Pokemon: Radical Redux

As the lab opening collapsed, for a moment, nothing happened. It was like the world forgot about them. Then, the ground started to rumble.

From the ground, the giant purple orb filled out, with a drill made of hardened sludge. Once it reached the surface, it fell and opened up, spitting everyone out, as Muk melted onto the ground with spirals in his eyes, extremely tired.

Everyone was a bit dazed, trying to process everything that had just happened, but slowly, they started to realize that they were still alive.

"Ahh! We're alive!!!" Grunt 1 said.

Grunt 2 danced with Grunt 3. "I take back every bad thing I ever said about Muks. They are awesome!!!"

Speaking of which, Ash knelt down to Muk and grabbed his Pokéball. "Great work. I'll reward you later with some rotten eggs. For now, get some rest," he said as he returned Muk to the Pokéball.

Almost immediately after Ash stood back up, Jay wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into a hug. "You never cease to amaze us, bro!"

Helena also ran up and hugged Ash. "Waaah! I thought we were done for sure!"

Then Attila grabbed him by the side and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, I'm surprised, kid. How about joining my squad? I can make you my right hand~" he joked, though if Ash said yes, he wouldn't say no.

Domino and Enid were on the ground, trying to recover from dizziness. Then Domino looked over at Proton, who was typing something into his communicator and gulped.

"W-well, if everyone else is doing it, I might as well," Domino said as she ran up and also hugged Ash, though she kept an eye on Proton. "This doesn't mean anything! I'm just thanking you for saving me twice," but she found herself smelling Ash's hair.

Enid got up and looked away, crossing her arms. "Well, I suppose I should thank you, even if I probably could have found something."

Jay poked her. "And don't you have something else to say~?"

"...The grunt that told you that message got it wrong. I never said that," Enid said as she walked away.

Jay and Helena exchanged disappointed looks. Enid hadn't apologized—not even about the main issue, the things she said about making fun of D. They sighed. This stupid bit wasn't over.

As Proton turned around, Domino quickly let go and moved away. The others also stepped back as he approached D.

"Agent D, good work with everything, but I have to ask—you said it was a virus. Why did you cause them to self-destruct?"

"I didn't. But there was a failsafe. Apparently, Madam Boss didn't want anyone hacking into these, so she made it so they would self-destruct if they ever did," D answered. Of course, this was a lie—he just wanted to destroy that future where Pokémon go extinct. Why should he accept that?

It probably wouldn't affect the current Paradox Pokémon or Turo's work, because multiverse theory is a bitch. But that just meant he'd make this future one worth living in his own way.

Ash continued, "My guess as to why the explosion was so big is that there were way more of those robots hidden. That's why it was so massive."

Proton nodded. "I see… Yes, that makes too much sense. Very well. It's fine—our main goal was to find out what happened in this lab, and we did. We still have the recordings of the logs you found. With that, we will need to ask Cipher some more questions."

Then Proton turned to everyone. "Everyone, we will return to base. You are not to share what happened here or what we learned with anyone, or there will be consequences. But for now, this mission has been a success."

"Yes, sir!" everyone said in unison as they walked and got back on the bus.

—-

{Hours Later}

Once they got back to the base, everyone started celebrating, dragging Ash along, even though he would have liked to be alone.

And it was pretty obvious that he was treated like the MVP of honor, even if he refused to take off his scarf to eat, at least in front of them, doesn't mean they didn't try but he kept it on, but Meowth sure ate her fill,

Meanwhile, Proton went to a computer and called up the Boss. It only took a few rings before Giovanni answered on the other side.

"Proton, I assume the mission is complete."

"Yes, and we found some things you will want to hear," Proton said immediately.

"Then go ahead. What did you find?"

"It involves Madam Boss and Cipher," Proton stated.

Giovanni's gaze darkened. He had suspected his mother was involved, but this confirmed it. And the fact that Cipher was connected yet hadn't spoken of their past dealings made his fists clench until his knuckles turned white.

"Tell me everything. Don't leave out a single detail."

Proton nodded as he sent the recordings over and began recounting everything about the mission.

—-

{Meanwhile with Ash}

Ash sat in a chair in the lab while Oak pressed a few buttons on his computer. As he waited, he looked out the window and saw his Annihilape training outside with Oak's Primeape.

Pikachu had stayed with his mom because he wanted to eat, and the rest of his Pokémon had stayed too, so Ash was here alone with Oak in an empty lab.

Just then, Oak pressed the last button, and a capsule on the computer opened, releasing a Pokéball. He handed it to Ash.

"Here you are, my boy, your Onix. Thanks again for letting me study him on such short notice."

"It's fine. You do fund my journey, so I might as well help you when you get hungry for research. I mean, I already got you a new evolution," Ash said as he took the Pokéball.

