Omg I just realised this site has been cannibalising all of my section markers?! D: I only skim over the chapter to make sure there aren't giant gaps so I missed it. It must have been horrible to read, sorry! If you get notifications for previous chapters updating, it's just going to be me adding the markers back in :\
EDIT: All added back in! Hopefully that makes some parts read a bit easier now?
Anyway, enjoy the new chapter! C:
Chapter 17
The knock on the door of his workshop breaks Clemont's focus. He sets his screwdriver down with a sigh – he'll need to solder the part he's working on later anyway so he might as well take a break – and wipes the perspiration from his forehead. A week of hard work and little sleep have helped push him towards getting the physical repairs almost done, but it still means a week of an unnaturally silent Ash, lying lifeless in the middle of the workshop.
Clemont shakes his head, resolutely ignoring those thoughts. A full week, and he's finally nearing the end of the repairs. He's got at least another day of small, intricate fixes to make, and then a lot of diagnostics to run before he can move onto the code. The closer he gets to having to open those software files, the more apprehensive Clemont gets. At least Ash no longer looks as injured as he had before; the gashes are all cleared up, and Clemont is just putting the finishing touches on the wiring in his arm.
For now though, his father is waiting patiently by the door of his workshop, hand still raised to knock again. "Papa!" Clemont exclaims in surprise, waving his father inside. "Please, come in," he adds belatedly. How long was I spacing out for just now?
He climbs to his feet and hops off the platform, his legs a little unsteady from not moving for a long time. Meyer opens his arms and Clemont takes the invitation, hugging his father fiercely. Hugs from Bonnie are always warm and filled with sunshine, but his Papa's hugs are always calming and make him feel safe – something he desperately needs after last night. It's not until he steps back that he belatedly remembers all of the oil and grime streaked across his clothes, and now smeared across his father's overalls as well.
Meyer just laughs. "My clothes get worse fixing the Professor's appliances sometimes," his father says, waving off Clemont's sheepish apologies. "How are things going?" He gestures towards Ash.
Clemont brightens. "Oh, I'm almost done with repairing all of the physical damage, I just have to rewire some connections and load the new processors and memory banks after I finish what I'm doing now," he tells his father, before his shoulders slump. "I haven't started on fixing his code at all though," Clemont admits, defeat weighing him down. "That could… that could take a while." Even before Team Rocket had done anything, it had been a long time since Clemont had last run a maintenance check on Ash's code. Given how much Ash hates the feeling of anyone rummaging around in what is essentially his mind, Clemont has always tried to touch his code as little as he possibly could. And now I might have to give it a huge overhaul, Clemont thinks to himself, feeling sick to his stomach with guilt. What if I mess it up, and he doesn't come back as the Ash I know? Or even if I do everything right, what if Ash is mad at me for messing around in his code again?
Though, Clemont would happily take an Ash that was alive and able to be mad at him than the shell of his friend lying behind him.
Meyer looks thoughtful and nods in understanding. "Remember, if you need anything, just ask, alright?" he tells Clemont, waiting for his son's mumbled agreement before continuing. "And how are you?"
Clemont blinks. "I'm okay?" he answers, bemused.
His father sighs; much to Clemont's surprise, his father kneels down and puts a hand on his shoulder, expression serious. "Are you sure?" Meyer asks. "I don't think you've been sleeping that much. And I know you haven't been eating all that much either. I know you want to fix Ash as soon as you can, but you need to take care of yourself too."
Clemont averts his eyes from the concern on his father's face, looking down at the ground. "I'm okay, Papa, really." He meets his father's sceptical look with a sheepish shrug. "This is fairly normal whenever I'm inventing," he explains. "Ask Bonnie, I just get caught up in things when I'm inventing. And this time…" Unbidden, his eyes drift to Ash before he looks back at Meyer. "I'm just a bit too worked up to sleep half the time, that's all. I'll get proper sleep when I'm done, I promise." Hopefully, his nightmares will die down a bit once he had Ash back and his family safe with him once more.
