Weird to think it's been a year of this.
Arcanine paced nervously around the cave, waiting for his associate to arrive. The matter of the humans still weighed heavily on his mind, their desires as dangerous as sparks to tinder. Something had to be done; anything.
His only other companion at this time was a raticate, who did not speak unless spoken to. Around his neck was a crystalline sphere, its insides glowing with a scarlet light.
Footsteps rang throughout the cave, alerting the two of them to newcomers.
Arcanine turned his head and noticed a corviknight walking into the cave. His armored feathers were battered and broken, especially around his chest—a sign of intense struggle, no doubt. It did not bode well.
"Arch?" the canine inclined his eyes, almost unnerved by the damage he bore witness to. It served as a reminder of natural human ruthlessness. "I received your message, but I had not envisioned your defeat to have wounded you so."
"I only have myself to blame," said the armored crow. He bowed his head in shame. "I allowed the humans and their likely allies to escape."
"It is troubling, but with rest you will fight again." And hopefully, with the defeat, he would learn to be a little more humble; the gods knew Arch needed to think things through more, though Arcanine felt it impolite to bring up. "And what of your associates?"
"Battered, but alive." The crow shook his head. "But my Mantle is not so easily mended."
"We still have plenty of time," Arcanine sighed. Though, with each passing day, their opponents grew stronger and more brazen. Time was short, limited to the potential challenge in the Grand Tournament. However, the solution to these problems was not something he knew; that was the Oracle's prerogative. "Raticate, what does the Oracle say?"
The large rodent snatched the Orb around his neck and looked into it. "The Oracle says…." he began, his eyes lost into the sphere's light. "...That it would be better to empower ourselves before further pursuit. It is more important to defeat our opponent than it is to find them again, only to lose."
"And so the Oracle has spoken," Arch lamented. He craned his neck down to his chest. "Yet, I have lost much of my power."
Arcanine groaned. Arch relied on his Mantle like a crutch, no doubt. Perhaps the gods had given him a lesson in humility. Though, it could not be denied that said lesson made their duties that much more difficult. "...Can anything be done?"
Raticate continued to consult the Oracle. "The Oracle believes he may be able to restore it."
"Truly?" Arch almost pleaded.
"Yes, though only partially," answered the rodent. He raised his Orb forward. "Please, bring your relic closer."
Arcanine noticed Arch freezing in place, an obvious look of hesitation on his face. That needed to be addressed. "Go on, then. We all know the price of failure," the canine encouraged.
The corviknight made a noticeable shiver and ruffled his metallic feathers. He stood there, silent and contemplating, as ideals filled his mind. "Yes, of course," Arch said. He then walked over to the Orb and let it touch his heirloom.
After the S.S. Anne, Misty dreaded being on a sinking ship again. Even though she could probably swim all the way to shore from here, she never wanted to be caught in that kind of mess ever again.
Within the flooded lower decks, Misty and her friends got to work repairing the latest damage.
"It's always something with this boat," Misty complained. Water slowly flooded into the ship through the gaps between the boards. The buizel brought her knuckles against the wood and slowly cooled her fingers with Ice type-energy, turning water into ice at the edge of finger tips. She was careful to slowly move her hand against the wood, to prevent the ice from expanding and damaging the wood even further.
"Day in, day out. The ship's falling apart." Charizard agreed. Opposite her, Charizard held a large metal sheet against one of the ship's sides.
"I blame the damage we took at the start of the week," Vulpix said. She walked along the outer edges and used a precisely controlled Ember to weld the metal sheet to the wall.
"The storm and nearly running into a reef didn't help these matters. A superstitious individual might think we were cursed or something," Goldeen lamented while she used her control over the water to force as much seawater out of the hull using some sort of hydrokinesis technique—probably a modified Surf—as she could. Either way, she made sure the flood only went up to Misty's feet instead of her waist. "Any more damage and we'll sink."
"Hopefully some actual shipwrights can take care of this for us before we have to do even more repairs," Misty grumbled as she froze the last of the planks together. She doubted her handiwork would last more than a few hours, but thankfully, she knew they'd arrive in port sometime today.
"I think we're all-" Charizard started to say, but the dragon was cut off as the ship suddenly shook violently. It was like a sudden weight had fallen on top of the ship and that sudden pressure forced it to shift abruptly.
Misty immediately leapt to her iceworks, hoping that they would hold. They didn't shatter, nor break.
"What was that? I got salt water all over my body." Vulpix hissed as she shook water from her body.
"Didn't see anything break, but we can't be too sure.." Charizard blew some fire at her to dry her before checking the walls.
"I think I have some idea what happened. Wait, here?" Misty groaned. She guessed that several tons were suddenly put on the ship and there were only a few things that could make that happen.
She took the ramp up to the hold and then to the top deck. True to her suspicions, she saw Onix Onix on the top deck. The titanic rock snake shook himself and yawned, whilst his trainer stood right in front of him. "Brock…" he rasped.
"Brock!" Misty shouted, agitated how the ship felt like it was about to sink and the canine just… added more weight! "What's going on? Why did you let Onix out?"
"We're about to make landfall!" the wolf barked. "And we'll have nowhere to release Onix once we arrive!"
Misty twitched her whiskers in annoyance, but saw that the lycanroc's reasoning was sound. From what she gathered, they'd be in a city with very little place for a large Rock-type to simply pop into being. "Just don't sink the ship. We had enough of that in Kanto."
"Right…" Brock said as he then turned towards his still waking up titan. "Hey, buddy. It's been a few days! You missed out on some excitement."
"Good or bad?" Onix moaned in his slow and steady way of speaking.
"A bit of both. Let me get you caught up…"
Misty sighed. She was angry that the boat nearly sank again, but at the same time, she was relieved: they were about to hit land, and hopefully they'd be able to get the ship properly repaired. More importantly, it'd be the first time in days that she didn't have to constantly check the ship for leaks.
She went back down and to others on the repair team. "It's okay, Brock just let Onix out. What's our status?" she asked.
"No damage from what we could tell," Goldeen answered, her eyes going over the various patchwork repairs that they had made. "The water level will likely be stable for some time, as I cannot see any evidence of water."
"That's good to hear," Misty said. She frowned. Though she didn't have an exact time frame, Brock made it seem that they'd be arriving shortly. She doubted that they'd be needed for anything in that time, other than maybe adjusting the sails. "Why don't you guys take a break or something? We all worked hard for at least an hour," she suggested. "If anyone needs you, we'll call you."
The other three Pokémon gave her nods of acknowledgement, agreeing with the sentiment.
"Hey, if Onix is up, think he'll want to try the Mahjong set?" Vulpix proposed.
"Possibly. And I am eager to face wits with him," Goldeen agreed. She turned towards Charizard. "How about you, are you up for a challenge?"
"No way." Charizard gave her a look of disgust. "I'm not going to take a sucker's bet and lose my allowance again."
Misty made a mild chuckle at the dragon's amusement, though she had other more pressing matters to attend to.
She left the lower decks and ventured to the Captain's Quarters, where Ash, Pikachu, and Meowth were all busy entertaining Togepi… with sock puppet theater.
"Argh, ya scurvy dog!" Ash intoned one of his paws in a small sack with a tiny paper captain's hat. "You'll regret doing that!"
"Haha!" Meowth shouted, raising his paw who wore a fancy hat with tiny feathers. "Jokes on ya! I already regret it!"
