Chapter 14
Nononononono please please be okay please be okay!
He can't breathe he can't breathehecan'tbreathe. Clemont's breath catches in his throat and burns in his lungs like fire as he reaches the pile of rubble but he doesn't stop to catch his breath, only starts trying to tear at the rocks with his bare hands. He's dimly aware of Pikachu racing up behind him, sounding just as terrified as Clemont feels as the Pokémon calls out Ash and Bonnie's names before darting around the pile of rocks. Beside him, Bunnelby starts helping to move the smaller rocks, but there's still so many piled up that Clemont is already despairing of ever reaching Ash and Bonnie under there. Where's the Aipom Arm, I don't have the strength to move any of these, oh my GOD, Bonnie – Ash –
A stinging pain flares up in his ankle and he looks down to find that the culprit is Pikachu, the electric Pokémon having thwacked him with his tail. "Pikachu –" he starts to say frantically, but Pikachu raises his voice over the top of his panicked words.
"Pipika, pikapi pipikachu pika!" With that, Pikachu darts away, disappearing around the other side of the rubble. When Clemont doesn't immediately follow, Pikachu pokes his head around the edge, beckoning him frantically. "Pipika!"
"Bunnelby!" Bunnelby urges, bounding after the electric Pokémon. Clemont follows, his legs stumbling forward without conscious thought. As he rounds the corner, Pikachu heads straight for one of the smaller pieces of rubble that is strewn around the main wreckage. "Pipika!" the electric Pokémon says urgently, waving towards him and pointing towards a piece of the ceiling that is wedged up against another at an angle.
"Are they under there?" he asks Pikachu, heart hammering in his chest. Pikachu nods frantically. Clemont turns to the rock pile. "Bonnie? Ash?" he calls through the rubble, hardly daring to hope.
"Clemont!" The reply is muffled by a layer of stone, but Clemont is weak-kneed with relief at hearing Ash's voice. "We're okay, but we can't get out from under here!"
"Just hang on, I'll get you both out," he calls back. Clemont takes a deep breath and lets it out in a slow whoosh, trying to calm himself as he examines the rocks. The pieces are jammed together in such a way that there is probably a pocket of empty space for Ash and Bonnie to curl up in.I think – no, that one will make these bits here fall down… moving this one should work though.
"Bunnelby, Pikachu, can you help me with this?" Clemont asks, grabbing one end of the rock. The two Pokémon take up positions at the other end. "Alright, pull!" he commands and follows his own words with all of his strength. For long moments, the rock doesn't budge a single inch and Clemont fears that maybe it's wedged too tightly against the others. The three of them keep pulling, however, and soon enough the sound of grating rock heralds their success. Clemont pushes the rock away and lets it fall to the ground with a heavy thump and a billowing cloud of dust.
He peers into the opening. Sure enough, there's a pocket of space between all the rubble just big enough for Ash and Bonnie to fit into. At first, Clemont can't see his sister at all and starts to panic again – Ash said 'we' though, right? – before he spots a patch of blonde hair under Ash's arm. The robot is curled up protectively around Bonnie, using his own body as a shield from the falling pieces of ceiling.
Ash opens his eyes, blinking blearily until he notices Clemont leaning over them. A sheepish smile curves the corners of his mouth upwards. "Thanks, Clemont."
"Clemont!" Ash loosens his grip awkwardly, hiding a wince as Bonnie pokes her head out of his protective hold. As soon as Ash releases her, a dusty Bonnie is crawling out of their hidey-hole and throwing her arms around Clemont's waist and squeezing tightly. "You're alright!"
"Bonnie!" Clemont exclaims, wrapping her up in a watery return hug. If his grip is a little too tight, Bonnie doesn't complain; she merely presses her face against his chest. "Are you okay?" He can't stop his hands from shaking, nor his voice from trembling as the full realisation of what could have just happened dawns on him.
"Yeah! I'm okay!" Bonnie says, beaming up at him. It doesn't stop him from checking her over for injuries of any kind, but much to Clemont's relief he doesn't find a single one. "It was scary, but Ash was with me and we knew you'd come get us!" She looks over her shoulder at Ash as he crawls carefully out of the rubble, her smile fading into concern. "I think Ash might be hurt though," she confides, just as aware of Ash's tendency to pretend he isn't injured as Clemont is. "He was covering me when all of those rocks fell down."
