Title: All Because of Christmas

Author: Heart's Blood

Email: zeni24@hotmail.com

Rating: PG13

Summary: It's Christmas and Gary and Ash still hasn't told each other they loved the other. Their friends, Ritchie, Misty and Brock decide to play matchmaker, but it doesn't turn out like they expected... shounen ai

Author's Notes: Chapter 2!!

Disclaimer: Pokemon's not mine. Though I'd love to have espeon... it's so cute!

*** change of POV or time gap

"speaking"

'thinking'

telepathetically

All Because of Christmas

by: angel zeniko-chan

It's been a bit more then 2 days since Ash's been missing. Brock had gone to Officer Jenny to file a missing person's report because Gary couldn't do it himself. He felt that everything was all his fault. If only he hadn't...

"This just in. The new League Champion, the youngest one in history, Ketchum Ash, has just been declared missing. He was last seen running from the Center a few days back. Reasons are unknown. His pokemon, a Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Chikorita, Cyndaquil and a Mew-" (this raised many heads,) "- are rumored to be searching for him. Their whereabouts are unknown as well. If anyone has seen any or them, please report to Ash Ketchum's friends in the Center."

Ritchie turned off the radio, knowing that it was bugging Gary. He patted the brunette on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I bet you he'll walk in right now with a goofy smile and laugh the whole thing off." Before he could say more, the door opened and a bunch of frantic pokemon rushed in.

"Pika!" A Pikachu ran in front. Tears were spilling down it's red cheeks as she urged her friends through the room.

"Pikachu?" Misty asked, but Pikachu didn't even acknowledge the redhead as it passed.

Ritchie, Gary and Brock rushed forward to see what was going on. What they saw totally shocked them.

Charizard in the middle, walking slowly and carefully held a tiny bundle in his arms, his wings wrapped around in front as if trying the keep the cold from it. Bulbasaur and Chikorita stood a little behind, keeping the bystanders away from the big red dragon. Squirtle and Cyndaquil were walking in front, glaring at everyone, as if daring them to step forward. Mew floated from side to side, making sure to keep a pink bubble which surrounded her fellow pokemon and herself from unwanted pokeballs.

"Kachupi!" Pikachu grabbed onto Gary's pant leg and pulled. "Pi!"

Gary, confused as he was, walked up to the pokemon and to his surprise, Squirtle and Cyndaquil stepped aside to let him through. Then he waited as Charizard unfurled his wings.

In his arms, was a very injured and barely breathing Ash.

"Ash..." Gary smiled. His first smile in years. Then he noticed the wounds. "What happened to him?" He asked the pokemon frantically.

When Ash heard his ex-best friend's voice, his deep brown eyes opened weakly. "Hey,... Ga... ry..." He gasped.

Gary took Ash into his arms and carefully walked to the room where Ash had been staying in. Ash's pokemon followed, but they stayed at the door, guarding it so that no one could bother the two guys.

"Ash," Gary used his nickname for Ash. "What happened?" He asked softly brushing the jet black bangs from Ash's face after placing him on the bed.

Then at that moment Ash remembered what had happened a few days ago and he moved his head to face the wall, wincing that the pain that shocked through his body. "Nothing." His voice took a hard edge and he reverted back to Gary's real name.

There was silence as he felt rather then heard Gary leave the room. "Why?" He whispered. He hadn't expected Gary to hear him, but the older boy did. "Why what? Why I pushed you away?" Gary watched as Ash nodded and closed his eyes.

But all he did was sigh and squeeze as much water as he could from the facecloth he had gotten from the bathroom. He sat on the side of the bed and placed his palm gently on the black-haired boy's cheek, feeling him flinch like he was expecting to be hit. But Gary didn't hit him. Instead, he turned Ash's head so that he could wipe the blood off Ash's pale face, letting his cheek stay in his hands. It felt so soft. So perfect. "I didn't want to hurt you." He gently rooled Ash on his stomach so he could peel the shredded sweatshirt off.

Ash didn't give him a response since the pain was so much. But he didn't scream. As much as he wanted to, he didn't. He dug his finger nails into the bed, and bit his lip, trying to ignore the throbbing pain all over his body as well as in his heart.

Gary saw the pain that Ash was going through and he wanted to take the smaller, more fragile boy in his arms. To hold him and shield him from the world. That he knew he couldn't do, but he could do one thing. Which was to hold Ash in his arms.

