Zack gasped for air as he slid down the tree, his eyes wide as he stared after Ash, who quickly disappeared among the foliage and tree's around them, "W-What was that?" Nicole whispered as she and Darwin ran up their shell-shocked brother, who just sat rubbing his neck, which would soon bare buises thanks to Ash's tight grip, "I was chasing after Max, but i guess he ran into Ash.." Zack mumbled out as he slowly stood up and turned to Max, who stood shaking a few feet away, "Please Max - please tell us what happened" Zack begged the young boy whilst still rubbing his neck.

Max took a deep breath in order to calm himself down ebfore slowly nodding, "O-Okay..but not here...w-we should find somewhere quiet...d-do you guys know this area well? Do you know of anywhere we could go?" Zack and his siblings nodded towards Max in confirmation as they began walking in a slightly different direction than Ash had walked off.

Walking into a near-by cave as dark thunder clouds began to pass overhead, Zack and the others ducked inside just as the first rain drops hit the ground, followed by another and another until it was pouring down, "So...what happened?" Zack spoke up as he looked at Max, who chosen to sit down further back in the cave, walking closer and sitting cross legged besides his siblings, who had already made themselves comfortable.

"It's a long story...and a sad one at that...a-are you sure you want to know?" Max asked, hoping the trio would say no, but to no avail as the trio nodded their heads firmly - they want to know why Ash was so cold towards everyone except his own pokemon.

"Well...it happened 7 years ago..."

"Something's wrong..." Ash thought as he looked around the living room, his eyes moving from each person to person that took up the packed room. Surrounding the ten-year-old were all of his traveling companions, his rivals and even other trainers he had formed bonds with. To the left was Brock and Misty, both leaning againest the door frame that lead into the kitchen, and both sporting unreadable looks - or at least Ash couldn't read what they were feeling of thinking.

Standing in the other door frame, the one that lead to the front door and the stairs was May, Dawn, Zoey and Max, all four of them were avoiding eye contact with Ash for reasons that Ash couldn't figure out, so he mentally shrugged and looked towards the two sofas, where sat Iris, Cilan, Cameron, Trip, Paul and Barry, all of them looking at Ash with blank looks, and finally, to the left wall stood Richie and AJ. Ash noticed that the only people really missing from the room was his Kalos traveling companions as well as Gary, Tracy, the Professor and his mom - but it was to be expected, as Serena had left for Hoenn and Clemont and Bonnie had remained in Kalos: as to why Gary, Tracy, the professor and his mom weren't around, Ash hadn't the faintest clue.

"Wow! Did you all come to see me? Thats great! It's great to see you all again!" Ash exclaimed, pushing the bad feeling into the depths of his stomach as they looked around the room with a wide smile, ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his head.

A moment of silence rang throughout the room, making Ash feel more and more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by, "So..." Ash continued, trying to engage the others, and attempting to break the awkward feeling that was in the room, "Its really great to see you all!" Ash tried once more, watching as Brock - who had been leaning againest the other door frame next to Misty - pushed himself and took a deep sigh, "Ash...about your last league participation..."

Ash suddenly smiled at the mention of the last league he had participated in, "I know! It was such a close match! But i guess Alain wanted the win more," Ash said with a smile, the smile slowly fading as he noticed the cold look on Brocks face, "Thats the thing Ash - it was close, to close, something wasn't right about that battle" Ash blinked in confusion as he looked at Brock, "What do you mean?"

"What Brock means," The voice of the professor suddenly interrupted, making Ash turn to see Professor Oak, Gary, Tracy and his mother emerging from the Kitchn, all wearing grim looks on their faces, "We all know that Alain used mega evolution on his Charizard - but its what happened with your Greninja that has us all stumped"

"What? the whole transformation thing?" Nods from everyone made Ash smile as he shrugged stupidly, "I don't really get it either - but i think its a special bond that me and Greninja shared that caused that"

"LIER!" Barry suddenly blurted out, making Ash blink and recoil in surprise, "What?" Ash voiced his confusion at the words, looking at everyone as they all nodded at Barry's words as he sat back down and Oak stepped forwards, "I'm sorry Ash - whilst we would like to believe what you say - nothing like that has ever happened before, so we are sceptical that you may have..."

"May have what?" Ash slowly asked, still confused with a slightly hurt tone in his voice that they didn't believe him, "That you cheated!" Gary finally said after a few moments of silence from the professor, making Ash recoil once more in shock, "Cheated?"

"Yes cheated my boy," Oak finally spoke up with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, "In all my years of research, i have never come across this kind of thing, except when trainers used performance enhancer drugs on their poke-" "Whoa, Whoa! Drugs?! You think i drugged Greninja?!" A chorus of nods through out the room made Ash's mouth fall open, "Thats not the only thing we are concerned about Ash" Oak continued, wringing his hands in an almost nervous motion.

