Chapter 22:Cursed
"All right guys, it is time to leave. If you guys do not hurry, Alakazam will keep on haranguing me over it."
The first two weeks of June and had come and gone, and now, some fifteen days after Cynthia had left for Sinnoh, Ash Ketchum found himself, in a T-shirt and shorts, standing on the shore, looking at the vast sea around, one that connected the solitary Sulphur Island to the rest of the world, and importantly, his destination, Vermillion Harbour.
The one day he had spent with her had been something out of someone else's life, it seemed. Then again, the idea of being with someone, the thought that there was someone who really liked him and wanted to spend her life with him, had brought a fundamental change in the person that was Ash Ketchum. The very morning when Cynthia left, he had suddenly felt something he had never really felt before, not even when he had left his home to start his journey of becoming a Pokémon master.
He missed her.
However, there was no point in standing on the island, sunk in nostalgia. Cynthia had left him with memories he would cherish in her absence, until the two of them could get the chance to meet again. Of course, they would be in touch via the Pokenav, but that was hardly a substitute. The more important thing though, was the new-found sense of purpose- to prove himself, to show that her faith, her trust in him was not misplaced.
He would become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world.
And then, he would defeat her in a Champions' Battle. No matter how long it took it for him to achieve that goal. He would do it.
That was then.
Over the last two weeks, he had extensively trained, both himself and his pokémon. There had no new moves to learn, only old ones to perfect. There had been no TMs purchased, only the ones in hand distributed amongst everyone. After a week of learning new skills and battle-technique from Champion-level pokémon, it was time to implement them and put them in order. Older and basic-level moves had to be permanently replaced with advanced and more powerful ones. There was no point in learning a hundred moves, but mastering a few to absolute perfection.
That had been the goal.
And be sure of it. It hadn't been easy. In fact, it had been Hell with a Capital H for some of the members of his team- Rhydon and Lairon being the most distinct. The two rock-types were powerful, but their heavy bulk usually made them to be quite slow in movement—something that their trainer had tried to optimise.
By making the two of them run all over the island and back. It was a good way to achieve two aims. The first—improve their stamina by leaps and jumps, and teach them how to instinctively use the move Rock Polish. And they did—panting, stomping, sweating and completely overwhelmed, but they did do it.
And more.
Poliwhirl had been literally beaten to death by Magnus, who in turn, had been frozen more times than he could count. Absol had run Crawdaunt to his afterlife and back, uncompromising and firm, until the crustacean had managed to procure a dark pulse attack at a moment's notice. Said feline herself, had also been run ragged by a rather authoritarian Alakazam, teaching her the art of Magic Coat, something that Absol had been having a lot of trouble with. Considering the fact that Alakazam wouldn't be available after they reached Pallet, Ash had been unyielding about it when it came to his pokémon procrastinating on learning psychic techniques.
Gyarados and Poliwhirl had made remarkable growth and were now ready to learn better techniques, and on their way to versatility. Rhydon, Absol and Gengar were already there, something that had made Ash work out on the next set of TMs that he needed to acquire for his team once he reached Vermillion city.
Shelgon had mastered nearly almost everything that was effective and plausible, and now only needed to apply it in battle, and more importantly, wait out his innate metamorphosis before it was time to break out of his cocoon and reveal the powerful dragon within. Till then, the little draconic pokémon would have to stay in as a defensive tank, and thus, had been made to practice with Lairon, Poliwhirl and Crawdaunt- a practical way to teach him the move Protect.
Magnus had finally mastered Draco Meteor, and though he wasn't as… natural with it like Shelgon, he had persevered, and was now one of the strongest offensive battlers on Ash's team, on par with the likes of Rhydon and Metagross, the latter still away with Steven on his private training. Just as Steven had mentioned, Metagross would be returned when Ash managed to return back to Kanto.
His hand almost subconsciously reached for the tear-drop ornament that he wore inside his shirt, caressing the crystalline object that had been her gift to him. He had faced her in exactly twenty-six battles, and each and every time, she had wiped the floor with him using nothing but sheer tactical manoeuvres. Every night, after dinner, Ash had meticulously studied and noted down the inferences from the day's battles, the techniques she had used, the modulations she made, the mistakes he had committed—everything. And over the last two weeks, he had done his absolute best to incorporate those inferences into his own battling style.
And now… Kanto was waiting for him. His town, his home, his family, and his mother. They were all waiting for him.
He would be damned if he disappointed them.
"Come now, we need to hurry," he yelled, before whistling loudly, as Gyarados shot out of the sea, in a spray of water, before hovering majestically, as Ash jumped on top of him, before climbing all the way to his back, right up to the top-most segment right next to his head, getting himself a comfortable position to stand on, holding the middle horn protruding from the centre of Gyarados's forehead for balance.
On either side, Poliwhirl and Crawdaunt appeared on the water surface, each on either side of Gyarados, before yelling out in excitement. Magnus, Rhydon and Lairon had finished their ongoing practice brawl and had arrived at the shore, from where Ash returned them back into their pokeballs. Absol, like the comfort-loving feline she was, had already returned herself into the comforts of her pokeball long ago, something that had gotten smirks from a certain psi pokémon.
What has gotten into you today, midget? Alakazam asked, mildly annoyed, as the psi pokémon floated up to him, levitating himself to Ash's level by constant exertion of his psychic powers. It was something of an ongoing competition between the psi pokémon and Gengar, who was able to levitate, simply by virtue of her ability. Not wanting to be shown up by an otherworldly, overtly-sentimental, female-in-heat (Alakazam's words, not Ash's), the psi pokémon had begun to keep himself levitated for the entire day if only to prove that the lack of a mere ability wasn't going to keep him down.
That was when Ash had gotten the brilliant idea.
They would be traveling to Kanto by sea, with himself upon Gyarados, while Poliwhirl and Crawdaunt would be swimming the entire way. Alakazam and Gengar, would be flying, using their respective abilities. Pidgeot on the other hand, would be carrying an overly excited Shelgon in her claws, so that she could get used to flying with heavy loads (a good practice if she wanted to pull something along the lines of Seismic toss), and more importantly, to give Shelgon a taste of actual flying in the air. Of course, it wouldn't fulfil his wish of spreading out his own wings, but it would be the next best thing.
"Well, I need to get home as quickly as possible, after all, it's time to get rid of you." Ash grinned, knowing very well that the psi pokémon knew it well that he wasn't being serious.
Right. How could I forget that? Ungrateful ingrates.
"What did you say?" Ash taunted.
Alakazam didn't deign to reply back, as he concentrated on his own psychic powers.
