Route 8 is a unique route traveling 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 partner's weird taste choices before he switched on the Xtransceiver to make a call to Bill Montgomery. He held on for a minute of indecisiveness as he knew he had to do this before he moves on to 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, and 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 since to his knowledge, the pokemon world doesn't have any kind of internet.

" 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 explained how he was checking if pheromones from a mother would induce a response from the children when that pheromone comes from something that visually isn't an Eevee.

" This is a kink."

" ( ~ Sigh ~ ) So what did you call me for ?"

" Is your offer of being my sponsor 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 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 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 loss as Yellow had almost fallen asleep.

A little embarrassed Joey scoffed before leaving.

Misty smiled as she went up to 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 about 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 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 in front 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 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 were 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 to the trio from the black screen.

" What brought this on ?" Brock asked curiously while internally he was worried about 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 a 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 unusually 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 you're 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 at 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 then I realized something 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 the statement, Austin raised his voice before his call cut off leaving behind a 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 the word's of a friend that 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 always 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 a lot of sense, those words didn't feel like they were coming from him rather they felt forced as if he was pushing them away by exploiting the insecurities 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 at the desk in front 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 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 !"