Chapter 75; Mourning
"Alright! Nothing better to start the day than a huge breakfast!" Ash started digging in alongside Pikachu.
"You eat so much you'll burst" Misty said disapprovingly.
"Yeah whatever Mom" Ash roasted her "I need a full stomach to win the amazing battles I will have today. And to train hard. The Johto league is not too long now. I got two scores to settle with a certain red echidna and a even more certain blue hedgehog".
Misty sighed. Ash was Ash till the end.
"I wonder if they're ok" she voiced her thoughts "noone has heard from them in a couple of days".
"Wish we could have joined them. I'd love to kick some team rocket butt".
Afterwards the trio continued their journey towards Ecutreak again, their destination being Mahogany town.
Passing by a small corner shop, they stopped to pick up some water. As Brock was about to pay for the water he took notice of the TV playing behind the shop owner.
It was a news broadcast.
The headline read 'Disaster in Mahogany town'.
"Mahogany? That's where they are!"
"Say what now?" the shop owner replied in confusion.
"Please raise the volume" Brock asked.
Shrugging the shop owner obliged.
The same reporter who had reported from the port of Olivine a few days ago during the battle of the whirl islands was speaking.
"My friends… what started two days ago, as a wave of celebration, a wave of hope… has turned into a day of mourning. I have the sad duty to bring you today's news regarding…" she stopped she was clearly having a hard time bringing these news to light.
"Brock what's taking you so long?" Ash poked him as he and Misty walked into the store.
"…regarding… Thomas please take over".
"I got you Miranda. My dear viewers we are live in the old tunnels of Mahogany town, once known you be hiding spots for commerce goods to be traded between Mahogany town and Aero town, whose ruins can be found on the other side of the lake of rage. As you can see behind me, the walls are now partially covered in metal covers, resembling a team rocket hideout like the ones uncovered by hero of Kanto Sonic the hedgehog in the Kanto region".
"Wait, team rocket was in Mahogany?!" Ash exclaimed.
"Shhh" Brock shushed his friend.
"As you can see behind me, the hideout was outfitted with everything required for team rocket to call their home while at the same time have room to keep captured Pokemon. Many such Pokemon were discovered here by Kanto and Johto Champion Lance who arrived on the scene late after being contacted by team Sonic who apparently discovered the place first".
"They found them!" Misty gasped.
"I never doubted they would. All the better. Now team rocket is done and they can focus on preparing for our battles" Ash optimistically assumed.
"I said shhh" Brock shushed his friend again as the beginning of the broadcast foretold something ominous.
The camera then entered a room covered in red stains.
"What the…" Ash managed to say as he stumbled back knocking a few cans of a shelf.
"As you can see behind me now… this room was where team rocket executive Proton was discovered by Champion Lance in his final moments. The executive was brutally stabbed into the wall, with the murder weapon being a rhydon that used the illegal move horn drill".
"Wha…" Misty was horrified.
"They… did that?" Ash muttered not believing it.
Brock wanted to say there was no way. But they didn't know all of Sonic and his team's Pokemon. Then again if that was their Pokemon why leave it there?
"With us right now is champion Lance who will give his own statement as to what he discovered. Champion you're live".
"Thank you. Residents of Johto… fellow trainers… today marks a grim day for this region. What I found… I cannot describe. What I found… was nightmare fuel. But there is something else I discovered… that everyone should know… with the help of the police we gathered blood samples across the hideout, trying to piece together what happened. In total, apart from executive Proton's blood, 4 other blood samples were discovered".
Ash and co's eyes were now glued to the screen.
"Two of the blood samples have not been matched by the police with anyone. The third blood sample…" Lance stopped.
Ash and his friends looked at each other. Having met the Kanto elite Four, they all described Lance as not someone who would be easily moved by anything, a master of emotions, something required when handling dragon Pokemon.
For someone like him to be overtaken by emotion even if it just meant to stop talking to gather his composure…
"The third blood sample belonged to a pokemon. The DNA matched with the Raichu species".
"WHAT?!" Ash shouted in horror.
"D-does that mean…" Misty brought her hands to her mouth in disbelief.
Brock couldn't even utter a word.
"As for the 4th blood sample… it too hasn't been matched to a person… but it does match with one of the blood samples collected from the office of the CEO of silph co a few months back".
