Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the middle of the night of one small Pallet Town, a mother gave birth to a child.

The mother is young, younger than she should have been, with one professor waiting outside and doctors frantically trying to save the baby she was having. A difficult situation, indeed. The mother was young, far too young for any of the doctor’s liking, and the baby came fast, too fast from what everyone’s expecting. 

After all, the baby has only lived six months in her womb. 

After a long tiring night of operation and long wait, the baby boy that is so eager to see the world is placed in the incubator at last.

None of the doctors nor nurses expect the kid to last. This baby has broken the law, after all. They wait for his little heartbeat to stop beating, an inevitable death by the rule of nature. There’s little hope of surviving for this dark-haired baby.

Alas, the baby survived anyway. In fact the kid grew very healthy. He became an energetic baby, arms swinging and mouth blabbering illogical nonsense, pulling at hearts to smile at the sight of him. He barely cries, but once he does, it’s like a thunderstorm coming down. He’s as energetic as a bee but sleeps like a rock.

When the young mother held her blabbering baby boy for the first time, tears flowed down her cheeks.

The girl never thought she’d be able to make it. She had been so afraid, thinking that she and her little boy wouldn’t be breathing by the time she’s awake.

Yet here they were, holding each other tight. A mother and her son.

The baby blinked, and tapped on his mother’s wet cheek, blabbering nonsense that sounded like pure joy to his mother’s ears. She cried-laughed, soothing her baby.

“Thank you, my dear,” she said. “Mama is okay now.”

“Who will you name him, Delia?” The professor by her bed asked, a gentle smile adorning his face.

“I’ll name him Ash,” Delia said, softly tickling the baby, inciting a laugh. “For he may rise even if he was burned to ashes.”

“Sounds lovely.”

The blue-eyed baby gurgled, like he approved of the name. Delia laughed at the sound. “Do you like it, Ashy? Yeah? You like the name Mama gave you?”

The professor smiled at the mother and son, though the baby’s striking blue eyes worried him. It’s tugging at his feelings, even though he didn’t know why he would be worried. It’s an innocent baby, what harm could he possibly cause?.

Chapter Text

“Come on, Ashy! Come here! Mama’s over here!”

“Ah!” 

The excited one-and-a-half year old baby staggered to stand and began wobbling to his Mama’s arms, arms flung everywhere until he crashed to his mother’s hug with a triumphant “Ma!”

Delia laughed. “That’s right, darling, this is Ma!”

Professor Oak smiled at the sight, holding his two year old grandchild in his arms. “He seems to be learning very fast.”

“He is indeed, Sam.” Delia put her son in his mini playground, with soft rubber carpet and his various toys laying around, guarded by plastic fences. “Come, let’s have some tea. Let the kids play together.”

“Sounds wonderful!” Samuel Oak gently left the kid in his arms at the rubber carpeted floor. “Be nice to each other, okay?”

The dark-haired, blue-eyed baby looked at the auburn-haired, green-eyed baby in front of him. “Nya-nya!” He said.

The ginger baby scoffed. “Ababa. Ashi buu!”

Little Ash wrinkled his little face. “Abba! Ge be!”

“Ba buu!”

“Iaaa!”

Delia and Samuel were talking over tea and eating cookies Delia baked when they heard a sharp cry coming from the kids’ playroom.

“Gary! I bet he made Ash cry again, that little punk.” Samuel grumbled, quickly getting up from his seat.

Delia looked at the professor. “But that’s not Ash’s cries.”

They looked at each other in moment of confusion before both dashed into the playroom. 

What awaits them was not one could prepare from.

A very startled Gary Oak crying loudly with petals laying around him, some of them half-bitten in his mouth. Samuel half-shrieked when he scooped the baby, making sure none of the petals was actually eaten. And a very giggly Ash Ketchum, playing with a newfound flower bed around him and trying to stuff some of the flower petals to his mouth. Delia quickly grabbed her son, who shrieked in protest before giggling by his mother’s touch.

The mother and the grandfather looked at each other in confusion.

“What just happened, Sam?”

“I don’t know, Delia, it seemed like your son was trying to stuff my grandkid with flowers.”

“Those flowers weren't there before, right?”

Samuel blinked, amused. “Delia, this is your house. You should know.”

“I know,” Delia said, half-dazed, panic slowly rising to her face. “Did Ash grow that? No, that’s too absurd, right? No way in hell could an 18 months old baby could grow a flower bed in the middle of his house. No, it’s simply impossible. This isn’t normal, right, Samuel? Tell me this is normal.”

Samuel put his hand on Delia’s shoulder. “Delia, calm down. I really don’t understand anything either.”

Delia turned to face Samuel, her face laced with horror and worry. “Then what should I do?”

The professor looked at the mother, and suddenly realized that she is still a kid. A very confused and worried kid that didn’t know what to do because her frontal lobe hasn’t even fully developed yet.

“Hey, it’s okay, Delia. We’ll figure it out, okay?”

“How? My kid definitely isn’t normal, this definitely isn’t normal and what if—”

“Ma!” 

The baby in discussion tapped his mother’s cheek, looked at her with a weirdly serious expression for a baby. Delia swore her son’s blue eyes glowed before she became much more relaxed, the panic left from her head. Even Gary stopped crying.

“Mama, anyanya!” the boy said, before yawning and clinging to his mother, eyes droopy.

Delia shot a worried look at the professor. “What should I do now, Sam?”

Samuel breathed, a mix of confusion and worry hidden underneath a mask of calming face. “Now we have to wait and observe. Contact me if anything weird ever happens again, okay?”

Delia nodded as she cradled her baby boy in her arms, cooing lullabies which made the sleeping baby smile in his sleep.

Samuel looked at the sleeping baby. He looked peaceful. Happy.

From that moment, Samuel knew that the boy is special. 

He doesn’t know if it was a good or bad thing.

A dark-haired, blue-eyed boy happily ran across the grass, his bare feet touching the grass as he screamed and giggled.

Flowers bloomed from his footsteps, making a trail of flowers following him wherever the boy goes.

The blue-eyed boy is now six years old. 

He is a very energetic kid, walking and exploring the forest, visiting the professor’s ranch, playing tag with Gary when he comes home from school.

Ash never quite get along well with his peers. Both Delia and Samuel are also worried about his uncontrollable powers. I mean, which kid just casually makes flowers bloom wherever they walk? Or knocked out a vase when they sneezed? So they decided that Ash would be homeschooled until they knew that Ash could control whatever-he-has better.

Ash would explore far into the forests, always excited to meet and see and touch new pokemon, new friends. The first time it happened when Delia was asleep, she panicked, frantically searching for her little boy only to see him delivered home by the wild pokemons from the forest. It is when she realized that her son made a path of flowers from his steps.

And so little Ash explored the forest on his own whenever his mother’s not looking, even though he knows that it would always end with his mother’s scowls and a long lecture that Ash doesn’t understand. 

The boy’s curious, after all. Curious, curious, curious.

The path of flowers continued, flower after flower after flower bloomed when he walked, attracting little pokemons closer.

“Hello!” the little boy said, excitedly. The pokemons backed away, startled, before the boy talked in a more hushing tone. “It’s okay! I’m nice! Mama said I’m a good boy!”

Seeing that the pokemons didn’t want to come closer nor backing away, his little head thought hard on what he should do. “Ah! Do you wanna see something ma-gi-kal? Mama said what I do is ma-gi-kal!”

The boy didn’t wait for approval, however, as he focused on his hands. He doesn’t even need to wait long, as a pretty blue flower formed in his hands with a blue glow. 

The baby wild pokemons went ooh and aah as a little Oddish hopped closer to take a look.

“Dish!”

Ash gave the Oddish the flower and the pokemon jumped in joy, bragging its new little accessory. The pokemons huddled closer to the pokemon, chattering excitedly.

Ash’s smiles became wider as he nodded. “Right! Right! I’m nice, see?”

Little pokemons began crowding towards the boy as more flowers bloomed around them. The little boy laughed in joy as he hugged and petted and touched the pokemons.

Eventually the bigger pokemons came, a vulpix with a ninetails. a kangaskhan with its kid and a pichu in its pocket.

“Hello, friends,” he said, softly. “You siblings?”

The pichu yipped a happy “Pichu!” as the baby grunted and nodded.

The blue-eyed boy’s face lit up. “Cool!” 

A budew and petilili nudged at the little boy, gesturing their head to a direction. “You want me to follow?” Ash asked, to which the pokemons nodded. He happily got up from his seat as the pokemons dragged-led him to a place. The kangaskhan didn’t though, so the kid waved goodbye for the kangaskhan with his babies.

Flower trail continued as more pokemon walked by. Ash said hello to everyone, eyes twinkling. As they walked and walked, the sky was getting darker and darker until a drop hit Ash’s head.

