Chapter 14: Townsend to Rocketing Conflict

A new day had started with Diana waking up. She still couldn't believe she, of all the girls, would burst out laughing after Ash accidentally took a broomstick to his crotch. As she made her way through her personal dorm, she found an elderly woman in a brown uniform. She was on the phone when she heard Diana's footsteps. "Anna?" she gasped. "What the bloomin' are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you, Miss Diana," Anna briefed. "That's why I came to check on your progress. However, Mistress Daryl called up a minute ago." Diana became skeptical at the name. "It's actually impeccable timing as she wants to address you on an occasion." Diana sighed, knowing the direction of the topic.

"I wager that Aunt Daryl wants to talk to me," she assumed. Anna handed the phone to Diana who had it by her ear. "Aunt Daryl?"

"Good morning, Diana!" a woman cheered. "How's school going?"

"Why would you ask? You've turned your studies in magic into profit."

"Oh, I'm sure Bernadette didn't teach you how to be snobbish to family." The retort made Diana sigh.

"So, what is it that you want? You wouldn't be calling me without cause."

"Of course not. There's a situation about the funding to your schooling at Luna Nova Academy."

"A situation? You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

"It may not be if I could do it alone. How soon will it be until you come home to resolve the matter?"

"A few days… though, I might have someone along since I want to show him around England a little bit." The word "him" had Daryl pondering a special occasion.

"Someone? Him!?" There was a bit of a pause. "Diana! Did someone from Appleton ask for your betrothal!?"

"I will not say until I am ready to discuss."

"Oh… Now, Maril and Merrill will be interested to know!"

"They better keep their noses out of this until I finish preparations."

"Oh, no need to be hostile. We want you to grow up and become a wonderful woman that I know Bernadette would be proud of." A defeated sigh came out of Diana.

"If you say so. I'll… see you in a few days."

"Of course…" Talking done, Diana hung the phone on the hook. She bit her thumbnail with her wrist pointing up. Nerves flared up.

'If Aunt Daryl learns about Ash, it would become a massive scandal… though I still want to give him a date.' Staying quiet until now, Anna became interested in "him."

"Miss Diana?" she spoke up. "Who are you referring to? It's not someone from Appleton, right?"

"No, Anna…" corrected Diana. "He just enrolled here." Anna became more skeptical about the case.

"He enrolled? To Luna Nova Academy? An all-girls school?"

"Not to mention that he's the son of an alum, Delia Ketchum." The name made Anna smile.

"Delia… Can it be that it has come full circle?" The question left Diana befuddled.

"Beg pardon?"

"Your mother tutored Delia when she enrolled in Luna Nova Academy." Awed, Diana believed it was fate for the two families to reunite.

"Good lord…" In a calming manner, Anna placed a hand on Diana's shoulder.

"Perhaps, you have the same task. Consider it a blessing in disguise." The easement made Diana smile. Meanwhile in the tower, Miranda visited where she saw the Pokémon being fed. Krookidile welcomed the Headmistress.

"Good morning to you, too," she greeted. As she allowed the Pokémon to eat, she found Ash and Croix in an arm-wrestling match. Croix's arm and Ash's arm were at the high peak, both even in showing strength. Ursula watched helplessly as the two struggled to get the advantage. Leavanny and Pignite watched, bemused to the sight. "Do I want to know what started this?"

"Apparently, Croix wanted a new design with her cape," Ursula started. "But Ash and Croix have two different designs that they disagree with… so, they chose to settle it with arm-wrestling." Suddenly, Ash's arm was going backwards, Croix's strength becoming overwhelming. Ash struggled, trying to power back to the lead. However, Croix pinned his arm to the table. Croix released her grip to Ash before pumping her fist in victory.

"YES!" she cheered. Ash sighed; his defeat noted.

"At least you two had your moment," Miranda sighed. "Ash, are you satisfied?"

"In what?" he asked. "I mean, I don't win every time." He massaged his arm, hoping there wasn't a lot of strain. "Anyway, did something come up?"

"There is," Miranda started. "I have a few errands for you in Blytonbury. It neighbours Luna Nova Academy off campus, but I can apply a stipulation that will allow you to step off and perform." Ash smiled to the idea.

"Somewhere new, huh?" he realized. "Don't get me wrong, but I don't like staying in one place for a long time." Ursula nodded to the claim.

"Delia was like that as well when she first started," she remembered. "However, the more she learned witchcraft, the less anxiety she showed." Ash and Pikachu itched heads while Croix laughed.

"She was a handful for all of us!" she snickered. Ash finally cracked a smile, surrendering to his mother's ways.

"Mom and I have a lot more in common with each other," he said with a smug.