Ash gasped. Was Lance inferring…
"It's only speculation… but I am afraid there is a good possibility that Sonic the hedgehog and his partner Raichu… met their bitter end here".
"NO!" Ash shouted as he knelt, his legs giving in.
This wasn't happening. Not after everything.
Sonic had survived so much. He couldn't possibly be gone.
Jasmine had had the exact same reaction in her apartment, as the news kept coming.
"Champion… how are you sure enough to make this speculation?"
"Those two blood samples were found in this very room, with trails leading outside towards the lake of rage. The quantity of blood found overall is too much for anyone to survive without immediate treatment. More specifically, it's been estimated that at least one pint of Raichu blood was spilled.".
Jasmine's eyes teared. She knew what the champion would say next.
"It is commonly known that Raichus usually have around 2.5 pints of blood in their system".
"And… how do we know this is the result of battle injury?" Thomas asked Lance.
"Raichu DNA was found on rhydon's horn. I assume you can tell the rest".
That was the last straw.
Jasmine shut the TV off. She couldn't handle this anymore. It had to be a nightmare, it just had to be.
The same exact thought ran through detective Morrison's mind as he watched the broadcast from his home in Ecutreak with his wife.
A pause took place as Thomas was now somewhat forced to ask what it would all mean about the future regarding team rocket but it just didn't feel appropriate.
"And um…" he cleared his throat deciding in the last second to tackle another, more relevant question first "have they found… the fallen heroes?"
An officer Jenny entered the frame to answer that question.
"Negative. No bodies have been recovered so far. Normally in such an occasion a person would be listed as missing, but as the champion stated, with the amount of blood loss around us… we are forced to declare them presumed dead… and maybe without the presumed".
"What have I done?" Morrison whispered, drowning in guilt, finding his wife's hand "I sent those 3 kids to their doom".
His wife held his hand tight, letting his know she was by his side in this. She was also searching for the right words to tell him it wasn't his fault but it was an almost impossible task, despite her husband having lost coworkers in the field before.
And how could it not be. Three young trainers, with their whole life ahead of them, and probably their pokemon were being presumed dead. The life that awaited them was taken like nothing.
"I see…" Thomas stuttered trying to keep calm "one last question. What does this all mean in regards to team rocket?"
Lance closed his eyes. It still was an inappropriate question but it required some answering with all the insecurity the presence of team rocket in Johto brought.
"Unfortunately apart from executive Proton, the fate of a huge part of team rocket is still unknown. Several dozens of grunts were found either knocked out or stunned. Team Sonic put up a good fight" Lance said before stopping again.
Jake and Carrie hugged each other trying to ease the suffering. They couldn't even begin to imagine how their son would take the news.
Another person who took the news very hard was Molly Hale and her family in Greenfield.
They were all preparing to go for a stroll around town when they, alongside a lot of the Greenfield residents heard about it on TV in the town's central cafe/restaurant.
Molly of course burst in tears immediately, under the belief her friend Knuckles had perished as well. Professor Spencer and his wife Lucy couldn't believe it either.
In Mahogany Lance was finally able to continue.
"There are strong indications team rocket had emergency protocols for scenarios for either the police or their enemies coming to their front door and knocking. The good news is in their current state it is going to be very hard for them to stay under the radar. But for safety, we advise the public to remain vigilant. They are still out there and even in their current state they are still very dangerous".
"And what's the plan of action if they re-emerge and they…" Thomas paused "and no one is there to stand in their way?"
"We will do our best not to get to this point" officer Jenny stated "all leads that could lead to them will be followed. That's all from here".
"And that is all folks" the camera showed Miranda in front of the hideout again "today is a day of loss. The fall of three young heroes who stood against the fear of team rocket and prevailed time and time again. If they are truly gone then wherever they are we only hope they will find some peace in knowing no one will stop until their battle is won".
The broadcast ended.
Leaving Amy Rose devastated.
It was now officially too late for apologies.
They were gone.
Her former friends were gone.
There was no making things right anymore.
Feeling the need to do it, she headed to Sonic's home.
Before even crossing the lawn door, she could hear mourning coming from inside the house.
A small part of her wanted to turn back.
But she had to see this through.
She knocked on the door.