Clemont rests his forehead against his sister's for a moment – I'm glad you're okay – before he looks over at Ash as he sprawls beside them. Dust streaks the robot's hair grey and there is a scrape riding high on Ash's cheekbone, letting a sliver of silver gleam through the skin under his eye. There's a few other tears in his clothing and several long scrapes across his arms, but otherwise Ash seems to be okay from what Clemont can see. He rests a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Ash? Are you hurt?"
Ash pulls a face. "I'm okay, but…" With a sigh, he holds out his right arm to Clemont. It must have been hidden before by Ash's body, because Clemont is sure he would have otherwise noticed one of Ash's hands bent at an entirely impossible angle, exposing the metal skeleton beneath the layer of artificial skin. Clemont winces in reflective sympathy at the sight. "I think I broke my hand again," Ash finishes unnecessarily, sounding sheepish. "Sorry, Clemont."
"There's no need to apologise," Clemont says absently, holding out a hand in a silent request for a closer look. Ash obliges, letting Clemont turn his arm this way and that to inspect the damage. The joint is fairly beaten up and the damage extends up Ash's entire arm, the metal warped almost to his elbow. However, it's not unsalvageable. "I can fix this," Clemont announces with relief. "As soon as we get back to my workshop." He doesn't drop Ash's hand, instead letting his fingers curl around the damaged area. There's warm skin and smooth metal beneath his fingertips and Clemont takes a moment to ground himself with the reassurance that his sister and his best friend are alive and here safely with him. He exhales slowly and then out of curiosity asks, "Does it hurt?"
Ash wriggles his fingers in Clemont's grip, or at least tries to, since only one finger bothers to move. The robot's face scrunches up in thought. "Not really?" Ash offers. "It mostly just feels numb." There's a pause, punctuated by a dismayed groan.
Clemont sits bolt-upright. "What is it?" he asks anxiously. If Ash has other injuries…
Ash scrubs his working hand through his hair, shedding successions of dust. "I lost my hat," the robot replies, looking so disgruntled that Clemont can't help the snort of laughter that escapes him. Trust Ash to worry about his hat when he should be worrying about himself!
"Sorry," he amends when Ash shoots him a betrayed look. "It must have fallen off when you dived for Bonnie. If it's buried under all that rubble, we'll find it later, I promise."
Ash grins. "Thanks, Clemont!"
Clemont swallows. "I should be the one thanking you." Ash gives him a confused look, head tilting to the side. "You saved Bonnie," Clemont elaborates. "Thank you."
Ash shakes his head. "You don't need to thank me, that's just what family does, right? After all, you and Bonnie saved me too."
"Of course!" Bonnie chirps in reply; Clemont merely nods, finding it too hard to speak past the lump in his throat. His fingers stop rubbing unconscious circles against Ash's wrist in order to tighten their hold for a moment.
"Don't…" His voice fails him for a moment as he tries to force the words out. They could have been crushed they could have died I could have lost them both…! He takes a shaky breath and tries again. "Don't scare me like that again! Either of you!" Clemont looks down at his knees. "You can't… What would I do if both of you…" Bonnie and Ash exchange a solemn glance over Clemont's head, both of them able to feel the tremors running through him.
He is startled when arms wrap around him from both sides, both Bonnie and Ash hugging him close. "We're sorry for worrying you," Bonnie tells him contritely, Ash humming agreement deep in his throat.
"I know," Clemont sighs, hugging Bonnie closer and letting his head fall against Ash's shoulder, closing his eyes. Today's rollercoaster of emotions is starting to exhaust him; he feels so tired all of a sudden. "Just… please don't ever do that again."
"Well, isn't this just peachy," sneers a loud voice unexpectedly, making the three of them jump in surprise. It's not long before they spot Team Rocket standing poised on the top of the big pile of rubble behind them, much to Clemont's eternal dismay. He'd be happy to never see them ever again in his life.
"Team Rocket!" Ash exclaims, working hand curling into a fist. Beside him, Pikachu growls a challenge, looking ready to fight.
The three thieves ignore the glares being directed towards them. "It's fruitless to fight so prepare for trouble!" Jessie announces, flinging out a hand.
"This fabulous pear will make it double!" James adds, also striking a dramatic pose.
"Alright, they know the rest!" Meowth cuts in, throwing his teammates off balance. As they recover, he points towards Clemont, Bonnie and Ash. "They're ripe for the pickin'!"
"You guys are still here?" Bonnie says incredulously.
"You didn't fig-et about us, did you?" James retorts, hands on hips.
Bonnie sighs loudly. "Can't you just go and bother someone else?"
Meowth snickers behind a paw. "Why, orange you glad to see us?"
