Hi, peeps! Here is chapter two, as promised, to the two or three people reading my story. I thank you, two or three people! It makes me happy that SOMEONE likes my story!

Ed: God, no one likes it so why are you posting it at all?

Me: Shut up, I can do what I want to! It's my story!

Ed: About ME!

Ash: Hey, why aren't I in this yet?!

Me(shouting): GOD, WAIT YOUR TURN!

Envy(randomly popping out of nowhere): I WILL RULE THE WORLD!

(massive sweatdrops)

Anyway, I don't own this, yadda-yadda-yadda, I'll just let you read the chapter now...yeah.

Chapter Two

It was a fairly quiet morning in Pallet Town. The sun had just begun to peek over the tree tops, and the Pokemon were beginning to wake. The flowers in the meadow seemed to brighten, their glorious full color returning in the light of day. A flock of Pidgey burst into song, flying directly into the rising sun. All was well in Pallet Town…except for one slamming door in the house of Ash Ketchum. Ash, being the subject of much gossip as their local celebrity, was noted by several people to be seen storming out of his house in a state of frustration.

Ash Ketchum had been the source of talk in the tiny village for some time now. He was a famous trainer, having traveled the land and competed in many prestigious Pokemon tournaments. They were all quite proud of him for making a name of their tiny town. You would often see him in his funny blue outfit (with many different varieties) with his red baseball cap on. Even if he wasn't wearing that ridiculous outfit, he could still be recognized by the little yellow Pikachu that always rode on his shoulder. That Pikachu had been his first Pokemon, and the two had been inseparable since the day they first met. You couldn't find a closer trainer and Pokemon, the villagers would always say with a smile.

That is, until Pikachu had died.

The death of his partner, Pikachu, had almost killed Ash. His two friends Brock and Misty had found him in the middle of the night trying to drown himself in the lake. If Misty hadn't been picking up some weird signals from him and decided to follow him, he might have died. By the time her water Pokemon pulled him out Brock had to do CPR to restart his heart and he spent three days after in the hospital. After that, he withdrew from everyone, not speaking to single living soul. Eventually, his friends gave up and went back to their respective homes. Even though a month has passed, Ash hadn't gotten any better, still as heartbroken as the day Pikachu had left him.

He stalked down the small dirt path now, head down, glaring sightlessly at the ground. Ash was a fairly tall fifteen years old, tall and lanky with a wiry frame. His black spiky hair was longer now, reaching the point where it brushed his shoulders. It was still as messy as ever, though, sticking up in all different directions. Gone were the bright blue coat and the red baseball cap. Now, he wore all black, a sign of mourning for his lost companion. Black cargo pants, a black t-shirt, covered by a black trench-coat that went down to mid-thigh. A large backpack was slung over one shoulder.

In contrast to his teenage body, his eyes were old. Ash's grey eyes were aged far beyond his years, filled with pain and loss. Shadows underneath them in purple bruised crescents match the shadows within them, making it seem like he hadn't slept in a week. And there was something…something about the boy made it almost painful to look at him. It was like looking into a dark hole and wondering if you will ever get out again.

"Ash, wait!"

Ash paused for a second, considering, then kept going. He didn't look back.

"Ash Ketchum, you get back here right now!"

Ash snorted, tossing his black hair to one side. That hadn't worked on him past the day he'd turned twelve. What one earth made her think it would work now?

"Please!"

The voice was begging now. Ash paused in his step then stopped completely with a sigh. Hitching his backpack farther on to his shoulder, he turned around and waited for his mom to catch up with him.

"I should have gotten up earlier," he muttered to himself. Ash's mom came running up to him, stopping in front of him with a huff. She was pretty and slim, with big green eyes and long red hair. Catching her breath, she straightened up and put her hands on her hips.

"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked sharply, giving her son an accusing stare. Ash simply shrugged.

"Somewhere," he replied, his eyes never once leaving the ground.

"And for how long were you planning to go 'somewhere'?" she asked, exasperated. Again with the shrug.

"Dunno. A couple days. Maybe longer." Ash said, now fiddling with his backpack strap.

"Well, I won't allow it," she said firmly, giving her son a worried glance. He didn't see it, however, because his eyes were still glued to the ground.

"Mom," he said quietly, "I have to go."

"Why?" she asked softly, although she had a sneaking suspicion what was coming next.

Ash took a deep breath. "This place is killing me," he said quietly. "There are so many reminders of…and I just can't get away. Mom," he said, looking up to catch her eyes for the first time in over a month, "It's suffocating me."

Ash's mom was taken aback by the pain she saw in her son's eyes. Maybe he was right. Maybe he should get away, away from all the things that reminded him of Pikachu. But…

"How can I trust you?" she asked brokenly. "How do I know you won't go off and do something…" A dark lake, a ride in the ambulance, watching her son wake up with eyes too dead to even cry. "Stupid," she finished softly, a tear running down her cheek.

