AN: Lots of drama in this chapter. Little bit of conflict between the two soldiers as well some brotherly bromance to make up for it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters. Just the random plot bunnies that my mind creates.
Chapter Warnings: Language, bromance, more shameless Supernatural references because I can't help myself
Chapter 9 - Deal
Ash is exhausted. His entire body aches. Joints creaking in protest as stiff muscles carry him from person to person. Checking them for injuries and applying basic first aid.
Thankfully, Nurse Joy was one of the first few people to awaken and had not sustained any major injuries. He quickly let her take control of the situation due to his limited knowledge of battlefield medical care.
He glances over to the corner where he sees Pikachu, Squirtle, Krabby and Doduo curled together in a small nest of blankets. The tired pokemon passed out instantly once the danger had passed with the rising of the sun. Nurse Joy assured the young soldiers that besides their extreme exhaustion and a few bumps and bruises, they were going to be fine.
Ash looks out the window to see his partner standing guard outside. Watching the tower with his trusty iron poker. He can see the bags under the green eyes from where he is standing.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, the raven turns around to see an elderly man with long white hair and dressed in a simple kimono smiling up at him.
"Hello young man. I am the elder of Lavender Town. Thank you so much for saving us. We all saw what you did and how hard you fought for us when we couldn't even control our own flesh and blood. You could have fought us off with your weapons but instead you stopped us without causing any serious injuries. Is there anything we can do to repay you for what you have done?"
Ash gives the old man a weary smile. He glances once more at his partner who seems to be struggling to stay upright. Ash locks eyes with the older gentleman before him and bows slightly in respect for the elder man.
"I'm just sorry we couldn't arrive sooner Sir Elder. However, I am afraid that my partner and I will become liabilities rather than assets soon if we don't get a few hours of rest. Is there is a way that the townspeople can set up an hourly two man watch on the tower from here? We would appreciate it."
"Of course!" The elder replies happily. "You two get some rest. You deserve it. We will fetch you if anything happens."
Ash smiles again at the old man before retrieving his partner and relaying the news. Recalling the slumbering pokemon and picking up his limp Pikachu, the soldiers go upstairs to get a few hours of sleep before they are called to battle once more.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
A soft knocking awakens Ash from his slumber a mere three hours later. With a groan, he slowly slides out of his bed towards the door. Upon opening it, he sees a young brunet dressed in casual clothes, not much younger than him from the looks of it, staring up at the soldier in awe.
"Uhhh...hello?" Ash says sleepily while rubbing the crust from his eyes. The boy bows swiftly causing a black eyebrow to raise in confusion.
"I'm so sorry to wake you sir! We found an injured pokemon near the Tower and we didn't know if it's yours or not. It's in intensive care now. I don't know what kind it is so I just thought I should let you know…" The boy trails off in a quiet voice at the confused look gracing the soldier's face.
All of our pokemon are accounted for. So what pokemon is injured? It's still daylight so it can't be a ghost type...
Ash glances back towards Gary who is still dead to world in the same position as when he first laid down. Pikachu is curled into a small ball next to his own pillow.
I'll just handle this one. They need sleep.
Ash quietly slides his boots back on before following the boy back downstairs and into the back room of the Pokemon Center.
On a gurney, he sees a small Charmander covered in purple/black bruises and bleeding cuts. A bit of orange between the injuries is all that can be seen to give away its original color. A thick burn wraps around the creature's neck with the blackened skin blistered, swollen and oozing. There is a tiny flickering flame on its tail, so small that it looks to be in danger of going out by the smallest puff of wind.
Ash looks over the injured pokemon with sadness in his eyes. No pokemon should be this injured and close to the brink of death.
"Is he yours?" Ash turns to see Nurse Joy walking into the room. With a shake of his head, he reaches out to soothe the shaking pokemon but pulls his hand back in fear of hurting it further. Nurse Joy sighs in defeat.
"They found him half lying under a pile of rubble. There were no footprints in the nearby dust so he must be wild then." Ash looks up at her with surprised brown eyes.
"That's impossible. The military confiscated all of Charmander's evolutionary line that they could find so they be used at the Academy. Even if there were some left in the wild, there is no chance there would be any around here."
Ash glances down at the pokemon in front of him. Its breaths are coming out harsher as its limbs twitch in pain.
Nurse Joy sighs again as she wheels the pokemon towards the recovery room.
"Must've been abandoned then, poor thing."
Glaring blue eyes. Defeated expression. A small collared lizard staring back at him sadly. Ash blinks his eyes twice. Shaking his head slowly to clear the sleep-deprived fuzziness. Before he can focus on the brief flash of memory, it's already faded away.
Ash slowly shuffles back to his bed. He needs more sleep before he can deal with any of this.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
Gary awakens to a pain in his stomach. It's a raw, cold ache that is gnawing away at the very core of his being. He shivers and hides further in the warmth of his blanket cocoon.
The brunet jerks up and nearly falls off the bed as the freezing pit jumps into his chest. What the fuck is going on? It feels as if I am being yanked on a leash!