"No!" all three of them snap back angrily in an instant. Team Rocket just laughs in response.
"These guys are bananas," Ash deadpans, earning an incredulous stare from Clemont. The robot glances sideways to meet Clemont's gaze and the tiniest of smiles curls the edge of his mouth up, breaking the deadpan façade. Clemont snorts.
"Hey! Who are you calling bananas, twerp?!" James demands angrily.
"We're gonna pay you back for throwing all that fruit at us! Do you know how long it takes to get fruit juice out of my hair?!" Jessie seethes.
"An' for stealing our robot!" Meowth adds.
"Wobbuffet!"
"Inkay!"
Clemont is about to protest – Ash isn't theirs! – but Ash beats him to the punch this time. "Quit talking about me like I'm just athing!" he yells, leaping to his feet. "I have a name, and it's Ash! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" he orders, pointing towards Team Rocket.
"Pika!" Pikachu leaps forward, looking eager to settle the score as lightning crackles around the small body. "CHUUUU!"
"Wobbuffet!" Jessie calls as the Thunderbolt lances down towards them. "Reflect it!"
"Ack!" Ash cries as the lightning rebounds off Wobbuffet straight back towards them. "Watch out, Pikachu!"
"Bunnelby, help Pikachu!" Clemont demands. Lacking time for an actual attack, Bunnelby grabs a piece of the rubble nearby with his ears and throws it into the path of the reflected Thunderbolt.
"Thanks, Bunnelby!" Ash calls over the resulting mid-air explosion, shielding his face with his good arm. The other hangs uselessly at his side.
"Bun!"
Bonnie helps haul Clemont to his feet as the smoke clears. He casts an eye towards the ceiling apprehensively, but it seems like nothing else is about to fall down for now. I hope it stays that way!
"Pikachu, you good to go?" Ash asks. Pikachu shakes the dust out of his fur and darts forwards, lively sparks dancing from his cheeks.
"Pika!" is the fierce response.
Clemont looks towards his own Pokémon. "How about you, Bunnelby?" he asks, concerned. It's clear Bunnelby is tired – going straight from a series of Gym battles into a fight against Pikachu and now Team Rocket without any kind of rest would drain any Pokémon's strength. But there is a resolute glint in Bunnelby's eye when the Pokémon turns back to Clemont and he thinks it unlikely that Bunnelby is going to back down now.
"Bun!" Bunnelby replies, determination in every line of his pose.
"Alright then, let's do our best!" Clemont replies, adjusting his glasses. Bunnelby gives him a quick nod and turns to face their opponents.
"Your best won't be enough!" James retorts. "Inkay, Psybeam!"
"Pikachu, Bunnelby, dodge it!" Ash and Clemont shout together. Pikachu and Bunnelby spring in opposite directions as the Psybeam slices through the ground between them. Bunnelby lands harder than Pikachu, so Ash takes the lead in their offensive. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack on Wobbuffet!"
This is Clemont's first time seeing Pikachu battle properly, uninjured and in his right mind. Pikachu's speed is incredible, Clemont marvels, watching the electric Pokémon rush towards Wobbuffet. Not only that, but considering that he's only battled with Ash twice before this, he and Ash are amazingly in sync. Despite their inauspicious first meeting, Ash and Pikachu have managed to forge an incredibly close bond. The Pokémon who hadn't trusted Ash enough to let the robot pat him that first day now trusts Ash completely to direct him in the flow of battle.
"Counter it, Wobbuffet!" Jessie orders. For once, Pikachu's speed works against him – he's moving too fast now to put on the breaks in time. Clemont winces internally as Pikachu slams into Wobbuffet's barrier at full force and is thrown backwards with a cry of pain.
"Pikachu!" Ash yells, his voice full of worry as Pikachu goes sprawling. That's my cue, Clemont thinks, remembering Ash's strategy from his earlier Gym battle against 'Jessilina'.
"Bunnelby, Mud Shot!" he calls. Bunnelby launches the Mud Shot towards Wobbuffet; just as Clemont expects, Wobbuffet is unable to switch his shields quickly enough and is knocked backwards with a surprised "Wobbuh!"
"Good job, Clemont!" Bonnie cheers from behind them. "Do your best, Pikachu and Bunnelby!"
James scowls. "Inkay, Tackle!"
"Watch out, Pikachu!" Ash yells as the squid Pokémon spins upside down and dives towards Pikachu, who is just getting to his feet. Unfortunately, the warning comes too late; Pikachu goes sprawling backwards. "Are you okay?"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu replies, quickly springing to his feet. Sparks fly from his cheeks.
