A/N: I know the last chapter was significantly shorter than any of its predecessors. Time to get back to some good ol' Pokemon battles. Got a nice surprise for the group. The flashback we have has been in my head for a while, glad to finally get it out. Warning descriptive instances of torture will be described as well as implication of sexual assault. No I will not describe it going on for the very reason as it does not help one better understand the character. Btw to those who wonder where these ideas came from for how to torture someone, thank the United States of America, Israel, Russia, many of these tactics at somepoint were used in the the 2000s or as recently as today by those 3. On that cheery note, enjoy by far the longest original chapter I have ever written. Please review and enjoy.
Skye, Charlie and August were coming over the last hill seeing Silver Town. Skye was amazed seeing it because she never made it out while Charlie and August had found Ash while they were staying here. Going through the town to the gigantic Pokemon Center to register. The trio were surprised when they saw Pikachu munching on some Pokemon food while Ash in his duster and boots was sipping on what looked like tea. "Well glad you three made it safely " Ash said, barely looking up from his tea. Pikachu jumped up into Skye's arms.
"Where is Misty?" Charlie asked, looking around.
"I don't know, I came from Pewter City with just Pikachu and Charizard." Ash said drinking more of his tea.
August said, "Wow, you must have really pissed her off to come here separately."
"Yep," Ash said, "and I plan on making up for it."
"Good luck on that Ash." Skye said. With that Ash finished his tea and they all kept walking to the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy was taking the pokedexes to verify their entry into the Silver Conference. Nurse Joy explained that it was going to first start with a 1v1 battle if you win you get to the group stage. Whomever from the group stage had the most points would advance. 3 points for a win, 1 point to each competitor for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. It would be simplified with being only a 3 competitor group competition. August then asked Ash, "How many points did you get when you competed here at 12?"
Ash took a second thinking back on it and said, "I remember getting 1 win and 1 draw before advancing."
Skye then remembered a tidbit her mom had said, "What did you do to have one of the competitors you faced wanting to date you?"
"What?" Ash said with some incredulity.
"Mom said some girl who got her Pokemon taken by Team Rocket tried to take you on a date." Skye said looking over at him gaging his reaction.
Ash started to think back on it, "I don't think she was that serious."
"Oh, yes she was Ash Ketchum." Misty's voice answered and at that the group saw Misty standing in front of them. "Her name was Macey and she definitely wanted to date you."
Charlie and August did a high pitched girly sounding, "Ooooh." This caused a glare from Ash causing at least Charlie to have a bit of a cowed look. August just met Ash's glare with no shame. Seeing her mom Skye ran up and hugged Misty, who looked like she wouldn't let Skye go anytime soon. When Misty's gaze met Ash's they felt like no one else was there, until Pikachu did his usual, "Pi-ka-chu-pi!" Jumping onto Misty's shoulder and nuzzling her face along with Skye. Though Ash's expression didn't change internally he saw the moment and realized he had inadvertently kept this from happening sooner. A bit of guilt ran through him but he also knew he couldn't change it now.
"Well what a coincidence running into you here Misty." A random male voice said upon approaching the group's reunion. Skye hardened up while Charlie, August, and Ash looked upon the newcomer. He was about as tall as Ash, he had gray eyes, but had a white beanie that made his hair look white, though you could see his natural brown hair showing beneath it. His shirt was red with black rims on the sleeves and collar, with black pants, and red sneakers. Misty's gaze looked like it was between anger and rage before it quickly changed to a more polite face saying, "Brendan, I have nothing to say to you."
Charlie looked back at Ash who seemed to only have eyes on Brendan. Brendan responded, "Well you didn't say anything about the flowers I sent to you on your birthday."
Skye chose to speak up saying, "That's because she told my aunts to toss them."
"Skye, I know you and I haven't seen eye to eye, but I would appreciate it if you didn't interfere with your mother's and mine relationship." Brendan stated in what he thought came across calm, but to Ash came more across like a challenge. Before Ash could respond though Pikachu did right away, saying "PIKA!" Charging up his cheeks before Misty said, "No Pikachu, this man is going to leave us alone right now. Then, if he doesn't walk away….you can get him." With that Misty pulled her daughter in the opposite direction from Brendan and the rest of the group followed Ash and Brendan's eyes met before Ash turned and followed the group. The rest of the day went by mostly uneventfully. Finally, the trio got their room in the now busy competitors' dormitories. "Skye, you want to tell us who that guy was?" Charlie asked.
