Chapter 21- A series of adventures
Fuchsia was three weeks away so Ash heavily stocked up on all the items he would need for the journey. Looking into his backpack he wondered what he would need to send home to accommodate all the potions and full heals he had bought. Checking his map, he saw there was only two Pokémon centres on the entire route so he would need to be very careful about getting into battles. Deciding he'd send his stones and the Old Amber home lightened his pack considerably. He would be passing through Pallet Town on the way to Cinnabar Island anyway so he could pick them up at that time should he need them. He knew he'd definitely need the Old Amber due to his plan on resurrecting Aerodactyl, but he couldn't see a need for his stones. Perhaps he'd sell them or give them to Professor Oak.
He sent his mum a quick message about what he was sending before he left for the Pidgeot Post Office. Afterwards Ash made his way out of the city and onto Route 16. He knew his mum would be busy for the next few days due to the upcoming wedding of Lance and Melanie so hopefully a neighbour could take the package for her while she was away. Thinking of the wedding had Ash thinking out loud to his Pokémon as they walked along the route about his own future. He knew that as an Aura Wielder he would have no choice in the matter of love. He wondered just who he would be compatible with.
"Well let's hope it's none of the women you've offended in the last six months Ash" Ivysaur said chuckling "knowing your luck though..." he finished trailing off.
"Don't!" Ash said chuckling along with the rest "don't you jinx me Ivysaur. You know that that's what will likely happen."
"I'm just saying" Ivysaur teased "Sabrina could be your destined mate."
"Hey!" Ash said looking a bit offended "too far Ivysaur!"
Ignoring the chuckles from his team he carried on "but seriously, I wonder who it will be."
"Well, there's been a few women you've met that you've outright blushed when talking to" Pikachu said, "the rest of you guys didn't see his reaction to Lorelei when they first met, it was hilarious."
"Hey!" Ash said again "in my defence Lorelei is stunning, and up until then the only women I'd actually talked to properly was my mum, the Joys and the Jenny's. It was a shock to find out that someone like Lorelei actually knew who I was, and I soon got past the embarrassment of meeting her."
"And then there was Elesa" Pikachu said, "you two seemed to get on well."
"We did" Ash agreed non-committally "but that's not going to happen either. She's in Kalos now with her mum."
"You seem to know an awful lot about her considering you don't think she's the one" Wartortle said smirking.
"No, I don't," Ash said perplexed "I don't know anything about her other than what she told us in Vermillion the one time we met. I only know where she is because Lt Surge told me when I asked for tips on Pikachu after I asked how his family was."
"Hmmm"" Wartortle said "a likely story. Anyway, it's going to be an interesting few years for you before you hit Aural Maturity isn't it?"
"Yeah" Ash said "I can't say I'm looking forward to it either. It's not going to be fun."
"Yeah" Charmeleon piped up "your mum told us what your dad went through. He was lucky he found his mate soon after it hit him."
"When did you talk to mum about this?" Ash asked confused.
"Ash, we were on a ship for a month together" Charmeleon said "we talked all the time."
"Oh" Ash replied stupidly "ok then."
"Yeah" Charmeleon said "I'm glad we go through seasons only once we reach adulthood." The rest nodded along with him and seemed to be the end of that particular line of conversation. A few hours later they stopped to have a break beside a little stream. Watching the Goldeen and Magikarp swimming around made Ash feel at peace.
"I don't think I'll ever get over how beautiful Kanto is outside of the cities if you just take the time to relax" he said, "people in the cities are so busy being worried about things that they don't seem to appreciate the little things."
"It is very pretty" Ivysaur said "I've not enjoyed the cities we've been to except Celadon but that was only because of the big park."
"Well, the next place we're going to is very pretty" Ash said "Fuchsia is a very 'green' place, a few years back the government got sick of all the pollution in the city and pulled down all the buildings that produced toxic fumes. You're not allowed to take bottles of water onto their beaches, unless they're in biodegradable bottles and they're severely strict on littering. It's home to the Safari Zone too, but before we get into that place there's a huge area of land where catching Pokémon is forbidden, they all roam free across the countryside. It's somewhere I'm quite keen on visiting."
"How come?" Ivysaur asked.
"I'm trying to get as many ideas as possible for our future home" Ash said "I don't want any Pokémon I capture to feel as though it has to sleep inside or stay with us so I'm going to try and create habitats for them and the local wildlife. The ranch that owns the fields have done something similar and it's worked. Wild Pokémon know they're safe to be free while also knowing where they can and cannot go for safety reasons. I also keep thinking back to the Heart of Viridian Forest and how the Pidgeot had taken control of the area and kept everyone safe. Maybe we could implement something like that. This is a long way off for now though but I'm getting more and more ideas with every place I go to."
"That sounds wonderful" Ivysaur said smiling.