Despite the pain and his confusion, Ash rather enjoyed the embrace. In his head, he was overjoyed. 'Maybe he does feel for me after all!'

But in Gary's head, he was thinking negatively. Holding unto Ash tightly, and still not willing to let go, he thought, 'Great. Now if he rejects me I would even have his friendship.' He held him even tighter, feeling Ash's chest against his own and played with Ash's black locks. 'At least I can hold him now while he can't move away...'

Ash chuckled. 'He does so care for me!'

Gary felt his 'rival' shake in his arms. He drew back a bit, glancing at Ash's face. He was... smiling?

"I would hug you back, but I'm in a lot of pain right now..." He heard Ash say. The brunette smiled. 'He does have feelings for me!' He thought happy. Then Ash continued. "I... I need to tell you something..." Ash bit his lip harder, looking down at the floor. "I love you..." He whispered softly, but loud enough for Gary to hear.

***

Outside the door, Ritchie, Brock, Misty and all of Ash's pokemon heard the confession and they hoped for the best for their friends and trainer that everything would turn out alright.

'Hurt him and I'll kill you!' Misty, Chikorita and Charizard thought since they were more violent then the rest.

***

Gary had to sit down. He slumped unto the floor, his head spining. 'He... loves me? He really does?' He asked again and again.

Ash was afraid of the answer, but he looked up at Gary's face. There was no emotion there. He felt his heart shatter to bits and pieces. 'I guess I was wrong...' His head hurt badly. 'I need a Tylenol or something...' He thought to himself. Reaching for the edge of the bed, he stood up shakily. Something in his body was wrong. He could hardly move. The pain was unbearable.

He limped past Gary, who still sat on the floor, his thoughts flying everywhere. His friends and pokemon stood at the door, but he limped past them too. Each time his one foot touched the ground, the pain in his head greatened. Fianlly he slumped to the hard ground and landed on his right arm. He felt something crack and heard Pikachu's voice, and then nothing...

***

"Pikapi!" Pikachu had followed her Ash, until he fell. She placed one paw on his forehead. He was burning up with a fever and the deep gashes were still gushing with blood. But something was wrong. Her trainer was so pale that he seemed almost white. His breaths were so shallow. She watched as he breathed and waited for him to exhale. When he didn't, she gently pushed his bare chest down so that he would.

'I called Joy.' Mew spoke in her head.

Pikachu looked up to see the pink cat-like monster floated above their trainer. [What is wrong with him?] She asked, the tears flowing down her cheeks for the tenth time today.

She felt a bit of pink power enter Ash's body then watched it come back out. 'Poison...' Mew said gravely.

"Chu! [No!]" The loyal pokemon wailed. Her cry was so pained that everyone in town heard it.

"Chansey! Put him on the stretcher!" Nurse Joy said as she ran towards the unconscious boy and his pokemon. But before Chansey could lift a finger, Mew lifted him and gently placed him on the long white stretcher. Joy smiled briefly. "Thank you Mew."

'You're welcome.' Mew replied.

Ash was rushed directly to the emergency room where Nurse Joy and her Chansey did their best to heal him.

***

All the friends moved to the waiting room. It was crowded in there. It seemed like everyone wanted to know what would happen to their League Champion.

'Ash...'

Gary was sitting on the ground, his back to Ash's bed. He held the tiny scuplture that Ash had made for him, crying softly. As he cried, he didn't notice one of his monster come out of her ball.

"Eev..." Eevee felt her trainer's grief. She placed her paws on Gary's shirt and licked the tears away, but they still kept on coming. The brunette took his pokemon in his arms and put the sculpture aside. He hugged Eevee closely, burying his head in her fluffy tail. "I'm so stupid, Eevee... How could I do this to him?" He whispered.

"Ee..." Eevee tried to comfort her trainer.

"If I had told him... in the first place, he wouldn't have gotten hurt..." He patted her head.

"Chu..." Pikachu came to Joyn the two. She curled up in Gary's lap and tried to place her tiny arms around him. "Pika..." She comforted him, although she was crying as well.

Gary scooped her up as well and hugged both his and Ash's first monster. "I'm sorry, Pikachu." He told her.

As if understanding him, which known to him she did, she licked his cheek. "Chu." She said, saying that everything would be okay.

