"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Gary shouted, his heart pounding.
"Ball up, Sandshrew!" his opponent shouted, ordering his Ground-type to take a defensive position.
Gary's giant turtle shot out a deluge of water, only for the rodent to curl into a ball and swerve out of the way. Blastoice kept throwing more and more water at the rolling Sandshrew, but his aim was always off just by a smidge.
"Close in and Rollout!" the green haired boy shouted to his sandshrew.
The rodent responded by running into Blastoise and hitting him on the shins. The turtle staggered, but still held his ground. He shot lances of high pressure water at the Sandshrew, failing to get a hit in.
"Again! Don't let him get ready!" the boy shouted. Sandshrew complied, rolling into Blastoise's arms, shoulders, even the turtle's head! Each time, the wind got knocked out of Water-type and he took just a little longer to recover from the blow.
Gary narrowed his eyes, knowing the battle was not in his favor. But he had to win this! He looked down at his Pokémon's feet and noticed the sloshing mud gathering around him. The soil had been soaked thoroughly by all of the missed Hydro Pumps. Those attacks might have not been scored hits, but the terrain had been altered.
Sandshrew came by for another attack, his trainer shouting him on.
"Blastoise, shoot the ground!" Gary shouted. "Full power!"
His opponent glanced at the boy with surprise. "Now, what can you be thinking?" he goaded.
"A physics lesson," Gary snorted.
Blastoise turned towards the advancing Sandshrew and instead of training his cannons at his foe, he instead locked them right at the ground next to the rolling Sandshrew's side. The cannons burst with a torrent of water, but this time, the mud exploded into a shower of sludge that coated everything within a dozen feet.
Sandshrew continued to roll forward, but his speed had taken a massive hit as not only was he covered in mud, the very ground he rolled upon sloshed and deformed under the pressure of his rolling. Then abruptly, he stopped and tumbled face first onto the muddy ground. Like a tire caught in mud, sandshrew faltered.
"Wait, what happened?" Gary's opponent stared, clearly surprised.
"We removed your traction," Gary laughed. Sandshrew's body was ultimately quite smooth, which worked fine on normal ground and rock; it provided easy, low friction movement. But in wet earth and mud, that lack of friction also meant that the Ground-type had minimal ability to grip onto the ground around him to keep rolling. It was basically the reason why mud adapted tires were full of very exaggerated grooves.
Blastoise loomed over his opponent, slowly lining up his cannons without a word.
"Nice one!" Gary's opponent complimented. "But we're not through this yet. Sandshrew, get up! You know what to do!"
Sandshrew stood on his feet, preparing to leap out of the way of those cannon's attacks, but Gary surmised a weakness in that… Sandshrew already expected water attacks from this position. Ergo, if he wanted to catch his opponent off guard again, he had to do something out of the ordinary.
"Body Slam!" Gary ordered.
It surprised Blastoise, but Gary's starter complied with minimal hesitation. He launched himself at the Ground-type.
The Sandshrew who was preparing to avoid narrow waves of destructive ranged attacks… was completely unexpecting an oversized turtle landing ontop of him.
It was over in a split second. The dirt and mud exploded outwards in a plume of torn up soil.
Blastoise then picked himself off of the ground and patted at the mud caking his belly and face.
Gary walked over to his turtle and helped wipe off the worst of the mud. "Looks like you're going to need a deep clean at home."
Blastoise shrugged, not caring as much.
Gary's opponent ran over to his defeated Sandshrew. Instead of being upset or even unhappy, he just picked up his Pokémon and gently held him close. "Well, looks like we lost."
Meanwhile, the crowd went wild. A few trainers and local kids had stood nearby to spectate, all of them cheering for the two boys and their spectacular finish.
Gary smiled faintly. He hadn't had people cheer him on in ages, not since the last time he had been home. It felt like being given fresh, clean water after trekking through a desert. Even his opponent gave him a thumbs up.
"So, a rematch? Later of course." Gary's opponent asked, as he cradled his sandshrew in his arms. "Sandshrew and I… need to trainer harder."
"Sure, AJ," Gary smirked, liking the idea of having this other boy as someone he could spar with. He had a good sandshrew and he's trained well. He wondered what he's been feeding the rodent. "Hey, how come I didn't see you at the League? Like, I think it would be fun to face you."
AJ laughed, mildly embarrassed. "I got side tracked and tried to turn my one hundred win streak into a thousand."
"Seriously?" Gary balked, barely able to suppress his laughter. AJ's ploy sounded utterly ridiculous. "I'm pretty sure the average trainer shouldn't try to aim for that. Like, that's not something you can do in a single day."
"Yeah, It takes like a month." AJ shook his head. "Also, unless you really advertise for it, you kind of don't get to run into skilled trainers all that often. And even then, fatigue becomes a real problem."
"That tracks. You'd need at least thirty battles per day to do that in a reasonable time frame," Gary commented. Then he thought about it more and then had a question. "Hey, so when did you meet Ash? Like, was it part of that win streak?"
"I met him just before I broke one hundred. He actually stuck around and saw me when I did… We promised to face each other again one day, once we were stronger," AJ sighed, his expression slightly darker. "I guess we can't do that anymore in this life, but hopefully the next one."
"Same." Gary agreed. He smiled, looking at a crowd that gathered eagerly around them. All of them had been touched by Ash, one way or another. Some of them spent a good deal of time around the boy, even befriending them. Others were simply caught up in the wake of his heroics, their lives changed without him knowing their names.
One of the boys who had been spectating ran up and shouted. "That was awesome, guys! Anyone want to face me next?"
"Pika!" The pikachu on his shoulders exclaimed, almost as if signaling he wanted to be the one to fight.
"Sure, Ritchie!" Gary released Eevee, in the mood to have another battle. "Eevee, you're up!"
Gary did feel a little uneasy around Ritchie, but mostly came down to the fact that he had so many odd similarities with Ash, but with enough differences that it was obvious he was someone else entirely. Between the hair, the hat, and pikachu, one could almost think his old friend had reincarnated just for him.
"Go, Sparky!" Ritchie shouted, extending his hand to form a spring board for his rodent.
The rodent bounded off and landed on the ground with a three point finish. He then leanedforward in an aggressive stance. Eevee did the same, mirroring her opponent.
"Eevee," Gary began, preparing to send out his first order.
"Sparky," Ritchie called out, also planning to respond.
But the orders never came. Instead a new voice called out, interrupting the battle before it even began. "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be dead!"
Gary turned to the source. It was a blue-haired boy, maybe a year or two older than him. The most notable thing about him were the large oval shaped sunglasses over his head.
The boy approached Ritchie, pointing at him with an accusatory motion. "You're supposed to have a funeral!"
