A Brand New Chapter
Chapter V
By: Shigeru
Insert Legal Disclaimer and Shounen-Ai warning here.
~~
The world was a wavering blur to Shigeru. He was falling, tumbling, falling again, feeling almost nothing—except an all consuming fear. Not a fear for his own life, no, he didn't really care about that, but he could not let Satoshi die. The younger boy was worth far too much to him to see him die this soon after their reunion.
"Satoshi!" he screamed, even as he was falling towards his own death. "Grab my hand!" And, by some miracle of Houou, he felt a hand clasp his own. He swore that now grip could ever be stronger. It's not enough to die together, you have to save him, somehow!
Opening his eyes would be crazy—between the falling rocks and the hard mountainside, his eyes wouldn't stay in their sockets for long. He'd have to do this blind. And, for some reason, he had a very strong feeling that his Fudin was helping out, because within seconds, using his free hand, he had managed to snag a hold on an outcropping of rock. It was a few more seconds before enough of the debris had passed for him to open his eyes, and they immediately went down to the boy dangling by his arm.
"Are you okay, Satoshi?"
"Oh, yeah, I'm just peachy," Satoshi replied with a light laugh, just now opening his eyes and looking up. Despite what had happened, the look on Satoshi's face couldn't help but make Shigeru grin himself. And neither of them looked okay. They were both bloody and bruised, and Shigeru at least felt as if one or more bones had sustained minor fractures or worse.
"Satoshi, it would really help if you climbed up and grabbed hold of the rock . . . I can't hold on like this, forever." Satoshi could tell by the strained look on his face, and the bulging arm muscles under his ripped sleeves, that Shigeru really was getting very close to his time limit.
The burden Shigeru felt intensified as the other boy climbed up, the motions nearly making him loose his hard-won grip on the rock. But, once Satoshi was hanging from the rock itself, and not him, Shigeru was able to reach up with his other hand and get a better grip.
"Well, it looks as if we have a bit more time to watch the scenery after all, huh?" Satoshi seemed way too cheerful for being in the middle of a life and death situation. Shigeru had to wonder just how often things like this happened to the boy who had he had tried so hard to shove out of his life. And now, after what had happened last night, Shigeru couldn't imagine a world with Satoshi not in it.
"I guess so. Seems like those idiots finally did something right. Just how are we gonna get down?" Shigeru couldn't believe it… Every time that he had faced Rocketto Dan, they had been pushovers. But, it seemed when they started to act like a real gang they could be dangerous. It was something to think about. When they got off the mountain of course.
"Well . . . it's kinda dangerous to reach for a PokéBall, so I guess flying is out. I think we're stuck until somebody comes to get us," Satoshi replied with a sigh. This was not going to be fun. Stuck out here, in the middle of no where, dangling from a rock nearly a mile from the ground. And worst of all, Satoshi mumbled to his own mind, I can't even kiss him in this position!
"Pika?" mumbled a sleepy voice, and just then, the head of Satoshi's newly awakened electric rodent popped up out the backpack that had managed to stay on his shoulders.
By the flame of Faiyaa, that rat slept through the whole damned thing! Shigeru marveled to himself. Just how the thing had managed to do it was beyond his reasoning. But it had.
"Pikachu!" Satoshi cried with glee, happy all over again that his Pokémon was okay.
"Pika! Pi chu!" The small rodent seemed as happy as its master and leapt out of the backpack and onto the outcropping of rock that the two boys were dangling from (Heh . . . clumsy, stupid rat).
Crack!
In the emptiness of the high mountain, the sound of the rock pulling loose was strangely loud. The boys could feel it slide forward just a little bit. Satoshi's gaze shifted quickly from Pikachu over to Shigeru. It was a look the older boy hadn't seen since he first woke up in Tokiwa City Gym. Satoshi was scared. Really scared…
"What are we gonna do, Geru-chan?" Shigeru could never remember Satoshi's voice stuttering as it did right then. And it had been years since the last time Satoshi had called him "Geru-chan." Not since they were little kids.
Shigeru gave him a soft smile. It was warm, meant to calm Satoshi's already racing mind. And it worked. But Satoshi also caught the traces of sadness in those eyes he had grown to love. They were always different . . . blue one moment, brown the next. It was enticing to watch. But now, they seemed completely black. It scared him all over again.
"Sato-chan, don't worry. Everything will be okay. You're far too young and have way too much to live for. Promise me that you'll never give up your dreams. Please?"
Satoshi could hardly believe what Shigeru was saying. He couldn't… Could he? But Satoshi didn't really have any other choice. He knew he had to grant Shigeru's wish. "I promise…"
"Never give up…" And then, Shigeru let go. And began to fall.
~~
Musashi trembled slightly. She had never seen Kojiro act in such a way. And neither had Nyase, who was equally surprised. But their trains of thought were suddenly broken.