Eyes widening in horror, he looks out the window to see that it's late afternoon. Sunset will happen in only about two hours.
The ghosts must be preparing for battle. He can FEEL it.
Tossing his pillow at Ash's head, he scrambles up and throws on his clothes. Seeing Gary's distress, his partner quickly follows suit without question.
Following the directions obtained from Nurse Joy, the duo arrive in front of the Elder's house. Once let in, Gary shares his fears of an upcoming attack and the dread he feels swirling inside of him.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
"We can't leave. The ghosts won't let us. I have a feeling those big eyes belong to the leader. If we can take him out, there is a chance the attacks would stop and we would be able to leave." Gary explains.
Ash shakes his head at his partner's comment.
"The Pokemon Tower was attacked by that gang. If we explain to them that it wasn't the townspeople's fault and that they are willing to repair their home, I am positive the attacks will stop." He argues back.
Annoyed green eyes flash at his words.
"Can't you feel that evil aura inside of you Ashy-boy? It's growing as the day grows later. We can't reason through this one. We have to take out every last one. A soldier should know that battles can't always be won with words."
Ash rises from his seat on the couch in anger. Brown eyes raging with a determined fire. "No! Violence doesn't hold all the answers Gary! I can feel it inside of me. I have felt this before and I know I can handle this."
I feel this same aura from you. Whenever you let that rage consume your soul. I've talked you down before. Brought you back to me. Just let me try. Let me take you away from this all consuming violence.
"Please just give me a chance. Let me to talk them first. We can bring weapons just in case but just let me try." Ash pleads. Brown eyes bore into impassive green as Ash stares at his partner. Minutes pass as the brunet silently contemplates his offer.
Gary turns towards the old man. "Do you have any shotguns in this town?"
The Elder glances at him confused before nodding once. Standing slowly, he shuffles away further into his house. Gary turns back to look at him.
"Fine Ash. But the second it looks like they are going to attack you, I will kill them all. I won't put your life or the rest of the townspeople at risk again."
Hope spreads through Ash like wildfire. He practically jumps into his partner's lap as he embraces him in a tight hold.
"Thank you." He whispers softly.
At the sound of shuffling, Ash slides back into his seat with a slight blush on his face. He quickly turns away and stares at the wall to prevent anyone from noticing.
Once he is sure he in control of his emotions again, he looks back to see the old man holding an ancient looking rifle that has had half of its barrel sawed off at some point as well as half a box of shotgun shells.
"Got any salt?" Gary asks. Ash notices the smirk on his partner's face.
I don't know how I feel about this. Salt rounds will completely kill the ghost pokemon after just a few shots with no hope of regeneration. At least the iron just hurts them...
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
The duo spend the next hour and a half preparing the salt rounds. Gary slides two into the rifle's chambers and the rest into an empty pouch on his belt.
With Pikachu perching on his shoulder, Ash leads the way out the door and towards the remains of the Tower. Gary scans the area as he feels eyes upon him. The townspeople have gathered in the street to watch them pass. Some brave of heart join their small group to possibly lend a hand if need. All armed with pieces of iron.
If all else fails, at least they know how to hurt the damn things now.
The small group stops at the base of the once proud Pokemon Tower. The sun's dying rays highlight the destruction. Jagged planks stick out in every direction. Twisted steel beams jut out like a set of serrated teeth. Just waiting for them to come closer so it can strike out and tear them into bite-sized pieces. The sun rays reflect off the metal causing the structure to be awash in a red glow. Almost as if it is on fire once more.
Gary watches as his partner takes a step forward as soon as darkness spreads over the town. Seeing eyes in the darkest of shadows, he stands at the ready. Hands gripped tight around the shotgun. He is Ash's only line of defense right now.
Green eyes narrow in determination as the raven begins to negotiate.
"Gastly, Haunter, please stop these attacks. The townspeople are not the ones who destroyed your home. We believe that was done by a gang intent on causing you so much pain that you would strike out at these innocent people. The town has offered to build a small shrine for you to reside in while they rebuild the tower. So do you think that there is a way we can resolve this peacefully?"
Silence. Ash fidgets in place as he glances around the tower.
The eyes are gone...did he actually succeed?
Green orbs lock on a purple shadow speeding towards him at a remarkable speed. Before he even has time to pull the trigger, it slams into him and flings him backwards. He rolls to a stop several feet away.
"Gary!"
The cold pit in his stomach quickly spreads through his torso and limbs. He cries out in pain.
Can't move.
He feels warm hands on him. Shaking him. A worried voice asking him if he's ok. Everything is muffled. His vision is foggy and tinted with black. Even the warmth of his partner's hands is slowly fading away. The cold pit is sucking everything away.
Pain.
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
Ash is near tears. Gary isn't responding. His heartbeat is slow and his eyes are staring at nothing.
What just hit him? Why won't he respond?
