Chapter 46
"Your mother needs to rest for a while."
"Just…just five more minutes, Dad, please?" she begged.
"Are you ok with that, Caroline?" he asked.
"Yes, yes," the mother said, "I'm exhausted but my children are the world to me, it is because of them that I promised myself to persevere and make it home alive. I'll remember to rest up, don't worry about it."
Norman opened the bedroom door and nodded. "Ok, I just don't want you stressing out your mother, she's been through a lot, but then again, so have you, May. I want you both to get a good nights sleep tonight so we can turn the page in this unfortunate chapter in our lives for good."
"We will," May said, cheerfully. "Thanks, Dad."
The father exited the bedroom and left the mother and daughter alone in the room. Caroline was wearing her dark maroon bathrobe while she rested under the covers of her bed. She was sitting upright with her head against the pillow and a cup of hot chocolate to keep her warm on the small table to the right.
The feeling of wearing her own apparel again and resting in the comfort of her own bed was almost bittersweet for the mother. After spending the previous night stripped of her clothing, chained to the wall in a dark and dirty room and resting on a plain mattress stained with her own blood, the mother felt overjoyed to actually be home again. Yet at the same time, she wished she never felt this feeling because it reminded her of the darkest time in her life when she was kidnapped against her will and sexually and physically abused.
It was nearly 2:00am, and even though she felt like falling asleep while sitting on the edge of the bed, May refused to get up and leave without making sure that her mother would be content and recover now that she was home. She missed her dearly, and broke down into tears several times as she confessed to her mother that she wouldn't know if she could survive in the world without her. Caroline would comfort her daughter like all mothers do, and reassure her that things could only get better from now on. She knew, however, that this was an emotional ordeal for her daughter and it was something that would stick with her for the rest of her life. Perhaps even, scar her for life.
"I love you, Mom," May said emotionally as she held her mothers hand, "I want you to rest and recover for as long as it takes, you…won't have to lift a finger around the house. I'll stay here with you for weeks…months even if I have to, and forget about my Contests just so I can be with you every step of the way."
Caroline smiled and squeezed her daughters hand passionately. "You're getting too emotional again, dear, you know I'll be well again much sooner than that. I don't want you to break down into tears a fifth time now, so please, everything will be just like it used to in another couple of days."
May forced out a chuckle. "O-ok, Mom, I'll try," she said happily.
"Remember that I'm proud of you, May, extremely proud. I know this has taken a toll on yourself but you've managed to handle it very maturely for someone your age. I know if this ever happened to my mother, I wouldn't be able to cope," Caroline said. She picked up her jug of hot chocolate and sipped from the cup. "You're my brave and special little daughter, I hope you're aware of that."
May nodded confidently.
"You've even managed to work together with Ash and your brother to take down a dangerous and violent criminal, that was astounding. The fact that Ross is sitting unconscious and tied to a chair outside in the living room reassures me greatly. Part of me wants to worry my little head off for the danger you, Max and Ash were put in when Ross came into our house, but the other part of me is just happy that you all made it out unscathed and that worthless piece of trash was taken down. I don't know what I might have done if Ross laid a finger on you or your brother."
May frowned and faced the floor. She hesitated for a few moments, and then asked her mother something that was bothering her.
"Ross told me that he raped you, was that true?" she asked meekly.
Caroline didn't want to answer. She kept silent for nearly five minutes, as May sat there patiently waiting for a response. Even though May already knew it was true, especially since her mother came home wearing nothing but a dirty towel and none of her clothes, she wanted to hear it from her mother herself.
Finally, after a long silence, the mother replied.
"Yes, it's true. I was taken advantage of," Caroline admitted.
May's eyes began to water as she fidgeted with her hands, it was a hard truth to accept. Hearing it from her mother herself was the most upsetting aspect of it all. It was a horrible feeling that anyone could do such a thing to her precious mother.
"May, hold back your tears. You promised, remember?" Caroline asked.
"I…I…know," May sniffed, wiping her face emotionally. "But…it's just…so horrible!"
"Which is why I don't want your brother knowing," Caroline said sternly, "It was harsh enough for him to know I was kidnapped, but I don't want him to know what I really went through. I've told this to your father as well, I don't want Max to be hurt by this anymore than he has to."
"Of course," May said, struggling to get a hold of herself, "I definitely won't say anything about this to Max, I…don't want him to put him through the same pain I'm going through. It's very sad."
"Indeed, I had wished you didn't find out about this either, it would have been easier for you to move on," Caroline sighed.
"But you're ok now, right? I mean, nothing bad will happen to you or anything because of what he did, right?" May asked quickly.
