Disclaimer: I don't own these characters nor did I create them I'm just borrowing them for the amusement of myself and fellow fans please don't sue me.

ObsidianX to Fanfiction.net (Matrix to the pokefanfic list) here again with the second part of Fall From Grace. Note this series probably has characters way OOC compared to the normal show but then they are so one dimensional on the show this would never happen anyway. I have not seen Pokemon 2000 but Tiki said they said Ms. K's name was Delia so that's what I'm using.

Pokemon: Fall From Grace

Chapter 2: The Price that had to be Paid

Ash groaned as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm. Making sure he didn't let the filthy gloves he was wearing touch his face. Kneeling down again ignoring the cars that sped past as he continued to pick up trash along side Pallet's only freeway.

"I suppose I should be glad the judge let me carry out my sentence her in pallet." Ash thought to himself as the whistle was finally blown telling them that they were done for the day. Ash removed the gloves and then pulled the yellow vest off exposing the white tank top underneath. Walking away from the area he stuck his hands into the yellow shorts he was wearing and once again missed his hat as the glare from the sun burned his eyes.

Turning away from the sole highway he headed into the quiet suburbs where he lived with his mother. Ignoring the sneers and condescending remarks from the people he passed. Ash recalled how for the past week or so he'd faced those same remarks and how they just seemed normal to him now.

Ash finally reached his home and ignoring Mr. Mimie headed in noticing that Pikachu was in the kitchen with his mother. "I'm going to go take a shower now Mom." Ash called as he started to head up the stairs to his room to grab some clean clothes.

"Hold it you have to cut the grass first." his mother said in the same emotionless tone she had used since the day he called her from jail. Ash stopped and turned back down the stairs and headed out to get to work having learned the futility of asking to do it later.

Ash groaned as he pushed the lawnmower around not noticing that Pikachu, his mother and Mr. Mimie were watching him from the Kitchen window. He glanced across the street to see a mother hurrying her young children along telling them to stay away from that criminal.

"Pika pi" Pikachu said rather sadly as he watched his friend working in the hot sun. "Pika pi pika chu chu pika?" Pikachu said as he turned to face Ash's mother who was oblivious to the tears falling down her face.

"I wish I could go easy on him but his father is bound to get the message I sent him soon and come home." she said sadly. "He is a very disciplined man he would be upset if I had let Ash get off without punishment." she got silent all of a sudden and silently took Mr. Mimie's hand for support.

Ash groaned as he leaned his head against the shower wall feeling the water running down his sore back. After standing there for a while he heard his mother call for him to hurry up and stop wasting all the hot water. Ash hurried and finished taking his shower and dried his hair. After dressing for bed he headed down the hall towards his room. He noticed a mirror hanging on the wall in the hall and noticed that his hair looked different now that his hat didn't keep it crushed into place.

Ash laid down on the bed absentmindedly petting Pikachu as he prepared to go to sleep having settled for just washing his hands before supper which he had finished eating shortly before his shower. Ash was about to drift off to sleep early as always this past week when he heard the phone ring downstairs.

Shortly after the phone stopped wringing he head footsteps on the stairs. Turning to face the door he saw his mother peak her head in. "That was your father he was calling from Celedon and said that he would be home in a day or two." Ash nodded and she left closing the door behind her.

Ash leaned over and pulled a dusty old photo out of a drawer. It was him, his mother and his father. Pikachu popped up quizzically to look at it. "Pika pika chu pika pi." he observed.

Ash laughed lightly. "Yes we do look alike but he and I have nothing else in common." Pikachu noticed the sad tone in his voice but ignored it as Ash put the picture back and curled up to go to sleep mumbling "Good Night Pikachu."

Pikachu set for a while watching Ash slip into the normal repetitive breathing of someone who is sleeping before curling up to sleep himself. He failed to notice Ms. Ketchum glance back inside with a worried look on her face.

Misty was taking a dip in the gym pool early before it opened she saw Starmie and Staryu swimming happily and Psyduck over by the edge refusing to come any closer for fear of the water. She was amused by the fact he couldn't swim as always but it was a short lived feeling. She continued to swim until her muscles were feeling as numb as her mind.

After dressing she headed into the living room to sit for awhile. She still couldn't believe all that had happened. She had considered calling Ash once a day for the past week but everytime she tried she just couldn't. "Everything I ever thought about him is a lie." she said quietly to herself as she got up and went for another swim.

Brock hurried threw his fathers gym with the super potion for his fathers Onix. He had begun to work for a local breeder in-between helping his father care for his siblings and working as an assistant gym leader. He was enjoying the fact he was too busy to think about what his friend had done.

After Finishing with Onix he headed out to run the errands Merylin needed him to do before coming back to the shop. He liked Merylin in more than just a breeder apprentice way yet he knew that if he didn't keep himself undercontrol she would fire him. He also really wasn't in the mood to hit on her at all considering all that had happened lately.

Jessie leaned over the bush slightly watching the twerp picking up trash on the side of the road. "The Pikachu isn't with him lets go to his house and get it." she said when she didn't hear an answer she turned to see her partner watching Ash with a sad expression on his face.

"Lets leave him alone Jessie remember what it was like when we got kicked out of the Pokemon Tech." Jessie was about to berate him when she recalled that day they got their scores they were laughed at by the students and faculty calling them dumb has beens notalent and every other name they could think of.

"Your right James we'll leave him alone who knows maybe will have better luck with a new trainer." She quickly hit Meowth when he began the unsurprising protest of this decision.

Ash returned home that afternoon later than before mainly because he was nervous that perhaps his father was home waiting for him. "Mom I'm home." he called as he entered the house to find it empty. "Mom are you here?" he asked a bit louder.

"She and the pokemon have gone to the market and out to pick up dinner since you were late." a cool voice said. Micheal Ketchum walked out to face his son. Ash stared at him slack jawed in shock he realized despite how silly it seemed he was afraid of his own father.

"Well what do you have to say for yourself?" his father bellowed as he crossed the room. When Ash turned away he felt himself pulled around and then hit hard in the face. "Don't you turn your back on me brat I'm in no mood to put up with you being an asshole."

Ash felt himself being picked up off the floor only to be hit again. "Stop stalling you little bastard what do you have to say for yourself." again and again he hit Ash till finally he stopped when he noticed that his son was bleeding from his nose and mouth and had a huge black eye that was more purple than black.

"Go Get yourself cleaned up and listen I'm not a man who beats his family but if you ever break the law and dishonor this family again you'll regret it." Micheal Ketchum's voice was cold and his eyes hard as he said that.

Ash winced as he touched the damp rag to his cut lip. His eye had pretty much swollen shut. He could hear his parents arguing about what had happened but he tuned it out as he grabbed the ice pack Mr. Mimie had left him and set it against his eye.

"How could you do that Micheal he's your son." Ms. Ketchum said as she faced down her husband. Pikachu was by her side his cheeks crackling waiting for an excuse to attack the man who had hurt Ash.

"Listen Delia, I admit hitting the boy was wrong but he deserved it." seeing the dangerous yellow rodent he quickly added. "I won't hit him again but I bet that beating got it across to him exactly how wrong what he did was." Delia Ketchum seemed to think about what her husband had said and knowing that he had never hit her or Ash before she chalked it up to just his rage at that moment.

"Verywell I felt like strangling Ash myself when I found out." Pikachu looked at her in shock. "But if you ever lay a hand on him again I'll not only have you arrested but I'll file for divorce." Pikachu calmed a bit at this.

Ash listened intently he hated his father when he first went up stairs but now he wasn't so sure. "I can understand why he did it." Ash thought to himself but he still couldn't forgive his father for hitting him even if he understood.

"I guess my former life is the price that had to be paid." he said lightly to himself knowing in his heart that his life would never be the same.

To Be continued....

Okay this wraps up part 2 of fall from Grace and sorta sets the mood for the rest of the fic. This represents where the story turns even darker than the earlier chapter portrayed. Note regardless of what you think of Ash's dad's behavior I do not support beating your child to a pulp for anything.

I can see someone using spankings a punishment in certain cases but what happened in this fic is not excusable in any circumstances.