Note: AO3 version of this has had per chapter summaries, since that's what the site allows. For some reason, I want to include the chapter summary for this particular chapter for this site's version:
"As a young boy growing up in Pallet Town, Ash was the youngest in his class, short for his age, awkward, often seen as stupid, even bullied at times... But he didn't let it drag him down. He just moved forward, maybe not always thinking before he acted, but most often trying his best. Given the opportunity and outright privilege to having fun training Pikachu and other pokemon, Ash definitely gave it his all, connecting in ways he may have found lacking elsewhere. And now, he won't let anyone or anything ruin the sort of world that allows these kinds of bonds."
68: Ash vs. Giovanni
"Ashy dear, no, no. Careful, careful," Delia chirped as she lifted her very young son away from the complicated looking computer equipment. Ash didn't protest, but looked back at her with a frown.
"It's fine, Delia," Oak assured, nodding as he went to shut down the computer. "Though it may be better if we move to the kitchen in back."
"No, maybe we should be heading back. Thanks for being so hospitable to me, as always."
"Oh no, please feel free to stay," the professor said. "I really am interested in continuing the conversation from earlier. And I have my own children - grandchildren now. My grandson is just a few months older than your little one. I understand! There's a lot here that would seem quite interesting looking to a boy his age."
With the professor's reassurances, Delia nodded. "If you don't mind, then," she said.
Moving to a different room, Ash hardly felt any more like staying still as the adults talked about various things he didn't pay attention to. The toys the professor placed in front of him didn't seem interested at all. One of them resembled a pokemon. Real pokemon would be much better to see. They had to be here. No, they definitely were here. Ash had seen them through the fence before entering the building, and knew the older man that some people called 'Professor Oak' was known for having many of them. Ash kicked aside the clefairy figure with the movable light up wings, then went to try and find something else while the adults got especially involved in their conversation. Peeking around the corner, Ash couldn't help but shout in delight at what he saw, then ran toward the group directed by the assistant.
Bulbasaur's bulb looked like it might be fragile, but when Ash grabbed hold it didn't seem like it would rip or wrinkle at all. Squirtle's shell was hard, almost like a rock as he knocked on it. Seeing Charmander made Ash the most fascinated of all. His eyes fixated on the creature's innate flame, burning brightly as part of itself at the end of its tail. Running over, Ash was determined to touch it for himself.
"Ash, no, stop!" Delia picked up Ash before he even reached the appealing fire type pokemon. She trembled as she held him close, frowning at the various pokemon. "You need to be more careful! Pokemon are dangerous!"
"It's alright, ma'am," the assistant assured. While he ushered the pokemon away, Professor Oak approached.
"Delia, I'm truly sorry that surprised you," he said. "But we really don't need to be worried about pokemon. Most are quite fond of young children. Even those that aren't would never harm them."
"You don't understand." Delia pursed her lips, holding tightly to Ash while not looking away from the fire type pokemon. "Little Ashy is so impulsive. He has no hesitations, even for his own safety. He certainly would have been burned!"
"Charmander, come here." Professor Oak held out his hand. The named pokemon approached, stopping some ways away from Delia and Ash, maybe just as wary of them. "It's alright," the professor said, looking from Charmander to the parent and child and back again. "Look!"
Professor Oak put his hand over Charmander's tail as Delia gasped. Ash also raised his eyebrows, staring at the scene. But the Professor didn't flinch, then showed them his hand. "It's certainly a flame that would easily burn us at times, particularly with the techniques it uses in battles," he explained. "But other times it's just a show of the light. Experimenting with observing the properties of the showy flames of fire types was one of the first projects I helped with back when I started in pokemon science. We learned that fire type pokemon are perfectly safe to be around. Both you and Ash would be fine, even coming into contact with what seems a flame. I assure you, Charmander is quite friendly as well."
"Char!" Charmander called, smiling up at Delia and Ash. Delia reached her hand out, touching the fire on its tail. Charmander touched the tail and held it close, again shyly smiling.
Even being assured it was safe, Delia sighed in her discontent. "At his age, Ash needs to know that fire is dangerous."
"It's not fire, it's a pokemon," Ash said. Delia exchanged glances with the professor, both of them laughing to each other. Delia put Ash down, though still watching him closely. Ash elected to pat Charmander on the head instead of going for the tail that the pokemon still held in its hand. Maybe it had been rude to just go at the pokemon like that without warning.
"Char!" Charmander called back happily as Ash gave it more gentle attention.
"That's right, sweetie. Charmander and the rest have feelings too. Be gentle with them, just like that!" Delia praised, patting her own son's head. Ash looked back up, nodding.
Having more and more opportunity to be around pokemon, Ash was sure to do just that. Growing up in a place like Pallet Town, the times he saw them were plentiful. Sometimes it was when they visited the professor. Other times, on the way back from the store with his mom when a trainer had them out. At school where they typically weren't allowed, there was one day the principal brought his own in anyway. Ash shouted as he noted the very appealing chansey, dancing around and calling out at the various children as they entered the building.
"Did you see it?" Ash continued to ask his classmates as they entered the classroom.
Gary smiled at him wryly. "You've never seen a chansey before? It's a little rare, but... Oh, wait, you don't even have any pokemon at home, do you?"
"No," Ash admitted, though still frowning.
"Just seeing one pokemon's really not that exciting a sight, huh?" Gary elbowed Gilbert, who sat to the other side of him in the classroom. Gilbert just shrugged.
"Well, I think pokemon are really cool," Ash said.
"Of course they are! But Chansey wasn't even using the coolest techniques. But I guess you'd have to get excited, huh? You're not gonna be any kind of trainer."
Gary's words stung, especially as they incited Ash to think about how maybe he really did want to be a trainer, and how that might not really be possible.
"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Delia asked him later that day after checking his homework over.
Ash shook his head, forcing a smile. The negativity that day should be completely discarded. If he wanted to be around pokemon more, there were other things he could do. "I wanted to go visit Professor Oak."
Delia happily brought him. Visiting Oak Ranch had become a semi-regular occurrence to them. Ash cheered up from his melancholy, quickly forgetting what he might have been mulling on. Seeing all of the various pokemon, even playing with them as the professor allowed him and Delia to help feed them, was just too fun to think about much else. Gary, another of Ash's classmates, and Oak's assistant also helped, so they were done before long. While watching a large group of tauros run by, Ash raised his eyebrows. "Professor Oak, did you catch all of those?" he asked. "How did you catch all the pokemon here?"
Before the professor could answer, Ash's classmates laughed and mocked him. "He thinks your grandpa caught them! How could he get all these pokemon himself?"
"Come on Ashy, you think it's that easy to just go out and catch 'em all and drag them back?" Gary asked.
"That's so stupid!" Ash's other classmate said.
Ash paused before answering, surprised at the sudden onslaught of a reaction. Of course he'd been skeptical that the professor really caught all the pokemon there, but he had them, didn't he? It wasn't out of the question to just ask him if he'd caught them. Before Ash could say so, the professor himself spoke up. "All of these pokemon belong to the trainers that I work with," Professor Oak explained.
"Oh." Ash looked around, walked then down the hill as he spotted some rapidash playfully circling around a group of rock types. The rapidash called out in surprise as the geodude came out from hiding. Ash also had fun trying to spot the geodude as they seemed to appear and disappear. The time seemed to pass quickly before he came back to where Professor Oak was putting away various equipment. "Professor!" Ash said, slightly raising his voice.
"Oh, that's where you went," the professor said, giving him a smile as he took hold of the wheelbarrow. "Your mother's just inside waiting for you. Come."
Ash followed along, moving his head to observe the electabuzz rolling the electrode along, the ball-like pokemon's face spinning like a clock. Electrode's expression appeared to be sleeping, but electricity sparked from both pokemon, creating an appealing-looking show. Ash watched until they were finally out of sight, then spoke again to the professor. "Were you ever a trainer too?" he asked.
"Hm?" The professor briefly turned to Ash. "Well, yes, of course. Though I'm very passionate about research, experience in the field is a valuable foundation. I even participated in an earlier version of the Pokemon League, though it wasn't quite as exciting as it is today."
