Author's Notes: Meep! I forgot to put a disclaimer on the last chapter! Okay, so here goes: I don't own Pokemon, really I don't! So back away you little beasts and stops asking me for autographs! Now that that's out of my system, here's chapter two of Deadly Serious.
P.S.: My reference to the collapsible bike comes from the Gameboy games. I'm assuming everyone's played, hmm?
"Hello, Ash-boy," came the still mocking tone of Ash's rival, Gary.
Ash almost dropped the phone. He had heard nothing of his old rival for years, and even Professor Oak had assumed him dead. After Gary had left out on his journey to be a Pokemon researcher, just as his Grandfather had done, his family had heard little or nothing of him. Previously, Ash and Gary had acquired a sort of brotherly bond. Ash, being finally allowed to have the match of his life with his life long antagonist, did something unexpected. He won. Ash, who had always been a step behind Gary, had defeated him, allowing Gary to develop a trust for the younger boy, who had now passed the age of thirteen. After that, Gary had left Ash to his traveling, telling him they would meet again. But that promise was never met. After awhile, Ash felt a bit lost without the ongoing competition between himself and Gary, and it slowly began to eat away at his very soul. Misty, curious at her friend's strange behavior, would question him, only to be answered by a glaring look, his expression mixed with deep hatred and sorrow. And as the years passed, Ash's new "friend" was soon replaced with the old title of rival. And as Ash held the phone, speechless, he somewhat wished he had never called him rival in the first place.
A clap of thunder set Ash out of his reverie, and was finally able to say the words he had wanted to say for so long.
"Gary... Why?" Ash said, his voice misty and deep. "Why did you leave me?"
"Ash, listen to me. There's no time for that now," his voice was calm, but Ash could easily recognize the urgent ness in the young man's voice. "I want you to listen, Ash, and I want you to listen well," he spoke rapidly, barely giving Ash time to decipher his word over the pounding rain. "I want you to meet me at the old Rocket Game Corner in Celadon City."
The Rocket Game Corner had been abandoned two years ago, the previous owner still a mystery to the many Officer Jennies that had given up speculating it a least a year ago. The owner had just seemed to vanish without a trace, leaving to sent for the curious Jenny's Growlithes to pick up. No one seemed to care that the building was unoccupied, and it was a common place for thugs and drug dealers to spend their evenings.
"Why?" Ash asked, completely bewildered by Gary's behavior.
"There's no time for that!" Gary yelled, his tone becoming increasingly anxious.
"W – When should I leave?" Ash queried, not exactly sure why he was even trusting Gary. What if this was some type of set up? After all, he had not seen Gary in over eight years. But something in his voice allowed Ash to trust him. Even though Ash had changed much since he was young, he had never completely lost his naïve, but nonetheless helpful, nature.
"I want you to leave now!" Gary yelled, his voice muffled by the increasingly heavy rain.
"What?!" Ash yelled in to the receiving end of the phone, his voice straining.
"NOW!" Gary screamed, practically sounding pleading, a trait Ash never expected him to show.
"I- I'll leave in the morning. I just have to get ready and tell my mom that –"
"No Ash! You need to leave right now! I'll explain everything when you get here. Just GO!" With that being said, he hung up, leaving Ash with nothing but the howls of the fierce storm outside. Ash stood there for a moment, a blank expression on his pale face.
And as if on impulse, Ash rushed to get his long, black trench coat out of his closet. He entered his small bedroom at full stride, hurriedly pulled his coat on, and as he was closing the artificial oak doors of his closet, his midnight black eyes fell on a discarded piece of tattered cloth lying on the stained closet floor. His paced slowed, and he picked the piece of cloth up, his eyes scanning it steadily. He ran his slender, pale hands gingerly over the symbol that embroidered his once beloved hat. He had attained his hat when he was only nine. He remembered scribbling his name on about a hundred postcards, the taste of the many envelopes' glue lingering in his mouth for weeks. The same hat he held in his hands so many years later was the same hat he had started his journey on eleven years before. Ash had always believed in omens, and now was no exception. He put his hat on backwards, the way he had done as a child. Surprisingly, it still fit him perfectly. Remembering why he had even rushed to his room in the first place, he quickly rushed out, leaving the door ajar.
He found an old backpack in his hallway closet, and immediately went into the kitchen, stuffing as much food as he could into the bag. Over the years, he had become relatively skinny, the smallest shirts available barely touching his skin. But even though he had lost weight, he had never completely lost his appetite for devouring as much food as one can. He quickly went into his room one last time and grabbed his cell phone, a couple extra pairs of shirts and pants, completely forgetting to pack underwear, the concept of needing to change underwear had never really grasped Ash as child, nor as an adult.
He swung the bookbag over his shoulder, causing his long sleeved, black shirt to fall of his shoulder slightly. He went to his file cabinet and opened it, and after a couple minutes of rummaging through the mess of Pokemon League pamphlets he had acquired over the years, pulled out his red collapsible bicycle.
And within minutes, he was riding to Celadon City, panting all the while. Pedaling at such a fast speed reminded of the first day of his journey. On that particular day, he had been pedaling from a flock an angry Spearows. Now, he was pedaling for his rival. Ash just couldn't seem to win.
Author's Notes: Yay! Another chapter done. Chapter three should be up in about a day or so. And I'm deadly serious. And, I'm seriously deadly! Please R & R