Meyer still looks troubled as his eyes flick over Clemont's face, searching. After a minute though he concedes with a sigh, patting Clemont on the shoulder. "Alright. But try to look after yourself too, okay? It's not good to miss too much food and sleep."
"I know, I'll try," Clemont replies, contrite. "You don't have to worry so much, Papa."
"Worrying comes along with caring about someone," Meyer chuckles, getting to his feet. "Although I didn't come in here just to check up on you. I've been organising the repairs on the Gym the last few days –"
A flash of guilt shoots through Clemont. "Ah, I really should have been doing that as the Gym Leader…" he mumbles. "Thank you."
Meyer waves off the thanks with a casual hand. "Don't worry about it, Clemont. Fixing Ash is important to you; your sister and I are happy to help out any way that we can. Ah, but there are some papers that you need to sign though, before the builders can actually start reconstruction. They've just been clearing out all of the rubble and stabilising the ceiling for now."
The thought of the destroyed Gym – his Gym – still brings a tremble to Clemont's hands. He clenches them, swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat. "How is it?"
His father sighs. "It's not in complete ruins, but it's pretty banged up. Team Rocket really did a number on it… It could take a couple of weeks before all of the damage is fixed."
"I see…" Clemont replies softly. He frowns at the ground. I really should go down and check on the Gym myself soon… but Papa seems to have things well in hand for now… A shiver races through him. Maybe later… Drat that Team Rocket! The frown becomes a scowl as his frustrations rise. I hope Officer Jenny manages to find them, because if I ever see them again…!
"Don't worry though!" Meyer adds cheerfully, mistaking the reason for his son's frown. "I'm sure they'll fix it as good as new!"
Clemont forces a smile, dragging himself away from unpleasant thoughts. "Yeah!" Fortunately, his father accepts his reply at face value.
"Oh, I almost forgot the other reason I came in," Meyer says suddenly, rummaging in a pocket. "The construction crew gave this to me, said they found it in the rubble when they were clearing it away." There's a flash of red in his hand and the sight of it is like a punch to the gut. Clemont holds out trembling hands to accept Ash's hat from his father.
His father is still speaking, something about the Gym reconstruction, but Clemont is deaf to the words as he stares at Ash's hat, mind blank. Falling rocks and desperate screams echo in his ears.
'Ah!'
'What is it?!'
A pout. 'I lost my hat...'
Laughter. 'Sorry… It must have fallen off when you dived for Bonnie. If it's buried under all that rubble, we'll find it later, I promise.'
A grin, blinding like the sun. 'Thanks, Clemont!'
His hands tighten on the hat, crinkling the fabric. There has clearly been an attempt to clean it – whether by Meyer or the construction crew, Clemont doesn't know – but the red and white remain dusty. I'll have to wash it before Ash wakes up, Clemont thinks dully. He was so excited about finding it, I don't want him to see it like this. There's a gash in the side, about two inches long, more than likely from one of the falling rocks. Maybe even the same one that had scrapped Ash's temple. He fingers the tear in a daze. This needs sewing up too.
'Something just feels missing… There we go! What do you think?'
"– and that's – Clemont? Clemont, are you alright?"
The sound of his father's voice manages to drag Clemont out of his daze for a moment. "Huh?"
"Are you sure you're alright?" Meyer repeats, looking worried.
Clemont swallows, looking down again at Ash's hat in his hands. No. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lies, his reassuring smile a fake. He doesn't want to worry his father anymore than he has been already. "Thanks for bringing this, Papa. Ash will be pleased to get it back."
"Alright then," Meyer says. He reaches out and wraps Clemont in a hug, the gesture almost managing to break the thin veneer of composure that Clemont is holding onto. If Meyer notices that Clemont clings to him just a little bit tighter than he normally does, his father is prudent enough not to mention it aloud.
