This is the last chapter of the Johto Arc, I want to thank everyone who has come along on this journey with me so far, hopefully you come along with me again for Hoenn
Chapter 56
The meeting with the researchers who had a hand in the Pokémon Storage System went very well. After the initial introduction of James and Katie to the five other creators the time flew by, each bouncing off ideas to the other and seeing where it led. James was having an absolute blast in showing off what he could do and the ideas he had come up with over the last few years, all of which were well received.
"Where did you come up with this?" Celio asked marvelling at the way James had explained his idea.
"Ah," James said, looking at Ash in horror wondering what to say.
"James, for the last few years was my mole in Team Rocket" Ash said getting silence and a bit of concern from the others, especially the ones that knew fully of the atrocities the team had created "He and his wife Jessie fed me information for years on Silver and what his plans were, putting their own lives and futures at risk every day. I feared I lost them that day in Goldenrod but I was so happy to find out they had both lived. James came up with a lot of the designs for Team Rocket, who while being absolute bastards were still rather clever in implementing them. James has just started working at my ranch in the IT department making sure all the information is kept private, he's even designed a new firewall, which we're hoping to show you all over the next few days."
"It's not a time in my life I can look back on with any pride" James said, getting a harrowed look in his eyes "but Jessie and I survived. Many didn't."
"So, was it you that placed the block on Goldenrod that day?" Bill asked, narrowing his eyes.
"No," James said, shaking his head, "Even though I was deputy head of the programmers I was deliberately excluded from that decision."
"Why?" Bill asked.
"Because I knew it would fail" James said simply, "I was informed about it after the plan had already been acted on. I warned them not to try and bypass your system, your Porygon would have made mincemeat out of any virus or codes they tried to use and we could have found our own viruses attacking us on your orders. But I was ignored by someone who was desperate for Silvers affections, and they went and executed order V anyway. Morons. I must say I took particular delight in seeing Alice's face when you destroyed her idea less than a day after arriving on site."
"So why are you here?" Lanette asked, confused.
"He's here because while Ash is away in Hoenn the Poképal is going to go live" Bill said "and we all know that it's going to come with a whole host of issues, hence why we're all here. Over the next few years Viridian City is going to expand with the addition of the new Bullet Train and the stadium being built for Pokémon Contests on Route 22. The Poképal is going worldwide, not just exclusive to Kanto and Johto so James is the person who will be leading the department based in Viridian to oversee the safety of the Porygon Network, which is very important seeing as how I've decided to move back to Johto. It's going to be all of our jobs, over the next few days to try and come up with an idea on how we can get it to work as seamlessly as our own respective networks do. We'll also be joined from time to time by Silphs head programmer, who is working on the Poképal network too so we can all stay connected."
"Fair enough," Lanette said, getting nods from the others.
"And Katie?" Bebe asked.
"She's here because I promised her to introduce her to Bill" Ash said "we looked at some of her ideas and Bill was impressed, as I'm sure some of you will be when you hear them. So, shall we get back to James' idea?"
The next few days passed by in a whirlwind and they had all tentatively come up with an idea on how to implement the Poképal network into their own networks.
"I wish we had more than four months to get this sorted" Lanette groused as she erased the last of her scribblings from the board "does it have to be released in August?"
"I'm afraid so" Janet, Silphs researcher replied "we're on a deadline to get it sorted before another company steals it. We've already heard that Devon has created something revolutionary, we just don't know what and we need to make sure we're not left behind when they release their product in May. August was the latest we could push it back to, originally it was meant to come out for May but that just wasn't possible. I hate saying it but the Goldenrod Incident was extremely beneficial because we could turn to our bosses and prove to them that the Porygon System can be hacked if you had the right motivation. They gave us an extra quarter to get it finished."
"Shit" Lanette said echoing everyone's thoughts "we're going to have to have another of these meetings at some point before then to see how it works."
"That's why I brought James," Ash said. "From May, I'll be in Hoenn for the next nine months while I compete in their league so he'll have to be my liaison. There's some places in Hoenn that I'll be going to that's inaccessible and has no internet access so James will have to fill me in."
"Very well" Bebe said "well it was bloody nice meeting you all, I'm glad we could finally meet Lanette. I've been talking to you for so long now that I felt like I already had met."
"Ash" Bill said as he saw the others leaving "do you have time to have a chat?"
"Yeah of course" Ash said, "with or without James and Katie."
"Oh, they're fine to come along." Bill said.
Saying their goodbyes the researchers went their separate ways to their hotel rooms while Ash led the others to the hotel bar.
"I'll have rum and coke," Bill told the waiter.
"Water for me" Katie said, "I'm still on tablets for my back."
"I'll have the same as Bill," James said as the waiter walked off.
"Are you not having a drink?" Bill asked, confused.
"Oh, don't worry about that" Ash said waving it away "I come in here a lot and order the same thing, so he's just stopped asking. Sure enough a few minutes later four drinks arrived with Ash's having a straw in it and a small umbrella.