"Wow!" Ash exclaimed. "Did you win? What pokemon did you use? I guess you had all kinds." The professor gladly shared his modest ranking along with his list of battling pokemon, even telling Ash what they did now on his ranch. Ash listened closely. After the professor finished, he asked, "How did you get to be a trainer?"
The professor paused, his expression going serious before he smiled again. "Well, I did have some privilege in that regard. Were you wondering how that works these days?" Ash shrugged, and the professor continued, "Most trainers these days have some kind of sponsor and support. I sponsor many myself, as you can see from everyone here. Were you thinking about that kind of thing?"
Ash looked out the window, trying to spot the electabuzz, laughing as he thought about how the electrode seemed like both its friend and just a ball it pushed around. "Being around pokemon is fun!" he said.
Professor Oak nodded in response. "Yes. It truly is, isn't it?" Though perhaps not thinking the exact same thing as Ash, he laughed along with him, patting the kid on the head.
Though maybe not having any pokemon at home like Gary or many others in Pallet Town, Ash continued to find ways to be around pokemon as much as he could. He went to Oak Ranch regularly, as well as interacted with various trainers he came across. There were several arenas around town to watch battles, and festivals, including the annual one. They were looked forward to every year.
One year didn't seem as jovial as others. There were plenty of battles and pokemon out walking around, but Ash noticed a lot of attention being given to one trainer girl, June. She didn't seem as happy as might be expected for the occasion, and she didn't have out her friendly wartortle as she had the previous year, either. For some reason, that attitude caught Ash's attention, along with the fact Gary and the professor were there interacting with her.
"I didn't see where they went," June said. "I just, well..."
"What's going on?" Ash asked, breaking into the conversation as June paused.
Professor Oak turned sharply toward Ash, indicating maybe he shouldn't have spoken. Gary was the one to speak up, pursing his lips before he explained to Ash, "She got her pokemon taken by Team Rocket a while ago."
"Oh." Ash paused, thinking about how June might feel upset without her friendly pokemon being there for the festival. "So when are they gonna give everyone back?" he asked.
Various people made noises of disapproval. Ash tensed up, supposing he definitely had said something he shouldn't. "Don't be dumb," an older kid chided him.
"Yeah. That group's not about to give back anything," Gary said, smiling wryly.
Ash wanted to ask more, but seeing how upset June was had him hesitating to do so. Maybe it wasn't the time. The idea that June's pokemon would definitely never return seemed so awful that Ash couldn't imagine it was what was happening. Even if they were gone, they'd be back. As other conversation broke out, Ash approached the girl. "What pokemon do you have there?" he asked, motioning toward the pokeball in her hand.
June looked at the item as if she'd just noticed it. "Wigglytuff," she said. "It was here, when, you know..."
June again looked toward the ground. Ash decided to speak up, being louder than before. "Let me see Wigglytuff battle!" he said, causing the young trainer to look back up. Ash grinned at her and nodded as she did. "I bet it's really tough. I want to see everything it can do!"
"Okay," June nodded. She turned to a different trainer that had been commenting on the situation. "You have an evolved normal type too, right? Let's battle!" The other trainer agreed. When they cleared enough space for a makeshift battle arena, they both threw out their pokeballs. "Go, Wigglytuff!"
"Go, Raticate!" Both pokemon appeared. Wigglytuff called out in a sing-song tone while Raticate hissed its own call. "Raticate, tail whip!" the trainer ordered, pointing forward.
"Wigglytuff, mega kick!" June's own order wasn't far behind. Raticate attempted to trip Wigglytuff up by swinging its tail. Wigglytuff easily danced over it before dashing forward, kicking the rat-like pokemon to the ground. Raticate called out in surprise, then curled up, eyes closed.
"Wigglytuff!" June's pokemon called in victory, smiling and tilting its head up.
"Oh!" June ran onto the field, hugging her pokemon as Raticate disappeared in a flash of light. "Even though you haven't been practicing with me, you've gotten so great at that technique, Wigglytuff. You're a great pokemon. I'm gonna train you all I can."
"Wow." Ash turned to Gary and the professor, who had also stood watching the battle. "Wigglytuff is really powerful!"
"Indeed!" the professor agreed. "Pokemon of all species have the power to grow exponentially through their work with humans, you know. And unlike humans, they don't slow down with age." Professor Oak laughed to himself.
"They can do all kinds of stuff," Ash said. "I didn't know Wigglytuff could learn that technique." Kicking seemed more like it was for fighting types, but Wigglytuff had easily done that sort of move, packing enough power in it to instantly knock out the other pokemon.
"It can learn many techniques with technical machines, the same as other pokemon," Professor Oak informed.
"Technical machines? Do you mean real machines, not fake machines?" Ash asked.
Gary tittered to him. "You don't even know what a technical machine is?" Ash's sometimes friend asked.
Ash frowned. Before he could respond, the professor explained how technical machines showed pokemon who were capable how to learn various techniques that they may or may not have picked up otherwise. "It's a new innovation that teaches techniques, stored on CD-ROMs," he said. "Technical machine is what it ended up being called," Ash nodded, and the professor tapped Gary's shoulder. "You know Gary, we're all learning. Even I am. I doubt I'll ever learn all there is to know about pokemon, or many other topics. It's fine to ask questions."
Gary frowned with apparent embarrassment. He then gave an exaggerated shrug, grinning to himself before he spoke. "Ashy won't need to know much about pokemon though, huh?"
"Knowledge about pokemon is needed in today's world," the professor said.
"Yeah, I guess so. But Ashy won't have to be like a trainer. He won't be one, so he won't need to know as much as the rest of us, huh?" Gary poked Ash's shoulder. Ash backed away, scowling that the seemingly playful action seemed a little too forceful.
"Did you not want to be a trainer, Ash?" the professor asked.
"Um. Being a trainer looks fun," Ash said, not answering the question directly as he looked at the trainers around him. June was having Wigglytuff do some dancing to show off to others. Her challenger was caring for his raticate while talking to the pokemon, laughing as Raticate pushed its head against him. In the distance there was a battle between two fully evolved pokemon, a pidgeot going against a blastoise. Learning techniques and seeing new pokemon types and battling and just bonding in general with the funny creatures looked like fun, but Ash shouldn't assume that would be his future. Just spending time around pokemon in the present was fun enough that he just wanted to think about that instead.
"You could if you'd like," Professor Oak said. Ash turned, focusing his eyes on the professor, maybe the idea, hope entering his mind for the first time, though it still didn't seem to make complete sense. "I think you may have qualities that could be quite valuable in a trainer," the professor continued.
Ash didn't reply, giving some silence before Gary coughed. "Um, qualities? Ashy always forgets stuff and starts asking dumb questions," Gary pointed out."
"I do not always forget," Ash said, raising his fists as he glared toward Gary.
"Boys," Professor Oak said firmly. He smiled as they both turned his way, seeming to lose their momentary antagonism. "It should be known that pokemon training isn't all memorizing facts. I'd say many of the facts you'd both need to know, you know already. The rest will come with time and experience. But the ability to apply your knowledge and act in the moment, well, that's something that can't be taught for the most part. And it's something that I've seen both of you do when working with the pokemon at my ranch." The professor then leaned down, resting his hand on Ash's shoulder while motioning his head toward June. "And that's something you did here and now for June, isn't it?"
"It is?" Ash couldn't imagine what he'd done that might help him with pokemon training.
"Well, yes," the professor said. "She was quite upset, very understandably. The rest of us here didn't quite know what to say to her. Even myself," the professor admitted, again sighing as he stood up straighter. "But you saw that she needed to focus on what was left, and goaded her to do so. I'll actually keep that in mind for myself in similar situations in the future. It's that, among other things, that makes me think you'd be suited to be one of my sponsored trainers." The professor turned back to the path. "Well, I have other things to check on. You two enjoy the festival."
"Hey, Ashy," Gary called. He nodded with a smirk as Ash turned around, distracted from how he certainly had been just about to find something else to enjoy during this festival. "You know, Gramps is talking about you."
"Yeah, I know," Ash said plainly. That much had been obvious. "He said I might be a good trainer too. And maybe he'd sponsor me. I'd be one of the greatest trainers ever if he did."
