Chapter Text
(Opening Song: Pokémon World)
So you wanna be the Master of
Pokémon!
Do you have the skills to be
Number one!?
I wanna take the ultimate step
Find the courage to be bold (Pokémon)
To risk it all and not forget
The lessons that I hold
I wanna go where no one's been
Far beyond the crowd (Pokémon) Yeah!
Learn the way to take command
Use the power that's in my hand
Oh hey!
We all live in a Pokémon world
(Po-ké-mon)
I wanna be the greatest Master of them all!
(Greatest Master)
We all live in a Pokémon world
(Po-ké-mon)
Put myself to the test
To be better than all the rest
Ungh!
So you wanna be the Master of
Pokémon!
Do you have the skills to be
Number one!?
We all live in a Pokémon world
(Po-ké-mon)
I wanna be the greatest Master of them all!
Got the power right in your hands
Po-ké-mon!
After saying goodbye to Lapras, and his adventures in the Orange Islands behind him, Ash is returning to the place where his Pokémon journey began.
Ash could see Pallet Town in the distance and smiled, "Finally back home." Adventuring the Orange Islands was a fun experience, but he was ready to relax now that he was back home.
"Pika Pika (I'm ready for a nap right now)." Pikachu said, slumping on his shoulder.
"It feels quieter somehow." Misty noticed.
"It does." Serena wondered what changed after they left.
Ritchie crossed his arms, "I don't care about seeing anyone in town, but I do want to see Professor Oak and Aunt Delia."
"I wanna tell Amber more stories about the Orange Islands." Molly said, smiling.
"I'm sure she'll love it." Tomo smiled.
Tracey was all smiles, "Just being here is like a dream come true for me. I can't wait to meet the famous Professor Oak!" He was starting to get excited.
"You should show him your sketches." Ash suggested, then became surprised when Tracey sat on the ground surrounded by sketchbook albums.
"I wonder which one Professor Oak would like to see first. Maybe I better go through all my sketchbooks and pick out the best ones." Tracey said, going through his pile.
Ritchie sweat dropped, "Ash didn't mean right now!"
"Pikachu (Talk about eager…)." Sparky said.
"Um, Tracey? Why don't we do this at Ash's house?" Serena suggested.
"Yeah, we can have lunch while you decide what to show Professor Oak." Misty said.
"Good idea." Tracey agreed.
Ash smiled, "Let's go." He started walking down the path with the others following. As they got closer to town, Misty spotted some of the residents talking to each other, but it felt more subdued.
She saw the people spotted them walking in the direction of Ash's house. Misty glared at them, spitefully. This made the two women flinch and look away.
Molly got in on it too by sneering, which made a disturbing sight to see, especially for someone her age. Tomo frowned next to her.
Serena stood by Ash's right, while Ritchie was by his left. He wasn't scared of these cowards. The days of his childhood are gone, and his fears have since vanished.
Tracey saw the way his friends were acting and became confused. This was Ash's hometown, so why does it seem like the people here feel guilty about something.
"We're almost there." Ash's tone was calm and unconcerned. Tracey knows his friend has noticed the behavior of the townspeople, but chose to ignore it.
The house was visible and Ash smiled as he opened the front door, "Mom? We're back!" He announced their arrival.
"Is that you, Ash?"
Ash stood there and wondered if he was hearing things. Misty and the others, minus Tracey wondered the same thing.
"Misty? Am I going crazy or did I just hear Brock's voice?" Ritchie asked her.
"If you're going crazy then I must be, too. Cause I know that was his voice." Misty replied.
Ash regained his senses and walked inside. It was a little dark but he walked where the kitchen was. Turning on the lights revealed it really was none other than Brock!
"He's back?!" Ritchie exclaimed.
"Who's he?" Tracey asked.
Misty was just as shocked as Ritchie, "He's…Brock!" She ran into the kitchen as Brock released Ash from a hug.
"Hey, how are you doing there, Misty?" Brock asked her before grabbing Togepi to greet him, "Hi there, Togepi. Lookin good."
"Togephree (Hi)!" Togepi greeted back.
Misty was annoyed, "What do you mean, "how are you doing?!" What are you doing here?!"
Brock didn't answer her and instead greeted a confused Tracey, "Hey, you must be Tracey."
"Um, yeah, that's me." Tracey greeted with a nervous smile.
Brock brought out a tea cup and tea pot, "Well, how about a nice cup of tea? I just made a fresh pot of Indigo oolong tea, which has a delightful peachy flavor."
Ash and the others stare at him dumbfounded, "It has a floral fragrance and I think you'll find it very refreshing. I like my tea straight, but for you I'll add a dash of fruit and two teaspoons of sugar." He gave some of the tea to the others, "Now watch out, it's hot. Here you go, Tracey."
"Brock, what are you doing here in Pallet Town?" Misty asked him.