"You really can't trust me," Ash said honestly, looking at the ground once more. "I can't even trust myself. But the fact is, if I stay here, I will do something stupid. So, you're just going to have to let me go do this."

Ash's mom took a deep breath in, "I'll let you go, as long as you promise to be safe and pack extra underwear."

Ash smiled. It had been a long standing joke between them. Whenever he went out on another journey, she would always make a point to remind him about his underwear in front of his friends. Just to tease him and make him feel awkward. But that memory brought too many others with it, and Ash shook his head to clear it.

"All right Mom, I will," he said with the faintest of smiles. And with that, he turned around and began to head for the woods, to the trail that lead up the mountain.

Ash's mom smiled, waving goodbye to her son until he was far out of sight. Only then did she let the tears building up in her eyes fall. "Please," she whispered, holding her hands over her heart. "Let him come home safe."

Edward groaned, blinking and rubbing his eyes as he regained consciousness from an untimely kick in the temple. "Damn Truth, can't even take a simple 'thank you'," he grumbled, straightening up and looking around to find…nothing. He was sitting in complete and total blackness, or more accurately floating in it.

"Whoa!" Ed yelped, jerking up into a sitting position. "Where the hell am I?"

"You're in my home. Hiya, it's nice to meet you!" came a voice from behind.

Edward jumped to his feet as best one can while floating in space, turning around as quickly as he could. Floating behind him was a small, pink…mouse-like creature. It was about two feet tall, with a teardrop shaped body and a huge head. Although its features were primarily feline, it had large eyes, small frontal limbs, and large back legs almost like a kangaroo. Also, it had a tail the length of its body, dropping down and then curling up in front of it.

The creature cocked its head, looking at Edward with wide, blue eyes. "Wh-what are you?" asked Ed shakily, golden eyes wide with astonishment. "Are you some kind of chimera?"

The small pink creature did a small loop-de-loop of delight, letting out a few mewling sounds.

"No, I'm not a chimera," it said, though its lips did not move. "I'm Mew, guardian of the Gate of Life and Death. Nice to meet you Edward Elric!"

Having slightly recovered from the weirdness at this point, Edward moved a little closer. "How are you talking to me? Are you…some sort of denizen of the Gate?"

The…Mew seemed to giggle, zig-zagging back and forth a little in the black nothingness. "I'm using telepathy, talking to you in your mind! And yeah, I guess you could call me a Gate denizen. I'm more of a guardian, though, of the land that lies beyond this," Mew said, gesturing with a pink paw to the dark space around them.

"So this isn't the next world. Damn Truth, should've known it wouldn't do anything I asked," Edward fumed, gold eyes blazing with anger as he struck his metal fist into his normal palm.

"Oh, you'll get to the next world, all right," said Mew, for once seeming slightly less exuberant. "But before you go, I'm going to have to do…this!" In a blazing blur of speed, the Mew rocketed forward and touched its nose to Edward's head.

"Hey!" Ed exclaimed, reeling backwards…and then the changes began.

In a flash, Edward's whole body was enveloped in a painless pink flame. Edward opened his mouth, struggling to break free of the fire, but no words left his lips. Then, in a process that looked very much like transmutation, Edward began to disintegrate, the matter of his body dissolving. He turned to look at Mew, eyes managing to convey one plea for help before his body dissolved entirely, leaving behind a small golden flame. Floating over, Mew slowly approached, touching a single paw to the fire and closing its eyes.

"Hm," it said in its high, piping voice, "I see you have a heart full of courage and sorrow. You lost your mother and are currently searching for your brother. He is out there somewhere, I can tell you, if you only have the strength to face the journey ahead." Mew opened its eyes turning the fire between its paws. A black patch appeared on the flame, a place where the fire was dark and sinister. "You have been hurt," stated Mew, a single tear sliding from its blue eyes, "Hurt badly, and I cannot fix the wounds your body or your heart has received. I can only hope that time, the greatest salve, will heal your hurts and scars."

Mew let go of the fire and watched it hang in space, burning freely and brightly. He seemed to be considering something. He bowed his head a little, still seeming to speak to the fire. "You know, I lost a good friend recently, and he had a spirit much like yours." Mew nodded his head. "Yes, it was indomitable, and as pure as the first day it came into the world. I will miss him very much. But thinking of him, I believe I have found the form that suits you best."

Having reached a decision, Mew began to glow. Reaching out, Mew once again touched the fire with the tip of his nose. The golden fire burned higher and higher, slowing forming a shape. It had pointy ears, a jagged lightning bolt tail, red cheeks, and was a deep golden color.

Edward Elric had been reborn as a Pikachu.