"That's the spirit!" Ash cheers. "Alright, Thunderbolt!"
The Thunderbolt strikes both of Pikachu's targets dead on; Inkay takes the hit, wobbling in the air as it recovers from the electrical attack, but Wobbuffet manages to counter the Thunderbolt in time, sending it arching back towards them – only this time, the target is Bunnelby.
"Double Team!" Clemont counters quickly. A multitude of Bunnelbys burst into existence, surrounding Team Rocket's Pokémon. The redirected Thunderbolt strikes and misses the real Bunnelby, leaving Wobbuffet and Inkay looking around uncertainly at the remainder of the copies surrounding them.
"Pikachu, use Bunnelby's Double Team as cover! Quick Attack!" Ash calls. Wobbuffet and Inkay redouble their efforts to look everywhere at once, but it doesn't help. A blaze of sliver shoots out from the crowd of Bunnelby copies, smashing into Wobbuffet's side and sending the blue Pokémon flying.
"Yeah! That's the way!" Ash cheers. "Nice combo, Pikachu, Bunnelby!" Pikachu glances over his shoulder at Ash, grinning at him.
"Good job, Bunnelby," Clemont adds as the copies start to wink out, until only the real Bunnelby remains. "Are you okay?" Sustaining all of those Double Team clones must have been exhausting; Bunnelby is starting to breathe harder, but still faces down Team Rocket with just as much determination as before.
"Bun!"
I don't think I've ever seen Ash and Clemont battle together before, Bonnie realises as she cheers on her brother and her friend. The two of them are always battling – as Gym Leaders against Gym challengers or against each other for training or just for fun – but until now it's always been facing one another, never side-by-side. They're really in sync!
Team Rocket are a study in frustration, having clearly not expected Ash and Clemont to be putting up such a strong fight. "Inkay, Psybeam!" James yells.
"Block it with Mud Shot!" Clemont commands.
Mud Shot slams into the Psybeam with a resounding boom, resulting in an explosion that has both sides shielding their faces with their arms as sand and smoke billow past them. "Bunnelby, Dig!" Clemont calls over the gale, catching Ash's eye.
The smoke cloud clears, leaving behind the coughing thieves. "Argh, that's it!" Jessie yells. "Will you twerps just give up already?!"
"Not until you get out of our home and leave us alone!" Ash shouts back, echoed by noises of agreement from Pikachu and Bunnelby and a loud "Yeah!" from Bonnie behind them.
"Hey, where'd Bunnelby go?" Meowth asks suddenly, scanning the battlefield.
Clemont smirks. "Now, Bunnelby!"
With a loud cry, Bunnelby bursts out of the ground at Wobbuffet's feet, sending the blue Pokémon crashing into Inkay; the two Pokémon tumble high into the air. "Good work!" Clemont approves. "Now, toss Pikachu into the air after them!"
Despite not being privy to his plan beforehand, Ash and Pikachu pick up the flow of it immediately. Pikachu bounds towards his ally Pokemon and jumps into Bunnelby's ears, letting Bunnelby throw him after the other two Pokémon. Pikachu spins, his smaller form letting him cut through the air and catch up to Wobbuffet and Inkay within seconds. "Alright, Pikachu! Use Wobbuffet as a stepping stone and jump even higher!" Ash yells.
Pikachu flips in mid-air at Ash's command, landing on top of the hapless Wobbuffet's head and springing higher into the air, almost to the roof of the Gym itself. Ash grins. "Now, smack them down towards the ground with Tackle!" he calls.
It's a good strategy – gravity will multiply the damage from a mere Tackle ten-fold from a height like that – but Pikachu evidentially decides to go one better this time, as his tail starts to glow bright silver. Clemont's eyes widen.
"Whoa! Pikachu's tail is glowing!" Ash exclaims in surprise. "What is that?"
"That's Iron Tail!" Clemont breathes in awe. How in the world does Pikachu know an attack like that?
"Pikachu knows a Steel-type move?!" comes Bonnie's shocked voice from behind them.
"You know Iron Tail as well, huh? That's awesome!" Ash calls, eyes sparkling. "Alright then, Iron Tail!"
Wobbuffet and Inkay look up at Pikachu above them. Pikachu grins down at them, the fierce shine of retribution in his eyes. "CHUUUU…" The glow around his tail brightens until it shines like the midday sun. "PI KA!" Pikachu spins around, slamming his tail into the two Team Rocket Pokémon with a fierce cry and sending them speeding back towards the ground.
