Chapter 20
In a separate infirmary room than Ash and May, Gaz just started to wake up himself.
His head was pounding, and it felt like he had just woken up from a month-long sleep. He looked around and couldn't see anyone else. He began to sit up and after a few moments of struggle he managed it.
He realised once he sat up that the sleeve that he usually wore on his right arm was removed and was laying on the bedside locker. He looked down at his exposed arm and grimaced as he saw the burn scars that marked his arm almost all the way up to his shoulder.
He hated the sight of it, every time he glanced at it the memories of the pain that he felt that day rose back up in him.
Speaking of pain, his head was still throbbing. He clutched his hair for a moment waiting for the pain to fade. As the pain left, he remembered how he ended up here.
The Latias in the forest. Gaz recalled running through the trees to find it standing there next to a tall purple haired boy who was dressed very odd. The boy didn't even hesitate as the Latias hit Gaz with a powerful psychic attack.
It was the first time he was ever hit by a Psychic attack. During his travels he was the target of a few Peck or Water Guns or Hyper Beams in his travels but never a Psychic. The other hits were all physically painful, but this time was different.
It was like mental torture. It dredges back the worst times in your life and amplified them to attack your brain which Gaz could only assume spread the pain to every part of his body also.
Gaz almost had to vomit at the memory of it.
He grabbed his sleeve from the locker and slid it back on to his right arm covering the scars completely. He turned his arm around to look at his forearm to see his key stone still tucked firmly into place there.
It looks extremely flimsy and vulnerable there, but it's held up well.
Gaz stood up and went to move towards the door, he was incredibly stiff, and his joints ached as he struggled forward. He walked out the door and into a long corridor. On the right-hand corner was a couch and a couple of chairs. Lying on the couch soundly asleep was Dawn.
Gaz sighed before going back into his room for a moment. He then re-emerged with the blanket that was on his bed and he placed it gently over Dawn.
Dawn clutched the blanket tight as soon as it was draped over her, snuggling up to it unconsciously appreciating the warmth.
Gaz sat down on one of the chairs beside the couch at Dawn's head.
"Why were you sleeping out here?" Gaz asked rhetorically. He wanted to believe that it was because Dawn was waiting to make sure he was okay. But he knew she probably was looking for a bed got tired of it and just lied down here.
Gaz stared as the blue haired teen inhaled and exhaled steadily. What happened to her back in the woods was disgusting. It enraged him more considering Dawn was able to open up with her experiences with Kenny beforehand.
He was so pissed he ran into the forest unprovoked just by the sight of the bastard. In retrospect that was stupid, and he should have known not to. His anger took over though and he gave in.
Dawn began shifting uncomfortably on the couch, Gaz could tell by her eyes that she was dreaming. He was wondering whether he should go look for everyone else or just stay here and wait for others to come.
He decided to just wait and started messing on his X-Tranceiver. After a few minutes he began to hear footsteps walking down the corridor. Gaz took his eyes off the holographic screen and saw a purple haired girl walking towards them.
"Glad to see you're up and well." She smiled.
"Thank you." Gaz replied returning the smile. "I don't want to sound rude, but may I ask who you are?"
"My name is Anabel, I'm the Frontier Brain who resides over the Battle Tower. Which is where we are now." She explained.
"Oh, wow I'm sorry, I heard a lot about you. I planned on taking on the Battle Frontier in the future." Gaz explained. "I suppose then it was you who took us in?"
"You'd be right." Anabel nodded.
"Thank you very much for that." Gaz said sincerely.
"The least I could do for an old friend like Ash." She replied.
"Where is Ash? Is he okay? And what about Gary?" Gaz asked quickly.
"Ash is okay, he's in a different infirmary room. We don't know about Gary yet. Your friends are out looking for him right now." Anabel told him worryingly.
"Oh shit." Gaz muttered. "I have to go help them."
He went to stand up but was hit with a dose of pain.
"You're not going anywhere." Anabel warned him. "You're still recovering."
"Damn it. If Gary is hurt, it's my fault." He lamented.
"There's no point thinking about that." Anabel consoled him. "Just hope everyone who is in that forest right now is okay."
Gaz took another minute to clear any other pain he was feeling, and he started to remember more.
"You also helped us when we are all held up in the clearing too." Gaz mentioned. "You helped us a lot tonight."
"It was the least I could do." Anabel waved off. "Especially for some old friends"
"Old friends?" Gaz asked confused.
