Disclaimer: Pokemon and co. doesn't belong to me . . . . blah blah blah . . .
Author's Notes: Well, what can I say? There isn't much to tell. At first I wrote Guardian Angel
as a one shot, but after a few days of thinking about it I decided to take the next step and write
this as a series.
My fic Forever is currently on hold, suggestions for that one would be Greatly appreciated!
Enjoy!
Ketchum: The Journey Continues
Home Town Bound!
Chapter 28
~~~~~~Inferno's POV~~~~~~
Ohhh . . . what a ride . . .
*Inferno!* Gyarados snapped. I whirled to face her and saw what everyone was so jumpy about.
Satoshi, he was in bad shape. It must've been the storm howling outside.
Quickly I put my tail to his and kept it there. It was an old trick but it works. I see why they
didn't change him back, his pokemon body is tougher than his human one.
We were inside the huge building on the island with now idea how far we'd been pushed off
course, Taiki had sent his Pidgeot to find the mainland and return here with the information.
Briefly I pulled my tail away from Satoshi's and glanced at it. The flame was definitely larger than
before.
*It should be safe to change him back now. Musashi, out.* She went into the other room that
lead to the huge battling arena outside.
~~~~~~Musashi's POV~~~~~~
I paced the battling arena, waiting for Inferno to give the okay to come back inside. My Machop
form hadn't been affected by the weather too badly.
Earlier I had found what looked like a laboratory, but it had been destroyed long ago. The only
thing intact was an old, beat up picture of a Mew carved in stone.
The storm was easing up, I looked at Gyarados looking at the sky. I think she blamed herself.
Meowth came out and joined me.
"Just what I need, a translator. Come on, I'm going to talk to Gyarados." I walked over to her,
she turned her head to look at me. "Gyarados, it isn't your fault he's sick."
(Yes it is, if only I'd been able to swim faster . . .)
"No Gyarados, if the blame should be put on anyone it's us humans for not checking the weather
before we left."
She was silent, letting what I said sink in.
(It's sad you know, as Magikarp we are looked down upon because we are weak. When we
evolve we're feared and sought after for our power. But we lack respect, that's what we wish for
the most. I remember some of the trainers at the Ranch. They'd say 'it's just a dumb Magikarp'
or 'don't bother, those things are worthless.'. When Satoshi came to our pond, I braced myself
for the insult but when none came I looked at him. He was simply holding out his hand under the
water and he had a smile on his face. He asked me if I wanted to be his pokemon. When I came
over he just scratched my chin. For the first time in my life as Magikarp I felt respect from him.
Respect for what I may become someday.)
So that was how he'd chosen her . . .
(When I evolved that same day, at first I saw fear. But when I showed him that I remembered
him the respect from before came to his eyes. The love was behind the respect, but I saw it.)
I gave her a smile and a quick hug.
Inferno called us in, I looked at Satoshi. He was flushed with fever but he'd be okay.
(I'm back! I found the mainland!) Taiki's Pidgeot yelled as it landed.
"Great!"
(I'll help you get Satoshi there.) We all turned to Pidgeotto, he evolved into Pidgeot!
"The storm's over, we should go before it starts up again." I said.
With Satoshi cradled gently in Pidgeot's claws, Taiki and I aboard our own Pidgeot's we took
off, following Taiki's lead.
We landed in front of a house in a town that looked vaguely familiar . . .
"This is Pallet! And that's Satoshi's house! Him mom'll take care of him!" Taiki exclaimed as
he knocked on the door. A pretty woman with orange hair opened it.
"Yes? May I help . . ." She trailed off when she saw Satoshi on the ground, Pidgeot hovering
protectively over him.
"Satoshi!" She ran to him, waving Pidgeot aside. She picked him up. "Oh my poor baby! Hurry
inside! I'll take him up to his room." She ran inside, Taiki and I recalled our Pidgeots after
recalling Satoshi's Pidgeot.
