Catching Roses
"Ash! Ash calm down, wake up! ASH!"
He shot up, a hoarse croak of a gasp coming from his throat as he awoke from his dreams. Ash felt his heart thundering against his rib cage, and felt a pair of hands grip his trembling shoulders.
"Serena..." It was a little more then a whisper, but it was all he could manage.
"Y-You were having nightmares again, weren't you?"
The four travelling companions of the Kalos Region had booked a room at the nearest Pokemon Center on their journey towards Anistar Town along route 17, having camped out in the woods daily over the course of the past two weeks. Having a warm bed and sturdy roof over their heads was something each of our heroes were thankful for.
All accept for Ash however, because finding sleep as of late had become few and far between.
"Did I wake Bonnie?" Ash mumbled miserably placing his head in his hands, feeling the uncomfortable clammy texture of his palms.
Clement and Serena who stood at the side of his bed shook their heads, "She's still fast asleep," Clement said looking through the shadows of their room to the bundle beneath the sheets.
"I-I'm sorry guys, go back to sleep, it won't happen again."
Serena knelt next to him, worry evident in her voice, "You say that Ash, but... But you've been having these nightmares-"
"Nightmare." He corrected pulling off his sheets, "It's always... It's always the same one,"
"It's been weeks since they started, the amount of sleep you have lost isn't healthy for your body. You should ask Joy, or we could go see an actual doctor once we reach... You reach Anistar Town to see if there is anything that can help them stop,"
The following day, at the crossroads to Anistar Town and Verdant Town, the group was going to split for the first time since they had joined together.
Ash and his Pokemon would be continuing on alone to Anistar, while Serena, Clement and Bonnie made a stop in Verdant Town for her possibly last sash towards the Pokemon Great Hall, the Grand Festival equivalent of Pokemon Choreography.
The Kalos League deadline was drawing near, as was the Pokemon Great Hall. Neither he or Serena had the ability to go on to cheer for one another without risking their respective deadlines.
So they would split up, and then reunite in a little over a week so that they could make way to the his final Gym Badge in Snowbelle City.
Ash stood grimacing as his shirt, damp with cold sweat, clung to his body, "I'll look into it," he muttered, "I've got to change out of this and clean up a bit, you two head on back to bed."
The concern was still there, and after a bit more coaxing they returned to their beds while he, and a change of clothing left the room.
After shutting the door behind him, Ash cursed softly and started for the restroom to wash up.
Nights like these were common, more so then he would like to admit. They would camp out, or rent a room like that night and head off to sleep. The first few hours he slept peacefully, often for one to two hours , but then he'd be shouting, tossing, turning, crying as if the world was about to come to an end in his sleep.
He was never aware of it taking place, and only became aware after being shaken, or shocked awake.
He had interrupted his friends sleep on more then one occasion, and he felt horrible about it. Especially on the first night, when his reactions had awoken not only Serena and Clement, but Bonnie as well.
He remembered clearly how she had looked at him so afraid from the light in the campfire, how her usually pink face had gone pale.
The first night they had all gone pale.
The first night had been the worst from what he could tell.
He reached out and touched the mirror in the bathroom, looking at the eyes with thick dark rings beneath them. He looked plain worn out, and he felt that way as well. Getting back to sleep after the nightmare was nearly impossible. He knew that the others were right, that he needed help, or something.
But he couldn't just... Tell them about his dream.
Ash wasn't one to shy away from issues at hand, but this was different then most others.
This involved him personally on a physical and mental level.
To be frank, he felt it unnecessary, no, embarrassing to speak of what he believed to be a private matter aloud. And more importantly to speak about it to the friends he traveled with, Serena in particular.
Splashing warm water onto his face he sighed irritably, "There's got to be someone that I can talk... to?" Trailing off, he looked up into the mirror thoughtfully.
He couldn't talk to his current travelling pals about what was going on inside his head, but a former and older brother like figure he spent years travelling with however.