"I had you in mind as the protector" Ash said looking at him "I doubt Charmeleon will be around much given his life goal, Pikachu will likely be in the house and Wartortle still hasn't come up with an idea of what he wants to do yet."
"Really?" Ivysaur asked "why?"
"Because of your nature" Wartortle answered just floating about in the stream "you're a born protector Ivysaur. You did it in your village with Melanie and I don't think you realise it, but you do it with us too. We don't mind by the way. It's nice that someone has that mindset. So having you as our family's protector is a no-brainer really."
"Wartortle isn't wrong" Charmeleon said lazily opening an eye from where he was snoozing "I'm far too headstrong at times to be rational, Wartortle is lazy, Pikachu is too serious. The only one that comes close to you is Eevee, which is exactly why we all know what she'll evolve into."
"Hey!" Wartortle said "I'm not lazy, I'm just not fond of overexerting myself if I don't need to."
"Point made" Pikachu said, "but they're right."
"We have years to decide on anything Ivysaur" Ash said "but give it some thought. Make sure the decision is yours though. Anyway, guys let's get going. We have a schedule to keep." Standing up he packed up the mini camp and they headed off back onto the road to Fuchsia.
In the evening a few days later Ash walked into the oddest little town he had ever seen. It was dominated by a few buildings that rose high into the sky. Surrounding it were various houses. Walking through the town Ash began to get a nagging feeling in his head. Trying to think of what it could be kept him on high alert. That was until a clearly deranged woman came running up to him demanding his help.
"Please Mr, you have to help me find my son."
"Whoa, hang on Mrs" Ash said shaking her off "I've literally just entered this town. Now what's going on."
"For the past few weeks several children have gone missing in this town" a voice said behind him making him spin around. It was Officer Jenny "and we've had no luck finding out where they've gone. We've had no evidence of them being kidnapped either, they've just vanished. We've also had reports of several people acting oddly in the evening but every time we get to where they've been sighted, they too have disappeared."
"My son has gone missing" the clearly irate woman said interrupting them "and you've done nothing to try and find them. And telling stories has got you nowhere nearer either."
"Hey!" Ash said "I get you're angry, but you don't get to vent at Jenny for this. She's not the one at fault. And it's clear it's not an isolated event. And what the hell is that noise?"
"What noise?" Jenny asked concerned.
"It's like a buzzing in my head" Ash said making the woman back away warily "I've felt it before but for the life of me I can't think where."
"My Charlie said the same thing!" the woman said, "like a persistent humming noise that doesn't go away."
"Yes exactly!" Ash said looking around "I just wish I knew where I've felt like it before. Pi, do you have any ideas?"
"I can feel something Ash" Pikachu said looking around "I just don't know what. Hey, where's that kid going?"
The three of them turned to face what Pikachu was looking at. It was a young girl, around eleven years old walking as if in a trance. Several times she bumped into various objects but gave no indication she had done so. "Hypnotism" Ash said strengthening his mind with Aura making the feeling disappear "something is hypnotising her for her to act like that. I suggest we follow them and find out. Pi, be wary. It reminds me of Lavender Town with the Spiritomb".
Quickly rushing after the girl, they eventually made their way through various alleys until they came to a tall building. Seeing her enter they followed her. Entering the building they asked the receptionist if they'd seen a little girl come in. Startled at seeing an Officer, she stammered out that she had seen a little girl but as it was common, she didn't think anything of it.
"A young girl walks into this building, and you don't question it?" Jenny asked irate "if I don't get some answers from you everyone in this place will be arrested. Now where the hell is the little girl we have just seen walk in here?"
"They go into that elevator" the receptionist said crying pointing to the lift in the corner "I swear that's all I know. I'm just the receptionist here at the Pokémon Lovers building."
"Pi" Ash said leading the way "there's five floors to check out. I suggest we start at the top and make our way down."
"I'll start on floor one" Jenny said handing him a walkie-talkie "ring me if you find anything. Mrs Cooke, you will stay here and make sure no one leaves. Back-up will be arriving shortly. Explain to my deputy what's happened. Make sure that receptionist doesn't leave either. Let's go Ash."
"Hang on" Ash said releasing Ivysaur and Wartortle "guys, if anyone except myself or Jenny comes out of these elevators that looks suspicious freeze their feet and put them to sleep. Someone in this building has kidnapped children so we're not taking any chances. There will be back-up arriving very soon. Also make sure the receptionist goes nowhere and protect Mrs Cooke. Cheers guys" turning to Jenny he said "after you officer."
