Chapter 22
They say that your first steps are always the hardest.
That saying is true regardless of your age.
The first step on his journey proved to be all he could handle.
Saturday, December 3rd
"You also need to understand that you can't change everything just because you want to."
"I really respect what you want to do, but I'm not sure if you understand what you're trying to do."
"Those things have no place in our lives."
"I wouldn't trust a Pokemon, not if my life depended on it."
"…stay the hell away from Pokemon…!"
Ash bolted upright, throwing his bed sheets off of his upper torso. He sucked in all the air he could, his lungs tight and stressed. Taking a glance around his room, his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness and he palmed the side of his face. He groaned and ran his hand down the side of his face, wondering when was the last time he had a nightmare. It had been a long time since a dream had affected him like this.
He looked toward his clock and saw that it was barely past five o'clock in the morning. Fortunately, it was Saturday, so the earliest he had to be up by was eight, provided Macy slept that long. Once his breathing stabilized, he laid back down to look up at the ceiling. His door creaked as it was opened, making space for Pikachu to peek into his room. Seeing that Ash was awake, he entered the room and approached his bedside.
"Pika?" He asked him quietly.
"Oh yeah, I'm fine Pikachu. Just a bad dream." Ash assured him as Pikachu climbed onto his bed. Pikachu snuggled up against his torso, demanding more space on Ash's bed. Rolling his eyes, Ash moved over and Pikachu stretched out with a content 'Chaaa.' They remained silent for some time, but Ash continued to shift restlessly on his bed, his thoughts returning to his dream. Sensing Ash's unease, Pikachu made a suggestion to distract him, but Ash groaned in reply.
"I don't feel like going downstairs." Ash mumbled out, causing Pikachu to nudge Ash's side with his forehead. With a glance at his partner, he found Pikachu looking up at him with a pair of large sad eyes, begging him to go downstairs. "Ugh, geez I'll go. Just quit looking at me like that."
"Pika." He snickered as Ash rose up from his bed and shot a half-hearted glare at Pikachu, who had jumped down to the floor.
"But you owe me for this." Ash added as the two of them left the room, making their way down to the kitchen. Once there, Ash retrieved a carton of milk from the fridge and poured a small bowl for Pikachu and a glass for himself. Taking a seat at the table, Ash set the bowl down for Pikachu and invited him to jump up.
Cassidy didn't like Pikachu being up on the table, but he had been taking advantage of her absence in full. As Pikachu began to drink some of the milk Ash had set out, the young man retrieved his phone from the living room to access the PokeHub. Rather than study a new Pokemon, the focus this morning was a last-minute check on their opponent today.
Brawly, the 'Wave Ripper.'
Going into his profile, Ash had no trouble finding recordings of Brawly's matches in the underground circuit, as well as the stored footage from his live streams on his off weekends. Opening his most recent street battle, Ash set his phone down for the two of them to observe the match.
Giselle had directed him to watch as much footage of Brawly has he could during the week. She encouraged him to see how much he could learn about Brawly before this battle to gain any sort of edge that he could. As much as Giselle wanted him to beat Brawly, she also warned Ash that he was no pushover. If Ash could get his hands on any sort of advantage, she was certain that it would prove to be invaluable.
According to Brawly's profile, he had two Pokemon registered for use in circuit matches. While his alias suggested that he would use water type Pokemon, Ash was surprised to see that he was actually a fighting type specialist. While this didn't give him the tremendous type advantage he wanted, Ash knew that Pikachu's speed would still be their best weapon.
Especially against Brawly's signature Pokemon. His Hariyama. He was a slow Pokemon with powerful attacks aimed to pummel opponents into the ground. Pikachu's quickness would be a natural counter to this, and they could just wear down Hariyama with consecutive attacks until his stamina gave out. It was unlikely that they would face his Hariyama today. He was used exclusively for circuit matches at the Hidden Cove.
The opponent they would be facing toward was Brawly's Medicham. She was used primarily for his street battles. Unlike his Hariyama, this Pokemon had a measure of speed and it was master of close-range combat. While Pikachu could hold his own against Giselle's Cubone, Ash knew for a fact that they wanted no part of Medicham up close. If they were going to defeat Medicham, they were going to have to alter their usual strategy. Precision and timing were what they would have to rely on to create openings against this Medicham and land stronger attacks. Charging in recklessly was out of the question.
In the battle they were watching, Brawly's Medicham was facing off with a Nidorino, and it was clear that Nidorino was having a miserable time. Despite Medicham's thin frame, she packed a punch, and her kicks were nothing to take lightly when considering the size of her legs. If Nidorino had the luxury of landing an attack, Medicham paid him back in full.
Brawly's style was very direct. He viewed trading blows as an advantage in his favor due to the immense strength of both his Pokemon. In a drawn-out battle, his Hariyama was built to outlast their opponent. Medicham, on the other hand, had such finely developed hand and foot speed that she could land two or three strikes in return for the one she had taken. With such a style Brawly was what Giselle considered a 'grinder.' It was one of the styles she said Ash might struggle with if he went in unprepared.
Fortunately, Ash had the PokeHub as a resource, providing him with great insight into Brawly's style. Not to mention it would be some time before there was enough footage of Ash for an opponent to pick apart his style. Being unknown had its advantages.
"Pi?" Pikachu raised his ears, glancing at the ceiling at the sound of footsteps. He nudged Ash with his tail, gaining his attention.
"What's up Pikachu?" Ash asked his partner who then pointed at the kitchen clock. It was already seven thirty! More than two hours had flown by while he was studying Brawly. Setting down his phone, Ash went over the pantry to begin preparing breakfast for the girls since he could hear Macy making her way downstairs.
"Good morning Ashy!" She exclaimed as she came into the kitchen, latching onto his leg as a greeting. Ash bent over to snatch her up from the floor, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Morning Macy, did you sleep well?" Ash asked her as he took her over to the table and set her down on one of the seats. She gave him a large nod in response. "Good, we're having oatmeal for breakfast."
She paid no mind to this piece of information since Pikachu had approached her on the table, lowering its head for her to get a hand on it.
"Morning Pikachu!" Macy said to the Pokemon who jumped onto the back of her seat. Perched on this new position, Pikachu turned and lowered his tail to poke at Macy's head. He snickered as she began to swat at his tail to entertain herself.
In roughly ten minutes Ash set down a steaming bowl of oatmeal in front of Macy along with a few halved Oran Berries. While it cooled, he set up a glass of milk for her with a straw, and he partially refilled Pikachu's bowl. Now that everything was set, Ash returned to the table and told Macy to blow on her oatmeal to cool it off.
As always, she was tentative on the first taste of oatmeal. Cassidy had been trying to get her to eat it plain, but Macy couldn't stand it. She preferred it sweet, so Ash began mixing in some brown sugar to please her. After the first bite Macy became engrossed her breakfast, leaving Ash to return to his battle plan for Brawly. He and Pikachu had been discussing a plan all week that involved baiting out some of the heavy hitting attacks Medicham had in its arsenal.
