Wonnykins: Ha, sorry this took so very long to update. I've been having a bit of a rough spot in my life. ; But here's the next chapter in 'Elite Protection'. It's quite angsty, I'm afraid. For all you mpreg fans, this is your chapter! Smell ya!

Disclaimer: I own not the goodness of Pokemon, nor any of it's ill-fated characters, though I sish such a thing were so.

"That's quite a bump you've got there, Mr. Ketchem."

Ash nodded solemnly. The local doctor at the clinic nearby was checking and feeling the wound on Ash's head. Ash had had himself a long cry before being taken to the office. Up until now, he hadn't said a word. Although he had thrown up twice. That worried him. The whole sick feeling had begun two months ago, and it hadn't gotten any better.

The doc was looking into that next.

"...Hmm...well, stitches aren't necessary, this time. I'd say that keeping some gauze on it should heal it up, nicely." The young man said. His name plate read 'Dr. Fetrala'. "So you're fine as far as that goes." He flipped a page on his clip board, "Now, about being ill..."

Ash sighed, preparing himself for the on coming questions.

"When did this all start?"

"Two months ago." Ash muttered in a hoarse voice.

Dr. Fetrala frowned, taking a note. "Hmm...and it's just vomiting?"

"...No..."

"What else?"

Ash squirmed. These interviews; they made him feel like a Poliwhorl on a dissecting board. "Cramps..."

"Where?"

Ash wanted to smack the man. Well, if he was vomiting, where would they be? "My gut, where else?"

Now, Dr. Fetrala had a husband, so he was thinking of a lot of 'where else's. "Er...right..." He blushed, "A-hem, um, is there anything else?"

"I have to piss more often." Ash replied, smirking as the man blushed at his choice of words, "Does that help?"

The young doc sighed, blushing again. "Y-yes...it does...is there anything else you can think of?"

Ash thought for a moment. "...No."

"I see. Right." The doctor scribbled on his clipboard again. He frowned, flipping through Ash's medical record, eyes whisking back and forth, widening. "I-I see..."

"What?" Ash asked, curious and annoyed.

"...It's just...your history suggests..." Dr. Fetala shook himself, "I'm going to have to run a test on you. Wait here." He dashed out of the room, tossing his clipboard onto the counter-top behind him.

Ash sighed, getting up and looking down to the page the doc had flipped to.

'My birth record...?' He looked down, seeing something circled and written in large, red letters.

'The subject displays the qualities of being a hermaphrodite; we will watch him closely for a few weeks to see if any changes develop.' Ash frowned. "What the hell?"

"A hermaphrodite is a person of both genders."

Ash looked up as the doc entered the room again.

"So that's what it says, here?"

"Basically."

Ash tapped his fingers on the edge of the counter top irritably. "What does this have to do with anything?"

The doctor blinked. He chuckled. "You honestly don't know?"

Ash's eyes narrowed. "Look, pal, I had a pretty shitty morning. Get to the point."

"Right, right. Of course." The brunette doctor waved away the threat and started opening a box he had brought into the room. "Am I correct in saying that that man outside the door is your, ah, significant other?"

"Boyfriend." Ash said flatly, "Don't be so tight about it. Yes. But not for much longer." He looked sad when he said this, and Dr. F must have noticed.

"Is that the reason...for the stitches?" He asked, pausing in his actions to gaze at his young patient.

The dark-haired teenager looked up, nodding. "Yeah. I went out with a friend of mine last night, and he thought that I was fucking him."

"O-oh..." The doc turned back to the box, feeling flustered, "And you weren't?"

"No." Came the soft reply. Ash shook himself, and looked at the doctor again. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"He has half to do with it, if my assumptions are correct." Doctor Fetrala answered, somewhat to himself, "In your case, having a male partner is particularly dangerous."

"Why's that?"

The doctor could contain himself no longer. "With you being a hermaphrodite and having a male partner, there is a very good chance you are with child!"

For a moment, nothing happened. Both stared at each other.

"W-what?" Ash whispered, swallowing.