"Remember to get some sleep!" are his father's parting words, and then Clemont is left alone in his workshop once again.
He isn't aware of making his way back to the platform in the centre of the workshop, but one minute he's near the door and the next he's slowly sinking down next to Ash's prone form, Ash's hat cradled in his lap. It's all too much, suddenly – Team Rocket's attack, the nightmare last night, the desperation and worry he's constantly carrying in his stomach these days about whether he can bring Ash back properly, and now this, a reminder of the event that caused it all. It's the last straw.
His vision goes blurry; it's not until silent tears start to slide down his cheeks that Clemont even realises that he's crying. He sniffs, scrubbing at his eyes. "This isn't the time to be crying!" he scolds himself, but it doesn't stop the tears that trail down his cheeks one after the other, a steady procession that mark wet spots on Ash's hat.
There's a sudden blaze of light and the distinctive sound of Pokéballs opening, making Clemont jump. When the light fades, all of Clemont's Pokémon – Heliolisk and Bunnelby, Magnemite and Magneton – are surrounding him, concern in their eyes.
"It's nothing," he tries to reassure them, even as he swipes at the tears rolling down his cheeks again. "This is nothing, I'm fine."
"Zaaaaa," Heliolisk says reproachfully, climbing onto the platform beside Clemont to wrap short arms around him as far as they will reach. On his other side, Bunnelby does the same, ears joining in for a double hug. Magnemite and Magneton hover nearby, buzzing softly. Clemont giggles, a watery sound that nevertheless seems to reassure his Pokémon as they redouble their effort at comfort.
His heart swells at the love and concern from his Pokémon, almost provoking a fresh round of tears that aren't anything to do with sorrow. He lets go of Ash's hat to cradle arms around Heliolisk and Bunnelby with a sniff, hugging them back. Magnemite and Magneton hover closer until they are nuzzling against his head in the best imitation of a hug they can manage.
Hugs from Bonnie are always warm and filled with sunshine, and his Papa's hugs are always calming and make him feel safe, but hugs from his Pokémon are always filled with such unconditional love that Clemont is always left speechless.
"Bun!" Bunnelby says, peering up at him. Clemont smiles at him, lifting his glasses and wiping away the last remaining tears.
"Thank you, everyone," he says gratefully, reaching out to pat Magnemite and Magneton. "That helped a lot." A chorus of happiness rises from the group of Pokémon. Clemont continues to pat them all, giving them the attention they've been sorely lacking over the past few days. Although Clemont knows that his Pokémon are used to the way he tunes everything else out when he's working hard on an invention, he still feels guilty for having ignored them for so long. Especially after nearly all of them had been affected in some way by Team Rocket's attack.
Clemont casts a critical eye over his Pokémon, checking for any lingering problems from Team Rocket's attempt at mind control and the battle afterward. They all seem to have made a full recovery, for which Clemont is very grateful. He had taken them to the Pokémon Center the same day he and Bonnie had gone to see Officer Jenny, once the pain of losing Ash so unexpectedly wasn't so raw that it stopped him from thinking. Nurse Joy had healed them quickly and they have bounced back remarkably well.
An idea comes to him. "If you want, you guys can play with Bonnie while I'm in here working," he suggests. "That way, you won't have to stay shut up in your Pokéballs all the time." It wasn't fair on any of them to keep them cooped up just because he could only focus on one thing at the moment. He glances towards Ash, mouth turning down. "Especially since I don't know how long it'll be before I'm finished…"
They all seem happy with that idea; Clemont has a feeling that his sister is going to spoil all of his Pokémon rotten while he's not there to supervise. Still, his Pokémon really do deserve some spoiling and Bonnie is a natural at looking after Pokémon. She'll make a great Pokémon Trainer when she finally comes of age – a time that's not too far off.
' I'm gonna be a Trainer when I turn ten! I can't wait! I'll be able to keep my very own Pokémon!'