"Well I am sure you know his name is Brendan." Skye said rather sardonically. August chuckled a bit at her response.
"I think we got that, I think we are trying to figure out why he got under your skin." Charlie said, gesturing to himself and August.
Skye didn't meet their eyes as she stared out the window before biting her lip before saying, "He used to date my mom, and I…saw him grip my mom's wrist hard enough it was bruised." At that August came up and hugged Skye followed not too long by Charlie.
"I didn't see him again until today, it happened about 3 years ago." Skye said, wiping the tears from her face. "But, I don't think I should need to worry about him."
"What makes you say that?" August asked.
"Well, Ash didn't make the same mistake he did." Skye said.
Confused, Charlie asked, "How? Ash doesn't seem like he's ever laid a hand on a woman before."
"Oh, well yeah he hasn't done that either, but the thing that started their last fight was he forgot my birthday and my mom's as well." Skye said. Both boys just looked at her and went about talking about what they should look for in their 1v1 match.
Ash and Misty checked into their own hotel not that far from the dormitories separate rooms before they got into their rooms to settle in. Misty grabbed Ash by the wrist and pulled him and Pikachu to her room. After Misty shut the door she didn't look at Ash who was really confused about being pulled into her room, without talking about anything that happened. Misty banged her head lightly on the door and when she turned around she had a bit of an embarrassed look. "Ash, I am sorry–"
"You're sorry, for what?" Ash interrupted.
"I never told you about Brendan." Misty said with a bit of embarrassment.
"Misty…I wasn't around, you didn't know I was alive." Ash said coming up and just brushing her arm with his hand, "You don't need to apologize to me, but I am a little curious why our daughter is so…angry to see him?"
Misty took her eyes away from Ash's before saying, "He didn't really care about us, he forgot both of our birthdays."
Ash's face contorted but also smiled, "Well, that explains Skye's advice." Ash then walked over and sat on the bed while Pikachu snuggled on the pillow. "But I feel like you stole my thunder apologizing." Ash said with his signature smile.
Snorting slightly, Misty said, "I haven't forgotten Ketchum." Meeting his eyes she asked, "Why didn't you tell me you went with Brock?"
"Umm.. I mean… Misty you told me you didn't want to speak to me, so I figured I would give you that space. But I am glad I talked with Brock. It was good to catch up with him more." Ash said. "Did you come back to Pallet looking for me?"
Misty blushed slightly saying, "Maybe, I wanted to work things out with you, or see where we stood." Her mind began processing, "How did you know I was still at your Mother's house on my birthday?"
"I called Tracey, just to be sure, he told me you went to Pallet and didn't return." Ash said a bit bashfully. "I peeked at the window early in the morning and knew I had to work quickly to not wake you."
"Well it was very sweet of you." Misty said.
"Misty, I wish I could take back what I did, I am sorry I will never hide anything about Skye from you." Ash said with all sincerity. Getting up from the bed with Pikachu following she reached out and grabbed his hand. Stopping in front of the door he said, "Misty, while I would love to just stay in this room with you, I think until we have this." Gesturing between the two of them, "Figured out, I don't think it would be best for us to stay overnight in the others room."
Smiling slightly, Misty said, "You are probably right." Sighing she let go though she had to admit it felt nice holding his hand knowing he wasn't a ghost or a memory. "What brought this maturity on?"
Smirking, Ash opened the door, "I found out I have a daughter." Then before he did something rash he kissed Misty's forehead and left the room. When he got to his room he leaned his back against the door. Pikachu just looked at him like he made a mistake.
"Pikachu I can't just rush back into this with Misty it's not fair to her." Ash said.
Pikachu just gave him the silent treatment. "Look buddy, I am sorry but we have to be mature about this, not just for Misty but Skye too." Pikachu just ignored his words and crawled up onto the couch making it clear, until he fixed things with Misty he would be having no interaction.
The 1v1 battles went pretty smoothly for Skye and Charlie, easily making it through their round. August went and watched Charlie's Magmar take on a Croconaw. While Misty and Ash watched Skye's Scizor beat down a Graveller. Skye chose to wear Ash's old Pokemon League Expo hat and felt it was bringing her luck. Misty and Ash were on either side of their daughter as they made their way back to the Pokemon Center to make sure Scizor got back into the right form for the group stage. "This is nice." Skye said with a big smile on her face.
