Pokemon: Radical Redux

{In Pallet Town}

Oak's Alakazam teleported everyone back to Pallet Town, and they went into the Pallet house to have something proper to eat.

As Delia was working, she let Nidoqueen out again and asked for her forgiveness once more. She didn't want to just put her back on the shelf. She had done that before and felt bad, especially since Nidoqueen wasn't mad at her.

After Nidoqueen and Delia hugged to make up, Nidoqueen put on an apron and started helping next to Mimey. It wasn't battling, but Nidoqueen was just happy to be with Delia again.

Meanwhile, Ash was taking care of Molly, letting her sit on his lap as he talked to Oak and Schuyler, showing them the Unown and explaining the situation.

"Interesting…" Oak mumbled as he inspected the Unown. "So, Spencer is gone, and these Unown are the ones that did it. If we want to get him back, we need to gather all the Unown responsible. And Entei told you all of this?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, he told me a total of nine Unown were responsible. They made him 'disappear,' and this one is only one of them."

Molly looked down, still holding Bellossom. "Onii-chan, do you really think I can see my papa again?"

Ash ruffled her hair. "Come on, I made you a promise, didn't I? Big brothers don't break promises. I told you, we're going to get your papa back. I don't know how long it will take, but no matter what, I'll bring him back for you."

Molly's eyes lit up. "Yay! You're the best big brother!"

Oak thought for a moment. "Hey Ash, do you mind if I have that Unown? I believe I might be able to make something to track them down if I can copy their psychic signals."

Ash shrugged. "Sure, it's not like I was planning on using it for battling. If you can help, that's even better," he said as he handed the Pokéball to Oak.

"Thank you, my boy. This will help a lot. And Molly, I promise you I will also work tirelessly to find your father. He was one of my best students. We'll find him together."

"Yay! Thank you, ojiichan!" Molly said innocently.

Oak chuckled, and Ash smirked. "Well, would you look at that? Looks like Molly adopted you as a grandpa. I guess Gary is going to get less attention now~"

"Yes, I suppose so," Oak said with a smile as he ruffled Molly's head. "Yeah, you can call me Grandpa if you'd like." To him, this was a breath of fresh air. Daisy didn't call him Grandpa anymore, and Gary only called him Gramps. It was nice to hear it again.

"Enough about that. Who's hungry~" Delia called out as she walked from the kitchen, with Nidoqueen and Mimey carrying plates of food. "Dig in, especially you, Ash. You deserve this after everything."

"Thanks, Mom," Ash said, looking at her. "And by the way, I know I don't say this much, but I love you, Mom."

Delia smiled and hugged Ash. "I love you, too."

Molly, still sitting on Ash's lap, was smothered between them but happily accepted the affection. "And I love both of you!"

"Heh, that's nice, makes me miss my family," Brock said as he sat at a side table.

"Why don't you go visit them?" Lisa asked since she had also come along. "You said you were from Pewter, right? And if they have teleporting Pokémon, why don't you?"

"That's... I don't want to talk about it. It's complicated…" Brock looked away, still troubled by the whole situation with his mom coming back.

"What about you, Misty? Do you miss your family?" Yellow asked.

Misty, still holding an ice pack to her face, shrugged. "I guess... I mean, I didn't really have that great of a relationship with them. But we made up. My parents... well, they left again to go on another trip. I think they went to Alola or something, so that's a no-go."

Misty and Brock exchanged glances, realizing that Ash and Yellow, the ones with missing parents, actually had the healthiest home lives. Brock's parents had more or less abandoned him, and Misty had been somewhat neglected.

They sighed and drowned their sorrows in the food. They didn't want to dwell on how messed up their family situations were. Meanwhile, Lisa, probably the only one there with a normal family life, didn't even mention it.

—-

{A few hours later}

Ash was sleeping on the couch, and Molly was snuggled on top of him, using Ash's ripped hoodie as a blanket.

After everyone ate, Delia offered to let them stay. Oak, however, had to return to the lab, and Schuyler went with him. The servants and Lisa took Oak's Alakazam back to Johto after saying their goodbyes.

Now, only Delia, Ash, Molly, Misty, Brock, and Yellow remained at Ash's house. Exhausted, Ash had immediately lay down on the couch and fell asleep. He had drained most of his Aura reserves and needed the rest.

Molly, seeing Ash lying there, had climbed up and snuggled on top of him. It was a purely platonic sibling nap, Ash needed the nap, and Molly, still a child, simply sought warmth and security. Pikachu and Bellossom had also fallen asleep on Ash's chest, completing the cozy pile.

Delia sat at the dining room table, smiling as she sipped her coffee. Across from her sat Misty, Brock, and Yellow.

"Well, would you three like to stay the night? We have extra rooms, so it's no trouble. Besides, you helped when you tried to rescue me~" Delia said warmly.

"Would that be okay?" Brock asked. "We wouldn't want to impose."

"It's no problem at all. Now, come on, the extra rooms are upstairs." Delia got up and led them through the house.