"However, you're not going alone," Miranda advised. "I will have a few of the girls join you. On a side note, it's recommended that you wear your Pokémon Trainer garb." Ash began to wonder about the ordeal.

"I can wear it again?" he double-checked.

"It's easy to understand," Croix reasoned. "If people find out that a wiccan attends Luna Nova Academy, it could lead to a huge scandal." Ash and Pikachu realized the issue could be problematic for Luna Nova Academy.

("That makes sense,") Pignite agreed. Ash nodded to the idea.

"Alright, I can do this," he agreed.

"Thank you, Ash," Miranda praised. Ash geared himself up and left Leavanny to work on Croix's design to her cape. Akko, Diana, Amanda, Constanze and Jasminka joined Ash and Pikachu in their school uniforms. They reached a sign reading "BLYTONBURY."

"It's been a while since we've been in this town," Amanda started.

"Da, ze memories were of fun," Jasminka recalled. Constanze brought her tablet to show the others.

"FUN" ISN'T HOW I RECALL.

"Considering that you were involved with a punishment parade," Diana sided. "I feel bad that you were the unfortunate one." Akko and Amanda gulped to the reminder.

"Punishment parade?" repeated Ash.

"Miss Finnelan punished Akko, Lotte and Sucy by having them participate in a parade that recalled the history of witch hunts," Diana briefed. "If they did not – and with Amanda, Constanze and Jasminka – they would all be expelled." Ash and Pikachu irked themselves back.

"I don't know what's worse, getting expelled or the witch hunts?" wondered Ash. "I mean, either one of them won't look good down the road." Diana nodded, believing Ash.

"It's not a blemish you can treat," Amanda agreed. "But let's not dawdle on that. There's a café we want to show you. Come on!" Dragging Ash, Amanda brought the group into town. They reached a building that had a sign above the door, reading "LAST WEDNESDAY SOCIETY." "This is it: Magic Item Café." They entered to find bottles of various liquids, broomsticks, kits…

"Welcome to Last Wednesday Society!" a man greeted. Amanda, Akko, Ash and Pikachu turned to a rotund brunette man with a goatee and a green tattoo on his right arm.

"The Proprietor!" recognized Akko.

"If it isn't those from Luna Nova," the Proprietor laughed. "And I see you brought a boyfriend." Ash gawked to the name.

"Not yet, but I bet it'll be at least one of us," Amanda teased. Ash gave Amanda a deadpan side look. The Proprietor chuckled to the reaction.

"Anyway, what can I do for you?" he asked. Amanda gave the Proprietor a list on a paper. He read the list, nodding to the items. "I have all of them. It should take me a few minutes. Just don't touch anything." He disappeared into the back while Amanda scoffed to the Proprietor's warning with her arms crossed.

"Stickler as always…" she sighed. Ash and Pikachu stepped outside and saw Diana with her back turned.

"Diana?" he called. Hearing her name, Diana turned to Ash and Pikachu. "Are you okay? You look upset." Diana turned her head from Ash and Pikachu slightly.

"My maid came unannounced, and my aunt is wanting me to come home to discuss financial matters," she briefed. Ash and Pikachu seemed perplexed to the matter. Constanze presented her tablet to the trainer.

IT MAY BE SOMETHING ELSE

Ash crossed his arms, not sure about Constanze's claim. "That's possible…" he studied.

"However, I may have had my tongue slip in mentioning you," Diana added with blushing cheeks. To Ash, the maid seemed interested with him.

"Listen, don't let the slip-up get you," he advised. "Everything will work out." Diana shot a look to the trainer, wanting to trust his word.

"Are you certain?" she questioned. "If she learns about you-" She was paused when Pikachu jumped onto her shoulder. She turned to the Mouse Pokémon, his concern reading his face. A tear trickled down from her eye, but Pikachu licked it dry, and tickled her in the process. She had a smile back. "If not Ash, you've helped out." Pikachu smiled, assuring Diana's mentality. That's when a group of boys came to the witches.

"Hey!" a blond boy snapped. The witches turned to the boy with other boys behind. Akko's eyebrow twitched at the sight.

"Thomas…" she named the boy in front.

"The witches of Luna Nova Academy," Thomas scoffed. "First, the recreations of witch hunts and now you're back? I appreciate that our favorite witch is here. We wouldn't harm her." Pikachu turned to Diana, guessing on Thomas's claim.

("Does he mean you?") he asked. Diana bobbed her head to confirm. ("Okay…") Thomas took note of Ash and Pikachu being with the witches.

"Wait a second," he started. "There's another boy with you, but why are you protecting him? And that mouse is weird-looking."

("Watch it, Thomas!") scowled Pikachu. Thomas ignored Pikachu's warning, focused on learning about Ash.

"Is he a witch as well?" he guessed. "Heck, can boys be witches?" Ash felt cornered about his identity.