"What have you got?" James asked, peering at it. It was clear on the bottom and as you made your way up to the top it got darker until the top was purple.
"Blackcurrant and Lemonade," Ash said, taking the umbrella out and setting it aside.
"You got an umbrella with a soft drink?" Katie asked, confused.
"Yeah" Ash said nodding "I have four more years before I can legally drink alcohol, and I felt left out anytime Nia was having a drink, so I asked for one with an umbrella."
"Oh, you poor boy" Katie said grabbing his cheek "trying to let people think you're fancy."
"Hey!" Ash said rubbing his cheek "I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to make fun of your boss like that."
"You're not my boss" Bill said doing the same thing to his other cheek getting uproarious laughter from the other two.
"What did you want, Bill?" Ash groused, getting another round of laughter.
"I just wondered if you knew what Devon is creating." Bill asked casually.
"I do yeah" Ash said nodding "Steven let it slip accidentally when I went to Hoenn a few weeks ago."
"Are you getting one?" Bill asked.
"Ah" Ash said "so you know what it is then. No, I wish I could though."
"Why can't you get one?" Bill asked.
"I work for Silph" Ash said "as such I cannot use anything that a rival company creates. It's seen as endorsing it, which I bloody would if I could but sadly my contract is watertight on that one."
"I'm getting one" Bill said, "they're going to be extremely useful in the future."
"Do you get the feeling we're missing something here?" James asked Katie who nodded.
"Sorry" Ash said before continuing quietly, "Devon have created a new device that combines the PokéGear and the PokéNav called the Xtransceiver. It also has a few other functions that are mainly for customer ease like a built-in screen for video calls as well as other things. You can apparently stream films on it too."
"Silph has one like that don't they?" James asked. "I'm sure I've seen you use one."
"Ah but mine can only take one video call at a time" Ash said "theirs can hold up to four at any one time. It's genius and it will make them a fortune, which is just as well as it's cost them a fortune to produce it in the short time they have. They heard about Silph creating my idea, mainly because I haven't exactly been quiet about it and I also have a commercial out about it too so they've known for months we're not creating the same thing. I even received a call from Joseph Stone, Stevens father and head of Devon who congratulated me on my idea, subtly asking if they could buy my contact out from Silph to work for Devon. I think it was tongue-in-cheek but I know Hatori would have foamed at the mouth if I had gone along with it."
"He was serious," Bill said, taking a sip of his drink and nodding at how good it was, "that's bloody lovely. Anyway, I have been a part of its creation given my network needs to be adapted to it and he asked me if I could convince you to switch companies."
"Not gonna happen" Ash said shaking his head "Silph has been good to me, and I won't do them like that."
"Which is exactly what I told him," Bill said, nodding. "Joseph accepted it and never brought it up again."
"Silph threw their hat on me before I had even gained four badges when I was nothing more than a talented rookie" Ash said "They have pretty much helped me finance my home too so I'm not about to do them dirty like that. No, as much as I would like an Xtransceiver I won't be leaving Silph or their creations anytime soon."
"Didn't think so" Bill said, "anyway on to other topics, Kare told me you're thinking of getting a Dark type?"
"I am yeah" Ash said nodding "she sent me a list of ones she thought would suit my battle style and I've narrowed it down to Seedot or Absol, both of which are native to Hoenn."
"Absol is likely your best bet" Katie said joining in "they're quick, strong, agile and can move the way you want them to. Shiftry are far too rigid in their stance and are too susceptible to hit and runs."
"I was thinking Absol" Ash said nodding "but Shiftry would be a great addition to my home."
"Why not both?" James asked.
"I thought of that" Ash said nodding "and I'll likely try and find both if I can. I just need to build up a team in the next few years before I lose my position as Champion."
"Why would you lose it?" Katie asked confused.
"Pikachu may never be able to battle fully again, my three Kanto starters are now all part time so there's only Machamp and Queenie from my original six still battling. The additions I have made from the Orange Islands and Johto have been good ones, don't get me wrong but only Sneasel and Gyarados are really good enough to become Elite. Kabutops is too flighty, Skrelp needs training, Lapras is very hesitant on battling due to wanting to be by Chinchou all the time, Heracross has been feeling like he should go back home to his tribe to see how they're doing and Ampharos doesn't really like training. So I'm left with Pikachu, Machamp, Queenie, Princess and Sneasel. That's four Pokémon, maybe five if Pikachu returns to full training. It's nowhere near good enough to maintain a Champions standard so Hoenn is likely going to be a make-or-break league for me in gaining new team mates and as much as it pains me I have to stop catching Pokémon for the sake of my ranch at the expense of my title."
"It's a shame you have the dream of being a Master" Bill said, "you'd have made an outstanding programmer if you could devote the time."
"I wish I could" Ash said, "I will likely give up being Champion in a decade and focus on programming as I have far more fun doing that but for now I need to concentrate on making sure I'm still in the game when the war comes around."