A heavy rain befalls them, making the pokemons squeak in fear. Ash hurriedly raised his little hand, making a blue transparent barrier to protect them from the rain.

“No worries, everyone!” He chimed, a big smile adorned his face. “Super Ash is here to save the day!”

The pokemons cheered. Ash walked again, looking for a shelter because no matter how long his makeshift umbrella will last, the wet grass and windy air wouldn’t be good for the pokemons.

Soon, he found a big tree with a hole big enough for all of them. He dispersed his makeshift umbrella as he made himself comfortable with the pokemons, sitting in a tree root comfortable enough for a chair.

“Come here, everyone! Mama said if we cuddle it’s warmer!” Ash spread his arms, to which the pokemons came, surrounding him close as the boy’s eyes glowed. The space became warmer as the pokemons sighed. Ash smiled, content to see the pokemons happy. Some flowers sprouted from the ground and bloomed around them. 

As the rain lulled him to sleep, a footstep jerked the boy from the sleepy state. A man in a blue hat peeked from the outside. He's wearing a blue raincoat and has bright blue eyes.

“Hello?” The man said.

“Hi!” Ash cheered, his voice a tad hushed. “Come join us! But be quiet, the pokemons are asleep!”

The man seemed baffled, but he entered the space nonetheless. A big blue-and-black pokemon followed short as Ash gasped.

“What is that pokemon? He’s so cool!”

The man’s eyes softened as he patted his pokemon. “Oh, him? This is my partner, Lucario.”

“Car.”

“So cool! I can’t have a pokemon because I’m a kid, but one day I wanna become a Pokemon Master!”

The man smiled. “Sure, kid. Do tell, are you the only one here?”

“Yup! Just me and my friends.” The kid pointed at the wild pokemons with his chin. “I’m Ash!”

“Well nice to meet you Ash, my name is Riley.” The man nodded, with a polite smile adults have on their face. “Aren’t your mother worried if you walk around alone like this?”

Ash’s eyes widened and he gasped. “Mama!” His head then hung low in a sulk as he mumbled. “She’s gonna be so mad at me…” 

Riley laughed. “So how old are you, Ash?”

Ash wrinkled his eyebrows, counting with his fingers before holding his right hand and his left’s index finger. “I’m six!”

Riley smiled, petting his lucario beside him. “You’re a big boy, huh?”

“I’m a big boy!”

Lucario tilted his head as he barked a “Car. Cario.” 

Riley nodded grimly as he turned a smiley face to Ash once more. “So, Ash, are the flowers already here in this space before you come?”

Ash blinked his innocent, big blue eyes. “No, the flowers like to follow me. Didn’t it follow you ? Ah, wait, the flowers aren’t following Mama either. Or Gramps.” He shot a look at the man. “Did the flowers not follow big persons? Did flowers not like big persons?”

“Well…”

“No, but Gary isn’t followed by flowers either! But he’s annoying, I understand why the flowers did not like Gary. Smart flowers.” The little boy continued his mumbles, thinking hard.

“Is Gary your friend?” Riley asked, amused. 

“Yeah! No. Maybe…?” The boy scratched a Poliwag as he looked at Riley in defeat. “I’m not sure… he’s Gramps’ grandson, and I play with him, but he’s rude! He said I’m weird because the flowers’ following me. It’s not weird, right? Mama said it’s a-a mi… miracle!” He stopped talking for a good one second, before tilting his head. “What’s a miracle?”

Riley laughed, messing with the boy’s dark hair. “Let’s get to it one by one, yeah? A miracle is when something really cool happens! Something that didn’t happen very often.”

Ash blinked. “Like the time I saw a fire pony?”

“No, a Rapidash sighting isn’t a miracle… many people have experienced it.”

“But it’s super cool!”

“But it often happens.” 

Ash stared at the Caterpie in his lap with a frown on his head before he gave up and nodded. “Okay. I don’t understand, but okay. You mean I’m very cool?”

“Very very cool! Super cool!” Riley approved, and Ash beamed. “But also very, very worrying.”

“Why?”

“Because there are bad, bad people wanting those miracles for bad things. Super cool, but bad things. So you mustn’t worry your mother like this.”

Ash pouted, but eventually nodded. “Okay… but Riley, aren’t you followed by flowers too?”

“No, kid, I don’t.”

“But you had this light! Flowers like to follow the light! Is this because you’re a big person?”

Once again, Riley exchanged looks with Lucario, before deciding to play along. “Yeah. Do you mind if you show me your Mama after this? I want to have a talk with her.”

“Sure!” He said again, distracted as the budew woke up from its beauty sleep and looked outside.

“Dew!”

The rain has stopped, tiny droplets of water glimmering in the flower trail. The pokemon went out, one by one, after chirping a series of ‘goodbye’s and ‘thank you’s to the little boy.

“Let’s go, Riley!” He said, skipping over, following the flower trail as new flowers bloomed when he walked, his barefooted feet grazing the grass. “The loser is a rotten egg!”

Riley exchanged a look with his lucario. “You feel it too, right?”

“Car.”

“Yeah. That amount of aura isn’t normal. Especially for a kid.” Riley said, concerned. “We need to inform Rota. Not until we had a chat with his guardians, though.” 

***

“Mamaa! I’m home! And I have a friend!” Ash opened the back door, exclaiming happily.

“Ash, I told you, don’t bring wild pokemons home—oh.” Delia freezed, even as Ash ran past her to the house, the flower trail stopping the moment he entered the wooden floor. 

Riley blinked. He was not expecting someone so young, someone who looks like she could only be younger than him, to greet him. But he recovered fast as he lifted his hat and bowed. “Evening, ma'am. I believed you’re the guardian of this child?”

“O-oh, yeah, good evening. Yes, I’m his mother.” Delia answered warily, slowly covering the vision to the inside of her house. Ash’s ‘specialness’ made her and Samuel have to be aware at all times. “Do you have any business with my son?”

Riley put his hat back to its place. His gaze is serious now. “Yes. My name is Riley, an Aura Guardian.”

“Aura Guard—?”

“And I believe your son has the potential to become one, ma’am.”

***

Samuel nearly choked when he heard Delia over the phone. “An Aura Guardian? Yeah, yeah, Delia, they’re real. Their existence is not known to the public, but I know they’re real. Okay, I’ll be there in three.” 

So here they are, Samuel, Delia, and Riley, in the living room sitting across the coffee table while Gary and Ash played somewhere in the house. 

“Apologies for the sudden intrusion. I will introduce myself again. My name is Riley, an official Aura Guardian from the Rota Kingdom. I was walking around the Tokita Forest when I sensed an immense amount of aura was released. I followed the trail of aura, guessing that an Aura Guardian was doing its duty, or a lucario or riolu was having a battle. Or, at least, a rogue aura user that isn't properly registered in the data.” Riley stopped, looking at the direction the two boys ran to. “Imagine my surprise when I saw this little kid, surrounded with wild pokemons, oozing aura as though it was like breathing.”

“Apologies, Mr. Riley,” Delia said. “What is aura?”

“Not at all, ma'am, sorry for not explaining faster. And please, just call me Riley.” Riley gathered his words. This isn't the first time someone asked about aura, but it is definitely the first that a young mother of a five year old child asked. “Aura is… the essence of every living thing. We all have auras, everything that breathes does. The Lucario evolution line, especially, is very compatible with aura. They use aura to make their moves, to perceive the world,” Riley stopped again. “However, there are some, very few people who can use aura. A system was made. Something to keep the aura users in check, because the power they have is too dangerous to be left unguarded, since so many people could've used it for horrible things. The number isn't high at all, and usual aura users aren't that compatible with auras, most they could do was seeing auras. For those who want to pursue the way of auras, several places provide training to be an aura guardian, the main being Rota Kingdom, since Rota has been utilising aura users even before the war. I was one of the Aura Guardians of Rota.”

Delia leaned in, worries written all over her face. “Are you saying my son is an aura user? He can use aura?”

“Not in the moment, ma'am, not without proper training. I figured that he got some idea of how to use it, but he has no control of it as of now. The flower trail that appears when he walks is proof.” Riley ran his hand through his hair. “Apologies, but an aura user with such compatibility is unheard of, even for us in Rota. Some legends about an aura hero may suffice, but it was a legend none the less. Sometimes we let rogue aura users roam around with just their data so we can keep tabs on them. But your child is… a special case. His aura is powerful and unpredictable. Forgive me, but if he doesn't learn to control it… I don't know what will happen.”

Silence hung heavy, the only voices heard being the children's banters from the other room. Delia buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking lightly. Samuel held her shoulder, tracing little circles in hopes of calming her down. Riley bowed in guilt.

“So what will you do with Ash now?” Samuel raised his voice at last, breaking the silence.

“I will make a report to Rota first, if you may. Maybe it would be best if we could give him a riolu as a training partner for the time being.”

