Ash lay in bed fully clothed, exhausted after the long day of tests followed by the adrenaline pumping trouble with the now arrested biker gang. It was late evening and he'd just finished dinner with his mother and Kylie who he had invited over to make up for missing out on the celebratory ice cream. She was pretty shaken up from the experience, but his mother had been able to calm her down and they'd been able to have an enjoyable meal.
It was very soon after the Professor appeared that all thoughts of rebellion left the thug's heads and they surrendered, even the hot-headed leader. He had tried to return Growlithe to his Pokeball as though he hadn't been about to commit blatant abuse of his Pokemon. Ash had been able to stop him, restraining his arm and taking the Pokeball from him. The look of restrained fury Ash gave drove any thoughts of retaliation out of the thug's mind. Luckily, it seemed he was thinking a bit clearer and simply glared before backing off to join his lackeys.
Professor Oak got the rundown from Ash before he had the thugs restrained and put a call in to the Viridian Police force about what had occurred and that a prisoner transport would be needed.
Ash had asked Gary to take a look at Growlithe's injuries who had been both shocked and angered to find signs of abuse on Growlithe's body, though Ash had unfortunately expected it. The Professor agreed to take Growlithe back his lab for treatment and possible rehabilitation or release, depending on how affected the now orphaned Pokemon was.
After the thugs had been marched away under the watchful eye of Professor Oak's Kangaskhan, Ash had been able to meet back up with Kylie. She had been upset so he had tried to give her what comfort he could. He realised she must have been very scared and hoped he'd be able to help her get over the traumatic experience. After she had calmed down Ash invited her over for dinner, saying he wanted to make up for being late to which she had gladly agreed.
He had also found Jim hanging around, the boy looking a little roughed up but no real injuries. Ash learned about what he'd done and tried to give the timid boy some encouragement, telling him he did good and that he should be proud of helping out his friend. The boy's smile could have lit up a power plant. He had scampered off home after that, declining to join Ash and Kylie for dinner in favour of filling his parents in.
Arriving home he had explained to his mother everything that had happened, ready to receive a verbal thrashing and admonishment but surprisingly she had just taken both him and Kylie into a hug and told them how glad she was they were OK. It was a nice moment and was probably just what Kylie needed, the rest of the dinner was held in good spirits with his mum giving Mankey an extra large serving for being such a big help. Needless to say, Mankey was thrilled.
And now here he was, laying awake and staring at the ceiling, allowing his tired brain to process events at its own pace. A ringing sound drew him from his thoughts and he reached over to get his phone.
"Hello?"
"Ash, hey. It's Gary. Growlithe is going to be alright, he woke up and after we explained what was happening he seemed pretty happy with the situation."
"That's a relief. I was really worried he would fight us for separating him from his trainer. So, what happens now?"
"Not sure yet, he's been well behaved so it wouldn't be a problem to integrate him here at the ranch. Gramps says he hasn't had a chance to study a Growlithe for a while so he's all for it. I was thinking I'd look after him, getting pretty tired of you and Mankey prancing around like you own the place."
Ash laughed before responding, "Oh really? I suppose you are a bit of an improvement over his last trainer, do you think you're finally ready to actually take care of something other than your hair?"
"..."
Ash blinked at the lack of response, "Gary?"
"The abuse was worse than we thought Ash. That...bastard has been treating Growlithe like trash for a long time. He's malnourished, bruised both externally and internally and he shows clear signs of mistrust and fear whenever anyone approaches him. When he woke up earlier he wouldn't stop whimpering. I could kill that rotten son of a bitch." The anger colouring Gary's words were a shock to Ash, he had never heard his friend so work up.
"I'm going to help him Ash. I'm going to show him what a proper trainer is, as much as I can at least before it's official." Gary finished, a rare note of compassion clear in his voice.
Ash was momentarily stunned as he processed Gary's sincere decision.
'Well what do you know...'
"That's...wow Gary, I didn't think you had it in you. But I fully support it, I know you'll be able to help him and together you'll make a good team. He's got nothing on Mankey though." Ash couldn't help throw a jab at his oldest friend.