"Yeah, Brock. You love Valencia Island and it seemed like you were gonna stay there, forever." Ritchie was equally confused.
"Yeah, I thought you were gonna learn more about Pokémon." Misty questioned.
"And help take care of those kids." Ritchie added.
"How come you didn't stay with Professor Ivy?" Misty questioned.
A dark gloomy aura surrounded Brock at the mention of Ivy's name, "Ugh, that…name…" he collapsed on the ground, curled up in a ball.
Ash was starting to get concerned, "Brock, are you okay?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." Brock replied, depressed.
Ash decided not to push it.
Ritchie was still curious, "Did Professor Ivy do—"
Brock groaned again.
"I…just said—" Ritchie was cut off again.
Brock groaned again.
"Seriously, what happened?" Ritchie was starting to feel unnerved.
"I don't wanna talk about it!" Brock insisted.
Misty came to a conclusion of her own, "She must've dumped him."
"Or turned down his proposal." Ash guessed.
She sighed, "This always happens."
"You okay, Brock?" Ritchie asked.
"No…" A depressed Brock answered.
Serena felt sorry for him, "Poor Brock, I hope he finds love someday."
"Is finding love important?" Molly asked, innocently.
"Will we find it?" Tomo also asked.
Serena flinched and wondered what to say in this situation, "Um, well…maybe when you're both older…?"
"Your finally home!" Delia's sweet voice was heard from the door.
"Mr. Mime (Welcome home, Ash)!" Mimey greeted him.
"Big brother." Amber smiled.
Ash smiled, "Mom!" He ran up to her and Delia handed the flowers over to Mimey and hugged her son. Amber also hugged Ash, who wrapped his arms around her.
"What a surprise! I really wasn't expecting you to be home so soon, but I'm so glad you're here!" Delia smiled.
Ash relaxed in the hug, "We're home."
"Mom! Sis!" Molly and Tomo also hugged her and Amber, making her smile.
"I'm so happy to see all of you! I want to hear all about your journey that doesn't involve a prophecy." Delia joked.
"That really was an interesting adventure. Hopefully something like that won't happen ever again." Amber prayed.
"We will." Ash promised.
Delia broke from the hug and smiled at the others, "So, Misty, how's everything going with you and Togepi?"
"Great." Misty said.
"Togephree (You smell like flowers)!" Togepi said.
"And it's nice to see you two again, Serena, Tracey." Delia greeted the two.
"It's nice to see you again, Mrs Ketchum." Serena smiled.
"Fenne (Hello)!" Fennekin greeted her.
"Nice to see you again, too, Mrs Ketchum." Tracey greeted politely.
"Amber, how are you feeling?" Ash asked her.
Amber smiled, "I haven't had any fever spikes, but Professor Oak is trying to find someone who can make sure I remain stable."
"Good." He breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully another scientist, someone who can swear to secrecy would be able to help Amber.
Misty got close to Delia, "Um, Brock? How long has he been here, Mrs. Ketchum?" She whispered.
"Well, let's see…" Delia explained to them how it was a hot muggy evening about a week ago. Her, Amber and Mimey were walking back home when she heard a strange sound. They walked back to see what it was but heard it again. When they heard it again, they started walking in circles, but couldn't find the source of the sound. After a few minutes she realized it was a person's painful groan she heard. She apologized, thinking it was a random man but was surprised to see it was Brock.
"I tried to get him to tell me what happened, but whenever I mentioned Professor Ivy he always said the same thing." Delia explained.
"Don't mention that name!" Brock was underneath the table.
"So, I stopped asking. He's been a big help around the house. He does the dishes, sweeps the floors, he's a better seamstress than I'll ever be." Delia said, smiling.
"Well, it sounds like he's a good house guest." Misty said.
Brock ran past them to get outside. He was trying to take the break away from Mimey, "C'mon Mr. Mime, I wanna sweep today!"
"Mr. Mime (Let go, you infuriating child)!" Mimey refused to give the broom to him.
"Please don't fight each other again!" Amber urged them.
"Except when he wants to do all of Mikey's chores." Delia was used to seeing this, so she just smiled.
Misty and Ritchie groaned.
"I guess getting rejected by Professor Ivy really hit him hard. It's going to take a long time for him to recover from this." Ash was no expert when it came to love, but he knows heartbreak isn't easy to overcome. Brock needs support.
"Man, so much for wanting to know what happened." Ritchie was disappointed.
"Didn't you hear Ash? Brock liked Professor Ivy, but she didn't feel the same and rejected him!" Misty explained.
"Seriously? That's why he's acting like that? I liked her, too, but I'm not depressed over it." Ritchie raised a brow.
Misty and Serena sighed, "Oh, Ritchie…"
"Um, Ash?" Tracey called his name.
"I swear you can be as dense as a rock." Misty shook her head.
