Capítulo 28: Kanto - Viridian City
After dinner Delia and Rose returned to the hotel they had booked, while Misty returned to the Pokemon centre, where she had left her Pokemon to relax after a hard training. The siblings and cousins left with Blue to his apartment in Viridian, Ash decided to return his room key in the morning. Gary and Daisy took the second guest room although they did not go to sleep straight away but stayed up talking while chilling together on the couch.
Gary, "I can't believe, you saw Hooh on your first day."
Ash, "I still can't believe it, and I saw them!"
Red, "I wonder what it means for your future.'
Daisy who was drinking, "Unbelievable! All those years of searching in Jhoto, that damn bird was in Kanto. Grandpa thought you may have seen some other Pokemon but after thinking about it admitted no way you could mix Hooh with someone else."
Blue pat her head, "Happens sis! Happens!"
Ash sweatdropped, "Well, at least, we know Hooh is real now, right?"
Red nodded, "Yes, yes we do!"
They talked about Hooh past midnight, till one o'clock in the morning when Ash started to yawn. Lucario it seems was waiting for that, he promptly came in, picked him up and took Ash to bed. Gary snorted before getting up himself and going to sleep leaving the older ones to talk. Once the two youngest left the atmosphere turned very serious between the three.
Daisy, "How was the clean up?"
Blue, "It went well, we got rid of the cells that we found and some hidden ones."
Red, "What bothers me is they most likely will watch him now."
Blue gave a tired look, "It was inevitable, you know that."
Red looked down, "Sometimes I wonder if becoming a Champion is worth it you know, I think I have caused more deaths as a Champion then save lives."
Daisy, "This is war between the league and the organizations and we are the soldiers, the weapons."
Blue, "It is exhausting, I have never been more happy than to return the Champion title, mind you being a leader is no vacation either."
Red, "Yeah I really want to quit sometimes but then I think about my family and Pokemon, who I have to protect and I'm back to fighting him again."
Blue looked at Red, "Are you okay?"
Red nodded, "I will be, just because he is my birth father does not mean I'll excuse his actions."
Blue grimaced, "It was a very ugly shock. Does Ash know? Or your mother? Or Aunt?"
Red sighed, "Mom and Aunt know, I told them together. Mother was, she was heartbroken. I don't blame her for trying to believe he was not a criminal.... I didn't want to either."
Daisy gave a sad smile, "You can't pick who your parents are Red, nor change the past, but you can definitely decide who your future family is."
Red was hugged from behind, "Ash? Gary? What are you doing here?"
Gary, "Was going to the bathroom when I saw Ash walking over here."
Ash, "Couldn't sleep! Something kept me awake."
Blue, "Ah? Did we wake you? How much did you hear?"
Ash hugged Red tighter, "Heard what Daisy said about family, not much before that."
Gary nodded, "We don't know what happened during your journeys, but just know we are family and we are here for you."
Red gave a small smile, "I know. Now what's keeping you awake?"
Lucario poked Ash, -You need to sleep!-
Pikachu climbed his shoulder and nuzzled him in agreement. Before Ash could answer a warm wind blew inside from the balcony windows, making his hair that had grown to his shoulder and no longer in a low ponytail move around. They looked at the balcony and outside the glass they saw a siloutte of something or someone that made Red furrow his eyebrows.
Red turned to Blue, "Is that one of your Pokemon?"
Blue shook his head warily, "Nope! Let's see who it is."
The gym leader grabbed the remote and pressed a button making the curtains move automatically to the side. Their breaths hitched when they saw who was standing on the balcony of Blue's apartment. Gary was pointing and trying to say something but was in too much shock to say a word making the Pokemon look at him amused.
Ash, "Raikou, you are Raikou!"
Pikachu, "Pika pikachu pi pika chu?", (Why are you here?)
