Part 04 - Ash Ketchum vs Climate Change

Instead of answering, Bianca pulled something out from behind her and handed it to Ash.

Ash unrolled it and stared at the document.

'It's... Earth.' Ash said. It looked like a photograph taken from space. 'What is this, your advertising? Propaganda? What am I supposed to do with this?'

Bianca pointed into a random direction and Ash wondered if he was losing his mind. Was she telling him to leave and go back to the Earth, to the ground?

'Thank you for the gift,' he brought himself to say.

Pikachu suddenly leapt into his arms and pointed at the paper. 'Pika!'

'You're right, Pikachu... This isn't the end, is it? There is more than just the two of us. There are other people out there in the world who want the same things as us. We should try to think of people who can help us...'

'Like Misty...'

'If she wanted to listen to me...'

'And Brock. I'm sure if you saw what I saw in that garden you would want to protect it too.'

'I didn't really give them a chance to listen to me. I went into the portal before I could check if they were even able to follow.'

'I'm sure Misty will argue with me when I get back... But still...'

'Maybe we'd be able to work it out. Right, Pikachu?'

'In reality, my friends - if my friends are real friends, they'll listen to what I have to say.'

'We'll continue to have adventures together, and try to focus on what really matters. Keeping the Pokemon world safe for everyone.'

'I don't want the world to become a wasteland and human civilisation lost in the eyes of legendary Pokemon because we weren't good enough or smart enough to fight for what matters.'

'The world is more wonderful than anything we ever imagined it could be.'

'Misty and Brock... they're probably worried about me and Pikachu.' Ash looked up from the paper, still not sure if he interpreted it the right way. Bianca was smiling anyway, so maybe he did something right. 'I should get back. My friends are probably worried about me.'

As he finished, Bianca leaned in and kissed his cheek. A feeling of deja vu washed over him but he tried not to let it trouble him. What did trouble him was the thought that Lawrie was watching all of this.

Ash raised his voice. 'There. I listened to your rant and you listened to mine, so maybe you can do us both a favor and help me and Pikachu go home!'

'Bianca will show you the way out,' Lawrie said calmly through the speakers. 'I think she's taken a liking to you.'

Before he knew it, Bianca had taken his hand and was dragging him out of the room full of electronics and back into the garden.

He peered around at it for one final time, awash with a feeling of mourning and regret. Why didn't the world outside look like this anymore? Why were places like this so rare?

'Is this what heartbreak feels like?'

'How did Lawrie build a whole town in this place, anyway?'

But before he could look around further, a whirlpool grew out of the canal and edged toward him.

As he was sucked in, a glow engulfed him and he sensed his body being stretched beyond human capacity.

It spun him around and wrung out his molecules like a wet rag.

When he came to, Misty was dragging him out of the water.

Misty coughed and spluttered. 'What did you think you were doing, Ash! Do you want us both to drown?'

'Seriously, Ash,' Brock went on. 'I even went to get Nurse Joy. Mind telling us what happened in there?'

Ash stared around, distracted by the view before him. They were far away from the mountains with the crystals.

By the shore, a beautiful sunset drifted silently toward the horizon. Ash was struck by the tranquility of it all. No crystals in sight.

'I think Pikachu might be able to explain it better than me, right?' Ash laughed as Pikachu shared a small smile. Just how were they supposed to explain what happened? They tried their best, Pikachu adding input when Ash got stuck.

As they finished the story, they were on their way back to Pallet Town.

The sky was darkening but Ash felt like a weight had lifted from his chest, even if for a moment. He knew it would return.

'Well, his brain doesn't look damaged,' Brock said, as if entirely expecting it to be true.

'Yeah, Ash is all right,' Misty said. 'I believe your story. Even about that girl, Bianca. I'm sure she's thinking of you, Ash. You're probably the only visitor she had in a long time.'

'Maybe... But I don't think she's too far away...' Ash started, staring at the sky.

At Cinnabar island, bolts of lightning were coming from the sky. There was only one possibility. Lawrie's machine, creating some new experimental conditions. It made him uneasy, even though he knew Lawrie had good intentions. There was something bigger going on, something he needed to learn more about.

'Let's go for a walk,' Ash said. 'Maybe we'll find something good out there.'