Chapter 15: Kanto Homeland

Days after Kenta was announced to the world as the its newest champion and pokemon master, Ash was found in the backyard area training his pokemon again. Misty walked in with a tray of some refreshments for them.

Misty: Ash, take a break for now, here I made you some guava juice.

Ash turned towards Misty and smiled. He wiped the sweat off his brow and walked towards her. His pokemon all took a rest under some shade within the trees after a good work out.

Misty: So Ash, how’s training coming along?

Ash: Perfectly fine. Everyone is in shape and hardly any need for improvement.

Misty: That’s good to hear. I heard on the news that the new champion Kenta is coming here to Kanto.

Ash: For a celebration?

Misty: No for you.

Ash: Me?

Misty: He wants to find you so he can challenge the legendary vanishing champion and see how good he really is.

Ash sat down and rested his feet on the table.

Ash: I see. The guy’s got real determination, not only does he become champion but he wants to see what kind of a champion he is. Maybe you should start training too. If he’s coming here, he’ll probably try to win all the badges from the gym leaders.

Misty: What makes you think that?

Ash: I know I would.

*****

Kenta woke up from his cruise ship to Kanto, arriving at Vermilion City. The day before his mom wished him luck in his search for Ash. Whitney wished she could join him but Kenta’s pass was good for only one person. She’ll be waiting back in Goldenrod for him when he returns after finding Ash and challenges him.

Kenta gathered his things in his bag and stepped out of the cruise ship to the land of Kanto and to the city of Vermilion City. When Ash went on his journey he walked most of the way, so Kenta would do the same. He’d follow in the footsteps of the legendary pokemon trainer and try to do everything Ash did. This new journey through Kanto, he hopes that it would be a memorable one, now he has stepped on Ash’s ground and homeland. To begin the best place would be to battle the gym leaders and ask about Ash, then sooner or later he’ll get a clue to where Ash really is.

*****

After a lot of testing and hard work Gary graduated and gotten his license to become a gym leader. As many expected from him, he was located to the Viridian City Gym where he would give out the Earth Badge if they have earned it. This would be a difficult task and Gary hopes this will inspire for better trainers through out the land, to defeat a former pokemon champion to even go to the pokemon league.

Filled with high hopes Gary traveled around the land where he traveled in his journeys seeing how much things changed through the years. It was at Cinnabar Islands where he noticed how much the Volcano eruption has done to the land. Only the pokemon center now remains with a very frantic Nurse Joy working there. His pokemon, Pidgeott dropped him down so he may see, nothing but hard rocks and stone. Before he could leave a boy wearing a cap approached him.

Gary: Yes what can I do for you?

Kenta: I’m looking for Blaine the gym leader of Cinnabar Islands, am I even in the right place?

Gary: Yes you are. Cinnabar Islands was covered by lava when the volcano erupted. Blaine still has a gym around though, try Seafoam Islands, you may find him there.

Kenta: Thanks.

Gary: Wait, you’re not from around here are you?

Kenta: Sorry no. I’m from Johto.

Gary recognized Kenta. The new champion looked a lot smaller in person and a lot more warm than a hard determined trainer, then again Ash looked the same way and now look where he is.

Gary: Johto huh, coming all the way here. What’s your business here in Kanto, gonna try for the pokemon league here?

Kenta: No I’m on a search for Ash.

Gary: Ash huh. That must mean your Kenta. Nice to meet you champ.

Gary shook Kenta’s hand. If Kenta wanted to know where Ash was he’d have to earn it.

Kenta: Yes nice to meet you. So who might you be?

Gary: I’m the former champion a few years ago but now I am the gym leader of Viridian City.

Kenta: You’re a gym leader! Let me challenge you so I may earn a badge.

Gary: I don’t feel like battling right now and this isn’t the proper place to battle for a badge. We’ll meet again at the gym if you make it that far.

Gary called out his Pidgeott and flew away quickly before Kenta could ask him any more questions.

Kenta: Wait! What about . . . Ash. . . .

Gary took to the sky ignoring whatever Kenta was going to ask him. Onward to Viridian where he will wait for Kenta’s arrival, where he will test Kenta himself.