"Right," Ash grinned, "last one to reach Vermillion is a Slowpoke." He pulled back on Gyarados's horn, making the atrocious pokémon let out an excited roar, as it shot across the water, with Poliwhirl and Crawdaunt doing their best to keep up with the humongous sea serpent. Up above, Pidgeot was already ahead in the race, while Gengar and Alakazam were struggling to keep up with the rest of them.
A bizarre sight, for anyone standing on the shores of the shores they passed by, seeing the ridiculous sight of several water-types, a flying-type, a ghost and a psychic, all racing each other in the middle of the sea.
Meanwhile at Indigo Plateau.
By tradition, a meeting of the Elite Four and the Gym Leaders was held twice a year, the first being just after the day the registrations for the upcoming Indigo Conference had finished, which was usually sometime in the middle of February, and the next being just after the Celebrations party held in honour of the new winner and the Top-4. This one was usually in the last week of March, after which, the declaration of results for the Trainer Certification was released out. Today's meeting however, was more of a special session, one that was being presided by the Champion (a rare thing) and not related to the Indigo Conference at all.
Inside the large, stone-walled conference room, seated across two concentric U-shaped tables, were the Gym leaders and the Elite Four, the latter seated up front, facing the elevated podium upon which Lance stood, with a sprawling table behind him.
"As you well know, the St. Anne event has hit Kanto hard, with several questions raised over our administration and security, especially with this…" Lance paused, "... Mewtwo business."
"But we haven't detected any Team Rocket activity ever since then." Erica, the Gym leader of Celadon city, spoke up. Erica was a black-haired woman, in her later twenties, who always dressed in Japanese kimono and professionalized in grass-type pokémon. She also owned a grass-type nursery close to Pallet, but that was a story for another day.
"You are right, we didn't. At least, not in Kanto at least." It was Steven Stone, who answered the impending question. "However, we have received… intelligence about a large scale Team Rocket attack on the outskirts of Mirage Island, in Hoenn."
"Isn't that… in the vicinity of where the St. Anne was attacked?" Giovanni, the Viridian city gym leader posed. "I wasn't informed that Team Rocket has been active outside of Kanto."
Steven glanced at Lance, before answering. "An Executive had attacked the mystical Forest of Illusions, notorious in Hoenn for being the abode of several Ghost-types. We believe that they were quite… successful in their endeavour."
"Did they capture them or kill?" Daisy, who was representing the rest of the Waterflower sisters, put forward.
"Capture, to my knowledge." Steven answered.
"Why would you think that the ghosts were killed?" Lance inquired.
"Well… It would have gotten a similarity with what happened with the Tauros herd at the Meadow." Daisy answered, feeling sickened just by the mere thought of it.
"To my knowledge, the… massacre was done by Mewtwo, though it can be agreed that he is after all, working for Team Rocket, or at least, with them."
"I don't understand." Giovanni interrupted. "This… Mewtwo, as you call him, seems like a Legendary, at least as far as his powers are concerned. Why would a pokémon want to… systematically cause the deaths of other types of pokémon?"
"That… is indeed one of the main topics behind this meeting." Lance answered. "We have gathered intel that Team Rocket has been… experimenting on pokémon, trying to create, and stable hybrids by combining DNA of multiple types to create a better version of both."
"They are, aren't they? Bloody bastards." Lt. Surge exploded. "Do we have any details?"
Lance paused, sending a meaningful glance at Steven. "We do."
"Like?" Giovanni pressed.
"Lance… Allow me." Steven intervened.
Lance considered it for a moment. "Go on."
Every eye turned to Steven, who cleared his throat. "We have a specific Charmander in question, whose genetic typing is… interestingly, dragon/fire. His move set, to my knowledge, is composed of draconic attacks, and his inner-flame is much lower than is imaginable for a fire-type. Also, his DNA is an unnatural cross-breed of a male Garchomp and a female Charizard. To my knowledge, he was found on a solitary route, from where he was picked up and taken in by a trainer."
"An unstable hybrid." Lorelei declared.
"It would seem so, but the experiments made on this… Charmander's DNA reveal that not only is this hybrid pokémon stable, but also capable of mutating to create an almost new species, with evolution."
"Then where is this Charmander?" Blaine inquired, his face holding a frown. "I expect he is already being tested out at the Labs?"
"The Charmander in question…" Lance admitted, "-is with his trainer."
"And why?" Blaine argued. "According to protocol, the Charmander must already be in League custody for experimentation."
"We have received assurance that we will be getting all the data revealed through the tests made on Charmander's DNA."
"And why?" Blaine argued angrily. "Either way, the tests could be wrong as well! Why are we accepting that at face value?" Blaine barked.
"We do when the researchers are Samuel Oak and Bill Montgomery." Steven replied from his place.
That shut everybody up.
"I am not even going to ask how Oak and Montgomery came into this business." Blaine muttered.
"Good." Steven replied merrily. "We aren't going to talk about it anyway."
"Who is this… trainer?" Erica asked softly.
Steven sighed. "Ash Ketchum."
"Ash?" Brock recognized. "The one from Pallet Town?"
"Yes." Steven muttered.
"You know him?" Blaine grunted, glaring at Brock as if the black-haired young man was the source of all evil in the world.
"He… defeated my team on the first go. I even gave away a Rhyhorn to him, hoping he would take good care of it." Brock answered.
"I should tell you that said Rhyhorn has now evolved, and is in excellent condition." Steven put in.
Brock smiled. It felt good to hear that he had made the correct choice.
"So…" Giovanni mused, "It seems like Steven here, knows this Ash Ketchum personally."
"You might… say that," Steven agreed.
"Ash Ketchum is… an honorary Associate of Indigo league." Lance declared in a monotone. "For reasons which are on a need-to-know basis."
"And I suppose that Mr. Stone here has a hand in his sponsorship?" Giovanni put in slyly.
"I did." Steven admitted, staring hard at the other man.
Giovanni checked in, on the laptop in front of him. In a matter of seconds, Ash's trainer profile was on his page, as he eyed through the contents. "Interesting… and quite an interesting group of pokémon under his registration." He looked up. "How long has this kid been into training?"
"I'd take a rough guess at two months." Brock answered. "He challenged me back in April, and it was his first week of travelling, from what I remember."
"Interesting." Giovanni mused, his lips curling.
"I think we might be digressing from the point?" Lorelei rebuked everyone, much to Steven's chagrin.
"Thanks, Lorelei." Lance muttered, clearing his throat. "Intel suggests that someone out there, has been working on pokémon-hybridization, and we have a specimen to prove that. Also, we know that Team Rocket has been capturing pokémon of various types in large quantities- Beedrill from Viridian forest, the Rhyhorn population from Grandpa Canyon, Tauros from the Isle Meadow-"
"Wait, I thought that the Tauros were killed." Daisy interjected.