"Ash?" Tracey tried again.
"Some things never change." Ash said.
"Pika (Yup…)." Pikachu agreed.
"Hey! I'm standing right here, y'know!" Ritchie felt insulted.
"We know." Ash, Misty, and Serena said.
Delia smiled, "Since you're all here why don't I make you some of my delicious pie? You'll love it."
"I'm sure whatever you make will be delicious Mrs. Ketchum." Misty complimented.
"Getting to eat one of Aunt Delia's pie's? I'll have some!" Ritchie was eager to eat.
"Sounds really good. Thanks, mom." Ash thanked her.
"Ash?" Tracey tried getting his attention again.
"Um, I would like some too, please." Serena said, politely.
"Pies it is, then!" Delia said.
"Yes! I want blueberry pie, please!" Ritchie said.
"Ash, it's getting late." Tracey was telling him, but Ash was still distracted.
"I'll have the same as Ritchie, mom." Ash said.
"Of course." Delia nodded.
"Us, too!" Molly and Tomo also voted for blueberry pie.
"Me also." Amber said.
"Answer me!" Tracey finally yelled.
Everyone stared at him for a moment, having not expected him to yell like that, but Delia was the first to recover, "Is there a question you'd like to ask us, Tracey?" She asked.
Tracey, seeing he got everyone's attention became nervous, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell Mrs. Ketchum, but I just wanna know when we're gonna go see Professor Oak!"
"Oh, I almost forgot." Ash went through his bag and pulled out the GS ball and his trophy, "Here, mom. Can you put this in my room for me?"
"Oh, Ash! You won another league! I'm so proud of you!" Delia gladly took it from him, "I'm going to put this right next to your Indigo League trophy!" She skipped upstairs, followed by Mimey.
"That is one happy mom." Misty really liked Mrs. Ketchum though, so the woman's positive energy was appreciated.
"She's amazing." Amber really couldn't have asked for a perfect mother like Delia.
"Please let's go to the lab!" Tracey insisted.
"Okay, already!" Ritchie yelled.
Pikachu sighed.
They were on their way to the lab, with Tracey holding his sketchbooks and smiling the whole time.
"Are those the sketchbooks you want him to see?" Misty asked.
"Yep. Hope we get there before I change my mind." Tracey replied.
"I can't wait to see how my pokémon are doing." Ash was excited to see them all.
"I bet they'll all be happy to see you." Misty said.
"Brock, o guess you must have been excited when you first met the Professor." Tracey said to him.
Brock curled up again, "That…name…"
"He means Professor Oak!" Misty corrected.
"Is this gonna be a thing?" Ritchie was already annoyed.
Brock got back up, "Professor Oak is one of the most respected pokémon researchers in the whole world, and he's got one of the best pokemon labs anywhere."
"Cool. Let's hurry!" Tracey started running, with everyone doing the same.
Tracey stopped and smiled as they came upon a building, "There it is!"
"Yup, that's Professor Oak's lab." Misty said.
"Well, Tracey? What do you think?" Brock asked.
"It's just like I imagined." Tracey gushed as they walked towards the lab.
Ash rang the doorbell and walked in, "Professor Oak! Are you here?" He walked further inside and had to side step out of the way to prevent being crushed by a happy Muk.
"Hi, Muk! Nice to see you!" Ash chuckled when Muk gave him a hug, which he returned. Then he noticed something underneath Muk, "Professor, there you are!"
"Ash, good to see you! I was just feeding Muk when he suddenly took off running." Professor Oak got out from under Muk.
"Probably because he heard my voice." Ash rubbed the top of Muk's head as the pokémon was still hugging him.
Tracey had stars in his eyes, "He's really real!" He approached the man, "It certainly is an honor to finally meet you, Professor Oak! I'm a Pokémon Watcher so I observe Pokémon behavior like you do!"
Professor Oak groaned as he heard his bones popping, "I'm getting old. Pikachu, Togepi, Fennekin, Sparky, how are you doing?"
"Pika pika (I'm doing good)." Pikachu answered.
"Togephree (I'm fine)!" Togepi said.
"Fenne (I'm doing well)." Fennekin said.
"Pika (I'm doing awesome)!" Sparky replied.
Samuel smiled then turned to Brock, "By the way, Brock, Professor Ivy sends her best regards."
Brock became depressed again. Muk saw Brock was upset and tried comforting him, "What's wrong?" Samuel asked, taken aback by Brock's reaction.
Misty sighed, "You…really don't wanna go there." That's all she was going to say on the subject.
Ash whispered something to Samuel, making the man's eyes widen then cough into his fist, "I see…well, love is a field that has yet to be truly understood." Unfortunately he was a man of science not love.
"Oh, and here you go, Professor." Ash gave the GS ball over to Samuel.
