I don't own Pokemon. Or any TFS references.
The A.N. at the bottom explains the spin off stuff. Oh, and my next story.
Also, a digital cookie to everyone who can guess who the Rhydon Oak talked about is.
Episode 32
The Heir and the Grave
Xxxxxx
Gore experiences his first hurricane
Oran berries, Sitrus berries, Jazz berries, more berries than he could ever eat in a day! It was nature's greatest creation! The Swinub dove into the ten-foot tall mound of berries with a delighted squeal, then his world exploded in pain and his eyes snapped open.
His brown eyes blinked open. Though Gore's vision was still bleary, he could make out his partner's pillows. He really needed to commandeer one of those pillows… A crack so loud his ears rung made Gore jump with a squeal. The piglet scrambled frantically to find the sound's origin.
Aha! It was out of the house. I knew nothing could sneak up on these ears! Gore twitched his long, floppy ears for emphasis. They were nearly the size of his head. If something could sneak up on him, then he'd been screwed over like no Pokemon before.
The Swinub propped himself up on the window ledge. What he saw made his eyes bulge. Wind so fierce the fences were nearly being pulled from the ground! "Oh..." Lightning striking so close to their home he could see the electricity fall from the sky! "Oh god…" Thunder boomed again, making his ears ring like a cricket's chirping. "Oh sweet mother of ice and snow…"
This could only be…
"GLOBAL WARMING!?"
"ASSSSSHHHH!"
Xxxxxxxx
The red-haired boy stopped short of the office his father had once called his own. The office that should have still belonged to his father while his grandfather took his rightful place in the Champion's office. It would have undoubtedly been so if the world were just. Instead the Rockets found themselves split into two weaker factions, and the corrupt Indigo League had refilled their ranks. Most humiliating of all was that their defeat was brought about by a family Agatha had created by plucking a young orphan off the street. And to think the only remaining member of that family is the one who holds the true power within the league...
His jaw clenched. Bruno of Pewter and his pig monkey ruined a plan thirty years in the making. While it was true that they'd lost the lesser members of the Genesect horde to Hellfang, they'd still managed to kill every member of Karen's team and the young champion herself. The blow to the league's morale should have been enough to allow the Rockets to stage a direct assault on the capital. Everything seemed to have fallen into place when the news came of his father's death came.
Jira tapped his shoulder lightly and crooned. Silver stiffened, then thanked his partner with a tight smile. This wasn't the time to be distracted. The most brutal of Giovanni's thugs sat on the other side of the door. He opened the door. The room was simple, a deep red couch against the wall and a painting of his father behind the oak desk were the only things in it. It was the malice that he could practically taste that set the hairs on the back of his neck standing.
Silver immediately fell to a knee, his head bowed low. He'd been with the Kanto Rockets for a little more than a month. The first thing he noticed was that Proton wasn't nearly as clever as his brother was. Appearing submissive or weak would be enough to disarm him. The idea that he, the great-grandson of the founder of Team Rocket, was forced to kneel before Archer's inferior brother galled him. His partner felt the same. Jira's pincers opened slightly when the Executive turned to level a disdainful glare on Silver.
Proton's partner glared at the younger Pokemon in return. Touxa was a Drapion. The scorpion Pokemon stood at over five and a half feet tall and had segmented armor that interchanged between a light and a deep purple. Her two pincers were white and could extend at a speed his young Armaldo probably would struggle to react to. Her tail was another longer version of its arms with all their benefits. With Tundra gone, she was the strongest Pokemon the Kanto Rockets had in their arsenal. Even a particularly talented and stubborn Armaldo knew the futility of challenging Touxa's might.
"I have a mission for you, boy," the green-haired man announced. The rage that simmered beneath his icy exterior could burst at any moment. Proton had never possessed the patience his brother had. He could very well might call for a man's death for looking at him the wrong way when he was in such a foul mood. But the Rocket Executive also hated cowards.
"My team and I can complete any mission," Silver declared, raising his eyes from the ground. He made a point to avoid looking the man in the eyes.