"Hopefully that never happens," Katie said, shaking her head. Ash had taken the unusual step of having a conference call with all of his gym leaders and telling them bits and pieces from his talk with the Champions. None of them had been happy with it but appreciated being informed.
"You all went to war with me" Ash had said "I couldn't hide something like this from you."
"Well, it was nice seeing you Ash" Bill said draining his drink "my lighthouse is calling me though so I'll speak to you soon. It was nice meeting you both. James, I'll be in touch over the next few weeks as I'll likely need to visit Ketchum Ranch in person to implement some of our plans. Stay safe, all of you."
An hour later the threesome was standing outside Ash's new home saying their goodbyes. James and Katie had decided to go back to Viridian together and in a flash of purple disappeared leaving Ash all alone for the first time in weeks. Sighing he walked into his house and had a look around. There was still expensive work needing to be done in a few areas, mainly the plumbing in the kitchen and bathroom but the living room was finished as was his study. It was just all covered in dust sheets for now. Receiving a message on his phone he pulled it out and looked confused. It was from Cynthia and was just a pair of eyes.
Immediately he rang Nia. "What does it mean when someone sends you a pair of eyes as a message?"
"It means to look out," Nia said, "or to watch out. It's not a threatening one usually, in general it means watch this space. Why?"
"Cynthia sent me the eyes" Ash said, and it confused me.
"Maybe it's a message to watch the news," Nia said. "Anyway, I have to go, Dad's just got a new consignment in and he needs help with the inventory."
Ash did as she asked and switched on the TV, cursing when it didn't come on. Of course it wouldn't, Ash said to himself, there's no electricity yet. Quickly he made his way to the Pokémon centre and stood at the back of a big crowd who were gathered around the TV.
"Breaking News. John Dickson confirmed as new Champion for Hoenn Region. Former Champion Wallace denied entry to Elite Four pending the results of his lawsuits."
"Yes" Ash shouted, making them all jump "Get in John!"
Walking outside he made a few calls before using the Leagues Alakazam to pop to Cerulean where he walked into the gym. Apparently, there was a show on so he bought a ticket, ignoring the looks he was getting from the crowd and watched the show. They really were fantastic Ash thought as an idea came into his head. Once the show was over Ash stayed seated for a while, signing a few T-Shirts for those who were brave enough before walking down the steps clapping and gaining the attention of the three sisters and a heavily pregnant Misty who was seated off to the side.
"That was fantastic" Ash said as he bowed to the four very confused looking sisters.
"Like, why are you here?" Violet asked, confused.
"I came to check on Misty" Ash said, surprising her "I did make you a promise during the meeting back in August that I would back you on converting the gym did I not? I'm here to see how they've done."
"Oh" Misty said, struggling to stand. Ash offered his hand and she tentatively took it before she led him into the back of the gym where a new area had been built. It was more of a home now than a gym as the living quarters had been renovated as the one story building had been extended. There were rails everywhere along with ramps and other pregnant easily contraptions.
"It's been a godsend" Misty said with none of her previous venom "I've never been so looked after. My sisters are home for the next few months so they've agreed to stand in for me in the gym while I have the baby but Laura, my assistant will take over until I come off maternity leave. So why are you really here?"
"Actually I was here to see how you were doing" Ash said as they took a seat in her living room. They were soon joined by the three sisters who had their hair in towels and sat down too. "I was also here for another reason. Put the news on."
Confused Daisy reached over and did as he asked and they all heard Misty gasp when they read the headline. Taking out a card he handed it to a confused looking Misty. "That's the number for my lawyer. Speak to her. You're not alone Misty." Standing up Ash patted her on the hand, nodded to the ladies and walked out before popping back to Saffron and heading to the fighting Dojo. As it was early evening the gym, while still open, was in a much calmer manner than it usually was. Walking in he bowed to the various Karate trainers who bowed back before knocking on the door and entering.
"Greetings Master Ash" Master Wong said standing up and bowing, something which Ash mirrored "If you're after Master Richard he'll be back in a few minutes. He's gone to get food while we go over the accounts."
"Oh well that's partly why I am here" Ash said taking a seat in the proffered chair. Before he could say anything more Richard walked in with take-out in a bag.
"Is it culturally appropriate for me to order Chinese food for you?" Richard asked, "and then get the same thing when I'm Japanese?"
"No my friend" Walter said laughing before pointing to Ash who was trying not to laugh.
"Oh no need for formalities" Ash said as Richard began to bow "I'm only here to see how you're doing and to give you some news."
"Oh" Richard said, "then you won't mind if we eat while you talk will you?"
"No" Ash said "Now as I was about to say to Walter I've been looking over the accounts for Saffron Gym and found a small irregularity. Oh nothing from you," Ash said waving away their concerns "no this stems from when the abominations were still in power. Now apparently there's been a small oversight with regards to the transition of her gym to yours, that being your budget was half of what hers was. So, I am here to tell you in person that your budget has gone up from $3m a year to $6m a year. You will also find over the next few months that renovations will take place on the gym to bring it up to league standard, whatever the hell that means so Walter will have to liaise with League personnel to inform them of just what he wants and needs this gym to be. Don't be pushed around Walter, this is going to be your gym and will reflect on Kanto and on me and I don't want to hear they've been pissing around trying to convince you of their ideas and not your own."
