The Return (The Return Series)

The Return

Ash, Dawn, Jimmy, Paul, Red and Silver all trudged through Vermillion City in the cover of the night. They had decided to land in Viridian City before walking to Vermillion just in case Giovanni was lurking anywhere. So far, nothing. The only sound present was their footsteps and the quiet breathing. The street lights flickered on and off illuminating their faces every now and again. Vermillion was quiet. Too quiet. Ash looked back and for a moment he saw a shadow perched on top of the street light. And when the light flickered back on again it was gone. Ash almost stopped everyone but decided against it. What would he say? He was seeing ghosts? Ash kept walking, keeping his eyes in front of him. He felt like a child, thinking 'if I don't acknowledge it, will it go away?' Ash kept walking, throwing one glance behind him. He failed to notice the person hiding in the shadows. Following them. "What's wrong," Dawn asked quietly, "nothing," Ash lied. "Ash," Dawn said, "it's nothing," Ash said quickly before turning his eyes in front of him. Ash was lucky he turned his eyes to in front of him because otherwise he would've walked straight into Jimmy. The others had stopped. "Somethings following us," Red said quietly, "walk faster." Red turning back. That's when the blue blast came out of nowhere. "Ahhhh," Ash yelled barely having time to launch his own blast of aura. An explosion shook the ground sending them all tumbling back except Red who stood his ground. "Go," Red yelled, "I'll catch up." Ash and the others didn't complain as they ran. Ash glanced back and saw Red deflect a blast of aura from a seemingly invisible foe.

With Red:
"You can come out now," Red yelled, "you don't scare me. Fear is an emotion long forgotten by me." "Fear," the voice asked, "I am not trying to make you fearful, I am here to talk. To tell you the truth." That's when the voice stepped out of the shadows. It was Leaf. "Hello father," Leaf spoke coldly, "daughter," Red said cautiously. "Why the caution," Leaf asked, "I have come to talk." Red eyed her suspiciously before speaking, "what have you come to talk about," Red asked. "I was expecting a little warmer welcome. More like 'hey Leaf. How's it going Leaf. It's been so long,'" "Is that all you came to tell me," Red asked coldly, "no no. I don't know what I expected, I just haven't seen you since. Since we were all at Celadon City. The whole Ketchum family together. All those years ago," Leaf said, "it's been what... 17, 18 years?" Red must've looked shocked because Leaf laughed, "I guess you wouldn't suppose that a small child would remember those events. But I did. I remember you bargaining for me, for Ash and for mother. What were your last words? 'Stay strong. I'll come back for you.' Did you come back for me when Team Galactic killed some of the people I was closest to? No. Were you there when I put my life on the line to stop Team Plasma? No. Were you there when I nearly died fighting for Kalos the first time? No. Were you there when my own brother killed me? No. You never came back for me. You were just fighting to prevent the part of you you thought you were trying to stop. That part had already come out a long time ago. It had come out before I was born," Leaf said coldly. "Ash... killed you," Red managed to choke out, "nearly. I was saved by Mewtwo. Said that Ash made a mistake and that I didn't deserve to die. But I'm not allowed to go after him yet, I can't wait till I'm allowed because he'll wish he had died under that stadium that nearly crushed me," Leaf said. Red glanced at the sun which was now rising. It was Dawn. Not the person. The time. "Well looks like that's all the time I have," Leaf said, "I'll see you later father." "No, wait," Red yelled. He was too late. In a pile of smoke Leaf was gone and Red was filled with a new found anger for Ash. Maybe Leaf couldn't go after Ash but Red could and Red knew exactly where to find Ash.

With Ash:
When Ash had gotten to the place they were staying Ash had found the nearest bed and promptly passed out. That's when the dreams came back. He saw the wake of destruction and the darkened sky. He saw the world on fire. That's when he saw Giovanni again. "You were lucky to escape Floccessy Town alive but next time you will not be so lucky. It will be better if you come with me quietly otherwise she'll come for you and I won't be able to contain her. Her lust for revenge has no bound. You will find out soon enough." That's when the same dark looming figure faced him. "You don't understand the depths of my rage. I was so close to having revenge but I was promised I will get it soon. There will be nowhere to run. There will be nowhere to hide. Brother," the voice began to fade and Ash sank into darkness. Ash awoke with a feeling of dread. He didn't know why but something made him dreadful of going to the kitchen where everyone likely was. So Ash didn't. He lay in bed for another 40 minutes staring at the ceiling. The voice in the dream had called him brother. And had said that they had been close to their revenge. On Ash. There was only one person who fit that description but Ash refused to believe it until he saw her. Ash rolled out of bed. Literally. Hitting the carpet floor and laying there for another 5 minutes before getting up and walking to the kitchen. Silver and Green sat at the tables reading. Dawn and Blue were cooking. Dawn greeted him with a warm smile and Blue greeted him with a cold glare. Jimmy and Paul were eating cereal and waved at him before going back to his cereal. Ash glanced at the newspaper that Green was reading, it looked old. Something about a terrorist attack at the Lily of the Valley Conference. Ash realised what was happening. Silver stood at the door and Red and Blue stood guarding the hallway. "So," Ash began, "she's alive. Isn't she?" "It wouldn't be a surprise if you didn't drop a building on her 8 years ago," Silver growled angrily, "so it's my fault that a mentally unstable 20 year old is hunting us," Ash asked sarcastically, "don't," Blue yelled pointing at him, "just don't." Ash glanced at Jimmy and Paul who were still eating but they both had a hand on their belts. They were ready to jump in to his defence if it came to that. "I'm ashamed to be your father," Red said, "you are an embarrassment to the Ketchum name." Ash glanced around again, everyone in the room seemed taken aback by what Red had said. "An embarrassment," Ash yelled angrily, "well I'm sorry that I'm not what you wanted me to be. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to single handedly take down Team Rocket like you were unable to do. I'm sorry that you had me and pretended to love me for a time. You come here calling me an embarrassment and expect me to say nothing back." Ash demanded, "you call me an embarrassment because I couldn't achieve what you couldn't as well. You think I'm an embarrassment because I'm not you?" Red was silent but Ash continued, "you want to know all the things I'm ashamed of of you? You ran away when you were scared. You didn't do it to protect me or my mother. You did it for yourself because you were scared. You left me and lied to me for a decade. And not only that you failed to save my mother, one of the only people I had left and you failed to protect her from the person you are ashamed of me because I am unable to beat him." "Boys please," Blue cried trying to break them up, "stay out of it," Ash yelled angrily startling even Jimmy and Paul who dropped their spoons. "You call me an embarrassment," Ash yelled, "it's you whose the embarrassment, Red. You failed to stop him first. And you had so much more time than me." "You still killed your sister," Red said, "that's hardly relevant anymore," Ash said, "besides. I was acting in self-defence. If anything she dropped the building on herself."