"What? No!" Ritchie refuted. "We had Ash's funeral yesterday!"
"Oh," the boy narrowed his eyes, as if trying to focus in on Ritchie. "I see, you just look like that dweb!"
"What!?" Richtie balked.
"Pi?" Sparky also joined in, similarly confused.
Plenty of the onlookers also just stared at the newcomer, completely caught off guard by his brazen attitude.
Gary squinted his eyes. Who even was this guy? And what gave him the right to disrespect a dead kid, especially Ash? "What do you have against Ash?" he asked, straight and to the point. He wanted nothing to clobber the guy, but he wanted to figure out what was going on.
The new boy straightened out his back and stood with a firm posture. "My name's Damien and Archie stole my charmander."
"Archie?" AJ questioned.
"Angelo," Damien corrected himself, still getting it wrong. Though his nasty tone of voice indicated that he might have been misnaming Ash on purpose.
"He… stole your charmander?" Gary asked, immediately skeptical. Though Ash did have a Charizard, he was a very temperamental beast, one that Ash clearly didn't have full control over. Could that be the same one?
"That's right," Damien answered. He sounded so smug, so sure of himself, that it was hard to refute. "I'm here to state my claim for a replacement."
"Ash is dead," Gary spat bitterly, agitated that this… vulture was showing up. "His mom isn't a trainer. How are you expecting to get a replacement?"
"I heard he was sponsored by Professor Oak," Damien said with confidence and a smile. "So, the duty falls on him to do it, since Arnold is sponsored by him."
"But I'm not!" said a boy who resembled Ash, but with darker blue hair in place of Ash's black. "I'm not even a trainer, though I might be one day!"
Damien stared. "What?"
"My name is Arnold!" the boy said. He gave Damien a harsh glare. "Seriously, knock it off."
Damien snorted. "Fine. I just want a new charmander."
Gary snickered. He didn't like the guy, something about him just rubbed him the wrong way. Like, come on, Ash stealing someone else's Pokémon? That was nearly unthinkable. And he sounded more frustrated about getting a charmanderrather than his charmander. "Are you sure Ash did it?"
"Yup!" Damien claimed. "I stared him down. We had a confrontation. And he stole my charmander at the end of it!"
Gary nodded his head. He didn't believe the boy for a second, but he was willing proceed. "Do you have your charmander's license? Registration?"
"How about a police report?" Ritchie questioned, his tone snide. "Like, if Ash definitely stole it, wouldn't there be an incident report or something proving that there was a crime? And that Ash was involved."
"I don't have to show you anything," Damien said, crossing his arms.
Gary turned a side eye, his glance meeting AJ and Ritchie. Wordlessly and with a few annoyed gestures, it was clear none of them fully bought Damien's story. Sure, they hadn't really grilled him over it, but Ash committing a crime where he would steal someone else's Pokémon? That was as ridiculous as robot Pokémon from the future terrorizing a local school. And Charizard was clearly strong enough to just… go leave Ash if he wanted; he might have been disobedient, but he didn't just fly away. Pokéball or not, Charizard should have left and returned home to his supposed trainer ages ago.
And that was when Gary realized something… if Ash did steal this kid's charmander, then why hadn't Gramps had done anything about it? Gramps did all of the background work for Ash and all of the other trainers he sponsored, making sure their medical and registration papers were in order. There was no way Gramps wouldn't know if Ash stole a charmander from someone else, because of that paper trail; and it wasn't like Ash would have even known to cover something like that up.
"You're lying," Gary said directly, not willing to entertain this fraud's lies any longer. "And you should get out of here."
"What? You're accusing of me lying?" Damien answered, raising his fists in defiance. "You are going to stand against me, knowing that I'm simply trying get what is owed to me?"
"Why would Ash steal your charmander?" Gary raised his voice. "I've had him longer than I've known how to read, so tell me again why I should believe you?"
"Oh, so you know, that stupid, little idiot?" Damien mocked. He walked closer to Gary, clenching his fists in the process.
"Yeah, Ash is an idiot," Gary agreed, though he didn't back down. He walked closer, meeting Damien until he was basically an arm's length away. "But he was no thief!"
"He stole my charmander," Damien insisted. He brought hands closed and cracked his knuckles.
"Eee?" Eevee voice met Gary's ears, her tone that of worry. The small fox ran brought herself near her trainer's legs and brushed against his side.
But Gary didn't want to surrender ground. He didn't even look at his Pokémon, instead option to glare Damien in the eyes.
A couple of the boys seeing the situation brew shouted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Damien's eyes gained a manic tinge to them as he smirked. "Yeah, I bet I could beat you up. What's a little punk you going to do?"
"You weren't at the Pokémon League," Gary replied.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Damien questioned, cocking an eyebrow.
"Only that I'm going to kick your butt," Gary promised. Clearly, this jerk hadn't paid attention to who placed where in the Pokémon League.
Damian backed away, fetching some Pokéballs out of his belt. "Whatever, I'm going to smoke you!"
"Eevee." Gary called out and backed away as well. Neither of them surrendered, merely…they cleared room for the ensuing battle ahead. Eevee followed her trainer, taking a position just opposite of Damien.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" the crowd of less than a dozen boys shouted, several of the Pokémon joining in as well.
Damien held two different Pokéballs out of his belt, his eyes flickering between them to determine which one he wanted. When he finally made his decision he prepared to throw it… only to instead freeze.
"Ah, so you're the boy who Ash's Charizard originally belonged to," Professor Oak's voice struck the entire group. He sounded kindly, so unassuming, yet it silenced everyone as though it were the detonation of a high explosive bomb.
Gary stared, blinking with disbelief that Ash had actually stolen someone else's Pokémon.
"Ahah!" Damien shouted. He turned to the other boys, pointing to himself like he had won. "See? Your Ash is a thief! He stole my charmander from me!"
"Yes, he had taken a wounded and badly malnourished Pokémon into his custody… after his trainer had left him on a rock for several day," Professor Oak said very bluntly, his demeanor and voice unchanged.
Damien stared.
The rest of the boys stood in silence, staring at the boy who claimed he was owed a charmander.
Gary felt sick to his stomach, disgusted at what he heard.
"I had spent quite a few hours coaching Ash on how to better care for the poor lizard," the old mank continued. "It was a rather tedious affair that involved me explaining to him how to help a reptile recover from long term starvation and dehydration."
Damien froze like a deer caught in the headlights. "But I." He balled up his fists. "Charmander was mine!"
"Who you deliberately abandoned for being, what was it that Ash had told me…" Gramps rubbed his chin. "Oh, I remember now. Charmander was too weak for you. You didn't want him until Ash carried him through a storm to get him to safety. Only then did you want him back."
