This is Chapter 15.
I'm so sorry! My computer broke down and the only other computers I had access to didn't have Word. They had like OfficeOpen or something, which is crap. Then I had to try to write it, and without a properly-working computer it was more difficult. Also, to get such a huge chapter out as soon as possible, there was almost no revision. Sorry if things are weird.
Thank you to everyone who added this story/me to their favorites/alerts. And a special thanks for reviewing to tjizthebest, KaliAnn, YuyaKnightwriter97, thor94, prewy, stars90, ShadowGallade, random bug, salman21, flamescanhelp, duskrider, Alie-yaoi, InsanityPie, Adrienne Dark, OptimusK, BoredomPersonified, Pokemon Trainer Tom, Jamieb114, Kriber, Haimy1902, stormseaker, and Aniquila.
So this chapter was especially long. I hope that helps to make up for the lack-of-chapter. I'm finishing this when I should be doing homework due in a few hours. Hope you like it.
Ash and Misty have their battle, stuff happens, and a tiny bit of Ash!whump. I actually didn't mean to put any in there; it just wrote itself. Hehe. A few more hints are given, and is Meowth catching on?
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. I really don't. I'm not a liar! Stop looking at me like that! *cries into pillow*
Anyway, enjoy!
"Where are we going to battle?" Ash asked, looking around the stadium.
Violet recalled Goldeen as Lily pressed a button on the wall next to her. Large rectangles rose from the bottom of the pool. They lurched to a stop when their tops broke the surface of the water.
"You can use those to get to your platforms. Misty, you get red. Boy, you get blue." Daisy told them, pointing at two long wooden boards about a foot wide beginning to extend from the two mentioned platforms. In between the stands were three yellow platforms, presumably for the Pokémon to stand on.
"His name is Ash." Misty corrected hotly as she began walking to the red platform.
Ash made to step onto his when a tug on the leg of his jeans caught his attention. He glanced down to see Pikachu.
"Ash, I don't want to fight Misty. She's my friend." Pikachu told him. Ash lifted Pikachu into his arms so that the Pokémon's ear was pressed to his mouth.
"I understand. And it wouldn't be a fair fight if you did fight, an electricity type against a water type." Ash reassured his friend.
When they reached the blue platform, Ash put Pikachu down next to him.
"What are the rules?" Ash called to Misty's sisters.
"Two against two." Daisy answered.
"Are you, like, going to use your Pikachu against Misty?" Violet asked, watching as Ash settled himself onto the center of the stand, Pikachu moving to stand next to but slightly behind him. He didn't want to get in the way of the battle but still wanted to be able to see.
Ash shook his head. "No. I won't make him fight if he doesn't want to."
The three sisters were flabbergasted. "And how do you know he doesn't want to fight her."
"Because we're friends." Ash sent them a look the clearly asked how they hadn't known that to begin with.
"Then why is it out of it's Pokéball?" Lily wanted to know.
"He doesn't like his Pokéball." Ash answered rather irritably.
"Can we just start the match now?" Misty demanded.
"Yeah, yeah. Start whenever." Daisy waved a hand carelessly, but her eyes were burning with curiosity.
Ash fingered the Pokéballs clipped to his belt. Weedle and Zubat were out; they couldn't do much in a water battle. And he wouldn't force Pikachu to fight when he didn't want to. That left Butterfree and Pidgeotto.
Pidgeotto's gust attack might be needed later, if Butterfree failed. He just hoped that his friends didn't mind battling. They said they wouldn't, but…
He unclipped and resized Butterfree's Pokéball. Throwing it, he cried out, "Butterfree, go!"
Butterfree emerged from the Pokéball, which immediately flew back to Ash's hand.
"What's up?" Butterfree asked, looking around in interest. "Are we fighting the red girl? I thought she was our friend."
"We're having a battle with Misty to show her sisters that she's improved since she left." Pikachu scowled. "They think that she's not as good as them in anything."
Butterfree bristled. "I'm in." he declared.
"Staryu, I choose you!" Misty shouted, throwing her own Pokeball.
Staryu appeared on one of the yellow floating boards in the water.