"What?" Misty asked.
"Having you both here, cheering me on, it feels great." Skye said with the biggest smile on her face.
Ash just looked away while maintaining stride with Skye and Misty, "Are you ok Ash?" Skye asked.
"Yeah, I am doing fine." Ash said, still not looking at either of them, his voice trembling slightly, "Just proud of you is all." Ash finished looking now upon Skye and hugging her close. Misty meanwhile was feeling her heart fluttering hearing Ash's words of praise for their daughter. Deciding as a family to try and pull a prank on Charlie and August, they walked up to the center looking like as if Skye had lost leading to August nudging Charlie saying, "I think Skye lost."
"What?" Charlie started, "No way…oh maybe you are right." Just as they were coming up and Charlie asked, "Skye, what happened?"
Skye couldn't hold it in any longer as she lifted her head laughing saying, "I won with Scizor going onto the group stage." Jumping up and hugging Charlie and August who looked confused as Ash and Misty couldn't stop laughing at their faces. "Guys she won, don't worry about it, it wouldn't be a fun tournament without a bit of fun." Ash said. Pikachu meanwhile was with both of their sets of Pokemon. Doing something like a General Patton speech rallying them to how important each of these tournaments are. That each round no matter how benign mattered in the grand scheme of things. How important it was to trust Skye and Charlie's commands and strategies even if they couldn't understand how they would work. Milotic just rolled her eyes at Pikachu's speech. Pikachu just shook it off and pretended not to see it.
While looking at the different groups they got assigned to, Ash began to walk them through the online system they didn't realize existed back at the Indigo League. "Why didn't you show me this mom?" Skye asked.
Misty shook her head trying not to retort too harshly, saying, "Remember honey when I said I had something to show you to help, you said 'I got it mom'.?"
Scarlett cut across Skye's face while Charlie and August sniggered, "I am sorry mom."
Ash rolled his lips to keep from laughing out loud, even pulling up Charlie and Skye's profiles to show them how much data others would be using on them. "Trust me when I say, had I listened to Misty, I could have had an easier time at Indigo." Ash said.
"Only took you 20+ years to admit that, but I will take it." Misty said, winking at Ash.
"Well I am hoping by admitting this now to our daughter she won't make the same mistakes I did." Ash said a bit of a bite in his tone.
"Just make sure not to go too overboard and crash the database, like Ash did before his match with Gary." Misty said. At that the young trio laughed. Ash meanwhile just eyed Misty like, 'why did you have to bring that up?' look.
Jessie, James, and Meowth meanwhile had just arrived in Silver Town and were beginning to do their interviews with many of the competitors who were making it to the group stage. Seeing Ash, and Misty leading their new trio to one of the many restaurants that opened up just for the Silver Conference they thought they would check in on them. "Hey twerp!" Jessie called over. Causing Ash to flinch just slightly when his eyes met Jessie's he noticed James and Meowth just behind her.
"Hi Jessie." Ash said, "I am guessing you are here to cover the competition."
"Yes, and since you are here, we were wondering if you would like to use us to announce your return?" Jessie asked when Misty stepped forward.
"Why should he have to announce it?" Misty asked, now coming face to face with Jessie.
James decided to intervene and be a diplomat between the two hotheaded and sometimes incredibly stubborn women. "Unless Ash decides to watch either of these two's matches," Gesturing at both Charlie and Skye, "From his room, people are going to start recognizing him. So why not just have a brief interview with us?"
Ash put his hand on Misty's shoulder to let her know to chill just a bit from her glaring contest with Jessie. "Tell me how doing an interview with you 3 gets me out of other requests?"
"Saying you have no comment isn't as strong as saying an interview has already been done, plus it will allow you to say I have already said what I have to say at this moment." James responded. "Though it may not stop the cameras from looking at you during the battles."
Sighing Ash said, "I'll do it on one condition, you do not ask about why I have been missing."
"Done." James said quickly before Jessie or Meowth could interfere.
Misty started, "Ash, are you sure you want to–"
"Misty, I want to be in the stands watching our daughter compete." James, Jessie, and Meowth flinched upon hearing Ash say that. Then looking at Skye they noticed she was wearing Ash's signature cap from when he first crossed their path. "Why are you 3 acting like you are about to crack from a disguise you are in?" Ash asked.