"They were, but stats have revealed that over forty of them were unaccounted in the deaths." Lance answered.
"And now the ghost-type from Hoenn." Sabrina muttered.
"Rock, Bug, Ground, Ghost—anyone notice a pattern?" Lorelei muttered sarcastically.
"And we should not forget that Team Rocket has been found to have a surprisingly large number of Magnemite, Umbreon, Goldbat and Muk under their command."
"Electric, Dark, Flying and Poison." Lorelei commented darkly.
"And Charmander- surely, the one Ash has is not the only one out there?" Steven proposed.
"Add fire to that list, Lorelei." Lance replied with a sigh. "Nine types out of eighteen."
"You are forgetting something else. All nine types are offensive ones." Lt. Surge voiced, "And if you count this Mewtwo, then you have psychic in them as well."
"This looks more serious than I had anticipated." Erica exclaimed.
"We should not forget Mewtwo." Blaine muttered.
"Yes," Lance muttered as well, "-we have a Legendary… well, or one that might pass for one, working alongside Team Rocket, though its aims aren't… clear at the moment."
"Is it not possible that Mewtwo could be- you know…?" Lorelei put forward, not really sure how to put it.
"I must confess I have given a lot of thought on that." Lance admitted. "The name Mew-two, does suggest a similarity to Mew, and given the nature of his powers, or at least those that have been publicly spotted anyway, are more likely something that Mew could probably do."
"Wait," Brock asked, anxious, "are you seriously suggesting that Team Rocket got its hands on the Legendary Mew, who is more of a myth to most people?"
Lance paused, gathering his words. "There might be a sneaking suspicion, yes. If not the Legendary, then at least some portion of DNA belonging to Mew."
"From what?" Blaine scoffed. "A fossil? Come now, Lance… the textbook definition of a Legendary is that they are singular. There isn't a Mew fossil lying around somewhere. Unless Team Rocket has managed to spot Mew, who might I state—hasn't been spotted in several hundred years, it is simply inconceivable that-"
"Wrong assumption." Agatha spoke up, her rather harsh voice enough to stop Blaine midway. "Mew was spotted in Cameran Palace, in Rota, some fifteen years ago."
"And who was the one reporting this information?"
"A freelance researcher." Agatha spoke with unnatural fondness. "Red."
"Wait… Red as in 'The Red?'" Daisy spoke up. "The one credited with-?"
"Yes, we do not need further exposition on him. Thank you." Agatha barked, enough to make Daisy shut up.
Lance almost face-palmed. Red was coming up with startling frequency. Whether he liked or not, it seemed like a meeting was to be in order, and very soon. Somehow, Lance could feel in his bones that it wouldn't be a good thing.
"Either way," He spoke up, attracting everyone's attention. "Whether Mewtwo is just a… manner of emphasizing the near-Legendary power of this pokémon, or if it is really…" he paused, "really created as a hybrid clone from Mew's DNA, is not the main focus. I have arranged teams to look into this Mewtwo matter, but I believe it is our prerogative to consider Team Rocket as a significant enemy and take appropriate measures."
"As Gym leaders, we can enforce a little more security in our respective zones." Boyd, the Gym leader of Chrysanthemum Island, spoke up. "Though maybe posting a pair of Ace trainers in every city and town would be beneficial as well."
"The Group B could be a good option." Surge muttered.
"We do not know why Team Rocket has gone silent in the aftermath of the St. Anne event. There are theories about the mythical Dragonite being one of said reasons, but either way, we cannot afford to wait for them to make the next move. We must be pro-active in this situation." Lance declared.
"So we are to believe that Team Rocket is mass-capturing pokémon to create Hybrids? To start a war?" Giovanni asked.
Not a single member wanted to voice their agreement to the remark.
In hindsight, travelling all the way from Hoenn to Kanto by sea wasn't as much fun as Ash Ketchum had anticipated. The start-off had been rather enjoyable, what with everyone racing their way through the sea, past the shores of various islands on the sides. After almost eight hours of constant travel, they had managed to cross the Hoenn region and had entered the Johto sea-zone, a good thing that Mirage Island Archipelago wasn't that far off from Johto. The sun was going down, and the team had decided to call it a day and find a good place to land for the night.
As if that were not enough, the sea had turned uncooperative, with a storm rising, causing Ash and company to hasten their plans to stop for the night. Considering that all of his fellow travellers were completely exhausted by the constant exertion of their powers—Alakazam and Gengar more than the others anyway, Ash had decided to send them back into their pokeballs along with Pidgeot, Gyarados, Crawdaunt and Poliwhirl. Even Shelgon seemed way too overwhelmed with travelling all day, despite the fun he had had, and seemed too sleepy, causing Ash to return him into his pokeball as well.
That meant that now, he was sitting there, all alone, on the shore of an unknown forest-covered island in the middle of nowhere.
Tired of the loneliness and the slowly growing darkness, Ash lifted up a pokeball, releasing Magnus out. The icy blue fire burning brightly on his tail, illuminated the general area a little better.
"Char?" Magnus inquired. Last he knew, they were supposed to be returning towards Ash's home, wherever that was. Somehow, finding him all alone with his trainer, on the sands of a forest-covered island didn't really seem like the appropriate destination to the draconian type.
"Yeah," Ash sighed. "It's a long story. Apparently, travelling by sea all the way home is much more exhausting and time-taking than I anticipated."
Magnus sighed, shaking his head in vain. Trust his trainer to make such stupid decisions.
"Then there was this thunder storm arriving out of nowhere, and we got caught in the middle of it. So, we decided to get to the nearest place we could, and well- everyone's too tired, so I returned them to rest."
Magnus sighed again, pushing a little more energy into his tail, making it glow brighter.
"On second thought," Ash murmured, plucking out another pokeball, and clicking the release button. "Come out, Absol."
The red light condensed to form the pristine white-furred dark-type, who stepped ahead and licked his cheek, a habit that she had begun to develop over the last couple of weeks. Strangely enough, Absol seemed to have bonded with him pretty easily, something that had often bewildered Cynthia, since Absol weren't the type to easily trust people. The normal disposition towards Absol because of the superstitions over disaster didn't help either.
"Hey Absol, would you like to stay with me and Magnus for a while? We need to get some place to set up camp for the night."
Absol purred before bestowing her agreement.
"Also…" Ash paused, staring at all around him. "Just look at the mist. We need to set up tent quick, or else we'll get drenched and fall sick."
"Excuse me? Are you perhaps… a traveller?"
