AN: Yeah, I played fast and loose with the years and ages in Chapt. 3. I'm busy, tired and I don't care. Bite me.   I'll try to get a chapter up every week or so, but please be patient as I'm working on an incredibly long fic in CCS as well as a series.  As for Sabrina's team…^.~  As for this chapter, seriously un-beat'd.  Chelle-sama is busy writing me stories and we're both ill to boot.  Love us anyway?

Disclaimers etc. from Chapt. 1 apply. You can bite me about that, too.

 Dedication: Chelle-sama can bite me. ^.^ Ne? 

Chapter 4: Long Walk in Circles

"Hey, Nurse…"  Molly swung cheerfully into the PokeCenter and stopped when a familiar face, but not the expected familiar face smiled at her from behind the desk.  "Jenny?"

Jenny's smile widened.  "No, it's still 'Officer' Jenny.  Joy's in the back with Ash, taking a look at Pikachu again."  The officer shrugged.  "They should be almost done, really.  It's been a while."

"Fifteen minutes."  A young voice piped up.  "If they're doing a full physical assessment, then they'll be in there another five plus whatever time it takes to come up with, and if possible to implement, a treatment plan."

Molly turned to stare at the boy standing in the door of the PokeCenter as Jenny dropped her head into her hands.  "Rai," Jenny sighed, "I'm beginning to regret sentencing you to working here if that's the kind of information you're spewing out these days."  Laughing, she shook her head.  "I should apologize to your mother."

"Hey, Rai.  I thought your last day was Friday."  Ash strolled out of the back room with a smile.  "Could I get a packet of that Vitamin K and glucose?"  He directed a grin at Jenny and Molly felt her own heart skip.  "We're almost done and then you can whisk Joy off to that film festival you were talking about."

"Oh."  Rai frowned.  "Um…" 

"Let me guess; Friday was your last day, but now there's something wrong with Mutton that needs immediate attention?"  Molly tucked her tongue into her cheek.  Everybody in town had witnessed firsthand, or at least heard an accurate rendition of, Rai's pokemon exploits.  The kid, she reflected, was a bit of a menace.  But sweet, she grinned, as color flamed into his cheeks.

He scuffled his foot along the floor.  "Sort of.  It's Poultry.  I took her up against this Sandslash, and, um, it knew, you know, slash.  So, um, Poultry decided to, uh, run, and well…"  He trailed off with a wince.  "We'll do better next time!"  He thrust a fist into the air.  Then cocked his head.  "The Sugar-VitaK is in the left hand drawer, Officer Jenny."  He nodded towards Ash who was grinning broadly.

Joy chose that moment to duck out of the back.  "Ash, did Jenny find the…oh, Rai."  She sighed as the boy hopefully held out his Pidgey.  "Bring her back; we'll get her squared away as soon as we give Pikachu his shot."  She shot an apologetic look at Jenny.  "It shouldn't take too long."

"It's okay; I've been working on the bank's new security layout."  Jenny held up a file and grinned.

Ash planted his hands on his hips and shook his head.  "Naw, you guys go on ahead.  I think Rai and I can handle Poultry."  He loaded a syringe and smiled.  "That's the good thing about living above the PokeCenter.  It's a real learning experience.  Besides," He pointed at Molly, "I don't think she came to take me out to lunch and then a string of bad horror movies."

Joy and Jenny glanced from Rai, beaming with anticipation, to Ash and then at each other.  "If you're sure, Ash."  Joy said finally.  "I could stick around, if you're not comfortable with going solo."

"I've got stuff to keep me occupied and we've got plenty of time."  Jenny added, lifting her file slightly.

Molly laughed aloud at Ash's incredulous look.  "You guys are workaholics."  He said at last.  "All three of you; and so are you."  He nodded to include Rai.  "Most people like to go out and do fun things on the weekend or on their day off."  Molly kept giggling, unable to help herself, as Ash guided Joy and Jenny to the door.  "Chansey is here if I need help, Rai is practically a walking textbook, and I used to have a Pidgey.  We.  Will.  Be.  Fine."  He turned to Rai as he shut the door.  "You will go out and play baseball or kickball or watch TV and eat ice-cream once we get Poultry put into a bed."   He led the way into the treatment rooms and stopped by Pikachu's bedside.  "Shot."  He announced and Pikachu rolled over with an aggrieved look.

"Maybe if you hadn't eaten all four of the Mars bars in my pack you wouldn't need it."  Molly grinned at the grumpy pokemon.  He glared at her.  "Admit it; your sugar craving is out of control."  Pikachu huffed.  "You know you'll crash and burn and you do it anyway, admit it."