Gary smiled slightly. Then he remembered the reason why he had yelled out. Ritchie and the others had tried to get him to buy Ash a present. And since Gary already knew how Ash felt about him, he needed to get him a present back. Then he had an idea, looking at the fragile sculpture that Ash made. He told the pokemon his plan. "Got it?" He asked, when he finished explaining.

"Eevee!" "Pika!" They answered him and ran off.

Gary watched them from Ash's room and smied. Their pokemon got along so well.

***

Misty and Ritchie and almost everyone in town waited for Nurse Joy to come out from the emergency room. They waited for the red light to signal to green. Brock was on the phone telling Tracey (who was away when Team Rocket destroyed Pallet Town and who was the successor of Prof Oak) about Ash. He finally got off when Tracey promised to come straight to the city they were in. Then he sat down with Misty and Ritchie. Ash's pokemon had already gone back into their balls.

At last, when the light over the emergency room flashed to green, Nurse Joy came out, looking dishevelled and relieved but still she had a grave look on her face. She took one step and was mobbed by all the people waiting, led by Ash's frantic friends.

"How is he?"

"Is he okay now?"

"What happened to him?"

"Is he awake?"

Nurse Joy held up one hand and everyone was silent. She took a deep breath and spoke. "Ash is better now-" There was a loud cheer. "But-" Everyone quieted down. "he will have deep scars on his back, several broken ribs and a broken arm."

There was silence.

Misty asked the dreaded question. "How did it happen?"

Nurse Joy sat down in one of the seats offered to her. She ran one hand through her pick hair before answering. "I'm not completely sure, but I found traces of poison running through his veins..."

Everyone gasped out loud.

Nurse Joy continued, "most likely from the deep gash in his shoulder. He probably got it from a Beedrill or a Nidoran. Due to the huge blood loss, it didn't spread much, but it almost reached his head."

A few people in the audience started crying for their League Champion. "Oh no..." Ritchie said, worried for his friend.

Joy hated telling bad news, but they needed to know. "The cuts from his back where most likely from a Straiku. They're bandaged up now, but the last time I checked, they were still bleeding."

"Didn't his pokemon protect him?" One person asked. It was a very noisy reporter.

"His pokemon weren't there." Brock said sadly. "He ran off without them."

The reporter wouldn't take such an absurb answer though. He wanted to know about Ash's Mew. "Didn't he have a Mew? It could've sensed that he was in danger."

***

Mew, in her poke-baruu was angered. This man was saying that either she was a bad monster, or that her trainer, Ash was a bad trainer.

Her anger fuelled her powers reatly and she was able to burst from her ball to confront the man.

***

Everyone gasped at the sight of Ash's Mew. She was breathing heavily and a pick aura surrounded her. She thought-spoke to everyone in the room and whoever was listening. 'I am NOT a bad monster and Sato-chan is not a bad trainer! The only reason I couldn't sense him was because he was unconscious.'

The reporter backed away. "Alright, alright..." He mumbled.

There was silence in the room. No one wanted to anger the powerful monstuer. They all knew her powers were too great to mess with, which was one of the reasons that Ash was a League Champion. The other one was that he treated his pokemon like best friends, not like animals that he had to train.

"Is he awake?" A little chinese boy asked. After watching Ketchum Ash's battle with all the gym leaders and the Elite Four, he simply adored him. Ash was his hero and now they were telling him that his hero was hurt badly. "I mean," the boy stammered when everyone looked at him, "he's my hero. Hero's can't die easily..."

Misty patted the boy's head. He was crying and no one around seemed to comfort him. "Sh... it's ok." She hugged him then turned to Joy for the answer.

Joy bit her lip. 'This isn't going to be easy...' She thought. Then she heard a voice inside her head. 'Just try your best. You already saved him from death. There's nothing much you can do now but wait.' It was Mew. She nodded, thanking the pink monster.

"I... I'm not sure. He's not awake. He's... he's in a coma. I'm not sure if he'll ever want to wake up. It'll be up to him to make that decision."

The little boy, Chi Fay, turned to Misty. "What's a coma?" He asked innocently, tears brimming in his eyes.

Misty hugged him. "A deep sleep. A very deep sleep."

to be continued...

angel zeniko-chan, AKA Heart's Blood: Okay, I need some help. If you know a site where they translate pokemon names from english to japanese, then can you let me know? Or if you know them, send me the names, kudasai? I'd really appreciate it. Ja! Don't forget to read and review!