"Oh wow" Walter said looking happy and thoughtful "I was worried actually because I received notice that renovations were likely to begin. It's why we're doing the accounts tonight as we wanted to see what we'd have spare as we assumed it would come out of our budget."
"No," Ash said, "this comes out of mine as Champion. Each gym is allocated a certain amount based on a number of factors. Location, use, tourism etc so while yours isn't the most it's also not the least. I've been pushing to get them all to be even but it's like talking to a wall with the Kanto League Board."
"Was that all you came to tell us?" Richard asked, "I mean, not to be rude but that could easily have been put in an email."
"No that's not all" Ash said "I was speaking to Cynthia a few weeks ago and I told her you were retiring to move closer to your son. Cynthia wanted to throw you a retirement party, I advised her not to as you likely wouldn't turn up. So we came up with a compromise." Taking out a small credit card and a set of keys he placed them on the desk. "When I told her of Riley's plight she was very concerned. Not least because she thought that would likely happen to her too so she sent me these. The card is from me and the League. It's a black card, and it has what you should have been paid all these years had you not been unfairly ousted as Gym Leader in an account. The keys are to a house in Cannalave City for you and your wife to be closer to Riley."
Richard just gaped at the news, unable to articulate any form of response.
"Not before time" Walter said tapping the card "not before bloody time Richard. The Gym will be in safe hands, you know this. Now it's time for you and your wife to relax and not have to worry anymore. You bloody deserve it."
"I mean…" Richard began to say before Ash cut him off.
"The League has been instructed to pay your pension into that account so I will not take the card back" Ash said, "nor will I take the house from you either." patting Richard on the back he bowed to them both before leaving, very happy at his days work. Hopefully it would be a pleasant night.
March 12th 2002
Lorelei and her family arrived without much fanfare, four months after they originally said they would do so but as Ash was busy up until the researchers convention he wasn't that bothered. They immediately settled in with Hailee running off to the lake as soon as they got out of their rented car.
"Hey, be careful" a passing researcher said to her "it's the Ledyba mating season so you need a permit to come into this section."
"Sorry Mr" she said nodding.
"I did warn you Hailee," Bruno said, grabbing her hand and leading her into Ash's home "this isn't a holiday park no matter how inviting it looks."
"Your father is right," Ash said, opening the door and welcoming them in, leading them to their wing, passing by a locked door just before it turned to their long corridor. "Now Samuel Oak is just a few doors down the hallway, please don't disturb him as he's got a lot of meetings over the next week. Your area has doors that lead to the Ranch and the lake so you're free to come and go as you please but if there's a sign saying do not enter, do not enter. Hailee I will be coming by the day after tomorrow to go over our schedule. Bruno the gym is just past Sams doorway, the second door on the right down that hallway, feel free to use it as much as you please. Lorelei you're free to release your Pokémon into the lake, the inhabitants have been warned not to make a fuss. Let them know there may be some Pokémon who want to spar with them but to let me now if the locals get too pushy. Oh, and your Lapras may be interested to know his children are in the caves just near the south bank. I think that's everything for now. We have breakfast at 8am, dinner at 1pm, tea at 7pm so feel free to join us if you want to. If not, your fridges are stocked. Oh, and I also ordered a load of things for Satoshi, just let me know over the next few days if they are useful or not." Looking at his watch he cursed "I'll let you get settled in, Venusaur wants a word with me around noon. I'll hopefully see you all later on."
Closing the door on his way out Ash quickly hurried away leaving the Hoshiri-Hanna family to let out a deep breath before unpacking and settling in. Bruno had informed Ash that he would have to leave for Johto mid April for a few weeks but other than that they would hopefully be here until May. Ash was more than ok with that as it meant he had three months of being able to train Hailee without much interruption and he hard designed a training process he thought would work extremely well for her. She had only just turned seven so she was still on a limited regimen. He didn't want to push her as hard as he had pushed himself but he also knew that Hailee was going to be a proponent for change in the future, especially with her dual psychic/aural powers so she had to be trained correctly to be able to cope with the strain. Having aural powers was bad enough at the best of times, having both was going to be tough. What irritated Ash the most though was that he couldn't really sense the psychic side if she masked it with aura. That didn't bode well for Ash finding his nemesis in the future as Ash just knew that he could do the same. It wasn't a nice feeling knowing that any aura wielder he met in the future could be the one out to kill him, Ash just hoped he would instantly know who it was when he met him or her.
