Note: Nice to see this fics gaining some minor traction. I'm thankful for everyone giving my work the time of day, and it's nice to know that at least a handful of people are liking it so far. Anyhow, here's chapter 2.

Please enjoy. Like, share, comment, the works.

Johto chapter 2: See no Red, Hear no Red, Speak no Red!

Thankfully, it wasn't a bright light this time. Rather, Ash woke up to the soothing afternoon sunlight, and a faint yet sweet smell coming from his left, just off his mat. Turning to the source he saw Chuchu sitting next to a bowl of soup, a small wooden spoon hanging off the side. The Pikachu looked at him expectantly, almost like he woke up right on schedule.

"Hey Chuchu, is that for me?"

Chuchu answered by nudging the bowl closer to him.

"Thanks."

Picking up the bowl he took a sip almost immediately. Luckily for him the soup was warm, but not hot enough to burn his tongue. The soup was sweet, though it held an underlying bitterness. He could taste an unorthodox combination of carrots mixed with tomato berries that gave it its slight punch. It tasted good, at least he thought so. Better than the taste though was the heat he felt rush down his neck and into his body. He was completely healed, and the feeling had returned to his chest and torso. He peeled off the gauze quickly and stood up from his mat.

"Pika-chu!" Chuchu called out excitedly. She quickly ran out the door.

Ash stretched out his arms with a loud groan. His limbs were quite stiff after not moving for weeks. He felt the smooth wood under his bare feet. Looking around he noticed that his red shoes were neatly placed next to the doorway. He also realized that Totodile and his Pikachu were nowhere to be found.

"Pikachu? Totodile? Huh...?" Ash figured that they must have run off somewhere. Perhaps to explore, or find food, or even to speak to Yellow. Turns out that they weren't that far, as the two Pokémon rushed back into the room, followed by Chuchu.

"Toto-dile!" Totodile's spirit was back as he hopped towards Ash, holding the box that he gave to him at Lake Moon. Ash also noticed that Pikachu held something in his mouth, a small plastic bag. They placed the items at Ash's feet.

"Wow, all this for me, huh?" Ash said, kneeling to scratch Totodile under his chin. Totodile let out an audible gurgle of satisfaction. Ash looked at both items, deciding to check the plastic bag first.

"Let's see what we got in here" Ash said as he pulled out a bundle of clothes from the bag, a simple black shirt and somewhat baggy jeans. "A fresh pair of clothes? Thanks Pikachu". Ash waited no time to change into them.

"How do I look?" He asked. The three Pokémon called out enthusiastically.

"All that's missing is a hat…" Ash stroked his unkempt hair. Totodile hopped several times in excitement over Ash's words. Ash picked up the box, remembering the message that was written on it.

"To my dearest Ash," He took a deep breath. "Love Mom". Being able to read the short note felt like a victory all its own. He hastily ripped off the bow sealing the box and opened it. Inside was what seemed to be a blue jacket and a brand-new hat, a red and white baseball cap. He put on the jacket first. He found it a bit odd, a long coat that went down past his knees. He placed the cap on his head, completing the look.

"Chu!" Chuchu motioned for Ash and the other Pokémon to follow her. Pikachu and Totodile followed without hesitation.

Guess it's time to see what this place is all about. Slipping into his red shoes, he followed the group into the hallway.

Much of the monastery looked similar to Ash's room, in that most of it looked more like a cottage than a place of worship. The layout of the building consisted of multiple rooms. Most were clearly set up as living spaces for the monasteries' various members, whom the group would run into on occasion as Chuchu showed them the layout. Some were polite enough, trading hellos and the occasional polite bow. Most didn't pay Ash much mind however, looking to be uncannily focused on their daily tasks, and even the ones who greeted him didn't bother to say much after. It was difficult to determine if they distrusted him in any measure or if they were simply recluse.

Chuchu led Ash and his Pokémon to a small courtyard. The area was being used as a garden, with multiple members of the monastery tending to the various plant life being grown there. There was no hint of rain despite the cloudy skies, so most of the people here were watering the plants. Ash saw dozens of flower species, though he could never identify most of them, save for a patch of sunflowers. Well, what he assumed were sunflowers anyhow. More familiar to him were the various berries growing on a handful of trees near the edges of the yard.