"What are you waiting for? Nab that Pikachu while we have the chance!" Kojiro ordered. Most any other time, the two would have sent the blue-haired Rocketto Dan member through the torture rack, but after they had just watched him fire a small missile at a fourteen year old boy, they decided to take no chances with their own personal safety. They obeyed.
Pikachu was still standing on the cracked rock. It didn't know what had happened by the time the huge, metal (rubber-coated, of course) vices closed around it. Within seconds, it was whisked away into the air, following close behind the Nyase-shaped hot-air balloon.
~~
Satoshi was torn. Rocketto Dan was floating away with his best friend. But, at the same time, his—what? Lover?—well, whatever Shigeru was, he was falling to what would surely be his death.
He had to come to a very quick decision. And what he decided, was that Pikachu was more than able to take care of itself as far as Rocketto Dan was concerned. But there was no way that Shigeru would be able to handle a fall to his death. No way…
"Sorry Pikachu! Shigeru!" And Satoshi let go of his own hold on the rock, twisting just enough to allow himself to kick it and send him falling downwards at nearly twice the speed Shigeru was falling. He only hoped that he would be fast enough, even as he pulled one of his PokéBalls from their clips on his belt. But he waited. He had to get closer. And for once, he had absolutely no room for error.
"Pijyotto (Pidgeot, not Pidgeotto, for those that have no experience outside of the dub), go!" and with a snap of his wrist, he released the large bird. The Pokémon seemed started to be flying straight down, and it was about to level off, when it received a desperate command; "Pijyotto, keep going!" Pijyotto had always been Satoshi's most loyal monster. And, true to its nature, it kept going, straight down, straight towards the rapidly approaching—and falling, Shigeru.
After a few more seconds of free fall, Satoshi found himself clinging tightly to Pijyotto's back, knowing that he couldn't reach Shigeru on his own. Only one problem . . . he needed to get under the other boy in order to stop the fall. And, for once, the dark-haired trainer thought of something smart. He asked his feathery friend to do a Quick Attack, straight down. And suddenly, for just a split second, they were moving at Mach 2 (Twice the speed of sound), and it was just enough to get them level with Shigeru. He couldn't ask of anymore . . . they were too close to the ground.
He reached out desperately, trying to grab hold of his love, his life. In that moment, he realized it—Shigeru was his life, and he could not lose him. And he finally allowed himself to breathe when he felt the boot in his hand. He had snagged Shigeru's foot. "Level off!" he screamed, and just like that, they were moving forward instead of down.
But the force was too much! Before he knew it, both he and Shigeru were falling again. But they had slowed—a lot. Maybe he'll survive…
He felt the whoomph of the impact with the ground. But it was strangely soft. And his eyes widened in utter horror when he realized why. He had landed on top of Shigeru! "Ooh…"
"Shigeru! You're alive!" Satoshi marveled, completely amazed at the prospect. He got off of him as quickly as he could, which, given the circumstances, wasn't as quickly as he usually would have been able to.
"Barely," Shigeru muttered softly, a hoarse cough following his words, which probably indicated a broken rib or worse.
"Are you okay?" Satoshi got to his knees, leaning over Shigeru's mostly still form. He could hear as the older boy breathed, and it wasn't a pleasant sound—it sounded ragged and labored, as if it had become a chore to do so.
"No, I'm not, Satoshi…" And it was very, very easy to believe. He coughed again, and this time, it caused him to spit up blood.
"Pijyotto! Hurry, go get help!" And that was all it took. The large bird gave a few flaps of its wings, and soon, it was gone, headed in the direction of the city, and the local hospital. Satoshi quickly turned his attention back to Shigeru. "Don't worry, Geru-chan ... you're going to be alright ... you have to be…" He softly stroked the other's cheek as he spoke; he was scared to touch anything else.
Even through all the pain, Shigeru couldn't help a small smile. Satoshi was so concerned for him. And he looked rather cute when scared. "Sato-chan … why'd you come after me? You … could have gotten yourself killed…"
"Any price is worth saving you…" He sniffled softly as he spoke. Shigeru looked as if he could still die. It seemed very likely. And the next words were out of his mouth before he could think. "I love you…"
Shigeru seemed to relax when he heard that. It was good news to hear. But Shigeru could also feel something happening. Something bad. "Sato-chan, just … remember, you … promised…" With those words, he slipped into unconsciousness, the smile from when Satoshi had confessed his feelings still upon bloodied lips.
It was all Satoshi could take. He crumbled on the ground next to Shigeru's limp form and began to cry. He was still crying when the medical team arrived in their helicopter, Pijyotto leading the way.
~~
Satoshi really didn't feel up to listening what the doctor had to say. His right ankle had been sprained, and he even had a hairline fracture on his left arm. He was in a great deal of pain, despite the high number of painkillers he had been given. But everything being said was about Shigeru, so he forced himself to listen.
"Ookido-san has been through quite a lot. Three of his ribs were broken, and one managed to puncture his left lung—don't worry, though, we managed to repair it in surgery. He lost a lot of blood through the ordeal, but he's been given a transfusion. Several hundred surface scratches and bruises. But the worst part is the concussion. It's fairly severe … and at the moment, it has him in a coma."