"Ah, the mysterious GS ball." Samuel took it, "I'll begin my examination a little later tonight." He stuck it in the pokeball room with other pokeballs.
"You sure have a lot of poke balls, Professor." Tracey noticed.
"Most of these were sent to me by traveling trainers who started out here in Pallet. Why don't you take a little tour? Ash, I know for a fact your pokémon want to see you. Same to you, Titchie, Molly, Tomo." Samuel said.
"I'm on my way to see them now." Ash led them outside and stopped to look outside when he saw Snorlax eating some apples outside, "Happily eating. That's good."
"Snorlax is doing well here." Samuel assured him.
Ash went outside to greet Snorlax, "Eating well, Snorlax?" He asked. Snorlax heard his voice and turned to smile at him.
"Snorlax Snor (I like it here. There's more food to eat and I can sleep without being disturbed)." Snorlax replied.
"Glad to hear it." Ash approached and rubbed Snorlax's stomach.
"Why's he rubbing Snorlax's stomach?" Ritchie asked, confused.
Brock explained, "He's doing that to make sure Snorlax doesn't get a stomach ache."
"Stomach ache?" Serena questioned.
"A Snorlax eats a lot. And usually when it has its fill, it'll go right to sleep. Laying down right after you eat can sometimes cause stomach aches for not just humans but for pokémon, too. That's why Ash is rubbing Snorlax's stomach, so when it falls asleep it won't get a stomach ache." Brock explained.
"Oh…" Ritchie and the others said.
Ash finished rubbing Snorlax's stomach, "Okay, Snorlax, you can go to sleep."
Snorlax smiled then yawned before plopping on his back and proceeded to sleep.
"All tuckered out." Ash smiled.
"When it's sleeping it's happy." Tracey noticed some Pokémon running in the distance, "What are they?"
"Oh, those are my Taurus. I asked Professor Oak to let them roam around the ranch instead of staying inside their pokeballs all the time." Ash explained.
"Wow! You have enough Taurus to start your own private stampede." Tracey comments.
"I guess."
Tracey started sketching them, "Amazing…"
Ash smiled then felt his hat float in the air and knew who the culprit was, "Having fun there, Gengar?"
Gengar became visible and snickered, "Gengar (You caught me)!"
"Oh! It's that same Gengar!" Tracey remembered Gengar quite well, "Such a playful pokemon."
"More like a prankster." Ash reiterated before taking his hat back and putting it back on. He then noticed a familiar crab, "Kingler!"
Kingler noticed Ash and sped right up to him, "I'm happy to see you, too. Doing well?"
"Kingler (I am)!" Kingler greeted, then headed towards the pond.
"Glaceon (Ash)!" Glaceon ran right up to Ash with Eevee right behind her.
"Hey, you two!" Ash smiled as he bent down to scratch behind Glaceon's ear and held Eevee.
"Wow! What kind of pokémon is this?!" Tracey bent down to get a better look at Glaceon.
"That's Glaceon. She's another evolved form of Eevee, an Ice type." Ash explained.
"Fascinating! This Eevee is also a different color!" Tracey sketched a very shy Eevee.
Ash released the others from their pokeballs so they could stretch their legs. Luxray eyed Tracey for a moment but determined he wasn't a threat, so he left the boy alone.
"They all look happy and healthy." Misty comments.
"Well, don't forget they are staying with me. Ash also contributes the most because he takes good care of them." Samuel noticed Tracey's sketch and got closer to have a better look, startling Tracey, "Your drawings look interesting."
"You really think so." Tracey asked, happy to hear his idol praise his drawings, "Actually I picked out my best sketches, even though they may not all be good, but I was wondering if you could take a look at some of them."
"I'd be happy to." Samuel said, smiling.
Serena smiled, "It's nice to see Tracey so happy."
"Yeah." Ritchie said.
They greeted a few more of Ash, Ritchie, Molly, and Tomo's pokémon before going to Samuel's place and sitting in his living room.
Tracey sat there, nervous and stiff as Samuel looked at his many sketches. Samuel noticed this and smiled to reassure him, but Tracey was still those in fact that he started shaking the whole couch.
"Tracey, calm down already!" Ritchie grabbed his tea quickly before it could fall.
"Your sketches are fine, so just relax!" Misty said.
Ash just sipped his tea as did the others. Brock whispered in Samuel's ear, "What do you think about them so far, Professor?"
"Well, I have not reviewed his whole portfolio yet. But from what I've seen so far…" Samuel whispered back.
Tracey was still waiting for Professor Oak's review.
"Oh, better I forget. Ash, Silver said he wanted to see you as soon as you came home." Samuel informed Ash.
Ash was quiet for a moment before standing up, "Is he here?"
"Hm. He's outside at the ranch." Samuel knew the two had important things to discuss. Silver made rust clear after the incident at Shamouti. He said that once Ash came home from the Orange Islands, he'll explain everything.
