A Foe's Devotion
Ash woke up. He tried to move his arms and legs, but couldn't. His entire body ached as he tried to move. He looked around wondering where he was, and why he couldn't move. He spotted Jessie combing her hair.
"Team Rocket?
Where am I, and what have you done with the
others?"
"Relax twerp. We haven't done anything to your friends or your pokémon. I told James that we should have just left you as we found you, but that sentimental fool brought you along."
"Take me to my friends!" Ash commanded as he tried to get up, but the sharp pain in his chest and leg prevented him from moving.
"I'd advise that you just stay there," said Jessie as she left the tent.
Ash decided to just remain there since it hurt so much to move. He lay on the sleeping bag wondering what had happened. How had he ended up here with Team Rocket. The last thing that he remembered was being on top of the mountain. He and the others had just thwarted Team Rocket's attempt to steal the Piloswine. He tried to remember what had happened after that. Suddenly it hit him. He remembered hearing the rumbling in the mountains as snow came pouring down the slopes. He remembered rushing over to knock Pikachu out of the path of the oncoming torrent of snow, and that's all he could remember.
"Ash! Ash!" Misty and Brock called out.
They had risen early that morning and had spent most of the day searching for the young trainer. They had spread out in search of any sign of Ash. The flying pokémon had taken to the air and circled the mountain going to places where the others couldn't get to. Bulbasaur and Squirtle had formed a team searching ledges, and other areas that were difficult to reach. Bulbasaur kept a vine tied around Squirtle as a lifeline, while squritle climbed down the mountain slope. Onix, untrusting of Charizard, kept an eye on the dragon pokémon as it walked around the mountain.
"How's the patient Nurse Jessie?"
"Where did you get that stupid hat?"
"I like my hat," said James as he cuddled that hat that he had stolen from one of the PokéCenters.
"Take that stupid thing off now," said Jessie as she tried to rip the hat from James' hands.
"No!" said James as he ripped his hat free from Jessie's grasp, and placed it back in place on top of his head.
"Why are you helping the twerp? What has he ever done for us?"
"I know what it's like to be lost. Alone, cold and afraid. I've been through it, and I wouldn't want to put anybody else though it. You'd do the same for me wouldn't you?"
Jessie just walked off towards the balloon grumbling about how foolish and stubborn James was.
"She didn't listen to a word I said," James thought to himself in a disheartened manner.
James walked into the tent. Ash lay in the bed wide awake just staring vacantly at the tent ceiling.
"Ah, so the patient has woken up,"
Ash looked at James, who was wearing a ridiculous nurse uniform. He began to laugh at the sight of the ridiculous looking outfit, until he had pain in his chest from laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, it's nothing. What did Jessie mean by saying that you should've left me as you found me?"
"We found you lying in the river, unconscious. That was all we found."
"What happened to Misty, Brock, and Pikachu?"
"Honestly, I don't know."
"Why did you save me?"
This question surprised James. He stood there thinking about it for a while. He began mumbling something, while trying to think of a good answer.
"You should get some rest," he said and left the tent.
James tried to think to himself of why he did save the twerp. All the twerp had done was cause him nothing but trouble. He couldn't come up with an answer to that question.
"James? James?" came a voice from the inside of the tent.
James walked back into the tent.
"Did I say something wrong?" Ash asked.
"What?"
"Did I say something to hurt you?"
"No, it wasn't anything you said."
"I just want to thank you for helping me. I honestly can't remember how I ended up here."
"I wouldn't worry about it. Just lie there and get some rest."