Entering the elevator, they pressed their respective numbers. Jenny got out first releasing a Growlithe, Ash heard her yell at the clearly surprised workers before the doors closed. Mentally preparing himself Ash waited for the elevator to stop before walking out. What he saw absolutely stunned him. There was a huge table that seated around sixteen people, all of whom were asleep. In the middle of the tables though was a Drowzee and a Hypno waving their hands in a hypnotic manner. Pointing Dexter, he beeped to life.
"Drowzee, Pokedex Number 96, The Hypnosis Pokémon. This Pokémon is male. If you sleep by it all the time, it will sometimes show you dreams it has eaten in the past.
Hypno, Pokedex Number 97, The Hypnosis Pokémon. this Pokémon is male. Avoid eye contact if you come across one. It will try to put you to sleep by using its pendulum. When it is very hungry, it puts humans it meets to sleep, then it feasts on their dreams."
Walking past the table Ash noticed an open balcony that led to the top of the building. Walking through the door Ash was amazed to find a beautiful green garden. It wasn't empty though. On the grass were five children hopping around pretending they were animals.
"Pi" Ash said walking back in "Knock those two Pokémon out while I radio Jenny." Within seconds they both received an Iron Tail to the head and knocked them out. Hearing the elevator go a minute later Ash turned around to see Jenny look as bewildered as he was. "Those two Pokémon had put these guys under some kind of spell, and you'll find the missing children on the balcony pretending they're Pokémon." Hearing this Jenny rushed out to check on them.
"They're ok" she said walking back in "they seem to be asleep for now, but we'll need to get them checked over. As for these guys, we need to wake them up. They have some answers I'd quite like to hear."
"You hear that, Pi?" Ash asked chuckling "these guys need to be woken up to answer the lovely officers' questions. Would you do the honours?"
Pikachu lit them up causing them to howl in pain as they woke up. "Just what is going on?" one of the men asked who was sitting at the head of the table.
"I think you'll find I'm asking the questions" Jenny said interrupting any rant he was about to go on "right now all of you are under arrest for the kidnapping of five children. Now stand up, we're going to do this in fours going downstairs. I suggest you stay silent. Ash, can you come down with the children once they've woken up?"
"Will do, Pi stay with Jenny just in case they try anything" Ash said walking back out onto the balcony and waking the children up by shaking their shoulder. Seeing them groggily sit up Ash waited for a few minutes before asking them to follow him. Seeing the last lot of grumbling old men enter the elevator Ash waited for it to come back up before leading them down. As the doors opened at the bottom several cries could be heard from the concerned parents as they saw their children. Seeing Jenny waiting at the reception desk with Pikachu on her shoulder he made his way over to her with the children.
"They all seem fine" Ash heard Jenny say much to the relief of the parents "but they have just been through an ordeal. I don't know why but they were under a hypnosis attack as were all the men on the top floor. They were all acting like Pokémon so they will need to be checked over by the doctors to make sure they weren't hurt at all. While that's going on I will get some answers from the culprits. Rest assured you will all be told what happened. If you could all follow my deputy that would be great" After the parents collected their children Jenny turned to the shaken and distraught receptionist and said "you're coming with me too. For the last few weeks, you've known that these very children have gone missing and said nothing to anyone. As far as I'm concerned, you've aided the kidnap of five children. Laura" she said turning to another Jenny "can you take her please while I get Mr Ketchum's statement. This way Mr Ketchum" she said leading the way over to the couch. Sitting down she took Ash's statement, closing her booklet with a sigh. "I want to thank you Ash. Without you we may never have found them."
"It's ok" Ash said standing up with Jenny "I was glad to help. Hopefully everything gets sorted and it's not as sinister as it seems. Can you let me know what the outcome is?"
"We can only hope, and I'll inform you what I'm legally allowed to once I have the whole plot uncovered. Thanks again Ash" Jenny said standing up, shaking Ash's hand, and leaving. Shaking his head Ash did the same, quickly leaving the city as soon as he could. Continuing down the route Ash let his Pokémon know what had happened and why they'd left in such a hurry.
"I have no plans to be anywhere near that place anytime soon. I don't want to be swamped with people thanking me, Jenny's questioning me again or anything else so I left."
Nodding they all continued on in silence until Wartortle broke it "it could be a Jenny."
"What could?" Pikachu said confused.
"Who Ash is destined to be with" Wartortle said as if it was obvious.
"That conversation ended days ago" Ash said perplexed "what goes through your mind?"
"His one brain cell is very lonely in there Ash" Ivysaur said "it's not his fault he has the mind of a Slowpoke."
"Hey!" Wartortle said causing them all to laugh relieving the tension that had been around them all.
A few days later Ash started to notice more and more people joining him and passing him on the path they were on, and none of them seemed to want to battle. It took a few days of curiosity to ask someone where they were all going.
"Oh, we're going to Scissor Street" a young woman replied before speeding off with her boyfriend. It suddenly clicked in Ash's head why they were all refusing battles. They didn't want to mess up whatever they had done to their Pokémon in preparation for the contest coming up.