Oak nodded, then looked at Ash again. "Of course. Though, I wanted to ask, have you tried evolving it?"

"Yes, actually. I tried using a Metal Coat on it, but it didn't work. Looks like since this guy is made of crystal, he needs something different," Ash responded, "Or maybe I need to mix some crystal with it, I dunno,"

Then he looked at Oak. "Speaking of which, my turn for a question, have you made any progress on the tracker for the Unown?"

"Ehh, not yet," Oak said helplessly. "It's proving harder than I thought, but I should have done it in, say, about a week. By then, I'll have it ready and send it through your Pokédex."

"Alright, I'll trust you. And by that, I mean I'll text Daisy to remind you until it's done," Ash said, chuckling.

"You know, that's not a bad idea," Oak admitted with a laugh. He couldn't even deny that it would help.

"Alright, well, I'll trust you. You haven't done anything to make me not trust you, well, except for my starter," Ash said.

"I thought we agreed to forget about that…"

"I said I forgave you for that, not that I'd stop bringing it up. There's a difference."

Oak sighed. "Well, I suppose it's what I deserve. Serves me right for wanting that extra funding…"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What did you even use that for, anyway? What did you need that you couldn't get from the League?"

Oak let out another sigh. "Well… I suppose it's only fair you know, since it was done at your expense. But you have to promise me you won't tell anyone—not even your mother," he said, fully serious.

Ash blinked owlishly. "Okay, I promise. No one hears about this."

Oak took a deep breath. "Remember those Pokémon and people who nearly kidnapped you, Green, and Silver?"

"Yeah. How could I forget? Green was traumatized, I had to help her get the support she needed to get over it," Ash said, crossing his arms.

Oak nodded. "Well, we found mind-control technology in both the Pokémon and the people. But I never informed the League about it. I've been studying it in secret, trying to find a way to break that kind of control. So far, my attempts have been unsuccessful."

Ash furrowed his brow. "Really? Then why didn't you want the League's support? This isn't exactly your specialty."

Oak gave a slight smile at Ash's genuine curiosity. "Ahh… You know, you act so mature sometimes I forget you're the youngest. My boy, you're still young, so you don't know the worst parts of this world yet. But the world isn't black and white."

"You see, keeping it secret is for their benefit. Unfortunately, the League has people who might abuse this information if they found out. That's why I've been working alone to break this mind-control technology. It happened nearly four years ago, and I spent almost three years making no progress. Then, when I saw a way out, I took it. And in doing that… I made things unfair for you," Oak admitted.

"You made it work, and I'm proud of you for that. But I saw that you aren't like everyone else. To tell you the truth, when I said I gave Pink and the others the Pokémon they asked for as their starters, I lied. They all received traditional starters as well—because I knew that if anyone else were put in your position, they wouldn't have made it."

"Right… I see," Ash said. He did believe him—Oak wasn't the type to lie about something like this. But Ash could also tell there was something more. He didn't press the issue, though, because deep down, he felt like he already knew.

It was because of what was supposed to happen during the Celebi incident. Whatever happened there must have influenced Oak's decision. Originally, he probably thought about giving Ash both Pokémon. But from what Ash had learned, Damian's father hadn't just asked for a Charmander once—he had asked every year. So Oak had likely used that as an excuse, knowing Ash would be fine either way. That still didn't make it okay, though.

"Alright, I understand. At least it was used for a good reason. But don't think this makes things right, I'm still salty about it," Ash said as he walked over to a desk, grabbed a Pokéball, and whistled for Annihilape.

As Annihilape ran over, Oak scratched his head. "Well, to be honest, I was prepared—if you had called back saying Pikachu abandoned you, I would have contacted the breeders immediately to get you a proper Charmander. But in the end, that never happened."

"Yeah, I get it. You felt bad and wanted to be ready just in case. Alright," Ash said as Annihilape reached him and pounded his chest. Ash nodded. "Yeah, bud, welcome back. Gonna need you coming up." He then returned Annihilape to its Pokéball and clipped it onto his belt next to Onix's.

Oak watched as Ash adjusted his belt. "So, my boy, are you heading to Goldenrod City next?"

"Yeah. There's a Gym there, and Brock has the breeding competition nationals, so we'll be staying for a bit. Might be meeting up with Green and Gary again too," Ash replied, glancing back. "Why do you ask?"

Oak smiled slightly. "Oh, no reason. Just that a friend of mine might want to talk to you—she's been wanting to meet you ever since the League."

Ash squinted. "I already said I have no plans to go on TV because I don't—wait a minute…" His eyes widened as a realization hit him. "What happened to that news crew? They're not going to upload that, are they?"

"Oh, I see your concern. Don't worry. Because of how important the crystal and the disappearance of Hale are, they aren't allowed to release that information to the news network. And before you ask, I offered them an interview with me instead. So you don't have to worry about people finding out what you did."