The trio of Pokémon thieves shout in terror as their Pokémon hurtle towards them, but none of them manage to get out of the way of Wobbuffet and Inkay's flight path. All of Team Rocket – Pokémon and humans alike – disappear in the resulting explosion. The Gym quakes and Clemont hastily glances up again, but the roof still seems to be holding steady. Pikachu spins a few times as he drops towards the ground and lands lightly on his feet.
"That was so cool, Pikachu!" Ash exclaims proudly. "I didn't know you knew an attack like that! Great job!"
"Pika!" Pikachu replies, practically lighting up with pleasure at Ash's praise. Bunnelby hops over to congratulate him as well, causing Pikachu to blush.
The smoke clears away to reveal a very battered Team Rocket sprawled in the wreckage of the Gym's floor. James groans as he sits up, aching in a million different places. Nearby, Jessie does the same thing, looking very bedraggled. Wobbuffet doesn't even try to sit up and just lets a very weak, "Wobbuffet…" escape instead.
"Guys, I think now might be time t'make a strategic retreat," Meowth says weakly.
"Trying to run away again, huh?" Ash cuts in. Team Rocket scrambles to their feet.
"Cowards!" Bonnie says with all the scorn her 8-year-old self can muster, coming up beside Clemont to stick her tongue out at them.
"Cowards and thieves!" Clemont adds, frowning. "How dare you try to steal Ash and our Pokémon!"
"Pika pika chu!"
"Bun!
Ash takes a step forward; Team Rocket seems to shrink backwards as they focus on him. "Pikachu, let's show them why they shouldn't mess with us!" he announces, frowning. "Thunderbolt!"
"Bunnelby, Mud Shot!" Clemont adds.
Pikachu and Bunnelby leap into the air together, both Pokémon throwing all of their feelings into their attacks.
"PIKACHUUUUUUUUUU!"
"BUNNELBY!"
Despite Team Rocket's flailing, the combined attack still hits them directly and results in a huge explosion. Bonnie clings to Clemont as the shockwaves roll past them, almost knocking the siblings off their feet. Beside them, Ash holds onto Pikachu and Bunnelby tightly to stop them being blown away as well.
No such luck for Team Rocket, who find themselves being blown out of a newly-created hole in the side of Prism Tower.
"Geez, why does this happen every time we come across that twerp and his Pikachu!" Jessie complains as they sail through the air.
"Pikachu really is a strong Pokémon though," James comments absently, distracted by the discovery of an apple flying along with them.
"We should definitely catch it for the Boss!" Meowth agrees. "Can you imagine how happy he'd be to have such a powerful Pokémon? We can't let some pesky twerp and his Pikachu get the better of us!"
"But for now –"
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again…!"
"Wobbuffet!"
The strong winds die down. Bonnie cups her hands around her mouth. "And don't come back again!" she yells at the newly-created hole in the side of the Gym.
Ash laughs as he straightens up, Pikachu and Bunnelby still in his arms. "You said it, Bonnie!" He looks down at the two Pokémon he holds. "You both did an amazing job today," Ash tells them sincerely, a bright smile on his face. They both chime pleased responses, looking bashful at the praise.
"He's right, you did," Clemont tells them as he draws closer, Bonnie at his side. "Thank you for your help. You both deserve a nice long rest! Especially you, Bunnelby," he adds, reaching out to rub Bunnelby between his ears. "You must be exhausted."
"Bun…" Bunnelby admits, ears drooping. Clemont smiles, reaching out to take him from Ash. Pikachu takes the opportunity to climb up into his usual place on Ash's shoulder, sneezing as some of the dust matted in Ash's hair comes loose.
"Pikapiiii," Pikachu complains, scrunching his nose up. Ash just laughs in reply, reaching up to scratch Pikachu under his chin. The three of them chuckle as Pikachu's grumbles soon change into whines of happiness. " Chaaaaaa!"
"Bunnelby, Pikachu, thank you!" Bonnie says, standing on tip-toe and holding onto Clemont with one hand to pat Bunnelby. Ash leans down when she turns to them so that Pikachu is level with Bonnie's face. Bonnie giggles as her fingers bury into short fur, the sight of Pikachu closing his eyes in bliss at the touch still a relatively new one.
Clemont sighs, all his energy finally deserting him. He's starting to feel a little light-headed too. Clemont resists the urge to laugh when he realises that the entire ordeal with Team Rocket definitely oversteps Ash's orders this morning to not overdo himself. "How about we all go and have a rest?" he suggests. "And food," he adds as Bonnie's stomach rumbles, belatedly remembering that they'd been about to go to lunch before all of this.