Walking into the small city Ash found that the centre was fully booked and didn't have a professor's room. Ash wasn't too concerned about this as he had no plans to stay for the big event. Getting his Pokémon healed he read a few of the pamphlets about the convention. Some of it was intriguing, most wasn't to him. A tap on his shoulder surprised Ash. Turning around he saw it was Brock.
"Hey pal" Ash said shaking his hand "good to see you."
"You too Ash" Brock said happily "you here for the conventions?"
"No" Ash said shaking his head "I'm on my way to Fuchsia and I'm just passing through. A few seem interesting though so I may pop into one."
"Well, the food invention convention is about to start in an hour if you want to join me?" Brock asked.
"That's actually one of the few I was looking at going to" Ash said laughing. Picking up his Pokémon Ash and Brock walked to the big marquee that had been set up and bought two tickets to the show. Getting front row tickets, they sat down and waited, chatting as it filled up.
"What's Scissor Street?" Pikachu asked as they were watching the guests go up on stage, practicing for their big day.
"It's a Pokémon breeders convention." Brock said after Ash translated "It's poorly named as it's a city not a street, but every year people participate in mini contests in their local area, showing off new styles, coming up with new breeding techniques, new food supplements etc and the winners all then get to take part in the grand festival here at Scissor Street."
"It's a pretty big deal actually" Ash said "A lot of trainers would brush it off as pampering and showing off how pretty their Pokémon can be but for the serious people it's more than that. Their techniques help in the raising of trainers Pokémon whether they know it or not. I wouldn't have been able to come up with all your diets had someone else not put the basics in place to begin with. The food I created for all of you are all derivations of what past winners here have done."
"You created food for your Pokémon?" a voice asked from the stage. It was a young woman who had overheard and walked forward. She had green hair, green eyes and was holding a Vulpix.
"Yes miss" Ash said nodding. "For my Pokémon to be able to be in peak condition for battles and life in general I knew they needed a diet that was tailor made for them individually. Pokémon Pal came out with a new discovery around six years ago theorising about Pokémon's natures and abilities. When I read that I decided that when I became a trainer my Pokémon would all have diets designed to enhance their natures and abilities. For instance, Pikachu has a Mild nature which means he likes his food dry but cannot stand anything sour. Ivysaur has a Sassy nature and likes bitter tasting food but cannot stand sweet food. So, with their food I mix in vitamins and food flavourings made from berries I take from trees. It's not difficult really and I often wonder why more people don't do what I do. I've come to the conclusion it's down to laziness on their part."
"Wow" she said looking at him. Neither of them had realised that the crowd had grown silent during Ash's explanation "and has it helped?"
"Oh immensely" Ash said nodding "Pikachu's fur is shinier, and his body is healthier than any other of his kind and his special attacks are more potent, Ivysaur's body has become more durable and is able to process nutrients from the ground easier so he's able to interact with nature on a more intimate level, my Wartortle's shell is thicker and harder and his legs are sturdier and he has a deeper reservoir of water than normal and my Charmeleon's body has become thicker, his muscles more defined and his attacks more lethal. I'm glad I did what I did, my Pokémon have never once complained about the food they get, and they get healthier and stronger every day. It's also helped their cognitive behaviour too, they're very intelligent".
"Then why aren't you up there?" a voice said from his side. Turning he saw a man with a Ninetails just off the side of the stage.
"Because I don't want to be" Ash said perplexed at the question "I've not done anything special like the people who are up on stage have done. I've been here before with my mum. She's always told me about how good you have to be to be in the final for these conventions. All I've done is stood on the shoulders of the previous winners and adapted their inventions for my own gain. For me to be up there would make me a phony and a liar."
"After the pre-judging I would quite like to see your food making abilities please" the woman said with the man nodding at her side.
"Yes, me too" he said.
Shrugging his shoulders, he said "ok, I'm not sure what you'll gain from it though as I've pretty much explained what I do." Seeing the crowd get busier the man and woman walked off while Ash and Brock talked more about food techniques. Brock, Ash discovered was just as interested as the man and woman was about it. Being a food connoisseur for Pokémon himself he thought learning off Ash would help him become a better breeder. Ash though learned just as much off Brock.
"I have an idea" Ash said later that afternoon as they had gone to get some food "Now, this is a secret for now, but I have just been sponsored by Silph. With it comes a massive marketing team for me because of the books I've published before I became a trainer. How would you feel collaborating on a breeder's book where Pokémon food is the main subject?"
"Wow" Brock said amazed "really? Why would you want to do that?"
"Because you're my friend" Ash said "And you have given me just as many ideas in the last few hours as I've had in the last few years. It wouldn't be fair to you for me to sell the ideas and you not to receive any compensation for it."