When using those attacks, such as Hi Jump Kick for example, its movements were telegraphed, which would give Pikachu ample time to react. If they successfully avoided this attack, there would be a brief window for them to land a significant strike to Medicham that would give them the upper hand. It all made sense in theory, and Ash nodded with a smirk. He couldn't wait for this battle.
Hearing a rather strange noise, Ash's gaze became focused again as he looked at Macy. Her half-eaten bowl of oatmeal had been pushed aside, and now she was blowing bubbles into her milk using her straw.
"Macy, stop that." Ash said to her and she giggled in reply. "Are you finished?"
"Mhmm." She said, and Ash rolled his eyes. At least she had eaten all of the fruit he had given her. Taking her bowl, Ash quickly ate what was left. He had come to understand Macy's preference when it came to oatmeal, though he preferred it with fruit over sugar. Once he was finished, Macy suggested they go to the living room to watch cartoons.
"Alright, whatever you say little miss." Ash said as he rose from his seat. Together they went into the living room and the rest of the morning flew by.
"I'm so sorry Ash!" Shauna exclaimed as she came through the front door, out of breath with her bags hanging loosely from her shoulders. "I fell asleep on the bus and missed your stop so when I finally did get off, I had to sprint six blocks to get here."
"Shauna, it's alright!" Ash piped up to stop her babbling. Her cheeks were flushed red even as she finally took some time to breathe. Shauna gave Ash a grateful nod as he took her bags into the living room. Once she removed her shoes, she followed him in and was surprised to find Brock waiting there with the girls.
"Aww man, I knew I was late." Shauna said as she snapped her fingers. Macy gave a shout of excitement upon seeing the brunette and got up from the floor to approach her.
"I told you it's no big deal Shauna, we're not in a rush or anything." Ash insisted as he glanced at the clock. It was ten minutes to noon, so he and Brock had plenty of time to make it down to the beaches on the southern strip of Vermilion City. Shauna was irritated with herself for being late, but she hid it under a smile as she kneeled down to address Macy.
"What do you say, Brock, you want to head out in ten minutes?" Ash asked his friend.
"Yeah, that sounds good."
Ash took a seat on the couch to pass the final minutes before today's adventure began.
"So, Shauna, did you work late or something last night?" Brock inquired. He had been eyeing her since her arrival, and he could see that Shauna looked noticeably tired, which was rare for her.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Well, I was just wondering how you managed to fall asleep on the bus. You're usually so chipper that I thought it was weird." Brock noted as an explanation. As Brock said this, Ash set his gaze on Shauna as well, spotting the details Brock had pointed out.
"Ah, my mom gave me a heads up that my dad was going to call me last night. So, I stayed up waiting for him to call." Shauna explained to them.
"But why did you have to stay up for a call from him?" Casey asked her.
"Oh, well he's a doctor so he works these twelve-hour shifts usually. My mom said he was working late last night so I waited to see if he'd call me during his break." Shauna continued, getting a nod from Casey. "He didn't call, but I get the feeling he'll call at some point this afternoon."
"Is everything alright with you and your dad?" Brock asked as he leaned forward. "He's not giving you a hard time, still is he?"
"Uh…" Shauna pursed her lips before she looked away. "Maybe…"
Brock frowned at her, but he quickly hid this beneath a neutral expression. He felt a measure of guilt since he played a small part in the strained relationship between Shauna and her father.
Shauna was a natural when it came to performing, and Brock didn't hesitate to tell her this when they first met. Little did he know that by introducing her to performing, he unknowingly fueled her desire to pursue this field rather than the medical practice she had been studying prior to this.
Shauna's father wasn't happy in the least with her decision to become a performer, a goal that had yet to pan out. And the man didn't hesitate to tell her how much he disapproved of her choice.
"It's nothing to worry about Brock. He just wants to talk." Shauna replied, waving off his concerns. Ash and Brock shared a glance but decided to take Shauna's word on the matter. She was an adult, after all, and fully capable of handling herself.
Taking another look at the clock, Ash decided that it was best he go wake up Pikachu from his nap and go through their final preparations. Since they had woken up so early, Ash insisted Pikachu make up for some of the sleep he had lost. Ash wanted to be sure that the two of them were in perfect condition. With a grunt, he rose from the sofa and made his way upstairs to prepare for the day.
Moments after Ash had left them, the cringe-worthy ringtone of Shauna's phone blared. She snickered at the looks she received from Casey and Brock, while Macy clapped at the familiar song. The caller was exactly who Shauna had been expecting. Her father.
"That's him, I'll be back." She said, getting up from her seat to head to the kitchen for some privacy. Brock frowned inwardly, glancing at the doorway Shauna had left through. His mind kept drifting to the conversation Shauna was about to have with her father, but he knew it wasn't his place to intrude. In an effort to distract himself, Brock said his goodbyes to the girls and went out to his car to get it running.
After a few minutes, Ash came downstairs with his backpack in tow, Pikachu hidden inside. Seeing that Brock had left already, he said a quick goodbye to Casey and Macy before he put on his shoes to leave. Recalling that he needed to bring a few water bottles, Ash went back into the kitchen and caught Shauna as she was conversing on the phone.
Seeing Ash enter the kitchen, Shauna returned his wave but remained focused on her discussion. Ash quickly dipped into the fridge and snatched out four water bottles that would hopefully last for the afternoon. Tucking two of them into the side pocket of his backpack, Ash glanced back at Shauna to see her wince at something her father said.
"Oh, come on dad, you can't be serious!" She snapped, and while Ash was tempted to listen in, he knew better than that. Snatching up the remaining two bottles, he promptly exited the kitchen and made a note to see if Shauna would want to talk later.
Returning to Brock's car, Ash jumped inside and passed him a water bottle. Once Ash was situated in his seat, Brock revved the engine to get his attention. Glancing up at his friend, Ash saw him wearing a smirk that was contagious.
"Are you ready big shot – I mean, 'Quest?'" Brock corrected himself, and Ash tapped his chest twice.
"Let's do this!"
To see Brawly's live streams was one thing. To be present at one was another.
Just minutes after arriving, Ash was already caught up in the atmosphere that had been established both by the star trainer everyone was here to see, and the audience whose rapt attention he held. It wasn't just a normal street battle where people gathered to watch. This was a spectacle.
There was a DJ, a young man acting as a referee and at least sixty people crowded around the edge of their makeshift field in the sand. The audience bobbed their heads to the beat of the music, giving an occasional cheer for the battle that was underway. This secluded beach was located on the outskirts of the Vermilion City, but Ash still had to admire Brawly's boldness. To come out and host his battles in such a fashion, in broad daylight no less, took some serious guts.
Ash felt his heart thump against his chest as he realized that at some point this afternoon, everyone here would be watching him and Pikachu. This was their moment to shine and garner some attention in the circuit.