Togepi bounced in her seat, giddy with excitement and full laughter.
It was enough for Misty to crack a smile at the sight of it. Really, this was a far better use of Ash's talents than anything else. And Togepi was constantly bored watching everyone else play cards or Mahjong.
"But will Captain Teach win against Captain Edward?" Pikachu narrated, He waved his paws as if to emphasize things. "After all, only one pirate captain can become Pirate King and find the wondrous Pieces of Eight!"
Togepi fidget in her seat, thrilled at the story before her.
Pikachu's eyes then turned towards Misty, which then prompted the other two to also turn their attention to the aquatic weasel. This caused the tension to drain from the uh… actors as they turned to look at her.
The Electric-type continued to narrate, though this time, it was the closing act. "But all of this and more, next time on… Pieces of Eight!"
Togepi made a light frown, a bit disappointed that the other Pokémon wouldn't be narrating the show any further. "Aw."
"Oh, cheer up," Misty said. She walked into the room and knelt down towards her precious little egg. "There'll be plenty of time to hear more of the story later."
"Mommy!" Togepi immediately perked up.
"Hey, Misty!" Ash said with a giggle. "So, what brings you here?"
"We're about to arrive, so pack your things so we can get off this boat."
"Right," Ash said. He took off his sock puppet and stretched. "It'll be good to have some space to myself again!"
"Ha, you just want somewhere you can punch things without breaking the ship," Pikachu laughed.
"Well, yeah…." Ash conceded.
Misty rolled her eyes. The moment Ash had started being able to walk again, he nearly sank the ship by himself because he nearly smashed the hull wide open in a half-baked attempt at repairs. It was only because the buizel had been awake to freeze the hole the riolu made that the ship was still above the water. "Just pack up everything and get ready to clear out."
"Aren't we going to leave on this ship once we get the Emera?" Ash questioned. "It shouldn't be too hard, right?"
"With dis hunk o junk?" Meowth grumbled "We's lookin at least a week of repairs. And den der's the upgrades Jessie and James want."
"Oh right," Ash said.
"Come on, Togepi." Misty grabbed onto her baby's hand, glad to take her mind off of the ship's condition while they approached. "Let's go get your things in order, too!"
"Okay!" said the little egg.
Misty led her child down into the hold. There, many of the others also gathered, similarly packing away their belongings or other luggage. Misty noted that not too long ago, the idea of having their Pokémon carrying bags full of equipment and the occasional personal belonging seemed unthinkable. But, here they were.
The buizel led her adopted child to the back of the hold, where Staryu helped Cinder pack her books and brewing supplies away. They stopped when they noticed the mustelid.
"Misty, Togepi," Staryu greeted. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise." Misty smiled.
"Hello, Mister Staryu!" Togepi shouted. "Hello, Miss Cinder!"
The fox made a giggle as she slid her last book into her sack. "Why hello there, Togepi. How can we help you today?"
"We're gonna leave the boat so I wanna get my bag!" she said.
The three older Pokémon all gave the little one a smile, all eager to help her along.
"Okay, Togepi, do you see your bag?" Misty giggled.
"Right there!" Togepi pointed. She hopped off and drew a small sack that was against the wall. It consisted of a small sack with a string on its rim and a strap sized just right for Togepi to carry it. It even had the characters for "Togepi" written on it, but its intended wearer didn't know how to read yet. "See, it's mine!" she cried.
"That's very good, but it's empty!" Staryu exaggerated, like it was a scandal. "How will we ever fill it up!?"
Togepi sat down and made a thoughtful expression.
Meanwhile, while she was distracted, Misty turned over to Cinder.
The fox nodded her head in understanding, knowing what had to be done. Cinder stealthily pulled out some multi-colored hard candies and planted them behind Togepi when she wasn't looking. Then, she quickly hid before the young Pokémon found out.
"Ooh, what are those?" Misty said, pretending to be surprised.
"Candy!" Togepi said. She hopped over to the candy and began to pick it up. She almost went to eat it on the spot, but Misty stopped her.
"No, Togepi, it's too early for that many sweets. You can have it later!" Misty wagged a finger.
Togepi pouted, but complied. "Oh, okay…" She picked up some of the candies and stuffed them into her bag.
Misty took one of the candies and unwrapped it. "And you can have this for now."
Togepi looked at the single piece of candy in awe and put it into her mouth. She looked happy and proud of herself.
Staryu turned to his trainer, emitting a faint glow. "You know, this isn't going to work forever. Eventually, she's going to wise up."
"I know, but it's sort of fun," Misty whispered back, almost lost in her own memories. She recalled similar games back when she was little, back with her mom and her sisters. She wondered if they all felt the same as her, marveling at how just a month ago, the little girl wasn't trusted to carry her own bag…
"Hm, you think Togepi might benefit from socializing with others in her age group?" Cinder proposed.
Misty blinked, but then she thought about it more. Togepi really hadn't talked with any other Pokémon that was her age, not even when in the Pokémon Centers back home. It seemed unfair for her to never make a friend, come to think of it. "You know anywhere she could meet others her age?"
"She's too young for a proper school, but there's plenty of nurseries and parks we can take her." Cinder scratched the back of her ear. "I remember one, come to think of it? I wonder if it's still there."
"Hm?" Misty focused her eyes.
"Mother and Father took me to one since, I think Father… had business at the palace?" she frowned. "I was Togepi's age, so my memories are a bit hazy."
"That's still pretty impressive," Misty commented. "A human baby that's a few months old wouldn't remember anything."
Cinder blinked, almost dazed. "Wait, really?"
"Yup, humans generally don't remember their first few years of life at all, especially their first," Misty said. "In fact, they're nearly totally helpless. And it takes them a year or two before they can so much as talk or understand their parents. Togepi is more like a toddler, I guess."
The zorua blinked. "...So, you mean to tell me, when humans hatch…"
"They don't come from eggs," Staryu chimed in. "They don't hatch."
"How does any of that make any sense?" Cinder shook her head. "I mean, literally all Maiju excluding elementals come from eggs and yet — you're so different. You're like us in so many other ways, but that's… not normal. How does that work?"
Misty shrugged. "I don't know, but it's how it is. Plus, you're like half human despite your parents both being Pokémon at the time."
The fox groaned. "I suppose that is true, but I wasn't unusual in any way, growing up. Either way, Togepi might enjoy some playmates."
Misty nodded her head slowly. She clearly wanted to drop the topic and wanted to focus on Togepi. Fine, the buizel was interested, too. "She should," Misty agreed as she turned to her precious child and with her other hand, took her own bags. "Come on, Togepi! Let's get topside! Then we can see the ship land."
"Okay!" she said.
Misty led her precious Pokémon up the stairs, admiring how the little one practically bounced up the steps.
Several of the others were up there, most of them working to keep the ship moving. The ship was in the bay now, only a stone's throw away from docking.
Victribeel and Bulbasaur extended their vines together to guide the sails, whilst James manipulated the wheel. Zubat argued with a dozed off Murkrow, as Vulpix worked with Brock to get Onix up to speed on current events. Psyduck nearly fell off the ship, only to be dragged away from the edge by Squirtle.
Jessie stood at the ship's bow, proudly puffing up her body whilst Arbok acted like an oversized umbrella. She then turned. "Hey, does anyone know that…. Silly flag language?"
"You mean Semaphore?" Misty asked as she walked over.
