Silently Broken

by MilkywayScribbles

Now working for a leading company in Viridian City, Jayce Ketchum tackles the everyday life of parenting with his wife Delia, as well as strengthening their marriage. However, on a trip to visit his aging grandmother accompanied by his six year-old son, Ash, Jayce finds himself caught in the middle of a predicament that could tear his family apart. Prequel to Everything Changes.

14. Can't Keep Pretending

Silently Broken

Chapter Fourteen

"Can't Keep Pretending…"

The sun was already touching Viridian's landscape early that Saturday morning.

Giovanni, wide awake and fully dressed in his black suit, performed his usual traditions of making his morning calls to awake sleeping grunts late on the job, and feeding his prized Persian a bountiful amount of its favorite wet food pokechow mix. Element Endurance...

He threw the large tin can in the trash, letting the obnoxious label be smeared by yesterday's lunch inside the halfway filled garbage can. The crime boss was growing overly impatient by his agents' slow journey from Pallet back to their underground headquarters, and pondered endlessly over what to do next. How to handle this nuisance named Jayce Ketchum... His agitated fingers tapped the desk heavily as he exhaled another deep full huff, yearning for just an ounce of information and for those buffoons to finally burst through the door.

He looked at the clock again for the tenth time.

This entire operation he ordered all his members to participate in in some fashion made Giovanni realize how large of a mission this was going to be. And that he'd have to eventually spare his employees from darkness, and fill them in on all the horrifying recollections he could recall of that unexplainable night...and why he was conducting this manhunt to begin with.

They knew, however, that Jay had gotten into some nasty tangle with Giovanni in the past; that much the agents were aware of. So for the time being, they would have to repress their curious minds and do as they were told without fixating on their unanswered questions. Some very painful questions that brought a humongous amount of anger to Giovanni, that he had no logical or calming way of handling it.

And seeing Jay's face again, rereading that basic information under his trainer bio over and over again, driving himself mad trying to remember-

It caused significant bits and pieces of his memory to come back in one powerful rush.

The name Jayce Ketchum, his cold eyes, his owned Pokémon, did trigger the majority remembrance of what Madame Boss's dastardly plans were and how Jay destroyed everything with his pure touch.

His pure touch... And why they needed him.

But who found him as their tester in the first place still was unclear to the crime boss. He about pulled the short bristly hairs from his head in frustration as he went on pondering, squeezing his eyes shut tighter and tighter, gritting his teeth harder and harder- What was that boy's name?

Then another tantalizing thought arose.

How did Jay live? Or more like, why did Jay get to live, while Madame Boss had burned in flames as strong as Hell itself- Why? It made no sense; Jay should have died along with the headquarters, along with all other deceased Team Rocket agents. What made him so special to be graced with a chance at life again-?

Again. It was beginning to make sense. The research they conducted on Ho-Oh eight years ago, his own private research he had been conducting as of late…there was a mention in one of the books... a mysterious and unexplainable power the legendary phoenix possessed fit perfectly with Jay's existence. His second chance at life...

As Giovanni went on being absorbed in another deep contemplation his office door at last creaked open with a squeaky roar. Immediately two hat-covered heads popped around the corner, meandering in hesitantly and jumpily.

The criminal frowned. "It's about time you two fools got here," he hissed with narrowed eyes. "Do I dare ask if you found out anything? Or were you two just playing around-"

"We did, and you would have been sick to your stomach, boss," the more brash one spoke as they strutted towards their leader's desk. "Watching this guy at Element Endurance was bad enough, but that little date of his was worse."

"He's right," the other one agreed.

Persian began to slink away from its now spotlessly licked bowl and to Giovanni's leg for affection, soon indulging in its master's firm hand scratching the cat behind the ear. But his gaze didn't shift from his hired help.

"First, he drove his bitch to some fancy restaurant, was there for like two hours," the excitable grunt explained, folding his arms over his broad chest, "then he drove back to Pallet and took her to some love-nest in the woods."

Giovanni's expression remained unreadable as usual. In most instances he appeared to be peeved, though the agents couldn't decipher whether he was truly disgusted by this tidbit of information or if he was simply bored out of his mind. Either way, none of it would make him happy.

The second agent opened his arms with a genuinely horrified gaze, expressing himself. "Believe us boss, eavesdropping on them was a nightmare in itself. And to top it all off, the guy screwed her once they got home. Uggh, like we need more of him in the world! The guy's already got one brat-"

Giovanni raised a hand in the air, silencing his workers from speaking any further on the crude and inappropriate subject. He had heard enough, plenty for him to be pleased. Shockingly pleased; neither of the grunts would have predicted what was about to come next.

"Well, I'm... happy for him."

Slowly but dramatically, Giovanni's intense frown transformed into an expression one would find more charming. Yet, a severe hint of creepiness made it appear to be more devious than anything.

The agents were stunned, blinking continuously in befuddlement. Did they hear him right?

"H-ha-appy?"

"Seeing him so chipper and then crushing him will be much more fun than him already being depressed," Giovanni outwardly explained, still wearing his disturbing smile. "Now, I think it's time we finally pay Jayce a visit. Did you find out his schedule?"

"Y-yeah." The agents were still shocked by their boss's twisted thinking of looking at this from a positive angle, then again, they should have expected as much. "We wrote it down while that idiot secretary of his was out of the room," the more outspoken one elucidated, taking the paper out of a pure black briefcase.

"Well then, when would be the proper time to attack?"

Their eyes darted over the paper nervously. When the pair was disguised as members of the cleaning crew for the workplace, their handwriting had turned to chicken-scratch from copying so much down, and so quickly in such a short amount of time, and it was almost unreadable to them.

With one of the grunts holding the paper, and the other looming over his shoulder, they scanned the paper without any consideration of time or their boss's patience. "Uh, let's see-"

And clearly, Giovanni's impatient and rash behavior was unleashed because of them. "Oh, you don't even know! Give it to me!"

The crime boss swiftly snatched the document away, holding it tightly in his grasp as he tried to decipher their poor legibility. Persian groaned in disappointment that the scratching and petting couldn't continue, and soon slithered away, curling up on its nicely made oversized cat bed. From there, it didn't take long before Giovanni began to smirk once more, though he now added a despicable faint chuckle to it, confusing his employees all the more.

"W-what is it, boss?"

"I want you two parked outside of the Element Endurance Company building around nine tonight," he ordered plainly with the paper still in his possession.

They paused, still lost by his command. "W-what for?"

"Because he'll be there working. All by himself," Giovanni reminded with a demeaning tone, annoyed by their incompetence, considering they were the ones who jotted down the notes. "I want to squeeze every ounce of information and every ounce of life out of Jayce Ketchum, personally. So bring him back to headquarters...alive."

---

"So I'm thinking that maybe the boys could have their playdate sometime in the next couple of weeks? I've got a big project I'm working on, so I won't be free till then."

"I think that could work, Annie. Jay will be finished with the commercial at the beginning of next week, so our schedule should be more flexible by then."

By the ringing of the phone, Delia had stopped midway through her sprucing up of the living room, finding herself arranging plans with Annie for the boys. They hadn't talked much since the trip to Cerulean, for both women had been swamped with their daily routines and life's usual obstacles. Though Delia was glad to hear from her sister-in-law, and see that she upheld her promise in helping their sons get along and start over with a fresh slate.

The women wanted more than anything to see Ash and Gary's relationship improve, make things easier not only for the children, but for them all to interact. And they hoped setting a time for the boys to mingle would help make strides in their social skills, as well as gather enough parenting insight from each other in the process of making a difference.

Delia fluffed the smashed pillows and settled them back on the couch, still chatting away. "Would you prefer to have it at our house or yours?" She then plopped down on the sofa, holding the cordless phone close to her ear as she straightened the magazines spread across the coffee table again.

"Either way works for me," replied Annie. "Gary though has been begging to show the treehouse Chad and Sam just built for him, so it might be fun for Ash and a couple of their other their friends to have a sleepover up there."

A sleepover in a treehouse? At first, Delia believed her son would be absolutely thrilled at the thought of spending an adventurous but safe night outside in the Oaks' backyard. Then the development of her own feelings on the matter arrived. Delia wasn't exactly fully set on the idea, pondering silently over typical safety percussions and so on. But she didn't want to dismiss Annie's offering either. It wasn't often that Annie would on a whim allow a set of rambunctious six year olds to parade through her house and be the main focus for the day. Usually if Gary wished to have friends over, Chad was in charge of entertaining the children, considering he was an overgrown child himself. That or they were sent gallivanting off to Prof. Oak's, to be charmed by the many Pokémon the boy's grandfather possessed.

And if Annie was actually offering this time, Delia certainly wasn't going to intervene. She had hosted enough get-togethers in the past, and mind, Gary had attended a few which didn't always end very pleasantly.

Delia blinked for a moment, getting her thoughts together. "Oh sure, I think Ash would like that. But the treehouse isn't too high off the ground, right?"

Annie figured she'd ask that. "No worries, Sam made sure it's at a safe enough distance for the boys to climb up and get down. Chad, on the other hand, thought it would cool to have it near the top," she chuckled with a roll of her eyes. "His words, not mine."

Delia giggled faintly back with a shake of her head, equally as humored as her friend. "I can hear him say that."

"So what do you say, Delia? Is it a go on the treehouse?" her friend persisted for a definite answer. She could tell through Delia's tone the woman was slightly hesitant on the suggestion for reasons she could comprehend, and intended on settling the matter now than let it linger on. "If not I totally understand-"

"No, I think that will be fine. I certainly wouldn't want to spoil the boys' fun."

And Delia meant that. This whole little arrangement was for Ash and Gary, and it was important for the boys to interact and get along in a safe and stable environment. Delia, like any other dedicated mother, wanted to guide her son through the dilemma, and see her nephew make improvements as well. And it would take both couples' interventions to help make it all happen.

