This is Chapter 13.
Thank you to everyone who added this (and me) to their favorites/following. Special thanks for reviewing to salman21, Adrienne Dark, random bug, Typhlosion8, InsanityPie, Ravenclaw-Girl28, thor94, stars90, voidwalker23, pokedawnheart, guest, duskrider, and KaliAnn.
Soo, I hate this chapter. I worked on it and went back and rewrote it, and I still hate it, but it will have to do.
Okay. Ash, Misty, and Brock come to some understandings. We learn a little about the pasts of our heroes. Flashbacks are here, and in bold. I first had them in italics, but…Pokéspeech is in italics, and I was confusing myself.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. *wrings hands together and looks at the floor*
This is definitely my longest chapter yet. Enjoy!
That night they started a small fire and grouped around it, bowls of soup in their hands. Ash was staring into the flames, Pikachu in his lap, his bowl laying discarded on the ground next to him.
Misty and Brock glanced at each other, and decided that they'd waited long enough.
"Ash, who is Gary?" Misty asked tentatively.
Ash tensed. Pikachu stayed silent, knowing that this was something Ash needed to figure out himself. Did he trust them enough to tell them?
"Ash, you can't trust us." Brock coaxed gently. "We're your friends."
Ash exhaled slowly, never looking away from the fire, and nodded. "Okay."
He finally looked up at them. "I'm sure you've noticed that I, that I'm strange." He ran a hand through his short black hair, knocking his hat askew.
"I was even weirder as a kid, or so I was told. I, um, I didn't meet anyone my age for a long time. My Mama was very protective.
"I met Gary, and immediately he didn't like me. He was talking about how he'd become a Pokémon trainer and catch lots of Pokémon." He laughed bitterly. "I didn't know what a Pokémon trainer was. So I asked why he wanted the Pokémon. And he told me that he'd make them battle. I was angry, furious.
"So I asked him why he would want to hurt Pokémon."
Gary looked down at the small boy in front of him. "I don't want to hurt them. I want to prove I'm the best." He sniffed disdainfully. "You'll obviously never make it as a trainer."
"He made fun of me. I asked questions. I guess they were stupid. I don't know. Mama never acted like they were. But the other kids followed his lead.
"But then his grandfather, Professor Oak, took a liking to me when we were eight. That made everything worse."
Ash was eating his lunch under a big oak tree. He still hated being confined inside, and escaped here whenever he could.
A hard shove to his back had him flailing as he fell forward, barely catching himself with his hands.
He looked up to see Gary looking murderous.
"You're trying to take my grandfather away!" Gary accused.
Ash blinked, stunned. "Your granfather? What's a granfather?" Mama hadn't taught him that word yet.
Gary scoffed, his young face set in a scowl. "Like you don't know. He came back from visiting a Pokémon sanctuary, and all he could talk about was you. 'Ash this' and 'Ash that'. It was like I wasn't there."
"Prosfer Oak?" Ash asked, stumbling over the word. That was the man he'd met's name, right?
Gary kicked him, and Ash hissed in pain. "Don't you say his name! He's mine. You stay away; this is your only warning." He glared. "And anyway, nobody likes you. You're stupid. Everyone knows you're a freak."
He turned to his friends as the bell rang and the teacher began gathering them all to go back to class. "Come on guys, who wants to hang out with this loser?" His friends agreed loudly and the group tromped away.
Ash didn't move. He waited for them to leave, and then touched his side gingerly.
He winced at the dull pain, and bitter tears trickled down his cheeks as he curled into a ball. Why didn't they like him? What was he doing wrong?
Was there something wrong with him?
He stayed there until one of the teachers spotted him. She came over, a bit irritated with the apparently-napping teen.
"Well come on. Time for learning." He didn't budge. "Come on, learning makes you smarter." Still nothing. "If you don't move I'll have to call your mother." She threatened. That was the standard order on his paperwork.
He didn't respond. She frowned. Most children loved playing with each other, but this one was always alone. And his weird questions… She sighed, walked away to grab his file and a phone, muttering, "Such a weird kid."
But Ash heard her. He cried harder. No one likes me. He thought. I'm too weird for them.