"Oh, I bet he will. He feels sorry for a lot of stupid kids around here." Gary scrunched up his face, all while keeping the smile. "And I mean, he'll keep that in mind when your pokemon are stolen and gone like June's. He'll tell you to just move on. Why not do it now?"
Ash stomped forward, feeling like he might want to fight, though he started talking instead. "I'll be the greatest trainer ever," he declared. Maybe he'd been avoiding even thinking about if he could be one or not before, but in that moment, he decided, with or without Professor Oak, he would. "I'll be a master. And my pokemon won't ever be stolen and gone." Ash stormed off before Gary could continue to needle him.
June's pokemon weren't gone either, or at least that's what Ash told himself before forgetting about that situation during the fun of the day. He'd deal with training pokemon when he was actually old enough to do so. If his pokemon got stolen, he'd deal with that then as well. There was really no need to think about it all at once or worry about something that hadn't happened.
He also wasn't going to worry about Gary getting mean like this. Gary could just be forgotten if he was going to be like that. Ash found some of his other friends from school, having fun with the games and observing the various pokemon with them. Gary eventually joined in, being fun to be around instead of mean like before. Ash happily played with him and the others, maybe occasionally thinking about if various species of pokemon he saw would do well in his eventual team.
Pikachu wasn't the best, most obvious starting pokemon, but so what. An electric type was still awesome, and Ash supposed he could find and catch any other type of pokemon he wanted along the way. If Pikachu was 'weak' compared to other pokemon, Ash didn't care. Like Professor Oak and many others said, pokemon continued to grow with their trainers. Wherever they started, they just needed to keep moving forward from there.
But even thinking that, something seemed off about Pikachu. It wouldn't interact with Ash as much as even other pokemon back at Oak Ranch had. Those pokemon had always seemed eager to see Ash and be friends with him, while this one just sulked and observed him warily, not running away, but not seeming to want affection.
Even then, so what? Again, Ash just needed to move forward. Except unlike the growth of pokemon's power, there was the possibility of things backsliding, but they'd certainly never get better if Ash didn't try. Seeing the newspaper in the lobby of the Viridian Pokemon Center, Ash grabbed it before running back to Pikachu, holding it up with a grin on his face. "You see, Pikachu? Everyone loves you! They're all talking about you, around here, and also here!" Ash pointed to the article with Pikachu's picture. "You're powerful and great and everyone knows it!"
Pikachu looked up from where it was curled up on the couch, hardly spending a second of attention before it put its head back down. "Pi," it quietly called, almost sad.
Ash stood up, feeling upset himself as he heard his pokemon's tone. Why was Pikachu so down? Ash would feel great if there was a story in the newspaper saying all these kinds of things about him. He gripped onto the pages, stopping himself before shaking it at Pikachu again to see if his pokemon really understood how great this was.
But maybe it really wasn't and Pikachu understood that. Ash might learn something from his pokemon's reaction. They didn't really need to be in the paper, did they? They'd gotten back some pokemon that would have otherwise been taken away, but it wasn't like they were in the league or anything. Pikachu knew better than Ash did that this wasn't really necessary, nor was it something that should be dwelled on. Ash was a new trainer, and had so much to do from here, didn't he? He might, as Procter Oak had long again said he'd learned from Ash, learn from his pokemon. They didn't need any of this at all.
Ash threw the newspaper back on the table. He already knew what had happened, so why would he need to read the article about it. "Come on Pikachu, let's go train," he said.
"Pika..." Pikachu didn't put its head up.
"Do you think you can't take that magneton's electricity because it's bigger than you or something?" Ash goaded.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu dashed up, scowling at its trainer.
"Alright!" Ash picked Pikachu up, hugging it.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called questioningly, seeming confused rather than annoyed like before.
Ash laughed. "We're gonna give it our best. We'll only get better from here."
Ash did, training his not just Pikachu, but eventually six pokemon in total, finding out their strengths and weaknesses and seeing them grow more and more with every battle. Unfortunately, the Viridian Pokemon Center wasn't the last time pokemon were attempted to be taken from or around Ash. He just did his best to deal with it as it arose. On the St. Anne was the most difficult. All of his pokemon besides Pikachu happened to be stolen by a large group of people from Team Rocket, including but hardly limited to Jessie and James, the two human members of Team Rocket he'd met several times before. Ash was starting to learn more and more about what a bad group they were. That fact and how persistent they were didn't mean he wouldn't go against them.
Even if it meant running inside a sinking ship.
For some reason, even while descending to the bottom of the ocean, Ash had no doubts they'd get out and be fine, even as others fretted around him. Once they were finally on the island, he didn't think about how they'd get back either, just knowing they eventually would. But the other humans seemed worried. Both Jessie and Brock seemed pretty grouchy and were more withdrawn than usual. Misty openly expressed everything they'd have to do, tense as she tried to spot manned vessels floating by. Then Ash found James crying with his two pokemon.
"Did you want to train?" Ash asked. Though maybe not battling, Pikachu and Ash had been having fun training in different ways while looking for various supplies.
"Do I want to what?" James asked, an expression of disbelief appearing on the adult man's face.
Ash shrugged. "You know. I have Pikachu, and you have two pokemon. We could have a battle to get stronger!" Ash clenched his fist, nodding with determination. They hadn't really been battling at all, but why didn't they, especially since it seemed like they'd done everything else?
"We can't be thinking about that now! Just think of poor Koffing and Weepinbell!" James said, hugging Weepinbell as he spoke.
Ash observed Weepinbell leaning against the rocket agent, seeming very alert with vibrant colors indicating good health for the plant type. Koffing floated overhead, expelling a small amount of haze, seeming relaxed, even bored. "Yeah, they're okay. You don't like to battle?" Ash asked.
"I'm very proficient with battles, as are my precious pokemon," James declared firmly. Weepinbell waved its leaf-like appendages and called out in seeming agreement from his arms. "I'm just thinking of their state and their experience. We're on an island... Somewhere... And I can't know if I'll have enough to care for them!" James rocked Weepinbell, tears in his eyes.
"Do you think pokemon are babies or something?" Ash asked.
James's eyes subtly opened wider, his grip loosening on Weepinbell which bounced to the ground in its trainer's distraction. "Well, no, of course not," the rocket agent declared. "I certainly don't worry about them like I worried about my son when he was born."
"You have a baby?" Ash asked.
"He's older now, but yes," James confirmed, looking to the sky before over at Koffing. "These two are tougher than he, or any of us will ever be. But though they may not need as much care as a human baby would, there are other things to consider. We're running out of potions. Their fast healing without it still takes time, you know. And they'll need food to maintain their energy, which is also so limited. I should just have them in their pokeballs, but I didn't want them to seem too lonely... "Weepinbell, wait, stop!" James called after his pokemon which was bouncing toward the ocean. He picked it up in his arms as it came back to him. "That's right... As a grass type, Weepinbell needs even more fresh water than other pokemon. We don't have that either, do we?" James's voice went high as he agonized about various things.
Ash quietly sighed at hearing all the worries. He got even closer to James. "Hey, Weepinbell!" he said. "Open up!" As the pokemon looked, calling out at him, Ash dumped what was left of his water bottle in the pokemon's mouth. The pokemon changed its angle as it drank, not wasting a drop, but its trainer still shouted out in surprise.
"Wait! No! Shouldn't you save that, so you and Pikachu have what you need?" James asked.
"Na." Ash put the now empty water bottle back in his bag. "You were worried because Weepinbell was thirsty, right? And now it's not. I'll find more water soon anyway. Then I'll just fill it up." Ash shrugged, a smile on his face. "Weepinbell drank it all already, huh?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called, reaching up toward James and the grass type as it also tried to encourage them.
James's eyes became teary. "That's so kind!" he said, becoming teary eyed as he spoke. "Weepinbell and I will have to help you find a place to fill it up."
Before that Team Rocket boat came for them, James had been happy to help Ash with anything. Even with the Team Rocket agent on the seemingly unoccupied island, Ash had fun finding various food, helping to set up ways for them to possibly collect rain water. Ash thought differently of the person that had tried to steal pokemon so often before. He also started to think differently of Jessie, noticing she also cared about her own pokemon and tried to help them. They could change, couldn't they?
