Ch. 6 Till Death Do We Part
"Wait here Ash." Giovanni said the next day as he took Ash into a deep canyon. "I hear your dad has a wonderful surprise for you."
"What is it?" Ash asked.
"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" Giovanni grinned.
"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised." Ash grinned slyly.
"You're one naughty boy." Giovanni laughed.
"Come on, please?" Ash begged.
"No, it's just between you and your dad. It's one of those father son things." Giovanni said, not knowing a whole lot on family life. "So, I'll go get him."
"I'll go too." Ash stood up from the rock.
"No, just stay here. You don't want to get into another mess like you did with Team Rocket." Giovanni reminded.
"You know that?" Ash gasped.
"Please Ash, everyone knows that." Giovanni replied.
"Really?" Ash sulked.
"Oh yea." Giovanni grinned. "Lucky you're dad saved you hu. Oh, just between us, you might want to work on you cat impression."
"Oh, ok." Ash blushed. "Uh, will I like this surprise?"
"Ash let me say it's to die for." Giovanni hinted and walked off. Above the canyon, a herd of many Pokemon was grazing, and Team Rocket was watching.
"Shut up." Jessy growled at James' Koffing.
"He can't help it, they wanna fight." James complained.
"Stay put." Jessy said to her Ekans.
"Can't they just get a tiny Caterpie?" James moaned.
"No, we wait for the signal from the boss." Jessy said, Meowth pointed up. "Look, there he is. Let's go." They five ran out of hiding and attacked the herd.
"Cat impression." Ash sighed. The same Diglett from the other day popped out of the ground and crawled about. Ash tried to scare him with his cat meow roar. Diglett just ignored the irritating annoyance. Ash tried again but got an idea. He pounced up and took a deep breath. He got on top of the Diglett and he went into the hole, Ash gave a loud roar in the hole and Diglett scampered off. Ash grinned as his impression faded down the canyon. His grinned turned upside down as his ears perked up to a louder sound. He gasped and looked up as the herd was running down the canyon wall and at him. He bolted off, knowing he had to be faster if he wanted to survive in front of this river of Pokemon.
"Yea, we got them!" Meowth cheered as he and Koffing and Ekans sent the last Pokemon down the canyon. Team Rocket watched and stood tall with pride.
"Hmm, looks like a herd is having a race." Brock said, seeing the cloud of smoke.
"Ah." Mr. Ketchum turned with a grin, eager to go watch.
"Ketchum, quick. Hurry, there's a stamped in the canyon and Ash is in there." Giovanni cried, as he seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Ash?" Mr. Ketchum gasped. No sooner as he heard, Brock bolted off to see if his friend was alright. Mr. Ketchum and Giovanni ran after him. In the canyon, Ash had been taken into the stamped and would have been trampled unless he hadn't managed to climb up a weak dead tree. Brock came to the scene first and he and Ash saw each other.
"Brock, help me!" Ash cried, struggling to keep hold.
"Don't worry, help is here." Brock assured.
"Hurry, I can't hang on much longer!" Ash yelled. Mr. Ketchum approached Brock and he looked around the canyon to see the gigantic herd in panic.
"He's on that tree there." Brock pointed. Giovanni grumbled.
"Hang on Ash!" Mr. Ketchum cried. Ash didn't hear, he had screamed as a Pinser hit the tree. Without thinking of his own safety, Mr. Ketchum jumped into the canyon.
"Oh Giovanni, this is awful, what do we do?" Brock thought as they watched Mr. Ketchum struggle through the herd. "I know, I'll go back for help!" Brock turned to run but Giovanni socked him hard against the wall and he was out cold. Mr. Ketchum saw that he had run past the tree and had to turn around. He skidded in front of a Fearow and began to head back. He looked up to see Ash's position when a Zubat hit him down. Mr. Ketchum grumbled and gasped as he looked up. Ash's tree was broken by a Magnemite.
"Hu?" Ash gasped as he was flung into the air. He looked down and saw the flood of Pokemon below him and screamed, "Ah!"
"Got ya!" Mr. Ketchum growled as he ran and leaped into the air.
"Hu?" Ash turned his head to see his dad. Giovanni was watching impatiently but eagerly, waiting to see what would happen to cause death. A Golbat tackled Ash and his dad from behind. They cried out as they were separated again. Ash gasped and evaded Pokemon who tried to hit him. He turned around just as his dad picked him up and leaped onto a ledge. Suddenly he roared in pain and the herd dragged him back down. "Dad!" Ash searched franticly with his eyes and grew worried. His dad wasn't thought to come back out, but he gave a cry out and leaped from the herd. He was able to grab another ledge and cringed his teeth in pain as he struggled up the cliff. Ash climbed too, to get to the top first and help his dad up. But, somebody else was at the top, his dad looked up.