I want my kin back.
Delia arrived in a run a few minutes later. Her eyes flickered over the schoolyard, coming to rest on the miserable ball under the tree. She rushed to him.
Ash flinched when she touched his shoulder.
"Ash?" she tried.
Watery brown eyes peeked up at her from in between his arms. Suddenly, he threw himself at her. She wrapped her arms around him instinctively as he fisted her jacket in his tiny hands and cried into the cotton.
Delia picked up her shaking son and carried him home, never letting go, lunchbox forgotten on the ground. He was still too light for her liking. She sat them both down on his bed and hugged him tighter.
"They hate me." He sobbed. "I'm weird."
He broke her heart with his next words. "I want to go home. I want my kin back."
Delia's breath caught in her throat. She knew he wasn't talking about her or her mother. He meant the Pokémon.
"Ash…" she trailed off, not sure what to say, what to do. What could you say to that?
He sniffled and looked up at her. "They never treated me different. They were my friends. We were kin."
"What happened?" Delia asked gently. Her heart ached as he brokenly described his encounter with the other boys.
"They only talk to me when they wanna make fun of me." His eyes pleaded with her to say something. But she was at a loss.
"I'm not stupid." But his voice was soft and hollow.
She pounced on that. "You aren't stupid. You all just know different things. Remember? Like with the Pokémon. They couldn't interact –play— with the Pokémon like you do."
"But Gary's mad about that." Ash protested. "His granfather likes me, and he's upset." He paused, frustration coloring his cheeks a bright red. "And I don't even know what a granfather is, so I don't know why he's so angry."
Delia swallowed hard. She knew that Ash would have trouble in school. He was, by human standards, painfully naïve and behind in knowledge that any normal three-year-old would know.
But he knew so much that other children didn't! Who else could talk to Pokémon and interact with them as if they were one themselves? But then, that was part of the problem. He identified with the Pokémon, and shied away from humans. Delia had hoped that school would help him to make friends with children his own age. He needed to see himself as a human, and she wasn't at all sure that he did. Family was Delia and Lauren. Kin was every Pokémon he met. Everyone else was strangers and worthy of suspicion.
And she wasn't sure what to do about that.
"You are smart. So smart. And special. They just don't understand that yet. But they will. One day. You'll see."
"When?" Ash sniffled.
"I don't know. But someday. I promise." She sat there and held her son until he fell asleep in her arms, praying her words were true.
"But things didn't get better. They only got worse. Gary scared away any kids who were nice to me." He sucked in a breath in remembrance.
"Tom, you can partner with Ash."
Ash looked up, surprised. Tom, a red-haired boy, walked reluctantly over to Ash.
They were working on a project where they picked a Pokémon to research and tell the class about. Tom was unsure at first, but quickly warmed to Ash's friendly behavior and interesting knowledge about Pokémon. They went to Ash's house to work on it, and Delia was thrilled that Ash was finally making friends.
The day after they presented, Ash was waiting for Tom after school. They were going to his house to celebrate being done with the project.
Tom exited the building, Gary and his posse following him.
Ash tried to ignore the group and turned a bright smile on Tom. "Are you ready to go?"
Tom hesitated, eyes flicking to Gary before settling somewhere to Ash's left. "I can't come over." He finally said.
Ash furrowed his brow, feeling a niggling sensation in his gut. He pushed it aside. "Can you come over tomorrow, then?"
"No." Tom was looking anywhere but at Ash. "Look, thanks for the help on the project. But it's done. I don't want to play with you anymore."
Hurt flashed across Ash's face. "But why? I thought we were friends."
"We were never friends. You're weird, and I don't want to be near you." Tom informed him before turning and walking away.
Gary's posse was snickering and whispering to each other. But Gary didn't say a word. His triumphant smirk was enough.
Ash walked home in a black daze. He walked right past his Mama without even noticing.
Delia blinked in surprise. "Ash? Are you okay? Where's Tom?"
"He's not coming. He doesn't want to be my friend." In a fit of temper Ash kicked a lamp, knocking it to the ground with a crash. Delia jumped.