Ash jerks away as a deep raspy chuckle emanates from the body of his partner. Green eyes glow white as the brunet slowly rises and looks around at the terrified faces at the villagers before locking with his brown eyes.
"Gary?" Ash asks cautiously.
"My, my. What a lovely, dark place this is. Such hate. Such rage. All swirling inside this little meat suit." Gary's voice sounds wrong. It echoes and has an odd cadence to it, as if he is talking at the same time as someone else.
Ash quickly stands in horror. He's possessed. The terror quickly turns to anger at the condescending smirk plastered on his partner's face.
"Get out of him! You have no right!" He yells angrily.
"No right? This warrior killed many of my children last night as did you. What gives you the right to think you can speak down to me? I have watched over my kin and this town for years and they repay my kindness by bringing you and those other fools to torture me!"
Gary's eyes burn brighter at the emotional tirade. He raises the shotgun and points it directly at Ash. Ash slowly raises his hands.
"Please." Ash begs. "We were only protecting the people. We didn't want to hurt you or your family. Please let Gary go. We will hunt down the ones responsible. We will get revenge for you, and the townspeople have agreed to rebuild the Tower. If they are willing to look past this horrible incident, can't a strong, noble pokemon do the same?"
His possessed partner tilts his head at Ash's words. The barrel of the gun falls toward the ground. The brunet quickly glances over the silent group to his left before looking back towards Ash.
"You are just a killer. A warrior who puts the lives of humans before those of us pokemon. One who collars us for no reason whatsoever. I've seen the pokemon slaves you carry on your waist. Your word has no meaning to me."
Ash takes a step towards his partner but freezes as the shotgun is once more pointed at him. He struggles to come with anything that can save them. What can I do? Gary is the strategist. How can I possibly think of a way to help him? The ghost's words from before comes to the forefront of his mind. He pounces on the haphazard idea immediately.
I will try anything to save him.
"You said you are able to feel Gary's aura right? He's been through a lot in his life as have I, but I can assure you that we do care very deeply for pokemon. Both ours and wild pokemon. We had a reason to collar our pokemon but not all of them are. Look inside of Gary's memories and you will see the truth. And if that isn't enough then look inside of mine."
A short humorless laugh emerges from his partner's mouth.
"You would actually give permission to be taken over by me, warrior? You are either incredibly foolish or incredibly stupid."
"Be that as it may, my offer still stands." Ash states. His face hardened in determination.
Once more, glowing green eyes stare at him in contemplation.
Please. Just leave him.
The eyes suddenly roll back into Gary's head before he begins to slump to the ground.
Before Ash can even take a step towards his fallen partner, the purple shadow slams into him, knocking him onto his knees. Cold seeps through his veins, freezing him in place.
"Well, well warrior. Your soul is quite different from the other one. How does a gentle soul like you pick up a weapon when he hates violence above all things?" The ghost's raspy voice echoes eerily in his mind.
Images race through Ash's mind at the raspy words. Pallet Town in flames. The bloody face of his dead mother. Men in uniform escorting him and a young Gary away. Training at the Academy. The anguish he felt when that pokemon died from the collar. The trauma from his first kill. Gary in a rage attacking an older student who picked on him. Gary tutoring him for finals. Gary beside him on the stage. Pikachu standing before him. Rescuing Lapras on the beach. Wrapping Pidgeotto's wing. Glowing green eyes.
"Ahhh I see now. Even after all of that destruction, you still hold love in your heart. A deep love for your partner and a caring paternal love for pokemon. Just who are you warrior?" It asks.
"My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Ash replies mentally after a brief pause.
"Well Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I trust your heart. It cannot lie to me."
The numbing cold leaves his body. His eyes slowly focus on the giant floating purple creature before him. Red eyes watch him carefully. A huge white mouth stretched in a horrifying grin. Gengar.
"I will gift you my oldest son. He will watch you on your journey. If, for any reason, he believes that what I saw in your heart is not true, he will come back to me and I will ravage this town and everyone in it. Until then I shall do as you wish and protect this town once more."
"Thank you." Ash whispers with tears silently falling down his face.
He watches as a Haunter pops into existence next to Gengar. It approaches him and reaches through the pouch at his waist to pull out a pokeball. Giving him one last creepy smile, it touches the button on the ball and disappears inside. Falling to the ground in front of him, the ball only shakes once.
Ash places the shrunken ball on his belt and glances back up but there is no trace of any ghost pokemon anywhere. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he meets the worried gaze of his partner. He smiles up at the brunet before slowly standing.
"I told you I could talk him out of it." Ash wheezes out. He smiles softly at the eye roll he gets in return.
Arms wrapped around each others shoulders to support their tired bodies, the duo start to walk back towards the rest of town. Ash pulls them to a stop as a voice echoes once more through his head. He freezes in place at the eerie sound.
"The small lizard knows. He will lead you to them."
xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx
AN: I still haven't decided if I should keep their relationship strictly platonic or add some romance in. Any preferences or suggestions?
Favorite/follow/review please!
Next up: Chapter 10 - Training