"Hopefully nothing will happen. Hopefully all my wounds and bruises will heal as quickly as possible too. Hopefully I'll be the mother you remember in less than a week," Caroline said reassuringly, "I don't want you worrying more about me than you should. As your mother, I'm telling you that I'll be alright. You don't have to cry for me at night."
May took a deep breath and acknowledged her mothers words. It was the truth, she had to move on and not dwell on the depressing tale of what her mother was subjected to. It would be the only and best way for the entire family to put this behind them.
"It's very late, I want you to head to bed now too," Caroline said, looking over at the digital clock on her dresser. "I'm sure Ash is wondering if you're ok as well. You should go be with him now."
May smiled and got up from the bed. "Thanks, Mom, I know Ash is worried about me too. Um…Dad is going to be with you when you sleep tonight, right?"
"Of course, why do you ask?"
"Because I don't want you to be alone for the night. With Dad by your side, I'll feel a bit better when I go to sleep tonight in my room across the hall. I wouldn't want you to be by your lonesome when you just got home."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Caroline said. She took another sip of her hot chocolate and leaned down in her bed. "It really is refreshing to sleep in your own bed again, you should do it as well."
"Ok," May said happily, "I love you, Mom."
"I love you too. Get some rest," she replied.
May opened the door and took once last look at her tired mother and then calmly shut the door behind her. She stood next to the closed door and sighed as she looked over the railing of the second floor.
Downstairs, Brock and Tana were huddled together on the couch with a long blanket which covered their bodies and went down to the floor. Tana was already sound asleep with her head leaning on his shoulder and had the most content smile on her face that May ever saw her muster. Her red hair was frazzled but she had mostly recovered from the electric shock Jamie delivered to her earlier in the night. May tried peering at Brock to see if he was still awake or not, but with his eyes she could never tell the difference anyway. It mattered not, they were content and peaceful together, and she was happy to see them back together again.
Brock's regular clothes were filthy and torn after being shackled up by Ross, so after the group got settled down at the Gym, Norman offered Brock some spare clothes that he could wear in the meantime. Brock of course agreed, and tossed his old clothes in the garbage and gladly accepted a white T-shirt and a pair of blue sweatpants from Norman. Her father was a bit taller than Brock, but the extra t-shirt and sweatpants looked like they fit him anyway. At the very least, he had some fresh clean clothes to sleep in tonight and for the foreseeable future.
May wasn't sure where Gardevoir went, but she figured that the Psychic Pokemon was still in the house somewhere. The Pokemon did belong to Professor Latrommi and had jobs at the various Pokemon Center's to heal injured patients, but it staying with them at the Gym for the night would be reasonable considering everything that's happened. She also wanted to personally thank Gardevoir for everything its done for them, it was a tremendous help in getting them to locate Ross and in turn made the rescue mission of Brock and Caroline a success. May didn't want to walk down the steps in some uncertainty that she would wake up Brock or Tana, but she still tried looking over the railing as best she could to see if Gardevoir was still around. She did. finally, spot some blue aura from the corner of her eye as she stepped down the first step. It appeared that Gardevoir was meditating in mid-air against the wall by the front door. She smiled contently, Gardevoir was a really beautiful Pokemon and it looked majestic even while meditating with its eyes closed. She was glad that Gardevoir was sticking around for the night, it meant a lot to her.
Slaking returned to the greenhouse to tell its tale of stopping some men in black with taser weapons, and Slakoth and Vigoroth were mesmerized by its tale of action and suspense.
May walked along the hallway and yawned, her tiredness was finally creeping up on her and she was exhausted after everything that happened during the night. Her father was probably downstairs somewhere at the moment, but she figured she might as well get to bed because she promised him to only stay with her mother for five more minutes.
She walked to her bedroom door and slowly pushed it open. The lights were out and all the occupants of the room were asleep. Ash, Pikachu and Max were all sleeping in the same bed together with their heads turned toward each other. They had promised to sleep in the same room together, even though her family returned, but she didn't expect them to all sleep in the same bed together. Nevertheless, she was happy to see Ash and Pikachu take such good care of her little brother in such depressing times. It was obvious by the way the two boys were facing each other that Ash decided to sleep next to him to comfort him after the events of the night. Max didn't stop clinging to his mother when they were transported home earlier, and the little boy was as ever much eager as his sister was to spend as much time with their newly returned mother as possible. However his younger age conked him out faster than his sister, so Ash offered to stay with him for the night while she stayed up longer with her Mom. They would have the whole following day to be with each other regardless, and everyone needed a good nights rest to recharge.