The next time they'd met up, outside Lavender Town in the tower haunted by ghost type pokemon, Ash was ecstatic to hear them declare they really had changed after all. This was great news, and Ash believed it completely, even as Brock told him to be careful. James really was a kind person. He was to his pokemon, and even to Ash. He was even a dad, something that had been missing from Ash's life. Ash thought he'd be a good friend. Maybe they had been enemies before, but an enemy today could be a friend tomorrow. Ash forgave them both. He forgave Jessie, and certainly forgave James completely as the man talked to him about the ghost types and offered his own help. Even as he found out they'd been lying later, there was some disappointment, but Ash still wanted to believe that lie would be the truth eventually. He was ready to forgive them at any time.
Too bad none of that had ever mattered.
After all, they kept doing bad things. They didn't stop what they'd been doing before. They continued to lie as well, setting Ash up for pain and disappointment. How they kept doing the same thing over without remorse started to seem like a joke. Ash quickly learned to never rely on them helping him or changing their ways again.
And then... Well, then it turned out James would never forgive Ash himself.
As the winner of the 52nd annual pokemon league event, maybe Ash cared more about that than his new status as a winner. He knew he'd done something bad himself. He was definitely sorry for it, and had wanted to apologize to James for a while. But the Team Rocket agent had regarded Ash as something beneath his consideration, treating Ash's apology itself as the joke.
The reaction was unnerving, though only for a moment. Ash hadn't really thought about what James might say to him, just honestly wanted to apologize. Now he had, and there wasn't a lot of thought required to understand James's reaction. While James had gently petted Pikachu while talking nonsense in front of the camera in the secret base, Ash had acted ready to kill the rocket agent's young son in the remote location. Though that certainly hadn't been the goal, maybe Ash had been willing to go that far if needed. That was an unforgivable action to a father.
That kid hadn't meant anything to Ash in that moment, other than getting the captive boy to act in a way that would convince James as the overemotional parent to finally start talking. Ash's actions hadn't been good. Ash himself knew that much. But maybe, despite being sorry for hurting the younger kid and upsetting even the rocket agent so much, he really didn't regret it as much as others may think he should. He'd already known this was a bad thing to do, but still thought he was justified in doing so. Ash hadn't 'learned' to act any differently by going that far.
He was ready to do something similar all over again if he needed to.
Ash was lucky. As Oak had said of his personal experience years ago, Ash was privileged with his status as a pokemon trainer. Ash's privilege came not just because of Oak's generosity, but all of the pokemon that had agreed on their own to come along with him during his journey. Given that esteemed status, Ash would do anything he had to in order to protect them all. Knowing he'd taken the right and necessary steps to get Pikachu back, Ash decided to stop thinking about rocket agents that acted without remorse, and move forward, as always. There was plenty else to concentrate on.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu called out happily as it stared up at the pokemon in front of it. It was large, standing taller than most humans it had seen. On the ground, the outline of the other pokemon's snout from underneath could be seen. The giant pokemon looked down upon hearing Pikachu's call, revealing a very welcoming expression. "Pika!" Pikachu called in delight. "Chu?" it asked.
The dragonite called back happily, letting Pikachu know it could certainly climb on its back. Pikachu hopped up, first on the other pokemon's tail, then climbing up by its wings, which spread out in each direction. "Pikachu!" it called happily. "Pika?" Maybe Dragonite would fly around. How fun would that be? They could see the building they were currently in from above. What would that even look like?
Dragonite called back that they might later, if outside while their trainers were otherwise occupied. "Pikachu!" Pikachu grinned, then jumping down from the champion's pokemon's back. "Pika!" It waved at its new pokemon friend before going to the side of the room where its trainer sat. "Pikapi?" Pikachu called to Ash.
Ash's cross, distracted expression changed to a smile as he patted Pikachu on the head. "Yeah, I don't know why we've been waiting so long," he said. "Something's going on." Ash picked up Pikachu, walking down the hall to a smaller room which had a TV. "Hello?" he said.
Bruno and Lance ushered Ash in while continuing with their own conversation. "This isn't good," Bruno said.
"No, I'm good and ready," Ash said. He'd come there that day to battle Bruno. When trying to be admitted to the elite trainer class, Ash had gotten pushback. There was more to being elite than winning battles, he'd been told. But even not being officially one of them, Ash was going to be allowed a battle with the rethroned champion Lance that very day. Lance had no previous engagements as many trainers liked to watch the league finals that day. "Didn't you say you were recording the league?" Ash said.
"I have," Lance informed. "It's over." Lance held up a tape, placing it into the VCR. He rewound until they saw a previously unknown pokemon, knocking out pokemon after pokemon. Lance frowned, tensing up as he watched it. "This wasn't on the schedule," the champion declared.
"What pokemon is that?" Ash asked, not recognizing the winning pokemon at all.
"Is it a pokemon, even?" Bruno followed with a different question.
"I believe so," Lance replied.
"Did we know anything about this?" Bruno asked, trying to study the pokemon on the TV screen further. "What's Team Rocket been up to, anyway?"
"What?!" Ash exclaimed, standing up. "Team Rocket? Is this them? What's going on there, anyway?"
"That's what we'd like to know, Ash," Lance replied.
Ash headed for the door, letting Pikachu back down before he adjusted his hat. "I'll go see myself," he declared. "If Team Rocket's doing something, I won't let them get away with it."
Pikachu dashed after its trainer, who continued on his way, ignoring the two men who called various things after them.
Ash quickly found his way to the league venue, knowing various shortcuts from when he'd participated and watched before. He saw the group of Team Rocket members in uniform going the other way. They didn't seem to be bothering anyone, so he didn't assume they were. Meowth especially was happy to see Pikachu, who also seemed to want to interact with the Team Rocket affiliated pokemon, so Ash let them do so without interruption.
James was there too, and certainly hadn't changed his mind about forgiving Ash based on only his body language. But Ash had already accepted that. He'd thrown any consideration he might have for anyone in Team Rocket himself at this point. Ash watched as Jessie and James joined the larger group of rockets, and soon enough Meowth as well. Though he'd been wary, Ash concluded they really seemed they were just like any other group that had been casually watching the league.
After meeting up with Misty, Ash got the full story. Team Rocket had been starting trouble after all. Not only that, but they wanted to do even more. Would they really try and take pokemon away? Again?
Of course they would. They constantly did the same things over and over despite how they said they'd change. Ash realized that even before he yelled at Misty for her inaction, in addition to stupid actions, and ran off ready to actually act. Per Misty's recount, Mewtwo had almost been defeated by Koga. Ash would just pick up where the ninja had left off, stopping the evil group yet again.
As they returned to base, Cassidy slunk away from those going to watch the recorded replays of the boss using Mewtwo to defeat the league winner, and went looking for Mondo. She found him headed toward the main building, Jonathan in tow. Jonathan had been assigned to mostly Mondo's sort of work, taking inventory and running errands. Cassidy had ordered Mondo not to let her boy go wandering off alone, and Mondo had seemed happy to be given an important task. From what she'd seen, her eager to please coworker had indeed monitored her son. Now she'd give him a break.
"Mom!" Jonathan shouted, running to her and hugging her.
Cassidy smiled. Her son was always so loving and sweet. He didn't belong here at all. She'd use the distraction of everything that was going on to fix this mishap. "Mondo, do you want to see what the boss did? Go watch it in there, someone taped it."
"We saw it live! We taped it too, and the news talking about it!" Jonathan informed.
"Got it. I'll find you later," Mondo said, getting the message. He walked back toward the main building.
Jonathan looked back at their co-worker with some confusion, but soon got over it as Cassidy affectionately ran his fingers through his hair, then patted his head. "Can you show me what you do here?" she asked. For that, Jonathan would have to take her to the storage areas out back, where no one was likely to be.
"Okay!" Jonathan ran forward, then back, grabbing her hand to try to pull her forward, all with a wide smile on his face. He really did seem happy, which was contagious to Cassidy herself. This was quite the difference from before James had taken him away from that foster home. Every time she'd seen him then, he'd been depressed, broken down and cried before she'd left, and sometimes even as she arrived.