Chuchu ran right into the center of the yard, scanning the area on her two feet. She looked towards a patch of purple flowers, calling to Yellow, who was in the middle of watering them. She turned to Chuchu, still holding the grey watering can in both hands.

"Hey Chuchu. You need something?"

"Chu! Pika…"

"I know, but it's been like this for hours and still no rain!"

"You sure about that?" Ash interrupted. Yellow jumped slightly, not realizing that he was nearby.

"Oh, hey Ash. Good to see that you're up" Yellow eyed his new outfit. "It's good to see that the shirt and pants fit you, but I don't recall asking her to bring you a jacket like that"

"Oh this?" Ash gripped the corner of his coat. "This was a gift from my mom"

"Oh yes. That must have been the box we found next to you while you were unconscious. It suits you"

"So these...?" He released his coat and tugged at his shirt.

"You were a wreck when we found you, and your old clothes were tattered up pretty badly. We had some extra clothes here at the monastery. I'm just glad we had a set that fit you so well" Yellow gripped her own robe, somewhat mimicking the same gesture that Ash had made "If we didn't, we would have given you one of these. And I doubt they would suit your tastes…"

"Well, you're not wrong about that," Ash said, scratching the back of his head. He would never judge anyone's sense of personal style, but given the choice…

"Speaking of your mother..." Yellow looked around the courtyard, making sure that there were enough people present to finish the garden caretaking without her. "We should let her know that you're up"

"Up? How does she know…" In his years of travelling Ash made sure to keep his mother updated on his travels, but a few weeks of no-contact wasn't out of the norm for him. Though he intended to finish the thought, a pressing feeling in his gut suddenly took precedence. It also didn't help that it made a very audible growl.

"Let's get you something solid to eat," Yellow said with an understanding smile.

Ash simply nodded and followed her out the courtyard.

Red had quite the appetite, but it was nothing compared to this.

The portion sizes that the monastery provided were usually modest. Today's meal consisted of a decently sized bowl of rice topped with various vegetables grown in the courtyard. Yellow had requested at least 2 for Ash, figuring that he would be quite hungry after waking up. She had hoped the soup would have tied him over until his system was ready for a proper meal. She didn't say a word as he devoured his 4th portion, caring little for small talk and general manners.

The pair sat in a large cafeteria near the back of the monastery. The open walls gave them a scenic view of an open field full of flowers, even more so than the garden. It was a beautiful sight, even with the grey sky. The café itself was simple enough, with various wooden tables and benches scattered evenly throughout. Most of the other members had eaten earlier, while the monastery chef was taking a nap at the counter that led into the kitchen, his head slumped over his shoulder as he sat on a small stool. For all intents and purposes, it was just her, Ash, and the Pokémon who were eating from a couple of food bowls that also rested on the table.

"Wow, that was great! Thanks Yellow, and…" Ash finished his fourth bowl with a large smirk, turning to look at the sleeping chef. He considered calling out his name but decided to let the man sleep. He also realized that he didn't actually know the chef's name in the first place.

"I'm sure Henry appreciates the sentiment," Yellow said.

"I'll make sure to thank him when he wakes up."

"I think the empty bowls will be thanks enough."

"Right, sorry" Ash said while rubbing his stomach. He only now realized that his display might not have been the most flattering, especially in front of someone he has just met.

"Don't be, glad to see you're feeling better," Yellow said somewhat awkwardly. "So… you said you spoke too Red…"

The fear and discomfort in her voice was apparent. She must have been waiting all day to ask about this. Ash felt bad for heading back to sleep after their initial conversation, leaving her anxious for all these hours.

"Sorry… ya…" He tried to recall the conversation. His memory was foggy as best, but there admittedly wasn't much to remember in the first place. "Well, he told me to go find some place called…" The name held on the tip of his tongue. "Heart Village!"