"Can you?" Proton snorted in an amused fashion. His green eyes assessed the youth as one might an insect. Weak men had been known to break under Proton's blood chilling gaze. Silver forced himself not to twitch. The heir to the Rocket organization was no weakling. Proton smirked darkly. Silver couldn't read whether the man found what he wanted in him. Then a yellow envelope was tossed at him. Jira snatched it out of the air casually with speed even the best trained men couldn't match. The giant lobster sniffed the package for a moment before running his claws along the envelope. After judging the envelope to be benign the Armaldo handed it to Silver.
The Rocket heir nearly rolled his eyes at the over protective lobster as he took it. They'd been partners since Silver was eight and he still hadn't broken Jira of his overprotectiveness. "You'll be taking the idiots with you," Proton announced, cold eyes boring into Silver's own. The duo winced in unison. "Surely the Boss's son can manage fine with them?" the interim boss inquired, his lips quirking up. Touxa bared her three-inch white fangs in a grin.
"I can," Silver affirmed with a nod. It could be done. It wouldn't be a mission worthy of a song or a play for their new league though. Unless the play is a tragedy. The redhead paused, "Thank you for this opportunity." He left what was temporarily Proton's office with a respectful nod.
He ran his hands along the envelope. Proton must have been planning something big after his brother's arrest. The man was too hot headed not to retaliate, yet he'd waited this long? Why wait? There were plenty of League personnel to vent his frustrations on. Unless he wants to go after the one responsible. Assaulting Fuschia to get revenge against Koga wouldn't be out of character for the cruelest man in Team Rocket. With the Great Kangaskhan away, they could send a small elite team to raid the Safari Zone while their main forces baited Aya into leaving the Gym.
Silver hoped that wasn't the plan. He couldn't see that ending well in any scenario. While the propaganda that every member of the Eight was a master wasn't anywhere near close to true, they had consistently produced teams with at least one king on it for centuries. The weaker Gyms of the Eight possessed other qualities or allies that made fighting them without proper planning was ridiculously stupid too.
Silver sighed, running a hand through his almost shoulder length hair. Speculation wouldn't help them. He opened the door to his room. Silver was looking forward to a few moments of quiet peace, only to find himself assaulted by a wave of foam. The Rocket only flinched slightly at the bubbles cloaking his head. "Hello, to you too, Whirl," Silver greeted while Jira cleared away the bubbles.
The Poliwhirl gave him a distinctly unimpressed look that conveyed her immense displeasure more efficiently than any dressing down could. "It really is a shame my mother didn't live to meet you Whirl. I really believe you'd have gotten along swimmingly." Silver smirked while Whirl groaned her annoyance and Jira paused. The smirk died as Jira spat water over his head. "It wasn't that bad!" he protested. "Night tell them!"
The Sneasel gave him an apologetic look before returning to preening her white claws. Silver sighed. "Not a loyal bunch are they?" a woman inquired from behind him with a giggle.
"Not really, no," Silver admitted before stiffening. By the time he flipped around Jira's swiping claw had taken on a yellow glow. A purple finger stopped it upon impact. The Black Fog grinned widely when Jira's eyes went wide. The foreboding feeling that cloaked all ghosts emanated from the Gengar to a degree Silver found it hard to breathe.
"Lacking in loyalty and proprietary aren't you?" She tutted as though they were errant children. "Were you lot mine, I'd have to punish you!" The way her crimson eyes lit up sent a chill down Silver's spine. Jira retracted his claw with a barely visible tremor wracking him. Night trembled in a manner he'd never seen the Sneasel do before. She's bothered more by it?
The Fog frowned when she glanced at the Sneasel. The chill in the air receded and her eyes shifted to a lighter red. Silver watched her like a coiled snake as the ghost settled into a chair, then she grabbed his remote and turned the television on. Um… what? This was not how he pictured his first meeting with the legendary Gengar going. Silver had pictured hunting her down for betraying them and battling a horde of hundreds of ghosts in a blaze of glory reminiscent of the battle Lyra's team fought with the Pokemon beneath the Titan. Her popping a bag of chips open more or less crushed that fantasy.