"Why me though?" Brock asked.
Sighing Ash explained what had happened in the last few months. "you're one of very few people I feel comfortable talking to outside of a battle setting. I have no idea why either as growing up I didn't want to talk to anyone. I can't explain it very well, it's like you're the big brother I never had."
"Wow" Brock said again taking it all in "so what would I have to do?"
"Nothing really" Ash said "I now have a team that can take care of every aspect of publishing a book. Over the next few weeks or months put all your ideas down on paper, send them to me and I'll send them on to Silph. You may be asked to do a book signing but apart from that I don't know what else you'll have to do. I'll have my lawyers come up with a contract for you, so you get half of any earnings. It may not end up being a massive amount at the minute due to me being a nobody and the percentage Silph take off but when I'm Champion sales are likely to soar. Plus, this is a way for you to be a more notable breeder. If you have a book out already it gives you a better chance of becoming a doctor or breeder."
"It does" Brock said tearily "thank you Ash. This may be the break I've been waiting for."
"Happy to help Brock. I'll send an email to my team now" he said taking out his pokegear and writing a proposal to them "I'll forward on any relevant information you need to know. Now, shall we go see who wins?"
Standing up they made their way to the convention spit-balling ideas about their new project. Brock was still wary, he hadn't told Ash this as Ash seemed to be genuine, but until he had the contract in his hands it was just fantasy. But his mind raced with ideas on what he could put in the book.
"I just want to say this" Ash said stopping them both before they went inside the marquee again "this will happen Brock. And I have no issues with you using this as a springboard to write more books on breeding. I had help getting my big break publishing via Professor Oak and I'm more than happy to do the same with you. Take the opportunity Brock. There are no strings attached from my end. I can't say the same from Silph though so just be mindful of what you're getting into. Truly think it over."
"I will do Ash" Brock said, "I'll talk it over with my families' lawyers when I receive the contract, but until then I hope you understand why I'm wary."
"I do" Ash said "I'd be the same. Now, let's go."
Hours later Ash was waiting off to the side with Brock as the crowds cleared. The winner had been a middle-aged man who had come up with a potion combining kit. The woman who had talked to him earlier made her way to him. "I'm Suzie" she said shaking his hand "I'm glad you stayed behind as I'm truly intrigued as to what you've created. Enhancing the power and beauty from within has always been my goal when being a breeder."
"Me too" the man said "I'm Zane. Anything that enhances a Pokémon's outer beauty is marvellous to me."
"Well, this does both" Ash said looking between them "This is my friend Brock by the way."
"Pleased to meet you, Suzie. I've been a follower of your work for years now" Brock said happily shaking her hand.
"Now, what I'm about to show you will be limited I'm afraid" Ash said "Brock and I have just agreed to collaborate on a book, and we don't want people stealing our ideas. So, I'll show you the basics of what I do."
"Oh, that's wonderful" Suzie said "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it. Now, show me show me." She said enthusiastically.
Laughing Ash went through the basics of what he did for food preparation, how he stored the crushed berries and how he combined them with the vitamins and supplements.
"You end up with these" Ash said pulling out a container full of square blocks "and each one is stacked with nutrition and stat enhancing vitamins. Combined with the relentless training we do, and you get the results we have. My three starter Pokémon have all evolved much quicker than they usually would do through the rigorous training, but it's very much married to the food they get."
"Can I try one?" Brock asked earning a surprised look from Suzie and Zane as he popped one into his mouth and chewed with a thoughtful look on his face.
"You eat Pokémon food?" Zane asked with a disgusted look on his face.
"Of course," Brock said perplexed "how else would you know what it tastes like? This one seems to be a mixture of sweet, spicy and dry".
"Brock is right" Ash said earning a surprised look from the two breeders "It's for my Wartortle who has a neutral nature. He has no real preferences or dislikes in his food. I have the advantage of being able to talk to Pokémon and understand them. Brock doesn't so he can only go off what faces and noises the Pokémon makes. But I also try it to make sure the consistency and flavours are good. As I stated before Pokémon's natures are key when figuring out their preferences. If it tastes bad, then they're not going to eat it."
It wasn't long before Brock and Ash parted ways. He was still hanging around over the next few days to pick up new ideas and Ash had a badge to travel for. Promising to keep in touch Ash made his way out of the city and decided to ring his mum while traveling. Hearing what he had said to Brock made Delia very happy and told Ash she was proud of him.
"Sam's decision to publish my scribbles without me knowing ensured our future mum. If I can do the same for Brock, then I will do."
Hearing about the wedding left Ash bored but as his mum was happy, he endured it. It was happening in the next few days so she would be very busy helping Melanie with the preparations. Hanging up Ash sent Lance a good luck message and he continued on with his journey.
