Chapter Text
"So?" Ash looked at Brock and Lizzie expectantly, "Are you two experts on scent-medicine now?"
Lizzie's eyes shone, "Did you know that in ancient times people used to think they could wish on the scent of some types of Pokemon?"
"Like shooting stars?" Max asked curiously, and Brock nodded.
"What would you wish for, then?" May looked at the older girl, who shrugged.
"I would wish to become the greatest Pokemon Master!" Ash announced grandly, and the rest of them snorted with laughter.
"You just startled those two chicks." Gary jerked his head towards two girls standing nearby, who were clearly surprised by Ash's outburst.
Ash grinned cheerily at them, "Sorry!"
They both blushed furiously, smiling back and then hurrying away, giggling. Gary rolled his eyes.
"And Ash? I expect that whenever you go on your next jounrey- since I won't be there- you'll know what to do if Pikachu gets an Electric Fever." Brock eyed the boy sternly.
Ash nodded, looking a little unsure, "Um, yeah. But also, hopefully, wherever I end up next, I'll meet some nice people... who just so happen to know how to cure an Electric Fever."
Brock face-palmed while Lizzie laughed.
"Well, there's still about three hours until the after-party." Tracey checked his watch, "There are a couple of exhibits outside in the garden. Wanna check them out?"
The rest of them nodded.
"And then we can check out the exhibits in the basement." Misty suggested, "I didn't know they were there at first, but me and Dawn bumped into a couple of people who were talking about some stalls that were in the basement. Oh- and I don't think any of us have gone to the fourth floor yet. We should do that, too."
"Sounds like a plan." Lizzie agreed, "Let's go, then. I think the garden's just out on this side."
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"This stall is boring." Ash whined quietly to Gary, making sure the Professor in charge didn't hear him.
He didn't have to worry, though. The man was talking extremely loudly, and Brock, Lizzie, Max and Tracey were listening intently.
Gary let out a soft chuckle, brushing his thumb over the younger boy's knuckles, "It's pretty interesting if you try to listen."
"The only technology I'm interested in is the Internet."
"That's not really technology, Ash." Gary rolled his eyes, "Anyway, the Professor chose a really fascinating topic. Just think about how many ways technology can be improved just by using our Pokemon's help."
Ash sighed, resting his cheek on Gary's shoulder and trying to pretend to listen to whatever the Professor was saying. The older boy absent-mindedly ran a hand through Ash's hair.
Eventually, the Professor wrapped up his speech, and while Tracey and Brock fired question after question at the old man, Gary tugged Ash away from the group, towards a cluster of trees a few metres away.
"What's up?" Ash asked, as they slipped past the trees.
Gary shrugged, smiling, "There's nobody here."
Ash looked around, realizing that the older boy was right, "Hmm. Strange. This area is really pretty."
"Yeah." Gary's eyes never once left Ash, and the trainer blushed.
"Gary."
He didn't respond, insead choosing to push Ash up against the tree.
"Gary! What're you-" he was cut off by the researcher's lips on his own, his tongue licking in to every corner of his mouth. Ash moaned quietly, tilting his head to deepen this kiss, trying not to whimper when Gary sucked on his lips.
"Babe." Gary groaned, "Fuck. Why're you so fucking hot? I want to rip your clothes off."
Ash pulled away, grinning cheekily, "Nobody's here. What's stopping you?"
Gary's mouth dropped open, "Ash!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Ash brushed a finger over Gary's cheek, giggling at the boy's expression.
Gary just leaned in to kiss him again, his hand roaming lower down Ash's back.
"Hands above the waist, Oak."
"I don't think so, baby." Gary smirked, squeezing Ash's ass agressively, "I'm pretty fond of this ass."
"Gary, if you keep this up, we acually will end up fucking here, and then we'll get caught fucking here, in public at the fucking PokeMedical Convention, and we will never live it down, and I won't become a Pokemon Master, and-"
Ash's rant was cut off by Gary, who was laughing loudly.
"Why are you so cute, though?" Gary kissed Ash's cheeks repeatedly.
Ash frowned, "A second ago you asked me why I was so fucking hot."
"That, too." Gary chuckled, "Anyway, the others will be looking for us, we better head back."
Ash widened his eyes, bottom lip jutting him out and damn, Gary was lucky to have him.
"One more kiss? The others will be fine without us for another couple of minutes."
Gary complied, kissing him softly- and then giving his ass a smack when they headed back towards their friends.
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"Where did you guys go?" Max demanded, "That Professor just told us the coolest things about how Pokemon can help make technology even greater."
"Um, we were there for most of it." Ash assured him.
"An then where did you go?"
"We went there." Gary pointed at the cluster of trees a few metres away.
"Why?"
"Because. It looked cool."