Ash remembered Staryu from before, when they faced Meowth. He had to keep Staryu out of the water so that she couldn't use her watergun. But he also knew that Staryu had to have more tricks than that. He just hadn't come across many Staryu before. They could throw themselves into the air, right?
"Do you think Misty could really win?" Lily asked her sisters, hands on her hips as she watched the boy stall for time.
"Like, in her dreams." Violet answered contemptuously.
"Fight! Fight!" Seel cheered. Pikachu threw him a dirty look.
"Butterfree, stun spore!" Ash called.
Butterfree began releasing golden spores that coated Staryu and caused the Pokémon to stagger back.
"Good, now tackle her!" Ash yelled.
Butterfree flew at Staryu but Misty countered with, "Staryu, dive under and wash it off."
Just before Butterfree hit, Staryu leapt backwards off of the platform and into the water.
Darn, Ash thought.
"Too bad you didn't know that Stunspore doesn't work if you wash it off with water!" Misty cheered.
Ash ground his teeth. Of course he knew. He hadn't intended to let Staryu get into the water to begin with. That also made Butterfree's sleep powder useless too.
"Fight harder! Weak!" Seel jeered from the sidelines.
"Like, which side are you clapping for?" Lily demanded.
"Will you shut up?" Ash snapped, fed up with Seel's taunts. It was unnecessary, cruel, and breaking his concentration.
"Yeah! Don't make me come over there and make you!" Pikachu threatened the water Pokémon.
"Like, excuse me?" Daisy was outraged that this child would talk to them that way.
Misty took advantage of Ash's preoccupation and shouted, "Staryu, Watergun!"
Staryu jumped into the water, sucking it up and, jumping back onto the ledge, began squirting water at the bug Pokémon.
"Butterfree, dodge and tackle!" Ash was quick to counter.
"Staryu go underwater!" Misty yelled. Staryu jumped into the water just before Butterfree hit, causing the bug Pokémon to wheel back in surprise, trying to regain his bearings.
Misty wasted no time. "Staryu, tackle it and drag it underwater!"
Staryu quickly leapt out of the water with a splash that caused Butterfree to lose focus enough to look down at her. She slammed into him, sending him down into the water.
Butterfree let out a distressed chirping as he fought to get to the surface, his wings dragging him down.
Ash immediately yanked out the Pokéball and cried out, "Butterfree, return!" He wasn't going to risk his friend. But he did file what Misty said away for later.
"Go Misty!" Pikachu cheered, and Ash smiled at both Misty and Staryu in turn as he pulled out Pidgeotto's Pokéball.
"Misty's doing awesome." Daisy commented.
"Well, we three got the good looks in the family, so I guess she had to get some talent." Violet dismissed, but the small smile betrayed her pleasure at seeing her younger sister doing so well.
Ash threw Pidgeotto's Pokéball into the air. The bird Pokémon appeared in a beam of red light, swooping over the pool with powerful, controlled strokes of his wings.
Pidgeotto quickly took stock of the situation.
"Battle?" he asked.
"Battle." Pikachu confirmed.
"What do you want me to do?" He asked.
Ash opened his mouth to speak, but Misty broke in. "Staryu, return!"
Staryu was sucked back into her Pokéball and Misty tucked it away. Pulling out a different one, she called out, "Misty calls Starmie!"
A purple Pokémon with a red jewel surrounded by gold appeared standing on the same ledge Staryu had been.
Staryu was fine. Ash thought. Why did she call out Starmie to finish the fight, instead of saving him for later?
The answer came almost immediately. She can show off more of her talent if she brings out more than one Pokémon. It would be impressive if she won with only the one, but Misty was doing this to prove a point, not to simply win.
And from the looks on her sisters' faces, she was slowly proving that point.
"Starmie, dive under, then up!" Misty shouted. She'd figured out that Ash's flying Pokémon had a harder time when the Pokémon came up from under the water. He couldn't attack them, and he couldn't see where they were going to come up from.
"Pidgeotto, use Wing Attack when he appears!" Ash called to his friend. If they couldn't see where the attack would come from, at least they could be prepared for when Starmie did surface.
