The Battle of Bonds

Chapter 3: The Tears that Drip

Delia (POV)
I felt so many different feelings in my head from this past week! I feel so angry at Red for wanting to begin war against me and my son.

I feel happiness knowing that Ash's friends want to help me fight Red off.

However, I feel that Ash is going through all of this the worse. He has been feeling down ever since the Kalos league in which he kept telling me he should've won it. He said that he'll put a smile on his face so others don't have to worry about him, but now with this war talk...
He is going to have a breakdown.

"If your not taking the boy Delia, then I will. Now stand aside!" he said pushing me back against the table. His clan starting heading towards Ash's Room.

"Delia! Come on! We can't let Red hurt Ash! He'll make him suffer in endless torment!" Blue told me as the people who supported me started chasing Red.

I quickly ran behind them to see everyone crowded at Ash's Door. A photo of Ash as a baby that was in the hallway now broken with cracks.

Red slammed on Ash's door violently that it sounded like a gun was being fired. I heard police begin to surround the house. I hope Ash is ok...

Ash(POV)
I sat in my room crying on the floor. I didn't know what side to choose and I didn't want to choose a side in the first place.

I wanted my normal life back. The life where the people I loved travelled with me, but that can never return. If I were to choose a side, the people on one side would kill me for not joining them.

Pikachu tried to comfort me, but it didn't help too much. I was feeling too down. Pikachu was the only Pokémon I had on me at the moment, and I could really use some others help right now.
That's when I got an idea...

Suddenly, the door began to crack. It sounded like a Machamp was about to break in. It must've been my Father, none of my other friends have one as far as I remember.

"Ash Ketchum, please follow me quietly. I'll take you to Professor Oak's Lab. Also, take all of your belongings that you want" Officer Jenny said to me through the window. She had an Alakazam next to her using Physic allowing her to float.

I quickly grabbed all my clothes from past journeys, my trainer ID (that I never needed to use since everyone on the planet knows who I am), and I grabbed all of my hats.

I put my Kalos Hat on and wrote a quick note for my parents. I followed Officer Jenny, and as I was about to get out the window, my door broke down.

My father rushed towards me to grab my arm, but then an electro ball and flamethrower hit him right on his arm.

"Thanks Pikachu and Arcanine!" I yelled to the Pokémon who were still with me.

"Red Ketchum! You are to remain still or else you will be burned to a crisp by my Arcanine partner who is willing to attack at my command!" Officer Jenny ordered to my father.

Machamp suddenly came to attack Officer Jenny with a brick break. I quickly pushed her out of the way as my wall full of badges, medals, and trophies broke in front of my eyes. I began to cry, as tears slowly came down my face and dropped on the floor. Officer Jenny quickly grabbed me and her Alakazam teleported all of us away. That was the last time I saw my parents for a while.

Officer Jenny took us to Professor Oak's Lab, as he was sitting inside of the house with Gary. He had all of my poke balls in a box. Only the Taurus were out, all 30 of them. I noticed Gary had a box along with a Keystone on his wrist.

"Ash! Thank goodness your ok! I thought that your parents got you! I heard about the war as Red came by today to see if you were here. He really has changed from the young trainer I raised along with Blue. However, I wanted you to have all your Pokémon. I know it is hard for you to be going through this after your defeat in the Alola league, but they will hurt you Ash. Red is plotting something dangerous that may end you." Professor Oak's calmly said as he handed me the box of all my Pokémon.

He even gave me an upgrade so I can carry all of my Pokémon. He said that the Rotomdex I brought home for him to study (Kukui said I could have it and Rotom didn't want to work at Aether Paradise) was now a Rotomphone that can store all of my Pokémon. He said that he created a thing called the Nanodex for me, but he said it was too glitchy. However I didn't mind.

Gary slowly walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and asked,

"Ashy-boy, which side will you choose. The whole world is joining in on this. We will support your Mom's side, but we want to support you more than anyone else because your the reason this war is starting, Ashy-Boy. We know this is a lot for you since it involves people you love like Misty..." Gary said, but I did slap him on that last part since I really don't have time for jokes.

"I don't know what side to choose!
I don't want to choose sides! I want to be on both sides to make them both happy! The people starting this war have always supported me! Even my Dad said once that I should never give up on my dreams no matter what people say to me!" I shouted, as tears were beginning to roll down my face. Officer Jenny took off her cap, and Gary stood there in silence. I was beginning to cry even harder as the streams came down my face like a river.

Gary began to hand me the box he held in his hands.

"Here is a little present from us all, and we are sure it'll cheer you up. In fact, the present itself will cheer you up!" I took off the ribbon holding the beautifully wrapped box.

Inside the box was a Keystone, my Z-Ring, a ticket to Goldenrod City in Johto, and a pokeball.

"How is this going to cheer me up? I do thank you for the gifts, but you said the present itself would cheer me up..." I asked them as they began to laugh.

"Ashy-boy! The main present was the Pokémon inside the Poke ball! Open it up!" Gary told me as he began to laugh harder.

Still confused, I opened the Poke ball.

Oak-tree is normally really dumb, even though he is a professor.

I never told him that he was dumb, but for once he was actually right! The Pokémon inside the Poke Ball did indeed cheer me up for the rest of the day.

Inside the Poke ball was none other than my old ace from Kalos, Goodra!

Ok, I was joking when I said it to the actual Pokemon, which was none other than Greninja!

As soon as I let it out, it began to embrace a long hug. It had been 2 years, and I was now 16 and not 14 (I made Ash 14 in Kalos because seriously he was actually mature in the show and seemed to have grown!).

I felt it cry tears of happiness as we hugged, and I really did miss him too. He helped me in so many situations in Kalos, and even thanks to him, I used some strategies I learned from Greninja in Alola! He was really a big deal to me!

When I had to say goodbye, that was even worse then losing the Kalos League, because I had to say goodbye to a beloved friend.

So, immediately I asked him if he could rejoin my team again and help me in the war that was coming up. It quickly grabbed it's Poke ball from my belt and put it into my hands. I extended it out to him, and he first-bumped it, just like he did back in Snowbelle City and when I first got him.

I began to cry again, not hard, but they were tears of joy.

I told Gary, Professor Oak, and Officer Jenny that I will decide before the war begins. I told them I was heading to Johto first, to think before I joined a side.

I told Officer Jenny that she should tell all of her sisters to keep a close eye on me so that I don't get stolen by either side since anyone could catch me now that I "was a main icon of this war."

So, they waved me goodbye as I called Charizard out of his Poke ball. Of course he used a burning hot flamethrower on me, but soon I rode off across the sky to the airport.

That was the last time I saw Pallet town for a while. It grew smaller and smaller until it was gone.
Oh How my life had changed that fateful day.