Ash gritted his teeth.
This was the battle of his Seventeen year-old life, and he desperately needed to win.
He surveyed the battlefield in front of him. Pikachu was stood in a battle stance in front of him, panting heavily.
Ash was one of the top students at Kanto Pokémon Regional High, especially in Advanced Battle class. At the end of every month, the students were tested on their main subjects, there were three: Pokémon Battling, Pokémon Contests and Pokémon Breeding, students could only choose one of these main subjects, and then had to accompany it with anywhere between three and six other subjects of their choice.
For Ash, at the end of each month, he had to complete a practical and written assessment of his abilities, and was scored according to how well he did. Each month's score was accumulated to the end of the year, and the overall grade that Ash would receive, would be based on that score.
So far, Ash's score was almost flawless.
In this particular battle, he had only used Pikachu, and had knocked out two of the assessors three Pokémon.
Over years of holidays with his family, Ash had accrued a selection of powerful and varied Pokémon, from all over the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and even Unova regions, so Ash was confident in recalling Pikachu, if it came to it.
The battlefield itself was one of four in this part of the school, the fields were stationed in two rows of two, and they were enclosed by large bleachers that circled around the room.
Ash was well aware of both his parents sitting in the stands, alongside May and her boyfriend, Drew; both of them were taking Pokémon Contests as their main subject. May and Drew had been together almost half a year, and Ash still hated it.
As May's best friend, he had tried to be happy for her, and tried to support the relationship, but as far as Ash was concerned, Drew was just an arrogant prick. Ash and Drew's personalities clashed completely, so Ash had started distancing himself from the couple, this was also the case on his and May's alone time, before May and Drew had started dating, Ash and May would spend time together almost every day, now, it was barely scraping once a week.
But Ash wanted May to be happy, and if she was happy with that son of a bitch, then Ash had no choice.
There was only one thing that cheered Ash up about the situation. His dad. Giovanni had a major disliking for Drew as well, probably because he was one of the only people who knew about Ash's feelings for the brunette coordinator. Giovanni would often sling sly comments at Drew, which would go under the radar, and almost refused to treat Drew with the same respect he did everyone else.
And Ash loved him even more for it.
Ash snapped out of his train of thought when the assessor revealed his final Pokémon, and Ash smirked as it formed in front of him. It was a Shedinja.
Ash knew that the assessor was testing him on his knowledge of abilities; Ash knew that Shedinja had an ability that prevents it from taking damage from anything other than a Super Effective attack, weather effects or condition effects.
"Pikachu, that's enough, you've done brilliantly, come on back," Ash called out, causing Pikachu to turn on the spot and rush back over to Ash, leaping on his shoulder, "thanks, buddy," Ash added, smiling at his faithful companion, before his face turned serious and he looked over at the assessor.
He grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt, and expanded it.
"Come on out, Glalie!" Ash called, throwing the ball into the air. It opened, revealing his large ice Pokémon, which floated in front of him.
The assessor looked intrigued by Ash's decision, but pushed it aside.
"Shedinja, use Shadow Ball!" the assessor commanded, this made Ash smirk; he already knew that he'd won with that command.
"Glalie, just hold your position," Ash said, waiting for the bug-ghost type to launch his attack.
The ball formed in front of Shedinja, and was then launched across the battlefield, striking Glalie, and knocking him back a couple of inches.
"Good, now use Payback," Ash commanded, the assessor's eyes widened in shock. Glalie launched the attack so quickly, that the assessor had no chance to get Shedinja to dodge, and the super-effective Dark-type move, knocked out the assessor's final Pokémon, giving Ash the victory.
Not quite the sweep Ash had been hoping for, but the flawless victory would get him a large amount of points towards his final grade.
"That was brilliant, Glalie, thank you," Ash thanked his Ice type, recalling the Pokémon to his ball, before his attention was caught by the assessor, who had walked over.
"That was impressive, Ash, I was surprised by the switch into Glalie, but you certainly knew what you were doing with regards to Shedinja's Wonder Guard ability," the assessor commented, "As you know, the written assessment will take place next week, on the 14th," the assessor added, shaking Ash's hand, which was standard procedure at the end of any assessment.
"Aahh yes, thank goodness I'll be busy on Valentine's Day then," Ash thought, shooting an unnoticed glance up in May and Drew's direction. For once, Ash was grateful that he had an exam on Valentine's Day, as usually, even though he and May weren't a couple, they'd usually spend the day together, but Ash was grateful for the exam, and for the fact that he could use revising as an excuse to not have to see May.
As horrible as it sounded, to Ash, seeing May nowadays, was just not an option.