Suddenly it made sense why Ash would take away someone else's Pokémon. This boy didn't deserve Pokémon.
Gary shouted. "What kind of trainer are you? Abandoning your own Pokémon?"
"An effective one," Damien insisted, though his voice indicated he was hesitating. "What was I going to do with a weak Charmander?"
AJ saw the weakness and pounced on it. "Train them up? Give them good food and exercise! It's your fault if your Pokémon is weak! It just means you're weak for not willing to put the work in!"
The rest of the crowd burst out in burning condemnation and searing jabs, held back only because Gramps supervised the assault.
"I would advise you to leave," Gramps suggested. Then rather casually, he tossed a Pokéball behind him and an angry dragonite popped into existence.
Damien shivered, seeing the powerful looming over him. He jolted and ran.
Gary laughed, raising his fist in triumph. "And never come back!" he laughed so hard, imagining the look on that jerk's face.
The other boys laughed, most of them satisfied with the outcome. They were like that for a good few minutes, as Damien became nothing more than a speck on the horizon.
"Ash really stole that kid's Pokémon?" Ritchie asked, after a minute.
"No, Charmander's registration was canceled," Gramps told them. He scratched his chin. "Of course, even if it was, it would have been trivial to annul that, given we had evidence of abuse at the time."
"So, are we really just going to let him go?" Gary asked. While he liked seeing Damien run away with his tail between his legs, Gary would have preferred a more lasting punishment. After all, if he had done that to one of his Pokémon, what were the chances he treated other Pokémon like that.
Gramps shook his head. "I already tried to manage things on my own, once Ash told me. Though, it doesn't seem like my recommendations to Kanto police have gone far."
No one present liked to hear that. That boy not only insulted Ash, but had cruelly abused a Pokémon his care for the crime of being too weak.
Gary had captured over a hundred Pokémon and though he didn't really care or love all of them equally, he still tried to make sure they were in good health. Sure, his grandfather did most of the caretaking, but he had a responsibility to them too. After all, it was hard not to, when Gramps constantly gave him lectures on maintaining the bonds between humans and Pokémon.
Eevee's fuzzy body rubbed against the boy's leg, drawing his attention back to earth. "Eevee?" said the canine.
"Oh, that's right!" Ritchie soon called out. "We were supposed to battle!"
Gary immediately snapped out of his daze, his heart rate rising with the suggestion. "You're on, Ritchie!"
Gramps smiled. "Ah, this takes me back."
Misty didn't want to believe anything that that crazy lucario had told them. He didn't provide any evidence and instead just claimed all sorts of weirdness. Yet, despite that, she couldn't help but see signs that pointed to his claims being more than just a hallucination.
Misty spun her twin tails like rotors as she swam through the clear water. Her body moved with agile precision, turning at sharp angles with minimal loss of momentum against the walls of her confined space. She barely even moved her paws anymore, instead opting entirely to just her tail and lower body for locomotion entirely, like she was a living torpedo. These were not swimming techniques she had ever learned as a human girl, yet they came to her so naturally that she didn't even realize it until just now.
The buizel surfaced for air, bursting through the waters with casual ease.
She crept out of the small artificial pond and then. She then fell onto all fours and with very little thought put into it, she shook herself, tossing the water on her body in every direction. Misty's fur turned into a scattered mess of fuzz, which she then quickly brought back into order with little effort. That was yet another thing that she didn't know how she picked up; it just happened one day.
Misty shook her head and walked out. She ventured into the Tajiri household and found who she was looking for.
Goldeen and Zubat sat at a small table. The two faced one another, a small wooden chessboard between them. Both swapped pieces with one another as they strove to out play the other.
Misty didn't know who was winning, as unlike the game as she knew it, this version was fifteen tiles on each side and pieces started in three-by-three clusters. She wasn't even that skilled in the normal game, let alone this strange Citrine specific variant. Either way, she was impressed; those two were able to pick up a new game like that.
That was when out of the blue, Zubat moved one piece to a weird corner of the map and declared, "Checkmate in six?" She then brought a wing towards her chin. "I think… I might be getting the rules wrong."
Goldeen extended a flipper and toppled one of her pieces. She let out an amused hum.. "No, no I think that's right. Assuming that we're not mistaking the assassin for the bishop."
"Huh, looks like you're having fun," Misty commented, drawing attention to herself as she approached and sat next to them.
"Oh, hey, Misty!" Zubat called out as she moved the pieces back into their starting positions. "We found this old board game and thought it'd be better than using cards since I'm blind and all."
"Indeed, granted, we're still not sure if we're reading the rules right," Goldeen replied. "And that's not factoring in the difficulties of playing something when our best way to move pieces is with our mouths."
"Either way, it looks interesting," Misty said. "Let me help you with that." She then reached over with her paws and helped shift pieces along to their desired positions.
"Are you… feeling better, considering yesterday's conversation?" Goldeen asked. Though she didn't say what exactly "what" was, everyone present already knew. It wasn't a secret among their group.
"A little," Misty admitted as her mind continued to find new patterns in things she had already known. Goldeen's words were nothing like Zubat's, yet the buizel understood both of them perfectly without needing to decode their words into her own tongue. No one had to teach her how to understand Pokémon, that was simply a fact of life. In contrast, when humans learned a language, it was a painstaking process that could take months if not years to master. Someone from Japan going to Kalos or Unova would need to learn a whole new language, one for nearly each country.
"It doesn't change anything, Misty," Goldeen reassured her, as if sensing what Misty thought.
And yet simply knowing what Mister Tajiri believed… nothing was quite the way it was. "When I turned into a buizel for the first time, I thought it was strange, yet… I adapted to it quickly. It wasn't hard, I didn't struggle to learn how to do anything. I just needed a few hours to learn how to use Water Gun and then I knew the basics."
"You've done well for yourself given our odd circumstances." The fish spin in place and gestured to her tail fins and the Float Ring that hovered beside it. "You should be proud."
"Yeah, but there wasn't any difficulty." Misty brought a paw up and imagined in her mind how her hands used to look. "My body is… so different. My legs are so much shorter, yet I can walk so easily. Everything is so proportioned differently, yet it came… naturally to me." The words hung in the air, making everyone aware of their presence. What if the reason why everything felt so natural was because it was natural?
"So?" Goldeen questioned, a slightly chuckle escaping her lips. "What does it matter? You're still you."
Except Misty now didn't know who Misty should be. The girl who washed upon shore, who wanted to be a Water-Type Pokémon Master…. She was a buizel, a Pokémon herself. "What if Mister Tajiri is right about everything? That I and… everyone else is supposed to be a Pokémon?"
"Why does that worry you?" Zubat was the one to ask. She sounded annoyed. "And aren't we supposed to be playing chess?"
