It was a grim bunch that waited in the waiting room for news of Ash.

Delia Ketchum sat sobbing silently into a kerchief beside Professor Oak, who had his arm around her and was trying to comfort her. Brock and Misty sat beside each other quietly, staring down at the floor. Bulbasaur was just as sad as everyone else, but he was trying to comfort Pikachu, who seemed to be the worst off.

"Pi chu, pika pika-pi," wailed the yellow mouse. "Piiiiii..."

It's not your fault, Pikachu, Bulbasaur said soothingly.

Yes, it is! the Electric-Type insisted with a sniffle. Pika-pi would be okay if I had gone with him. I shouldn't have left him! I should have gone with my Pika-pi. Pika-pi needs me to protect him. I was out sunbathing while my Pika-pi was being killed! Pikachu began crying even harder, whimpering all the while.

You can't always be there to protect him, Pikachu, Bulbasaur told him. It's not your fault that Houndour got out and attacked him. And he is not dead yet. This last word Bulbasaur regretted saying, for Pikachu began weeping louder. He'll be okay, Pikachu. He's always been okay before.

I was always with him before, the Electric Pokémon cried mournfully. Why can't I be with him right now?

They're working on him right now. As soon as anyone can go in there, I'm sure you'll be able to go with them.

Pikachu just wailed even more.

After a few minutes, someone came into the waiting room and looked at them. Everyone jumped up. "Any news?" Brock asked quickly.

"He's lost a lot of blood, and some of the poison from Houndour's Smog attack has managed to make its way into his system. Right now, it's too early to tell what the outcome will be."

Pikachu and Mrs. Ketchum began sobbing even louder.


For days, Ash was shivering and sweating, his body fighting against the toxins in his body with the aid of medicine. The doctors had mostly managed to stop his bleeding, but every now and then it would start anew, for his body was unable to do much healing while it was trying to fight off the poison in his system. Once in a while, Ash would regain brief consciousness, but he was in a delirium in those moments. Most of the time, the doctors appeared to him to be monsters, and he flinched away from them. He cried out for his Pokémon (mostly for Pikachu), his friends, and his mother, he cursed his rival Gary and someone he called the Fire-Giver, and he whimpered for the monsters surrounding him not to hurt him. He had a few rare lucid moments, where he knew that he was in a hospital room, knew that the people around him were doctors, and knew that he was bleeding and in severe pain, but sometimes all he could see was darkness, and he would scream at the darkness to go away. After such screaming fits he would fall back into unconsciousness with the help of sedatives given to him by his doctors, who did not want him to tear at his wounds.

Once, he woke up and thought he saw a strange catlike Pokémon in front of him. It was small and white and had big blue eyes. It floated in the air and stared at him with those two cerulean orbs. Startled and somewhat scared, Ash glanced around at his surroundings, expecting to see the sterile hospital room and the doctors; instead, all he saw was bright white light around him. Was this heaven?

"Who are you?" he asked. Vaguely, in the back of his mind, he noted that he didn't feel like he was in as much pain as he had been previously.

"Mew," the feline mewled at him. It seemed to radiate peace, but Ash couldn't help but feel a little scared still.

"Is this heaven?" he spoke aloud the question that had been bothering him. "Am I dead?"

Ash thought he heard a voice in his head which ignored the questions he had just asked. Do not be angry at the Pokémon who did this to you. She has been living in a harsh world, and the last thing she needs is more hatred. This you know. What happened is not her fault. Please do not blame her.

Ash suddenly felt really drowsy, and his eyelids began to droop. When he glanced up, right before he slipped into unconsciousness, the cat was gone.


Brock and Misty were fast asleep against the wall, and Mrs. Ketchum was dozing against Professor Oak's shoulder. Pikachu had cried himself to sleep long ago, but Professor Oak and Bulbasaur were still awake and talking quietly, as they often had lately. With the exception of Professor Oak (who was a very busy man), they all rarely left the hospital. When they did, it was to eat and catch a few hours of sleep, but they would always come back as soon as they could. They couldn't stand not being near Ash.

A nurse came into the waiting room, and Professor Oak gently shook Delia awake. Bulbasaur tapped on Brock and Misty, who opened their bleary red eyes. Pikachu, who even in sleep had been listening attentively for new noises, awoke and looked about him with eyes that were blood-shot from little sleep and excessive tears.

"Mrs. Ketchum," the nurse said, "your son has made a miraculous improvement during the night." At this statement, expressions of joy and relief sprang onto the faces of the waiting room occupants. "Right now, he is sitting up and eating. You can go in and see him, but only one at a time."

