DISCLAIMER: They're mine! All mine! And you can't have 'em!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! They're mi....wait, is this thing on? Uh, no, they're not mine. Not at all. Please don't sue - you WON'T like me very much if you do. Mainly because you'll be spending $$ in lawyers fees to become the sole posessor of $6.73 and my hat which you can have - it's real ugly.
RATING: PG - parents beware! *gasp* There's a sad scene in it!
FEEDBACK: Thanks to the extremely kind things said to me by Wyvern, Jason, and the unbelievably talented Shadowcat, I've decided to put a rush order on this part. So tell me what you think!!
Now on to the (never-ending) story!
" Hold on!" Brock shouted raggedly as the wind whipped by them. Onix was speeding down the hill as fast as it could go. Misty and Gary clung to the rocky protrusions on it's back in an effort to remain seated where they were. But neither of them complained. In fact, both were urging the rock pokemon to go even faster.
With a growl, Onix slid to a stop on a small ledge, just out of reach of the oceans powerful waves. Salty-sea spray stung their faces as they climbed off peered over the edge, trying to catch a glimpse of their fallen friend. " I don't see him anywhere!" Gary shouted from one end. Misty forced the panic away and pulled out her pokeballs. " Staryu! Starmie! Goldeen!" she screamed as they landed in the water. " Find Ash! Quickly!"
Convinced by her panicking tone, all three pokemon dove under the surface at top speed. Gary pulled out his pokeball too. " You too Starmie!" His Starmie fell into the water with a splash and disappeared, having joined the search. Brock's eyes flew back and forth, searching the water.
Fear began gnawing at his stomach and he fought to keep from losing it completley. His gaze fell on the sharp rocks, rising through the water like deadly spikes and he swallowed convulsively. " Ash!"' he shouted. No answer, not that he'd expected any. Beside him, Gary's face was white, and his fists were clenched tightly, his nails cutting little half-moons into his skin. Brock was confused, but he ignored it for now. Misty was still straining to catch a glimpse of something, anything. Suddenly she gasped.
" Look!" It was Staryu, breaking the waves. Laying parallel to the ocean floor, Staryu was skimming his way to the ledge, a crumpled figure draped across it. " Ash!" she screamed. Brock grabbed her shirt to keep her from falling in, in her eagerness to reach the young trainer. " Help him!" Staryu had reached the ledge and was hovering in midair. " Gary, help me!" Brock snapped as he hurried over. Gary snapped out of his trance and leaped to Ash's side. Together, they carefully lifted Ash off Staryu. " Try to keep him level!" Brock gasped. Gary nodded and slowly manouvered Ash so that he was lying on the ledge in front of them. His eyes were closed, his skin white. A half-strangled sound escaped Misty's throat and she was on her knees next to him in a flash.
" He's not breathing," she said, fighting back tears. " We have to start CPR!" " But I don't know how!" Brock said in a panic. Misty knew - as a water trainer, it was one of the first things her parents taught her. She prepared to do it herself.
Suddenly Gary knelt over Ash from the other side, and placed his hands on Ash's chest. " You breathe, I'll do the compressions," he stated. Misty nodded and blew two breaths into Ash's mouth, pinching his nose shut as she did. Gary counted out five compressions and Misty again breathed for Ash. They continued this for several seconds, checking to see if it were having any effect. Ash remained unresponsive. Throughout all of this, Pikachu was watching, a terrified look on his little face. " Pikapi," he whimpered. Brock started at the sound and gathered Pikachu in his arms. They had forgotten all about the pokemon in their haste to get to Ash. " Shhh, Pikachu. Ash is gonna be fine," he said soothingly, desperatley hoping that what he'd told Pikachu wasn't a lie. Gary and Misty continued to breathe for Ash until a rescue team made it around the base of the mountain by speedboat.
An official league doctor took charge and had Ash hooked up to a machine that began breathing for him. As the team prepared Ash for moving, the doctor faced the three teens. " By getting to him so quickly and starting CPR, you may have saved his life," he said solemnly. Misty choked, and Brock wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. Gary stood up. " Why aren't you moving him out yet?" " We are. But we have to be extremely careful. It looks like he has some bad injuries, not to mention internal ones as well." Gary's face had gone even paler, if such a thing were possible. The doctor looked at them sympathetically before turning back to the team who lifted Ash up onto a flat board and placed him in the boat. " A second boat will be here in a minute to pick you three up. You can meet us at the hospital." " Wait!" cried Misty. " Can't one of us go with him?" But the boat's engines had already started and Misty fell to her knees as the boat sped towards the harbour.
Brock helped her to her feet, as the second boat appeared in view. " Come on Misty. We'll meet Ash there." he looked around. " Where's Pikachu?" Gary, Misty and Brock searched the ledge quickly. " He must have jumped on the boat when we weren't looking," Brock said at last. Misty gave him a watery smile. " At least Ash isn't alone." Piling into the second speedboat, the captain turned it around and jetted towards the docks. While on their way, Misty looked at Gary. " I'm sorry," she said quietly. " Huh? For what?" Gary looked at her, puzzled. " I was such a...well, I wasn't very nice to you, and you helped me save Ash's life." Misty played with a suspender strap nervously. " Thank you." " Your welcome Misty." Gary said softly." And don't worry about it. You were worried about Ash. And beside's, you were right." " About what?" " It WAS my fault. Kidoking disobeyed me. I knew he wasn't being very obediant lately - something's the matter with him. But I was so determined to prove to Ash that I was the better trainer, I sent Nidoking out anyway." Gary lowered his eyes. " For that, I'm sorry."