We all sat in his room. While Mrs. Ketchum put a cold compress on Satoshi's head.
"Now, Inferno." I was surprised, she was addressing him? "Would you mind telling me why you
saw it fit to hide the fact my son turns into a Charmeleon?" Taiki, Meowth, Inferno and I paled.
She knew about his curse?
~~~~~~Inferno's POV~~~~~~
Oh Fire God, Satoshi's gonna be mad when he finds out she knows . . . I cleared my throat after I
got over the shock.
*It's like this, we were on our way to Seafoam aboard a boat for a vacation. We all decided to
take a nap, sure that the captain would announce when we got there. Unfortunately the speaker
in our room was broken. So we stayed asleep the whole trip. We woke up later and saw the boat
was docked so we kind of got off without asking if it was Seafoam . . . we walked for a while
looking for a hotel. That's when Satoshi caught Banshee and Musashi caught Lupis. The next
day we found a small valley full of little pools . . . we had seen a sign saying Beware of the Cursed
Springs but Satoshi and Musashi wrote it off as a tourist trap. Musashi kind of pushed Satoshi in
one of the pools. When he came up he scared her and she fell in one too. That's when the Guide
showed up and told us the story. The pools are cursed, whoever falls in one takes the body of the
one that drowned there last.
Satoshi fell in 'Spring of drowned Charmeleon', Musashi fell in 'Spring of drowned Machop'. So
now whenever they're hit with cold water they transform. Warm water changes them back. If I
may ask . . . how did you know?*
"A mother is no mother if she can't recognize her own child, no matter what form he or she's in.
Is it permanent?"
*The Guide there said it was.* I answered.
"Now everyone, scoot! I'll join you all in the kitchen. You too Inferno!"
The underworld has no wrath equal to that of a mother scorned. I high tailed it out of the room
with everyone else.
I went to the Olympic sized swimming pool in the back yard and let all of Satoshi's pokemon out.
Gyarados, Dragonair, Shellder and Raticate all jumped in, Pidgeot and I opted to stay out of the
water.
*Will Satoshi be alright? And where are we?* Gyarados asked.
*His mother's with him. We're at his house in Pallet.*
*Phew, a mother's care is the best kind of care. Satoshi will be fine.* Gyarados, Shellder,
Raticate, Pidgeot and I all nodded in agreement to Dragonair's statement.
"Oh wow! Satoshi has a Dragonair?!"
We all nodded.
*He won me as a Dratini in the Talent Show at Cerulean.*
Misty smiled.
"No surprise there, Satoshi has won a few shows with his Clarinet."
The six of us blinked. Really?
He'd never told me that.
A few days later, Satoshi was all better and showing me around Pallet.
"There's the school I went to."
"Well, well. If it isn't the little fatherless squirt!" Satoshi cringed, I whirled and saw three boys
come up to him, they hadn't seen me yet. They were about 16 from the looks of them.
"I knew he'd come back crying to mommy when he failed as a trainer!"
"I didn't fail! I just came back to visit!" He said heatedly.
"So the squirt's grown a backbone!"
I growled under my breath, Satoshi motioned for me to stay where I was. He wanted to handle
this alone.
"Let's get him!"
"No, I have a better idea. Let's humiliate him in a pokemon battle. How many badges could he
have? The three of us have all eight."
These morons were trainers?! Unbelievable!
*That's wrong, he's treated better everywhere else except his home.* I slid back my eyes to
Charizard behind me and nodded.
*The first week or two on the road he had nightmares about this. When I started sleeping with
him they stopped.*
"Come on baby! Six on six with the three of us!"
He paused, I'm sure he was wondering if the six of us could handle three battles each and be
okay. He bit his lip.
"Okay. If I win you stop bothering me!"
"Ha! Fine! Cause you're not going to win! Go Venusaur!"
"I choose you, Inferno!"
I stepped in front of the Venusaur and roared. There was no way I'd let Satoshi down!
"Solar Beam!"
