Chapter 90; first step to redemption
The plane arrived at last near littleroot town. As the flight attendant was seeing everybody out, she proceeded to do a check of the cabin to see if anyone had forgotten any suitcase.
What she found instead was an asleep Sonic the hedgehog by the window, his head leaning against the cabin wall. He was shaking and whispering in his sleep, his headphones still over his ears.
"Sir. You need to wake up".
"No… no".
"Sir the plane has landed. You need to disembark".
"No… I didn't mean to" he moaned in his sleep.
"Sir" the flight attendant grabbed him by the shoulder.
"NOOOOO!" he screamed, jolting awake and scaring her silly.
As he breathed heavily, Sonic remembered he wasn't back at the Silver conference. Exhaling in relief he apologized profusely and grabbed his backpack.
"Sir are you ok? Do you need anything?"
"No… no I'm fine. Thanks".
A few minutes later he was walking through the fields, the morning breeze hitting him in the face, as he made his way towards Littleroot town.
Since Ash was planning a new journey, there was no doubt he was intending to participate in a tournament in Hoenn. Sonic's best bet was to start with the region's pokemon professor, professional Birch.
"Are you sure he lives in Littleroot town?" he had asked Wave via video call.
"Positive. That's where my friend May also lives. If you happen to run into her, greet her for me will you?"
Sonic had promised he would, before realizing on the plane that he had no idea what May looked like.
Thinking of it in the present, he shrugged. There was a good chance if she was the daughter of professor Birch, he would run into her.
The treeline around grew thicker as he was nearing the town.
Sonic took deep breaths. The idea of a confrontation after a month of self-loathing on his end and hatred from Ash's made him want to run away.
But confronting Ash would be a thousand easier than living another day with himself.
While being busy lost in his thoughts, he heard a growl from nearby.
Out the treeline walked a small grey pokemon.
"Huh what are you little guy?"
The wild pokemon proceeded to lunge and bite him in his right hand.
"Ouch! That hurt!" Sonic groaned, taking the pokemon and throwing it aside.
The wild pokemon though got angrier and tried to attack again.
Sonic ducked out of the way and got ready to run.
As he knelt to speed away, something fell out of his backpack. A pokeball.
It opened.
Out came Raichu, which proceeded to thunder punch the wild pokemon, sending away terrified.
"What the hell?! Why are you here?!"
"Rai! Rai rai!" Raichu cried out, delivering another thunder punch, this time on Sonic.
Sonic was sent rolling to the ground, as Raichu grabbed its stomach, having felt its own attack through their bond.
"You left me behind!" Sonic heard in his head. A light feeling of relief washed over him as Raichu wouldn't have to mime to him.
"You shouldn't be here. How did you even follow me? I left your pokeball with… Tails" Sonic face slapped. It would be child's play for the present Tails to sneak into his house as he was talking to his parents and sneak Raichu's ball into his backpack.
Deciding he would argue about it with his friend later, Sonic turned back to Raichu which kept crying out.
"Rai rai! Raichu!"
"Why did you leave me behind?!"
"Because this is my burden to carry. I made you do something unforgivable that day! You shouldn't have to suffer because of my inability to control my own emotions!"
More cries.
"You idiot! You made me use iron tail? Last I checked we could hear each other's thoughts, not control each other!"
Sonic knew where this was going instantly.
"Stop right there! Don't even try to blame this on yourself! You did nothing wrong!"
"Nothing wrong?! It was my tail that caused that injury, that pain to Pikachu! You ordered the attack, but it was I that carried it out! I could have chosen to not obey your command but I did!"
Sonic's eyes widened. He had never considered this aspect.
"This burden is just as much mine as it yours, maybe more so mine! So spare me the nobility and all the crap about it being your mistake alone! It is our mistake! And we need to fix it together!"
Sonic allowed Raichu's words to sink in. It actually made a valid point.
Ash needed to forgive Raichu too. If by some miracle Sonic was to be forgiven but not Raichu, then the forgiveness would have no actual meaning.
Raichu was right. It and Sonic were partners. So if Ash was to forgive one, he would have to forgive them both.