Ash spun back at the source of the voice, finding himself face to face with a young woman. She looked a little past twenty, black-haired and wearing a traditional Japanese outfit. On one hand, she held an old-fashioned lantern, which emitted a pale, dusty light.
"I'm sorry I took you by surprise." The woman apologized. "I was just returning to my home when I heard your voice on the shore, and a blue light, which I assume belongs to your… pokémon."
"Yeah, Magnus and I just arrived here a while ago." Ash rubbed the back of his head.
"And…" The woman turned sharply towards Absol, her countenance hardening a little, "Does this… pokémon also belong to you?"
"Yeah, Absol is my pokémon as well."
"Oh." The woman frowned. "I must confess I'm not really comfortable around your Absol. The last time I saw one…" She sighed, looking back at Ash, "I'm sorry. There isn't any point wasting your time in my nostalgia." She paused. "You look like you need a place to stay the night."
For some reason, Absol decided that she didn't like this woman. The reason wasn't clear to her, but something about her felt a little… off. It wasn't like the aura of the otherworldly ones or the all-knowing-ones but still… something felt strange about her. Then again, maybe it was her disposition towards her that made Absol feel uneasy. She didn't really have the best experiences with humans, save her trainer. However, that was for later, and Ash was speaking.
"—and that was how I ended here on this island, where you met me." Ash finished his account, and almost instantly after, his stomach growled in hunger.
"Ehehehe!" Ash chuckled, flushed and embarrassed.
The woman chuckled. "It's okay. I suppose you are hungry as well. If you wish, you can stay at my master's home for the night."
"We wouldn't really want to impose…" Ash drawled, but his stomach betrayed him once again with a rather audible gurgle.
The woman chuckled again. "It's no trouble. Please follow me."
"So what is this island called again?" Ash asked, as he walked alongside the woman. Magnus walked up front, his tail flame lighting up the way better than the lamp the woman, who introduced herself as Aoi—was holding. Behind them, Absol slowly trudged her way, not even bothering to hide her dislike for the strange woman who held her master's complete attention. Something about her was so… alien.
"At one time, this used to be a part of the eight islands that made up the Sagittarius archipelago. However, because of a massive earthquake some centuries ago, this place got separated, broken off and away from the other seven. We are really lucky that we survived, though not everyone on the island was fortunate enough to do so."
"I'm sorry." Ash mumbled. Perhaps that was the disaster the woman—Aoi had experienced after seeing the Absol. Maybe that was why she… didn't like seeing Absol in front of her.
"It's okay." Aoi muttered, her hand on her neck. "My master's ancestral home was severely damaged as well."
"Your master's? Aoi… who is this… Master?"
"Well, his name is Satoshi, and he is a Ship's captain. He sails abroad and is involved in import and export." She paused. "You might have seen the wrecked ship on the other side on the coast? It once belonged to him."
"I can't say that I did." Ash apologized.
"It's okay. You might have missed it in the mist and fog."
"That reminds me… what's with all the mist?" Ash asked. "It is kind of, unnatural."
Aoi laughed. "A lot of travellers say that. Ever since the earthquake, mist and fog always inundates the island after sunset. I do not know what that is, I am," she paused, "not educated enough."
"I'm sorry. It is not a slight on you." Ash apologized.
"No worries, please this way now." She turned towards a narrow lane that drew out of the main grassy path. The trees were much thicker now, and the roots were sprawling out of the ground, eerily reminding Ash about the Forest of Illusions back in Hoenn.
"How much further?"
"Just a little more." Aoi whispered.
"So… Aoi, what do you do here?"
"Me?" She laughed. "Not much really. Most of the time my master is away on business. In his absence, I take care of the house, and the land. When he comes, I take care of him. That is all." Her voice seemed eerily light, when she was talking, almost as if the mere thought of her master brought happiness into her world.
"Oh." Ash muttered, glancing at Absol, who seemed to be walking very, very close to him.
"Absol, do you think there are ghost-pokémon around?"
"There are." It was Aoi that answered. "A multitude of ghosts abound these forests. However, they are quite docile and do not harm the natives. You have nothing to fear."
"Uh… sure. If you say so." Ash muttered, as he turned to Absol. "Are you sensing any hostile ghost energy, Absol?"
Absol mewled, but shook her head.
If Absol is fine, then I suppose everything else is, as well. Either way, I could always release Gengar if need be. She can help, I suppose.
"Just this right, and we are done." Aoi turned past, and right in front of them, was a moss-covered, giant wall that seemed to go on for yards, with a grand gateway in the middle. Beyond the door, was a large, Japanese-styled mansion, and despite the dim-light, Ash could tell that the edifice had seen better days.
"Pretty old house, huh?"
"Centuries old." Aoi replied in a monotone. "Please come in." She took a step inside. "If I might suggest, could you please pull your Absol back into her pokeball, you know… brings back memories and all."
Ash had a conflicted look upon her face, as he gazed back and forth between her and Absol. The feline in question, was doing a perfect representation of the word hostile, as she stared at the woman.
"I'm sorry." He finally replied, "-but for some reason, Absol isn't comfortable with going back into her pokeball." He missed the inscrutable look that flitted past the woman's face as he gave a fond gaze at the feline who purred, rubbing her horn against his leg playfully. "If there is really a problem with it, then we will just return back to the coast."
The woman stared at him for a moment before glancing at the feline. "Very well," she sighed. "If you are not to be convinced of it, please bring it along. However, if that thing brings misfortune to you, do not blame me."
Ash smiled uneasily. "I am sure nothing like that will happen."
Something about the woman's disposition shifted. "Please do not say things like that. My Master had a habit of saying the same when he… never mind, please come in."
Ash just bobbed his head, not wanting to anger the woman. "Come on in, Absol, Magnus."
"This is delicious." Ash proclaimed, guzzling up the contents on his plate, as Aoi served him triple helpings. While he was quite a voracious eater, he didn't really… eat so much. Now though… it felt like no matter how much he ate, there was always place for more in his bottomless pit of a stomach.
I guess I was more exhausted than I thought.
"Uh… Aoi, I'm really thankful for everything. You know, bringing us here, and giving us such delicious food to eat." He turned towards Absol and Magnus, who surprisingly, were being very choosy over their plate, barely eating anything at all.
"Hey guys, what's wrong?"
Magnus snorted, pushing the plate of food away, as he sat down. The indication was clear—the food wasn't up to his standards—which was completely shocking, since the standard pokémon food he had eaten as a Charmander was bland at best. Then again, Cynthia made wonderful poke-food, which was perhaps why Magnus was raising concerns.
Absol too, pushed her plate away, preferring to cuddle against her trainer, with her head on his lap.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked. "I have some contained food from the previous day. I can bring that out if you want."