Ash looked skyward in thought, 'There is a six hour difference between Kalos and Kanto... Which would make it 10 at night back home. There's no way he'd be sleeping at that hour!'
-x-x-x-
Sitting at one of the public phone booths in the Pokemon Center lobby, Ash felt flustered as he dialed in the number of the to-be Pokemon Doctor.
Mainly because it was so weird for him to call his old companions. Of course he contacted each of them at the end of each Region to check up and see how they were fairing on their own, but that was once or twice a year.
To call in the middle of a journey, one where he was fairing incredibly well on the battling circuit, was not something to be expected.
"But that doesn't matter," He muttered quietly, "please Brock pick up, I need really your advice."
After the fourth ring when he was about to call it quits, the other line was picked up, and the Pokemon Doctor, lab coat and all, appeared on screen, "Hello Brock Harrison of the Pewter City- Ash!?" He exclaimed in surprise.
Ash grinned, suddenly feeling a lot more energetic seeing his old friend, "Hey Brock, how's it going!?"
He grinned back, "Keeping busy running around the city, and being called out for long distance emergencies. It's not quite like the old days, but it sure is lively enough for me. Now what about you?" He asked puzzled but not at all annoyed, "It's rare to get a call from the Pokemon Master, especially this late at night, something keeping you up Ash?"
It always amazed him how Brock could see straight to the problem.
Ash looked away from the monitor briefly and scratched the back of his head, "Eh, uh... Yeah Brock, I could... It's... Well kind of-"
"Is it girl trouble?" Brock ask plainly seeing the nearly seventeen year old stammering.
"Girl troub- what, no," Ash laughed lightly, "No Brock, it's more of a serious kind of problem,"
Hearing this he frowned, "A serious problem?" He asked eyeing him carefully, and after a few seconds added on, "are you not sleeping properly Ash, it looks like you have rings under your eyes."
Ash sighed and leaned back in his seat, "Hit it in one." he said, "You see Brock for the last few... Months I've been having these nightmares, well only one nightmare. It's the same one over and over again. Nothing changes. No matter how I try and change the dream, the ending always ends up the same."
"And they come every night?"
Ash shook his head, "It's really odd intervals. I can have one night of pure sleep, followed by three days of the nightmare, followed by a day of sleep before they start up again. I can't remember the last time I had two days in a row of nothing but sleep."
Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "And it's only this one particular dream right? The same one over and over again?"
"That's right."
"Have you thought about any reason you may be having it? Have you been anxious, restless, worried or anything along that lines? Anything that would be a trigger for it to begin?"
"I... I've thought through it so many times Brock, and..." He paused struggling to find what to say, "C-Could you... Would you let me tell you about... The dream. And then you give me your thoughts on it?"
Brock raised an eyebrow in surprise. Ever since he had known Ash, the Pokemon Trainer had always relied on himself for answers rather then others, often relying on himself and his own capabilities to solve problems which eluded him.
It was rare and had happened before, but he had come for advice on battling and cooking. But not once, not once had Ash opened himself up about his personal difficulties.
So Brock nodded and sat up straight in his chair at full attention. And should Joy need to speak with him, he would have to politely tell her he was in the middle of something important.
Brock gave him a reassuring smile, "No problem at all pal," He said, "I'll listen all night if I have to."
Brock's smile increased as he heard the shy mumbled thanks, and was glad to see that Ash had not lost that innocent trait of his in the two years that they had stopped travelling together.
"Just..." Ash paused hesitantly, "Just don't laugh if it sounds stupid or something. Okay?"
The Pokemon Doctor tilt his head in confirmation, "You have my word Ash, now whenever you're ready."
Ash nodded to himself at Brock's words and than began gathering the courage to begin. Carefully he composed his thoughts into a coherent outline, and then took a deep breath.
"The nightmare always begins on a road beneath a canopy of trees."
-x-x-x-
He had traveled roads like these all of his life, walking down dirt trails beneath the thick layers of leaves overhead.
However the path laid out for him is dark, a thick grey fog blots out everything around him
except for the misshapen silhouettes of the trees which line the road.