"In a minute," Goldeen promised. She floated over near Misty's space and went over her head. "Misty, I'm still here for you. Tell me what worries you."
Misty didn't really know to put in words. She didn't really know what exactly bothered her, because she hadn't really puzzled it out, but slowly the picture became clearer in her own mind. "... What if I go back to being human and I don't like it?"
Goldeen's eyes shifted, her expression indicating she didn't understand.
"... When I became a buizel and swam for the first time, I felt… free, like I was in my own element," the weasel answered, her thoughts turning towards those days on the beach. She frowned. "If Mister Tajiri is right, and this is who I am meant to be… is it even right for me to go back?"
Goldeen stared silently, constantly opening her mouth to speak, but closing it before she could utter even a single syllable.
Zubat, too, turned her head towards Misty.
Silence filled the air. Goldeen eventually spoke, "He could be lying. He might not know for certain." Though her words were as uncertain and unprovable.
"Am I interrupting something here?" Cinder's voice echoed, drawing attention to herself.
Everyone else turned and found the fox phasing through a door.
"No, we're just… talking," Misty said. She didn't mind company, especially not for someone else in the know. "You can come if you'd like."
"About… yesterday I take," the fox guessed. Cinder walked to the table and collapsed onto a nearby cushion.
Misty nodded. It was after all the main thing that's enraptured their little group.
"We're supposed to be playing chess," Zubat exclaimed, exasperated. "But, Misty is bothered."
"Cinder, do you believe Mister Tajiri's claims yesterday?" Goldeen questioned.
"I don't know what to believe, but it's… possible." Cinder said in a low voice. "I mean, I thought it was strange that you humans were very like us Maiju. I thought it was perplexing how… like people you were. Like, I didn't think humans had, you know dreams, aspirations."
"You know, that sounds bizarre when you say it like that," Misty replied. Though, then again, she had the opposite idea. She had known Pokémon were smarter than she had thought, but she had never considered Goldeen or Staryu having dreams of their own. She liked her friends and knew they had feelings, but they were… pets, dependants, not people.
Cinder continued. "When I found out that Ash had a lucario mother, I thought it explained why he was fairly typical for his species. It didn't explain you or Brock, but it made things seem explainable."
"And you had a mother who wasn't always a zoroark," Mister added. Granted, Cinder's mother didn't raise the zorua.
Cinder nodded. "I mean, I've always known I was a little… bookish, but I never thought I was strange. Even when I learned my mother's origins, I didn't really… feel any different about it."
Come to think of it, Misty didn't really feel all that different either, even when she had completely changed into a different species. Everything just felt strangely normal despite how radical a change it should have been.
"Is there any evidence that we can point towards refuting Mister Tajiri's claims?" Goldeen asked, going directly to the point. "If nothing else, we should at least think about that."
Misty blinked, suddenly hopeful. "Well, if humans are meant to be Pokémon… why is that we can't understand Pokémon unless we're Pokémon ourselves? And how about using moves? If we're Pokémon, why can't we do that?"
Cinder frowned as she thought about it. "I… don't exactly have much information on humans specifically, so I can't answer."
"... Well, Sabrina could use psychic moves," Zubat pointed out as she fiddled with one of the chess pieces. "And I heard there were martial artists who tried to do what Pokémon could do, so maybe there's that."
"Thinking on it more, there's also been stories of humans using magic to enthrall Maiju, though I'm not certain how that works," Cinder said. "Granted, Maiju have done the same to each other."
"But that's not the same, is it?" Misty felt unsure. There were always weird people around who had through intense training or weird genetic quirks were a bit ahead of normal people. She didn't really know how that worked, but it was a subject that showed up on TV every now and again.
"One of our patients, Raichu, was unable to understand other Maiju or use her Essence in any meaningful way when we originally held her," Cinder said finally. "I didn't really understand the mechanics, but she had those traits. Dexter I think compared it to how humans were."
Misty blinked. She roughly understood what had happened this past week, with that ditto, Verge, causing all sorts of havoc over his mad experiments. "So, wait, how did that happen?"
"I don't know, I don't think anyone except Master Aspen and those in his inner circle know, but… Raichu when she first came to us had her Essence… choked, unable to be used in any meaningful way. In contrast, her Essence when she fought Brock was actually more stable." Cinder frowned as she mulled it over. "Though that begs the question of why Verge's research had a tendency of rendering his victims and test subjects closer to human capabilities."
Misty felt oddly self conscious hearing all of this. Did that mean that Mister Tajiri's statement had even more truth to them? That in actually, she had been denied of… what she was supposed to have all along.
"But why would the mad ditto who I heard was obsessed over being more powerful and better want to be human?" Zubat pointed out. "Like, I don't hate humans, but I know they're kind of, you know, vulnerable."
"I don't know," the zorua admitted. "Though, Master Aspen… is very oddly aware of how to cure those afflicted with Verge's experiments."
Misty thought back to that conversation she overheard yesterday between Scholar Aspen and Sir Fjord. They clearly understood what Verge was doing, perhaps even moreso than the ditto himself did. "But if this is all true… why do humans exist?"
Cinder blinked.
"Pardon, Misty?" Goldeen questioned.
"If humans aren't… real, natural, why did whoever make them go through all the trouble of making creatures who were weaker and unable to communicate with everyone else?" Misty said.
"Raichu and… none of the other victims were showing signs of any sort of physically changing into human form?" Cinder mused. "In fact, I'm pretty sure they would have died from increasing weakness and fatigue had they not been treated."
"So, perhaps we need more information?" Goldeen suggested. "It's clear we still don't have a full picture, though we've made progress."
Misty nodded her head. It definitely looked like they needed to think this through more, even though she didn't like what she had learned. She didn't like the idea that her human self was… fake, but at this point, she didn't have much to dispute the seemingly growing pile of evidence.
The buizel sighed and turned towards the chess board as zubat continued to play alone. She wanted to think about something else. "So, how do you play this game?"
They were everywhere. They wanted to attack her. They were going to take her… She had to attack first, she had to fight them, defeat them to be safe, secure herself… But who were they? She… she didn't know.
"...Vulpix?"
The sound hit her ears, confusing her. Was the voice referring to her? She stirred, twisting in on herself, trying to find a place to stand.
Vulpix felt her eyes open, blinding light spilling into the room. Only, the room was… dark? The fox blinked several times, trying to piece together where she was. There was someone else in the room, but her eyes were so strained that she couldn't make out who it was, nor could she identify the voice. She tried to get up, to get a better look.
"Vulpix, rest," said the stranger.
Vulpix listened, not really able to think to do otherwise. She remained on her… bed? She felt a dull ache permeate her body, especially her head. And there were… sore points all over her, like her flesh had been burned by some force. Which was strange; she had never been burned before.
