Ash had been feeling the same aura and catching site of someone, though he could never get a good look at whoever it was, following him for a while now. He’d think he’d lose them and then they’d be there again sometime later in a new place. It happened to often to be a coincidence, and the aura was… vaguely familiar but he couldn’t place it. And that could mean it could be anyone he’s had just a bit of contact with. And because of this fact he was having a very hard time not getting extra paranoid and anxious. Did Rocket finally find him again? Was it a scout trying to lock him down? Were they waiting for an opportune moment to try and kill him thinking he hadn’t noticed?
He looked at Pikachu who was perched on his shoulder, in the vague hope for his sanity that maybe his companion saw and recognized whoever it is. But Pikachu also seemed worried and puzzled before looking at Ash and shaking his little head. “I can’t get a good look at them either…” Pikachu quickly told Ash, easily picking up on Ash’s worry and hope. Ash clenched his jaw a little at that, giving the slightest of nods in return. So Pikachu couldn’t tell who it was either, and he already knew from previous occasions that Lucario couldn’t catch a good look or quite place their aura either, which meant that it was time to treat this as a threat.
Looking at his buddy again he quickly used his aura in a way he rarely did, after all he could usually just make a one-way connection and speak out loud to communicate back. “Alright, buddy, we’re going to treat this as a Rocket level threat then. I need you to go on ahead, head out of town and wait for me. I’m going to lure whoever this is out so we can confront them.” Ash told his long time companion over a telepathic aura connection. Pikachu quickly nodded before suddenly leaping off of Ash’s shoulder and scurrying off. He knew Ash could handle himself until Pikachu could protect him again. And that his trainer still had the rest of his team on him if something went wrong before he could make it back to Pikachu.
With that Ash quickly turned to go down an alley to make sure that the person was still following, and to make sure that the path he and Pikachu took was different.
This was a long time coming.
Ever since Sam told him about Ash’s kidnapping he’d assumed he was dead. To be fair, he’d never been told to assume otherwise. After the news broke it felt like Ash, at least the Ash he knew, dropped off the face of the earth. Everyone moved on. Delia adopted a boy named Trace. He went back to school. Sam continued his research. For a while he wondered if Ash had been a character he dreamt up.
It was through Trace the news was broken to him. Ash was alive. Somewhere out there, scouring the globe for his next new adventure. On one hand, he was elated. To know his friend was still out there somewhere, chugging along just like he always did. It warmed him up inside. On the other hand, he was furious. Why did no one think to tell him? Was everyone content letting him believe his childhood friend was dead and gone (like far too many other people in his life)?
He managed to convince Trace to give him a location, a region, any sort of a clue. He had to see this for himself. Faster than you could throw a pokeball, he was gone. On the next flight to Kalos.
He’d been here nearly a week without seeing hide nor hair of Ash or his pokemon. Finally he managed to get a lead. A person with black hair and a Pikachu on his shoulder had been last seen cruising around Dendemille Town.
This was a long time coming.
“Man, he walks a lot.” He’d been tailing the person he presumed was Ash for a while now. He was starting to feel a little ridiculous, but honestly how do you go about reuniting with someone you haven’t seen in over a decade? ‘Hey pal! How’ve you been? I heard you got kidnapped and I thought you were dead but it’s good to see you’re still kickin!’ No, that wasn’t gonna fly.
He noticed Pikachu hop down and go his own way. Perhaps off to get something, who knows. What mattered was that Ash was taking a back alley. Somewhere out of the public eye. Just what he wanted. He swiftly ducked into the Alley, voice low and slow.