"Pika!" the little electric mouse jumped up as Delia Ketchum stood.

She looked down at Pikachu, knowing that he would be heartbroken if he didn't get to go in. "Could you make one exception?" Delia pleaded.

Knowing exactly what she was talking about, the nurse looked down at the Electric-Type. His eyes stared pleadingly up at her, and his tail twitched hopefully. "Pi?"

"Oh, all right. I really shouldn't be letting Pokémon in to see him, but I guess I can make an exception this time," the nurse sighed.

"Bulb?" Bulbasaur said, not wanting to be left out.

"You can come in with the next person," she told him.

"Bulb," the Grass-Type nodded, satisfied.

Pikachu followed Mrs. Ketchum and the nurse to Ash's room, the latter of which left after escorting them to the door. However, once in the room, Pikachu hesitated, his ears and tail drooping down ashamedly. Ash was eating his jello more slowly than he normally ate food, but, despite his physical weakness, his eyes held their familiar fire. They were, however, avoiding the eyes of his mother.

"Hi, Mom," Ash greeted.

"Hello, Ash," Delia said, sitting lightly on the side of the bed and smiling at her son. "How are you feeling?"

"All right, I guess."

Mrs. Ketchum couldn't help but put a motherly hand upon her son's forehead. "You don't seem to have much of a fever anymore."

"Yeah. I feel a lot better." Still he couldn't stand to look his mother in the face.

"Ash," she said, at last bringing his reluctant gaze toward her. "I know you know that you shouldn't have gotten so near that Pokémon's cage, but it wasn't your fault that it dug a hole under the fence and was waiting for a victim. I think in this instance, you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm just so glad you're alive." She gingerly hugged him.

"Me too, Mom."

Delia pulled back, leaving something on the tip of her tongue unsaid as she looked towards the door, where Pikachu was ashamedly hiding. "There's someone who wants to see you, Ash."

At last, Pikachu came out from behind the door, looking very remorseful. He didn't meet Ash's eyes.

"Pikachu, come here," Ash said, quietly. He could sense that something was wrong.

Slowly, Pikachu came forward and hopped onto the bed. Ash brought him closer to him. "What's the matter, Pikachu?"

Pikachu hesitated.

"Tell me, Pikachu."

Pikachu finally burst out into tears and started wailing, his head against the covers. I failed you, Pika-pi! I should have been there to save you!

"Pikachu, this isn't your fault,"

Pikachu nodded his head, Yes, it is.

"No, it isn't, Pikachu. This was just an accident. Okay? Look at me, Pikachu," Ash said sternly.

The electric mouse slowly brought his tear-stained eyes up to look at his trainer.

"I missed you, Pikachu," he said, grabbing his Pokémon and embracing him tightly.

Pikachu began crying even more, but these were tears of joy. I missed you, too, Pika-pi.

Delia dabbed at her eyes with her kerchief at the beautiful sight in front of her. He really loves his Pokémon...

After a moment, still clutching Pikachu to his chest, Ash looked up at his mother. "What happened?"

"Well, according to Professor Oak, Bulbasaur saw the Houndour attacking you, and began to fight it," Delia told him.

Ash dropped his gaze. "But the Houndour is a high-level Fire-Type..."

Pikachu nodded, distancing himself from Ash a little bit so he could look up at him. But Bulbasaur would have done anything to save you...As I would have, if I had been there. The Pokémon looked guilty and sad.

"It's okay, Pikachu," Ash tried to reassure his Pokémon again. "It wasn't your fault."

Bulbasaur said he almost didn't win, but somehow he found the strength to, and he put Houndour to sleep.

"I have such wonderful Pokémon and such a wonderful mom," Ash said, hugging Pikachu and smiling at his mother.

Delia stood up and hugged her son, then looked at Pikachu. "There are some other people who want to see you, and I'm afraid we're only supposed to come in one person and one Pokémon at a time, so we'll see you later, Ash."

Bye, Pika-pi, Pikachu said, at last managing a small smile to his trainer.

"G'bye," Ash said, watching them leave.

A few moments later, Bulbasaur and Misty came in.

"Bulba!" the Grass- and Poison-Type greeted as he jumped up lightly on Ash's bed.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash said, hugging his Pokémon as tightly as his wounds would let him. "Thanks for saving me," he told Bulbasaur quietly. "I can't believe you stood up to that strong Fire-Type to help me."

If given a choice, I'd do it again, Bulbasaur said.

Smiling, Ash looked up at his other friend. "Hey, Misty."