The stranger leaned closer, as if looking her over. She didn't seem hostile.
Vulpix's eyes focused on her companion, making out distinct shapes and colors. It was… she was a ninetales… with wooden beads around her body. That could have only been one person. "Kyuko?" the fox rasped, her voice felt raw.
"Ah, I see you're able to recognize me. You've been out for, maybe two days?" the older ninetales said. "How are you feeling?"
Vulpix groaned and stretched her body. "Hurting. What happened? Why am I here?" she said. She vaguely recalled… being abducted after trying to save a raichu and then something about her captor…
The fox immediately jumped up, startled. She remembered what happened! He burned something into her, something that ate at her. "Where… where is he…she… whatever! The one that…"
Kyuko raised a paw and placed it over Vulpix's lip. "He's currently taking up space in one of the rooms and under constant watch until the Empress Dowager decides what to actually do with him. He is no longer a problem for anyone, least of all you."
Vulpix blinked, not quite believing this news, but that sounded good. Her kidnapper was… detained it sounded like? "So, we're safe?"
"More or less." Kyuko nodded her head. She sighed, almost defeated. "Granted, it looked very much like you wouldn't make it. No one knew how to treat your afflictions until the famous Scholar of Opalton treated you directly. But now, it looks like you're going to back to proper health sooner rather than later."
"That's good," Vulpix said, not quite sure how to take that news. She supposed she liked being alive, though something didn't feel right.
The smaller fox squinted her eyes and carefully looked over the priestess. She was covered in dirt, with parts of her fur standing out in bundles. Her eyes also twitched uncomfortably, as though she forced them to stay wide open.
"Are you okay?" Vulpix questioned. "Like, why are you even here?" Last she recalled, the two of them were in a spat. Over Brock and… the younger fox was simply too young for the older male.
"My duties… require that I fulfill the spiritual needs of everyone in the household." Kyuko said with pride, though strained under obvious fatigue. "Admittedly, such a task was meant to be much… shallower when originally conceived."
"So you were… praying for me?" Vulpix said, guessing at what might have happened.
"Honor… demands respect," the older vixen admitted, wounded pride in her tone. She lowered her head, half ashamed, half concerned. "You should not put yourself in danger like that again, even if… for my benefit."
"Uh, thank you? I'll… try not to save you again?" Vulpix answered, not quite sure how to respond. Kyuko's answer simply was something she didn't expect. Nor she did know how to handle it correctly. They probably weren't friends, at the very least, but maybe they were going to tolerate each other from here on in.
The door to the room absurdly slid open, to the surprise of both foxes. Neither of them anticipated the guests.
The familiar faces of Brock and Geodude stepped into the room, various objects on their persons. They were just as surprised as the two foxes, not anticipating the two of them in conversation.
Brock dropped the small bundle of flowers in his mouth, letting them fall into a disorganized heap. "Vulpix!" He then looked down at flowers and promptly tried to collect them again.
"Well, this is awkward," Geodude commented.
"Uh, hey guys?" Vulpix tried to smile. She slowly stepped over to her friends, her aching only slightly. "Thanks for the visit, I guess."
"Yeah, well, we figured we might as well as see how you were doing today." Geodude shrugged. He then took out a small vase on Brock's back and set it next to the mat Vulpix had slept on.
Brock turned his head and dropped the flowers onto the vase. "We just… thought you might have liked something pretty when you woke up."
"Thank you." Vulpix smiled at them both. She was glad that she had such caring friends.
She then blinked, her eyes staring at his. She remembered looking into those sharp emerald eyes. She recalled… in her fighting, her struggles that she vaguely… those eyes pierced through the veil that surrounded her.
The sound of a box clattering drew the fox's attention back to earth. Vulpix looked down and noticed a small wooden box right front of her. "What's this?"
"It's the Fire Stone you wanted," Brock admitted. He gently pushed the box towards the fox. "When we went shopping, we picked it up since you already paid for it. I don't know if you still want it."
Oh, right. Vulpix had run off to save that raichu immediately after paying for the stone. She had completely forgotten about it until now. She put a paw over the box and felt a warmth seeping through the wood, barely imperceptible yet present. The wood blocked most of the power from seeping out and touching her. She was not going to evolve unless she lifted the lid.
"I… uh thank you." Vulpix was unsure of what to say. She had resolved to evolve and surprise Brock by her new appearance once she had properly acclimated. But evolving here and now? She didn't have the same resolve or drive. Maybe she was afraid. Or maybe it was all of the people present.
"Vulpix, it's fine if you want to evolve," Kyuko's voice rang. "There isn't anything wrong with wanting to see yourself become more." she encouraged. Which was a strange contrast to her words some time ago.
Vulpix stared at her and then at the box. She… wanted to be beautiful, to bloom. Yet, she could feel the hesitation in her own heart. She looked at Brock, noticing that something was sticking out from one of the bags. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the object
"Oh, this?" Brock curled on himself and pulled out a long minty green ribbon and dropped it on the floor. "Your old ribbon, I think got lost when you were captured, so I thought I'd get you a new one. This one is a bit longer, in case, well, you know."
Vulpix stared at him, looking into soulful eyes. There was a certain care in them, a sign of his desire to see her well. The fox turned back to the box and made her choice.
She pushed the away, towards Geodude. "Maybe, I'll evolve when I feel better," she said. "Right now, I just think it's not the best time."
"Right," Geodude answered back as he took the box and put it a bag on Brock's side. "We'll save it for when you want it."
Kyuko looked surprised. She stared the younger fox, blinking as though she two heads.
Brock nodded in response. He seemed unbothered, though perhaps understanding. "Evolving is your choice," he said. "It's something I can't decide for you because that's your right."
Vulpix nodded her head, thankful her crush understood. She had wanted to evolve to gain his affection, to compete against Kyuko since she was a much older, more beautiful of her species. Yet with Kyuko not butting heads with her and Brock's kind gestures, she was left with a question; why did she need to evolve to gain what she already had?
She shook her body and then stretched. "Hey, can we get out of here? I think I want some fresh air since it sounds like I've been in this room for a while."
"We can do that," Brock answered, his tail wagging in obvious joy. "We can probably walk around the garden. Maybe spend some time with Onix, while we're at it?"
"That sounds nice." Vulpix answered.
Geodude promptly slid the door open and led the lycanroc out.
Vulpix was about to follow them, but then decided to turn towards Kyuko. "What's with the sudden change of heart?" she squinted an eye. "Like, you're acting different."
Kyuko raised her head dismissively. "The last few days have… been enlightening, but I am an outsider, in your group." She shook her head. "Also, he is a warrior and I am not.