Misty stared at the boy in shock. Where was the confidence? The arrogance? She leaned forward. " It's not your fault Gary. It was Nidoking who struck Pikachu. And it was Ash's decision to jump after him," her voice faltered slightly. " Beside's, Ash did the same thing." " Huh?" " He sent out an untrained Charizard." she smiled slightly at the look on Gary's face. Then he smiled. The boat sped on towards the docks.
They reached the hospital in no time. Sprinting to the counter, Brock pulled up short in front of Nurse Joy. But for once, he didn't even try to impress her. " How's Ash Ketchum?" he demanded, slightly out of breath. Behind him, Misty and Gary skidded to a halt, anxiously awaiting her answer. Before she could reply, a doctor dressed in a white lab coat rounded the corner. Misty recognized him as the lead doctor from the rescue team. " You!" she cried out. " Where's Ash? Is he all right?" The doctor held his hands out, trying to placate them. " He's in surgery right now. They had to rush him in right away. We won't know anything until the surgery team tells us." " Was there a pikachu with him?" Brock asked. " Yes - and he's in the room ash was first brought too. We had to use a rubber suit to get Ash out - Pikachu was frying anyone who tried to get close to Ash." The doctor's voice softened. " He thought we were trying to hurt him more." " He's still there?" " Yes. We told him Ash would be coming back to that room, and he refuses to leave." Brock and Misty exchanged looks. Then Misty stepped forward. " Then that's where we'll wait too," she said firmly. The doctor nodded resignedly. " This way." And so they waited throughout the night, to hear of their friend's condition.
I just love cliffhangers. Don't you?
GREATEST BATTLE OF ALL PART 6 - DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE 'TIL..
DISCLAIMER: Must I? >sigh< They. Are. Not. Mine. If not for my paralyzing fear of lawyers, I wouldn't keep writing this part!
RATING: PG - all the way!
FEEDBACK: You know, when someone tells me they like my work and then tell me why they did, or where I could improve, it really brightens my day. Take the hint?
NOTES: Okay, for those of you just tuning in, Ash fell off a cliff during a final battle in the Pokemon League against Gary, while saving Pikachu. Those who are wondering why Gary seems so different from the cartoon, all I can say is..>deep breath< GO BACK AND READ PARTS 1 TO 3!!!! And for those curious as to the whereabouts of the infamous Team Rocket....we''have to see.
Preeeeee-senting: Part Six!
Van Gogh could not have painted a more dismal picture then the view that lay before Brock, Misty and Gary. Upon their arrival to the room where Ash would be relocated after his surgery, they had stopped short in the doorway. A forlorn looking Pikachu sat in the corner of the bed, clutching Ash's League hat with desperation.
Tear tracks traced their way down his yellow fur and his eyes, usually bright and sparkling with mischief, were bleak and utterly heartbroken. Misty's eyes welled up at the sight, and without a word, she crossed the room and gathered the pokemon in her arms, rocking back and forth soothingly. Brock looked at Gary. " Let's get something to drink." The two of them left to give Misty and Pikachu some privacy. After a few minutes, Pikachu pushed away from her and looked up.
" Pikapi?" he asked softly. Misty recognized his name for Ash and shook her head. " We don't know yet, Pikachu," she said, rubbing his back gently. Pikachu whined and then reached down to the bed. Misty's eyes widened slightly. " Ash's pokeballs!" She picked them up. " How did you get these Pikachu?" Pikachu took a defensive stance and raised his tiny fists. " Pikachu!" Misty smiled. " Threatening the doctors, huh?" Pikachu nodded. " Pika." " You know Pikachu, the doctors are only trying to help Ash," Misty said. " Pi," Pikachu nodded slowly and then looked at her earnestly. " Pikachi, pi pikachu. Pika!" Through the tone of his voice and the various gestures he made, Misty finally figured out what Pikachu meant.
" You wanted to watch over his stuff, since you can't watch over him." " Pika." Pikachu's voice was resolute, but he still looked miserable. Misty could guess why though. " Ash loves you a lot," she told the mouse. " That's why he went after you." " Pi, pika," Pikachu said waving his hands. He pointed at himself and then at the bed. Misty looked confused; then her face cleared. " He'd do it again in a heartbeat for you - but he'd never let you do something like that for him Pikachu. Don't feel guilty because he's hurt and you're not." " Piiiika," Pikachu murmered. Misty higged him again, and her voice became wistful. " Don't feel guilty, Pikachu. Two of us, is enough." " Pika?" Pikachu looked up - now HE was confused. Misty glanced down at him. " Gary already thinks it's his fault-" " Pikachu!" " It was not, Pikachu!" Misty said sternly. " Gary's Nidoking disobeyed him. And you of all of us, should know the risks that come in battling!" " Pi," the mouse said reluctantly. Then he looked at her. " Pika?" Tapping Misty, he looked at her questioningly. " Why do I feel guilty?" Misty asked rhetorically. " Because I've been acting like an idiot." Now Pikachu was REALLY confused. " Okay, maybe that wasn't very clear," she said with a small grin at the perplexion on Pikachu's face. " I meant that, this whole time I've been with you and Ash and Brock, I've always acted...I don't know - aloof?" " Pikachu!" Pikachu shook his head. Misty smiled again. " No, not with you - you're too cute to whack with my mallet!" Her face sobered again. " I mean, you guys have become my second family. And I never told you that." Her face crumpled. " I never told Ash that." Silent tears made their way down her face. " Pii?" Pikachu whimpered. " I always thought I'd tell him another time. That there'd always be a chance in the future. But I kept putting it off, or denying anything and everything. All the times I've made fun of him and his dream...how could he not hate me? But he didn't." Misty went quiet. " I've already lost my parents, and I was never close to my sisters. But Ash and Brock and you are my best friends in the world." Pikachu pointed at her. " Pikachu. Pikapi, chu." "Huh?" Misty looked at Pikachu.Then she shrugged her shoulders. " You're right. I DO like Ash. But it may be too late for me to tell him." Suddenly the dam burst.