"Huh?" Ash said softly, still trying to get his head around the idea that they were accusing him of cheating - and of drugging his pokemon!

"Look Ash, whether you cheated is neither here nor there, but the fact is you lost another major league battle" Misty spoke up, her arms crossed and a cold look on her face, "We all agreed that you should give up and being a pokemon trainer" Ash just gaped - he couldn't believe what he was hearing! For one they were accusing him of cheating, using drugs on his pokemon, and now they wanted him to quiet being a pokemon trainer!

"Haha! Good one you guys - you sure had me going there!" Ash laughed a few seconds later with a smile. But his smile faded when he noticed the serious looks on their faces, "Wait...your all serious?" Another chorus of nods made Ash recoil once more in shock and hurt, "Why would i give up my dream? More importantly, why would i resort to drugs to win? Besides that, if i had used drugs, wouldn't i have won?"

"Because your such a kid!" Iris spoke up, jumping from the sofa and jabbing a finger in Ash's chest, "Only a little kid like you would hold on to dreams that aren't realistic! And only a little kid would resort to cheating to win a battle, only to loose because there to childish to think of a good strategy!" Ash blinked slowly, tears welling in his eyes at each word, "You-You can't mean that..." Ash whispered, watching as Iris scoffed before crossing her arms.

"I've never meant something in my life! We all feel the same way! Right everyone?!" Everyone nodded in agreement, each of them speaking up one after another, each one breaking Ash's heart.

"I thought after you beat me that you were a competent trainer - but i guess i was wrong since you resorted to cheating" Paul started, his normal cold demeanor seeming even colder, "Not only did you cheat, but you lost. You lost when you clearly should have one - i guess you are a pathetic trainer" He finished, making Ash hiccup softly as tears began falling down his face.

"We looked up to you as a mentor" May started up next, indicating to her and Max whilst avoiding eye contact with the raven-haired boy, "But then you go and pull a stunt like that? I guess we were wrong to look up to you"

"I told you i would find you next time i see you!" Barry chirped up with a smile, the smile fading quickly and being replaced by a fine, "I never really meant it, but after pulling a cheating stunt like that? I'm definitely going to find you!" That was the last straw for Ash as he shook his head, the tears flying of his face as he shook his head, "Mom...how can you stand their and let them say this?" Ash croaked out, making one last attempt for backup.

Delia just shook her head as she walked up to her son, laying a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her, "I'm sorry Ash...i was going to talk to you in private but they insisted on joining me. After seeing you jump from the Lumiose tower, i just...i just can't see you in that kind of danger again...please lsiten toy our friends..." Delia begged, taking the last bit of Ash's heart with her words.

"Friends? FRIENDS?! These people are no friends of mine! What friend tells someone to give up their dream?! And what kind of mother tells their son to give up?! I have worked my whole life on giving Pallet town something to be proud of! Does that mean nothing to you?! To ANY of you?!" Everyone jsut looked away from Ash as he shook in anger, "I'm leaving" He stated, making them all look at him in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Ash glared at his mother's words, making her recoil at the coldness in his gaze, "I said i'm leaving - im taking my pokemon and i'm never coming back"

"I'm afraid you can't do that Ash," Ash blinked his now cold eyes at Oak as he spoke, "Because I believed that you cheated, i have revoked your trainers licence, so you are no longer legally able to train pokemon. Please hand your pokemon over quietly"

"Pik-CHUUUU!" Pikachu suddenly screamed, shocking the professor - who was walking closer to Ash with the intent of taking his pokemon, "Thanks Pikachu" Ash thanked the small pokemon, quickly stepping back in time so Oak missed his belt, "I don't care what you say Oak - revoke my licence, take my pokedex" Ash started, taking his pokedex out and throwing it at the old mans feet, 2But you can't take my pokemon away from me."

"He didn't have to, most of them dont want to be with you anyway" Iris pipped up with a smirk, "We spoke to your pokemon and they agreed - they think you cheated, and that your not worthy of being your trainer, if you don't believe us, go see yourself!" Ash just shot Iris the finger, making everyone gasp, especially his mother - who had to wonder where her son had picked up such a sign from?!

"...Ash left the house and we followed him to the ranch - and Iris wasn't lying. Brock, Misty, Iris and Cilian all spoke to his pokemon before hand and a lot of them agreed to leave Ash in favour of being their pokemon instead...A few of Ash's pokemon went with him, but a majority of them were taken by the others" Max finished sadly, watching as Shock ran throughout the triplets faces at the deep wound that had been imbedded in Ash's heart.