April 15th 2002
It had been a fascinating month for Ash. His house had never been empty from the time Lorelei had arrived so it was a very rare time that he was alone. Bruno had decided that they all needed a break from training, something which Ash was more than happy to accommodate as he was feeling a bit stretched having to cover his Champions duties alongside Blue, his training with Hailee, the rehab with Pikachu, the shop business with Jessie, emails from the network creators (thankfully James had stepped up and taken the bulk of them) and the day to day running of his home.
"Ash" Blastoise and Venusaur had asked him when he was relaxing by the lake with a sleeping Pikachu, "whatever happened to there being less people here?"
"I pushed for it" Ash said shaking his head "but the only compromise I could get was them getting more mandatory holidays, no working on a weekend, finishing early for Christmas and starting in February rather than January. Silph pushed back on a lot of those which was why I enforced the 'no go areas' for every employee. It was the best I could do for now until I have more capital to finance this all myself. All in all, they've been reduced by at least a hundred and twenty days over the course of the year. It's pretty good when you think about it, them not being here close to half of the year."
"Yeah, but when they are here it's very noisy" Blastoise growled as he lazily drifted in the water just offshore.
"It's something we have to put up with" Ash said, "has there been any trouble since they started back up?"
"No," Blastoise said, "but that might be because Lorelei's Pokémon along with Kabutops and her children and Gyarados and her children have taken over half of my lake. They wouldn't dare do anything."
"Yeah, there's been some push back on that too" Ash said "the researchers have whinged that they can't get to certain areas quickly because they have to skate around the inhabited areas of those Pokémon."
"And?" Blastoise asked unconcerned.
"Nothing," Ash said, chuckling. "I think they forget at times just who I bought this land for and as I informed both Silph and the AONB people this is also your habitat, where you live and it's yours to enforce however you like. You're not here for a good two thirds of the year so they need to put a sock in it and stop whining when you are. I never bothered to respond to any of their emails pushing back on that, as far as I'm concerned that's the end of it. They'll just have to skate round you lot."
"From my end there's been no incidents other than the one with the Royal Pidgeot clan" Venusaur said "which was sorted out fairly quickly."
"Yeah, I'm glad that was sorted out quickly" Ash said "but Pidgeot needs to teach his children better. His daughter has all the hallmarks of the inherent arrogance of her Ancient genes and isn't shy about showing that she believes she is superior to everyone else. She seems to believe that the Pokémon on this land are more like a living buffet for her and it ain't going to fly with me, no pun intended. I've given him the warning, any more nonsense from her and I'll forcefully evict her and she can make her own nest elsewhere."
"Thankfully Pidgeot is more reasonable" Venusaur said "I've had to erect vines in uncertain places to prevent her getting near the bug creches."
"I think she'll leave soon" Ash said "she already has started to gather followers and despite her arrogance she knows that if she tries a coup the Pokémon on this land will forcefully make her see the error of her ways. It's why she is the way she is, she knows she'll never rule here where she believes food is in abundance. I give it until Autumn before she tries something or leaves."
"Are you still deciding on who to take to Hoenn?" Blastoise asked.
"I've decided on four so far" Ash said "Pikachu is a given but I'm taking Skrelp, Queenie, and Sneasel. Lapras has informed me she doesn't want to travel as the pod are insisting on showing their new offspring the Orange and Sevii islands and she wants to go with them, taking Chinchou with her. They refuse to listen to the reason that it's bloody dangerous and they're protected here but the Matriarch is insistent on showing her new clan members where they come from so Gyarados and Kabutops have agreed to travel with them on their migration to ensure none are captured as a compromise. Heracross has gone back to his clan, which is a shame but he feels as if he's needed there. You never know, he may come back sometime. Ampharos, well it's like getting blood from a stone to get an answer from him. Machamp informed me a few days ago that he wishes to compete in the P1 this year so he'll be away until October from next week. I believe Karate Master Wong has found a trainer for him. I'm going to miss him but I have faith he'll do alright. Obviously, you are away with the fire department, Venusaur is here and Charizard is in the Valley."
"I'll go with you" Blastoise said, surprising him "Hoenn has a lot of water, so it'll be fun travelling again. I can't leave you without a means of getting across water."
"I can fly across if necessary," Ash pointed out.
"And end up missing the sights along the way?" Blastoise retorted "no, I quite fancy battling again and it'll be fun to fight alongside you all."
"Can I come too?" a voice asked from the side of them. Looking over Ash saw that Bayleef had wandered over, looking extremely nervous about approaching. He also felt Pikachus ears prick up at the voice.
"It depends on if Venusaur can spare you" Ash said looking searchingly at her "and whether you've got past your issues regarding Nia."
"I have," she said, nodding "her Venusaur is lovely and explained everything to me. I am sorry I was the way I was."
"Ok then" Ash said nodding "I'll come up with a rota with Venusaur as you're still very much needed here, especially because of the season it is but I have no issues with you coming with us."
"She has been a very good addition to the garden" Venusaur said "but we'll work something out."
Bayleef seemed overjoyed at the news and happily bounced away.
"Just keep an eye on her Ash" Venusaur warned "I'm not totally convinced."
