A/N: Okay ladies and gents, here we go with the second chapter of this story. However before we continue on, I'd like to take a moment to thank those of you who managed to find the "Review" button down at the bottom of this page.
Seriously, when I came back to I was so lost, what with all the new changes and add-ons, etc.
Random: I've been debating whether or not to keep Ash's original team intact myself. But, logic dictates that with a change of this magnitude, events will play out differently. This chapter might give you a little bit of a taste of what I mean.
Yereton: I'm glad you're strapped in for the ride! And that the last chapter was able to open the floodgates…of emotion!
Keiko Sahara: Thanks for the praise! I know what you mean in regards to too much Ash and Pikachu, though that's not to say that I hate them. I love Pikachu's character, but I just thought it was time to go for a different approach. Trust me, I've fought with myself over which Pokemon Ash should find, and every single one you mentioned crossed my mind.
InTheYearOfTheCat: Now now, let's not insult those who are no longer with us. Though I'm glad to see that there are more than two of us who would like to see a different take on Pokemon. Can't wait to hear more from you!
And now, on with the second chapter and hopefully an intriguing plot line!!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters. They belong to…their creator, who's name escapes me at the moment.
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In the weeks following Pikachu's death, Ash had decided to travel with Misty and try to pick up where he had left off.
It wasn't easy.
There was absolutely nothing he could do when it came to Pokemon-not without his own anyway. Sure Misty had offered to battle for him when they encountered wild Pokemon, but Ash had declined. It wouldn't be the same.
Nothing ever would.
And it wasn't as if Ash was overly enthusiastic about training anymore. Sometimes, he and Misty would walk in awkward silence for hours passing up pokecenters and towns like they were nothing. His eyes weren't devoid of emotion; they just seemed to be stuck in mounting depression.
Misty was worried about her friend.
They had gotten to know each other a lot better over the weeks and she knew now that when he had set off from home, his greatest desire had been to become a Pokemon Master. He had wanted to catch them all, and prove to his rival, his friends, and his mother that he was someone more than the over excitable kid they all thought they knew.
Now though, the only times he ever really came out of his shell were over dinner while they were sitting around their campfire. Misty smiled fondly at one of the brighter memories of the last few weeks.
They had stopped to make camp for the first time after leaving the pokecenter, and Ash had been quick to volunteer to gather the wood for the fire, automatically delegating the task of preparing food to Misty.
And he had quickly come to regret his decision.
How one managed to destroy half of their food supplies and any and all clothes he had been planning to use with just boiled water was a mystery that he never wanted to figure out.
Needless to say, Ash was now on food duty.
Apparently Ash's mom, Delia Ketchum, had seen fit to keep her son around the kitchen while he was growing up. And he had picked up a lot in the ten years he'd been observing.
Misty had nearly cried out in ecstasy when she had dug in to their first dinner made by Ash. She hadn't stopped raving about it for hours, and truthfully Ash was pleased with himself. He even offered to teach her what he knew, just in case he wasn't there and she needed to make her own food. Of course she had agreed instantly, and the lessons had begun the next day.
Looking over at her companion now though, she realized that he had withdrawn back into himself again. He was remembering and blaming himself again.
Misty sighed.
'Oh Ash…' she thought as she repositioned her backpack on her shoulder, 'why won't you let yourself forgive yourself?'
She had been trying so hard to get him to stop dwelling on things he couldn't change, and she had thought they were making progress. But seeing his slow, unenthusiastic gait and his bowed head, she could see that he was just as bad as he had ever been.
Misty didn't know what to do.
Sure grieving was natural, but to go on this long without any sort of improvement in his condition? 'I'm not trying to sound heartless,' she told herself, 'it's just…not healthy. And I don't want him to be like this all the time. I want to get to know the real Ash.'
She stomped her foot in frustration.
Hearing this, Ash turned slightly towards her. "Something wrong Misty?" he asked hollowly.
Misty's eye twitched.
Ash shrugged, turning away from her and continuing forward.
That did it.
"ALRIGHT!! THAT'S IT!! ASH KETCHUM, IF YOU DON'T GET OFF YOUR DAMN PITY POT AND START DOING SOMETHING WITH YOUR LIFE, I'M GOING TO BEAT THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF YOU!!! YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?!"
Ash continued to walk on as if he hadn't heard the redhead's outburst.
Enraged at being ignored, Misty lunged at him, grabbing him by his shoulder and violently spinning him around so that he was facing her.
