Warming Hearts

Enemies Consorting

Warming Hearts

A/N: Let's get on with Chapter 12! Even though it's really just a short filler chapter. Roll it!

Chapter 12

Enemies Consorting

Back in Snowpoint City, in one of the many rooms in the Pokémon Center, Delia was sitting glumly on one of the beds. Mr. Mime was sitting beside her, trying to comfort her, but to no avail. Tears were silently coming down her cheeks as she softly began to cry again and buried her face in her hands.

The middle-aged brunette woman still didn't want to believe that her son, her only child, was gone forever. Every time that Ash would go out on a journey to another region, she knew that he would always return home to her safely, no matter the great dangers that he would face, no matter where he was in the world. Though it would cause her to worry about him immensely, everything eventually turned out for the better, because he would always come home to her.

But now, it seemed very possible that she would never see him again. He had taken her place as a prisoner to a heartless, monstrous beast for the rest of his life, his bravery not even wavering in the slightest. Even though what he did for her was out of his love for her and the so-called honor of the deal that he made, what was he thinking? Oh, all of the rash things that he had done before were nothing compared to this.

She remembered back when he was a little boy. He was always full of energy and seeking adventure, which usually got him into trouble. But that face of his would always light up when he would see a Pokémon or hear stories about the amazing feats that many Trainers have accomplished.

Ash looked so much like his father, having the same wild raven black hair and olive tan skin. But he had inherited Delia's own chocolate brown eyes. Those eyes spoke words that Ash would never say out loud, or couldn't say. They were always full of life and wonder. But now, her little boy, her last reminder of her late husband, her Ash, was gone.

A knock on her door slightly caught her attention away from her thoughts on her lost son. "Come in." She said, sniffling.

A young woman came into the room. She seemed about Ash's age and she had short periwinkle blue hair, ruby red eyes, and fair skin. She was wearing a long light blue blouse with dark teal accents, a short matching skirt with white leggings underneath, and orange sneakers. A female Slurpuff was trailing behind her.

"Is everything okay, miss?" The girl carefully asked Delia. "I was walking to my room across the hall when I thought I heard crying in here. Are you alright?"

Delia shook her head. The girl took a spot next to her. "No. I've just lost my son. Probably forever."

The girl had a concerned look on her face. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "What happened?" She brushed some of her hair behind her ear, which secretly had an earpiece in it.

"Are you going to think I'm crazy?" Delia asked her.

"I won't say anything." The girl promised.

**********************

Meanwhile, in their own hiding place from inside an abandoned warehouse, Team Rocket was listening in on Miette's conversation with Ash's mother. She was in, and now it was time to finally get some answers for all of them.

"I found this castle south of here, near the lake, and there was this... beast in there. I've never seen anything like it." Delia said.

Team Rocket shared a weird glance. A beast? In a castle? What was she talking about?

"Was it a Pokémon?" Miette asked.

"I don't know." Delia answered back. "It was like this hybrid sort of creature that could talk like humans can."

Team Rocket shared another confused yet intrigued glance with one another. "A talking beast?" Jessie quietly asked her teammates.

"That's something that I definitely don't wanna meet in a dark alley." Meowth shuddered.

"Sounds like something out of a movie." James added in.

"I was being held captive there, then my son, Ash, came to rescue me." Delia continued from the transmission. "But he had to take my place in order to save me." She then started sniffling again.

"I really am sorry." Miette said.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" Delia asked her.

"We live with Pokémon." Miette said. "They're quite the mysterious creatures. I'd say anything is possible, even if I don't believe it myself." Then, the transmission was cut off as Miette turned off her earpiece.

Jessie looked over at James and Meowth. "Is that woman nuts or what?" She exclaimed, not believing a word that was said. "Saying that the Twerp is being held captive at a so-called castle where this beast lives?"

"Did that lady crack her coconut when she got lost in the woods?" Meowth asked.

"As idiotic as it sounds, the plan doesn't change." A voice cut through the air, making Team Rocket yelp. They whirled around and saw Miette standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, and Slurpuff was giving them a disapproving look from behind her.

"Where did ya come from?" Meowth asked her, holding his pounding heart to his chest. "I think I lost one of my nine lives just now!"

"Don't get your tail in a twist, furbrain." Miette simply brushed off the Classy Cat Pokémon's comment. She then entered the warehouse. "So we have at least one clue where Ash might be and I'll take what I can get."

"And we are one step closer to snatching Pikachu from his twerpy little hands." James said, greedily rubbing his hands together.

Miette rolled her eyes at him and his antics. "But does anybody know where that castle might be, if it even does exist?" Team Rocket shared a clueless glance with each other. Miette sighed and slapped her palm against her forehead.

"I'm surrounded by idiots." She mumbled to herself, then ignored the undignified complaints and rants from the three of them. Even with Team Rocket's help, finding Ash just got a whole lot harder for all of them.

A/N: Yep, what did I tell ya? It's a short little filler chapter. But, the next chapter might finally start Ash and the beast on a better path. 

Anyway, I hoped y'all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment about what you think. They are highly appreciated.

Got to fly! ;)