But that day, Jonathan's disposition was sunny. "I help Mondo move things here," he began, pointing to the locked sheds. "I write down the new stuff for him. And then we write down what we give to people. We check it later to get stuff back, then Mondo writes about what else we need to the boss. I read lists for him."
"You're always helpful," Cassidy said.
"Yeah! There's a lot of cool stuff here. Mondo shows me it. And then we battle pokemon sometimes. I won against Mondo. Oh! I evolved my exeggcute to an exeggutor! It's even taller than Dad, do you want to see?"
Cassidy nodded. Jonathan released it, then explained with excitement all of the techniques Exeggutor knew. He really spoke a lot, not just then, but since he'd come back with James in general. He was often so quiet back in that foster home. Cassidy happily listened to everything he wanted to tell her, then complimented Exeggutor's healthy, cared for state before Jonathan returned the pokemon to its pokeball. "Can I battle you sometime?" Jonathan asked. "I won't be scared of Raticate anymore. Or even Primeape."
"Of course," Cassidy said. "I look forward to it. But today there's something important I want to discuss." Jonathan became quiet again, looking up at her expectantly. Cassidy patted her growing boy on the head. "You've been doing so well," she said. Jonathan smiled and nodded. "So," Cassidy continued. "I don't want being here to ruin anything for you."
Jonathan's expression changed to confusion. Cassidy looked away. Would this be hard for him to understand, since both of his parents were active in Team Rocket? She had to try her best to explain it. "You see, even though there's some good people here, this is a bad place for bad people. You have too much promise to be caught up in that. I'll find somewhere better for you, where you can reach your potential. There's some boarding schools where you can-"
Jonathan stepped back before he shouted, interrupting her. "You want me to be alone again!" he accused.
Cassidy's eyebrows raised, pausing in face of her son's unexpected fury. Her tone became firm as she continued, "Listen to me. This is important. I want you not to ruin your life. I'll find somewhere you can be."
"I can be here!" Jonathan said, atypically not backing away from Cassidy's harsh tone. "I know Team Rocket's supposed to be bad. I don't care. If I have to be bad to be here, then I will. I won't let you leave me by myself again. I won't go and be alone."
With that, he ran toward the main building. Cassidy caught up to comfort him. Her sweet, gentle boy couldn't have really meant what he said. She tried not to concentrate on that too much, just be sure to tell him that he couldn't repeat what she'd said. He agreed, but obviously wasn't open to any more talk about him actually leaving.
Inside, Jessie and James greeted them happily. James even run up, shouting and hugging her son. "Isn't this wonderful?" James asked after their initial greeting.
"You saw us, didn't you?" Jessie asked, primping herself in the nearby mirror. Jonathan nodded in response, beaming.
"Our white tomorrow is here! Team Rocket is currently sitting on our sparkling golden throne of supremacy!" James said.
"Meowth, that's right! And I got the glitter!" Meowth danced in, throwing a pawful of golden glitter around before offering the canister to Jessie.
Jessie squinted as she observed what was left inside. "This isn't enough to give HQ the shine it deserves as the castle of the new world." Jessie put the canister on the counter, nose in the air grinning. "Oh, but James and I do have our golden uniforms prepared. Should we go put them on?"
"Let's!" James agreed. "Oh, wait, Jonathan, would you like one as well? We could make a matching sparkling uniform for you!" he offered.
Jonathan shook his head no, though he was still grinning, his mood having improved just from the short interaction with James and the rest. "I-I want to see it!" Jonathan said as Jessie went on and on about how they should do their hair and makeup to go along with their new look.
Cassidy didn't feel nearly as jovial. It seemed she really was stuck here while Giovanni tried to start some kind of conflict, which would turn into a total mess. Could she get the boss to fire her son? Why had the man decided to hire such a young kid, anyway? Was it just to please James?
No. More likely, it was to punish and control her. There was nothing left to be done. Hearing the phone incessantly ringing with none of the celebrating idiots answering, Cassidy decided to do so herself. The conversation she had only confirmed further that there wasn't any shortage of fools to contend with that day.
Pikachu woke up as it heard the chirping of birds where Ash had finally decided to crash in the wilderness. "Pikapi..." Pikachu muttered before curling up next to its trainer in a spot of sun that seeped through the canopy. Ash patted its head absent-mindedly, still half-asleep himself. They'd traveled a long way the previous day, then Ash had finally decided it was too dark and they were too tired to continue. Even if it wasn't his comfortable house in Pallet Town, how nice lazy mornings like this were. The wind swept through the trees. "Pika?" Pikachu called as the sunlight went away. It soon came back, and Pikachu fell asleep again.
"Come on, Pikachu," Ash muttered upon waking.
"Pika..." Pikachu stretched and then hopped on its trainer's shoulder.
They both spotted where the tall main building of Team Rocket's formerly secret headquarters was in the distance. They weren't that far away. Ash nodded at Pikachu before he threw out his pokeballs, releasing his other five pokemon. "It's time to go over there," Ash said, pointing toward their destination. "We're gonna all have to be ready if we're gonna defeat that powerful pokemon, so you guys stay out."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called out its determination. Team Rocket was a terrible group, and Pikachu was ready to fight against it.
"Squirtle," Squirtle called out the opposite feeling, putting up its hands before it glanced away. "Squirtle, squirtle..." it called tentatively, wondering if they really needed to fight.
"Pika pika?" Pikachu questioned if its water type ally was really so reluctant to go against this foe, then looked to Ash. The boy couldn't understand, so Squirtle's question would go unanswered.
"You don't want to go, Squirtle?" Ash asked. That wasn't exactly what Squirtle had been communicating, but that was easily inferred, both by Ash and the other pokemon.
"Squirtle..." Squirtle expressed that the fight didn't seem like too much fun. "Squirtle, squirtle!" it called as it smiled. Besides, it was easier to make a mess than clean one up.
"It's okay," Ash assured. "None of you have to fight if you don't want to. Team Rocket's done a lot of bad things, I guess they could do even more to you guys when we're there. Even if you never want to fight again, I won't make you."
"Squirtle, squirtle." Squirtle called. It wasn't that it didn't want to fight, just that this seemed too serious for it. "Squirtle!" Maybe later, it could join Ash for more fun, like they'd had in various other places throughout Kanto, when they'd only battled as a way to play. "Squirtle..." It really had been fun, both to participate and watch.
"Go ahead, Squirtle," Ash invited with a nod in the opposite direction. "I'll check on you later."
"Squirtle," Squirtle waved as it walked in the opposite direction of Ash and his other pokemon.
Ash watched until the little turtle-like pokemon was out of sight before nodding at his other pokemon. "Are you ready?"
The remaining pokemon called out in agreement, Charizard's roar sounding out louder than the rest. They approached the formerly hidden headquarters. "I wonder where the entrance is..." Ash said.
"Pika!" Pikachu called, turning in a specific direction. The main door had been around the other side, hadn't it? "Chuu..." Of course, there was also another door in a different direction.
"Oh yeah!" Ash looked down at his pokemon. "Pikachu, you've been here before, haven't you? I bet you've even been inside."
"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded in confirmation.
"Show us where to go then!" Ash said.
Pikachu couldn't ask which door Ash might prefer, but supposed its upfront trainer would prefer the most obvious one. It ran forward, hearing Ash and the other pokemon. Ash's pace matched Pikachu's exactly, so there was no need to slow down. As they were almost there, they passed by one of the practice battle fields. A group of rockets hung out there, laughing, and soon caught sight of the intruder.
"I don't think this one is supposed to be here," one said, pokeball already in hand.
"Yeah," another agreed, taking out a second pokeball. "I recognize him. He's the one league winner that likes to attack kids."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called in its trainer's defense. Of course Ash didn't like to do such a thing. They were one to talk. Besides their own likely actions, it really seemed like the rocket boss liked attacking pokemon that were even loyal to him.
Ash himself didn't get caught up in their banter, just got to work directing Pikachu and the other pokemon in battle, making quick work of the Team Rocket affiliated pokemon. The men returned their pokemon safely inside their pokeballs after the defeat, retreating into the building afterward, though not before shouting some choice insults to Ash.