*****

Midori did well on at school but no gyms were available for her to apply at. For the meantime to keep her skills sharpen she decided to travel around to the land she knows well until something opens up. Nearing Celadon City she stopped by to stock up on supplies for her travels. In the mall she carried many things some of which she didn’t really need but got carried away with the shopping. Some of the stuff she bought were gifts to Gary on his fine promotion to Gym Leader of Viridian. Stumbling across the mall she lost her balance on some small steps and nearly hurt herself in a fall but a kind gentleman caught her.

Midori: Thank you. I nearly had a trip there.

Kenta: No problem. But maybe you can help me out, I’m on my way to the gym of this city but I can’t find it since this city is so big.

Midori: Oh you’re not from around here?

Kenta: Nope. My name is Kenta.

Midori recognized him. The current reigning champion is right in front of her but she didn’t panic, only got excited.

Midori: Kenta . . . hmm . . . oh um right where are my manners. My name is Midori.

Kenta: Hi, nice to meet you. So where do I go for the gym if you know where it is.

Midori gave Kenta some direction. She thought about what he could possibly doing, then she remembered a few months ago on the news that the champion was going to travel to Kanto to find the legendary vanishing champion. If that’s all he wants then maybe she could help, but it was a long time since she last saw Ash, maybe Ash disappeared again. There would be only two people that would know where Ash is, and that’d be Misty and Gary.

Midori: Listen, I know your looking for Ash. I’ll give you a tip, head to Cerulean City, which was where Ash stayed while he vanished from the scene. You may find him there.

Kenta felt that lady lucky had winked at him. After a few months of traveling through the land he found the break he needed to find Ash. Even now that he has a clue he still felt the need to battle against the gym leader, if he couldn’t atleast do that then what would Ash think.

Kenta: Thanks for the tip, I owe you.

Midori: Just say hi to Ash for me if you find him.

*****

A few months down the line, Kenta has nearly spent a year in Kanto traveling on foot over some mountains and through a forest, even through a tunnel full of digletts. Now approaching Cerulean City he estimated it’d be only a two more days to get there. Having nearly collected all the gym badges in the land of Kanto, Kenta only had a bit more to go to find this legend that had been told to him since he started this whole journey back in New Bark Town.

Prof. Oak gave him the pokedex because of the potential he saw in Kenta. Prof. Elm also commented about Kenta’s abilities. Gym leader after gym leader all were forced to accept that Kenta has great skill. A strange red suited businessman even told him that Kenta could possible be even better than the legendary vanishing champion. All through his journey Kenta had to live with the haunting though of him being someone who he knew nothing about, only gossip and facts. Kenta’s thoughts were why was everyone acknowledging him to be the next Ash? Did he make that much of an impact that everyone knows and also is Kenta make so much of an effect that they do call him the next Ash? Several more questions haunted Kenta but soon he’ll find the answer to all of them.

His rival, Hiro returned to Dragon’s Den to meditate and gain more strength that when the pokemon league started up again he would overthrow Kenta and he become the next champion. Kenta could also thank Hiro for the motivation that helped Kenta through his journey. It wasn’t as heated as of the tales he heard of Ash and Gary but it was defiantly a heated rival to have taken them as far as the pokemon league to resolve. Once Kenta finds Ash he will return in time for the next pokemon league and wait for Hiro.

Kenta located a small picnic area where he stopped to rest and eat a meal. Just two days away till Cerulean City and possible located Ash. Though what if that girl he met in Celadon gave him the wrong bit of information, it’d be alright since he needed a gym badge at Cerulean City anyway but something told him that the answer did lie in Cerulean City.

*****

Misty busily watered the flowers out in the yard, the ones that Ash planted before he left a few weeks ago. His promise to Misty was he’d return and those flowers would be used in a celebration. Ash left Cerulean City with his pokemon and his old pokemon gear to mediate one last time over his life and the want to quench his thirst for a type of challenge he longed for. Though he did not wish to go Misty approved of his departure. There was much left to be done and a lot of responsibilities yet to take care of, huge responsibilities that he just couldn’t leave but Misty knew better. Once Ash returned then things will be back the way they once were, even better. She’d be alright for awhile, as long as he returns feeling completed and at peace, Misty would feel a piece of herself at peace as well.

There was a knock at the front door. She stopped water the plants and headed to see who it was. Once she opened the door, there stood a teenage boy in his late teens, wearing a backwards cap and looking very travel worn.