“Is it okay for such a small child to be in possession of such pokemon? He isn't even the age to be a trainer yet.”

“Worry not, Professor Oak, aura guardians have their ways with legal issues.” Riley offered his gentle smile again. “If Miss Delia agrees, I will go back to Rota in the earliest flight I could find and have the news delivered as fast as I can.”

“Can't you do it over the phone?”

Riley shook his head. “Such an important information has to be delivered manually. Furthermore, I'll be staying in Rota to discuss the best solution so I could quickly give it to the two of you.” 

“So the last decision is up to you, my dear,” Samuel looked at the woman beside him, still rigid and shaking. “Delia?”

“It's okay if you still need some time to think,” Riley quickly reassured her. “I know this all must be very sudden. You didn't need to answer now. Please tell me what you think when—”

Delia lifted her head, smiling meekly. She shook her head. “It's okay, Riley. If you believe that this is the best path for my child… then so be it.”

Riley stood up from his seat before bowing to Delia. “Thank you so much, ma'am.”

“Please, sit back down. And Delia is fine, Riley, I—”

“Maaa!! Gary bullied me again! He said I am a moron with no friends!” A loud cry emerged as the five year old stormed to the room and hugged his Mama. He lifted his head from his mother's lap in innocence. “What's a moron?”

“Lies!!! Grandpa, Ash is a liar! A bad, bad, liar!” A ginger boy followed behind him, screaming as he pointed at Ash.

“Now he's calling me a liar!”

Delia laughed, choking on her own tears. “Honey, lying is bad.”

Ash frowned when he realized his mother's cheeks were glistening, his tantrum disappeared. “Mama?” he climbed to his mother's lap, tapping on her cheeks. “Mama, you're crying.”

“It's fine, dear. I'm—”

“You're crying,” Ash said, definite, as his eyes glowed blue. Warm feeling washed over the room with a green glow like a shaymin's aromatherapy, calming Delia's erratic heartbeat. He looked at Riley as he clung to his mother protectively. “Did you make her cry?”

“He doesn't, honey, I really am fine.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

Gary walked to his grandfather's side, refusing to sit on his grandpa's lap because ‘ I'm not a little boy anymore!’ , glancing with his emerald eyes. “What are you guys talking about?” 

“We're talking that I need to go tomorrow morning,” Riley answered with a smile. “Are you Gary?”

Gary huffed. “The one and only!”

“You're leaving?!” Ash shrieked. He climbed down his mother’s lap to cling to Riley’s pants. “Whyy?? You just came!”

“Stupid Ash! Riley must have something to do so he has to go home!” Gary looked up at Riley just beside Ash. “Correct?”

Riley laughed. He crouched down so he could see the two boys at eye level. “You're right, Gary. I have to go home because I had something to do. Something important.” When he saw Ash begin to sulk, he grinned and messed with the dark-haired's hair. “But worry not, I promise I'll be back as soon as I can, and, what do you know, Ash, maybe I'll even bring you a present!”

Ash beamed. “It's a promise then!” 

“What? No fair! Why did Ash get a present?”

“Cause Riley's my friend, dummy!”

Gary hitted Ash's arm and the boy hit back before they were separated by Samuel.

“That's enough, kids. Take this arguing somewhere else, okay? Our guest didn't need to see you two bantering.”

They both nodded and, after waving Riley one last goodbye (Ash because he's nice, Gary because whatever Ash does, he could do better), the boys scurried off to the playroom, chattering and bantering and hitting each other. 

Riley stood back up, nodding to the professor and the mother. “Well then, I'll be going.”

“Take care, Riley.” Delia said with a smile, one Riley replied with the same gentle smile.

“You too, Delia. I'll make sure to bring back good news. Oh, and please keep Ash at your sight at all times. If it’s possible, don’t let flowers bloom where he walks. Put him in some shoes, or carry him, or teach him to use a bicycle. Anything to hide his powers.”

And the aura guardian left, leaving a wrecked mother and her powerful son's house behind.

Bonus:

“Hey, Ashy-boy, aren't you curious what they're talking about?”

Ash looked up from the charizard figure he was holding. “Huh?”

“The grown-ups,” Gary said, mischievous grin spread across his face. “I bet they're planning something exciting!”

Ash's blue eyes light up, a similar sly grin adorning his face. “As long as they don't see us…”

They both giggled as they tiptoed around, getting as close as they could without a soul realizing they're there. Ash's eyes glowed as the conversation of the adults seeped into their ears.

“Where’s Rota?” 

“Idiot, he said that it's a kingdom, so it must be up there in the clouds, right?”

“Then how would Riley arrive there?”

“He must have a charizard to fly him up there!”

“Ohhh you're right! That must be it!”

“Right? Ha ha! I'm a genius!”

“You were in the forest with pokemons?!”

“Yeah! It's so cool! Pokemons were all around me! Bet you didn't have it in your school, Gare-bear,” Ash taunted, a smirk growing on his face. Gary pouted, his cheeks bulging.

“Well at least I’m not a moron with no friends!”

Ash gasped like he had just been struck.

“The pokemons are my friends!”

“Pokemons aren't friends, you fool!”

“Yes they are, meanie!”

They bantered for a few more seconds until Gary shushed him down to ‘listen to the adults talking’.

“I don't get it. What's aura again?” Ash nudged at Gary, sincerely confused. Gary stuttered.

“Uh… uh… you heard him! It's the essence of life! Duh!”

Ash frowned. “Yes Gary, I heard Riley just fine. What's an essence of life?”

“An essence of life is an essence of life! You'll understand when you're my age!”

Ash looked at his friend, visibly and utterly confused. “Gary, you're seven.”

They laid there in silence when they realized the adults didn't talk. It took Gary a whole two seconds before he began pushing Ash's shoulder.

“Quick! Laugh loudly for them to hear!” Gary said, panicked.

Ash took one look at Gary's face and laughed so hard he fell over to the floor. He wheezed so hard tears were practically coming out of his eyes. He kicked his legs and laughed like Gary's face was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

Gary frowned. He hit Ash in the head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Don't laugh at me!”

“You told me to laugh!”

“Laugh at something else!”

“Your face is the funniest thing in this house! Ow! Ow! Ow!”

“Hey, Ash… I think… things got a bit serious over there…”

Ash nodded, his face worried. “Mama is very silent, I don't like it.”

“I think they're talking about you.”

Ash frowned and scratched his head. “Why would they talk about me?”

“Maybe because you're weird.”

Ash smacked Gary in the head again, then raised his hand in defense before Gary could hit him back. “We need to intreven!”

“You mean intervene.”

“Yeah! I'm gonna go there and say you're bullying me again!”

“But I didn't!”

“That's why you will go after me and say that I'm a liar!” Ash exclaimed happily. “I’m sure everyone won't be silent anymore because they will stop us from fighting! Right?”

Gary lightens up at the idea of causing havoc. “Ashy you're smart! Not a genius like me, but smart!”

Ash giggled and clapped his hands. “Okay, I'm going! Be ready!”

Chapter Text

Delia and Samuel anxiously waited for any sort of news from the Aura Guardian. Ash and Gary tried to pry from their mother and grandfather about what present the Aura Guardian has and when will he come back, both replied with ‘I don't know’. 

All the while, Delia has been trying to teach her son to ride a bicycle or at least wear a pair of shoes. Ash, even though he mastered the bike quickly, prefers to walk because bicycles can’t peer deep to the forest. He also didn’t like to wear shoes, flowers have been his sole for two years, and there’s not a lot of shoes he deemed comfortable. Even when he wore them, some flowers still sprouted, not as many as when he was barefooted but it was a trail nonetheless. 

And Ash’s newly-found-out aura was growing stronger and stronger by the day. Once when he sneezed a vase went self-destruct. When he was holding a cutiefly figure and Gary surprised him from the back, the cutiefly came to life. A tad smaller than it should have been, but alive nonetheless. Gary and Ash were fascinated, but Delia was horrified. She called for Samuel Oak and it was safe to say that he was equally terrified. His professor side was a bit curious, sure, but terrified.

“He just did what ?”

“It just happened! Just like that! The cutiefly is now following him and Gary to play and now they’re trying to turn Ash’s plushie into a real Pichu!”

“Tell me they didn’t succeed. Dear Mew, tell me they didn’t succeed.”

“No, I don't think Ash himself knew how he did that," Delia assured him, but her voice is no less than confused and worried. "But, Sam, the cutiefly!"

Samuel massaged his temple. “Delia, when I finish this research, that cutiefly’s coming straight to my lab.” 

In the end, Ash plead his mom to catch the cutiefly so he can own it when he’s ten. Delia assured her that cutiefly would be fine with Samuel and Gary, and Ash pouted at the smug smirk in Gary’s face.

Once when Gary and Ash played pretend like usual, Gary as a charizard and Ash a blastoise, Gary came to Delia soaked and pointing to a busted, guilty Ash.

