Chapter no.215 Severing Connections

[ POV Change ]
Route 8 is a unique route traveling along east to west from Lavender Town to Saffron City.
As the night sky engulfed the land, Austin finds himself laying uncomfortably on the hard bed of the inn he was staying at.
" Pika, Pi." Pikachu complained about not having any ketchup to eat with his ice cream.
Austin ignored his partners weird taste choices before he switched on the Xtransceiver to make a call to Bill Montgomery. He held on for a minute of indecisiveness over as he knew he had to do this before he moves onto the main plan of destroying team rocket.
Activating the call function, he selected Bill's contact number, and after three rings, a flash of light appeared on the screen as Bill's- wait-
"What the hell are you wearing?!" Austin screamed, getting up from the bed, as he yelled into the Xtransceiver.
On the screen was Bill wearing a giant Eevee costume.
" What's wrong ?"
" ..... "
" Well."
" Do I have to say it out loud ?"
" I don't see anything wrong."
" Bill, is this some kind of kink fetish ?"
" How do you know about a kink at your age ?"
Austin wanted to say the internet but kept his mouth closed as he thought about it before replying.
" Ok, Ok, I am not going to judge your closed closet kink rituals."
" They are n..."
" ... "
" They are not."
" .... "
" Can you stop looking at me as if I committed a war crime ?"
Bill replied as he began how he was checking if pheromones from a mother would induce a response from the children when that pheromone comes something that visually isn't an Eevee.
" This is totally a kink."
" ( ~ Sigh ~ ) So what did you call me for ?"
" Is your offer still open ?"
Bill almost jumped at Austin's words before replying," Of course it is."
" Bill, can I ask what obligations I have to do when you become my sponsor ?"
" Well it's simple really, I will either have you catch some pokemon for my research or have you conduct on-field research on my behalf. Austin, I have a proposal for you if you are interested."
Austin looked interested as Bill continued," I was watching your match and I can see that you use combo moves in your matches."
" Yeah, what about them ?"
" I have a friend who is interested in buying those moves and converting them into TMs."
" Really." Austin asked in disbelief before he remembered the brief summary Bill gave him about TMs.
" Is the production of TMs harmful to the pokemon ?"
" No, you have my word as a scientist that the entire procedure is regulated under the supervision of a team of scientists, engineers and doctors."
Austin thought about it for a bit before answering.
" So ....
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[ Vermilion City - Pokemon center ]
" Dody, using Quick attack to dodge."
Dody dodged passed Nidorino's poison sting.
" Screech into gust."
Yellow commanded with a smile on her face as Dody's attack resulted in the opponent's Nidorino fainting.
" Nidorino has fainted hence Yellow wins this battle."
Misty as the judge said as the joey returned Nidorino.
" Ha, if you had faced against my top one percent Rattata then it would have been my win."
Misty snorted at Joey's attempts to brush off the lose as Yellow had almost fallen asleep.
A little embarrassed Joey scoffed before leaving.
Misty smiled as she went upto yellow who had woken up with Dody pecking her.
" Misty, did you ask professor oak if Ash is alright?"
Yellow's question caused Misty to sweatdrop as she remembered how professor oak had begged her to stop yellow from asking him on Ash's condition every hour.
Misty lightly chuckled as she patted Yellow's head.
" Misty Waterflower, Brock and please come to the front office, a call has come from an Ash Ketchum for you."
Misty turned to Yellow only to find nothing but thin air.
" Come on, misty hurry up."
Yellow yelled out.
( ~ Thud ~ )
Misty opened her mouth before closing it as she slowly followed after yellow who kept running while rubbing her head that she hit on her way out.
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Brock, Misty and Yellow all stared at the black screen infront of them.
" Is the call cut off or something?" Yellow asked in worry before a voice spoke from the black screen.
" No, there is a connection problem where I am at so looks like this is the only way we can talk for now."
Austin's voice caused Brock, Misty and Yellow to relax a little as the stress and anxiety of what happened to their friend was eating them alive these last few weeks.
" Ash, are you ok ? where are you ? are you ok ? is pikachu ok ?" Yellow rattled off a series of questions before she started coughing.
Misty patted Yellow's back as Brock said ," Yellow, I don't think Ash could understand what you were saying ?"
Yellow looked down with a blush of embarrassment before Misty said," Don't worry about us, Ash. We are doing fine. We are still in vermilion city for your butt to get over here."
