Chapter 25
"Forgetting"
Pikachu was riding on my head. After the usual routine, the…former boss…let us into his office.
"Ah…Ash…Billie……and Pikachu…It's a pleasure to see you all…That was rather quick, wasn't it, Ash?"
"Uh…ah-heh…um…Yeah, I guess so."
"So, why are you here?" he asked.
There was no anger in his voice, no intimidation…He just sounded as if he was enjoying talking to us…I would've thought it was scary…if I had been able to think about things like that…
"Um…We're here to get some different Pokémon for Ash," Billie said.
"Ah…Which ones would you like?" he asked.
"…Pidgeotto…" I said.
He stared at me for a few seconds.
"…Is that all?"
"Um…Yes."
"…Very well then. Which one will you be trading it for?" he asked.
"Uh…Magnemite…"
"…I see…Your Pikachu is much stronger than your Magnemite, isn't it?"
I nodded.
"Pikachu!"
'I'm stronger than anything!'
I just smiled and decided not to say anything.
The…boss…master…whatever…took Magnemite's Pokéball and went into his "storage" room. When he came back, he handed me Pidgeotto's Pokéball.
"…Pidgeotto's all better, isn't it?" I asked.
"Of course. Your Pidgeotto was under the finest care available."
"…Did you take it to the Pokémon Center?"
"Of course not! Our technology easily exceeds their primitive methods."
I blinked.
Say what…? No…Don't…question…anything…
"Run along now, you two. I am expecting a victory."
We both saluted smartly.
"Yes sir!"
With that, we left the room.
"…Hey Ash, do you really think you can beat the Elite Four?" asked Billie.
"I dunno…I sure hope so. The…um…He really wants me to, doesn't he?"
"…Yeah…He seems certain that you'll win…How can he be so confident…?"
I shrugged. "Maybe he just knows a true master when he sees one…" I grinned.
"…Yeah…Whatever."
"Pika!?"
'What's that!?'
I turned my head. Standing next to Billie was a familiar feline form.
"Perrrrr…"
"Pikachu! Pika?"
'Who are you and why are you here?'
"Perrrsian…Persiaann…"
I knelt down. Persian came up to me and let me pet it on the head.
"Why aren't you with…um…you know?" I asked it.
Persian looked up at me. There was something in its eyes…something…some feeling……Sadness?…Pity?
"What are you doing here?" I asked it again.
"…Ash, doesn't that Persian belong to the boss?" asked Billie.
"Yeah……Come on, why are you out here?"
"Siiann…"
It continued to rub its head against my chest, and I couldn't do anything to stop it.
"Um…It really does like you, doesn't it, Ash?"
"Uh…Hehheh…"
"Pika chu, pikachu!"
'Come on, answer him! He asked you a question!'
Persian looked at Pikachu now.
"Pe-errrrsiann…Perrrr…"
"Pika?"
'Huh?'
"Persian, persian……Persiann…" It drooped its head and looked sadly at the floor.
"…What's it saying, Pikachu?" I asked.
"…Pika……Pikachu…"
'It said that its master did something to you…something bad…'
Something bad…? Bad…? Did he do something bad to me?
I blinked and I couldn't remember what Pikachu had just told me.
"What did it say?" Billie asked.
"Um…Nothing…"
"Piika!?"
'What!?'
"Persian…Persiann…Perrrr……Perr…siian…"
"Pikachu…"
'You can't be serious…'
"Persian…"
"Pikachu! Pikachu?"
'But what did it do?'
"Siiiann…Perrr…Persiann…"
"…Pika…?"
'…Really…?'
"Ash! Come on! Translate!"
I couldn't translate. For one thing, I only knew half of the conversation, and I wasn't sure I wanted to translate.
"……Pikachu…Pika?…Pikapi, pika…chu?"
'……Ash…Is this true?…Ash, did he really…you know?'
Now what do I say? Yes? I don't even know what this silly mouse is talking about!
…Did I just call-?
I blinked again and that was erased from my memory too.