On the sandy battleground, he could see Brawly, a blue haired guy with a chiseled frame that he wasn't afraid to show. He was barking out commands to his Medicham as she dueled with a Tangela, batting away the onslaught of vines that were launched at her. Brawly was fierce as he battled, and Medicham emulated this as it battled, storming through Tangela's assault to unleash a barrage of body blows on the grass type. Rather than observe the outcome of the battle, Ash had another matter to attend to first. There was a young man seated on a raised chair that a lifeguard would use, but he was tending to a camera which he had mounted on the arm of the chair to view the battle from an elevated position.
"That's the guy I have to talk to, right?" Ash asked Brock, pointing out the cameraman.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's Brawly's manager, a social media kind of guy. You talk to him and he'll put on the schedule to battle him." Brock said with a nod. Taking a deep breath, Ash took a quick glance at Pikachu on his shoulder and then they approached Brawly's manager together.
"Excuse me?" Ash said, tapping the chair to get his attention. He jumped down fearlessly, treating the eight-foot fall as though it were nothing.
"What can I do for ya kiddo?" He asked.
"My name is Ash Ketchum, I'm here for a battle with Brawly." Ash said, nodding toward the battlefield.
"You? Ain't you a little young to be a trainer?" He asked with a laugh. Ash's face didn't change, but his stare became stony.
"No. A trainer shouldn't be judged by their age. Wait until you've seen me battle before you jump to conclusions." Ash shot back at him, and Pikachu imitated his trainer's expression of stoicism.
"Whoa man, I didn't mean any offense." He said, raising his hands in his defense. "Brawly doesn't take it easy on anyone. I'm just making sure you know what you're getting into."
"Yeah, I do. I'm a circuit trainer, just like him." Ash stated and he couldn't hold back a small smirk from forming on his face. It felt good saying that.
"Oh really? What's your tag?" He inquired curiously, taking out his phone to do some checking himself.
"Tag?" Ash repeated.
"Yeah, you know. The name you use as a circuit trainer." He clarified.
"Ah…they call me, 'Quest.'" Ash revealed, unable to suppress a grin.
Searching through the trainer profiles, he came to Ash's and saw that it was rather bare save for a comment from the commissioner himself, Charles Goodshow.
'Look out for this hotshot, I see a bright future ahead of him.'
Seeing a comment directly from the commissioner had him viewing Ash in a different light already. He extended a hand toward Ash and they shook.
"Name's Jerome." He introduced himself politely. "I'm a big fan of Brawly's and I help him out with his PR business, like organizing these…"
Jerome motioned to their surroundings, and Ash gave a nod of respect.
"So, you're the mastermind behind this." Ash noted, earning grin from Jerome. Ash doubted that Brawly would have the time to organize something like this, at least to this extent, on a bi-weekly basis. Getting a DJ, spreading the word, scheduling these matches. Doing all that on top of maintaining his status as one of the top trainers in Vermilion City would certainly be an impressive feat, but he couldn't fault Brawly for having an assistant, so to speak.
"Alright, here's the deal 'Quest.'" Jerome began as their discussion took on a more serious tone. "We don't have a big venue today and you're the only circuit trainer to come along, so I'm going to push you as the main event for this. There're two more matches before you're up. That'll probably take anywhere between thirty and forty-five minutes so don't wander off. You got all that?"
"Gotcha." Ash said as he and Pikachu gave him a nod.
"Last thing, help me spread the word. Tell people that Brawly is going to take on another circuit trainer as his last opponent today." Jerome added before he began to a demonstration for Ash. He approached then the nearest trio of guys and nudged one of them with his elbow. "Yo, I heard there's another circuit trainer here. Goes by the name 'Quest.' He'll be the last guy to face off with Brawly today."
"Dude, that battle is going to sick." The bystander exclaimed before sharing the news with his friends. And from there the process began as the news jumped from one person to another.
"Hop over to the other side of the field and do the same thing. It'll get everyone all riled up." Jerome said with a smirk. To him, there was nothing cooler than when the anticipation of a great battle set in amongst the audience. There was a certain intensity that filled the air as every single person was focused entirely on the battle.
Ash felt his heart jump into his throat as he realized he was hyping himself up. And a better idea crossed his mind. Scanning the area for Brock, Ash quickly spotted Brock conducting his extravagant, yet predictable, proposal of 'dinner and a movie,' to a young woman. Ash waited until Brock finished speaking to approach, timing it to match the moment that Brock would receive his response. Seeing Brock drop his head in disappointment as the girl left him, Ash joined his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder to console him.
"Hey Brock-o. My match is set." Ash declared to his friend who immediately cheered up with this piece of information. "Brawly's manager wants to build some hype for the match so he wants us to spread the word."
"If you need some hype, I got it." Brock declared as Ash joined him in eyeing the audience. Brock took a moment, scoping out the people that he wanted to start this chain reaction with.
While Brock did this, Ash's eyes became drawn to a person that had taken some distance from the rest of the audience. He was seated up on the large rocks overlooking the field, but rather than observe the battle that was in progress, his attention was on the Pokemon seated beside him. He was carefully stroking its luscious mane, studying the quality of its fur as he did so. Even as this Pokemon was groomed, its gaze remained firmly on Ash.
It wasn't the first time a Ninetales had left him feeling unnerved, but Ash couldn't break eye contact. It was as if Ninetales wore a smirk from commanding Ash's attention, so he rustled his tails which seemed to break the man's focus. He glanced around, now aware of his surroundings, and he searched for what Ninetales was looking at. His sight soon found Ash, and even at a distance, there was a certainty among them that they were making eye contact. This small, common action often done without thought caused Ash's heartbeat to become like a clap of thunder in his ears.
A pair of wings took shape on the man's back, stretching out proudly. They were comparable in size to the wings Ash had seen on N, but unlike N, this man's wings were a golden yellow. Ash couldn't help but admire their color. They were unlike any wings he had seen before!
"B-Brock? Do you know that guy?" Ash asked, pointing out the guy that was resting on the rock with Ninetales. Brock raised his eyebrows upon spotting the man.
"Good eye, Ash, can't believe I missed him. That's Volkner, the 'Golden Flash.' King of the Lightning Regalia." Brock stated, causing Ash to do a double take. That was the King of the Lightning Regalia?! "Man Ash, you're going to have a big name watching you. Go all out for me, alright?"
"Y…Yeah." Ash said as Brock darted off, beginning to spread the word about Brawly's final opponent for the day.
Glancing back at this Volkner once more, Ash could see that he had returned his focus to Ninetales. His wings began to fade away, and Ash took in a shaky breath as he studied Volkner. Why were his wings golden?
"Pi-ka?"
This question of concern came from Ash's partner as Pikachu glanced up at him. They had gone off to get some solitude from the commotion of Brawly's invitational, and they spent this time going through a last-minute prep for the battle. For all the fuss Ash had made concerning their preparation for this battle, he was the one lacking focus. Shaking his head, Ash ran a hand through his hair with an aggravated sigh.