Starmie came hurtling out of the water and slammed into Pidgeotto's wing, which knocked him away. He fell back into the water, but shot out again just as quickly, this time hitting Pidgeotto in the chest. Pidgeotto was thrown back as he struggled to catch his breath back.
Starmie, seeing that the attack had landed and Pidgeotto was rather winded, came back for another attack.
"Use Gust and blow him back!" Ash was unprepared for how strong the gust of wing was. It caught Starmie and blew him back into a wall. Starmie's jewel began to blink on and off.
"Starmie!" Misty gasped. Ash looked at the water Pokémon, concerned. "Oh no! Starmie's energy is just about to run out!" She glanced back at Ash, who was hesitating.
Finally, Ash made a decision. "Knock him unconscious—"
He was cut off as the ground beneath them began to shake. He wobbled on his platform, struggle to regain his balance. Misty was doing the same thing on her ledge.
The wall on Ash's left crumbled from the center. Rock and plaster shot out from the break as the entire wall collapsed. Ash threw up his hands in front of his face, and Pikachu cried out as chunks hit him.
They heard a startled yell and everyone glanced over at the stairs leading through the stands. Brock was running down them, waving his arms wildly.
"Ash!" Pidgeotto called.
"Stay in the air." Ash yelled back. "Don't come back down."
Ash focused back on the giant machine that was now rolling into the arena. A familiar head of red hair came into view and he groaned.
"Check out that hair!" Lily shrieked.
"Like, who invited the party crashers?" Daisy demanded.
"Sorry to break in on you ladies!" Jesse snickered, ignoring Ash's yell of "Hey!"
"Allow us to introduce ourselves." James 'offered'.
They started their mantra.
Misty took that time to step onto the switch on the platform to release the ledge to the edge of the pool. She raced across it to her sisters' sides. Ash saw her, and pressed the switch with his toe, but didn't cross over to join them. He faced Team Rocket squarely.
"Do you have to say that every time?" he asked crossly.
Jesse chuckled. "Of course we do, you stupid boy. Meowth?"
Meowth had been staring at Ash with narrowed eyes. He snapped out of his daze and yanked down on a red lever.
A long, thick hose extended from the green machine and sunk into the water, immediately sucking in the liquid.
"A vacuum and a hose!" Ash could hear Brock yelling from where he was leaning over the balcony of the bleachers, unable to get closer without running back up the stairs, and then down into the arena or jumping and injuring himself. "Team Rocket were the robbers from earlier!"
"Our swimming pool!" Daisy cried out. Brock decided that the exhaustion was worth it and shot back up the stairs.
"They're sucking it dry." Misty added. "Why?" It seemed odd, in her opinion. Why would self-pronounced Pokémon thieves break into a Pokémon gym to steal some chlorinated water? This had to be about Pokémon, but how?
"That's our water!" Violet snapped.
"You're right!" Meowth smirked at them, but he didn't take his eyes off of Ash.
"What are you staring at?" Ash demanded.
Meowth frowned, and then said, pretending to sound contrite, "I should give it back." He pressed the lever as far down as it would go.
The hose sprayed water all over the room, soaking everyone and sending Ash sprawling onto the blue platform. Pikachu grabbed onto his pantleg, but to steady himself or try to hold Ash in place was difficult to determine.
"Cut that out!" Pikachu snapped at Meowth as water sprayed over him, soaking his fur.
"Protect the Pokémon!" Misty yelled at her sisters as they were swept away in the rushing water.
"Like, what about my hair?" Lily wailed, her hands grasping at her blue hair in a futile effort to keep the wet locks dry.
Misty shot her a scorching look, not fully believing the words that had just come out of her sister's mouth.
"Now, to suck them up." Meowth whispered, shoving the lever back up. But truthfully, he wasn't really paying much attention to this job. His eyes were fixed on Ash. There was something strange about that kid, and it wasn't because he was human. Meowth was used to all kinds of strange things from humans. But this boy…
The water stopped spitting out of the hose and reversed, drawing up the water into the vacuum again. The humans landed hard on the edge of the pool, and Ash back onto his blue platform. Pikachu growled as he was thrown against the edge of the platform.