“He blasted me!” Gary said. “I nearly bit him and won the battle and then he blasted me with water out of nowhere!”

“Look, I’m sorry! And blastoise can use water gun so I still win!”

“You cheated! I can’t use flamethrower!”

“That’s because you’re a loser!”

Delia separated the two before they broke into another fight, urging Gary to change. Due to how frequent Gary came to their house, he has his own little section of clothes in Ash’s wardrobe, same with Ash in Professor Oak’s ranch.

At some other time, when Delia cut her finger in the kitchen, Ash hurried over and held the finger in his tiny hands. He scolded her for not being careful and Delia smiled as the blood stopped and the cut closed perfectly, it’s like it wasn’t even there in the first place. 

“Thank you, honey.”

Ash scowled, his little face scrunched. “Mama, you have to be careful next time! I don’t know if I can fix you or not.”

“Oh, honey, I didn’t need you to fix me, alright? I just need you to be happy.”

“I will be happy if you’re not hurt,” The kid said, blue eyes boring to Delia’s soul.

“Alright. I’ll be careful. You’ll be careful too, right?”

“If it makes Mama happy,” Ash leaned to kiss his mother’s cheek.

At another, on a rainy day when Delia wished for it to be sunny so the laundry could be dried, Ash blinked. “I wish the rain would go away,” he said.

And the rain suddenly stopped.

“Ash, honey, did you do something?”

“No, Mama! I just wished the rain would go away!” 

Delia looked at him, a mix of horror and confusion in her face. “Well, honey, maybe it would be best if we don’t do it again, yeah?”

Ash beamed. “Okay, Mama!”

The damage has already been done, though, so Delia dried her laundry anyway.

Days go by, and soon a month has passed without a single news from the aura guardian. Due to his mother’s pleading, Ash agreed to play much closer to home, only around their lawn or at the professor’s ranch. At this point, the Oak’s ranch has flower trails everywhere, covering the vast land. The Ketchum’s lawn is just straight up covered by flowers. He also didn’t let his mouth loose to wish carelessly, because sometimes his wishes come true almost immediately and it made Delia and Samuel worried. 

Following the cutiefly, now there is a chimeco that Ash accidentally created from his mother’s wind chime when he was asleep and dreamed about pokemon. There are also several baby pokemon in Oak’s ranch that hatched before their time because Ash went to the incubator and Gary dared him to hatch them. It was a foolish decision, because all Ash had to do was think about it and the professor suddenly had a lot more paperwork to do. Samuel now banned them from his research room.

Six weeks passed, and a knock finally came to the Ketchums’ door on a Sunday morning. 

“I’ll open it!” Ash jumped from his seat and opened the door with cutiefly and chimeco flying around him. He squeaked when he saw who came. “Riley!”

“Hey, Ash! Long time no see!” Riley smiled, greeted the boy in front of him. “Oh, are those new friends I see?”

“Yeah! These are Chimeco and Cutiefly! They aren’t exactly from the wild, but I can’t catch them either, so they’re staying at Gramps’. They spend weekends here!”

“‘Not exactly from the wild’?” Riley mused. “What does it mean?”

“It means we have a lot to cover.”

Riley lifted his head to see Delia coming over, a tired smile plastered across her face. 

Riley smiled. “Hi, Delia.”

Delia’s smile softened. “Hi, Riley. Let me call Sam and we can discuss a lot of things.”

So here they are, now, sitting across the coffee table again as Ash and Gary were ushered to play somewhere else, be it the playroom or the lawn. 

Riley’s smile died down when the two told him about Chimeco and Cutiefly’s appearance, along with the other incidents happening in the span of only six weeks. He laced his fingers, rested his head on them.

“This is bad.”

“I know!” Delia cried, frustration laced her voice. “Please tell me you’ve got good news from Rota?”

“Yes, that’s exactly why I’m here,” Riley bit his lower lip, feeling uneasy. “The kingdom wanted to take him in immediately, but since he was still a kid, I urged them to take a slower step. But if it came to this… I’m sorry, but we need to fasten up the process.”

“Will you be taking him now?”

“No, of course not. We ordered a riolu for him, but unfortunately the riolu was still an egg at the moment. I’m coming to inform you guys of the good news. We also had trouble deciding on his teacher, since such a powerful aura user at such a young age is unheard of until now. We scheduled his coming at around 2 months or so… but if his aura became that strong in just one and a half months, I think we can take him in right after he got his riolu. I mean, if that’s okay with you, Delia.”

Delia gave a small smile. “That’s okay, Riley. I would do everything to keep him safe. Even if that means…” Her eyes stung. She fought to keep the tears at bay. “Even if that means pushing him away from me.” 

Riley’s hand ghosted from Delia’s on the table, before opting to put his hand beside her. “I promise it’ll be alright.”

“I hope so,” she said, her voice soft, no more than a whisper. Samuel holds her shoulder, rubbing little circles. Riley kept his vision at the table, guilty and ashamed.

“Where are you taking me?”

The blue-eyed boy standing at the living room asked, his little fist in his sides.

Riley stood up quickly from his seat. “Ash, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“Where are you taking me?” He asked again, scooting closer to his mother’s seat. Blue eyes wide and sharp, startling Riley. His voice is strangely wary. And scared.

Riley pursed his lips before deciding to be honest and blunt. “I’m taking you to Rota with me.”

The boy grasped his mother’s hand, but didn’t back away from Riley’s gaze, even though his eyes shook like he was afraid. “Why?”

Riley kneeled so he could be at eye level with Ash. “Ash, do you trust me?”

Ash held the gaze before nodding.

“Come here, hold my hand.” Riley offered his hand, not going any closer, but inviting.

The boy glanced at his mom for approval, to which Delia nodded, encouraging him to take Riley’s hand. He stepped closer and took the man’s hand, both of them closing their eyes.

A blue light emerged from the two of them, accompanied with a cold breeze and a faint scent of morning grass, blooming flowers, ocean waves, fallen leaves. The light danced around, intertwining around the two of them before dying down, leaving a faint spring breeze and the scent of wet grass and flowers. 

Riley opened his eyes first, Ash followed suit. The man gave him a smile as he ran his thumb along the little boy’s knuckles.

“You see, Ash, your power is special, even for us. It is very cool, and very powerful, and a lot of people will do everything to get their hands on it. Bad, bad people. You remember, right?”

“They will do really bad things. Very cool, but bad things,” Ash mumbled. Riley smiled in approval. 

“Yes. And they can and will hurt you, or people you cared about, like your Mama, Gramps, or Gary. You wouldn’t want that to happen, right?” Ash shook his head so hard it looked like it might come off of his neck. “That’s why we want you to come with us. We want to train you so you can use your cool power. So you can protect yourself and people you love.”

“Like my Mama?”

“Like your Mama,” Riley nodded in confirmation. “So what do you say? Will you come with me?”

Ash went dead silent, hands still in the older man’s hand, face frowning. He turned his head to look at his mom. 

“I’ll be fine, darling,” his Mama smiled reassuringly. “I’ll have Professor Oak and Gary with me. I’ll still have Chimeco and Cutiefly, too! I won’t be alone, so don’t worry about me.”

Receiving the reassurance, Ash then looked back at Riley. He nodded. “Yes, I will come with you.”

Riley sighed a breath of relief. “Thank you.”

***

“So you’ll be leaving soon?” asked Gary, who is now sitting back to back with Ash in the playroom.

“I think. Yeah. When Riley comes I’ll be leaving.” Ash petted the chimeco in his lap.

“When will he come?”

“I don’t know. He said he’ll try to come two weeks from now.” 

Silence lingered around the boys, Gary fiddled with his fingers, pulling at the black hair tie around his wrist, Cutiefly flying around him. Ash played with Chimeco, softly lulling her with his touch.

“Will you be okay?” Ash broke the silence, tugging at Gary’s sleeve.

Gary barked a laugh. “Of course I’ll be, stupid Ash! Unlike you I have plenty of other friends! Will you be okay?”

“No,” Ash said, much to Gary’s surprise. He didn't expect this bluntness from Ash. “No. I’ll be there without Mama, or Gramps, or you. I’ll be in a new place that is not our town or the forest and maybe don’t speak the same as me. I’ll be there to train my weirdness with teachers I don’t know and I hated teachers. At least yours.” Ash tightened his grip around the sleeping Chimeco. “I’m scared, Gary.”

Gary fell dead silent as his hand hesitated before he held his friend’s hand. “You’ll be fine, Ashy-boy.”

Ash’s head fell down. The kid didn’t respond for a while, just holding Gary’s hand in silence as they sat facing away from each other. “I hope.” 

Silence once again lingered between them. Just the two boys, two friends, breathing, holding each other's hands. Scared, both of them.

“Will you still be a pokemon trainer?”