"I'm sorry Pikachu." He apologized, dropping himself down to his bottom in the sand. "I don't know what's wrong with me."
He was nervous, there was no question about that. Not a panicky, shaking in your boot's kind of nervous. It was healthy, proof that he wanted nothing less than to succeed. But his thoughts, most of which were uninvited, were drowning him. This wasn't to mention the uneasiness he had begun to experience earlier, like lead tied to his feet, causing him to sink further.
"Pikapi? Pika-chu," Pikachu related, climbing onto his lap to console him. Ash could always count on his buddy to offer some support, but this life preserver couldn't reach him in the depths of his mind.
"Those things have no place in our lives."
Ash blinked hard and groaned, his frustration building. His mind kept drifting back to that…discussion, he had yesterday with Morgan during his presentation. Ash had expected Morgan's point of view to fire him up each time he thought about it, but it left him feeling depressed, as if he was a little boy who got bullied by some of the big kids on his way home from school. But why did he feel like this, like he was…afraid?
Afraid of what? Ash scratched the back of his head.
What was he afraid of? Losing this battle? No…that wasn't it. While winning this battle was the goal, it was still a long shot according to Giselle. This was a measuring stick to gauge just how much work Ash and Pikachu would have to do before he could face his father. So, what was it about all this that made him feel scared?
"I wouldn't trust a Pokemon, not if my life depended on it."
Was it the opposition - the people who didn't believe in his dream? Was it a fear that if he failed, it validated their belief that Pokemon were just monsters?
"We are making a difference right now if we stay smart, and stay the hell away from Pokemon Ash!"
With a great frown on his face, Ash looked down at his hands and saw that they possessed a slight tremble. Somewhere, deep down inside of him, there was a part of his that considered the idea that his dream might be wrong.
Wrong to believe in a world where people and Pokemon lived together happily…
"I'm not sure if you understand what you're trying to do."
Did he really know what he was trying to accomplish?
The world he dreamed of…was it just an idea, or something that was actually conceivable?
"Hey Ash!" A voice bellowed, snatching him from his thoughts. Brock came into focus, sprinting toward him. "Your match is going to start, let's head back!"
Ash gulped, trying to swallow his reservations but this did nothing to ease his mind. With no other options, he clapped his cheeks for some self-motivation. Then he gave Brock an insincere smile as a promise that he was ready.
"Come on Pikachu, let's go make this happen." Ash said, but the look he received from Pikachu was filled with skepticism. Pikachu could sense Ash's discomfort, but there was little that could be done with the time they had left.
Returning to the crowd, Ash could see that every single person present had gathered around the battlefield. He could feel the anticipation building as the time remaining steadily decreased. Brawly and his Medicham were among a group of bystanders, answering questions concerning his final match. He was relaxed even though everyone else was expecting this to be the toughest battle.
Jerome approached the DJ, collecting the microphone from his set up so that he could call for everyone's attention.
"Alright-alright, I hope you're ready for the last match we got lined up for today. This is going to be a good one too. As it turns out, we got a brand new circuit trainer here today going by the name 'Quest!'" Jerome declared, introducing Ash who separated himself from the crowd, taking his place on the battlefield. He waved the audience, catching a few stray cheers from some of the people hoping for a good battle. "And of course, we got the top dog here right now, the 'Wave Ripper' Brawly!"
The crowd cheered, and Brawly wore a great smirk as he and Medicham took their place on the battlefield. He raised one arm and motioned for the crowd to raise their voices, eyeing Ash closely as he did so.
Ash glanced around at the audience tentatively, his chest becoming tight. Even though they had received a sizeable space to battle in, it felt as if the presence of the audience was choking him. And the shouts for Brawly to thrash him didn't help. All of them wanted to see Brawly win, even at the expense of what little confidence Ash currently had.
Feeling Ash's shoulder become tense, Pikachu gave it a small squeeze with his front paws, gaining Ash's attention. With a glance at Pikachu out of the corner of his eyes, Ash caught sight of the nod reassurance Pikachu was giving him. He drew in a shaky breath, trying to calm himself to at least have a semblance of some focus. Seeing that Ash had relaxed somewhat, Pikachu then abandoned his shoulder to take its place on the sandy battlefield where he shot a hard stare at Medicham. She shot a narrow gaze back at Pikachu and punched her palm as a warning of what was to come.
"It looks like everyone is ready to go! Trainers, are you ready?" Jerome asked, looking from Brawly to Ash. Both responded a nod to confirm, and he threw up an arm to begin the battle. The DJ let his turntables spin, and a heavy beat began to blast through the speakers around the area. As everyone picked up on the beat, the began to bob their heads in unison, glancing back and forth between the two Pokemon on the field. Even Brawly began to do this, sizing up both Ash and Pikachu. He waited to see if Ash and Pikachu would make the first move, but there was no action on their part.
After hearing that Ash was an eighteen-year-old circuit trainer in search of his debut match, Brawly intended to give him a warm welcome to the underground circuit. A welcome that would show Ash what to expect if he thought he could hop into the big leagues. There would be no mercy.
As he focused on Ash, Brawly could see that he had checked out mentally. There was no confidence or passion in his eyes. With a confident smirk, Brawly realized that this was going to be his easiest battle of the day.
"He's shook!" Brawly declared as the beat dropped. "Medicham, get up close and hit em' with your Force Palm!"
Medicham set her feet and dashed forward, sprinting through the sand with ease as she approached Pikachu. One of her long lanky hands became engulfed in a blue light which she thrust toward Pikachu. Without a command from Ash, Pikachu flickered out of existence just before Medicham could land her attack. The audience gave some ooh's and awe's, impressed with Pikachu's speed, but Brawly eyes were sharper than those watching.
As Pikachu appeared several meters away from Medicham, he saw Pikachu's feet had sunk down into the sand which was clear evidence for something they would take full advantage of. Pikachu didn't know how to run on the sand. With a smirk, Brawly could see that a number of variables had turned in his favor and this battle had barely begun.
"Medicham, Force Palm again!" Brawly called out. His partner turned and raced toward Pikachu again, readying her right hand this time to strike Pikachu. Approaching her target, Medicham lunged forward but only struck the air once again. Pikachu had darted off, astounding the audience with his speed as they struggled to track his fast movement.
"Holy crap, his Pikachu is quick!"
"Look at that him go! It's running circles around them."
The whispers of awe Brawly could agree with, but Pikachu's speed would be his own undoing soon. Pikachu had been trained to run on hard surfaces, but the soft sand of this beach would force Pikachu to slow down as the battle progressed. Medicham continued her pursuit of Pikachu, and gradually Brawly could see that the gap was closing. With each attempt, the window of opportunity grew larger for Medicham to land her Force Palm until finally…
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed after receiving a blow to his side. This sent him tumbling across the field and Medicham was already chasing him down for a follow-up attack.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, his focus returning to him. "Use uh, get on your feet and…"
"We are making a difference right now if we stay smart, and stay the hell away from Pokemon Ash!"