Pidgeotto was tired of just flying around avoiding the flying water. He swooped down and raked his talons over Meowth's head. Meowth hissed and raised a clawed paw to try and hit the bird Pokémon, but Pidgeotto ducked out of the way and went after Jesse and James instead who screamed and threw themselves to the ground. When Pidgeotto was passed, they got back to their feet and flattened themselves against the vacuum to make themselves harder target.
Seel was instantly sliding along the wet floor and into the refilled pool to the hose. "Help! Help!" he cried.
A wave overtook the edge of the blue platform, carrying Pikachu away.
"Ah! Let go of me!" Pikachu snarled, before being forced under by the pull of the hose. He surfaced again after a few seconds with a cough, gasping for air.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried out. "Hang on!" He remembered what he'd told the electric mouse earlier. "Water! Water conducts electricity. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Ready, set, GO!" Pikachu yelled, sending electricity into the water towards the vacuum. He grinned when he heard that bratty Seel give a shocked yelled, and his grin widened when he saw Team Rocket get fried as well because they were all leaning against the sides of the massive vacuum.
"It's times like these that make me wanna go straight!" James groaned as the three fell into the pool and were sucked into the hose, only to be thrown out the other side and into the surrounding trees by the now-broken hose.
"Ash!" Pikachu screamed as he continued on his way closer to the hose's opening and was pulled back under the water.
Without stopping to think, Ash dove into the water. With a few powerful strokes he had Pikachu in his arms. He forced the Pokémon's upper body out of the water, not caring that the action caused his own head to go under. The Pokémon took in some ragged breaths.
Brock burst into the arena. Not pausing to catch his breath, he raced over to the vacuum, eyes raking over Pikachu and the hands holding him up.
Ash lost his footing and was swept away by the vacuum's currents and into the mouth of the hose. In his surprise and panic he took a deep breath in, choking on the water that filled his lungs. Pikachu cried out in fear as he went back under and into the hose right after Ash.
Brock yanked the red lever he'd seen Meowth pull as far as it would go. The hose creaked, protesting the treatment as it raised itself into the air and spat out Ash, Pikachu, and Seel.
Seel slammed bodily into Lily and Violet, Daisy caught Pikachu in her arms, and Ash was thrown into the wall of the arena.
Misty cried out in alarm and raced over to where her friend was lying on his side on the floor, hacking up the water in his lungs. Pikachu followed her gaze to Ash and he immediately jumped down from Daisy's arms and hurried over to Ash. Pidgeotto flew over and fluttered in agitation in front of the three.
Brock emerged from behind the vacuum, having settled the red lever in the middle, causing the vacuum to go still. He had his hands on his knees and was pant for breath.
Ash greedily sucked in air around his coughs. He felt hands help him sit up and rub his back.
"Ash?" Misty questioned worriedly as Ash gave a groan when she moved him. She pressed her hand up against his back and he winced and tried to pull away. She pressed him back against the wall instead, her hand resting gently on his shoulder.
Ash felt a paw on his hand. He glanced down to see Pikachu watching him with concern. "Ash? Are you all right?" he asked.
Brock joined Misty's sisters as they spread out in front of Ash and Misty. Seel heaved himself out of the arena as fast as he could.
Brock knelt down. "Ash, can you breathe? What hurts?"
"Back." Ash gasped out. Brock helped Misty lean him and pulled up his shirt. Ash's back was red and it was obvious that a bruise was forming. Brock carefully pressed his fingers against different points on his friend's back. Ash hissed in breath, and Pikachu climbed into Ash's lap, cooing worriedly.
Misty's head snapped up. That was the same sound she'd heard Ash make back in Viridian City when Pikachu was released from intensive care. It was the exact same sound.
"Nothing's broken, but you're going to have a bad bruise. It'll be pretty sore." Brock said, finishing his assessment and pulling Ash's shirt and jacket back down.
"Do you need ice?" Daisy asked, voice quieter than Misty had ever heard it. "Violet, go get some ice."