"I'm not a witch," he lied in a sense. "Besides, boys can't be witches." Thomas itched his head, unsure about believing Ash.

"Then why hang around them?" he pressed on. "They're nothing but menaces all over." Ash didn't budge. The boys brought out tomatoes. "Let's show this boy what we do to witches! Just don't hit Diana!" He threw his tomato at Akko, but Ash bumped the tomato up with fingers on his right hand in the rush, having it sail over Akko's head. Ash tipped the tomato over to his right hand from his left and caught it before firing the fruit back. The velocity of the tomato reached Thomas, striking his face, between his mouth and nose. The impact was fierce enough that the tomato exploded, juice and sauce staining his pink polo shirt. The destroyed tomato caused his head to go back where the sauce and juices shot into his nostrils. He fell to his buttocks.

"THOMAS!" the other boys shouted in fear. Thomas looked up, the sauce making it look as if he had a nosebleed. The red fruit splattered over him made him red in anger.

"You'll pay for that!" he snapped. "GET THEM!" The boys cocked their arms back, ready to hurl their fruit. Ash chose to stop them immediately.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" he commanded. Pikachu leaped off Diana's shoulder before emitting Thunderbolt, shocking the boys. Their fruit exploded, staining them in the process.

"Nice shock," Jasminka gulped. Realizing that Pikachu's Thunderbolt got everyone, even disarming them, the boys retreated.

"RUN AWAY!" they shouted in a messy chorus, running with their tails between their legs. As the situation settled, Akko picked up Pikachu, hugging him in joy.

"Thank you, Pikachu!" she cheered. Pikachu happily took the hugging with a laugh. Constanze showed Ash her tablet with new wording.

THAT WAS RATHER RISKY

"I know, but it was either that or I expose myself as what Thomas believed," Ash sighed.

"Not a situation you'd like to be in, huh?" guessed Amanda. Ash shook his head. "Yeah, who would? Still, thanks to your head's up for us." That's when there was a scream. All turned to Akko and Pikachu who were netted and dragged. Behind them was Team Rocket. Ash gasped to the sight.

"Team Rocket, you're also here!?" he shouted.

"'You're also here,' such a twerpish question," Jessie mocked.

"The voyage to our arrival will teach you a lesson!" added James.

"Bringing the blinding, white light of evil into the future!" continued Jessie.

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness!" voiced James.

"And carving our names into da rock of eternity!" mewed Meowth.

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!" claimed Jessie.

"And with thunderous emotion, James!" claimed James.

"Wisest of da wise, Meowth!" claimed Meowth.

"Now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!" they cheered. Ash had a pained face on him.

"Why am I not surprised?" he mulled. "Pikachu and I survived the blast, so you'd be fine as well."

"Probably one of the smartest things to say to us, twerp," Jessie sneered. "And now that we have Pikachu, we can make our escape!"

"Nyet!" snapped Jasminka. The students stood forward.

"Do you honestly think you can trample among England by your malicious ways!?" scowled Diana.

"Not to mention kidnapping a friend of ours," Jasminka scorned. Constanze revealed her tablet's latest message.

SURRENDER AKKO, NOW!

Team Rocket scoffed to the witches in their way. "Big deal!" huffed Jessie. "It's called collateral damage. You should look it up."

"We came for Pikachu, and we got him!" snarled Meowth. "Youse can move out of da way!" The students seemed surprised to hear Meowth speaking like a human.

"So, is that old hag a witch herself?" wondered Amanda. Jessie became steamed at Amanda's question.

"Old… hag!?" she repeated in anger. James and Meowth instantly became concerned.

"Jessie, be careful," James warned.

"No, and Meowth learned to talk on his own," Ash whispered.

"Never mind…" hushed Amanda. "Leave these guys to us. You go and free Akko and Pikachu." Ash nodded. Jessie and James had a Pokéball in their hands.

"Woobat, after them!" she shouted as she threw her ball. Opening, a cyan fuzzball with bat wings and a black heart printed on its circular pink nose emerged.

"Amoonguss, toot sweet!" summoned James as he threw his ball. Opening, an Amoonguss appeared. The students brought out their wands.

"Release our friends or else!" warned Diana. Jessie cackled to the students' threats.

"Oh, look… sticks to point at us!" she mocked. The students' wands were aglow.

"Laugh at zis!" sneered Jasminka. Fireballs emerged from the wands and rained onto Team Rocket, including some embers burning at Jessie's exposed skin. James and the Pokémon danced to stay burn-free.

"THEY'RE REAL!?" she gasped. Akko saw the distraction as an opportunity.

"I still haven't perfected it, but it's worth a shot," she whispered to Pikachu as she pulled out her wand.

("What are you using?") he asked. With a thought, she made her wand aglow.

