Chapter 15

"Ugh, I can't believe you guys." Ash grumbled as he sat in his kitchen among his friends, all of which were still snickering at the prank they had pulled on him. It had taken him the better part of ten minutes to wash off the marker from his face, but he had successfully removed everything. "So what are you guys doing here?"

Upon asking his question, Ash felt the mood in the room become heavier as everyone shared glances.

"Ash...we want to talk to you." Valerie began, causing Ash to furrow his brow. He followed by raising a hand to stop her from continuing.

"Let me guess, Brock told you guys what's been going on?" Ash assumed, and judging from Shauna's expression of shock, Ash knew he was right. "Guys, I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you're trying to do, but I'm good."

"Oh please." Miette interjected with a great frown. "We're not stupid Ash. You're seventeen trying to take care of two girls by yourself. Don't you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

Ash's expression hardened as he looked toward Miette, but this didn't deter her from continuing.

"Brock told us everything. As much as you might want to believe you've got this under control, you don't." Miette stated sternly. Tierno and Brock made a face at Miette's brutal honesty. "But...that's okay."

"Huh?" Ash said softly, giving her a look of confusion.

"I understand what you're trying to do right now Ash. You're just like everyone else. You want to show everyone that you've grown up." Miette said, and everyone paused to consider Miette's point.

Serena raised her brow as she looked toward Ash. Trying to apply what Miette said to Ash, the brunette realized that perhaps Ash was trying to prove something to someone...or maybe to himself.

"Let's face it Ash, you can't just decide that you're an adult now and say 'oh, I can handle everything.'" Miette went on, chuckling as she said this. "Believe me, I wish it was that easy. If it was, I would be off in Fuchsia City now, but that's beside the point. Things...take time sometimes, and rushing isn't always the solution."

"I agree with that one hundred percent." Valerie added and she smiled kindly at Ash as they briefly made eye contact.

"So what should I do then? If the wrong person hears that Cassidy is in the hospital, they'll take Casey and Macy from us." Ash stated as his gaze drifted to Casey who was also present in the kitchen. Clearly his only concern was his two sisters.

"Let us help you Ash." Valerie answered consolingly. "Dropping out of school, that's not a good idea. Believe me."

Looking back to Valerie, Ash caught sight of an expression he had never seen her make before. It was always so easy to maintain eye contact with her, but she was clearly distressed. Was his decision that unsettling to her?

"You don't need to be in a rush to try and prove that you're an adult." Miette continued off her last point. "I mean, just look at some of us. I'm twenty one and still asking Serena for rides everywhere."

"Yeah!" Shauna interjected, beaming as she spoke. "And I'm twenty two, I dropped out of medical school and I'm basically broke...now."

Her smiled faded as she admitted this, and then she gave a heavy sigh. Miette and Serena didn't waste a moment to comfort Shauna, placing a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Don't feel bad Shauna. I'm twenty four and still living with my parents." Brock pointed out.

"Yeah, and calling your car 'the babe magnet.'" Tierno added, earning a laugh from the group. Even though the jab had been directed at him, Brock found himself laughing as well.

"So do you get what I'm saying Ash?" Miette asked him once they had quieted down.

"That we're all pathetic?" He asked in return, sporting a grin. She leered at him playfully, but he gave her a nod. "Yeah, I know that I have the rest of my life ahead of me. But if something that I love is in jeopardy right now, I don't see why I shouldn't drop everything to protect it."

Serena watched Ash closely as he spoke. She was touched that he was so committed to his family, but she couldn't help but think back to when she and Ash had a discussion similar to the one taking place.

-X-X-

Ash and Serena had been enjoying an afternoon stroll through the park in Ash's neighborhood. It was late in the summer and the park was heavily populated, so they had journeyed over to a quieter area. They weren't the only ones to seek out a quiet place.

As they were walking, they passed a woman seated on a bench with a flock of Pidgey around her. Ash stopped to watch them. Serena followed his line of sight to the woman, but it only took her a moment to realize that Ash was focused on the Pokemon around her. Serena remained silent as he watched them, eventually coming out of his daze.

"Oh uh, sorry Serena." Ash muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "I got a bit distracted there."

"It's no problem." Serena replied now as she took a moment to study the bird Pokemon. They were all chirping noisily around the woman as she threw out a few seeds for them to peck at. Serena couldn't understand Ash's fascination with Pokemon, no matter how much she tried to wrap her head around it. "Ash, can you tell me why you're so interested in Pokemon?"

Ash invited her to join him as he went over to a nearby tree, taking a seat on the grass in the shade it provided. Once Serena was comfortable next to him, Ash began to speak.

"Because I love Pokemon." Ash began. "Like, you love to dance and perform right?"

Serena gave him a nod.

"Well think of how much you love to dance, and multiply it by ten thousand." Ash stated, and Serena stared at him incredulously which caused Ash to laugh. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm being serious. There's nothing I love in the world more than Pokemon. Absolutely nothing."

Serena watched as he donned a smile, and she couldn't help but notice that it seemed like Ash was sparkling. He laid back onto the grass and reached upward with both of his hands toward the tree branches.

"There's people that spend their whole life working, and they get irritated with their jobs and whatnot. But then I've met people that have said if you find something you love and do it every day, you'll never work a day in your life." Ash explained to her. "I've found what I love, what I love doing, what I'm definitely going to spend the rest of my doing. And I'm not going to let anyone tell me otherwise."