The Pokemon looked at Ash, before moving inside and standing infront of him. Red watched wide eyed as the legendary nudged somethings towards his cousin who looked as confused as he felt. Ash held his hand out and Raikou dropped a very familiar looking feather on his hand making everyone's eyes widen. As Raikou turned to leave, Ash called out to him.
Ash, "Raikou wait, I have a question, you don't need to answer if you don't want to."
Raikou looked back at him curiously, most humans would call him to challenge him to a battle not ask questions.
Ash, "A-ahem, the reason people have not seen you for the last hundred or so years. Is it because you and the others are in Kanto instead of Jhoto?"
Raikou snorted at the childish question, if he were being honest he had actually expected to be questioned on Hooh's whereabouts not the reason for their lack of appearance. He noticed the other humans were watching him curiously too before he nooded and disappeared from the balcony in a thunderbolt with a smirk. He could understand why his leader Hooh showed himself to the child, despite his strange aura that felt old, he was surprisingly very innocent.
Ash, "Holy cheese and sprinkles. Did he just smirk and disappear?"
Gary nodded, "Yes, yes he did. I'll tell you though, I thought I was seeing things."
Daisy, "I don't know what to say, that was so surreal."
Red, "Mewtwo?"
Mewtwo, -He's gone, I can't believe I didn't notice him.-
Red, "Easy big guy, he's older than you hell he's older than the Professor. Pretty sure he's good at sneaking around."
Blue, "Don't beat yourself up over it, Ash mind if I take a look?"
Ash snapped out of his stupor, "Huh? Sure! Here!"
Blue, Gary and Daisy looked the feather over in awe. It was quiet lovely with the different colors and the rainbow shine. Lucario looked at it a little confused as to why Raikou had come all the way to Viridian to give the feather to Ash. Did the legendary hide or live nearby or something? Hooh certainly was not hiding when they flew very blatantly infront of them after the rain stopped.
Red looked serious, "Ash promise me something!"
Ash looked at his cousin, "Promise what?"
Red, "Promise me, you will not take that feather out around other people especially strangers or talk about it."
Ash nodded remembering Team Rocket's attack, "I understand and I won't, I promise."
Gary on the other hand gave his friend a shit eating mischievous grin, "First, you see Hooh, now Raikou gave you a gift. If I didn't know any better I'd say someone was trying to court you~"
Ash made a face, "Sweet sanity! Why Gary whyyyy? Now I have that image in my head. Ugh!"
Gary's Fraxure who had joined them after he felt Raikou's presence hit him over the head annoyed. Gary's laughs turned to snickers at that, followed by Daisy's giggles and Blue's snort. Ash whined it was not funny making Red laugh and hug him, before he decided it was late already and dragged Ash and his Pokemon to bed. Daisy and Blue got up as well after watching the two cousins leave and decided to turn in for the night. The next day Gary left with his group for Cerulean city, after Ash returned the keys to his room. Misty had decided to join Ash on his journey seeing that Gary had a group to travel with and it would be safer for them. Ash waved goodbye to Red, Blue and Daisy who stayed back as they still had work and entered Viridian forest. He had read how dense the bug population in the forest had become and looked at Misty who was making a brave face as she walked through the forest with her Poliwags, Staryu and Starmie by her side while Goldeen and Clamper were inside their pokeballs. Fearrow was flying above with Pikachu riding on him, while Mankey and Lucario were walking on his sides, Feebas had to stay in her pokeball as there was no water body nearby.
Ash, 'Well at least she's not screaming.'
Misty, "AHHHHHHHH!"
Ash, 'Nevermind!', "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Fearrow and Pikachu had come down as well hearing the scream asking them what happened. Lucario explained and told them about Misty's phobia. They looked at their orange head friend with pity.
Misty, "Ash please! Get it away."
Ash looked down it was a Caterpie, "Hang on!"
Misty, "Please hurry!"
Ash bent down and picked Caterpie up, "Hey, it's not nice to use my friend as a tree you know?"