"It happened?" Jessie said, gesturing between Ash and Misty. A slight blush came to Ash and Misty's face, Ash responded, "If you can't get over that I might have to–"
"We will be fine, just be ready to give our listeners the interview tomorrow at 9 AM." Meowth said. With that Ash nodded at them and the group proceeded to dinner. Skye was curious about them having heard their radio show. "When did you meet them?" Skye asked, gesturing at Ash and Misty.
"We met them the same day we met." Misty answered. When Skye looked confused, Misty gestured at Ash.
"Since you were 10?" Charlie clarified.
"Yes." Ash said, "In those days they were very different; it would be unfair to judge them for their mistakes back then."
"Says the guy who destroyed my bike after stealing it." Misty said, causing Ash to choke on his water. The group laughed, Skye asked, "You stole her bike?"
"I needed to save Pikachu." Ash defended. This continued an ever long debate about whether or not Ash had sufficiently paid back Misty for the bike or not. August just sat back sipping on his iced tea watching the back and forth. Charlie leaned over and asked Skye, "Think this is helping or hurting them?"
"I don't know, but they haven't started killing each other, and Pikachu just looks over it." Skye said, gesturing at Pikachu who seemed to be working out a headache.
Eventually the group split up to go to their respective lodgings. When Misty was about to stop at her room Ash took her hand and brought her to his room after they were inside, Misty almost expected him to kiss her but was surprised when he just closed the door and went to the window without saying anything. "Is there something you wanted to tell me, Ash?" Misty asked.
Looking back at her, Ash said, "I promised you before our fight that I would tell you what happened, I realize I am way past the time I said…"
"Ash, you don't have to do that now." Misty said, coming up putting her hand on his shoulder.
"Misty, I want to because I do not want you to find out at the same time as the rest of the world." Ash said. "I think it would be highly unfair to you and what you went through while I was missing."
Misty at that moment though she understood what he was saying didn't feel she needed that. "I really don't need it before anyone else Ash…we are not a couple and…"
When Misty's eyes met Ash's she could see it, they were focused and she could see at this moment there was no pain. "Please let me tell you Misty, you more than anyone else should get a full version."
Taking a seat on his bed Misty sighed and said, "Please stop if it gets too painful for you," Her viridian eyes began to tear up, "You have come so far and I don't want you to go back to that dark place."
Smiling Ash said, "I hope by telling it maybe it won't take me back to that dark place anymore."
-Flashback Ash about 13 years ago-
Ash was just getting ready to leave Wyndon and head back to Pallet Town, before eventually heading up to Cerulean City. Ash had decided to only bring Charizard and Pikachu with him on this trip to Galar. Pikachu was quite happy to be heading home, as was Charizard. Ash had his cap from his time with Goh, wearing black cargo shorts, blue sneakers, and a red t-shirt. Being the monarch had been complicating matters for Ash and Misty. Though he was glad to not be having the same problems he saw Lance and Lorelei have, Ash was beginning to wonder if they needed to come public. He was growing sicker and sicker of people caring about his private life and single availability. Ash then got a text from a person he hadn't seen in a few years, Serena. The text read, "Hey Ash, I don't know if you are in Galar at the moment, but if you are I am in Ballonlea, if you want to catch up."
Ash thought about Serena, the first girl he ever kissed. Though they never dated, he was interested in seeing how life had been. The most recent time he saw her, he scarcely recognized her running onto a boat with Goh and Chloe. He still felt kind of guilty for not really recognizing her and thought this would be as good a time as any to catch up. Sending back a reply of "I would love to see you, will be there in a few minutes." "How do you feel about meeting up with Serena Pikachu?" Ash asked. Pikachu just gave a very enthusiastic reply as they headed towards Ballonlea. When Ash landed he recalled Charizard, when he asked around about a blonde coordinator he was directed towards the forest nearby. There he saw her and she didn't realize he was there. Serena's blonde hair was still shorter than when he first met her, with a gray hat, black top, a red and white skirt, with her black thigh high socks, and brown boots. Just as he was about to run up and greet her something didn't feel right, Serena by now would have reacted or at least acknowledged him. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw what looked like a black flower. Then next thing he knew it shocked him then he saw Serena turn around and thrown another one at Pikachu causing Pikachu to be ensnared and shocked as well.
