The Spirit of Journeys

Faintest Hearts

"Statements"

'Thoughts'

Side Notes

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Ash stood stunned in his current position, clearly not registering what he'd just heard. "Hey Nurse Joy, wh-what are you talking a-about?". The young nurse sighed, feeling nothing but empathy for the boy who stood in awe. She began to relay the information that the doctors had told her. She gave a long and descriptive summary of Goh's condition, as well as being accompanied by another trainer and her Pokemon.

Ash felt a painstaking pain stab through his gut. He couldn't bear to hear his own best friend meet such a treacherous fate. Nurse Joy let Ash take his time to process the information, before opening her mouth to continue, only to be cut off by Ash. "Please, Nurse Joy, stop telling me this," Ash said, a reaction that Joy had anticipated. "Could you just-could you just tell me where he is right now." Ash had avoided eye contact as he leaned his hat forward and kept a minimal tone. Nurse Joy had directed him to the hospital's location, which he quickly registered into his Rotom phone. He thanked the nurse before running off into the direction of the hospital.

He checked at the Rotom phone, who'd led him through a shortcut that passed through some dark alleys, he couldn't help but get the feeling that he was being watched, to the point that it became unbearable. Ash stopped dead in his tracks, and looked around. He didn't wanna have to postpone his arrival to the hospital any further, but couldn't help at least gaze at his surroundings before rushing back to his original destination. As he did, however, an invisible force glided right through the spot he would've been on had he not stopped.

This kept him on high alert, knowing that his earlier suspicions must've been true, at least to some degree. He double checked his surroundings once more and noticed a minor outline of a figure cruising through the air. As it came into color, Ash could notice the silhouette of its head, then its wings, then its torso, and finally, the two jagged hind shapes. It took Ash a second before he realized the life form he was staring at, Latios.

But despite its imperious presence, it was the silhouette of the man that it flew over to that truly astonished Ash. Gazing at this man who seemed to have tamed Latios under his command, he could only think of one particular individual who could accomplish such a feat.

"Tobias??" Ash questioned in bewilderment.

"Ash. Well, I must say, you're quite the inconvenience to find," said Tobias.

"Well look, I don't know why you're here, but I can't afford to waste any time, I have a friend in the hospital right now." Ash stated while attempting to run past the older man. 

Tobias, however, simply grabbed Ash by the color and shoved him back, causing the younger boy to tumble backwards and fall. Pikachu assumed a defensive stance as its trainer was thrown to the floor.

"Hey! what was that for?!?" Ash demanded while standing up.

Tobias simply smirked. "It's clear to me that you haven't progressed one bit since our previous battle in the Sinnoh League."

Ash was left speechless upon that last remark. So much had gone on in one day, but the growing tension caused it all to come reeling in at that very moment. Ash gritted his teeth, before grabbing a Poke ball out of his pocket and throwing them. As the bright light faded, the faint outlines of a Pokemon could be perceived in the shadows of the dark alley.

"Look, if you wanna battle, we can do that later!" Ash stated, "But right now, I have to get to the hospital."

"Latios, Luster Purge," Tobias simply said, causing his Pokemon to summon a bright pink energy that it blasted towards its opponents. Pikachu retaliated with a Thunderbolt to protect Ash.