All of her emotions, the panic of the accident, the shelving away of her feelings to react in a crisis; something inside of her snapped and she broke down, crying out her fears and frustrations. Pikachu crept on to her lap and the two of them comforted each other as they waited to hear from the doctor.
Brock paid for the drinks and carried them over to the table Gary had staked out for them in a corner of the hospital cafeteria. He handed on to the trainer and sat down himself. Gary glanced at him. " Thanks," he said, referring to the drink. Brock shrugged. " No problem." Sipping on his own beverage, Brock studied Gary intently. Any trace of arrogance or self-rightousness had evaporated the minute Pikachu had been flung off the cliff, and even with Ash in such serious condition, Brock, couldn't understand why Gary was there. Gary looked back at him. " Yeah?" he asked defensively. Brock sighed. THERE was the attitude. " How come you're still here?" he asked." Ash is in the hospital now, receiving good care. Technically, you won the battle. So why aren't you back, getting ready to face the elite? Nobody would blame you for it." Gary was silent. " You guys really have a low opinion of me," he said at last. " Not that I blame you though. Me and Ash really don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things." " You don't say," Brock said sarcastically. " Come on," Gary protested. " We're competitors! I treat them all that way!" " At the expense of friends?" Brock asked him quietly. Gary shook his head. " We used to be friends, Ash and I," he admitted. Brock raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It's true," he insisted." Then we both got into pokemon trainig, and well...winning became more important to me. Ash loved the pokemon as much as the battles and to me, that was showing weakness. You have to be strong in order for your pokemon to respect you." " That's obvously not true," Brock pointed out. " All of Ash's pokemon respect and love him. Except for Charizard," he added as an afterthought. " I noticed that," Gary said, smiling faintly. " And apparently Nidoking's the same way." Brock sighed. " What happened, wasn't your fault Gary. And if he were here right now, Ash would tell you the same thing." " How could he?" Gary whispered." He should HATE me!" " Why?" Brock sounded totally surprised. " Because of the way I treat him!" Gary shouted. " All the times I've called him a loser, or insulted his pokemon - even when he won badges, I told him it meant nothing, that he was still worthless! And you ask why he shouldn't hate me?" " If you don't want him to hate you, why did you do it?" Brock sipped his drink calmly.
" I..I don't know," Gary admitted finally. He played with the edge of a napkin, shredding it to pieces. " Maybe I was...jealous." Brock put his drink down to pay attention. " Ash always made friend easily when we were younger. The teachers all loved him - to say he was teacher's pet was an understatement. I had to work harder to make friends." Gary closed his eyes, remembering. " It got on my nerves and I began snapping at him for nothing. Then, the next time I saw him was at my grandfather's getting his first pokemon. I had a big crowd there for me, and Ash had no one - he'd gotten there late. I felt really good. I mean, for once, the crowd was with ME! And when I put him down, my cheerleaders cheered and I felt on top of the world." " So you kept it up," Brock said levelly. " You wanted to prove to YOURSELF, that you were better then Ash." " Yeah. I guess so." Gary opened his eyes. " You and he and Misty are such good friends - anyone can see that, just from watching you. And Pikachu - I've never seen a more devoted pokemon. In fact, all of his pokemon are loyal like that. I envied him that, too." Brock was sympathetic. " Ash does have a way with pokemon. It's really amazing how well he can handle them, and how much they love him." " But why doesn't he hate me?" Gary asked, tension lacing his voice. Brock smiled at him.
" Because Ash isn't like that. He's a good person who tries to see the best in everyone. He may have disliked you, but he could never hate you. You're a pokemon trainer. While you both have different ways of training, Ash knows you treat your pokemon with respect. He also admires your dedication - he was really impressed with your knowledge of the Diglett when we were on our way to the Fuschia Gym." " He was?" Gary asked. " I thought he was just being polite. I kinda brushed him off." " I know." Brock's voice was hard. Then he softened it." Ash is just that way, Gary." "I think I knew that," Gary admitted. " But what he did today...I don't think I could ever leap off a cliff, not even for someone I cared about. I'm not that brave." " I think Ash was terrified. But concern for his friend overcame that fear." Awe colored Brock's voice. " I saw what happened, and while at the time I couldn't believe it, what Ash did was very much in character for him." " Yeah.." Gary lapsed into silence. Then he spoke. " I'm jealous of that too." Brock hardly batted an eye. " So am I." He crushed the can of pop in his hands. Gary looked at him in surprise. " Brock?"
" It's funny," Brock said sadly." Ash and Misty have become very important to me. I grew up in a large family that I eventually had to take care of. When I joined Ash and Misty, I never expected to gain another family." He smiled." I think somewhere along the way, I adopted a new brother and sister." Gary nodded. " You never think that anything bad could ever happen - I certainly didn't see this coming. We've gotten out of so many scrapes before, I began thinking we were immune to danger!" " Nobody ever is, but everybody thinks that," Gary agreed, sympathetically. " I think I always knew Ash was my best friend," Brock said slowly. " But it never really came up. The three of us always assumed that we all knew." " And now it may be too late," finished Gary. They looked at each other. It was a sobering thought.
