Now I normally have my characters around age 15 or older, so writing it for 12-year-olds was actually a bit of a challenge. Not a bad one, I enjoyed it because it was out of my comfort zone, but that means I'm not entirely sure how well I did. I would appreciate any feedback you have for me. :)
I do not own Pokemon :'(
Chapter 2: Revealed Feelings
Tory looked back at the enraged Pokemon, shocked into paralysis as he watched the last of the rift close. Taking two deep breaths, he quickly turned on Ash and socked him hard on the shoulder. "That was dangerous, you idiot!" he yelled as loud as he dared. Only when Ash looked back at him did he realize he still had the older boy's hand and quickly let it go, hoping the trainer wouldn't notice the slight blush on his cheeks.
"But we made it, didn't we?" he asked, a big, goofy grin on his face. "Now we need to find out where they are keeping the Deoyxs," Ash added, slinking around the large device they were hiding behind to see where the team rocket members were. He coughed a few times from the dense pollutants in the air, pulling his shirt over his mouth to quiet them, then noted the paths the guards took. Ducking back behind the structure as a spotlight swiveled around, he motioned for the still shaken Tory to come over to him.
"What bright idea do you have this time?" he asked, hands trembling slightly.
"We need to get from here, to there," Ash stated, pointing over to the door on the other side of the compound. Crouched down with one hand on the ground, he sprinted from behind his cover to another large machine after the light passed by again. Once sufficiently concealed, he waited a moment to motion Tory over. "We'll just go like this until we get there," he said, determined to make the plan work. Not nearly as confident as his companion, Tory nervously sprinted across the distance, shoving his back against whatever infernal device they were hiding behind once he safely got over there. Trying to catch his breath, he looked around to find Ash already planning their next move.
"Hmm," the dark-haired boy mumbled, looking from their destination, to Tory. Many might call him dense or stupid, but Ash was anything but. He realized that Tory would definitely have problems making the next, and he had no intention of putting the younger boy in danger. The mere thought of it made him sick to his stomach. He knew that by pulling Tory through the barrier he had put him in danger, but he also knew that the boy would want to help free the Deoyxs, so he would have to make sure Tory didn't get hurt. That would be more painful than an injury to himself.
"What are you thinking?" Tory asked, coming up next to Ash while he was lost in thought. He thought he saw the other boy jump a little, but it was probably his imagination.
"Just trying to figure out what to do," Ash replied, turning around and motioning for Tory to come look as well. "Do you think you can make that distance okay?"
Tory physically gulped. It was almost twice as far as the first gap they crossed. There was also a patrolling guard who seemed to look their direction more than he looked away and the spotlight passed by the area. "Yeah," he said, keeping most of the squeak out of his voice. Ash's glare portrayed a very clear message, don't lie. "Probably not…" he admitted, looking down.
"Don't worry about it," the trainer said, shaking his head. "Wait here while Pikachu and I go over there. We'll find a way to disable the spotlight and guard."
Tory was just as apposed of Ash waltzing into danger as Ash was of putting Tory in danger, but the scientist's son felt he had no way to control the trainer's action. "A-alright," he stuttered, leaning against the machine and sliding down to the ground.
"Don't worry," Ash assured, smiling broadly. "We'll be just fine." Giving Tory one last thumbs up, he surveyed the area a second before sprinting across the large gap. Tory watched as he said something to the electric mouse with him and the two split up, Pikachu climbing up a large metal scaffolding while Ash searched the ground for something. He picked up a lead pipe, a weapon Then, he moved around the side of his hiding place and out of Tory's sight. More than a bit worried, the boy crawled forward farther to try and find the Ash again. He shushed Minun when it made a bit of noise, continuing forward on his hands and knees.
"Who's there!" came an adult voice, and only then did Tory realize his mistake. In trying to find Ash again he accidentally moved too far out from his hiding place and was spotted. Scrambling to his feet, he ran towards where Ash disappeared as the guard moved towards him, the spotlight swinging around to light him up for a second before it fizzled out, to the guard's confusion. Not letting it affect him, he rushed towards his target. Panicking, Tory tripped, sprawling out on the hard ground still a few feet from the machine. Shaking as the man towered over him, Tory averted his gaze and covered his head, hoping that whatever he was going to do to him that it would be over quick.
No blows ever came. There was a semi-loud clunk, followed by a dull thud and a hand tugging at his arm. "Get up Tory," Ash said quickly, dropping the pipe as he pulled Tory to his feet. Plusle and Minun were soon back on their friend's back and Pikachu joined them by jumping onto Ash's head.
"Pikapikapika!" it said frantically, pointing towards the door they had been planning to enter. A small flood of Team Rocket members were coming from it now, summoning their growliths and zubats as they approached.
"This way!" Ash decided, grabbing Tory's hand and pulling him in a different direction. They had to find a way to lose the Team Rocket members, and find a way into the compound to help their friends. But with the enemy getting closer and closer by the second, that seemed like lost cause. Why did they have to have such short legs!