A tearful Jet opened it.
"Go away" he swiftly and harshly said the moment her presence was registered "you're the last person we need here right now".
"Jet… I'm so, so sorry".
"For what? For which of the many things you have done to us can you possibly be sorry enough for?! And what good is your apology now?! My brother is gone! And he was on that path because of you!"
"Because of me?! I never told him to pursue those criminals".
"Maybe. But you were the catalyst to that choice and that is the irrefutable truth! So yes! His death is on your hands!"
Amy felt like being stabbed in the heart.
"Jet I…"
She was interrupted when Wave walked past her, giving her a look of disapproval.
"You shouldn't have come" she let her former friend know the obvious before walking in to offer her condolences to Sonic and Jet's parents.
"As you can tell, probably" Jet emphasized the word "you are not welcome here. So go home Amy" he said slamming the door to her phase.
Amy was left there, alone once again, and this time truly irredeemable.
"Oh Sonic" she whispered as tears flooded her cheeks "I wish I had made things right when I had the chance".
The whole Johto region fell into a state of mourning.
Team Sonic had touched the lives of so many people ever since their arrival. Their loss was felt everywhere. Things would never be the same again.
Similar to Amy in Green hills, Tails' crush Cosmo in Azalea took the news very hard. Unlike Amy however she began maniacally calling Tails' phone.
But it was turned off.
Cosmo found this to be very strange.
"If he's… gone… then why is his phone turned off… he would have never had a chance to turn it off…"
She played with the idea of closing the shop for a few days and heading to Mahogany. But her fear of what she would find there kept her from doing so.
Tails' phone could have been shut up for a number of reasons.
It could have broken in the battle.
It could have fallen in the lake of rage.
Those and many more possibilities.
In other words, it was in a way, a wild goose chase.
"Tails… wherever you are please give me a sign. Please" she begged in silence, praying something would change.
A small part of her wanted to go to the forest and look for Celebi. It was a fool's dream but maybe Celebi could do something about it.
But Cosmo had been taking walks through the woods her entire life. And she had never seen Celebi.
What chance was there she would find it now?
All she could do was pray Tails was alive and that they would meet again.
A while later detective Looker finally arrived on scene, as he had been so focused trying to convince Petrel to give up his team's location that no one could even find him.
Of course the moment he arrived he attracted many angry looks and many more even angrier comments from the locals who had learnt what had been transpiring for so long literally next to them.
"Some time you choose to arrive" a woman said sarcastically to Looker.
Looker ignored her as headed inside to meet up with Lance and the rest of the officers.
"How are we doing?"
"We have everyone of the arrested rockets ready for transport to Ecutreak. Also the whole hideout has been swept top to bottom. Several incriminating stuff we need to look into sir"
"Good. Everything goes to Ecutreak. Did detective Morrison happen to come by?"
"No sir".
Looker nodded.
"I see. Alright then. Back to Ecutreak. We have a lot to look into".
"Sir? Shouldn't we investigate the surrounding area? To find… the bodies?"
Looker was less than moved.
In his mind, if he had really perished, then the hedgehog had gotten what he deserved.
"No. We don't have the time or the resources to commit to this. We need to prioritize arresting team rocket".
Lance's eyes narrowed.
"Something wrong champion?"
"… these three young trainers have been committing to this very task ever since they set foot in this region… and you, the leading detective on the team rocket investigation have been pursuing them from the get go instead of the real villains in this story. And now that these brave heroes… fell trying to make this world a better place, for people and Pokemon alike… now you are willing to do your job?"
Looker remained stoic and unmoved.
"These three vigilantes... because that's what they were champion. Not heroes… those vigilantes met a fate they had coming. Now they're done. Now I can proceed to find the remnants of team rocket without having to compete with team Sonic".
"Compete?!" another voice echoed.
Morrison's voice.
Looker turned around to find his former partner having just arrived to hear his statement.
"That was the reason you went after them so hard Looker? You were competing with them? This was all just glory hounding?"
"No. It was an inaccurate explanation. But from a certain point of view it's true. They should have never interfered from the beginning. I am simply trying to uphold the law".
"And those three young trainers were trying to uphold their ideals. Ideals the whole world shares Looker. You know what I mean" Morrison said while subconsciously touching a small pendant he was wearing which contained a picture of his family.