Ash decided not to keep his mentor waiting any longer, "I'll be back." He said to everyone, Pikachu included.
"Pika (You don't want me to come)?" Pikachu questioned.
"Not this time, Pikachu." Ash shook his head, "Don't worry, I'll tell you what we talked about later." He promised, leaving the room to head back outside.
Brock was confused by the exchange, "Does someone wanna fill me in?"
Misty face palmed, "That's right! We were so surprised to see you that we didn't really have time to talk about what happened."
"You better sit down for this Brock cause you're gonna flip out." Ritchie warned while also giving him a heads up.
Brock sat down next to Professor Oak as they started telling him of the events that happened on Shamouti Island.
Ash was nervous.
Which is sad because he had prepared himself to ask his mentor what he knows. Part of him is scared to hear what his mentor has to say. Taking a deep breath, he walked closer towards a figure standing there.
"Welcome back. Heard you had an interesting adventure this time." Silver was the first to speak.
Ash opened and closed his mouth before responding, "Yeah…"
Silver turned his head to look at Ash, "Sit. You have a lot of questions and I have some answers." Ash sat down next to his mentor.
"The question I want to ask is this…" Ash looked the man right in the eyes, "…did you know from the beginning?"
"From the moment I met you as a kid? Yes." Silver confirmed, "Back then your aura was strong. You hadn't fully awakened it yet, but since your aura was unnaturally enormous for your age, it unconsciously leaked out around you."
Ash had no idea his aura was that strong!
"But given your family lineage it's not that surprising." Silver continued.
"Do you know about my family origins?" Ash found some clues in the Orange Islands, but still doesn't have enough information to go off on.
"Before we get into that. Why don't you let out Lugia and Slowking first. I'm sure they have plenty to share." Silver said.
Ash completely forgot to release Lugia and Sloking! He sent both pokémon out of their poke balls, Lugia hovered in the air for a moment then lowered himself down, Slowking stood there calm and composed.
"Well, I wasn't expecting to see a familiar face. It's been a long time, Silver." Slowking greeted him.
"Yo, nice to see you're still alive and kicking. Guess special pokémon like you don't age all that much." Silver teased.
Slowking sighed, "What nonsense are you saying? I've aged plenty, it just doesn't show because I take good care of my skin."
"Liar." Silver rolled his eyes then smiled at Lugia, "You look happy." He noticed.
Lugia was indeed happy. For so long, the Guardian of the Sea had waited for a long time to finally leave Shamouti after the prophecy had been fulfilled. For a Legendary Pokémon like Lugia to have waited for so long felt short or long.
A thousand years ago the pokemon met a special human, who would later become a precious friend. Lugia wanted to join his old friend on his journey, but alas he could not. His friend insisted he remain free and not bound to anyone—not even him.
Such a kind soul his precious friend was, but Lugia still longed to travel with him. However, he would have been unable to anyway because of the prophecy. So he waited, sleeping at the bottom of the waters waiting for the day when the Chosen One would appear and set them free.
Ash Ketchum finally came.
"My long slumber finally ended. Ash has freed me from my role after a thousand years." Lugia expressed his gratitude by nuzzling Ash's face.
Ash rubbed the side of Lugia's face. He had no idea the heavy burden of being the Guardian of the Sea must have felt for Lugia. And not just Lugia, but Moltress, Zapdos, and Articuno, too. His ancestor had no way of knowing that rejecting Lugia and Slowking would end up leaving them bound to their roles in the end. They were free but at the same time chained to the roles that fate chose for them.
Their salvation came in the form of him—the descendant of their dear friend. Ash was just happy these two were really free now.
Silver smiled, "Good for you. Okay, time to answer Ash's questions."
Lugia started first.
A thousand years ago, a human appeared before Lugia. This human had calming, yet soothing blue eyes, and a presence that was overwhelming. He did not wish to try and force Lugia to bend to his will like other humans that came before him. This human appeared to put a stop to the humans who forced pokémon to obey them. And he did. Without resorting to bloodshed. The traveling human wielded a strange power that both fascinated and terrified other humans.
Pokémon were drawn to the lone human that only wished to free them and nothing more.
The human's name was "Fai."
Fai was a traveler that freed pokémon from the tyranny of others while maintaining the balance for both humans and pokemon. He did not wish to fight, but found he had no choice but to raise his fists.
The strange power he was born with allowed him to do many tremendous things. See things no one else could, feel the presence of others, enhanced speed, reflexes, and hearing the voices of pokémon. Fai saw far into the future and foretold a prophecy to those of Shamouti Island. Lugia and Slowking both were part of the prophecy as were the Three Legendary Birds. He knew the name of the one that will fulfill the prophecy and prevent destruction of the world, and quell the Legendary Birds.