"No, neither am I" Ash said agreeing "well that makes six Pokémon coming with me so I technically have a full team."
"Just not one of many who can fight," Pikachu said, yawning, "I hope I'll be better soon."
"You have a long way to go but you're getting better every day," Ash said, patting his starter on the head. "You'll be back to fighting in no time. For now though We'll continue with the small increments of training to not set you back."
"How are you feeling?" Blastoise asked Pikachu.
"I'm much better than I was" Pikachu said, yawning again "I still get tired easily though which is annoying but there's been progress. My tail no longer hurts for hours when I rest it."
"And what about the other issue?" Blastoise asked smirking before lazily swimming a few feet away.
"You're lucky I can't electrocute you" Pikachu said irritated.
"What issue is this?" Ash asked.
"Nothing," Pikachu replied, getting a look from Ash. "Fine, you were going to find out sooner or later. Do you recall a few years ago when we had a discussion about us both finding our mates?"
"I do," Ash said, nodding "you told me yours was unattainable at the time if I recall correctly."
"Well, she isn't anymore" Blastoise said before diving away from a vine from Venusaur. He wasn't quick enough though as the vine plunged into the water and grabbed him by the leg and hauled him into the air where he dangled uselessly.
"Are you sure you can't electrocute him?" Venusaur asked letting him go where he created a small wave which lapped over Ash's bare feet.
"I wish I could" Pikachu muttered before continuing "It seems the choice has been taken out of my hands."
"Paws" Blastoise said as he resurfaced "and don't try and pretend you haven't liked being looked after because we have all seen you play up to being injured."
"I am injured!" Pikachu said.
"Not to the extent you've been saying" Venusaur said forgetting he was supposed to be siding with Pikachu.,
"See, if our resident old man can see it then you've no chance of pretending no one else has noticed" Blastoise said ducking another vine which slapped him on the shell.
"Hang on" Ash said thinking about something before a light bulb went off in his head "No way!"
"There we go," Blastoise said laughing as he lumbered out of the water and lay down at their side, "it took you long enough to get there. It's been blatantly obvious the way she's been mothering him for the last few moons."
"When did that happen?" Ash asked, "and how?"
"A while ago now" Pikachu said, sighing "It's been nice to be looked after."
"Have you told her?" Ash asked.
"Oh, she already knows" Venusaur said getting a shocked gasp from Pikachu "her ribbons literally read emotions Pikachu, do you think she's blind to yours?"
"Shit" Pikachu said slumping and getting laughs all around.
"So, she's just waiting for Pikachu to tell her?" Ash asked.
"Yup" Venusaur said, standing up from his seated position and gently nudging Pikachu with his vine "Tell her, she won't wait forever you know. I hear Nia's Umbreon has designs on her."
"Not bloody likely" Pikachu grumbled and sparking.
"Hey" Ash said, poking him "no electricity anymore today."
A few days later Ash had yet again stolen Flora and was walking around his lake with her showing her all the different Pokémon that lived there, not that she could understand it as she babbled from her pram but he liked to think she was as enthusiastic as he was about them. Ash was thankful that the path around the lake was tarmac as opposed to dirt like he originally wanted it to be as it made pushing her that much easier. Sitting down on the far side of the lake, close to where the fossil exhibit was, he reflected on the last few months of being a big brother. He had found that contrary to his fears he had absolutely loved having a sister, she was incredible and he was so thankful she didn't have aura above the level of a normal person. He had found he didn't mind changing her and feeding her, even if he did have several pairs of clothes he had had to throw away due to being thrown up on. Looking at her he frowned when he realised he was going to miss nearly a year of her life being away in Hoenn and he found he could understand why his father had given up being a Guardian at Rota to be closer to home to him and his mother.
Feeling a powerful presence approaching he made sure the pram was locked in place and walked the few feet to the bank as the water rippled and a huge head appeared along with a massively long body, water dripping gently down into the lake creating a small wave that lapped gently against the banking.
"Hey Princess" Ash said as he stroked her crown. They had found, to their amazement, that she didn't need Ash's Mega-Stone to Mega-evolve as long as he was close by so she had stayed in Mega-form for4 the last few months to be able to communicate with people. It no longer exhausted her in any way but Ash had trained with her in both forms so she wouldn't be at a disadvantage when she transitioned back into her natural form. She still struggled to communicate after all this time but Ash wasn't worried as he understood well enough what she was trying to say.
"Time…leave…young…safe."
"Yeah" Ash nodded "at the end of the week Lapras is going with her pod. Thank you for agreeing to leave with her. Are you still taking your children to Rind Island with you?"
Gyarados nodded as several Magikarp popped up at her side, staying close to her.
"Good," Ash said. "Are they staying there?" Another nod. "They'll be ok, you know. You've raised them well."
"Gratitude…free…lake…travel."