Looker knew this.
"Those ideals led to casualties Morrison".
"Yeah. Once at the hands of Suicune and once at the hands of Raikou. Are you going to arrest the legendary beasts too for suspected collaboration with team Sonic?"
Looker didn't reply. He wouldn't fall for such an obvious trick question.
"This matter is no longer of anyone's concern Morrison. Team Sonic is out of the picture now. It's best for everyone".
Morrison closed his eyes in disappointment with what seemed to Looker like guilt. He then proceeded to walk past them towards the exit leading to the lake of rage.
He stopped right next to Looker and gave him a side look.
"Best for everyone? Or best for you?"
Looker's eyes widened for a second.
He watched as Morrison left.
What he didn't see was Morrison tricking his way into taking the shadow gas canister with him before leaving.
In the car Morrison dialed his wife.
"Hey honey".
"How did it go?" she asked him, knowing confronting his long-time colleague and friend couldn't have been easy.
"About as well as you'd expect. But this is not why I'm calling".
"What is it then?"
"I know I said I'd stay… but I can't. Something has come up here. I found a canister labeled shadow gas in the hideout. Looker probably didn't give this thing a real look. But I believe there's something sinister about it".
He paused, taking a deep breath.
"Something leading to team rocket boss Giovanni".
His wife didn't reply.
"Are you saying we're all in danger?"
"If Sonic the hedgehog is really dead… then there is no one left to stand against Giovanni. The other kid, Mike, is still unaccounted for. But even if he wasn't, it was Sonic who prevailed in Viridian city. I've got to chase this lead. For the safety of our family. For the safety of everyone".
Carrie understood.
If Giovanni returned, team rocket would too. And no one, be it person or pokemon, would be safe.
"Go do your job honey. And don't worry" she assured him as she knew that by taking that canister he would be an outlaw for a while "I didn't hear from you".
Morrison smiled. It broke his heart but it had to be done.
"I love you".
"I love you too" she said as he hang up.
Carrie then walked to the balcony window and stared outside into the busy streets of Ecutreak.
She wondered what the future had in store for their family. What it had in store for every Johtonian.
She didn't know.
Neither did she know that the day of reckoning, the day of the Atachi satellite's return, was only 3 days away.
Later that same night, in the wilderness of Johto, Misty opened her eyes after a bad dream.
A new day was to begin in a few hours but the world seemed a lot less bright.
Getting out of the tent to get some air, she found Ash sitting alone, Pikachu asleep somewhere. Ash was sitting on a log just looking at the stars.
"What are you doing up so late?" she asked in surprise.
"It's not like I can get any sleep".
"You didn't?!"
"How could I? After what happened".
Misty shared the feeling. But still she couldn't help but wonder why it had affected Ash so much.
"You want to talk about what's on your mind?"
"I just… I just don't get it. I didn't like the guy. He was frustrating and… and so stuck up in his ways of training pokemon, seeking power… saying he would convince his pokemon to evolve instead of accepting their emotions… and yet…"
"And yet you knew there was more to him. You knew he wasn't like surge or Gary or anyone we met who got the same reaction out of you".
Ash lowered his head. He didn't like but there was something unique about him.
Before he met Sonic, Gary was Ash's main rival. At times he would look at an imaginary distance and see Gary's back and pursue him.
Now in that imagination, Gary had been replaced with Sonic. And even worse, it always felt to Ash that no matter how hard they tried the distance between him and Sonic was only getting bigger.
That was one of the main reasons he had trained hard before the indigo conference, beating Gary as a result. And yet Sonic, his Raichu and their team went nearly unrivalled.
And now they were gone. Just like that.
Misty thought about it for a moment before putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Remember what he always said? He said he saw immense potential in you. I too am sad he is gone… but".
Ash put his hand on her hand to stop her.
"No need to say it. No way I'm stopping. Not now. I will train hard. Harder than ever, with Pikachu and our other friends. The Silver conference will end in my victory. If Sonic won't be there, then I will give it my all like he would" Ash declared, burning with determination.
Yes he didn't like Sonic. But the hedgehog had a way of pushing Ash to get stronger while being himself.
And winning the Johto league in Ash's mind was the proper way to pay respect to his fallen rival.
He would win it all.