As she glanced back at the sleeping pile on the couch, her heart softened. After showing them their rooms, she returned to Ash and Molly. Her eyes fell on Ash's torn hoodie, and she frowned. Molly clung tightly to it since Ash had given it to her, so Delia didn't try to take it away.

With a helpless smile, she covered them with a blanket and gently rubbed Ash's head. He would need a new jacket soon, this one was ruined, but she was ready.

Delia went to a closet, pulled out a small box, and placed it on the coffee table. Inside was a jacket she had chosen just for him. With a final kiss on Ash's head, she turned off the lights and let them rest.

—-

{The Next Morning}

When Ash woke up, he found Molly, Pikachu, and Bellossom still sleeping on him. He carefully moved them aside and tucked them back onto the couch to continue their nap.

Rubbing his eyes, he noticed a box on the coffee table. Curious, he picked it up. His eyebrows raised as he opened it, but a smile soon spread across his face. Taking the box, he headed to the bathroom for a morning shower and a change of clothes.

A few minutes later, the others stirred and got ready for the day.

In the kitchen, Delia was already cooking. She smiled as they came in. "Good morning! Did you all sleep well?"

Misty stretched her arms above her head. "Yep! Man, a nice bed feels so good."

Delia chuckled. "I'm glad to hear it. I hope you're all hungry, breakfast will be ready soon."

"Oh, let me help with that!" Brock offered, hurrying over to assist.

Meanwhile, Yellow rubbed her eyes and glanced at the couch, where Molly, Pikachu, and Bellossom were still asleep. But one figure was missing. "Hey, where's Ash?"

"Hm? Oh, he's in the shower," Delia replied with a knowing smile. "He's also changing~" She added that last part with a touch of pride.

Before they could ask what she meant, the bathroom door opened.

Ash stepped out in a fresh outfit. His new shirt was black, now with a high collar and a Pokéball design on either side. His jacket, black with red accents running down the sleeves, had a matching red hood. Around his neck hung a dog tag, and metal bracelets adorned both wrists and he still had his black gloves with the gold ring over them.

Ash walked out of the bathroom with a towel draped around his neck, drying his hair. He looked at everyone gathered in the living room. "Hey, guys."

They stared at him for a moment before Delia clapped her hands together, beaming. "I knew it would look good on you! I picked it out just for you."

"Yeah, thanks," Ash said as he tossed the towel into the laundry bin. He glanced at his old, tattered jacket, which Molly was now cuddling in. "I guess I'll miss that one, but it was pretty wrecked. What can you do?"

As Ash's messy, longer hair fell into place, Delia's eyes lit up with another thought. "Oh, that reminds me." She went to a nearby closet, retrieved a red-and-black cap, and handed it to Ash. "Here you go, you need this to complete the outfit."

Ash grinned, sliding the cap onto his head and flicking the brim. "How does it look?"

"Great, as always," Delia replied proudly.

Misty crossed her arms, a playful pout on her face. "Jeez, just when the rest of us get new looks, you show up with another one—and how come you always pull it off?"

Brock chuckled, cutting in. "I think what Misty's trying to say is, 'I like the new jacket.' It really suits you, especially with your eyes the way they are now."

Ash blinked, his smile faltering slightly. "Yeah... I guess they're stuck like this." His crimson eyes flickered with a mix of emotion. "A part of me kinda wanted my old eyes back, but oh well."

Yellow tilted her head, curious. "Um... so, does it, like... give you some kind of power? I mean, other than Aura?"

Ash shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "I dunno. They don't feel different. I'm still low on Aura, so I tried seeing if anything cool would happen, but... nope. Just a color change."

"Really?" Misty sighed in disappointment. "That's kinda boring. I was expecting something awesome."

Ash smirked, dripping sarcasm into his voice. "Oh, sorry. I guess being able to shoot Hadoukens and breaking crystal with my bare hands isn't cool enough for you. If only I could, I dunno, see emotions. Oh, wait—I can."

Misty sighed, "Okay, fine... Aura's already pretty awesome," she admitted grudgingly. "I can't help it if I'm a little jealous you get superpowers."

"Yaaawn... What superpower?"

Molly's sleepy voice piped up from behind them. She rubbed her eyes with one hand while cradling Bellossom in the other. Pikachu, still yawning, trailed behind her and hopped onto a chair by the table.

Ash smiled, holding out his hand to Molly. "Well, Molly, your big brother kind of has a superpower."

Her eyes widened with wonder as she padded closer. "Really?"

"Yeah. Hold out your hand."

Molly, trusting him completely, stretched out her small hand. Ash placed his palm under hers and let a soft glow of blue Aura flow between them. A tiny, shimmering orb formed above her hand, slowly expanding as he fed it more energy.

"Wow!" Molly gasped, her eyes sparkling with amazement. "And you're doing this, Big Brother!"

"Yep," Ash said with a grin as he absorbed the orb back into himself. "Isn't your big brother the coolest?"

"Uh-huh!" Molly giggled.

Ash glanced down at Bellossom, who was nestled closely against Molly. He chuckled, leaning in. "Hey, I see Bellossom really likes you."

Molly looked down, hugging Bellossom tighter. "Yeah, and I like Bellossom too. Lots and lots!"

