C. Cowboy: Here's another chapter, kindda sad though… R&R!
CHAPTER 3: Baptism of Fire
The next day Ash slept till almost noon, due to staying up all night. He got up and went to the store to pick up a few things he'd need for the night. "Pika pi?" Pikachu asked from Ash's shoulder as Ash paid for a yellow bandana and a green tank top shirt with a picture of a Spinarak on the front. "I'm gonna fight in these Pikachu." Pikachu looked shocked, "PI PIKACHU!" Ash chuckled, "No Pikachu I'm not crazy, you saw me last night, I am good, maybe even the best!" Pikachu just shook his head and hoped he didn't have to drag Ash's bloody carcass back home later that night. Ash shoved the tank top and the bandana in his backpack and left the store.
As he walked down the street he got a faint danger sense, before he felt two delicate hands slide over his eyes, "guess who!" Ash smiled, "Umm…Misty?" the person spun Ash's smiling face around, and Ash saw the glaring Melody, "Hey!" Melody growled making Ash chuckle, "Sorry Mel, I knew it was you, I was just playing." Melody then looked worried, "Ash where did you go last night? Your mom called and was really worried about you." Ash just sighed, "I just took a extra long walk that's all… and when I got home mom called me irresponsible." Melody shook her head, "I don't believe that! She may have been mad at you, but I don't think she'd ever say that about you!" Ash shook his head, "Believe it or not." Then his heart stopped when he felt her fingers twine with his. He blushed brightly but actually enjoyed having Melody's hand in his own. "So… what are you doing out today?" Ash asked nervously, "Just getting out…that's all… Ash?" Ash then nervously look at her and saw she was blushing just as much as him, "About that kiss last night…" Ash cut her off by giving her a quick peck kiss on the cheek, "Don't worry about it Mel. I…kindda liked it." Ash then looked away sadly, "Ash what's wrong?" Melody asked concerned, "Mel…I have a confession to make…" Ash then led her to a bench and they both set down, and Ash explained how he saw Misty kiss Gary, and that he first asked her out to get back at her, "But…Mel, as soon as we started talking… I realized I really like you, and you're really special, so is there anyway you can forgive me?"
Ash was expecting a slap, but when he looked back he saw Melody's eyes tearing up, "You… really like me? You think I'm special?" Ash blushed and nodded, and the two slowly brought their lips together in another kiss, this one more passionate then the last. After a few minutes of making out, Ash's alarm on his watch went off and he broke it. "I'm sorry Mel, I got an a place I gotta be, alright if I call you later?" Melody nodded with a smile, "cool, so umm Mel? Does that mean you're my girlfriend now?" Mel looked in mock-thought, "Well…I am a girl and I am your friend, and we have kissed and made out for the last couple of minutes, so… yeah I guess so Ashy Boy!" Ash chuckled before Melody gave him another hug and kiss, "Tiger I think you just hit the jackpot!"
Several hours later, "Ash should have been back hours ago!" Mrs. Ketchum said pacing in front of Prof. Oak, "Daria, Ash is a big boy, he can take care of himself!" She then glared at him, "HE'S STILL MY BABY! AND I HAVE TO APPOLOGIZE FOR BEING TOO HARD ON HIM LAST NIGHT AND PUNISH HIM FOR BEING SO LATE TONIGHT!" She yelled at him before storming toward the door, "I'm going out to look for him, I'll be back soon!" She was already out the door before Oak could say "Be careful Goldenrod could be dangerous at night."
Meanwhile Ash still stood in line waiting to fight, he had on the tank top he bought with the bandana covering his face, and his cap turned around backwards, as well as his training gloves. He sighed in relief when he finally got to the desk, "he-hello." Ash said a little nervous, "what's the ring name?" Ash thought for a second, and then he came up with the perfect name, one that would strike fear in his opponents, "I am… BUG-TYPE BOY! THE HUMAN SPINARAK!!!!!" Ash said proudly, causing the receptionist and the people behind him to sweat drop. "Ummm… ok… er Bug-Type Boy…'chuckle' go right on ahead, and God help you."
"Here we go!" Ash said to himself when the ring announcer beside him looked at the card for the next match, and read Ash's ring name, 'Bug-type Boy, the Human Spinarak? God that sucks, lets see Human Spinarak… I got it!' "Introducing first, Weighing in at 145 pounds and Standing at 5' 5"! THEEEEEEEEEEEEE AMAZING SPINARAK-MAN!!!!!!!!" Ash then looked around wildly "Who? That's not my name! That's not my name!" the announcer then bent down next to him, "Don't matter kid, the other name sucked!"
