The Return (The Return Series)

The Siege of Saffron pt.1

Thanks for 600 reads. I also submitted No Return for the wattys 2021. I definitely dont think I'll get it but if I get like the shortlist or sum thing that would be pretty sick

"Ash was right," Jimmy yelled angrily, "stay out of this Jackson," Red growled. (For those of you who don't know. I make Jimmy's last name Jackson so ye) "So I'm just supposed to stay out of it because Ash is right? Are you too stubborn to admit you are wrong," Jimmy exclaimed, "if Ash is an embarrassment what does that make you?" Everyone was silent. The room except for Jimmy's heavy breathing. "A failure," Paul said suddenly, "it makes you a failure." Paul looked directly at Red as he said that. "A failure?" Red asked, "my achievements are so much greater than that boy Ash's." "if you don't mind I'm going to go speak to that boy Ash," Dawn said with as much venom in her voice as she could muster before storming out the door. "What are your achievements? You barely survived your first battle with Giovanni. And don't even get me started on the second battle, you had to cheat your way to victory. Then you got turned to stone. Then you got scared and became an assassin for Giovanni for a decade and a half. And only came out of hiding when you knew you could finally beat Giovanni," Paul yelled, "meanwhile Ash's achievements are far greater than yours. He was the youngest person alive to master aura something you didn't do until you were 22. Ash chooses to fight for the good of people and Pokémon even if they mean nothing to you. You once did that but now you are just an empty shell of your former self. Empty. You're so bend up on your past you can't see your future." Paul stormed out of the room and yet again it was silent except for the crunches of Jimmy eating cereal. "Do you all think that," Red demanded, "yes," Jimmy said, "I do." "How? I am not empty! I am not broken," Red yelled, "I remember the stories my mother and father would tell me about Red Ketchum the Great. The youngest Pokémon League champion. The man who loved Pokémon with all his heart. Who helped people because he was selfless. You're an empty shell, you've neglected to spend time with your Pokémon unless it's for battling, you only help people if they can help you get to your goals. And we are all broken. You lost your mother and Yellow. I lost my mother and father. Silver lost the two people closest to him. Blue lost her parents. Green lost his parents and Professor Oak. Ash lost his mother and most of his friends. Paul's hometown was burnt to the ground with nothing remaining, he lost his brother Reggie as well. Dawn lost her mother, she never knew her father and many of her friends were also killed. So look me in the eyes Red and tell me 'We are not broken'," Jimmy yelled. Red got up and opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. "I was right," Jimmy said before walking out of the room. Blue just sighed before going back to cooking, Silver and Green started planning again and Red just stood there dumbfounded before leaving the room and going to sleep.

When Ash and Dawn walked back into the door, hand in hand, they found a very different scene to what they expected. Blue was still cooking cursing quietly as she touched the metal tray that had just come out of the oven. Jimmy was in the far corner of the room talking to someone on the phone. Paul was sitting, eating his cereal quietly. Silver and Green were planning. A 3D holographic version of Viridian City on the computer screen. Dawn gave Ash's hand a light squeeze before letting go and going to help Blue. Meanwhile Ash sat down to help Green and Silver. "The ambush will only work if he doesn't know when we're coming. He knows we're coming but we have the advantage. If he is unaware when we will strike we will hold the advantage," Ash told them quietly, "and I have a plan."

Saffron City, Kanto
2 Hours Later:
Ash trudged along silently. Glancing behind every few seconds. No one could blame him for being paranoid, he just needed to check up on someone. Everyone looked scared, he couldn't blame them. Ash knew that Giovanni was targeting towns and cities where Dex holders were but the citizens didn't know that. For all they knew Giovanni would rock up and raze the city to the ground. "Pi Pikachu," Pikachu said sadly, "Ee Eevee," Eevee agreed, "don't worry you two," Ash said quietly, "we'll be out of here before you know it. Team Rocket and Dawn will never know we were here." "E eevee," Eevee pointed out, "it's nothing," Ash muttered, "I can't sense anything with my aura." "Pi pika," Pikachu said worried. "No need to worry," Ash said. Ash came to an abrupt stop in front of a building. "So," Ash muttered to himself, "I wonder what Blake is doing in Kanto." Ash walked through the doors. Two officers moved to meet him, one had a pistol drawn, the other had a Pokéball in her hand. "Who are you and what is your business here," the officer with the gun drawn asked, "I'm here to see Blake," Ash said, "I'm sure he wouldn't like it that you're holding me up here." "Who are you." the officer with the Pokéball asked. Ash pulled out a card, "Captain Ash Ketchum of the Kanto division. Served in the raids of Viridian, Goldenrod and Lilycove cities to name a few," Ash said, "I'm also the highest ranking officer in this building, other than Blake, so theoretically if you annoy me enough I could fire you." One of the officers visibly gulped while the other one looked really scared. That's when another voice rang across the room, "you know Ketchum, you've only been doing this for 2 years. You're still a rookie compared to me," Blake said, "commander," Ash saluted. Everyone in the room followed Ash's example. "Captain," Blake saluted back, "I want a round of applause for Captain Ash Ketchum who had returned after his 6 month leave of absence." The room erupted in applause before Blake dragged him out of the room. But before that happened Ash turned to the 2 officers who had held him up, "you might want to guard the door," Ash said, "I have a feeling something will happen." Ash and Blake walked silently through the halls before coming to a stop at an elevator. They stepped in and Blake pressed the button for the top floor. "So," Ash began, "why'd you call me back?" "Can't it be just so I can see my good friend Ash," Blake asked sarcastically before stepping out of the elevator which had come to a stop. Ash followed and followed him down to his office. "It's never that simple with you," Ash said, "plus the deal was a year leave." "Yes, but these are trying times," Blake said grimly. That's when Ash noticed the burn marks on Blake's hands and face. "What... happened to you," Ash asked, "did you see what happened to Celadon City," Blake asked, "yea. The Game Corner went up in flames," Ash replied. "The game corner is not important. Do you remember what's under it," Blake said, "Team Rockets hideout," Ash said in realisation. "We went on a mission to get info because Giovanni was in Unova. Someone stopped us," Blake said, "the plan was for me to sneak into Giovanni's office and steal their plans while the other officers burnt the place to the ground." "She's alive," Ash said, "isn't she. Red was right." "Yes," Blake said grimly, "she is." "She ambushed me and threw Team Rockets plans into the fire. She escaped by using trickery," Blake lied, but Ash didn't know he did, "I barely escaped myself." "Leaf is alive. She survived," Ash said, "have you been able to use aura recently," Blake asked seemingly out of the blue, "yea," Ash replied, "recently. I was defending against Leaf." "You met Leaf," Blake asked, "well she was pretty close but I didn't see her. It was too dark. So really I didn't," Ash replied, "create an aura sphere right now," Blake suddenly demanded. Ash began to concentrate, this had usually come so easily to him but now he found himself struggling until he sighed in defeat. "Can't," Ash said miserably. "A aura shield," Blake asked, Ash concentrated again before conjuring one. "It's really faint," Ash said, "it's like someone's taken away my aura powers." "I have a theory," Blake said, "you lost your aura powers before because you were a part of Team Rocket and now you've lost them because you want to kill again." "Please," Ash said, "who would I want to kill..." Ash's voice faltered. "Exactly," Blake said, "you want to kill Leaf. Just as much as she wants to kill you." "That..." Ash couldn't finish, "see. I'm right," Blake said, "that doesn't matter right now. Look, they're here." Blake pointed to the walls surrounding Saffron. People were gathered around the entries while other people were on flying Pokémon. "The siege of Saffron has begun."