"Ash, Brock, May and Max all visited before when Ash was taking on the Battle Frontier." Anabel explained. "It was actually really good fun meeting and hanging around with them."
"They are a fun group," Gaz admitted. "It's been really fun traveling with them and everyone else."
"So how do you know them?" Anabel asked.
"I battled Ash in the Kalos league, we became good friends then." Gaz told her.
"Doesn't surprise me, he gets along so well with everyone." Gaz noticed a weird look in Anabel's eyes, it was almost like a longing expression. "I should get back at making sure those other 3 aren't causing trouble, and I don't want to wake your friend there."
"Thank you, she deserves the rest." Gaz told her. "It's all I could do considering the trouble I've caused everyone tonight."
Anabel felt that Gaz was really angry at himself, she also sensed something deeper within him.
"If you've heard of me, I'm sure you know that I excel with the use of Psychic Pokémon." Anabel started.
"Yeah, I know that." Gaz answered, confused at where this was going.
"The reason why is because I have a very keen sense of other people's thoughts and emotions just like the Pokémon I train. And through their help I have learned to awaken my gift further." Anabel explained. "I can sense your emotions Gaz, and you have some dark feelings within you."
Gaz was taken aback by this, is she reading him just by looking at him and talking to him.
"I can only give you some advice." Anabel continued. "Don't let the darkness swallow you. Your past can remain there if you choose to leave it there."
"It's not that easy." Gaz countered.
"It never is." Anabel admitted. "But the only other option is your own inner destruction, which in turn can destroy everyone you care about."
Her eyes shifted to the still asleep Dawn before turning on her heel and walking away.
"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Jesse asked her two comrades.
"What else could we have done?" James asked. "We couldn't just let those kids die."
"But now it will be our heads on the line." Meowth pointed out.
"Team Rocket was our life and we threw it away." Jessie mentioned.
"But we can't be on board with murder." James argued.
"You're right." Jessie sighed.
"There goes any chance of being on the boss's good side." Meowth complained.
"I don't want to work for a boss that gives those orders." James stated. "And we know that he must have given that order.
"Well what do we do now?" Jesse asked.
"I don't know." James admitted.
"We never done the right thing before." Meowth started. "Why should we start now?"
"There comes a time to draw a line and this is it." James told him.
"Don't pretend we never done good before." Jessie scolded. "We almost died trying to save the twerps and the world before."
"And judging by so far, we could be in a similar situation with the same stakes." James added.
"Look I don't like what Team Rocket did back there, and I could only guess whatever the big plan is isn't much better." Meowth told them. "But I don't like working with the twerps either.
"We don't have to work with them." Jesse suggested. "Hopefully we can just get away and go into hiding or something."
Just as she finished her sentence the door opened, and Anabel walked back in.
"So once again trouble seems to follow you three around everywhere." Anabel told the,
"That's because we are trouble." Jesse interrupted.
"And you can make that double." James added.
"Gardevoir, please." Anabel asked.
The Gardevoir that was keeping an eye on the trio by using Mean Look to prevent their escape began to levitate them with Psychic, causing them to stop their intro. She then stopped and they fell hard to the ground.
"Damn twerp." Meowth grumbled.
"You need new insults." Anabel laughed.
"What do you want from us?" Jesse asked.
"I just want to keep an eye on you until the others get back." Anabel explained. "Then we'll take it from there."
"Well who knows how long that will take." James complained.
"How long do you plan on keeping us prisoner?" Jesse wailed.
"However long it takes." Anabel smiled. "Years upon years if we have to."
The three Team Rocket members looked terrified. Were they really about to be stuck there forever?
"We're baaaaacccccckkkkkkk!" Cameron shouted, bursting through the Battle Tower doors.
"Keep it down you idiot." Leaf scolded, hitting him in the back of the head. "Its past midnight people could be asleep."
"I'm exhausted." Iris exclaimed, stepping over the prone body of Cameron. "I need long nights sleep."
"Welcome back." Anabel welcomed. "I'm guessing by your return that everyone is home safe."
"Yeah, we found Gary safe and sound." Max confirmed.
"Where is he?" Anabel asked.
"He's been a bit preoccupied since we reunited him with his Arcanine." Lucy explained, they stepped aside to reveal Gary laid flat on his back with his Arcanine stood over him filled with joy at seeing his trainer alive.
"Arcanine, I appreciate the love, but I need to recall you for now." Gary laughed, before withdrawing his friend into a pokéball.