The next few days Ash made his way down the winding paths towards Fuchsia city. The topic of discussion was yet again another team member.
"I really don't know" Ash said "we've not found anyone we like yet have we. I planned on getting information about the Safari Zone and hunting in there. What do you think?"
"That sounds reasonable" Charmeleon said "but the later you leave it the less training they'll get before the league. We have five badges now, and the league is seven months away. It's not far off at all."
"I'm aware" Ash said "but we arrive in Fuchsia in just over under two weeks' time. Until then all we can do is train and travel."
"I'll be glad when I evolve" Charmeleon said grumbling "that way we can get places quicker."
"And miss out on seeing this beautiful country?" Pikachu said laughing.
"Yes" he answered "I'll have wings. What's the point in having them if I don't use them."
Laughing they continued for another few hours. A noise from the side of Ash made him tense up. From nowhere something launched itself out of the bushes and started to attack them. Ash automatically shifted his stance and started going toe-to-toe with the Pokémon that had attacked them, and it wasn't long before Ash slipped under the Pokémon's guard and hit it on the chin sending it sprawling. Readying a pokeball Ash started the motion to throw when a voice stopped him.
"Stop! That's my Pokémon" a man said making his way out of the bushes "I'm sorry he attacked you."
"Yes" Ash said glaring at the man "and why did it attack me? For that matter why did you let it attack me?"
"I didn't let him attack you" the man said frowning looking at the downed Pokémon "lately Hitmonchan has been acting out and attacking random strangers that pass this way. You see a big tournament is happening in the next few days called the P1 tournament. It's huge for fighting type trainers as the winner gets to go onto the nationals where we represent Kanto and go against Pokémon from other regions. Last year Hitmonchan lost in the final of the P1 to a Hitmonlee and has been zealous in his training ever since."
"He's not the only one" a voice said from their side. Looking over Ash saw a young girl walk forward "you've been just as zealous dad. And you've been just as absent in our house because of Hitmonchan."
"He needs training Rebecca" the man said, "we've been over this."
"And I need a dad" Rebecca said, "and mum needs her husband back."
"Hitmonchan wants to win. And I do to. This could be our last chance to represent Kanto in the grand tournament. If we lose, then we come home" the man said.
"And if you win you lose your daughter" Rebecca said walking off leaving the man to sigh and shake his head.
"She's just like her mother. I know she's not wrong. But this is our dream" recalling Hitmonchan he walked off leaving a perplexed Ash to wonder just what the hell had just happened.
"At least your reflexes are still sharp" Pikachu muttered as they gathered themselves and walked on.
"Maybe we should attend this P1 tournament" Wartortle said "after all you did say you wanted a fighting type. Maybe watching them will give you an idea of which one you want."
"Did that just come from him?" Pikachu asked Ash.
"Yeah, it did" Ash said chuckling at the outraged look on Wartortles face "you know he has his moments every now and then."
A few miles down the road Ash came to a Pokémon centre where various people were milling about. Sitting down Ash listened in to all the conversations that were happening around him when he was joined at the table. Tapping Ash on the shoulder startled him as he was in a world of his own. It was Bruno who sat down opposite him.
"Fancy seeing you here Ash" Bruno said chuckling.
"I'd say the same for you but I'm guessing you're going to be a judge at the P1" Ash said.
"Ah you know about it then?" Brun said happily "yes, every year I judge Kanto's latest crop of fighting types. I represented it myself five years running. We only won two but it's still something that's close to my heart all these years later. The last few years have been very disappointing to be honest. Last year's winner won by a fluke in the final and it showed in the grand tournament. Oh, don't get me wrong, he was decent, but the runner up should have won. My job though is to congratulate the winner. So why are you here?"
"I'm on my way to Fuchsia, I've just been at Scissor Street for a convention, and this is the route towards my next badge." Ash said, "along the route I was attacked by a guy with a Hitmonchan, he said he was runner-up last year and Wartortle said something that made me take a slight detour here."
"Oh?" Bruno asked leaning forwards "go on."
"Well, I was trained by the Lucario of Cameron Palace for five years in hand-to-hand combat and I was worried my skills had deteriorated" Ash said "That was until I beat the Hitmonchan yesterday with my bare hands. But Wartortle did say that I have been after a fighting type to spar with every day to keep my reflexes up. So, I'm here to get some ideas on who to get. My ideal one I refuse to get as they have a connection to Cameron Palace, all Lucario report to Rota or Cameron Palace at some point as they believe being an Aura Guardian is a noble cause. And I was talking to Karate Master Richard about this too when I fought him. I would love to have a Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee of my own but they're very rare and Tyrogue are even rarer."
"Interesting" Bruno said leaning back "Richard did mention it to me now that I think on it but since then a lot has happened and it went out of my mind. Out of curiosity which would you prefer, Hitmonchan or Hitmonlee?"