Eventually, the two of them ended back up in the hospital room. Brock noted that while Misty's eyes were red, she seemed better. Maybe being alone with Pikachu for comfort, had allowed her to release some of her emotions. Brock hoped so. Misty reminded him of his second - oldest sister. She never let her emotions out. Brock had had to pry information out of her, to get her to open up. He didn't want Misty to burn out, especially when all of them needed each other. Pikachu was sleeping restlessly on her lap, whimpering when he turned over. Just then, a knock sounded on the door and the doctor came in holding a clipboard. " We just finished the surgery," he announced.
***************
God, this WAS long wasn't it? I know some of you REALLY want me to get to the point, but the point of my story is to get into the heads of the characters and that can take some time! If you've stuck with me so far, you're past the halfway mark - good for you! And as always, tell me what you think, what to do, where to go...on second thought, skip that last part!!
GREATEST BATTLE OF ALL PART 7 - BARRIERS OF DOUBT
DISCLAIMER: Zey are not mine. Zey belong to zee people at Nintendo, so leaff me alone! Au revoir!
RATING: PG
FEEDBACK: See? Here I am begging again! I have no shame.
NOTES: Someone complained to me that the stories I've done are too angsty, so I'm issuing a warning. Yes, I am an angsty person - at least in this series.Anyway, if you don't like expressions of friendship, or concern over a loved one, I suggest you seek counselling to deal with your emotionally constipated issues and avoid the story. Got it? To those who have been very supportive and encouraging, I will continue this story until the end.
Westward ho!
Why second guess What feels so right Just trust your heart And you'll see the light - "True To Your Heart" by 98 Degrees
If the world was a fair place, Misty's mallet would be large enough to knock that doctor hard enough to make him spit out coherent and understandable sentences. Her head spinning, she held up her hand, cutting the doctor off in mid-sentence. " Wait a minute!" she snapped. Beside her, similar looks of confusion had replaced the worry on Brock and Gary's faces. " In English!" Doctor Smith sighed." I said, he has suffered a hairline fracture in the tibula..." he trailed off at the blank stares. " He broke his arm." " Oh," Brock nodded. " He had some internal bleeding which we managed to stem, and we patched up most of the cuts and bruises." Doctor Smith continued. " Some strained ribs which we believe are the result of his hitting the water from such a height. One was broken, but luckily it didn't pierce any major organs. The impact of his head hitting the water also left him with a mild concussion." He faced Misty and Gary. " Thanks to you two performing CPR, you gave his brain enough oxygen to go on until we arrived and hooked him up to our machine. He's now breathing on his own, and he's resting comfortably." The doctor finished and raised his eyes. "Questions?" " Can we see him?" Misty asked hopefully. " For a bit. He'll be brought here after a stay in the surgery recovery room" The doctor nailed each of them with a hard look. " You may have a short visit, if you leave when I tell you. Is that understood?" Misty, Brock and Gary all nodded in acquisience. For nearly an hour, they waited. Pikachu strained his ears, picking up the sound of wheels coming down the hallway.
Brock bit back a choked sound at the sight of Ash's pale form being wheeled into the room on a gurney. The orderlies placed him on the bed carefully and the nurse checked and doublechecked the machines. After tucking the blankets around Ash firmly, the nurse smiled gently at the three youths and left the room to give them some privacy. Doctor Smith followed. Pikachu fought free of Misty's grip and leaped at the bed. Landing on the edge, Pikachu nudged Ash's arm gently. When there was no response, Pikachu crept up to Ash's head and curled up on the pillow next to him, eyes fixed on his trainer.
Misty and Brock came forward slowly. Gary elected to remain by the door, a closed look on his face. " Ash?" Misty whispered. The machines answered her, beeping softly. Sitting down next to him, she picked up his good hand and held it, willing him to open his eyes. Brock put a hand on her shoulder as he leaned over. " Ash? Come on buddy, wake up," Brock said coaxingly. He thought he saw Ash's eyesflutter and he gasped. " Misty, did you see that?" " Huh" Misty stared at Ash's face. " Ash? Can you hear me?" Pikachu snuck down to where Misty was holding Ash's hand. She released it and Pikachu crawled underneath it, feigning a motion of Ash petting him. Suddenly, Ash's fingers moved and slowly stroked Pikachu's soft fur.
" Ash!" Misty looked up at Brock; yes, he had seen Ash's fingers move. " Ash! Wake up!" A soft moan came from Ash's lips as his eyelids fluttered again. Then slowly, they opened and he blearily looked up, struggling to bring the room into focus.
"...misty..brock.." Ash whispered hoarsely, recognizing them. " How do you feel?" Brock asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. Beside him, Misty sniffled. "...terrible...how's Pikachu?" he asked in an alarmed voice, strength coming into it. " He's fine Ash - he's right here." Misty nodded to the yellow bundle of fur trembling beside him. " Pikachu!" Ash sighed with relief. " You're okay!" Pikachu merely cuddled up close. " Pikapi!"' Pikachu chirruped. Ash's arm closed around him weakly. " You saved his life Ash," Misty said, pride shining in her eyes.Then her eyes flashed teasingly. " But if you EVER scare me like that again, I'll make your life a living hell!" Ash grimaced. " I promise," he whispered. Understanding grew in his eyes and he smiled warmly at her, reaching for her hand and squeezing it gently. She returned it but said nothing. One roadblock had been hurdled. Brock cleared his throat. " Good to have you back with us," he said." We missed you." " Missed you too," Ash yawned. Then he noticed something. "Who else is here?" Brock turned and motioned Gary forwards. Ash's eyes widened. " Gary?" " Hey Ash," Gary said uncomfortably. Ash grinned faintly. " What are you doing here? You should be at the stadium!" Gary swallowed. Why was Ash being nice to him? " I...I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about what..well, you know, what happened." Ash looked confused. " Huh?" " Remember?" Gary looked concerned. Maybe Ash had amnesia or something from the concussion. " It was my Nidoking that knocked Pikachu off the cliff." Ash nodded. " Oh." He shook his head. " It wasn't your fault Gary." Gary looked up in shock. Ash went on. " It was mine."