As they left Bulbasaur frowned, turning its back. "Bulbasaur," it called out in discontent.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called out to it, causing Ash to notice as well.
"You don't want to go either, Bulbasaur?" he asked.
Bulbasaur turned, eyes closed, calmly calling, "Bulba, bulbasaur." The current conflict seemed neither to protect humans nor for sport. Really, it seemed quite pointless overall.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called in protest. Team Rocket hurt pokemon along with humans. They wanted to rearrange the world to make it so pokemon were merely their tools. Of course the current fight was worth it.
"Bulbasaur." Bulbasaur called in protest. The conflict was between humans and caused by humans. There was no need for pokemon to join in.
"Pika? Pikachu!" Pikachu called as it moved closer to Bulbasaur, getting in its face. Hadn't this pokemon learned since it had left its forest? They were all part of the same world.
"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur knew that of course. But more joining the fighting could only lead to more discontent. That was something Bulbasaur had learned long ago, even if it had since come out of its state as a recluse with Ash's help.
"It's okay, Pikachu," Ash said, leaning down to see both pokemon better. "Bulbasaur doesn't have to fight if it doesn't want to."
Bulbasaur met eyes with the trainer that had always been so kind to it once more.
"It's fine," Ash assured. "You only lent me your time, right? Go ahead with Squirtle. I'll check on you later."
Bulbasaur turned to leave. "Pidgeot!" Ash pointed. Bulbasaur and Squirtle were small, relatively slower pokemon, so maybe a larger, flying pokemon should look after them. "Go make sure they make it away from here okay."
"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot promised to check on its trainer later, after making sure its friends were okay.
"Bulbasaur," Bulbasaur called, protesting the other pokemon having to watch over it. "Bulba, bulbasaur." Bulbasaur had been alone before, and would handle it well enough again.
"Pikaka pika!" Pikachu called a good-bye after its departing teammate, not wanting to leave things between them on a bad note. "Pikachu!" Pikachu wanted Bulbasaur to know, no matter what it decided, it wasn't alone. "Pikapi... Pikachu..." If it were Ash or Pikachu itself, Bulbasaur wasn't ever going to be alone again.
Bulbasaur turned to the side, nodding subtly before it slowly walked off, Pidgeot still taking off above the canopy. Ash then turned to his three remaining pokemon. "There could be more guys like that," he said, motioning toward where the now defeated rocket group had been loitering. "Charizard, Butterfree, you two go and look around in the air for us. Let me know where the rockets are."
Butterfree floated off, flying between the various metal sheds, but Charizard remained in one place. "Charizard, you too. Fly around and see what's there," Ash encouraged, pointing in the opposite direction as Butterfree.
Charizard snorted and turned away. "Pika pika?" Pikachu questioned. Did Charizard worry they'd be caught too easily? That large fire type rarely expressed itself since it had evolved, and now didn't offer clarification. After a moment of silence, it flew in the direction Ash had indicated.
"I guess Charizard doesn't want to be here either," Ash said, biting his lip and looking to the ground in a pause before he spoke again. "That's fine. I say I'm gonna do things, but then I just count on all of you. I shouldn't promise anything I'm not gonna do myself. If you don't want to, if you don't think I'm doing the right thing, there's nothing I can do, huh." Ash leaned down, meeting Pikachu's gaze. "Maybe I should go. I guess you don't want to fight here either, Pikachu?"
"Pikapi, pikachu!" Pikachu denied the idea as ferociously as it could. It met Ash's eyes as it called out again, "Pikapika, pikachu!" Pikachu was with Ash when it came to this task, knowing its trainer was completely and absolutely right. It hadn't cared much about Team Rocket in the past, assuming they were all just as good or bad as any other human trainers, despite what group they belonged to. But since then it had met who they all admired and worked for, and knew that person was evil, actively harming pokemon. Ash hadn't seen what Pikachu had, but he understood that. And unlike other evil humans, such as Pikachu's former trainer, Giovanni was neither stupid nor powerless. They should do anything they could to stop him. Misty was wrong, death wasn't too much of a punishment to offer for everything the rocket boss did.
Not that Pikachu itself could do that. Even so, Ash was right, they had to act quickly, and fight with everything they could. Pikachu hopped on its trainer's shoulder, looking at the tall building before back at Ash's face. "Pikapi... Pikachu..." Besides the fact it agreed with Ash completely, Pikachu would never abandon its trainer. Not that Pikachu was judging the actions of the pokemon that had just walked away, but Pikachu itself could never turn away from Ash like that, not after all this boy, now nearly man, had done for it. "Pika!" Pikachu called out, raising something it could manage into a fist in the air. Besides, it wasn't just loyal to its trainer, Pikachu believed the exact same as Ash. "Pikachu!" It was ready to follow whatever Ash said to do.
Pikachu had emoted so much, knowing that this human didn't have the ability to understand it. But Ash still grinned at Pikachu, hugging it close. "Let's go and find him! We're gonna stop him somehow!" Ash said, seeming to understand Pikachu completely. He may not have the ability to innately understand pokemon's calls, but that didn't seem to matter when Ash's heart was completely in sync with his first pokemon.
Just as they reached that mutual conclusion, more agents came into sight, Jessie and James in front of the ground. "Time to battle, Mew!" Jessie ordered, throwing out the pokeball. Pikachu observed the pokemon, getting ready to follow Ash's orders before suddenly hearing a clang. Turning to see the source, Pikachu missed Jessie ordering Mew to use the earthquake technique. As the reality of Ash trapped in the net started to come into focus, Pikachu found itself hit by the now surprise attack, its consciousness quickly fading.
The rocket grunts literally dragged Ash into the indoor battle arena as the adolescent boy shouted and swore back at them. Giovanni stood at the opposite end. "Let him out," the rocket boss ordered.
The rocket grunts cut and tore at the net until Ash pushed himself out. "You're in for trouble!" he declared, pointing toward Giovanni.
"Hold your rude tongue. After all, I was about to show mercy on you," Giovanni said.
"I don't need your mercy," Ash declared.
"Don't you? After all, your friend here has been begging for it," Giovanni said, motioning toward the spectator's area.
Ash's eyes widened as he noticed Misty, almost next to the rocket boss. "You told him?" the boy demanded.
"I had to. You and your pokemon were just going to get hurt," Misty explained.
"So you just betrayed me and everyone?!" Ash demanded. "What about all the other people Team Rocket is gonna hurt with Mewtwo now?"
"How is you running in here-" Misty began.
"I do owe your friend a favor," Giovanni said, loudly interrupting her. "I'd be willing to complete it, but I need your promise that you'll never invade my base and interfere with my plans again."
"As if I'll ever promise that!" Ash said. "I'll stop you any time I can!"
"Hmph. I did offer so generously, but there you are," Giovanni said, glancing toward Misty, who pursed her lips. "Well, I'll still do my best," Giovanni said, still speaking to Misty before he shouted at Ash. "If you'd like to give your all against Mewtwo, let's start. Maybe you'll be more open to my offer once you realize how inadequate you are. Prepare for a battle!" Giovanni held up a single pokeball as he issued the challenge.
"Oh." Ash blinked, looking at the ground before back up at his declared enemy. "Um, I don't have any of my pokemon right now."
"Ash!" Misty exclaimed.
Giovanni outright laughed. "So, you're all talk," he said. "How foolish."
"I can handle you without any pokemon!" Ash raised his fist, running across the arena before several grunts stopped him.
Giovanni just laughed again. "You see how I tried," he said to Misty. "Now-"
Before Giovanni could complete the thought, a puff of smoke erupted from near the exit. Koga leapt from it, unsheathing his sword. "Let him go!" the ninja shouted at the rocket grunts. The men threw out pokeballs, several powerful formally fossilized pokemon appearing, but lost their grip on Ash as Koga ran forward anyway. Koga dodged around the omastar, kabutops, and aerodactyl. The three pokemon soon surrounded the ninja. Koga hit them with his sword, which had no effect on the part rock types other than distracting them.
"Ash, Koga, be careful!" Misty warned.
"Just stay out of this," a woman's voice spoke. Misty turned, noting Aya incognito behind the nearby chair. "You've interfered enough, haven't you?" Aya dashed onto the field without waiting for a response, throwing out her two pokeballs. "Venomoth, Golbat, razor wind!" The two pokemon kicked up the dust on the field. As it cleared, the two ninja and Ash were gone.