Vulpix blinked. What did that even mean?
Before she could ask more questions. "Vulpix? You coming?"
The fox jolted. She dash out the door, spurred on by the call. "Coming!"
Ash took the wooden bo staff into his hands and spun it between the digits on his paws, twisting and twirling it like he had seen once or twice in some movies. He honestly hadn't given it a try before, but it was surprisingly easy! All he had to do was be quick with his fingers and-
THWAK!
Ash's bo staff smacked into the riolu's head. The Fighting-type fell on his rear and rubbed at the small bump on his cheek.
Pikachu laughed at him, giggling at the sight.
Ash snorted. He threw the staff at the rodent.
The Electric-type dodged the half-hearted attack with ease, turning his gaze to the staff for only a split second.
Ash, however, had expected that. The riolu pushed himself off the ground and leapt at his best friend, tackling him to the dirt.
Pikachu squirmed with resistance, peppering his trainer with a slight jolt of electricity.
Ash spun on the ground, laughing as he and his partner wrestled each other in the dirt of the training yard. Their tossing and turning only stopped once they were thoroughly covered in dust.
Both boys broke away from each other and turned to look at their counterpart. They then laughed at how ridiculous the other looked with their fur smeared and disheveled from rough play. They argued which of them looked worse off.
"So, we're going to have our next challenge soon?" Pikachu asked eventually.
Ash nodded his head. "Yeah, I asked around and they have openings tomorrow." Apparently one of the alchemists working on curing people at the house was a Sensei and he knew the schedule for his Dojo. They were open to challengers tomorrow. "So, we just have to get ready and prepare, right?"
Pikachu shrugged. "I mean, we could give some of the others guys a chance to try out. I know Charizard's been itching for a fight."
Ash nodded in thought. Yeah, it had been a while since Charizard fought. Maybe Cyclizar would want a go too? Or maybe even Goldeen or Zubat? Onix? He'd have to ask. "And then once we win, we get another Emera. And we're that much closer to going home!"
Pikachu nodded. "Yeah…"
Though he hid it well, Ash could sense a small hint of worry and discontentment coming from his friend. Pikachu harbored feelings about what would happen at the very end, made all the more complicated by the fact that they would forget their time in Citrine once they left. It was unfair, but that was the situation that they faced right now.
"You know, I kind of wonder what I'd tell Mom and Professor Oak about this place," Ash admitted, looking up at the noontime sky.
"Yeah, you have a lot to say to your mom and teacher," Pikachu surmised with the biggest understatement in the world.
If he could bring it up, Ash just knew that Mom would have a big shock about everything. The fact that she was once a tournament winning lucario would definitely be a stark contrast to the mild mannered restaurant owner she was today. That was something he didn't know about her.
Professor Oak though, that was tricky to think about. Did the fact humans were actually Pokémon mean that Professor Oak's field of study of human-Pokémon relationship no longer existed? Like, wouldn't that just be people-people relationships?
… What would Professor Oak turn into? Or how about Gary? Would Ritchie also turn into a riolu with ties to Citrine? He basically copied everything else.
Those were all very good questions, which Ash really wanted to know the answers to. While Ash hadn't fully come to terms with the idea back when his grandfather spilled it out to him, the riolu had come to appreciate what he had learned. It meant that other people could, if given the chance, not only be able to talk with their friends directly, but also be able to tap into the power themselves. Being a Pokémon was such a cool thing, something that he felt others should try!
A large crash rattled the earth and for a split second, Ash nearly jolted out of his fur.
Grabbing a hold of himself, the riolu turned and saw Onix and Charizard duking it out against each other. Cheers and shouts rang out from nearby, the signs of others.
"Huh, so that's why Charizard said he wanted to train against?" Pikachu muttered.
Ash smirked at his friend. He got up and dusted himself. "Hey, let's go and watch!" he said, eager to see watch a fight.
Pikachu shrugged. "Why not?"
The two walked from their part of the training grounds towards the location taken up by the two battling Pokémon.
By the time they had gotten there, a group of just over a dozen onlookers was already present, made up of the various guests that were invited into the house; soldiers, patients, and healers among others. They spectated, offering shouts and praise, whilst also passing money between each other for some sort of bet.
Charizard charged forward, claws in hand. The Fire-type slashed at the large Rock-type, striking stone skin with minimal effect. In response, Onix swung his tail and knocked Charizard back with almost casual ease.
Things weren't good for Charizard at this point, his moves limited to elements Onix was resistant to. Yet, Ash was going to cheer on his friend regardless. "Go, Charizard!" he shouted.
"Yeah, if I can take him! You can, too!" Pikachu added, jumping on his feet for emphasis.
Charizard slightly turned his neck, towards Ash and Pikachu, almost surprised they were watching. He snorted, almost annoyed. "Kinda busy," he called.
In a different context, the slight deviation of attention might have gotten Charizard hit, but Onix simply grumbled in his graveley tone of voice. "Hmph. No sprinklers here."
"Well, I won't need sprinklers to face you!" Charizard responded. He extended his wings and leapt into the air. Then, spinning in on a loop, the fire dragon twisted his flight into a corkscrew and then into a loop before swooping down and trying to strike at Onix.
Onix, in turn, lifted his tail and swung it in Charizard's direction. Charizard narrowly avoided getting smacked. and dove past the attack Fire engulfed him in the split second he rammed his whole body against Onix's sides.
Yet Onix didn't even move back. "No effective moves," he ground out. A stone materialized right front of his face and it fell right on top of Charizard, sending the lizard to the ground.
Ash winced at the sight. He almost ran over to his wounded Pokémon, but held himself back because he felt the burning fire that formed in the large lizard's heart.
Charizard pushed himself off the ground, his feet slightly wobbling.
Onix looked down at the wounded Pokémon, his expression one of concern. "Perhaps end fight? You are hurt."
Charizard raised his claws indignation. "No way, I'm still in this fight".
"Type disadvantage," Onix reiterated.
"So?" Charizard grabbed a wing and started to flex it, perhaps to restore feeling to it. "I'm not going to give up because of that! Besides, that rat beat you up, didn't he!?"
"Pikachu… overstates," Onix said.
Charizard laughed. He clasped one of his claws with the other. "Well, if I beat you then, that means I'm better!" He then let out a burst of flame, clearly intent on burning through Onix's rockhard hide.
"You can do it!" Ash cheered from the side lines. He didn't know if Charizard would win or not, but he was backing up his friend irregardless of that.
"Really wish he spent those few days learning Metal Claw with us, would really help him right now," Pikachu muttered.
"Yeah…" Ash agreed. Charizard's arsenal was just poorly suited to fighting Onix. His fiery attacks were ineffective against the Rock-types in general. And his usual strategy to beat fire resistant foes by simply picking them up and throwing them against the earth… was impossible when Onix was at least a dozen times Charizard's weight, if not more.