Ash looked back up towards May, and noticed that his parents weren't there anymore. Ash assumed that his dad had to return to his Gym, shortly after Ash's fifteenth birthday, Giovanni had been installed as the new Pallet Town Gym Leader, at Giovanni's own request, to be working closer to his family, May's father, Norman, had taken over the roll as Viridian City Gym Leader. Ash also assumed that his mum was waiting for him so that they could go home, but May and Drew were still sat in the bleachers, not looking down at Ash as they were too busy talking to each other.
That was what it was like for Ash since the two had got together, he was either a third wheel, or not involved at all.
Ash sighed as he turned and walked towards the exit, shooting one final fleeting glance up at the couple, before he left the Battle Room. Pikachu looked at Ash, from his shoulder, with a worried expression.
"Pikapi?" Pikachu said quietly, scanning Ash's face.
Ash looked at Pikachu and smiled sadly.
"Six months and I still can't get used to it," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his neck, before pushing the double doors open, so he could finally get away from the Battle Room; and May and Drew.
"Pika… Pikachu," Pikachu said sadly, his ears drooped slightly. Pikachu knew how much Ash was hurting about this, and how much he was trying to hide it, but Pikachu knew his Pikapi, and knew him damn well, and he could tell that Ash was putting on a brave face.
Pikachu knew from the moment Ash had stopped wearing his hat.
Yes, the hat that May had bought Ash for the latter's tenth birthday, for three and a half months, had been sat in the box it had been gifted to Ash in. Pikachu knew that Ash saw it as a symbol of his and May's friendship, so Pikachu also knew that Ash considered the friendship void.
And Pikachu couldn't stand it.
Almost his entire life, Pikachu had watched the world from Ash's shoulder, seen Ash's mistakes and triumphs, his flaws and his greatness, and Pikachu knew that one of the key parts of Ash's greatness, was May.
Ever since Pikachu had been a little Pichu, he had seen the connection between Ash and May, and he knew that it was much more than just a plain old friendship.
What Pikachu found worse than Ash refusing to wear the hat, was the fact that May hadn't even noticed.
Pikachu was snapped out of his thoughts by Ash's dad.
"Well that was mightily impressive, wouldn't you say?" Giovanni rhetorically asked, raising his arms in the air and smirking at Ash, who smiled back weakly, before looking around in confusion.
"Where's mum?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow at Giovanni.
"She had to rush off to the hospital; one of her patients has gone into labour early," Giovanni explained, before placing a hand on Ash's shoulder, and guiding him towards the buildings exit, so that they could head home.
"That was an incredible battle Ash, you and Pikachu seem even more in sync than ever," Giovanni complimented, giving the aforementioned electric mouse a quick scratch on the top of his head.
Pikachu almost purred happily, only Ash and Giovanni knew the spots that Pikachu loved to be scratched.
"Thanks, dad, I learnt from the best though," Ash said, smiling up at his dad, but not by much, since Ash had turned Seventeen, he'd had a major growth spurt, and was almost taller than his father.
"And then the Shedinja! I actually worried for a moment, as I thought you were going to stick with Pikachu, but the decision to use Glalie? Genius!" Giovanni exclaimed, a broad smile on his face, "You completely threw the assessor off!"
Ash blushed at the praise he was receiving.
"When did you teach Glalie Payback?" Giovanni asked, looking over at his flushed son.
"Well, Professor Oak gave me the Technical Machine for it on my Sixteenth birthday, and I thought with an assessment approaching, it might be worth teaching it to someone, luckily I brought Glalie with me," Ash explained, smiling nervously and rubbing the back of his head once more.
The three had exited the school, and now faced the short walk to their house, which was approximately a five minute walk, possibly not even that.
"The decision to let Shedinja attack first to boost Paybacks power was an incredibly good move, too!" Giovanni praised, his smile growing wider, "I know you're going to be a fantastic trainer once you graduate, and I'm almost certain you'll win Regional titles," Giovanni added, placing his hand on Ash's shoulder once more, and beaming over at his stunned son.
"You really think I'll win regional titles?" Ash asked, slightly perplexed, he never envisioned himself beating eight Gym Leaders of a Region, let alone winning a Regional Tournament!
"Of course," Giovanni said, saying it in a way that made it sound as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I've seen the Pokémon that you've captured an trained whilst we've been over to different regions on holiday, they'd be capable of winning any Tournament, especially with you guiding them," Giovanni praised his son.
They smiled at each other when as they walked.
"And then May will realise the mistake she's made choosing that arrogant little shit, Drew, over you… That'll make her realise," Giovanni thought to himself.
Giovanni glanced over at his son, and noticed Ash looking thoughtful, and Giovanni instantly knew he was thinking along the similar lines.