May took off her bandana and slid it on top of her dresser. Before she went to sleep in Ash's sleeping bag which was on the floor, she walked over to the bed to kiss both boys goodnight before she went to sleep.
"Goodnight, Max," she whispered as she softly kissed her brother on the forehead. His head slid up on the pillow with childlike innocence which made her chortle.
She then turned to Ash and gave him a goodnight kiss too, only this time she kissed him on the cheek rather than on the head like her brother.
"Night, Ash. Thank you for being such a wonderful and kind friend to my brother. I'll always remember that," she whispered, pressing her lips softly against his skin.
Ash's face seemed to respond positively upon the kiss, and May brushed her hand through his dark hair gently before she stepped away.
And last but not least, she even bent down to Pikachu and gave him a quick peck on the head too!
"Heehee, I didn't forget you either, Pikachu," she chuckled.
"Piiiiiiikaaaaa," Pikachu muttered in its sleep, burying its face in the pillow.
She clasped her hands as she stared at the three sleeping together, she really did love them all.
A few moments later, she slid herself down into the sleeping bag and started to doze off to slumber land. Tomorrow would be another big day, it would be the first full day where everyone was reunited and happy together again. The madness was finally over, and peaceful times would surely rise with the next morning.
That is, of course, assuming that the family still had any idea what they were going to do with Ross, who was still tied to the chair downstairs in the house. Nobody bothered to call the police during the night, but Ross was placed downstairs in the basement where Norman tied another round of thick rope around his body to make sure he was secure and wouldn't be able to move when he woke up again. At any rate, they had Ross locked down pretty tight, and Gardevoir was apparently on guard duty as it meditated by the front door of the house.
No way was Ross going to get away, but of course, that wouldn't matter much in the end anyway. Half of the people in the Petalburg Gym wanted Ross dead, but would any of them go against the law and take vengeance into their own hand? That remained to be seen, or at least, until the next morning…
~*~*~*~*
He sat in the dark room alone, bound to the chair. He struggled to move his arms, but they wouldn't move. He struggled to move his legs, but they wouldn't move. He struggled to move his face, which moved, but that didn't do him much good. The room was pitch black, the windows covered by curtains, and the man couldn't see a thing in any which direction. It was just dark, damp and silent. He would have probably yelled and demanded to be let free, but he couldn't do that either. After all, he had a handkerchief tied around his mouth.
He had been kept there overnight, tied against his will to a chair in the basement, his ego and violent thoughts of revenge consuming him over the night. He wanted to get free, desperately, and if given the chance, he would have murdered as many people in the house as he possibly could. He didn't care about ethics, or what his original plan was, he was enraged that he was wound up in such a predicament, especially after having the ace in his sleeve all along.
The basement door cracked open, which instantly got Ross' attention. Light poured into the room from upstairs, just a tad, but enough for him to make out the figure that was coming down the stairs. It was a familiar female figure, and he had studied it well; it was Caroline, the woman he kidnapped.
The basement door was shut, and the room grew dark once again. The darkness didn't last however, as Caroline turned on the lights which caused Ross to close his eyes awkwardly until he adjusted to the bright light after being in the dark for so long. Once he was able to open his eyes again, the woman spoke.
"I see you're awake now, but that should have been a given, it's not like you were put into a coma," Caroline said.
The woman was dressed in her bathrobe, her hair still messy, it was easily apparent that she had just woken up herself not too long ago. She woke up to see the man who tortured her, alone, for a reason yet to be revealed.
Ross tried yelling something as loud as he could but his voice was muffled underneath the handkerchief. He was shocked to find out that Caroline managed to get free of where she was being held, but quickly came to the realization that her family must have rescued her. The acknowledgement that this probably meant that Norman managed to take care of his accomplices at the club frustrated him greatly.
"I didn't expect that to be your opening line," she said, staring at the man with much contempt. "But either way, I'm glad to see you remember me."
Caroline put a bizarre smile on her face as she began to pace the floor with her arms crossed in front of Ross. The man watched her curiously, just why did she come down here?
"This was a funny turn of events, don't you think?" she asked, speaking as she walked. "You came all the way here to my house, on your motorcycle, to do some abdominal atrocities to my children. Things didn't seem to play out exactly to your plan however, as you know, you wound up tied up in our basement instead of doing what you originally intended."
Ross stared at her curiously, he wanted desperately to say something but he was unable to do so. He could only sit in his chair, silently, as the woman he kidnapped spoke in a very jarring manner.
"In a way, I suppose things worked out for the best. Not for me, of course," she chuckled, "But for my children, at least. They were able to make it through this relatively unharmed, and that satisfies me greatly. Of course, I can't neglect to mention that I'm standing here back in my own house, alive and well."
