Apologies for how long this chapter took to come out. I was editing my previous story so that it flows better but it's now done.
I own nothing.
Chapter 22
The next few months flew by for Ash as he quickly recovered from his operation and subsequent physio and had began running again which made him feel much better about himself. Twelve weeks without being able to do anything was intolerable and he was glad it was all sorted now. He had decided to start his Pokémon's training in June as Blastoise was having so much fun with his fiends at the Kanto Fire Department so much so Ash doubted if Blastoise would follow them to Johto. He suspected that he would be having another heart to heart with his shiny turtle very soon and hopefully they could come to an arrangement like he had with Venusaur.
Bulbasaur had settled in very nicely in the last three months and was looking much healthier than she had been, likely due to a diet Ash had put her on to help her body try and fix thirty years of nothing but junk food. As for Venusaur he was ecstatic to have a fellow bulb to share his vision with and she had taken to gardening like a duck to water. The Scythers had settled in well too after their training from Rudy and were happily ensconced in a part of the forest very few people entered.
The strangest thing to happen though in his time away was the Royal Pidgeotto had claimed the Northern part of the forest for himself and his clan. Normally Ash would have an issue with this happening without his permission but as they were based at the only entrance to his home they were an excellent deterrent from poachers and people that wandered on to his land without his permission. Ash had tried not to be militant but it was difficult not to be given how successful his project was becoming and was often seen to be making sure no unauthorised personnel was on site. He had an access list that he made sure was adhered to at all times and had sacked three people already for bringing their friends on site without permission much to the chagrin of Silph who employed them. Ash though refused to be moved especially given the news he had received a few weeks ago.
Ash's staff had grown significantly since the previous October when Zoe arrived. He now had a full time warden that lived on site named Anthony or Ant as he preferred to be called, a head of security named Jim who was Zoe's uncle who had been in the military for the last thirty years and wanted a quieter life but also to be kept busy and finally their own Nurse Joy who had her own building annexed off to the side of the main house. It was Joy who had given him the news that had made him take more notice of who was on site. It seemed Lorelei's Lapras had been successful in helping repopulate the Lapras pod that had settled on Blastoises lake and Joy was very happy and also extremely protective of them, so much so that every evening she could be seen walking to their area with her Houndoom to check on them. Ash had initially thought it very strange that a Joy would have such a Pokémon but apparently she had been gifted to her as a Houndour when she passed her tests eight years ago and they had never left each other's side since. Several times Ash had witnessed Pikachu and Charizard training with her, giving her pointers for which Ash was very grateful.
"Of the seventeen Lapras that arrived here only twelve were sexually mature" Matilda Joy told Ash as they walked down to the pond to see the pod playing on the water. Sitting down on the bench she continued "five, including your Lapras are years off being able to breed yet but of the twelve eight have successfully become pregnant."
"That's great news" Ash said very happy "it's a shame about the other four but I read somewhere they have two seasons a year so there's still a chance isn't there?"
"Yes" Matilda said looking at the assembled pod "that's correct, and Lorelei has already told me to just ring her when it's time. It seems her bull has been very chipper lately." She finished making both of them laugh.
"How long is the gestation period?" Ash asked after a few minutes silence.
"Eighteen months" Matilda replied grimly making Ash whistle lowly.
"It's small wonder there's so few of them" Ash said "and it explains their drive to visit the Sevii islands every year too just on the off chance there's a stray bull who's made his way there."
"Very much so" Matilda said "it's why I'm so glad you have this place Ash. You've done an amazing thing here and because of your actions the Lapras numbers are going to rise again. I was speaking to Gemima the other day and she said that Lapras are so critically endangered that it's thought the numbers would never rise again and there are very real fears that in the next fifty years they would die out completely."
"Gemima?" Ash asked confused.
"Oh, yes she's the head of the researchers that Silph sent" Matilda said looking at him "she's lovely."
"Ah ok" Ash said looking out to the lake. The sun was just setting so the water was sparkling so beautifully in the dusk that it made Ash quite emotional. Seeing his Gyarados leap from the water and make a big splash made him chuckle and feel very content that she was settling in so well. "Oh, yes, I've been meaning to tell you. Sometime in the middle of May Koga and a few of his friends will be coming here to clear out the spider nests on the other side of the lake. I've talked to the Spinarak and Ariados a few times about keeping their clan in check and to stop breeding the way they have been doing but they've apparently been ignoring my warnings so they're all going. We're going to get a shipment of anti-venom in the next fortnight especially for that time and I've asked Silph to supply me with a hundred Pokéballs to capture them in."
"Hmmm" Matilda said looking thoughtful "what date is it being planned?"
"The 18th" Ash replied "why?"
"I have a few interns starting next month too so it'll be an experience for them no doubt" Matilda replied.
"Is this for your Mastery qualifications?" Ash asked curious.
"Yes" Matilda said nodding "teaching and communicating are vital to the development of new Joys and I'd been putting off getting the mastery for years now but there's no obstacles in my way here and I can study and practice at the same time."