"Great!" Annie seemed sincerely delighted, for she already began to pull out her planner with a pen in her hand. "So what date works for you? It would have to be like in the first week of August."

However before she could speak, Delia's attention was detracted. Instantly, the woman's hearing gravitated to the shutting off of what sounded like the lawnmower, and faint laughter and chatter following afterwards. Once Jay went and picked up Ash from her parents' house after breakfast, the boys had been outside most of the early morning hours, which left Delia to do some quiet cleaning up in the kitchen and living room, while Ash was busily entertained by Vulpix and Vaporeon. And as for Jay, he had been working diligently at sprucing up the front and backyard, trimming away on the overgrown grass and weeds that decided to rear their ugly heads in the lawn.

Though now with the sound of feet rushing to the doorstep, Pokémon chattering, and the sight of Jay shoving the mower off to the side through the patio door, Delia thought it was wise to wrap up her chitchat.

"Uh, Annie? I'm sorry to cut you short, but I think I better get moving," she explained, leaning forward and getting a glimpse through the glass as she remained seated. "Jay's already done working outside, and I'm still vacuuming the living room! I'll call you back soon, and give you my answer. Sorry."

Annie waved her hand in the air, and placed the cap back on her pen. "No worries, that's fine Delia. There's no hurry," she replied casually. "We can talk later about setting a date."

Delia smiled and nodded. "'Kay thanks, bye."

Immediately after hanging up the phone, she placed the contraption on the coffee table, sighing from tiredness as she gazed at the room she had left unfinished. The work she still had left was minor, but Delia never cared to leave chores unfinished, minute or not. However, the woman did have to admit, she was dying to get out and garden before the heat began to set in for the day.

Soon after, the door finally burst open, having Ash scurry in with giggles and Vaporeon and Vulpix galloping at his sides. Jay then followed behind, closing the door as he wiped his brow. Delia could sense he was becoming exhausted, both with busily tackling the put-off yard work he promised to do, as well as promising to spend a few moments with his lively son. But she knew he didn't mind.

"Well, you two sure sounded like you were having a good time out there," Delia noted with a playful smile.

She could tell Jay had already worked up a sweat as he approached her, his t-shirt bearing faint streaks of perspiration and his bangs carrying subtle moisture. Delia was actually very surprised to see him up early that morning after their big date the previous night, finding him wide-eyed and awake. And quiet. Delia supposed he was simply overly tired by the night's excitement, for Jay had showcased all the planning and time he dedicated willingly to their anniversary and Delia still couldn't get over how magical the night had been.

It was surely one of the most romantic anniversaries in their six years of marriage, and Delia felt bad for having to start right away on their big chore list for the month the day after. But, Jay didn't argue about it and seemed to complete his jobs willingly and thoroughly, though from his lack of smiles and occasional silence, the woman hoped she hadn't pushed him too far with the work.

"We did!" Ash replied first as he kicked off his shoes, and then began to give more pets to Vulpix and Vaporeon. "And Dad got the lawn mower to work too!"

The mother chuckled at her son's comment, recalling the most recent dilemma with the lawnmower, and how she and Jay had to involve Ernest to get it fixed. And Delia knew how much it irritated Jay to not only work with her father, but too not look foolish in front of him as well.

"Really?" she carried on, cocking an eye at her husband. "So you didn't have any trouble this time?"

Jay just frowned. "No." Delia had sworn he would counteract her comment with his own witty rebuttal, but it was as if he was too jaded, like he had run dry of snarky comebacks. She continued to look at him as he shuffled his feet over to her, shrugging with a huff. "So... still need some time inside?"

The woman swiveled her head over to the incomplete task, however she wasn't going to make a big deal about finishing it. She could always do it once it became too unbearably hot outside to garden. "Oh, no. Annie called and I got caught up in that."

Jay swiftly journeyed away from his wife's side and into the kitchen, with little Ash following behind him. "What for?" he asked, loud enough for Delia to hear as he strolled away.

"She wanted to arrange a time for the boys to hangout."

"Really? She took the initiative first?" He was now rummaging through the fridge, fetching a nicely chilled water bottle for his parched throat.

Behind him, though, Ash was busy pulling his mini Camerupt stepstool towards the farthest counter, reaching slyly for the new box of pokebiscuits Delia had just purchased. He was about to indulge Vulpix and Vaproeon with the tasty snack, who were sitting directly next to the legs of the chair, anxiously awaiting their treat after hearing Ash faintly shake the box.

Delia and Jay, however, were too distracted by their own conversation to take notice.

Delia pulled herself forward and reached for a lonely spring-decorated tablet and pen that were laying on the coffee table, finally getting around to completing the inside chore list for her witty husband now that he was in. "Yes Jay, your sister is capable of doing so."

"Well I know," Jay scoffed. He then slammed the door of the fridge and wandered back into the living room, cracking the plastic bottle open to get his first swig. "It's just shocking she did it without someone prodding her about it. Is that my list?"

His wife paused, and beamed up at him. "Yes it is."

She then proceeded to finish jotting down her last request of the day, tearing off the piece of paper and handing it to him. Jay took it gently and skimmed over the contents briefly. "Thanks. Did you guys set a date?"

Delia blinked. She was a little amazed that Jay still wished to talk about Ash and Gary's little playdate, but filled him in nonetheless. "Not entirely. But I'll call her back."

He didn't say anything in return, his eyes staying fixated on the fairly long list of jobs. Delia observed Jay briefly till her ears picked up a sudden happy cry from Vulpix, leaning instantly past her husband and catching sight of her son filling the well-fit Pokémon up on the high calorie snack.

Delia promptly narrowed her eyebrows, and intervened before his kindness went too far. "Ash, don't give them too many!"

The boy's head immediately beamed over his shoulder, smiling sheepishly as he placed the box back on the counter. "I won't!"

His mother only sighed and shook her head with a faint laugh, instinctually waiting for Jay to throw in his two cents. But he didn't. Even after Ash filled his Pokémon up on probably too many treats, Jay's eyes didn't shift and neither did his focused facial expression. In most instances when this happened, Jay would be extremely paranoid that they had eaten too much, and that their calorie intake for the day would be off and that they would have to have extra training to burn off the calories-

Yet, he said nothing.

He could have been just too engrossed in skimming over his work load, so Delia didn't see the need to make a fuss, though did catch her husband's attention for another reason. "Um, Jay?" she called softly, still sitting on the couch as she pulled on his shirt. "You sure you can do all of that today?"

Jay gazed at his wife then back at his list quickly, understanding what she was referring to. "You don't think I could?"

"I just don't want you overdoing it. You spent an hour with Ash, you mowed the lawn, and you already have to go back to work this afternoon-"

"But I don't mind, Delia," he insisted calmly. Honestly Jay didn't, and for several reasons Delia wasn't aware of. "It's um- a good distraction... from work. Really, it's fine."

More like he prayed the never-ending chores would be an adequate distraction.

Jay was shell-shocked.

He couldn't get over what had happened last night. How all the goodness had been sucked out, and how he didn't see any of it coming. Between the sudden lovemaking and then finding out Team Rocket had been spying on he and Delia, most likely the entire evening, possibly the day-

It severely irked Jay.

His fears were confirmed, and now he had to pay for the possible consequences of his and Delia's intimacy. He had sworn to himself that making love or anything that lead to it, would either be put to a halt or not done at all period. Even if it was slim, the thought of possibly bringing a baby into the horrifying mess was something he couldn't imagine, couldn't handle, and wouldn't know how to handle. It was preventable; that much made him angry about his impulsive decision, and now he felt himself in one painstaking wait.

He felt so foolish for letting his guard down, for really thinking Team Rocket was long gone and that he and Delia had a chance at having another little one. He had convinced himself of things he knew in the back of his mind were impossible, and he felt jittery and anxious about the entire matter. And though Delia might not have been pregnant, that still really didn't make Jay's worries lessen or make things easier on him. Pregnancy or not, the concerns and fears would remain.

Jay just couldn't shake any of the shock off.

Her husband's poker face was masterfully crafted, and as he went on brooding over his foreboding terrors, Delia nonchalantly carried on. "Okay we'll I'm going to take a break from this and head outside," she said casually, standing up with a stretch of her arms. "I need some fresh air. Call my dad though if you run into any problems with the sink-"

Jay tried to shake off his anxiety, adjusting his throat as he replied like his normal self. Like nothing severe was bothering him. "Del, I don't need your father's help nor do I want it. I'm a big boy. I can handle a loose pipe by myself."

She produced a small playful smirk as she traveled past him, heading for the front door. "If you say so." She then began to slip on her shoes, calling sweetly for Ash to accompany her. "C'mon my little gardener, we're gonna head back outside!"

Ash soon raced back into the living room, blinking at his mom. "Garden?"

"Ash you already got your playtime with Dad. Don't you wanna have time with me?" she added with a curious eye, putting her sunhat on.

Her son returned her reply with a small pout-like frown. "Yeah, but gardening's boring."

Delia arched her eyebrows as she adjusted the rim of the hat. "Since when? You like gardening once you get into it! C'mon, we'll have fun!" she persisted with enthusiasm, gesturing towards the door. "Get your boots on, we'll go out."

Ash seemed to comply with his mom's wishes as he went past her, pulling his boots over his feet once he plopped down in the entryway. From there, he swung the front door open and jogged out to the lawn with the Pokémon again.

Both Delia and Jay leaned out the door to watch Ash, soon having Delia call to him once more. "And I'm going to get the sunscreen! I don't need you burning! It's going to be hot today-"

"Ah, not sunscreen!"

Delia turned back to her husband with another heavy sigh, both hearing Ash's abrupt whine at his mother's caring order.

Jay subtly let a small smile slip from his lips, nudging his wife gently with his elbow. "Have fun."

