Chapter Text
Ash let out a deep sigh as he sat down in one of the few couches saved from the explosion at Viridian City’s Pokémon Center.
After the help he and that girl, Misty… if he remembered correctly, had given to stop Team Rocket, Joy had invited them to stay in the bedrooms on the back of the facility, which were fortunately still intact.
The carrot-haired girl had gladly agreed, insisting that she needed her "beauty sleep." As absurd it had sounded, Ash hadn’t dared to comment on it, out of pure gratitude to her and especially her bike.
However, despite his attempts, he hadn't been able to fall asleep. The adrenaline was still high, although he was equally tired, and he wasn't particularly excited about the soon to come sunrise.
His mother would wake up early as usual, of course, to get ready to open the inn, and as soon as she heard about the explosion, he was sure to get the scolding of his life, plus see her overwhelming concern.
Not to mention that as soon as Misty woke up, he'd have to deal with her complaints about the bike, which, like it or not, he couldn't fix or repay right now.
A quick glance at the little mouse curled up on his lap was enough to warm his heart.
At least, Pikachu was feeling better, and that was all that mattered. Everything else would be manageable, one way or another.
Or so he thought.
Officer Jenny walked up to him, rather urgently, "Ash, there's a call for you."
Ash rolled his eyes, resigned. His mom probably had woken up earlier than he expected. "Coming."
He didn't blame her at all; he was grateful for how much she cared about him, but sometimes it was embarrassing.
Pikachu, probably already awake for a while, climbed onto Ash's shoulder, remaining comfortable while his trainer stood up.
When Ash arrived in front of one of the only computers that survived the explosion, he didn't find the face he expected. "Professor?"
"Ash! I expected you to get into some trouble, but I'd say you've outdone yourself this time!" The professor's greeting was even more demoralizing than waiting for his mother's tearful face.
Ash lowered his head slightly, sighing. He knew he'd made mistakes, but what else could he have done?
But Joy, bless her, intervened for him. "Oh, but it's certainly not his fault. In fact, if it weren't for him, all the Pokémon in the Center would be lost forever."
"Eh... eh." Ash chuckled slightly, embarrassed by the praise. He'd done what anyone should have done. In fact, perhaps someone more experienced would have even prevented the Center from ending up in a pile of rubble.
Oak's face remained surprised for a few seconds, a faint smile spreading across his features. "I see, so I think I can trust you, not that I have much choice."
"What do you mean?" Ash asked, confused.
"It's precisely about the Pokémon that had to be transferred. One of my assistants had to deliver an important item to a colleague. But he left his partner Pokémon at the Center to rest up before leaving. Now that the Pokémon is in Pewter City, he's left me hanging to go get it!" Oak exclaimed impatiently.
"He's not entirely wrong, I would have done the same thing..." The boy refrained from saying. "So what am I supposed to do?"
"He left the package there, in case I could find someone else to deliver it. And that's where your contribution comes in! I can't wait for him to come back; I need you to go instead!"
Ash was surprised by the request, but he couldn't exactly refuse, especially if it was the Professor asking. It was the perfect opportunity to show him he could trust him. "Of course! You can count on me!"
Oak nodded happily. "Not that I had any other candidates."
Ash’s shoulders slumped. Yes, definitely the right opportunity. "Where am I supposed to go?"
"Kalos."
"KALOS!?" Ash exclaimed, startling even Pikachu, who fell off his shoulder.
"Hmm, and your plane leaves in half an hour."
"HALF AN HOUR!? Wait a minute, you’re sending me halfway around the world!?" Was it appropriate to say that so late? What was he? A sack of potatoes to be dumped here and there?
"Yeah, and it's precisely because it's so far away that the ticket is so expensive and it's imperative that you don't waste it!"
Wait, so the reason he couldn't wait for his assistant to return was because he didn't want to spend money on another ticket? "Easy for you to say! I don't even know who this person is or how to find them... And what am I supposed to do with my journey?" Ash's mind was spinning like a tornado. He figured it would be someone who lived in Kanto, and therefore he could still do his own thing while he headed to that person. Instead, he'd have to put everything on hold.
At that rate, the gap between him and Gary would widen even further.