Misty shook her head. "I can't believe you almost got yourself killed again, Ash Ketchum! What am I going to do with you?"

He grinned sheepishly.

Suddenly, Misty went over and hugged both Ash and Bulbasaur, causing a slight blush to creep up on the former's face. "I'm so happy you didn't die!"

"Heh, yeah, I still owe you that bike, huh?"

Misty looked at him. Suddenly, she didn't feel like trading banter. "That's not it, Ash...If you had died, I—I don't know what I would have done..."

"I'm okay now, Misty," Ash said quietly.

She looked at his many bandages skeptically. "If that's what you call being okay," she pointed to the bandages, "then I don't want to see what you're like when you're not okay."

"Heh. It's just a few scratches."

"Well, then your scratches sure do bleed an awful lot," Misty said, referring to the fact that blood had soaked through his wrappings.

"Heh," Ash sweat-dropped.

Misty hesitated for a moment, then kissed Ash on the top of the head. "Get better," she said before disappearing out the door.

"Bulba," Bulbasaur agreed, jumping off the bed and following Misty.

Ash stared at the open door for a moment. What was that about?

Before he could puzzle for much longer, Brock came in. "Hey, Ash."

"Hi, Brock."

"How you doing?"

"Better."

"You had us all really worried," Brock said.

Ash looked shameful. "Yeah, I know."

"But you're all right. That's all that matters."

Ash smiled. "Right."

The pair of boys talked for a little while longer before Brock finally left. He was replaced by Professor Oak, whom Ash did not want to see.

Ash averted his eyes, looking down at his food.

"I'm glad to see you looking well."

No answer.

"It's okay, Ash. I know you weren't even that close to the Houndour's fence. Bulbasaur told me."

Ash looked up. He hadn't expected to hear Professor Oak say that. The man's wise eyes were upon him, and Ash felt obligated to talk. The more he talked, the more he had to say. It seemed like everything just began bubbling out of him. "I just wanted to look at her...I wasn't going to go over the fence or anything...And then I couldn't see her anywhere, so I turned around to leave and go see Bulbasaur like I'd planned..."

Professor Oak watched him quietly. He sensed the boy's need to talk about it.

"And...suddenly she was on top of me, this big orange, black, and white beast, just snarling, and biting, biting, biting, as hard as she could." Ash let loose a cry, and clutched at his bandaged stomach as he relived the fiery pain. He clenched his eyes shut as he shivered at the memory.

Fortunately, the Houndour's claws and teeth hadn't gone deep enough to damage his organs, but with his stomach it had been a close call. She'd ripped into him pretty terribly there, and the pain still lingered.

Ash took a breath and continued shakily, "Sh-she had this, this fire burning in her eyes, and I could just...just feel the hatred she had for me. I wanted to ask her w-why she hated me, but she just clawed and dug and glared down at me. I kept trying to yell at her and tell her to stop, but she wouldn't, she just...she just kept on...Finally, the pain...It just...just became too much, and I blacked out...I—I can st-still hear her snarling in my ears...Her g-growling...And...and I can still feel her digging...and biting..." Tears sprang into the quivering Ash's eyes, and he jammed his eyes shut, biting down on his lower lip.

Professor Oak went over to Ash's side and embraced him, allowing the boy to cry against his chest. He patted the young trainer's back comfortingly, and soon enough Ash had cried himself to sleep, leaving Professor Oak alone to ponder a difficult decision.

Professor Oak chewed on his lip thoughtfully. It was obvious this attack was not just something the boy would get over. Ash still had a small phobia of Spearow (for Professor Oak had found out about his incident with them and Pikachu), and even then the situation had not been as fearful as this one. Unless Professor Oak did something about it, Ash would be afraid of Houndour (and most like Houndoom as well—if not all doglike Pokémon) for the rest of his life. With Spearow, a phobia was not so bad, for Spearow were not very strong birds nor were they very popular and, if anything, what Ash would come up against in battle would be their evolution, Fearow. The popularity of Houndour, however, was likely to spring up very quickly, for Houndour was a relatively new Pokémon to the Kanto region and was rather powerful. Also, this experience of Ash's was likely to be a lot more traumatic than the Spearow incident...Who knew how the boy would react.

The Pokémon Professor clenched his right fist. This was a decision that shouldn't have to be made...But it most likely did.

Should he keep Ash saddled with a new phobia for the rest of his life or present a possibly life-threatening solution?

Well, perhaps he should talk with Ash about it and have him make the decision. But Delia must not find out at all costs. Professor Oak already knew what her opinion on the matter would be.