"Serena, what the hell is going on?" Ash exclaimed.
"You must really miss your first love to show up for her last minute." The blonde said. It was then Ash somewhat recognized the voice. Then when his eyes met the blonde's face he saw violet eyes. Ash then saw a few other men in black uniforms surrounding him. Grunting Ash said, "Nice to see you again Domino."
This shook Domino as she looked at Ash and asked, "How do you know my name?"
"We crossed paths a long time ago." Ash said. "You were…" It was then Ash remembered Mewtwo's words saying only those who sought him out would forget encountering him. Then Mewtwo sent them on their way in a Pikachu balloon, and Ash forever wondered based on a feeling he had seen Mewtwo before. Coming forward Domino leaned down looking at him, a bit of fear was in her eyes for she hadn't met him before and she hadn't even introduced herself and he knew who she was. Getting her wits back and focused, Domino, still looking like Serena, ordered the grunts to pick Ash and Pikachu up and immediately put black hoods over Ash and Pikachu's faces. Ash felt he was loaded into a truck. Eventually being pulled rather forcefully out of the truck, only to be very thoroughly frisked which he swore during when he was bent over the hood of a car as they found his phone and a velvet box. Still not knowing where he was, Ash only remembered hearing the blades of a helicopter, then the brief smell of the ocean when he heard the door open. Only worried he and Pikachu were going to be thrown into the water. It was several hours later he was pulled off the helicopter and the next thing Ash could feel was a chair, a cold metal chair.
Before him when the hood was pulled off he found himself alone with Domino as she just stared at him. "What's the goal here Domino?" Ash asked.
Chuckling maliciously Domino said, "You are going to tell me how you know my name. Who told you my name?"
"You told it to me years ago when we crossed paths." Ash said defiantly. Within a second he felt a jolt of electricity running through him about as powerful as Pikachu could do. Screaming slightly at the feeling Ash panted trying to regain the feeling in his body when it stopped.
"You lie monarch." Domino said, "Now tell me how you found out my name?"
"You told me when we crossed paths years ago." Ash defiantly said.
Surprised to not find a hint of a lie when Ash spoke, Domino leaned in and asked, "Why did you respond to Serena?"
"Friends that hadn't seen each other in a long time and I had time." Ash said smirking.
"Funny.." Domino said.
"What's funny?" Ash asked.
"Sarcasm and humor come to die here." Domino said as she pressed a button further electrocuting Ash.
Ash screamed out in pain trying to keep it from exploding from his lips. Domino kept at it for a few more hours just asking him about Brock, Tracey, Professor Oak, Gary. Dissatisfied with his answers. Ash noticed ropes being put up from large hooks that she tied one to his right wrist. While the left wrist was bound by a grunt. Ash didn't know it at the time but Domino then undid the tulip brace around him and immediately his arms were pulled in opposite directions so he couldn't lay a hand on her. After the ropes were secured he was left there standing eventually he fell asleep mostly alone in this dark cell above the metal chair. Ash thought about Pikachu and how he hadn't seen him since the hood was put on. Ash then thought back to Misty, how he had the box and was ready to come into the open with their relationship. Then in his sleep he had nightmares about her not knowing what was wrong. He knew she must be wondering why he did he not show up back home in Cerulean to greet her.
A few weeks later still mostly attached to the ropes, which were beginning to leave burn marks on his wrists. His face had been bloodied by a few bigger grunts who enjoyed punching his face. Then he saw him, in his bright orange suit, his slicked back brown hair, the boss of Team Rocket Giovanni entered his cell. Coming up he made Ash's eyes meet his saying, "Right now this is about you coming to terms with your situation. It's just you and me monarch, I want you to know that I know you. That I have been studying and following you for a long time." Ash noted his voice wasn't threatening, at least not in a typical way; it was calm, almost like he was talking to a friend he had grown apart from. Ash also saw briefly in his line of site Domino who still after weeks looked at him rather apprehensively.
"Untie me so I can talk to you." Ash said feeling blood from last night's beating enter his mouth.
Giovanni merely shook his head saying, "Life is not fair."
"Why should I respect you?" Ash spat back, "I heard all about you from Lance, you are a failed gym leader who used that as cover to commit crimes and wreck people's lives."
Giovanni merely laughed asking, "Well, you want the truth of why I wanted to talk with you, is why have you been so keen on destroying or messing up my plans?"