"Oh, another thing" Ash said remembering the conversation he had that morning "The League are going to be sending Brock and a few other breeders he's found in June once they've finished the Centre for Excellence in Pewter City. It's not finished yet so he's just introducing a few prospective doctors and breeders to the team here for when he starts fully at the end of the year. I thought I'd warn you given what he was like."
"Hmmm" Joy said pursing her lips as she remembered the many conversations she had with her sisters over the last few years "as long as he behaves himself, I won't have an issue."
"He seems to have taken my chat to him to heart" Ash said to her confusion. "When I first visited the Orange Islands I saw him on Valencia Island as he was there to work alongside Philena Ivy during the Vileplume Breeding event. Anyway when he said he was planning on staying, and the way he was behaving I knew exactly what kind of breeding he was planning to try and I gave him a bollocking, especially after I found out what he was like with your cousins so I knew I'd need to have a chat with him. My mum thinks I was harsh with him but I feel otherwise and it seems my chat with him hit a nerve as he was never once creepy with Philena and I've not heard of him being arrested by the Jenny clan either. As I told my mother with this place becoming a reality and my own rise up the League ranks I can't afford to be associated with anyone that behaves like that as it's not just me who will suffer anymore. If he goes back to his old ways, please let me know."
"Well thank you" Matilda said smiling "I'll be sure to let my cousins know to put their tasers away."
Chuckling Ash got to his feet and left Joy there, scratching Houndoom on her head as he left.
Spring turned into summer and soon it was time for Ash to leave for Mt Silver again to train. Gathering up his Pokémon was harder than it should have been as for the entirety of April Salamence and Charizard had gone doing their own thing. Ash had no idea where they were, but he was only slightly concerned about them being attacked. Blastoise had come back looking and feeling happier than he ever was from his time with his friends and sure enough the conversation about Johto came up one night when he had finally managed to keep them all in one place.
"So, we're leaving next February?" Charizard asked "why?"
"The Johto League starts up then" Ash replied "and I want to take my time going through Johto as the League tournament isn't until October/November."
"But that's so long to be doing nothing" Salamence whined "why can't we go now and just steam our way through the League this year?"
"My thoughts exactly" Charizard said agreeing "we can use the League as a warmup for the Elite Four challenge this year."
"No, we can't" Ash said shaking his head "Lance and Bruno are part of the Johto League Elite Four too, so they have to be at the tournament here in Kanto and then Johto a month after Kanto finishes. They won't have enough time to fight us as well."
"They can't take a day out of their schedule to lose to us?" Pikachu asked joining in "they're the Elite four. If they felt that they could beat us they wouldn't hesitate to turn down a challenge."
"Why did you not schedule it for July?" Blastoise asked "that way we could beat them and then do the league in three months."
"I've just said why" Ash replied getting exasperated "Lance and Bruno wanted both Leagues to be out of the way to focus on us."
"It seems like they're scared to me" Charizard said snorting "any fighter worth their name would want to put their opposition in their place as soon as they could that way they don't have to even think of them again." His declaration received several nods of agreement.
"Maybe so" Ash said "however that's the hand that's been dealt us. We fight Lorelei first in November and then if we win we move on to Koga, then Bruno and then finally Lance. All going well we will fight Blue in December for his title."
"It's still a lot of waiting around doing nothing" Blastoise groused.
"I've been waiting to get you all together for two weeks now" Ash said shaking his head at his turtle "we won't be sitting around at all. We're going to be travelling from place to place over the next few months to train in all conditions, so we'll be ready for the Elite Four challenge. We have to be back in August though to light the torch for the Indigo League so I was thinking we'll settle on Mt Silver at that time so we're close enough to get there and back in just a few hours."
"So two months of moving around and then Mt Silver until November?" Machamp asked.
"No, longer than that" Ash said "I'm leaving the day after my birthday, which I plan to spend with mum. So we leave in a weeks time."
"Oh good" Charizard said stretching his wings and yawning "I'm tired, I'll see you all in the morning." Flying off Ash waited until he was out of sight before turning to the rest of them.
"I didn't want to say this in front of him because I know how grumpy he'll get but tomorrow we're getting rid of the Spinarak and Ariados. Koga will be here with ten of his people and they're going to be captured and relocated."
"And you didn't want to tell Charizard why?" Venusaur asked.
"Are you kidding?" Pikachu asked incredulously "you know what he's like. He'd burn the entire lot of them given the opportunity and then we'd have to deal with the aftermath. He's been waiting for the opportunity to burn them since they tied him up in his sleep that one time and dangled him like a bat from a tree."
"He is an idiot" Blastoise said helpfully causing ripples of laughter "but that was very funny."
"Indeed" Ash said smirking "which is why I've told you lot about it. I need someone to volunteer to keep him away for the day while we sort it out."
"Not it" Blastoise, Pikachu and Machamp said immediately.
"Dammit" Salamence said as she looked at her teammates before remembering something "hey, not it!"
"You're the only one left" Pikachu said confused.
"No, I'm not, Gyarados is" she replied smugly looking over at the shiny dragon who glared back.
"Gyarados can't talk" Blastoise said "and before you say anything neither can Kabuto. You're the last one left, so suck it up."