"Fire Claw!"
"Wha . . .?"
They got worried when I fainted Venusaur with my Fire Claw.
"Impossible! Venusaur's beaten Blaine's Charizard! Return! Go Gyarados!"
That was a nasty Gyarados, he reflected his trainer's personality.
"Return Inferno! I choose you, Fearow! Fly and Feather Barrage!"
"Hyper Beam!"
*You must win! Satoshi's honour rides on this battle!* I shouted to Fearow. She nodded.
Gyarados let loose. Like the battle at Cerulean she avoided it and used Feather Barrage.
Gyarados was out.
"Unbelievable! Return Gyarados! You think you're so hot squirt? Let's see if you can handle
This! Go Pokeballs!"
He tossed out his four remaining pokemon at the same time. A Raichu, Machamp, Onyx and
Alakazam.
"You coward! Scared of my Pokemons attacks so you send out all of them! Fine then! I only
need one to handle all of yours! Return Fearow! I choose you, Dragonair! Dragon Rage!"
Fearow, Charizard and I smiled. He was getting his confidence back.
Dragon Rage knocked them all out. The next brat was preparing to throw out his pokemon.
"STOP THIS AT ONCE!"
Eep, it was Professor Oak and Misty.
"Disgraceful! You've broken a lot of rules by sending out more than one pokemon. I'm afraid
I'll have to suspend your licences for six months." Professor Oak frowned. Misty gave them a
Look. The one only a mother can give that makes the recipient of it want to wet himself.
"And you Satoshi. You've broken rule 24. You've used your pokemon to resolve a personal
conflict. Your licence is suspended for two weeks since this is a first offence. Your pokedex and
pokemon please."
"Sorry 'bout this Inferno, Fearow. I'll see you both and everyone else in two weeks. Return
Fearow. Return Inferno."
*Keep an eye on him, please!* I asked her just before I was drawn into my pokeball.
~~~~~~Satoshi's POV~~~~~~
"All of your pokemon Satoshi."
"But you've got all of them!"
"What about the Charizard over there?" I looked.
"She's not mine! Honest!"
"Hmmm . . . you're right . . . but it's odd to see a wild Charizard here in Pallet."
Charizard yawned and ambled over to mom.
"I think she likes you Misty." Professor Oak smiled.
"But it's been so long since I raised a Charizard Gary!"
"I'm sure you can do it. Satoshi, you can pick up your pokemon in two weeks." He left.
"In the meantime young man you're going back to school!"
Awww . . . geez . . .
Charizard followed me and mom home.
"I don't have any food for a Charizard . . . I'll go pick some up at the store."
"You don't need to mom, I've got Inferno's kibble here. I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing." I
pulled out the poke-chow and filled a bowl with it and left the chili powder beside the bowl out of
habit. She eyed it speculatively before lightly dusting it with the powder.
She took a bite and her face lit up.
(I could get to like it here, if only for the food!) She began inhaling her food at a pace that would
make Inferno jealous.
I looked at the clock. It's about this time I gave everyone dinner. I looked to the phone, waiting
for the inevitable phone call. Three, two, one . . .
"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call phone call!"
"I'll get it mom!" I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
It was Professor Oak, looking a little frazzled with a bowl of food over his head. I struggled to
hold in a laugh. In the background I heard Clefairy crying.
"Thank goodness it's you Satoshi. Your pokemon refuse to eat!"
I heard mom chuckled behind me.
"I'll be right there Professor." I passed the phone to mom and grabbed my bag before running
out the door.
"So you see, Pikachu likes ketchup on hers. And Inferno won't eat his food without this brand of
chili powder. Here's my recipes for their food. It's my secret recipe so please don't give it to
anyone else!"
"Of course not."
And one more thing . . .
"Inferno! Catch!" I tossed him one of my old story books. He's gotten better, he can read at a
grade three level now.
(
geocities.com/televisioncity/Taping) (
geocities.com/televisioncity)