OMG guys I'm finally back!

Long wait once again, yatta yatta yatta.

My excuse THIS time is that university finally started. I had absolutely NO time to write. I was overwhelmed with moving tasks, study work, and sports.

I guess you could say I pretty much had no life/free time for the past month or so.

But I got some! So here is the continuation!

Watashi wa anata no subete o aishite (means I love all of you, just a 'lil japanese lesson for you guys)

Please keep the reviews coming. I love constructive criticism and I love to hear your thoughts on the story. Much appreciated, my beauties. I have no idea why I'm talking like that.

-Cacooks7

Chapter 14

Growing up in Kanto, I had experienced many things in my childhood and early adolescence. At a 5, I witnessed my first pokemon death. My grandfather died when I was 8. I had seen people break bones, get hit by cars, start choking, have seizures, be burned by a flaming pokemon attack, and the list goes on.

But nothing, no experience in the world, could have prepared me for this. I don't think many people have to deal with this type of situation in their lives, anyways. The feeling I was experiencing was completely new. And believe you me, it wasn't a good feeling.

I felt warmer, and started sweating a little. My throat was thick. I felt slightly dizzy, but I was still sitting in my chair, so the threat of falling over was eliminated. Despite this, I decided to get up and start walking.

Dawn was now sitting, and had broken down into more tears. I walked around the back of the classroom, then headed to the front where she was sitting. I had no idea what to say, but the silence carried on for too long.

"That... explains a lot, Dawn." I finally said with a weak voice.

She spoke, but didn't move her head or look up. "He's been wanting to date me for a long time now, but I don't think I love him, Ash. But no matter what I know that I can't avoid him because he'll just keep coming back, and eventually I'll have to give in. And the more I avoid him, the worse he gets. He dated Ursula only to make me jealous because I didn't show any interest in him. And he almost ruined her life. You saw how far he went last weekend. It's only going to get worse from here on."

I watched her cry. I watched her weep and sob into her own hands. I couldn't help but wipe back a single tear of my own. It must have been so hard for her; I couldn't imagine being in such a situation. Being so controlled, no freedom, no choice whatsoever. Having your life partner chosen for you.

I walked to the teacher's desk and grabbed a few tissues. I then proceeded to where Dawn was sitting. I removed her hands from her face, and began wiping the tears from her face.

"Let's get you cleaned up before class starts." I told her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at me. But this wasn't time for one of those strangely intimate moments. I quickly wiped off as much as I could.

"Here, I'll walk you to the washroom so you can fix your makeup."

We exited the class, and I looked around to see if anyone saw us exit. It would be rather suspicious to see us walk out of an empty classroom with the lights turned off. It seemed no one saw.

We turned the corner and she stopped in front of the washroom.

"You go on, Ash, I'll be fine." She told me.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded to reassure me. I nodded, turned, and began walking back downstairs.

"Wait!"

I quickly turned around. Dawn was walking towards me.

"Thanks." She told me. She opened her arms, asking for a hug. I gladly accepted.

It wasn't the best hug I had ever received. It was sort of cold, but I think it was because of the current situation, and because of the news that I had just heard. We let go. She smiled, turned and entered the washroom.

I headed down the stairs back towards my locker, thinking. How is this even possible? How could THEY be arranged for marriage? Of all people, they gave her Paul? She was so depressed and angry, I had to do something, because she hadn't the slightest idea what to do.

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw Brock. I suddenly remembered why I went upstairs in the first place.

"Hey Brock! How's it going?"

"Hey, Ash! Whoa, you okay?" He asked me.

I felt my face redden. "Yeah, why?"

"I dunno, you look worried or spooked or something."

I laughed. "Haha, yeah. Anyways, about soccer, I..."

He interrupted. "I've got news for you about that. Coach told me that he's got his eye on you. So make sure you impress him today. He really thinks you have the potential. Also, show some leadership, man. You were dead silent last tryout!"

Yeah, I was still the new kid. Lay off.I thought. But I was truly thankful for what he had just told me.

"Thanks so much, Brock! You know I will!"

He smiled at me and walked away. As I turned around, I heard the bell ring. I started towards my locker. Gary was already at his.

"Sup, humorless?"

"Gary, I'm not in the mood."

"What's up your ass?"

"If I told you, I'd probably have to kill you."

"Hahaha, no! Not funny."

"Gary, I'm ser... Ah whatever. See ya later."

The rest of the day went by slowly and awkwardly. Dawn and I did not exchange a single word during our classes together. Personally, I was too scared, and I'm not sure how Dawn felt.

I tried to rub some of it off by having a casual conversation with Jasmine and Misty during music, but we were constantly being yelled at by our teacher. That went badly.

Finally, at the end of the day, I actually had a meaningful conversation with Brock while tying my cleats.

"Be careful, the pitch is a little wet and slippery. Also remember what I told you earlier."

"Gotcha"

I walked out onto the field and grabbed a ball. It was all wet. The field was wet from dew. I looked around to see who was already here.