" WHAT?" Misty, Brock and Gary all blurted out at the same time. Pikachu cocked his head at Ash, puzzled. Ash looked at the mouse sadly. " I'm sorry Pikachu. You never would have been in any danger if I had thought to bring a spare pokeball for you." " But you couldn't have known what was going to happen!" objected Brock. Misty nodded. " And Pikachu NEVER goes in a pokeball." " That's no excuse," Ash said quietly. " As a trainer, I'm responsible for my pokemon's safety. I should have had a backup, should have been prepare for any eventuality. I was careless." " No, I'd call jumping off a cliff reckless, at the very least. At the very most, I'd call it unbelievably brave," said Gary without thinking. Then he snapped his mouth shut, a panicked expression on his face. Ash grinned. " I thought you didn't like me Gary!" Gary stammered, trying to avoid the comment. Ash smiled knowingly and Gary gave up, returning a cocky smile at him. Then the smile left Ash's face. " Careless, reckless...either way, I was irresponsible. I have no right to be a trainer." Ash looked at the side table where his jacket lay folded where the nurse had left it. He reached out with his good arm and picked it up, running his fingers along the inside lapel where his badges wore. He dropped the jacket to the floor. " I quit."
" What?" " You can't!" " What about you're dream to become a pokemon Master Ash?" Misty asked in shock. Ash shook his head. " No Master risks his pokemon like that, just to win a battle." " Ash, you made a mistake. And it wasn't just yours - none of us even thought about Pikachu needing a pokeball! And no one saw the cliffs being used by ground fighters!" Brock put in hurriedly. " It wasn't your responsibility to remember," Ash pointed out. " It was mine." " But you can't quit!" Gary stared in shock at his former rival. " It was my pokemon who disobeyed me!" " It wanted to win. That was the whole point of the battle." Throughout all of this, Pikachu had watched numbly, in shock. His trainer? Quitting? Ash never quit! " Pikapi?" he asked. Ash looked at him sorrowfully. " I'm sorry Pikachu." He faced the others. " But my mind is made up." About to argue further, the trio's voices were cut off as the nurse stepped back into the room. " Nice to see you awake young man!" she smiled brightly. Checking the machines, she bustled about the room stopping only once. " Time for you three to go. Ash needs his rest." Indeed, Ash's eyes were drifting shut even as he tried to remain awake. " But.." " Out! You can come back later." Brock, Misty and Gary were all herded out the door, each throwing last glances back at the distraught young trainer. Pikachu remained where he was. Returning, the nurse spotted him sitting on the bed, under Ash's arm. " Out you go too!" she said, intending to deposit Pikachu outside the door.
Outside, Brock paced the lobbey, trying to dispell some of the nervousness. Misty and Gary sat down on the chairs facing the lobbey doors. All three of them were concerned about Ash's announcement. " He CAN'T quit," Misty said finally. " Becoming a Master was his dream!" " He WON'T quit," Brock said firmly. " We're not going to let him." Gary nodded; then looked around quizzically. " Hey where's Pikachu?" Suddenly, the nurse that had shooed them out of Ash's room, came stumbling down the hallway, looking partly fried. " He's decided to stay with Ash," she said dazedly, and kept walking towards the nurses station. Brock's lips twitched and he burst out laughing. After a beat, Misty and Gary joined him, laughing uproariously, tears streaming down their faces. The outburst did them all good, and after a few minutes, Misty calmed herself and wiped the tears away, a glint of laughter still evident in her eyes. " I needed that," she sighed. Then she looked at Brock. " You're right, Brock. Ash isn't going to quit. We won't let him. Right?" She glanced at Gary. He grinned. " Right."
GREATEST BATTLE OF ALL Part 8- MY OWN, MY FAILURE
DISCLAIMER: I want to own Pikachu and Nintendo can keep the rest. But since when have I ever gotten what I wanted? >pouts< Therefore they are and shall ever remain, the property of the gods of Nintendo.
RATING: PG-13 It's just safer that way!
FEEDBACK: I order thee to hereby read yon fic and cast thy vote accordingly!
NOTES: We're on the home stretch now! This piece is just a rewrite of part 7 from Ash's point of view. I thought it would be good to get inside of his head at least once, since I did for everyone else - stop hitting me! Okay, I confess! I'm stuck for ideas for how to get Ash to not-quit so I wrote this to keep both fans and flamers at bay! Anyone who has read my series so far, if you've got any ideas, I'd love to hear 'em!
We now return to your regularly scheduled fanfiction:
Pride you took Pride you feel Pride that you felt when you kneel Not the word Not the love Not what you thought from above It feeds It grows It clouds all that you will know Deceit Deceive Decide just what you believe "The God That Failed" - Metallica
Darkness. The inky blackness seemes to swirl around him, sucking him down. No, not pulling - falling. Dizzyness shook him as he plunged further and further. He opened his mouth, screaming but no sound came out. Only silence greeted his terror as the ground appeared beneath him. He was going to hit, going to...
" Ash?"
A voice broke through the veil of pain and fear. It almost worked. The ground continued to rush towards him...
" Can you hear me?"