Max didn't look convinced, but he shrugged anyway, "The next stall is about Baby Pokemon."
Ash perked up, "Oooh, let's go see that. Look, it's got a picture of a Togepi. Damn, I miss Togepi. Have I ever mentioned that technically-"
"Togepi was yours." the rest of them finished in a chorus.
"I miss Togepi- I mean Togetic- too." Misty said wistfully, "But who knows? One day we might see each other again."
"I'm sure we'll meet again someday." Ash put a hand on Misty's elbow, "I really want to run into some of my old Pokemon. Pidgeot, maybe. Or, like, Butterfree." a melancholic smile spread over his face, "Or maybe Primeape. We should visit Primeape, guys."
"I can't believe you've had to let so many Pokemon go." Lizzie said in disbelief.
Max looked confused, "That was only three."
"Still." Dawn said, "It's hard to let go of even one Pokemon, especially when you've grown so attatched. And Ash had to kind of let Ambipom go, too. Didn't you, Ash?"
Ash nodded, "I haven't released too many Pokemon. But I have left some of my Pokemon in special places to train. Like Squirtle and Charizard."
"And Ambipom." Dawn reminded him.
"Ambipom is yours."
"Yeah, but she was yous first."
"Hey, Mist." Brock said, "Remember that time Ash tried to release Pikachu?"
There was a moment of silence, and then Max, May, Gary, Dawn, Tracey and Lizzie let out horrified exclamations, all at once.
"What?!"
"I didn't know that!"
"When was this?"
"What the hell, Ketchum?"
Ash groaned as Pikachu whacked him lightly with his tail. Even Eevee was looking at him reproachfully.
"It's not my fault!" Ash protested, "I just thought he'd be happier with all the other Pikachu."
May snorted, "I doubt Pikachu would ever be happy without Ash."
Pikachu nodded in agreement, and Ash tickled him fondly.
"So, back to the point." Max rolled his eyes, "Are we going to the baby Pokemon stall or what?"
"Yeah, let's go." Lizzie nodded, and the nine of them walked towards a tall woman, who had brown hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile.
"Hello!" she said cheerfully, "Welcome to my exhibit. I'm here to talk to you about Baby Pokemon. Do any of you have a baby Pokemon, by the way? If you do, I'd love to see them!"
"I had a Togepi, once." Misty responded, a small smile on her face, "I had to let him go, though."
The woman was sympathetic, "I bet it killed."
"It really did kill, but I know he's happy. It's kind of a long story, though."
"I have time." the lady said, "If you don't mind, that is."
"I don't mind at all." Misty replied, "I have the best memories with Togepi."
And so the rest of them stepped back and let Misty speak, and the woman was listening intently throughout the entire story, and Ash realizes that maybe it's the first time they've ever told anyone this story, which is why Misty's voice breaks so many times. And when it does, Ash is quick to take over the story. And then he gets choked up, and Brock steps in. And then when Brock finds it hard to continue, Misty takes the reigns again.
They laugh when Ash still complains about the unfairness of Misty getting Togepi, though there is no real heat behind his words. And they all shed a tear or two towards the end, when Misty and Ash and Brock describe how it looked and felt when Togetic floated away from them, knowing that maybe, possibly, they'd never see each other again.
It was a long story, and it was a little painful, but Ash's chest felt a bit lighter. It was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders- a weight he had not even known was there.
When Misty finishes the story, there are tears in her eyes.
But when she turns around to look at Ash, she is smiling.
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"Whew." Gary flops down in the grass under the shade of a few trees, "That was intense."
"Yeah." May agreed, sitting down next to him, "Maybe we should take a break before we head to the basement." she looked up, concerned, "You okay, Mist?"
Misty had been silent, and she was leaning against Ash, who had his arm around her.
'I'm fine." the redhead said honestly, "It's just- I think this is the first time I ever really talked about it. It stung a little, but in a way it felt... good." she looked confused, torn.
"Good to talk about it." Ash explained, "Stung 'cause you miss him. You'll always miss him. But it felt good because it helped you clear things up in your own head."
"Yeah." Misty nodded, "Whenever you let a Pokemon go, who do you talk to?"
"Who do I cry on, you mean?" Ash laughed softly, "Brock, usually. Or my mom."
"Mrs. Ketchum's always the best when it comes to these things." Dawn agreed.
"I can't bear the idea of having to go through that, though." Lizzie shook her head in disbelief, "You guys are really strong. I wouldn't have been able to do it."
"I mean," Ash lifted a shoulder, "We always feel that way. Y'know, like there's no way we could ever let our Pokemon go. But when the time actually comes, it just sort of...happens. I was never planning to leave Charizard in the Charicific Valley. I could've continued to take him on my journey with me, just like we'd been doing."