"Heart Village?" Yellow's hand went to her chin. Ash turned to the Pokémon, only then realizing that Chuchu was looking at them, smiling intently. The others were fast asleep, resting while the self-induced food coma wore off.

"You know where that is?"

"Yes, it's fairly close actually. It's a little-known village on the opposite side of Mount Silver. Red would go to the top of mount Silver to train, and the locals would help to take care of him. I stayed there for a while too…"

Chuchu ran up to Yellow, chirping excitedly while rubbing her cheek against hers.

"Chuchu seems pretty happy."

"We have a lot of good memories from heart village," A slight giggle was evident in her words. Ash couldn't tell if it was from the memories or if she was being tickled by her Pikachu. Likely both.

"You said he was your…"

"Right" Yellow looked as though she snapped out of some sort of trance. "My fiancé. We were getting married in two months, until he…" Her voice trailed off again, becoming quiet.

"You don't have to tell me…"

"No, I'm sorry," She took a deep breath. "About a week before the incident, he disappeared. He went for a few days of training on Mount Silver and just… vanished. He never came down and nobody could find a trace of him. Me and some of the other dexholders tried to find him but got nothing. And then this whole merging thing happened…".

"Dexholders?" Ash instinctively reached for his pocket to show her his pokedex, but realized that he had left it at home. "Like a pokedex?"

"Oh right. In your world Pokedex's are quite common. But in our world, they are a rare sight. Only a few have been made, and the trainers who receive them are the ones that the professors believe to have a unique potential. We're a small, tight knit crew, only around 20 of us."

"Wow. That sounds so cool!" Ash said with enthusiasm. "I can't wait to show you my pokedex!"

"Well first, lets contact your mother and the professor Oaks."

"Professor… Oaks?"

Ash was no stranger to clones. It's what he told Red in their brief encounter, and he was not lying. But even he had to admit that what he was seeing was somewhat disconcerting, to say the least.

Yellow had taken him into a small room that housed an old, boxy computer. It was the only one in the monastery and was seldom used. On most days the archaic machine would be collecting dust, but Yellow had been using it over the last few weeks to keep the professors updated on Ash's condition. Both professor Oaks were present on the monitor screen. Unlike Ash and Red, the Oaks were identical clones of each other. They shared the same pale skin and grey hair. They even dressed the same, wearing white lab coats over mono-coloured collared shirts.

"Ash my boy, good to see you in good health." The Oak wearing the red shirt spoke first.

"I'm alright professor Oak, thanks to Yellow over here."

"Yes, she has been keeping us updated on your condition."

"Considering what your condition was, you couldn't have been in better company during your coma" The other Oak finally spoke. Ash was slightly thrown off by his voice, which was somewhat deeper and gravellier than the Oak he was used to.

"Ah, but where are my manners?" the other Oak said. "The name's Samuel Oak, it's a pleasure to meet you".

And they share the same name, great…

"Good to meet you too Professor… I mean Samuel, um… Sir"

The other Oak raised his hand. "We figured this would be an issue for you. You can call me Dr. O."

"Really professor?" Yellow said, chuckling slightly.

"It seemed appropriate, besides…" He donned a smile, far more mischievous than anything Ash had seen from his Professor Oak. "It brings me back to the good old days."

"So, you must have known your professor Oak for a long time," Ash said to Yellow, trying not to ponder too much on what being an issue for him entailed. She lightly nodded.

"Hmmmm…" Ash could feel Dr. O staring into his soul. "He really is a lot like Red."

"I've been hearing that a lot recently," Ash responded

"And you'll probably be hearing it a lot more," Dr. O said

"Anyhow, I think it's time you spoke to your mother. She has been worried sick about you," Professor Oak said

Ash could only imagine what his mom was thinking at this moment. He knew that she secretly worried for him when he was gone on his travels, and he knew that it wasn't any different for when he decided to move out.

"Put her through, professor."

"It'll take a moment…" The Oaks disappeared from the screen, leaving only static.

"Hey Yellow, thanks for letting my Mom and the professors know what happened to me," Ash said.