After rejecting Lugia and Slowking's desire to travel with him, wanting them to remain free—he set off once more. Lugia and Slowking never saw him again. News of his passing did reach them, however because they were bound to Shamouti Island because of their roles…they could not leave. They do not even know where his grave is. Something that saddened them greatly.
Ash felt sadness for Lugia and Slowking. He gave them both a hug after they finished. Someday he'll find Fai's grave and give them closure. After making sure they were okay, Silver spoke.
"Fai is recorded as being the first human ever to use "Aura" hence why he is called the "First Guardian." He created the Aura Clan which dedicated their lives to passing down their knowledge and use of aura to those who were able to wield it, not just themselves." Silver explained, "I'm a descendant of Fai's only pupil. Which is funny when you think about it."
It is.
Ash's ancestor was Silver's ancestor's master, but now their descendants have switched roles.
"Now, I'm going to tell you another part of history about Fai's descendant that's similar to a story I told you when you were little." Silver said.
Ash nodded, listening.
Many centuries ago, the people of a city built two towers. Nine years each, reaching high up into the sky. One was called, "The Bell Tower." The other, "The Brass Tower."
One fateful night…one hundred and fifty years ago when the moonlight bathed the tower with its glow. Lugia was disturbed by a lightning storm. A tremendous thunderbolt struck down the tower. Setting the tower ablaze that soon became an inferno.
When the tower caught fire, three nameless pokémon—unable to escape, perished. The people mourned their deaths as it rained down on the city, extinguishing the flames.
After the fire finally went out, a sparkling rainbow came down from the sky. The Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh descended from the sky after witnessing what happened to three pokemon that lost their lives.
Once its light touched the place where three perished…they rose up once more. Having been revived by Ho-Oh—the three pokemon were reborn, given new names.
Raikou
Entei
Suicune
The people were astounded that the three Pokémon had been revived right before their very eyes. However, people feared the power of Pokémon that had manipulated life, seeing them as unnatural. And they tried to suppress it with violence.
Before it could resort to that, however. A lone human stood in between the three pokémon and the people. This young man had the same calm blue eyes, yet demanding presence.
His name was…Uryū.
He was a descendant of Fai—Founder of the Aura Clan. Fai's descendants scattered across the world, settling down and traveling to keep the balance and quell chaos. Uryū did just that by standing before the three pokémon to protect them from the people's violence. A pokemon was at his side as he stood before the people without fear of their violence turning on him.
Ho-Oh witnessed this human's bravery and kindness, as did the three Legendary Beasts. They soon fled the city, never to be seen from again. But never would they forget about the human that stood up to protect them. And neither would Ho-Oh
Ash didn't know any of this! The story Silver would tell him as a bedtime story actually happened! Amazing!
Seeing the amazed expression on Ash's face made Silver smile, "I only know if this because my own ancestor recorded what happened. They traveled together and saw many things. The close ties our ancestors shared was never broken. Even now, our bond is still strong."
Ash was happy about that, "The day you came to Pallet Town, you already knew who I was because of my aura."
"That's right. And like I always mentioned, it was strong, probably stronger than your ancestor and great-great-grandfather, which makes you the strongest aura user of your bloodline." Silver smirked, feeling pride.
Ash can feel more of his aura now than when he first used it. Maybe if he trains a little more with it then he'll be able use it in serious situations.
"You could only feel half of it before but after encountering Mewtwo and Mew, then Shamputi happened and now you can really feel it." Silver said.
"I can. During my match with Drake when Onix used Dig—I was able to sense it!" Ash wasn't trying to sense where Onix was, but he was able to do it, "And then, I was able to project my voice using aura to Gardevoir!"
"Yeah, you are definitely stronger than your ancestors. You have some control over your aura, but not completely, so before you go off on your next journey I want you to start your training." Silver said to him.
Ash was ecstatic to receive more training, but this time with aura, "Okay!"
Silver laughed, "Nice to see you still have that same enthusiasm. But before we get to training, I still have more things to tell you."
Ash became serious and quieted.
"First off, my coming to Pallet Town was no coincidence. I've known about this place, you and Delia from a good friend of mine…" Silver trailed off so Ash could connect the dots.
And he did. He knew about him and his mom from a friend, and that friend had to be…
"That's right. Your father and I did some traveling together after he saved my life. No sooner did we travel to different regions together, I realized he was a descendant of Fai. Like you, your dad didn't know anything about his family line. Which isn't surprising since the Aura clan is pretty much forgotten. Save for a few of us that know about them and are still active Aura Guardians." Silver continued, "Your dad used his aura unconsciously, but on rare occasions."
Ash felt like his head was about to explode. If all the information about his ancestor and great-great-grandfather wasn't enough to make his head hurt, then the information about his father came close to giving him a migraine.
"I told him he's one of the few rare humans that can use Aura. The confused look on his face was priceless, but it didn't bother him for long. You two are similar in that aspect." Silver teased.