Gary scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that monkey boy. By the time we leave this town Growlithe will be a picture of health and vitality. I've gotta go Ash, things to do. Smell ya later."
"Later."
Ash placed his phone down, still a little stunned at having a genuine conversation about something serious with Gary.
'Figures it would take something like this for Gary to grow up...'
Before he could even put his phone down, it buzzed once more, signalling a message.
[Ash I just heard you were involved with the trouble in Pallet town, are you alright!?]
'Oh, right, probably should have checked in with Jessica...'
[Hey Jess, yeah I'm fine. We all got out without too much trouble luckily.]
[I was so angry when I heard! I told my boss to send a patrol over but he didn't even give me the time of day! You were right in the middle of it though, you're really OK?]
Unbeknownst to Ash, Jessica was slightly underplaying exactly what had occurred between her and her boss. Suffice to say she was able to get across the depth of her anger at having her suggestion being previously ignored.
[Try not to get fired over arguing with your boss ;) I really am OK Jess. I had to run interference for a couple of friends who got mixed up in the trouble but I had an escape plan ready.]
Ash chose to tactically withhold the fact that his plan had been to turn and bolt.
[You better have had one. Listen I just wanted to check in so I don't have much time, good night Ash!]
[Alright, night Jess.]
Placing his phone on his cabinet he went to his desk and sat down, looking through his window he could see the moon high in the sky lighting up his peaceful town. He was still really tired, but somehow he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep right now.
'I need something to do...'
Ash glanced around his room, looking for something to distract him. School was done so he didn't have any homework and he wasn't in the mood for a book. TV and games were out, too much noise. That didn't leave many options. And then a thought struck him.
Pushing his chair out he reached over to one of his drawers and withdrew a stack of paper filled with rough drawings and notes along with some pencils. He arranged everything in front of him and smiled.
'It's really starting to shape up.' Ash thought as he looked at the map he and Kylie had been working on.
They had started up on it soon after their first outing, Kylie had mapped out a rough sketch of the town, the forests and Route 1. In order to keep a sense of scale the paper had been divided into squares, with each square being roughly 1 square kilometre. Over the past year they had met regularly, discussing how to represent terrain or what landmarks to include. It had soon become apparent Ash didn't have much skill in the art department and it had been up to Kylie to draw the symbols and Pokemon in their correct locations.
As it looked now the map was quite detailed, though there wasn't any colour and there were clearly areas that hadn't been filled in at all. Many Pokemon had been plotted, some being very common and a few only being seen in one specific place. Ash smiled as he looked over the cartoonish smiling faces Kylie had elected to give all her drawings, Ash thought it looked particularly good on the Fearow.
His current task was to add some detail to one of their recently added locations. They had come up with a few symbols which they would use to annotate landmarks to denote important information such as terrain, Pokemon habitat and Pokemon aggression level. Ash and Kylie had ventured to all these places and the Pokemon they had encountered had ranged from welcoming to hostile.
Ash began his work oblivious to the passage of time, the moon's light bright enough for him to see by until eventually sleep took him. It was fortunate, he thought as he slipped into unconsciousness, that there was nothing he had to do tomorrow.
Kylie Turner awoke from a very pleasant dream, the details of which completely eluded her. With a big stretch she forced herself to get out of bed, flinging the covers off and swinging her feet down to the floor.
The chirping birds and the faint smell of breakfast wafting up from the kitchen were plenty to goad her into action and she went about her room tidying up and preparing what she would need for the day. That done, she went through the motions of showering and dressing before coming to stand in front of her desk, looking down on a carefully wrapped package that had been sitting there for several days.
Once more she gingerly picked up the slim, rectangular item wrapped in a paper that was coloured deep blue with silver lines running across it in intricate patterns. She checked it over, making sure nothing was torn or crumpled in any way before nodding to herself and sliding it into her bag.
The package, and its contents, was something she had spent a lot of time and effort on, something which she would be giving as a gift to a person that was very dear to her. Of course, just quite how dear to her had been dragged into sharp focus the previous night. And now, Kylie just didn't know what to do.
Did she ignore the new feelings? Did she confess them? Certainly there were less risks with the former, things were perfectly fine with how they were and throwing a spanner in the works now could potentially make their last year together awkward and miserable.
That thought frightened her terribly.
But then, what if she confessed and her feelings were returned? It would be incredible, although not a lot would change since she saw him so often already. Plus, they would only have, at most, a year and that was only if things didn't go pear-shaped within that time period. She knew she couldn't handle a long-distance relationship, not knowing what he was up to and worrying about him all the time.
With a resolute breath, she made her decision. She would make the most of the time she had left with her friends and not throw things into flux. Perhaps...in the future, when their path's crossed, things could be different?
Kylie let her thoughts wonder on that pleasant possibility for a moment before, with a wistful sigh, she collected her bag and headed downstairs to begin her day.
Delia Ketchum happily hummed to herself as she whisked the pancake batter in a large bowl, keeping an eye on the clock while she did so. It had been a long time since she had cooked pancakes for breakfast but she knew they were an old favourite of her son's and since today was special she decided to go all out. Yes, today was Ash's birthday.
Neither she nor Ash had brought up the subject, partly because he was so focused on exams and partly because she was looking forward to launching his surprise party and so the less he thought about it the better. She had asked Kylie and Gary to come by today to keep him out of the house which would give her plenty of time to get everything prepared. Glancing at the clock again she figured she had about an hour till they arrived.
Placing the batter to the side, Delia placed a pan on the stove and let the heat gently warm it until it was ready to melt the butter. Truth be told, Delia's mind was conflicted at present, largely due to the events of the previous day. Those thugs could have done some real damage to Ash and his friends and it was only good fortune that Mankey had been able to get there in time and then Professor Oak arriving shortly afterwards.
Having something like that happen brought certain things into sharp relief for Delia, namely the fact that Ash was likely to face such people many times throughout his journey. Pallet Town was renowned for being peaceful; there was no gym here, no tourist attractions, there wasn't even a Pokemon Centre! Admittedly, having Professor Oak here was a big deal, but he deterred troublemakers more than anything due to his reputation he had when he was a trainer.
Seeing the butter had melted into yellowy liquid Delia began pouring the first load of batter into the pan, gently spreading the mixture evenly across the base. Delia had known what her son's ambition was for a long time, but knowing it and seeing it were two different things. The problem was, she didn't know what to do about it.
On one hand, she wanted to support Ash in his dreams. He had been on this particular path for a long time now so she knew it wasn't simply childish whimsy. On the other hand, could she really continue to encourage her son in walking into guaranteed danger? If she didn't, it would be forcing him to give up on his dream and Delia was terrified of causing irreparable damage to their relationship if she did such a thing.
But...there was another angle to this. She trusted her son. He was young, but he was mature and responsible. She had seen the way he had grown up, the way he had reigned in his impulses, the way he had cared for Mankey and the way he had put his all into everything he set his mind to. She trusted that he would prepare himself for the dangers of life outside their little town.
That, more than anything else put her at ease. Of course, there would always be anxiety for her only son while he travelled but knowing that he wasn't the same unfocused dreamer who would charge forward no matter what did a great deal to reassure her.
Flipping the final pancake onto a plate Delia switched off the heat and towelled off her hands while she appraised the mighty stack of perfectly cooked delights she had produced.
A tense moment of examination passed, the mother of one ruthlessly appraising the pile.
"..."
Yep, she still had it.
With a satisfied nod, she gathered the pancakes onto a large tray, ready for service; not a moment too soon if the sound of footsteps approaching were any indication.
"Good morning sweety! I made pancakes, come and sit down!" Delia called over her shoulder as she prepared Ash's favourite toppings. They had jam, chocolate spread, lemon juice, strawberries and of course good old fashioned sugar.
Her back still turned, she heard a chair being scraped across the tiled floor before being tucked in again. "How did you sleep Ash?"
Turning around she stopped short, blinking in mild surprise at the state of her son. He looked like a zombie. His eyes were half open, his posture slumped and she could see the vaguely vacant expression on his face.
"Ash?" She asked once more, growing mildly concerned.
"Huh?" He replied, jerking up as if he didn't notice her. "Sorry mum, I slept late but still woke up at the normal time. Going to take a while to get going I think." He said, clearly fighting a yawn.
Delia frowned, hopefully he'd still be able to go out for a few hours. If he didn't want to then it would look suspicious of her to put too much pressure on.
"Oh dear. Why don't you eat your breakfast then go and get washed up, that should wake you up properly at least. If worst comes to worst you can get an early night this evening." Delia said, placing the tray in front of him, she was pleased to notice a spark of hunger appear in his eyes as he zeroed-in on the pancakes. Some things never changed.
"Good idea mum, these look fantastic." Ash said, happily lathering his first pancake in chocolate spread and strawberries.
Delia sat opposite her son, her chin resting in the crook of her intertwined fingers. He had grown so much over the last few years and in so many ways. She could still see the young boy Ash used to be, making a mess of a bowl of scrambled eggs and giggling as she tried to wipe down his face. Ah, she would have to get the photo album out for the party, there were so many darling moments she had captured over the years.
"...Hello~? Mum?" A voice called out, bringing her back to the present. She looked up and saw Ash waiting for a response.
"Oh! Sorry dear, I was day dreaming. Are you all finished?" She asked, glancing at his empty plate.
"Yeah, they were fantastic, thanks Mum." Ash said as he circled to her seated position and gave her a hug.
"I'm glad you liked them, now why don't you go get washed and dressed and come back downstairs." Ash sent her a questioning look, but did as she asked.
Watching him leave Delia went about cleaning up the dishes and wiping down the table. That done, she brewed some tea and sat down to wait for her son to return.
'Oh that's good...'
Ash thanked whatever divine power invented pressurised hot water as he basked under the flowing stream. He let out a relieved sigh as he felt the fog of a poor nights sleep leave him and went about washing up properly. Even in a blissful moment like this he wasn't one for excessively long showers, no matter how good they may feel.
A few minutes later he was done drying off and he began to dress himself, deciding on a plain white t-shirt, blue jeans and trainers. He grabbed a light-weight navy blue jacket off the back of his door too figuring it might get chilly out later. Glancing back as he opened his door he spotted Mankey still snoring away on top of his wardrobe, totally content to take an indulgent lie-in.
'Lazy git...' Ash thought fondly as he exited his room. He wasn't surprised at his partner's extended nap, he had stuffed himself silly the previous night and would need more time to sleep it off.
Hopping off the final step he swung around the banister and headed for the kitchen, wondering what he should do with his day.
"Feeling better?" His mother asked as he joined her at the table.
"Much better. It was just what I needed."
His mother nodded, placing her tea down. They sat there in silence for a few moments, listening to the chirping of the birds flitting about outside in the morning sun.
"Ash."
He turned to his mother, curious at the change in her tone. "Yeah?"
"I'd like to talk about what happened yesterday."
"Oh, right."
'She's probably still worried...' Ash thought.
"I'm not mad at you for what happened, in fact I'm proud. You looked out for your friends while doing your best to stay out of danger yourself. I'm glad that you were able to act with restraint, even in such a stressful situation. I'm sure that if you were still younger you would have charged in without a second thought and probably got hurt."
"Aw, come on mum. I didn't used to be that bad, did I?" Ash scratched his head in embarrassment.
Delia raised a delicate eyebrow.
"...Maybe you're right."
"I am. But that isn't all I wanted to say. Ash...this won't be the last time and...I'm concerned."
"Concerned? Those thugs are long gone mum, there's no way they'll bother Pallet Town again."
"Not about them sweety, about you. Pallet Town will be alright, it's fairly well looked after all things considered. But the rest of the world...that's a whole different story. And when you leave me...when you go on your adventure, you'll be in danger."
Ash listened as his mother spoke and found himself feeling exactly as he had when he had first brought Mankey home. The guilt from that time reared its ugly head once more and Ash lowered his gaze, realising he had once more made his mother worry. He knew this situation wasn't the same, she had said as much and Ash knew he had acted as safely as he could, considering the situation. But still, here they were again.
Delia placed a hand over her son's.
"Ash, is it still your goal to leave Pallet Town?"
"Yeah...it is. I'm sorry to worry you mum, but the truth is...I know that there will be more like them. I wish I could follow my dream without worrying you, but it just isn't possible."
Ash spoke with his head bowed, but he didn't waver as he voiced his intention. He would do anything he could to reassure his mother, from learning extra subjects to promising to call or message her every day. He was aware of a lot of the troubles he would face on his journey both from his school work and his time spent out in the wild; he was confident that he would be well prepared by the time it came for him to leave.
"But I promise you, I'm not just blindly following my dream. I'm going to be prepared."
Ash met his mother's watery gaze and saw the parade of emotions clear as day. Fear, doubt and anxiety were there but there was also happiness, pride and acceptance. Ash hated putting his mother through this, but knew that the implications of leaving Pallet Town had finally become real, for both of them. If she accepted his decision here and now, he knew she would continue to support him in the future.
They sat there for a few moments longer, before a choked sob escaped Delia's lips and she gave a shaky nod. "Okay Ash. If you're still sure, even after everything that happened."
Ash had already moved to kneel beside her seat. "I am mum. Thank you for understanding." He held her hand and let her take some comfort from him, until her emotions were once again under her control.
"Well, that was harder than I thought it would be!" Delia's voice was loud and cheerful, but Ash could hear an undercurrent of fragility, "But you better have meant what you said young man, I'm going to want constant updates when you leave. Understood?" She fixed him with a stern glare.
Ash didn't realise just quite how badly he wanted his mother's mood to improve and so the relieved chuckle that slipped out took him by surprise. Still, he was glad.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Delia's gave him a searching look for a few more moments before nodding once more. "Alright then, I trust you Ash. Give it everything you have when the time comes."
"You bet."
"Now, I need to go and get cleaned up. I must look a mess," Delia giggled as she stood up, "Be right back!" She sang as went back upstairs.
Ash watched her go, reaffirming his resolve to take care of himself. He had people who cared about him, and there was no way he'd worry them for no reason.
'Just one more year...'
It was a little while later while Ash and his mum were chatting in the living room when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Ash said as he rocked himself to his feet and made his way over to the door.
"Good Morning!"
Ash jumped backwards in shock as he was met with the beaming face of Kylie, with his other friends standing behind her watching in amusement.
"Jeez Kylie, volume control, I'm barely even awake right now..." Ash grumbled, before his expression softened. "Didn't expect to see you this early, how're you feeling?"
"I'm alright, I've had a chance to calm down now. Sorry if I was a little bit hysterical yesterday." Kylie said, glancing to the side.
Ash chuckled, "You were fine, I'd be more surprised if you had just brushed it off honestly. So, what's up guys?"
"Oh, don't let us interrupt, we don't mind waiting." Gary waved him off, his voice laden with dry sarcasm.
"Right? 2/10 for that reaction Ash." Lenny chimed in.
"Excuse me for showing concern about a friend," Ash turned back to Kylie, "Maybe we should just ditch these losers?"
Kylie took a thinking pose, "Hmm, very tempting. Though I did want to hear about Growlithe..."
"Ah yeah, a fair point. Alright, you lot get a pass." Ash declared, greatly enjoying the reactions of Gary, Jim and Lenny.
Before they could respond, a voice called from within the house, "Who's at the door honey?"
Kylie charged straight past Ash before he could respond and entered his home, ignoring his indignant complaints.
"Hi Mrs. Ketchum, we're stealing Ash for a while!" And with that, turned around and grabbed Ash's arm to pull him away, "Bye Mrs. Ketchum!"
"Kylie wait-!"
"Okay everyone, have fun! Stay out of trouble!" Delia called out, catching Kylie's eye as she dragged a very reluctant Ash away. The two shared a wink, before Delia stepped back inside. She had a party to prepare.
The five friends soon found themselves strolling around Pallet Town, chatting amongst themselves about whatever topic happened to be brought up. At the moment, it was why Ash was so tired.
"Was it because of all the drama yesterday? I know my adrenaline was still pumping for hours afterwards!" Jim said, the boy almost hopping up and down.
Ash was glad to see Jim so excited to talk about it, it seemed pushing past his fear and anxiety had done him some good. Hopefully the bolstered confidence would last a little while.
"Hmm, not exactly. After heading up to bed I just spent some time on the phone, then afterwards it just felt like I couldn't sleep."
"So what did you end up doing?" Lenny asked.
"Worked on the map, the one me and Kylie were creating. I'm not even sure how long for, I fell asleep at the desk."
"Oh, what parts were you working on? I hope you didn't mess with my drawings!"
Ash help up his hands to calm the girl down, "Don't worry, I was just filling in some of the background information. We know I'm useless with the artwork."
"Okay. I still have some of your earlier attempts, they always crack me up." Kylie laughed.
"Were they that bad?"
"Believe me Lenny, they are a perfect example of how not to draw something." She said while slapping Ash on the back and shaking her head, her ponytail dangling from side-to-side.
They all laughed at Ash's expense, not that he minded. Kylie wasn't even exaggerating with her descriptions, even though he'd actually put a decent amount of effort into improving.
Eventually they came across a cafe with outdoor seating and decided to sit down and enjoy each other's company. Those who hadn't eaten breakfast ordered a light snack and everyone else opted for something cold to drink to counter the rising heat of the morning.
"What about you Gary, how's Growlithe?" asked Ash as he sipped on his drink.
Gary took a moment before answering, "Physically, he'll recover quickly. Pokemon tend to heal a lot faster than a human would with similar injuries, but it's his mental health that's concerning."
The others nodded along, all but Lenny having seen the state that Growlithe was in.
"That sort of trauma wont go away without persistent care and treatment, something we intend to provide. Gramps has seen cases like this before, and he said the recovery time can vary wildly based on things like how long the abuse lasted and how supportive the new environment is."
"If there's anything we can do to help, let us know OK?" Kylie offered, everyone else voicing their support.
"Of course, I'll find some way to make you lot useful." Gary smirked.
'And there it is...' Everyone had a similar thought running through their head.
"I hope Growlithe's personality doesn't become corrupted." Ash mused.
"Oh, good point Ash. It would be a shame if he ended up like Gary." Agreed Lenny, nodding his head as though he was imparting great wisdom.
Gary just scoffed and went back to his drink.
"But it's weird huh? How Pokemon take on the traits of people they spend time around?" Jim began with enthusiasm.
Ash titled his head, prompting Jim to continue.
"You guys must have seen it, like how Mankey will sometimes scratch his head in the same way Ash does?"
Ash looked thoughtful for a moment. It was true Mankey had taken some of his mannerisms, but he'd never really paid much attention.
"Hey, yeah you're right. So that means Growlithe really is in danger!" Kylie shot to her feet, attracting the attention of more than a few people passing by. Gary just rolled his eyes at her theatrics while Ash laughed.
"I think it's best if we all keep an eye out for him." Lenny said.
Everyone agreed in solidarity, while Gary just grumbled about 'Not being that bad.'
A couple of hours passed by as the group spent their morning at the cafe. Lenny demanded a full retelling of the previous day's drama from each person's point of view as he felt 'left out of all the action' as he put it. Gary told the group about how much of a hassle it was, Kylie and Jim talked about how scared they were and Ash took some pleasure in talking about how he got away with smashing up the gang leader's motorbike.
Eventually the group decided to split up with Jim needing to go home and help his parents with chores and Lenny having an appointment elsewhere. The three remaining friends said their goodbyes before continuing on their way.
"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Ash asked.
They found themselves walking towards the only real location of interest to three young aspiring Pokemon Trainers, Professor Oak's lab. The streets were busier now, with the market district being open and the school being closed.
"Hmm, we could go to the Ranch, you can check on Growlithe too. It's probably better to go with less people anyway."
"Sounds good, you alright with that Kylie?"
"..."