"It was no problem really, actually it was more coincidental. I called Professor Oak, well, my professor Oak about finding you. It just so happened that he and your professor Oak had already met. They let your mother and friends know right away that you were safe with me."

"Well, then thanks for caring for me while I was knocked out. You probably saved my life."

"Once again, no problem."

The computer screen flickered to life. Ash's mother, Delia Ketchum, was in full view, making no attempt to hide the worry and concern on her face. While her brown hair was a far cry from Ash's black, her brown eyes were nearly identical to his. Ash feigned an awkward smile, fully knowing how this conversation was going to turn out.

"Hey mom… it's good to…"

"Ash Ketchum! How could you go and get yourself hurt like that!" Her voice trembled, and her eyes became watery. "I… how...?" She wiped her eyes, her words becoming a jumbled mess. "I… I was so scared that… what if" She could barely complete the last sentence ", you never woke up…"

"I did wake up mom," Ash's words were softer, even softer than he intended. He wasn't used to seeing his mother in such a state of dysphoria. Sure, he knew that she worried about him on his travels, but this was something else entirely. He wished he was there so she could hold him, to show that he was alive and safe and well. "I woke up and I'm alright. It's all thanks to Yellow and my Pokémon."

"Oh yes, Yellow" Delia tried to compose herself, suddenly realizing that they were not currently alone. "Thank you for taking care of him, for keeping my Ash safe"

"Oh, don't mention it misses Ketchum," Yellow said.

"It's all okay now. We're all safe," Ash said.

"Right, okay…" The cracking in Delia's voice began to subside, though she remained sullen. "All of your friends are worried too, so you better give them all a call."

"I will mom. Just have to get my phone back at the house… I don't remember their numbers…" Ash scratched the back of his head.

"Oh Ash… well…" Delia sighed, taking in a deep breath. "Make sure you pack plenty of clothes, and toothpaste, and..."

"Mom… I didn't even say that I'm going anywhe…"

"Please Ash," Delia raised her hand. "I know you. The worlds in trouble, and as much as I would protest, you're gonna rush right into whatever danger is in your way."

"Mom… I…"

"It's okay. You just go out there and save the world, again. And remember you promised you would come back."

It was years ago, and he had made many promises since then. The circumstances of his life would often dictate how many of them he would keep, but this was one he swore to never break.

"Always" Ash said

"Yellow, keep him out of too much trouble, alright?" Delia said

"I will."

"I'll let you guys go now." She didn't want to hang up. She didn't want Ash to leave her sight for a long time. "Love you."

"I love you too mom," Ash said, finally shutting off the computer.

For a while, Ash simply stared at the computer. He felt like the weight of the world was bearing down upon him. He knew that his mother was right, and he also knew deep down that whatever was happening, whatever Red was trying to tell him, was important. He had to see this through, no matter what. Even if it puts his life in danger. Even if, at the end of it all, he would never see his loved ones again. Of course, this was partially his imagination running wild, combined with the anxiety of seeing his own mother lament over his recent coma. He stood there for a few minutes, with Yellow patiently waiting near the corner.

"Sorry…" Ash broke the silence first.

"Hey it's alright. Your mother's very scared, but that's only because she loves you so much."

"Right… I'm okay now" Ash said, though Yellow detected a faint sniffle escaping him.

"I hate to bring this up again now, but…" She hesitated, but it was too late to back out. "We never finished our conversation about Heart village earlier."

"You want me to head to Heart Village with you and help you find Red?" Ash replied, quickly sobering up.

"Well… yes… but…" Yellow felt like she had sunk in place. "Only if you…"

"I want to find Red too. He reached out to me for a reason… I just know it," Ash said confidently as he opened the door, finding Pikachu, Totodile and Chuchu standing patiently outside. They all ran up to their trainers.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked up at Ash, sensing his unease. Ash knelt in front of Pikachu, scratching the top of his head.

"We're heading back home tomorrow morning Pikachu, and then we're going to Heart Village to help Yellow find Red."

The Pokémon cheered in unison. Ash looked towards Yellow. "Hey… you got any more of those rice bowls?"

"You're hungry?! Again?!"