"Hitmonchan" Ash said after a few seconds of thinking "Richards Hitmonchan overcame its stamina issues due to training relentlessly and I'm sure yours is stronger than his. And it was seeing your Hitmonchan in action which enhanced my love for them. I have been considering the Machop line too though. It's just their speed that lets them down but I'm slowly adapting to training methods that are defensive minded due to Ivysaur. He's helped me learn a lot in staying defensive until the opportunity for counterattacking is there."
"Every Pokémon has a weakness" Bruno said "with fighting types it's usually their speed, but training can overcome that. My Machamp isn't fast but he's far from slow." Looking up at the clock he saw it was time to go to the tournament. "I'll see you after the tournament Ash. I have some information for you."
A few hours later Ash was watching the final of the tournament. The man with the Hitmonchan had made it to the final. He had gained a new liking for a few different fighting types though. Pangoro looked like beasts when trained right, and Heracross had enormous potential. Why they were here to represent Kanto though baffled Ash. He also wasn't really impressed with the battles either. He felt he himself could beat everyone that had participated.
Walking into the ring Bruno announced the finalists. "In the red corner we have Anthony and his Hitmonchan and in the blue corner we have Bruce and his Primeape. The winner of this battle gets to go on and represent Kanto in the Grand Championship later on this year. Good luck to both sides."
What followed was one of the most boring bouts Ash had ever seen. Neither seemed to want to make the first move for what seemed like an eternity and when they finally did fight it was very one-sided. The Hitmonchan was clearly the better fighter, Primeape seemed to only know how to thrash about which made it easy to counter. Just staying out of the way and getting in hits here and there wore the Primeape out until Hitmonchan hit a Mega Punch and ended the bout. Shaking his head Ash waited off to the side for Bruno to finish up his work. After an hour of doing PR work and shaking hands Bruno made his way over to Ash and asked him to follow him. Walking into the back Ash followed him to the Pokémon Centre and into Bruno's room where he was surprised to find Lorelei there with their baby girl. Walking over to her he was surprised to feel a faint hint of aura coming from her.
"Hi" Ash said awkwardly "I didn't expect to see you here. Who's this then?"
"This is Hailee" Lorelei said, "our daughter."
"She's adorable" Ash said smiling "sorry, I'm no good with children. I've never been sociable from the moment I was born apparently. How old is she?"
"It's ok" Lorelei said laughing "She's 18 months old now. Do you want to hold her?"
"No" Ash said quickly "sorry, that was a bit quick. No, thank you."
"Are you sure?" Bruno said walking over looking freshly showered giving Lorelei and Hailee a kiss.
"I am" Ash said, "I can't touch her, it wouldn't be fair to her."
"What do you mean?" Lorelei asked confused.
"She's emitting a faint pulse of Aura" Ash said shocking them both "I'm afraid that she'll have the same reaction I did when Riley grabbed my hand when I was six. I blacked out and it took a week for my aura to settle in hospital because it was unlocked. I don't know what reaction she will have."
"We better get in touch with Riley then" Bruno said, "if our daughter has Aura she needs to be trained."
"I'll train her" Ash said quickly surprising even him "do not go to Riley. The Guardians of Cameron Palace and Rota always have ulterior motives when training new recruits. They'll use your daughter for their own ends, especially because of who you two are. Remember what I told you in Cerulean Lorelei about Ilene. That stance hasn't changed."
"Are you sure you can train her? And what's in it for you?" Bruno asked seriously.
"Nothing is in it for me except knowing someone competent is training your daughter without having an ulterior motive about how they can use her or her connections" Ash said looking straight at him "in a months' time I will be releasing a book anyway on how people can access their own aura. Silph has agreed with me to release it for free. I'll also speak with mum about giving you dads notes on raising a child of aura. I'm also very sure she'll happily give you advice as it wasn't easy raising me."
"We'll discuss it" Lorelei said with finality looking at Bruno who nodded.
"I will say this then" Ash said "I'm the most gifted Aura user currently alive. You won't find a better trainer than me and I'm not bragging. There's a reason Cameron Palace and Rota tried to get me to serve them. I can do things with aura that few others can even attempt to do."
"Noted" Bruno said "now, as to why I asked you here. First of all, what did you think of the tournament?"
"It was bad" Ash said grimly shaking his head "the guy who won it only did so because the Primeape his opponent used was untrained. How he got to the final I'll never know either. Every round he was in all he did was Thrash. He won through attrition and not skill. Why wasn't he disqualified?"
"Thrash is a legitimate move" Bruno said making them all a drink "and it seemed to be the only command it would listen to."