She huffed back softly, gazing back at Ash running around with Vaporeon and Vulpix playfully chasing at his heels. "Hmhm, thanks. You too," Delia added as she rose on her toes, planting a delicate kiss on his cheek.

Jay stood in the entryway as his wife pranced out, calling for Ash to come over and showing him their tasks to complete in the garden. The man then sighed hopelessly, journeying away from the carefree sight.

If only these lighthearted days could cover what darkness had clouded Jay's mind.

---

The Ketchums' afternoon work carried on with merriment.

Delia was busy tending to the earth, watering away her sprouts of both flowers and vegetables with contentment. As for Ash, he had helped right along with his little Squirtle watering can, as well as pulling up any pesky weeds that were easy to uproot. And the Pokémon had been working too. Vaporeon lent a hand in sprinkling Delia's vegetables in particular with a good soak of his water gun, and Vulpix worked away at digging some holes, providing assistance to the gardener planting a few new bunches of pansies.

Though with Ash only being a child, more so there for company rather than to work, he took several breaks and entertained Delia with loud bouts of laughter as he ran around with Jay's Pokémon. The mother didn't mind it, and was simply blessed to have the day go on without any arguments, any troubles whatsoever… After the day before and now into the morning hours, Delia thought nothing could go awry, like everything was falling into place, with catching up on chores, Annie and Chad's willingness to help Gary, Jay's success at work. It all seemed like the perfect dream.

Too perfect.

Only about an hour into gardening, Ash took a reprieve from watching his mom plant away with Vulpix and scooted over to Vaproeon who was in the midst of providing moisture to the farthest flowerbed from Delia, spritzing the dirt the mother hadn't dug in yet. And Ash wanted to be a part of it. Waddling over to the water type, he squished his boots into the soaked dirt, a loud and prolonged squirt erupted between each step from the suction of his boots. He kept moving along with a wobble, watching Vaporeon jump from place to place with little sprints against the ground.

Ash then jumped at the idea of truly helping make the ground extra soft for when his mother was prepared to plant in the fertile soil, having him quickly turn on his heels and prance back to the lawn. He was only a few steps away from fetching his half-filled water can, till he accidently tripped over his oversized boots, colliding face first the damp soil. He raised his streaked face steadily out of the mud, big brown eyes noticeable with his mud completion.

Then, he coughed slightly with a silly grin. Surprisingly enough, he didn't cry from the sudden collision with the ground, but found the squishy texture fun to feel against his fingers. Ash was truly a boy who didn't mind getting rough and dirty, and loved nature itself. He was one of those typical boys taking notice in dirt clods and dreamed of building sandcastles. Spending time at his grandparents' farm and gardening often with Delia brought up this subtle enjoyment, and soon he found himself making a game out of it with Vaporeon.

After his little tumble, Vaproeon hurriedly rush to the boy's side, sniffing his hair as he rose up on his knees. Ash laughed outwardly at his silliness, getting the water Pokémon excited enough to seep into a play pose, bouncing around happily with Ash chasing after him. This ended up bringing more heartache than delight.

As Ash galloped through the slick texture, he slid again, falling multiples times as Delia's fresh section of dirt morphed into something like a slip n' slide. Only it was mud. And though Ash's actions were harmless, his little moment of innocent fun with Vaporeon was making a real mess of Delia's empty flowerbed and eventually, she took notice.

The repetitive yelps of happiness from Vaporeon took Delia and Vulpix's attention away from working, and then Ash's exclaim was the topper.

"Haha, look Momma!"

With a raise of her head, Delia dropped her clippers next to her newly planted pansies, her mouthing hanging open at the display showcasing itself proudly before her. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Ash! Wh-hat did you do?!"

Her nicely turned up flowerbed was as complete mess, and her bright little six year old was cover from head to toe in the soft soil, not ashamed at all by what he had intentionally done.

"I'm a mud monster now!" Ash giggled back, his arms spread wide open.

Delia couldn't resist the temptation to slip out a meek grin and faint laugh, though stopped herself immediately. It was adorable, a picturesque moment that belonged in her scrapbook for sure, but the destruction of her hard work and the tedious job of cleaning Ash up was another story. Before she could even respond calmly, Ash's little feet bounced off the dirt and straight towards the house, leaving Delia still stunned.

"I'm gonna go show Daddy!"

Daddy? Delia gulped, rising to her feet instantly at the thought of the mess being carried into the house and Ash possibly falling against the newly cleaned floor- "Ash, wait!" she ordered, panicking, trying to keep up with him. "No! Stop, please!"

But Ash didn't listen.

Back inside the house, Jay had finished most of the items on his long list and was having a duel with the notorious loose pipe underneath the sink, fighting endlessly for the dang thing to tighten with his wrench. He was beginning to feel very warm and claustrophobic after being shoved under there for a good long while. He never cared for work like this, and just to have difficulty getting a pipe to stop leaking, really demonstrated how far his stress level had gone up. He didn't need to get so worked up about a small issue like this. But he did, for he couldn't really express his stress so openly. Though, he did his best to restrain himself.

Even if it didn't always show.

"Damn it!" Jay's hand soon fought vigorously with the leak, smashing his palm against the forceful sprinkle, preventing the water from blinding him any further. He coughed to the side and opened his eyes wide enough to get a good look at the pipe again, twisting the leak closed with all his might. Finally, the troublesome pipe seemed to call it quits for the day, sending a sigh of relief out of Jay's mouth as he used the back of his hand to wipe his face. At least one problem had been solved.

From there, Jay was about ready to grab what tools he had lying beside him, till the sound of sudden stomping and an excitable call between giggles diverted his attention.

"DADDY! DADDY! Dad, look!"

Jay let an exasperated groan slip from his mouth, struggling to pull himself out without bonking his head in the process. He was becoming agitated between the leaky pipe and all his concerns and emotions that had been bottled up the entire night in regards to Team Rocket. And of course for the last few weeks.

Still, the man bit back his tongue and emerged out of the cabinet, pulling himself out only to find the unthinkable. "Arrgh, what is it- ASH?!" He would have never guessed this is what Ash so anxiously wanted to show him, and the muddy tracks that trailed behind his mucky son. He was totally baffled. "What the hell happened?!"

"I'm a mud monster!" the boy chuckled jokingly, trying to portray the silly character he had created in his innocent mind.

Jay just scoffed as he rose to his feet, utterly repulsed with the sight in front of him. He couldn't believe Delia would have allowed Ash to roll in the mud like he was some Tepig off a farm and wondered continuously how he got away with it. The man ran a hand through his locks, feeling the stress he had been holding back rise up more viciously than before. Though he tried to contain his emotions before letting a huge outburst fly from his mouth, and the only thing that helped was not looking at the long trail of dirt Ash had brought into the house.

But that seemed impossible.

"You'll be transforming into a water monster soon enough!" From there, Jay ordered Ash to raise his arms in the air, slowly removing the mud ridden shirt off his son's back. A loud suction sound squeaked out as Ash's extremely wet top let go of his skin, having Jay carefully pull it off over his boy's head. He then looked at the stained and soaked shirt in disgust, tossing it to the side with a loud plop onto the kitchen floor. He kept taking deep breaths through his nose, attempting to stay calm and composed on what to do next.

"Wait here."

Jay hurriedly went back into the laundry room in search for a small rag to clean off Ash's face, and dampened it with a little lukewarm water from the kitchen sink. He was thankful to see Ash still standing in the same spot, though it was unclear whether the child comprehended his father's upset and firm tone.

Once he rinsed out the rag, Jay got back on his knees and gently wiped off the mud that was beginning to stick to Ash's face and neck, going back and forth in soft swishes with the cloth.

The man went on making a revolted expression as he saw how much dirt was on his boy's skin, and marveled at how much Ash's shorts was dripping onto the tiling. "Good God kid, you're getting it all over the floor-"

Ash's face was scrunched up as the cloth continued to remove the muck, having his words slightly muffled by the rag. "But I wanted to show you."

"We'll I've seen enough." His father's stern comeback caused Ash's chin to dip down to his chest. He was simply goofing off, and didn't intend to make his dad so upset. He was just trying to show him the fun he was having…

Jay rinsed out the rag once more before venturing back to his quiet son, still stunned by how soiled his clothes were. "Aggh, what a mess... Does Mom know about this?"

Ash's eyes gleamed at his dirty boots, not bothering to give his dad neither a look nor a response. Besides, there was no need, for Delia immediately strolled in after kindly ordering Vulpix and Vaporeon to stay outside. She didn't need more mud to grace the floors.

"Good, you caught him," Delia panted slightly as she approached them. She then placed her hands on her hips joining her husband by his side. She gave Ash a very stern look. "Young man, what were you thinking?"

The boy let his eyes meet his mother's, his lower lip hanging out in both confusion and guilt. Ash didn't mean to cause such a ruckus, and was beginning to feel saddened by his parents' stern tones and disapproving looks. He couldn't fully understand the reasons for their displeasure. "I was playing with Vaporeon," Ash started softly, "and then I fell and-"

"Okay, I can see where this went," his mom interrupted, putting her hands up. She then let an obvious sigh escape from her mouth, collecting her wits as she examined the entire situation. Ash was just being a kid, and there wasn't a part of Delia that wanted to deprive him of exploring and taking part in lighthearted fun. She did however, not feel it was right for Ash to scurry in the house with slippery boots. She was more worried about him falling and hurting himself rather than the floors, or him ruining her perfectly tended flowerbed. Though, they were things that couldn't be completely overlooked.

"Ash I don't mind you playing, but please, if you're going to get this filthy, don't run in the house. I don't need you hurting yourself," the mother added firmly, but with a calm and understanding tone.

Ash appeared to somewhat accept his mom's wishes as he nodded, though it wasn't long before another irritated expression swept across Jay's face. His fingers began to tangle themselves in Ash's matting locks, attempting to remove any large clods of dirt from his hair.