Ash blushed a little but didn't confirm or deny his mentor's words.
"After meeting your mom, he had a crush on her and they started dating. Fast forward a couple of years and they get married and have a kid—you." Silver smirked.
'Please don't smirk at that.' Ash's whole face became red.
"One day, I got a letter from Delia. Your father suddenly left after saying something strange was happening somewhere. I don't know what he felt, but it must have been urgent enough for him to leave." Silver's tone was serious, "He promised he'd return once everything was settled. But…he disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Ash questioned, "How can he just disappear?"
Silver sighed in frustration, "I don't know…and what irritated me the most was that I couldn't track his movements before he vanished!" He still thinks about it till this day. His aura should have been able to find him but was as if something was preventing that—preventing his aura from reaching out.
"I searched for days, weeks, months, and still…nothing. My one true friend—vanished without a trace." Silver still felt the pain and sorrow years later. He knew his friend wasn't dead and still held out hope. But after so long without any leads…that small hope began to grow smaller.
"One day, when I finally decided to stop being a coward and visit Delia to tell her about how I still failed to find him, I ran into you instead." Silver looked at Ash, "My friend's son was already a little tyke, with the most innocent and pure eyes, and a powerful aura."
Ash didn't know what to feel or say. This whole time he really believed his father abandoned them, and that his mom said he was on a journey to spare his feelings. But that's not what happened.
"I had an obligation to stay and prepare you for the day you decide to set off on your journey. There was no way I'd just stand back and not teach my friend's son how to survive out there and protect himself. Delia agreed with my decision to be your Master, and she decided to also teach you everything she could." Silver finished.
The silence that followed after all that felt suffocating. How is he going to start processing everything? Well, he did want answers and that's what he got. The only thing to do now is figure out how to process all this.
"So, he really didn't abandon us. Abandoned me." Ash spent a long time not being able to forgive his father for abandoning them. Something called out to his dad for help and whatever it was must have been too dangerous to leave alone because it's possible it would have spread to Kanto. Where his family lived. He left to protect them. And he's still out there somewhere.
"I'll find him."
Silver thought he misheard him.
"I'm going to continue my journey. I don't care how many regions are out there. I'll find him no matter what!" Ash promised.
Slowking nodded, "You will not be alone on your journey, don't forget that."
"The bonds you share with your pokémon and loved one's are strong. They will always be by your side." Lugia reminded him.
"You're right. Thanks." Ash hugged them both.
Silver smirked, "I couldn't find him no matter what. But if it's you—his own flesh and blood, then the hope of reuniting with him is still alive and burning."
Ash has another goal now. Learn more about his heritage and find his father, "By the way, I've always wanted to ask, but is Silver really your name?"
"It's an alias. I'm still an active Aura Guardian, so I've got my fair share of pests who won't leave me alone. I even had to dye my hair, talk about real pain. My real name is Rengoku, but you can still call me Silver." Silver told him, smiling.
"Rengoku, your name sounds powerful." Ash noted.
Silver puffed out his chest with pride, "Of course. Oh, looks like they're done talking, too."
Ash turned to see everyone coming towards them and had a thought, "Where should I go next on my journey?"
"Johto."
"Johto?" Ash questioned.
Silver stood up, "That's right. If you thought the Indigo League was a challenge, then Johto is even more so. It's the same here, you have to battle a number of gyms required to enter the Johto League, and trainers from all over will be coming to compete. Not just Kanto, but some native to Johto, even other regions you've never been to before."
Ash listened to what his mentor was telling him, "The Johto League…"
"Before you head out though, take some time to relax your mind, and start training. Not just your pokémon, but yourself, too. Are you prepared?" Silver asked, grinning.
Ash had a grin of his own, "I'm ready."
Master and pupil walked over to the others. Ash had to process a lot of things, but the most important one was that on his journey he'll find out more about the clan he comes from, and his father.
As expected his friends and family were happy Ash found out more about his heritage, but sad to hear about what really happened to his father. They promised to help him no matter what, Pikachu made it his personal mission to get even stronger for Ash's sake. His other pokémon felt the same. Brock stated he was going with him to Johto. After they caught him up on everything that happened in Shamouti Island, he insisted on coming along—mostly because he was worried about his friend and wanted to help out any way he could.
Samuel gently grabbed Ash's wrist, "I'm giving this back to you, Ash. I need you to help me find out more about it."
"Wait, you couldn't figure anything out, either Professor?" Ash figured Professor Oak would have an answer when Professor Ivy couldn't find one herself.
They went back inside his lab where Professor Oak showed the results of his findings on the pokeball…which was zero.
"What do you want me to do with it, Professor?" Ash asked.
Samuel typed on his computer and a face came up on the screen, "This Kurt, the famous Pokeball Designer. If anyone can figure out the GS ball, it's Kurt."