"Not that he is obligated to. But if he is to do it, it needs to be both of us" Sonic thought in understanding as he rubbed his hand where that wild pokemon had bitten him.
"You're right Raichu. It is indeed both of ours' fault. And we need to atone for it together. You up for it?"
"Rai".
"All the way" Sonic heard in his head, cracking a faint smile as he pet his partner. Raichu's happy face warmed his heart.
The two walked the rest of the way to Littleroot town. The town was very small, kinda like Pallet town.
It brought back memories for Sonic as back then he was alone and had no idea how much his life would change when he arrived there.
Asking a couple of locals where professor Birch's lab was, he was quickly directed there. Soon enough he was walking towards the property.
Looking around, he quickly noticed a brunette bearded man along with a young girl in a red outfit and a preschooler kid in a green shirt.
"Excuse me" Sonic called out to them.
The man turned around.
"Well hey there. Can I help you with something?"
"Yes. Do you happen to know professor Birch?"
"Well of course I know him. He is me".
"Oh. That makes everything simpler" Sonic said approaching.
Once Sonic had approached fully, the kid recognized him.
"No way! Are you THE Sonic the hedgehog?!"
Normally Sonic would smile but being identified now made him feel uncomfortable.
"Yeah".
"I can't believe it's really you! You and your friends are legends! I'm Max and this is my older sister May!"
"May?" Sonic looked at her in surprise causing her to blush.
"You… know me?"
"Not me. But I think you know my friend Wave the Swallow".
"You're Wave's friend?!" May asked him with gleaming eyes.
"Yeah. She moved back into my hometown recently. Told me she knew you".
"I'm glad to meet you then. Wave always said how cool you and her friends were. She wouldn't stop saying how much she missed you all. How is she? Settled back in well?"
"Yeah. Reconnected with me, my brother and our friends. Most of them anyway".
"So what brings you to Hoenn? Team rocket here too?! Or are you here to conquer another league?!" Max eagerly asked Sonic.
"Neither. I'm… looking for someone. Reason I came to you professor is because…" Sonic began explaining while awkwardly scratching his head with his injured arm.
"What happened to you?" May asked him shook at the injury.
"Just an unfortunate encounter with a pokemon, nothing major".
"Let me bandage it" she said taking a bandage out of her backpack.
"It's nothing really" Sonic objected being forced down to treat the bite.
"Why didn't your Raichu fight off the Pokemon? What Pokemon was it anyway?"
"Long story about the Raichu question. The Pokemon was a small grey one".
"A poochyena. Nasty creatures those critters. Very aggressive. But if you tame one they are very loyal" Birch explained.
Sonic unintentionally noticed a lot of travelling supplies in May's backpack.
"You plan to travel?"
"Yes. I received my partner from the professor two weeks ago. I will begin journey with Max and two friends of ours".
"The professor?" Sonic thought "is he not her father? Wave did say so…"
"And what is your goal?"
"I want to be a Pokemon trainer. Nothing further than that for now".
Sonic noticed a hint of dodging in her voice, as if she was trying to hide something but didn't push the subject.
"Well, I guess I can sympathize with that. When I started my journey in Kanto I didn't have a clear target either. I lived in the present and adapted accordingly. Your approach is very wise, in my eyes at least".
"Thanks!" May thanked him, surprisingly grateful for such a simple gesture as an encouragement.
"So what were you saying about coming to me to find someone?" Birch inquired again.
"Well… I am looking for a kid named…"
"Ash!" Max exclaimed.
Sonic was shocked.
"How did you know?!"
"What? No, I'm just saying Ash is back!" he said pointing.
Sonic's eyes widened.
Taking a quick but deep breath, he turned.
And there they were. Ash, Pikachu and Brock.
Ash was of course shocked beyond belief. Pikachu hid behind his head as Raichu was also there.
"Hey" Sonic tried greeting.
Ash dropped the supplies he was carrying and dashed forward, Pikachu falling off his shoulder in the process.
May jumped out of the way instinctively as Ash tackled Sonic to ground again, punching him over and over.