"Uggh Delia, he's got mud all stuck in his hair!" Jay groaned as he tossed the chunks he did get out on the floor in a pile. "It's gonna be a pain in the ass to get all of this out-"

"Jay, watch your language! And the mud should come out just fine-"

"Yeah, with hair like mine?" he rebutted, pointing at his own tresses. It was true, Ash certainly bared his father's temperamental hair, having an ongoing battle with any comb or brush that believed it could untangle any of those unexplainably tough knots. "He has coarse hair, Delia! It's gonna take one tough scrub brush to get all this grime out! It's already starting to cake in!"

Jay tried relentlessly to tug away at the mud, before more of it decided to dwell in his son's hair. Though Ash was becoming very uncooperative and agitated by Jay's pulling. Even if he was trying to be careful.

"Oww! Dad, that hurt!"

"Well hold still!" Jay succeeded in pulling out another clod of dirt, giving the kid's head a break as he stared at him from head to toe again. God, Ash was in dire need of some serious cleaning. "Aggh, he's going to need a bath, Delia," the man groaned with another huff, taking the drenched rag in another attempt to smear the dripping mud off his son's shorts.

Delia's eyebrows lowered, and she swiftly took action in Jay's order. "I'll get the water going."

She left quietly and dashed up the stairs in a hurry, the squeak of Delia creaking the bathroom door open the only sound to Ash and Jay's ears.

Ash noticed his father's deep frown had not faded, and his cleansing away on his arms and legs hadn't lightened either. He was still rather addled by Jay's reaction and his constant sighs weren't much help either.

"Ash, why did you do this?" Jay finally breathed after a moment of quietness. He could feel his nerves become frailer and frailer at every sight of the mud-ridden floors. He didn't need this avoidable incident, and certainly didn't need any unnecessary nonsense to push his buttons anymore. He could hardly control his patience as it already was.

Ash apprehensively lifted his gaze to meet his dad's. He had never felt so timid with Jay. "I was just playing, Dad," he explained meekly, his little dirt-cover knuckles tight at his sides. "I didn't mean to make trouble-"

"Yeah, but look at the mess you've created!"

Ash didn't need to be reminded of the catastrophe caused in the house, and how he ruined the hard work his mother had done earlier. And he certainly didn't want to look at the muddy footprints, for it only reminded him of the heartache he was unintentionally giving his stretched-thin father. "I'm sorry, Dad. I-"

"Now your hair is going to have to have a thorough scrubbing-"

"No!" Ash couldn't stand the nagging. He was feeling more than confused; he was startled, slightly irritated by Jay's negative talk and couldn't stand the comments being thrown at his face. In most instances when disciplined he would take the heat and apologize, but this time Ash wasn't going to be so cooperative. He really had done nothing wrong, and he wasn't going to allow Jay to tell him otherwise. Or take a hard brush to his sensitive scalp. "I don't want it! It'll hurt!"

Jay crinkled his forehead and persisted. He wasn't even thinking. "I don't care if you don't want it Ash! You need it!"

"But you said it's gonna be tough to get out-"

"BOYS!"

The loud cry from upstairs ended their argument instantly, practically sending chills up their spines. Delia was becoming extremely displeased with Jay's growing and uncalled-for temper, and found their irrelevant squabble enforcing her forming headache. There was no need for the problem to carry on so dramatically, and the woman simply wanted to end the matter in peace and ease. Not have Jay stir the pot, implementing the feuding with his own rash comments.

"Jay, that's enough!" Delia continued strongly, traveling back down the stairs. "Stop scaring him!"

Her husband blew another definite huff from his nostrils, turning his head to the side. He couldn't comprehend why his wife was deeming him as the bad guy after the little stunt their son had just pulled. Jay wasn't going to accept Ash's defiance so easily considering he had been suppressing his temper for far too long on the matter. This was just the tip of the iceberg, and the man didn't need his wife not supporting him. Not when he was carrying other strains all by his lonesome.

Delia froze in her tracks at the entrance of the kitchen, gently coaxing her son with her hand to follow, the hot and bubbly filling tub awaiting. She did her best to stay even and cool. "Now c'mon Ash, I've got the water almost ready."

"No!" the boy retaliated openly. "I don't wanna go!" After listening to his dad gripe on about the tedious work of removing the dirt from his messy hair, Ash was nowhere near thrilled about his scalp meeting its fate with the brutal scrub brush.

His mother's expression drooped. She wasn't going to put up with both her boys being so ridiculously obstinate. She was trying to be adult in the situation, and craved a little cooperation from at least one of them. In particular: Jay.

"Ash, don't be difficult," Delia sputtered, furrowing her eyebrows. "I promise you I'll get the mud out without hurting your scalp. Now please, come with me so we can get you cleaned up-"

"NO!"

"God damn it, Ash! Listen to your mother, and go take a bath!"

In just seconds everyone fell silent.

There was an indescribable mood floating through the house, all the Ketchums being shot with a different feeling, yet none were ideal or wanted.

Ash in particular, was left paralyzed. His lips quivered uncontrollably, as Jay's thundering repeated over and over again in his head, like a broken record that refused to cease its haunting roar. The boy didn't believe, couldn't believe it was possible to see his dad so enraged over a trifling misunderstanding, over an innocent act involving him- an act he caused.

The reaction, the blurring rumble that seeped so profoundly from Jay's strong lungs into Ash's hurting ears was completely unfathomable. There wasn't a time Ash recalled seeing his father behave so with little to no restraint, especially with it being directed at him. Being easily irritable was one thing Ash was accustomed to when it came to Jay, but this- there weren't words that described the pain he inflicted on Ash.

This all had to be a dream, a nightmare! So overwhelming for the boy to grasp. Jay would have never hollered at him like this, make him feel so low and hurt to the point where...

Instantaneously, Ash slipped a few rich tears from his watery eyes, speechless. His voice cracked as he continued to stare at his father with a petrified look, unable to think, unable to speak. Jay's intense cold blue eyes were becoming punishing to gawk at, and the boy couldn't stand there any longer. He couldn't take it-

So he ran.

With a quick twist of his heels, Ash bolted past his mother's legs and straight up the stairs, finally releasing deafening sobs as he journeyed on. No one bothered to stop him, and with a slam of the bathroom door it was evident Ash caved in and followed through with his father's bitter orders.

Though that didn't mean the confrontation was over.

Delia stood tense and just as appalled as her son, searching desperately for an answer in Jay's expression as she gawked back at him. She couldn't tell if he was even aware of what had happened, or if he even fathomed the damage he had just done. She felt so lost all of a sudden, so bewildered it was making her feel sick to her stomach. No one hollered at her baby like that, and she wasn't about to let Jay get away with any of it.

Even if it meant she was going to bring more conflict into the mix.

Delia's stupefied expression morphed drastically into an outraged one, as she watched him rise to his feet slowly. Her glare perfectly portrayed the perplexity and frustration she was bursting with, and soon her voice raised high in one shrieking cry. "What is the matter with you?! You are completely out of control!"

Jay made a face. "I'm out of control? You're telling me, I'm out of control?! How about you tell your son," he soon snarled, pointing towards the staircase, "who decided it'd be fun to just run around in the house with mud caked all over himself, streaking the floors you just cleaned, may I remind you, and ruining the entryway rug-"

"Excuse me, my son?" she barked back, arching an eyebrow with a sneer. "He's ours!" She didn't care about the damn rugs, or the floors. What mattered was how the matter was so tactlessly conducted! Delia was convinced Jay wouldn't have handled the situation so poorly. Though now, she didn't know what to believe.

"Ash is a child, Jay! He's just playing!" Delia went on, equally as confident in her voice as her husband. "And the floor can be mopped again! You had no right to start screaming at him! He looks up to you! But right now in my opinion, you're acting more childish than he is!"

His wife's passionate disapproval and snort encouraged Jay's frustration to grow, his cloudy mind to become murkier as every thought of his spiraled out of control...

Jay attempted to keep his mouth shut, but found himself bursting back anyway. "Damn it, Delia! Are you asking for a fight? Is that what you want?"

"I want an explanation for why you're so angry all of a sudden!"

An explanation.

That was something Jay couldn't provide. He was angry all right, but it had nothing to do with neither she nor Ash, and Jay was beginning to come to grips with what he just allowed to happen. And the ugly result of it all repulsed him to silence. To give Ash such a dark impression of him, to let his tongue slip, to not control his stress without any regard to his son's feelings or the severity of the circumstance for that matter—that was what Jay himself deemed as inexcusable.

However, he could not supply his family a reasonable explanation for his drastic change in behavior. Mentioning Team Rocket, even the thought of trying to elaborate on his past encounter with them, and his most recent one, the real concerns he had hidden away- Jay never saw the need to notify his wife on what occurred eight years ago. The past was in the past, and until now, Jay hadn't regretted not telling Delia the bewildering details of that dark day. But he couldn't fill her in now.

It was far too late...

Jay didn't know what to say.

"I... I don't have time for this."

He then swiftly walked past his wife, finding the best way to calm his uneasy temper and clouded mind. Though, Delia didn't see it that way.

The woman's mouth fell open, peeking over her shoulder as she watched him meander up the stairs without a second glance. She couldn't accept that their conversation was leading to this. "So you're just going to walk away? Jay? Jayce!" she bellowed more, demanding his undivided attention. "What in the world is the matter with you-"

He spun back around. "Nothing. I just need to go cool down…" He rubbed his face with another sigh, sulking in his misery as he darted his gaze to the step below his feet. "Maybe- maybe I should head to work early."

