Ash's Little Sister

Returning Home

I run to the Pokémon Center with Lucario in my arms. The moment I enter, I rush up to the counter.

"Lucario needs your help!" Nurse Joy's face blanches when she sees the burns on his face.

"What happened?" I bite my lip.

"He got hit by Electroball. The electricity must have burned him." Nurse Joy glares at me.

"How could you let your Pokémon get this hurt? A responsible Trainer knows when to pull back." She takes Lucario from me and lays him on a stretcher.

"Do you have any other injured Pokémon?" I grab Vulpix and Drifloon's Pokéballs from my bag.

"Just these two." She takes them and brings them to the back. I take a seat, tears pooling in my eyes. Mudsdale rests her massive head in my lap.

"Dale?" I stroke her course fur.

"What am I going to do without the Gym Challenge?" She whinnies gently, trying to comfort me. Nurse Joy brings my Pokémon back. Vulpix and Drifloon are in their Pokéballs, but Lucario isn't. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Lucario grunts.

"Rio." I stand.

"Let's get back home. I owe Mom an apology." I order a Flying Taxi to Motostoke. The moment I unlock the door, I'm wrapped in a tight embrace.

"Sapphire!" Mom squeezes so tight that my aching bones feel like they're about to snap. I grunt.

"Ngh.. not so tight." She loosens her grip.

"I was so worried when Ash told me everything." She pulls back.

"Are you okay?" Tears pool in my eyes, soon falling down my cheeks.

"First, I want to say that I am so sorry for the way I left when you told me about where I came from. I suspected, but I really wanted to believe I was your daughter." She wipes away my tears with her thumbs.

"You are my daughter, Saph. I didn't conceive you, but love is what makes us mother and daughter. You were mine since the moment I met you, and you will be mine for the rest of your life." I laugh.

"Even if I was made by a dragon?" She pulls me into a more gentle hug.

"Especially if you were made by a dragon." I wrap my arms around her.

"I love you, Mom." She sniffles with happy tears.

"I love you too, Sapphire." I pull away.

"Ash forced me to quit the Gym Challenge. I guess I'll be hanging around for a while until this Rose situation gets figured out." I look up and see the protective anger in her eyes.

"I should march to Wyndon this instant and give him a good thrashing with Mr. Mime. How dare he attack, drug, and kidnap my child." I shake my head.

"It's no use. You need to have special access to even get close to the Chairman. He's protected by guards and a top notch security system." Mom sighs.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Guilt immediately washes over me.

"I have no excuse for that. It was wrong of me, and I should have told you about these weird going's on from the beginning. My powers, the kidnapping, the experiments, all of it. Can you forgive me?" She sighs.

"I suppose so. Just promise that you'll come to me about these things. I don't ever want to be left in the dark again." I nod.

"I promise." I trudge up to my room and sprawl out on my bed. A few minutes later, I reach into my bag and pull out everyone's Pokéballs. I release each of them, smiling as they immediately begin playing. Oddish toddles over to me and sits on my foot.