"I read in one of Nurse Joy's journals that older pokemon tend to revert to sugar-feedings, like infant pokemon, because it's all that their bodies can really handle."  Rai dumped the used needle into the disposal.  "It's supposed to be a bad sign, because Pokemon don't really get diabetic and can't really be treated for the regression to infantile digestion."

Ash nodded.  "It sure is a bad sign."  Molly arched one eyebrow as the two boys worked together over Rai's pokemon.  "But I'm not really worried because Pikachu's still craving salt, too.  So even if he's not…"

"Pika.  Pi-chu."  Pikachu sat up and twitched his ears.  Ash grinned.

"I wasn't going to say you were old."  He said.  "I was just going to say that even if you're not in peak condition, the sugar thing isn't a big issue."  Ash stepped back and admired the work done.  "Poultry's all set."  A line appeared between his eyebrows.  "You know, I read about this technique that's supposed to calm pokemon, get them into a really tranquil state and help speed healing."

"Ha!"  Molly couldn't contain herself.  "Who's a workaholic now, Ash Ketchum?"  She grinned and plopped down into one of the bedside chairs.  "Ash, I'd like you to meet a few friends, Pot and Kettle."  She chuckled.  She smiled angelically at the narrow look he gave her before he found the journal  in which he'd read the article and sent Rai off on his way.

"Alright, you," Ash stalked back into the treatment room.  "Pot and kettle," He snorted.  "Care to share what was on your agenda for today."  He folded his arms expectantly, a knowing look on his face. 

Molly flushed.  "West end?  Just for a few minutes!"  She protested as a look of satisfaction settled on his face.  "We've never gone this long without some kind of contact with the Unown; I feel bad about it.  I promised you some adventure, something to study and for three whole months, nothing!"  Ash's look of smugness was nearly Molly's undoing.  "And it's not like it takes forever to strap into the harnesses!"  She added hastily. 

"Uh-huh."  Ash winked.  "Okay.  Actually, I kind of thought that might be your plan; you've been restless ever since we finished with the North area.  That's why I gave Pikachu a shot now."  He turned away to look at his pokemon and Molly took a moment to remind herself to breathe.  "Ready, Pikachu?"  The yellow pokemon climbed onto his trainer's shoulder and fell asleep, making Molly grin.  Ash must have caught her look out of the corner of his eye because he smiled at her and rolled his eyes companionably.  As they headed toward the Ruins Molly noticed him looking sideward at her a lot, smiling to himself and whistling slightly with his arms tucked behind his head to cradle his sleeping pikachu.

"It's not like we never do fun things together."  She said finally.  "I mean fun things aside from work; you come to dinner every week."

Ash grinned without looking at her.  "Dinner usually doubles as a staff meeting.  Speaking of, I don't think we should invite Skylar anymore.  He's just…well, he cried when I asked him about the East entrance.  He's not very stable."

"Well, no, he isn't.  That last little go-round with the Unown kinda shook him."  Molly worried at her lower lip for a moment, thinking, not looking at Ash's smile as he watched her covertly.  "What about the time we went to the Pokemon fair?  That was fun."

"Still work."  Ash hummed.  "We brought a truck-load of Sabrina's team with us so that they could get readings on the psychic pokemon.  That's when we realized that the Unown  are not like the usual psychic type.  Then we spent the rest of the day getting brain-probed for base-readings on us around the different types of pokemon."

"It was a learning experience?"  Molly muttered.  "What about…"

Ash laughed outright, causing Pikachu to grumble and roll into Ash's backpack.  "If you're even going to suggest the trip to the museum..."  He wiped a tear out of his eye.  "No.  It doesn't quite count."

"Well, you can't say I haven't tried."  Molly felt her cheeks heat as she stared resolutely at the ground.  "It's just…well, things always seem to happen.  Work things and other stuff."  She couldn't believe that, after three months in Ash's constant company, he still had the power to make her blush.

"Molly, wait."  Ash put a hand on her arm to stop her as they reached the entrance to the West End.  "Wait a sec, okay?  Look at me?"  She did and he smiled again, something shy.  "You're a workaholic and it's sweet, alright.  I keep thinking that you don't really know what to do with me if it's not something work related."  Dear lord, what he did to her pulse rate.

"That's not true!"  She protested.  She reconsidered.  "Not entirely.  Work just makes a nice…buffer."  She winced, blushing again.  "I…"  And, yeah, it was hard to believe she still stuttered over something she'd admitted to herself ages ago, "I just like you.  I want to be friends.  I don't want to, I don't know, screw-up.  I haven't had a lot of friends; and you're kinda special."  She confessed.  And she'd never had a friend she wanted to kiss before either.  Ash Ketchum, she mused, one-two punch.

