Chapter 27
"A Young Miracle"
There wasn't anything left to do in Indigo, so we Teleported back to Pallet the next day.
"Ash, did I ever tell you how proud of you I am?" Mom asked.
Uh…Yeah……Several times…
"Well…I'm proud of you, Ash…" she said for the millionth time.
Thanks……
"…What are you going to do now," Misty asked, "…Mr. Pokémon Master…?"
She grinned at the last part.
"It took you a little less than a million years, huh?" she added.
Wha……Oh……Heh…Yeah……
"…What are you going to do?" Billie said.
…Umm…I don't really…
"I know what you're gonna do!" Mayo grinned, "You're gonna help me become a master!"
I guess I could do that…
"Well…I'm sure all Ash wants is a break……" Billie said.
Would I ever…!
"…I guess I'll go home then…" Mayo said quietly, "…I'll see you tomorrow, okay Asha?"
Okay…
"Bye!"
With Eevee in her arms, Mayo left for her own house.
I wonder when everyone else is gonna go home…?
"…Ash?" Misty asked.
She seemed like she was really thinking hard about something.
Yeah?
"……When are you gonna get me a new bike?"
Ughh…
"Ash…" Brock began, "I bet if you sold that badge……"
You must be crazy if you think I'm going to sell this!!!
Brock chuckled nervously and backed off.
"Well, when you do scrape up the money, I'm expecting a bike ASAP…I mean…You can't expect me to follow you around forever…"
…I can't?
Now that she brought it up, I started to realize just how strange that would be……
"Of course not," she said, not looking at me, "I mean, I have a life too you know…What if I wanted to head back to Cerulean and turn that place into a real gym?"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
What…?
"Misty! You can't be serious!" Billie exclaimed.
"Of course I'm serious," she said, "Why wouldn't I be?"
But……
"Uh…Misty?" Billie interrupted, "Can I talk to you for a sec?"
"…I guess so…Why?"
"Just……Come here."
Billie dragged Misty into the next room.
Where are you going? I asked.
"Don't worry about it, Ash," Billie told me, "This is for girls only."
She closed the door and that was the end of that…I considered eavesdropping, but that would've been rude…right?
…I figured Brock would understand what was going on.
Hey, Brock? Do you have any idea what they're talking about?
"Well……"
"Ash, don't worry about it," Mom said quickly, "If they wanted you to know…they'd tell you."
…Huh?
"Come on…You must be hungry…"
Uh…Okay!
I mental note to myself.
Mom knows my weak point…
* * *
After lunch, I was called into the living room by Richie. He and Brock were watching TV.
What's goin' on? I asked.
"Sh! Just watch!" Richie hushed me.
I watched. It looked like a news report…
"The Indigo League has a new champion!" the announcer was saying, "His name is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town! The Elite Four have requested that we keep details about his last three battles private, and we may not be able to interview this young miracle, but we can show you clips from his first battle against Lorelei! Here it is, folks!"
Just my first battle…? I wonder…Oh…That was the only one I fought as a human…
The cut to an intense battle scene between Taper and Slowbro, then to another battle between Charizard and Lapras. Charizard wasn't doing to well…
This is weird…It's like I'm watching a completely different battle……
Then they showed me and Pikachu…I felt myself turn red, and I tried to hide myself and still watch at the same time. I looked like I was really into the battle…I had my jaw clenched and my fists all balled up…I wasn't saying anything though…which was kind of weird…
Is that really what I look like when I'm battling…?
I couldn't really believe that that person on TV was me…I shut my eyes so I wouldn't have to watch.
Why does it seem so strange?
I couldn't think of any reasons…unless…
…Is it because…I was human?
I gradually realized that that had to be it…
I look weird because I'm human…?
I looked up again. They were showing an side view of the battle now. I just looked like a small figure on the side…Charizard had just fainted and I was calling it back…
I can't watch this…
I turned and left without a word.
"…Pikapi?"
'…Ash?'
"…Perrr?"
'…Huh?'
I went to my room and closed the door. I sat down on my bed, trying to figure out what was wrong…I took off my amulet and looped it around my bedpost.
A Pokémon can't be a Pokémon Master…It's just pointless……right?…Isn't that what everyone was trying to tell me?……Nekiro, most of all……And Nekiro's been right so many other times…
…What am I saying?…Nekiro may have been right……but I was right too!…That's right…I don't need Nekiro to come and tell me what to do…I'm just fine on my own……
……I hope I'm right…
The door pushed open, and a familiar feline face walked through it and closed it with its tail.
"Pe-errrrsiii?" it asked.
'What's the matter, Ash?'
Huh?…Oh……Nothing really……
Persian glanced at my badge and back at me.
"Perrrr? Perrrsiiiaannn?"
'Oh really?…Why'd you take off your badge?'
I dunno, I shrugged, I just wanted to look at it, I guess…
"Per!"
'Okay.'
Persian jumped and sat next to me. I could see the badge's reflection in its eyes.
"Perrrsiiiiannnn……Perrssssian…"
'It's a very pretty badge…You're lucky to have it…'
Yeah…Really lucky……
"Per?……Perrrrrsiiaaaannn……Persian?"
'Hm?……Oh, I see…You don't think you earned it…do you, Ash?'
I don't know……I didn't beat Lance, so why would've I earned this thing?
"Perrrrrssiiiiannn…Perrrssiiiiannn…"
'There's more to being a Pokémon Master than just winning battles……You of all people should know that…'
………I guess you're right……
I picked it up by the chain again, but I didn't put it on.
………It's just that……I already earned so many gym badges…out of…pity……I don't want to earn my champion's badge that way too……
"Pe-e-errr? Persiian, per, perrr…Persiaaann…"
'Pity!? Ash, if you think you earned that badge out of pity, then maybe you really don't deserve it…They gave it to you, because they felt that you earned it. You really are a good trainer, whether you believe it yourself or not.'
……Um…Thanks, Persian……
"Perrsiann…"
'You don't need to thank me for just telling you the truth…'
…Thanks anyway, Persian.
Persian groaned and rolled its eyes.