"Giovanni!" Mr. Ketchum called, but he didn't move. Mr. Ketchum began to slip as he lost balance from the pain of the herd. "My friend, help me." The footholds he was using gave loose and the rock began to crumble. Giovanni grabbed his wrists tight and he growled in pain. Mr. Ketchum gasped, confused, and looked up.
"Long live the Pokemon Master." Giovanni grinned evilly. Mr. Ketchum's eyes widened in fear and he gasped, no longer confused of the situation. Giovanni let go and Mr. Ketchum lost his grip. He waved his arms wildly to try to find something to grab, but to no prevail, he slipped back and fell. He yelled as he fell, so did Ash as he watched his dad plummet to his death. Ash waited until the herd left to find his dad.
"Dad?" Ash repeated. Ash turned to see a slacking Poliwrath and Vileplume. They ran off and passed Ash's dad. Ash gulped, afraid, and walked over. Ash looked at his dad's motionless body, too young to understand the concept of death. "Dad, you gotta get up, we gotta go home?" Ash tried franticly to wake him but was to confused and afraid. "Help." Ash sobbed as he walked over to his dad and sat next to him.
"Ash." Giovanni said as he came out of the dusty smoke. "What have you done?" Ash turned around and stood up.
"There was a herd and he tried to save me." Ash sniffed and looked at his dad. "It was an accident I didn't mean to happen."
"Of course you didn't. Nobody ever means for these things to happen But the Pokemon Master is dead." Giovanni said. Ash looked up in disbelief. "If it weren't for you he'd still be alive. What on earth will your mom think?"
"What should I do?" Ash asked.
"Run away Ash, and never return." Giovanni advised. Ash looked at his dad and ran off, not daring to look back at the damage he thought he had caused. Giovanni grinned as Team Rocket came over. "Kill him." They ran after Ash. Ash turned, panting.
"Well, well, well." Jessy grinned as they approached. Ash recognized them and ran. James grinned as Meowth ran at Ash with his claws. He growled and slashed but Ash climbed a cliff wall so Meowth missed. Ash looked down; there was another cliff on the other side of the canyon wall. Ash gasped, he had no choice. Go back and be destroyed by Team Rocket or roll down the steep cliff. Ash chose the cliff and lunged down to roll to safety. Team Rocket wasn't that dumb, they simply slid down the cliff. Ash rolled into a pack of thorn bushes and covered himself. He was small so he wasn't hurt too badly.
"Whoa!" James pointed at the thorns. Ash saw his chance to escape; he crawled through the thorns and got to the desert like terrain on the other side. Team Rocket had skidded to a stop. James sighed in relief as he just missed the thorn pack by inches. Jessy slammed into his back, followed by Meowth and James was thrown into the bunch. "Ow!" James cried as he crawled back out. Jessy and Meowth just laughed.
"Hey look, there he goes." Jessy pointed.
"There he goes." Meowth looked.
"So, go get him." James grumbled.
"There's no way I'm gonna go in there. I'll come out looking like you, a cactus." Jessy laughed.
"We have to finish this job." James warned.
"Let the sun finish it for us." Meowth said as he picked up a thorn.
"Well he's as good as dead out there anyway. Plus, if he comes back, we'll kill him." Jessy replied.
"Yea." James called out to Ash. "Hear us, if you ever come back we'll kill you!" Ash heard and ran as fast and far as he could. Team Rocket laughed as they returned to Pallet where Giovanni was addressing the news.
"Mr. Ketchum's death is a terrible tragedy, but to loose Ash, who has barely begun to live, to me is a great amount of loss." Giovanni said as the town lowered their heads for a moment of silence. Misty's sisters and Brock tried to comfort the sobbing, heartbroken Mrs. Ketchum and Misty. "But, out of the ashes of this tragedy, we'll rise to greet the dawning of a new era." The town gasped and looked up as Rockets appeared from everywhere. "Trainer and Rocket will join as one to work together in a great future." The town cowered as they watched helplessly as Giovanni took his place as the Pokemon Master. Prof. Oak watched from his house and shook his head. He wiped a tear and picked up the clipboard. After looking at it for a few seconds, he slowly turned the pencil upside down, and erased Ash Ketchum's name from the list. He set it away.