-X-X-

Serena snorted audibly, impressed with Ash's consistency. He had told her that more than a year ago, and today he was still just as stubborn and hardheaded as he was back then.

"Is something the matter Serena?" Brock asked, placing all eyes on the brunette. She shook her head for a moment and looked toward Ash.

"Ash, why won't you let any of us help you?" She asked him with a strained voice. There was a lump in her throat, probably from the apprehension of engaging this subject with Ash again.

"Why?" Ash was asking himself this.

"What are you trying to prove?" Serena pressed, and Ash was surprised that she was questioning him again. They had barely made eye contact since he had come back home. Their last discussion still stung in his mind, so he thought that Serena would be ignoring him.

Ash looked down. He was trying to prove something, and Serena had picked up on it.

She could see it in his eyes. That he was trying to prove that he could do anything he put his mind to.

Everyone he knew held some sort of disdain toward his goal of becoming a Pokemon trainer. They tried to reason with him that he needed a stable future, not one where he gambled everything on Pokemon.

Ash wanted to prove to everyone that he could do this, and what better proof would there be than using Pokemon to take care of his family?

Serena, however, was wondering why Ash felt the need to validate his dream. If there was anything that she found appealing about Ash, it was the air of confidence that surrounded him. He never questioned his abilities. Any task to him was merely a question of how long would it take him to complete it. He would never consider the thought of, 'can I actually do this?'

Was all of their opposition finally breaking Ash's confidence in himself?

Serena felt a terrible weight drop on her shoulders. Was such a thing possible? That a crack had formed in Ash's unyielding confidence...that Ash might have begun to doubt himself. No, that couldn't be!

A tear escaped Serena's eye, sliding down her cheek. Everyone was surprised as she looked away from them, wiping away the tear with a sniffle.

"Serena, are you okay?" Ash asked her. She could hear the concern in his voice as her friends inched closer to her, ready to provide some support. Serena motioned for them to remain in their places, using a few moments to compose herself.

"Ash, you of all people have nothing to prove." Serena began, her voice regaining its strength. "You said it yourself, you have the rest of your life ahead of you and the world is up for grabs. Whatever you choose to do, I want to know that I...we're all here for you."

Everyone but Ash smiled brightly at Serena's statement, giving Ash a nod of agreement.

"So please...just let us help you. We don't want you to handicap your future because of a hasty decision you make right now." Serena continued, and Ash lowered his shoulders as he looked at his friend.

"I hear ya Serena." He said, nodding his head. "If you're going to cry about it, I'll stay in school."

Serena approached him and punched his shoulder, earning a laugh from Ash. Without warning she embraced him, whispering a thanks to him. Separating herself from Ash, he smiled at her, glad that they had mended the bridge between them.

Miette couldn't help but roll her eyes at the two of them. Despite most of them taking the time to try and convince Ash not to think rashly, all it took was some words from Serena to get him to pause for a moment.

"And you know what the best part is, guys?" Ash inquired as he looked around at all his friends. "We've all got the rest of our lives ahead of us, right?"

"You got that right!" Tierno exclaimed.

"So let's make a promise right now. That one day, we'll all show the world what we're made of." Ash announced, causing all of them to adorn smiles that were brimming with confidence.

"That's right!" Brock said as he took his place at the center of the kitchen. "Come on guys, bring it in, bring it in!"

Brock put out his hand, and everyone immediately understood. Reaching out, they all put one hand on top of the other as they stood in a circle. Casey was the only one who was watching, but Ash quickly made a gesture for her to join them.

"Come on Casey." Ash said to her. She looked surprised, but jumped right into their huddle.

"We all might be struggling right now, but that doesn't mean we're stuck here. One day in the future, we're going to do something amazing." Brock declared as Trevor took out his digital camera, taking a few snap shots of the group with his free hand. "So let's make it happen!"

"Yeah!" They shouted together, throwing their hands up.

Wednesday, November 2nd

Seated on the front steps in front of his home, Ash waved to Casey as she stepped off of the bus that had dropped her home from school. She returned his wave before a call from Macy gained her attention.

Their youngest sibling had been anxiously waiting for Casey to come home to play her favorite side walk game – hopscotch.

"Let's play!" Macy exclaimed, and Casey removed her backpack and tossed it to Ash. He snorted upon catching the bag before placing it beside him on the staircase. Leaning back, he watched his sisters as they went back and forth, calling what square they would be hopping to.

With the freedom to relax, Ash fell back into the daze he had been in since last night.

He still couldn't believe that all of his friends had come at the drop of a hat to help him out. It was almost surreal how they came to his rescue. As much as he wanted to deny it, Ash had been feeling very helpless. He had no idea what was the right course of action that would ensure the safety of his family. Thankfully, his friends had gifted him with all of the help in the world.

After their conversation last night, everyone had worked out a schedule to help Ash watch the girls. They would be watching Macy in shifts while Ash was in school, and everyone was willing and able to help out when he had to go work. Surprisingly, Shauna took on the bulk of the night shifts, revealing to everyone that she had nothing better to do during most weeknights.

Ash openly stated that he was indebted to all of them, insisting that he would find a way to pay them back for all of their time and energy. Of course his friends declined, but Ash wasn't going to let them sweep this under the rug. He would think of something to surprise them.

Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to implement this schedule until Friday afternoon at the earliest. All of them had prior commitments for this week which Ash could understand, but it meant that he would be missing a few more days of school, not that he really cared. The extra time with Macy was proving to be delightful, though Ash had to admit that he was seeing a side of the girl he wasn't accustomed to seeing. Cassidy had her work cut out for her trying to entertain Macy all day every day.

Feeling someone drop down beside him, Ash exited his thoughts and glanced at Casey. She raised her brow briefly at him before they looked back at Macy who was working through her hopscotch course once again.

"I'm glad you're starting to relax a little." Casey noted softly.

"Was I that obvious?" Ash asked her in return, and she gave him a large nod.

"I was a little nervous. All I could do was hope you didn't do anything stupid." Casey pointed out, shooting him a smirk.

Ash flicked her shoulder in response before exhaling loudly. Casey was definitely right. For three days, it felt like he had been holding his breath. Now he could breathe easy and it was all thanks to-

"Ash, your friends are awesome." Casey stated, and Ash beamed at this.

"They really are."

Friday, November 4th

"Commençons mes étudiants." Fantina declared to her students, motioning for them to begin working. She had just finished explaining what their assignment for this class period, also mentioning that since it was Friday she would allow them ten minutes of free time near the end of class.

Fantina smiled with satisfaction as her students became absorbed in their work with just the occasional bit of small talk. Now she could move on to her next order of business, attendance. Returning to her desk, Fantina began to look down her attendance sheet on her computer. Running down the list quickly, it didn't take Fantina long to arrive at her first and only absent student.

Monsieur Ketchum.

He had been missing for the entirety of this school week now, and she missed his company during her free periods. Ash enjoyed listening to her experiences from when she lived in Kalos and Sinnoh, and it gave Fantina ample opportunity to keep practicing her English.

Little did Fantina know that she wasn't the only one missing Ash's company.

Dawn found herself looking toward the back of the class room for the fifth time already this class period. Rolling her eyes, Dawn had to remind herself that doing this wouldn't suddenly make Ash appear in his seat. With a sigh, the bluenette returned to her work, though her actions did not go unnoticed by her partner, May.

"Sheesh, do you miss him that much?" May asked her in a whisper. Dawn cheeks began to heat up at May's suggestion, but she couldn't deny that she missed Ash. It felt strange not sharing a good portion of her day with him. She enjoyed exchanging thoughts with him, in fact their thoughts always seemed to be in line with each other's.

"I'm just used to having him around, that's all." Dawn retorted.

"Oh, so he's like a pet to you?" May asked, earning a sharp leer from Dawn.

"May!" She exclaimed without any forethought which caused Fantina to shush her.

The brunette snickered as Dawn sunk into her seat, apologizing to Fantina for the volume of her voice.

"So how about this Dawn, let's go visit him after school today." May suggested quietly, earning a narrow glance from Dawn.

"We can't just show up at his house." Dawn said, causing May to look at her funny.

"Why not, I show up at your house all the time."

"I mean...we should at least call him first or something." Dawn reasoned. She had never been comfortable going to someone's house unannounced. Not even May's home.

"Fine, I'll give him a call later." May said as she rolled her eyes. "What time do you want to meet up later?"

"Uh...I got something to take care of after school first. Are you cool with waiting for me?"

"Dawn you're lucky I'm such a great friend." May said through pursued lips. Dawn deadpanned in response, causing May to grin at her. "O-kay, we can meet at my car. I'm parked by the field today."

Their Friday afternoons usually consisted going out to a popular cafe on the east side of town, but today they had some different plans.

Dawn looked out the passenger window of May's car as they pulled up alongside Ash's house. She had been here on three separate occasions now, but she still felt uncomfortable as May turned off the engine of her car.

This unease bubbled in her chest for one primary reason. Ash hadn't answered any of their calls.

Dawn didn't like the thought of them knocking on his door without any prior notice, but it seemed like that was their only option. The bluenette was worried about him since he had been missing all week. At the very least, Dawn wanted to know that he if he was alright.

"Come on Dawn." May said, tapping her knuckles against the window of Dawn's door. May was already outside of the car, waiting for her friend to join her. Releasing her seat belt, Dawn got out of the car with a sheepish laugh and shut the door. Once May locked up her car, they went up the small staircase to the front door where knocked on the door frame without any hesitation.

Dawn was thankful that May was here to do just this. Dawn was positive that she would've frozen up in front of the door. The last thing she needed to do was look suspicious outside of Ash's house.

There was a click and the front door opened. May was at a loss for words at the sight of the person who had answered the door. Her eyes became wide at the sight of some short blue hair. May had always thought that Dawn and Johanna were the only people with blue hair in all of Vermilion City, but apparently there were others.

"Oh, you're one of Ash's friends right? I think I met you that night at the train station." Dawn said as she looked at the young woman thoughtfully.

"I'm Miette. And I remember you too, but you'll have to remind me of your name." Miette said as she looked at Dawn.

"Dawn."

"That's right. So how have you been Dawn?" Miette inquired, emphasizing Dawn's name to commit it to memory.

"I've been pretty good." Dawn replied calmly. "And yourself?"

"I can't complain." Miette said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"So what are you doing here?" Miette asked before a silence could set in now that they had gone through the formalities.