Jira crooned sadly. Silver had shared the idea with the lobster Pokemon and Jira had begun to look forward to it. Well, Mahogany Town was more or less destroyed in the battle so perhaps this was for the best. After several moments of tense silence that were only broken by the Fog's snickers, Silver had enough. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. Damn, my arms are still trembling.
"Watching this," the fog quipped. She pouted when he scowled at her. "I'm here because of that," she told him, pointing at the envelope. "Your new leader wishes to attack a… city? I think is what it's classified as?" She tilted her to the side in thought.
"Why does my mission matter to you?" Silver's blood was surging. What did it mean when a ghost that fought to a draw with Hellfang was anxious? What sort of town was it? Horror struck him. Please don't be Blackthorn! Please, please, don't tell me we're fighting that old dragon!
"I, and my darling horde, shall be imitating a certain giant jellyfish to bait a certain sea dweller from the city." And we're dead. "Yes, you seem to have realized the depths of your master's stupidity," the Gengar cackled. "But I'm not here just to tell you about this nonsense," the Fog continued, rolling her eyes. "I need you to do something for me, Silver."
How did she learn my name? And why come to me alone? Luke was stronger and more experienced than he was. The image of him offering a baby to the Black Fog as she cackled flashed through his mind. "What is it?" Silver inquired, swallowing slightly.
"There is a boy in this city we're to assault, one that holds an item I would very much like to inspect," she explained, before tossing a few chips into her black hole of a maw.
"... What is it?"
"Hm? Oh, they'll know what it is, believe me," the Fog told him. Were it not for her grin falling into a more neutral frown Silver would have thought she was still teasing him. "If you retrieve this for me, I'll consider allying with your grandfather," she murmured. Her eyes lit up when Silver stiffened.
Does she know about our plans too? "You pledged your allegiance to the Kanto Rockets," he croaked. Jira and Night snapped gave him wide-eyed looks as though questioning his sanity. Whirl's choked gurgle told him she wasn't even questioning it anymore.
"No, I said I would assist them if they proved they could help me achieve my ends," the Black Fog corrected. She smiled conspiratorially in a manner that reminded him of the dancing shadows he'd feared as a child. "I think we both know someone who is far more capable in this regard, don't you agree?
Xxxxxxxx
Ash glanced back at his exhausted Pokemon. King was sprawled across Gore's back. His dominant arm flopped with every step of the Piloswine's stubby legs. His red shell was littered with cracks smashed in by dull Air Cutters and a couple holes created by a Fearow's beak. Ash almost sighed when he saw Grace was still curled atop Gore's head next to Willow and his sleeping Kakuna. The Vulpix's left eye was swollen shut from the force of a Spearow's wing. There were only three sealed cuts on her, but they were all along her right side. Ash rubbed his temple in a circular motion.
Finding two of his team members lying beneath Fearia had made him numb. The only part of his grandfather's sharp lecture he remembered well was being told his Pokemon would be Ash's to deal with this time. The rest of that incident was blurry other than Wave's hissing at Gore. Ash shuddered at the memory, he couldn't allow such an incident again.
The trainer allowed the tense silence to continue for a few more minutes. "You are never going to be around other Pokemon alone again," Ash said, keeping his eyes forward. Willow squeaked and Hellfire barked, making passerby on the other side of the street flinch. "Right, right, you guys can only be without me if either of them are with you." Gore squealed. "And Gore." He thought on it. "Okay, not Gore if he's alone," Ash corrected, receiving calls of agreement from Willow and Hellfire. Ash's lips quirked up when he felt his partner glaring daggers at his back.
Grace could only whimper in response. King managed to level a glare at him. The trainer ignored them. Ash knew he wouldn't be able to make them socially acceptable creatures overnight. No one really knew how Grace's species managed to work together without the many narcissists in the pack murdering one another, and King was a crab. He was working with two extremely quick-tempered creatures too. Ash sighed. If he could do it over, he would have caught more herd friendly creatures.
