Chapter 14: The Lighthouse

With their Pokemon well rested. The next morning came, and with it, a tactful division of time. With Brock's Breeding Convention taking place and the favor asked by Nurse Joy to check on why the PC Box System wasn't working properly, the group decided to split up. Ash would go alone to check on Bill, the man whom Nurse Joy mentioned being the creator of the PC Box System, while Misty would accompany Brock to the convention.

It was during the walk to the direction Nurse Joy guided Ash towards that he thought about the last few day's events. From meeting Charmander for the first time to meeting his friends protecting Eevee and her eggs, the reality is that so many Pokemon were being poached across not only Kanto but also various regions all across the world. How did that lead to meeting Latias and Latios? That really stayed with him. How much his life would change while doing his best to protect a Legend, yes, a Legendary Pokemon, from the evil doers who would see her and her brother be sold to the highest bidder at best and at worst being left broken, beaten, malnourished and near the brink of death for whatever nefarious purposes evil organization deemed worthy in the pursuit of power and glory.

How they could ever justify their actions was beyond Ash. They all deserve to rot in jail. The problem has always been that this world isn't exactly as just it needs to be when it sometimes needs to be. With power and money behind them, so many people got away with so much only to do so much worse when they could. It was a sickening train of thought but one he had to embrace as he knew whoever poached Latias and even Piplup, wouldn't be happy to know their failures went unaccounted for.

The likelihood of encounters with those exact poachers was high, and so was that of trainers who were going less honorably than most. Giselle and Andrew came to mind. Though he hoped that circumstances might change their points of view, the unknown of whom presented a false mask of good to shield the evil intentions they hold dear was a pressing issue. One he and his team and friends would have to discuss in due time.

For now, he enjoyed the company of his shiny Eevee, and he had decided to name Polaris tentatively, as well as Latias, who was cloaked. Her usual behavior was unless they were in private quarters or simply among friends she trusted, such as Misty and Brock.

Speaking of…

Brock was jumping from stall to stall, excited to meet renowned Breeders. Among them was Suzie, she is a famous Pokemon Breeder and groomer who is adept at releasing a Pokemon's inner beauty and health.

Khoury was an up-and-coming Johto Breeder. He had been pondering to be at this convention despite traveling with his friend Lyra, but he made the time and enjoyed getting to know more Breeders.

But the one who caught Brock's attention was Reggie. A Trainer turned Breeder. From what he researched, Reggie wasn't just any Trainer. He was one of the few people chosen personally to be part of the Battle Frontier challenge. Trainers that took part in that challenge were considered to be on the level of Gym Leaders, Ace Trainers, and even Elite Four candidates. His unique perspective on switching careers as Brock did was of great interest to Brock.

Misty knew this. And intervened.

"Well…go introduce yourself. I'm sure he won't bite."

Misty said teasingly, while Brock grumbled a response.

"I'm not ready yet. It's not easy to approach someone and basically ask for their life's story without sounding like a stalker."

Misty laughed a bit at Brock's nervousness. She knew she had to break the ice if he wouldn't. And so she matched towards Reggie. Brock followed behind her too late to stop her.

"Excuse me, Reggie. My friend here is a trainer and a former gym leader who decided, like you, that breeding was his calling. Would you mind talking to him for a few minutes? This is Brock."

As she finished and stepped to the side to reveal Brock coming to a screeching halt at the front of Reggie's booth. Embarrassment flushed on his face. Before, Reggie laughed a bit and introduced himself.

"Well, Brock, is it? It's very nice to meet you. It's good to meet a kindred spirit that saw the benefits of breeding. So tell me about yourself."

And with that introduction out of the way, Misty saw her friend enjoy what would be hours of Brock having the time of his life while talking to Reggie and so many others as she herself wondered how Ash was doing.

Meanwhile…

Ash saw his destination in the distance. Nurse Joy told him to head northeast back towards Cerulean City. He'd reach his destination long before he could reach the city as this was near the coast, closer to Viridian. You wouldn't find it unless you went looking for it, but there it was. Bill's Lighthouse. A towering building on the edge of a cliff. Latias spoke up.

"Hey Ash, is this where we're supposed to go?"

"Yeah. Nurse Joy said to head in this direction till we saw a Lighthouse. Guess this is it."

Ash replied as Polaris yipped and wagged her tail. Due to her being practically a newborn despite the Poketranslation feature of the Pokedex, her speech was far from being developed enough to forms words, much less sentences. Her body language would serve as the best interpretation for some time.

Ash approached the Lighthouse, he knocked, and awaited an answer. There was none. He decided to knock again, and this time, he heard. "It's open." muffled through the door. With their permission, he opened the door.

He saw a mini lab. At least, that's how he would describe it. Multiple PCs, stacks of papers, the smell of coffee wafting in the room, and even a lab coat hanging in a nearby coat hanger. Above that he saw what he would a loft. He assumed whoever said the door was open was up there. His instincts were true, as a gentleman of average height and weight with green hair and dark eyes made his presence known as he walked down the stairs that led to the loft. He commanded an air of brilliance about him. Truly, this man was of importance for many reasons if not only in status, given what Nurse Joy mentioned was his contribution to revolutionizing how Trainers could keep track and access of their Pokemon, should they decide not to use the services of a sponsor such as Oak and Cerise to take care of their Pokemon. The PC Box System.