"Yeah, that." The eevee pointed with a paw. "Some… meerkat I think, is trying to do something, but I don't get it."
"I know a bit," Misty said as she peered over the edge and spotted said Pokémon. It was a strange Pokémon with yellow stripes over a red furred body. It waved two flags, both divided into red and blue halves. She couldn't immediately isolate the message, but she tried.
The meerkat shifted the flags around, emulating poses that seemed to spell out a message of some sort, though Misty wasn't sure if Citrine had its own unique Semaphore language or if she was simply not as practiced as she thought. S.T.A.K. No. S.T.O.R. No, that was wrong again. S.T.O.P. STOP.
"They're asking us to stop?" the buizel told the eevee. She wasn't sure of her accuracy, but she felt that was likely given how violently the meerkat waved his flags. "I don't think they want us to go on that pier."
At that moment part of the mast decided to fall apart into a pile of useless wood; the stress of both combat damage and constant Tailwinds finally took their toll.
"And I don't think we have a choice!" Jessie snorted. "James, get us there before the ship keels over!"
"Fine!" James grumbled loudly.
The boat slowly ran against one of the wooden piers, a safe distance away from the structure. Then, the ship slowed and came to a stop on a dime. What was left of the sail was hoisted up, and the wind blowing into it was cut.
The Pokémon holding the flags walked up to meet them, though he did not look happy. "What are you doing!?" the meerkat shouted "I told you to stay away!"
"We didn't exactly have a choice. Our ship is already falling to pieces," Misty said, apologetically. Now that she was close enough to hear the Pokémon speak, she recognized him as a Watchog from his speech patterns. "Is there a problem?"
"Yeah, something like that." Watchog shook his head. "Look, the situation here is dire so, I'm going to ask you to take your ship elsewhere and wait unt-" The meerkat stopped talking and stared at Misty's left.
Misty nearly leapt off the dock as Ash suddenly appeared beside him.
"We have to leave?" he asked.
"Eh, no… don't worry about it. Just moor your ship and unpack your cargo, but don't go down the pier," Watchog replied as he darted down the dockyards, as if pressed for time.
Misty squinted an eye at the fleeing meerkat before turning to Ash. She didn't have his innate ability to simply sense things, but even she knew that something was up with that.
"Is something wrong, Mommy?" Togepi asked curiously.
"Maybe. Just be careful and stay next to me," Misty said gently.
"Okay!" the child cheered.
The buizel then turned Ash and mouthed a simple question. "Do you sense anything?"
Ash walked over and adjusted his cap. He looked down the pier and towards a wooden building, possibly a storeroom or warehouse, that was on the way over. "...Someone is terrified and confused? Angry, too, but that's mostly because of the other two feelings." He squinted further, as if trying to get a better view. "There's also a bunch of people who don't know what to do either, so they're also afraid."
Misty nodded, an ugly feeling bloomed in the pit of her gut. Watchog's odd change of mannerism set her on edge, coupled with Ash's testimony, did not paint a pretty picture.
She wasn't the only one who felt that way either, since other Pokémon hesitantly looked at her, as if waiting for direction.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Moor the ship and take off anything we don't need!" Jessie demanded. The eevee paced the ship like a queen, flicking her tail with Arbok providing shade.
Ash shrugged and unloaded the gangplank. Pikachu leapt over the board first and took one rope to tie the ship to a post on the pier. Seeing no alternative, Misty went to assist, though not before telling Togepi to stay onboard for the meantime. Meowth eagerly accepted the charge to watch over her.
Once Misty went onto the pier, someone tossed her a lasso, which she then wrapped around one of the posts. The other Pokémon on the ship worked to help in their own ways. Most hauled off empty boxes onto the pier, whilst others went to check on the various components of the vessel.
"How get off?" Onix questioned at one point.
"The pier should be able to support your weight, even if it isn't made of rock," Misty said.
"If the boat can handle you Onix, the pier should work just fine," said Brock.
"Uncertain about that." The rock snake groaned.
"You won't fall. And even if you do, it's not too far to get into shore," Brock reassured him. "It won't hurt that much."
"Promise?"
Misty idly watched the two of them, almost wondering what it might have been like to be a Rock-type herself. While simply being submerged in water wasn't going to kill Onix or anything, she knew it was incredibly uncomfortable and irritated his outer layer. The buizel considered herself lucky that she turned into a Pokémon with a natural affinity for water; it would have been unbearable if she got hurt every time she got wet.
But her thoughts silenced when Onix said something else. "Smoke and fire."
Misty turned her gaze down the pier. Ahead, smoke billowed out of the warehouse Ash pointed out earlier, indicating a fire. Several Pokémon were rushing into the building and distinct and intelligible shouts reached them.
"What's going on?" Misty said. She took a step forward and went on all fours to provide herself a burst of speed if danger came close. She wanted to pummel whatever it was that came her way.
Ash stepped next to her, also taking a defensive posture. "There's a lot of confusion and fear, like earlier but I can't make anything out more than that."
Misty narrowed her eyes. That did not bode well.
Pikachu leapt nearby and began to charge up his cheek pouches. Other Pokémon also began to guard themselves; they could see for themselves that danger was nearby. All of them looked at the storehouse, waiting for events to resolve themselves.
Abruptly, a raichu had burst forth from the building as it collapsed in on itself.
The Electric-type ran down the pier, obviously scared for her life. "Someone help me! Anyone!" she shouted. Yet in contrast to her requests, she bore a massive cleaver in one paw, almost too large for her to carry. She bled on one side of her body, though Misty was unsure by how much.
Misty was almost entranced by her words, but she kept her guard up, almost unsure of what to do. "Is something wrong?" she said. "Are you hurt? Is someone fighting you?"
"Maybe we can help you!?" Ash shouted, but his voice quaked with uncertainty.
The raichu abruptly stopped in her tracks, looking at the two of them with a terrified expression. She raised the cleaver against them, the blade trembling in her paws. "What are you saying? Answer me!" she cried
Misty blinked. She had never seen anyone so panicked before, especially one who had a weapon. Sure, a cleaver wasn't really that big of a deal compared to some of the natural weapons Pokémon carried, but it was still a weapon that could hurt them. "We don't want to fight you!" she said the only thing she could think of.
Raichu stepped backwards on terrified legs, hesitating as she went. "... Stop saying that…." she pleaded. "...Please…"
"Stop saying we'd help you?" Misty said. She was almost hesitant to approach. The female raichu clearly could hear what they said, but she didn't seem to acknowledge what they said.
"Yeah, we can help you!" Ash declared before stepping forward.
"Ash!" Misty growled. "You just got better, please don't get back in the hospital!"
"I'll be fine!" Ash ignored her.
"Stay back!" the raichu burst into tears, her weapon held high.
Pikachu leapt in front of his trainer, his cheeks burning with electrical power. "Don't make me zap you, Ash!"
Ash growled, not approving of his partner's interjection. "But, we have to help her!"
"Ash, she can't understand us." the buizel said as she walked right behind the riolu. Her eyes focused on the panicked raichu, fearing that she might do something irrational out of her worries. "She knows we're talking, but it's like she can't understand a word we say."
"But… why not?" Ash practically barked. "She's a Pokémon, just like us!"
Just like us…
That prompted several thoughts in Misty's head. Humans knew Pokémon talked, but they basically never knew what they said. Maybe there was a connection there, but she forced those thoughts away.