Ash just didn't answer. He didn't want to talk with this man. Giovanni pulled out a picture showing him looking at a rainbow; he was barely 12 when the picture was taken. "Don't worry monarch, I don't want to talk about Ho-oh just yet. But, what I want to know is how did your Greninja transform?"
Ash looked at him, "You know it's because of the bond we shared, I have said that much on it publicly since I was 15."
"You tell me exactly how to replicate that bond monarch and I will get you a blanket and some solid food." Giovanni said, like it was the most magnanimous gesture he could provide.
"The fact that you don't understand and need a roadmap on recreating it is why I won't tell you or anyone else here. If you could understand you wouldn't have me tied up being tortured here for weeks on end." Ash spat back with as much swagger as he could muster.
"Have it your way then." Giovanni then snapped his fingers and immediately he heard movement and water being turned on. What Ash thought felt like a mattress contacted his feet but he didn't look for fear his face wouldn't look strong. Then just as he felt the ropes loosen from up high Domino tackled him on top of the mattress. Then he felt a wet towel placed over his face, while she restrained his arms and legs as he tried to squirm out. Then he heard random questions he didn't have answers to as Ash screamed, "Fuck you!" He felt the water pouring over the towel over his face feeling like he was in a deep ocean. Coughing the water out as the sensation of drowning and breathing underwater kept happening as the water kept being poured. When the towel was removed he coughed up the water and heard the response from Domino, "This is what defeat looks like monarch. Give us the answers we are looking for and you won't be put in the box."
When Ash still refused to answer Domino, Giovanni snapped his fingers and Ash was loaded into a wooden box that was too small to fit him. They contorted his body to make him fit before it was sealed inside of there. Ash tried breaking free as they stowed him inside only for more grunts to come and push him in. After it was sealed and he was sure all Team Rocket personnel had left his cell. Ash began to cry feeling the pain, he wished his friends knew where he was this way he could have some hope of escaping.
He didn't know how long he was in the box but it felt like it was at least a week. Ash had no way of knowing the time or how much time had passed as there were no windows. When he was removed from the box they sprayed him down with the hose due to the waste he had excreted while inside the box. They put him in some linen shirt and pants restrained then re-tied him up to the ropes keeping him standing. Domino then came in with a speaker and a small eclectic device, not knowing what it was for he squirmed hoping he wasn't going to be electrocuted. Domino merely smirked, saying, "Monarch, we are not going to return to electrocution yet."
After she looked over at the other grunts waiting for their signal that he was secured. Domino's small electric device screen lit up and before Ash could realize, it was blaring through the speaker a rather loud version of terrible music that hurt Ash's ear drums. Due to the design of the room it merely echoed off non stop and it made it impossible for him to sleep. Multiple times he kept looking for ways to figure out how long it had been. When Ash hoped the device would run out of battery he noticed both the speaker and the device were plugged into the outlets so they would not run out unless some glitch happened to either device. Ash tried not to cry as he was coming to realize he had no control over what would happen to him next.
Slowly Ash built up the courage to ask a question of his own during one of the sessions, Domino came in a black business suit and didn't clearly want to get dirty so Ash kicked up some of the water from one of his waterboarding sessions at her asking, "What have you done with Pikachu and Charizard?"
Flicking the water off the bit of the suit he got wet. Domino said, "You know I was beginning to wonder if your bond with them was even that strong to not ask about them." Ash lunged with the ropes hoping this time they would break only to feel them burning into what felt like permanent scars on his wrists. "They are alive and we will get to Pikachu and that Charizard almost broke out once we let it out of its Pokeball, but my tulip did its job suppressing him."
"You better not harm Pikachu." Ash said with all the venom he could muster. Since he noted they never asked about Misty or any of the other girls he traveled with. Ash thought it best never to ask about them, for he did not want them to start targeting them. Domino merely laughed at his threat and walking over to Ash she put gloves on without warning or pretense she ripped his pants down leaving his flaccid penis exposed to all in the room. What happened next Ash chose not to describe what exactly happened. He only told Misty, it felt like that moment broke him, for he didn't want to ever experience or think about it ever again. It's the only time Ash recalled screaming in such agony and pain but he had no idea when it occurred. He knew his hair and facial hair was getting long but they always trimmed his hair to keep it from getting in his eyes. It felt like Giovanni would come every month or so to see if any progress had been made with Ash. Each time Giovanni seemed more and more annoyed at Domino for not making more progress. The nightmares continued to happen very often, hence Ash didn't sleep as often as he could. But when he did the nightmares were many and each involved worse situations than what he had actually experienced. One that had been very vivid was seeing Misty brought before, battered, and assaulted in unspeakable ways. It scared Ash worse than any other torture because it could still happen and hence why he made sure he said nothing of her to indicate how special she was to him.