He made eye contact with Ash and soon introduced himself.

"Well, hello there. Welcome to my humble abode. The name is Bill. How can I help you?"

"I'm actually here to help you. I'm Ash Ketchum. I was sent by Nurse Joy to check on you and possibly help get the PC Box System back to working order. So what can I do for you?"

Bill stood there. Emotionless. It was a bit unnerving. Until he got his lab coat, put it on, and spoke.

"Grab me a coffee if you don't mind. We're going to be busy."

He finished off with a smile. Despite not saying it out loud, he would appreciate the company and having someone to bounce ideas off of. Ash gently let Polaris down, and while Latias remained outside for safety purposes, he made himself readily available for anything Bill needed him to do.

After a few hours, Bill pinches the bridge of his nose. Despite his best efforts, this latest software update had been more troubling than anticipated. He'd gone through lines and lines of code. Everything looked fine and should work in accordance to what the update should do. So why did the system stop working? With a loud groan, he muttered.

"What's the issue? You got all the right coding. So what's the holdup?"

Ash did not know much about what was happening, but he helped as best he could. He brought over coffee. He managed to find a few snacks that everyone in the room enjoyed. He would find something to treat Latias with a little later on. He had seen Bill put so much of his focus on the issue. Clearly, this meant a great deal to him.

Then he just blurted out.

"What if it's not an issue with the current coding but the old one?"

Bill nearly fell off his chair after what he heard. How could he have been so stupid? In focusing on the present coding, he never revised the old coding.

"Ash. Thank you."

And with that statement, he went to check the previous coding as a befuddled Ash only replied.

"You're welcome?"

Unsure of what else to do until Bill needed help, he focused on Polaris. Given that the night she was born, the North Star shined brightest, and he figured it was fitting to name her along those lines. He found many names, but when he saw Polaris, it just clicked. The young pup enjoyed the name. Made her feel unique, much like her shiny colouring did. She enjoyed being cooed by her parents of sorts. She had no understanding yet of a Trainer's relationship with Pokemon and their prowess for battle. All she knew for now was this person was meant to take care of her, that she would spend time with her birth mother and siblings at another time, and that she wanted a belly rub, which Ash happily obliged.

"Finally!"

Bill shouted, startling everyone. Even Latias outside, who psychically called out to Ash.

"Ash! Are you ok?"

After gathering himself, he replied via the psychic link that he was and that it seemed they would be finished here soon. He apologized for leaving her outside for so long and promised he'd make it up to her.

"It's ok. As long as you're safe."

With a reassuring reply, finishing that side of things, Ash focused on Bill.

"What happened?"

"It was an error on the old code. Seems like one of the trainers that use my system caught a Pokerus-infected Porygon. Unlike the normal effects that Pokerus can induce when a Pokemon of…let's call them unnatural means, gets this disease, it can manifest in odd ways."

"Prof. Cerise mentioned that Python were originally meant to be lines of codes before it gained sentient life and took on the form it has. Also explained what people tried to do to finish that original plan by using Upgrades and eventually Dubious Discs to further along their intents with Porygon. Before they saw how extreme the results got with Porygon Z."

Ash replied, remembering the information from the previous day.

"He's right. People went to great lengths to salvage the original purpose of Porygon. It can still have traces of coding in it. I didn't think of that, and so it seems the Pokerus briefly reverted Porygon back to its core codec state, which integrated with my system before it was brought back to its Pokemon on form. It was brief, but it was enough to create a malicious code that won't let the update I created integrate as it should.

If it wasn't for your suggestion to look at the old code, I don't know how long the system would continue to malfunction."

Bill expressed his sincere gratitude. In hindsight, sometimes, when you focus too much on the future, you forget to acknowledge the past. A hard-learned lesson but a lesson learned all the same.

"I will get my techs to eliminate the malicious code, and the system should be fixed in a few hours."

"That's great news. I will inform Nurse Joy when I head back to Vermillion City."

Ash said as he picked up Eevee and prepared to leave the Lighthouse soon.

"Ash, hold on."

Bill expressed as he approached Ash.

"I can't thank you enough for helping me today. I owe you one, and I don't owe many people, so consider yourself lucky. Do you have your Pokedex with you?"

Ash nodded and presented it to Bill.

"Have my number if you're ever in any trouble with The League. You call me. No hesitation."

He stated as input the final digit of his number in the Pokedex. Before he returned it to Ash, then turned to Eevee.

"May I?"

Ash again nodded, though unsure as to what towards he'd agreed to. When he reached out to Polaris and scratched her ear, sending waves of pleasure through her whole body.

"I used to have an Eevee. He's no longer of this world. It's been difficult to let those feelings out. I've dabbled in a few ventures across my life. Raising Eevees to study their evolutions was one of them. They're loyalty is rivaled by few Mons out there. Growlithe and Lillipup lines, to name a few. Treat her well, and she'll defend you with all her heart."