"I hate this!" Ash cried out. "Why doesn't anyone like me? Why am I so different? Why?"
Delia couldn't stand the heartbreak in her son's voice. She dropped to her knees and encircled him with her arms. He beat at her chest with his fists, but she ignored it.
"I like you. There's nothing wrong with you. I like you." She repeated over and over to her son. He fell against her, sobbing, and then finally fell asleep in her arms.
Lauren was standing in the kitchen doorway, watching them. "Delia."
Delia laid Ash down on the couch and draped the brown comforter over him before retreating to the kitchen where Lauren handed her a cup of tea.
"You knew it wasn't going to be easy." Lauren commented after a moment.
Delia scrubbed her hand over her face. "I know. But I didn't expect it to be this bad."
"Children can be cruel. And he is different."
"He's my son!" Delia cried out, jumping to her feet.
"I didn't say he wasn't. Sit down." Lauren waited until Delia sat before continuing. "He is my grandson and I love him. But he is different. It's a good thing, but they won't see it. At least not yet."
"I hate seeing him like this. He's so sad. It hurts me." Delia admitted.
"Me too. But the only thing we can do is be there for him."
Ash stared blankly at the ceiling. He didn't want to hurt Mama or Gran.
He would keep it to himself, he decided. He wouldn't let them know how much he hurt.
The next day, Delia called him off school and they headed to a Pokémon sanctuary a town over. The Pokémon remembered Ash from previous visits, and welcomed him easily.
"The humans don't like me." Ash admitted to the Bulbasaur he was leaning against.
"Then stay here." Bulbasaur said simply. "We like you."
"I can't. Mama…but I hurt her, I…" Ash, haltingly, began explaining what was happening. Bulbasaur listened intently. Pokémon began crowding around Ash, listening and offering comfort with their warm presence.
Bulbasaur extended her vines and lifted Ash into an embrace. "Hush little hatchling. We have you. Rest now." She started rocking Ash in the Bulba-by, soothing the child and his frazzled nerves.
Who needs people? Ash thought as calm contentment settled into his very bones. I have my kin.
Delia watched in concern. She hoped that she wasn't losing Ash to the Pokémon, but she knew that it was his decision.
When he asked to stay, she reminded him of herself and Lauren. At his crushed expression, she offered to take him to Professor Oak's lab to play with the Pokémon there, as long as he didn't reveal his talents to the man. Ash agreed, and allowed her to lead him away after he thanked the Bulbasaur.
Bulbasaur smiled indulgently and waved his thanks off. "You are a hatchling." She said dismissively. "Hatchlings need protection and guidance." There was something else, but she couldn't put her finger on it, so she didn't mention it to him. A need to protect the young was all well and good, but this hatchling – because he was a hatchling, for all he looked like a human – had something extra.
Ash refused to rise to the taunts from the other children. He saw that Tom trailed after Gary and co., but was never really allowed in. He often shot apologetic looks at Ash, who ignored them. The hurt ran too deep, and Ash had others that he could rely upon. That they were Pokémon was of no consequence in his mind. The only humans he trusted were his Mama and Gran. Professor Oak was okay, but Ash would never fully trust him.
But secretly, he held out hope that he would make some human friends. Ones who wouldn't betray him, ones that he could trust.
"My house and Professor Oak's lab were the only places I felt safe. And that caused more problems than it was worth, sometimes."
Ash edited the story, making no mention of speaking to Pokémon or being raised by them. But it was still true. He buried his face in Pikachu's fur, waiting for their reaction.
Misty had tears running down her cheeks. Brock was aghast. Who could do something like that to a child?
"I'm your friend Ash." Pikachu whispered, upset for his friend and angry at these people who hurt him and didn't care. "I'll always be your friend."
Ash cuddled Pikachu closer. "Thank you." He uttered almost sotto-voice into the soft yellow fur. Pikachu just barely heard, and the grateful quality to his voice stunned him. There was a painful kind of hope and relief in it, and Pikachu realized that Ash had been as alone as he'd felt before Professor Oak gave him to Ash, taken from his family and talked over by stupid humans who wanted to own him. He made a vow to always stand by Ash's side.