"Oh well, this is my friend May." Dawn said, introducing the brunette beside her. Miette spared May a glance, but she was far more interested in why Dawn was here. Recalling the last time she had spoken to Dawn, Miette had a sneaky suspicion that Dawn wanted to be more than just friends with Ash. "We're here to check on Ash actually. He hasn't come to school all week so we thought it might be good idea to see if he's okay."

Miette raised her brow at the two of them, a small smile forming on her face.

"Wow, Ash has some cool friends." Miette noted but she frowned as she began to share some bad news. "He's not here at the moment. He went to work like an hour ago."

"Has he been working all week or something?" May asked. Miette shook her head which prompted another question from May. "So then why hasn't he been coming to school?"

Miette took a moment to glance at each of the girls, sizing them up. She was impressed that they were willing to go out of their own way to come check on Ash, especially on a Friday afternoon. They could have been getting a head start on their weekend, but instead they had come to check on their friend. Miette gave a small nod and stepped aside, inviting them to enter Ash's home.

"Come on in. I want to talk with the two of you." Miette said, causing Dawn and May to share a tentative glance before they complied. Stepping into Ash's house, they removed their shoes while Miette shut the door. This audio cue sparked a shout from the living room nearby.

"Miette, who was at the door?" A voice called out.

"Some girls that know Ash." Miette hollered back.

"Are they gone?" The voice continued as it drew closer. Dawn looked at the entrance to the living room when Serena stepped out of it. Serena blushed out of embarrassment as she saw Dawn and May standing with Miette who had a devilish grin on her face. "Miette, why didn't you say you invited them in?"

Miette stuck her tongue out at Serena and then motioned for the girls to follow her into the living room. As the four of them entered the room, they were greeted by a small girl in the middle of the room who was laying on the floor, scribbling away at a coloring book.

"Hi~!" Macy bellowed at Dawn and May. Her gaze settled on Dawn, and she put down her crayons to focus on the bluenette.

"Do you remember me Macy?" Dawn asked as she and May approached the girl.

"Yeah, you were with Ashy at the party!" She declared.

"Party?" May and Miette asked together, giving Dawn a curious glance.

"Remember the block party last month. I went with Ash and his sisters." Dawn explained.

"Oh, your date." May said slyly, earning a light elbow from Dawn. May laughed before she kneeled down beside Macy. "So what are you up to sweetheart?"

Macy quickly picked up her coloring book from the floor and lifted it proudly for May to see.

"I'm drawing like Ashy!" Macy explained to them as Macy accepted the book, beginning to examine some of the pages she had colored. "Ashy's really good. I'm gonna draw like him."

"Aww, that's adorable." May exclaimed with a bright smile for Macy. "And your right, Ashy is really good at drawing. He's amazing."

"The best!" Macy added, causing May to laugh. She could already tell that Macy had placed Ash on the highest pedestal and she absolutely loved the name this small girl called him. It was just the cutest thing!

While Dawn and May spoke with Macy, Serena and Miette remained at the entrance of the living room where they held a quiet conversation.

"What did you invite them in for?" Serena asked Miette.

"They came to visit Ash. I wasn't going to send them away." Miette responded, but Serena gave her a narrow glance. Miette wasn't kind to strangers or people she hardly knew. May and Dawn fit each category respectively, so that left Serena to assume that Miette had hatched some sort of plan.

"What are you thinking Miette?" Serena asked her skeptically.

"Nothing." Miette replied, making a face at Serena. "Do you have a problem with me being nice?"

"Not at all...it's just that-" Serena began.

"I'm trying to be hospitable." Miette interjected.

"This isn't your house." Serena pointed out.

"I'm practicing for the day I decide to open up my home." Miette retorted. "Now help me out. Fix up some of that iced tea Shauna made."

"Ugh, I'm not your servant Miette." Serena said as she rolled her eyes. Miette only smirked at her, and with a grumble Serena complied with her request. As Serena left for the kitchen, Miette joined the chatter around Macy in the living room.

Entering the kitchen, Serena went through each of the cabinets above the counter in search of the cups. It had been so long since she really spent time at Ash's house that she had forgotten where they put everything. Eventually she found a pair of glasses, and she quickly retrieved the pitcher of iced tea from the fridge.

As she poured each glass, Serena heard a shout from the living room.

"He's going to do what?!" May barked, and it didn't take long for Serena to piece together what they must have been talking about. Ash's business.

Putting away the pitcher with haste, Serena snatched up the two glasses from the counter and went back to the living room. Entering the room, she found the three of them seated on the sofa with Miette blabbering about Ash's personal life.

"That's why we're here. We're watching his sisters for him while he's-"

"Miette!" Serena said sharply, interrupting Miette before she could go any farther. "Can I speak to you in the kitchen?"

"Yeah when I'm done." Miette responded as Serena gave Dawn and May their drinks.

"No, right now." Serena stated in a low voice.

Miette pursed her lips, realizing that she was in trouble. Rising from the sofa with a sullen expression, she followed Serena out of the room. Once they were in the kitchen, Serena turned around to look at her friend intently.

"Miette, did you really just put all of Ash's business out there?" Serena asked her incredulously. She was honestly amazed that Miette had no problem talking about someone else's personal struggles without a care in the world.