The older man sighed. "I'm sorry if you never knew, or never considered the possibility, but if that's the case, this time, then what is done is done, because I'm guessing you've been...pregnant...for at least two to three months." He turned back to the box, which was open, now, "That's old enough to be charged with murder."

There was a 'thunk', and, alarmed, Dr. F whirled around. Thankfully, Ash had not fainted. He had, however, sank against the wall, and down onto the floor. His face was pale, and his eyes were wide.

Pitying the poor boy, the doc knelt down, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I am truly sorry. I know it is sudden for you. Perhaps you and Mr. Oak could work something out-?" He trailed off as Ash laughed sadly.

"I don't think...that that's going to happen...ever..." He said, and tears spilled from the corners of his eyes.

It was torture, waiting for the pregnancy test to go through. During that time, Ash had decided to let Gary in the room, at which the doctor excused himself.

The two sat side by side. Neither said a thing, at first.

"...What did he say?" Came the voice of the auburn-haired one.

Ash's mouth opened and closed twice, but no sound came out. He looked down at his hands. Eventually, the shit would hit the fan. Ash still didn't want to be the one who told Gary, though. True, it was best, but Ash didn't like it at all.

The auburn-haired man glanced at the other, curious to why Ash wasn't answering. "Is something wrong?" He asked, concern laced into his voice.

Ash again eyed him. "It...really depends on how you look at it..." He started, eyes hitting the floor when Gary's turned to look, "I'm not quite sure."

Gary stared at the younger long and hard. "Does it have to deal with...what happened, earlier?"

"No." Ash said, quickly, "No, it doesn't. Apparently, this has all been going on for a couple months, now." The teenager ran a hand through his dark hair. A bead of sweat cascaded down his temple.

"...What do you think I'll have to say about it? Is that why you won't tell me?"

Ash's brown eyes darted over and then down again. "...A little..." He admitted. He sighed, taking a deep breath, "I'm...not sure how much of this you're going to believe, Gary, but..."

"...But what?"

"...I'm pregnant..."

There was a pause.

Gary snorted.

"You're really funny, Ash." He chuckled in a non-mocking way, "So, what's really the problem? What prescription did he give you? Then we can go home and...get this shit sor-"

"I am NOT kidding!"

The older looked up, eyes snapping up to meet those of Ash, who looked enraged. "Please, Ash, if this guy is taking advantage of your ability to be gullible-"

Ash snarled. "If you don't believe me, my test is on the counter AND my birth record."

Gary leveled Ash's gaze for a few seconds. "All right, if it'll humor you..." He said, casually, getting up and wandering towards said items on the counter. He snickered as he got to them. Looking at the test, first, he rolled his eyes.

But then stopped.

'It's blue...'

The man stared and stared. "What the hell?" He muttered. His green eyes wandered to the birth record. Leaning closed, he read the red inked letters. Gary, being a scholar, knew exactly what each and every word meant.

The deadly silence settled in.

Ash leaned wearily back against the wall behind the medical table. "I wouldn't lie to you about this, Gary..."

Gary stared for a moment longer.

"...Oh my god..."

Ash eyed Gary's back. He swallowed. "If it helps, I...I didn't know myself until now..." He mumbled. He was honestly afraid Gary was angry. The dull, aching pain running down the back of Ash's head was enough to base that off of. The younger bit his lip and waited.

Gary finally turned around. "..." He gave a weak chuckle, "I can not believe this..." He murmured to himself. One of his hands went to his forehead. "I've read about it before but...Jesus Christ..." He swallowed, looking troubled.

There were days, long ago, where that look would have sent Ash running to the elder's side to sooth whatever it was that was troubling him. But after today, Ash doubted whether or not it was safe to be around this man at all. And he couldn't take any risks. There was another person inside of him that he was supposed to protect, now.

Instead, the younger hugged his arms. The only comfort he had was himself.

"...So," Gary asked, hoarsely, "What are we supposed to do now?"

Ash thought for a moment. "Seriously? I don't know..."

But it appeared Gary was talking to himself. "The media's going to raise hell." He muttered, "They'll follow us everywhere." He threw up his hands, "Shit..."