"And taking off is your best option?" Delia jabbed, climbing a few steps up. She was now one step below her husband, lingering the discussion on whether Jay wanted to participate in it any more or not. "What about talking things out-"

Jay was getting fed up. "I don't want to talk this time, Delia!" He stopped waving his hands in the air and froze, locked with her unsteady brown eyes. God, he was a mess. Poisoned by Giovanni's venomous touch and now Jay was accidentally granting the venom to drip onto his last bit of sanity. To the ones he loved so dearly...

"I'm sorry," Jay said in a raspy faint breath. His expression was a look of disorientation, shaking his head as the shock began to set in. "I didn't intend to freak out like that-"

"Then what's the problem?" Delia snapped, folding her arms. "Huh?"

Apparently, his genuinely puzzled look and tone weren't enough to suffice his rightfully flummoxed and sullen wife. Jay's behavior was more than uncalled for, and Delia looked determinedly for an answer to cure the abrupt madness.

Though, she wasn't expecting him to just stand there quiet as he transformed his gaze into an unreadable one, averting his shaking eyes to the banister. Why was Jay being so stubborn?

Delia's crossed frown and arch of her eyebrows hadn't lightened, and she wasn't going to wait for a second longer. She was fed up, and wasn't going to play this 'game' she believed Jay was tinkering with. "You won't tell me? Fine," the woman snorted. "Hope you enjoy sleeping on the couch tonight."

From there, she made her way past Jay without a change of heart, leaving him with his mouth open slightly, narrowing his eyebrows. "Oh, first you call me a child and now you're gonna punish me like one?"

His wife was near the top of the steps, till she turned her upper body and shot another firm glare in his direction. "When you're ready to talk, let me know. Until then, you should calm down and get a hold of yourself."

Delia's feet began to move once more, but paused unexpectedly, throwing out one last comment that brought deeper shame to Jay. And he couldn't bare it. "Oh, and you owe your son a big apology too before you leave. That's a given."

The sharp reminder left Jay frozen as he watched Delia climb the last step, and venture towards the bathroom door. "Honey, you doing okay?" she called sweetly with a knock, and it wasn't long before Ash gave her permission to enter, leaving Jay helpless and angered with himself.

He knew without a doubt that he deserved being chewed out by his wife, and beat himself up mentally for all his missteps.

Just like that, everything was in the beginning stages of crumbling before Jay's eyes.

And he had no clue how to stop it.

---

Jay was sickened with his reflect in the mirror.

After the exhausting clash with not only Ash, but Delia, Jay shamefully retired to the bedroom and changed into a fresh pair of dark denim jeans and a simple tee before driving off to work.

He was hit with a strong feeling of regret, practically condemning himself for his actions and thoughtless tantrum; as if he was not considering the consequences of his behavior, the real reasons why he exploded like a ticking bomb waiting to be set off... More than anything, Jay was infuriated that he lashed out at Ash so gratingly on something he would have more likely not have fussed over.

As he continued to stare into the mirror, Jay felt like it wasn't even his reflection; this extremely drained, powerless, angry man was someone he didn't know. Someone he didn't want Ash or Delia to know... And this ruthless rollercoaster of emotions and never-ending worries wasn't lightening up in any shape or form-

This face. This was also not the face he wanted his loved ones to see daily, deal with constantly in tormenting confusion...

This was a face Jay didn't want to live with.

With the release of a heavy sigh, the man supposed it was wise for him to apologize to Ash before taking off to Viridian. Not only would it not settle well with Jay if he did not, but he knew it would definitely not with his saddened son either. Hurting Ash, seeing that he made those tears roll down his reddening cheeks, knowing that he caused those howls to slip from his little boy's throat-

Jay could feel his stomach churn again. He had to do what was right. Even if couldn't fully express what was happening to him, he wasn't going to let this- problem, affect his relationship with his deeply loved and adored son. The little miracle, the pride and joy the man cherished with all his heart... Ash was everything to him, and he wasn't going to let anything, anyone convince the child that his dad did not care.

That was not going to be permitted by Jay.

Flying from his bedroom, the man shuttered shyly to the bathroom, hesitantly knocking against the wood.

"Just a minute!" Jay heard Delia's voice call behind the door. He then stood patiently as he took a couple of deep breaths, praying he could truly give the optimal apology his son deserved.

After a few minutes passed, the door finally opened wide enough for Delia and Ash to emerge. It looked as if Delia had enough time to cool down and be civil again with her husband, for her gaze was relaxed and calming. As for Ash, he was completely washed without a speck of dirt left on him, dressed in a new t-shirt and shorts and smelling wonderful again. His dry tears, however, stained his reddened face, and his brown eyes were weak from all the crying he had done.

Bending down to her knees, Delia immediately caught on to what Jay had intended on doing, gesturing to her son for him to give his dad some eye contact. "Now Ash," she started with an adjustment of her throat, placing a warm hand on his back, "I think Dad wants to tell you something."

Ash begrudgingly forced his gaze to trail up at Jay's, still feeling slightly uneasy by his father's presence.

And this furthered to upset Jay with his actions, praying endlessly that they could make up. He too cleared his throat, and with a raise of a gentle hand and a calm voice, he started. "Ash I-"

But Jay didn't get far.

The movement of his hand caused Ash to dive for his mother's shoulder, cuddling close to her for security as he mumbled with a sniffle. "Go away..." he cried weakly.

Jay drew back his hand, feeling a similar hurt to what Ash had endured earlier. To be rejected by his son, the boy who admired him above all, brought an indescribable pang in Jay's chest. To witness the discomfort he unintentionally bestowed upon his little shadow made him cringe, and the man's heart sank in sorrow.

"Ash-" he chocked, his icy eyes beginning to quiver. "I'm so sorry for blowing up on you like that-"

"Leave me alone!" Ash suddenly yelled back, his sniffling continuing to rupture as he dove deeper into Delia's short-sleeved cardigan. She comforted her boy tenderly by rubbing his back, beaming up at Jay with pity. Her husband was making an effort at recognizing his behavior, and she could tell he genuinely wished to cradle Ash in his arms and pour one apology after another onto the boy.

"I don't wanna talk to you," Ash carried on between muffled cries, his fingers digging into his mother's cardigan. "Not when you're like this... You're not acting like Daddy..."

That part instantly broke a part of Jay's heart. "I'm… I'm sorry..."

Delia continued to observe her husband and his sorrowful eyes. It was hard to stay angry at Jay, and seeing him be so sincere in his words, his expression, Delia couldn't just stand by and not do some convincing to Ash.

Taking a breath, Delia slowly pulled her teary-eyed son off her shoulder, her arms resting on his shoulder as she gazed at him with soft seriousness. "Ash, listen to me," she cooed. "Your father is trying to apologize for his behavior. Now I think it would only be right to accept his apology and make up. Don't you?"

But Ash didn't respond. His cries lessened from Delia's words, but they were still predominately making it difficult for him to muster the strength to accept anything from Jay- for him to simply look at him.

As the silence continued, Jay sighed with a loss of all hope. There was no point in forcing Ash to make amends with him. And after all that had gone down, Jay believed he didn't deserve an apology, and he didn't expect his son to willingly accept one either. Or halfheartedly.

"He doesn't have to, Delia," Jay intervened with a pathetic sigh. "I don't blame him."

---

"Take these, and ambush him quietly. Don't make a scene."

The geared grunts were befuddled to have two pokeballs tossed in their direction, one for the each of them. The men were in the midst of heading down to the storage facility, fetching their own preference of teammates till Giovanni surprised them with his own supply of tools from his own stash.

They continued to blink as they stared down at their now filled palms, wondering aimlessly what creature was contained in those minimized 'balls. Considering they were from the boss himself, the agents presumed the creatures were extremely skilled and tactical making their late night mission all the more dire to complete. Without any complications. Though they didn't bother to ask, for if they did, it would only agitate Giovanni. As if he already wasn't on edge.

"Yes, sir," the grunts answered in unison, finally breaking their gaze from the pokeballs.

Giovanni broke their focus by retracting the agents eyes to his abandoned wine glass, still settled on his desk, waiting to be filled and gulped down. "They have a ferocious bite," the criminal explained seriously, popping the red wine bottle open, "great speed, and a snarl that's bound to leave him paralyzed. They're highly trained, and I expect you to use them properly."

The grunts let a soft gulp slide, nodding repeatedly in confirmation at his order. "Uh- of course, sir."

After another tip of the bottle into the glass, Giovanni at last took his first sip of the addictive liquid, feeling his muscles relax at the only therapy he could grasp. "You have the materials loaded?" he suddenly asked.

The grunts understood his code. "Yes. Everything's in order like you instructed."

"Good, and remember, catch him discreetly. Sneak up in him. Do not leave any evidence behind."

The crime boss wasn't sure how much he had to stress on that part. Leaving just a minimal amount of suspicious trail of trouble could earn them a nasty investigation from the police. And though the recruits had tripled-checked that no other workers would be in the building, and that the cleaning crew would be off duty for the night, they still had to remain stealthy in their highjack. The last thing Giovanni needed was for them to lose Jay, and for the trainer to go running to the cops from the giant scare. No, if those idiots dared to let that happen, Giovanni would act promptly in making sure Jay was nowhere near tempted to get the police involved. He'd threaten him by any means necessary to get the guy to keep his mouth shut. And be cooperative.

"No damage to anything, including him." The crime boss then chuckled outwardly after another sip, finding himself amused by his own twisted thoughts. "At least nothing severe."

"We understand, sir."

"Then go, and don't come back without him."

That last part stung the grunts as they began to slink away, mixed thoughts and concerns jumbled in their heads. After spying on Jay the previous night, the Team Rocket recruits didn't find him to be a real difficult catch. Then again, reminding themselves of the turmoil in Azalea made them realize what the trainer was capable of. Though they hoped he wasn't strong and swift enough to outdo them after Giovanni's last little snarl.

