These are the times that test friends…

The Light Within

Ch.6: Telling Them

A bright light shone over an open field, and two boys fell to the ground below it. One of them had blue hair, the other black. As the light faded out into the darkness of the night, they looked at each other.

" Well that was weird," James said, standing up. " The fairy didn't answer any of our questions."

Ash nodded, " And then she just sticks us in the middle of some field? Where are we anyway?"

James looked around, and recognized the road to the north of them. He motioned for Ash to follow as he walked towards the dirt path, the moon his only light. They could hardly see, but they managed to walk there with little problem.

" I think this is the place where we last disappeared, y'know just before we went into the swampland." .

" Looks like they didn't stick around though, did they?"

Shaking his head, James looked up at the stars, " Jessie and Meowth probably got blasted off again…"

Ash winced, " Sorry about that…"

" No, it's okay. We shouldn't have tried to steal your pokemon so much. It was pretty stupid."

" It was your job though, I should have been more understanding."

" Understanding of people who were always trying to steal your pokemon?"

"Yea...now that you think about it doesn't sound very logical." Ash scratched his head a little, and shrugged.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk."

" Yeah, well I wasn't the nicest guy either. I'm sorry too."

They were silent for a long time; a cool breeze blew in from the north, blowing James's blue hair softly.

"Well, I'm gonna go find my friends now." Ash said, looking down the path. "They're probably in the next town...hoping I'll show up. I'm sure I'll see you the next time the fairy calls..."

"Oh, uh, yeah..." James looked down. Something about the way he'd said friends, made him wonder again if Ash thought of him as a friend or just a partner..forced into this thing together. "I should find Jessie and Meowth too."

But when he looked up, Ash was already gone.

It didn't take long for Ash to get to the next town, maybe an hour or so, and that time seemed to be cut in half. He was preoccupied with other thoughts, and payed attention as he walked into a nearby pokecenter and then was attacked.

" Pika!" Pikachu cried, jumping on Ash's back.

Ash laughed, " Hey buddy, good to see you again."

" Ash, thank God!" Misty screamed, tackling him with a hug. " We didn't know what to think. I was so worried. I thought I'd never… I mean, we were so worried, we thought we'd never see you again!"

Brock walked up behind her, nodding. " Misty's only being slightly dramatic. What happened? We thought team rocket might've taken you, but they seemed confused and worried about James too."

" You didn't…blast them off did you?"

" Yeah we had to, they started to attack us."

" Oh…" Ash frowned, " Hey look, I have a lot to tell you two, maybe we should sit down somewhere."

His friends gave him a strange look, but nodded. They sat in the poke center's lounge. Ash told them all he knew, and all that had happened. When he was finished, blank stares met him.

" Well, you guys gonna say anything?"

Brock started slowly, " Ash this is…interesting…and all…but…"

" Are you crazy?" Misty broke in, standing up. " What about your dream, your real dream, remember becoming a pokemon master? You're going to give all that up for this…this…"

Brock put a hand on Misty's shoulder to silence her, and Ash looked at them both. What was wrong with them? Didn't they realize the world was more important than some stupid title? And then he realized the truth.

" You two…don't believe me, do you?"

" Ash…" Misty said, her voice going softer. " It's just that this is all sounding a bit too weird. I mean cauldron warriors, magic, evil bent on taking over the world… that's all fantasy. It's not real."

" Then how do you explain James and I just disappearing into thin air, huh?"

Brock looked firmly at his friend, " A psychic pokemon like Abra could easily use teleport, and teleport you both anywhere it wanted. Maybe…team rocket drugged you, made you believe all that stuff happened. So this way you'd trust James, and make it easier for them to still pikachu."

" I can't believe you two! You're just making this stuff up to make yourselves feel better, so you won't have to think that the world's in danger. Well guess what! It is! I know what I saw, I didn't make it up, and neither did anyone else. James is a good guy, he just headed down the wrong path. And right now, he's a better friend to me than either of you! I'll see you two when you can get your act together!"

With that, Ash walked out of the door, pikachu following quickly after him.

" Ash no! Don't go please!" Misty yelled after him prepared to run to keep him with her, but Brock grabbed her hand tightly, shaking his head.

"He's too angry right now. We'll let him cool down...then try to talk more sense into him."

Misty nodded and sighed. I didn't mean to hurt you, Ash...please...come back.

" James! Oh God, James! I…uh…" Jessie, held James tight, until she realized what she was doing and put her arms down. " Where have you been? We had to fight those measly twerps without you! What did that kid do to you? Did he hurt, you? If he did so help me, I'll tear him limb from limb till he wishes he'd never been born!"