Grumbling Salamence muttered about always having to keep Charizard entertained before they eventually dispersed. The next day went very well. Salamence, while unhappy about it asked Charizard to help her with her air speed and they flew off leaving Ash and the rest to breathe a sigh of relief. Koga and Janine turned up an hour later with his helpers and they made their way to the nest. Ash took a backseat while he watched Koga try to reason with them before shrugging his shoulders and nodding to his staff. "they chose the hard way it seems" he said releasing his team. The next two hours was pure chaos as the spiders put up a hell of a fight against everyone, clearly reluctant to move away from their new home but the trainers Koga brought were clearly skilled at battling and as the numbers dwindled the remaining spiders began to panic and tried to escape. Ash though had thought of this and organised the protectors of the land to station themselves as a perimeter inside the forest and beat them back.
As the last ball rocked and dinged they all collectively breathed a sigh of relief as Joy and her two helpers came over to them and treated their Pokémon that were poisoned or stabbed with the spiders stingers. Several of the trainers also had to be treated because they had been attacked to but soon enough they were all sat having a drink at the side of the lake just enjoying the scenery.
"This place is beautiful" Koga said "I must admit my envy."
"It's not bad is it?" Ash said chuckling "so where did you find all these trainers?"
"It is a new scheme Mr Goodshow has come up with this year" Koga said "every gym must take on a certain number of apprentices and the best three will be placed into the League tournament to compete against those who have gained the eight badges required to attend. It's his way of trying to improve the skill and standard of Pokémon trainers and so far it has worked out, at least for Janine anyway. As an Elite Four member myself I am privy to all the reports from the gyms and other than a few hiccups the standard has definitely risen this year."
"That's good" Ash said "because when I challenged the League last year the competition was really poor until the last 16. There was a lot of people that shouldn't have got there but they did. I know for a fact I was one of only five people who beat my uncle."
"I was beaten eight times" Koga said nodding "five of them were two badge challenges too so it was a basic challenge."
"So what can be done to improve the standard?" one of Kogas apprentices asked "what drove you to want to be the best and be different? I watched all your matches at the League and I was astounded by how strong you were. Oh, I'm Tina by the way. Nice to meet you."
"From the moment I could walk and talk all I was ever bothered about was being a Pokémon trainer" Ash replied "and I had the privilege of being able to learn from Professor Oak who didn't mind me just wandering into his lab and taking his books. Once I figured out that I could communicate with Pokémon the whole world changed for me. I had a significant advantage over every other trainer I had seen come through Pallet Town and I knew that I could do things better than anyone else that I'd seen on the TV. I asked Sam when I was six if I could learn from him and thankfully he said yes. And I began to train not only my mind with lessons from him but I trained my body too, but throughout it all I kept two things in mind. The first is the Golden Rule of Pokémon battling, that is "A win is the Pokémon's doing, a loss is the trainers fault." Far too many trainers get pissy when they lose and blame their Pokémon when it is the trainers that dictates the battle. If you lose then congratulate your opponent for outthinking you and then congratulate your own Pokémon for trying their best. Analyse the match and learn from those mistakes to make sure it never happens again. Never forget that golden rule.
My second thing was to never be too proud to ask questions, take your ego out of the equation and ask questions. Don't be too proud to admit that you don't know something if someone asks you a question. You guys have at the side of you a veritable mine of information at your disposable in Janine and Koga, so use them. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they don't hand out gym leader qualifications in Lucky Bags and they especially don't make people Elite Four members by accident. Those positions are earned through graft and hard work.
So yeah, in essence I trained alongside my Pokémon to help strengthen our bond, I fed them the correct diet to help them grow properly and we never stopped trying to better ourselves. Koga has said the standard has risen already this year which can only be a good thing for Kanto. And looking at the way the Johto league went they wouldn't stand a chance against the Kanto league prospects. Did you see that farce?"
"I did yes" Janine said shaking her head "I couldn't believe the state of the trainers there. And I know I'm supposed to be humble dad but you can't sit here and say you'd be proud of advocating for that League. There's not one trainer here that we wouldn't expect to lock out the final eight in that tournament."
"You may be correct" Koga said "as a League official though I'm not allowed to agree. I will say this though, none of the Johto league Elite Four are going to be under threat any time soon. Travis tried to challenge them last month and Will only had to use two Pokémon to sweep him."
"Urgh" Ash said crinkling his nose at the mention of the psychic trainer causing Koga to smirk before he carried on "so yeah, I'd advise you all to never stop trying to better yourself and if you think you've learned enough then you really haven't learned anything at all. Never settle for mediocrity when you all have it in you to be greats. Should you need anything my door is always open to you all as my library is getting quite extensive."
"And on that note we must away" Koga said standing up "it has been a pleasure as always Ash. I shall no doubt see you in November."
"You may see me in August actually" Ash said shaking his hand "we're heading out next week to train for the challenge but apparently I'm obliged to be this years Torch Runner at the League so I may end up seeing you there then."
"Then we will see you then" Koga said bowing his head, something which Ash reciprocated to him and Janine before they all trooped off.
"Nice speech" a voice said behind him causing him to smirk. His uncle was there with his mum on a bench just watching the Pokémon play on the lake.
"Thanks" he said trotting over to them and giving his mum a hug before shaking Giovannis hand. "what brings you two here?"