Once the door clicked shut, he let a loud huff blow through his nostril, venturing over to his enormous chair for a seat. He soon settled himself down in front of his perfectly organized desk, only a little evening dim light shining through the blinds of his shades as he looked down. Staring. Staring at an open, worn book he had been studying for the past couple of weeks from his large collection, and was progressively recalling these forgotten facts. And myths. All the key words, the outdated pictures, brought back strands of information and past conversations to the criminal. Faint remembrances of what his mother was after.

If his memory kept jogging at such an incredible speed with his secluded session of treatment and spending his own moments of investigations, Giovanni would be filling his agents in on his ultimate goal, and more. Showing off his grand capture of Jay, calling for their assistance on parts that were still unclear to him... Things his weak mind struggled to recall.

He smirked devilishly as he began to read, slowly but surely collecting information on his mother's failed plans. And developing them. Again. Only this time, there weren't going to be any complications. No, he wasn't going to end up being engulfed in flames. Not like her. Even if the process was slow and tedious, he'd have it accomplished. Giovanni would shockingly thank Jay for their little run-in, for aiding his unstable memory and giving it a big spoonful of past knowledge. And of course, make him pay for everything that he had done.

And more.

To actually conceive the legend… the criminal thought with uncontainable excitement. To obtain the power to collapse all indestructible limitations, and to make those lost rise from ashes again...

It was pure genius.

---

The clock pinned on the wall above Jay's work desk ticked away loudly.

It was drawing close to eight thirty, showing how many long tedious hours Jay had endured to catch up on his work from his vacation days. But the milestone in lightening his workload did no good in distracting him from his argument with Delia, and his accidental slip of the tongue with Ash…and Team Rocket.

The man massaged his face vigorously with a tired muffled groan, his weak eyes gazing back at the mess still lying before him. He couldn't believe, even with all the papers to still organize and the editing to do with the commercial, all of that was the last thing on his mind. For the first time in his life, Element Endurance wasn't the highest objective on his priority list. The welfare of his life was.

Jay had no idea what to do next. Obviously Team Rocket wasn't going to stop, and to sneak onto his property showed the man how determined they were to fulfill their goals- whatever they were exactly. Jay had never felt so helpless and lost, so addled on what would be the best decision, who he could tell, who could become involved… Or if he had to solve this mess solely. Sam was about the only person he could turn to, and even at that, Jay wasn't certain what the professor could do for him. Everything was starting to crumble before his eyes, and Jay felt no matter how hard he struggled to keep everything afloat, it was all going to sink to the bottom anyway.

Keeping his family safe and away from all the darkness was something Jay was certain he'd have to do. But to keep his own sanity from unraveling… That seemed nearly impossible at this point. And to tell Delia, the one individual he could always count on, who had been with him through thick and thin… He couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth. For several reasons. Jay was trapped, and pondering over the predicament worsened his hideous migraine.

He couldn't think about it anymore. Calling it a night, Jay decided to take no further paperwork home with him and to simply get some rest. The next free moment he had, he figured it would be best to go forth and seek Sam's advice, good or bad. It was better than just tossing and turning in the night, keeping all his fears to himself. And to continue pretending like nothing was wrong.

As Jay turned off the florescent lights in his office and strolled to the elevator, a large black van was parked a block away from the company building. Waiting for him.

Two figures emerged from the vehicle and blended perfectly in with the darkness as they dived behind a ginormous blue tinted garbage can, getting a perfect view of Jay's red truck.

The criminals' nighttime binoculars scoped the area as they waited anxiously for their prey, making sure no witnesses were around, no cars cruising by the area. The secluded neighborhood was dead quiet, not even close-by Pokémon disrupted the stillness- and disturbing tranquility.

Then, right on time, Jay unaware of his surroundings strolled casually out of the company building, walking steadily towards his vehicle.

"Target sighted," one of the Team Rocket members snickered.

His partner smirked back at him, clipping a minimized pokeball off his belt. "Time to bring the boys out."

Jay allowed his head to hang low as he walked in the dark, his hands shoved comfortably in his jean pockets about ready to pull out his keys and unlock the truck-

Then out of the blue, a faint growl rumbled from behind him.

Jay's head shot up with wide eyes, his heart beginning to pound erratically. Did he just hear something? At first, the man thought he was going crazy; imagining things, sounds that didn't even exist. But as he continued to stand, scared stiff, the snarling grew louder and louder and closer…

Something was there. Someone was there.

Jay felt the natural urge to peer over his shoulder, but his mind was telling him otherwise. Maybe it was just a neighbor's loose aggressive Growlithe, and it was prone to fearing strangers when lost and distraught. But the growling was much different than a Gorwlithe. It was deeper, carrying a more vicious tune within its vocal cords. It was Pokémon- however, it was one that did not originate from Kanto. It was an outsider, one Jay would not be used to seeing roaming around.

He had to look.

Slowly with an unsteady breath, Jay's eyes wandered over his shoulder.

He felt his breath cut short.

Standing a good few feet away from him stood two Houndoom foaming at the mouths as they lurked around the large dumpster. They fit in wonderfully with the night atmosphere, their sudden sharp howls bringing an unexplainable shiver to Jay's spine. Those Houndoom weren't alone.

"Get him!"

The abrupt sharp call from the agents sent the Houndoom sprinting across the lot, hurling their bodies forward with indescribable determination. Then, the grunts flew quickly right at their demon like tails.

They were going to ambush him.

Instantly, Jay's feet swiveled away from the truck, racing off with his own physical endurance and strength to protect him. If Jay jumped in the truck and attempted to drive away, it was likely the automobile would suffer bullet wounds or possible burns from the Houndoom's intense flames. And he certainly didn't need to bring that evidence back home, if he got away, and would have to create some convoluted lie to calm his easily panicked and severely confused wife on the status of her truck.

No, all he could do was run and find sanctuary somewhere that would be difficult for the grunts to chase him down. And with quick thinking between heavy pants, he knew where to go.

With his heart pounding wildly through his aching chest, Jay quickened his speedy pace and sprinted through what felt like the endless and empty parking lot. The huge lot separated the company building from a few large warehouses down the block, which had been vacant for as long as Jay could remember. There was also serious talk about Element Endurance possibly making use of the abandon buildings since they were so close, transforming them into more storage units for ingredients and such. Though no one had taken action yet, so it was not the property of Element Endurance, which meant if damage was done… It wouldn't hurt the company at all.

It was the most logical retreat Jay could drum up at the last minute, and preferred any place than wherever the Team Rocket members were going to take him. Jay did however, feel like he was about suffer an overpowering side ache, topping off the sound of the Houndooms' paws hitting harshly against the ground and the snarls following afterwards. The muffled voices of the grunts erupted soon as well in the mix of the manhunt. The recruits were a good distance behind Jay and their Pokémon, struggling to keep with their incredible endurance and speed; though their hollering was equally as terrifying as the ear-piercing howls of their companions.

Thanks to reading and taking Prof. Oak's class back in his teen years, Jay was very much aware of how Houndoom worked in packs and that they used each other's strengths to take down their prey. Not to mention the scary fact that the dogs' guts were full of potent toxins and that they were the main source in creating bursts of flames through their mouths. And to earn such harsh burns and scars… Jay also knew if he suffered such serious wounds they would never completely heal, and that the wounds inflicted would bring an excruciating burn to the touch of human skin.

Agonizing over these facts and the overall terrifying circumstance he was caught in caused the sudden upheaval to produce sheer trepidation to soar through the trainer's soul, his mind and body weakening in shock. But Jay couldn't give up, he couldn't shut down.

In these instances it was best not to think, just do, and Jay fought desperately with himself to forget about the possibilities and simply seek out safety. Safety. That was his main priority and nothing else.

As he raced along the cement, the trainer picked up the hounds' foul odor. They were drawing much closer than he hoped. Their fire and puffs of smoke naturally carried such a scent to intimidate prey. But he wasn't going to be intimidated. Jay kept running, pushing harder and harder with all his might to reach one of the warehouses. To escape the bites he was about to earn on his ankles, bites that would take him down for sure….

Just by a second, Jay at last threw himself into the muggy dark warehouse slamming the large heavy doors shut as well as sliding closed the loose large bar lock that rested against both doors, as the Houndoom instantly collided with them. The man immediately shoved his back against the door with all his weight, but the strong force of the hellhounds pounding and scratching in retaliation was a real challenge in keeping the doors shut. Even with the lock. The doors popped open slightly, and then they were shoved closed again. It went on and on, and in no time those agents would arrive on the scene ordering the Houndoom to melt down the doors with their unforgivable puffs of fire, scorching Jay to death…

They were coming, melting away the doors that were in the midst of falling apart as it was. The Houndoom were going to burn him, bite him, and have their masters kidnap him. Maybe even kill him right there, with no mercy.

Jay's head darted around the practically empty building as he continued throw his weight against the barrier, finding absolutely nothing to protect himself with. He supposed he could try climbing up on one of the tall shelves, but they would most likely tug on his pants legs before he could even climb the first shelf. He was running out of time, panic rising in his head as he stayed plastered against the door. Then, a pivotal solution burst through his scrambled mind.

The trainer's eyes dove down to his strapped pokebelt, remembering in the first place why he brought it along. Jay had left most of his Pokémon back home, reminding Delia earlier that the pokeballs were there on his bedroom dresser. He didn't imply that she would need them for protection, but with hinting their presence he prayed she'd figure to use them if trouble arose. Though, it looked like it followed him instead…

But he had at least one Pokémon with him. And this one would was ideal against a couple of raging Houndoom.

Developing a plan on the whim, Jay finally spared his body any more blows against the door, stepping back and ready to toss the pokeball up in the air. Without his body the lock was growing extremely weak, which propelled Team Rocket to break through with less of a fight. Jay waited nervously for the right moment, calling out the chosen Pokémon for the job.

"Go Blastoise!"

In mere seconds the overgrown turtle emerged out of the white glow, standing sturdy and amped for a battle before his trainer. Though this battle wasn't going to last long.