Ash’s ear perked up and he turned to Gary, a newfound sparkle in his eyes. “Of course! I’ll finish my training in Rota quickly and come back to get my first pokemon! And I’ll become a pokemon master!”

Gary turned to face Ash too, a shit-eating grin in his face, a competitive glint in his eyes. “I’ll start way faster than you and become a champion before you’ll ever do!”

“Oh no you won’t!”

“I totally will!”

The two’s banters woke up Chimeco and after chiming a protest and receiving her apologies from Ash, the pokemon went to play with Cutiefly, uninterested in their creator’s banters. 

“Next time we meet we’ll be rivals! Don’t talk to me then!”

“Who wants to talk to you anyway!”

Delia and Samuel watched from afar, smiling fondly. 

“Ash would be fine,” Samuel told her. “He’ll find a home wherever he goes.” 

Delia nodded. “I just hope it won’t take long for him to come home.”

***

Delia can’t sleep that night. She turned her face, looking at the moonlight peeking from the space of the curtains, making a long line, shining on a photo figure. It is a 4 year old Ash with flower petals on his head. 

It was the first time Ash made flowers bloom when he walked. He squeaked in excitement and began playing with the flowers, some of them landing on his dark hair. Even though Delia was surprised, she couldn't help but fish out her camera to take a photo.

Her son looked so small.

And he is a small child still. A small child with power too big for his little body to handle. And it is too big for Delia to handle, too, and she wondered when will he finally slip through her fingers, leaving her behind with only his shadows and memories. 

A creak of the door snapped her out of her daze. She sat up on her bed to see a pair of bright blue eyes looking up at her.

“Can I sleep with you tonight, Mama?”

Delia all but melted right there and then, as she spread her arms wide. “Of course, honey, come here.”

Ash hurriedly climbed to her bed, leaning close to his mother’s embrace. He’s holding a Pichu plushie. Delia stroked her son’s little back.

“Can’t sleep?”

“Mm…” Ash hummed in agreement. When Ash was four, Gary boasted about his private room in Samuel’s house, saying that ‘big boys don’t sleep with their parents anymore’. Ash then begged Delia for a room for himself, demanding himself big enough for it, completely ignoring the fact that Gary is a year older than him. 

And Ash is ready, he really is. He has no problem sleeping alone with his plushies just like he has no problem napping on the grass with flowers sprouting around him. The boy is as adaptive as an Eevee. The one who isn’t ready is Delia. She missed the feeling of hugging his son, even though sometimes she woke up with him on the other side of the bed, hanging dangerously close to the floor. 

So she held her son close, listening to his heartbeat. 

Her son is here.

She can still hold him close, just for a little while.

They both lay down in the bed, holding each other close. Mother and son. Delia and Ash. Ash and Delia.

“Mama,” the boy whispered. “Do you think I’ll be okay?”

Delia kissed Ash’s forehead. “You’ll do amazing, sweetheart. I know it.”

“How could you be sure?”

“It’s a feeling,” Delia nuzzled her nose with her son’s, making him giggle. “A mother’s feeling is never wrong.”

When Ash calmed down, he blinked sleepily. Delia stroked her son’s hair, tangled and bristled tufts of inky black hair. Sometimes, Delia is grateful she never remembered that man's face, because she could care less if the boy looked like his deadbeat, scumbag of a father or not. He’s just her perfect little boy.

“Mama.”

“Yes, Ash?”

“Will you be okay?”

Delia smiled, kissing Ash’s crown. “I will be, honey. I promise.”

Ash glanced sleepily. “Are you okay with me going?”

“You can go wherever you want,” Delia hugged him a bit tighter. “Just make sure to come back home.”

Ash yawned, snuggled closer to his mother. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, honey.”

This boy, her little boy, has a crushing world and big powers on his shoulders. Her boy will walk through the world and he will grow and he will slip through her fingers. He will go far, far away from her reach and make a home wherever he goes. He will be flying far from her nest as she watches him go.

But it's for later.

It will be for the far, far future.

Because now Delia is holding Ash and Ash is holding Delia. Mother and son.

And that is all that matters.

Chapter Text

Two weeks came and Riley showed up in front of the Ketchums’ door. This time with someone else.

“Riley!” Ash greeted him, being the one who opened the door, before taking a step back, surprised at the new person. He quickly bowed. “Hello, ma'am!” 

The woman laughed. “Oh, this little one is polite. Is this the one you told me?”

Riley nodded. He bowed down to mess with Ash's head. “Where's your mom, kid?”

“She's in the kitchen. I'll go get her!” Ash ran off before stopping on his tracks. “Ah… please come in. Make yourself at home.”

Riley laughed before he nudged the woman. They both sat on the couch, the woman put an egg incubator beside her. Ash ran off to the kitchen, coming back holding his mom's hand. Samuel and Gary tailing behind them.

“So it is time?” Delia asked, her voice sad, weighing down on Riley’s conscience. He realized the woman has dark circles forming under her eyes, and her hair is not as well-kept as last time. He bowed down in apology.

“I'm afraid so, Delia.”

Delia reached Riley’s shoulder, shaking her head. “I’m okay, Riley, please sit back down.”

Delia and Samuel sat as Ash and Gary were about to leave the room, but Riley called them out.

“Ash,” he said. “Come here, sit down with us.”

Ash looked at Riley, his hand quickly grabbed one of Gary's. 

“Gary's sitting with me.”

Gary nodded, looking at Riley determinedly. Riley pondered on how much they seem to become closer in such a short time. Kids, it seems. They play and they fight and they made up and they became the closest beings ever like their soul was tied since birth. Silly things, children.

He nodded. “Of course. Sit down, you two.” 

Ash snuggled beside his mother and Gary sat politely beside his grandfather, folded hands and all, but his legs were swinging like any other kids’ would.

“Everyone, this is Elizabeth. A breeder specialized in breeding riolu.”

The woman beside Riley smiled and bowed. “A pleasure to meet you all.”

“You look pretty!” Ash chimed. “And kind. And I love your hair!””

Elizabeth laughed, pleasantly surprised. “Why thank you, sweet boy. You’re Ash, correct?”

Ash nodded happily. 

“What’s that?” Gary asked, pointing at the fogged up egg incubator. “It looks like one of Grandpa’s things at the lab!”

Elizabeth smiled as she put the incubator at the table. She set up the incubator, revealing what’s inside. “This, boy, is a present for your friend.”

“An egg!” The boys squealed. They both jumped from their seats to peer at the egg with big, curious eyes. 

“It’s big!” Gary said.

“And shiny!” Ash cheered.

Elizabeth smiled as she nodded her head, satisfied with the reactions. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“What egg is this, Miss Elizabeth?” Samuel asked, intrigued.

“This is a riolu egg, professor. This one, in particular, is very stubborn.”

“Stubborn?”

“It is time for him to hatch but this little one refused to. His siblings are all hatched and grown to be healthy riolus, but this one… nah, he just wanted to stay in. I thought of giving Ash one of them, but Riley here thought that he could probably help with hatching the little one.”

“I sure think he could. There are a bunch of baby pokemons hatched before their time in my lab now because of him.”

Ash turned to Gary. “What’s stubborn?” He whispered.

“Stubborn is difficult, like you.”

“Poor Gary never knew what a mirror is.”

“Ash,” Riley interrupted before another fight broke out. “Can you help me with this egg?”

Ash scratched his neck. “I don’t know how, Riley.”

“I’ll help you. It’s part of the training.”

Still frowning, Ash eventually nodded. “Okay. Uh… what should I do?”

Riley guided Ash’s hands to the egg. Gary stepped out of the way, nestling close to Samuel. The rest in the room watched intently as the two aura users, one a man and another a young boy, held the egg close as they closed their eyes.

“Can you feel the power?”

“Uh… yes?”

“Good. Now, slowly, gently, release it to the—”

A bright blue light shine from Ash as an enormous energy burst out, slamming Riley to the wall. Strong winds hurled around the boy, pushing back the furniture. Ceramic vases and mirrors and glasses shattered. Samuel hugged Gary to protect him from the wind. Elizabeth actually fell to the floor. Ash screamed before the wind slowly died down, the bright light dispersing.

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air.

“... wow.”

Elizabeth stood up from the dust, her perfect bun messy and tangled yet she didn’t seem to care.

“No wonder.”

Ash gasped and ran to the man with his back on the wall. “I’m sorry! I’m really, really sorry!”

Riley coughed and smiled. “I’m alright, kid. It’s okay.”

The boy hugged himself, his eyes red, tears welled up threatening to fall. “I—I don’t know what happened. It never happened before! It’s not supposed to—I’m—” He cried, frustrated. The sight is heartbreaking. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, voice hurt.

“Oh, no, no, it’s fine, kiddo, see? All fine!” Riley stood up with no problem, having covered himself with aura before the hit. He tried to pat the kid to assure him it’s all okay, but Ash stepped back.