Gore sneezed, snorting out a burst of frost. Okay, less temperamental social Pokemon. Ash sighed for what felt like the hundredth time of the day. No, I probably wouldn't change them, even if I could. Because he loved them just the way they were. Even if Ash didn't always want to love them, he always would. I've been the one getting trained all along haven't I? That revelation made his shoulders sink. He still had to have a talk with Kakuna about his place in the team. Maybe he could handle them all in one sitting? Eh, probably not.
Ash froze as he heard King slide off his partner's back with a pained cry. "Gore? King?" He snapped toward them. The pig stared ahead of them with his eyes glazed over. Willow waved her vines in front of the Piloswine's eyes making Gore blink. Ash started when he nearly stepped on a small stone plate. The trainer cursed when he saw the name and dates inscribed on the stone. Letting his guard down to such a degree was unacceptable for a trainer. Especially for a trainer who traveled without another person. Yet another lecture coming my way if the old man finds out. Ash froze.
"Arcia?" he breathed. The wild grin and twinkle in those amber eyes made his heart soar then he saw the picture frame sitting atop a tombstone and he felt something crack. "I'm such an idiot," Ash muttered tugging his hat down. Why did I even think that?
A deep green vine poked his forehead. Ash blinked. He turned to peer down at his Ivysaur. Willow crooned and shuffled before poking his forehead again. The trainer smiled and shook the vine lightly. She snorted before turning to Gore and poking him between his muddy brown eyes. The Piloswine tapped the appendage with a tusk. The swine's gaze never left the framed picture. After a moment, Gore trotted through the cemetery until he came upon Arcia's grave. Willow turned to Ash with a look of confusion.
"Gore is…" He paused, biting his lip. She'd seen death when they'd fought the Rocket, but there was a huge difference between seeing a Meowth that had tried to kill her trainer die and this situation. At times he managed to forget her age. How could you explain losing a loved one to a child? It was a disturbing thought. Ash shifted. He wasn't sure if he wanted to have this talk.
Grace slid down Gore's tusk. The vixen hobbled to Willow's side before pointing at Arcia's picture. Grace glanced at him. He nodded. Thank you. "That Typhlosion was very important to us." Ash sank to a knee. He smirked when Willow's ears shot up in alarm. "Yes, we were… friends with a Typhlosion." The scandalized look she gave him said more than words ever could. The trainer felt something in his chest loosen. "She passed away a long time ago, but seeing her picture still hurts, especially for Gore," Ash continued. Willow's forehead creased as she thought. The trainer was content to let her think on it until Grace motioned for him to explain further.
"Well, it'd be like when I die, you aren't going to forget me either, right?" The Ivysaur's eyes widened until they resembled pink saucers. "Not that I'm dying!" Ash blurted with a grimace. Oh god, I'm terrible at this. "What I mean is, if I were to die you'd miss me right?" Is it too soon for her to have this talk? In the wild no talk would be given. She would learn about death the hard way when her herd a Nidorino or a swarm of Beedrill. Grace tapped his leg with one of her fluffy tails.
The dinosaur stared at Gore's unmoving back while Ash struggled to find the right words. "It's kind of like when you were separated from your mother," he said. Willow flinched. "The difference is, there's no chance he'll never get to see her again." Neither of us will. "Do you understand now?" Willow stared at the ground, then butted his knee lightly. "I'm glad!" he smiled wanly.
Ash pushed himself to his feet. "Let's go pay our respects. Be quiet, though, okay?" Willow cooed quietly while King saluted with his smaller claw. The trainer raised the crab Pokemon's Pokeball, but King hissed quietly. He turned to find Kakuna staring up at him with curiosity. How long has he been here? "Would you like to come to?" Ash extended a hand. Kakuna shot a small string of silk at his shoulder.
The trainer raised a hand when his other Pokemon tensed. Kakuna yanked himself up to Ash's shoulder. Ash smiled before gesturing for his team to follow him. The trainer weaved through the cemetery at a snail's pace.
They came to a stop by his partner's side. Ash reached out to pet Gore before stopping inches away. He waited for a sign of acknowledgement but received no more than a twitch of an ear. Ash exhaled heavily before sinking to his knees. The trainer stared at the Typhlosion's picture. He hadn't visited Arcia's grave in almost two years. Ash could hardly make out the gray plate through his tears at the time.