" No, Jess, I'm fine. Really." James said, smiling at her then Meowth.

" We taught you were a gonner Jimmy!" The cat pokemon admitted.

" Believe me there were times I thought the same thing..."

" Huh?"

James shook his head, " Nothin."

" You seem...different James. Is something wrong?" The look in her eyes, sent his heart reeling.

" Not…really. Sit down, we have to talk…"

James told them everything from the first dream to what happened next. Told them how their boss was evil, and how James and Ash were supposed to save the world. His tale was met with laughter.

" Thanks a lot for your support guys."

Jessie shook her head, between laughs, " Oh, James, come on. Don't tell me you honestly believe that! We're evil, remember? We try to steal things and ruin people's lives ourselves. How can you save the world from evil if you are evil?"

" Jess, has got a point! Betcha that kid brainwashed you, made you believe all dat stuff so's we wouldn't steal dey're pokemon, anymore. Ha, what a hoot! Savin' de world, magic, cauldrons! Haven' heard someden dat funny in a long time!" Meowth agreed laughing as well.

James turned his face away, because he couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes. Was it true? Could it be? He should've known all along that it wasn't real, that he wasn't meant to save the world. How could he do that? A hand was on his shoulder, squeezing it tight. He turned to see Jessie there.

" Don't worry about it okay? It wasn't your fault you believed any of that crap they put in your mind."

He looked down, " But Jess, I thought I was somebody, a real somebody... for the first time in my life."

" Hey, you'll always be a somebody to me, okay?"

James nodded with a smile that didn't quiet reach his eyes. And as he lay on the ground that night trying to sleep, he couldn't help wondering what was real and what wasn't. That lizard had seemed real, being covered in muck had seemed real, the fairy had seemed real, being shot with bullets had seemed real. Was it possible it was all, fake? That he'd been brainwashed?

His doubts prevented him from sleeping. Standing in the darkness, James glanced as his friends. They were real. He walked into the forest without any notion of where he was going or why. The moon provided light and he found himself at a creek. When he got there, he was no longer alone.

" Ash?"

How James knew who the dark figure bent over at the creek was, he didn't know. But when the figure turned to look at him, Ash's face was there.

" James?" Ash laughed, and it sounded hollow. "Funny meeting you here."

James nodded, " Yeah." Come to think of it, he'd been drawn here...strange.

" The moon's pretty tonight." Ash said.

James looked at the white ball in the sky for the first time, "It is… so what are you doing here?"

Ash shrugged, " I could ask you the same."

" Yeah but my answer wouldn't be very interesting. Found Jessie and Meowth, they're sleeping right over there."

" Oh…" Ash sighed, shaking his head. " I found Misty and Brock, but let's just say they didn't take the news too well. They thought that you three had drugged me, so you guys could steal my pokemon…something stupid like that. I got angry, and left."

He looked to see James's reaction, but the former rocket member didn't move his sad gaze from the creek.

" So guess since you're still near your friends, they took it better?"

" No..." James bit his lip, and closed his eyes trying to keep his emotion in check. "They..They laughed at me."

" They laughed at you?"

" Yeah, told me you probably brainwashed me so that I would stop trying to steal your pokemon." James took in a sharp breath, and shook his head. "Only difference is I started to believe them."

Ash stood suddenly, "You what?"

" I...I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that… I just…oh, God…I'm sorry."

Ash shook his head, " No way! No freakin way! This is not happening. I thought out of everyone, at least you would believe me. But no, not even you! Are you really that thick headed? Look at all we went through together! You think I'd make all that up, JUST so you would stop trying to steal my pokemon?"

James winced outwardly, standing too, " It's not like that! You don't understand, they were so convincing and I…I…"

" Shut up!"

" …But Ash I'm serious it's just that…"

" I'm serious, you better shut up!"

" Can't you listen to me, I'm trying to tell you…"

" I said, SHUT UP!" He swung his fist hard at James, hitting the other boy in the cheek and knocking him down.

James stayed there on the ground his head in his hands. Ash turned away, arms shaking.

" I'm…sorry Ash. It's just…we're so different. You're confident, you believe in yourself, you're brave, and you can stand up for yourself. Not me. I'm worthless Ash, I've been worthless my whole life." There were tears in his eyes from admitting what he felt, but had never told anyone before.

Ash turned to look at him, tears of his own falling, " It's...okay. I'm really sorry… about hitting you. It's just…I thought my friends would understand. I couldn't take another person not believing in what I said. You're not worthless okay?"

James said nothing, staring at the ground. The other boy took a seat next to him, pikachu climbing into his lap.

" What are we going to do?"