Ash was surprised he knew was female without telling but then realized after raising Eevees, as he mentioned, he'd come to the differences right away. He would take that advice to heart as he put his Pokedex away.

"She's just newly born. I understand the loyalty they can give. Their mother was in distress not long ago. We, my friends and I, made sure he got the proper care she needed to deliver her eggs safely. She's agreed to be my Pokemon but not battle and live with my mom. She was so grateful and trusted in us so much that she gave each of my friends and me her eggs. Polaris, here was one of them.

I know that can be some of the most loyal Mons, but it's a loyalty that has to be earned. And I promise to do everything I can to earn hers."

Ash finished as Bill did, rubbing Eevee's ear.

"That's what I like to hear. You have a good spirit about you. You'll be one to out for, Mr. Ketchum."

Bill expressed as he stretched out his hand to say goodbye. Ash grimaced a bit.

"Mr. Ketchum is my father. Please, my friends, call me Ash."

Extending his own hand to finish the farewell.

"Ash, it is. Be safe, and remember, if you need anything, give me a call."

With a final nod. Ash left, happy to have been of help. Once outside, he noticed it was about midday. The morning had gotten away from him, and it would likely mean he'd reach Vermillion by sunset. Maybe he could make it in time to challenge Surge, but he doubted it.

"You know…"

Latias interjected.

"...if you can promise me an extra rations of berries tonight, I can fly you back to Vermillion in the blink of an eye."

Latias teased. She knew Ash wanted to get to the city as fast as he could. He couldn't stop talking about challenging Surge all last night but he'd agreed to help, and so he did. Now, it was time to pursue his real desire. A proper Gym battle with the man she saw put that despicable Rotom in its place and captured it, Surge.

Ash thought about it. He wanted to reach Vermillion quickly, but doing so may alert people of Latias' presence.

"I don't know. I don't wanna risk your safety. You mean a lot to me, as do all my friends. I wouldn't do anything to intentionally put you in danger."

Ash made his case. Latias uncloaked herself briefly and nuzzled up against Ash. She loved how he worried. She heard his heart racing as he was trying to sputter out…

"Latias, you know you should be cloaked…"

However, he would not deny her act of affection and rubbed her neck.

"...I'm happy you offered, but don't worry. Another day won't hurt before I get to challenge Surge. You mean more to me than gaining a badge today does. Now, please. Before anyone sees."

She begrudgingly agreed and soon recloaked herself as Ash told Polaris to get ready for the long trip back. However, someone did see them. In the forest, sparks emerged from shadows provided by the shade of the trees nearby. He'd followed them all day. This last act cemented more than ever his choice. This was the Trainer for him. Now he needed to get his attention and he had a feeling he knew just how to get it.

After a long day of walking, Ash finally arrives at the Vermillion City Pokemon Center. Having successfully relayed the information of the status of the PC Box System, the smile on her lips was undeniable. She thanked Ash for his troubles. She would make sure to contact The League for some compensation despite Ash having assured her it was not necessary. He just wanted to rest his feet. As none of his Mons battled or trained today, he had no need to heal them, so he went straight to his room.

In the room was Brock, who was going over his notes. He saw Ash enter the room and greeted him.

"Welcome back. How did things go?"

"Surprisingly well. The PC Box System should be back online soon. Now we have a favor from Bill, too."

Ash stated before, he decided to call Misty over to explain everything that happened only once. Once both were informed, they agreed that it served them well to help out. They, in turn, told the tale of Brock's best day ever so far amongst Breeders. He'd learned about essential oils, incense use, and how that led to unique births of what were dubbed baby Pokemon like Magby, Smooching, and Mime Jr., grooming habits that he imply like polishing Rock-type Pokemon and checking between scales on various Pokemon, though this practice was more so for Dragon types and so much more. It really made Brock feel he was on the right path.

Misty had managed to purchase a King's Rock. She wanted a Politoed one day, and this would be crucial to her goal. Amongst the many booths that day, some involved evolutionary items ranging from Dragon and Heart Scales, to varying stones, including Ice Stones, a rarity among evolution stones. Even the odd Metal Coat or special items like a Magmarizer. Those, however, were at a premium. It would take a small fortune to get one of those unless you knew the right people.

Their day having gone better than expected the gang went to eat along with their Pokemon and shortly after went to bed. The promise of a Thunder Badge was all Ash needed to surrender to the sweet comfort of his bed and rest up for tomorrow.

With the issue with Bill's place done and the Breeders Convention wrapping up, our heroes are now set to take on Surge in the coming days. What is in store for our heroes for the said gym battle? As the Journey Continues.

Stay Tuned.

Done and done. I want to have a special thanks to Vital Info, my Beta Reader, for writing this chapter for me, as the flu just hit me just recently, and I've been sick for the last few days. We went and knocked out both the Breeders convention and the whole thing with Bill together in the same chapter, and have the next one will be Ash's battle against Surge, which will be the next chapter.