"But the Gym –" Ash protests.
Clemont casts an eye around his Gym, his mouth set in a rueful smile. "I think the Gym needs to close for a few days while all of the damage gets fixed," he tells Ash.
Ash looks about to protest but actually stops and takes stock of the ruined Gym around them. He sighs, shoulders slumping. "I guess you're right."
"Hey, cheer up!" Bonnie says, patting Ash on the arm sympathetically. "It'll be just like a vacation! Maybe we can go shopping again!"
The robot brightens at the thought of going outside again – and this time, not in a massive rainstorm – but before he can reply, the same deep rumbling from before echoes around the Gym like an oncoming storm. The three of them freeze. "Don't tell me that's…" Ash says slowly, a note of fear in his voice as he and Clemont immediately look up at the ceiling of the Gym.
It's Clemont who spots the cracks rapidly spreading across the ceiling above them this time. That last explosion and the hole it put in the wall of the Gym must have shaken the parts of the ceiling that were still unstable from the earlier damage! "Run! Quickly, this way!"
As he speaks, Clemont reaches out and snags Bonnie's hand. With Bunnelby tucked in the crook of his other arm, he pelts towards the entrance to the Gym, racing the ever-widening cracks. However, even with terror driving him on with every step and gasping breath, he's tired; and even in the best of health, he's not a very fast runner, so it's no surprise when Bonnie soon overtakes him and starts pulling him along by the hand instead.
There's a booming CRASH behind them as the roof finally succumbs to the cracks zig-zagging across it and starts to collapse. It only takes one stone to start an avalanche; they find themselves being chased by a veritable hailstorm of fragments of roof and stone.
"Come on, Clemont!" Bonnie yells, her voice high with fear. She tugs on his hand. "Run faster!"
Clemont doesn't need to glance over his shoulder to know that the collapsing roof is starting to gain on them. He's already running as fast as he can – his legs feel like jelly and his lungs are on fire – but he tries to speed up anyway, to run just that tiniest bit faster. The ground is quaking under their feet with every chunk of rock that smashes into the floor from above.
He stumbles.
Oh no –!
Just as he is about to pitch over face-first, a hand reaches out and grabs the back of his hoodie and hauls him back onto his feet. "Watch out, Clemont!" Ash yells over the rumbling high overhead. "Hang in there, it's just a bit further!"
"Pika pipika!" Pikachu encourages from his place clinging to Ash's shoulder.
Clemont only has time to flash Ash and Pikachu the fleetest of grateful smiles before they are running again; Bonnie in the lead, pulling her brother along by the hand with Ash bringing up the rear, a steadying hand against Clemont's back.
They're only a few feet from the doors to the Gym when one of the larger fragments of ceiling crashes to the ground almost right on their heels, sending all of them flying forward. Clemont, Bonnie and Bunnelby go sprawling almost right to the Gym doors as a cloud of dust billows over their heads.
Slowly, the steady boom-boom-boom of the collapsing ceiling dies down, until only the lingering sound is of trickling dust and rocks settling into place. Clemont sits up slowly, his entire body starting to ache. "Is –" He breaks off into a fit of coughing from all the dust in the air. "Is everyone alright?" he tries again when he finally manages to breathe without immediately coughing.
Bonnie is already pushing herself up from the ground. "I'm okay," she replies, and immediately falls victim to the same coughing fit that had stuck Clemont only moments before. Clemont rubs circles on her back as she splutters, wishing he had some water for them both to drink.
"We're… also okay… I think…" Ash groans from several feet away, rolling over onto his back. Pikachu drags himself up, flopping over Ash's stomach with an exhausted "Pikachu."
"How about you, Bunnelby?" Clemont asks, looking towards the Pokémon sprawled near their feet. Bunnelby mumbles a reply, eyes in spirals. Clemont's mouth twitches into a smile as he reaches for Bunnelby's Pokéball. "Thanks for all your hard work," he tells the exhausted Bunnelby, returning him to his Pokéball. "Please have a well-deserved rest."
He leans back on his hands with a sigh, surveying the damage done to his poor Gym. At least a third of the ceiling has crumbled now; a giant hole through which Clemont can see to the next floor above the Gym. It's lucky that our apartment is actually several floors higher than the Gym, he muses. Between the roof and the hole Team Rocket blew in the side of the Tower, it wouldn't be very safe to stay here otherwise. Clemont spares another glance for his Gym and winces, a new thought occurring to him. It's going to cost a lot to fix all of this… Maybe I can make something that can help us rebuild?