Behind him the fog is still, a silent presence which pressures him into going forward lest he be swallowed by it.
All Ash can hear is the steady breathing from his mouth, and the dull crunch of the black dirt underfoot.
He is alone.
Serena, Clement and Bonnie have vanished, whether they have left him, or whether or not they had been consumed by the fog he doesn't know.
Pikachu is not with him either, or any of his Pokemon for that matter. Possibly sharing the same fate as his friends for all he knew.
Ash shivers as a chill nips the back of his neck setting his hairs on edge, and he picks up his pace a little. Pushing himself to walk that extra little bit to get out of the forest just that little bit sooner.
His breathing gradually increases in volume, slowly drowning out the sound of his footsteps which have increased into a desperate run for freedom.
He runs through the fog and down the dark path looking for someone, a sign of life.
Color.
The road beneath the canopy is colorless, draining him, sucking his energy so that the fog can have it's way with him.
Eat him.
Consume him.
Devour him.
But just when he thinks the fog which coats his body is endless, it begins to thin. Slowly the density breaks, and he can see the end.
A look of relief spreads across his face and he races the final distance to the end of the treeline. And breaking through, colour, moonlight, the Earth itself seems full of life.
But then he frowns, a canyon is in front of him. With the only way across being a sturdy looking rope bridge which suspends over the seemingly thousand foot drop into the thrashing and crashing rapids below.
This isn't what he frowns at however.
Standing alone on the center of the bridge is a person, a girl with long silver hair who stares out over the drop, a bouquet of flowers in her hands.
With an over dramatic attempt at silence, like a thief trying to tiptoe past a guard, Ash took a step forward.
He was scared to startle her, scared that the only other person he could find would runaway from him like a stray cat.
Ash steps onto the bridge, aware of the lethal drop below and the small tremor which came as his foot came down on the plank work.
When the girl does not flee, or scare at his presence, he starts towards her, however he stops when the bouquet falls from her hands onto the bridge, scattering the flowers as the string which holds comes undone like a fan.
He isn't sure why, but he feels compelled, no, he finds it necessary to call out to her, to let her know that she isn't alone.
So he does, "Excuse me! Excuse me Miss, do you know where we-"
His voice stops like his vocal cords had been cut by a knife.
The girls head turns to look at him.
He see's right away that she is beautiful, silver tresses cupping pale blemish free cheeks, small lips, and eyes like roses which entrance him.
But it is those eyes which are the source of his nightmares.
The eyes like roses stare back at him empty, lifeless. As if all in that world is lost.
There is no hope.
Only pain.
But something there changes, for a small, sand grain size of a second when she sees him.
She seems almost relieved that she is not alone.
She smiles, so small he almost did not see it.
But then she turns, so her back is against the rope of the bridge. And before his cry of horror can escape, the girl leans back.
And like the bouquet of roses before her. She falls.
-x-x-x-
"She commits suicide?" Brock asked quietly, "she leans back over the rope and just... Drops?"
"I have walked through that fog, and gotten to that bridge over and over again. And every time I see her out there alone, by herself. A-And then, when she notices me... I... S-She smiles at me. And then... She does it. No matter how many times I see her, I-I-I call out to her, I don't say a thing, it never changes. Over and over and over again, I see her die. I can't save her, no matter how many times I try, no matter how many times I run across that stupid bridge. By the time I get there, all that's left are roses."
"Relax Ash, take a deep breath to calm yourself," Brock said carefully, the last thing he wanted was for Ash to go into a panic.
Ash shut his eyes and ran his hands rough through his hair, "I... I don't understand it Brock. Not at all."
Frankly neither did he.
For one, the nightmare itself contained suicide. And if what Ash had said was true, then he had watched this girl kill herself tens if not dozens of times.
Normally Ash wouldn't brood over something like this without reason, and given his personality Brock figured he knew why.
"Think about it Ash," Brock said sympathetically, "the answer isn't that hard to find if you look properly."