Ross stared.
"Brock was also able to get free, and he's here too. I bet you're awful bummed about that too, right?" Caroline sneered. "When you chained Brock and me in the same room together near the alleyway, we were able to conspire with each other on a way to break free. You stupidly left one of your blades on the table in front of us, and after Brock tried painstakingly for hours to kick the leg of the table by stretching with all his might, he was finally able to knock it down on its side. The frustrating part came when he struggled to use the blade to cut the chains, but he was able to succeed after an hour or so. After he was mobile again, he simply found your keys on the rack to rid the chain off his arm as well as get me free. The first thing he did otherwise was tear apart the contract for the Pewter Gym that you made him sign, and then he made sure to find me a towel, albeit a filthy one, but one I could wear so I didn't have to walk around naked. He's a very resourceful guy, that Brock, it's no wonder Ash values him as such a close friend. In any case, this shouldn't come as much of a shock, but my husband and Tana were successful in rescuing us. It's a pity too, you went through all that trouble of kidnapping me for no reason then. Well, I suppose you did get your kicks when you "handled" me, but was the payoff really worth it in the end?"
Ross again tried to speak best he could, but his voice was muffled. He tried rocking in his seat as well, he had no desire to hear this woman mocking him as she paced back and forth.
Caroline turned toward him and watched him try to get free, he looked as if he wanted nothing more than to get out of his seat and ring her neck. She shook her head amusingly.
"You're tied down pretty securely, so you're wasting your time. You look rather frustrated though, is what I'm saying really hurting your feelings? If I didn't know better, I'd almost say you look like I'm putting you through torture, but of course, the torturer never becomes the tortured, right?" she asked convincingly.
He stopped rocking his chair, the tone in her voice became unnerving. It was a different world now, one where he was unable to move and locked up in a dark and quiet room, while she was the one with the upper hand, scheming various thoughts in her mind. The reverse situation was apparent enough, but she was a mother, what could she possibly gain from coming here?
"Heh, it almost looked like you got a little nervous there," she said, "I wouldn't blame you, it's very early in the morning, around 5:30a.m. actually, and I came down here to see you all by myself for some unknown reason. The rest of my family is all asleep and none of them are aware that I'm down here talking to you. I guess you can say that after all the trouble you went to in coming over to my house last night, that I couldn't possibly let your travel be a waste. You came to see my kids, and you had something very important to show them. You recall what I'm talking about?"
Caroline reached into the pocket of her bathrobe and pulled out a familiar item. Ross' eyes lit up when he saw the object, it was his knife.
"I bet this looks familiar to you," Caroline said, waving his knife before him. "That's right, this was the knife you had on you when you came to my house. My daughter said that you pulled this out and was about to use it against her and Ash, that's pretty frightening. To use something such as this against little children, my word, you must be insane."
She looked at the sharp blade in her hand, running her finger along the edge of the top. The four inch blade was pretty dangerous, and it had seen its fair share of use overtime.
"This blade should also look familiar to you for another reason. Not only was this the weapon you were going to attack my family with, but it's also the blade you used on me, remember?" she asked.
He was perplexed, yet he knew her motive was becoming clear. Would she do it?
Caroline loosened her bathrobe and showed him the various incisions and cuts on her body. Slashes from the blade were visible over her stomach, arms, and chest. She was mutilated painfully by the very same knife she held in her hand at the moment. Ross stared at her naked flesh, remembering the night he spent with her.
"When you tortured me, you sure didn't hold back in taking a little slash here and there with your blade," she said angrily, "You used your weapons maliciously on me, and the pain I had to endure was almost unbearable. You're cruel and sadistic, and the marks my body have is proof of the amount of hell you put me through."
She tied her bathrobe back securely on her body, turning away in disgust as she wiped a tear out of her eye.
"My…children had to also go through hell because of you," she cried, her voice intensifying, "Did you even bother to think of the amount of effect it would have on my children if they lost their mother? I had a conversation with my daughter about this, and I can see the look on her eyes when she speaks with me. She still seems absolutely petrified, and always has a hint of fear and worry in her voice when she speaks to me. I can tell that she's still frightened, and I do my best to console her and calm her down, but I know it isn't enough. I know that because of you, my daughter is scarred for life."
Ross shook his head as he began to laugh under his handkerchief. He couldn't care less about what the woman was talking about. Caroline watched him laugh as her hands wrapped firmly around the blade. She quickly walked over to him and snatched the handkerchief off his mouth.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Caroline asked sternly, dropping the handkerchief to the floor.
Ross took a breath of fresh air, it was certainly satisfying after spending the night with his mouth confined. He licked his lips and spit to the side before speaking.