Ash bowed his head and gestured for his team to do the same. The trainer was never religious. He didn't care for what he couldn't see, Ash doubted he ever would be the type to care, so he didn't care to think about what happened after death. The trainer found himself praying an afterlife existed. He prayed Arcia hadn't simply faded away into dust, that there were strong Pokemon for her fight, and that she was happy wherever she was. Ash wasn't sure how long he sat there, he only knew that his back had been aching for quite a while when he lifted his head.
A small scented candle his mother or grandfather had doubtlessly placed on the grave caught his eyes. Ash's arm froze mid reach when a tiny wisp of purple fire lit the candle. He turned to his Vulpix with a look of surprise and found her golden eyes shining with sympathy. No, not sympathy. It was empathy that greeted the trainer. Ash placed a hand between her long ears. Hellfire looked uncharacteristically grave. The wild dog hadn't moved since he'd first laid before the grave. That's right, even under Hellfang they must've lost pack members to disease. King was gazing at him with a look of deep gratitude. You too, huh? Unless they took on a territory Krabby were a solitary species, but young Krabby in especially hostile environments were known to band together to survive. King probably spent his first couple years with his siblings.
Those Pokemon most likely weren't as dear to King, Grace, and Hellfire as Arcia had been to Ash and Gore. He knew losing them would have been a great blow all the same. The trainer wrapped an arm around the dog's thick neck before pulling him to his chest. He wanted to curse himself for not talking to them about them about Arcia sooner. Why didn't I? Ash knew on some level they'd lost pack members. Yet he never broached the topic. He ran from it. Just like his father and paternal grandfather ran from his family. I, no, we have a way to go as a team. Ash gave the dog a last squeeze before pulling away.
Ash turned back Gore and the grave, only to find the Typhlosion's narrow eyes glared at him as if scolding him beyond the grave. Ash's breathing stopped until Hellfire butted his shoulder lightly with a whuff. The trainer blinked when he saw Arcia's expression hadn't actually shifted. He sighed, feeling partially relieved. The idea that she would come back to life just to scold he wasn't an entirely far-fetched one to Ash. It was just my imagination. He rubbed Hellfire lightly as he made to stand. I think I know what you'd want. I'll not be a coward anymore. I promise.
"Ash?" his grandfather called, making the team jump and scramble to face Oak. The first thing he noticed was that the professor was holding a bouquet of blue flowers. The next things Ash noticed were the bags under Oak's eyes. "What are you doing here?"
"No clue," he answered with a hesitant shrug. Kakuna rolled down his arm with a startled shriek until he spat a string shot at Ash's shoulder again. Oak laughed while Ash winced at the fierce glare the bug gave him. King narrowed his eyes, his sword taking on a metallic sheen as the crab Pokemon took a step forward. Ash waved him off. King hissed quietly and gave Kakuna a warning look before turning to face Oak with his claw raised in warning. I really did end up with an unfriendly bunch. Ash couldn't find it in himself to regret his choice in team members.
"Ash?"
"I just ended up here," he shrugged again. Ash honestly wasn't sure how they ended up here. He had just walked.
"You just ended up here? In the cemetery? Really?" Oak raised a brow. "Kids these days make less sense than their parent's generation," the professor sighed. Then Oak blinked. "Ah, I see," he murmured as though he'd discovered something interesting. "And here I thought Gary was the more sensitive of the two of you," Oak chuckled.
Ash scowled. "What do you mean by that?"
"It'll be two years since her death in a month and three days," the professor said while sauntering toward them. Ash and Gore blinked and looked to one another.
"Did you remember that?" he whispered. The Piloswine huffed and tilted his head to the side in thought. That was a no then. King hissed at the old man when he started toward them. Ash snapped to him, drawing breath to warn the crab Pokemon, but he was a second too late. Fearia landed before his grandfather with an indignant squawk. The Fearow puffed her massive chest out and spread her great wings. Oh shit. King's eyes widened until they were as large as a Pokeball. Grace and Hellfire's ears fell while Willow whimpered before inching toward Ash and Gore. What the hell do you expect us to do you crazy dinosaur?