'Ahh, that sounds so cool. I wish I could go on a Pokémon journey and meet lots of new Pokémon… You guys would like that too, right?'
His hand jerks to a halt mid-pat as voices float up from his memory. A Pokémon journey… He bites his lip, glancing back at Ash again. Magneton follows his gaze and floats down, hovering beside Ash's face. The magnet Pokémon buzzes an inquiry at Clemont.
Clemont sighs. "I'm still fixing him. To be honest… it's harder than I thought," he confesses. "And I'm scared to look at his code. If Team Rocket's machine affected you guys so badly, I don't want to think about what it did to Ash on the inside." Magneton droops, buzzing sadly. The other Pokémon react in a similar fashion. Although Clemont has explained to them all what had happened and why Ash was 'sleeping' at the moment, he isn't sure they'd understood everything. Still, all of his Pokémon love Ash just as fiercely as he and Bonnie do, and want him back with them as soon as is possible.
There's so many people counting on him, he realises. It's not just Ash, but all of the people and Pokémon who love Ash that are depending on Clemont to fix their friend. The thought is daunting, leaving him breathless for a moment. So many people to disappoint if he fails. But… so many people that are waiting for Ash to return. Clemont can't let his own fear stop him from achieveing that. He owes them that – he owes Ash better than that.
'Come on, Clemont! Don't give up til the very end!'
Clemont nods decisively. There's no reason to put off looking at the code, not when there's only a few more physical repairs to make. He'll do it now, while he still had the courage and determination to touch it. "I'm gonna do it," he tells his bemused Pokémon.
Despite his sudden decision, Clemont's confidence wanes drastically in the time it takes to poke his head out the door and call for Bonnie, asking her to look after his Pokémon for the afternoon. She readily agrees, and leads his Pokémon out of the workshop. Clemont makes sure to pat them all on the head as they pass him.
Looking at the computer waiting in the corner makes his legs feel weak; he approaches the computer with heavy steps and a heavy heart, apprehension burning in his gut despite the earlier pep talk. The monitor is blank and peacefully dark, but hums to life the second Clemont brushes the keyboard.
When he finally takes a seat in front of his computer, Clemont takes a deep breath and exhales shakily. "Right," he tells himself, trying to channel a confidence he doesn't feel as he sets his fingers on the keys. "I can do this."
/\/\/\
He can't do this.
If it has been painful to look at Ash and see the evidence of the physical injuries he'd suffered that day, it hurts far worse to look at the code he has downloaded from Ash and see the proof of the internal suffering Ash had gone through as well. Even just browsing through the auxiliary files, it's easy to see that parts of Ash's code have been shredded to pieces where Team Rocket's code has forced its way into the syntax. It's not even well-written code, Clemont notes with disdain as he scrolls through. It's functional and the concepts are good, but nothing about this code is elegant, or efficient! Whoever it was that wrote that mind-control program, they're good, but they aren't anywhere near a professional level. It's the ugliest code I've ever seen!
Ugly code that's currently marring Ash's very spirit. He takes a fierce satisfaction in deleting Team Rocket's code out of Ash's programming every time he comes across it, every strike of the delete key a triumph. Still, it's going to take time and much more work than simply deleting the code; it seems like Team Rocket's program has deleted some of the original programming or changed it in subtle ways. He'll have to check every routine and sub-routine and rewrite anything that looks even remotely out of place. Not just for the auxiliary files either; while there's damage there too, Clemont knows that he'll find the heaviest damage in the main core files that are vital to Ash being the Ash they know. Ash's AI system is the most complex thing he has ever written in his life; he wrote it to be self-learning so that it could evolve as Ash himself grew. Those files, at Ash's very core, he's left alone since he first activated the robot… so there's a high chance that Clemont won't even recognise half the programming that's in them. He has his work cut out for him.
But it'll be worth it, he thinks fiercely, fingers dancing across the keyboard. Getting Ash back is worth any amount of work.