"Wait here Ash." Giovanni said the next day as he took Ash into a deep canyon. "I hear your dad has a wonderful surprise for you."
"What is it?" Ash asked.
"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" Giovanni grinned.
"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised." Ash grinned slyly.
"You're one naughty boy." Giovanni laughed.
"Come on, please?" Ash begged.
"No, it's just between you and your dad. It's one of those father son things." Giovanni said, not knowing a whole lot on family life. "So, I'll go get him."
"I'll go too." Ash stood up from the rock.
"No, just stay here. You don't want to get into another mess like you did with Team Rocket." Giovanni reminded.
"You know that?" Ash gasped.
"Please Ash, everyone knows that." Giovanni replied.
"Really?" Ash sulked.
"Oh yea." Giovanni grinned. "Lucky you're dad saved you hu. Oh, just between us, you might want to work on you cat impression."
"Oh, ok." Ash blushed. "Uh, will I like this surprise?"
"Ash let me say it's to die for." Giovanni hinted and walked off. Above the canyon, a herd of many Pokemon was grazing, and Team Rocket was watching.
"Shut up." Jessy growled at James' Koffing.
"He can't help it, they wanna fight." James complained.
"Stay put." Jessy said to her Ekans.
"Can't they just get a tiny Caterpie?" James moaned.
"No, we wait for the signal from the boss." Jessy said, Meowth pointed up. "Look, there he is. Let's go." They five ran out of hiding and attacked the herd.
"Cat impression." Ash sighed. The same Diglett from the other day popped out of the ground and crawled about. Ash tried to scare him with his cat meow roar. Diglett just ignored the irritating annoyance. Ash tried again but got an idea. He pounced up and took a deep breath. He got on top of the Diglett and he went into the hole, Ash gave a loud roar in the hole and Diglett scampered off. Ash grinned as his impression faded down the canyon. His grinned turned upside down as his ears perked up to a louder sound. He gasped and looked up as the herd was running down the canyon wall and at him. He bolted off, knowing he had to be faster if he wanted to survive in front of this river of Pokemon.
"Yea, we got them!" Meowth cheered as he and Koffing and Ekans sent the last Pokemon down the canyon. Team Rocket watched and stood tall with pride.
"Hmm, looks like a herd is having a race." Brock said, seeing the cloud of smoke.
"Ah." Mr. Ketchum turned with a grin, eager to go watch.
"Ketchum, quick. Hurry, there's a stamped in the canyon and Ash is in there." Giovanni cried, as he seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Ash?" Mr. Ketchum gasped. No sooner as he heard, Brock bolted off to see if his friend was alright. Mr. Ketchum and Giovanni ran after him. In the canyon, Ash had been taken into the stamped and would have been trampled unless he hadn't managed to climb up a weak dead tree. Brock came to the scene first and he and Ash saw each other.
"Brock, help me!" Ash cried, struggling to keep hold.
"Don't worry, help is here." Brock assured.
"Hurry, I can't hang on much longer!" Ash yelled. Mr. Ketchum approached Brock and he looked around the canyon to see the gigantic herd in panic.
"He's on that tree there." Brock pointed. Giovanni grumbled.
"Hang on Ash!" Mr. Ketchum cried. Ash didn't hear, he had screamed as a Pinser hit the tree. Without thinking of his own safety, Mr. Ketchum jumped into the canyon.
"Oh Giovanni, this is awful, what do we do?" Brock thought as they watched Mr. Ketchum struggle through the herd. "I know, I'll go back for help!" Brock turned to run but Giovanni socked him hard against the wall and he was out cold. Mr. Ketchum saw that he had run past the tree and had to turn around. He skidded in front of a Fearow and began to head back. He looked up to see Ash's position when a Zubat hit him down. Mr. Ketchum grumbled and gasped as he looked up. Ash's tree was broken by a Magnemite.
"Hu?" Ash gasped as he was flung into the air. He looked down and saw the flood of Pokemon below him and screamed, "Ah!"
"Got ya!" Mr. Ketchum growled as he ran and leaped into the air.
"Hu?" Ash turned his head to see his dad. Giovanni was watching impatiently but eagerly, waiting to see what would happen to cause death. A Golbat tackled Ash and his dad from behind. They cried out as they were separated again. Ash gasped and evaded Pokemon who tried to hit him. He turned around just as his dad picked him up and leaped onto a ledge. Suddenly he roared in pain and the herd dragged him back down. "Dad!" Ash searched franticly with his eyes and grew worried. His dad wasn't thought to come back out, but he gave a cry out and leaped from the herd. He was able to grab another ledge and cringed his teeth in pain as he struggled up the cliff. Ash climbed too, to get to the top first and help his dad up. But, somebody else was at the top, his dad looked up.