"Yeah, they'll be ok. It's in their nature to travel to Rind Island for the migration, you're just helping them get there safely. You're a good mother princess. I have some last-minute orders though. Do not let the Lapras Matriarch push you around and make decisions you know are bad. It's cost me an absolute fortune to ensure they had offspring safely and this trip doesn't fill me with ease. Are you still ok with going to the Sevii Islands with them? It's a long trip and I may be back before you are, you'll only be getting near Pummelo next February if they plan on going back to their usual migration route so it's going to be a long year without seeing us."
"Miss…sad…gratitude."
"You're more than welcome," Ash said, stroking her crown again before reaching into his bag and pulling out a Neutral Pokéblock and crumbling it before feeding her children who eagerly swallowed the food, before flapping about happily in the water getting happy gurgles from Flora.
A few days later he was at the entrance to the river by his lake with Kabutops and Gyarados, waiting for the Lapras pod to emerge from their cave. Ash was just finishing attaching a device that went over the top of Kabutops' scythe, having already placed one in place of Gyarados' mega stone when he felt the pod move in their direction.
"What's happening now?" The Matriarch asked as though she was being put upon.
"I am attaching tracking devices to my Pokémon" Ash said, clicking the device into place and giving Kabutops three strands of his hair as a reward.
"Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"You might not take the safety of your pod seriously but I take the safety of my Pokémon utterly seriously" Ash said not looking at her but feeling the swell of indignation and ignoring it "so I'm making sure my Pokémon are as safe as they can be while they travel with you."
"The route is perfectly safe," Lapras began.
"No, it is not!" Ash said refuting it, "when I first met you, you had lost a few members of your already small pod to trainers on that one route, and you still didn't find any bulls to mate with. Not only that but three of your pod are pregnant once again and you're placing them in danger, needlessly. You could easily have waited another few years while the young grew and learned to defend themselves but they're three months old and you're willing to risk their lives with this pointless journey. You're bloody lucky I have Pokémon to spare to provide an escort for you to keep you as safe as possible, hence why I am tracking your movement. Now, at one-point Gyarados is going to be heading to Rind Island where she will leave her children before she rejoins you. Should I find out you have abandoned her I will be most displeased, my protection will be taken away and you can fend for yourselves once again."
"We've already agreed to let them travel with us as long as they don't interfere with our migration," Lapras said indignantly.
"They'll interfere if they believe it's necessary" Ash retorted "your numbers are already piss poor, I won't have it be said you went extinct because of anything I did. Princess, Kabutops, I'll be keeping tabs on you over the next year so stay safe please and have a safe journey."
Ash watched as the Matriarch led them away from the lake and down the river that would eventually lead out to the sea with a lot of trepidation. While he trusted his Pokémon implicitly there was always the chance they'd be attacked and he wouldn't know about it for a long time.
"Ash" a quiet voice said, making him come out of his reverie and seeing it was his Lapras "please don't be mad at mother. She feels it's necessary for us to leave."
"I'm disappointed in her and you" Ash said, making her frown, "you are more than capable of leading that pod but you insist on letting your mother make foolish choices placing you and Chinchou in danger. You've been safe here for the last two years Lapras, away from predators or trainers attempting to capture you. This decision is foolish and you know it. Hopefully you all return safely, if you want to return that is. But don't be surprised if you find your caves have been used in your absence, I did warn you that they're for any water Pokémon who want to take shelter and I stand by that. You better go and catch up but think on what I said, you're smart enough to know when a bad decision is being made."
Lapras didn't say anything as she morosely left heading down the river, soon going out of sight as the bend took her away from his view.
"So, they've still left then?" a voice asked from his side. Looking down he saw it was Matilda.
"Yup" Ash said, shaking his head in sadness, "utterly foolish. I guarantee that of the twenty-five who left there won't be twenty-five who return. It's no wonder they're nearly extinct with the behaviour of the Matriarch."
"It's ingrained in them Ash to migrate" Matilda said as they walked back towards the house, taking their time "some things are beyond our understanding."
"They migrate to mate" Ash said "they have a Bull on site here, who they used to have calves. Eight of them won't mate as they have a child, three are with calf and the rest still have their calves for another year. This journey isn't for mating, it's foolish."
"It's not something we can control," Matilda said, "You did what you could to keep them safe Ash, that's all you can do."
"It feels like I've failed" Ash said shaking his head "I already knew it would take decades to get them taken off the critically endangered list given they only mate every four years after their calves grow up, but I never expected this project to fail after one mating season."
"You did what you could" Matilda said again "and because of you there are now eleven more Lapras in the world that weren't here two years ago. That's a great achievement Ash."
"It doesn't feel like it" he sighed as they walked the rest of the way in silence.
May 26th 2002
The party for Anne had been a total success and she had thoroughly enjoyed being spoiled by everyone. Most of Silph had turned up for her which had touched her deeply and she had spent a good half an hour blubbering after a huge birthday cake had been wheeled out. She had tried to refuse a present Ash had bought her too which Ash ignored.