Charizard continued to blast at his opponent covering him in rings and streams of burning flame, even despite his opponent shrugging off nearly everything.
Onix responded with rocks, launching boulders at high speeds at the dragon. Charizard managed to leverage his speed to avoid getting hit, but who knew how long that was going to take.
The two traded blows like that for at least a good minute. Charizard charged in and sent, only to be batted away by the immovable Onix. Onix often responded with stones and tackles, but he lacked the aim, or maybe the desire, to land a decisive blow. It was hard to say who would actually win, but Ash definitely felt like his dragon was a disadvantage.
Abruptly, a gong rang in the distance.
Ash blinked, wondering if that was some sort of match ending bell. However, instead of both Pokémon ending their fight, the spectators all abruptly left their seats and ran towards the front of the house. A wave of sudden fear and alarm rang through them all, so fast that Ash had a hard time figuring out what was all that actually about.
"What happened?" Onix asked. Both he and Charizard turned to Ash and Pikachu, just as confused by this turn of events.
"I don't know," Ash admitted. "But it felt urgent?"
Charizard pouted, crossing his arms. "It better be," he said, clearly annoyed.
"Maybe we should find out?" Ash questioned. He then felt a sudden, yet light slap against the back of his head as Pikachu's tail hit him.
"Race you!" the rodent challenged. He immediately took a heat start and dashed on all fours towards the front of the house.
Ash laughed, running after his best friend. He didn't turn his head, but he could feel Charizard and Onix tailing behind him.
They ran through the gardens and around the house until they arrived at the front entrance, at the top of the stairway that led to the house proper.
There, the dozens of Pokémon who had moved into the house to secure it arrayed themselves in an organized formation, lining up the path that led up the stairway. Behind them were the alchemists and healers, such as Cinder and Scholar Aspen. Ash did not have a good look as to what was going on, but the mix of fear and reverence that hung in the air implied someone important, very important was visiting the house.
The riolu saw his grandfather standing in front of the house. The elder lucario gestured to the jackal pup to come by his side.
Ash hadn't spent much time with his Gramps since yesterday, mostly because his grandfather was busy working with the soldiers present. Also, Ash felt that he was able to come to terms with everyone he ever knew being a Pokémon, he also didn't understand where humans fit into that just yet.
Either way, the riolu walked over. He figured that whatever was happening was important if all of these Pokémon were gathering up in such orderly lines.
He walked over to Gramps's side, Pikachu following right behind him.
Onix and Charizard didn't approach, instead content to stay on the fringes.
To his surprise, two lucario walked up. They were barely recognizable by the shape, the two of them dressed in plated armor with exaggerated shield-like pauldrons and helmets with porcelain masks.
Ash immediately took note. This had to have been the first time that he had met another member of his species that probably wasn't in his family tree. He wondered if that's why everyone made such a big deal of things, only for the two lucario to split up and take positions on the flanks.
Two figures walked up the stairs behind them, one of them Ash recognized.
Gaozu the pancham wore an expensive looking tunic made of red silk and golden embroidery. The bear cub's face said everything. He walked with an intense frown, a sign that he did not want to be present. Though, his expression lightened considerably as his caught sight of Ash.
Behind him was a pangoro. She wore a long silken dress that went nearly to her heels. Despite a bear, her motions appeared near fluid and bearing a poise that clearly had to have been honed over years of practice. Her expression was neutral, composed in ways that Gaozu's was not. Ash did not need to guess who she was.
The soldiers immediately fell to their knees if they were able, though no one else did.
"Emperor Gaozu the Second and his mother, the Dowager Empress. We of Clan Tajiri welcome you to our humble abode,." Gramps said, bowing his head.
Ash, deferring to his Gramp's actions, did the same.
Gaozu frowned for a second because he tried to hide his expression. "Yes. Thank you," he said in the most neutral tone of voice he could.
"We humbly accept you hospitality, though we will not be staying too long," said pangoro lady. Her tone was professional, detached. "We are simply here to acknowledge the deeds and heroism of those who are here as well as to retrieve the… captive for longer term storage."
"You honor us," said Gramps. He then gestured to one of the soldiers, a combusken. "Please, bring the captive here for immediate transport."
"Indeed." The large panda then turned towards her son and then lightly tapped a reluctant Gaozu. "Surely, you have things to say to your… associate?"
Gaozu's expression brightened into a smile as he walked forward.. "Hey, Ash! I heard you got into the fight!"
"Yeah," Ash admitted, scratching his head. He felt a little uneasy with so many eyes looking at him so closely, but the panda cub's bright attitude made the whole situation something more familiar, relatable to him. "I got a little beat up, but it wasn't the worst I've had!"
The young pancham seemed to drink all of those words in, eagerly excited. "I bet!" he practically giggled. He then turned towards Pikachu. "And I heard you took the baddie down!"
"Sort of," Pikachu confirmed. "I mean, we're still not sure how it happened."
"What kind of Maiju can turn into others like that? It sounds so wild!" the pancham rambled. "Are all Maiju of their kind like that, too? Do they kidnap others and put them into experiments?"
"No, we actually knew a ditto that was nice!" Ash answered. Though it occurred to him that he didn't really know how to refer to Duplica's ditto beyond being a ditto. "We met this one actor and we spent a whole day helping them get better at entertaining others."
Gaozu looked intrigued. "So, like a zorua in a stage play?"
Ash nodded.
"Oh." Gaozu seemed to think it over, before changing topic. "So, what are you going to do now?"
Ash shrugged and then raised up his Looplet. "Probably get the Emera from the local Dojo. Maybe tomorrow, or the day after. Not sure when exactly, but we've put it off for a while now."
Gaozu's eyes lit up bright. He turned to his mother, pulling at her sleeves. "Mother, may we be present?"
The Dowager Empress gave a light frown, not liking the idea. She turned towards Ash, squinting at him in judgment. "I suppose it is not too much harm; we can make arrangements if you so desire."
"YES!" Gaozu practically bounced in position, his heart fluttering in joy.
"But please, take note to study the fighters, this time," the pangoro mother pleaded in a way that was not unlike Ash's own mother back when he was in school.
"...Yes, Mother," Gaozu said, not as enthusiastically.
Ash smiled for the bear cub. He didn't know him all that long, but Ash could definitely tell that the pancham lived a life that was so controlled compared to other kids his age. The riolu knew he couldn't stand living like that, so he was happy that the pancham at least had a chance to enjoy himself.
"And you," Gaozu's mother then turned to Ash. "You have made quite the impression, already. Just from your arrival and the subsequent… actions you have taken just the other day, both towards my son and in battle, you show promise."