"DON'T YOU DARE BLOW ME OFF LIKE THAT ASH!! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!!" Seeing him averting his eyes away from her, Misty shook him roughly, catching his attention, "LISTEN TO ME DAMMIT!! I KNOW YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A ROUGH TIME ASH, BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP ON MOVING FORWARD!!"
"Well I'm trying to but you won't-"
She cut him off, "I MEAN MENTALLY YOU IDIOT!!" Sighing heavily, Misty managed to calm herself down, "Look, Ash I know Pikachu-" Ash flinched at the mention of his lost Pokemon, "Stop that! I know Pikachu meant a lot to you, even though you had him for only a day, but you can't tell me he wanted you to be like this."
When he didn't respond, Misty continued, "You can't keep blaming yourself for something that was out of your control Ash. It won't do you any good in the long run."
Something flashed in Ash's eyes, and he seemed to tense. Quietly he spoke, "B-but it is my fault."
"NO Ash, it isn't!"
"Yes it is! Yes it is…if-if I had just been less stupid and cocky…if I hadn't have been convinced I could catch that Spearow by myself…he'd…he'd still be a-alive right now."
Ash started to shake at this, out of anger or sadness, Misty couldn't tell. "Ash…"
"I hit it, the Spearow. I picked up a rock and…and threw it at him. He…Pikachu, he was up in a tree, trying to get as far away from me as possible. I didn't know w-why at the time…I thought he would just-just listen to whatever I told him to do.
"B-but I…he…I was determined to catch a Pokemon…to show him that I w-wasn't some s-stupid trainer that he could just ignore…and…I threw the rock…I-I k-killed…"
Misty shook him again, this time breaking into his reverie, "No you did NOT!! Stop saying that!!"
"B-but I d-did…" he protested weakly.
"No you didn't!" Sighing in frustration, Misty continued, "Do you know what Nurse Joy told me while you and Pikachu-" he flinched again, "-were talking?" At the shake of his head, Misty continued, "She said that all of the wounds that he got from the flock of Spearow shouldn't have been enough to kill him."
Ash stopped, listening intently now.
"In addition to the wounds from the Spearow, there was also massive burn damage all over Pikachu's-" flinch, "-body. Electrical burns. In addition to that, he was completely drained of energy. Ash, you didn't kill Pikachu…he did. He overexerted himself, and it just so happened to be more than he could handle."
Ash's eyes widened, disbelief etched into his face. "He…he…?"
Misty nodded, "He died…to protect you. He died so that you could live. He loved you Ash, even if it wasn't evident at first."
Something Misty said sparked a memory from weeks earlier. Something that Pikachu had said…
"I didn't say you had to forget. I just want you to keep going and not let yourself fall because of an accident….promise me that you won't give up on your dreams…life is too short to live in the past…keep your heart open to everyone you meet, human and Pokemon. If you do that you'll be not only a good friend and trainer, but an extraordinary person…I love you too…friend."
All at once, everything came crashing down on Ash as realization hit him full in the face. He fell to his knees, bracing himself with his hands.
"ASH!" Misty cried, kneeling down next to him in concern.
"Oh Misty…" Ash whimpered, tears falling to the dirt road beneath him, "Oh Misty h-he's gone! He's g-gone…"
"Ash…" Misty whispered, wrapping her arms around the distraught boy in front of her, "It's alright, just let it out."
And he did.
Neither knew how long they stayed there, kneeling in the middle of the path, but they stayed until Ash couldn't cry anymore.
Now calming down, Ash spoke softly, "Misty…you-you're right. It wasn't my fault. Pikachu told me the same thing. He…he also told me that I…that I had to live. He said I had to keep moving forward, because life is too short to live in the past."
Misty held him tighter, realizing that this just might be what Ash needed to start healing properly.
"I guess…I guess I just needed a reminder. H-he made me promise not to stop; he said I had t-to keep chasing my dreams…haha. That blasted mouse…he was right…you were right. I-I'm sorry I've been such a bad traveling partner Mist…I guess I just needed a little push in the right direction, huh?"
Misty smiled brightly at him as she pulled away slightly, "I guess you did Mr. Ketchum, I guess you did."
And for the first time in a long time, Ash smiled back.
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A/N: End Chapter 2. There you have it ladies and gents, another chapter courtesy of a weekend sitting behind a desk. Again, thank you to those of you who reviewed, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy this story.
Now, I do have something to ask those of you reading. Name two Pokemon, any two Pokemon, that I could possibly use in this story. I've drawn up a blank. Personal acknowledgement and cameo appearances to those who's ideas I use.
-HakushoRurouni