“If you’d ever catch up with Gary, it wouldn’t be in a few days anyway, so this little detour doesn’t make much of a difference. It’s very easy! You get to Lumiose City, find Professor Sycamore, and give him the package. Then you take the return flight, which is already booked. You’ll be gone for a week, then you can get back to your business,” Oak explained, his voice growing urgent. “All you have to do is get on that plane for now.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the airport! And if I explain the situation, I’m sure we can speed up your check-in,” Jessie reassured, showing her motorcycle keys. “But we have to leave right away, or we won’t make it in time.”
Ash sighed. “And what do I tell my mom?”
“Oh my, you’re so dramatic. I’ll tell her, okay? What’s the big deal?”
Ash suppressed a nervous smile. Oak knew his mother well, so he was a little surprised that he wasn’t worried at all about Delia's reaction. He was sure Oak wouldn’t like dealing with her after she’d heard about how he sent her son halfway across the world without warning.
But if he really wanted to shoulder the burden of breaking the news to her, he certainly wouldn't have envied or stopped him.
"If it's all settled, I'll let you go-" Oak prepared to hang up.
"Ah, wait! I have a little problem," Ash remembered. "There's a girl here who helped me when Team Rocket attacked, and the bike I borrowed from her to take Pikachu to the Pokémon Center... it's a little destroyed. We couldn't have done it without it, I owe her."
"I'll fix it," Joy intervened. "A relative of mine had a shop, and I learned a lot from him. And in the meantime, I can lend her mine; it's the least I can do after what you've done!"
"I see... thank you so much!" The boy thanked with relief, then turned to the professor. “Then I guess that’s fine!”
“Great. Just one last thing.” Oak’s expression hardened. “I’m trusting you, don’t make me regret it!”
Ash nodded, though he felt a tightness in his chest. “Yes.”
…
Misty put a hand over her mouth, yawning, as she walked toward the now-trashed entrance to the Center. What a terrible evening that had occured… and she foresaw equally difficult days ahead.
Babysitting a kid until he paid her back for her bike… absurd!
“Oh, good to see you up!” Joy greeted.
Misty returned the greeting. “Good morning! Did you see Ash, by any case?”
Joy nodded. “Speaking of which, I have something for you.”
Misty raised a frown, having a bad feeling about this. When the nurse handed her a note with questionable handwriting, her face contorted into a furious expression. “He ditched me!”
Thanks for everything!
It was all the note said, and frankly, it was useless to her!
“Actually, there was an emergency, and he had to leave to complete an assignment for Professor Oak. But we've already agreed to resolve your situation,” Joy reassured her. “I'll fix your bike, and in the meantime, you can use the one I have here.”
Anger gave way to surprise. “Oh. Are you sure? Don't you need it?”
The nurse chuckled. “I don't think I'll be able to leave this place for a while, and besides, I have several sisters I could ask for one if I desperately needed it. You helped save all the Pokémon in this Center, so it's only natural to repay you with this small favor.”
Misty sighed. She figured she really had nothing to complain about. Sure, that boy could have at least said bye, but maybe it was better that way. The less time she spent with that troublemaker, the less her sanity would suffer.
Well, if anything, she wishes she could have bid goodbye to Pikachu!
“Oh, just so you know…” Joy added, noticing the girl’s expression. “He was in a real hurry, and I told him writing a note wouldn’t do much good since I’d be explaining it to you anyway… but he still wanted to thank you in some way. I think he was really grateful.”
The girl looked down at the note, rereading the words and noticing Ash’s signature and what looked like Pikachu’s. A faint smile appeared on her face as she tucked the piece of paper into her shorts pocket and looked up at the sky.
Who knows, maybe one day they’d meet again.
…
By the trim of a hair. They’d made it to the plane, but it had been a race against time.
Damn Oak, him and his mysterious package. He almost had a stroke with Jenny speeding through the airport corridors on her motorbike.
At least now they could relax. He'd been told that they’d land the same morning as his departure, due to the time difference, so he'd have plenty of time during the sixteen-hour flight to catch up on lost sleep.
It wasn't all that bad after all. The mission was simple, and he'd be able to meet Pokémon that aren't found in the wild in Kanto. He might even catch some!
Letting his head rest against the backrest, his eyes began to close. The hand stroking Pikachu, curled up again on his lap, slowly stopped moving, until Ash fell into a deep sleep.
…