"Persian!! Persian! Perrrrr…"
"…Ash…I hate to break it to you, but…we can't sit here in this hall forever, okay?"
"…You're right. Come on, let's go."
I stood up and started walking towards the exit. Billie followed after, but the Persian stayed behind. Even though I wasn't looking, I could still feel it staring forlornly after me…
* * *
We walked slowly to the Pokémon Center…Billie was slowing us down.
"Ash…what was that all about? Really? Give me a straight answer, please."
"Um…It's not important…Really."
It can't be important. I hardly remember what it was.
Billie stopped for a moment before grabbing me and making me look her in the eyes.
"Okay, Ash. You are going to tell me what he did to you, and you are going to tell me now. I know he did something terrible to you. Something so terrible you don't even want to talk about it. But you know what, Ash? You are going to talk about it, and you are going to talk about it now."
She looked angry. Her gray eyes were staring fiercely into mine as if she was hoping that she could find her answer in there. I squirmed in her grasp, but I couldn't get myself loose.
"Tell me."
…How can I refuse her?
"Pikachu, pikachu…"
Pikachu was muttering something to itself, but I couldn't make out what it was saying.
"Pika!"
'Taper! Come out!'
Pikachu threw Taper's Pokéball onto the ground and it came out.
"Pikachu! What was that for!?" I cried.
Pikachu jumped to the ground and retrieved Taper's Pokéball.
"Pikachupikaa…"
'You can't go wrong with a psychic Pokémon…'
A Psychic Pokémon…
I had a slight feeling that wasn't good, but I wasn't sure why…I couldn't question anything, anyway.
…Ash?
Billie had loosened her grip and I wriggled free.
"…Pikachu, why did you let Taper out?" I asked again.
"…Pikachu…Pika…" Pikachu said matter-of-factly.
'I think Taper can get to the root of this problem…'
"Drowzee…"
'Probably…'
"…Ash, what's going on?"
I stared at my two Pokémon.
"I'm not sure…"
I knew Taper was trying to get inside of my mind. I could almost feel it. My suspicions were confirmed when it went straight out and told me.
……Ash? There's something different about you…
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"…How about, who are you talking to?" Billie suggested.
Taper stared at me in disbelief.
"Drowwzee…Drow…zee…"
'You're trying to hide something, Ash…Something has changed about you, and you don't want anyone to find out.'
"Pi kachu?"
'What's he trying to hide?'
"Drowzee…"
'I'm not exactly sure…'
I blinked. Taper could read minds, so…
Taper…Okay…um…Fine. Something did happen to me. I-
"I can't tell you…"
But…
…I want to know too…
Ash, are you alright?
"I'm…fine…"
…No, I'm not…
Yes, I am…
"Actually…I…am…perfectly fine! Quit asking me!"
Taper just stared at me. I think it was trying to make sense of what I had just said.
Billie and Pikachu were staring too, but we just ignored them.
I think we need to find out what he did to you…
"No."
Y-ye-!
"No!"
No! It's not important!
"It doesn't matter…!"
I can't question the master's decisions…
"Did I just say master?"
Billie was about to say something, but I guess she decided not to.
…Yes you did.
…Huh? Did what?
I couldn't even remember what I had just been talking about…
Ash…you're really not in good shape. I think we should talk to the boss.
We can't do that…
Why not?
We just did…
I'm sure that if we told him specifically that we knew what he has done to you, he would listen.
But you don't know what he did to me.
Actually…It took a while to figure it out, but it seems that you have a viral infection…
…A what?
You're sick.
Am not!
This isn't any normal virus, though…I keep finding…similarities to…Porygon……Its like a cross between some virus and a Porygon…but they've both been altered…so that it changes you…
I don't know what in the world you're talking about.
That's why we should go back and talk to the boss.
"…Ash? Are you okay?" Billie asked quietly.
Okay? Am I okay? No. I'm not okay. I'm worse than I've ever been…Terrible…You were right, Billie…He did do something terrible to me…
A short time later, I completely forgot the whole conversation.