"Want to rethink that challenge?" Oak inquired his lips quirking upward and a brow raising. "You don't want to see her Drill Peck do you, boy?" King made an odd strangled sound, then glanced back at Ash. The crab Pokemon lifted his now silver sword slowly. Ash waved him down frantically and he lowered his sword. A hiss from Grace made him deactivate his Metal Claw.
Fearia lowered her wings slowly. Her narrow eyes watched his team with a predatory gleam similar to the one they'd seen in Dria's fierce gaze. Oak stroked her back lightly before edging around the massive avian. Gore blinked, then sniffed. Fear cocked her head to the side as she beheld the young boar. Then recognition flashed in her eyes and she cooed. Gore snorted back and trotted toward the giant without hesitation.
"Why don't you all go on and say hello," Oak told Ash's Pokemon with a smile. King looked ready to protest until he saw the look in the professor's eyes. It wasn't a suggestion. Ash snorted when they inched toward Gore and Fearia at a snail's pace. Willow was doing her best to place Kakuna between her and Fearia. "Have you been crying?"
"O-of course not!" Ash blushed. He hadn't even noticed his cheeks had become wet!
"Right," Oak said, rolling his eyes and fell to a knee before the grave. He placed the blue flowers on the side of the grave opposite of the candle. "I should hope you weren't crying in front of her grave." Ash's eye twitched. The professor sighed. "Mourning is fine, we all do it in our own way. It's just… most Pokemon don't appreciate mourning near a fallen warrior's grave," Oak said, turning slightly to regard him.
"Why?" Ash asked in a tone that was nearly defensive and almost certainly rude. "My team was fine with it." The professor's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do they know she died in battle?" Oak inquired after lowering himself to his knees in front of the grave.
"Gore does!"
"He wasn't bothered at all? That's interesting. Most ground-types view mourning before the grave of one who has returned to the earth through combat a great disrespect. Mourning before the grave of one who dies for the good of their herd is especially disrespectful," the professor hummed in thought. Ash tried to interrupt him only his grandfather continued to quickly. "Some Piloswine do see a mourning a fallen herd mate a bit differently than most Pokemon. "It might be the elephant in them, I think." Oak grunted as he pushed himself to his feet. "Honestly, I never would have thought Gore was the sensitive type," Oak frowned slightly.
"A sensitive Pokemon? Gore? My Gore?" Ash blinked, forgetting the question he'd had a moment ago. That couldn't be right. The boar and Ash were of a kind. They preferred hitting things to talking about them.
"It is possible he romanticizes those who die defending their herd," Oak offered with a shrug.
"Romanticizes those who died defending the herd," Ash repeated swallowing a lump in his throat.
"Yes, a Pokemon who has died a true hero," Oak murmured, his gray eyes dimming to the point they were nearly black. Did Arcia die for Pallet's sake? That was what he wanted to ask. His grandfather had never discussed how Arcia died or why before. He'd assumed it was for the league. Ash wasn't sure if he wanted to discuss this.
To his surprise his grandfather was still lost in thought. What's he remembering? Whatever it was, it couldn't have been pleasant. "So ground-types think their dead go back to the, uh, earth?" Ash asked while licking his lips.
"Yes," Oak said, eyeing him as though he was slow. "After one is cremated they go in the ground, son."
"That's not what I meant!" The professor snickered, making him flush again. "How do they see the return to the earth thing, fossil!"
"Not sure I want to tell someone who insults me," his grandfather replied, his eyes shining with amusement. Oak smiled when Ash growled. "Never forget this Ash. A Pokemon is an extension of nature given blood and flesh. Those like the Fog are Pokemon living as one with nature. And the very strongest of all Pokemon have tamed nature." The professor pointed to the earth beneath their feet. "The way a Pokemon perceives their element often reflects how they see all things. Ground-types don't think of such things as death or an afterlife often. Why would they? Most are simple creatures. As long as their dead are in the earth they're with the aspect of nature they belong to, so their families don't mourn long."