"I'll get it." Lily said, heading over to their cooler. "Violet can grab a couple of towels."
Misty and Brock lifted Ash to his feet, each grasping on of his arms. Pikachu wrapped his paw in the fabric of Ash's jeans. He refused to be separated from his friend –his best friend— any time soon.
Misty and Brock helped Ash into the hallway and settled him onto a bench pressed up in between two of the pieces of glass that showed the fish swimming around in a frenzy. Daisy followed behind them, her normally cheerful face drawn in concern. Pidgeotto flew behind her, trying to keep his wing strokes small to fit into the hallway.
Ash rested his arms on his thighs, keeping his back off of the wall with a groan. Misty sat on his right and Brock sat on his left. Pikachu hugged Ash's legs.
"You scared me Ash. Don't ever do that again." Ash tried to smile at Pikachu, but it looked more like a grimace. Pikachu only tightened his grip.
"Like, here." Ash glanced up to see Lily handing several towels wrapped around ice to Misty and Brock.
Ash winced and hissed when his friends carefully pressed the cold towels to his back. Then he sighed in relief as the ice start to numb his back, but it caused him to start shivering. Beside him, Misty was cold as well.
Lily came out of the door to the arena and draped several dry towels around Misty and Ash before handing one each to Violet and Daisy. They moved away down the hallway and began to dry themselves off, muttering quietly to each other and throwing glanced back to the small group every so often.
Ash drooped his head slightly so that the towel over his hair fell onto Pikachu's head and back.
Pikachu looked up as Ash reached down with a grunt and began to towel off Pikachu's sopping fur.
"Ash, sit still." Pidgeotto ordered the trainer. "I'll help Pikachu."
"You better not just blast me with air." Pikachu snapped half-heartedly as he stepped slightly away from Ash.
"Hush and stay still." Pidgeotto shook his head in exasperation as he landed with some difficulty on the smooth floor and began rubbing against the towel wrapped around Pikachu's small body.
Misty and Brock watched the strange sight as the bird Pokémon helped dry off the mouse Pokémon with a towel.
Misty shook her head and glanced at her sisters, all three of whom were staring at the two Pokémon with jaws dropped.
Brock stopped staring when Ash muttered, "Ow." And tried to squirm away from the ice-filled towel. He'd pressed too hard in his astonishment at the Pokémons' behavior.
"Sorry." He murmured as he gentled his touch.
"S'okay." Ash answered. He lifted his head and grinned crookedly as he watched Pidgeotto rub his beak over Pikachu's head, fluffing up his fur.
Pikachu grumbled and shoved Pidgeotto away, swiping at the top of his head to try to flatten his fur back down.
Ash snickered. "Don't laugh." Pikachu muttered, but there was no heat in his voice. Actually he was rather pleased to see Ash's humor.
If Pidgeotto were capable, he would have rolled his eyes. "You look fine." He informed the electric mouse. "Well, as fine as you can when you have all that fur and no feathers."
"Ash?" Violet voiced hesitantly.
Ash looked up at the three sisters who had come to stand in front of him, but to the right of the Pokémon. He straightened with a grunt. "Can I help you?" He coughed at the scratchy raw feeling in his throat when he tried to talk. Breathing in all of that chlorinated water had not done him any favors.
Daisy held out something blue and shiny in her pale hand. "We, like, want you to have this."
Ash squinted against the light bouncing off of the thing and saw that it was a tear-shaped blue stone. "What's that?" he croaked.
"It's a gym badge." Misty told him, eyeing her sister uncertainly. "Why are you giving him a gym badge? He didn't win a battle with a Cerulean City Gym leader."
"Like, Misty, you are a Cerulean City Gym leader." Lily laughed. "Well, technically."
"Yeah. And like, even though he didn't win, he would have, if those losers hadn't burst in here." Violet continued.
Daisy smiled the first genuine smile Misty had seen in years. "And he, like, totally saved the day."
"Pikachu saved us. I didn't do anything." Ash protested, still staring at the badge in disbelief.
"Yeah, but like, even if you had used Pikachu during the battle, Misty's water Pokémon wouldn't have stood a chance." Daisy pointed out.