Ash's gasp of pain pulls him immediately from his thoughts. "Ash?" he asks anxiously.
The robot is hunched over his knees, having finally found the energy to sit up. "I'm okay," Ash reassures him, rubbing at his temple. "I just sat up too..." Ash trails off, his eyes widening as his fingers still. Pikachu's ears prick up.
"Pikapi?"
"Ow," Ash mutters, squeezing his eyes shut. His fingers dig harder against his temples. "Maybe I should just…" He trails off again.
"Ash? What's wrong?" Clemont asks in concern, that horrible familiar feeling of dread sinking his stomach. He climbs to his feet, wincing as sore muscles stretch.
Ash crumples to the ground.
Clemont's eyes widen. "Ash!" He stumbles the short distance that separates them, collapsing carelessly to his knees beside his friend. He ignores the pain that jolts through his body at the harsh treatment. "Ash, what's wrong?!"
There's no reply. Ash doesn't react when Clemont calls out his name and shakes his shoulder. Nor does he respond when Bonnie drops down on Ash's other side and grabs his hand. Nor when Pikachu jumps onto Ash's chest, pulling desperately at the robot's shirt with a frantic litany of "Pikapi!"
No. Clemont goes cold. Not after everything we just went through.
"Ash, please, wake up," Bonnie pleads, holding Ash's hand to her chest with both of her own.
The feeling of dread solidifies into something heavy and sick in Clemont's chest. No, please, Ash, you have to wake up.
"Pikapi!"
I can't – You can't –
The crackle of electricity makes Clemont snap back to the present. "No, Pikachu!" He grabs Pikachu, holding him against his chest – and away from Ash – before the electric Pokémon can discharge a Thunderbolt to try and jolt Ash awake. Pikachu squirms, but Clemont hugs him to his chest, refusing to let go. "That won't work, Pikachu! If there's any damage to the insulation, you could end up overloading or melting some of his circuits by mistake! I know you want to help him but please, you can't restart his heart like that." Oh, Ash. Clemont buries his face against the top of Pikachu's head. "Ash has plenty of heart, Pikachu," he whispers against Pikachu's fur. It might just be a clockwork heart, but yours is full of love and life. Please, you have to be okay. "But you can't bring him back like that."
He hands a much more subdued Pikachu over to Bonnie, who hugs the electric Pokémon anxiously to her chest. Clemont down at Ash, unable to swallow past the lump in his throat. He'd thought Ash had looked like a discarded mannequin before, when he'd been recovering from Team Rocket's mind control, but that was nothing compared to how lifeless and broken Ash appears now. There's no light behind the usually warm brown eyes when Clemont thumbs back an eyelid, no hum of electricity and motors under his fingers when Clemont checks for a pulse in Ash's wrist. Ash has always run on the warm side, but without power to run his heating system, his skin is cooling under Clemont's touch.
'Gimme your hand, Clemont! My hands are warm enough for the two of us!'
Clemont feels cold too.
Mechanically, Clemont checks Ash over for injuries. Ash had told him about his broken wrist, but now there is a collection of other dents scattered all over the robot's body, not to mention two serious gashes – one across a thigh, the other curving across Ash's back – that cut right through to the circuitry underneath. With every piece of damage that he discovers, Clemont's heart breaks just that little bit more.
He wants to weep as he pulls Ash gently onto his lap, resting Ash's head and shoulders against his legs. The robot is so still, so unnaturally quiet; Clemont wills him to wake up, to open his eyes and tell them he's alright. But the seconds pass one by one, and Ash doesn't move at all. One of Clemont's hands creeps up to rest against Ash's chest, right over his 'heart' – but there's no hum of power under his hand to signal that Ash's internal power source is running. There's no sign of life.
A spot of water blooms on Ash's cheek, followed almost immediately by another. One trails the other as they trace a path through the dust on the robot's face. Ash's features steadily become blurrier as more tears splash against his upturned face. Clemont realises belatedly that those tears are his own, rolling down his cheeks with abandon, but he can't stop them falling. He squeezes his eyes shut, fingers clenching in the material of Ash's shirt. Ash…
He hears Bonnie's breath hitch; hears the misery in Pikachu's voice as the electric Pokémon chokes out, "Pikapi…"
Clemont sobs, leaning over his broken friend as he cradles him in his arms.