One of the growliths launched itself at the pair, landing on Tory's back and wrapping its strong jaws around Plusle's waist. Tory screamed as he approached the ground again and the little Pokemon squeaked in alarm as it was forcible lifted from its friend's back. Enraged that it's partner was being taken Minun tried to shock the growlith into releasing Plusle, but the nimble Pokemon easily dodged it and two more were grabbing up the blue and white Pokemon.
"Get them, Pikachu!" Ash hollered, holding his arm out for yellow mouse to jump out from. It's electric shock hit several Pokemon and people, but unfortunately Plusle and Minun's captors were not among them. And the tide just continued to set in on them. There just seemed to be no end, and soon they found themselves surrounded and separated.
In one last desperate attempt to get back to its trainer, Pikachu used thunder on whole area around it, bolts of electricity hitting both friend and foe. Ash stood over Tory to protect him from it, knowing that he could take it while the silver-haired boy most likely wouldn't be able to.
And then a bolt hit close to Ash, but not hitting him or Tory, and the ground gave way beneath their feet. Pikachu shouted in alarm as its friend suddenly vanished into the earth, and its momentary distraction led to its capture. "Should we follow them?" one grunt asked.
"No," a commander replied. "I don't know how far it goes, but I doubt they will survive it.
Ash and Tory bounced off several rocks on their way down, falling into what seemed to be an underground cave system. With how far they fell they should have died, but they were lucky; they were over an underground lake. The rocks slowed they enough that the water only knocked their breath away, which Ash was able to recover quickly. Surfacing, he looked around, growing more and more frantic when Tory didn't appear. Diving back under, he worked quickly to locate the younger boy and drag him to land. "Breath, Tory," Ash pleaded, checking and finding the boy wasn't. "You can't die on me, Tory, you just can't!" he yelled, placing both hands on the silverette's chest and starting chest compressions. Pinching Tory's nose, he placed his mouth over the other boy's and breathed into him. There was no response so he started again. The second and third times offered no response as well. Starting to feel discourage, he whispered, "Tory, I love you, so you can't die on me," before breathing into the boy the fourth time.
For a moment, it didn't seem to work. Then Tory started coughing and choking up water. The offending liquid gurgling in his mouth, Tory rolled over onto his side so he wouldn't choke on it a second time. Relieved to the point where his mind went blank, Ash sat idly behind the smaller preteen, absently patting his back in comfort.
"It's okay now, you're okay," the ravenette stated, calming down immensely. The fact that Pikachu was taken still weighed on his heart, but he knew he could get his Pokemon back. If Tory died… that'd be the end of it; there'd be no coming back. "It's okay…" he added quietly, collapsing and resting his head on Tory's side.
It took the silver-haired boy a moment to recover enough to speak. Lying there and bathing in the warmth given off by the body pressed up against his back, he stalled just as long as he dared before asking, "Did you really mean that?"
Confused, Ash asked in reply, "What do you mean? Of course everything will be okay. We'll get our Pokemon back and free the Deoyxs, I swear."
"Not that," Tory said, swallowing the lump in his throat. "When I was still… Before you got the water out of my lungs… you said… you know. Did you really mean that?" By the end of his disjointed speech Ash's cheeks had turned the color of fire.
"Y-you actually heard that?" Ash stuttered, scrambling back until his hit the cave wall. "L-look, I-I didn't mean it that way! I love you, b-but it's purely a fr-friendship type love! It's n-not, well, l-like that in any way."
By this time Tory had seen passed Ash's feeble attempts to cover his previous words and crawled forward until his face was just an inch from the older trainer's. "That's okay," he said, acting with confidence he did not possess. His heart was beating faster than a racing Rapidash, but if there was anything that the other boy had taught him it was that some things you just have to do. If he thought about it he would chicken out, so he just moved before his mind could think about it. The kiss was short and chaste, but it passed his feelings on perfectly. And when he pulled away the full weight of the situation they were in hit him and he fell into Ash's arms and cried.
A small, but somber, smile on his face, the trainer wrapped his arms around the boy in his lap. "We'll get them back," he stated.
"Yeah, I know," Tory cried, completely exhausted and at the breaking point.
Grabbing Tory's chin and lifting it so the young scientist had to look him in the eyes, Ash reiterated, "Everything will be alright. They won't think we survived that fall and if this tunnel can get us inside the compound that will be even more advantageous to us. For now, though, we should just rest. We will not be of any help if we're completely exhausted."
"But they still have Plusle and Minun and Pikachu!" Tory shouted feebly.
"And they will still be there to save in twelve hours," Ash replied, gripping Tory's shoulders. "Believe me, I want to go right now, too. But right now I need to rest and regain my energy. If we charge in now we will just be caught and then what help will we be to them?" Looking down, though whether it was out of shame or lack of energy Ash didn't know, Tory gave no more objections. Pulling the boy closer to him, Ash said, "We still have each other, and we will get them back. So for now just sleep."
I will be the first to admit, I put some pretty corny lines in this. But if you think of it from a twelve-year-olds pov, it makes sense, right? :P
