Disclaimer: No ownership of Pokémon.

A Lash of Remorse

Ash got his eighth badge, eligible to enter the Pokémon League. With Misty whose sisters gave him the Cascade Badge at the Cerulean Gym, and Brock who gave him the Boulder Badge at the Pewter Gym, Ash seemed eager to train for action on the Indigo Plateau. Along with his companions' badges, he won the Thunder Badge from Lieutenant Surge in Vermillion City, the Rainbow Badge from Erika in Celadon City, the Soul Badge from Sabrina in Saffron City, the Marsh Badge from Koga in Fuchsia City, the Flame Badge from Blaine on Cinnabar Island and ironically, the Earth Badge from Jessie in Viridian City. However, his trip back home hit a road block… literally. A wild Mr. Mime built an invisible wall along the path back to Pallet Town. That was the target of Stella, a circus performer who wanted that to challenge her own that rebelled. Brock didn't waste time, perhaps to impress Stella, with an idea that could work… and Ash was the key to his plan. After some time back stage, Brock comes out. Misty, with Pikachu on her shoulder and Togepi in her arms, Stella and her assistants saw the door become ajar and Brock stepping through.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he apologized. "Now, allow me to present the new Mr. Mime!" Sure enough, a Mr. Mime emerged.

"Brock, that's amazing!" awed Stella. Unfortunately, this Mr. Mime could take his head off, revealing Ash. The Mr. Mime was a costume.

"This isn't fair, you guys!" he argued. "Why do I have to be in this?" Ash felt there should have been a better candidate to act as a Mr. Mime.

"I could but I'm way too big for that costume," Brock explained.

"And it would look weird for a girl to play a Mr. Mime," Misty added. Her Togepi chirped, siding with its trainer.

"And I'm the head of the show," Stella claimed. Ash surrendered, still reluctant to perform in the costume.

"Fine…" he sighed as he put the headpiece back on his head. Stella stood up, ready to train Ash in the art of pantomime.

"Let the training begin!" Ash squatted to give posture. He palmed the air, keeping his hands stiff and flat. Stella saw his start, less than pleased. "No, no, no!" She brought out a whip and snapped the leather at Ash, who freaked at her item. "Again!" She cracked the whip, flinching Ash.

"What the heck's with the whip?!"

"She's whipping you into shape!" cheered Brock. To Misty, the training Stella demonstrated had her feel bad about her Mr. Mime in the trailer going through the same treatment.

"Man, no wonder her Mr. Mime wanted no more of her training..." she hushed. Ash tried again with the pantomime, a little faster. Stella seemed indifferent.

"You're still doing it wrong!" she growled as she cracked the whip.

"How can I do it any better when this is all I can do?" whined Ash. He moved faster with each whip but got sloppier in the movements, including keeping his hands flat. In the headpiece, sweat soaked his face and seeped in his eyes. 'Now I'm getting the reason her Mr. Mime wanted out. It's also starting to get stuffy in here.' As she proceeded with the training, Ash began to suffocate in the headpiece. Quickly, Ash removed the headpiece at the worst possible moment. "Can't breathe!" Stella was in her windup with the whip and flung the leather out.

"Again!" she yelled as she snapped the whip. Her tool caught Ash in the back of the head, now exposed to let Ash gather air. The impact got him flush. He lost his grip on the headpiece, falling to the ground without any lights on. The paining thud forced gasps from Stella's assistants and Ash's friends and Pokémon. The same thud forced Stella to look to Ash, her eyes closed as she lashed him once more. Brock and the assistants came to Ash's aid.

"Ash, get up!" one of the performers pleaded, shaking his body to stir him. Suddenly, Stella spotted something red adjacent to Ash. Blood… His blood… Ash was injured… and his culprit grew fearful, the tremble of her hands loosening the grip on the whip. She dropped the weapon that hurt him, staggered back with tears forming from her eyes.

"Oh no," feared Misty as she put Togepi on the floor. "He's bleeding!"

"I got first-aid!" offered Brock. Stella became terrified. She dashed out of the area, tears flying from her face. Ash remained unconscious for a couple of minutes. During that time, his head was dressed with bandages. He soon stirred slowly and in pain.

"Ouch!" he yelped. He sat up, grabbing the bandaged wound. The crowd backed from him a little to give the trainer some space. "Man, that stings!"

"Yeah, I bet," Misty agreed. Pikachu squeaked, still worried about Ash's health. "After seeing how she trained you, I feel more sorry for that Mr. Mime." Brock and one of Stella's performers kept Ash still.

"Take it easy," the performer warned. "You're still in some pain." Ash looked around but wasn't finding the blue-haired.

"Where's Stella?" he asked.

"I think she ran off to her trailer," another performer replied. "Man, I've never seen her like this." Brock and the first performer helped Ash to his feet.

"You sure you want to stand after being out for a while?" asked Misty. On his feet, he seemed determined to check in.

"I want to make sure she's okay," Ash replied. This mystified Misty and the Pokémon.