"It's been a while since your mum and I conversed in person so I asked her to come for a walk." Giovanni said "she brought me here. I must say this place has come along a treat hasn't it. Did I hear correctly that you have a pod of Lapras staying here now?"
"You did" Ash replied "and eight of them are with calf so their numbers will rise soon."
"That's fantastic news" Delia said "you've done a good thing here Ash."
"I know" he said cheekily "anyway I need to get back to the house to prepare a treat for Salamence. She lost out on the vote and had to keep Charizard away today from clearing out the Spinarak nest so I owe her one."
Chuckling his mum waved him away. Just before he left though he turned back to them "before I go, what's your schedule like this year uncle? I know it's a long time off but are you free either just before or after the Indigo League tournament?"
"I'm not free before it" Giovanni said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his calendar. "Don't tell anyone but I'm helping Charles out as he plans to step down in the next few years and I'll be replacing him so I'm currently trying to find my own replacement."
"Not me" Ash said laughing.
"Shame" he replied smirking before stopping in August "the tournament begins Monday August 7th this year so you'll be lighting the torch on the Saturday before which is the 5th. All gym leaders and Elite Four are obliged to be there for the opening ceremony before we're then free to go about our business. Oh, apparently, I have a week free just before the tournament. Why?"
"I wish to make a formal challenge to you and your Elites" Ash said making Giovanni raise his eyebrow "we never managed to finish our match before the conference, even though it wasn't a true match. But if I cannot get past you and your strongest then I'll struggle to get past the Elite Four."
"You know I'm Elite Four level myself correct?" he asked.
"I do" Ash said nodding "which is why I want to battle you."
"Ok" he said writing something in his calendar "I'll pencil you in for Wednesday 26th July. I'll be home then. What are your plans if I may ask?"
"I'm leaving next week after spending my birthday with mum to travel around to different places to train." Ash said "we'll be going to Cerulean Cave for a few weeks, Seafoam Islands and the lower levels of Victory Road before finally settling on Mt Silver for all of September and October."
"Condition training?" Giovanni asked looking impressed "that's true dedication."
"Yes" Ash replied "we're going to come up against far too many people who have abilities like Sandstorm or Snow Cloak that we'll need to beat. I'm hoping we can become very good at it without me using aura to locate an opponents Pokémon. Anyway it was nice seeing you, mum I'll speak to you later on. Love you lots." Turning around Ash jogged to the house to prepare Salamence's favourite foods for what she did today. She very much deserved it.
The following months rolled by for Ash as he left Pallet Town, leaving an emergency contact number just in case with Zoe for any issues that came up at the house. Cerulean Cave was a very nice challenge for Ash. He had brought his entire team except Venusaur and Lapras who no longer wanted to battle now she was training the other Lapras how to battle just in case. So for now his team consisted of Pikachu, Charizard, Blastoise, Machamp, Salamence, Kabuto and Gyarados. He managed to find the exact place that Mewtwo had set up home as there were still remnants of a campfire in the bowels of the cave as blocks of rotten firewood and out of date tinned cans of food let Ash know this was exactly where Fuji had been. The trips through the cave were very strange as some tunnels had no light in them and Ash had to rely on his aura sight to get through. Ash was quite impressed actually as the location Fuji had settled as it was only accessible via rapids from one side and a cave-in blocked the exit from the other side of the small plateau. Luckily rapids were nothing for Gyarados and Blastoise so their trips through the cave were easy to traverse.
The training had gone by remarkably well, learning to fight in darkness was a new one for his Pokémon but they soon began to get used to not being able to see their opponents and adapt to listening and sensing attacks. Many of the inhabitants of the cave had curiously come to watch and see if someone was disturbing their homes for a reason and many joined in the battles, determined to prove their strength. It was with a slightly heavy heart that Ash emerged from the cave three weeks later looking very bedraggled and dirty but luckily for him and his Pokémon there was a stream right outside the cave which he dove headfirst into as soon as he saw it.
Seafoam Islands was a different animal altogether though. The entire place was an ice types dream and training in blizzards and gale force winds was rough going. Many of his Pokémon struggled to withstand the cold and damp conditions to the point they had to limit their training hours just so they could get their bodies back up to normal temperatures by staying close to Charizard with his natural heat. It was lucky that Ash had others that could use fire attacks as the firewood they had to gather every few days was quickly getting used up. It was during this time Ash had come back to camp to find something had slashed the side of his tent and he could hear a noise coming from within. Curious he slowly opened the tent door and nearly gasped when he saw there curled up on his pillow sleep was a young Sneasel.
"Sneasel, Pokedex number 215, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Vicious in nature, it drives Pidgey from their nests and feasts on the eggs that are left behind. It will not stop attacking until its foe is incapable of moving. This Pokémon is Male and has a lonely nature."
Dexters words however startled the ice type awake making it panic and start slashing making Ash panic and dive backwards out of the way. Several more cuts could be seen on the tent and most of the metal poles were cut clean through as inevitably it collapsed on top of the weasel which made it panic even more.