Mew hovered over, looking at the still sleeping Pikachu. Giggling, Mew noticed the tuft of fur that stuck up like an antenna on his head. But then Mew sobered as it looked over the rest of Ed's body. It was very much like other Pikachu in the general shape, but this body showed the marks of Ed's terrible past. Though his limbs were intact, terrible white scars ran down his right arm and left leg. They made a thin latticework of white, almost looking like fire. Ed also had a scar above one eye, from a wound that had never really healed since he received it. And on his chest, marked in white fur just below his chin was the Flamel, the symbol of a life reborn.

"Oh my friend, you have had a terrible life," Mew sighed. It paused, as if remembering something. "However, there is something I can do for you." Reaching down, Mew laid its muzzle on top of Edward's head, closing its eyes and breathing out upon the Pikachu. After a few seconds, it withdrew, wobbling slightly as if exhausted by all the work it had done. "There," Mew said wearily, "Now you go with my blessing."

Mew spoke once more to the sleeping Edward. "I'm sorry to say that when you arrive at the new world your wounds will return," said Mew sadly as they both glowed with pink light. "But don't worry."

In a flash of pink power the twosome disappeared, off into the great unknown.

"I'll send a friend your way."

The hour was growing late in the mountains. The sun glowed red, about to start its cyclical journey westward. However, it could barely be seen past the veil of dark thunderclouds heading its way. A chill wind began to blow, whistling through the trees that loomed high into the mountain air. All of this was not helping poor Ash Ketchum, who was desperately trying to keep his small campfire going.

Having found a small clearing in the middle of the woods, Ash thought that he could stop there and rest for the night. He had done all the usual chores needed to set up a proper camp; cleared the area, gathered fire wood, found a stream and filled his canteen, and made a stone circle for his fire. It made him miss his friends a little because they used to do all these things as a team and usually had it done in ten minutes. By the time Ash had finished, it was so far past dinnertime Ash had given up on the idea and had started to lay his sleeping gear out. It wasn't like he ate all that much anyway. After Pikachu had died, he hadn't eaten enough to keep a Rattata alive, occasionally consuming something simply for the sake of keeping his mother happy.

The storm, however, had changed all plans. Rather than camping out, Ash would now have to head for a nearby Pokemon Center. It was something Ash had wanted to avoid, but he didn't have a choice. With an audible sigh, Ash dumped some water on his fire, effectively putting it out. Right then the raindrops began to fall, soaking Ash's sleeping bag. Quickly rolling it up and stowing it away in his backpack, Ash slung the thing over his shoulder and strode off down the path.

Ash looked around at the forest with a bitter smile on his face. He remembered this path. This is the route he had first taken the day he left Pallet Town to start his Pokemon journey. "I hate this," Ash muttered, kicking a mud puddle as he walked on. Why was he even out here in the first place? All he knew was that he couldn't bear to stay in Pallet a day longer. Far too many memories, and he couldn't even slink through town without getting a sympathetic glance. It killed him inside to walk around one of the happiest places of his life without Pi…without his partner. So he had left only with the notion that he couldn't bear to stay.

A raindrop hit Ash square in the eye. "Ahhh, come on!" he grumbles, rubbing his stinging eye with a balled fist. Walking around without his hat on was different. He was so used to having the thing on his head that he often forgot it wasn't there. Like now, when he was walking around in the middle of the pouring rain. But it was one of those memories Ash couldn't stand, so he simply walked on with his head bent low.

From the corner of his eyes, Ash saw a flash of something. Ash lifted his head and squinted through the rain into the surrounding forest. Was that…a flash of pink he had just seen? No, he must be imagining it. He hadn't seen Mew in months. Simply shrugging, he continued on, occasionally scanning the forest that bordered both sides of the road.

There again! Ash whipped his head around stopping to scan the forest. His black hair was plastered to his head, but his grey eyes were squinted, trying to see through the dark and the rain. He had defiantly seen it this time. But what was Mew doing here? "Mew!" Ash called, glancing all around through the now pouring rain. "Mew, where are you?"

Suddenly, there it was. It was floating in the road ahead, not five feet away. Just looking at him. Then, in a blink it turned around and zoomed off into the night, following the muddy dirt path.

"Hey, wait," called Ash and the chase was on. He dashed forward, trying to keep track of where the little pink fur ball was heading. Every time he almost lost sight of it, it would be waiting for him as if it wanted him to follow. After a while, Ash figured he was being lead somewhere deliberately and picked up his pace. It wasn't often Mew wanted favors, but when it did it was always important.

Finally Mew stopped, hovering right above the base of a huge tree. Ash stopped panting a little as he tried to catch his breath. Then, as he gazed at the broad limbs of this ancient oak, he stopped breathing all together. He remembered this tree! This was the place where he and Pi…his partner had bonded for the first time. They had fought off a bunch of Spearow here, and his partner had taken a massive attack and saved him. Ash felt a lump grow in his throat.