" Misty, please mind your language."
Misty rolled her eyes as she knew Brock was overusing this gentleman persona after some girl in the pokemon center said she liked chivalrous men.
Suddenly the trio felt that their friend was a little too quiet.
" .... "
" Ash, Is something wrong ?" Brock asked with worry laced in his voice.
" Can I ask why did you decide to journey with me ? Wouldn't it be better to journey by yourself ?"
Austin's voice called out the trio from the black screen.
" What brought this on ?" Brock asked curiously while internally he was worried for what brought such feelings up in his friend.
" Let's be honest with ourselves, we are holding each other back. I want to be a pokemon master, Misty wants to be Water type master, Brock wants to be a breeder and Yellow is just going with the flow."
Unlike the others, yellow noticed that Austin was speaking in an unusual way as if he was reading something off a script.
" What's this about, Ketchum?!" Misty raised her voice in anger.
" Typical, Misty always prone to anger. Maybe that's why your known for being the ugly duckling of the Sensational Sisters."
Yellow covered her mouth in shock while Brock's face hardened.
Misty's face changed from disbelief into absolute fury as she screamed to the top of her lungs," Ketchum, how dare you ? Tell me, where you are right now and I'll show you who's the ugly duckling."
Austin seemed to ignore Misty's outrage as he said," Brock, your dream is to become a breeder. Why are you wasting your time with us ?"
Brock was confused at his friend's words.
Just what had happened for Ash to act this way ?
" Why don't you try traveling alone maybe then some girls would show interest in a creep like you ?"
Austin's words seemed to get under Brock's skin but he didn't express his anger like Misty.
" I have been thinking ever since the SS.Anne. Gary, Harrison and Paul why are they so powerful and then I realized something that they don't have anyone holding them back."
" W...what are you saying ? " Yellow managed to speak up.
" Isn't it obvious; I am saying that I want to travel alone without anyone of you losers holding me back."
" You bastard !" Misty screamed out before Austin said this," Let's go our separate ways. I don't want to see any of your faces especially you, Yellow! "
At the end of statement, Austin raised his voice before his call cut off leaving behind an absolutely furious Misty, an irritated but puzzled Brock and Yellow who had tears flowing down her face.
" Yellow." Misty said in the softest tone she could muster but it had little to no effect as Yellow ran out of the room with tears in her eyes.
" Yellow, don't listen to him." Misty screamed out before running after the crying Yellow. She had a few tears in her eyes. Even though she didn't show it, to misty their group was like a second family to her and her friend's words rhat she truly respected from the bottom of her heart cut deep through her.
Brock was left alone in the room as he looked at the screen.
Ash was completely fine even after all of those losses yet he wants to travel alone just because he feels like we are holding him back.
Brock thought to himself as even though his friend's words made alot of sense, those word's didn't feel like they were coming from him rather they felt forced as if he was pushing them away by exploiting the things that trigger them the most.
Why are you doing this, Ash ?!
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( ~ Boom ~ )
The glass cup shattered on the wall as Austin lashed out in anger onto the desk infront of him.
He was angry at himself for saying those things to his friends.
Unlike Earth where he had a few people he could call friends.
Maybe he was just too boring.
Even then the few people he called friends weren't someone he was truly close to.
Brock, Misty and Yellow were the first people who he could truly call his friends and now, he was pushing them away for their own safety.
" Pika, Pi." Hearing his partner's concerned voice, Austin turned as he sat in the chair.
" Was I an asshole enough ?" Austin said sardonically as Pikachu nodded.
Chuckling a little, Austin rubbed Pikachu's head while he rubbed away a few tears he shed.
Even if they hated him, this was for the best.
" Pikachu, was I in the right to push them away ?"
Pikachu patted his trainer's arm as he knew why his trainer did that ?
They were going up against Team rocket. If anything happened to Brock, Yellow and Misty they wouldn't be able to forgive themselves.
Even if they hated this decision, they had to do it.
" Pika, Pi. Pika, Pikachu." Pikachu replied while doing his best to recreate a scene from a movie they saw in the SS. Anne which caused them to get late during the tournament.
Austin chuckled as he said," Yeah, I know bubby. I know. Let's go out for a walk, I can't stand in this smelly room where ketchup has been eaten on ice cream."
" Pika !"
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[ 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡 ]
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿-𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲'𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻. 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀.]