"But Pikachu didn't want to battle Misty." Ash reminded the trio.
Daisy shook her head. "Ash, we're giving this to you. We, like, want you to have it, and we won't take no for an answer." Daisy pressed the badge into his hand and folded his fingers around it.
Ash looked like he wanted to argue, but he sighed tiredly and shook his head. "Fine. Thanks, I guess." He leaned slightly on Misty, who put down the soggy towel and wrapped a careful around his shoulders to help steady him. Her other hand began carding through his wet black hair.
"Here. We, like, have a back room. You can rest in there." Violet offered.
"Hm?" Ash muttered, half-asleep as it was.
Brock laughed. "Thanks. I think we'll take you up on that. At least for a few hours." He rose from the bench and stooped down, and Misty draped Ash's arms around Brock's neck so that Ash's chest was pressed against Brock's back.
"Wrap your legs around my waist." Brock instructed his friend. Ash did so, and Brock piggy-backed the younger boy to the room Misty's sisters led them to. He let Ash down, and the boy curled up on his side on the blue couch set slightly off to the side of the room but still several feet away from the walls, also blue. Pikachu jumped into his arms and nuzzled Ash's chin. Ash pressed Pikachu closer, sighing in contentment.
"Lift your head." Pidgeotto said as he tried to drag a pillow over without ripping it with his sharp beak. Misty took it from him, realizing his intention, and tucked it under Ash's head. The boy vaguely felt her place a blanket over him and Pikachu, leaving their heads free, before dropping off to sleep.
Brock watched Pidgeotto glide up to the back of the couch and settling in for a long wait. It looked like Pidgeotto was guarding Ash. His black eyes studied the humans in the room, and his feathers rustled when Misty stepped closer. But when all Misty did was rearrange the blanket so that it covered Ash and Pikachu better, the Pokémon relaxed. Brock marveled at the loyalty that Ash's Pokémon seemed to have for him.
Daisy was watching Misty with a calculating expression that she wiped clean when her baby sister stepped away from the sleeping boy.
"Like, Misty, do you want to come with us to get all your stuff?" She asked.
Misty turned to Brock, who nodded. "Go ahead. I'll stay here. Just get mine too, okay? It's in the bleachers. I dropped the bags when I saw what was happening."
Misty nodded and followed her sister out of the room. Behind her she heard Violet say, "I, like, think there's some bruise cream in here. You can put it on his back." Then the door closed, cutting off Brock's reply.
"Hey Misty? Do you have something to tell me about you and that boy?" Daisy asked, turning to her youngest sister and smirking.
Misty stared at her oldest sister in horror. "What? No! We're just friends."
"You seem awfully concerned about a 'just-friend'." Daisy pointed out. "Especially a boy. I see the way you look at him."
Misty huffed. "We're just close friends. Leave me alone." She stormed away from her snickering sister.
The truth was, she didn't know how to explain her feelings for Ash. Oh, they weren't romantic. Not at all. But still, they were strong. Stronger than she'd ever felt before for a friend. He was like a kid brother to her, closer than she'd ever been to even her own sisters. Even Brock didn't inspire such strong emotions in her, although she saw that Ash inspired the same emotions in Brock that he brought out in Misty. Did Ash think she meant something more?
Misty shook her head at her own thoughts. Even if she did feel that way, which she didn't, Ash would never pick up on it, even if she was screaming it into his ear. He was almost painfully naïve about certain things, and that was most likely one of them.
Ash's throat hurt. He felt a comforting weight in his arms and across his shoulders. He shifted and looked down to see Pikachu asleep in his arms. He smiled softly and shifted again.
"You're awake." A male voice said. Ash looked up and met Brock's dark brown eyes.
"Brock?" Ash asked, making a 'yuck' face at the taste in his mouth. He sat up, cradling Pikachu against his chest.
Brock smiled and handed Ash a glass of water. Ash sipped it slowly, letting the cool liquid sooth his throat and wash away the taste in his mouth.
"While you were asleep, I put some cream on your back. It should help numb the bruise and heal it faster. Violet gave it to me." Brock explained.