"Giovanni!" Mr. Ketchum called, but he didn't move. Mr. Ketchum began to slip as he lost balance from the pain of the herd. "My friend, help me." The footholds he was using gave loose and the rock began to crumble. Giovanni grabbed his wrists tight and he growled in pain. Mr. Ketchum gasped, confused, and looked up.
"Long live the Pokemon Master." Giovanni grinned evilly. Mr. Ketchum's eyes widened in fear and he gasped, no longer confused of the situation. Giovanni let go and Mr. Ketchum lost his grip. He waved his arms wildly to try to find something to grab, but to no prevail, he slipped back and fell. He yelled as he fell, so did Ash as he watched his dad plummet to his death. Ash waited until the herd left to find his dad.
"Dad?" Ash repeated. Ash turned to see a slacking Poliwrath and Vileplume. They ran off and passed Ash's dad. Ash gulped, afraid, and walked over. Ash looked at his dad's motionless body, too young to understand the concept of death. "Dad, you gotta get up, we gotta go home?" Ash tried franticly to wake him but was to confused and afraid. "Help." Ash sobbed as he walked over to his dad and sat next to him.
"Ash." Giovanni said as he came out of the dusty smoke. "What have you done?" Ash turned around and stood up.
"There was a herd and he tried to save me." Ash sniffed and looked at his dad. "It was an accident I didn't mean to happen."
"Of course you didn't. Nobody ever means for these things to happen But the Pokemon Master is dead." Giovanni said. Ash looked up in disbelief. "If it weren't for you he'd still be alive. What on earth will your mom think?"
"What should I do?" Ash asked.
"Run away Ash, and never return." Giovanni advised. Ash looked at his dad and ran off, not daring to look back at the damage he thought he had caused. Giovanni grinned as Team Rocket came over. "Kill him." They ran after Ash. Ash turned, panting.
"Well, well, well." Jessy grinned as they approached. Ash recognized them and ran. James grinned as Meowth ran at Ash with his claws. He growled and slashed but Ash climbed a cliff wall so Meowth missed. Ash looked down; there was another cliff on the other side of the canyon wall. Ash gasped, he had no choice. Go back and be destroyed by Team Rocket or roll down the steep cliff. Ash chose the cliff and lunged down to roll to safety. Team Rocket wasn't that dumb, they simply slid down the cliff. Ash rolled into a pack of thorn bushes and covered himself. He was small so he wasn't hurt too badly.
"Whoa!" James pointed at the thorns. Ash saw his chance to escape; he crawled through the thorns and got to the desert like terrain on the other side. Team Rocket had skidded to a stop. James sighed in relief as he just missed the thorn pack by inches. Jessy slammed into his back, followed by Meowth and James was thrown into the bunch. "Ow!" James cried as he crawled back out. Jessy and Meowth just laughed.
"Hey look, there he goes." Jessy pointed.
"There he goes." Meowth looked.
"So, go get him." James grumbled.
"There's no way I'm gonna go in there. I'll come out looking like you, a cactus." Jessy laughed.
"We have to finish this job." James warned.
"Let the sun finish it for us." Meowth said as he picked up a thorn.
"Well he's as good as dead out there anyway. Plus, if he comes back, we'll kill him." Jessy replied.
"Yea." James called out to Ash. "Hear us, if you ever come back we'll kill you!" Ash heard and ran as fast and far as he could. Team Rocket laughed as they returned to Pallet where Giovanni was addressing the news.
"Mr. Ketchum's death is a terrible tragedy, but to loose Ash, who has barely begun to live, to me is a great amount of loss." Giovanni said as the town lowered their heads for a moment of silence. Misty's sisters and Brock tried to comfort the sobbing, heartbroken Mrs. Ketchum and Misty. "But, out of the ashes of this tragedy, we'll rise to greet the dawning of a new era." The town gasped and looked up as Rockets appeared from everywhere. "Trainer and Rocket will join as one to work together in a great future." The town cowered as they watched helplessly as Giovanni took his place as the Pokemon Master. Prof. Oak watched from his house and shook his head. He wiped a tear and picked up the clipboard. After looking at it for a few seconds, he slowly turned the pencil upside down, and erased Ash Ketchum's name from the list. He set it away.