Luckily, not every file has been tampered with – though Clemont intends to check them all anyway. He's not going to let even a speck of that horrible program remain.
He pauses at a section of code that he's not quite familiar with, frowning as he taps the keyboard idly. I don't recognise this, but to be honest, I haven't really needed to upgrade any of the files in this section since Ash's redesign... I can't remember what this part is meant to be doing. He sighs and pushes his chair back, making his way over to one of the cupboards around the room to rummage in it for the notebooks he had kept while creating his robot. Guess I'll have to use these as reference…
/\/\/\
It's slow work, but Clemont is determined and has no intention of giving up. His eyes dart across the screen, scanning the code. Every now and then he refers to the notebook open at his elbow with a hrm, matching the current code with his notes on the original. The computer desk around his keyboard is piled with notebooks, coloured post-its marking relevant pages like flags. An abandoned cup of tea that Bonnie had brought him hours ago sits amidst the piles, long since gone cold.
Finally reaching the end of the current file, Clemont saves his work and stretches with a sigh, reaching for the tea when he settles. The pace may be slow, but he's making steady progress. Between his notes and his own memories, finding the altered sections of code is proving to be a manageable task. There's been a few sections of his programming that he's had to redo – not because of Team Rocket, but simply because the original code itself needs an upgrade. He may as well take the opportunity to do it along the way.
I should be done in a few more days, if I can keep up this pace, Clemont thinks, taking an absentminded sip of the tea and grimacing at it. A glance at the clock in the corner of the screen brings a further grimace. Though I should really get some rest soon; I worked straight through the night again. He hadn't even noticed the workshop gradually getting brighter as the sun came up.
He yawns, leaning on the desk. Without anything to focus on, his late night is rapidly catching up to him. One more file, and then I can go have a nap, he promises his family mentally, imagining their disapproving faces. I should move onto some of the core files soon, he thinks, navigating through the system. Cleaning up the auxiliary files is all very well, but anything broken there probably won't have an effect on rebooting Ash's system. Plus, I might have to reconfigure some of them based on any changes the core programming requires…
The red flash of a flagged file catches his eye during his absent scrolling, though it takes his suddenly tired mind a moment to register what he has seen. He hurriedly scrolls back to it, frowning. I don't recognise this file, he thinks, adjusting his glasses to peer closer at the screen with a frown. I… wait, no, I do, this is one of the core files of Ash's AI system! Why is it flagged?
He clicks on it, his frown only deepening when the computer beeps at him. "What do you mean, 'merp!'" he mutters crossly, trying again. The computer beeps at him again, this time throwing up a familiar screen.
*ACCESS DENIED.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
Voice co… "Oh!" he exclaims, sitting up straight. "The locked file!" All traces of tiredness vanish as he peers closer at the screen, as though somehow proximity will help rid him of this long-lasting thorn in his side. He'd almost forgotten about this mysterious file, the only one in Ash's system that he can't open. All because it refuses to accept that I'm giving it the password.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
"Sandwich?"
*ACCESS DENIED.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
"Oh, come on, I know I set it as 'Sandwich'!"
*ACCESS DENIED.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
"Don't you 'merp' me! Sandwich!"
*ACCESS DENIED.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
"Stop being so stubborn! You're as bad as Ash!"
*ACCESS DENIED.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
"I'm telling you, it really is 'sandwich'!"
*ACCESS DENIED.
*VOICE CODE REQUIRED.
'That's not the correct code. Sorry.'
Clemont slumps, burying his face in his hands. He's so sure that's what he had set the code up as; he's never changed it since then either, from what he can remember. Maybe he mispronounced the word when he was setting it?
The next few minutes are spent attempting every variation in pronunciation, intonation and spelling on the word 'sandwich' that Clemont can possibly think of. Each meets with an angry beep of the computer and a demand for the correct access code; amidst his looming despair, Clemont is at least thankful that he never set a limit on the amount of attempts that could be made, otherwise the file would be even more inaccessible right now.
