Pokemon : An Unexpected Journey
Chapter no.148 Talks

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The Pokémon Center on Birth Island, Austin observed, was much larger than the ones he had seen in Kanto. Not only that, the entire compound was much, much larger and more lavish compared to those in Cerulean and Vermillion cities. 

'Maybe it was this place's thing, or maybe this particular center had a larger group to attend.' 

Either way, he slowly moved around in the wheelchair, following the directions of the Nurse who walked beside him.

"Can you tell me anything about what happened with SS. Anne? I mean, after that… fight?"

Nurse Joy looked solemn. "I am not sure, about one hundred and seventy people died in the struggle, and countless Pokémon were lost. There are divers hired to fish out Poké Balls from underneath the sea."

That reminded him.

"Nurse Joy… did I have a… a Poké Ball on me when I reached here?"

For some reason, Nurse Joy frowned. "Interesting that you mentioned it. The Poké Ball that was found on your person wasn't a registered one. If not for the fact that the former Champion vouched for you, I would have taken you as a Pokémon poacher."

Austin widened his eyes. "Nurse Joy, I swear I didn't—"

Joy raised a finger again. "Relax. The former Champion wouldn't just vouch for anyone like that. To answer your question, yes, there was a Poké Ball on your person when you arrived here. An unregistered one, which had an exotic Pokémon locked inside it from Hoenn." She paused. "I believe it was a Nincada, it was quite joyful if I say so myself."

The nurse looked Austin squarely in the eye. "Under his orders, I registered the Poké Ball and the contained Pokémon under your name."

"The Pokémon inside was injured, and so I took the opportunity to treat it before returning it to the ball. It will be handed over to you once you are deemed fit to leave the ward."

"And my Pokémon? What about them?"

"Your Pikachu and Pidgeot have undergone treatment and are completely fine now, though," her face scrunched, "they have been resisting returning to their Poké Balls. I swear I haven't seen a more stubborn pair."

Austin chuckled weakly before he turned past the end of the corridor into what seemed to be a… large garden of sorts, with several grass-types and bug-types all around, and in the center of the garden, floating in the air, was Pikachu. Beside him, perched on the ground, a rather odd sight for the bird, was Pidgeot.

The avian let out a wild screech at seeing Austin before she hopped towards him.

Pidgeot let out another screech of happiness and Pikachu happily ran toward his trainer.

"Pidgeot," Austin murmured, as the great avian brought her head closer to Austin so that he could touch her beak. 

'My God, her head alone traversed the length of his arm.' 

"I'm glad you are fine."

"She's something, isn't she?" Nurse Joy remarked softly. "You are an amazing trainer for having raised such beauty."

Austin sheepishly grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"What about my other Pokémon?" he asked, loudly.

"Your Bulbasaur and Squirtle had injuries before I treated them. The rest of your Pokémon seem healthy. They are now resting in the Poké Balls. I can bring them to you, though—" she paused for a moment, "I will need your word that the garden and the Pokémon living here will not be disturbed."

Austin chuckled. "You have my word."

The Nurse smiled. "I will send Chansey with your Poké Balls. I need to make that call to Mr. Stone first. Can I expect you to be here by yourself without any trouble?"

Austin bobbed his head carefully. 'Don't worry.'

"Mr. Ketchum, I was informed to tell you that Professor Oak wanted to have a word with you as soon as possible."

"Thank you for telling me."

"I am just doing my job, Mr. Ketchum."

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Austin's fingers trembled slightly as he entered the familiar digits into the keypad of the PokéGear. It had been too long since he had last spoken with them, and the weight of everything that had happened pressed down on him with the urgency of the call.

Ring.

Ring.

The screen lit up, and after a brief pause that seemed to stretch out interminably, Delia Ketchum’s face appeared. Her eyes, usually so warm and welcoming, now mirrored the strain of worry. Beside her, the steady presence of Professor Samuel Oak, his calm demeanor a balm to Austin's frayed nerves.

"Austin, honey, are you alright?" Delia's voice cracked slightly with pent-up anxiety. The sight of her son, bandaged and looking so fragile in a wheelchair, had her heart twisting in her chest.

Austin cleared his throat, pushing down the lump that formed. "Yeah, Mom, I’m okay," he reassured, offering a weak smile. "There’s a lot to tell you."

For the next hour, Austin wove the tale of the extraordinary events that had unfolded. He described the psychic's terrifying draconic bomb and how the ship was nearly lost to the chaos. He painted the scene of their unexpected salvation when a King Dragonite intervened, tipping the balance of the battle and forcing the psychic to flee. Each word was measured, his mind careful to skip over the details of how he had summoned the Dragonite.

Delia listened, her hand pressed to her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes as the story unfolded. The danger her son had faced shook her deeply, renewing her fears.

Professor Oak's face darkened with concern as he absorbed the details. 

"Ash," he finally spoke, "I believe it would be best for you to come home for a while. For your safety and your mother’s peace of mind."

Austin had anticipated this. 

"I appreciate that, Professor, and I plan to. But not just yet. I’m not strong enough to travel, not with these injuries."

Delia's expression faltered, her voice barely a whisper. "Then I’m coming there. You shouldn’t be alone, not now."

"M...Mom?" Austin’s voice held a hesitant note. This was more resistance than he had hoped to muster. "I’ll be fine. Nurse Joy said I’ll be up and about in a few days. And there are things I need to do here—meet with the Deputy Champion and the Sinnoh Champion. They helped me when I needed it most."

"But what about the others, the friends you fought with? What happened to them?"

Austin’s resolve hardened. "That’s why I can’t leave yet, Mom. I need answers. We stood together on that ship, and I owe it to them to find out how they are. And," he added, seeing the objection forming on his mother's lips, "having you here won’t change what needs to be done. It’ll only put you at risk too."

Professor Oak's gaze sharpened. "And what will you do, Ash? How will you manage?"

Austin chuckled softly, a sound more weary than amused. "'Am I that predictable?' I guess some things haven’t changed, Professor. Don’t worry, I have a plan."

The old professor nodded slowly, the lines around his eyes deepening. "Just remember, Austin, every action has its consequences. And Bill Montgomery already called me about a certain... draconic event. It seems you have more explaining to do."

Austin’s smile waned. "I suppose we can save that conversation for another day?"

Professor Oak’s stare was unyielding. "I’ll hold you to that, young man."

"Fair enough." Austin’s gaze drifted off-screen for a moment before returning. "For now, I’ll focus on healing and gathering information. I promise, I’ll head home soon."

Delia, though visibly distraught, nodded slowly, taking solace in her son’s words. "Just... just take care of yourself, Austin. That’s all I ask."

"I will, Mom. Talk to you both soon."

The screen went blank, leaving Austin to his thoughts as he gazed out at the garden, where his Pokémon awaited his recovery.