"Stop moving" Ash shouted grabbing the top and trying to open the flap to pull it out. Sneasel though was still wriggling so Ash had to dive out of the way as a metallic tail smacked on top of the flattened tent where the Sneasel was where it quickly stilled and moaned in obvious pain.
Bit by bit they took the ruined tent apart to find the ice type groaning holding its head in pain. "Ooooowwww" It said rolling around, clearly exaggerating his pain "ooooowwwww."
"Pack it in" Pikachu said having none of it "I wasn't that rough with you."
"Look at my head!" Sneasel shouted jumping up from pointing to a small lump that had grown "I could have brain damage!"
"What do you mean could have?" Blastoise said from behind Ash.
"Oh, I see how it is" Sneasel said looking around warily "I find a nice warm place to have a nap, get rudely woken up, beaten up and then get insulted on top of it!"
"You broke into my tent!" Ash said looking incredulous "and then you destroyed my tent!"
"You startled me and then hurt me!" Sneasel said before collapsing to the ground again moaning in pain with more exaggerated claims of agony.
"Oh, knock it off" Ash said as he began to look through his ruined tent and pulled out his sleeping bag. Looking at the rest though he shook his head at the state of it "this has withstood storms, blasts of fire, caves and rough terrain yet it gets destroyed by an idiot."
"I'm not an idiot" Sneasel yelped getting quickly back to its feet forgetting how much pain it was in remarkably quickly "you owe me."
"Owe you what?" Machamp snorted "we don't have a stock of new brain cells on us sadly."
"Oh, it's like that is it" Sneasel said as he tried to casually get a bit of distance between them all "I'm not staying here to be insulted."
"I don't think so" Salamence said standing in front of the little weasel making it stop looking nervous.
"Whoa" Sneasel said looking up and gulping "you're huge."
"Let him go Salamence" Ash said as he began to pack his bag "we need to go buy a new tent. Do you guys want food now or can you wait until we get outside?"
"Food?" Sneasel asked curiously looking around and sniffing the air "you said food? As in food right, the thing you eat."
"Yeah" Ash said warily.
"Then I accept your proposition" Sneasel said firmly "you've twisted my arm, and the negotiations were tough, but I'll agree to be your Pokémon."
"Hey, I didn't ask" Ash said indignantly.
"Never mind any of that" Sneasel said still looking around curiously "so where's the food at?"
"In my bag" Ash said standing up, shouldering his backpack and looking at his Pokémon expectantly. All of them agreed they would wait until they got outside so Ash recalled them and began to walk away leaving a stunned Sneasel. The way up was quite tough but as Ash had experience in mountain climbing he made it up to the top floor without much issue and headed out of the cave.
"You know we're being followed right?" Pikachu murmured.
"I do" Ash chuckled as they left the freezing cold cave and stopped to bask in the sunlight. Ash walked just off to the side of the cave and placed his bag down and began to get out the various food bowls and tubs of Pokéblocks. Releasing his Pokémon he placed three of their own Pokéblocks in the bowl and they all sat down to eat. Ash though was very much aware of the ice type that was hiding behind the rocks just outside the cave trying to hide. Chuckling he looked in his bag and pulled out his Pokéblock maker and began to make several blocks. Twenty minutes later he grabbed a separate Tupperware box and placed the blocks inside leaving one out. His Pokémon were used to seeing him mix berries so didn't think anything of it, that was until he threw half of one of the blocks over to the rock where it lay to rest. All of them watched on as a claw tentatively came from behind the rock, patting the ground as if searching for something and speared the block before quickly it retracted and soon moans of delight could be heard coming from the rock.
"That's obscene" Pikachu muttered making the rest chuckle. Machamp though stood up and marched over to the rock where quicker than the Sneasel could react he grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and walked back to the camp. Sneasel who had been in the middle of eating just looked around bewildered at being in the air before he was plonked down next to several tough looking Pokémon.
"Er hi" he mumbled due to having a mouth full of food "fancy seeing you guys here, again."
Charizard however snorted and turned to Ash "where are we going next?"
"Victory Road caverns" Ash said "I was planning on spending another week here but due to my tent being destroyed we need to fly to Saffron City first and then on to Viridian before Victory Road."
"Why don't we go home" Pikachu said "and buy a tent from the Viridian department store?"
"That's actually a good thought" Ash said mulling it over "it means we're not going out of the way too. Ok then, new plan. Home for a few days, Viridian City and then Victory Road. Our battle with Giovanni is in four weeks before we're needed at Indigo for a day to light the flame. From there we'll head straight to Mt Silver for eight weeks."
"Sounds like a plan" Charizard said rolling his neck before setting his sights on Sneasel who gulped "so what's your deal?"
"I don't have one" Sneasel said "I was tired, the tent looked comfy and I had a nap. Then I was woken up and attacked. My head still hurts you know?" putting a claw to his head he pulled it away and looked at it "am I bleeding? I feel as though I'm bleeding."
"You're a bleeding idiot" Pikachu said shaking his head.
"Hey now that's not nice" Sneasel said looking hurt "I've been nothing but nice to you, even though you attacked me."
"You broke into my tent and then demolished it" Ash said deadpanned "you're lucky I didn't ask Charizard to roast you alive."
