Obsidian and Plum 2: Haunting Disturbances
Chapter Seven – Terror Tower Trouble!
"Paul!" Reggie yelled as he ran over to greet him. "Hey Paul!"
Reggie stopped before him, placing his hands atop of Paul's shoulders, smiling radiantly down at his younger brother with pride. There was excitement in Reggie's voice when he spoke – "It's time to face Brandon. I'm ready this time, Paul, you'll see! This time, I'm going to win!"
"Brandon?" Paul frowned. "You lost against him; you threw it all way!"
Paul had always resented his brother for giving up on that dream, for giving up on his pokémon journey – all to become a breeder.
"I know, Paul. I know." Reggie shook his head and sighed. "But I was wrong!" Reggie looked up, his eyes now glinting with a fiery determination that Paul hadn't seen for years, and his right fist was clenched in an iron resolve. "I realise that now, and I got much stronger while you were away. I gave up the breeding centre, decided to focus on strong pokémon instead, and now… now I'm ready." Reggie released Paul's shoulders, taking up a battle-ready stance and fist punching the air. "Well, COME ON!"
Reggie then dragged Paul by the hand, into the Battle Pyramid that had appeared, and then… it all happened so fast. One minute Reggie was next to him, then the next, the battle was already on going…
And then, in one massive explosion, Brandon's Ninjask was pulverized by Reggie's Palkia. 'Man was Palkia strong', Paul thought, as he shielded himself from blast. Reggie wasn't lying when he said he'd captured powerful pokémon.
Palkia then proceeded to take out Regice, Regirock, and even Registeel with Aura Sphere.
Paul barely had time to blink before he realised, with staggering disbelief and amazement, that…
Reggie did it!
He had finally won!
He'd finally, finally beaten Brandon!
With a swell of hope and pride for his brother, Paul knew he'd been right all along; only powerful pokémon were worth the time. Only powerful pokémon got you the win.
Reggie was suddenly embracing him, smiling so wide you could see his teeth glittering from the dancing spot lights above. A crowd had gathered and were cheering, confetti was exploding around them, and Brandon was standing nearby, clapping with an air of seriousness about him.
Paul was finally ready to look up to his big brother again. Everything was going to go back to the way it was. They could travel together, just the two of them…
…but, Ash?
He blinked, coming down from such a high that he felt his stomach drop into his legs, his bones shuddering with the force. He'd just remembered his boyfriend, and now, something just didn't feel right.
"Come on Paul! Let's get going!" Reggie went to take his hand, but this time Paul pulled away. He was conflicted; he'd always wanted to go on Pokémon journeys with his big brother, becoming stronger together, finding strong pokémon; but, the memories of one smiling, obsidian-haired trainer were stopping him.
How could he have forgotten his boyfriend?
"No, I need to find Ash!" Paul told him, looking around as if in search for clues to where Ash would be hiding.
"No! No, Paul. Ash will only stop you reaching your potential." Reggie grabbed his shoulder. Paul turned to face his brother once more, frowning. "Don't you understand, Paul?" His brother went on. "That boy is too wrapped up in making friends and bonding with his pokémon, like I was. I'm your brother, this is what you've always wanted, right? Come with me, Paul. We can have everything we ever wanted. Just you and me, and the powerful pokémon we'll capture together." Reggie insisted. "Forget about Ash, you have me!"
Forget about Ash?
He hadn't been able to forget about Ash since he'd met him in Sinnoh about four-five years ago. He may not always understand his own emotions, or why he felt certain ways he did, but he was sure that he was in love. Reggie had thought it was way too early for him to know that, and he couldn't explain how he knew, but he just knew. He was sure of it – he loved Ash Ketchum!
And wasn't Ash in trouble? He frowned, trying to remember. "Ash?"
"Trust me, Paul! Ash isn't good for you." Reggie interrupted his thoughts, now gripping both his shoulders again with more force than necessary. "Stay with me! We can get stronger together with real powerful pokémon! Just like you want, Paul."
Paul realised it then, as if his whole world had snapped in one huge paradigm shift – he actually didn't want that anymore. It was too easy – pulverizing your opponents, cheating your way to the top by just grabbing the most powerful pokémon you could.
Palkia! Paul gasped, his brain suddenly flaring and knocking with the upmost urgency…
Reggie was controlling the legendary pokémon that governed space–
'The nightmare foretold that two entities that should never have met would cross paths in the space-time rift…'
Palkia could not be here!
Reggie would destroy Sinnoh… the entire world…
This was wrong. This was very wrong.
This couldn't be happening.
No… no this couldn't be real!
He tore himself from Reggie's grip, trying to think, trying to understand what was happening.
"Paul?" Reggie's voice rang out, echoing now as if from a distance.
Paul closed his eyes, ignoring his brother, trying to remember what lead to this moment.
What was he doing earlier, or yesterday?
How did he even get here?
And where was Ash, and his annoying rat, Pikachu?
Ash woke up just before sunrise (not that this place saw much sunlight) to noises that sounded like… pokémon?
"Pikachu," he woke his friend by gently rubbing his fur. "Do you hear that?"
"Piiika." Pikachu nodded, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"I'm going to go check it out." He decided, grabbing his pokébelt from his bag.
He stood up, quickly discovering that his leg no longer pained him – It was just a bit stiff this morning – and he fixed his belt into place. Then, careful of the unstable flooring beneath his socked feet, he followed the voices.
Pikachu followed him silently from behind, and they found themselves at the bottom of the bare, dusty wooden staircase. The voices were coming from a higher level of the tower.
He groaned – he hated stairs! He really didn't want to exacerbate his leg again, but he was so curious that he decided to slowly, and quietly, make his way up them.
One set of stairs – he was doing alright; he could totally do this!
Two sets of stairs – his leg had started to twinge in protest now, and he was panting from being so out of shape.
Three flights of stairs – he collapsed on the landing, panting from the excursion.
He intended to rest there for just a moment, to recover his breath, but he suddenly realised that he could hear ghost pokémon coming from one of the rooms just down the hall, and on this very floor.
He could clearly hear the voices of a Gengar and a Mismagius.
He signalled for Pikachu to keep quiet, calming his own breathing in the process. Then, after a minute or two, he winched in pain as he staggered to his feet, falling against the wall as the nerves in his leg gave out. Internally he groaned – he'd left his cane downstairs with his belongings.
The pokémon voices were growing in volume, and so, he shifted his weight to test his leg now that feeling was slowly returning. Confident that it would now bare his weight, he slowly walked closer to the door that was slightly ajar, staying close to the wall. He peered in.
Gengar, Haunter, and Gastly were standing and/or floating together, but there was also a bunch of other ghost type pokémon; A Mismagius, three Misdreavus, and another Gengar that was about double the size of the one that lived in this tower.
The large Gengar, and the Mismagius, didn't look at all happy with the tower's three ghost residents. They were "yelling" at Gengar and Gastly, both who looked contrite and submissive. Sabrina's Haunter, however, tried to stand up for his old friends, floating in front of the large Gengar in protest… then, the large Gengar suddenly slapped him with enough force that he went flying backwards through the air. As the large Gengar started powering up a huge shadow ball to unleash at Haunter for its defiance, Ash decided that he'd seen enough.
"Hey, cut it out!" Ash cried, recklessly flinging the door open the rest of the way. "Don't cha know it's wrong to bully other pokémon!"
The large Gengar startled as it turned to face him, releasing the now powered-up Shadow Ball in his direction instead – "Shit!" Ash yelled, diving to the floor on instinct as Pikachu intercepted it with his quick reflexes using electro-web. The energy ball bounced off the sparking web and rebounded back towards its caster.
Ash had jarred his already agitated leg in the dive, and his groans had gone completely unheard. The large Gengar had dodged its returning Shadow Ball by vanishing into the floor, and instead of hitting Gengar, the Shadow Ball had blasted a hole into the wall behind where it had previously stood.
A thick cloud of dust and debris, the result of the explosion, had caused a distraction, an opening, that gave Ash a chance to unclip two of his pokéballs from his belt for back up. Ash had a feeling that the other ghost pokémon wouldn't be too happy that they had 'attacked' their Gengar pal.
"Come on out!" Ash gritted though his teeth as he tried to ignored his pain, releasing Greninja and Krookodile.
As the air cleared, his thoughts were proven correct; the three Misdreavus floated behind the Mismagius, and they looked poised to attack anything that moved. The large Gengar looked utterly furious.
"There's no need to fight!" Ash desperately pleaded as Greninja helped him up off the floor. "We can sort this out if we just talk it through."
Pikachu was stood directly in front of him, gesticulating and trying to get through to the ghost types. Greninja and Krookodile had taken up a stance on either side of him, ready to fight if it came down to it. Ash hoped that it wouldn't come down to a battle, he could barely stand up as it was.
Sabrina's Haunter was now trying to help Pikachu, obviously on their side and wanting peace as well.
Then, all at once, the large Gengar moved to attack Sabrina's Haunter and Pikachu with another Shadow Ball, the Mismagius vanished from sight, and the three approaching Misdreavus started growling. The Gengar and Gastly that lived here in the tower, exchanged a look of worry, clearly unsure about what to do.
"Find Mismagius!" Ash told Greninja, before turning to face the three approaching Misdreavus. "Come on now, Misdreavus," Ash tried to pacify them. "You don't really want to battle now, do you? We just want to help!"
The three Misdreavus 'giggled' as they continued to float slowly towards him, and Ash took a few painful steps backwards into the hallway, limping and gritting his teeth as he fought to stay upright on two feet.
Pikachu was currently distracted with an enraged Gengar, battling back its Shadow Balls with Krookodile's help…
Greninja was looking for Mismagius – keeping his sight open to its aura, so that he could prevent it from trying to drag them all into its dream world…
And as Ash's sight flicked through the door, witnessing Haunter trying to convince its old pals to help… the middle Misdreavus opened its mouth. A loud, malevolent sound filled the tower like nails on a black board, like the high-pitched screaming of a banshee lamenting death, and his ears felt as if they would bleed as his skull threaten to split into two. He fell to his knees as black waves of energy pulsed from the pokémon's mouth, and Ash started to feel dizzy as his sight wavered.
His mind and body had been seized, consumed and dominated by its most basic, instinctual desire to do nothing but rid itself of the pain that threaten it; yet, somehow, he remembered that he had other pokémon. He urgently fumbled for the pokéballs on his belt, despite his desperate desires to cover his ears with both hands and curl into the fetal position in a dark corner. He fought that instinct, and he managed to unclip another pokéball. He threw the ball, unable to speak through the pain spreading through his temples and eyes, taking over the control he had on his body, and Noctowl emerged from its ball flying up towards the high ceiling of the hallway.
Noctowl had instantly heard the horrific sound, and it was barely a second before he realised that they were in a battle, and that Ash needed his help. Without being asked, he used Foresight before hitting the attacking Misdreavus using Air Slash. The noise, thankfully, halted as the Misdreavus moved to dodge the attack, but the other two Misdreavus moved in to counter attack Noctowl.
"NOCTOWL, UP!" Ash shouted from his knelt position on the ground.
Noctowl swooped up without hesitation, circling back around the high ceiling, and the two Misdreavus that had been speeding towards him collided in mid-air with a smack, then fell from the air and into the floor below...
There was an ominous creak, an almighty crack, and then the floor gave way. With a futile desperation, Ash tried to grab a hold of anything to prevent his downward descend, but he plummeted into the level below.
Dancing spots of darkness suffused his vision…
Pain! It was the first thing he became of aware of. He groaned as his head thundered in rage, as his leg shot with agony, and he felt winded with back pain. He tried to open his eyes but he found himself unable to do so…
Distorted voices muttered – they buzzed and echoed around him with a distinct tone of worry and urgency – but he couldn't discern the words. His eyes still refused to open…
He felt his body being freed of a weight that he didn't realise had been on top of him, at least not until it was suddenly removed; then, he felt his body being pulled, being moved. He tried to speak, but only incoherent moans escaped his lips…
"…A bloody selfish moron!"
It was the first thing Ash heard as his consciousness slowly returned to him. The voice was annoyed, exasperated, and yet Ash could hear the wavering tone of worry in that very familiar voice. He instantly felt safe.
"Pika!"
It sounded as if Pikachu was angry with Paul (nothing new there then, Ash thought) becoming increasingly aware of his body, its aches and pains, and of the warmth that seemed to be radiating from the left of him. He suddenly became aware of a fire crackling away, and he realised that something had been placed over his chest, like a blanket but smaller.
"I do not appreciate being forced into situations where I have to play nurse! He didn't exactly think about me when he decided to battle in a decrepit tower. Of all the reckless, foolish, pathetic things that he has done–"
"PiIkaaaa!"
It sounded as if Pikachu was about to zap Paul…
"Chuuuuuuu!"
"ARUGHHHH!"
Ah, there it was, followed by the thud of Paul falling to the floor. Ash couldn't help the small smile that took over his lips despite his pain and foggy mind, those thunder bolts stung like hell but he'd received enough of them to know that Paul would be fine once the spasms passed.
He then found his eyes finally opening, and as his vision adjusted to the low light, he could make out Paul's frazzled look and static purple hair. He chuckled, forcing himself to stop when it exacerbated what felt like bruised ribs. The room became silent and Ash realised that the arguing had now stopped. Turing his aching head, his eyes met with two dark amethyst orbs before Pikachu bounded over to him in excitement. Pikachu babbled away, but Ash looked around his pokémon to smile at Paul. Paul looked relieved, before his face became his usual stoic expression.
"Thought I told you not to come?" Ash said, remembering their previous conversation on the pokédex phone feature, as he slowly sat up with a grimace. He was secretly glad that Paul had come. It warmed him that Paul cared enough to worry, but he'd never wanted his boyfriend to get in harms way.
"It's a good thing I did!" Paul asserted. "Or you'd still be trapped on the second floor, buried under floorboards, and risking further injuries, see?"
"Yeah, yeah. I get it." Ash reluctantly agreed, watching as Paul stood up and attempted to flatten his purple hair. "Still, it was dangerous last night, Paul. What happened anyway?"
Paul gave up with his hair, turning to glance back at Ash with veiled emotions. Ash waited, but Paul went to their bags and retrieved a bottle of water, Ash's tablets, and two of the protein bars. Saving one protein bar for himself, Paul handed Ash the other items he'd retrieved, and gestured for Ash to eat, drink, and take his meds.
Ash sighed, doing just that. His body felt like he'd had a wrestling match with Machoke, so he wasn't about to stubbornly refuse his own medication. As he looked down at his hands, he noticed that the 'blanket' he'd felt over him had been Paul's purple jacket. Looking up, he took in the tight fitted black t-shirt that Paul wore. He felt another jolt of warmth warm him more than any jacket would.
As he took his tablets, he watched Paul sit down by the burning fire eating his protein bar, only to notice a small cigarette pack that protruded from Paul's pocket.
"I thought you'd decided to quit?" Ash said, nodding to the packet.
"Because my boyfriend having a death wish makes that so easy."
Paul's sarcastic retort made Ash feel guilty, he didn't want to be the reason that Paul got worked up enough to smoke. Still, he couldn't know that Misdreavus and that big Gengar would have attacked them, nor did he asked to be kidnapped by the tower's trio.
"You make it sound like I wanted to be attacked. It wasn't like that!" Ash insisted, going on to explain what happened. "… And then the Misdreavus fell into the floor and it collapsed. What was I supposed to do? Stand by and let them attack me?"
"I expected you to lay low and use your head!" Paul grumbled. He sighed in resignation that trouble just followed Ash around. He'd prefer, however, that the trouble took a hike!
"So, what happened? When did you get here? How long was I out? And where did the ghost pokémon go… and mine for that matter?" Ash asked, looking around the room to confirm that only Pikachu was with them. It wasn't like his pokémon to leave him when he was injured.
Paul had already decided not to tell Ash about his run in with Mismagius on the way to Lavender Town. He believed that would only encourage Ash. It was also an experience that was still playing on his mind, the realisations he had made in the dream was something that he felt still held true, but it had left him feeling rather disordered.
"I arrived this morning to be greeted by utter commotion." Paul started "I bumped into Pikachu running down the stairs to the second floor as I made my way up them towards the sound of battling. I followed him to you, and managed to get you out from the few broken floor boards that you were under. You were breathing, bruised, but unconscious. It was hard to miss the battling pokémon fighting over head – what with the massive hole in the ceiling. With you safe, I decided to find your other pokémon before the whole tower collapsed. Pikachu stayed with you while I used my pokémon along with yours to drive the ghost pokémon away. I believe Haunter assisted, but he vanished when the others did. I brought you down here, returned your pokémon to their Pokéballs, including Tauros, and had to wait about an hour for you to decide to wake up."
Paul's recount had been rather brief but Ash got the gist of it all. Ash wondered where the reunited tower trio had gone, but he decided to figure that out later. He was both relieved and bummed that the other ghost pokémon had left – he'd wanted to know why they were so angry. His gut was telling him, however, that they'd be back tonight and wouldn't be happy.
Ash turned to face Paul, who seemed to be more affected by his injuries then he needed to be. "I'm fine you know." Ash said. When Paul looked at him like he was a lying idiot, he added – "I am! Thank you for coming by the way, I'd be rather screwed if you hadn't insisted on being here. The Tidoloxen and that has also taken the edge off now. Just a few scratches and bruises really."
"You need to be checked by a qualified doctor!" Paul insisted.
Ash smiled. "You worry too much!"
"I'm serious, Ash! You fell about 14ft through a ceiling. You could have internal injuries or bleeding!"
"I'm telling you I'm fine! Okay? Fine!" Ash relented when Paul glared at him. "I'll see a doctor once we leave Lavender town. We need to stay here until those ghost pokémon return – we need to find out why they are so hacked off. I have a hunch, but I–"
"Stay here?" Paul interrupted. "You must have hit your head harder than I thought. We cannot stay here. We have no supplies or food for one thing, and I do not want to wake up to find you dead from internal bleeding!"
"I've had worse injuries you know."
"That's nothing to be proud of." Paul snapped. "When officer Jenny arrives, we are leaving!"
"You can't force me to leave!" Ash argued, stubbornly.
"Watch me!" Paul growled, getting to his feet. "And for your information, this Town has been evacuated. We are not even allowed to be here!"
"Well, we are here, and the issues obviously came from here. So, I'm staying! You can leave if you like!"
"You will be leaving in handcuffs if you refuse Officer Jenny's instructions to evacuate. You are not above the rules!"
"Officer Jenny will understand, and so will the mayor!" Ash shouted up at his boyfriend. "They need to sort out this crisis and the only way to do that is to stay here!"
"And get yourself killed?" Paul growled
"I won't get myself killed! You're being ridiculous, Paul."
"That's rich, coming from the man who wants to risk his life playing the fucking hero."
"It's my life!" Ash bellowed, startling Pikachu.
Paul growled, turning away from Ash in a fury. "Have it your way then." He spat, and he stormed out of the tower.
Paul strolled passed the barren trees and into the woods that surrounded the Tower of Terror. He didn't plan on leaving Ash for long – his boyfriend had that frustrating type of luck that a herd of angry Beedrill attacking them at Snowpoint Temple wouldn't surprise him.
He slowed his pace, not wanting to travel too far away, but Paul could feel intense cravings. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, staring at it for a few hesitating moments before inhaling the toxic smoke into his lungs. How ironic that what damaged his body also calmed it. He frowned, comparing the same diametric logic to Ash – the young man he craved and loved was trying to give him a fucking heart attack.
He'd not left in a fit of pique, he'd left to prevent his sharp tongue from saying something he'd regret, left to calm himself down and sort out his bollixed-up emotions.
Paul had not been unreasonable to insist that Ash see a doctor, nor had he been wrong that they were breaking the law by entering a town that was prohibited; but, for some reason, Ash had been totally unreasonable. Yes, in fact, Paul was angry! He was angry that Ash was being irrational and reckless. He hated that it bothered him so much when he knew what Ash was like, but it did bother him.
He also hated how it made him feel when Ash was angry at him, it made no sense. Why should he feel bad for being rational, especially when he was right? It was frustrating, maddening, and he had to wonder if this was what love was supposed to feel like, or if he was the one that needed to see a fucking doctor.
Ash limped to the tower entrance using his cane – he wasn't in as much pain now that his medication had kicked in, but his leg was being temperamental and his ribs ached something awful. He was torn between finding Paul and leaving him to sulk.
Ash never reacted well to anyone telling him what to do, he knew that, but it was his life after all. Still, he felt guilty for angering Paul, guilty for driving him away, and guilty for not being a little more patient. He knew that Paul would retreat into himself, or flee, when he felt uncomfortable, threatened or confused, or when he didn't know how to deal with his own feelings. Ash had to admit that he hadn't reacted very well either. Friendships were easier than boyfriends… hell, anyone was probably easier to deal with than Paul, but he felt…something, something more with Paul. He wondered if he might be feeling that love stuff people talk about. How would he know? All he knew was that his gut felt punched when Paul got angry or upset with him, that he worried when Paul went off alone, and that he was relieved when he'd first seen Paul after his fall through the collapsing ceiling.
He sighed. Why had he reacted so negatively? Why hadn't he showed Paul how much he appreciated him coming? Ash suddenly felt like a bloody hypocrite – he hated Paul telling him what to do, and yet, not even an hour ago he'd been screaming at Paul about it being his life. If he should be left to make his own choices and decisions, then he should grant Paul that same courtesy. He'd been an arse!
Paul had come to make sure he was alright, risked his life to help him out of yet another mess he'd ended up in, and instead of thanking his boyfriend for that, Ash complained. Paul had been worried, concerned about him, and had even saved his sorry skin after his epic floor falling. Even his gratitude had seemed an afterthought. He wanted to slap himself, but instead he stood in the entrance to the Tower of Terrors and contemplated whether or not to go and find Paul and apologise.
This issue was, he was still adamant that he needed to stay at the tower tonight. He needed to be there to find out what had riled the ghosts so much that they were attacking the ghost inhabitants of the tower. He just had this gut feeling that he needed to be here tonight. If Paul didn't agree, then they were just going to argue again, and he really didn't want that.
He was still standing there undecided when Paul returned…
They stared at each other for a few moments before Paul said – "You should be resting." Paul then walked past him and went inside.
Ash blinked, frowned, and then followed Paul inside.
"Paul?" Ash hesitated, and then finally found his resolve. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know you don't get it, but I just have this gut feeling that we really need to stay here tonight. I was so relieved when I saw you here, I'm really glad you came. I just – I really don't want to argue anymore, okay? I just need you to trust me on this one, please!"
Ash searched Paul's face for a reaction and realised that Paul was in his thinking mode, so Ash slipped down to sit on the floor by the fire. The flames had reduced, but the heat was still radiating pleasantly. Pikachu leaped over to sit besides him.
"Fine." Paul finally agreed. Paul sat down near the fire too, a small distance away from Ash.
Ash wanted to smile in triumph, but Paul's one word answer, and resigned tone, didn't sit well with him.
"At least with you here, I'm sure we'll figure it out in no time." Ash smiled, trying to brighten the mood… it didn't work. Paul huffed, turning to face the low flames of the fire. "Are you really that mad with me?" Ash finally asked.
Paul's sharp eyes turned to face him, and Ash had the distinctive feeling that Paul wanted to say something just as sharp, but he was holding back for some reason.
Ash sighed. "Just say whatever's bother you, Paul. This is getting ridiculous now, so just say it. Shout at me, scream at me, anything has to be better then this!"
Paul seemed to contemplate whether to take Ash seriously or not, but he finally blurted what was on his mind – "I'm worried about you, see! You are so addicted to playing the hero, and saving everyone else, that you don't care whether or not you get hurt." Paul stood up, gesticulating as he gained momentum now that he started. "I'm angry with you for being so reckless and selfish! For not thinking about how it makes me feel when I find you in danger or hurt. And whether or not you acknowledge it, the fact is you have a disability already and it makes you vulnerable when you try to pull the stupid shit you used to do. I'm not asking you to stop doing the things that make you Ash Ketchum, I'm asking you to stop being so damn reckless all the time, and to see a fucking doctor when you coming crashing through a fucking 14ft ceiling!"
Paul was panting by then end, and a shocked Ash was speechless. Paul had admitted his feelings before yanking the rug right out from under his feet with the harsh, cutting truth. Even worse – the truth fucking hurt. He didn't want to admit that he was less abled, didn't want to concede to the fact that he could no longer run beside his pokémon, or go hiking without worrying about the terrain, or that he was slowed down by a few fucking stairs. It hurt, it winded him, and it stung. He turned his head feeling foolish when he felt his eyes dampen and his throat restrict. Even now, when he wanted to run into the woods and scream, Ash knew he couldn't run anywhere.
"Ash?" Paul's voice was hesitant – which was unlike him. Ash looked up into his boyfriend's eyes, and he heard Paul swear. "I'm fine." Ash lied, sniffling once. He didn't want to be martyr, didn't want sympathy or all that crap.
"You asked me to come out with it, now it's your turn!" Paul insisted.
Ash would have preferred to say nothing all, but he'd already been a hypocrite once today so he said, in a small voice – "I guess I just don't want to accept that my injury is permanent. That's all."
Paul sat down next to him and sighed. "With the right regime and exercises, there is no reason to believe that your leg muscles wouldn't improve. Your discharge papers advised a series of exercises and stretches that I have yet to see you so much as attempt to do."
"I am exercising!" Ash stubbornly remarked.
"No! You're trying to run before you can walk, trying to ignore the issue in hopes that it goes away, but you're actually risking your injury getting worse. You need to gradually rebuild the muscles, and as you gain mobility and the blood flow increases, it may help to heal some of your nerve damage as well."
Ash certainly didn't want to risk his leg getting any worse, and he was starting to realise that he'd never get any better if he kept ignoring the doctor's advice either. He really didn't have much to lose by listening to his boyfriend. "Alright, I hear ya. Will you help me?"
"I had planned to when you were ready to accept my help, but then you decided to drag me to Saffron city on this little mission of yours to save the region from bloody ghost pokémon."
"So, that's a yes?" Ash asked with a cheeky grin.
Paul shook his head, but he sighed and said – "Yes."
Officer Jenny later arrived in a helicopter, along with the mayor, and two paramedics (turns out that Paul had called them before Ash had gain conscious after his accident). They had planned to collect Ash and Paul and then leave Lavender town together, but Ash was currently arguing his points for staying the night at the Tower of Terror while the paramedics were talking to Paul.
"…and like I said, Misdreavus and Gengar were obviously hacked off about something. They could be the key to stopping the attacks in Saffron city. If I can just stay here tonight, I can try and figure out what they want if they return, and I have gut feeling that they will."
"I'm sorry Ash," Officer Jenny started, "but Lavender town is prohibited at the present time, it is–"
"Hold on!" The mayor intervened. "We have strong evidence to support the theory that Lavender town's gas readings were, in fact, caused by Gastly."
"The buildings are still unsafe," Officer Jenny insisted, "and this tower is falling apart! It's a safety hazard!"
"Be that as it may, we must do everything in our power to stop the attacks. If Mr. Ketchum feels that this is the best cause of action, and he is willing to take the risks, we must give him the chance. Do you have any other solutions?"
"Well, not at this time, no. But surely you cannot possible condone this!"
"We asked for Mr. Ketchum's assistance; therefore, it is only wise that we take it. Have two officers stay with Mr. Ketchum and Mr. Mackeller tonight, provide them with the supplies they might need, and I will sanction their stay."
Ash didn't have time to be satisfied in his success because he was suddenly accosted by the two Paramedics that had finished talking with Paul. They insisted on checking him over and asking him questions. Paul followed them, listening.
"I'm fine!" Ash tried to insist, but whatever Paul had told the paramedics had them concerned enough to drag him over to the fire place and force him to sit down while they prodded and poked at him.
"So, you fell about 14ft? Lost consciousness for nearly an hour?" The brown-haired male paramedic asked while shining a light into his eyes. The blond female was attaching a blood pressure monitor to his arm.
"Yeah but–"
"You've took Himaytoin and Tidoloxen a few hours ago, Locodaline last night?"
"Yeah, for my leg, but–"
"Stats are all good." The female paramedic interrupted.
The male nodded, and after checking the chart he addressed Ash again - "It appears that you've suffered a moderate brain injury. Ideally, we'd like to take you in for overnight observation."
"No! No, I'm staying here tonight!" Ash insisted. "The mayor has already given it the go ahead!"
"That's not ideal." The male paramedic responded. "Especially not after a fall like that. I'd be happier if you let us take you in and give you a brain scan at the very least."
"He's going." Paul interrupted.
"Like hell I am!" Ash snapped.
"You're going even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming."
"I'm not a child, Paul!"
"Then stop acting like it!"
"Enough!" The mayor shouted, rapidly gaining everyone's attention.
With eyes that bored into your very soul, with a look that promised unpleasant things to come if you failed to buck up and take heed, she glared at them with her arms folded. She'd obviously heard their argument, and was, quite frankly, displeased with the lack of maturity shown by both young men.
"Mr. Ketchum," the mayor started, impatient to move on, but yet her every word was professionally control and pointed, "you will ride the helicopter to the hospital to have a brain scan. If the scan results do not show a requirement for further treatment, then you and Mr. Mackeller may return to this Tower after dinner with adequate supplies. I will have two officers to accompany you tonight, and I will also arrange for a nurse to join you in order to monitor Mr. Ketchum overnight. Will that satisfy everyone?"
A mixture of rapid agreement resounded, and the mayor nodded once. "Good. Now if everyone has stopped acting like toddlers, can we please get back to the helicopter." With that, the mayor strolled from the tower.