"Okay, before you get upset...in my defense, I thought it would be worth it to tell them." Miette replied. Serena waited for a moment to see if she would continue, but Miette didn't go any farther.

"So what made you think that it would be a good idea?" Serena asked her, but Miette remained silent. "Miette? Are you really giving me the silent treatment now?"

Miette stuck her tongue out at Serena once again, causing her to puff out her cheeks with a huff. Miette could be so frustrating sometimes that Serena just wanted to pull her hair out!

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Serena asked as Miette left the kitchen, returning to the living room. As she walked down the corridor, Miette looked back at Serena to stick her tongue out once again, further irritating Serena. "Ugh, you know you're the worst sometimes Miette!"

Following her back to the living room, Serena found that both Dawn and May had approached her friend to speak with her.

"We want to help out Ash." Dawn stated.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" May asked as well.

Both of them were anxious to get an answer from Miette, but she directed them to Serena. They practically jumped Serena which earned a snort from Miette.

Serena was taken aback by their sudden declaration, and it took a moment for her to process everything. There were two high school girls offering their free time to help Ash with his problems. Serena had a hard time imagining herself doing this when she was their age, not that she was selfish. There were so many other things she would have preferred to do, and she was certain that Dawn and May had similar thought processes. Yet they were willing to sacrifice that bit of freedom they had for Ash.

Serena was left to assume that Ash must have left a lasting impression on these girls.

"Uh, to be honest, you'll have to talk to Ash when he gets back." Serena answered them after a few moments.

"That's no problem, we'll wait." May said and Dawn nodded in agreement. Serena glanced at Miette now, and she saw the smirk Miette was wearing. It was then that she realized why Miette had been so open about Ash with them. They cared for Ash, not just as a peer, but as a person and friend.

Arriving at his home from work at t eight fifteen, Ash had been expecting to meet the people that he had left there when he went to work. However, he returned to some extra guests, though he was pleasantly surprised to see the duo that was waiting for him in his living room. Dawn and May.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ash asked as he blinked a few times. At first he had been wondering if it was truly them. It had been almost a full week since he had last seen then, so he had been looking forward to seeing them again at school. Fortunately they saved him the trouble of waiting through the weekend for next Monday.

"You didn't come to school all week. We thought you were sick." Dawn began.

"You had us really worried, ya know." May added, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"So we came to see if you were okay." Dawn continued.

"And we met Serena and Miette, or at least I did." May went on. "And they filled us in on what's been going on with you."

Ash looked toward the two young women that May had mentioned, furrowing his brow at them. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about what they had done because they weren't the first to do this. At this point it seemed like everyone was going to know at some point whether he wanted them to or not.

"Don't get upset with them. They didn't want to tell us but we pried the information out of them." May declared, and Ash gave her a look filled with skepticism. He knew for a fact that Serena could be trusted with a secret. Miette, however, was so unpredictable. She could've told them everything for all he knew...or perhaps May and Dawn had pulled off a fantastic good cop-bad cop routine to get the information out of them. Ash shook his head, laughing inwardly at the thought of Dawn and May interrogating Miette.

"So we want to help you Ash." Dawn finished as she and May made eye contact with him. He stood baffled for a moment at their offer.

"Why?" He blurted out with a confused expression. "Don't take that the wrong way, it's just that you guys are, like, just getting to know me."

"And?" May asked him pointedly. "That's no reason to ignore someone I know that needs help."

Ash was still in the process of getting to know May since their first meeting almost two months ago. He was impressed with her initially, taking the time to speak with him one on one in an effort to get to know him better. She was very personable, but it didn't take him long to realize that could also be very indecisive. As he looked at her know, he was filled with admiration for how proactive she was being. She and Dawn had come her to help him, and he wasn't in a position to refuse either.

"Much respect May." Ash said as he approached the two of them, extending a closed fist to May. She looked at him for a moment before bumping fists with him, beaming proudly. Ash then moved his hand over to Dawn, motioning for her to do the same. "I can't thank you two enough for offering to help me. You guys-err, girls, you rock."

"Aww, thanks Ashy." May said, shooting him a wink. How May referred to him caused Ash to stare at her in a deadpan, causing the others to stifle a laugh.

"Since you're on board, you have to exchange numbers with us so we can call you guys." Miette said now, taking control of the conversation.

"And I'll give you Shauna's number too. Macy can be a bit of a handful so if you two ever end up watching her on your own, you can give Shauna a call for help." Serena explained as the four of them took out their phones, beginning to trade their contact information.

"Ash, your sister is so adorable! I used to babysit my younger brother too so I'd love to watch her for you." May revealed to Ash. "And if you ever need a ride to work or home from school just let me know, I'd be happy to give you a lift."

Ash couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Just a few days ago he had been struggling to figure out all of this, and now everything just seemed to be falling into place. Things were finally looking up for him.

Seeing Ash smile at the news May shared with him, Dawn couldn't help but feel a little distant at the moment. This afternoon had been more eventful than either she or May had been expecting. Their discussion with Serena and Miette had revealed quite a bit of information to them. Like Ash's foster mother being left in a coma after a heart attack which left Ash to look after his younger sisters. That explained why he had been skipping school.

