Chapter 25
"Aftermath"
…Something warm…and bright…and familiar……
I opened my eyes, and was nearly blinded once again.
Turn it off already… I groaned.
"…Sorry."
The light dimmed down, so it was safe to look again.
…Lance…?
He nodded.
……You won, didn't you…?
He nodded again.
Unhhh……
The door burst open and my friends ran in.
"Asha!! Are you okay!?"
I sat up, carefully.
Yeah… I answered.
She gritted her teeth.
"How dare you lose, Asha! I knew you should've used Pikachu! Pikachu always wins!"
……Pikachu doesn't always win… I said, a little put off at how angry she was.
"Well, now what are you gonna do? You have to wait another year to compete again…And you won't win, because I'm gonna beat you."
………Mayo?
"………I'm just mad that you lost okay!? I thought for sure that you would win! You were winning every match until this one! Why'd you have to choose yourself anyway?"
"Ahem…" Lance interrupted, "May I say something?"
"Uhh…Sure," Mayo said.
"I think Ash made a very good decision when he picked himself to battle against me."
"He did?"
Lance nodded. "A very good decision…Something that no other trainer has done, I believe."
…But they can't, I said.
"True…But if they could, how many of them do you think actually would?"
Uh…Not too many, I guess……
"Right…The truth is, even if trainers thought they could go out and battle, they wouldn't, because they know that they wouldn't stand a chance…You went out anyway…"
…You mean I didn't stand a chance…?
"……You actually did quite an amazing job…I was very impressed…You had me very worried at the end there when you used Blizzard. That was an unexpected turn of events."
…But I lost.
"True…but no one has ever weakened my Dragonite that badly…" He smiled off-handedly. "It wasn't close to fainting, but it was still weak."
…Oh.
"……You stay here with your friends…I'll be back in a moment…I want to speak with…my friends…"
He left the room with the rest of the Elite Four. I watched him leave…and what had just happened hit me with full force…I lay down again.
I lost…
"…Ash?" Misty said, "Lance was right……You really did a great job out there." She laughed gently. "I didn't know you had it in you."
"Well…I guess somebody had to lose, right?" Richie asked.
Uh-huh…
"Pikapika…Pikachu?"
'You didn't get hurt too bad, did you?'
I laughed. No, Pikachu. I'm fine now.
"Perrrrr? Persiiann…"
'Fine? I'm betting your ego got squashed flat…'
I stared at the stadium lights above me, thinking about what Persian had just said.
…No, Persian……That happened a while ago……
"Perr?"
'Huh?'
…Maybe Nekiro was right all along……Maybe I just shouldn't have come back……At least not back to Indigo………How come every time I come here, something bad happens……?…I wonder what it'll be this time……?
"…Ash?"
Huh!? I asked sitting up.
"…You looked like were off in another world…" Misty grinned.
Oh…uh…Heh……
"I wonder what those guys are talking about…?" Richie wondered out loud.
"They're probably talking about making Ash one of them!" Brock laughed.
What!?
"Ash, you heard what Lance said," Brock replied, "No one's ever gotten as far as you did…I'm guessing that you'll replace Agatha, and Lorelei will be knocked off."
What!?
Brock nodded again. "They're the Elite Four, Ash, not the Elite Five."
But……I can't do that! They're…They're all friends!
"Ash, don't worry about it. It's not like defending the championship is a full-time job. After this, they all go back to wherever they spend the rest of the year. Besides, I'm sure Lorelei would be glad for the break……It'd give her more time for……other…things………"
When I saw that dreamy look on his face, I knew talking to him was a lost cause.
"Wow! That'd be really cool, Ash!" Richie said excitedly.
"Yeah!" Billie added, "My partner will finally be one of the best!"
Misty gave her a strange look. "Your…'partner'?"
"Uh…Yeah! Team Pikachu!…" She grinned. "Prepare for trouble!"
And make it double! I added.
"Uh…Okay, I've heard enough…" Misty said quickly.
"To protect the world from-"
The door clicked open and the Elite Four entered the room.
"Hey! I was in the middle of my line!" Billie exclaimed.
Misty shushed her.
Now I'm starting to understand how Team Rocket felt when we interrupted their motto… I laughed.
"…Ash," Lance said, "how would you feel about representing us as the Indigo League Champion?"
I nearly fainted again…I did fall off of the reviver…
"…Ash?"
You're…not…serious… I said weakly.
I didn't even try to get up. He stood over me and looked down.
"Actually, I'm very serious…So what do you say?"
I…say that you can't be serious… I answered, sitting up, …How could I represent the Indigo League if I didn't even beat all of you?
"Ash, how many Mews challenge us?" Agatha asked, "Take a wild guess."
Umm…One?
"Exactly."
"Wow, Ash was right for once," Misty whispered.
…I heard that Misty.
She just giggled.
…Girls…
"…Ash, we would be honored if you would accept the title of League Champion," Lance said.
I was sure my ears were playing tricks on me.
H…H……
I laughed to clear my head.
Did you say…"honored"?
"Why, yes…We did."
"Asha, quit it!" Mayo interrupted, "Just say yes and spare us all from watching you babble on like this!"
Um…Okay…
Uh…Yes! Yes, I will accept the title of Indigo League Champion!!
"It's about time," Lorelei laughed quietly.
I waited for them to say something else…They didn't.
So…uh……Now what? I asked.
"Now…?" Agatha asked, "Now…you go…and celebrate. When you come back, we'll have something very special for you…"
"We will?" Bruno asked.
"Yes, we will," Agatha replied.
Uhh…Okay! Come on you guys! Let's go party hearty! Everything's on me!
"…Ash, you know, you don't eat free anymore, because the tournament's already over," Misty informed me.
Oh……
Bruno laughed. "Don't worry about it. We'll let them know that you're the champion, and they'll let you eat as much as you like!"
All right!! Now let's go eat!! I'm starving! I never knew battling could make you so hungry!
"Well…I kinda guessed you would be hungry…" Misty said.
"Yeah," Brock said, "We know how much you ate after just battling with your Pokémon. If you actually went out there and battled for yourself, then you must be…"
My stomach finished his sentence.
…Let's go find an all-you-can-eat buffet and stuff ourselves till we burst!!