"Are you sure you want to ask her? You're the one she knocked unconscious." The helpful performer agreed but had more.

"Besides, we're the one who begged you to help us out!" she admitted. "Stella… no, we all thought that since you three were Pokémon Trainers, your help would be great for the show."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Ash forgave. "We came to help you with the situation… I mean, we could have gotten that wild Mr. Mime for you." He took a deep breath before facing the door. "I'll be back. Think you can behave while I find Stella?" Pikachu squeaked to promise. Still in the Mr. Mime outfit and with a bandaged head, Ash stepped out of the tent and searched the area for the ringleader. As he looked around, Stella's Mr. Mime came out after seeing Ash in the costume.

("You're the replacement?") he spoke. Ash heard the Pantomime Pokémon and turned to him.

"Mr. Mime? Hey, you know where Stella's trailer is?" Mr. Mime saw the wrapping on his head. To him, Ash underwent the same training Stella enforced on him. Mr. Mime led Ash to a truck and trailer. On the door was a plate with "STELLA" labeled. "Of course..." He looked through the window, finding Stella face-down on the couch and her hands over her eyes and mouth, crying from her moment of control loss.

"What have I done?!" she bawled. "I'm a monster!" Ash watched, sympathy billowing his consciousness. He turned to Mr. Mime to acknowledge a choice.

"Let me go in and talk to her." Mr. Mime didn't mind Ash going in. He opened the door and saw the sobbing Stella. Still in most of the costume, Ash got to her side and petted her hair. Stella felt the pet and turned to see Ash with worry on his face. "Stella?" Rather than ask, Stella lunged, tackled and hugged Ash with tears still running down her staining face and bawling.

"Ash! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Her voice kept cracking from her tears entering her mouth. "I-I did- I didn't-" The words she wanted to say jumbled uncontrollably. "What is wrong with me?!" To Ash, Stella tried her best to make sure her circus troupe was at their best, including the Pokémon like her Mr. Mime. Stella cried on his shoulder and petted his head.

"Stella, it's okay. Calm down."

"I'm hideous! I'm a monster!" Ash firmly squeezed Stella to prevent her from lashing out. Stella's cry softened until all she echoed were whimpers. "Why? Ash, why did you come?"

"I wanted to make sure you're okay." Stella thought Ash wanted to joke, get her to feel better about the incident. Regardless of his intention, Stella felt even worse.

"Me?! You're the one who got hurt! I'm the one who knocked you to the floor!"

"I realize that, but it was a freak accident. I know you didn't mean to do that." Stella gawked from Ash's opinion of the incident. He preferred it as nothing major.

"J-Just like that? I can't believe that you're… letting it slide."

"What, did you want me to get as mad as your Mr. Mime?"

"With a wound like that, no question!" Ash softly shook his head.

"If I got mad for incidents like that, I wouldn't have friends like I do, Pokémon or human." Stella soon saw Ash better suited for her Mr. Mime. She grasped Ash in a bear hug, louder whimpers coughing out. "It's all good. No need to cry over this."

"I can't help it… especially what I've done to you and Mr. Mime!" Ash wrapped his arms around Stella to hug. She lifted her head to see Ash's face. "I can't just say sorry for all I did… and to put you in this position." She kissed Ash on the cheek, then the forehead below the wrapping. "It's the only thing I could think at this moment for my apology..." Finally, she met Ash lip-to-lip. The kiss wasn't as short as the first two. Mr. Mime awed the moment his human replacement and his trainer engaging in the embrace. Ash's cheeks bled red, this from a blow he could take without pain. Before long, the kiss broke but Stella's spirit had a lift. To her, Ash never let the injury become an enemy.

"Feeling better?"

"Little by little."

"That's good. Do you wanna continue?" Stella snickered which her Mr. Mime entered.

"And I won't be so hard on you. Not after that." Seeing her Mr. Mime, Stella smiled. "And I'll stop with the whip. That should be put away for someone who deserves it." Ash and Mr. Mime nodded to her promise. Misty, Brock, Stella's performers and the Pokémon saw the scene from the window. The performers and the Pokémon ate the scene, delighted for their main star and Pikachu's owner.

"Stella looks so happy!" one performer awed. Pikachu and Togepi, both on each performer's head, agreed as they felt happy for Ash.

"The nerve of him!" bellowed Misty. Apparently, she became irritated about Ash receiving love from Stella. "We should have just gone directly to Pallet Town and avoid this mess!" Brock fell to his knees, pounding the dirt!

"Why?!" he whined. "I'm the one who wanted to come here! I'm the one who wanted Ash in that outfit! Why am I getting nothing and he's getting it all?!" The performers sighed to the two who now regretted helping the circus.

"Well, you know the old saying," one teased. "You win some, you lose some!" A punishment that both of Ash's traveling companions may have to live with. Ash may have been dressed like one, but Brock became the real clown of this circus fiasco.

(With the start of September, it's time to launch the post for Number Six. Stay tuned to the polls and soon enough, the 12 Elements of AshMas, Volume 6.)