That was just the beginning. Miette had told them all of the details. That Ash had been thinking about dropping out of school to join the Red Skulls. Neither Dawn nor May could believe that he was willing to do all of this, so they jumped at the opportunity to help him out if it would help him maintain his current lifestyle. May had instantly thought of all sorts of things she could do to help Ash, but Dawn was struggling. She could help him watching his sisters, but she wanted to do more than just that. What else could she offer besides her time?

Saturday, November 5th

Ash sat back lazily on the couch in his living room, stroking Pikachu's back as it rested on his lap. It was past ten o'clock in the morning and Ash was content for the most part. Casey was sleeping in late, and Macy was absorbed in a cartoon so this left him with time to just sit and think.

The past week had been unlike anything Ash had ever experienced. Looking back on it now, he couldn't believe some of the decisions that he was prepared to make. He was actually considering dropping out of school. Ash shook his head, amazed that he had convinced himself that this was a viable choice. He had chosen to ignore the repercussions in favor addressing the issue at hand, but now that he had some time to relax, he allowed his mind to wander.

What would Cassidy say to him?

"Are you out of your damn mind?!" "Get your ass back down to that school and I don't care who you have to beg, or how many asses you have to kiss, don't come back here until you've been re-enrolled!"

Ash wanted to chuckle at the mental image of Cassidy losing her temper in such a fashion, but the woman had a tough side that normally went unseen. He had witnessed it just once, years ago, and he feared the thought of that anger being directed at him. It wasn't just her anger that worried him though, he was certain that her disappointment in him would far outweigh the initial anger.

Then there was Casey.

"Well if you're not going to school then neither am I!"

Convincing Casey to go to school was a challenge in itself. If Ash had stopped attending school for good, regardless of the circumstances, there was no way that Casey would continue going either. Ash was trying to fill in as an authority figure, but he knew that Casey wouldn't look at him that way. He was a brother to her, but also an equal. Despite being older, Casey didn't view him as her superior. As long as Cassidy wasn't here, Ash would have to do everything he could to keep her household in order. He paled at the thought of what Cassidy might do to him if Casey also dropped out of school.

"Ash!" Casey hollered, snapping him out of his thoughts. Glancing at the entrance to the living room, he spotted the girl standing there still dressed in her pajamas. "What's for breakfast?"

"I got your plate on the counter, just warm it up." Ash replied, motioning to the kitchen with his head.

"Thanks." She said softly before heading off. Ash exhaled, causing Pikachu to open one of its eyes to take a peek at him.

"Pi?" It asked him, rising up a bit.

"Oh no, nothing to worry about here Pikachu. I'm good." Ash assured his partner, looking directly into its eyes. They shared a moment, and Pikachu was satisfied with this before it flopped back down on his lap, allowing him to continue the massage.

Looking at Macy who was seated in front of the television, Ash was left to wonder what she would think of his choices.

"Hooray, Ashy's home again!"

Ash snorted, enjoying the idea of spending more time with Macy. She had been delighted to have him home most of the time during this past week. If he joined the Red Skulls there was no telling what kind of work schedule he might receive from them. Ash thought about what it would be like to work with the Red Skulls full time. If a small job with them took a whole weekend to complete, then they were likely expecting a huge time commitment from someone that wanted to work with them full time. Macy wouldn't be happy about that if he was hardly home.

If there was one thing that had truly surprised him this week, it was Macy. At this point he was expecting her to calling for Cassidy all the time, but the small girl seemed to be doing just fine without her foster mother. Ash wasn't sure how much longer this would continue, but his all of his friends watching Macy each day would hopefully be a good distraction for her. At least until they got some news about Cassidy.

But, what was he going to do after that?

Regardless of Cassidy's condition, Ash wanted a concrete means to take care of them. His part time job wasn't going to cut it, and joining the Red Skulls was off the table now. What was he going to do?

Pikachu perked up on his lap, its ears raised. A few moments later the doorbell rang, causing Ash to smirk at Pikachu's sense of hearing.

"Excuse me Pikachu." Ash said, and his Pokemon hopped off his lap so that he could rise up. Pikachu scampered off behind the couch, staying out of sight while Ash went to answer the door. Upon opening the front door, it took a moment for it to register in Ash's mind that he was staring at Dawn.

"Um...hi, Ash." She began with a small wave. It was clear that she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say, failing to even make eye contact with Ash which afforded him some time to gain his composure.

"What are you doing here Dawn?" Ash inquired, opening the door completely. This allowed Ash to see the blue car parked in front of his house. Seated in the driver's seat was May which further piqued Ash's curiosity.

"Umm...well first I'm sorry for dropping by without calling." Dawn continued, her cheeks reddening as she admitted this. "I just uh, wanted to give you this."

Revealing her other hand which had been hidden behind her back, she extended an envelope to Ash. He raised his eyebrows as he accepted it from her.

"It's...just go ahead and open it." She said finally, motioning for him to look in it.

The envelope wasn't sealed, giving Ash easy access. There was a small slip of paper within it, which Ash quickly recognized as a check after a glance. A check for...five thousand dollars.

Ash blinked a few times, reading and re-reading the amount of money that this check was for. Signed by Dawn Berlitz, it was official.

"Dawn I…can't accept this." Ash breathed out in response, looking toward her eyes now. He was immediately filled with regret though as Dawn's hopeful expression shattered, being replaced by disappointment.

"Please." She begged him. He wanted to give this money back to her. He couldn't accept this much money from her, no matter how much he wanted and needed it.