This is what he's been afraid of. Ever since Ash had mentioned wanting to become a proper Trainer that travelled around Kalos, Clemont has carried a quiet terror of Ash getting irreparably hurt – hurt in a way that Clemont can't fix him, or in a place that Clemont can't reach him. He just hadn't expected it to happen here. Here, in Prism Tower, in Ash's home, where he should have been safe. Where Clemont should have been able to protect him from danger.
"I'm sorry," he whispers, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm so, so sorry, Ash!"
"Clemont…" Bonnie's voice is so small and scared. "Ash is… Ash is just sleeping… or something… right? If we charge him up… he'll be okay… won't he…?"
Unable to speak, another sob escapes Clemont as he shakes his head. As far as Clemont can see, the physical damage to Ash's body isn't enough to make Ash shut down like this – this was, after all, the same person who could break a wrist or fry the circuits in his hand without blinking an eye.
No, Clemont fears something much worse.
Although he had stopped Pikachu from unintentionally melting any of Ash's circuitry, there's a fairly strong chance that the damage has already been done much earlier. Clemont still has no real idea what Team Rocket had done to Ash when they'd forced new programming into his mind. Ash had fought it – fought hard in a way that made Clemont proud of his friend – and could have even accidentally damaged himself in the process. If Ash's processing units or his memory banks are damaged…
"No…" Bonnie whispers, her breath catching. "No… Ash can't… he can't be just gone. Not Ash." The tears gathering in her eyes start to overflow. In her arms, Pikachu keens high in his throat as the electric Pokémon's own tears start to spill down his cheeks.
Ash can't be gone . The thought seems impossible.
"Pikapi…" Pikachu slips out of Bonnie's grasp, wriggling under Ash's limp arm to start pushing at the robot's side. "Pikapi? Pikapi!"
With every miserable cry, Pikachu's attempts grow weaker and weaker, until eventually he gives up and just clings to Ash's shirt. The distress in his voice as he cries out for Ash only makes the two siblings weep even harder, Bonnie curling up against Ash and Clemont as she clutches Ash's hand with both her own.
Bonnie sniffs. "You can fix him though, right bro?" she asks, voice wavering. "You made him, you can fix whatever's wrong with him now, right?"
Clemont's hands tremble where they rest against Ash's chest. "I created him, but –" He sniffles. "Ash grew all on his own. Most of who he is," it hurts too much to even consider correcting it to 'was', "is something he developed around anything I did originally. I don't know if I can – if I can fix something like that…"
"But…" Bonnie's takes on a fierce desperation. "It's not fair, he's ours. Ash is our friend. He's family! You have to fix him!" she finishes stubbornly despite the wetness still staining her cheeks.
He stares down at Ash. Can he fix him? There's so many factors, so many variables and even if he fixes Ash physically… if he has to reprogram any part of him, what if it's not their Ash that wakes up? Won't that make him just like Team Rocket, if he has to overwrite part of Ash's mind? He shudders, drawing a shaky breath.
Tears continue to roll down Clemont's cheeks; as they drip against Ash's face, they make it look like the robot is crying as well. If there is ever a robot who could work out how to cry, surely it would be Ash.
Clemont smiles a small, very watery smile. Ash is Ash, he thinks, wiping away the tears on Ash's cheeks with his fingers. As long as I can give him a path back, he'll find his way back to us somehow. I have to believe that. He has to try. He has to. Clemont owes it to Ash, and to himself and Bonnie to try his hardest to fix their robot. "You're right," he agrees tearily. He looks down at Ash again. "I swear that I'll do my best to fix you," he vows with a sniffle. "So please… please just rest for now. Thank you for everything." His voice breaks on the last word, sending tears cascading down his cheeks again. Bonnie presses closer against his side and he drapes an arm around his sister, letting her bury her face against his hoodie.
They stay like that – all of them huddled around their beloved robot – until the doors to the Gym behind them fly open and their father and Officer Jenny rush in. The newcomers skid to an immediate stop at the sight of them. However, while Officer Jenny gapes at the damage done to the Gym, Meyer has eyes only for his son and daughter.
"Thank goodness you're both alright!" he exclaims, relieved, but the relief soon fades when neither one of his children answer him. He hurries closer, leaving Officer Jenny behind as she starts to snap orders into a police radio.
"Clemont? Bonnie?" he asks gently, crouching down beside them. "We saw an explosion come from the side of Prism Tower. Are you both alright? What happened?"
As Clemont raises a tear-stained face to meet his father's gaze, his son's arms drawing a seemingly comatose Ash closer towards him, Meyer has a feeling that the answer is going to break his heart as well.
oh no he ded D:
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Thanks for reading! C: