Alrighty then! This is the Chapter 7 replacement! I went ahead and deleted the older one because I didn't like the pace of the chapter, for one, and I didn't like the angle I approached as well. This chapter is a lot shorter than usual, for that I apologise, but I think it has better quality than what used to be here. So anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 7: Recovery
Jason woke up in a hospital bed one night. His eye sight was blurry from the bright ceiling light and his head ached immensely. A large cut over his right eye was stitched up and a few bruises illustrated more proof of his abuse from Giovanni's right hand man, Captain Turner. As he moved his head away from the light above, he felt the scorching pain in his left hand where Giovanni had removed the top half of his middle finger. His hand was bandaged up with white cloth and tape, of which was stained with his blood.
Jason sat up from his hospital bed and looked around. The walls were decorated with childish paintings and beige colored wallpaper. The sound of rain could be heard from outside the lone window, a sound that put Jason's mind at ease. To his right, he could see his employer, Professor Oak, asleep in a small chair with a book in his limp hands. Knowing that he was in a hospital, he knew that the staff would not allow Char to walk freely about the building. As such, he assumed Oak had kept him contained in his Pokeball.
Jason nudged Oak's shoulder a bit, trying to wake him from his slumber. The exhausted professor's body twitched as his eyes opened suddenly. After he rubbed his eyes, he turned his sights towards the bed to see Jason staring at him.
"Jason," said Oak as he rearranged himself in his seat. "Thank God you're alright."
"How long have I been out, Sam," asked Jason with a groggy voice.
"Not long. A few hours. You fainted in the Pokemon Center just before you reached the front desk."
Jason rested his head on his pillow and sighed. "Any trouble from Giovanni?"
"Don't worry about that right now."
"Just answer the damn question, Sam. Has he sent anyone to follow you?"
Oak shook his head as he lowered his sights. "No, Jason."
Jason nodded and scoffed. "Good. Then he won't."
"What makes you so sure, Jason? He's a criminal."
"He's afraid of me," responded Jason with a smirk. "He knows he's not in charge of what I do or where I go."
"I hope you're right, Jason. I really do. I think you're lucky to be alive."
Jason looked at his bandaged hand. "How long do I have to stay here?"
"Only until you recover. You hand is healing rather well and the cut over your right eye thankfully didn't impair your vision."
"I don't look cockeyed, do I?"
"No. Your eye is just bloodshot. You should be out of here by tomorrow depending on how you feel."
"I feel fine. Where are my clothes?"
Jason sat up from his bed once more and presumed to swing his legs over to the floor. Oak halted his advance by placing his hand on Jason's chest and applied pressure.
"No, Jason. For now you rest. I won't let you out of this bed until your wounds are completely healed, and that's final. You gave me quite a scare in that Pokemon Center. Don't keep me afraid for your health any more than I need to."
Jason slowly laid back down and sighed with frustration in his breath. He hated hospitals. He had been inside one too many times as a child. It gave him an unhappy vibe and reminded of his past.
"I ain't staying here longer than I have to, Sam."
"Nor am I asking you to do so. All I ask is that you rest for now. You'll be on your feet in no time, Jason."
Jason closed his eyes and tried to ease his mind so that he could fall asleep. The pain in his left hand was so apparent to him that he could not calm his mind. Along with the pain, his thoughts drifted towards his less than pleasant memories. The helpless feeling he had reminded him of what his life was like before he became a Pokemon trainer.
The next day, Jason walked out of the hospital entrance with Char and Oak behind him. Reaching into one of his utility belt pouches, he grabbed a pack of smokes and lit one of them up as he monitored his surroundings. The busy streets and sidewalks were filled with people wearing coats for cold weather, being that it was the season of autumn. Jason zipped up his hooded jacket, of which was still stained from his blood, and turned around to face Oak and Char.
"Keep that monitor screen hidden," said Jason to Oak. "I think it's about time you headed home, Sam. Me and Char still have a job to do."
Oak's worried expression became ever present. "Jason, perhaps you should take some time-"
"I said I would do the job you assigned me and I'll do it, Sam. The longer I stay in action, the more data you receive. If Giovanni starts sticking his nose in my business again, you'll hear about it and you'll know what to do. I'm not gonna let that asshole feel as if he's got a pubic hair's worth of effect over me or what I do."
Oak gazed upon Jason's expression. He had the look of a cold, yet determined trainer. His eye lids were narrow and his brows tilted downward. His hands were clenched and his head lowered slightly.
"Just be careful out there, Jason."
Jason nodded and walked away, Char following closely. Oak watched as Jason left without another word said. Though he knew Jason would continue to grow as a trainer and collect data, he still had high concerns for his well being. He never met anyone who could take and walk away from such traumatic abuse like Jason did. Hopefully, this experience would not turn Jason into someone else. Someone cold, apathetic, and maybe even suicidal.
"Good luck, my friend," Oak whispered to himself. He turned around and walked towards the Pokemon Center, where Walter waited to make arrangements for the return to Pallet Town.
Jason and Char walked along the sidewalks of Saffron City's downtown area in the direction of where the city's Pokemon Gym was located. They halted their footsteps as they caught sight of the glass entrance of the Silph Co. building. Jason looked through the glass entrance doors to see that the man who took the top half of his middle finger, Giovanni, standing with a few business suit wearing men and a few Rocket Grunts in front of the front desk.
