Out Of The Ashes (A Pokémon Fanfiction) ~on Hold

Chapter 8: The Speech

Chapter 8: The Speech

The sun was low in the sky when they finally arrived at Viridian. Ash felt hot and sweaty, and his feet ached from the amount of walking they had done. He hadn't built up any of his own resilience, he humorously acknowledged. Tank had plodded on for the rest of the walk alongside Ash, not terribly fast, but he didn't seem to tire, either. His endurance was extraordinary.

Ash knew he was receiving weird looks as he slipped into Viridian's evening foot traffic, both for his filthy appearance and his rare Pokemon, but he could hardly care less. The months after his loss had taught him not to be bothered by someone else's impolite staring, though he couldn't quite douse the burn of self-consciousness.

The Pokemon Center's bright red roof was quite distinctive amidst the more tasteful, traditional houses. Ash made a beeline for it, his weary legs unconsciously picking up the pace. Images of a warm bed, food, and safe walls filled his mind. In a day's time he would be forging deep into Viridian Forest, where conditions would certainly be much rougher than the relatively spoiled life he'd had in comparison. Might as well enjoy the comforts and amenities while he still had access to them.

An elbow jostled his side sharply. He staggered into the street, nearly falling over. Turning a hot glare over his shoulder, he opened his mouth and prepared to lash out verbally at the rudeness. The two boys who had bumped into him hadn't even slowed to apologize. They were running, full-speed, down the street, heading for what seemed to be the Town Square. In fact, it seemed that almost everyone was walking in that direction. Ash barely caught a snatch of their conversation before they dashed out of hearing.

"–said Giovanni's gonna give a speech about the security reinforcements after that Rocket attack–"

His attention was hooked immediately. Giovanni? As in, Giovanni, the Ground-type trainer, the last Kanto Gym Leader, famous for his spectacularly strong Pokemon? The gym leader Ash had admired growing up, partially due to his proximity and renown?

Ash immediately set off at a run, a second wind filling his sails. This would be the first time he ever saw a gym leader's notable power in person. And coupled with the fact that Giovanni was about to publicly denounce Team Rocket? Ash felt the small, condensed diamond of hatred in his chest quiver in dark satisfaction. "Keep up, Tank!" he yelled over his shoulder. He heard Tank's grunts as he broke into a lope, following after his trainer slipping through the crowd.

The flow of the crowd led him to the center of town, where a small amphitheater engraved with various images of Pokemon dominated the space. A long microphone stood sentry in the middle of the stage. A murmur of curious voices surrounded him as more people filled the space. It seemed almost half the town had showed up.

Ash managed to worm his way through the crowd, apologizing profusely to those he bumped into. Tank trotted through the space between legs with enough ease. Eventually, Ash managed to squeeze to the very front.

With a sudden electrical buzz, the row of stage lights clamped to an iron crossbar over the theater flicked on, brightly illuminating the amphitheater. The noise of the crowd swelled in anticipation.

A man, dressed in black formal-wear, appeared onstage. He tapped the microphone twice to check its connection. Sharp feedback resonated through the speaker system, and the gathered people quieted.

The man smiled and bobbed his head. "Greetings, citizens of Viridian City. We of Viridian City Council thank you for your attendance. As many of you know, our very own gym leader, Mr. Giovanni, will be giving a speech tonight regarding the recent spike in criminal activity, specifically by the organization known as Team Rocket." He raised an arm, gesturing to the side of the stage. "If you could all give a warm welcome to our gym leader!"