Magnus snorted in agreement.
Strange.
"I suppose my cooking is not up to your pokémon's standards." Aoi replied in a tight-lipped tone. It was clear that she was less than impressed, but holding on to her sense of hospitality.
"I'm sorry. I assure you I ate it with relish. My pokémon though… seem to have a different taste, no offense to you."
"None taken." Aoi waved it away. "Is there anything else you want?"
"Oh, nothing really, but I was just wondering… with such a big mansion here and everything… why is it that no one else lives here?"
"As I mentioned. The entire property belongs to my master. This mansion, and the forests all around, and even the dwellers in them, all of them belong to my master."
"The forest dwellers, you mean the ghosts?" Ash asked, surprised.
"There are many things that abound in the forests than otherworldly beings, Mr.—uh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Oh, my bad." Ash laughed. "I'm Ash. Ash Ketchum."
"Such a strange name." Aoi muttered. "You look quite enlightened, like someone who has seen a lot, been through a lot."
"Well-" Ash felt slightly embarrassed.
"My master too had a similar disposition at one time." She replied softly.
"At one time? What happened?"
"Oh, well, he is away now, and it's been quite some time since I saw him. I suppose he… changed."
"Changed?" Ash stressed. Something is really, really odd about this place. It feels so very… fake.
Aoi just looked away. "Enough nostalgia. Please get yourself rested. As soon as the fog retreats, you can go home."
"Ah, right. The fog." Ash mused, staring out from the chair. He was sitting close to the balcony, and yet, he couldn't see a single thing outside, almost as if some kind of alien energy, as dark as the blackest night, had enveloped the entire area.
What is that thing?
"Is it always like this?"
"They say that the fog is like a familiar. It encroaches closer on finding family." Aoi replied cryptically, before turning around and walking away.
As soon as the door to his rooms closed, Ash stood up from his chair, almost in unison with Magnus and Absol, who started to growl softly. He took out Alakazam and Gengar's pokeballs outside, releasing them out, as flashes of red inundated the entire room.
Seriously midget, you just had to interrupt my rest after such a long-WHAT the hell is going on here?
Alakazam was practically yelling out, both in his mind, and in his own tongue. His eyes glowed sharply with icy blue light, his spoons glowing bright and silver, before both returned to normal. With an icy stare, the psi pokémon turned towards Ash, and snarled.
Where are we?
Ash gulped. He had been getting an eerie feeling from the very beginning, but this simply confirmed it. Even Gengar looked uncharacteristically alert, staring around in all directions. Then, she turned towards the psi pokémon and spoke something in her own tongue. By Alakazam's reaction to it, he could figure out that it was hardly a good one.
The otherworldly one confirmed my suspicions… We are the middle of nowhere.
"Well, we must be somewhere." Ash countered. "We did cross the Johto sea-border, so we must be someplace close to-"
You do not understand, human.
Ash stepped back, never having seen Alakazam—or Kadabra for that matter- to behave so roughly. Never before had he missed being called 'midget'.
We are in the middle of nowhere. This place… it is not within the boundaries of the real world. I wouldn't be able to teleport out of this place even if I wanted.
Ash swallowed, looking out at the fog outside. "Is it because of the ghosts in the forests?"
Gengar growled, expressing her thoughts on the matter.
There are no ghosts out there, mere ghostly energies and trapped spirits. Cursed forms, and entities that we fear to name. The fog… it is filled with an alien energy that hurts mine and the otherworldly one's senses.
"You mean…. You mean, it is dark energy?"
Absol snarled, almost as if in defiance to that argument.
Ash stared at her. Not even dark energy? What the hell is it then?
I cannot say for sure, midget. Alakazam replied. If I didn't know any better, I'd have claimed that we have entered the Distortion.
Ash gulped. This was bad. Very, very bad. "The woman… Aoi, she said that we could leave when the fog retreats."
Which means you are stuck here forever, in case it doesn't retreat. Alakazam yelled into his mind. Seriously midget, I should demand payment for-
"Shut it." Ash snapped. "We need to find a way to get out of this place."
How about you ask your pretty little lady? Alakazam snarked, having gone through Ash's recent memories with a single glance into his eyes.
Magnus, all this while, was growing more and more impatient. His claws had extended outward, glowing with draconic energy, and even his maw was glowing bright orange, something Ash recognized pretty easily.
Draco meteor.
"Magnus…" he whispered slowly. "Please calm down. We need to think and decide what to do. Throwing up a Draco meteor might create more problems for us than there already are."
Magnus let out an angry grunt, but somehow managed to cool himself down.
"We don't know where we are, and I don't suppose I could simply walk out of the mansion to the coast outside." Ash muttered sardonically.
I'd enjoy seeing you try. Alakazam replied callously.
Gengar on the other hand, much to Ash's surprise, was busy in conversation with Absol, something that surprised Ash. From what he knew, ghost-types and dark,-types didn't get together, but then… they come in all forms, he supposed. Gengar then drawled out something to Alakazam, and Absol seemed to agree to it.
"What is it?"
The otherworldly one and the void-using feline thinks that we should try to find a way to get out of the mansion first. It is not like staying here is going to help matters.
"We could do that." Ash muttered, wondering how on earth he had managed to get into such a place. First the sudden storm, then the solitary beach and now this-
If you are done with your mental monologue, I should prefer being returned to my pokeball. The ambient energies hurt my senses.
"Right." Ash deadpanned, lifting the pokeball and returning the psi pokeball into it. He turned towards Gengar. "Do you also want the same?"
The Gengar looked a little conflicted, before finally shaking her head in denial.
"Very well," Ash decided. "I have decided that I'm going to go up to Aoi, and demand her to let me out of this place."
The three pokémon standing in front of him, sighed in resignation.
"Oh come on." Ash resented. "You know it is a good start as any. It's not like we have a better alternative."
The three pokémon looked at each other, and then glanced at the closed door, before turning to Ash, as if to say, "After you."
"All right, let me try this one." Ash panted.
They had been going at it for over several minutes now, running past one room into the others. For some reason, none of the rooms were locked, and the doors opened and closed without the barest amount of friction in them. However, despite them running past one corridor before slipping into another, it seemed like no matter how far they ran, there would always be a new corridor, or a new room, or a staircase or balcony- it was never ending.
"It's official. This is some kind of grand-scale illusion." Ash panted. He had released Alakazam out once again, only to receive a denial. Apparently, whatever had caused this illusion was just as alien as that fog outside, and it was beyond Alakazam's psychic prowess to break through it.
A humbling thought, both for Ash and the psi pokémon.