"…what would you have me say?" Ross asked, chortling. "I ruined your family, and that was my intention I had to get back at your husband. What else can I say?"
"You can apologize."
"You can't be serious," he laughed. "If I had it my way, I would have done the same thing with your daughter as I did with you. She's fresh meat and I would have loved to see the look on Norman's face after he found out the pain I put his daughter through."
She shook her head. "You're a sick, sad and twisted man. You'll deserve everything that's coming to you."
Ross laughed again. "And what's that, exactly? What's the worst that can happen to me? You call the cops and I end up in the slammer for a few years, big deal. I know that I lost, I'm not going to cry over it. If you think I'm going to see the error of my ways as I'm sitting in prison walls, I must have screwed with you more than I thought. You've gone nuts yourself."
Caroline turned from him and held the blade by her side. The man was truly filled with no sorrow, or regrets or remorse. He enjoyed inflicting pain upon her family as well as her friends, and even though he was defeated, he was content with what happened.
"You have no regrets," Caroline muttered.
She stood almost ominously with her back turned toward him.
"No regrets," Ross mused, "Things may not have worked the way I wanted them to, but I still got a good kick out of all of it. I had my fun, and that was all that mattered in the end. I would have preferred to take another stab at your daughter though, that bitch took me down twice! She's a brave little girl, I'll give you that, not to mention sweet and innocent, just like I like 'em."
Caroline turned toward him hastily and lowered her face right above his. She stared into the eyes of the man she hated one last time before she made her move.
"I can't let this go on," Caroline whispered, "You changed my life and almost destroyed my entire family, it's time I returned the favor and changed your life as well."
He chuckled. "Call the cops and get it over with already. I'm done playing games with you," Ross said.
She smiled bizarrely.
"So am I," she whispered.
She pulled back her arm and suddenly thrust the blade into his chest. Ross gaped in shock as the sharp pain coursed throughout his entire body, blood gushing out of his chest and dripping down his shirt. She twisted the handle on the blade a number of times to make sure she impaled him good and painfully before he died. Blood spilled out of his mouth as he tried to speak.
"…nice…" he gasped.
His face was jovial as the last few seconds of life remained in his body. His clothes were completely drenched with blood, and Caroline stared him in the face as she waited for him to croak. She was still holding the handle of the blade as blood stained her hands, and she forcefully shoved it deeper inside him a few more times to make sure he was really through.
Seconds later, the man was dead.
She stared at the now silent man strapped to the chair, the man she killed in cold blood. She pierced him through the chest and delivered the final blow to the villain who caused her and her family so much pain. He was gone, gone for good.
She slowly let go of the bloody handle and waved her hand to get the red off her skin. She stood up and walked to a box of tissues on a table across from him and wiped the blood off contently. Upon placing the tissue aside, she felt content.
"I have no regrets either," she said, staring at the impaled man on the chair, "None at all."
The basement door handle suddenly sounded like it was opening, which caught Caroline off guard as it seemed like someone was coming downstairs! The door was pushed open and Caroline watched as her husband walked down the stairs. He quickly noticed his wife.
"What are you doing down here? The man is dangerous!" Norman scolded.
She shook her head.
"Not anymore," she said softly, pointing toward Ross.
Norman looked over at Ross and was shocked to see a blade through his chest. Ross' head was down and the blood drenched his entire body. There was also a pool of blood underneath the chair. It was noticeable that Ross didn't just die, he died painfully.
He quickly turned to his wife and almost rattled her in his arms. "What have you done?!" he panicked, "You actually killed him?!"
Caroline pushed away from her husband's grip and nodded. "It had to be done," she said simply.
"I…I hated this man too after everything he did to me, not to mention you, and everyone else, but this was…uncalled for!" Norman shouted.
"Think about our kids, I didn't want them to live in fear with the knowledge that Ross was still alive somewhere, merely locked up in a cell," Caroline argued, "In order to save our family, he needed to die. I slain him by my own hands, I have no regrets."
Norman pushed his hand over his face nervously as he tried to size up the situation. He still couldn't even grasp the fact that his wife committed murder, even though he felt the hate for the man just as strong as she did. It was definitely shocking.
Caroline walked over to her husband and placed her hand on his shoulder. She comforted him gently as he saw the sorrow in her face. He had almost forgotten for the moment that his wife was raped and abused by the very same man who sat dead before him.
Ten minutes passed, and Norman and Caroline were still standing in the basement trying to reconcile over what happened.
"How are we going to explain this to the kids?" Norman asked.
Caroline hesitated. "I'm not sure," she said.