It was Ash's turn to flush, just a little.  It was nice to know he was at least a little affected.  "Can't mess that up; we're already friends."  He shrugged.  "And it's not like I've been bouncing around saying 'ooo, oo, date me!  The girl I used to lov…'" he stopped, turned crimson and ducked his head. 

Molly had to stop herself from clasping her hands over her rapidly-beating heart at that 'used to'.  "Yeah," She said softly, knowing she was blushing yet again.  "I can get behind that, no question."  Something occurred to her.  "And it was your idea to bring along Sabrina's team leads."

"This is a true fact."  Ash tucked his tongue into his cheek.  He seemed to be thinking as he ran his badge through the security check in.  He held the door for her, leaning down to mutter in her ear as she passed, "I probably wouldn't invite them now." 

If Molly could have answered, and she wasn't sure she was capable of speech, much less coherence, she wouldn't have been able as Vickie, the Team Lead on duty, approached them, smiling widely.  "Back again?"  She winked.  "I would have thought you had better things to do."

"You know us, busy all the time."  Molly wondered if anybody could possibly sound as shrill and shell-shocked as she did in that moment.  Ash settled into the reclining chair as Vickie bent over him, one hand against his forehead and the other on his wrist.  "We're, um, not going to be here for long.  Short visit and all that." She blinked, blushed and shook her head.  "Plans, maybe, for later today."

Vickie nodded.  "Ah.  You're done, Ash."  She said, lifting her hands.  "Everything's clear and normal.  High normal, but still way within your range," She motioned for Molly to sit, which she did, sinking into the chair weakly.  "We're a skeleton crew with the League Games coming up, you know."  She continued.  "Almost everybody left for the Gym to help out with the flurry of late-entry bids.  It's just me, Dana and Disco today.  They'll get you rigged into the harnesses and get your gear squared away."  She titled her head as she studied Ash.  "You can leave Pikachu up with us, if you'd like."  Molly watched in confusion as Ash's smile faded. 

He shook his head.  "No.  It's okay.  I'm going to suit up."  His mouth turned up in a small smile.  "I'd hate to be alone down there, with just Molly."  He winked before wandering over to the other psychics.  Vickie grinned.

"Very suave, Molly Hale, very calm and collected."  Vickie placed her hands and Molly could hear her voice in her head.  You're reading at your top end, kiddo.  And I do mean the very, very top.  He's not exactly low today, either.  Care to share?

Molly covered her face with her hands.  "No."  Her voice was muffled.  "You probably already know it all anyhow."  She groaned.  "I've been pursuing him, — gently, before you start snickering—for how long now?  Smooth, I couldn't even manage a sentence when he said, 'hey, that's not a bad idea'."  With her eyes closed she couldn't see Vickie smile, but she felt it, as well as Dana and Disco's quiet amusement.

Well, it wasn't exactly the slickest move in town, but love's no fun if it doesn't throw you for a loop as it knocks you off your feet.  "You're done."  Vickie chirped.  "High-end normal, so we'll be keeping a closer watch on you than him."  She smiled serenely.  "Have fun."  Molly made a wry face at her as she slid out of the chair and headed for the harnesses.  Ash was already ready to go.

"I meant to ask last week, but what's the deal with the harness?"  He smiled lazily, swinging back and forth as he waited.  "It's what, a ten foot drop?  We could do it with a rope ladder like we did in North."  He nudged her with a foot, rocking her and making Disco tut and Dana smile.  "What, are we cowards now?"

"You wish.  We're actually doing it so that we can acclimate ourselves.  The drops on the southern sections get pretty steep."  Molly was grateful for the question; and tingling with happiness, Ash knew how to set things back on task and normalcy and concentration were important.  "So, yeah, we're cowards today so that we can be brave tomorrow."  She thrust her fist in the air as Disco finished clipping her shoulder straps and Dana hit the button on the winch to send them down.

Ash had his flashlight turned on by the time they reached the floor, the beam of it illuminated brown stone walls, etched with the same markings that they'd seen in every other chamber they'd be into as they'd explored the Ruins of Alph.  "How new and exciting," He grinned.  "So different."  Unzipping his pack, he smiled into it.  "Pikachu, you were right, it's a whole new world down here."