Ash could dimly hear the familiar voice echoing in his ears. It came from a softly shining light. Squinting at it, he struggled vainly to reach the glow but was too tired to keep it up. He felt himself drifting back when suddenly, he felt something. A softness, almost like smooth velvet fur curling underneath his fingertips. It felt vaguely familiar, and something cold and wet nuzzled his arm. In a motion that was almost automatic, he gently petted the furry thing. A doll? his tired mind tried to remember why it was so familiar. He whimpered softly as he fought against the welcoming darkness and slowly opened his eyes against the harsh light. Two forms stood over him and his dazed mind plucked two names from his jumbled memories.
"...misty...brock..." His voice sounded strange to him, like he'd been gargling with sandpaper. Brock suddenly moved into focus as he leaned closer.
" How do you feel?"
I jumped off a cliff. How do you think I feel? "...terrible..." he finally said, wincing internally as a twinge of pain stabbed into his gut. Something was nagging him...something important... " How's Pikachu?" he asked, remembering with alarm what had happened. He looked at the two of them in a panic. Misty smiled. " He's fine Ash - he's right here." Misty motioned towards his hand and he saw Pikachu cuddled up next to him, his cold little nose pressed against his arm. So THAT'S what that was, he thought happily. " Pikachu!" he sighed. " You're okay!" Relief flooded through him and as the pokemon snuggled closer he tightened his grip around him. Fear gripped his stomach as he remembered the sight of Pikachu being thrown over the cliff. Delayed reaction, he decided. Then something else struck him and a worm of doubt began to grow...
" You saved his life, Ash!" Misty broke into his thoughts. Looking up at her, he detected a faint sheen of tears shed on his behalf. " But if you ever scare me like that again, I'll make your life a living hell!" Ash made a face at her, playfully. " I promise," he said, going along with it. His eyes softened as he gripped Misty's hand gently, and saw her return the same caring look. I think we both have some talking to do, he thought. His heart warmed though - Brock's suspicions had been correct! He heard Brock clear his throat, and he turned to look at his other best friend. " It's good to have you back," Brock said. " We missed you." Tiredness was washing over Ash in waves. Yawning, he agreed,"...missed you too." And he had.
The dreams of him falling had happened in slow motion, over and over again. he had felt alone, and now, in the presence of his adopted family, he felt safe and complete. Then his eyes caught a movement behind Brock and he strained his eyes. " Who else is here?" Brock turned around and was waving at somebody to come forward. Ash wondered who it could be - except for his mother, his family was already there. Then his eyes shot open, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"Gary??" Ash said incredulously. Gary Oak? The perfect pokemon trainer? Must be here to gloat over his victory. " Hey Ash," Gary said, his voice uncharacteristically subdued. Ash frowned as his ears detected a faint note of guilt in his voice. Concerned, he asked with a faint smile," What are you doing here? You should be at the stadium!" Gary looked as though he wanted to avoid the question. " I...I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about...well, about what happened." Where was this coming from? Ash was really confused now. He studied Gary intently, for a hint of the old bravado that was so familiar. " Huh?" Now Gary looked concerned. " It was my Nidoking that knocked Pikachu off the cliff."
So THAT was what was bothering him. " Oh." Ash shook his head slowly, trying to keep the dizzyness at bay. Confident that he wasn't going to pass out, he looked at Gary solemnly." It wasn't your fault, Gary." He saw Gary's head snap up at that one. The doubt he had felt earlier began to kick in, as his mind began to clear up and everything returned to his memory. " It was mine."
Now Brock and Misty's head looked up with a jerk. He ignored them and focused on Pikachu who was watching him curiously. " I'm sorry Pikachu." Pikachu cocked his head to one side. " You never would have been in any danger if I had thought to bring along a spare pokeball for you." Three voices began clamouring at him, telling him that he was wrong that he couldn't have known, but he ignored them all. In his mind's eye, he saw himself telling Squirtle and Pikachu that he would do his best to become the best trainer for them. Didn't take me that long to blow that promise sky high, did it? he thought sarcastically. Dimly he heard Misty say something about how Pikachu refused to go in a pokeball and he looked at her seriously. " That's no excuse." Guilt was gnawing at him and the pain of his injuries and the shock of his memories returning churned inside him. He needed something to blame, but when he went over the events in his mind, the only person at fault that he could see, was himself. " As a trainer, I'm responsible for my pokemon's safety." Oh yeah, I did a REAL good job with THAT one. " I should have had a backup, should have been prepared for any eventuality. I was careless." And Pikachu nearly payed the price for my stupidity, he thought, automatically tightening his grip on the mouse pokemon. Then Gary spoke up. " No,I'd call jumping off a cliff reckless at the very least. At the very most, I'd call it unbelieveably brave!" Ash watched as Gary suddenly snapped his mouth shut, an embarrassed look spreading across his features. Ash couldn't pass up a chance like that. " I thought you didn't like me Gary!" Ash grinned as he watched Gary stammer out excuses. Then the lightness of the moment faded and he felt his smile disappear. He considered Gary's words, strugglig to keep the world around him in focus as he felt the tiredness reappear. "Careless, reckless....either way, I was irresponsible. I have no right to be a trainer." The admission hurt to say, but in his heart he knew it was true. He reached out to the nightstand and picked up his jacket. He ran his fingers along the badges pinned to the lapel, and he closed his eyes, reliving each battle that had won them. His pokemon had worked hard, striving to be the very best they could possibly be for him, and THIS was how he repaid them? Repaid Pikachu? I failed them, he thought miserably. As if he had no strength left, he let fingers open and his jacket fell to the floor. Just like my dreams, he thought. Hit the ground, go on, go through, six feet deep. Six feet deep. Like Pikachu could have been. He opened his eyes and stared at the jacket where it lay crumpled.
