Pokemon Ash comeback

Ch 20 My Old Life

It was a calm, peaceful night, the stars and moon shone brightly. Not a soul could tell though as the lights of the bustling Petalburg City. The city was more alive than ever as a year of preparation was finally about to give the inhabitants of the city their reward. In only a days time the first battle of the highly touted  Hoenn League Tournament would begin. The Petalburg City World Battling Arena. The arena could easily hold 250,000 spectators and still have seats left over, on the North end towered a magnificent statue of a pokeball with the company's seal where the button should have rested. When fully lit the bright lights even made the dazzling spectacle that was Petalburg City seem like a flickering candle in an otherwise darkened room.

The three figures stood there in silence for a moment, taking in the sights and sounds of everything around them. On the far left was a tiny electrical mouse; yellow fur covered its body except for three black stripes that crossed its back, two red spots that adorned each cheek and a brown spot at the base of its lightning shaped tale. The one on the far right was a predominantly blue and black bipedal pokémon although it's belly did show a tanner color of fur. They stood tall and proud with the figure in the middle, their master. He himself stood 6'2" with a black jacket that had a hood to cover his raven hair, the jacket itself was unzipped showing a black shirt and a necklace with a pokeball that belonged the small mouse pokémon, his lifelong partner. He wore jeans and black shoes to finish his wardrobe. They looked on in silence until the pokémon on the far right interrupted the silence.

"Everyone seems so excited for the tournament, don't they master?" the pokémon communicated through aura to the figure on his left. Indeed Lucario," his master responded. "They have been waiting for a year for this tournament to finally take place. But remember we are not here to win, necessarily."

"Pika pika," the small mouse pokémon spoke solemnly.

"I know buddy, I want it to be over too. We finish what we started 12 years ago. This time we are taking him down and no one is gonna stop us," the trainer said with a tinge of venom in his voice.

"Master, what of your friends? Will you not also be glad to finally see them again? It has been so long. They think you are still dead!" the aura pokémon responded with a sound of joy in his thoughts.

"You know they cannot find out Lucario until the first round starts . As of right now things must remain status quo," he explained with a cold look in his eyes. "He took my life away from me and I am gonna take it back. Let's go." And with that the three figures vanished from the rooftop and into the darkness.
"Because I came back to my world! It is a miracle I came back," Ash shot back with venom in his voice. "If I went back and so as he did. No, I have to make sure that he is down for the count. I couldn't do that back in the other world but I sure as hell am gonna do it now." Ash's features began to tense as flashbacks of the incident played through his mind.

Lucario could sense the emotions running through his master's head: anger, hate, frustration, anxiety and even sadness. "Master do not trouble yourself," he stated calmly. "We will find him if he is out there."

"Pikapi, chu pika pika pi chu!" Pikachu chirped in agreement trying to cheer his life long friend up.

"Sorry guys I am just nervous," Ash apologized to his pokémon. He knew Lucario only meant to reassure him.

"There is something more that is bothering you," Lucario could now notice the aura his master was giving off. "You hide it but you are anxious to see them again. To see your friends, to hear their voices, their laughter. You're afraid they have moved on and forgotten about you."

Ash just looked at Lucario and gave a tentative nod. Everything he had said was true. It had been 12 years since he last saw them in person. Sure he had kept tabs on them from Alola but it wasn't the same. He saw May and Dawn take the title of Top Coordinator, seen videos of Gary as he gave speeches on pokémon research, Bonnie and Max competing in pokémon leagues. Finally there was Serena. He had followed her the closest. He saw every pokévision video she made and whenever a performance of hers was aired he would be sure to watch during the time in Alola. It hurt to see them continue their lives as his was in limbo, never knowing when he could return or if he could ever return to his old life.