Disclaimer: If I owned pokemon, the canon pairing would be championshipping and AAMRN would be a rival ship or an abuse or nonexistent ship!

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks!

Chapter 5

 

            It wasn’t until later that he registered his father was missing. However, he didn’t quite worry about it. After all, his Father was missing, no, not anymore but… hadn’t been in his life for years, so why now?

            Besides, this school seemed interesting.

            Ash found that somehow, all his clothes from home had been transported here, along with several of his poke dolls and toys, but certainly not everything. Oh well… he showered, changed into his white robe and red-brown sash over jeans and a Pikachu t-shirt, and then found that dinner had been brought to their room.

            “We don’t get to eat in the cafeteria until we reach Level five.” Mike explained. “Level 10 means you’re a Master. Right now, since you just started, you’re a level zero I’m a level two myself.”

            “How do you determine levels?”

            “Number of pokemon bonded and strength of those bonds.” Mike replied promptly. “I’ve got a Pikachu, but we’re pretty close – I can copy most of his attacks, so I’m a level two. I’ll need another pokemon to get to level three though.”

            “Cool.” Ash had a Pidgeot at least, that would help with flying, but if he was part fire… where was he to get another fire pokemon?

            “How do you get pokemon here, Mike?”

            Mike whistled. “Have you been living under a rock? The teachers will assign you one to start with. If you can somehow capture more wild pokemon, that will help you. Then you can trade for the ones you want. Or, if you do well, you get rewarded with another pokemon…”

            Hmm, easy enough… and Pidgeot was level fifty, around that, so surely she could defeat some of the wild pokemon…

            “Thanks, Mike.”

            “No problem. You’re slow, aren’t you? No wonder you didn’t start school until now.”

            Ash reminded himself that Mike was being helpful and he didn’t know about the circumstances, and that he was only six and therefore an idiot.

           

            The next day, classes started. He learned how to become one with his pokemon – apparently it was done through a shared transfer of blood, and how to do basic attacks. He picked up Gust and Tackle quite easily, but after that, it was a long road to learn quick attack and then a longer one for Whirlwind… and Wing attack was hell…

            He learned how to speak pokemon languages – they had different tutors for different species. The Pidgey chain’s language was the easiest to learn, since he had had Pidgeot for years, raised her up from a Pidgey…

            However, the fire pokemon languages were different, and even Spearow was different from Pidgey by quite a tone and jump.

            Still, he persevered, and within a month he was up to Level two and they gave him a fire-type…

            It was so cute!

 

            Pidgeot liked it – apparently it looked like a little chick, so he assumed it was a fire/flying type, or would be. It knew peck at any rate, and Pidgeot actually managed to teach it Wing Attack, despite its stubby, short wings…

            Two more months flew by before he was promoted to level three, and that was when his father called him again.

 

            “Father.” Ash said respectfully. His black hair was neatly held back in a ponytail with white thread, and he was dressed in the white robe of a student, the fiery red and light brown accented sash stating his pokemon types. Pidgeot and Torchic followed.

            “Hello, Ash. How have you been?”

            “Fine.” The noncommittal answer was given.

            “I’m sorry that I haven’t been to see you, but I’ve been in Meeting.”

            “The entire time?” Ash’s eyebrows went up when Jacques nodded. “Oh well. I guess you had to give them a lot of information.”

            “They are considering implementing the badge system here.”

            “It would give the higher-ranked students something to do at least.” Ash shrugged. Jacques frowned.

            “I thought you would be happier here, Ash.”

            “I am. It’s nice, the classes are interesting, and I expect in a few years I’ll be a Master.”

            “You sound so depressed though.”

            “How would you know, Father? You’ve never been around here.”

            “I…”

            “You’ve left me alone for so long, I’m used to it. I have my pokemon to take care of me after all.”

            Jacques sighed. “I was hoping you could move in with me now.”

            “You have a house somewhere?”

            “Close enough. I have a suite of rooms given as a reward for my job, and enough Zen to support us for several years.”

            Zen was the money they used, similar to Yen… Ash remembered. Pokemon were usually around three thousand Zen each, and the cost increased for more expensive ones.

            “Is something wrong?”

            “I’ll… well, I guess it would be nice having my own room. Mike snores and he hogs the shower.” Ash finally said. “And we could give family a try, I guess.”

            “Thank you Ash. You won’t regret it!”

            Ash did not reply as he nodded back with a polite bow. “I must be off now, or I shall be late for Flareon language. I will see you later tonight, father. Should I move my belongings?”

            “Oh no, the System – the planet itself can sense and correct these things. Your stuff will be moved.”

            ‘See you later then.”

            “See you later, Ash.”

 

            Something was wrong, but what?

            Jacques sighed. He wasn’t cut out to be a father. He couldn’t deal with children. That had been Delia’s forte. If only she were still here…

            A car accident! Why had she died? And not even a glorious death, but a stupid drunk who ran a red light…

            He was unhappy.

            Ash seemed so distant as well, as if he didn’t exist. Impossible! He was half-Wanderer after all; the System could not just erase him, could it?

            Something was wrong though…

 

            “Hello, Ashura.”

            “Hi Lance.” Ash smiled at the face in the stone. He talked to Lance every other day, usually about classes and how he was adapting to the wanderer’s lifestyle. He found it nice and quiet and he liked it.

            “What happened? You seem preoccupied.”

            “I met my father again.”

            “Did you? How was he? Was he rude to you, then?”

            “No, but I was kind of surprised that I… I kind of resented him, for never being there, as my father. Does that make sense?”

            “I believe so, Ashura.”

            “I wish… sometimes I wish I’d have never known him.”

            “But you would not be here if not for him.” Lance reminded Ash, who sighed.

            “Thank you, I needed that…”

            “Well, you had best be off to class now.”

            “Ah! I’m late! Thanks for reminding me!” Ash slid into his seat just as Master Blaine began to lecture, and quickly began taking grammar notes…

           

End Chapter

Completed 5/31/05

Lance: Exactly what role do I play in Ash’s life?

Phantomness: Confidante, I suppose. I can’t think of anything else yet.

Ash: What is my father’s job now?

Phantomness: Eh, I’ll think of something, I promise!