"Kylie?" Ash stopped and looked over at the girl to find her attention focused on the phone in her hands. Waving a hand in front of the screen he called out again, "Hello~"
"Wah! What!?" Kylie jumped backwards, nearly fumbling the device in her hands before clutching it to her chest.
Ash laughed. "You were zoned out. Are you alright with going to the Ranch?"
"Oh! Yep, that's fine with me." Kylie nodded enthusiastically.
Ash nodded and off they went to spend some time with Professor Oak and the Pokemon he was looking after.
Gary led them through the laboratory area into where Growlithe was staying, he was being kept separate for observation until Professor Oak was certain he was fit to mingle with the other Pokemon in the Ranch. As soon as the three of them approached it was very easy to see the apprehension on the small dog-like Pokemon's face. Its eyes were trained on the group and he almost seemed frozen, but it relaxed when Gary signalled for them to wait and crouched down to approach the newly rescued Pokemon.
Ash watched as Gary slowly approached Growlithe, edging closer to his prone form and offering his hand for Growlithe to sniff at, before gently petting the Pokemon around its neck and ears. Gary certainly hadn't been kidding, even the wild Pokemon who weren't use to humans were rarely this skittish.
"Hey Growlithe, how are you doing today?" Gary asked, using a softer voice than Ash had ever heard. Beside him he heard Kylie smother a surprised gasp, going red in embarrassment when Gary sent her a mild glare.
A low growl of approval rumbled from Growlithe's throat as he enjoyed Gary's petting.
After a little while Gary gave Ash and Kylie the signal to take a seat on some cushions nearby so that Growlithe could get used to them. It took a little bit for Growlithe's wary gaze to soften but eventually he allowed himself to be touched after some gentle encouragement from Gary. To Kylie's delight he seemed to quickly grow affectionate with her and she happily doted on him, tickling his stomach while he rolled about on his back. Ash thought that it might be because she was a girl, and his abuser had been male. That, or Kylie was just naturally more approachable.
They spent some time with Growlithe, chatting away all the while. Gary shared some of the trouble he'd been having with his workload; apparently he had offered to assist his grandfather with his research and Professor Oak had jumped at the offer. Gary had been staying up all night to observe the nocturnal habits of some of the Pokemon in the Ranch and make detailed notes which was exhausting him, but on the plus side he would get accredited when Professor Oak's current paper was published. Both Ash and Kylie were impressed, but tried not to show it since they knew what Gary's ego was like.
Kylie once more launched into her advertising spiel about the Football team she had started a few weeks into their first year. Thus far, both Ash and Gary had managed to avoid joining permanently, though they had occasionally played the odd game. It wasn't that either of them didn't enjoy the sport, they just didn't care enough about it to devote all their time to it, a fact which Kylie had taken as a personal insult. In her mind, it was only a matter of time until they caved. The team was doing well regardless of their presence however, so Ash didn't need to worry about being guilt-tripped into it.
By the time they left Growlithe he had warmed up considerably, becoming more playful and energetic. His mood dimmed when he realised they were leaving but all of them promised to be back to visit again, with Gary planning to return that evening.
It was now breaking into the afternoon and the heat had reached its highest point for the day, a fact that became apparent to the trio as they exited the main building into the Ranch outside.
"Looks like I didn't need a jacket after all..." Ash said as he slung it over his shoulder.
"No kidding, even in shorts and a vest I'm baking." Agreed Kylie as she fanned her face in vain.
"Jeez, you guys need to toughen up. Come on, there's some shade over there to protect your delicate skin." Gary said as he led the way.
"I guess now that we aren't with Growlithe he's back to normal..." Kylie whispered to Ash and they shared a laugh.
They soon found themselves under the shelter of a large tree, the thickly clumped foliage providing ample shade. A small distance away the gentle babbling of the stream could be heard and created a relaxing atmosphere as all three of them reclined on the soft grass.
"This...is the life." Ash let out a deep breath as he felt his body relax, he knew he could easily doze off thanks to his lack of sleep the night before.
"You're not wrong. Just need a cold drink and it'd be perfect...hey Ash, be a pal and go grab me one." Gary said from his right side.
"Not a chance, I'm way too comfy."