"Stay back!" Raichu's voice snapped. "I'm warning you!"
Misty turned back to the electrical rodent as she took several steps away from the ship. She stared at her, noticing the tension within her movements. She didn't know when she would attack, but she was ready for it.
"Get away!" Raichu shouted. She violently lunged in Misty's direction, cleaver extended.
With a minimal effort of focus, Misty saw her opportunity. She rocketed forward and intercepted the raichu before she could swing her weapon. She charged right into her belly and knocked her off balance.
Raichu stumbled backwards and landed on the floor. She groaned in pain, clutching at her belly. Reddish liquid seeped under her paws.
Misty hesitated to approach, almost shocked. She didn't think she hit the Electric-type that hard, but maybe the rodent cut herself by accident. The others nearby were also startled.
"Stay away!" Raichu snapped. She kicked her legs backwards in an attempt to retreat. She twisted her body inwards in what Misty recognized as a charging posture… yet no sparks developed or gathered at her cheeks. Raichu then extended her body to project energy, yet nothing happened. "Don't hurt me!" she cried.
"We don't want to hurt you!" Misty shouted in annoyance. "So, stop fighting back."
"Stay away!" Raichu whimpered, cowering in terror.
"Misty, she's scared and weak," Ash grumbled. "We shouldn't be scaring her.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" the buizel snapped, gesturing to the raichu. "She doesn't want our help because she can't understand us at all.
"You can hold her steady," the riolu explained before turning to Pikachu. "Can you try Thunder Wave?"
"Ash, you do realize that Electric-types can just override paralysis, right?" Pikachu squinted.
"Well, Raichu doesn't feel like an Electric-type, right now," Ash explained. He shook his head and stepped forward to go to the wounded raichu.
Misty wanted to scold the boy-turned-riolu right now, but he had that look in his eye he got when he was determined to do something dangerous. Besides, she had to admit that this whole situation was so unusual that maybe the normal rules didn't apply. "Better do what he says," she groaned.
Pikachu frowned, but nodded his head. He let loose a wave of electricity that covered raichu. The wounded electric rodent struggled, a distressed expression on her face as her limbs froze in place. True enough, raichu couldn't resist paralysis like she was supposed to.
Misty fell upon the immobilized rodent and pulled her arm away from her chest. There was a nasty cut around her belly, one that wasn't too deep, but could lead to infection if not treated properly.
"Get away from me!" she screamed, though her struggling failed to amount. The rodent tried to reach for her cleaver, but Misty saw that and kicked it away.
Ash knelt down next to the wounded rodent, his hands glowing a soft blue.
Misty narrowed her eyes, annoyed that Ash was trying yet again to use Life Dew. "Ash, please tell me you're not going to use that move. I know you like that it lets you heal people, but you always exhaust yourself using it."
"I'm not going to do too much, I just want to seal the cut," Ash grumbled. He laid his hands onto the struggling raichu. The light enveloped her body, sealing the cut underneath. She stopped struggling, her gaze transfixed on her healer.
Misty frowned, hoping that Ash's attempts to heal didn't result in him needing a trip to an actual healer. She supposed that with Cinder's medical stockpiles at their minimum, Ash using his innate abilities to heal someone made sense.
But the whole situation got more complicated when Watchog returned, a Blaziken by his side. "It's him!" said the meerkat. "It's the riolu from the posters, the one from the bounty!"
The blaziken focused on Ash, his gaze transfixed on his act of healing and then over to his face. He wore a navy blue tunic, a sigil in the shape of some canine Pokémon's head over his chest. A gold sash hung around his waist, whilst white cotton wraps covered his knuckles. His clawed talons clattered against the wood of the dockyard as he stepped.
Misty shivered at the sight of him, fearing for the worst. "Posters?" she said. "What are you talking about?"
"See!" Watchog produced a poster, which depicted a simple illustration of a riolu's face, along with a defining and very familiar hat. At the bottom was a sum of money, which indicated the post was a bounty bill. "Your friends here, he looks just like the Maiju on the bounty board!"
Ash, himself, did not turn to look, his attention focused on healing the raichu, though it was obvious to everybody he wanted to address the newcomers.
"That's… not Ash!" Pikachu stammered, though his statement wasn't very confusing.
"And who are you?" Misty said, though given the fact the blaziken wore expensive looking clothes, she had an idea that he was someone of importance.
Blaziken's steely eyes focused on her. He did not speak, nor did he need to.
Misty took a step back, but kept herself going beyond that.
"They are the City Watch, Misty." Cinder's voice answered "They are the soldiers who contribute to the law and order of the Capitol." She hobbled over to the Raichu, bringing her paws over her in examination.
Misty nearly took a step backwards, realizing that this was the closest thing she would meet to a police officer while in Citrine. The situation immediately became much worse.
"And now," Watchog began to say. "Riolu should be placed under arrest for the crime of pretending to be nobility, as this poster says."
"You can't be serious!?" Pikachu hissed. He snatched the poster from the meerkat's hands and scanned it over. "This hardly looks like Ash at all! It could be anyone!"
Watchog shrugged. "I don't see many riolu wearing hats like that. Unless it's fashionable in Topaz or something, I've never seen one like it!"
"Do you just go around accusing innocent… Maiju of… crimes of fashion!?" Misty spat in the meerkat's direction. A sickening feeling went over Misty's gut. She didn't remember what the exact punishment for pretending to be nobility was, but she didn't want Ash to suffer for a mistake that wasn't even his fault. She needed to say something, do anything to avoid that fate. "Are you just interested in the bounty, no matter who is innocent or not?"
"Maybe?" Watchog crossed his arms. "A guy's got a family to feed!"
Pikachu's cheeks sparked. Blaziken inclined his gaze at him, as if deciding to strike back.
Misty balled up her fists, a nervous tension building inside of her. She feared that a fight was inevitable now and wondered what the best strategy was now. Blakizen was alone, but there was no guarantee that that would last for long. He seemed strong, but she had a type advantage. Perhaps they could beat him and run back to the ship or… something. Or maybe-
"Hey, uh… don't I get a say in this?" Ash's voice shook her. All eyes watched the riolu take a stepped up as he brushed dust from his pelt. Raichu slept at his feet, no longer struggling as Cinder put a bandage over her wounds.
"What did you do to her?" Blaziken finally spoke, inclining his head.
"Nothing, well almost nothing." Ash yawned, his eyes tired and weary from the effort of healing. "Once I healed her, she calmed down and fell to sleep on her own. She was exhausted, too."
Blaziken betrayed no visible emotion on his face, as he observed the riolu. He simply nodded his head. "Understood." He then turned towards Watchog. "Are you certain that this pup is as you say?"
"Aye!" said the meerkat. "It's an odd hat. The fabric does not look natural and that symbol sets it apart from anything else I've seen!"
"The poster looks like any riolu! And that hat could be anyone's!" Misty complained, unable to take it anymore. Why did Ash have to wear such a distinct and exposing hat? It's not like it's attached to his head or something!
Blaziken did not seem convinced or capable of expressing any visible emotion.
Misty turned her head and noticed the other Pokémon on the ship taking notice. No one works as each and every one of them waited for what was going to happen. Onix coiled his body, perhaps to prepare to jump off the ship and onto the pier. Meanwhile, Charizard cracked his knuckles in a barely veiled threat. Togepi and Meowth were absent, likely the cat rightly saw fit to remove her from danger
"Did you know that the charge for impersonating nobility is a death sentence?" Blaziken said simply. It wasn't a mere threat, but a simple statement of fact.