Satoshi had to resist a very strong urge to punch the doctor. He couldn't stand the way he was being so clinical about it. That was his life in there on that bed, being tube fed, with dozens of monitors showing his vital signs! After he got his little burst of rage under control, he managed to ask; "Is he going to wake up?"
"Honestly, we have no idea," the doctor said with a sigh, looking at a clipboard he was carrying. "His brain activity is above normal for most coma patients, which is a very good sign, but, his body is so battered, we don't know if it's possible for him to come around any time soon. It could happen tomorrow, or it might not happen for several years."
"Thanks…" Satoshi muttered as a formality, even though he didn't feel it. The doctor gave him a sympathetic nod and then headed off down the hall. He had a very unpleasant task ahead of him. He would actually need to fill out a police report, this time. Before, it had always been the same—Rocketto Dan tried to steal his Pokémon, they took their trouncing, and tried again. But this time … not only had they succeeded in taking Pikachu, but they had hurt Shigeru.
With a very deep sigh, he walked over to a phone and dialed the number for the local police precinct.
~~
Satoshi couldn't believe it. How could this have happened the way it had? He was sitting next to Shigeru's bed, in one of the few places where a monitor or IV stand wasn't in the way. And the worst part was that it wasn't all over. He still had to call back to Masara Town to let Ookido-hakase and his mother know what had happened.
He made sure that the camera on his end of the line was turned off. If he showed up on screen covered in bandages, Ookido-hakase and his mom would totally freak. Best not to let them see until they reached the hospital, which they undoubtedly would want to do.
"Ookido-hakase?" he asked a bit nervously when the collect call to the lab was put though.
"Why, hello, Satoshi!" the old man greeted cheerfully when he recognized the voice. "What's up, my boy?"
"Um … well, you see, there's been an accident…"
"An accident? Are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm fine, Ookido-hakase … the problem is Shigeru… He's in really bad shape…"
Satoshi could hear a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Where are you?" Satoshi told him about the Choju Town hospital. "Does your mother know, yet?"
"No, hakase… I called you, first, since Shigeru was hurt a lot worse than me…"
"Don't worry about it, I'll tell her. We'll both be there as soon as we can."
"Thank you, hakase…" After that, the line was broken.
Thank the havens, I don't think I could have told her, myself, Satoshi mumbled to his own head. He then went back to Shigeru's bedside. Without thought, a hand reached out and began to stroke his cheek. He wondered if he would hear him if he spoke … he had read of coma patients still being able to hear while they were asleep. He decided to give it a try, even if it wouldn't work.
"Geru-chan … why'd you let go? Did you do it to save me? You almost died … and still might… How could have done that? Don't you know how much I miss you? We may have only been together for one night … but that was more than enough to bring back everything I always felt for you… But, I did make a promise to you… If you don't wake up in the next few days, I'll keep going… I'll keep trying to be the master we both wanted to be… I'll do it for both of us…"
~~
Several days passed. Ookido-hakase and Satoshi's mother had gotten rooms at a local hotel, but Satoshi refused to leave Shigeru's room. The one time the hospital staff tried to force him, a few seconds of being tied up by the vines of his over-affectionate Chikorita changed their minds rather quickly (Not that he told Chikorita to do it, but when all of those people tried to force him out… Well, let's just say the little Grass-type didn't take kindly to it).
Shigeru's body was slowly getting better. A lot of scratches had healed, and all of the bruises had at least gone down, if not disappeared completely. And Satoshi's own markings from their little adventure on the mountainside were dwindling—although, his arm would be in a brace and sling for another two weeks.
But the most important thing had not happened, yet. Shigeru still hadn't woken up. Satoshi loathed even the thought of leaving him. But he had promised, and there was no way he was going to break a promise to Shigeru. He was going to win in the Johto Pokémon League, no matter what it took—no matter the costs.
On the seventh day of their stay in the hospital, Satoshi managed to get into Shigeru's room while no one else was there. He took a gentle hold on his love's hand and spoke softly. "I can't wait any longer, Geru-chan… You made me promise to do this, and I have to leave now if I ever hope to fulfill that promise. I'll do my best for you … for us… I'll make you proud, and when you come back to me, we'll be happy together. I know we will."
He gave the hand he was holding a gentle squeeze, before bending down and placing a soft kiss on Shigeru's warm lips. He shut his eyes tightly as he stood back up, reluctantly letting go. And then, fixing his cap onto his messy black hair with his good arm, he turned and headed out the door.
~~
Ne, I didn't think the story would get this sad when I started writing it. But then, like most good stories, it developed a life of its own, and wouldn't let me stop. Well, I hope you will all give a review—Please? I need to know what you people think of my works—and I hope you enjoyed what you've read so far. I'll have the next (And possibly last) part of the story up very soon. I already have the majority of it in my head. Well, see you all soon!
A Brand New Chapter – Chapter VI is coming to a FanFiction.net near you!