"It would be a piss-poor reflection of Kanto if that had won" Ash said ignoring the 'language' comment from Lorelei "I cannot believe they both got to the final. The Hitmonchan was the one I told you about earlier. I beat it myself; I can't help but feel Richard and you look at that Pokémon and shake your head at how poor it is at fighting."
"You're not wrong there" Bruno sighed "my own Hitmonchan wouldn't break a sweat beating it."
"Not everyone can be Elite" Lorelei reminded them both.
"Maybe not" Ash said shrugging "but every trainer should at least be competent in who they're training. It's not difficult to watch videos of people who use their Pokémon to see what they can improve on. I myself printed off descriptions of moves I'd never learned in order to help train my own Pokémon because I had no one else to ask. The resources are there for those who can be bothered to look."
"He's not wrong sweetheart" Bruno said looking at her "you know this."
"I know" Lorelei said shaking her head "sadly though it is what it is. Anyway, we asked you to join us here for a reason Ash."
"We have information on your father" Bruno said leaning forward "I was asking around the league offices a few weeks ago about the Cinnabar incident and Reds disappearance. And one of the G-Men who was on clean-up of Viridian Gym back then mentioned something that's confused me. He said something 'crystal like' was removed and taken as evidence. I asked him to describe it to me and he drew this" pulling out a sketch Ash's breath caught. He'd seen one of these before, in a book his dad had taken from Cameron Palace
"A time flower" Ash muttered looking up "are you certain this is correct? That this is what was taken from the gym?"
"Yes" Bruno said sitting back "the man told me he himself placed in into a wooden box. Where it went after that though he doesn't know. I see you've heard of these then?"
"Yes" Ash said shakily putting the sketch down "they are living time capsules or living cameras. They document an aura guardian's last five minutes of real time. They display to everyone around them a holographic image of the guardian in question. They're often used as training aids for new recruits or living wills for dying guardians. They can only be activated by someone trained in aura usage. If one of these was taken from Viridian gym, then it could only be from my father who obviously wanted people to know what happened. The G-Men wouldn't know how to activate them, so it's likely in storage somewhere. This is critical Bruno; you must find out where it is."
"That's a little difficult Ash" Bruno said "it was taken out of storage a week later; no signature was recorded taking it. I don't have clearance either to find out where it is, if it was authorised to be moved."
"Do you know who does?" Ash asked.
"Lance might as the leader of the G-Men, Goodshow certainly would. The Commissioner of the Police would too" Lorelei said thinking out loud "Blue might as champion."
"Don't ask Blue" Ash said quickly "I still don't trust him."
"Yes" Bruno said chuckling "we heard about Celadon. He received a right earful from his dad over his treatment of you. But I don't believe he had anything to do with your father disappearing."
"And until I receive proof either way, I won't be volunteering any information about my dad to him" Ash said with finality. "Thank you, both of you for letting me know. I'll tell mum when the wedding is over. You'd think that mum was getting married with how serious she is about Melanie and Lances big day going smoothly."
"It's no problem" Lorelei said "Ash, I would like to apologise for Cerulean."
"I'm going to stop you right there" Ash said holding up his hand "you have no need to. My mother told me of the situation and your apology you sent to her. As far as I'm concerned, the matter has long since been over with. Your handling of my mother at Porta Vista went a long way to me forgetting anything ever happened. So, I thank you both for what you did for her."
"Shall we agree to move on then?" Bruno asked cheerily.
"Yes" Ash said "thank you for the information. If you get any clues as to where the time flower is, please let me know. I shall leave you to it. Oh, here's my personal number. Let me know what you decide to do about Hailee's training or any questions you may have about Aura. I'll make sure a book is sent to you at the league when I release it. Your decision won't need to be made for many years yet; most only start training around seven so you have plenty of time to decide. Thank you again" standing up Ash walked over to the cot with Lorelei and Bruno curiously following him. Holding his hand over her head he let out a faint pulse and received one back "she's going to be very strong one day. You have a remarkable daughter. I've placed a mark on her. No aura guardians will be able to claim her as an apprentice without your explicit consent until I remove the mark from her, not even I can do so" he said before he left the parents to look at each other curiously.
Heading back on down the path Ash was very silent thinking over what he had just found out. His father had left a piece of evidence he clearly wanted others to know. And it was hidden by someone who obviously knew what it was. That night as they all sat around a fire Ash typed up what he had been told on his new laptop that he had bought in Saffron. He was very glad he'd bought it as the pokegear was only designed for limited use. All his ideas, thoughts, evidence and descriptions of Pokémon were on this laptop. He shuddered thinking what would happen if it was stolen. Unfortunately, he had no back up for it just yet. Explaining to his Pokémon what happened caused a big debate that went on throughout the night and most of the day after. Sadly, they came up as empty as Bruno was with evidence. Until the time flower was discovered they could speculate all they liked as to what it contained.