Ash looked up at the monitor in confusion, "W-What?" He asked quietly, "Brock... Do you... Do you know what's wrong with me?"
Brock shook his head, "No, but I do have a logical possibility if your willing to hear it," Ash nodded immediately, "I think Ash, that the route of this problem is because of one thing, and if you do that one thing the nightmares will stop,"
"W-What do you mean?"
"You have to save this girl," Brock said seriously, "think about it. How many times have you gone and been the hero? How often do you foil the bad guy and rescue either a person or Pokemon from them?"
Ash scratched his head thoughtfully, "A lot more than what I should have really... I mean... We've saved the world a couple of times too haven't we?"
The Pokemon Doctor nodded, "You save everyone Ash, this is no different. You are refusing to believe that, whoever this girl in your dreams may be, can't be saved. Because you believe she can be, and that is what is making it recurring. You need to prove to yourself that you can save her."
Despite the confusion etched on his face, Brock could see that Ash was understanding what he was getting at.
"So... I just... Have to save her?"
"I think that should do it, but Ash putting that to the side for a moment I have to ask out of concern. Have you felt depressed or deeply saddened at all before this began?"
"Eh? No why?"
"The girl was killing herself Ash," Ash looked uncomfortable at his words, "I have to ask if those actions were there for reasons which-"
"I'm not suicidal Brock," Ash cut in wearily, "If anything, I've never been better. I'm loving Kalos, the League is only two months away, and my Pokemon and I are in top form already! I don't know where that part of the nightmare stems from Brock, but it's definitely not me."
Brock sighed with relief and leaned back, "Well I'm relieved to hear that, but I've got to ask Ash. Have you seen the girl before? Maybe out of the corner of your eye and never noticed, maybe somebody you've met recently?"
"I've never seen her," He said quietly, "and a part of me hopes I never do." A smug grin came onto Brocks lips, "What?"
"And then there is the other other part of you that thinks this girl is Beau-ti-ful!" He said teasingly.
Ash sputtered and felt his ears go red, "I-I never said-"
"Oh it slipped out when you were describing her Romeo," Brock grinned, and then in a slightly higher voice, although their voices were now almost evenly matched, "When she turned to face me Brock, the first thing I noticed was oh how beautiful she was! Like a goddess from the stars sent down from Heaven on-"
"I DID NOT SAY THAT!" Ash shouted in disbelief feeling his cheeks heating up, "I-I may have commented on her looks, but I did not go that far! Besides you are waaay worse off in the er... Love department than I am!"
"Oh ho, is that so?"
Ash and Brock continued talking into the night, winding down the conversation when it was time for Brock to head home for the night.
He had medical exams the following afternoon after all.
At the end, when the goodbyes were said, Ash returned to the room feeling like the weight of the world had been lift from his shoulders.
Pikachu, who had been lying alert for him to return from Bonnie's bed -both electric rodents had taken to sleeping with the younger girl until she fell asleep- crawled off the bed and came over to him with a questioning look in his eyes.
Ash pulled the covers up beneath his chin and placed Pikachu on his stomach, "Don't worry buddy," he whispered, "things should... Start looking up from now on. I'm going to beat these nightmares. No matter the cost."
Thank you everyone who stuck with this to the end. This had been sitting on my computer for quite some time now, and I decided to upload this in the mean time while I continue on with "A Spark of a Soul" (Information on next chapter below). I hope you enjoyed, and if you aren't a fan of Original Characters I would recommend turning back now.
"Catching Roses" is about the relationship between Ash and an Original Character. This is not a romance, this is about Ashs belief that no matter who a person is, or what the circumstances are, that even in times of pain, that in the end you can be saved.
Thank you all again, and please leave a review letting me know what you all thought, and whether or not you would like the next chapter!
UPDATE ON SPARKS: If you've read or are following Sparks, I'm very sorry for the delay. I haven't given up on it, I'm just having trouble writing the beginning of the next chapter. So it will come out, when? I have no clue.