Ash's voice faltered mid command, and he watched Medicham leap into the air and dropped herself onto Pikachu, smashing the smaller Pokemon into the ground. A sizable cloud of dust was kicked up from this, obscuring everyone's view but Brawly was quick to remedy this situation.
"Now throw Pikachu up into the air!" Brawly ordered, and a moment later Pikachu was hurled out of the cloud, high into the air over the battlefield. "And now give him a taste of your Hi Jump Kick!"
Ash's eyes widened as he realized they had already been caught in the combination that they had been paying keen attention to. Pikachu had no aerial mobility, so their options had been reduced to aiming for an even exchange.
"Pikachu get ready for," Ash froze mid-sentence.
"I wouldn't trust a Pokemon, not if my life depended on it."
There was a gasp from some of the bystanders as Pikachu took a vicious knee to his stomach, which knocked the wind out of him. But before Pikachu could be launched away by this blow, Medicham snatched him by his tail and spun the air to throw Pikachu down to the battlefield.
"Now finish it with your Dynamic Punch!" Brawly ordered to his airborne Pokemon. Closing her left hand into a tight fist, it became engulfed in white light as Medicham began to descend toward Pikachu's crash site. Rolling back onto his feet, Pikachu shook his head a few times before hearing the shouts of concern from the audience. With an upward glance, Pikachu caught sight of the destructive force that was plummeting toward him and made a split-second decision. Throwing himself to the side, Pikachu avoided a direct hit, but was punished nonetheless.
There were exclamations of awe from the audience as the ground rose up from the point of impact, sending out a wave of sand which immediately hit Pikachu and propelled him off of the field. For just a moment the crowd was impressed with the after effects of Medicham's Dynamic Punch until they faced it themselves. Almost everyone had been thrown off their feet as the wave rippled outward except for Brawly who had anticipated this.
"Medicham, let's go!" Brawly shouted as he ran off to pursue Pikachu. He and Medicham fearlessly jumped over the bystanders that rested on their side or bottom, racing down to the shore where Pikachu had landed. Ash sat on the field, his head in a daze. It wasn't until he saw a pair of hands snapping at him that he realized Brock was in front of him.
"Ash! I don't know what's up with you, but the battle's still going!" Brock yelled at him, pointing down to the shore. "Get your head on straight, Pikachu needs you right now!"
The audience was following the battle even as it moved, gathering behind Brawly and Medicham on the shore. With its back to the water, Pikachu glanced between Brawly and Medicham, both of which wore a fierce expression.
"It's a shame your trainer's been a no-show for this battle. You're not half bad Pikachu." Brawly noted, giving the Pokemon a nod of respect. His statement sent the crowd into a frenzy because of Ash's absence throughout this battle.
"Yo, where is Pikachu's trainer?"
"Pikachu doesn't even need him man. His trainer hasn't given him any commands."
"Is he really a circuit trainer? That kid ain't done a thing so far."
Ignoring these comments concerning Ash, Pikachu eyed Medicham closely and decided that he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands…paws. Tightening his stance, Pikachu felt his paws gripping the sand properly for the first time, and he couldn't resist smirking at Medicham. The wet sand down by the shore was far sturdier than the sand farther up the beach, and solid ground meant that Pikachu could…
"Whoa!"
There was a collective gasp from the audience as Pikachu ran a circle around Medicham, forming a Double Team that featured five after-images of himself. Brawly recognized this technique and grinned, his admiration for Pikachu growing. This wasn't any ordinary Pokemon, Pikachu was well trained in his fundamentals! While Ash's mental fortitude was questionable based on his performance here, Brawly glanced back at the trainer who had finally arrived at the new battleground and recognized him for the top-class trainer that he was.
"Hey kid, come on!" Brawly roared at Ash, taking a fighting stance. He extended a hand toward Ash, and Medicham mirrored his actions, giving a gesture to attack. "Give us your best shot!"
Ash bit down on his lower lip, watching as Pikachu maintained his Double Team, poised to strike Medicham from almost any direction. They had Brawly exactly where they wanted him, this was a chance they couldn't waste.
"Those things have no place in our lives."
His mouth was dry, and there was a lump in his throat that threatened to silence his voice. But… wasn't the time to be scared of failing. Pikachu was out there pouring his heart out in this battle, and Ash knew without a doubt that Pikachu believed in his dream. Pikachu believed that this was a step on their journey toward a better world. There was no room for his doubts right now. His only choice was to press forward!
With a deep breath, Ash swallowed the lump in his throat and gave his first order of the match.
"Quick Attack!"
Brawly raised his brow as he saw Ash discard his feebleness. But with a sigh, he saw that it had only been replaced by recklessness.
"Medicham, Detect."
The following display was jaw dropping to the crowd as Medicham danced through Pikachu's rapid-fire assault, demonstrating her now enhanced instincts. She had become damn near untouchable despite Pikachu's speed. Ash was left stupefied, his mouth agape. He couldn't believe that an opponent had successfully dodged Pikachu's Quick Attack when combined with Double Team.
That combination was the centerpiece of their battling style because of its utility. It was supposed to create openings for them to attack, yet with just one move, Medicham and Brawly had shut down the whole basis of their style. Was this what all of the top trainers were like?
"That's a nice little trick you've got there, but you'll have to do better than that against us!" Brawly declared as he and Medicham took a new stance together. They were going to attack!
"Pikachu, use Agility!" Ash called out in order to prolong to the battle. But having seen Pikachu do this twice already, Brawly had already developed a countermeasure.
"Medicham, use Low Sweep on the sand!" Brawly declared, stamping one of his feet into the ground. Medicham did the same, slamming her foot down into the sand up to her ankle. She then spun in a clean circle, kicking up another wave of sand to cover every possible direction. Pikachu was caught off guard and swamped beneath it which left him wide open for a finishing blow. "End this with Force Palm!"
Pikachu popped his head out of the mound of sand he had been buried beneath, coughing violently to remove some of the sand that had gotten into his mouth. Unable to react to the following attack, Pikachu received a ferocious blow to his head and the audience cringed at the sight of this attack. Licking his lips, Ash struggled to comprehend just how thoroughly they had been beaten.
"That's it, I'm calling it there!" Jerome declared, crossing his arms above his head. The battle had been one-sided for the most part, lacking the excitement he hoped for. Even if Ash was a circuit trainer, he wasn't close to being Brawly's equal yet. Masking their reservations about Ash, the audience began to cheer for Brawly who led them back up to the DJ station. Despite this, a trio of guys felt the need to express their disappointment in the battle, hanging back to make sure Ash heard their comments.
"Dang man, that kid was trash. That battle wouldn't have lasted half as long if his Pikachu was as bad as he was."
"Pffft, and someone started that rumor that he's a circuit trainer. Heck, I could be a circuit trainer if they let in someone like him."
Ash refused to look their way as he kneeled down beside his unconscious Pikachu, reaching out to beginning dusting the sand out of his fur. Even as he did his best to ignore them, the simply raised their voices.