Misty paled. Ash… did not deserve that. No, he still had to pay off her bike.
"Yes, indeed," said Watchog.
Pikachu glared at the meerkat, his Light Ball glowing faintly as it charged up.
"Yeah, I know…" Ash said, his voice tired and exhausted. There was an atypical look over consternation on his face; he clearly knew how serious this situation was.
"So then, you are accused of committing that crime," Blaziken said simply. "Will you turn yourself in?"
Misty steeled herself, preparing for a fight to break out. Other Pokémon also sensed the tension in the air. Squirtle and Bulbasaur readied themselves to provide fire support from the ship. Meanwhile, James quickly suited himself up in his Captain's attire. Even Brock was willing to get involved, as he hopped off the gangplank and onto the pier. At the same time, other Pokémon came from the harbor and went into the pier. Most of them were combusken dressed up in soldier's garb, Blaziken's reinforcements. This was going to be a repeat of when all of them faced those birds, no doubt. Misty felt they could do it again!
"I'm just being accused, aren't I?" Ash's words cut like a knife.
Misty could only stare, as she realized that the boy-turned-riolu had caught onto something she missed: this was an accusation, not a conviction or anything. Maybe they could get through this without any bloodshed?
"Yes, that is correct," Blaziken said simply. He scanned the dockyards, eying each and every Pokémon. "But I take it that with all of these Maiju willing to defend you, this accusation has a weight behind it that is not simply found. They had been expecting something like this, sometime ago?"
Misty paled. Had their own nervous tension given them away?
"They're worried about me. Especially since last week some pirates attacked our ship," Ash said. "We barely made it out."
And as if to emphasize the point, the mast started to collapse. Onix prevented it from falling onto the pier by knocking it into the harbor. Jessie and James shouted at each other, blaming their counterpart for the mast's destruction.
"Indeed," Blaziken said.
"It's a sign that they know their own guilt," Watchog insisted. "What other crimes could they be committing that we don't know about?"
Misty could think of a dozen, most of them tied towards the fact she had once been human. How many death sentences would she have? She shook her head. "Sir… Blaziken, Sir," he fumbled at the words. "What are you going to do?"
Blaziken narrowed his nearly hawkish eyes. "For now, I believe these accusations must be dealt with." He turned over to Ash and gave a simple command. "Riolu, follow me."
"Uh… okay?" Ash replied, almost unsure.
"Ash!" Pikachu snapped immediately. He looked like he was considering knocking his trainer out and dragging him away. "You can't be serious!"
"Yes!" Watchog raised a fist into the air, clearly excited about getting that bounty. He sounded certain that Ash would be convicted.
Misty really wondered if it would be worth it throwing him into the bay and hoping he drowned. Instead, she focused her attention onto the riolu.
"Pikachu," Ash began. "It's okay. It's just… a trial. They might not find me guilty at all!"
Except, Misty knew, Ash did commit the crime, even if he didn't intend it.
"You don't know that," Pikachu said. He sucked up tears. "And if they find you guilty, they'll kill you."
Misty closed her eyes and settled her heart. Really, they had no choice, she had come to understand. Blaziken had a whole city at his back and their only way off their pier was barely afloat. She asked a simple question. "Are you sure about this?"
Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I…. Blaziken feels trustworthy," he said.
"The senses of a riolu," said Fire-type muttered, though he didn't elaborate. He instead turned to soldiers and gave them an order. "Someone, get this raichu off the pier and into a holding cell! We're moving out!"
A pair of combusken carried the unconscious raichu and dumped her into a wagon, though Misty stopped caring about her.
"If you die, you… you still owe me a bike," Misty managed to say. She couldn't think of anything else, given the circumstances. Really, she was concerned the trial would go wrong.
Ash nodded his head.
From the corner of her eye, Misty noticed Blaziken handing something to Watchog, which then prompted the meerkat to leap for joy. That must have been his ill gotten reward.
"Riolu, come," Blaziken ordered. Ash fell behind him, still obviously nervous. The Fire-type then turned to Misty and the others. "As to the rest of you, you may be present at the Trial if you desire, though you must find your own way." Then, he grabbed onto Ash's hand and helped him into the wagon with the wounded raichu. They departed shortly thereafter.
"You… you idiot!" Pikachu screamed.
Squirtle patted him on the back. "Hey, don't worry, Boss has gone worse than the… legal system before. I'm sure he'll be fine!"
Misty instead stared hard at the others. She didn't know or trust the court system here. All she was certain of was that there were all sorts of things Ash could be convicted for. Also, she knew there was nothing she could do if she was still on the docks. "Well? What are we waiting for? We have to catch them!"
Sitting in the wagon as it rolled through the city, Ash really hoped he made the right choice.
While it was true that he technically had people physically near him, that did nothing to stop the unsettling loneliness he felt. He didn't really consider himself close to Blaziken or the combusken under his command. The same went for the rapidash that tugged the wagon or Raichu who now slept; Ash simply did not have any emotional connection to anyone beside him.
This was the first time that he had actually been physically separated from any of his friends, ever since he had become a riolu. Their absence weighed on him like something he had grown to expect was no longer with him. At the very least, this isolation at least meant that none of his friends were hurt, but not having them present was an agony of its own.
He thought to talk to one of the combusken, to make idle chatter, but their frigid gazes and emotional distancing made Ash feel like that was a poor idea. Instead, Ash extended his senses and his sights elsewhere.
The city was… more than any settlement that Ash had seen while in Citrine. The horse's feet stepped not on dirt paths, but on tilled stone brick roads. Streetlamps utilizing some sort of crystal glass dotted every corner. There were even paved sidewalks distinct from the actual road, dividing foot traffic from the carts and carriages that were dotted about. Catwalks with actual cats were strewn about in key places, allowing smaller Pokémon to cross the streets without interrupting traffic. Buildings here were still built in familiar archaic styles, with decorated shingles and smooth stone walls. Stores lined every street, colorful and distinguishing banners flowing off of signs and billboards. Pagoda-like spires peeked out in the distance, almost like skyscrapers.
But the people were the part that really interested the jackal. Three sets of elemental monkeys danced in the streets, juggling spheres of sunlight, fire, and water at the same time in a jubilant ballet. A lone charmeleon shouted with pride from his bakery, satisfying customers with simple food. There was even a fighting arena, which practically radiated pride, anxiety, and determination as its competitors beat each other senseless. And there was more that the riolu couldn't process. Ash felt there were people in every direction for miles. The Capitol was a city and Ash wondered how it compared to the likes of Saffron or Celadon. A city created by Pokémon, for Pokémon… and not humans.
"You seem distracted." Blaziken spoke.
"A little," Ash shifted his back to the taller Pokémon, a slight tremble in his voice. Maybe it was the fact he was isolated in a big city, but the riolu realized just how small he had become.
He narrowed his eyes. Though, as much as he tried to suppress emotions, Ash could feel the hesitation and caution that went through the Blaziken's body. There was no anger or hatred that the riolu could find, no negative feelings that made the pup distrust him. He seemed to be trying to handle this matter fairly.
"Tell me, Riolu. Who gave you your Looplet?" Blaziken spoke. He pointed to the bracelet around Ash's left wrist.