"She'll come to her senses eventually, I know she will," Giovanni said, squeezing Ash's shoulder encouragingly as they walked.
Ash was surprised by his father's comment, but that quickly dissipated as the comment actually sunk in.
"Yeah… I hope so," Ash muttered, before looking over at Giovanni, "thanks dad, you're the best!" Ash exclaimed, hugging his dad, "I'm so glad I've got you to go to for advice," Ash added, looking up at his dad from the hug.
"No problem, Ash, I'll always be here to give you advice," Giovanni replied, smiling back at Ash.
The two stayed like that before Ash gave his dad another quick hug.
"Thanks dad," Ash said, smiling at Giovanni once more, before the two continued on home.
-IYCSMN-
Ash scribbled furiously.
He had plenty of time left to complete the paper in front of him, but he needed his hands to catch up with his head.
Ash was currently sat around eleven rows back in the hall, with the entire room being full of other students, sat at identical desks to Ash. All students sat their respective main subject tests at the same time, one third was Trainers, one third was Coordinators and the final third was Breeders, so May was also in the room, and with it going in alphabetical order, she was three columns across, in line with Ash, who shot May a quick look.
She was wearing a rose in her hair, which Ash could only assume Drew had given it to her for Valentine's Day, which was this precise day.
Ash was grateful for the exams taking place on Valentine's Day, as it gave him the perfect reason not to have to see May, so all in all, Ash felt it was going to be a good day.
Things hadn't been any better between Ash and May since the former's practical assessment, the two hadn't spoken to each other at all, it was almost like they'd had a huge fight, when in reality, Ash was slipping away, and May was letting him.
Ash didn't want to do it, May was his best human friend, but since she had started dating Drew, she had either always been with Drew, or always talking about Drew.
It drove Ash crazy.
Ash looked back at his paper, he had a few multiple choice questions to come, and then at the end, he'd have to write an essay about a topic posed by the examiners, all of which, Ash found relatively easy; his eidetic memory and passion for Pokémon and battling, was a fantastic combination for this test.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the door to the exam hall swing open, and a man Ash didn't recognise walked in, but for some reason, Ash was intrigued by the new arrival.
The man walked over to one of the invigilators stood at the front of the hall, and the two had a brief conversation, before they both looked over to Ash, who really should have made it look like he was still writing, but for some reason, he couldn't tear his attention away from them.
The invigilator made a gesture for Ash to go over to them, but Ash wasn't sure if they were gesturing to him, so he pointed a finger at himself, to which the invigilator nodded.
Ash stood up quietly and made his way to the front of the hall, he shot one more fleeting glance back at May, before he reached the duo waiting for him.
She was looking at him quizzically, but Ash didn't feel like making a gesture back, so he just turned away from her, and looked back to the front of the hall, where the invigilator was waiting for him, the unknown man had already left the room.
When Ash reached the invigilator, the latter guided Ash towards the door, which confused Ash even more, but he went along with it anyway, hoping that whatever this was, he'd be able to get back to the test with enough time to complete his paper.
Ash quietly slipped out of the hall, and the invigilator gently closed the door behind him. Ash emerged out onto a slim corridor, with the strange man stood in front of him.
"Ash, would you please come with me?" the man requested, even though the man had a serious look, with regards to clothing – he wore a black suit and a black tie, with a white collared shirt underneath, he even had sunglasses on – his tone of voice held compassion, which surprised Ash slightly, but confused him even more.
"O-kay?" Ash said, his confusion evident in the way he spoke, "Where are we going?" Ash asked, as he set off, walking just behind the suited man.
"Ash, I'm really sorry to have to be the one to tell you this… But your father has had a heart attack."
That was all Ash heard.
He heard a shattering in his head, and a pain in his chest, right where his heart was, making it feel like that was where the shattering took place.
Your father has had a heart attack.
Ash's body went into autopilot; he just followed the suited man, feeling hollow and broken inside, but no tears would come to the teen. He didn't know what to do, he wanted to cry, he wanted to curl up in a ball and just sleep, he just wanted this to be a nightmare and to wake up.
But none of it happened.
Your father has had a heart attack.
He felt too broken to cry, it felt like an arrow had pierced straight through his chest.
Somehow, his body got him into the car that would take him somewhere; he wasn't sure where as he hadn't been able focus on what the suited man was saying.
Ash was stuck in a trance.
Your father has had a heart attack.
Ash suddenly felt claustrophobic inside his own head, walls started closing in, and his vision started blurring, his head throbbed and his eyes ached. Ash started hyperventilating, and he became aware of a hand on his shoulder. Female. He looked up and through blurred vision saw brown hair.
He lunged forward and hugged his mother, emotions final getting the best of him.