"So young, so sarcastic."  Molly returned, unbuckling herself.  "Where the heck did I pack that camera?  Document this, document that, I could probably just lay out the other pictures side-by side and at least one of them would probably look exactly like this room."  She rummaged carefully in the pockets of her rucksack.  "Pokeball, pokeball, flashlight," this she tossed to the ground, "trail mix, canteen, lipstick," She blinked at it.  "Huh.  If he's saying I should have kept Todd on the payroll," she said as she heard Pikachu muttering behind her, "You can tell him that for once we agree, wholeheartedly." 

"Close."  He sounded amused.  "Here, use mine."  Ash handed off his camera, his fingers brushing hers.  Molly's mouth went dry.

"Thanks."  She turned away quickly and crouched down by the nearest wall, camera in hand.  "We really don't have to stay.  All the preliminaries on this section show it to be dead quiet."  She was talking more or less to be talking and called herself a wimp.  She clamped a pen-light in her teeth to illuminate the tiny, individual panels as Ash set up the lamps.  Mostly she did it to shut herself up.  "We can go once we map out this chamber, if you want; if you want to do something or whatever."  She said around it, snapping pictures as she went.  Ash didn't say anything.  She chanced a look over her shoulder to find him grinning leisurely at her. 

Talk about dry mouth, she thought frantically as he thumbed the switch on his radio.  "Vickie?  We're down; are we still okay?"  Molly blinked stupidly at him, unable to help herself.  The camera landed on the dusty floor with an unnoticed thump.  Ash's lazy smile increased.

"You're fine, Ash; still on the high side.  Tell Molly she's on the verge of having to come back up."  Vickie's voice crackled out of the speakers.  "Dana's giving me the 'stand-by to abort' sign.  Disco's not far off of it.  Settle down you two." 

"Yup."  Ash still sounded amused.  "Will do."

Molly gave the wall her full attention as Ash flipped the transmitter in the radio off.  "That was nice and mortifying."

"At least I was here to witness it."  Ash agreed, unrepentantly cheerful.  He hunkered down next to her and picked up the camera.  "So, do you want to do the rubbings on these things while I take their pictures?"  He motioned to the wall absently as he nudged her with his shoulder.  "It'd go faster."

She nodded.  "That's a good…what is he up to?"  Pikachu was in the middle of the floor, whining at it.  Ash frowned in apparent puzzlement.

"I don't know.  Pikachu, what's up buddy?"  He stood and approached the pokemon and Molly was shocked when it bristled and hissed.  "Nothing's there," Ash said gently.  "I don't…" 

What he didn't, Molly didn't know.  The radio-receiver picked up.  "Ash, we're getting some funky readings from you.  What are you doing?" 

Ash froze where he was, in the process of bending over Pikachu.  He looked at the radio and then Molly.  "Nothing.  I'm standing in the middle of the room with Pikachu.  Describe 'funky' for us."

"It's funky."  Disco's voice cut across the channel followed by Dana's. 

"What's Molly doing?  Where's she?"

"Guys, let me lead, you monitor."  Vickie's voice overlaid theirs.  "Those are good questions.  Molly?  Ash, you're still reading weird."  Molly stood carefully even though Ash was shaking his head at her. 

He made a face as she began to cross the room.  "Guys?" She hit the tab on her own transmitter.  "I'm crossing the room, heading for Ash and Pikachu.  What's the word?"

"Serious.  Ash you're reading all over, Molly you've just gone completely off your chart.  We're going to bring you up so get to the harnesses."  Vickie's voice was calm.  "No arguments, you can come back with the rest of the team later but you're both coming up now.  We're not staffed for this." 

Molly kept moving even though Ash was making definite 'no' motions at her.  "Alright."  She muttered softly before shutting down.  "Let's get him off the floor and then…Ash?"  Molly reached out to touch his hand as his face went gray.  "Ash?"  He pointed mutely behind her.  What she saw as she turned made her drop her pack.  Twelve of the symbol panels were floating behind her.  One of them seemed to blink at her, zooming in close to her face and backing away again.  Inside her head Molly had the impression of humming voices and crystalline music notes.  "Um, hi?"  She whispered as she grasped Ash's hand.  His fingers laced tightly through hers.

"Molly!  Ash!  What's going…"  The voices were distorted by sudden static as pinkish-purple light filled the chamber and Molly winced at its brightness.  A quick, desperate look around did nothing to calm her.  The walls of the chamber that she could still see were blank, bare stone until the thousands of whirling, blinking tiles filled the air  and blocked out her view altogether.  The floor beneath them seemed to melt away in a rush, streaming up toward the ceiling and filling the chamber. 

And they fell.