"Yeah! Thanks," Ash smiled brightly. This was Gaozu's mother and he felt like he should respect her, given how polite she was being.
The pangoro squinted her eyes and scanned Ash more thoroughly. "I see you were a hat, an atypical style not commonly seen within Citrine. It's from outside?"
"Uh, yeah," Ash replied as he reached towards his head. Now that he was back on his family's home, he returned to using the one article of clothing from his old life he could still wear.
"But then, why do you have it? Who gave it you?" The pangoro questioned.
At a different point of his life, Ash might have missed the inflection, but he caught the strange tone of emphasis she implied in her words. It was as if an unsaid part of the question.
"I… won it?" he answered as truthfully as he could. "There was a contest and everything!"
The pangoro seemed satisfied with the reply, as though getting a satisfactory answer from that question. "I see."
Gramps for some reason felt oddly concerned, though Ash didn't feel any hostile intent coming from anyone present.
The combusken Gramps ordered to fetch Verge's statue returned, holding the misshapen figure that had once been a ditto in his arms. He set it down in front of Ash and his grandfather. It still looked like a disgusting amalgamation of different Pokémon that somehow seemed even more repulsive than it had been hours prior. Though the statue did not move, Ash could practically feel a mess of emotions that burned inside.
…Did that mean he was alive? And further, was Verge aware of his condition? A part of Ash felt sympathy, but the ditto had more or less brought this fate upon himself.
Pikachu stuck out his tongue, like he had tasted something foul. He looked at Ash, concern in his expression.
"What a detestable looking Maiju," the Empress commented. She walked over and picked the statue up with a single paw, like it was just a plush toy. "We have prepared a cell just for you, kidnapper."
The two lucario bodyguards by her side looked concerned, even through their masked faces.
"Are you sure you should be handling that?" Gramps squinted a skeptical eye. "It may be unsafe. We do not know the full extent of his powers."
"Hmph," the pangoro grunted, almost annoyed. She casually tossed the statue to one of her lucario bodyguards with casual ease. The jackal caught it, grabbing onto the statue with both arms. "We have done our business here, Old Jackal. It is… good to see you are doing well."
"As I am to you," Ash's grandfather said, bowing in turn.
"We'll see you again, Ash! I can't wait til the big fight!" Gaozu said, turning his back and rushing to the stairs.
"Hope you'll like it!" Ash shouted as the young pancham ran out of earshot.
"We will expect… further impressions, from you," Gaozu's mother stated as she and the bodyguards followed the panda cub.
The assembled crowd of guests and people then immediately dispersed, their duty done. Most of them went back to their duties, patrolling the house or working to treat the patients still in the house. Only a few remained behind.
Gramps turned down to look at Ash. "You did as well as could be expected. I suppose it helps that Gaozu is very young and is impressed by you."
"Yeah," Ash agreed. The whole situation would have definitely been less agreeable if Gaozu had been older or didn't apparently like him.
"Hey, why does the young… Emperor like Ash, anyways?" Pikachu questioned.
"Isn't it fairly obvious?" Cinder's voice rang as she approach. The trembled, radiating fear as though it were an intense cold front.
Ash was taken aback and naturally felt concern for his friend. "Cinder, is something?"
"... Nothing. Don't- don't worry about it!" the zorua responded, her voice shaking.
"Are you sure?" Ash stared. Something bothered her, yet she didn't want help. That was… strange. He wanted to ask for questions, to delve deeper.
"I'm perfectly fine," Cinder replied, her voice dropping the tremble as she regained control of herself. "From what I understand, the young Emperor is because unlike him, you are something of a traveler, while he is not. You came from outside Citrine, something that is as far away from the homeland as possible."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Ash took Cinder's cue and decided not to delve deeply into her earlier feelings. "He said he was stuck at the palace all of the time and… he did ask me a lot about my adventures. And a lot about what the world was like outside Citrine. He had a bunch of strange ideas."
Cinder nodded. "Another factor is your age. You're older than him, but you aren't an adult either. He might see you as someone to look up to."
"...What?" Ash blinked several times, having not even begun to comprehend something like that. There was no way that the Emperor of a whole country would look up to him…. On the other paw, Gaozu was more than just an Emperor; he was a kid, too.
Pikachu started to laugh, clearly finding the whole notion silly.
"I mean, from what I heard, he's basically studying around the clock, learning all sorts of things and listening to lectures," Charizard grumbled, walking in. "The tutor I went to really liked talking about the lessons he's taking."
"Like all the children of the Emperor, Gaozu's life would undoubtedly be very controlled, especially given his father is gone." Cinder replied, her tone serious.
Pikachu stopped laughing, his expression darkening. "That is…. so unfair."
It was a strange idea to Ash, that the ruler of a country would arguably be one of the least free people in it. It sounded so unfair, having so much responsibility and expectations thrust all at once. It must have been unbearable. And Ash, as much as he wanted to help, he didn't know if he could say or do anything about that.
But there was something he did think about. He might have had any way to make Gaozu's home life better, he did know one way he could make his life a little brighter. "We should prepare for the Dojo battle," he suggested, raising a paw into the air. "That way, Gaozu might enjoy seeing us fight!"
Both Charizard and Pikachu nodded. Even Cinder seemed to brighten at the idea.
Gramps, who had remained mostly silent up until this point, finally spoke. "A wise choice, grandson. I am certain that the Emperor would admire a good showing from skilled combatants."
Ash's tail swished behind him.
"Have you consider who the Lord will be?" Cinder asked. "Or who would be the Bodyguards?"
"What?" Ash stuttered.
"The Dojo's challenge. It's two teams of three Maiju face each other on the field of battle at the same time," Cinder explained. "Two are designated bodyguards, while the third is the Lord, typically this is the member with the highest station. The team who knocks out the other team's Lord first is victorious."
That was a very unusual way to have a battle. Ash wondered what kind of story was used to justify those rules, since for some reason, all of the Dojos he had already had a story to explain why their fights were the way they were. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was in the Capital city? After all, the position was called "Lord" for some reason.
"Okay, so we just have to figure out who the leader is?" Ash thought. Naturally, he felt that should be him, since he had the Looplet and all.
However, Cinder had other ideas. "May I just make a recommendation? I feel you might be too reckless for the position, Ash."
"I mean, just a little bit," Ash winced. "I can lead just fine!"
Charizard shook his head.
Pikachu put his arm behind his best friend's back and… immediately Ash's hopes. "Yeah, I think I'm going to veto picking you. And besides, you did kind of think some of the others should fight, too."
Ash crossed his arms, grumbling as he did, "Aw, come on!"
Updates will be slowed down for a few months. Hope you enjoy what is currently available.