"Or the police, rather? They're more than eager to finally close this case up, but I believe they would have rather locked him up alive than dead," Norman said.
"I could claim it was in self defense," she pondered.
"He's tied to a chair and can't move his arms or legs, how can you claim self defense?" Norman argued.
"We know he's tied to a chair, but the police don't have to," she said. She quickly got an idea, and looked at her husband as a plot was brewing in her mind. "You can untie his body and place him on the ground, it would be like he tried to assault us, which isn't too far from the truth, it was just with Ash and May in our place last night."
"Insane, simply insane," Norman said, "I'll do it, but God help us if this somehow backfires on us. Either way, I'm sure the police will be happy to know that this kidnapping was put to a close and the man responsible for it is right here."
Norman walked over to Ross and started to untie the ropes around his body, Caroline watched while leaning against the stairway.
"Hopefully now his curse on our family will finally be over," Caroline said.
While she didn't know it yet, that line couldn't have been further from the truth.
~*~*~*~
They couldn't believe it. The shock that Ross was dead stunned everyone in the house. Norman and Caroline managed to pull such a convincing story and straight faces that nobody doubted their story, not even the police.
The Petalburg Gym was swamped with police, examining every area of the house. They found Ross' body in the basement as Norman explained to them about the kidnapping and how his wife was forced to impale the man to save her life. His body was picked up and put in a body bag as an investigator examined the scene and asked the married couple many questions. Caroline purposely allowed the injuries on her body to remain, rather than letting Gardevoir heal them like it did with her husband, so the police would have some hard evidence of what she really went through.
As the hours passed and the media began to approach the Gym, it became apparent that the place was getting a little too crowded for its own good. Thanks to Norman persuading the police, the children were allowed to leave the Gym and were instructed to kill some time in the city while the investigation wrapped up.
Ash, May, Max, Brock and Tana went together to the heart of Petalburg and explored the familiar scenery and landmarks of the famous city. No matter how much they tried to enjoy themselves, all of their thoughts dwelled on the death of Ross back at the Gym.
Tana was stunned. She wanted to kill Ross herself, she had a handgun she brought with her to the club and was ready to pull the trigger. If it weren't for Norman disarming her before they entered, she probably would have done him in there and then. Looking back, Tana was somewhat relieved that Norman stepped in. The sight of Ross' lifeless body on the ground in a pool of blood overwhelmed her a great deal. She was now grateful that she didn't have that blood on her hands, yet she was also a bit conflicted as she was happy that the man was gone for good. The goal in the end was what mattered, and with Brock by her side ready to put the past behind them, she was pleased to know they could get on with their lives and hopefully continue their relationship.
Brock however, was quite concerned. Not about Ross' death or his relationship with Tana, but about Ash, May and Max. This was the first time that the reality of death ever consumed them. He had traveled with Ash for years and with the siblings for almost as long, and he wanted to make sure that this experience didn't have any detrimental affects on their well being. They had already been put through the experience of having their mother kidnapped which was already quite devastating, yet this was another lump to add to the pile of the darker sides of life. He promised himself that he would spend as much time discussing this with his friends as possible, and would make sure that they would be able to comprehend what actually happened.
Ash, May and Max never got to see the body. Norman and Caroline forbid them completely. Only Brock and Tana were allowed to see Ross on the ground, but the parents deemed it was far too inappropriate for the others to see. Brock knew this was right, and was pleased that the parents made such a wise decision.
As the day wore on, secrets were revealed and bonding moments were aplenty. Ash and May revealed that they were a couple to Brock and Tana, and that they would continue to travel together winning badges and ribbons for as long as they wanted to. Brock congratulated the pair and was taken back that Ash finally noticed what girls were about. He almost contemplated giving Ash advice about what to do with May, but then he stopped himself as it would be far too awkward since he was May's good friend as well. All in all, he couldn't have been more pleased with their decision. Tana winked at them and said she had a feeling something was going on between them anyway, especially after they spent so much time with each other back on Atona beach.
May spent the day cheering up her brother and how they would spend more time with their mother after the police were gone, and Max did the same with his sister. They talked about the hopes and wishes for the future of their family, and how they would appreciate having a loving mother and father far more than they ever did before.
Ash and Brock hung out with each other in the afternoon, spending a great deal of time talking about their past together and discussed the seriousness of the events of the past week. It was a lot for Ash to take in, after all, he had never really discussed what actually happened to the family that extensively. Brock put his hand on his shoulder to ease Ash's conscience, and calmly explain how to deal with this in a rational manner. The two lifelong friends sat on a bench in the park, admiring the Magikarp carved fountain in front of them. Ash leaned forward and looked troubled.