Caterpie looked at Ash then at Misty before bowing his head in apology, then his stomach grumbled. Ash chuckled and decided since it was already afternoon and they have been walking since morning they should take a break. Misty sighed in relief, she was trying to get over her fear, but it was really difficult especially when she just wanted to hide everytime she saw a bug. Ash set up a picnic mat on a clearing and served food for the Pokemon first before taking out his own food.
Ash, "Are you okay, Misty?"
Misty who was eating her sandwich, "I guess, I thought I got better in handling my fear. I have been trying so hard too. At this rate I'll never be able to catch the water/bug type."
Ash pat her shoulder, "Hey hey! Chill, if it was easy to get over our phobias I would have gotten over my claustrophobic ass a long time ago."
Misty looked at him in concern, "You still can't ride cars? What about buses, trains, ships and planes?"
Ash sighed, "Anything smaller than a bus makes me feel queasy and sick. As for trains, planes and ships as long as they are large and not over crowded. I'm good!"
Misty, "Is that why you always keep your Pokemon outside the pokeballs?"
Ash, "It's a reason, of course during bad weather they have to stay inside where it's safe and also when they are hurt badly but during other days like this. I won't expect them to do something I would not do."
Pikachu ran up to Ash and nuzzled him, he had been listening in on their conversations with the others, "Pikapi! Pika pika pikachu!", (It'll be okay Ash! We understand!)
Ash rubbed his head, "You are not the only one who hates small spaces buddy."
Pikachu licked his cheek before he sparked some harmless electricity while rubbing their cheeks together, "Chuuuu!"
Ash grinned, "Love you too bud!"
Misty, "I still can't believe you just met a week ago. Looking at both of you a lot of people would think you were together for years."
Ash, "Thanks Misty! Say I know, you got Staryu when you turned 10 years old and he evolved into Starmie a year ago and the Poliwags a few days back. What about the other three?"
Misty grinned and started to tell Ash how she had actually came across Goldeen and Staryu at the beach, the poor girls had been hurt by a swarm of Tentacruels when they were fighting over their territory. Pikachu winced at that, he had almost gotten hurt himself when he ran into two Dodrios fighting over leadership a few months before. Misty then explained she had caught Clamper while she was travelling through Pewter city. The river by the old mill had become small as it had not rained yet, so she had searched there, hoping to get a Clamper as they loved hiding in muddy shores. Despite the mud shots to her face she had managed to convince one Clamper to join her and boy was he tough to beat in battle.
Ash got up after they cleaned up the area, "How about we travel for a few more hours before setting up camp?"
Misty, "Good idea! What about..."
Ash looked at Caterpie who was looking at Misty, "I think he wants to join you actually."
Misty, "Eh? Ummm.... I don't know... Hey hey, don't be sad, it's not you, it's me... I don't think I am really a good choice."
Staryu had explained to Caterpie her partners predicament, to say he was disappointed was an understatement.
Ash clapped his hands, "I have an idea, Misty you have no problem with Butterfrees right?"
Caterpie looked up at that while Misty nodded and Ash continued, "How about this, Misty you are trying to get over your phobia right? Why don't you let Caterpie here help you with that?"
Misty, "Um, that's not a bad idea I suppose but... I don't know!"
Caterpie got up and made a motion to Misty that she guessed, "You want to help me?"
Caterpie nodded making her smile, "Thank you, I appreciate it."
Ash grinned at that hopefully Misty will not be as terrified of bugs as she was in the anime or a challenger would just have to take out a Beedrill or Scyther to win against her. Or heaven forbid, Team Rocket will take advantage of her using this weakness. The Team Rocket here were not the infamous, favorite trio and he wondered how much difference it would make on his journey. He prayed if they did exist in this world, they were alright and nothing happened to them. The three of them were the only people he respected, as they had morals the other members did not have.
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
Ellora25
Ellora25 I swear to sanity, I see another annoying comment that goes "No homo", I'll put it in this book out of spite!