"Why…why Mew? Why have you taken me here?" Ash choked out, still staring at the massive tree.

"Hurry," was Mew's only reply, and it began to circle the base of the tree, blue eyes wide with distress.

Walking forward slowly, Ash approached the base of the tree, eyes clouded with unwanted memories. As he got closer, he began to make out a yellow shape, sprawled on the ground near the tree trunk. Ash's heart leapt. Could it be? By some miracle, could it be that the last two months were only a terrible dream? Rushing forward, Ash was a blur of black trench coat as he raced for the shape on the ground, skidding to a halt on his knees.

Ash's hopes were crushed into a million pieces. It was a Pikachu, but it wasn't his Pikachu. It laid ominously still, the red stain of its blood spreading across the ground, aided by the rain. This Pikachu was wounded badly, blood oozing from its head and from its chest, coating its yellow fur. From the looks of it, it had been bashed around pretty badly and then stabbed through the stomach. The shallow rise and fall of its breathing was the only indication it was still alive.

Ash knelt there, eyes dilated as memories assailed his mind. This was bringing it all back. That night…

No, don't die, Pikachu don't go! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!

Ash was brought back to the present violently when Mew smacked him upside the head with its paw. "Save him. Please," Mew begged, ears and tail drooping with worry. Ash took a deep breath, looking at that little yellow body. Could he really do it? Could he save this one like he couldn't save the other?

Ash suddenly breathed out violently, eyes wide and face set in determination. "Alright," he said gently. "Alright." Quickly removing his coat, Ash carefully lifted the little creature from the base of the tree and wrapped it in his trench coat. Rising to his feet, he hugged the little bundle tight to his chest. Then, he dashed off in the direction of the Pokemon Center, almost missing the last thought Mew sent to him.

"Thank you."

The night was dark and cold with the rain pounding down on Ash and the coat-wrapped Pokemon in his arms. Ash didn't notice the cold or the wet, simply leaning over the Pikachu to shelter it as he ran on. He had about two miles to go before he could reach the closest Pokemon Center. He only hoped the wounded creature in his arms could make it that far.

The path was muddy, making it hard for Ash to find his footing. Once, he slipped and fell, just managing to twist his body so that he didn't land on the Pikachu. He got right up though, spitting out muddy water and blazing on with a determined expression on his face. His t-shirt was soaked through, clinging to his skinny chest. His backpack was plastered in mud, having been used to cushion his fall. But he kept going, legs churning as he gasped for air.

Did he really deserve that though? Ash thought this as he sped through the rain and the night. Mew's thanks, did he really deserve it? After all, he wasn't good at this, the business of saving Pokemon. He hoped that this one could hold on until they got to the Pokemon Center. He could feel its little heartbeat through the jacket, and it was starting to beat slower, its breathing growing shallower.

"Hey, little buddy!" Ash shouted as he sped through the rain, grey eyes narrowed in concentration. "Can you hear me? Come on, you have to stay with me! Keep your little god damn heart beating, alright?" On and on through the night, yelling encouragement at the little Pokemon until his voice was hoarse. They were so close to the Pokemon Center now, but the Pikachu was fading fast, he couldn't even feel its heartbeat anymore.

Finally, shining in the night, he could see the glowing lights from the Pokemon Center. Ash's face broke out into a smile and he put on a burst of speed, slamming through the glass doors and startling the poor Nurse Joy on duty. Ash collapsed to his knees.

"Help it!" he gasped, holding out the bundle to the nurse. "It's dying!"

Nurse Joy took one look at him, without a jacket, covered in mud and blood and water and narrowed her eyes. "Chansey!" she called sharply, hurrying out from behind the counter. Before he even realized it happened, Joy had the Pikachu on a stretcher and wheeled it into the operating room. Ash was left there blinking, wondering what happened.

Did he make it in time? Ash looked blankly down at his arms, where the little bundle once was. Looking up, he saw the operating room light on. Ash breathed a small sigh of relief, dragging himself off the ground and onto one of the waiting chairs that lined the wall. All he could do now was wait for the little creature to come out of surgery. Leaning his head against the wall, Ash closed his eyes and smiled a true smile for the first time in a while. He did it. He hadn't failed it, failed it like the way he failed Pikachu. That night, if only he had run fast enough, if only he had been more careful…

"Sorry little buddy," Ash breathed, leaning further back against the wall. "I guess I didn't make it in time." His mud-smeared face saddened and the boy in black went limp, asleep in a cold, plastic hospital chair. Remembering, dreaming, and waiting for the news to come.

MASSIVE ANGST FEST! Review, and I will post the next chapter!