“Please—please don’t come near,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you again.”

It broke Riley’s heart to see the kid so pained, so terrified of his own power. “Oh, kiddo.”

“Oh, let him be, kid, Riley can use a beating once in a while. From a little kid, no less.”

Ash glanced up to see Elizabeth smiling wide.

“Moreover, you woke up the prince from its beauty sleep.”

There it was, in the cloud of dust, the egg. The cracked egg. With a creature emerging from it.

The spectators watched as the blue-and-black pokemon looked around, before settling his brilliant red eyes on the boy who hugged himself.

To the pokemon, that boy was the strongest and biggest person in the room right now, reeked with aura.

The riolu took a step, going closer and closer to the boy. Ash didn’t move either, eyes glued on the riolu’s just as the riolu’s eyes are stuck on Ash’s. Blue and red. Red and blue.

Riolu stopped in front of Ash, their hands interlocking as their eyes shone. Ash was so small that he isn’t much taller than the little jackal, but for Riolu his presence is much, much bigger.

They held hands for a while, auras tangling, introducing one another. It whispered, hello, hello, hello . 

Riolu barked.

Ash smiled.

“Nice to meet you too, Riolu.”

***

“I’m so sorry, Mama!”

Ash whined to his mother’s embrace, pressing his face on her dress. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay, honey, I’m just glad you’re okay. Now please let me go so I can clean up this mess?”

After saying sorry one more time, Ash let his mother go to fetch her cleaning supplies before hearing Riley’s voice.

“Ash, come here.”

The boy complied, coming to Riley with the Riolu tailing. The baby has been following him everywhere. Ash still held some space between Riley and himself, afraid that he would somehow hurt him again. “What is it, Riley?”

“Do you know what caused that burst before?”

Ash looked uncomfortable. He squeezed Riolu’s hand and said ‘sorry’ once more. “I—maybe, it’s… I never directed the… the power? Before. It’s just… um, natural. It’s like breathing. It’s easy. But then you said that I need to release it… so I tried. Directing it. It is more from the usual, because I tried hard directing it.”

Riley hummed in newfound understanding. “So it’s just natural for you to do something with a huge amount of auras that when you tried directing it, an enormous amount followed your order, more than what you actually needed. Interesting, wow.”

“I’m so—”

“Stop apologizing, Ash, it makes me feel fragile,” Riley scoffed, but he’s smiling. And he’s flexing his clothed arm. “Don’t you see this beautiful mass of muscle? I’m fine!”

“I see nothing but bones and skin!” Gary chimed, appearing behind Ash. Elizabeth cracked at that, bending over in a laugh so bad her laugh isn’t even audible, caught in a wheeze. 

“Oh my, Riley, that kid knows business!” She messed with Gary’s hair, which he responded with muffled sounds of protest. Gary took huge pride in his hair, after all. 

“Rude. Ash, don’t you think I have a fair amount of muscle?”

Ash blinked his innocent, big blue eyes. “What muscle?”

Elizabeth lost it. She cackled and Riley frowned. “Oh, so that’s how we’re gonna play, huh? Come here, you two!”

The boys shrieked and laughed as Riley chased both of them to the lawn. The boys are now screaming and laughing, running away from Riley, trying to shake him off their paths. Elizabeth’s laugh accompanying them, now sitting on the floor. Riolu stood up confused beside Elizabeth.

“Enjoy it while it lasts, Riolu,” Elizabeth said between her laugh-tinted breaths. “You and Ash are going to face the world and its heavy burden be thrust upon you. Be a kid when you still can. Laugh while you still can.” 

Riolu looked at her, tilting his head in confusion. Elizabeth barked a sad, sad laugh before she patted the pokemon.

“I’m sorry that we have to put this burden on you,” she said, her voice laced heavy with sadness and grief. “Sorry we adults are a bunch of useless bastards.”

She was mourning. 

Mourning the blue-eyed kid’s laugh.

***

Delia was drawn to the laughs of the children on her lawn. She stared from the kitchen, holding the broom, gentle smile adorning her face. And sad, too, a sad, sad tint on her eyes, hidden deep in those deep coffee browns. 

“Delia.”

The woman turned to see Samuel standing close to her, a gentle, understanding smile on his old face. Delia breathed as her smile fell into a sadder one. 

“Sam.”

Samuel opened his arms, to which Delia gladly accepted, hugging the man she was so close with he might as well be her dad. 

“I have to let him go,” she said, tears soaking up Samuel’s shirt. “I have to, but it hurts. It hurts, Sam. Why must he go? He’s just a kid… he’s just my little kid…”

Samuel hugged Delia, a girl he has seen ups and downs and sadness and joy with for so long she might as well be his daughter. He patted her, rubbing little circles on her back.

Samuel always knew he’d die someday. He’s been waiting for that day ever since his wife died, counting his time to his death as his daughter’s counting her time until the baby arrived. Samuel didn’t hope much, just that he’ll be there when his grandchild is born.

What he didn’t expect is a call from the hospital about a car accident regarding his daughter and son-in-law. His kids. His children.

Samuel never drove so fast in his life.

But fateful it may be, his daughter and son died that night.

That car accident was with a drunk fucking truck driver. His son tried to dodge, but curse the small village road, he crashed. The doctors could only save him, a baby with emerald eyes and auburn hair that cried so loudly whenever he could.

It’s as if he’s mourning with Samuel too.

Delia was his daughter’s best friend. Poor kid was raised in the orphanage and has been the  bestest of friends with his daughter for so long they might as well be sisters. Age didn’t seem to bother either of them much, considering Delia was seven years younger. Samuel has cared for Delia like he did his own daughter. Raising Gary was not as hard when Delia was helping him, even though she was no less than a teenager herself. 

“There were a lot of babies in the orphanage. I can manage him, Sam. Go work on that research you’re telling me about.”

When the orphanage called to ask him about Delia one night, Samuel was nothing but worried.

“She’s not back yet?”

“No, we thought that she was in your place, professor.”

“I’ll call if I ever know where she is.”

“That would be really helpful, professor, thank you.”

Delia did show up that night. She showed up on the professor’s door, eyes swollen red, hair a mess, skirt ripped and a shoe missing. Angry red marks stretched across her face, neck, arms. 

“C-can I… can I spend the night h-here, Sam?”

“Oh, Delia,” Samuel hurriedly ushered her inside, worry laced his voice. “What happened?”

Delia crumbled down and crashed to Samuel’s embrace. She cried so hard she couldn’t shed a tear anymore, sobbing so harshly she couldn’t voice a single thing anymore.

She has been broken.

Samuel broke his heart with her. It was terrible.

He swore to Arceus that no one could mess with his girl. Not again. Not anymore.

But now here he is, holding Delia close, rubbing circles to her back. Can do nothing to ease her anxiety beside whispering sweet nothings and empty promises. “Everything would be fine,” he shushed her. “He’s just going for training. He’s a strong boy. He’ll be alright.”

“I hope so.”

“We’ll be alright.”

Delia sniffed, her tears calming down.

“I hope so.”

Silly thing, hopes are. It gives you something to latch onto, not knowing where it will lead. Not knowing where you will land in darkness or in light, hanging in the unknown. Silly, misleading things.

Aren’t that different from despair, they are.

***

By late afternoon, the house is tidied and the boy is dressed. Ever since she heard that Riley’s going to take him away, Delia has been working on a new pair of clothes for her little boy. Ash didn’t like a lot of clothes. He keeps on protesting on how the clothes feel fuzzy or weird. He had rows of the same pair of clothes in his wardrobe. One he would always wear, though, are the ones his mother sewed for him. 

Dressed in a brand new blue jacket, Delia hugged her son tight. “Listen to your teacher while you’re there, okay?”

“Mhmm.”

“Listen to Riley.”

“Mhmm.”

“Don’t eat too many sweets. Sleep well, don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed. Drink a lot of water, okay? I’m not there to remind you.”

Ash whined. “Mama, I’m not a little kid! You didn’t need to tell me.”

Delia smiled and pressed her forehead to her son’s. “Don’t forget to come home. Mama loves you sooo much.”

Ash closed his eyes and a warm feeling washed over Delia. “I love you too, Mama.”

They stayed like that for a while before Delia stood up, taking Ash’s hand. “Come on, let’s not make Riley and Miss Elizabeth wait too long.”

“Okay!”

The mother and son got downstairs, all the while Ash’s hand never left Delia’s. Riley and Elizabeth were waiting on the front door, Riolu standing between them. Gary and Samuel stood at the now clean living room, looking up to them as they walked down the stairs.

Delia hoped the stairs were longer.

They arrived at the last step and Ash let go of Delia’s hand. He walked to a kneeling Samuel and gave him a big hug.

“Gonna miss you so much, Gramps.”