Ash broke down in tears, clinging onto Delia.
Ash didn't know how, or when, they'd arrived at the hospital, or even how he had found his way to Delia, but in that moment, he didn't care.
The only things in the world that mattered in that instance, was his broken mother, his broken heart and his broken father, lying in a near-death state on the other side of a white door.
Ash wasn't sure how much time had passed, but he never let go of his mum, they cried with each other, held each other, stood in the middle of a hospital hallway, until eventually a doctor emerged from the room that Ash's father was in.
"Mrs Ketchum?" the doctor asked gently, causing Ash and Delia to pull apart, turning towards the doctor, both with bloodshot eyes.
"That's me," Delia replied, Ash had never heard her sound so broken, her voice cracked as many times as was humanly possible.
"Would you and your son like to come in?" the doctor asked, gesturing towards the door. Delia turned to Ash, inspecting his facial expression, but, for the first time, Delia couldn't figure out what Ash's expression was, but she knew he wanted to see Giovanni.
So did she.
"Yes please, doctor," Delia replied, and the doctor lead them to the room, but Delia stopped Ash just before they entered.
"Ashy… You need to brace yourself for this," she said gently, rubbing Ash's arm.
She received no response.
Ash just walked into the room, holding the door open for Delia. As Delia walked past Ash, she tried to read his facial expression once more, but she couldn't, for two reasons, he avoided eye contact with her, and his expression was like staring at a brick wall.
They both looked up at the hospital bed at the same time, and the sight made Delia's hand shoot up to cover her mouth, tears instantaneously started rolling down her cheeks.
Ash didn't know how to react, he just stared blankly at his father, the hospital covers were pulled up to his mid-torso, tucked into his armpits, so his arms were laid down next to him, a heart monitor was beeping extremely slowly, his face was pale and his eyes were closed.
The usually handsome man looked like a sullen corpse.
Delia's gaze turned to her feet as the tears poured down her face, whereas Ash stared blankly at Giovanni.
"I'm really sorry, but he's only just hanging onto consciousness… I'm afraid that he won't hold on much longer," the doctor said quietly.
He won't hold on much longer.
Ash had resigned himself to the truth.
Your father has had a heart attack
This was it.
He won't hold on much longer.
The moment he thought he wouldn't have to face for at least another twenty, thirty years.
Your father has had a heart attack.
He was going to have to stand by his father's side.
He won't hold on much longer.
And say goodbye.
Your father has had a heart attack.
For the final time.
He won't hold on much longer.
Ash watched, ripped to his core, as the heart monitor flat lined.
Your father has had a heart attack.
And just like that, his father was gone.
He won't hold on much longer.
He couldn't hold on at all.
Your father has had a heart attack.
Ash couldn't feel anything but a throbbing in his chest.
He won't hold on much longer.
All Ash could do, was stand, hollow, staring at his father's lifeless form, the words repeating over and over in his head.
Your father has had a heart attack.
He won't hold on much longer.
Ash could feel something change instantly inside him, his entire world felt weaker, colder, lonelier, he was not aware of the doctor talking to his mother, he was not aware of his mother crying into his chest, he was not aware that he was holding her.
There was only one thing that Ash was aware of.
His father, the greatest man had ever known, was gone. Taken from him.
The worst thing?
Ash never even got to say goodbye, never got to say "I love you" one more time.
He had arrived just in time to watch the most influential person in his life, slip away from him, in front of his very eyes.
Ash felt small, insignificant, powerless, unable to help the man that had given him everything, in his greatest time of need, Ash couldn't do a thing.
He felt physically sick.
He felt guilty.
He felt worthless.
Three words found their way to Ash's throat, as tears finally came to the broken raven-haired teen; they came out as little more than a whisper.
"Please come back."
EOC
This scene… damn. I was going to add an additional scene in from May's perspective, but that will be in the next chapter instead, as I wanted to end the chapter there.
So, the major plot point has occurred, Giovanni has passed away, and this is where we see Ash derail, I've got some good ideas in my head, I just hope I'll put them to paper in the right way.
I do have to apologize for the Contestshipping spontaneously popping up, but it's vital to the Advanceshipping subplot.
REVIEWS:
Ashura Satoshi: Thanks pal! I wasn't sure about it, due to the amount of focus on the gig, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!
LittleMissMidnight: I know right? For some reason I see Ash and I either think Three Days Grace, or You Me At Six, no idea why! I've always struggled writing emotions, I hope I was able to do so better in this chapter; it was really difficult to write that last scene. I'm really pleased I was abloe to effectively portray Giovanni as the perfect family figure; I felt it was integral to the story. How is the box of feels now? Mine is torn to shreds.
A review is always greatly appreciated!
~AF~