"Yo kid!" One of them barked, placing his hands around his neck. "Don't choke next time!"
"Choke artist!" Another added as they all mimicked the actions of their friend. The three of them went on their merry way laughing, although one person didn't take to kindly to their comments. As they had gotten some distance from Ash, a hand was placed on one of their shoulders, forcing them to turn around. This guy met with a fist that threw him down to the sand which a shout of surprise, causing his friends to turn in search of their attacker.
Ash grimaced as he recalled seeing Pikachu's head falling back from that final blow it received from Medicham. Despite Pikachu's valiant effort, they didn't even manage to land one attack during the battle and the blame for this rested squarely on Ash's shoulders. It was pathetic how he battled. Those guys were right, Pikachu might have been better off battling without him. Even though Pikachu had acted on his own on several occasions, there were too many moments where he waited for input from Ash that never came.
Taking a handful of sand, Ash hurled it into the air with a shout of frustration. The failure he had been so scared of couldn't compare to the blunder he was now the cause of. He had failed Pikachu, through and through.
That was…unacceptable.
Returning his gaze to his partner, Ash gingerly scooped him up from the sand and walked down to the shore until his feet were in the water. Stooping down, he lowered Pikachu into the water to finish washing the sand off his fur. Once Ash was certain Pikachu was clean, he turned back to the shore and found his other best friend limping toward him with a stupid grin on his face.
"Brock?!" Ash exclaimed, rushing onto the beach to support Brock before he could lose his balance. "What happened?"
"Ah…hah, hah." Brock laughed to conceal his pain. Studying Brock's face, Ash could see there were two bruises that were already turning a shade darker than Brock's natural skin color. "Those guys who thought they could..." He paused, taking in a pained gasp of air. "They thought they could talk trash to you. I-I showed them what for."
"You tried to fight them?" Ash asked incredulously as Brock leaned onto him, giving him a grin.
"I didn't try. I cleaned their clocks." Brock declared with great pride. Ash looked at his friend skeptically, knowing that Brock wasn't shy about telling someone if he had a problem with them. Ash greatly admired Brock's audacity, though he could see that Brock knew no bounds when it came to taking risks. Fighting three guys at once was something only Brock would do. If Ash had Brock's fearlessness during that battle, he was certain that the outcome would have been very different.
"Come on Brock, let's go home." Ash stated as he got up under Brock, allowing his friend to place an arm around his neck for full support. Brock groaned in response to this slight contact, and Ash could tell that he was in no shape to drive them home. "I'll drive, you can take a nap or something."
"Thanks man." He said softly.
With Pikachu in one arm and Brock in his other, Ash quietly took them back to the top of the beach where they had parked.
He glanced at the audience that had previously been watching him as they partied in front of the DJ station. This was his first taste of the underground circuit. A one-sided thrashing at the hands of one of the best trainers. Reaching the top wasn't going to quite as fast as he previously thought. He still had a long way to go.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Brock asked him they approached the front porch of Brock's home.
"Dude, I'm supposed to be asking you that." Ash pointed out with a chuckle as Brock slowly went up the front steps. Whether Brock won that fight or not had gone unsaid, but it was obvious those guys didn't show Brock any mercy. The majority of his bruises were hidden away thanks to his shirt, but the two on his face had become considerably dark, which would earn some attention from his parents.
"You don't have to worry about me. I just need ice and I'll be as good as new by Monday." Brock responded, fishing out his house keys. He opened the front door, gaining a reaction from his family members.
"Brock!" Two small voices sounded before Brock found his two youngest siblings latched onto his legs.
"What's up you guys?" Brock asked them sheepishly as he walked in with them still clinging to him.
"What happened to your face?" Billy inquired after observing Brock's face.
"I uh…fell." Brock said, causing Ash to stifle a laugh. Of course, Billy and Tilly accepted such an answer, telling their brother to be careful, but Ash couldn't wait to hear what Brock would say to the more mature people in his household.
"Brock, we're bored!" Tilly declared.
"Is dad busy?" Brock asked in return as they all entered the kitchen.
"He fell asleep." Tilly said, and the image of Brock's father snoozing on the couch with a magazine over his face seemed all too real. Walking through his home, Brock went down the list of his family, all of which had already given the twins an excuse to avoid playing with them today. With a sigh of defeat, knowing that this responsibility had fallen to him, Brock conceded to the wins.
"Alright, head out to the backyard, and we'll play hide and seek." Brock offered, earning some large smiles from them before they ran off. Once they were out of earshot, Brock gave a grateful sigh and turned to Ash, his eyes begging for his friend to stay. Ash immediately looked away, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "Ash…please don't be like that."
"Like what?" Ash asked, his back now turned to Brock as he began to exit the kitchen. As Ash got out of the room believing that he was scot-free, a pair of hands grabbed his ankles, causing him to turn around in astonishment. Brock was on the floor, desperately trying to keep Ash's legs in his grasp, his face contorting in pain from throwing himself to the floor.
"Please!" Brock begged with a pitiful expression. "They'll kill me in my…condition."
"You brought this on yourself. I didn't ask you to fight those guys." Ash said pointedly.
"Fight who?" A new voice asked fiercely, causing their blood to turn cold. Slowly, they turned their heads to find Brock's mother staring at them expectantly, arms crossed and foot tapping. She didn't even care how foolish her son looked as he laid on the floor holding onto Ash's ankles, her motherly instincts had taken charge.
"Uh…" Brock began.
"…uh." Ash finished.
"Well?" Lola motioned for either one of them to speak, her stare morphing into a glare of warning. She wanted answers, or punishment would be handed out.
"Okay, okay." Brock said, slowly getting back onto his feet to address his mother properly. "We went to the beach today and these guys were making fun of Ash. Me, being the great friend that I am, came to Ash's defense."
"That's not how I remember it." Ash noted in a whisper but Brock shushed him.
"It wasn't one of my best decisions, but I wasn't going to let anyone talk about Ash like that." Brock stated firmly, causing Ash to raise his brow. His mother wore a similar expression before she rolled her eyes, motioning for Brock to take off his shirt.
"Come on, let's see the damage," Lola said, and Brock fulfilled her request. She cringed at the sight of his torso and went into the kitchen to put together a make-shift ice pack for him. As she did so, Brock glanced back at Ash and gave him an 'okay' sign with his hand. He was in the clear. "As a nurse you know I don't condone fighting, but…with the beating you got, did you at least win?"
"Well, there was three of them against lil ol' me, but I think it's safe to say that those guys," Brock tapped his chest a few times with a grin. "They're gonna remember Brock the Rock."
"Oh my god." Ash muttered, snickering at the title Brock had given himself.
"Hey, I still got something left in the tank if you need a beating too, Ash." Brock noted before covering his mouth. "Oh wait, you already got a beating today."
Ash stared at his friend, dumbfounded at the jab.