Ash let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I really don't want my peace disturbed like that. It's been almost three months, and I'm still considered famous here in Kanto. I can't even walk in a city without a mask or I'll get swarmed, don't want that happening in Johto,"

Oak chuckled. "Well, get used to it. When I won the Indigo League back in my day, I kept that fame for three years. And even then, that was just the worst of it, I still had fans following me. If I hadn't switched to being a Pokémon Professor, it probably would have lasted even longer."

"Gee, thanks," Ash said dryly. "Just what I needed to hear. Guess I'll never have a moment of peace. Maybe I'll just keep jumping to a new region each year to avoid the fame."

"That's definitely a choice," Oak chuckled. "Not sure if it's the one I'd make, but who knows?"

"Yeah, anyway, I should head out. They're probably waiting for me, and I already spent longer here talking to you than I planned," Ash said as he stood up and stretched his arms. "But thanks anyway. Sometimes it's nice to just talk with someone like this."

"Glad to hear it. Whenever you need to talk, you know where to find me," Oak said, his voice softer now. "I know firsthand how much stress you're under. I've watched you grow up—I know how good you are at hiding it."

Ash turned away and started walking toward the door. "Yeah, yeah, I get it… thanks…" He paused, then glanced back. "By the way, was my request approved?"

Oak's expression turned serious. "Yes, it was. They agreed to test you, but even with my word that you're capable, it wasn't easy to convince them. The test is in one week—you should be in Goldenrod by then."

"Thanks. I won't fail. You already know that," Ash said with a playful smile.

"And that's what I'm afraid of," Oak muttered. He had full confidence Ash would pass. It was what came after that worried him.

You might wonder what Ash is planning. Well, here's the thing—Ash is already qualified for a medical degree in both Pokémon and human medicine. Now, he's about to take his test to earn his surgeon's license as well.

Sounds absurd for an 11-year-old, right? Not in the Pokémon world.

In the manga, Moon had her doctorate and was a licensed pharmacist by the time she was around five years old. Yes, It's rare for someone so young to achieve this, but not unheard of. Even in the anime, Brock chose to become a doctor, and within what seemed like a year, he was already wearing a doctor's coat and officially practicing medicine.

So, Ash earning his medical degree and a license to perform surgery was completely doable in this world. And he was confident he'd pass pretty easily too.

You might also wonder, wouldn't he need to complete a residency? Funny thing about that… for some reason, he doesn't. Apparently, if he can prove his skills, combined with Oak's recommendation, he can skip the residency altogether. Why? He has no idea.

But it doesn't really matter. It's not like he plans to perform surgery in every town he visits. This is more just so he can be prepared,

The Masked Man has his eyes on him now. And he has no qualms about trying to kill Ash or anyone around him. Potions, Aura, and Pokémon Centers aren't always going to cut it.

So, if the laws in this world are different, Ash is going to take full advantage of that.

With a final wave, he left the lab and headed back home. As soon as he opened the door, Molly launched herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. Behind her Misty, Brock, and Yellow were enjoying the downtime,

Well, staying here for another day won't kill him.

—-

{With Giovanni}

Giovanni sat in deep thought, processing Proton's report. Even when she was gone, his mother still found ways to haunt him.

"So, you're saying it was all destroyed?" he asked, seeking confirmation.

On the computer screen, Proton nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, we were unable to retrieve anything. D informed me that he hacked into the system, but there was a failsafe Madam Boss had put in place. The moment he breached it, everything self-destructed."

Giovanni leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Hmm… Well, that's for the best. Even if you had managed to recover something, I would have destroyed it myself."

Proton remained silent, waiting for further instruction.

"Tell me," Giovanni continued, "How valuable do you think D was in this mission?"

Proton didn't hesitate. "He was by far the most valuable asset. We would have been overrun by the robots if he hadn't hacked them, and he also saved us from the explosion. Without him, we likely wouldn't have made it out alive."

Giovanni nodded, absorbing the information. "I see. Very well. He still lives up to expectations." He paused, then added, "Inform everyone who participated in the mission that they'll receive a bonus and a week of vacation. As for D, he gets a pay raise and a full month off."

Proton inclined his head. "Understood. I'll inform him. But… What do we do about Cipher?"

Giovanni's expression darkened as he considered the question.

"...We'll continue working with them," he finally said, his voice measured. "But we stay on guard. They're after more than just funding, and I intend to find out exactly what. I also want to know why they allied with Madam Boss. But for now, with no concrete evidence, we keep this information to ourselves."

Proton gave a short nod. "Understood." With that, the call ended.

Once the screen went black, Giovanni let out a slow breath. He reached for a stack of papers on his desk, gripping them tightly before crumpling them in his fist. Everything was getting more complicated.

Perhaps it was time he paid his mother a visit.