"What do you suggest we do now?" he asked, staring at his compatriots. "This illusion cannot be broken, nor can your"—he looked at Gengar-"powers leak us out through it. Even Magnus is becoming irritable by the minute, the only one unaffected is Absol."
Absol grunted, his maw filled with dark energy, as she sent out a powerful dark pulse towards one of the walls, which went tearing through it, and much to Ash's shock, fog seemed to slowly creep into the mansion through the broken wall.
"Yeah- no, I don't think that's what we really needed."
Absol snarled at the fog, which merrily pushed itself through in little whiskers, seeping in through the broken wall. In a moment, the entire wall had been enveloped by the mysterious thing.
Ash had enough. "All right, Magnus. If this dark energy, then we use something that can hurt it. Use dragon pulse."
Magnus's tail flame raged as it burnt even more brightly, as the draconian pokémon released a powerful sphere of concentrated draconic energy, something that altered its shape into a draconian form as it slammed into the fog, as well as destroying the walls on either side. Surprisingly enough, the fog seemed to have receded a little, much to Ash's grin.
And then it came in with full force.
"Uh… run." Ash yelped, as he escaped from the other side, the three pokémon following swiftly behind.
They passed through corridors, through rooms and broke through walls, not really caring what they did, or how they did it. Magnus's claws were glowing bright silver with draconic aura surrounding them, a permanent dragon claw in effect, as he broke through the walls, with Ash and the other two pokémon following swiftly behind. Often Gengar would throw a dark pulse, joined in with Absol, towards the fog, pushing it back slightly, whenever they felt themselves trapped. However, it was only temporary and the fog continued to pursue them with full force.
They had run themelves into a tight corner, surrounded by stone walls on all sides, and the fog coming towards them from the only opening.
"Absol, dark pulse. Same for you, Gengar."
The two pokémon sent out two successive spheres of concentrated dark energy, which was- or at least, what Ash thought it was- deflected away by something that seemed awfully like a dragon tail attack. Even in the nigh impenetrable fog, he was somehow able to make out a specific shape, something like a giant sauropod with wings. And it was staring at him.
No, it was almost like it was judging him.
"Magnus…" Ash whispered. "Use Draco meteor. Don't worry about anything else. Get us out of here."
Magnus was only too happy to oblige. His entire body glowing with draconic aura, he let his maw open, unleashing a large sphere of bright orange, which reached up to the ceiling, before exploding out into powerful draconic spheres, which began falling down on all sides, completely shattering the stone wall, allowing Ash and company to escape out of it.
"This way." Ash yelled, as the group rushed into what seemed to be a large, stone-walled room with a fireplace. Even from a distance, Ash could see the smouldering flames inside it. On one side of the fireplace, was an old-fashioned rocking-chair, on which Aoi was sitting, her eyes closed, relaxing.
"So… you managed to find this place after all." She spoke, not caring to look up at all.
"Aoi." Ash answered in a throaty voice. "Let us out of this place."
"No." Aoi sat up straight, her icy blue eyes staring squarely at Ash in the face. "You will not leave me again. I do not trust you, not to betray me again."
Betray? Again?
"Aoi… I think you have me confused with someone else. I'm-"
"I'm perfectly capable of recognizing you Master Satoshi." Aoi replied in a strange, feral tone. "You ignored my warning. You chose that monstrosity over me," she pointed towards Absol who snarled back, "—and you left us, despite my warnings."
She stood up, her hairs now starting to glow crimson red, as she took a step forward. "I told you that the monstrosity would bring us ruin, but you laughed at my concerns. You made me pledge to protect this house until you return, choosing to have that monstrosity with yourself instead of your faithful."
"Look, you have me confused with someone else. I am Ash Ketchum, not Sat-"
"I know perfectly who you are, Master Satoshi. Do not try to beguile me." The woman literally snarled. "The fog will not enter this place, this sanctum, for it is under my protection. As long as you stay here, you will be alive. The moment you step out into the fog, Distortion will claim you, like it claimed hundreds before you."
Hundreds? Ash swallowed.
"After you left, the massive catastrophe consumed the island. So many innocents lost their lives, all of that because that monstrosity had to arrive on this land, and then you choose her over me, your faithful."
"Then…" Ash swallowed, grasping for words. "Then how did this island, and this mansion become like this? How did… did Distortion, engulf this place?"
The woman sneered. "I protected it. I used my mystical powers to bind this place, this house, this land to myself, and protected it, even when we were there, deep down beneath the waters. My true powers were awakened, and my mind elevated… and this island rose. Back to the surface. For three hundred years I have waited for this."
Ash's eyes widened. Who was this woman? Or rather… what was she?
"But…. But you are just a normal person. How could you have done all that?"
"Your betrayal knows no limits, master Satoshi." The woman snarled. "You betrayed me, you never returned, and now… you claim to not even remember my form?" Her eyes turned vermillion. "I will have my vengeance upon the likes of you."
Aoi began to glow with a dazzling bright light before her form condensed, her frame turning into a lupine-shape, her body now covered with gleaming, golden fur, as nine tails erupted out of her posterior end, before folding back, as she now sat, like a regal queen, staring at him, her vermillion eyes glowing with eldritch energies.
"Ninetales…" Ash whispered. Aoi… was a Ninetales all along?
He briefly remembered having checked out on Ninetales after battling Silver. Seeing Harrison get one as well had only increased his interest in the mystical pokémon. However, the two specimens he had seen prior to this had no comparison with the one that sat before him. For one, Aoi was easily around five feet in height, and when seated down on her hind limbs, clearly way taller than Ash himself. Her golden tails, had acquired a vermillion shade towards the end. He briefly remembered reading somewhere about it.
Of course. He realized. Crimson red vermillion.
It was a phenomenon said to be associated with Ninetales, a mystical fire-type that was believed to be capable of surviving more than a millennium. Apparently, on evolution from Vulpix, the nine tails are completely golden, and each tail is believed to hold a single, latent mystical ability which is different for every single Ninetales in existence. As Ninetales mature, it slowly gains control over its mystical abilities, causing its tails to acquire a pinkish coloration at the ends. The theory states that should all nine tails acquire a crimson red coloration at the ends, slowing lightening and reaching a vermillion shade at a point in the lower middle portions, then said Ninetales would have likely gained mastery over all of its mystical abilities. This particular state was known as Crimson red vermillion.
He shuddered as he suddenly remembered that such a Ninetales was literally just as dangerous as facing a horde of dragons.
"You will be going nowhere." The Ninetales projected her thoughts aloud, just like Mewtwo was capable of doing.
Me and my luck. Ash decided. As if Mewtwo alone wasn't enough. What's with super powerful pokémon having issues with my existence? Wonder which fucking deity I managed to anger in some previous life.