" I quit." Such finality, such conviction. His words sounded hollow, like a stranger had taken control of him. He saw his dreams shatter into a million fragments as he spoke those two little words and he felt his heart break as he realized he had truly failed. Not just his pokemon. He had also failed himself. What was there left to believe in?
After a shocked pause, Misty, Brock and Gary came to life. " What?" " You can't!" " What about your dream to become a pokemon master Ash?" asked Misty. Ash snorted internally. I have no dreams. " No master risks his pokemon like that, just to win a battle!" Ash said with conviction. " Ash, you made a mistake! And it wasn't just yours - none of us even thought about Pikachu needing a pokeball! And none of us saw the cliffs being used by ground fighters!" Brock tried to convince him. Ash shook his head again. " It wasn't your responsibility to remember," he said dully. " It was mine." Failure, failure, his voice taunted him in a sing-song tone. He squeezed his eyes shut against the mocking voice. Pain flared again as a reminder of what had happened. Gary tried to change his mind. " But you can't quit!" Disbelief colored his voice." It was my pokemon who disobeyed me!" Nice try, Ash thought weakly. Raising his voice with an effort, he argued," It wanted to win. That was the whole point of the battle." It wasn't Nidoking's fault, Ash knew. Some pokemon just weren't meant to obey their trainers all of the time. Ash knew this better then anyone - afterall, he had Charizard. And when was the last time Charizard listened to him voluntarily? Another wash of failure swept over him. No - he felt no malice towards Nidoking for doing what it had done. They weren't notoriously smart - Nidoking probably hadn't even realized what it had done until it was over. Besides, you can't blame a pokemon for it's trainers faults, and in this case, Ash couldn't blame either pokemon nor trainer. So that left him. He saw Pikachu watching him, a look of shock on his little face. " Pikapi?' Pikachu asked worriedly, but Ash shook his head sadly.
" I'm sorry Pikachu, but my mind's made up." He fought back the urge to yawn as he faced the others. They looked like they were about to argue when all of a sudden, the nurse strode back into the room. " Nice to see you awake young man!" she said cheerfully. Ash smiled faintly, the darkness creeping in at the edge of his vision. After checking the machines, she turned around and began shooing his friends out the door. " time for you to go - Ash needs his rest!" Ash couldn't agree more.He tuned out as he felt his eyes shutting, even though he hadn't given them permission to. He felt Pikachu's reassuring weight near him and he yawned, feeling safe and comfortable. Then he heard the nurse try and make Pikachu leave.
He tensed, afraid she'd take Pikachu away, that the nightmares would come back. He wanted Pikachu to stay with him and even as he opened his mouth, about to say so, he heard a ZZZIIZZAPPP!!!! and the hair on his arms stood on end. Cracking one eye open, he saw the partially friend nurse stumble out of the room, and he managed to chuckle at Pikachu. "...you didn't zap me with her..." he whispered. The last thing he remembered was a small tongue licking his cheek before he fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.
GREATEST BATTLE OF ALL PART 9 - Shades of Grey
DISCLAIMER: Nintendo knows all, see's all, and owns all!
RATING: PG-13
FEEDBACK: You know what I want!!
NOTES: I know a lot of people didn't like part 8 - however they didn't mention WHY.If you don't like something, tell me what about it bothered you so I'll try to avoid that error in the future. However, if it was a case of " I didn't like it, so there," type of deal, spare me. I could care less.
Like the damn pink bunny, we keep going, and going, and going, and going...
You can't change a stubborn mind You can't see the world if you're eyes are blind What does it matter anyway In our darkest hour, we're all just shades of grey
"Shades of Grey" - Amanda Marshall
Ash stood silently at the window, gazing out at the street. People passed by. smiles on their faces, laughter on their lips. He felt numb, detached from everything. The cheery atmosphere below seemed alien to him. " How can the world be so happy, when I'm so low?" he murmered, and then he chuckled grimly at himself. A knock on the door stirred him from his reverie, and he turned around as it opened and Misty stuck her head in.
" Hey Ash," she said quietly. She took in him standing at the window and her eyes narrowed." You do realize you're supposed to be resting?" Ash smiled faintly. " I was bored." " Well, we came back to Pallet to help you recover. This doesn't look like resting to me!" Misty started as something nudged her leg. Pikachu pushed by her and scampered up to his trainer. " Pika!" he cheered. Brock came into the room after him. " Hey Ash," he said, tucking a pokeball back into his pocket. " Don't worry, I gave Pikachu a good workout for you." " Thanks Brock." Ash hugged Pikachu to him, mindful of his cast. Brock sat down in Ash's desk chair. " So Ash - when do you think you'll be up to training again?" he asked pointedly. Ash looked up, a frown on his face. " I told you - I quit." Brock shrugged. " I figure if I keep asking, one of these days, I'll get a different answer." Misty giggled slightly, then trailed off with a sigh. " When are you going to realize that it wasn't your fault Ash?" she asked him. Silence answered. "Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu tapped Ash's face lightly. Ash looked away, guilt written across his features. " It WAS my fault - nothing can change that." " Okay, even if we WERE to say it was your fault, you more then made up for it," Misty said, nodding at the cast on his arm, and the taped bandages around his ribs. Ash shrugged. " Maybe." Brock stood up and walked to the window, face creased in thought. It wasn't like Ash to be so hard on himself. Wondering what could be making Ash feel so bad, he glanced back at him, as if he could read his friend's mind if he tried hard enough. Then the door opened again, and Mrs Ketchum walked in.