"Dawn, you've already agreed to help me look after the girls. I couldn't ask for anything else from you." Ash reasoned with her, but this didn't seem to satisfy her.

"You don't have to ask for this Ash. I'm giving this to you." Dawn replied sternly.

"This is a lot of money-"

"No it isn't, not for me Ash. So please, just take it." She insisted. "There are no strings attached or anything. I just want you to have this to help out a bit…to keep things smooth for you."

Ash was hesitant to agree to this. On one hand, he was absolutely floored that she was actually giving him this money. The day he had first met her, she had also offered him money, but he had thought she was merely making the offer for show. Now that she had placed a check in his hands, he was honestly dumbfounded. Ash felt a wave of guilt hit him for questioning Dawn's generosity when they first met. Looking into her eyes once again, he saw that a tear was threatening to escape.

Looking at Dawn in this particular moment suddenly reminded Ash of the song Nando had played at his recital almost two weeks ago. He was reminded of the strong feelings Nando held for this girl, and Ash felt his heart skip a beat as he fully understood Nando's feelings.

Dawn was truly one of a kind.

"I just want to help Ash. May and...all your friends are doing everything they can. I've been trying to think of what I can do, but I couldn't think of anything. I didn't know what else I could do to help you Ash." Dawn explained to him, her voice distressed. "I can't sit around knowing that I could've done something to help you and didn't-"

Dawn was caught off guard as Ash embraced her, her face reddening dramatically. Down in her car, May broke out in a huge smile as saw Ash absorb Dawn in a hug.

"Thank you." Ash said softly to Dawn. He separated from her, and looked at her square in the face. "Thank you so much Dawn. I promise you that this money will go to good use."

Silence set in between them. Dawn couldn't find her voice, and Ash was unsure of what to say next. Lucky for them, there was someone else who had a good idea. May tooted the horn of her car, causing the two of them to glance back at her.

"Come on Dawn, I got Drew waiting for me!" May proclaimed after she had rolled down the window. This caused Ash and Dawn to laugh as they relaxed.

"So will I see you Monday?" Dawn asked him, looking back at him.

"That's the plan." He replied with a nod, and Dawn sighed with relief, wiping away the tear that had slid down her cheek.

"Great, I'll see you there-I mean, we'll see you there." Dawn corrected herself with a nervous laugh, motioning toward May.

"I'm looking forward to it." Ash replied with a grin.

Dawn returned his smile and left with a wave. As she got to the car and opened her passenger door, May felt the need to add in her own two cents.

"Ash, I had better see you at school on Monday. If you're not there, just remember I know where you live~!" The brunette hollered, earning a loud laugh from Ash. Dawn rolled her eyes as she got into the car, quickly putting on her seat belt before May drove off. Ash waved to them as they left, remaining on his porch until they left his line of sight. His smile soon faded once they were gone because one question still remained on his mind.

What was he going to do after this?

Sunday, November 6th

"Don't go too far now!" Ash hollered at Casey and Macy as they two of them dashed off into the sandy beaches.

Brock had dropped by late in the afternoon offering to take Ash and the girls down to beaches on the southern strip of Vermilion City. Upon arriving there the girls wasted no time removing their shoes and running out onto the sandy dunes. Ash and Brock remained with the car in the parking lot that was situated right by the beach, placing them in a prime location to watch over the girls.

"So how are you holding up?" Brock asked him as the two of them took a seat on the hood of his car. Ash appreciated how Brock had been checking on him daily. In fact, if it weren't for Brock checking on him so much during this week, Ash was certain he would've acted upon some of the thoughts he had. Brock had been helping him keep his grip on reality until his friends helped him take hold of his life once again.

"I'm good. I'm good." Ash said twice with a nod, once to assure Brock and a second time to assure himself.

"And Cassidy, any news on her?" Brock inquired.

"I got a phone call yesterday actually. They removed her from intensive care…but she hasn't woken up yet." Ash explained, and Brock frowned at this answer. "Basically they just told me to adjust to not having her around."

"Man that's rough." Brock commented, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Well with all of you guys helping us out, I'm not that worried." Ash stated, giving Brock a small grin. His expression became neutral as he looked out at Casey and Macy running through the sand. "The real problem, is that the hospital bill will keep getting bigger the longer she stays there."

Brock scrunched up his nose as this settled into his mind. The possibility of this bill reaching enormous proportions was very real.

"I hardly have enough money to cover what the bill had reached already. At this rate I'm gonna have to get rich overnight or go into debt." Ash paused, taking a deep breath. "And if we go into debt they'll find out Cassidy isn't paying which will tip off foster care that she's not fulfilling her responsibilities. Then if they investigate they'll find out that Cassidy hasn't been watching us and they'll take Casey and Macy."

Brock eyed Ash's hands, seeing that he was wringing them out of apprehension. This wasn't the first time he had shared this news, but it was clearly evident how much this thought terrified Ash. He didn't want to lose his siblings, no matter the cost to himself.

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen." Brock stated. He could sympathize with Ash. Brock had a large family, and if anyone threatened them, he would stop at nothing to protect them.

"But what can I do? I'm not going to land some big time job. I can't join the Red Skulls. Where am I going to get that kind of money to pay the hospital?" Ash asked as he looked toward Brock. Upon seeing his friend don a smirk, Ash realized that Brock had an answer. "What are you thinking?"

