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 Fifth 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.

I noticed an Old Typo in the First part that may have been confusing folks Ash was fined 1500 not 15000.

Pokemon: Fall From Grace

Chapter 5: Departure

Misty sighed as she helped Delia wash the Dishes as Brock and Mr. Mimie cleaned the house. "What's the matter Misty?" Delia asked from where she was sitting the dried plates in the cabinet.

"I just don't know what to do." Misty said sadly. "Ash wouldn't even look at me at breakfast and I couldn't think of anything to say." She felt bad complaining to the woman who had been dealing with Ash longer than her.

"I wish I could tell you but sometimes I feel like I don't even know Ash anymore." His mother said sadly. "I feel like a failure." Mr. Mimie hearing this came into the kitchen and convinced her to sit down which she gladly did.

"Why do you feel like a failure?" Misty asked as she looked at the woman who usually looked so young and happy but now seemed to be far older than she was.

"If I'd been a better mother this wouldn't have happened." Delia Ketchum began to cry at that. Mr. Mimie began to rub her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"It's not your fault it's mine." Misty said sadly. "Ash nearly cheated once before and I never gave it a second thought till it was too late." She looked over at Brock and Mrs. Ketchum and then related to them the events from that day long ago in the Cerulean gym.

Brock sighed and said "It's not anyone's fault but Ash." He held up his hand to forestall any attempts to argue. "Ash knew right from wrong he's proven that way to many times he made the decision knowing it was wrong and now he has to live with it." He silently added 'And so do we.' in his head.

Neither Delia or Misty wanted to accept that but both admitted deep down that Brock was right. "Micheal should be back this afternoon." Delia said finally breaking the tense silence that seemed to drift the room.

Misty practically growled under her breath. "I think I'd better leave before he gets here I don't think I want to be near a man who would hit his son." She regretted saying it almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

Delia looked hurt but couldn't really argue with Misty. "Okay he should call from the airport in Pewter that will give you time to leave." She glanced at the young red head and sighed Misty was really easy to read. 'She hates Micheal for what he did to Ash.' That unpleasant thought followed her as she went back to work.

Ash really couldn't see the point of cleaning the statue of some mayor he'd never even heard of that stood in Pallet park. "The Pidgey are just going to shit all over it again." he said rather bitterly which elected a laugh from a few of the other trouble makers. 'Amazing a town as small as pallet has this many people in trouble.' Ash thought darkly but then he realized allot could be from the Trailer parks just outside of town he'd always heard they were rough but never had any desire to go see. 'Mom would kill me if she heard me talking like that.' He thought with abit of dark humor but he'd learned very quickly if he didn't act like they did he would be made a target.

'Don't get where you enjoy it Ash.' He told himself bitterly. 'Despite the fact that these folks don't look down on your they aren't your friends.' He continued his rather bitter introspective as he began to clean the base of the statue. 'The only friends you have are Brock and Misty and they don't like you very much at the moment.' He was once again grateful for pikachu's support. 'If not for him I don't think I could deal with this.' He thought with a bittersweet smile.

The deputy supervising them made some remark for them to hurry up and work faster. 'That guy is a real prick he enjoys this.' Ash thought darkly he hated when it was this deputy overseeing the detail the other guy was okay but this one seemed to love making life miserable for them.

Brock sighed as he continued to clean along with Mr. Mimie the two of them were working well together but neither of them really seemed to want the other's presence. 'We both want to be destracted from what's happening.' He thought sadly. 'And seeing each other reminds us what's going on.'

Misty was sitting with Pikachu who had so far been really quiet. "Pikachu do you have any idea why Ash did it?" She asked him as she lightly rubbed him behind the ears while looking at the clock trying to will time to move faster.

Pikachu knew what she hoped and sadly Ash hadn't told him anything. "Pikachu." He said gravely shaking his head. He saw Misty's face seem to get even sadder and he wished he had been able to answer her question.

Pikachu finally climbed out of her lap despite how comfortable it was and began to wonder around the house. He really wished Misty would have brought Togepi with her but at the same time he was glad the sensitive baby pokemon was staying with her sisters.

Pikachu saw Ash's mother sitting nervously near the phone waiting for a call from her husband. Deciding she didn't look like she was in the mood for company Pikachu continued on his way and eventually headed up the stairs.

Entering Ash's room Pikachu hopped over to the bedroom window. He had found this window was the best to watch for Ash from since it gave him a pretty good view of the street.

Pikachu began to think back to the days on the road with Ash and his friends. He'd thought it would go on forever but it hadn't. He wished he knew why Ash had done it but at the same time he wasn't going to judge Ash for it. Some of Ash's other pokemon though sadly did. Pikachu wished he could convince Charizard and Bulbasaur to forgive Ash for making a mistake and he was pretty sure they would eventually but he knew it hurt Ash when they would turn away from him during his brief visits to see them.

He turned to look at a picture Ash had on his dresser. "Pika pi." He said wistfully remember how happy they had all been after saving the pokemon with the help of Mickey and his Evee.

Ash slowed down as he approached the house. 'There going be waiting for me.' He thought with trepidation. 'Come on Ash you can do it you can face the firing squad.' He regretted that thought as images of Misty and Brock shooting him with "why" arrows.

Ash glanced up and saw Pikachu looking out of his window he couldn't help but smile and wave at his friend who jumped up and disappeared from sight. "No turning back now." he told himself grimly and headed for the front door.

He was prepared for a barrage when he got inside but to see everyone sitting nervously and just staring at him was much worse. "Well you at least yell at me or something." He didn't know why he said that but he couldn't take them just staring at him.

Delia Ketchum recovered from shock and shook her head. "Ash we just don't know what to say." She hated how pointless that sounded. "We just don't know."

Misty however cleared her throat before he could reply to his mother's statement. "Do you even have any idea why you did what you did?" She asked looking at Ash.

Ash hated seeing that expression it was so full of hurt he didn't like thinking he was the cause of his friends suffering. "No Misty I don't." 'There' He thought. 'Now they know.' He watched sadly as the room slipped back into that awkward silence that seemed even more deafening in the wake of what he just said.

The silence finally ended when the phone began to ring and his mother headed into the kitchen to Answer it. The Look on her face told him everything when she came back around the corner. "Ash that was your father." she said softly.

"I told you it wouldn't' work." He said bitterly. "And it's for the best Mom I made a mistake and I just have to live with it." Despite the fact that he knew that was the truth he just didn't feel any better.

"I'm sorry Ash." Delia felt terrible seeing her son look so sad and defeated. "Misty Brock if the two of you are going to leave you should go pack now Micheal tends to speed."

"Why are you leaving?" Ash asked. Misty and Brock turned to look at him and got a pretty good idea that he thought they were leaving to get away from him.

"I don't want to be in the same house with a man that would hit his son." Misty said darkly. "And I need to get back home to take care of Togepi and Brock has a job now."

Brock however was slightly more tactful. "Well be back to finish sorting this all out as soon as we are able infact once your done with your community Service you can come visit us."

"Probation remember Brock?" Ash said hopping he could keep the bitterness out of his tone. "But I'll call you guys sometime maybe and I'll help you pack now."

Misty and Brock Watched Ash leave the room and after sharing concerned glances with Mrs. Ketchum followed him.

To Be Continued.

I renamed this Chapter Departure since well it didn't turn out like I original pictured it. It was originally going be a conflict chapter but it turned out to be more of a Well Character fic dealing with how the characters think and feel.