Giovanni caught sight of Jason and Char and interrupted the conversation he had with his colleagues to meet his eyes with Jason's. Smirking over his supposed victory, he waved his left hand at Jason, jiggling his middle finger back and forth to taunt him.
While Char snarled and growled at the mob boss, Jason peeled off the white straps of cloth covering his left hand and clenched his hand into a fist. He then smirked back at Giovanni as he gave the gangster boss the same rude gesture he gave him the last time they conversed, flipping off the mob boss with his stump of a middle finger.
"I'll get you back one day, you son of a bitch," whispered Jason as he lowered his wounded hand. "One day I'll get you back."
Jason motioned for Char to follow him as they walked away. Giovanni kept his smirk as one of the Rocket Grunts approached him.
"Do you want us to follow him, Sir?"
Giovanni shook his head and said, "His time will come. As my retched mother always said, all good things to those who wait."
Jason and his Pokemon companions spent months traveling through the woods of Route 7 west of Saffron City. Jason had collected his forth Gym badge from the young masked Psychic-Type trainer, Will Clement. Being that he had little experience battling Psychic-Type Pokemon, Jason switched his Pokemon continuously until Char dealt the final blow, claiming Jason the victor. Since then, he had been traveling west for Celadon City, training along the way in preparation for the next badge.
Jason sat in front of the camp fire one night in the woods with a picture in his hand while Char was already sound asleep. The picture he held was of him and Brooke. He held it with his right hand and lightly caressed the face of Brooke with his left index finger.
Sorrow filled his heart as he gazed into her eyes. In order to keep Giovanni and his goons away from her, he knew that he would have to distance himself from her at all costs, probably for good. Though he had plenty of leverage against the Saffron mob boss, he wasn't willing to risk putting her in any danger. If Giovanni found out about her and decided to take a chance by using her to get to him, Jason would never forgive himself and would ultimately give up everything to save her. The cost was too much to bear for him. He had to stay away from the only person who truly loved him since the tragic death of his father to keep her safe and anonymous.
A small tear fell from his eye as he brought the photograph to his cheek, rubbing it back and forth. He longed to see her smile again. He yearned for her gentle touch, her delicate finger tips caressing his cheek as her soft lips brushed against his. He wanted to hold her again in his arms, keeping her safe from harm. He wanted something he knew he could never again have with another person.
Keeping it out of his eyesight, he ripped the photograph into small pieces and threw it into the camp fire, burning away the memories of the love he once had. The fire grew slightly in size as the photograph burned into the ash pile beneath the burning wood.
Jason's tears fell freely as he stood up to his feet and leaned his shoulder against a tall tree, facing away from the camp fire. Quiet sobs escaped his breath as more tears fell from his eyes. He felt alone all over again. From his family to his beloved Brooke, he had lost all who had loved him at one time. This made him feel helpless and alone, and it was a feeling that he thought he could forget when he was with Brooke.
Suddenly, Jason felt a rough hided hand press against his shoulder. He turned around to see Char behind him. The reptilian Fire-Type let out a warm smile to his hurt trainer, a smile that expressed gratitude and loyalty. Jason, at first, couldn't return the smile as he turned his head away from his companion. Char's smile faded but he kept his mindset on Jason's well-being as he nudged Jason's shoulder and grunted at him.
Jason slowly turned his head back towards Char with the same heartbroken look in his eyes. Char gave Jason the same warm smile as Jason placed his hand on the scaly hand that was placed on his shoulder. Slowly, Jason returned Char's smile and wrapped his arms around his companion's back and shoulders, an embrace the Char quickly and tightly returned.
"I'll always have you, Char," Jason whispered into Char's ear. "You're my family, and I won't let you down. I promise."
Char let go of the embrace and bumped his head against Jason's, causing Jason to flinch a bit. Jason laughed and grabbed Char's hand. The two looked into each other's eyes with pride and determination as they rammed their heads together once more.
"We're gonna grow strong, Char. When that happens, we're gonna show the world something they've never seen before. No one will ever bring us down again."
Minutes later the camp fire had died down. Jason's body was covered in his sleeping bag as he gazed upon the starlight sky. His mind was lost in his thoughts about what lie ahead. He knew that he would have a lot of traveling to do, but it didn't matter to him. As long as he had his family of Pokemon, Char, Shocker, Eevee and Powerhouse by his side, they could accomplish what ever they put their minds to. He calmed his mind of his thoughts of the future and let himself slowly fall into a very peaceful sleep, for tomorrow he would wake up to a brand new life all over again.
And there you have it! The improved Chapter 7. I thought it was about time that we see this side of Jason once more.
The next chapter is going to be a HUGE jump to the future. I will explain in detail what Jason had been up to but the time to approach the Indigo League is very near. No that will not happen in the next chapter, but events that lead up to it will happen. Not only that, but something unexpected and amazing happens! I won't go into detail what happens, but I will tell you that one of the Legendary Birds of the first generation makes a wiked appearence!
Last on my list: I NEED REVIEWS!! I'm not saying that the 12 I have aren't good reviews, but I am saying I could use a little more feedback guys! I am grateful for the reviews I have thus far, but keep in mind that I live for YOUR input. Please don't be shy and tell me what you think!
See ya next chapter!