"Blastoise!" Jay's hollering tore from his throat with all the direness he could muster, instantly throwing his hand forward with the ultimate command. His heartbeat practically doubled as the doors began to pry open, his palms sweating profusely. The flashing of the Houndooms' razor sharp teeth showed, their paws sticking through the crack- "Use hydro pump- NOW!"

The moment the energized Houndoom burst the doors wide open, their masters right behind, ready to attack, the entire entryway of the warehouse was flooded with an overwhelming splash of water. Within seconds Team Rocket met their fate with Blastoise's epic battle cry and water filled canons, becoming engulfed in a painful rush of extremely cold liquid as they flew back a couple of feet.

Jay watched, stunned, as the incredible gush of water continued to pour, his heart rate finally decreasing.

Just in the nick of time… the trainer thought silently to himself, running a hand of relief through his sweaty locks.

He prayed Blastoise's attack was strong enough to keep the agents down long enough for them to lose track of Jay, having him hurry to his truck and out of Viridian for the night.

Jay was safe for another day thanks to his loyal companion, and he couldn't have been more relieved that he was quick-witted enough to bring one of his Pokémon along, and that Blastoise was the one of his choosing. Like he still had a small amount of luck left…

The gushing of the indescribable attack ended in one final spew, showing the dramatic result in front of Jay's eyes. His breath was caught up in his throat, observing the aftermath with a shaky gaze. The grunts were down as well as the Houndoom, not budging a single muscle. He panicked in wonder if he had truly finished them off for good, though with the soft stirring of the men and the pants of the dogs, he knew the criminals were still alive.

Promptly, Jay returned Blastoise, and with pokeball in hand he hightailed to the back exit, swinging the metal door open. He was taking the long way back to his truck, and his arms pumped wildly in the air as he took off.

Everything fell quiet then – the door slammed. Jay had left unscathed again.

Silence…

The soaked agents found themselves quaking in intolerable discomfort, their bodies lying flat on the ground, their vision hazy, their heads spinning with a profound thud from all the damage…

"Shit!" one of the men coughed heavily as he tried to rise to his elbows, totally wiped out by the huge blast of water they endured. "He got away…" Then, his body and eyelids collapsed again.

Their sputtering and coughs mingled with the faint and weakening pants of the Houndoom as their cheeks were pressed against the cool cement. Suffering such a severe blow of water dampened the Houndooms' fire powers dangerously, their lives possibly being at risk as they lay practically lifeless. The grunts cursed to themselves silently at the result, watching the Pokémon stay limp and feeble. At first, the recruits believed Jay would have no Pokémon with him because he was at work, and the rules prohibited anyone from carrying a filled pokebelt in the work place-

Oh who were they kidding? It was after work hours, and they should have suspected Jay was smart enough to walk around armed, even if it was against the rules. He wasn't a total goody-goody to choose regulations over his life. The agents clearly had underestimated him, and even Giovanni himself had. And there was no doubt their leader would be terribly displeased with their efforts…

The grunts supposed they weren't going to be able to retreat home to their snuggly beds without a catch. Which left them clueless as to what to do next.

---

Delia was beginning to find the T.V. useless.

It hardly held her attention as she stayed up on the couch, snuggled in her light fabricated bathrobe, as she went on worrying deeply as to why her husband was over an hour late.

He promised he'd be home by ten, thought Delia with another shaky glance out the patio door. What's taking him so long?

In most instances when Jay did arrive home late, he tended to give Delia a heads up before leaving the office due to working overtime or the sight of traffic clogging up Viridian. But there was no call. Not even a message. Delia hoped she had just missed his message explaining his delayed arrival while she was in the shower or tucking Ash into bed. But there was nothing, and calling his office did no good either. No one picked up the phone.

Not to mention, the woman still couldn't wrap her head around Jay's sudden outburst from that afternoon. She knew he had a bad habit of allowing his patience to wear thin rather quickly, yet to yell at Ash like that? So loudly and with language to top it all off? That was something Jay never did. Ever. That was something Delia never imagined him to do. And then Ash, poor guilty Ash, felt downright terrible about the entire incident. To see him sulk in the bathtub and cry such heavy tears as she dried him and gave him fresh clean clothes- it was bringing the same amount of pain to his mom as it had for him.

And Delia wasn't sure how to handle it.

A soft coo from the stairwell startled the woman as she twisted her neck, gleaming over the couch to find her son standing at the bottom of the steps. Ash rubbed his left eye sleepily, and his long-eared Pikachu rested in his other hand. It had taken Delia a good few minutes to coax him to bed and for him to stay there, though she could see her efforts were useless.

Ash was just as worried about Jay as she was.

"Mommy, where's Dad?"

Delia's weak frown remained. How could the woman give her son the answer she wanted him to hear, when she had no clue where Jay was either? Staying strong though, Delia took a deep breath and spoke calmly with subtle honesty. "I'm not sure, baby. But you just go back to sleep, and don't worry about a single thing. Dad's probably just working late. I'll wait up for him."

At least that was what Delia wanted to believe. The likelihood of Jay fibbing about work and going out for some drinks with the guys was slim to none.

Presuming he was out meeting another woman at some cheap hotel was even more ludicrous than the first assumption. Jay was a workaholic, that was a fact, and the man never cared for partying even if his friends did invite him to the bar. So if that outlandish yet typical possibility in most circumstances was ruled out... Then where was Jay? He could have been at the gas station or grabbing something at the grocery store, but Delia couldn't see why Jay would need to make a trip to the store so late in the evening, and buying gas shouldn't have taken this long. Also, traffic was another logical explanation, for Viridian was populated with a fair amount of people, and folks from Pallet traveled there all the time.

Still, none of it made sense, and Delia prayed to God endlessly that her husband wasn't hurt in a car accident, or mugged and beaten- however, she reminded herself that Jay could hold his own very well, and that the thug should probably be afraid of him rather than the opposite. But none of it was enough to ease the woman's fret and uneasy mind.

And even after listening to his mother's reassuring words, Ash persisted on with the discussion. "But what if he doesn't come?"

His question confused Delia. "Ash, what makes you think Daddy wouldn't come?"

Her reply only led to him lowering his head, his eyes watery and the faint sound of sniffles echoed in the living room walls. Delia's heart lurched as her son let out a depressing mumble, clinging closely to his Pikachu. The one Jay purchased for him.

"Because he was mad at me earlier," Ash replied despondently, eyes still trailed away to the floor.

"Oh Ash," Delia cooed with a shake of her own eyes, "c'mere."

Her heartstrings were tugged at his words, inviting him over to the couch to talk things out further. The last thing both she and Jay wanted was to leave their son feeling guilty or ashamed, especially over something as minute as this little mishap. It was highly important for Ash to learn from his mistakes and to have boundaries, but the parents never intended on wishing for their child to feel like the love couldn't be returned just because of the need for discipline. That love would always stay.

Ash soon waddled over and slowly climbed up on the couch, sitting close to his mom with his stuffed Pikachu sitting in his lap.

Delia smiled softly at him, sweetly reassuring him that Jay was not displeased with his son. She never wanted him to be left with that impression. "Your father wasn't mad at you," she started calmly, though she suddenly paused, sighing. "He's- he's just been very stressed with work-"

"That's what you always say."

The mother blinked back at her son's comeback in surprise, narrowing her eyebrows subtly. "I don't always say that-" Delia stopped herself, quieting down with a pinch of her temple. She was beginning to feel the heavy rush of fatigue set in, from both a deprived night of rest and that her son had made a valid point. But what else could she say? From her perspective Jay's workload had been intense, and was most likely a big part of his low tolerance level. Then again, it was difficult to explain all of this to a six-year-old.

"Ash, listen. Dad has a lot on his mind right now and sometimes, he lets the stress get to him. But that has nothing to do with you, honey," she continued to explain, letting the sternness in her voice fade back into a more gentle rhythm. "I promise."

It appeared Delia's words had done some good in calming Ash's tense nerves and concerns. She soon earned a set of hopeful eyes beaming up at her, and the words flowing from his mouth only added to the touching yet heartbreaking moment.

"Cross your heart?" he asked innocently.

Delia chuckled a little, performing the ritual of slashing an x over where her heart was indeed located, to ensure the boy she meant it. "Cross my heart. Daddy isn't going anywhere, Ash. I promise-"

Then suddenly, Ash about toppled off his mother's lap at the sound of the door being pushed open.

Delia stood up hastily, pulling Ash close to her, for both of them were very much spooked by the abrupt and unexpected intrusion. Thankfully though as the door opened wider, the presence was revealed to be nothing more than Delia's extremely late husband, smashing his keys back into his pants as he strolled in quietly.

"Jay!" his wife exclaimed both happily and surprised all at once as he shut the door. "Are you all right?" He looked very exasperated and worn, his hair and clothes appearing to be on the disheveled side, for his shirt was wrinkled and his tie had been taken off. His blue eyes were also taken over with the physical effects of fatigue, dark circles immensely showing underneath his lower eyelid, and his slumped stance and expression wasn't much better either.

Yet the questions kept coming, and Jay didn't even have a chance to answer the first one; not that he wanted to, for Delia kept persisting with deep concern. Which was beginning to annoy him.

"What took you so long?-"

"Traffic." Jay's reply was strong and definite, and it lacked any sort of warmth.

Delia however, didn't pick up on it quickly, and she kept pushing. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now can we all just call it a night?"

His snap forced Delia's mouth shut, a strange and foreign feeling bubbling up inside her. Her husband seemed so- harsh in his response, and with no remorse for it. For Jay to be snippy was one thing, but to sound so severely agitated was another; like he was very- mad and troubled by something. Clearly, Delia could see something wasn't right. Was it work? Was Jay simply deprived of rest and overwhelmed about his workload? Or was it co-workers, or tiredness from driving such long hours?

Or was it…her?

As a moment of silence passed, Ash took a bold risk at speaking, running to his father's heels with an excitable voice. He too was relieved to see his father home in one piece. "Daddy! D-dad!" The boy's feet slowed up as he came closer to Jay, his voice fading from recognizing the sour expression still plastered on the man's face. Ash drew his eyes to the floor promptly, clenching his Pikachu firmly in guilt. He was afraid Jay was still upset with him, and urgently wanted to clear the air. He never intended to disrespect his hero. "I'm... really really sorry for running in the house, and not wanting to talk to you-"

"It's fine Ash," Jay interrupted swiftly. His son being difficult was the last thing on his mind, and the man truly wasn't even hurt or upset by it. "You don't have to be sorry."

Still, the boy kept insisting. "But Dad, I-"

"I said it's fine Ash!" The intimidating roar left Ash frozen stiff, his arms glued to his side with the quivering of his lips. The tears were coming, and poured out in one strong irresistible burst.

Jay yelled at him. Again.

Ash never dreamed of the day where his father would lash out at him. Where he would leave him with an indescribable pang in his heart. Not his hero. The rupture hurt deeply to the six year old, struggling to hold back the start of sobs. But they couldn't be stopped. What was going on? Ash had thought Jay's behavior on the train was strange enough, but this? Everything with his dad had been fine up to this point, and Ash was beginning to wonder if the problem wasn't work- but him. Which was extremely unfathomable, yet he couldn't help but feel so confused and hurt by Jay's tone and hard eyes. This wasn't like him. This wasn't Jay at all.

"Oh, no..." Jay's gasp was definite and noticeable, his body shuddering in disgust, his eyes trembling in shock. He didn't know what came over him. What have I done?

"Ash-" The man reached his hand halfway, coaxing gently for the boy to come forward, but Ash wouldn't allow it. "Ash, wait!" In a flash, more tears fell from the boy's watery brown eyes as he took his sobs all the way up to his bedroom, leaving his parents standing there.

Then Ash's bedroom door slammed shut. Silence…

Jay wanted to beat himself over the head for that one. He twirled in frustration, growling and cursing softly through his mumbles, infuriated by his actions. And with himself. Everything was beginning to fall apart, and Jay was allowing it to. Giovanni was already winning, already seizing full control over his emotions and added trauma, his state of mind, and letting it all affect his family-which he was so desperately trying to protect.

The man stayed secluded in his own thoughts; not turning to Delia right away with an explanation or apology of any sort. He just stood there quietly, relentlessly finding his own cries, burying them deeper and deeper into his breaking heart. To go as far and take it all out on Ash, his already hypersensitive boy-

He wasn't sure what to do with himself. Not let minor mishaps get to him? Keep himself in check whenever a small problem broke out at home? Well clearly, he was already having a very challenging time doing so. Ash running through the house without considering the consequences, arguing and being combative with his father, was nothing compared to dealing with a criminal organization riding on Jay's back. And here he was letting Team Rocket feast away on him, giving them a tasty appetizer at his dismay and unraveling.

And he permitted himself to throw his aggravations onto the wrong people.

Delia continued to observe her husband carefully, standing to the side with her arms clinging close to her. She wanted so badly to yell at Jay and give him an earful, run upstairs and cradle Ash, and ease his pathetic sobs. But she didn't. She couldn't. Delia had never- never been so disappointed, so vexed, so muddled at Jay and his actions before. The whole afternoon till now had been so extraordinarily anomalous, and the feeling Delia was left with… It was such a dramatic shift. To go from yesterday, their anniversary, being the most ideally romantic evening for a couple to ever spend together, to this jumbled chaotic string of up and down emotions, and- silence.

Delia eventually cast her gaze back at Jay, her brow furrowing in both befuddlement and slight anger. She had to get to the bottom of this. "Jay, what's going on?"

That was the last thing Jay wanted to be ask. He huffed loudly, feeling the intensity build up with him again. He just couldn't resist it- "Nothing's going on, Delia!"

It happened again. Though this time, Delia didn't cry. Her eyes stayed fixated onto him, standing motionless and quiet.

Jay went into shock once more, being afflicted with the same exact emotions he was contending with moment ago. With Ash…. The man let a sigh escape from his mouth as he rubbed his temple, taking another deep breath. He had to say something. "I just... I just need some rest. It's been one hell of a day..."

The atmosphere had fallen prey to silence again.

Delia's worrisome gaze gravitated towards the floor at her husband's grumble, a bundle of heated emotions soaring through her with a painful punch.

And Jay noticed.

"Delia..." He breathed her name so hauntingly, like a beckon to her to listen and come forth, regardless if she wanted to or not. His voice was entrancing. Jay revealed his face to his wife as he peered over his shoulder, his bangs ghostly dangling over his cold eyes. He sucked in another heavy breath. "Delia, I'm sorry. I just…can't tolerate a lot right now, all right? And, I'd rather not bring you into my…problems."

Jay continued to stare at Delia, waiting for her to say something. Then wordlessly, she communicated to him. Taking a few steps forward, she stood before him, eyes locked, faint breaths flowing from her soft moist lips… She whimpered very faintly to herself, fighting off any tears that wished to streak her cheeks. Delia couldn't help herself. She had no clue why she was feeling so emotional, so overwrought about her husband's late arrival, and his extreme squabble with Ash… She just- couldn't take it. Fights like this, lack of communication, never dwelled in the Ketchum home before.

Neither did the feeling of weariness that now resided in her.

Delia slowly brought a hand to Jay's cheek, tenderly laying it upon with a smooth touch. He then took his own hand and placed it over hers, bringing a moment of peace between them. But could it never last.

"I trust you, Jayce," Delia finally whispered, her eyes still shaking as they beamed up at his with sincerity. "More than you know. So please, don't abuse it. You can tell me anything…"

Delia couldn't stay angry at him, it was impossible. She loved Jay more than a field of wild flowers, than the kisses of the sun, than the calming waves and crashes of the ocean shore…

Her lips instantly pressed again his without thought, having both of her hands clasp his face. He had always been so gentle, so protective in the most calming way imaginable. Delia had worked so passionately over their years of school together to break through his barrier of solitude, to pull him out of reclusiveness and just- hold him. Give him the warmth he hardly received. The warmth he deserved. So why- why did it seem like he was becoming distant again, so hard to reach…

Delia's lips earned nothing in return. Yet she didn't think much of it as she pulled away slowly, still gleaming up at her exhausted husband. She could see he was still upset. "Anything... You can tell me anything that's on your mind," she repeated with sheer honestly.

Jay finally released a sigh. "I know."

That's what made it so hard. He could tell Delia anything- but he couldn't tell her this. Not if he wanted to keep her and Ash safe. Things were going to change.

Delia went on watching him steadily as he sighed heavily again through his mouth, permitting the sadness to show through his eyes. She could tell he was displeased with the entire result of the day.

"I'm sorry about being late," Jay apologized at last, feeling the bite of shame nip at him aggressively. "And not calling you and- making you worry."

His wife produced a small smile, as her eyebrows remained lowered. She could accept his apology without hesitation. "Thank you. Just please call next time. Ash was just as concerned as I was. I could hardly get him stay in bed."

Her light laughter out of the troublesome situation didn't seem to brew any chortles within Jay however. He only felt worse about it, sulking in his miseries as his eyes trailed away again. If it wasn't for those damn agents, he wouldn't have run himself ragged trying to protect himself, he wouldn't have had a near heart attack – he would have been home on time, and he wouldn't have snapped at Ash.

That was Jay's biggest regret of the night.

"I'm sorry for making him worry too, Del." Jay then threw his eyes up at the staircase. Boy, did he have a lot more apologizing to do. "I um- I should go apologize to Ash, again." From there, Delia nodded understandingly, permitting him to venture forth. However as Jay shifted his feet, it only led to him freezing in his tracks and laughing outwardly at random, like he was mocking himself for his actions. "God," he groaned, shaking his head, shamed before taking the first step up the stairs, "I'm such a screw-up-"

"Jay, don't say that," his wife ordered firmly. She didn't take delight hearing her husband bash himself, nor did she feel there was a need for him to beat himself up about it. "You'll set things right again with Ash. You're not a screw-up-"

"Yes, I am." His persistence and serious tone left Delia quiet again, struggling to understand where Jay was coming from. And he could sense this, which only led to him very discreetly explaining his feelings. Though, it wasn't like it would make much of difference in Delia's comprehending. And Jay preferred to keep it that way.

"I- I always manage to get myself into fixes," he started hesitantly, avoiding eye contact. "And I just... I just wish that I learned how to get out of them."

Delia wasn't sure what she was supposed to think at this point. She was left still standing in the living room, watching Jay meander up the stairs without another word. His response and behavior was sudden, strange, something she couldn't fully decipher no matter how hard she tried.

Something was wrong with Jayce. Delia just couldn't put her finger on it.

---

Author's Note:

I guess it was befitting of me to post this chapter on Ash's rumored "birthday". LOL. Though, I can't say this chapter contains something someone would want for a special day. ^^; Anyway, I hope you all are still hooked on this ongoing drama, which is about to spell out a lot more trouble in chapter 15! Plus just as a side note, more hints about Giovanni's plans/Jay's past will be dropped in the next upcoming chapter. And as for Delia and Jay's now shaky relationship, Prof. Oak's involvement, and Drake's part in this entire story- Well, you'll have to wait and read! ;) It's all coming together, I can assure you.

By the way, only FIVE more chapters left! Yes, we are in the final countdown now. I can't believe how fast time has flown with this story, and I do hope you all have been enjoying every edition of it.

Thanks for taking the time to read and as always, reviews are ever so much appreciated.

P.S. If you have not voted on the poll and would like to, please do so! I appreciate hearing all your thoughts. :)