"But I still haven't done anything to you" Sneasel pointed out "so as reparations I will be your Pokémon and you can feed me."
"No" Ash said standing up and gathering up the various bowls stowing them away before recalling everyone except Charizard and Pikachu "we don't blackmail each other on this team and we certainly don't feign injury to get something from another teammate. So, if you want to join us then ask properly."
"But" Sneasel said looking around in a slight panic "never mind then."
"Ok" Ash said as he climbed on to Charizards back "nice meeting you Sneasel."
"Ok" Sneasel said "can I please come with you?"
"Why?" Charizard asked before Ash could "why should we let you join our family."
"I don't have a family" Sneasel said "not anymore anyway. And it sounds like you're visiting different places and I'd like to see the world."
"And get free food while you're at it" Ash said arching an eyebrow.
"A happy coincidence" Sneasel said nodding before something hit him on the head again causing him to clutch his head again. Before he could cry out this time he was enveloped in a red light and disappeared into a Pokéball which rocked once and fell silent.
"Let's go home pal" Ash said stowing the ball away into a side pocket of his bag. Suddenly he remembered a conversation he had in the Orange Islands "Actually, I believe I promised one of us a reunion so let's head to Fuchsia City first."
A few hours later Ash landed in Fuchsia and headed to the Safari Zone, where after a rather awkward encounter with Kaizer again he headed into the Zone to seek out a particular friend of Machamps. Heading straight for Zone 4 they stopped at the pond, and he called out Machamp who looked around in nostalgic reminiscence. "I cannot believe it's been over a year since I was last here."
"It's closer to eighteen months at this point" Ash said as he set up camp. "we've come a long way since then."
"I wonder if anyone has set up camp in my old cave" Machamp said as he wandered off to the waterfall and disappeared behind it. Ten minutes later he came back out with a Hitmonchan in tow, chatting happily and introduced him to Ash. The next few hours were spent relaxing while Machamp sparred with the Hitmonchan and gave him pointers which the punching Pokémon gratefully listened to. It was during this time that Ash felt a familiar presence disturb the water off to the side, and nudging Pikachu he nodded over where they saw a small pale blue head peeking out. Chuckling Ash broke open a neutral Pokéblock and threw it into the water where the presence disappeared. Machamp and Hitmonchan looked over at Ash in curiosity before Ash signalled for silence with his finger and nodded to the lake. Sitting down the watched as the Pokéblock pieces were sucked underneath the water very slowly making Ash chuckle.
Ash's gaze was drawn to the area just near the waterfall when he felt a second more powerful presence observing them. Knowing he was being carefully watched he tossed the rest of the Pokéblock into the water and carefully made his way near the waterfall where he sat down.
"Hello again Dragonair" Ash said to the water as he still observed where the first presence was "we came back to see how you were getting on."
After a few seconds a head broke the surface and looked at him curiously.
"You look well" Dragonair said as she turned to where her baby was and called him out "you're safe sweetie. They mean you no harm."
"We certainly don't" Ash said observing as a smaller version of herself broke the water and watched them keenly. "I'm glad to see you're free still."
"It's been a close call a few times" Dragonair said "around two weeks ago several people tried to capture my baby using their Pokémon. Luckily, they were banned not long after but it was still scary."
"Well," Ash said after a few minutes silence "you two could always come and live with me. I have a huge lake at home that's home to many wild and rare Pokémon. I have a whole pod of Lapras staying there at the moment and my Blastoise and Gyarados protect the area from anyone that would try and capture you. Plus, if you stay registered as my Pokémon no one could ever capture you again and I'll let you live freely on my land. All I ask is that you come to its defence should it be attacked."
"Why would you do that?" Dragonair asked curiously "You are aware of what we are and how hunted we are as a species. What makes you so different?"
"My word is very good" Ash said "and I already have a dragon type Pokémon and no offence but I don't want another. She's enough of a handful already."
"I still haven't been given any real assurances about moving" Dragonair said observing her daughter splashing around with Ash's Blastoise.
"Hmmm" Ash said thinking it over before an idea came to his head and he pulled out his Pokegear and rang Sam.
"Hi Ash" Sam said looking curious "what can I do for you?"
"I'm ringing because I've offered a Pokémon sanctuary at my home along with her daughter" Ash said "but she requires proof that I won't ask her to be my Pokémon or do anything other than defend the area should it be attacked so I thought if I ring you and she can hear you vouch for me then it may ease her worries."
"Oh, right ok" Sam said "well am I allowed to know what Pokémon it is that needs proof?"
"A Dragonair and her child" Ash said. "we're at the Safari Zone."
"Wow" Sam replied whistling "that's some find Ash. Can she hear me?"
"She can" Ash replied nodding before he switched the video screen around so Dragonair could see Sam.
"Well, it's been a while since I've seen one of you this close" Sam said happily "the last time was when my own Dragonite was a Dragonair over forty years ago now. Anyway my name is Samuel Oak and I'm the Pokémon Professor for Kanto and I'm Ash's sponsor. He has created a haven just outside of where I live for endangered and protected species to try and repopulate them or preserve them and has been very successful at doing so. If he has given you his word, it's more than good enough for me and I would highly recommend you take him up on his offer. I will prohibit him using you in battle until you tell me otherwise, I'm afraid that's the best I can do though."