"Oh this?" The riolu raised his arm. He had honestly forgotten about it since it wasn't relevant for a while there. "Aspen… Scholar Aspen?" he tried to remember the exact title.
"The decidueye?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. "Why?"
"Uh." Ash rubbed the back of his head, trying to understand why himself. Given what he knew now, it might have been entirely because the owl knew his parents. "He thought I was trustworthy since well, he entrusted one of his apprentices to follow me and my friends."
"That might deserve some looking into, though it might be irrelevant for the time being," said the Blaziken in a cold tone. "We are here."
Rapidash stopped in front of a stone building in front of a fountain square. A structure that resembled a torii gate stood directly in front of the main entrance, whilst large wooden double doors stood directly in the middle. The building itself appeared to be quite large, with a number of portcullises in the walls. Guards were posted in front of the building and on platforms on the roof, giving the overall impression of a small fortress.
Ash hopped out of the wagon, taking in the sight. "Where do we go from here?"
"Just inside," Blaziken answered. He pointed to the combusken that served under him. "Drag Raichu in for questioning. Follow procedure." The combusken nodded and went to do just exactly that, taking raichu into their custody and moving to enter through another entrance.
Meanwhile, Blaziken walked towards the front door, with Ash right behind him. Without prompt, the soldiers at the entrance pulled the doors. This led into a small waiting room with only potted plants for decoration and another set of double doors that looked equivalent to the first pair. The Fire-type stopped in front and turned to Ash. "Your trial will not be immediate, but when the Magistrate deems that he has the time for it, you shall be judged in his court."
Ash silently nodded his head. He wondered if that meant the others would show up to meet him. Oh, he was not looking forward to Pikachu or Misty scolding him for turning himself in at the docks, but he really saw no other option.
"... I know it looks bad!" a voice shouted from on the opposite side of the door, in a voice the riolu could barely hear.
Ash squinted an eye, his curiosity getting the better of him. He focused his senses and tried to hone in to the other side. There were several… pulses, signs of life on the other end. All of them seemed pretty high strung, their emotions barely contained. It felt like they had run through a marathon and were severely overworked.
"The disappearances are the fault of…" said another voice, but the rest of the speech was muffled.
There was more conversation that Ash couldn't make out, but the riolu now was interested in the topic. Who was disappearing and why? Was this a problem that would plague his friends?
Eventually, someone spoke loudly enough for Ash to hear. "Raichu? Are you sure?"
"...She has been identified as one of the ones that were missing. That might be the breakthrough we needed. Is she stable?"
"A riolu you say?"
Ash blinked. Were they talking about what happened on the docks? Because if so, he hoped that this might have helped his case.
"A likely criminal? Well, bring him in!"
The doors suddenly swung open, as if by magic.
Blaziken took Ash's hand and guided him into the center of the room.
Three Pokémon sat at the far end, whilst rows of soldiers and clerks surrounded the outer edges. On the center and on a large lavender cushion sat an absol. The canine Pokémon bore a tall boxy hat and a longand a flowing garment of some sort. He gave Ash a dispassionate glance before angling his gaze towards some cushions in front of him.
Blaziken sat in a seiza position and knelt his head. Ash copied him, though the posture made the riolu feel a little uncomfortable.
"I am Magistrate Souta. Who is this?" the absol spoke in a clear cut tone.
Before Ash could answer, Blaziken blocked him and spoke first. "Riolu was found aboard a newly arrived ship. A dockworker of little note believes him to be the impersonator we've heard about from Malachite. Though-"
"Treason then?" The Noctowl to the left of the Magister cut in. He similarly wore a square hat, though his was far shorter. He also seemed quite old as his feathers had dulled and grayed.
"He was found to-" Blaziken began.
But another pokémon cut in; this time it was a Marill. She did not wear a hat, but instead donned a robe fitted precisely to her body. "We determined his guilt based on his hat?" she brought a digit to her mouth as she inclined Ash. "It is quite unique."
Ash meanwhile tried very hard not to say or do something stupid. He could feel the judgements they made in their heads, the sort of probing glances that held incredible disdain. He was sure that they already made up their minds.
Magistrate Souta then inclined his head towards the Ash, clear skepticism in his voice.. "So, then, were you present at Malachite Mountain?"
"I mean, that was me, yeah, but I didn't-" Ash said before another cut off.
"So, then you claimed to be nobility for the benefit of a…cyclizar bandit?" Noctowl went to read through a scroll, which was impressive that he had no hands.
"... I didn't claim to be noble," Ash said, almost panicking. "I just said to Captain Gogoat to treat Cyclizar better and he did!"
"So you admit to doing this crime?" Noctowl glared at him. "You fooled an official of the Imperial country and made a mockery of his office."
The riolu shrunk at the accusation. That wasn't at all what he thought to do!
"Be that as it may-" Blaziken spoke, though again, he was cut off.
"What method of execution should we employ?" Noctowl spoke to the Magistrate. "Perhaps the noose this time?"
"I'm not going to let you hang me!" Ash blurted out, angry at how these… judges were judging him.
Noctowl glared. "Silence, pup! Return to your seat."
Ash defiantly refused. He shook his head and went to look for a way out. The soldiers barred the way.
Marill frowned. "He is perhaps a little young. We can perhaps afford to be a little more merciful."
"And let the delinquent abuse the law?" the owl hooked violently. "Magistrate, render your judgment as this is a waste of time."
The absol shifted in his seat. "I am not satisfied."
"My lords," Blaziken spoke again. Ash could feel a distinct bubbling frustration growing in the Fire-type, one that he hid just barely. "Do we even know of Riolu's heritage, yet?"
That stumped Ash. Why was Blaziken bringing that up?
Noctowl looked offended. "What? He's a riolu. I know some backwater folk might think they're all part of the nobility, but we all know that that is ridiculous!"
Then it suddenly dawned on Ash. The riolu knew a technique that for some reason Gogoat insisted marked him as being important. What if he was right? "I… I know Life Dew," he said.
Those words sent off an emotional shockwave. Everyone in the room had their hearts and feelings thrown into question, whilst murmurs amongst the onlookers indicated interest.
Noctowl looked annoyed. "That doesn't make you a noble! Again, that's unusual, but not proof of lineage!"
"Have we seen this?" Marill's tone was laced with doubt.
"I have at least six witnesses amongst my troops," Blaziken said firmly. "Riolu has used Life Dew to heal our prisoner, though the effort did strain him at the time."
Ash felt the entire room shudder at once, as if this fact alone had shattered expectations. Yet, the riolu was certain now; he had family here. But where was his mother's hometown?
"Your…your name?" Noctowl shivered and shook his head so much that it spun around completely. "No, your mother's name?"
"Del-" No, they wouldn't have recognized her human name. "Hanako. I was told that's what she used to be called."
"Hanako isn't an uncommon name," Noctowl said. "Especially not amongst Lucario."
"Yet, what if this is the child of one specific Lucario?" Marill muttered.
"Get the family crest," Magistrate Souta barked. "We must verify Riolu's heritage."
Marill nodded her head and went to the back of the room. She threw out several objects and pulled something out. She blew off the dust and revealed a round shield, with a single blue gem on its center. Its front depicted an overly simplified lucario's head with a sword underneath. On its edges, the kanji for a single word was repeatedly inscribed on the rim: Tajiri.