"I'm not going to get the chance to go on it" Ash said to her as he handed her two tickets for a cruise "I only won them by accident as I was mysteriously entered into the raffle here but I have to leave for Hoenn in the next few days so I can't go to Altomere. You and your husband will have loads of fun wandering around the city. Daisy told me you love learning about the history of places and that it's been on your bucket list for a while. You never know, you may even find the secret garden everyone has been talking about."
It took a few minutes of debating before Ash took them from her and handed them to her husband Clive instead. "You leave June 18th from Vermillion, the cruise is a month long but the stop off in Altomere is for five days. Everything has been paid for, including your hotel so have fun. Both of you."
Clive laughed as he placed the tickets inside his blazer and grabbed his wife and started dancing with her, much to her mortification as they were dancing to no music, alone. The other people soon cottoned on though as the band started back up and joined her.
"That was nice of you" Sarah told him as she danced with him.
"Nia told me you were going away yourself in July or I'd have offered them to you" Ash said as he twirled her around.
"Oh, don't worry about that" Sarah said dismissing his statement "Anne deserves them though, she'll have a great time. I hear your house is finished now?"
"Yeah" Ash said nodding "apparently it took so long because the entire house needed new pipework as the old one was a year or so from eroding completely. When I think that Zoe and Ava may have still been living there, and that happening to her being unable to pay for new plumbing…well it makes me so angry."
"Any news on Ava's father?" She asked, nodding.
"Yeah, Hirohito made it official a few weeks ago. Hanzo, while still technically a Suzuki, is no longer the heir presumptive of Silph Towers. He's been bypassed for Emily. I heard he was ecstatic at the news, I know I was" Ash said chuckling "as for the plan to legally adopt Ava that stalled the moment she agreed to become a Ketchum, even if it is hyphenated. I received a letter about a week later from Hanzo, or rather Zoe did that stating she had won this round but it wasn't over. My mother legally made her the heir to her restaurant empire pretty much put paid to any sort of money tempting plan from Hanzo, not that Zoe would have agreed."
"Are you ok with your mum doing that?" Sarah asked, surprised.
"Oh yeah" Ash said nodding "Zoe is a great cook in her own right. It didn't surprise me to find out she'd been taking lessons from mum for the last few years on how to run a business, which helped me out significantly. She passed her business degree a week ago, she kept that one secret but we had a lovely party to celebrate. I would have no idea how to run a restaurant business and Flora is fifteen years away from inheriting anything just yet. I've made her my heir, with the blessing of mum and dad, at least until I have kids, if Nia decides we're having them that is so we have everything covered. Zoe informed me that he's not even on the birth certificate so he cannot prove Ava is his child so he doesn't have any legal case against her."
"Good" Sarah replied nodding "the swine should be in prison. Are you looking forward to going to Hoenn?"
"No," Ash said, making her lean back in surprise. "I was thinking about this a month ago actually as I finalised all the cover for the year that I'll miss an entire year of being with Nia and Floras development as a human. I understood immediately why dad gave up his role as a Guardian to be closer to mum and I seriously considered giving up the chance to continue on my journey. It was Nia and mum who convinced me to go, I think they just want to get rid of me."
"I think your mum would like you to stop stealing her newborn baby without her knowing" Sarah said playfully poking him "as for Nia, well she'll be ok. She has her own thing going on, she has her new job starting in a week doesn't she so she'll be ok."
"I hate being away from her" Ash said as he looked over to her dancing with her dad. She seemed to know she was being watched and looked back over, smiling before continuing talking with her dad. "Only a few more years though and I won't have to travel again."
"It'll fly by." Sarah said nodding "they look like they're having far too much fun, what's say we go and interrupt them?"
"Lead the way," Ash said laughing.
May 31st 2002
Ash was in the lounge area of the airport, waiting for the plane to finally let people onboard. He was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible but was failing miserably as it was rather difficult for someone who was 6'4 and muscly to hide in a place that was filled with people. He had already talked to a few people before he put earphones in and listened to an audiobook. He had bought Samuel Oaks autobiography, or Part 1 of it anyway as Sam had led a full life and one book was far too small to detail his life fully. Even though he knew most of it having grown up with him he had still not heard everything so to hear the stories in Sams voice was brilliant. He was going to miss seeing and speaking to Sam every day as he had for the last six months but as Sam had reminded him he was only a phone call away. Receiving a nudge he opened his eyes and found a young lady had poked him and pointed at the people boarding. Thanking her he stood up and followed the line where he eventually sat down and relaxed. He had considered getting another private plane to go to Hoenn but decided against it, it would be an extravagant waste of money. Twelve hours later Ash disembarked from the plane in Slateport City, catching another flight that landed three hours later in Petalburg City. Not bothering to see the sights just yet he stopped for the evening in the Pokémon center before looking at his map and getting onto Queenie, flying Southeast, landing in Littleroot Town a few hours later. Recalling Queenie he nodded at the locals who gaped open mouthed at him and knocked on the door to what he knew to be the Regional Professors lab.
"Hello" Ash said as it was opened "My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm here to register for the Hoenn League."