The younger watched, saddened. "We could go..."

"Go where, Ash? Where the hell are we supposed to go!? Where ever we go, there's going to be someone there, and then we'll be pasted all over every goddamn front page all over the world! Is that what you want?!"

Ash shrank back. He didn't like where this was going. "N-No, of course not." He stuttered.

Gary moaned and began to pace furiously. "Damn it...why you?" Ash felt a stab in what remained of his heart. "..." Gary stopped pacing. "There's only one thing we can do, really..." He eyed Ash, hollowness vivid in the green eyes.

Ash squirmed. "What?"

"Get rid of it."

The world around Ash seemed to shatter. "W-what?"

"You heard me crystal clear. There's nothing we can do otherwise."

"What do you mean nothing?! There's plenty we can do!" The dark-haired boy cried out.

Gary was equally mad. "Like what?!"

"...We can keep it..."

"That's just setting yourself up for a number of things; kidnap, shame by public, assassination. You know that, Ash. You aren't stupid." Gary snapped.

"Really? You seem to think the opposite, most of the time." Ash shot back, "That's not an option, Gary. I refuse."

Gary growled. "Well there isn't any way in hell we're going though with this, either!" He spat, "Do you really want to go through with this?! Do you WANT to get yourself killed?! You'll be a laughing stock; you won't be able to go anywhere, after a few months! Don't make the wrong choice, Ash!"

Ash glared. "You mean, don't go against you."

"That's not what I said at all, Ash."

"No, Gary, that's EXACTLY what you're saying. And, let me tell you something," The teen said, getting to his feet, "I'M the one carrying this baby; I'M the one who's giving up nine months of MY life for it; and I'M the one who will decide if it lives or if it dies, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!"

Gary was silent, but his eyes narrowed into slits. "I'm part of it, too, Ash."

"Oh, so NOW you want to claim responsibility?!"

"Ash, shut up."

"Why?! I'm not your doormat!"

Gary's eyes snapped open. He reached forward, fingers closing around Ash's throat. The boy whithered in his hold. "I told you to shut your trap."

The younger whimpered, struggling. His eyes were brimming with terror and tears. "Let go!"

"Are you both finished talki-MY GOD! UN-HAND HIM AT ONCE!"

Gary was knocked backward by Ash's doctor. The auburn-haired male looked up at the man, fury burning a fire in his green eyes.

Dr. F. glared. "I'm appalled! This boy is carrying your child, Mr. Oak! What in God's name is the meaning of this?!"

Gary opened his mouth to tell the doctor to keep his nose out of their business, but stopped.

Ash was gone.

Cowering in the lobby, Ash cried. There were a few others surrounding him, asking what was wrong, and whether or not he was all right. He had no answer; the sobs racking his body kept him from uttering a coherent sentence.

One doctor had come out, telling people to get back, that Ash needed some space, in case he made himself sick. He turned to the distraught teenager, kneeling.

"Son, I don't know what the matter is, but I'm sure if you told me, I could help."

Ash shook his head. "He's a bastard. He'll n-never listen to anyone but himself..."

"Who, son?"

The boy looked up, faced streamlined with tears, and opened his mouth, but faltered. He looked just past the man's shoulder, copper eyes wide with fear. "Him!"

The old doctor turned to see Gary standing in the doorway to the offices. "Sir?"

Gary looked at Ash quivering form, eyes betraying his guilt. "I, uh...He's with me..."

"Not anymore!" Ash spat. Gary recoiled.

The doc looked from one to the other. "Ah, this isn't the best place to settle things..." He said, watching as Gary crossed the threshold towards him and Ash.

Ash saw him and screamed. "You get away from me! I'm sick and tired of this! I give and give to you and this is what I get?!" He got shakily to his feet. Turning to the old doctor, he asked, trembling, "Do you have a phone?"

The man blinked. "Yes."

Gary stepped forward. "Wait a minute, Ash..." But Ash gave him such a look that Gary trailed off.

The doc took Ash out of the lobby, leaving Gary to be stared and glared at by the room's other occupants.