"Ah, now that all the twerps are back safe and sound, we'll just be leaving." Jesse spoke up as her James and Meowth crept slowly towards the doors.
"Hold on, you're going nowhere!" Misty shouted, causing them to freeze in their tracks. "We have a lot of questions for you three."
"We just want to go." James pleaded. "Even though we may not have anywhere to go anymore."
"Don't try and start playing the victim." Leaf scoffed.
"It's true though what can we do?" Meowth asked.
"First, you're going to answer whatever questions we might have." Brock told them. "Then we'll take it from there."
"Let's wait until we are all together before we do that, though shall we?" Lucy suggested.
"Agreed." Gary nodded. "Are Ash and Gaz okay?"
"They are." Came a voice from the corridor doorway, they all turned to see Serena standing there. "I know Ash is awake and Gaz is in stable condition."
She then walked straight over to Cameron, who just regained his senses, and gave him a huge hug.
"Thank Arceus you're safe." She told him. "Oh, and the rest of you guys too."
"How come we don't get the same reception?" Max asked jokingly.
"Why am I always traveling with a bunch of kids." Iris sighed.
"I'll go get them, I believe May and Dawn are down around that area too." Anabel told them. "Excuse me."
As she made her way out the door an excited look came across Serena's face.
"How come you look so happy?" Cameron asked.
"Just glad to see you safe." Serena trilled.
"There's definitely another reason." Max whispered to Iris.
"Definitely." She agreed.
"Was that okay?" Ash asked awkwardly.
"Yeah that was great. Was it okay for you?" May replied just as awkward.
"Yeah, it was really good." Ash answered.
"Good." May added.
The two sat in silence for another few moments with their hands interlocked. The pair had just shared their first kiss and are of course now in the very awkward part of the post first kiss.
"I've been wanting to do that for years." May admitted.
"Me too, I'm so glad it finally happened." Ash agreed.
"Everyone is going to have a field day with this one." May laughed.
"They'll never shut up about it." Ash groaned.
"So, what does this mean for us?" May asked cautiously. "What does this mean for our friendship?"
"I think it means that we've become more than friends." Ash said sheepishly. "If that's okay with you that is."
"Ash Ketchum, did you just ask me out?" May asked teasingly yet hopefully.
"I think so…yes?" Ash responded.
"Come on, ask me properly." May laughed.
"May, will you go out with me?" Ash asked shakily.
"I would love to." May smiled, tears beginning to swim in her sapphire eyes.
The two shared yet another kiss, both being absorbed into each other's world.
"OH MY GOD!"
The two broke apart suddenly, their heads darted to the side to see Dawn and Gaz standing in the doorway.
"Oh, crap I'm sorry." Gaz apologised.
"I'm not." Dawn giggled.
May and Ash both stood up and rushed over to the other pair, their face flushed with embarrassment.
"Please don't tell anyone." May begged.
"Why not?" Gaz asked teasingly.
"We want to tell everyone, but we don't know if now is the right time." Ash admitted. "We'd like to do it on our own terms."
"Well I guess we'll keep your secret." Dawn joked. "On one condition, answer this question: Are you two officially together now?"
"We are." May confirmed, unable to hide her smile.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Dawn cheered, hugging them both.
"Me too, congratulations." Gaz smiled.
"Thank you, and I'm glad you're safe Gaz." May replied.
"Thank you, you too. And you also Ash. That really was a close one out there."
"I don't fully remember what happened, it's so hazy." Ash admitted.
"I can only remember patches too, but between me, you and Gary I'm sure we can piece it together." Gaz encouraged.
"Is Gary back?" Ash asked hopefully.
"He and the others are back safe and sound." Dawn told them. "Anabel just told us. We were on the way to meet up with them when we found you two having fun."
"Ah well, you were going to find out eventually." May sighed. "We'll get revenge soon anyway, you two are next."
It was now Gaz and Dawn's turn to blush.
"Let's get back to the others." Ash laughed.
The four walked through the corridors and back to the main room and met back up with everyone else.
"Gary thank god you're okay." Ash exclaimed.
"You too Ashy-boy." Gary smiled.
"You three have some explaining to do of what went on out there." Leaf told them.
"Okay here's what we're going to do." Brock spoke. "You three are going to tell us what happened out there and then we are going to ask Team Rocket about what's going on. Everyone okay with that?" Hearing no disputes, Brock took that as a yes.
"Let's get started then."
I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, please leave a review, favourite and follow if you like. Stay safe out there!