That actually kind of makes sense. Gore had snapped out of his depression fairly swiftly when he saw Fearia. Ash wasn't sure it reflected well on him when a philosophy Gore may believe in was sensible to him. "So that's why didn't he say anything to me before?" Ash wondered.
"Well, that or maybe he just assumed you're a weird kid, Ash," Oak said with a sly smirk.
And ya lost me. "That last theory doesn't mean coming much from the guy who says Granyte is almost as strong as Tiny!" Ash retorted with a snort. Daisy set him straight on that matter when he asked her the next day.
"W-well-"
"Don't even try to defend yourself old man!" Ash smirked. The professor just wasn't very trustworthy when it came to where his team stood among other masters.
"Can't a grandfather embellish a story a bit?" Oak deflated.
"Not if he wants to be credible." Ash had every intention of milking this for all it was worth. Oak had said it just a month before he left on his journey too, which meant it wasn't too old to use yet.
"I didn't exaggerate all of my stories," the professor said with a slight pout.
"Sure, sure," Ash replied. His mother didn't know about this yet, so if Ash did something unfortunate and it was his word against his grandfather's and Daisy could attest to the truth of the story for him… The trainer smiled. This was a good day.
He joined his grandfather in watching his team speak with Fearia. Gore was completely at ease in the great predator's presence. The Piloswine had known her since the day of his birth, and they'd just about always gotten along. The only hiccup in their relationship was when Ash shaved Gore. Fearia saw him, and must have thought he was a Pikachu that had been blasted by a fire-type or something because she tried to feed him to her grandchildren. Ash smirked. As horrifying as it had been at the time, it was a memory he reflected on at times when Gore stole his food.
"Ah, that reminds me! Ash since you're a returning trainer you'll be sitting with me this year," Oak said. The professor laughed at the look he received. "Now, now, you can't blame the town for being proud of you kids." Ash had always thought celebrating Trainers receiving their licenses and a few gym badges was foolish. It wasn't like they were competing in the Indigo League. Around eighteen months as a trainer wasn't that incredible. Still, he knew he'd have to go, or his mother would be disappointed.
It also gave him an excuse to eat until he thought he would die, which was nice.
A thought occurred to him that made him frown. "Grandpa," Ash called.
"Hm? Oak was watching Willow and Kakuna carefully. If anything started it would likely be one of them reacting on an instinctual fear.
"You said the strongest Pokemon tamed nature right? And that they were stronger than Pokemon like the Fog?"
"I did," the professor replied, his tone even and his expression stoic.
"How could it be that much stronger than the Fog?" Ash had a pretty good idea of what Pokemon were the Transcendents of the Indigo League, but he hadn't a clue what the identity of something that was simply beyond the Fog could be. The way his grandfather had worded his explanation worried him. It sounded as though whatever the Pokemon was it stood on a completely different level than the Fog.
"He. There is only one in the last three thousand years to have achieved this level," Oak told him. Fearia snapped to them with an unreadable look. "And you shouldn't worry, I doubt he'll return."
I shouldn't worry about something like that? How could I not worry about such a beast running wild? "What happens if it comes back?" The Fog teaming up with the Rockets was enough to frighten a former Champion and force another to personally make sure Lavender was well defended. If they managed to persuade this thing as well the League could be obliterated. "Not the first time you've met a Transcendent, no, in fact, you both have met him of all Pokemon," the Fog continued eyeing them like they were a puzzle. His jaw tightened.
"If it comes back?" Oak murmured, his gaze meeting Fearia's. "Well, if it comes back, my team and I probably won't be coming back."
Xxxxxxxxx
Oak probably wouldn't be good at comforting children.
A.N.
I finished the chapter about four days ago. I deleted two thousand words twice.
Not sure if it counts as a spin off. It'll be a bunch of oneshots showing what characters like Pikachu, Charizard, and Squirtle have been up to. There should also be a couple short chapters on King and Willow's childhood.
My next major story will be a Naruto fanfic. I think I'll build it around a pretty cliche idea and try to make it as unique as possible. Or a Bleach story. I haven't figured out which. I'm pretty sure the Naruto fandom will be active in a couple years so I might wait until part 2 of Into the Wild is done before doing anything in it.