" Okay everybody, times' up! Ash, you're supposed to be in bed young man." She said gently pushing her son towards the bed. Misty got out of the way. " I've got to check on Togepi anyway," she said slowly, and left. Brock followed after clapping Ash on the back. Pikachu merely jumped from Ash's arms to the bed and curled up on the pillow. Mrs. Ketchum felt her son's forhead. " Mom, I was injured, not sick." Ash protested, waving her away. She smiled. " Humour me dear. It's a mom thing." Ash endured her ministrations until finally, she left the room. Immediatley, Pikachu raised his head and looked questioningly at his trainer. " What?" Ash asked, irritated. Piakchu searched his face for a minute, looking for something. Ash stared back, eyes empty, face devoid of all expression except for the same fond look he always reserved for his pokemon. After a minute, Pikachu sighed and lay back down next to his trainer, not finding what he was looking for. Ash, mystified, shrugged and closed his eyes.
Misty fed Togepi his supper, delighting in every trill the baby pokemon chirruped. " The most contented sound in the world," she murmered as Togepi ate another one of Brock's Pokemon rice balls, a large smile on it's tiny face. They were sitting in the dining room of the spacious Ketchum residence, where they had been ever since Ash's release from the hospital the day before. Gary had called his Grandfather, Professor Oak to get Mrs. Ketchum and to come pick them up. Ash couldn't possibly walk all the way back to Pallet in his banged up condition and Ash's mom didn't have a car.
Misty sighed. She had hoped that coming home would have cheered the young trainer up, but so far, it wasn't working. Propping her head up in one hand, she soon became lost in thought and didn't even notice when Brock sat down next to her. " Misty?" " Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!" she screeched in surprise as she snapped back, arms flailing wildly. Brock held his hands up in surrender. " Sorry!" he chuckled. Misty caught her balance and glared at him. Togepi squeaked at them happily and continued eating. " Jumpy are we?" " Nah," Misty sighed, returning to her former position. " Just tired. And sad." Brock nodded at her. " The homecoming thing isn't working yet. But it will. Ash is too upbeat to stay down for very long." " Maybe," Misty acknowledged. " So what's really bothering you?" Brock stood, wen to the fridge and pulled out two soda cans. Bringing them back to the table, he gave one to her which she accepted gratefully, and popped the tab on his own. Taking a sip, Misty shrugged in response to Brock's question.
" I'm not sure." She played with the can for a minute, watching the condensation form on the cans outer edge. " I'm not used to seeing Ash like this." " Neither am I." " He's always had such an upbeat attiude, like you said," Msity began speaking, her distant, as though she were reliving something in her mind. " Now, he's always depressed. And he's still determined to quit!" She stared at the table and mumbled something. " What was that?" Brock asked, straining to catch the faint words. " I said, I want my old Ash back," Misty said, ears flaming. A blush spread across her face and she avoided looking at Brock. " I knew it," Brock said, smiling at her. " What?" " Come on Misty - give me some credit." Misty tried to glare at him again, but her features softened, one corner if her mouth turning up reluctantly. " So you do have a functioning brain in there - at least when ther'e no nurses or cops around," she said lightly. Brock scowled in mock hurt. " I always have a working brain! I'm going to be the best breeder aren't I?" Misty chuckled, then sighed." Yeah, I like him, " she admitted. " There. Now, was that so hard?" " Yes it was!" she said, smacking him on the head. Then she sobered." I like him. But I don't know if he likes me." " He does," Brock said, rubbing his head gingerly. Misty glanced at him. " How do you know?" Brock stared at her pointedly. " Oh." Brock tilted his head back, draining the remainder of the pop in a single swallow. " How are we going to get Ash to realize that what happened, wasn't his fault?" Misty asked him, watching him crush the can with the palm of his hand and toss it in the recycling bin by the side door. Brock looked thoughtful. " Good question. If we keep pushing him, he's going to fight harder against it." " So you're saying we should back off?" Misty asked, not liking his plan. " Well, when have you ever known Ash to do something when he's already made up his mind?" Brock asked sensibly. " True." From the sliding doors came a knock and the familiar visage of Gary Oak greeted them. Watching Gary enter, Misty couldn't believe how much her opinion of him had changed since Ash's accident. " Hi Gary." " Misty. Brock," he acknowledged them and placed his hands on the back of a chair next to Brock. " How's Ash?" " Same, old, depressing self," Misty sighed. Gary smirked at her, exchanging a knowing look with Brock, but much to Misty's relief, Gary didn't comment. " We're trying to think of a way to get Ash to change his mind about qutting," Brock jumped in. Gary frowned. " I have no idea how to change Ash's mind once it's made up," he said, puzzled. Brock nodded. " That's pretty much the same conclusion we reached." " Well, we have to think of something!" Misty said determindly, and the three of them began plotting a way to get their friend's confidence back.
Two pairs of eyes watched the trio with interest from the bushes outside the Ketchum residence.. " Is it true?" a nasally voice asked, annoyingly. " Apparently," said one. " Looks like it," agreed the other. Silence fell. Then,: " Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" " I don't know. What did you think I was thinking you were thinking?" WHACK!! " Ouch." " Sucker." " Shut up!" the second voice scolded the others." This could be what we've been waiting for." " How...oh." " Good idea." " Let's go get ready."
Inside Ash's room, Pikachu watched the steady rise and fall of Ash's chest as he slept. " Pikapi, chu. Pika." he vowed, clenching a tiny fist. He crept around Ash and gathered up all of Ash's pokeballs. He strained against the window, pushing with all of his might until it finally swung open. Then, putting the pokeballs into a small bag from Ash's closet, he scampered out the window into the evening air, determined to take matters into his own, two paws.
Okay, peeps - this is where you tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly. Send all comments to me, and all flames to my teacher who gave me a %75 on my latest project - what does he expect from me? My work can;t get much better! Okay, enough of a rant, start the ratings!