He watched closely for a reaction from Ash, but the boy just shrugged.
Brock frowned. He hadn't really been paying attention the first time, but when he spread the cream over Ash's back, it was impossible not to notice the scars scattered across the tan skin.
He wasn't sure what had caused the scars, and there weren't a lot, but there were just enough to worry Brock. He filed it away in the back of his mind to talk to Misty about later and turned his attention back to Ash, who was laughing as a newly-awake Pikachu licked his face.
"I'm so glad you're all right. If you scare me like that again, I'll shock you." Pikachu announced. Ash chuckled and rubbed his cheek against the soft red circle on Pikachu's cheek, which was slightly rougher than the rest of his fur. Pikachu cooed.
"As nice as this is, if you're awake now, I'd like to go to sleep, so if you could put me back in the Pokéball?" Pidgeotto brought their attention to him as he moved from foot to foot on the back of the couch.
"He was there the whole time." Brock said when he saw where Ash was looking.
"Thank you Pidgeotto." Ash said sincerely before pulling out Pidgeotto's Pokéball and recalling the Pokémon. "Sweet sleep." He looked back to Brock. "How long are we staying here?"
"We can leave whenever you feel up to it." Brock answered, nodding to his and Ash's backpacks and bedrolls where they rested against the foot of the couch.
"Where's Misty?" Ash stood up. He was about to put Pikachu down, but the mouse Pokémon clung to his neck.
"Don't you even think about it." Pikachu warned him.
Brock put his backpack on as Ash straightened, apparently deciding not to set Pikachu down. Ash slipped on his own backpack, wincing as the heavy pack settle against the giant bruise.
The door opened, and Misty walked in. Misty already had her own bag slung over her shoulders.
She saw Ash and frowned. "You shouldn't be wearing that with your back hurt."
Ash smiled at her. "I'm fine for now Misty. If it gets too much I'll let you know." He added to placate her.
"You better." Her frown disappeared. "Ready to leave? We already got the supplies and picked up our laundry."
Ash blinked in shock. "Just how long was I asleep?"
"About three hours." Misty answered as the three began walking through the gym. Ash's eyes darted to the fish in the tanks, once again swimming peacefully.
Brock caught Misty's eye, and gave her a look. It said, 'We need to talk'. She nodded in agreement. They certainly did.
When they got to the front doors of the gym, Misty's sisters were waiting for them.
They pushed open the doors and the group stepped out onto the path leading up to the gym.
"Misty, you just go right on being a Pokémon trainer." Daisy told her sister. "Be careful. You know we love you."
Misty smiled warmly at her sister until Lily added, "And keep a close eye on your boy there." She nodded in Ash's direction. Violet giggled behind her hand.
Misty's cheeks turned red. Brock looked between the obviously-fuming Misty, the confused-looking Ash, and the giggling Sensational Sisters, and just shook his head, deciding not to ask for his own health and sanity.
"Well we should be going." He said hastily, trying to stop a murder from being committed.
The three girls waved goodbye and walked back into their gym. Misty strode off down the path, followed closely by Ash and Brock. She only slowed down when the gym was no longer in sight.
"Um Misty?" Ash asked timidly. "What did your sisters mean?"
Misty sighed and turned to him. "They think I have a crush on you."
Ash looked bewildered. "What's that?"
"A crush?" Brock asked. The other boy nodded. Ash didn't know what a crush was?
"It's when someone has romantic feelings for someone." Misty explained, trying to hide her own astonishment.
Ash's face cleared up. "Oh. Do you?"
His face was so open and curious. Misty laughed and ruffled his hair. He hissed and drew back, flattening his hair back down with his free hand. Pikachu snickered.
"No. You're like my brother." The way Ash's face lit up said that her answer –which was the truth anyway –was the right way to go.
Brock smiled and knocked Ash's hand away from his head. "Leave it. It's fine."
"And now you know how I felt." Pikachu said smugly. Ash shook his head, grinning.
"Thanks guys."
That night while Ash was cooking their dinner, Misty and Brock slipped away.