"They can't have gotten far," Giovanni said, heading for the door.
"Giovanni!" Misty shouted at his back. "You said you'd just let Ash go."
"I'll still do my best," Giovanni promised. "I just can't harm my own self-interests. But I have an interest in him as well, you see." The rocket boss didn't clarify as he resumed his pursuit.
"You get what you deserve! You think you stood a chance against Team Rocket?" Jessie taunted as the rocket grunts dragged Ash past her and James.
"Don't worry too much, the boss should be kinder than you were," James said, then his eyes focused on the field. "Where's Pikachu?"
"Mew's attack knocked it out, I think," Jessie informed.
Meowth ran onto the outside arena, indeed seeing Mew buzzing around what looked like an unconscious Pikachu across the way. "There it is!" The pokemon pointed.
"We can't just leave Pikachu out there!" Jessie said. "Hey," she called back at the grunts.
"You need to net that one up too!" James said, just to be ignored.
"Yeah, it's recovering already," Meowth noted.
"Pi?" Pikachu called, sitting up. It looked at the levitating pokemon and the rocket agents before turning and running toward the woods.
"It's running away! We'll never find it now," Jessie lamented.
"Let's split up," James suggested before they did just that.
Meowth followed Mew as it teleported short distances. The two of them eventually found Pikachu huddled by a tree. "Pikapi..." it called, looking around.
Meowth folded its arms, scowling at the electric type. "You're always looking around for that twerp! It's like you live for that violent freak!" it chided.
Pikachu arched its back. "Pika! Pi pikachu!" As if this pokemon was one to talk, living for its own violent boss.
"I live for myself. Do you see my boss catching me in a pokeball or ordering me around in battles?" Meowth said.
"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu shouted. As if that made any difference. Meowth was still willing to go way too far for him, over and over at that.
"Mew mew..." Mew called calmly as it floated between the two, informing that all pokemon existed for humans, so what they described was natural.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu questioned.
"What are you talking about?" Meowth repeated, wondering the same thing.
Mew floated down closer to them. "Mew," it explained. It had created all pokemon, so it knew why pokemon existed.
"That's a pretty big claim," Meowth said. "Why don't you prove it?"
"Mew." Mew shook its head. It didn't much care if Meowth believed it or not, the idea was just true.
"Pikachu," Pikachu pointed out how much more difficult it was to lie with pokemon calls than with human speech.
"You still shouldn't believe everything some weird pokemon calls out to you," Meowth muttered.
Pikachu ignored Meowth, looking up curiously at Mew. "Pikachu?" Why had Mew created pokemon?
"Mew!" Mew hopped happily as it informed that appearing in this form, and then creating pokemon, had been a gift for the humans it loved so much. It then sunk, calling out lowly, "Mew, mew." The human it had created pokemon for especially had rejected them, calling them their original name, 'monsters'. "Mew..." Mew stared out toward the rocket base, expressing it was happy that some pokemon had found bonds with humans long after that, calling them a name that seemed much nicer.
"Pikachu, pikapi!" Pikachu called happily. It had taken a while, but Pikachu had finally bonded with a human that appreciated that bond.
"Mew!" Mew called back with its own happiness. It didn't care much about the specifics, it was just glad that some pokemon these days were able to bond with humans.
"This is a crock," Meowth concluded. "Are you the pokemon stork? Maybe the evolution fairy too? Explain why more and more pokemon keep appearing."
"Mew. Mew, mew, mew," Mew kept calling out as it explained that it hadn't created any evolutions, and couldn't evolve itself. Since pokemon existed for humans, evolutions were one way they tried to get stronger and change for the sake of humans. Mew wasn't involved in initial evolutions, which were complicated and rare, though later members of the same species were able to take advantage of those initial evolutions. "Mew..." As for multiplying pokemon, they also appeared for humans' sake, without Mew's involvement. A variety of factors were needed, including nearby humans who may need pokemon partners. "Mew, mew." Though the presence of humanity was required, pokemon also needed to be briefly involved, of course. "Mew! Mew, mew!"
"What, really? That's it?" Meowth peered toward Pikachu, who also looked toward the rocket pokemon curiously.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked.
"I think it's making stuff up," Meowth said. "But let's see."
Pikachu and Meowth lifted up their arms. A light resembling that of the one that appeared with pokemon evolution started to shine as they made a gesture that resembled a high five. "Pikachu!" Pikachu called in surprise as the light faded.
"That was weird," Meowth said, taking a step back as it observed its formerly glowing paw.
"Pika?" Pikachu poked at the ground, noting something that hadn't been there before.
"It's true! It's all true!" Meowth shouted as it saw the newly appeared object that may not have been noticed if they hadn't been on the lookout. "This answers almost every stupid question people keep asking me about pokemon!"
"Pika." Curiosity satisfied, Pikachu turned back toward the rocket base. Meowth seemed to be letting the information sink in, but Pikachu had already believed the first time Mew had told them. It couldn't let itself continue to be distracted. "Pikachu..." it called back mournfully at Meowth. Even if pokemon existed for humans, Pikachu still thought Meowth should have the satisfaction of a human that appreciated the bond.
"The boss appreciates me plenty," Meowth replied.
"Pika... Pikapi," Pikachu choked out, trying not to sob. There had been a human that also didn't appreciate everything Pikachu had done for it.
"Really? Not that brat that trains you now?" Meowth asked.
"Pikachu." Pikachu shook its head. "Pikapika. Pi pikachu." Pikachu ought not to have tried so hard for that human, given all of itself to someone who only gave abuse and negativity in return before leaving it all alone. It really seemed like Meowth was doing the same in Team Rocket.
"That's just your misunderstanding," Meowth replied.
"Pika?" Was it?
"Yeah!" Meowth nodded. "The boss would never leave me alone! he saw my worth and picked me right up to join Team Rocket. And he ain't even my trainer."
"Pika..." Pikachu wasn't sure not using that specific human word made a difference, but wasn't going to continue to argue. "Pika pika!" Pikachu extended its arms. Even existing for humans, maybe pokemon could shine without human partners too. Meowth seemed like the type that could, even if Pikachu didn't think it was at the moment. Pikachu glanced back at funny talking pokemon one last time. "Pikapi..." Pikachu was glad to have found the human that was worthy of getting its best. Pikachu was going to work its best for Ash in return. "Pikachu!" it shouted as it dashed off, ready to find and protect its trainer.
"Hey, wait!" Meowth said, glancing back at Mew before it followed, both of them on their way back to base.
"You shouldn't have come here," Aya chided as she, Ash, and Koga hid in a narrow section between two of Team Rocket's various storage sheds.
"I had to do something, after everything that's happened," Ash said.
"You didn't think there were others monitoring Team Rocket, ready to work against them?" Aya said. "And now you forced us to reveal our presence with your unwise, impulsive actions."
"Sorry," Ash said, looking down.
"You should go home," Koga said. "My clan is already handling this situation, and we're hardly working alone. Team Rocket will never reach their goals."
"But I want to help too!" Ash said.
"You-" Aya began, but Koga held up his hand to stop her.
"If we need more assistance, which may indeed be likely, we'll keep you in mind. For now, leave, and don't return," he ordered.
Ash frowned, then nodded. "Okay," he agreed. The two ninja stealthily led him through the area, having him stop several times to avoid the notice of rocket agents on their way toward the woods again. Just as Ash was about to head back the way he'd come in, he heard the conversation.
"Did you see where they went?" Giovanni asked.
"I didn't see anyone," James said.
"I only saw Pikachu! And it's right here!" Meowth declared.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called.
Upon hearing his friend's call, Ash turned sharply toward the battle arena. "Forget it. We'll get that pokemon," Aya promised, sensing his thoughts.
"No way!" Ash shouted. "I'm never leaving Pikachu behind anywhere!" Ash dodged around Koga as he ran onto the field, seeing the group of rockets. "Let Pikachu go!" he shouted, getting everyone's attention as he spoke.
"We haven't even caught it yet," Jessie noted with some exasperation.