“Gonna miss you too, kid,” Samuel returned the hug, squeezing the boy until he wheezed out a laugh and a struggled ‘gramps that hurts!’ before the professor released him. “Be good over there, okay? Don’t worry your mom too much. Take care of yourself.”

Ash smiled and nodded. “I will! Please take care of Cutiefly and Chimeco while I’m gone.”

“Look at you, all grown up,” Samuel snickered, messing around with Ash’s hair. “Take care, kid. Come back safely.”

“Will do, Gramps.”

The boy then went to Gary, who uncharacterically hugged him tight.

Ash returned the hug, buried his face on his best friend’s shoulder. “I’ll miss you too, Gary.”

“If you’re dead I’m really, really gonna kill you. Grandpa isn’t stopping me.”

“Okay.”

“I literally will be searching for you till the end of the world. I will not forgive you. At all.”

“Okay.”

“Don’t die.”

“Okay.”

Gary released Ash from the hug and aggressively rubbed his arm on his eyes. Ash watched with a weird, sad smile on his face as Samuel petted his grandson’s head, now facing away from Ash. The six year old then faced his mother and gave her a peck on the cheek.

“I’ll be going, Mama.”

Delia smiled. “Take care, honey.”

Ash then held Riolu’s hand and nodded at Riley. The man smiled at Delia. “He’ll be in my care, then.”

“Please watch him over for me.”

Riley nodded.

With Ash’s wave, the four of them left, riding a car with Elizabeth as the driver. Delia and the Oaks watched as the pink car became smaller and smaller until it was just a dot and disappeared.

“He left,” Delia said, putting her head on Samuel’s shoulder. “He left, huh?”

“He will be back before you know it.”

Delia breathed, a smile creeping to her face. “I know.”

Chapter Text

“Ash, can you give me your hand?”

The kid tilted his head and did as he was told. Riley held the kid's hands and clasped two silver bracelets. Ash blinked, his pupils contracted. He quickly grabbed Riley's hand, his face contorted in confusion.

“Riley, what's this? I feel funny.”

“It's inhibitor, dear. It repress—uh, holds back your aura. Hang on just a bit longer, okay? Just until we arrive in Rota.”

Still with a frown, Ash nodded.

And was it a good idea, because Ash totally freaked out at the airport. 

Ash always spends his time in nature, whether it was venturing the forest all on his own or spending his time in the professor’s ranch. Given how the kid uses aura, he breathes nature. 

Being in the airport, surrounded by buildings and cut off from any sense of nature, furthermore with his hands confined in a weird pair of inhibitors… it was as if one of his senses was taken away. It’s almost like someone has covered his eyes and he has to navigate his way through the crowd he never saw. Everything is too loud and unknown and he can’t see.

He’s scared.

Riley only managed to turn his head, alarmed. The kid’s aura spiked uncontrollably, his silver inhibitors broken. Riolu could barely make it to hold his hands before the glass windows broke. The pokemon got out of his pokeball the moment he sensed the massive aura his new friend was releasing. 

I’m here. I’m here. I’m here.

With the aid of Riolu, Ash calmed down from his hysteria, his aura rose down to a reasonable amount. At least, when Riley put his hand on Ash’s shoulder, he did not panic. He looked up to Riley’s face with wide, glowing blue eyes.

“You okay, kid?”

“I’m okay,” Ash said, his voice resonating hard in Riley’s skull, ringing in his ears. The kid coughed, his eyes dimmed to its usual colour. “I’m okay. Sorry.”

Riley blinked hard, trying to get rid of the pain in his head. He smiled. “Don’t worry about it, Ash.”

The boy held Riolu tight, still looked afraid and overwhelmed. “Can Riolu be with me?”

“Of course, yeah, I suppose that would be the best decision,” Riley exchanged glances with Elizabeth, who nodded accordingly.

The woman went to do something else as Riley held Ash’s other hand. “Elizabeth will handle the boring things. Do you want to buy some snacks?”

Ash was quiet and really tense as he shook his head, clinging very hard to Riley’s clothes he might as well tore it off. They sat at the chair, Riolu holding Ash’s hand and Ash holding Riolu’s, balancing each other’s aura. Riley can sense their aura intertwining, Riolu’s guiding Ash’s massive and anxious aura, calming it down.

Feeling that the kid might use some distractions, Riley asked. “Are you okay, kid?”

Ash hiccuped. “N-no. So many people. So loud. There's no light here. None.”

“Light? You mean aura?”

“No. Light is light. Aura… hmm… aura is light. But light is not aura. Is it? I don't know. It's difficult. But they're different. I just know. Here there’s no light. Many many aura but no light. Little light, maybe, but tiny. Scary.”

Riley blinked. Too much information coming out of that gibberish mouth and Riley didn't dare ask further. Ash is way more talkative now, words spilling like tap water. it’s a good thing, Riley thought. The problem is he just realized that an anxious Ash is even harder to understand than regular Ash. His words are jumbled in fast talks, jumping from one topic to the next like a waterfall. He talked about flowers one moment and his mother's broken oven the next, too fast for Riley to keep up. The man just let him speak whatever he wanted until Elizabeth came.

“-little mouse in the big one’s pocket. Little, very little. And yellow. Yellow… like Miss Elizabeth. Miss Elizabeth is so yellow! Right, Riley?”

“I—uh…” 

“What are you two talking about?”

Saved, Riley sighed. “Nothing. Have you sort it out?”

“Yeah, the plane’s ready when we’re ready.”

“Great!” Riley smiled at Ash, who’s blinking innocently. “Ash, have you ever been in a private jet?”

***

Good news: Gary would be so jealous if he knew Ash was flying in a private jet. Ash could rub the nice seat and expensive interior all on his smug face forever. He could brag about it to Gary like his friends at school would after the summer holidays.

Bad news: Ash freaked out even more in the air.

Listen, he has never been in an airplane. Delia never take him anywhere because she herself is busy with her cafe and Ash was never one to be whiny about vacations. 

No one could know that Ash would be totally freaked out with the absence of solid ground.

At first, of course, he was enchanted. He gasped at the shiny and sparkly inside like any other six year-olds would. He jumped on the sofa and called dibs on window seat. He looked through the window and chimed in awe. 

The moment the plane’s off the ground, though, Riolu and Riley had to practically jump the boy, safety belt be damned, just to keep his aura from destroying anything. 

There’s nothing wrong with a kid scared of a take-off. The problem is when that kid has powers strong enough to make the plane change its destination to the underworld.

“Beth, grab the earphone!”

Elizabeth scrambled to grab her earphone and placed them on Ash’s little ears, and played white noise from his poképod. He’s definitely still tense, but his shoulders slouched a bit, visibly more relaxed than before.

“It's okay, kiddo. Hang on for a bit, okay? The plane will stabilize soon. Come on, hold my hand.”

Ash done as told, gripping Riley’s hand so tight as he closed his eyes. Eventually, the seatbelt light turned off, and the plane stabilized in the air. Riolu slouched to the seat, tired as if he had been to a battle of three-on-one. Poor guy just hatched and is already fighting for his life. 

Ash let out a shaky breath he’s been holding. Riley knew that the kid’s aura control is in the brink of balance, a turbulence away from spiking up again. His eyes are wide and tense, and Riley can’t help but felt sorry once again. A kid shouldn’t be this concerned of crashing their plane and possibly bringing doom to all of them.

“Sorry, Riolu. Sorry, Riley,” Ash sulked.

Riolu barked a response with a tired smile, and Riley messed with his hair. “It’s fine, kid. You know, it took me months to control my aura.”

To be precise, his control over aura was to be able to let it out, not hold it in, but it was control nevertheless.

“It’s scary up here,” he said plainly. “No light.”

“No light? Is it like before or different?”

Ash wrinkled his little brows, and shook his head. “No. It’s similar. There’s like… like… like a wall. A big big wall. Thick. I can’t see. I know there’s light out there. But I can’t see it. And the light’s different. I… I’m scared.”

“Can you reach the light if you try? Will it calm you?”

“I—yeah, I don’t know. I guess I could but… but you wouldn’t like it. You would die. Do you want to die? I don’t want to die.”

The kid looked so genuinely distressed and confused Riley had to put aside his rising need to ask Delia Ketchum why would a six year old kid talk about dying so casually.

He suspected it has a lot to do with Gary Oak.

“Well, Ash, we helped you before, right?” Riley soothed the kid’s hair and wrinkled forehead. “We will help you again. You’re here with us, safe and sound. Right, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth gave Ash a soothing smile. Riley patted the child once again. “Come on, it’s late. Aren’t you sleepy?”

He blinked, exhaustion evident in those innocent blue eyes (why would such exhaustion be in the eyes of a child?). Riley could feel his unrefined control over his power loosened as he yawned. “Mm… maybe.”

“Then go to sleep, kiddo. We will watch over, okay? No need to worry about us.”

The kid nodded, not a single illegible thought left behind those eyes. “Don’t leave me.”

“I will not.”

“Promise.”

“Pinky promise.”

With the last yawn, the already tired kid closed his eyes and, not long after, began to snore.

Riley sighed in relief. He adjusted Ash’s position and exchanged glances with Elizabeth, who shrugged her shoulders.

“Exhausting day, huh?”

“Exhausting is an understatement,” Riley sighed. “Wouldn’t be so surprised to find out he’s been blessed by Arceus Himself or something.”

Elizabeth barked a laugh. “Oh, Riley, you know auras didn’t come from the Gods. It’s the child himself.”

“I know. It would be so much easier if this is a blessing from the Gods, huh? Gave us someone to blame, at least,” Riley ran his finger through Ash’s tangled and thick hair. “Why him, anyway? What makes a child so special?”

“Who knows? Mother Nature has always been a mystery. She blessed who She wants, She favours who She wants,” the woman said, looking at the dark window. “We just gotta be glad that this one’s heart is pure as a feather, sure hope nobody corrupts it. So glad you found him before he was big enough to be kidnapped and brainwashed or somethin’. Real lucky, I’d tell ya.”

“Beth, he’s a child,” Riley reminded her. “Not some kind of a dangerous weapon.”

“Riley, you’re not fooling anyone. A kid or not, he’s dangerous. He could kill all of us in a matter of seconds if he wanted to.”

“And that’s our job to make sure he doesn’t.”

“Well Riley, it’s not mine,” Elizabeth crossed her arms, her gaze sharp as a knife. “So I didn’t have to worry about it. What about you? Do you have a heart to stop him?”

Riley tensed. He looked out of the window, to pitch black clouds hanging in the sky. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Silence hung low between the two of them, tension so thick you can slice it with a knife. 

Riley sighed. He raked his hand through his hair. “We’ll think about it when we face it.”

Elizabeth looked at him, her gaze sharp and cold and unreadable. She eventually shrugged her shoulders. “If you say so.”

“Huh, so that’s it?”

“Hey, I ain’t telling you what to do, I’m just a breeder. You do you, general.” Elizabeth asked for a drink from the flight attendance, and shrugged when Riley looked at him with disapproving eyes. “What? The kids are asleep. Besides, this one’s a low-staked drink. I’m not gonna get hungover when we meet the queen.”

Riley sighed and shook his head. “Why would they send you to take care of children, I never know.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you hope you’re with someone more… maternal. Like, I don’t know… Miss Ketchum?”

Riley frowned at the mentioned name. “Whatever do you mean?”

Elizabeth laughed as she reached her drink. “Whatever you want to interpret it as.”

Riley tried to shake off the comment, combing Ash’s hair with his fingers, but a certain pair of brown eyes does haunt him recently… but that’s weird. That’s kind of stupid. Riley had never felt any weird thing with Delia Ketchum. Heck, they’ve only met twice. That’d be pretty fucking weird.

If anything, any kind of adoration and/or affection he felt was pure respect. A single mother, a very young one at that, raising a child too powerful to be normal. And by the way Ash is behaving, Riley could tell that she is, very much, a fantastic mother and a very good person herself.

If anything, Riley would say that he was curious. About her as a person. What’s her hobby? What’s her favourite food? What kind of books did she read in her free time?  Did she like to read books?

Who is she beside Ash’s mother?

He groaned and pressed the heel of his palm to his eyes. It’s late and he’s thinking nonsense, no thanks to Elizabeth’s stupid mouth spewing whatever. Ash muttered something in his sleep and Riley soothed his hair again to calm him down. He sighed.

His priority right now is getting Ash to Rota so he could train his aura better. It would be wonderful if he and his mother could live in some kind of secluded mountain, far far away… but they need to fit into society. Ash needs to fit into society. And to do that they need to make sure he was safe for everyone. He needs to hide it, hide his powers, hide everything he has, hide who he is. He couldn’t imagine how long it would take. Just bringing him to Rota is already a heavy task. Riley couldn’t remember the last time he was this exhausted, and he’s one of the most fit member of the Aura Guardians.

The kid got a long way ahead of him.

***

“Ash, kiddo, wake up. We’re almost there.”

Riley didn’t know if it was exhaustion or Ash was just a heavy sleeper, but he slept the rest of the way. The kid yawned and opened his blue eyes, blurred and dark and sleepy. Riley and Riolu are ready when the spike of aura happened again, calming him down as he realized where they are.

“I—now, what, ha?” The kid’s words slurred as he blinked himself awake, a sanity at a time. “Oh, morn’n, Riley.”

“Morning, Ash. We’re in a plane and it’s seven in the morning. We’ll arrive at Rota in around an hour. In the meantime, what breakfast do you want?”

Ash sat there with his half-baked thoughts while he processed the information Riley gave him. “M’kay wi’ anything...”

Delia told him that Ash sometimes freak out when in a new environment. Spelling out where he is, what time it is, and what was happening would help. Riley was incredibly relieved that it did, in fact, help a lot calming him down.

Elizabeth sat down with big smiles, handing out a toast for the kid, who happily inhaled the food. “Morning, kid. Big appetite, I see. Excited to finally see the kingdom?”

“Mmmhmm!” whatever response Ash had was muffled by the food in his cheek. Elizabeth laughed and messed up Ash's already messy hair.

“Glad to hear it! It’s very big, you know. A huge castle! You’re gonna love it.”

Riley peeked the two of them talking, excited voices above the other. 

Elizabeth, could always use the right mask, pull the right strings, act the right lines at the right place, right time, even in the face of children. 

He guessed she saw everyone as spectators, children or not. Mature or not. Spectators are all to be entertained, she said once. Even though she’s just a Riolu breeder for the kingdom.

Always a weird one, that woman.

***

Much to Riley’s relief, Ash is completely okay with the car riding and new environment. If anything, he’s extremely happy. The kid’s been restless, pointing at random pokemons, throwing ‘what’s that one called?’ and ‘I’ve never seen that one!’ here and there. Blue starry eyes glowing—normal glowing, not whatever creepy glow it had last time—at the new sight, Riolu just as intrigued. Elizabeth assisted, but her answers are widely misleading. Riley knew it was a joke. Elizabeth is a breeder. She knows her way around pokemon. 

“Don’t teach him to give misinformation,” Riley scolded and gave Ash his dex after Elizabeth told him a staraptor is a rayquaza.

“Aw, but it was for the fun in the game!”

“Don’t listen to her, Ash, lying is bad.”

Ash quipped his head. “Listen to what?”

Elizabeth chuckled and petted his hair. “Nothing. Oh, look, a Lugia!”

Ash gasped. “Where?!”

Riley smacked Elizabeth over her shoulder. She barked a laugh and playfully smacked him back. Ash was too busy trying to catch the pokemons’ information in his newfound dex.

The car passed a huge silhouette of a tree and Ash freezed. His head cracked to the window, staring off to the distance. Riolu yipped worriedly and tapped his friend’s hand.

“Ash?” Riley asked, noticing how the kid has been way too quiet. He put his hand on Ash’s shoulder, but the kid didn’t budge. “Ash, buddy, what’s wrong?”

He stared out of the window like a statue until the tree was gone from view. By the time he snapped to real life, Elizabeth was shaking him like a pack of candy.

“Ash! Ash, are you okay?”

Ash blinked a few time to regain his balance and flashed his big, radiant smile again. “Yup!”

Riley and Elizabeth sighed in relief (Riolu too, if that sound from a pokemon could be classified as one). “Kid, you are staring off out of the window like a haunter, you sure you’re okay?” Elizabeth pointed out.

Ash frowned. “I… I guess so. I am okay. Was I supposed to not be okay?”

Riley massaged his temple. When Ash settles in the castle and he’s finally free from this kid, Riley’s gonna need a drink. “No, no, okay is good. We’re just worried, is all. What did you have in mind earlier?”

His eyes light up. Arceus, this kid is so easy to satisfy. “The tree! You see that tree before? It’s glowing! Never seen that big, big light before! It’s calling me! No, not calling, um, the tree’s like me!”

That’s it. Riley decided he has enough of this kid spewing mythical shit all day. From now on he will nod and smile and pretend the kid didn’t just say that their legendary tree-shaped mountain has the same amount of aura as this kid. Or whatever ‘light’ is, according to Ash. 

On second thought, he may need to mention that to the castle librarian. Or the queen. Or…

Arceus, how did Delia deal with this child everyday, again?

For better or worse, though, Ash has jumped to another topic. He has now played shiritori with Riolu (which is as equally impressive as it is concerning, Riley really didn’t need another reminder on how unbelievably strong this kid actually is). 

Riley exchanged another look with Elizabeth before unanimously agreed to shove it back to bite them in the ass later.