That's when I saw Dawn. She was sitting alone on the bleachers. She looked so cute by herself, just watching. I smiled to myself, and gave her a little wave. She waved back.

She was one of those people that you never feel sorry for when you see them all alone, because it seems like they don't care and they just do their own thing. They make you feel happy.

The coach called us in. First, we warmed up by doing a few laps and dynamic stretching. Then we did a few drills, with and without cones. Standard stuff. But it was finally time for the scrimmage. And oh what a scrimmage it would be.

I wasn't on Brock's team, unfortunately, but I wasn't going to let that affect my play. Also on the other team was Paul.

I decided to take charge on my team, appointing positions to players. Finally, the game started. Watching in the first few minutes was like watching 5-year-olds play, because the ball was skidding and slipping all over the place. I saw the coach facepalm at our efforts. Finally, after a few minutes, we got the hang of things and started to actually play.

I remembered it being very hard to get past Brock with the ball, as he was the star defender, but getting past Paul in the midfield was a complete joke. In fact, I began to toy around with him by juggling the ball and plopping it over his head, or by putting it between his legs and watching him fall into the mud. All before being stopped by Brock. He was really amazing, that kid.

"Ash, you think you're funny?" Paul asked me during a brief pause in the game as my teammate fetched the ball that went out of play.

"No, I just think I'm just good. Admit it. You're my puppet for today."

"Yeah, we'll see how this finishes."

The ball was back in play, and it was eventually cleared up the field in the air. I jumped to head the ball, and I felt a challenger to my side. Judging by the hair, it was unmistakably Paul. At peak height, I beat him to the ball, because my jump was much higher due to volleyball. But on the way down, I felt him grab just above my wrist, twist it, and pull my arm back. Naturally, the momentum of my body changed and I began falling twisted-arm-first to the ground. He held on until the last moment. I became very nervous because I knew what the outcome was going to be.

I had no time to fix the position of my arm, so my arm hit the ground at a very awkward angle, and my body followed on top. A loud "CRACK!" shook the field and all the players standing there.

My arm was definitely broken. The wet ground certainly added to the severity of things.

As I rolled over, the pain finally kicked in and began to take my breath away. "Oouuuhhhh"'s were overheard from the players and coaching staff. I heard a loud "EEK!" coming from the stands. Definitely Dawn. I looked up to see her looking away and covering her eyes as she was breathing heavily.

I held in my screams of pain and took a look at my arm. I could visibly see the bone of my wrist. My radius (forearm bone attached to the hand) was definitely broken, as my forearm was disfigured. Disaster.

My anger towards Paul was met with my pain and suffering. For 5 minutes I lay there, in pain, before an ambulance came to bring me to the hospital. I was carried on a stretcher into the ambulance. All the way, people were applauding for my well-being. I looked around and saw everyone, even Brock and Dawn, standing and following me to the ambulance.

"Let me go with him, I'm a close friend." I heard Brock tell the paramedic.

"Alright but that's…"

"Me too, I'm also a close friend." Dawn interrupted.

"I'm sorry, only one."

"Please!" Dawn pleaded.

There was a long pause.

The paramedic looked around. "Alright." He said. "But you'll have to stand; there aren't enough seats for you."

"That's fine."

The ride was long and painful. Brock decided that he would stand, and he kept looking down at my arm with a pale, disgusted face. Dawn was sitting and crying at my suffering. I tried to keep a normal face to stop her from worrying; after all, it was only a broken arm. The pain, however, was too much.

I looked over at the surgeon, and I saw him preparing a needle. I could just barely read the box. It read "anesthetics". Then he approached me.

"You seem to be in a lot of pain."

"You're not going to put me under, are you?" I asked, worriedly.

"It's for your own benefit. Sir, please try to relax."

"No!" I argued. "It's only a broken arm. There's no need to go to extremes! I'm fine!"

Before I could finish my last few words, the needle had already been injected, and I couldn't keep focus on anything. I lay my head back as I couldn't fight to stay conscious anymore, and let the dream take me away…

I found myself in a forest. As I got up, I, for some reason, decided to begin walking a certain way, as if I had gone there before and knew where I was going. Shortly afterwards, the yellow mouse creature joined me. He was walking with me, on my shoulder! I decided I needed to try and find Flint and return him home.

Immediately after, I heard a voice, coming from seemingly nowhere.

Ash, do not return Pikachu to Flint.

"What? Why? Even if he stole him, he's Flint's now!" I yelled back at nothing.

Understand this, Ash. Pikachu belongs to no one else but you. Pikachu is yours.

"Pikachu is not mine!" I yelled.

In good time, you will see.

"What? See what?" I yelled again.

But no answer. I suddenly fell down and couldn't get back up. The vision of the forest faded, and Pikachu, as I know knew, faded with it, smiling back at me. Everything faded into blackness as I regained my senses. I opened what I remembered to be my real eyes and felt a tingling feeling in my arm.

I saw a beige and white blurriness, and I was returning back from the dream world.