Chin propped up on one hand, he glares at the offending dialog box. Maybe it wasn't affected by Team Rocket's program, he muses, tapping the desk absently. If that's the case, then not being to access it isn't a problem. Besides, if I can't access it – and I'm the one who locked it in the first place – then surely they wouldn't have been able to get into it either. The reason Ash wouldn't let me activate the Master Recognition mode was because the password was wrong – it's been like that since our first battle – not because they tampered with it.
He stares at the keyboard. I have no way of being sure about that though, he concedes, the tempo of his fingers speeding up with his apprehension. I'll have to check through it anyway, just to be sure. This file isn't just for the Master Recognition system – it's got a lot of the core dependants that the AI system relies on to function. Without it, Ash wouldn't be able to think… he wouldn't be alive. He frowns. Besides, I wouldn't put it past those thieves to sneak in some kind of Trojan program or virus, just waiting to activate. I can't let this happen to Ash ever again. Ash's screams echo in his ears; Clemont shudders and shakes his head, trying to dispel the memory.
Still, I should have included some sort of manual override to this, he thinks wryly, transferring his gaze back to the words emblazoned on the screen. An override for the override. Ash would laugh at me if I ever tell him about this.
Maybe he will tell Ash about this when the robot is awake again. He won't mind the laughter if it means Ash is alive to voice it.
"Pipika!"
He jolts at the sudden sound, nearly overturning the twice-abandoned cup of tea with a flailed arm. It takes him a moment or two to place the owner of the sound. "Pikachu?" he asks, surprised.
Pikachu hops into his lap. "Pipika pi!" Pikachu says cheerfully, a happy whine soon following the greeting as Clemont gently scratches behind his ears.
"Clemont, you in here?" a sleepy voice asks. Clemont looks up from petting Pikachu to find his sister peering through the doorway, mid-yawn.
"Good morning, Bonnie," he says in answer. Spurred on by Bonnie, he finds his own jaw cracking a yawn.
Bonnie points at him. "I knew it!" she exclaims accusingly. "You didn't sleep at all again, did you, Clemont?"
"I – well, no," he admits sheepishly. His sister pouts at him, crossing her arms. "But it's going really well though!" he protests, waving her closer. He glances towards the screen with its accusation of failure. "Or, well, it was until now…"
Bonnie comes to stand beside his seat, yawning again as she hugs him good morning. Clemont returns the hug absently, mind still on the problem of the locked file as he clears away the error message. "See, I've been cleaning up all of the files that Team Rocket messed up," he explains. "And I've been improving some of my original coding while I'm at it, to give Ash an easier time of things. I was mostly working on auxiliary – minor – files last night."
"So all of these files are a part of Ash?" Bonnie asks, eyes wide as she leans in closer. "There's so many of them!"
Clemont laughs. "No, this is just a small part of the overall system. "This –" he clicks to a different folder, "is Ash. Or at least, all of his programming."
"Wow," Bonnie breathes, Pikachu only a beat behind her. Clemont can't help but smile at the awed look on her face. Abruptly, awe becomes a giggle. "It's so unlike Ash though – it's all full of maths and logic!" she explains at her brother's bemused look.
Two things that are very much polar opposites of Ash's on-the-fly creative personality. Clemont grins as well, sharing in the joke. "Well, you're not wrong…"
"So you have to fix all of these?" Bonnie asks, wide-eyed once the implications of that sets in.
Clemont sighs, laughter fading. He sets a hand on top of Pikachu's head to rub behind the Pokémon's ears. "Yeah," he replies. "But… none of this is going to matter if I can't get that locked file open…"
Bonnie blinks at him, confusion apparent. "What's wrong?"
"There's a really important file that I put a lock on back when I first made Ash," Clemont explains glumly. "And I need to open it to check that everything is still okay, but the password that I set to unlock it won't work. I'm sure that's what I set it as!"
"Oh…" Bonnie exchanges a look with Pikachu that her downcast brother doesn't see. "Don't worry! Just think really hard about it! I'm sure you can figure it out, Clemont!"
"Pika!"
Clemont smiles. "Thanks, you two. I'm kind of running out of ideas, though…"
Bonnie crosses her arms with a hrm, deep in thought. Suddenly, her expression brightens. "I know!" she says, excitement lacing her voice. "What you need is a change of pace!"
"A change of pace?" Clemont repeats, eyebrows furrowing.
"Yeah!" Bonnie nods, warming to her idea. "You haven't left the apartment in days! Today, we're gonna go out and explore the city, and that way you can take a break and get some fresh air!"
Pikachu perks up at the thought of going outside, twisting around to look up at Clemont hopefully. Clemont wilts a bit under the twin gazes from Pikachu and his sister. "Uh… I don't know, Bonnie," he says apologetically, scratching the back of his head. He glances back towards the computer and the mountain of files still waiting for him to finish checking through. "I've still got a lot of stuff to work on…"
Bonnie waves his protests away, her hands on her hips. "Nope! No arguments! I said I'd look after you and I say you're coming out with me today! I'm sure Ash wouldn't mind!" Pikachu nods. "Besides," she continues triumphantly, "didn't you just say that you were stuck? I bet you're just having trouble 'cause you've been thinking too much!"
Maybe a break would do me some good, Clemont muses, glancing back towards the computer. But still, there's so much still to do, even if I can't get into this file for now. I can't spare the time. "Well…" he says, ready to refuse, but he makes the mistake of looking at his sister and Pikachu before he can finish his sentence. The two of them are looking up at him with such hopeful faces that Clemont can feel all of his arguments withering away at the sight. He sighs, conceding the point. "Oh, alright fine, let's go out today then."
"Yay!" Bonnie cheers, jumping with excitement. Pikachu echoes her from his seat in Clemont's lap, waving happily. Clemont can't hide his amused smile as he watches the two of them celebrate. Well, I guess if it makes them this happy, then I can spend a few hours not working today, he thinks to himself ruefully. Maybe a break for fresh air really is what I need…
"Okay, go get ready!" Bonnie exclaims. Clemont lets her push him off the chair, rescuing Pikachu with an arm as he does so. "I'll get Papa to make breakfast and then we can go out!" she sings, skipping towards the door.
"Sure," Clemont says, laughter in his voice. "Where are we going, though?" he calls after her.
Nearly to the door, Bonnie twirls back around on one foot to face him. "It's a secret!" she replies with a wink. "Just leave it to me!" Before she leaves, Bonnie skips over to Ash and plants a kiss on his cheek. "Good morning, Ash!" she adds cheerily, before dashing out of the room with happy giggles.
Clemont exchanges an amused look with Pikachu – now perched on his shoulder – before surveying his workshop with a sigh. It's a complete mess; there are things scattered everywhere. "I should clean this place up, it's dangerous like this," he mutters to himself. It's a miracle Bonnie managed not to trip over anything! "Still, I suppose I can do that when I get back later." He looks around again, winces a second time at the mess, and starts to pick his way across the floor towards the centre platform. Luckily, the space around Ash is clear for Clemont to kneel down beside him.
"Hi, Ash," he says in a quiet voice. "We're going to be going out for a while, but I'll be back soon, alright?" If Ash was awake right now, Clemont has no doubts whatsoever that the robot would also be doing his best to drag Clemont outside and take a break.
'The outside world must be so exciting!'
He pats Ash on the shoulder and waits for Pikachu. Once the electric Pokémon has said his own goodbye to Ash, the two of them head off to get ready for their outing. Clemont switches off the lights, letting only the morning sunlight that streams in through the windows remain. "See you later!" he calls, pulling the door closed.
"Come on, Clemont, hurry up!"
"Coming, coming…"
What's Bonnie got planned, I wonder?
Thanks for reading! C: