Pigeot! It's me, Ash!" Ash yelled as he waved up at his old friend. Pigeot landed on the tree next to the trio, rubbing his head up against his long lost master's chest. Pikachu jumped onto the bird's back, happy to finally see his friend again. "Aw, hey buddy! It's been years!" Ash said as he pet Pigeot under his beak.
"So that's why we came out here!" Brock smiled.
"I had no idea Pigeot was still around here!" Misty said as she reached over to pet the bird on his neck.
"I told you I'd be back for you, pal." Ash cooed. "How are the other Pigeys doing?" He asked. Pigeot looked up at Ash and tilted his head towards his back. "What… you want me to get on?" Ash asked. Pigeot let out a happy squawk and nodded his head. "Alright then! Pikachu, make some room!" Ash said as he jumped up onto Pigeot's back.
"I want to come too!" Misty said happily as she climbed up on Pigeot, right behind Ash. "Brock, get on!"
Brock smiled and rubbed his head. "Are you kidding?" He asked. "Any more weight on his back and Pigeot won't be able to fly. I'll just stay here and wait for you guys."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped off Pigeot and landed next to Brock.
"Looks like Pikachu wants to keep you company." Ash laughed. "We'll be back soon, alright?"
"Just get out of here already!" Brock waved them off. Ash smiled, and Pigeot took off into the sky like a rocket. Misty held onto Ash for dear life, letting out a surprised scream that nearly left Ash deaf in one ear. After the rapid ascent, Pigeot took off into the distance towards the biggest tree in the forest. Ash couldn't help the massive smile that stretched across his face as he cheered into the wind.
"This is awesome!" Ash sang. "I forgot how fast you were, Pigeot!"
"Can you tell him to slow down a little?" Misty yelled over the wind. Ash glanced over his shoulder, suddenly realizing that Misty was clinging to him. She had her arms wrapped around his torso and her head buried in his back. Ash felt his face get hot for some reason, but tried to ignore it as they sped towards the tree.
It only took a few moments for Pigeot to reach the massive tree, and pretty soon he was hovering over it like a watchful helicopter. "What's up Pigeot?" Misty asked, trying not to look down. All of a sudden, Pigeot let loose with several loud squawks towards the tree. After a few seconds, a massive cloud of birds flew out of the brush and into the sky towards the duo.
"Whoa, look at all the bird Pokemon!" Ash said excitedly. "There's even some Spearow and Fearow flying with the Pigeys!" The birds seemed to dance in the air around the duo with several actually playing with each other as they flew.
"This is amazing… I never thought I'd see wild Pigey and Spearow getting along!" Misty said as she looked around in amazement. "There must be hundreds of them!" Ash didn't say anything as he gazed around at the flock. Misty leaned over to get a look at Ash's face. What she saw was nothing less than total amazement, as well as a look of… pride? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was a look that she hadn't seen for a long time.
As the group hovered in the middle of this massive flock of birds, two more Pigeots and a Fearow flew up to the group and observed them. Ash and Misty waved at the birds, showing that they meant no harm. The other Pigeots and Fearow came closer and began squawking at Ash's Pigeot. Words were exchanged between the four mighty birds, until it seemed that Pigeot had won whatever debate had just come up. The three birds nodded before rejoining the flock.
"Wow Pigeot… do you and those other three lead this massive flock?" Ash asked, earning a happy nod from Pigeot. "I'm so proud of you!" Ash smiled. Misty smiled at Ash's interaction between him and Pigeot.
"So you just came to say hi to Pigeot, huh?" Misty asked.
"Well… that's part of it." Ash smiled. "Actually, I wanted to see if he was able to come back." Pigeot reacted to this with raised eyes and questioning squawk. "So how about it, buddy? You think this flock can handle itself without you?" Pigeot looked around at the flock he'd been leading for almost five years, wondering if they would be alright on their own. Nothing had happened for quite a while… he would need to make sure they were alright with it first.
ooooOOOoooo
"Jay, how does this look from there?" Delia asked as she hung a large banner across the back of Professor Oak's lab atop a ladder. Jay finished placing a chair next to a large round table to get a look at the banner, which read 'Happy Birthday Ash!' Meanwhile all around the couple, people from all over Pallet assisted in the decorations.
"Huh… just a little bit crooked on your side." Jay pointed out. "Raise it up just a pinch!"
Delia did as Jay instructed. "How about now?"
"Perfect!" Jay smiled, giving his wife a thumbs up. Delia smiled before hammering a nail through the corner of the banner to keep it in place. She nodded in satisfaction and descended the ladder to get a better look at it next to Jay. Jay wrapped is arm around Delia's waist and pulled her in tighter as they looked up at the banner.
"I can't believe my baby boy is turning seventeen." Delia almost choked, earning a small laugh from Jay.
"They all grow up at one point, Delia." Jay pointed out. "Remember the first time I asked you out when we were teens? Your father was so pissed!"
Delia let out a giggle. "Yes! He didn't like the idea of me going out with you at that time… I guess sixteen was a bit too young for him."
Jay looked at Delia with a smirk. "And now here we are… about to celebrate our son's seventeenth birthday. It won't be too long before he and Misty start getting serious too…"
Delia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that? They're not seeing each other."
Jay pokes Delia on the nose. "No… not yet. But you and I both know it's bound to happen eventually. You see the way those two act around each other! Brock and I spoke briefly about it, and he thinks it's only inevitable!"
"You really think so?" Delia questioned, her mind ablaze with different thoughts.
"I know so!" Jay claimed. "You know, we're only one year out from eighteen years old. We may be grandparents sooner than expected!" Jay smiled as he nudged Delia with his shoulder. Delia's face flushed red and she slapped Jay on the back of the head.
"Don't you even talk about that!" Delia ordered. "My baby boy will not be having children at such a young age!"
"Aren't you being kind of a hypocrite?" Jay asked. "We were both… what… nineteen when we had Ash?"
"That's different." Delia looked away.
"How is that different?" Jay laughed as he sweat dropped.
"Excuse me, mister Ketchum?" Tracey walked over to the couple holding a clipboard. "I just made a few calls to the bakery for the cake, but they need your identification number."
"That's fine, I'll be right there." Jay replied before looking at Delia. "I'll be right back, keep being awesome, alright?" He asked before planting a quick kiss on her cheek and following Tracey.
And scene! Sorry it took so long to finish guys, but here it is! I hope it was worth the wait!
And now I'm off to remaster chapters 4-6 of Halo 4: ARiT! GOOOOD NIGHT CHILDREN!