"You! Dare! Show! Your! Face! After! Hurting! Pikachu?!" he screamed with each fist.
Brock quickly restrained Ash.
"What's gotten into you Ash?!" May asked him, somewhat fearful of him.
"Let me go Brock!"
"Calm down Ash. Anger won't solve anything".
Ash stopped fighting but Brock still held on just in case.
"What are you doing here?! Why are you showing your face in front of me after what you did?!"
Groaning, Sonic stood back up.
"I wanted to see you. To tell you how sorry I am for all that happened".
"You're sorry?! Please, you have idea what that word means! Pikachu spent an entire month in bed, not moving because of its broken tail!"
"Is this true?" May asked Sonic.
"Yes. He is telling the truth".
"It was an accident. He didn't mean to" Brock tried to pacify everyone.
This was it. This was Sonic's one chance to fix everything.
"No Brock. It wasn't" Sonic admitted.
Everyone went silent.
"What do you mean it wasn't?" Max asked Sonic "we saw the Johto league final, May and I".
"Everyone knows what it came down to" May elaborated "there was no ill intent in play".
"Yes there was" Sonic insisted "but there's no way to prove it".
Everyone was super confused.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Birch asked Sonic "maybe Ash's hits…"
"No professor. I'm telling the truth. I know no one will believe me… but my Raichu and I have a unique bond that enhances us. One of the recent perks of this bond… is that we can hear its other's thoughts".
Brock let go of Ash in surprise. He did recall a few instances in the Johto league that Raichu seemed to move on its own, without Sonic giving it any instructions.
"What… did you think in that moment?"
Struggling to maintain his composure, Sonic confessed. It was the moment of truth.
"My only thought… was for Raichu to make Pikachu suffer".
More silence. This was not how everyone was expecting their day to go.
"So you come here to tell to my face how mean your truly are! What were you hoping to gain?!"
"I won't try explaining what I was hoping to gain back then. No matter the reason my actions are unforgivable. It was foolish of me to come but I was hoping…"
"That I'd forgive you" Ash finished his sentence "well here's my answer! I won't forgive you! Not now! Not ever! So get out of my sight!"
Sonic closed his eyes in sadness. It was a lost cause from the start. But he found a very small amount of solace in knowing he had tried.
Nodding, he silently walked away. Pikachu cowered away as Raichu walked past it.
"Good riddance" Ash said when Sonic was out of hearing range.
May however had not yet swallowed that pill. There was no reason not believe Ash but Sonic also seemed like a nice person. There was no way the situation was as simple as they were both making it.
"Wait here" she said rushing after Sonic.
The latter was at the outskirts of the town. He was not going to fly home. He didn't have the energy for it. Instead he would ask Mewtwo to have Alakazam take him home or at least send Moltres.
"Sonic wait!" May's voices rang in his ears.
Sonic stopped. He looked over his shoulder as May overtook him and blocked his path.
"Why did you leave?"
"Why did you follow me? Ash won't like this gesture".
May's jaw hang open.
"Ash literally beat you up. Why are you letting him walk over you?"
"After what I did, a few punches are nothing".
"Maybe but it's still not right. You came all the way from your hometown to apologize".
Sonic scoffed.
"Why are you trying to be the mediator? You don't know me or what I've done".
"I don't know you sure but I know what others know".
Back at Birch's lab, Ash was still fuming.
"That creep dares show his face after what he did. What a nerve!"
Brock was not replying. Max was not in the picture as Birch was keeping him busy with a new batch of starter Pokemon.
"Aren't you going to say anything?!"
Brock was still skeptical.
"Brock I'm talking to you!"
"I know".
"Then why are you not replying?!"
"I'm thinking".
"What about?"
"I kept in touch with Knuckles over the last month. He said Sonic… was not himself after what happened. I think he went thought depression Ash".
Ash was not moved at all.
"You feel sorry for him?! After what he did to Pikachu?!"
"Yes".
"Some friend you are!" Ash told him off.
"Ash I'm not defending his actions. What he did was not cool, not by a longshot. Especially if he's telling the truth and was intending for it to go this way in the moment".
