A/N: *Insert short filler chapter here*. A short little dribbling insight on how Ash's stay with the Oak's consisted of.

Why did I write it?

I didn't want a bunch of angry reviewers hounding my poor ass because I skipped over Ash's time with the Oaks. Well, this is what he spent his time doing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

Gary woke up the next morning to find 'Red' helping make breakfast. In fact, Gary now called Ash, Red on a regular basis, attempting to sap all the humor he could from the uncanny resemblance. As Ash's stay began to near its finale, the Pallet native took the initiative to prepare for his upcoming endeavor. Fortunately or unfortunately, whichever way you want to look at it, Gary soon found out about Ash's plan and contributed his own sums of money to make it possible.

It wasn't long before Ash and Gary's donations quickly added up, totaling the amount they needed in no time. Ash's preparation plan had succeeded. Before the pair of Pallet trainers lay a newly erected training building. Yes, a training building. An empty training building.

So the donations jar was quickly thrown on the counter once more, and it no time, the training building was now a training building plus weights and machines designed to improve flexibility, endurance, strength etc…

Nobody said the pay for a professor of Pokémon was meager now did they?

Built off the combined sum of Gary's impressive wages and the money Ash earned from 'working with Elm' (Stealing things, completely unrelated to the professor), the not empty training building was quickly put through the wringer, although the line between who was doing the wringing and who was being wrung was quickly graying. The first few weeks were outright brutal. When Oak Sr. would request that someone run a package to Elm's he would usually end up filling that request himself, for Ash and Gary were incapable of moving.

"You guys know that taking a break once a week would probably benefit more than hurt at this point guys" Oak Sr. sighed as he stared at the occupied couch and floor

Ash, having drawn the short straw and lying on the floor, spoke for himself and Gary,

"A day off, why would we take a day off?"

Oak sighed exasperatedly, "I'm too old to be a father…"

"What was that, gramps?"

"Nothing, nothing." Oak dismissed with a wave of the hand a change of the subject, "And because your body needs to get used to the recuperation time of 12 hours, however, with you bodies in such sorry states I doubt they even have the ability to make a half hearted recovery attempted. Either ease your way into your regimen or take a day or two off each week until you feel ready."

Gary looked at Ash, "So… day off?"

"snds fneee"

"What?'

"I said, sounds fine."

And so the cycle continued. The weeks rolled by, and pretty soon the pair increased the difficulty of their training even further. Oak Sr. was baffled as the sheer amount of time they spent doing something. For some odd amount of hours each day Ash and Gary spent working on some new thesis or delving deeper into Pokémon theory, and for some more odd hours they would spend training, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Oak Sr. was beginning to wonder if the pair was simply machines designed to perform those two specific functions. However, when it came time for meals it became clear to Oak Sr. that the pair couldn't be machines, for machines would have the respect not to clean out his food supply every day. Oak Sr. took this as any old man should, and used it for exercise. Walking to and from Newbark Town everyday was a good way for Oak Sr. to stay in shape as well.

Considering that they were so far into their physical training, Ash and Gary decided that they should see if their Pokémon could use the machines properly. As luck would have it, Ash and Gary's Pokémon were soon sweating their hides off alongside their trainers as all of them drove themselves into the ground day after excruciating day.

Unfortunately for Ash, only one of his Pokémon had stayed in his care throughout the incident with the police, and that was Pikachu. The little electric time bomb was not captured because he had simply hidden during Ash's abduction. Ash would later submit a report to a magazine as an anonymous witness, which would lead to said magazine going on to publish an article titled, Outside the Pokeball, Outside the Danger Zone?

According to the Oaks, Pikachu's mood dipped to a point where it grazed depression during the months marked by Ash's disappearance. Despite being unsurprised by the change in the yellow Pokémon's mood, the Oaks were surprised by the drastic change. Neither expected Pikachu to hit rock bottom so hard or so suddenly. Despite all this, and despite the all time low in Pikachu's life, when Ash returned the little Pokémon was all smiles and chuckles.

Now though, Ash worked himself and his fuzzy companion further into the ground. Gary tried to keep up with his strict regimen, but found himself falling just short. Ash, not wanting to hurt his childhood friend by physically murdering him, developed a slightly easier regimen for the young Professor. Although, to keep Gary's cosmic pride in tact, Ash made sure that the regimen for said Gary didn't have too large a drop in insanity from his own.

In the past few months Ash, Gary and all of their Pokémon respectively had broadened out. Both boys had gained serious muscle mass, although not to the disgusting point. Their Pokémon were now sleek and lean. The only Pokémon of Gary's that Ash allowed to do power lifting over endurance lifting were Nidoking and Nidoqueen. Blastoise was set to do a median between power and endurance, and he was reaping the benefits.

Although, the next day was the day Ash departed from the Oaks. Where he planned on going was anyone's guess.

