Hey, everyone, I'm finally back. Sorry it took so long, things have been hectic as hell here. I know this chappy is short, but the next one will be longer. (I hope I'll be able to post it soon)
thank you to all reviewers, especially Arisu Tsuranu
i still don't own pokemon
"Oooooh, Professor Oak, will you please show me all of Ash's pokémon?" Max asked excitedly, already dragging Professor Oak out the door.
"Hey, Gary, can we talk to you?" Misty asked the brunette, coming up to him.
Gary looked at Misty and May curiously. "Uh…sure."
"You know us, right? Friends of Ash?"
"Uh, yeah, sure. You're Misty, right? And I don't think I know you…"
"May," May introduced herself. "But introductions aren't important. We want to talk to you about Ash."
Gary raised an eyebrow, almost in a confused way. "The loser? What about him?"
Misty glared slightly. "I want to know everything you know about Ash's childhood before he set out on his journey."
"What, are you some private detective or something?"
"Spit it out, Gary. We're just worried about him."
"Oh, he's pulling the silent-treatment thing again, huh? Some things never change…" Gary laughed a little. He then rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine. Uhh…lemme think……… I met loser when we were…I don't know, three or something. We were only friends because Gramps and Mrs. Ketchum were friends. It's just typical little kid action. Everything was fine until we turned seven. I realized that Ketchum was a loser. He pulled the silent treatment, and I finally learned that…" Gary's voice trailed off. "Uh, that something happened, and Ash just was acting weird. After that was over, we weren't friends anymore. We were always at each other's throats." Gary smirked. "There was this one time when we had an argument and I said something wrong. We got into a fight, and I won. Ha, that'd show him to mess with me. I beat the kid up so good… Sure, I got grounded in the end, but it's what I did that counts. After that, nothing much happened. We went on our journeys, blah, blah, blah, now he's back, he's acting weird again. The only answer is that someone close to him died again."
"You don't know?" Misty questioned, a little disappointed. Gary didn't give her much information that she didn't already know.
"Know about what?"
Misty shook her head and slowly explained about what happened to Pikachu. From the beginning. When she was finished, Gary looked amused.
"So that's what got him worked up. Gramps was wondering about that, I know."
"One last question, Gary. Who was that person who died when Ash was seven? What put him into silence?"
Gary snorted. "Ask him yourself. I'm sure he'll be just tickled to receive that question." He winked at them before leaving the room.
"Who could have died?" May asked, thinking aloud.
Misty shrugged. "No clue. I just get this feeling that I'm looking over something."
Ash ate his lunch silently as Brock and Delia watched him carefully.
"How're you feeling, Ash?" Brock finally asked.
Ash looked up to him for a second. "I'm doing fine," he lied. He still had his mind on what Misty had said earlier, and he was going to play along with her little game. He would have lied anyway, but…
Brock didn't look like he believed it. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure," Ash said, keeping his face emotionless. I'm getting really good at hiding that kind of stuff, he thought.
Delia smiled. "That's good then. We were beginning to get worried."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Mom."
His mother ruffled his hair lovingly. "Good, I don't want to." And she left the room.
Brock looked at Ash skeptically. "So you're absolutely fine. After one night."
Ash fought to keep his face a blank. "Yeah, what's so wrong about that? A little sleep can fix up a lot of things." As he said this, he yawned loudly. "Sleep can be very helpful…"
"Don't fool around with us, Ash. I don't want your mother thinking that you're better when you're not. Don't hide stuff from us."
Ash set his jaw. "I'm not hiding from you, Brock. Why can't you believe that I'm feeling better? Mom doesn't need to worry anymore. None of you do."
"I don't want you keeping everything inside. If you do that, you're bound to explode sometime." Brock put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm only saying this because I care, Ash. You're like a little brother to me."
"Well, if I ever feel like I'm going to explode, I'll tell you," Ash replied. He hoped Brock didn't dig too deep into the situation—he didn't want Brock to know about his façade.
Brock sighed. "Good. And if you're feeling better, why don't you come back to Mossdeep and continue your journey? It'll never be the same without you, you know."
Ash tensed up. He's trying to break down the front by asking that question. He knew that if I was really better I'd go with them and finish what I started. And if I didn't go, he'd know it was a front. And if I did, it wouldn't delete the possibility. He'd just think that I went to make him think I was better. Oh, you played this well, Brock, but you're not going to win.
He put on a fake smile. "Sure, Brock, I'll come along. I've got to get those last two badges, right? I'll just pick up my pokémon tomorrow, we'll have one of Professor Oak's Psychic pokémon Teleport us to Mossdeep instead of taking a plane, and…yeah…"
Brock smiled as well. "That's great, Ash! I'll have to tell your mother and of course May, Max, and Misty." He went off, leaving Ash alone.
Ash slumped in defeat. "Crap," he muttered. I don't want to keep going…… But I guess it's better than having Brock and the others breathe down my neck about every little thing. Maybe after I convince them I'm okay, and if I win the Hoenn League, I can finally quit this…this thing.
It was the next day when Ash, Misty, May, Max, and Brock were on their way to the Mossdeep City Gym. Ash had tried his best to act 'normal'—making weird comments and trying to keep a conversation going—it could be going better.
"I'm really glad you decided to continue your journey, Ash," Max said with a smile. "I mean, it's great seeing May's contests, but I really like seeing your gym battles as well."
Ash nodded in acknowledgment.
"And Misty," Brock began.