"Ninetales…" Ash began, at which the fox-pokémon snarled.
"Aoi." He backpedalled. "If this land was under your protection, how did this... Distortion claim it?"
"You dare ask me that?" The nine tails were now separated, and blowing in a mystical wind that encompassed the room. "My oath of protection twisted by your betrayal, my faith in you turned to eternal horror, my mystical powers turned to curse. Distortion claimed the impossibility I created, and now it wishes to claim what is rightfully mine. I will not allow that."
"So, as long as we are here, the fog will not come in?"
Ninetales didn't reply.
"Look, Aoi… I will say this again. Your master, Satoshi… he was someone else. I am Ash, and I am just fifteen. I cannot possibly be the one you are waiting for. He must have-"
"Lies!" Her voice thundered, as the wind lashed against Ash, almost as if it were a manifestation of her emotions. "You lie, Master Satoshi. I can sense the taste of your spirit. It is just as I remember. You have that pale monstrosity with you as well. Do not try to defy the truth. I will have my vengeance, and you will stay here forever, by my side."
Damn, this is… going nowhere.
Ash looked out at the entrance. He could see the fog trying to barge through the door, but some kind of mystical force—Ninetales, he realized, was keeping it out. That meant that should Ninetales be gone from this zone, it would mean the fog engulfing the room, and by extension, everyone in it. And that meant that-
Wait.
Ash slowly pushed his fingers towards his belt, aware of how Ninetales was watching him warily. With exaggerated slowness, he pressed the release button on Alakazam's pokeball, releasing the psi pokémon outside.
Another - an illusion of the nine-tailed fox? That is what this is? Alakazam cried in his mind.
"Your psi won't be able to aid you here, master Satoshi. Without my presence, the fog will engulf you, and as long as I am here, your psi will not be able to teleport."
That is a rather accurate analysis.
Thanks for your vote for confidence. Ash thought sourly.
I should say Midget… whatever you are planning, it is going to send us hurling into distortion. DO NOT put it into action.
Do you have a better idea?
I take that back. I shouldn't have read your mind.
Ass.
Ash ignored Alakazam's expletives, and focussed on the Ninetales in front of him.
"You are right. I am master Satoshi."
Every single eye turned towards Ash, wondering if he had lost his mind. Absol and Magnus in particular, looked completely perplexed by his actions. "But I have a query. If you really think that I betrayed you, then why didn't you leave this mansion? Why not… escape from this hell?"
The mystical pokémon looked down. "I tried. But every single time I tried to walk away, something always pulled me back into this room. Something… trapped me in this place. And it is all because of you."
"Very well." Ash sighed, pulling out Gengar and Absol's pokeballs, and returning both of them, much to their shock. "If I was responsible for trapping you in this place, then I will release you from this place as well."
"What are you-?—NO!" Aoi yelled.
"Yes," Ash stressed. "Magnus, use Draco Meteor. Full power."
Magnus let out a fearsome roar, propelling out a beam of bright orange upwards, which reached the ceiling, before exploding powerful, as meteors of draconic energy began to fall all over the place.
"No, Master Satoshi, don't do this!" Aoi yelled, as all nine tails began to glow with an alien energy, her eyes glowing bright vermillion, using her mystical strength to stop the draconic meteors in the air.
"Again!" Ash roared, and Magnus bided, belching out two more Draco meteors, enough to make the dragon fall down upon his hind limbs, completely spent and exhausted.
Instantly returning Magnus to his pokeball, Ash picked out a lone ultraball in his hand, as he watched the Ninetales use the entirety of her power to try stop the incoming meteors. "I am your Master, and I command you. Aoi, return to me." He threw the ultraball towards the feline in one go.
And Time seemed to stop for the mystical pokémon.
One instant, she had been overwhelmed with rage and vengeance, seeing her Master try to destroy the place that had been her sanctum over centuries, as she extended her awareness to prevent each and every of those meteors from falling down onto the ground. The second moment, she saw the ultraball coming towards her, and behind it, standing was her master.
"Aoi… return to me." He had said.
For one moment, the room, the distortion outside, the falling draconic meteors, the rage, the anger, the strength… everything ceased to exist. For that moment, there was only her master, standing there in front of her, throwing the pokeball at her. For one moment, it was like she was back with her master, before everything had happened, with her master uttering those words…
All over again.
Aoi… return to me.
For that one single moment, frozen across space and time, everything else didn't matter. All that Aoi knew was that her master had returned, and was wanting her back. The blind rage faded, as she let out a woof, before releasing her hold on the room, and shifting into pokémon-energy, as the ultraball hit her on her face.
Ash barely registered the 'ding' as the ultraball, now having succeeded in capturing a pokémon, returning to his hand, as the Draco meteors began to fall to the ground.
"Alaka-" He began, but before he could finish the word, darkness engulfed him.
It is official. I hate teleportation. Ash decided as he managed to land face-first into water, drenching himself from head to toe. He felt water rushing in, before blowing over him, drenching him all the way all over again.
That was hilarious.
Ash looked up, recognizing the sun coming up from the horizon. It seemed like early morning, and he was lying, face-first on the beach, completely inundated by the morning tide over and over, while Alakazam stood on dry ground, half a yard away, laughing his arse off at his condition.
He felt the solid ultraball tightly clenched in his right hand.
It's over. I guess.
He looked up, before pushing himself off the wet sand. "Where are we?"
Verity Island. One of the seven islands that make up the Glitter Archipelago.
"Any special reason of bringing us here?"
Alakazam shrugged.
"Hmmm…" Ash mused, trying to wipe off the wet sand off his face. "Could you help me out with this? I will get you a TM of your choice if you do."
The psi pokémon laughed, before his eyes glowed pale yellow, as every single piece of sand dropped off from his body. On second thought, even his clothes were completely dry.
"Useful." He commented. "So… are we completely out of that place?"
We are.
"Hmmm…" He glanced at the pokeball in hand. "What to do with her now? Think she'd attack me again?"
With your luck, it only seems the most probable outcome.
"Should've known you'd say that." Ash muttered, before letting out a deep breath. "Here goes nothing." He lifted the ultraball up. "Go, Ninetales."
The ultraball opened up with a pop sound, releasing the red pokémon-energy which condensed into Ninetales, who let out a long howl, spreading her tails regally, as she considered the person in front of her.
"Who are you?"
Okay. I didn't expect that to happen. Ash sighed inwardly. "I'm—I'm Ash, and this is Alakazam. Don't you remember anything?"
Ninetales tilted her head, staring at Ash contemplatively, before her mystically-conducted voice was heard. "I seem to remember my Master returning me into a pokeball, but… you are… you are not my Master."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Of course I am not."