On the eve of Ash's departure the mood was somber. While old Professor Oak attempted to liven up the dinner with happy, over exaggerated tales of his younger days, Ash and Gary's mind was simply elsewhere. It didn't take long for both boys to realize Oak Sr. was in the same boat, and the boys didn't need to wait long for Oak Sr. to grow silent as well. And so the meal proceeded, wrapped in nothing but silence. Silence and the endless stream of thoughts all focused on tomorrow.

Time Skip: the day of departure.

Gary swallowed nervously; his right hand choked the life out his left as the pair hid their life or death squabble behind their master's back. The young Oak's eyes diligently searched their surroundings for something they could rest upon, something that wasn't his childhood friend.

'Once again, Ash, another journey for you to embark on. Perhaps I should have stayed a trainer, at least that would help motivate you.'

"Unfortunately I've already chosen my path, looks like you'll have to walk your path for the both of us."

Ash stopped in the doorway, eyes wide as he turned and looked at Gary in surprise.

"Gary?"

Gary's heart palpitated; he hadn't realized he had said that aloud.

"You hear me, Ashy boy, you have to go and be a hero for the both of us. This time I won't try and convince you to let me play the hero like when we were kids back in Pallet."

Flashback, 8 years ago

8-year-old Gary glared at his equally old friend's confused visage.

"What's wrong, Gary? I thought it was my turn to be the hero." Ash inquired

"Maybe, but in the real world heroes don't take turns! Whoever is the bigger hero gets to stay the hero!"

"But Gary, we're only playing a game" Ash tried to reason, "This isn't the real world!"

"Someday this will be the real world, and I'll show you, Ash. I'll be the biggest hero the world has ever seen!"

Ash grinned competitively, "Well just you wait, Gary! I'll be a bigger hero than you ever were! I'll save way more Pokémon than you!"

"I don't think so Ash!" Gary retorted, eyes gleaming, "I'll save Mew!"

"Then I'll save Mew too!" (pun intended ;P) Ash pumped a fist, "And I'll even save legendaries we've never heard of!"
"I'll save Entei!"

"I'll save Raikou!"

Flashback end

Gary smiled nostalgically. Their squabble had gone on for hours, well past dark. It was only when Delia and the good professor had shown up that the pair separated. Ash had never been afraid to stand up to him, and that was probably what had made the pair such good friends in the end.

Same ideals. Same dreams.

Gary couldn't believe that Ash had won that argument. True enough, the young trainer had saved more Pokémon than Oak jr. could count.

"Gary!"

Said boy's eyes snapped up, gaze wide with surprise.

"You were zoning out" Ash informed him with a shrug, "I couldn't help but raise my voice."

Gary's fists came out of their hiding spot and decided to choke the life out of their respective bodies, his gaze falling to the floor as his bangs hid his eyes further.

"Gary?" Ash inquired, upper body leaning forward in concern.

Gary replied through emotionally clenched teeth,

"We aren't going to see each other again, are we Ash."

Ash's eyes widened, posture straightening like lightening before becoming morose.

"You're probably right, I really hate to say it like this, but you're right. We probably won't see each other again."

Gary's tear filled gaze rose to meet Ash's once again, "Show the world what Pallet is made of. Do it for me, do it for gramps… do it for Delia and everyone else who was killed. Show them that we are made from unbreakable dreams. Dreams that no bomb could shatter, that no darkness could envelop. Show them that we are willing to get up every time we fall."

Ash sighed preparing to rain on Gary's parade, "I'm not going out there to show the world what Pallet can do, Gary. Not this time, I'm no Pokémon trainer anymore."

Gary sucked in breath

"I'm not going out there to be a hero and I'm not going out there to become a champion. I'm going out there to save the world."

Gary sighed in disappointment, "Well Ashy boy, if you aren't gonna do it for Pallet at least promise me this. Promise me that you'll always keep us close. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah" Ash grinned, his own eyes beginning to tear up, "We are friends."

A/N: Yes, this is a short chapter.

Impressed?

Not really.

This is why authors skip over this sort of thing. IT'S BORING. Boring to read, boring to write, tedious to figure out how to make it longer and an overall filler episode. HOWEVER, with my public service out of the way I can return to the beauty of time skips and make you completely hate me in the next chapter or so.

At the top, I wrote that I didn't want to be hounded by a bunch of angry reviewers. While that's true (Because reading an unsatisfied review always breaks a part of my author's soul ), I wrote this because I don't really know where to take the story from here. I mean, I have a general idea and I know, vividly, what kind of ending I want, but I don't know how to get there. So excuse this chapter, it doesn't really add to the story, but I'll be working hard to come up with a way to hold your interest and, hopefully, get you to hit that review button or favorite button (Preferably review, but I suppose any of those other buttons works too).