"It could protect you two-fold" Ash said "we won't tell anyone that you're no longer here so people would still search here rather than my home. And the Nurse Joy that's on site at my home would keep your secret when I tell her." Looking at his watched he saw they still had a few hours before they had to leave "I'll tell you what, we have just over an hour and half before we have to make our way back out, if you want to think it over and chat with your daughter then do so. Just let us know either way."
"Keep me posted Ash" Sam said "unfortunately I have to go as I'm due to set out for Indigo Plateau in an hour."
"Bye Sam" Ash said hanging up as Dragonair dove underwater, an action that was followed by her daughter a few seconds later.
"What do you think then Ash?" Machamp asked an hour later.
"It seems we're about to get our answer" Ash said standing up and walking over to the side of the lake as two heads popped up.
"We accept" Dragonair said nodding "but we reserve the right to change our minds and be brought back here."
"Very well" Ash said as he threw two Safari Balls at them, watching with baited breath as they rocked twice before going silent. Picking them up he shook his head and pressed the button on his Pokédex to halt transfer to Sam. Packing up he said goodbye to the Hitmonchan who went back to the cave and Ash made his way to the front where he handed over the remaining safari balls without saying a word to Kaizer and then headed to the Pokémon Centre. Sending Sam a quick message they went to sleep that night slightly nervous and left at four am the next day to fly home.
The flight only took a few hours and soon enough he landed on the far end of the lake and called them both out along with his Gyarados and Blastoise.
"Here you go" Ash said stowing the Pokéballs away "welcome to your new home. This is Gyarados, she's going to introduce you to the Lapras pod but apart from that you're free to go wherever you want. I'll inform Nurse Joy you're here as she visits the lake every evening with her Houndoom and if you require assistance she's the one to talk to. Other than that no one but myself and Sam will know you're here, he'll likely send his Dragonite to you at some point as when I'm not here he's the protector of Pallet Town and its surrounding area along with his Charizard who lives in the hills just over there" pointing to the far hills he carried on "so yeah we'll leave you to get settled in. welcome to the family you two."
Gyarados motioned to them and the slipped under water while he climbed back onto Charizard and they flew the rest of the way to their home. Letting the rest of his Pokémon out he briefly spoke to Matilda who nodded at the seriousness in keeping their new inhabitants a secret.
"I'll try and play interference but I doubt it will be too long before they're discovered Ash" Matilda said "after all many researchers spend a lot of time with the Lapras pod and other inhabitants of your lake."
"I know" Ash said nodding "but we can do what we can for as long as possible. Thank you Matilda. Oh, how did your finals go?"
"They're in November" Matilda replied "so I have a few months left before I'm fully qualified to teach."
Delia was more than happy to see Ash again, even if it was just for a few days but Ash decided to stay a week to help Sneasel settle in at home while he sorted out an urgent matter regarding an employee who had been hurt in his forest. Delia was delighted to meet Sneasel who took an instant liking to Delia but more importantly her cooking. He was often seen to be testing new recipes with her and providing extraordinarily good critiques.
"I'm leaving tomorrow" Ash said as he sat and talked to his mum. Before she could answer though a bright purple flash lit up the room and a piece of paper landed on the table. Tentatively Ash picked it up and read it aloud.
"R.K ALIVE. POSSIBLE LEAD. S HIDDEN. CURRENTLY TRAVELLING. I'LL BE IN TOUCH SOON."
"Dad?" Ash asked looking bewildered "is this about dad?"
Immediately Delia grabbed the note and read it hungrily before looking up hopefully. "I can only think whoever sent this is on about your father. Whoever S is though I don't know. Who could have sent this?"
Turning it over they both saw a print on it with three large dots.
"It looks familiar" Ash said running his aura over it "Mewtwo?" he finished looking confused.
"Why would he help?" Delia asked sitting down on a stool looking confused.
"He feels responsible" Ash said "he told me as much just before I left for the Orange Islands. He told me that because he had helped transport dad to Tohjo Falls only for him to disappear again that he felt it was his fault. Plus, he still feels guilty over killing me."
"But why go out of his way like this?" Delia asked.
"Redemption" Ash said taking the note and looking at it.
"So what now?" Delia asked.
"I'm not sure" Ash said "I think we should leave him to it to be honest. I was planning on travelling to Johto this year to try and find him myself before I did my leg in. Silver is in Johto somewhere and I was planning on beating dads location out of him when I found him. That must be who S is. He's in hiding for some reason, maybe you should talk to Blue or Lance as they're the ones tracking him. I mean they still have his mother hidden somewhere."
"I'll do it tomorrow" Delia said "and I'll let them know Mewtwo is also tracking him. And she's with Giovanni."
"How do you know that?" Ash asked surprised.
"He told me" she replied "he's been meeting her since she was kidnapped and they moved her into Giovannis penthouse at Indigo about three weeks ago."
"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Ash asked "all it takes is for one person to spot her and Silver will know."