"Ash, come on!" Misty ran over toward her friend. "Let's just go," she said, grabbing his arm, but Ash shook her off.
Giovanni chuckled. "So, the incompetent trainer found one of his wayward pokemon? Let's battle then. Go, Mewtwo!" Giovanni threw out the pokeball. Mewtwo appeared on the field, flexing and posing as the humans present cleared the field.
"You think you can win just because you made a pokemon?" Ash said. "Pikachu's more powerful than you think! Are you ready, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu declared fiercely, arching its back as it took its battle-ready position in front of Ash, facing Mewtwo.
"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
"Mewtwo, psychic!" Giovanni didn't hesitate before giving its own order.
"Pika," Pikachu began building up electricity for its attack as the haze of the oncoming psychic type attack surrounded it. "CHUU!" it released the torrent of electricity just as the mist of Mewtwo's psychic attack hit. Mewtwo and Pikachu both flinched as their mutual attacks hit, but remained mostly unaffected. "Pika pika!" Pikachu shouted, declaring there was no way it was ever going to lose against that rocket boss's pokemon.
"Is it still standing?" Giovanni said. "Hmph. At least you managed to raise one with some backbone. Mewtwo, defeat them with their own sort of technique! Thunder!"
"Pikachu, double team," Ash advised.
"Pika, pika, pika," Pikachu called as it hopped around, starting the ninja-inspired technique. But even that wasn't enough to dodge Mewtwo's powerful electric-type attack. "CHA!" Pikachu cried as the bright flash of lightning hit it dead on. It stood up the best it could, feeling its fur rising. "Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu declared it wouldn't be defeated by its own type. In fact, it was only more determined.
"Pikachu, you can do it! Quick attack!" Ash shouted.
"Mewtwo, fire blast!" Giovanni ordered. Pikachu threw itself against Mewtwo, causing the levitating pokemon to wince and briefly falter. Reaching the ground, Pikachu found itself with a face full of flame. Pikachu cried as it felt the heat and ducked to the ground, but quickly pulled itself to its feet again, facing its opponent without signs of tiring. "Still?" Giovanni said.
"Yeah, still!" Ash said. "Pikachu can win! Go! Thunderbolt!"
"Pikapika..." Pikachu got ready to perform the attack again, put all of its ferocity in as it pictured Mewtwo falling from its levitating state like so many flying or levitating pokemon hit by its thunderbolt technique before. "Pika, CHUU!" Pikachu shot the concentrating electricity toward the created pokemon. "Pika?!" it shouted. Mewtwo still floated above it, not yet defeated. "Pikachu!" Pikachu was ready to continue too.
"Mewtwo, mega kick," Giovanni ordered. Mewtwo moved quickly, kicking Pikachu dead on, causing the small electric type to tumble across the field, kicking up dust over and over before landing close to its trainer. Pikachu still pulled itself to its feet, taking longer this time. "That's enough, isn't it?" Giovanni said. "I acknowledge your pokemon's power. It's quite impressive it lasted so long, but it can't win. Are you ready to resign?" The rocket boss faced Ash, pausing in his orders as he waited for a conclusion.
"He's right, Ash. Let's just stop. Don't put Pikachu through this," Misty advised.
"No way," Ash declared. "Pikachu still wants to fight, and so do I."
"Pikachu," Pikachu agreed.
Giovanni gave a quiet sigh. "You're Delia's son, aren't you?" he asked.
Ash raised his eyebrows, his battle-ready fury momentarily calming at the unexpected question. "Yeah, so?" he said.
"That means you're mine as well," Giovanni informed.
"Pika?" Pikachu also paused, looking toward its trainer.
Misty gasped. "Is that true?" she asked Ash.
"No," Ash said calmly. "I never met my dad, but it's not this guy. My mom called him 'Geode' or something."
"Could it be a nickname?" Misty mused. "Like 'Gio', short for Giovanni."
"Um, maybe," Ash said.
"Enough." Giovanni scowled, seeming irritated with their conversation. "Yes, it's me she was referring to. I wanted to raise you myself, you know. It's a good thing I didn't, seeing how disappointing you turned out to be. Knowing how deficient and stupid my son turned out erases any regrets of not being involved. You don't deserve anything, much less a moment of my time and energy."
"Ash..." Misty gasped upon hearing Giovanni's sharp, painful words. She turned toward the rocket boss. "How could you say that! That's terrible, if Ash really is your son!"
"It's okay, Misty." Ash smiled widely, fully meaning what he said. "I wondered about my dad, but I didn't really need to care. I had my mom, and tons of friends, and now my pokemon too. If this guy really is my dad, I don't care. He left me behind, but I wasn't ever waiting for him. I already have everything I need."
With that, Ash grinned down at Pikachu. "Pika..." Pikachu called quietly. Hearing its trainer speak, the small pokemon's heart suddenly felt full, something that had been hollow for the longest time now occupied. Ash had also been left behind by a terrible person that ought to have cared instead, but Pikachu's beloved trainer never let himself be harmed. Ash had never dwelled on anything, never waited on any kind of rock, just concentrated on everything he did have. He knew what and who were worth it, and even with a relation that most humans would consider important, was able to let the otherwise harmful connection melt away with ease. Pikachu's trainer knew who to forget and who to despise without even thinking about it too much.
As Ash's bonded pokemon, maybe Pikachu could also develop that skill. It already felt so much lighter, as if Ash's conclusion were something it had been waiting to hear since forever. "Pikachu!" Pikachu called out its willingness to battle. There was no way a pair with a bond like this would lose to someone like the despicable rocket boss in front of them.
"Let's go, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, gesturing forward at Mewtwo.
"You won't give up?" Giovanni said. "Fine then. I'll give you the defeat you seek. Mewtwo, psychic!"
Pikachu got ready to complete the now very familiar attack technique, feeling more confident than ever at its success. However, it also could sense that this created pokemon really was beyond its own power.
But pokemon were creatures that could grow enormously through their bonds with humans. Ash and Pikachu's had to be a bond like no other. Even in the face of this challenge, they could both remain confident that their victory was possible. As Pikachu began the electric type attack, it also recognized that something inside itself had shifted, maybe continuing to in this very moment. A light appeared in front of its eyes, one unrelated the thunderbolt technique.
"Pikachu?" Ash questioned as he noted the bright glow.
"What's going on?" Misty asked.
Pikachu began to change. As the light faded, it was able to move faster than ever before, and completed the thunderbolt. It cackled as the created psychic type fell from the sky. "Goro goro goro!" it called in the heartiest of laughs.
"What is this?" the rocket boss asked, his gaze pointed toward the sky even as his valued created pokemon crashed to the ground.
A bolt of lightning struck the created pokemon a second time, more laughter erupting to go along with the loud crack of thunder. "Gorochu!" Mewtwo's opponent called mockingly as the created pokemon shuddered.
"Pikachu?" Ash spoke from the ground, also looking up at the large pokemon that now floated on a makeshift cloud in front of them. The pokemon that had so often been called cute now glanced down at them with long fangs flashing. Its main coloring had changed to bright red, horns dotting its head, its black eyes replaced by gleaming, otherworldly gold orbs that stared menacingly at its opponent. The pokemon moved in a blur to the ground, hitting Mewtwo with the large, lightning-bolt shaped blade at the end of its tail over and over, laughing more as Mewtwo, long disabled, didn't respond. "No..." Ash realized, staring with disbelief at the pokemon that continued to attack without his direction. Ash stepped back as he shouted his pokemon's new name, "Gorochu!"
End notes: Gorochu was the prototype pokemon species that would have evolved from raichu. When I first found out about how it was supposed to complete the pikachu-raichu line, I thought that would have been so cool. But now we have pichu and everything, giving a three pokemon evolutionary line, so gorochu will never be canon... Unless, like here, they make it a branched evolution? Anyway, it didn't end up being canon, so I took some liberties with describing it here while trying to pay tribute to the "fangs and a pair of horns" described in the interview.
Giovanni as Ash's dad? Not actual canon, but a popular fan theory. Though I don't think it's supported by canon or was ever meant to be canon, I like it in fanfiction, so here you are, it's canon to this verse.
Next chapter: Gorochu vs.