Bad Blood

Broken Diamond

By the Davids (DK and Darth David)

Chapter Five: Bad Blood

Ash quickly exited his supposed father's home, focusing on the situation at hand. The entire city of Cerulean would be destroyed if he didn't act quickly, which really wasn't all that much pressure at all. On top of that, he had to rescue Misty, that stupid girl. What did she think she'd accomplish by just running off on herself like that? But then Ash realized that he was the real fool. He thought he'd be able to take on an entire criminal organization by himself. He'd refused Lance's help, the League's help. And now it was too late.

Too late, Ash grunted to himself, and he couldn't help but think of his old man. It was much too late for his dad to just enter his life, especially in the prime of it, and expect Ash to greet him with open arms. It was impossible. Ash closed his eyes. That idiot would never know the pain and suffering he'd gone through living life without a father. Then again, he'd gone through most of his life without a family. Maybe he'd know the pain. But then again, he'd run away, so the pain would be self-inflicted. Ash, on the other hand, had no choice in the matter. He didn't have a father and that was it.

Ash's eyes had narrowed in hate, but now they were squeezed tightly in pain. There were too many things going on all at once. His father certainly hadn't picked the best time for Ash to deal with having his father suddenly resurrected from the dead.

Come on, Ash, he told himself. Focus. Focus, like the Pokémon Master. Focus

But whenever he thought the words "like the Pokémon Master", they became "like your father". How could they?!? Ash may have inherited his Pokémon training skills from his dad, but nothing else beneficial.

"Bad blood, that's what it is," Ash muttered to himself as he heard the door open and the clomp, clomp of a pair of shoes stepping out onto the porch.

~~~~

David recoiled as cool Cerulean breeze swept through his unkempt, blue color-dyed hair, and his pupils retracted violently as they hit the sunlight for the first time in what seemed like ages. He made a mental note to himself to get out more often. He'd been shut up in his little lab for so long he didn't even remember what the aquatic scent of Cerulean really smelled like.

Without glancing down at his son, he shaded his eyes with his hand and scanned the area. "Know anyplace to start?"

Ash snorted. "Are you kidding? If anything, Jup's forces will find us first before we have a chance to do anything."

His father turned to face him. "So you're just going to stand here pretty and wait for him to send a bullet through your chest? Or are you going to help me formulate some kind of plan to defeat these thugs?"

Ash laughed humorlessly as he sat down hard upon the porch steps and scuffed a small rock with his foot. "Don't be so cliché. This isn't some 007 secret agent movie where we cook up a brilliant scheme to overthrow some wanted terrorist group. We don't have an army with us. It's best if I just face off with him and end this once and for all. It's me he wants, anyway. Mainly."

David was impressed for the moment. "So you're saying you're willing to trade your life for the rest of Cerulean?"

"That's if I lose, which probably won't happen."

David smirked. "Modest now, aren't we?"

"I'm not bragging. I'm just stating the truth."

"Is that what your mother taught you? To state the truth?"

That hit a nerve that had never been hit before, and it hurt. Ash responded in the only way he could think of, with anger. "Who are you to talk about my mother like that?" he yelled angrily, leaping to his feet and confronting the tranquil figure standing on the porch.

"She happens to be my wife," David replied calmly. "And I was simply wondering how your mother brought you up. Judging by the attitude you've shown me so far, you don't seem to be the best person that ever lived."

Ash was in a blind rage. All thoughts of rescuing Cerulean were pushed aside. "Maybe if you were there to do some of the bringing up yourself! I happen to be in probably the biggest dilemma I've ever faced in my life, and suddenly my father—my very own father!—just pops out of nowhere and expects me to throw him a welcome back party! Next thing you know, you'll be wanting me to be your best friend and call you Dad!" Ash hadn't rambled on like that in a long time, but it certainly felt good to get all that pent-up energy out. He fumed silently, glaring, hating with all his heart, and waited for an answer.

David was hesitant at first to reply. Some of his son's words had hit him hard. Finally, he said quietly, "Son, I know you've got every reason to hate my guts right now. And I'm not asking you any favors. But there's a bigger issue to be dealt with here, and you can hate me later. Right now we've got to save this city. And I don't expect you to call me anything. But I expect you to treat me with respect."

Ash's eyes slitted like an Arbok's, and he spit on the ground in front of his father's house. "Don't ever call me "son", and respect is the last thing on my mind!" With that, he stormed off, throwing caution to the wind.

David watched his son go in his own direction, totally crushed inwardly. He sighed deeply, and, turning in the opposite direction, set off on a different path. They were destined to meet sometime or later. He'd deal with that when the time came. But then he regretted it instantly as he looked over his shoulder and saw his son disappear from sight. He'd been keeping too many things delayed. Sooner or later the buildup, needing only a slight push, would topple over him and crush him underfoot.

Now, he'd pushed his son too far too fast. And now he'd been crushed by the backfire.

~~~~

Jup scratched irritably at a nonexistent itch as he watched the price of the Pokémon Masters' foolishness assemble before him. Ten citizens of Cerulean stood before him. No, make that ten terrified citizens of Cerulean. And also innocent, Jup thought with a smirk. That simple fact would make their deaths all the sweeter. But he was still sour because the Masters hadn't been brought to him instantly like he thought they would. The entire Cerulean police force was out scouring the city, and still the two fiends hadn't shown up.

Jup gave a slow smile, the itch disappearing. He made a quick gesture with his hand and immediately a team of specialized Rockets set off to demolish another building. He had all the time in the world.

There was nowhere to hide.

~~~~

Ash scuffed his foot in contempt as he rounded the corner of another building. A lot of thoughts were running through his mind, which only complicated the task at hand. He knew he needed to rescue Misty—fast. Not only was she very attractive, she could be raped and ten civilians of Cerulean were being killed this very minute. Suddenly the ground shook underneath him from an obviously large explosion and a seconds later a booming sound echoed in his ear. He turned just to see a Cerulean apartment building reduced to rubble.

Cursing the day he was announced Pokémon Master, he turned in the direction of the explosion and began to jog. If Jup wanted him, so be it. He wouldn't allow more innocent people to be slaughtered like hapless sheep—nor would he be taken without a fight. And this time, he would win.

Suddenly Ash felt as if he were being followed and turned just in time to see a dark-clad figure raise a shiny object. It didn't take a genius to know what it was. Ash dove to the ground, Pikachu tumbling off his shoulder.

BANG.

Rising quickly to his feet, Ash dusted himself off as he scooped up Pikachu and broke into a run. He heard another crack and the impact of a bullet hitting the ground centimeters behind him.

Just don't panic, he thought to himself. Don't panic

"There he goes! Cut him off!" a loud, angry voice shouted.

"Alright, let's move!"

Ash crossed an empty intersection and hid behind the welcoming shadow of an office building, panting for breath. "Whew, I'm not built for thismaybe Misty was right. Maybe I do need to lose weightoh, man!"

"There, behind that building!"

"Surround him!"

Right away Ash knew he was in trouble. He'd walked right into a trap. His eyes quickly darted around for any possible escape. He smiled faintly to himself. This was practically a scene right out of a typical action movie; the hero finds himself surrounded by thugs, then he quickly devises a plan of escape. Taking down a few baddies along the way, he somehow gets to the top of the building. Then he has a confrontation with the archenemy, which he wins, but the wily warlord quickly escapes by jumping off the building to another, where a helicopter is waiting. The triumphant hero then silently watches the helicopter disappear in the distance, never to be seen again

"Should I shoot, sir?"

"Shoot, don't shoot, do whatever you want! Just GET HIM!"

"Pika, pika!"

The voices snapped Ash back to reality and he looked around. Two teams of Rockets were converging upon him—fast. Grinning at himself for being so cliché, Ash quickly began climbing the ladder to the fire exit staircase. He had barely reached the top rung when he heard the clang of metal against metal and realized they were shooting at him from down below. Quickly he ran up the angling stairs as bullets ricocheted off the metal railing near him.

Panting hard, Ash cleared the last step at the top of the building. He took in big mouthfuls of delicious air, bent over, hands on knees. Finally, when his lungs were satisfied, he looked up.

There stood Jup.

Ash's first instinct was to tell Pikachu to attack—already his yellow friend was crackling with electricity. But judging by the small, handheld pistol in Jup's hand, that wouldn't be a wise decision. He needed to escape, and fastno telling what this diabolical leader would do next. Their previous meeting had not been a pleasant one.

Ash's hand tightened around Pidgeot's Poké Ball. It was definitely a gamble, and the stakes were high. But for the safety of himself and Pikachu, a risk needed to be taken

"Pikachu, Agility!" Ash whispered as the little mouse Pokémon leaped off his shoulder in a yellow blur and began to dash in Jup's direction. Pulling out the Poké Ball, Ash watched the magnificent bird Pokémon appear with a flash of white light. The expansive wings flapped, the sharp beak opened with a cry.

{Get on!}

Ash needed no second order. He quickly hopped on and held on tightly as the two began to rise

Two shots.

For a moment, Ash was frozen solid. He knew neither of the bullets had hit him, since he'd felt no impact. His back to Jup, he slowly turned around to find the teen grinning evilly, pistol still smoking. He'd missed; Ash wondered what he was so happy about.

Then he began to descend toward the ground

He looked down at his winged friend. Two holes.

"Pidgeot! NO!!!" he cried as the truth hit him like a baseball bat. Leaping off, he knelt underneath the falling figure, catching the feathered body in his outstretched arms, gathering it in in a farewell embrace. In his tight hold he felt the form grow limp, cold.

He stood and looked at Jup with red, tearstained eyes. But now there was a renewed hate for this fellow that took control of his body, his actions, his expressions, his memories, and the terrifying knowledge of their end. "Just" he whispered in a blind rage as Pikachu returned to his side, tear ducts electrified. "YouMURDERER!!!"

Jup's gun disappeared in the folds of his jacket, but his smirk did not. "It was your own doing, fool. Admit it. If you had turned yourself into me, your Pidgeot would still be alive. This is only one of the consequences of your actions, Mr. Pokémon Master."

Ash's mind zeroed in on that last sentence. 'This is only one'what else could he possibly mean? Not Pikachu, his little friend was right beside him. He couldn't mean his so-called "father", either, since Jup did not know the relationship between them. That left only one other person

Misty!

"No" All the anger was gone, the storm had ceased. But now there was a new emotion controlling him—fear. Fear for his loved ones, and not only fear, but sadness

So jumbled up in a sudden avalanche of thoughts, Ash didn't notice Jup make a quick signal with his hand. Immediately he was completely surrounded and restrained by a couple of tough-looking Rocket agents, but he didn't even offer any resistance. All was lost, and worst of all, others would pay for his mistakes

Pidgeot's dead, was all Ash could think of now. He took one last glance at the still body of his deceased companion before being led away and shoved into the backseat of a waiting copter

Pidgeot's dead, Pidgeot's dead, Pidgeot's dead

~~~~

"Got anything yet, zam?"

[Not yet, sir.]

"Come on. We've known each other for years; you can drop the sir'. I'm just David."

[You are the Pokémon Master.]

"I was. But it takes a person to consume a title, a title doesn't consume a" Suddenly the former Master felt his eyelids droop, his breathing falter, and his heart skip a beat. He understood more than ever what was happening to Ash.

Because it had also happened to him.

"I'm Davidand that's an order!" David said jokingly.

[Yes]

David felt the light touch of Alakazam probing through his thoughts.

[you are.]

Suddenly Alakazam drew back from his mind and fell flat on the ground.

"What is it?" David twisted around attempting to preserve their mental connection and sift through his friend's emotions. "What's wrong?"

[I feel]

{Ala]-"zam," {Ala]-"ka"-[zam]

David noted that he was fading in and out of speech pattern. From psychic to oral. Oral to psychic. He wasn't so long a Master without first being a trainer. He wasn't a trainer without being sensitive to the same things his Pokémon were.

"What is that?" he asked softly, through the dark, painful tears that began to drip through his mind. "Some kind of mental attack?"

[No, no. Itit is pain. Pure, unyielding pain, different from those around us, fresher. I was not prepared for]

David stiffened.

[It is Ash.]

Alakazam matched his gaze. There was no need for words.

Just six Poké Balls and a fistful of prayers.

[I suppose you are going after him, David Ketchum?]

"Ash is in trouble, I know it. But this isn't a job for me—this isn't a job for David Ketchum—no, I've got to be"

He filled his mind with images, strategies, memories. A persona.

"I am the Pokémon Master."