Now she understands. Alakazam deadpanned.
"But then…" The fox pokémon tilted her head, as her memories became more vivid. "I… understand now. Your spirit… it has the feel just like Master Satoshi, and you had an Absol as well. I… in my twisted trance, failed to differentiate."
"Aoi," Ash hesitated for a moment. "It has been over three hundred years since that earthquake happened. Whatever happened to your master, he is long dead. He won't be returning back."
The Ninetales drooped her head. "I understand that now."
"If I might ask, what was that thing? The fog-filled island of Distortion?"
Ninetales lifted her head. "The effects of a three-hundred-year-old curse, placed by my subconscious self while drowning deep beneath the sea. My powers were inconsequential, but my curse… unbearably powerful. It kept me alive, and yet, created an all-encompassing fog of death. Should I have come into contact with it, I would not have survived."
"I… understand." Ash tried.
"You do not. I hope, for your own sake, that you never do." Aoi refuted back.
He will… Alakazam shook his head in mock despair. He is way too incredulously lucky, or not, for that.
Ash snorted. "Either way, what happens to you now?"
Ninetales shook her head. "I do not know. My purpose for existence was to serve my master. That purpose shifted into vengeance, which twisted my mind into that… monstrosity I had become. Now… after all this time, I do not know. Maybe I will simply walk off into the afterlife."
Ash stood silent.
Midget, you better not be thinking to-
"Why don't you come with us?"
That… grabbed her attention. "You nearly died because of me and my twisted grudge."
"I know." Ash shrugged. "Most of my team has tried to outright kill me if not seriously maim me, at some point. It's kind of… the ongoing theme, I should say. Oh and Alakazam doesn't count. He's my mom's."
Said pokémon just shook his head in vain.
"You are… a curious individual, Ash Ketchum." Aoi declared.
"I know, I have been through a lot." Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his hand.
"Like?"
"Look into my memories, you will find-"
"Alaka!" Alakazam stepped forward, his hands raised, ready to prevent such a course of action from taking place, as he glared at Ash. Are you stupid? Allowing a psychic access to your mind?
"You are either extremely innocent or extremely stupid, Ash Ketchum." Aoi replied.
"Uh… both, I think." Ash chuckled. "Anyway, I truly do not mind. Go ahead."
The Ninetales looked at him with a scrutinizing expression, almost as if she were trying to figure something about him. Then, she came to a decision, and her eyes glowed vermillion, and Ash found the memories of his life as a trainer—right from the day he had stood in front of Pikachu, all the way to the present day, flash in front of his eyes with rapid succession.
"Interesting…" Aoi spoke at last. "I realize now… why your spirit tasted just like my master, Ash Ketchum."
Ash didn't know what to think of it, so he decided to shrug.
"So?" He asked after a while.
Ninetales looked up.
"What did you decide, about doing?" Ash questioned.
"I suppose… you did catch me, after all." Ninetales stared squarely at him. "So maybe my own purpose is to serve someone else apart from my master after all. I owe you for breaking me out of that… void."
Ash decided that the best thing to do would be to keep quiet.
Ninetales looked up at him with a stern expression. "I must confess I do not have a liking for battle. However, should you desire for me to accompany you, I shall do so."
"Umm…. Great." Ash swallowed, turning towards the psi pokémon. "I don't suppose you can teleport me home from here?"
My awareness is depleted from continuous exertion, midget. My services shall be unavailable till evening.
"Great…" Ash muttered, as he turned back towards his newest capture. "Well then, welcome to the team. I suppose I should introduce you to everyone."
Can it. We are all too tired. Alakazam stated, before turning into poke-energy, as he returned into his pokeball.
"Shows how much respect I get." Ash muttered resentfully, before looking up. "I guess… Steamer, it is."
Several hours later...
I must confess, communicating mentally like this is rather… odd. I never had any problems communicating with my Master back then.
Well. Ash rubbed the back of his head, as he stood on the large, elevated platform, waiting silently, as the sailors on the blue and white steamship in front of him unloaded the goods, the passengers slowly getting out, alongside. The world has changed. The fact that I can communicate with you mentally is almost an oddity for most.
I am unimpressed. The world did not progress like we thought it did.
We?
A story for another day.
Of course, mistress. Ash taunted. A part of his mind couldn't help but notice the subtle glances he was getting from the passengers walking out. Even the ones standing near him were stealing glances at him.
Why are they glancing at us?
It is not their fault. It's not every day that you see a beautiful, golden Ninetales walking alongside someone like this.
The mystical pokémon supressed a blush at the compliment, as she stared up at the pair of Wingull painted on the ship. Where are we going?
Home. To my mother. At least for now. Feels like an awfully long time I have been away from her. You'd like her. She's… a researcher who works with psychic pokémon.
What's a researcher?
Ash flushed, wondering how to explain that to her. Umm… a person who finds information.
Why would anyone keep finding information all their lives? The fox pokémon inquired, looking up curiously at her trainer.
Uh… so that other's might be able to use it.
Hmm… Aoi mused. I think that is incredibly lame. If I were to find myself information about a new den, I wouldn't share it with anyone else. Good dens are hard to find. Humans are… foolish and complicated.
Ash chuckled at that. "I guess they are." The odd behaviour got a couple of glances from the people around him.
Do you also want to be a researcher when you are older and have gotten a mate and offspring?
Ash nearly choked at her choice of words. I… I didn't decide all of that yet. I'm just fifteen.
Pity.
For some reason, Ash had a feeling that he had just missed a joke. For all he knew, the joke was on him.
I think I will like this… Home, of yours. It will give me a start to finding my purpose.
Well… that's as good a start as any. Ash thought inwardly.
The steamship let out a long whistle, indicating that it was time for the new passengers to climb aboard. With Ninetales swiftly following him, Ash climbed aboard to the ship's deck, before submitting his ticket to the sailor checking for them, as he was directed to the seats. The journey from there to Vermillion Harbour was a long one, and would take at least twenty hours on a good day, which meant most of the day—a good thing that he had a lot of canned food to last him and his companion.
Getting himself a rather comfortable one by the window, Ash put away his backpack under the seat, before adjusting to a comfortable position. Ninetales, simply leapt over his lap, coiling herself effortlessly into one and a half turns, with her muzzle resting on Ash's abdomen.
Somebody's rather comfy.
A lady needs her comforts.
Ash rolled his eyes. Then again, it would be a long journey to Vermillion, and considering that he had missed an entire night's sleep, a good nap sounded like something to pursue for the moment. He looked down at the delicate creature sleeping peacefully on his lap, resting in peace for the first time in centuries—or more, he mused.
Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all.