Brock's smirk seemed to grow in response to Ash's skepticism.

"Have you thought about going pro?" Brock asked, causing Ash to stare at him blankly.

Going pro...as in becoming a professional Pokemon trainer. The title wasn't quite as extravagant as it sounded considering the profession was done almost entirely in secret.

To become a professional trainer took two things. One was the approval of the commissioner of the underground circuit. The man responsible for creating a circuit that had attracted the strongest trainers in the world, establishing a battle ground for them to compete with one another. He determined who could participate in this circuit.

The second requirement was a sponsor. Running the underground circuit took an incredible amount of funding. Not only that, but Pokemon battles had gained quite a bit of traction in the wealthy community of Vermilion City. They began to place bets on matches, turning these battles into a large gambling scene. As one's reputation grew in the circuit, trainers could find large sums of money being place on, or against them. Sponsors would match the bets against their trainers, only needing to pay a portion of that sum if their trainer lost. Victory though, would lead to a substantial payday, one where a trainer could go from rags to riches overnight.

"How Brock?" Ash asked, breaking the silence that had set in. "I've never even seen the commissioner to talked to him. How would I convince him to let me in?"

"Ash my man, you just leave that to me." Brock said with a sense of certainty. Ash could feel the confidence radiating from his friend, and his doubts seemed to melt away. If there was anyone that could pull off a miracle like that, it was Brock. "If you're going pro, Ash, you're going to have to train a lot more."

"No kidding. I hardly have enough time to train as it is. I don't think I could make more time." Ash pointed out.

"Ash what did I just tell you?" Brock asked him as dug into one of his pockets. He pulled out an envelope and Ash felt his chest become tight.

"You too?" Ash exclaimed.

"Me too?" Brock asked in return. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh…nothing." Ash replied, shaking his head.

"I've got a little something here for you. It's not much." Brock said as he passed the envelope to Ash who opened it. Inside was several large dollar bills which Ash didn't take the time to count. He couldn't believe that Brock had given him money as well. "It's what I've saved up since the summer. This should be enough to carry you for a while."

"Brock no, I-I can't take this." Ash replied, trying to return the envelope to Brock. In response Brock raised his hands, refusing to take it back.

"Just hear me out real quick." Brock began. "I know how much you want to become a Pokemon trainer and…I really wanted to see you become one too. But looking back on it, I feel like I kind of pointed you in the wrong direction. I should've never told you to start working with the Red Skulls because…that's not the crowd of trainers you belong with. You're a competitor, not some hoodlum."

"But Brock-" Ash interjected, but his motioned for him to keep quiet. Brock sighed, lowering his head before he continued.

"I know what you're going to say Ash, but that won't change the truth. The Red Skulls do some shady stuff. My thoughts were clouded because I wanted to see you progress. It was faster and easier for you to meet and battle trainers working with the Red Skulls. But you were getting hurt, and it took me too long to realize that...that isn't the life for you." Brock went on.

"If anything happens to Ash…I'll never forgive you Brock."

Serena's warning should've helped him realize where Ash was headed.

Brock was just glad that Ash didn't commit to the Red Skulls. This gave him with a chance to right this ship.

"Take that money Ash." Brock said, looking directly at his buddy. "Quit your job, and focus on training. That way when the commissioner approves you as a professional trainer, you'll be ready to take on anyone in this city."

"Brock man …you-" Ash's voice faltered, causing him to look away from Brock. He sucked in lips, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Brock was truly the best friend he could have asked for, and this moment of reflection caused a smile to form on Ash's face. With a sniffle, Ash looked toward his best friend, grateful to know such an awesome person.

Seeing Ash's smile, Brock felt as though it was contagious as he started beaming as well. He then raised a closed fist toward Ash.

"Dude, let's make this happen." Brock stated, and Ash gave him a nod, tapping his knuckles against Brock's.

"You bet."

A/N

So that wraps up this story arc, though it became a lot longer than when I had originally written it. There were all kinds of hints and motives I've tucked into the last few chapters for future events that I'm looking forward to uploading.

The question still remains if Cassidy will recover, and what could happen to the girls. But at the very least Ash has the comfort of knowing his friends have his back. What more could you ask for when the going gets tough?

Now the focus of the last few chapters surrounded the repercussions of Cassidy getting sick, so a lot of other subjects took the backseat for a while. Rest assured, the story will pick back up in the next chapter now that Ash has his sights set on joining the underground circuit. Starting from here things really get moving so I hope you're prepared to start exploring all of the twists and turns I have prepared for you guys.

Give me some feed back on...anything really, all of it is appreciated. If you wanna talk feel free to PM me, its always my pleasure!

Gotta give a shout-out to my beta-reader MjrGenMatt. This guy was a monster keeping up with me and all the work I gave him lol the past couple of months.

So just a heads up for everyone, that was the last chapter that I had prepped for a fast upload. I did my best to give you guys a new chapter once a week for the last month or so, and unfortunately that's not a pace I can maintain. In fact I'll admit that I killed the buffer chapters I had been holding onto just to do this. I'll be returning to my original schedule of roughly one update a month, maybe twice if I have the time. On the plus side, chapter 16 is already being polished between my beta and myself, so it'll be up soon.

It's been a blast guys, I'll see you all at the next update. Stay cool if you can and enjoy the summer!