Neither of them would ever be alone again.
"Didn't any of the teachers try to stop them?" Brock asked hesitantly.
"No. They didn't like me either."
Misty scooted over so she was nearly touching him. "I'm so sorry Ash."
"I can't believe they treated you like that." Brock was livid.
Ash shrugged, not sure how to respond. It wasn't okay, but he'd made it through. "But I had friends. I still have friends." He gestured vaguely to Pikachu.
"You have us too. We're your friends." Misty's voice was hard, decided. "You'll always have us."
"Definitely. I know we haven't been together long, but you are my friend." Brock stressed. They had to get Ash to understand this. It was important. He didn't know why he felt so strongly about this. He hadn't known the other boy long.
But the way Ash viewed the world was refreshing. Brock had never met anyone else who care about Pokémon like he did. He might be odd, and he might be classed as a bit naïve, but that was part of his charm. He needed someone. Brock was determined to be that someone.
Ash looked up. Hope and gratitude burned in his eyes, and a smile lit up his face, making him appear much younger than before.
"Thanks guys." He said sincerely.
Pikachu yawned, and Ash's smile turned sheepish. "I guess we should go to sleep. We have a long walk tomorrow to get to Cerulean City."
Misty fidgeted and looked down. Ash noticed. "Misty, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to go to Cerulean City." She finally admitted.
"Why not?" Brock asked, keeping his voice quiet.
"I grew up there. My sisters are the gym trainers." She paused, but Ash, Brock, and Pikachu stayed silent, giving her the time she needed to compose herself. "We never got along. They were always prettier than me, smarter than me, everything. I could never compete. I'm not saying that I was alone like you were, Ash, but I only had a few friends. Usually, people chose my sisters over me.
"I left. I wanted to travel. We got into a big fight, and I told them that I wouldn't come back until I was a great Water Pokémon trainer. And I haven't yet."
She bowed her head in shame.
A gloved hands slipped into hers, gently closing around her fingers. Misty looked up to meet Ash's warm brown eyes.
"What do you mean you haven't?" he question, smiling. "You're a trainer, and a pretty good one, from what I've seen."
"But you've only seen me with Staryu." Misty protested.
"Yeah, but remember back in Viridian City. You helped save Pikachu, and all the other Pokémon there. If that it's great, I don't know what is." Ash countered gently.
"You're strong. And you certainly stand up for your friends." Brock grinned and rubbed his cheek, making Misty chuckle softly. "We don't have to go there. But you can't be worried about what your sisters think forever. Soon or later, you're going to have to face them."
"It's your choice." Ash finished, but didn't push. Misty nodded in acknowledgement.
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Brock spoke up.
"I got Onix as a gift when I was ten. A few months later, Dad left. Mom wasn't the same. She started spending more and more time away, and then… one day, she just never came back. And I couldn't go look for her, because my brothers and sisters needed someone to take care of them, and I was the only one left. I worked odd jobs until I took over the gym two years ago. I didn't have much contact with anyone but other trainers who wanted to battle and my siblings until you two came along."
He looked down at his hands. "I love my siblings, really I do. And I gave everything for them. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. But knowing that my father was so close to us, and he never came home, never told us he was there or tried to help. And I can't help but hate him for it. And my mother. She didn't even bother coming back."
Misty and Ash inched over to him, Ash careful not to upset Pikachu, and Ash's free hand found his. Brock clutched it gratefully.
In that moment, a bond was forged between the three. Strong and unbreakable. A bond that would last forever.
Brock met Misty's eyes over Ash's head, and he saw his decision echoed in her soft blue eyes. It didn't matter what Ash was hiding from them, or what he would face in the future. They were his friends, and they vowed silently to each other, and him, that that would never change.
I hope you liked it. So! When will Ash tell Brock and Misty his secrets? Will Brock and Misty figure it out and confront him? We'll find out when I write it. *hides behind computer*
Suggestions and ideas are good, review are amazing. Even one-word review are appreciated. Constructive criticism is good. Flames will be used to make shadow puppets.
Leave your ideas for what to do with flames in a review!
See you next chapter!