"Oh, that's low Brock and you know it." Ash replied, a large grin forming on his face as he punched Brock's shoulder, getting a laugh out of his friend.
"So, um…" Brock cleared his throat. "Mom, do you think you can play with the twins since I'm not in any, condition to?"
"Nice try." She stated, tossing him the bag of ice. "I already heard you agree to play with them. Have a good time."
"Uh-W-Wait mom, have mercy!" Brock called out to her as she left, taking Ash with her to the front door. Ignoring Brock's plea for help, Lola and Ash went out to the front porch, where she smiled warmly at him.
"Thanks for bringing that knucklehead home, Ash." Lola said graciously, but Ash waved off her thanks.
"It's no problem. I'd do that for him anytime." Ash replied easily, and Lola thanked him again.
Lola observed Ash quietly as he shared some of the events from the day, her smile fading as he spoke. She always found it strange how her oldest son had developed his friendship with Ash. There was a seven-year age gap between them, yet they paraded about like brother's when given the chance. They had almost two years according to Brock, and they became such fast friends that Lola was a little surprised. Even the people Brock knew from childhood and went to school with weren't as close to him as Ash was.
Seeing her son have a friend that he enjoyed being around was heartwarming to Lola, but she was far from uninformed. She knew exactly how they had met, and as secretive as Brock was about it, she knew all about his love for Pokemon. Now, whether Brock getting hurt involved Pokemon was the question that concerned her, but she wasn't going to interrogate Ash for an answer. She would probably have more success questioning Brock. But for Ash, she wanted to share her only concern.
"Ash…I want you and my son to stay out of trouble, alright?" Lola said with a stern expression. Ash raised his brow under her inquisitive gaze, feeling as if Lola knew precisely what happened today. Brushing off the unease he felt, Ash gave her a nod of assurance.
"We wouldn't think of it." Ash proclaimed.
Little did he know that even if they weren't looking for trouble, trouble would find them.
Ash sat alone, the cool and crisp air of the night brushing against his skin. The park was dimly lit by the few lights, but the moonlight would suffice. Pikachu rested on his lap as he stroked its back, sound asleep after the battle with Medicham. It had yet to wake up from the thrashing, although Ash had already given Pikachu a full Potion treatment to ensure he recovered properly.
His most recent loss still stung in his heart, as it should. It was thanks to his underwhelming performance that the battle was so one-sided, and Pikachu had been the one to suffer the most because of it. He owed his partner for putting up such a great fight without him, but…for the first time in ages, Ash wasn't sure how to express himself to Pikachu.
It was kind of surreal that he was struggling to think of what he would say to Pikachu once he woke up. He never needed to think before speaking to his partner. The words always came naturally and with ease. But now Ash was racking his brains, trying to figure out what was the first thing he should say to his companion. Was it an apology? Or an explanation of everything he did wrong? Ash knew for certain that he was at fault, but did Pikachu need to hear that? Or would Pikachu prefer to know how Ash intends to fix what happened today?
In fact, how would he fix that?
"What did I do wrong?" Ash asked aloud, and an unexpected answer caused him to jump in surprise.
"You should've focused on the battle."
Ash hadn't been expecting an answer from anyone else. It was late, somewhere around eleven o'clock at night, so he had assumed that the park was completely empty. Lo and behold, there was one another person here, the last person Ash expected to see. Even in the darkness his striking blonde hair still stood out, and Ninetales' fur glistened under the moonlight.
Volkner, King of the Lightning Regalia. 'The Golden Flash.'
"Huh?" Was all Ash managed to say as the man approached him. Volkner looked down at the bench, and without a word, he slid into the seat next to Ash and stared intently at Pikachu.
"Your head was somewhere else." Volkner noted, shifting his gaze to Ash. "When you battle, you can't do that."
Ash felt unnerved as Volkner observed him, almost as if he was dissecting Ash with his eyes. Adjusting himself on the bench, Ash lowered his eyes to look at his partner. He couldn't deny the truth in what Volkner had said. His mind had been all over the place prior to, during, and even after the battle. It was safe to say that his focus wasn't on the battle at all.
"There are all kinds of trainers out there. But the ones that can't give a battle their all…" Volkner shook his head, his lips pursed in an expression of disapproval. "They don't deserve to be trainers."
Ash opened his mouth to protest, but thankfully his voice failed him. As much as he wanted to defend himself, Volkner was right. That was a total lack of respect, not only for his opponents in Brawly and Medicham but also for his own Pokemon. He wasn't there for Pikachu when he was counting on him.
An apology. That was the first thing he owed Pikachu. Anything else could wait.
Ash took a glance at the man beside him, ready to thank him for the advice he offered. Ash had been expecting to meet Volkner's gaze again, but the electric blonde was absorbed in grooming Ninetales who sat beside the bench, and he purred softly in response to the attention.
"You're not going to give up, are ya?" Volkner inquired, gaining a look of surprise from Ash.
Give up? That wasn't in his vocabulary!
"Heck no." He replied sharply, and Volkner let out a small snort, a hint of a smile forming on his face.
"I'm glad. I'll be waiting then, Ash." Volkner stated as he rose up from the bench. Ash furrowed his brow with intrigue before he piped up with an obvious question.
"Waiting? For what…a battle?" Ash asked him. Volkner moved at a slow pace with Ninetales beside him, but he turned back to face Ash.
"For the day you spread those wings. I'm looking forward to it." Volkner replied, giving him a crooked grin. Then, as he turned away from Ash for the final time tonight; his golden wings took shape and opened for Ash to admire their splendor.
Ash sat on the bench, baffled from the sight of Volkner's wings. They were simply magnificent, adding to the air of majesty that surrounded Volkner.
It was very fitting for a so-called King.
Stepping into his home, Ash was greeted by a sight he wasn't expecting, although in hindsight it might have been something he could have foreseen if he had a better day. Upon entering the door, the first thing he noticed was the soft music playing the background, an old blues song from maybe forty years ago. It was coming from the living room, and as he drew close to this room he caught the faint scent of alcohol.
Peering into the living room, he found Shauna curled up on the sofa hugging her knees. A pair of dark bottles were resting beside the chair, at least one of them being empty since it rested on its side. He could hear Shauna sniffling, though she had yet to notice his presence. Recalling how he had left her earlier, Ash could freely assume that conversation with her father must not have gone well.
Quietly heading upstairs, Ash dropped Pikachu off in his room to let him rest before he returned downstairs to check on Shauna. He found her reaching for the next bottle in a six-pack she had in front of the sofa. Kneeling down beside her, Ash saw that she wasn't in the best shape at the moment. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her hair was left unraveled, tumbling down to her shoulders and poking out in all directions.
Catching sight of Ash, Shauna inhaled sharply and leaned back into the sofa, frowning deeply at him. It seemed as though it took her a moment to recognize him because she let out a hiccup.
"Shauna, are you okay?" Ash asked, deciding to be direct with her. He had heard quite a few stories from Miette and Serena concerning Shauna whenever she drank alcohol. She wasn't very…becoming once she was drunk. And unfortunately, it didn't take much for her to reach that state.
