Again, sorry for the bad ending last chapter, but on with the story.
The younger Ash looked at Brad. Brad nodded to the younger Ash. "I was lost in the forest. It started to rain and I started to run, looking for shelter. I ran into a guy. He said that he found his target into a radio and tried to grab me. Brad saved me. He stopped the guy and he used this device thing to teleport us out of there," the younger Ash whispered. He shivered and snuggled closer to Serena who was sitting beside the boy. Serena put a protective arm around him and attempted to comfort him as best she could. Brad cleared his throat. "They were Team Rocket," Brad added. Ash and Brock looked at each other. "What did they look like? Was there a Meowth with them?" Brock asked. Brad shook his head. "It wasn't Jessie and James. It was two guys. Maybe more than the two we saw," Brad replied. Ash, Brock and Serena were a little surprised at Brad's certainty. "How do you know about Jessie and James?" Serena inquired softly over the younger Ash's head as she cradled the boy. Brad shifted uncomfortably and shrugged. He wasn't going to answer. Ash frowned in annoyance. "Alright then what was the device you used that teleported you away from Team Rocket?" Ash pressed. Brad bit his lip and considered the question. He obviously decided that they deserved an answer as he pulled out the device in question.
It was slightly bigger than a pokédex and had a lot of buttons and a dial. The screen showed a line with an arrow about the third of the way along the line. Brad held it gingerly, with respect. "This is a time machine," Brad announced and waited to see everyone's reaction. He had to see if they would laugh at him or if they would believe him. He knew it was a stretch but he knew that Ash, the older one, wouldn't give up until Brad told him the truth. Brad didn't and couldn't explain everything but if Brad told Ash why then maybe they would be understanding. "Prove it," Ash ordered softly. It wasn't what Brad expected. Brad bit his lip. How could he prove this claim? He then remembered Ash, the younger. "Ash is Ash," Brad stuttered, hoping that he had made sense. Brock scoffed and Serena frowned. They didn't believe him but Ash, the older, frowned in thought and considered the fearful boy. Then his eyes widened slightly in realisation.
"Ash… why were you in the forest? Were you alone?" Ash, the older, asked quietly. The younger boy looked at the older Ash and bit his lip. "I wanted to see some wild Pokémon. I'd seen Pokémon at Professor Oak's but they aren't wild. So I went to the forest… alone… to see some," the younger Ash explained. The older Ash nodded. "You told your mom that you were going to play with Gary at Professor Oak's right?" the older Ash added. The younger Ash nodded slowly. He knew he was in trouble now. He had lied to his mom and now everyone knew it. Brock and Serena stared at both Ashs in wonder. How had the older Ash known what the younger Ash had done? Ash looked at Brad and smiled. He believed Brad's claim.
"Ash, how did you know that?" Brock asked. He wondered if this was part of Ash having a strong aura. Ash looked at Brock and shrugged. "I remember that day pretty well. I say that, but I don't remember this but I do remember getting lost in the forest near Pallet," Ash, the older, explained. Everyone stared at the older Ash. "So how did you get that device Brad?" Ash, the older, asked, ignoring the stares. Brad smiled. "Stole it from a Team Rocket grunt," he shrugged. Ash, the older, scowled, something told him that Brad wasn't entirely truthful with that answer.
"From Team Rocket? How does it work?" Brock asked. Brock had decided that if Ash believed Brad, then he should as well. Brad looked at the device thoughtfully. He was considering the questions. "As far as I know, the device works from a battery pack powered by energy collected from Pokémon attacks. It also only follows one time line or rather life line…" Brad explained carefully. "One life line?" Serena asked softly, she didn't want to startle the gently dozing Ash in her arms. He was so tired that the moment he realised that he wasn't in trouble, he had started to drop off. Brad nodded. "This device can transport anyone to any point in Ash's life. From the day he was born to the day it was activated," Brad answered. The older Ash held up his hand for Brad to stop. There was a more pressing question which presented itself. "Then when are you from? And why my life?" Ash, the older, asked seriously.
Brad gave an expression that clearly said that he had hoped they wouldn't ask that particular question. "Well, I'm from… twenty years in the future. I guess that Team Rocket really wants to get rid of you," Brad answered quietly. They were silent, listening to the gently snoring young Ash and the fire crackling. "Why did you come back to save… me?" Ash wondered aloud and nodded to his younger self. Brad shifted uncomfortably. "I… I can't explain everything. It might affect the future. Let's just say that I was the only who that could make the trip. If anyone you knew from the future came back, you might have recognised them or Team Rocket might have and made them targets too. You wanted to come back but circumstances prevented you," Brad explained slowly. There was clearly a lot more to the story but Brad wasn't going to say it all.
So, that's a better ending. Anyway, until the next chapter.