"You know," Ash teased, grinning, "Bellossom is my Pokémon."

Molly's face fell. "Oh... you're right. That means soon, you and Bellossom will have to leave."

"Lossom…" Bellossom murmured softly, trying to comfort her.

Ash's smile softened. "Well, it looks like Bellossom likes you more. I was never going to use her for battling anyway. So how about this, if you promise to be best friends, I'll let you keep Bellossom."

Molly's eyes widened with joy. "Really?!" She threw her arms around Bellossom, who perked up excitedly. "I promise! I'll be the bestest friend Bellossom ever had! Thank you, Onii-chan!"

Ash chuckled, patting her head. Behind them, Delia watched the touching scene with a warm smile. Clapping her hands, she announced, "Alright, enough of that. Time to sit down and eat breakfast."

"Yeah," Misty agreed, narrowing her eyes as she pointed at Ash, "And while we're eating, I think you have a few things to explain. Like that ring on your finger, or how you evolved Bellossom without a Sun Stone."

"Or," Brock added, raising a brow, "Where you got an Aerodactyl egg."

The two turned to Yellow expectantly. She blushed, fidgeting with her hands. "Umm... I can't think of a question…"

Ash sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, fine. Let's talk. I guess it won't kill me to explain a few things."

—

{Ashtwo}

Ash sat silently near the front of a bus, hands behind his head, as the vehicle rumbled down a quiet road. Meowth dozed on his lap, her tail twitching with each bump in the road.

Next to him sat Proton, one of Team Rocket's highest-ranking members. The two had been discussing mission details, though Proton now watched the passing scenery in silence.

At the back of the bus, a new quartet, Jay, Enid, Helena, and Domino, huddled together. Their eyes kept drifting toward Ash.

"Yep, no doubt about it," Domino muttered, crossing her arms. "He's still mad at you."

"Yeah, I think we figured that out the first time," Jay said dryly.

Enid groaned, resting her face in her hand. "Ugh... Why are some side characters so... difficult?"

"I still don't understand why you talk like that," Helena mumbled, her eyes drifting lazily to the side.

"I'm more interested in what Mr. Proton's telling him." Domino sighed wistfully, a dreamy expression overtaking her face. "Ahh... I wish Mr. Proton would talk to me like that…"

Helena gave her a deadpan stare. "Oh, yeah... I keep forgetting you're like that too." She sighed, shaking her head. "I swear, am I the only normal girl here?"

Jay chuckled. "Says the Hex Maniac." He raised a brow. "But, honestly, considering our options... yeah, you probably are the most normal one."

Domino remained lost in her daydreams, while Enid shot Jay a sidelong glare. "I am not dignifying that with a response."

Just then, Proton stood, walking to the front to speak with the driver, leaving Ash sitting alone.

Enid smirked as if she'd thought of the perfect plan. "I know exactly how to fix this. I'll send him a message right now."

Jay rolled his eyes. "How about just apologizing? D's a nice guy. I'm pretty sure he'll forgive you if you do."

"Never!" Enid declared with dramatic flair. "Besides, my plan is far superior." She leaned forward, whispering something into the ear of the grunt sitting in front of her. "Pass it along," she instructed.

The grunt shrugged, leaning forward to relay the message to the next, and then another, and another.

Helena gave Enid a skeptical look. "Okay, but what did you actually tell them?"

Enid tossed her hair confidently. "I simply said, 'If he stops with his shenanigans, I'll graciously bestow upon him the honor of being my friend.'"

Just then, the grunt seated behind Ash leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

Domino let out a snort. "That's... going to backfire so badly."

"There is no way this can go wrong," Enid insisted, her eyes shining with confidence.

Helena pointed at Ash, who had gone completely still, his fists clenching slightly as a dark glare flickered in his red eyes. His jaw tightened as he looked away from Enid.

She blinked, her mouth falling open in disbelief. "What? But… That was perfect! Why's he acting like that?"

Jay shook his head, half amused. "Ever played telephone? The more people a message passes through, the more it gets mangled. Who knows what he actually heard?"

"That's ridiculous," Enid huffed. She pulled her bag onto her lap, revealing her Natu perched quietly inside. She gestured toward the grunt behind Ash. "Natu, read his mind and tell us what he said to D, okay?"

Natu's eyes glowed faintly as he focused. A moment later, his voice connected telepathically with the group.

{My lady, the message he received was, 'Here's a message from Enid: Stop your pointless shenanigans. We were never friends, and I'll never let you have the honor of being my friend.'}

Enid's face turned ghostly pale.

Domino covered her mouth, barely containing a laugh. "Oh wow… you really are your own worst enemy."

Jay sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just say you're sorry. It's not that hard. You're not going to die from apologizing."

Enid opened her mouth to argue, but before she could say anything, Proton returned to the front of the bus and addressed the team.

"Everyone, we're approaching our destination," he said firmly. "Remember, our primary goal is to investigate the abandoned base. Anything else comes second. Be prepared and get your equipment ready."

The bus rumbled to a stop, and the atmosphere grew tense as the group readied themselves for whatever lay ahead.