"Good! Let's expose him then! Professor Birch heard his confession!"
"He also said it can't be proven. And he's right. Would you believe it if you were a bystander?"
Ash thought about it for a moment and admitted unwillingly Brock was right. No one would believe Sonic had a mind connection with his Raichu.
"So we let him get away with it. Is that not enough for you?!"
"This is not about his image Ash. This is about you. Your anger".
"How can I not be angry?!"
"Look" Brock took him by the shoulders "We're about to embark on a new journey here. If you set out full of anger, May and Max will be affected in the long run. I'm not asking you to forgive Sonic. I don't know if I can and I'm just a bystander. But after hearing all the details from Knuckles… I don't want to stay mad at him. He has been through a lot already Ash. So please find it in your heart to let go of the anger. So we can all set out peacefully".
Ash was torn. Brock was right. May and Max would be affected by this. And they didn't deserve to.
But still… forgive Sonic?
As this confrontation was taking place at Birch's lab, the other was continuing in the outskirts of the town.
"And what is it that the others know that allow you to decide it's the real me?"
"I know you had no reason to go after team rocket but you did. You had no obligation to save anyone but you did. Your friends had the same choice and they followed you all the way. I don't know your friends but I know that no one would follow a path out of obligation! They chose to walk it with you! So all I know is the choices you made so far that the world knows. And I don't believe a single bad choice erases all the good ones".
She took a deep breath.
"And most importantly, I know that I believe Wave about you".
Sonic really didn't feel like continuing. May was saying the same things his father had said and at this point it wasn't changing anything.
"Ok so? What do you want from me now? I tried. Ash won't forgive me. I don't blame him for it either. So why are you still standing in my way, bringing all of this up?"
"Because… because…" May hesitated to answer.
"May!" Max's voice reached them as he, Brock and Ash arrived.
"I was just leaving" Sonic quickly said, not wanting another unnecessary confrontation.
Ash saw May's conflicted expression. Brock was truly right. If the feud remained it would come back to bite them even if Sonic was out of the picture.
"Wait!" he called out to the blue hedgehog.
Sonic's eyes widened for a moment. He took a deep breath and turned, believing the confrontation was unavoidable.
"You want me to forgive you?"
"Not by force. If you can't then don't. You don't have to to begin with".
"Answer the question. Do you want it or not?"
Sonic was surprising by the insistence.
"I do".
"Then battle me".
Sonic was taken aback. Pikachu didn't seem willing to fight Raichu.
"Right here, right now?"
"No. In the Hoenn league".
"The Hoenn league" Sonic repeated with a very low voice.
This meant he would have to embark on another journey. It wasn't part of his plan. And the idea of battling in front of a crowd again only brought back the painful memories of the Johto league final.
"So? Do you want this chance or not?!"
Sonic made his choice before he had a chance to consider alternatives.
"Yes".
"Good. Then it's settled. I will tell professor Birch you will take part in the league. You put your affairs in order so you can have no distractions".
Sonic nodded. That would mean a lot of calls to home but this was a chance at redemption. He couldn't pass it up.
Ash then turned to leave.
"Remember. This is only a chance. There's no guarantee I will forgive you".
"I'll take my chances" Sonic answered seriously.
Ash gave him another mix of dirty and angry look and left. Max and Brock were quick to follow.
Sonic and May were left alone.
"Well. You got your wish. I'm not leaving".
"I didn't do it for purely for you. As I said, I did it because I believe in my friend Wave's words as well as your actions in Johto. What you did to Ash's Pikachu was not cool. Ash's attack on you was not cool either. Especially since you still came all the way from your hometown to make amends. That means something and makes you deserving of the chance to earn Ash's forgiveness in my eyes at least".
Sonic closed his eyes and headed to find a room for the day so that he could prepare everything to set out the next day.
"I wonder if you will still feel the same way when Ash gives you the details. Thanks anyway. See you around".
And with those words, the two split, May wondering if she had made the right choice by mediating even though she didn't know the whole story and Sonic calling home. He had a lot of things to say to his friends.