Ash couldn't make out her response as she put down the third bottle. She shook her head and ran a hand through her messy hair, groaning in frustration. Ash sat down next to her, providing her with some time to straighten out her jumbled thoughts, but with time, something coherent finally came out.
"I'm the biggest freakin' screw up you'll ever meet." She muttered vehemently, pulling her legs close again. Hearing her speak properly, Ash began to watch her with interest as she set her chin down on her knee. "I can't do anything right."
"That's not true, Shauna." Ash said softly, offering her some solace. She didn't seem to care for his comment, her thoughts swirling around the newfound disdain for her immediate family.
"I'm not like my parents. I wasn't going to last in med school for six to eight years. I knew in my heart that I wasn't going to be a doctor, but I wanted to make my folks proud of," Another hiccup stopped her monologue and tears had welled up in her eyes. "I wish I had just been upfront with them, maybe this wouldn't have happened…"
"What happened?" Ash asked her, urgency in his tone.
"My dad. He's cutting me off." She revealed, leaving her mouth to hang open for moment as she recalled what this meant for her. Shauna had all afternoon to consider what would happen now that she had no support from her parents. Her train wreck of a life was about to turn into a flaming dumpster fire.
"Does this have to do with you dropping out, still?"
She gave him a small nod. The issue was over a year old. Shauna had made the decision to leave medical school against her parents' wishes to pursue a dream of being a performer. The brunette had been unhappy chasing the goal her parents had set for her, and when she finally valued her happiness above pleasing her parents, Shauna set out on a journey of her own.
"What a stupid decision that was," Shauna noted with great disdain. "If I had stayed in school, I'd have everything right now. Not all this freakin' debt and I wouldn't have had to put up with my dad's crap either."
"But…would you be happy living like that?" Ash asked her delicately. Shauna buried her face in her palms, groaning audibly.
"No, I wouldn't be happy. I'd be depressed as hell and drinking all the damn time…oh wait, I already do that." She mused, resisting the urge to take the third bottle. "At least I'd have a future, though. I wouldn't have to wonder what the hell I'm going to do each day. You get what I'm feeling, right Ash?"
He understood her sentiments all too well. The last month had been a testament to that. It was scary.
"Yeah, I hear ya." Ash said with a small nod of agreement.
"Why does all this crap have to be so hard?" She asked aloud, throwing her hands up as she laid sprawled out on the couch. "It feels like no matter what I do, I go nowhere. And, of course, since I have nothing to show for the last year, my dad thinks I've just been sitting around wasting time. He has no idea how much I bust my ass between work and practice!"
Ash remained silent, realizing that Shauna had probably spent the day waiting for someone she could vent to.
"I did my best all through high school, and I went to med school for three years. God, I wish I could have that time back. I would've done ballet, or gymnastics or something that I actually liked instead of meeting with tutors all the time just to keep up with my dad's expectations." She related emphatically. "This is just so…ugh! Infuriating!"
Feeling her anger swell within her, Shauna eyed the bottle once again and snatched it up. Using her tank top to turn the cap of the bottle, Ash could hear the sizzle within it before Shauna took three large gulps. With her current posture on the couch, she began to kick her feet absentmindedly as she praised the drink she held. Ash gave a snort at her appearance, but Shauna wasn't self-conscious about this at the moment. Hearing this small sound, Shauna glanced up at Ash and noticed that he didn't seem to be in the best of moods either.
"How about you? You look kinda blue." She noted, rolling over onto her stomach to look at him. "Did something happen today?"
"Uh…I guess you could say I screwed up today too." Ash admitted, realizing that his day wasn't much better than Shauna's.
"What did you mess up?" Shauna inquired curiously, showing a surprising amount of concern for Ash. By now Shauna would usually be lost in her own little world if she drank alcohol, but she seemed to be doing just fine for a change.
"Probably my one chance to be a real Pokemon trainer." Ash revealed, and Shauna looked at him incredulously.
"How'd you pull that off?"
"I was trying to impress people, you know, get my name out there. I choked…like really bad, Pikachu took a beating," Shauna gasped at this information. "And Brock picked a fight with these guys trying to defend me and he got beat up too. Like, I just ruined things for everyone today."
It wasn't just that.
A certain bluenette came to mind. Someone who probably wouldn't be speaking to him anymore.
He had told her directly that his life was committed to Pokemon, and tossed aside what could've been an amazing relationship with her for…a beatdown on Brawly's live stream and a new reputation as a 'choke artist.'
"And then there was Dawn." Ash continued, shaking his head. "It was the same thing with Serena all over again."
"So, you broke it off with her?" Shauna asked, her curiosity piqued.
"I mean, there was nothing serious there to begin with," Ash said as he placed a hand on his stomach. "But I just feel awful knowing that I hurt someone else chasing this dream I have. It feels like I'm constantly stepping on everyone's toes."
Ash blinked, the statement holding more truth that he had ever cared to notice.
"Yeah, it's…no, I'm just one big inconvenience." He concluded, lowering his head with an expression of defeat.
Instead of watching his sisters as he should be in Cassidy's absence, his friends had taken over that responsibility for him while he spent all of his free time practicing with Brock and Pikachu. Rather than care for his family, he was still out there chasing a dream that was taking him nowhere.
With all the tact she could find in her semi-drunken state, Shauna snorted at Ash in response to his realization.
"Hey, welcome to the club." She said before extending the bottle she held toward him. "You want something to take your mind off it?"
Ash met her gaze upon hearing her suggestion, and seeing how she had relaxed somewhat after a drink he had to admit…
That didn't sound like a bad idea.
A/N
Hello all, its been a while hasn't it? I don't know what it is about the holiday's that make me depressed, but it's been a drag the last few weeks, and winter is really setting in now. I can't wait for things to start to warm up, but knowing my luck winter will drag on until April like this past year. I'm indoors a lot these days so hopefully, I'll start to produce chapters a little faster, or at least consistently hit the once a month plan that I've been trying to keep up with.
I've got to say that this is one of my favorite chapters to date, right up there with chapter five, twelve and nineteen. I'll also add that I think this is my best battle, not that I have some sort of extensive track record, but this one that well thought out as to what I wanted to accomplish. Obviously, the outcome wasn't the best in Ash's case, but I think you'll really understand the significance of this battle by the time this arc is over.
Notable Characters
Volkner. One of the Five Kings of Vermilion City. I glad that I'm finally getting to introduce another King, although I've enjoyed having them shrouded in mystery. I don't want to spoil any of the plans I have for Volkner, but you'll definitely see more of him in the future.
Big shout out to MjGenMatt for his high-quality work as always. And I wanted to thank Kreuzspinne for their wonderful review. It gave me such a huge boost of confidence that I really needed at the time, and I can't thank you enough!
We're heading into 2019 now, so the best of luck to all of you out there. I'll see you there at some point!