"I gave my mother a call in Pallet before we left the Gym today," Ash said, "She was happy to hear from me, its been a while since we last spoke."
Brock turned to him sympathetically. "You called her to see if she was ok, I'm sure. I called up the Pewter Gym too last night, just to let my family know I was doing well. After all the turmoil that affected May and Max's family, it's reassuring to know that ours are doing fine."
"That is the reason I called my Mom, I'm really going to keep in touch with her more often. I feel a bit guilty now going long stretches without calling her, I never know how she's doing back home. I just needed to hear her voice again, you know?"
"Heh, I understand the feeling, Ash," Brock said, "Considering I nearly lost control of the Pewter Gym to Ross, it sure was emotionally satisfying to know that my parents and all my siblings back home still have a roof over their heads. If Ross really got away with the contract, I don't know how my family would be able to take it. The Gym's been in my family for generations, and it would be unbearable for them to lose it."
Ash nodded and put his hands behind his head. He stared at the fountain water and smiled.
"Our families are safe and sound, and they know how much we care for them," Ash said, "Isn't this the stuff you usually take for granted?"
"Yep, not everyone has a loving family in life, but we're lucky enough to have been raised by one," Brock noted, "May and Max were raised extremely well, their family should return to their daily routines in the coming months. They won't take the love of their mother for granted at all from now on, not in the slightest."
Ash knew that Brock was right, he never did realize how well off he was to receive so many friends and have such a wonderful mother. He had family back home that wished him the best, a number of Pokemon and friends by his side that cheered him on, and a girl that loved him dearly, May. Ash thought of her as he sat on the bench, promising himself that he would support her anyway he could to help her move on from the events of the past week. He suddenly grew very concerned.
"Where do we go from here, Brock?" Ash asked, uncertainly.
Brock sighed. "That's hard to say, we all have different paths in life and we may end up going our separate ways again. I'm not sure what Tana wants to do after this, but I would like to make a trip to the Pewter Gym and see my family again in person. I'd like to introduce Tana to them as well."
Ash leaned forward with his arms on his knees, looking troubled. "So you have your next moves all planned out already, huh? I'm…I'm not sure if I can say the same for myself."
"Hey, don't sweat it, Ash!" Brock said, giving him a playful punch to the shoulder. "You'll help May and Max get back on their feet in no time, and it's not like these things happen automatically, it'll take a lot of support and effort. I certainly was hurt by the fact that Jamie turned on us, but I was able to make the best of the situation, and because of it, Tana and I are still alive and well and ready to continue our relationship. No matter what happens, Ash, and no matter what road you take, I'll always be there for you."
Ash looked at his friend and smiled. "Thanks, Brock, thanks a lot!"
"Not a problem. I'll make sure you guys pull through, especially May and Max. I didn't keep your stomach full of food for the last couple of years for nothing!" Brock joked.
"Heh, do you think you can cook a meal for everyone at the Petalburg Gym for dinner? I think we would all feel better after we eat some of your cooking!" Ash said excitedly.
"I'll be delighted, that's for sure. It'll definitely help everything feel like normal again back at the Petalburg Gym," Brock said, scratching his chin.
"And do you think you can make all the side dishes too, that way it can be more like a buffet with lots of extra dishes to the main meal!" Ash gushed.
"Ash, you're slobbering over food again. I guess I can tell that you're reverting back to your old self," Brock mused.
Ash put his hand behind his head sheepishly. "Heh, well that's because I'm just getting so excited about eating your cooking again! Its been a long time, it really has."
"Since we're outside, want to come with me to a couple of places to pick up the ingredients? There's a lot of good supermarkets in Petalburg, we'll be able to pick up a lot of good stuff here. Of course, it would be better if we found May, Max and Tana first," Brock said.
"I think May and Tana said they went to the clothing stores together, I bet Max is awfully bored walking around with them now," Ash mused, "But then again, maybe not. Those two really stuck close to each other all day talking and discussing stuff, they didn't even bicker with each other at all. I think I'll give May a lot of time alone with her family for the next couple of weeks, she certainly deserves it. So, wanna get going, Brock?"
Brock chuckled. "Yeah, let's go find them. We have to keep the story moving along at any rate."
*~*~*~*~*
"What happened to Sableye?" Ash asked.
"The police confiscated Sableye's Pokeball. Since it was Ross' Pokemon which also sunk its teeth into Caroline's leg, it's definitely going to be held responsible for some of the stuff that happened," Kenny said, who was sweeping the floors with a broom as he walked. "I'm not sure how the police handle Pokemon that assisted in a kidnapping plot, but I think its going to have to learn how to deal with its master being dead as well."