A wave of anticipation went through Ash as he recalled Cinder's words from just over a week ago. He had family here. Family he wanted to get to know. Without prompt or hesitation, the riolu touched the shield. The gem on its middle glowed brightly.
If simply saying his mother's name as a Pokémon caused everyone in the room to make rumors, Ash's latest action made the room erupt into a cacophonous uproar.
"He's from that house?"
"Surely, this is the will of the gods!"
"What does this mean?"
"It means we got to witness history!"
And on and on and on…
However, Ash felt overjoyed. He had a way out of this mess and he knew it. "... I think this means I wasn't impersonating nobility."
"No…Well, not technically," the Magistrate looked hesitant. Ash could feel he was beginning to develop a headache. "But, I think this is more excitement than I would like…"
"But… but…" Noctowl sputtered. "We can't…"
"We should stop wasting the pup's time," Blaziken informed him.
"Yeah, I have plenty of important things to do," Ash muttered. Such as trying to get to meet Fjord or find the nearest Dojo, though now that he knew it, the riolu wondered about meeting his own family. He thought about it and decided there was no harm in asking. "It's my first time here and I'd like to know where my family is."
"We can arrange transport as an apology," Marill made a faux smile, her tone apologetic. "Let's just agree to forget about this misunderstanding."
"It does seem to be for the best. Feel free to wait outside," the absol muttered. "Guards, please assist our noctowl before he breaks down any further. I sense we'll need him in the coming weeks while we do our actual job."
"I…I… he's not… but he…" Noctowl began to mutter under his breath. Two soldiers walked him out of the room.
Ash flashed the bird an awkward smile and turned to walk the room. Sure, Noctowl had wanted to get him killed, but Ash was willing to look past that.
Blaziken rose from his seat and turned towards Ash. "Come, Riolu. Let's get you out of here." He extended a hand.
"Yeah." Ash grabbed onto the blaziken's hand and noticed an extreme feeling of satisfaction and greed coming from the bird. Though that might not have been a sign of him wanting anything that would hurt the riolu. "Why did you decide to help me?"
"It looks good for when I am considered for promotion," the Fire-type said with raw honesty as he guided the riolu out the door. "I knew you were… atypical from the moment I saw you. Though, not this way. It's a happy accident, I suppose."
Ash decided those reasons made sense. They worked to benefit him. "Right. Thanks then."
Then, as Ash was about to exit the building, Pikachu jumped him, knocked him onto the floor, and practically strangled him. "Ash!" he cried.
"Gah! Pikachu!" Ash choked.
"I'm so worried!" Pikachu cried some more. "What's going to happen?"
"I'm fine… really…" Ash barely managed to say.
Misty's head hovered over the jackal pup's. "So, what's the verdict?" She said in a cold tone.
Ash could barely contain the laugh, even as Pikachu's grip robbed him of the ability to breathe.
"Oh, I'm innocent. They found out who my mom was and that cleared me."
"Wait what?" Misty dropped her mallet in surprise.
Pikachu broke away from his trainer and looked him in the eye.
"As it turns out," Ash continued to explain, chuckling at his own joke. "I was not impersonating nobility. Who knew, right?"
Misty and Pikachu looked at each other, as if they wanted to double check if any of this was real. Really, you'd think they'd get used to weird stuff happening already. They stood there for a quiet minute, still processing what happened.
It was long enough that Ash decided that he waited long enough. "Hey, Pikachu, can you let go? It's getting hard to breathe."
"This is your ancestral home, Riolu," Blaziken said, his index finger pointing towards the building at the top of a rolling hill.
Even at this distance, Ash knew it was quite large. It consisted of a single, expansive building that rose two or three stories and covered a wide area. A small forest of trees separated it from the rest of the city, as if to denote that it was something that was different from everything. The path ahead was marked by statues of lucario that stood facing the path, each decorated with unique clothing, weaponry, or jewelry that made them seem like individuals. Perhaps they were even Ash's ancestors.
Misty whistled. "So, that's something." She raised an eyebrow. "...You okay, Ash?"
"Just… excited." Ash's tail wagged violently. He could barely stop himself from jumping and down. He hadn't expected to meet his family so soon, but he felt excited. Maybe he'd get to know stuff about his mom back when she was his age, too! The house looked nice, but what was inside was far more important to him.
"I don't know. It seems a little excessive," Pikachu grumbled, his arms crossed. "I still think it's a little weird, but I guess it was either this or you getting hanged or something."
"Yeah, it's a little weird for me, too," Ash admitted. During the walk over, he had gone and given most of his friends that were present a quick summary of what happened during the trial. The riolu half expected to wake up and suddenly find out that this was just a dream, but he was still here. "But I have family!"
"And it's an important family, Boss," Squirtle laughed, patting his trainer on the back. "Didn't expect this when we sailed over here."
"And here I was calling Misty 'Mistress' for most of her life," Staryu sounded a little embarrassed, which in turn slightly mortified his trainer.
"I know." Ash agreed. Only a small portion of his friends were here, the rest still at the ship and trying to figure out the housing situation. He wondered if could convince his family to loan them a couple of rooms; that house looked like it had plenty of space.
"It makes me wonder what my mother's side of the family is like," Cinder muttered aloud. She seemed a little envious, but also longing perhaps for other people to be related to as well.
Ash nodded his head and silently vowed to help make that dream a reality. But that was a goal for another time; the riolu had his own family matters to attend to. "Hey, why don't we go have a race?"
Pikachu's ears immediately perked up. "Okay, you've gotten better and it's been a while since we had a proper race."
"I think I'm faster than both of you." Misty, too, grew an eager grin.
"I'm not sure…" Cinder replied. "But I can give it a try."
"I suppose I'm being peer pressured into this," Staryu commented before deflating. He straightened his body out. "Oh well, I suppose it cannot be helped!"
Ash's tail wagged again. Oh, this was going to be fun!
"Riolu, I must inform you that there are some… conditions put on your ancestral home," Blaziken cut in, reminding everyone that he was still present. He raised a finger. "For one, your grandfather, I believe, had forbidden anyone not of the family to enter the grounds."
That drew everyone's attention, but Ash especially. Why would his grandfather impose something like that? "I can't bring my friends?"
"Technically, nothing enforces the ban, but it would be considered very impolite," Blaziken raised another finger. "The second is that up until an hour ago, he was the only known member of the Tajiri family who was still alive."
Those words brought distress amongst everyone present.
Ash felt like a cannonball slammed into his chest. His grandfather had essentially forbidden anyone else from meeting him and that he was… alone. "What happened to him!?" he nearly shouted. "Is he alive?"
"I… don't really know. It was not my duty to know." Blaziken admitted. "But we know that Lord Tajiri leaves his estate from time to time, usually buying food, wood, or metal, but he rarely leaves home for long." He shook his head. "Anything more than that, you're going to have to ask him for yourself."
"Maybe, I will then," Ash said as he turned back to the stairs.
"Maybe this isn't a bright idea after all," Pikachu muttered. "Ash, is it alright for you to just… meet your grandfather?"
Ash shrugged. "Why would it be a bad idea?"
"I don't know him," Misty said. She gestured to the house. "But all I know is. Your mom chose to leave this place. We just don't know why."
"Maybe she just liked dad… more?" Ash couldn't think of anything else, but it's what made sense to him. He liked his house in Pallet Town, but even he had to wonder. Why did his mom leave her family behind?