"Then why didn't you?"
"It was hard for both of us when I left him there, but it had to be done, y'know?" Ash smiled, "He was happy there. And it's not like I was never gonna see him again. I still see him all the time. He comes to battle with me in Leagues and stuff."
"What about Butterfree?" Brock asked, "You'll probably never see him again, and he was your first Pokemon. Other than Pikachu."
"Yeah, well. That's just the way it goes. He found a mate. Why the fuck would I take him away from her just because I'd grown attatched to my first Pokemon? Like, I'm not heartless."
"It would be like someone forcing you to leave Gary." May said thoughtfully.
"That's not happening." Gary muttered, kissing Ash's jaw lightly.
May stood up, "I think we should head to the basement, or else we won't have time for everything before the party starts."
The rest of them rose, as well, dusting themselves off.
Tracey slanted a glance at his friends, smirking, "Race ya!" he called, before taking off.
"No fair!" he heard a shout from behind, and a second later, the rest of them were hot at his heels.
Tracey groaned when Ash overtook him, and made a promise to himself to work out more.
He surged forward.
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"Hey." Ash said, as they entered the basement, "Look at her."
"Who?" Dawn craned her neck.
"That little girl." Ash pointed subtly at a tiny blond girl, standing amongst the crowd, clutching a stuffed Teddiursa, "Do you think she's lost? It's not safe for her to be wandering around in such a huge place. Especially when it's so crowded."
"I love it when you're all worried and caring." Gary cooed, and Ash swatted at his chest.
"I think we should go help her." Lizzie squinted at the girl, "She seems lost. Look- she's sitting down in that corner, next to that water-can."
They walked up to her. Her eyes widened when she say the group approaching her, but she made no move to stand up.
"Hey." Ash said kindly, squatting down in front of her, still making sure to keep some distance so that she wouldn't get too nervous, "I'm Ash. It's nice to meet you."
She blinked at him, but didn't respond.
"What's your name?" Max asked curiosuly. In a voice so quiet that Max could barely hear her, she mumbled out a response.
"What?" Max frowned.
"Chloe." May said, "She said her name is Chloe. Right?"
The girl nodded.
"How old are you?" Ash continued, "I'm sixteen. And that's Max. He's ten. What about you?"
The girl held up her hands to show six fingers. Ash smiled, "Six? Okay... are you lost? The PokeMedical Convention is a big event, and it's really crowded. Did you come with your mom?"
The little girl nodded slowly, unsurely.
"Great!" Ash said, "We can help you find her. Right, guys?"
The group nodded enthusiastically. The girl jumped up, eyes widening even more with fear, shaking her head vigorously.
"No!" she begged, "Please don't do that. Promise me you won't do that!"
Before any of them could speak another word, the girl dashed away, and the enormous crowd swallowed her up, and they lost sight of her.
Ash turned to the rest of them, shocked, "What's up with that?"
"I...don't know." Misty shook her head, looking a little upset, "She really does look lost, though, And her Mom must be dead worried."
"I think we should find her again." Dawn announced, "And try to talk to her again."
Max didn't look convinced, "I mean, she said she didn't need help, didn't she?"
"Max, she's six years old." Lizzie said exasperatedly, "And, well, if we can help her in any way, we should. She's really young. If I were a mom, I would want someone to help my little girl, even if she didn't seem to want it."
"Exactly." Ash agreed, "So we should start looking for her."
May's entire face lit up. She pulled a small notebook out of her bag.
"What's that?" Gary asked. Then he paused, "Hold on. May."
She looked at him innocently, "Yes?"
"Isn't that the Operations Notebook?"
She nodded slowly, "Ye-e-es...."
"And you have brought it to the Convention because....?"
"You'll never know when you need to make an Operation." May said with dignity, "And this situation has proved me right! We're going to make an Operation right now. Does anyone have a pen?"
Brock handed May a pen, gaping at her with disbelief.
"I don't get it." Lizzie's forehead puckered, "What's an Operation Notebook?"
"It's..." Tracey scratched the back of his neck, "It's kind of a long story."
"So." May scribbled something into the notebook, "Operation Help Chloe, right?"
Misty looked exasperated, "May, we're just going to find the girl and get her to talk. And then we're going to help her find her mom. That's it!"
"The way she ran away when we mentioned taking her back to her mom definitely shows that it won't be an easy task." May argued, "We need a plan."
"Whatever." Ash huffed, "First we need to find her again. It'll be tough, too, looking at this crowd."
"So that's the first part of the plan!" May said, "Step 1: Find Chloe." she looked at Max expectantly.
He sighed, and in a voice as monotone as he could make it, he spoke.
"I guess that Operation Help Chloe is officially underway."