"That doesn't surprise me that the police have it," Ash sighed, "Still, it makes me wonder if Sableye could have been a good Pokemon, and was only twisted by Ross to do his dirty work. It's a real shame when Pokemon become cruel only because the trainer is cruel."
"True. That's not a problem for you, Ash, right?" Kenny winked, "You and Pikachu could never be cruel."
"Pikachu, pika!" Pikachu cooed, resting on Ash's shoulder.
"Nah, Pikachu and I definitely could never change," Ash said happily, turning to his Pokemon, "Hopefully Sableye finds a new trainer in the future and is able to put its past behind it and redeem itself. I don't think Sableye would be such a cruel Pokemon anymore if it had a caring person as its trainer."
"You believe people and Pokemon should get a second chance, and I believe that's true to an extent, as long as they aren't incredibly evil people like Ross. I still can't believe I missed the entire thing," Kenny sulked, "This is something I'll regret for the rest of my life, not being there when Norman and his family needed me the most. As a Gym leader's assistant and Norman's good friend, it bothers me a lot."
Ash understood what the young man was saying, and even though he wanted to comfort him, he knew it wouldn't be of much use. Kenny would blame himself regardless, even though he wasn't working for the Gym the days the incident happened, because he had a strong sense of loyalty to the Gym, just like Max did.
Ash remembered that he turned down Norman's offer to take over the Petalburg Gym in the future, and still thought of the idea of Max taking it over when he gets older. He pondered if Max would have second thoughts of becoming a Gym leader now after knowing that not all trainers who come to win a badge are decent people, but hoped that this wouldn't scare him away from Gym leader life either. Brock mentioned that the Pewter Gym was in his family for generations, and he realized just how important a Gym is to a families honor in the first place. Max would be the best person for the position, and would probably receive the same amount of prestige and popularity as the Petalburg Gym leader as Norman had.
Norman hung up the phone on the receiver and walked over to Ash and Kenny. "I just got off the phone with Professor Latrommi, he received Gardevoir back through the Pokeball transfer system," Norman said, "I told him that Gardevoir was fantastic during the search for my wife and he said he was more than happy to help me out again in the future if I need him."
"Professor Latrommi may be a little screwy, but he sure means well," Ash said, jovially, "I'm really glad he turned out to be such a great friend after all this time, I'll never forget what it was like when May and I first met him. We had one crazy adventure."
"Latrommi was always a pervert, but I dunno…I kinda liked him," May said, walking over to the three males, "His inventions got us in all sorts of trouble, but it all worked out in the end anyway."
Norman turned to his daughter and asked her if her mother was doing well, and May said she was resting contently on the armchair while waiting for Brock to finish serving the food on the table. Everyone was present at the Gym aside from Tana, who went with the police alone back to the club for one uneasy revelation.
"Dinners ready!" Brock called out from across the room.
"Oh boy, I can't wait to eat!" Ash said excitedly.
"Me too!" May squealed. She ran over to him and grabbed his arm. "C'mon, Ash, let's hurry up!"
"OK!" he exclaimed.
Ash and May quickly ran to the table together to enjoy some of Brock's cooking. Max sat next his sister contently as his mother sat at the head of the table. The food looked delicious and it was easily apparent that Brock would never lose his talent as a cook.
"Are you feeling well enough to eat?" May asked her mother.
Caroline nodded and picked up a fork. "Sure, the food looks wonderful too. Max, make sure you eat a lot, ok?"
Max giggled. "Assuming Ash and May don't devour all the dishes first, I should be able to at least have a few crumbs tonight."
"Hey, we're not going to eat up everything!" Ash bantered.
"Yeah, we're just going to eat up almost everything!" May squealed.
Ash chortled and started helping himself to the dishes on the table. May was already chomping down on her ramen and slurping up the noodles delightfully.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu added.
"You guys never change," Max said, rolling his eyes.
"I'll be more than happy to make seconds if you like," Brock offered.
"At the rate we're going, you might as well get started," Caroline suggested.
"Make sure you make more ramen, I love the stuff!" May exclaimed.
"Alright," Brock said, turning to the kitchen, "More ramen, coming up!"
Norman and Kenny watched the family at the table as they ate their dinner. Caroline looked over at her husband and gave him the signal that he should hurry up and join them at the table.
"Things seem like they're going back to normal, don't they?" Kenny asked.
Norman nodded.
"They do," he replied, "Just like things should go."
Norman motioned with his hand for Kenny to join him at the table, and the two went off to join Ash, Pikachu, May, Max, Brock and Caroline for the most pleasant evening they had together in a long, long time.