Misty cringed. She knew what was next. "I know, I know. I need to get back to Cerulean." She sighed. "I just… It's just… I guess I can leave after Ash's gym battle…" She bowed her head and groaned.
Ash opened the door to the Mossdeep City Gym uneasily. He didn't want Misty to leave either. He had missed her so much last time she left. And now she's going to leave again? Who knew when he'd see her again?
"Hey, if it isn't the Cerulean City Gym Leader!" exclaimed a voice, and Ash recognized the young man as Tate. "My sister told me she met you, except I didn't believe her! Have you come for a challenge?"
Misty smiled and shook her head. "Not me. Him." She indicated Ash.
Tate looked disappointed for a split second before saying, "Oh, I remember you. Ash, right? You needed to get to Petalburg because of an emergency? Huh, I guess you were right, after hearing all that stuff about the Petalburg disaster."
Ash nodded slowly. "Yeah…" He gave one glance to the others before throwing up his façade. "Anyway, I'm here to challenge you to a gym battle."
"You mean me and my sister. We're both the Gym Leaders."
"Uhh…" Ash drew the word out.
"It'll just be a double battle with three trainers. Is that okay?"
"Oh, yeah, that's great. I'm ready when you are."
Tate smiled. "Okay then." He led the way to the battlefield. "Liza should already be in there," he informed the others, opening double doors, revealing a beautiful battle field, complete with hanging planets from the ceiling. Liza was on the other side of the room, but turned to them when she heard the doors slam.
"We got a challenger, Liza!" Tate called. "It's Ash! He came back to give us a battle!"
"That's great!" Liza called back as Tate walked over to their side of the battlefield. "Mom should be here in a sec to judge our battle."
After everyone had gotten where they were supposed to be, and Tate and Liza's mom had arrived, they were finally ready for a battle. Tate and Liza's mom had already explained the rules. A double battle that ends when both pokémon on one side are fainted, with no substitutions.
"Okay. Solrock, let's go!" Tate threw his pokéball.
"You too, Lunatone!" Liza called out, throwing her pokéball with Tate's. The two pokéballs opened at the same time to reveal their pokémon.
Ash thought about it for a second. He already knew he wanted to use Swellow because both Lunatone and Solrock levitate, and it'd be easier to battle that way. But what about his second pokémon? He knew that both Lunatone and Solrock were half Psychic type, but he didn't really have anything to battle effectively against that. But he also knew that both pokémon were half Rock type too. And since Water type beat Rock type………
"Swellow, Corphish, I choose you!" The two pokémon formed at his feet. They were ready.
"Let's begin!" Liza and Tate's mother said, and Ash didn't hesitate. The sooner this was over, the better.
"Swellow, use Wing Attack on Solrock! Corphish, Bubblebeam on Lunatone!"
"Lunatone, dodge that and protect Solrock with Light Screen!" Liza shouted.
The crescent-shaped pokémon slipped out of Swellow's way, making the bird pokémon run into one of the hanging planets. Lunatone made her way to Solrock and her eyes glowed blue, putting up an almost clear screen in front of them, making Bubblebeam deflect off it and hit Corphish.
"Swellow, Peck on Lunatone. Corphish, Bubblebeam on Solrock!" Ash commanded, his pokémon hurrying to comply.
"Sandstorm, Solrock!"
Tate's Solrock blew a ton of sand at the opposing pokémon, driving Swellow back and stopping Corphish's Bubblebeam in its tracks.
"This could be a problem," Brock commented from the stands that were to Ash right. "With Tate and Liza's combination defenses so far, Ash hasn't been able to get one attack in."
"Solrock, it's time for your Solarbeam!"
"Lunatone, use your Ice Beam!"
The two pokémon fired nasty-looking attacks at Ash's pokémon, and Ash's eyes widened. If Ice Beam hit Swellow…and if Solarbeam hit Corphish…
"Dodge it, you two!"
Swellow dodged the Ice Beam easily, but Solrock's Solarbeam hit dead on, throwing Corphish back.
"PHHIIISH!" Corphish cried out, fainting.
"Corphish is unable to battle!" The twins' mother called out.
"Fine. Corphish, return." Ash returned Corphish to his pokéball and whispered, "It's okay, Corphish."
"Now it's no fair," May said bitterly. "Two against one? And with Ice Beam and Solarbeam? I don't know, you guys, but I think that we pushed Ash into this battle stuff a little too early. If he loses, I know he's going to be upset about it…"
"He hasn't even been in that battle for that long," Max pointed out. "Maybe after the whole Pikachu ordeal, Ash has gotten… I don't know…"
"Swellow, hit Solrock with an Aerial Ace!"
"Swellllooooow!" Swellow yelled, beginning a speedy attack.
"Let's finish this up, Tate," Liza said, smirking slightly.
"Okay. Let's go. Solrock, use Solarbeam!"
"And you use Ice Beam, Lunatone!"
When the two pokémon fired again, Swellow had no time to dodge. Ash could practically feel Swellow's pain as he fell back to the ground. 'Iron Tail, Pikachu' was on the tip of Ash's tongue, except Pikachu wasn't there… He barely heard when the twins' mother declared that Tate and Liza were the winners. Without a word he returned Swellow to his pokéball. How could it be that he was beaten so quickly? So easily? Was he nothing without Pikachu?
I had written this a few weeks after I saw Ash's battle with Liza and Tate... ummm...
The next chapter is the last chapter. seriously. it's pretty long... I will also talk about the sequel there too... because there's stuff you should know about, lol.
okay, please review, and please be patient because i don't know when i'll update next. hopefully soon.