Gary sighed. "Worth a shot," A pause, "...say, Kylie, you're a much better friend than Ash-"
"Your flattery is noted and appreciated, however I am very much with Ash on this one." Kylie's voice replied from Ash's left side.
Ash cracked an eye open to see that Kylie was laying a little closer to him than he realised, but he didn't mind. He figured it could still be a remnant of the fear she felt yesterday, and found some comfort from him. If that was the case he was happy to help.
"And you call yourselves friends." Gary complained.
"Yep." / "Yep."
A beat of silence followed the synchronised response, as if each of them wasn't entirely sure they had heard that correctly before the tension cracked and three peals of bubbly laughter broke out, drifting across the open fields of Professor Oak's Ranch.
"Ash..."
"Nn..."
"Ash."
"..."
"Wake up, lazy bones."
Consciousness returned to Ash as he felt a dull throb from his ribs, his body instinctively contorting to shield them. His eyes began to open, before clamping back down against the glittering sunlight peeking through the canopy above. He brought a hand up to ward against the invasive glare and spotted the dark shape of Gary a small distance away; he was standing up straight doing some stretches, did he fall asleep as well? That just left…
"Finally up?"
Ash looked to his other side and was met with Kylie's amused smile, her body laying sideways to face him.
"Yeah, I'm up. How long was I out for? And did you poke me in the ribs?" Ash asked as he pulled himself up into a sitting position.
"Not long, about half an hour. I didn't even notice you were asleep until about ten minutes ago and figured I'd let you rest. And of course not, I'm not that cruel." Kylie explained.
Ash nodded, before a jaw-cracking yawn escaped from his mouth. "Ah, wow. I guess I needed that, thanks Kylie."
"You're welcome, I didn't even mess with you, kept Gary away as well. You can owe me one for that." She declared, looking proud of herself.
Ash chuckled. "I will be forever grateful."
"As you should, but now it's time to go." Kylie said as she pushed herself to her feet and began wiping the stray bits of grass from her shorts. "I think it's about time we got you home if you're that tired."
Ash was about to respond, but then he considered that going home didn't sound like the worst idea. He wasn't feeling all that tired, especially not after that nap but relaxing indoors sounded nice.
"Maybe you're right." Ash agreed as he got up as well. The two of them walked towards where Gary had been waiting for them across the field.
"Finally woke the sleeping princess?" Gary teased.
"Yep, only took an elbow to the ribs." Kylie agreed.
"You..." Ash began, sending a tired glare at Kylie whose only response was to stick her tongue out, "Ah, my friends are so mean..." The others laughed as Ash slumped in defeat.
As they walked Ash spoke up. "Oh yeah, where's your grandad Gary? I didn't see him on the way in."
"Oh, he's out in the field somewhere probably." Gary replied while waving his hand in a dismissively.
"That sucks, guess we'll have to say hello another time."
Gary and Kylie shared a knowing glance and the three continued on their way.
A little while later they were on the familiar pathway leading to his home. He wondered if Mankey would be up for some exercise before they gave up for the day and became vegetables. Now that he thought about it, maybe he'd have to drag Mankey out of bed, he might have still be sleeping all that food off.
Ash inserted his key into the lock on the front door, turning to talk to his friends as he pushed it open, "Hey, you guys want to come-"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
A deafening, multi-layered cheer erupted from within his house and it was so startling that he didn't immediately grasp the actual content of what was said. Ash whipped back around to face the source and his mind went blank.
In front of him was pretty much everyone he knew, including the family of his friends and even a couple of teachers. Draped above the smiling and laughing faces was a fancy red banner that read 'Happy 14th Birthday Ash!' in shiny writing.
His mind scrambled to process this new and unexpected information, analysing it, deconstructing it and verifying it before coming to an inescapable conclusion.
It was his birthday, and he'd entirely forgotten.
Rallying, his mind prepared the only response it could on such short notice.
"...Huh?"
A/N: Hello again, been a while. Not much to say about the story, kind of just ploughing through to get Ash out of Pallet Town. Let me know what you think.
I hesitate to say this, but the next chapter shouldn't take anywhere near as long.