"I'll be careful," Ash insisted. He wasn't scared the least about danger, not when he yearned to meet his maternal grandfather.
Misty and Pikachu didn't seem convinced, but they nodded their heads.
"I suppose that'll have to do," Misty shrugged.
Ash nodded his head and slung the bill of his cap backwards as he put on his "serious face". He walked up the stairs, gliding over the steps with casual ease. His friends rapidly shrunk as he advanced, turning into vaguely colorful blobs in his vision, but their presence was still there. He passed through the gates and the statues of his ancestors until he came upon the hill's summit.
Up close, Ash noted several things were not so readily apparent from the bottom of the stairs. For one, the house looked even more impressive this close. It featured the familiar Eastern stylings he had seen in some places back home, yet it also bore paintings over the walls that looked like hieroglyphs from distant land. There was also a small shrine nearby, separate from the main house, a building that seemed to possess obsidian pillars hidden within.
Additionally, the main building was surrounded by dozens of different trees in small pots of varying shapes and sizes; the smallest no bigger than a basketball, with the largest around the size of a small car. Each then were covered in fields of carefully organized and selected flowers, of which no tree had the exact same species as any other.
It was here among the plant life that Ash felt a lifesign distinct from the trees and shrubbery. He ran in that direction, eager and excited to see his grandfather for the first time in life.
As he neared, Ash caught the sight of an elderly lucario. Much of his blue fur had dulled in vibrancy, yet despite this, he still radiated a kind of certainty and strength that belied his age. He wore nothing but an orange sash around his shoulder, whilst in his paws was a simple pair of scissors, which he deftly used to cut away the excess growth.
He hadn't seen Ash yet, but as the boy-turned-riolu thought that, his grandfather shifted his head in the riolu's direction, as though the mere thought altered him. He stared at Ash, bewildered and confused. "Satoshi?" He shook his head. "No, no. That's… not right? Who are you?"
"I'm… Ash," the pup said as he approached. A twinge of fear seeded into Ash's heart, making him hesitate… What if his grandfather rejected him? It took all he had to advance forward.
"Ash?" The lucario set his scissors down, his voice rarely used. He visibly hesitated, though a curiosity also raged within him. He lowered his head in a short bow. "You… resemble my eldest son, back when he was young."
Was that an uncle? Ash's heart skipped a beat.
Ash's grandfather eyed Ash. A clear veil of suspicion and wariness came around him. "You seem… interested?"
Ash stepped backwards, afraid that he had done something wrong. "I… yes…." He shook his head. No, he was doing this wrong.
"You're hesitating and you're afraid," the lucario said simply. He approached with judgemental eyes, his gaze turning towards the riolu's cap. "Why?"
"Because…"Ash clenched his fists and mustered what courage he had. He had to speak to grandfather! He stepped forward. "You're my grandfather!" he shouted.
The lucario stopped in his tracks, visibly shaken. Fear, worry, frustration, guilt, and… longing spilled from him like the coming tide.
Yet, Ash wasn't done, he pressed on, taking the momentum he had built in his own heart and spoke, "My mother was Hanako and only learned of you just now." He gulped. "I wanted to meet you!"
Ash's grandfather clutched his head and looked at his paws. He twisted his emotions as if… sorting them within his own heart, organizing the chaos within. "You're my daughter's child?" he asked.
Ash nodded his head and cautiously took another forward. He was still afraid of saying the wrong thing, of making a mistake, but… it felt good to get those things out of the way.
"How is she?" the lucario wept, faint tears fell from his eyes. "Is my daughter well?"
"She is," Ash confirmed. At least he hoped she was; he had no idea what she would be going through since his disappearance.
The lucario looked concerned. "But? Why are you hesitating?"
It suddenly dawned on Ash that all lucario were once riolu. His grandfather obviously had the same ability to sense emotions that Ash had. Ash wondered if he should have been more worried, but really, the thought excited him for some reason. Perhaps because this was his grandfather. Ash saw no harm in being honest about that. "It's been a while since I've seen my Mom, but I plan to see her again one day."
"I…understand," the lucario visibility hesitated. He hesitated to ask something else, but quashed the question for some reason. Instead, he chose to step forward, despite the obvious hesitation and fear he had within him.
They met halfway, both within arm's reach of the other. Grandfather knelt downwards and reached towards his grandchild. Ash brought his paw against his.
In that single touch, Ash felt what was in his grandfather's heart. And in turn, he knew that his grandfather took the same measure of his grandchild. The young riolu sensed his grandfather's loneliness which fell into his own longing to connect with his elder. Their own fears of rejection blended with one another, as though a perfect mirror. Worries, doubts, regrets, but also joy, compassion, hope flowed out in equal measure.
Ash felt droplets touch his shoulders. His grandfather had suddenly wrapped himself around the riolu, tears shedding from his face.
"By the gods…I can feel it…." Grandfather rasped, his body trembling. "You.. .you are my grandchild… my only grandchild… I am not alone…"
Ash hugged back, allowing the water to spill from his eyes as well; he wasn't afraid to cry. "Hey, Gramps," he said, in a laugh. No wonder Gary called Professor Oak that; there was something fun there.
"That is the first time I have been called that…. Thank you." Grandfather, Grasp, laughed. He didn't care about the indignity of it either.
Ash's tail wagged, in excitement. He knew he was welcome here.
And then as if sensing it, Gramps broke away from the hug and looked his grandson in the eye. "Today, Ash, my grandson, you are welcome within Clan Tajiri, as is your birthright."
Ash's gaze turned to his family's house and wondered if that meant, one day, it would be his. What would he do with it?
"It… doesn't matter right now." His grandfather laughed, as though he completely expected that reaction. "We can talk more about that later, because I think it is right for us to know one another."
That was fine with Ash; he had plenty of things he wanted to talk about. Like the statues on the road or what his Mom was like as a riolu, stuff like that.
"Where have you been all my life?" his grandfather then asked the first question. "I have searched high and low for your mother, in all of Citrine. Yet, I couldn't find any trace of her."
Which for Ash, turned out to be quite difficult to answer. His mom hadn't told his grandfather that he had left the islands altogether. "Uh, outside… of Citrine?" he sputtered, not wanting to lie about some so basic.
Gramps squinted an eye, almost doubting it. "I… that would explain why I couldn't find her then." He shook his head. "... I suppose I should have expected that. Hanako, my Hanako, would rather have done the impossible than speak to me."
Ash felt a mix of emotions, of guilt, frustration, and longing. He didn't know much about familial relationships, but he had a good guess. "You fought with mom?"
Gramps slowly nodded his head. "Yes, we were both… insistent on matters, Ash." He shook his head. "I do not feel you need to know more than that."
"That's fine," Ash said. He had fights and arguments with his friends before, especially Gary. If it was anything like what he had with his oldest friend, it must have been awful.
"...You have been to the lands of humans, then?" His grandfather sounded fearful. "Were you still free?"
It suddenly occurred to Ash he hadn't informed his grandfather of his… true nature. What if he told him about his being human? Would Gramps accept that? Maybe, he could stand to take his time over explaining that. "Uh… yeah. We weren't enslaved or anything!"
"I am glad then," his grandfather said.
Ash then took the time to look down the hill. His friends were probably still waiting down there, wondering if he was going to come back down. Maybe, it was time to bring them up? "Hey, Gramps. Do you want to meet my friends?"
And so, we begin a new story arc. This one, I had set up a while back.