"You low-life bastard." Hissed one woman with her arm in a cast.

"Snake." Growled another. Her pregnant daughter nodded, glaring, and her boyfriend clutched her tighter, daring Gary to come any closer. Gary watched them for a long time. Slowly, he sank into a chair and sighed, putting his face in his hands. What they said was true. What Ash said was true. And that made him sick.

After what seemed to be hours, the old doctor and Ash came back, Ash with a handkerchief to his red, puffy eyes. Gary got up.

"Do you want to go home?" He asked, softly.

Ash leered as best he could. "That house isn't my home. It used to be, but not anymore."

Gary blinked. "What do you mean?"

The dark-haired boy walked past him, head down. "You already know."

The older ran to him, getting past the door and catching Ash's wrist. "No, I don't know." Gary replied, "Tell me."

Ash looked disgusted. "Once upon a time, that would have worked." He snarled, trying to wrench his wrist free. Gary held on tight.

"I won't let you go until you tell me."

Those words struck Ash hard. Maybe Gary had meant it as in a right now business, but to the younger, it seemed as though letting go of the whole relationship was finally hitting home.

"...You used to love me."

Gary frowned. "Used to? What do you mean, used to?"

Ash had stopped struggling. He stared off to the side. "Do you remember all those times when we would be together? Not doing anything at all; just being with each other? And we were happy that way. Nothing needed to happen. We were just happy." Ash swallowed and went on, "How you used to come home right after work and yell that you were home, and would always smile when I ran out and hugged you and told you how much I had missed you? Even though I knew you would be back anyway, and it wasn't something to get worked up about?"

Gary listened, not speaking. Yes, he remembered those things...

"Then, how I would have supper ready, and even if it was a five minute dinner, you always told me how good it was? Then we would go upstairs and I would take care of you so that you could relax?" Ash paused, "Do you remember...all the times we made love? Not this bull-shit fucking rape me in the shower shit, either." He gritted his teeth, angry tears prickling the corners of his eyes, "Really making love? All those "I love you"'s and all those holidays we spent just curled up together?" He finally broke down, "Don't you remember...any of that?"

Gary nodded, reaching up to wipe away Ash's tears but just being batted away. "Of course I remember...How could I forget?"

"THEN WHAT HAPPENED?!" Ash cried, "Why are you like this?!"

"Like what?"

Ash reached up, cradling his own face in his tiny hands. "You stopped coming home until real late, and by then, dinner was always cold and I had to throw it out, and then you stopped coming h-home at all. You're always drunk, and you're always saying how stupid and how much of a bad cook, or bad house cleaner...How much I'm bad at everything! You say awful things about how I look and how much you want me to go get whatever to help me look better! You've thrown me down in a SHOWER and fucked me and then left me cold and alone. Now this shit...What happened? What did I do?" And the dark-haired boy started sobbing all over again.

"It's nothing you did, Ash! Honest! I just...I'm a little..." But whatever excuse Gary wanted to use, seeing Ash cry like that blew it away.

Ash choked out. "You don't even want t-to help m-me, right now. You just want to get rid of the baby so you won't have to deal with it. You don't care anymore!"

Gary clutched Ash's shoulders. "That's not true!"

Ash wrenched himself from the older's grasp. "I don't want to feel like this anymore. I love you! But I can't stand it when you not only not love me back, but you treat me like this!" He sniffled, "B-Brock is coming to pick me up. S-So just take your car and g-go home, or to where-ever you've been staying, because I don't want to go back!"

Gary stared. His heart froze. "W-What?"

"I'm not coming back with you! Brock is packing stuff at our house right now. He and some other guys are getting the rest of it later." Ash sobbed.

"Y-You're leaving?" Gary asked, voice a whisper, "For...good?"

Ash didn't answer. He simply turned on heel and walked out of the building. Gary watched him walk across the parking lot and, a few minutes later, get into Brock's truck. Gary kept standing there.

He sank to his knees, watching the truck take Ash away.

For what he thought was the last time, Gary looked at Ash.

Softly, as the truck turned and drove away, the man who never cried wept bitterly.