They met up in the forest, making sure that Ash was out of earshot.
"Ash has a lot of scars." Brock said.
"Ash and Pikachu made the same noise." Misty spoke at the same time.
The two blinked at each other for a minute, trying to process each other's words.
"What do you mean scars?" Misty demanded.
"Noise? What noise?" Brock asked, once again at the same time.
There was another pause. Finally, Brock motioned for Misty to go first.
"In Viridian City, Ash took Pikachu to the Pokémon Center. When Pikachu came out of intensive care, Ash ran over to Pikachu and made this…" She tried to figure out how to describe it. "This cooing noise. Pikachu did the same thing back in my sisters' gym."
"Could Ash have learned it from Pikachu?" Brock asked. "Or maybe another Pokémon he met? He did say his mother brought him to Pokémon sanctuaries when he was a kid."
"Not from Pikachu, because if they'd only met a few weeks before we met you. This was around the day they met. Other Pokémon, yeah. That's a possibility, I guess."
She turned to Brock. "And you were saying?"
"When I pulled up Ash's shirt to apply the cream…Misty he has scars on his back. I couldn't see some of them, but I could feel them." Brock looked worried.
Misty felt much the same. "He has scars? What caused them?" I hope it wasn't those kids he told us about.
"I don't know. Some of them looked like small slashes, like claws or something, and there were a few I couldn't make out, but…"
Misty nodded, understanding what he couldn't say. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him. I don't want him getting hurt, and with that stunt with Pikachu today, it's obvious he doesn't really think things through."
"What stunt?"
"When Pikachu was dragged into the hose. Ash jumped in to the water to save him. He could have just run to the machine like you did; he would've gotten there quicker too." Misty pointed out.
Brock nodded thoughtfully. "They certain are close. Well, we'll just keep an eye on him, like you said. Keep him safe."
Misty agreed. "And watch out for that Team Rocket. They seem to show up everywhere."
In unspoken agreement the two friends turned and walked back to the fire, where Ash was ladling soup into a few bowls at his side, batting playfully at Pikachu and laughing as the Pokémon sniffed the bowls and tried to eat from them when Ash looked away.
Misty snorted at the sight and Ash looked up. "Oh hi guys. Dinner is ready."
Taking advantage of Ash's lapse in attention, Pikachu grabbed one of the bowls and started gulping it down.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried when he looked back down. "I told you to wait for the others."
"I did and here they are." Pikachu said around a mouthful of soup.
Ash huffed, and then smiled sheepishly at Misty and Brock as the two sat down in front of him. "Well, here." He handed each one a bowl before filling his own and dipping his spoon into the warm broth.
Brock entertained them with stories of his younger siblings, and Ash was laughing at some of the sillier ones. Misty chuckled and offered a few of her treasured memories of her sisters and her goofing off.
Ash fell asleep soon after, causing the two to realize that he hadn't shared any of his own stories. It hurt them to think that maybe he just didn't have any good stories to tell them.
Well, they would help him create good memories. And in the meantime they could share pieces of themselves with him, until he felt comfortable doing the same.
They could wait.
I wanted to make the battles even more different, but then I realized that Ash actually doesn't have the Pokémon to do that, and using Pikachu (whether he want to or not) would have made the battle a moot point, having such an overwhelming advantage.
Also, I realized almost at the end of the chapter that I'd totally forgotten about Pidgeotto, who was still out for the battle. The original battle made poor Pidgeotto go *poof*, and I only realized that during the hall scene. Then I was like "Oh shit!" and went back to try to add him in discretely. Oops. Hehe. *rubs back of neck*
And Seel always sort of pissed me off.
I was going to have them all stay at Misty's place, and maybe show more of her and her sisters, but, well, her sisters seriously pissed me off, and I want to get the plot moving more anyway.
Sorry if that last part was a bit stilted. I wanted to show that Misty and Brock care about Ash, but are still trying to put his secret together.
Suggestions and ideas are great, reviews are amazing. Even one-word reviews are appreciated. Constructive criticism is good. Flames will be used to try and melt some of this snow. *brr*
Well, see you next chapter!