Ash made his way to the ring, and was shaking like a leaf, and his danger sense was going off like crazy, "maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Then the announcer spoke up again, "Now introducing the opponent, weighing in at 300 pounds, and stands at 6'11" THE UNSTOPPABLE DEATH HAMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ash gulped when he saw the mountain some would call a man. Death Hammer climbed into the ring and looked down at Ash. "Ummm Hi!" Ash said reaching out to shake hands with the man monster. Death Hammer just smirked, "you are dead." Ash turned white. Then to make matters better, a large steel cage lowered around the ring, "oh god…" Ash then felt his danger sense and did a back flip barely missing Hammer's attack. Hammer turned around and Ash dashed around the ring with Hammer hot on his hills. "WAAAAAAA!!!" Ash yelled as he ran faster and faster, 'think Ash think!' he then, paying attention to his danger sense, swung his leg around in a kick connecting with Hammer's stomach, and then also gave a quick uppercut that sent hammer to dreamland. The crowd was silent, as Ash looked down at his fallen opponent, "I did it? I DID IT! HAHAHAHA!!!" Ash yelled as the crowd began to chant: 'SPINARAK-MAN! SPINARAK-MAN, SPINARAK-MAN!' Ash smiled with pride from under his bandana mask.
A little bit later in the back…
"Is this all?" Ash asked the promoter as he looked at his three hundred dollars. "Take it or leave it Bug Boy, you aren't getting a penny more." Ash pounded the table, "BUT I WON!" the promoter smiled "yes you did indeed win, but you also won in less then a minute. What kindda show was that? So you don't get as much when you don't put on a show. Now get out of my face kid, you bother me." Ash just sighed and walked out of his office, bumping another guy on his way out.
A few minutes later that same guy ran out of the office with a bag in hand, and the promoter on his hills. Ash could have stopped him, but remember how he was cheated, and let him go. The Promoter looked at him sadly, "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM??? YOU COULD HAVE TORN HIM APPART!!" Ash just smirked, "Get out of my face, you bother me." He then turned his back, and left.
Ash happily made his way towards the apartment when he saw several police cars crowded around an ally, "What's going… oh God…" Ash gasped as he peaked over a police officer's shoulder and saw his mom laying on the ground, "MOM!" He yelled as he dashed to her side and raised her body in his arms. Her clothing was torn and her body was covered in blood from several stab wounds, "Mom…please hang on please…"Ash begged in tears, Daria just looked at him, and smiled before opening her mouth as if she was trying say something, but suddenly goes limp in Ash's arms, "No…Mom…wake up…please… wake up…wake up mom…" Ash begged. "I'm sorry, son… She's gone." Officer Jenny said placing a comforting hand on Ash's trembling shoulder. A voice then came on her radio "We have the suspects surrounded the Warehouse District but it's a stand off."
Ash's eyes then slowly cut up toward Jenny's radio, 'they're mine…' Ash thought as he rose up and gently placed his mom's lifeless body on the ground, and dashed into the ally. Once he was away from the officers he tossed off his jacket so he was wearing the Spinarak tank top and placed the bandana over his face. Ash jumped with the grace of a acrobat from wall to wall, and once he hit the top he sent a web line out and swung to the next building, he looked back down at the scene of his mother's death, before web swinging in the direction of the Warehouse District.
"This doesn't look promising boss." A Rocket said on his cell phone, apparently talking to the TR Leader, " We're trapped here, but there's no way anyone can get in here to us." He turned off the phone and turned around to see his nine accomplices, "OK boys, we just gotta hold out here till the boss can send a chopper." He then grabbed the pocketbook he stole from a woman in an ally on the way, one that he and his friends killed. "Well what do you know, that chick we got today was Prof. Oak's woman! The Boss will probably pay us double for that!" he then looked out the window as the others minded their own business, unbeknownst to them a figure slowly slid down behind them on a string.
"WHAT THE???" On of the Rockets yelled turning around to see that five of the nine Rockets had disappeared in mid air, "GUYS WHERE ARE YOU???" The lead rocket yelled looking around. "Psst… up here…" someone whispered from above. The rocket did as suggested and his jaw hit the ground. In the rafters of the warehouse was a gigantic 'spider's web' and in the center was the five missing Rockets, completely tangled in the web. And in a flash someone swung kicked one of the rockets through a crate, "WHAT THE?? WHO ARE YOU???" Ash answered with a roundhouse kick to another Rocket's head, when the rocket started to get back up, Ash quickly poison stung him before leaping to miss the other two rocket's surprise attack, and webbing them to the ground. The Lead Rocket was now all alone with Ash. "You killed my mother…" Ash said walking toward him. In a flash Ash punched the Rocket and slammed him into the wall, right next to the window, "You killed my mother…" then a spot light shined through the window and showed Ash his face, "YOU???" Ash almost screamed, backing away. It was the same thug, the one who robbed the wrestling promoter, the one Ash let get away. "Its…my fault…" Ash stuttered in disbelief. Ash simply stared at the ground in complete shock, "Don't worry kid, you'll see your mom again in a second." He said as he dove at Ash with a knife, but Ash's danger sense warned him and he roundhouse kicked him, and he flew through the window and down four stories to the hard concrete and his death. Ash looked down at him, as he remembered one of the last things he heard his mother say to him before she died: 'With great power must always come great responsibility…' Ash punched a whole in the wall as tears ran down his face, "It's my fault…all… my fault…"
Hours later he walked into his apartment to find it occupied with Prof. Oak, Brock, Misty, and Melody. Ash looked at them "Ash?" Melody asked easing toward the trembling teenager. Ash stared at the ground as all the revelations of the evening on his mind caused him to collapsed right into Melody's arms. She eased him to the ground and held him tight, as Brock, Misty, and Prof. Oak also went to their friend's aid.
To Be Continued…