On the last visit he ever had with Giovanni, he brought with him Pikachu. Ash was horrified when he saw Pikachu who although looked defiant had wounds all over his body. Some looked not that old or even earlier that day. The wound that stood out most to him was one that he could clearly see next to Pikachu's left red cheek. "What have you done to Pikachu?" Ash screamed trying to fight his bonds.
"Well, Pikachu had been giving my grunts a rather hard time." Giovanni said with a smile not looking at Ash, "My Persian needed to discipline it for its rude behavior." At that Pikachu decided to power up its cheeks and launch an attack at Giovanni which sadly only triggered Ash's bonds causing Ash more pain. Which in turn made Pikachu feel rather guilty and didn't try but gave Giovanni a rather spiteful look. "It seems you two are incredibly defiant, even though it's been years of pain from my agents and grunts." Giovanni said. "It is a shame it has to be this way, you could have been a very powerful ally, now once you are broken we will take what we want and we shall see our plans come to fruition."
Though Ash felt at the time like he wouldn't break, he knew the day he was broken was when they brought Pikachu in and he could see Pikachu hadn't been fed the last few days. "Why hasn't Pikachu been fed Domino?"
"That is up to you, the more you resist the more food is restricted from Pikachu." Domino said.
Tears came down Ash's now older and very beaten up face. This time while being waterboarded in front of Pikachu he answered their question that he didn't know for sure about Ho-oh but that he did see it more than a handful of times. With that Domino left and said, "Pikachu will be sure to get a full meal, we hope to get more from you tomorrow Ash." Ash was put to his ropes and waited for the next day but fought the urge for sleep. A grunt came in with red hair, and red eyes. Ash was ready for whatever was about to come, he was surprised when the grunt cut down the ropes and began to help untie the rope from his wrists. "Who are you?" Ash asked.
"No time." The grunt said, "Put these on, we need to get you out of here." It was then Ash saw a navy blue duster, black shirt, black pants, brown boots, and a pair of black fingerless gloves. Ash quickly asked, "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't, but what other option do you have?" The grunt responded back. He was led throughout the complex putting the hood up covering his face as they moved from floor to floor till they found Pikachu and Charizard. Then being pulled quickly throughout the rest of the base he didn't even notice the moment they came to the rooftop. Smelling the ocean air Ash asked, "Where are we?"
"You are on one of the Sevii Islands, head north to find Kanto, take refuge with your friends, do not tell them about me. I am not a member of Team Rocket and when I found out they had you here, I had to get you out." Ash took in all the words the man who was about his age had to say and before he could say thank you, the man was gone back inside the base. Ash then called out Charizard who was rather shocked by Ash's appearance but recognized him upon smelling him and Pikachu. Getting aboard Charizard they flew north, Ash was having a hard time processing being free from Team Rocket. Seeing the sunlight, the ocean, and feeling the wind was almost overstimulating him. Ash was also exhausted from the days of not eating, and sleeping, he just hoped Misty would welcome him with open arms when he saw her.
-End Flashback-
"The same man who freed me, contacted me about a plot to abduct you." Ash said Misty looked like she had been there and tears were flowing down her face, "That was when I came back to Cerulean just under a year ago to stop Domino. When he didn't reach out to me again, I assumed they felt they could no longer do it." Putting his hand on Misty's shoulder, "I am sorry I didn't just reveal myself then, and just tell you and Lance all I knew." Before Ash could say another word, Misty jumped up and hugged him sobbing into his shoulder saying, "No one will ever do those things to you again Ash Ketchum." With that she pulled him to the bed and before she confused him further she said, "I want to share this bed with you to comfort you to sleep, and I don't want you to look over exhausted tomorrow." Ash merely nodded and Misty spooned him to sleep before she fell asleep though now she knew there was no way she would ever let Ash leave her life again whether as a couple or just co-parents.