"So he's a Pokeball Designer, cool." Ash said.
"Ash, I want you to go to Azalea Town and take the ball to him." Samuel requested.
"But if we go see Kurt, then Ash and Ritchie will miss the Johto League." Misty pointed out.
Samuel shook his head, "It won't take you out of your way, and I'm sure Ash would enjoy meeting him, right?"
"Of course I would. Maybe I'll ask him to let me see how he designs his Pokeballs." Ash was starting to get excited.
"Then that works out perfectly. Take the GS ball and head straight west to New Bark Town where great things await you. That's why they call it "the town where winds of new beginnings blow." Samuel exaggerated a little, "In fact, New Bark Town is the place where all new trainers have to sign up and participate to compete in the Johto League."
Ritchie grinned, "Great! New Bark Town, here we come!"
"Pika (Let's go)!" Sparky cheered.
"Well head to New Bark Town first, then Azalea Town." Ash said.
"Good. I'm counting on you." Samuel knew he could count on Ash.
"And I'll watch out for Ash's back, Professor!" Brock promised.
"You mean so long as there's not a pretty girl in sight." Misty wasn't fooled.
Brock laughed nervously, "Well, maybe I am a little more interested in girls than geography."
"You think?" Ritchie and Misty said.
Who's That Pokémon?
It's…Dewgong!
"Dewgong!"
Delia heard everything from Silver and gave her son a big hug. Ash promised her that he'll find his father and bring him home. She also knew he was planning on going to Johto so she decided to make a huge feast for him and everyone. Samuel and Silver came over, too since they are family.
Everyone was having a great time and sharing other parts of what they saw while traveling the Orange Islands. Misty opted out not mentioning Lorelei and Cynthia since she knew they were Brock's type. She did make the mistake of mentioning Professor Ivy though. Oops.
Samuel told Ash and Ritchie they'll be seeing lots of different kinds of Pokémon out west. They may even catch a few. Both boys were excited to hear that, already eager to see what kind of place Johto is.
Samuel gave both Ash and Ritchie brand new Pokédex models. It would provide the abilities, temperaments, and habitats of the pokémon they'll encounter there. They were both grateful for receiving new Pokédex's.
Tracey opted to stay since Professor Oak said he could stay and be his assistant. Ash was happy for Tracey even though he'll miss traveling together.
That night, Ash decided to spend a few more weeks here at home. He wanted to train with his Aura and his Pokémon some more so they can be prepared for what Johto has in store for them. Pikachu was in agreement with his idea as there was no rush.
During the first week Ash trained with Silver. They first worked on how to sense living things all around him by using his aura. Ash had some skills in that department but it could be better. They trained day and night that whole week until Ash had a batter handle on his aura. Silver even helped him sharpen his fighting skills a little, too.
For the second week he trained with his Pokémon and helped take care of some around the ranch. Tracey got to see first hand how Ash takes care of the pokémon there. He was intrigued that Ash focused more on the pokémon's mental health, a field in which some known Professors don't really focus on.
The third week was him spending time with his friends and family. He also spent time with the cloned pokemon, too. Ash made sure they were all feeling okay and comfortable here and thankfully they were. Pikachu and his clone would spar together from time to time which was good for them. The funniest clone interactions had to be Brock's Chespin stealing his clone's food. Misty's Froakie and its clone both look annoyed with the two because they kept fighting over food.
After spending a few more weeks at home, it was finally time to head out. It was a clear, crisp morning when they all stood outside Ash's house.
"Amber, make sure you take it easy and keep mom company, okay?" Ash said to his sister.
"I will." Amber promised.
"Give my regards to Kurt when you give him the GS ball." Samuel asked.
"I'll be sure to tell him." Ash said.
"Don't forget to help each other when the going gets tough. And always do your best." Professor Oak said.
"Right." All of them said.
"Ritchie, I'll be sure to let your mom know your headed to Johto." Delia assured him.
"Thanks, aunt Delia." Ritchie smiled.
"Make sure you calm me to let me know your alright, okay?" Delia said to Ash.
"I promise." Ash said.
"Goodbye for now." Brock waved.
"But we'll be back again." Misty said.
"Till next time." Serena waved.
"Bye, mom!" Molly waved.
"We'll come back and tell you about the amazing pokemon we saw!" Tomo waved.
"See ya!" Ritchie said.
Delia waved them off with a huge smile on her face, "There he goes…"
"It's hard to see him go." Samuel said.
Delia nodded, "But he'll be back again."
"Yes, he will." Samuel nodded.
Silver watched them leave from a distance, "You and your son are too much alike. Maybe that's why I feel he'll have more luck in finding you than I did."
And so, our heroes are leaving Pallet Town once again. This time they are headed west and it seems certain that the road before them leads to new adventures, new friends, new rivals, and new pokémon.