"Metamorphosis!" she yelped. With a puff of smoke, Akko became a beaver. Pikachu had a stunned face.

("What…?") he gulped. Akko's mind had her giddy.

'This is PERFECT!' she minded. 'Now to gnaw through the net!' Akko began to gnaw to break free. Amanda raced through the burning rain and delivered a punch to Jessie's gut. Amanda followed it up with a moonsault kick, striking Jessie's nose after she began to fall forward. Jessie flew for a second before landing on her back. The fiery rain stopped, and Akko gnawed herself and Pikachu free to which they returned to Ash as she reverted to normal. James and the Pokémon gathered around Jessie.

"How's that for real?" taunted Amanda. Jessie slowly got to her knees and growled, angered at Amanda's physical attacks.

"What's your problem!?" she spat. A drop of blood rolled down her mouth to her chin. "You're not allowed to attack another Pokémon Trainer!"

"Yeah, that's what I said when I was attacked by them, but they don't care!" lied Ash. Jessie bought into the fib.

"Then, be happy when the boss and Oboneron are one!" she snapped. Ash sighed at the news.

"Giovanni's alive as well, huh?" he mulled. "If he can't beat me to save Meloetta, he can't beat these girls." Diana had her wand aglow once more.

"Heat Blast!" she shouted.

"Electro Ball!" commanded Ash. Pikachu fired Electro Ball as Diana fired a purple flare. The two combined which collided with Team Rocket, burning and shocking them.

"Those twerpettes are relentless!" complained Jessie.

"We's been involved in a magical spell!" groaned Meowth.

"That twerp's got quite the entourage!" whined James.

"We're blasting off again!" they screamed before vanishing. Ash came to Akko with Pikachu.

"I saw your transforming spell," he mentioned. "That was some quick thinking." Akko laughed to the claim.

"Believe it or not, that was the first time it worked for me," she admitted with blushing cheeks. Ash grinned, sensing potential.

"First time or not, I can see it down the road," he hoped. Akko cheered before kissing Ash on the lips.

"Diana, you might want to get going if you want to claim him," Amanda teased. Diana mulled as Akko broke the kiss after a minute. "Anyway, let's get the supplies back to school." Everyone agreed.

"Allow me," Jasminka volunteered as she lifted the massive bag over her head. Ash's face dropped at the sight of Jasminka's strength.

"Are… you sure… that you… got it?" he stuttered.

"Da!" she replied. She followed Constanze as the group returned to Luna Nova Academy. In Miranda's office, the Headmistress stamped the list.

"So, Team Rocket's here?" reviewed Miranda. The other teachers were in as well.

"Yeah, and they were after my buddy… like always," Ash confirmed. Anne scoffed to the detail.

"Well, hearing it from Diana," she started. "It's another reason you and your 'pets' need to be back home. With you out of the way, there's no method for them to reach you since you're a wiccan and they have no magic." Ash's eyebrow twitched to this notion from Anne.

"From the sound of that," he assumed. "It's like you knew they were here and that you have a plan for them." Anne scoffed to the idea when Anna entered the office.

"Make all the assumptions you want," she dismissed. "The fact that you have the tome and tried to show me up is embarrassing enough." Anna heard enough.

"Apparently, you still want to favor only to the House of Cavendish, Anne Finnelan," she muttered. Everyone turned to Anna with Anne giving off a scorn.

"Anna, this is a surprise," Ursula gasped.

"It is, since I came here to verify that Diana is returning home for a few days," Anna announced. "Also, what's this about a wiccan? Is it this boy?"

"Yeah, I'd be that wiccan," Ash confessed. "I opened a sealed tome and now, I've got magic." Seeing Ash, Anna saw a bit of Delia in his smile.

"You have a smile that looks familiar," she noted. "What do you go by?"

"Ash Ketchum," he named himself. "I'm the son of Delia Ketchum." Anna pounded her fist into her hand.

"That's why that smile looked so familiar," she realized. "Bernadette tutored your mother before she graduated. She's Diana's mother." Ash seemed a bit surprised.

"Diana's mom helped my mom?" he repeated. "Wow, this is… new."

"Ash, this is Anna," Samantha introduced. "She's the maid of the House of Cavendish." Ash nodded.

"It's nice to meet you," he praised. That's when he remembered what Jessie mentioned. "Oh, there's something else: Jessie mentioned that her boss is one with some guy named Oboneron ." The name made Miranda, the teachers and Anna gawk in shock.

"Oboneron?" she repeated.

"Yeah, do you have any idea what she means?" he questioned. "Who's this Oboneron guy?" Anne feared the worst.

"Someone has opened up the curse!" she mulled. Ash and Pikachu became suspicious at that moment. Who was Oboneron?

TO BE CONTINUED...