"Silver will have to come out of hiding at some point" Delia said "and Alexis agrees that her son is too far gone to be saved. I'm not happy about it either Ash but it's Gio's choice and ultimately his responsibility."
"Fair enough" Ash said shrugging before cleaning out his mug "as I was saying I'm leaving tomorrow but I'll call in before I go and battle uncle Gio to say hello."
"Are you taking Sneasel with you?" she asked smirking.
"Yes" he said shaking his head.
"He's very funny" she said giggling.
"And a giant pain to boot" Ash responded before kissing his mother on the cheek and leaving.
June quickly turned into July and before Ash knew it August had come around. His battle with Giovanni had been very enlightening and his Pokemon fought extremely well. Remarkably, to everyone in the stands Ash beat his uncle 6-3 only losing his Gyarados, Pikachu and Salamence before Blastoise finished off his Mega-Tyranitar. That was an eye-opener for Ash who had long since stopped using Charizards mega form to build up his power in normal form. His chat with Charizard afterwards made him realise that the other Elite Four had at least two they could call on so it only made sense for him to train again using his form.
"You're more than ready" Giovanni said "but a few more months training will really cement your chances as more than having an outside chance."
"Realistically where do you think my challenge will end?" Ash asked causing Giovanni to pause and think.
"I've not seen Koga in action yet so I cannot speak for him but I think you'll reach Lance and that's where you'll be beaten" Giovanni said "His Dragonite is unbelievably strong, which shows you how strong Blue must be. However you have counters to it and should you strategize accordingly you may beat him. I expect you to beat Lorelei and Bruno Ash but be wary about their starters, they're Elite for a reason."
"I know" Ash said nodding "I've seen their battles on TV."
"TV does not give you an accurate description of their true power" Giovanni said interrupting him.
"I know" Ash said annoyed "if you'd have let me finish I'd have said that. I'm not walking into this with my eyes closed. We know they'll likely be the toughest battles we will ever have."
"Good" Giovanni said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded cloth badge and handing it to Ash. Opening it he saw it was his earth badge symbol with six silver stars surrounding it on a light green background. "this is proof that you beat my absolute best. Only the main eight gyms have these so if you fancy collecting them to go with your normal badges then I would highly recommend you doing so."
"I'm not sure I'll have the time" Ash said "although we could do with a warm-up in the new year before we head to Johto so I'm sure we could knock this out in the two months before we leave. Anyway thanks Uncle. I'll let mum know you said hello. I'll likely see you briefly at Indigo Plateau."
"Oh, I have no doubt you will" Giovanni said smirking leaving Ash confused before he walked away leaving Ash to ponder on why he was being cryptic. A week later Ash landed outside the reception area at Indigo Plateau and walked through the doors with hushed whispers following him as he did so.
"Can you believe it was nearly a year ago we were last here Pi?" Ash said unconcerned as he walked up to the receptionist.
"Hello Mr Ketchum" the receptionist said.
"Ash" he replied "how many times must I tell you to call me Ash Trixie?"
"I have to remain professional Mr Ketchum" Trixie said laughing "are you back to compete again?"
"No" Ash said unaware many people who was hanging around breathed out sighs of relief. His profile had risen dramatically after Giovanni put footage of his battle on their profiles and they saw how strong his Pokémon were. "I'm here to meet Mr Goodshow. Apparently, I need to have a meeting with him to go over what I need to do as the Torch Runner."
"I'll ring him now" Trixie said as she picked up the phone.
"Hello stranger" a voice said behind him. Turning around Ash beamed with delight as he saw Nia standing there with Zoe and Ava. Getting on his knees he hugged the little girl picking her up and chatting with her before remembering her mum and Nia was waiting. "Sorry, you know she's my weakness" he said laughing "what brings you both here?"
"I'm here to register again" Nia said handing her Pokédex over to the man behind the counter who scanned it.
"Ava wanted to come and see her auntie Nia as she wasn't able to come last year due to us losing touch with each other" Zoe said smiling indulgently at her daughter. "What about you? You're here early aren't you?"
"Apparently Goodshow wanted me to have a chat with him before he gave me the instructions for being the torch runner" Ash said as he placed Ava down to run to her mum "so here I am."
"All done" Nia said brightly giving him a hug "and how are you, Pi?"
"I'm good, you?" Pikachu asked uncertainly.
"Good" she said nodding "anyway we have dinner plans, I hope your talk goes well Ash. Don't forget, you promised to watch me."
"No I didn't" Ash said laughing "but I'll keep an eye on the tournament to see how you get on. Oh, and a bit of advice, and this stays between us but this year will be much harder for you as Charles Goodshow has done some tinkering with the gyms to improve the standard. The gym leaders have their very best apprentices taking part too. So just beware."
"Thanks" Nia said giving him another hug before they walked away whispering furiously, Ava waving at him as they went.
"Wimp" Pikachu said to Ash as he waved at the little girl.
"Yup" he replied to Pikachu before he turned back to Trixie who had been patiently waiting for him.
"He said to go up whenever you're ready" Trixie said handing over a pass and a fob for the lift "he isn't alone though as he's just finished the annua gym review with the Gym Leaders."
Nodding Ash headed over to the lift and pressed the fob and he was soon on the way up to the top floor.