Shadows and Ash--Ghost in the Machine Chapter 4: Tone Is Everything, a pokémon fanfic

Chapter 4, everyone, in which we have the dénouement and the results of the unfortunate demise of the TV. Thanks to everyone who faved and followed this story—your support tells me that I ought to go and post the bigger story this is related to starting in October. :)

Cutesaralisa, thanks for the review! True—and yes: "This wasn't bad enough that other Pokémon saw it too—I'll never be able to show my face at the Legend Convention again."

Reader Of Fate, thanks for the review! Well, good news: I'll be granting that wish starting in October (gotta finish up some of my other stories first ;) ). Glad you've enjoyed it! :D

Thor94, thanks for the review! Thank you—and yes indeed. One more, and Darkrai requests that that comment not leave the room (it's true, but he'll deny it all day every day).

Ralmon, thanks for the review! Glad you liked the antics and found it fun—may I ask for elaboration on the characters? I'd like to improve for next time. :)

As expected, Ash's mom blew a gasket upon coming home and discovering the wrecked television. Ash tried explaining, but as Rotom weren't native to Kanto, Delia didn't believe him.

Therefore, Ash was delegated to weeding the garden, Faraday and Ratty supervising in case one of the Bellsprout got irritated with him.

"I can't believe it," Ash muttered, pulling a weed. "Grounded for life. How am I supposed to become a Pokémon master if I can't even leave the house?"

Ratty was pretty certain that Delia had only been employing hyperbole—he didn't think she'd really ground Ash for life, although the jury was still out on whether or not he deserved it.

Ratty scowled at that—had his senses really been failing so badly that he didn't notice a strange Pokémon lurking about? And worse, that Ash had befriended this monster?

He could understand it, of course—Ash was the sort of human that tended to latch onto anyone that gave him any sort of positive attention. And he certainly wasn't getting it outside of home—the other human children seemed to be following that boy Gary's lead and either ignoring Ash altogether or being openly hostile to him. It wouldn't last forever, he was sure—most likely they'd grow out of it sooner or later. But it wasn't the sort of thing Ash needed in his formative years.

Ratty's scowl deepened—ugh, from that description that monster Darkrai might actually be a good thing. But then again, its motives could be less than pure. Pokémon generally were nice to human children out of instinct—that Rotom last night had been an anomaly.

Faraday looked off to the distance, as did Ash and several Bellsprout. Ratty barely detected the boom.

"I think the Professor found the Rotom," Faraday said.

Ratty sniffed and turned his attention to the Bellsprout. It had felt good to battle again, but it only served as a reminder that he wasn't young anymore—he was remarkably stiff today, and his muscles were letting him know they did not like the exertion of last night. He wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer.

Which reminded him….

"Hey, you. Bellsprout," Ratty said, prompting the gardenful to look over at him. "What do you think about a nice warm pot in the window year-round?"

Faraday shared the Bellsprouts' odd looks. Most of them were dismissive—understandable. They didn't want to give up their autonomy, even if it did mean security and comfort.

"I'd like that."

Ratty moved so he could see who the tiny voice belonged to. The Bellsprout looked at the one who had spoke—it was smaller than the others, not much to look at…but then again, he had been the same way before he met Delia.

"It doesn't come without responsibility," Ratty told it. "You have to be ready to defend the house and everyone in it with your life—sometimes against beasts that are bigger than you and infinitely more dangerous. You have to trust your life to someone else, someone who may at times ask you to do things that look like suicide. They'll trust you to do your very best, and you'll have to trust them to do theirs. Do you think you can manage?"

The Bellsprout looked slightly terrified, but nodded just the same.

"All right then," Ratty said, looking to Faraday. "Faraday, go get one of Delia's Pokéballs—an empty one, if you please."

"Uh," Faraday said. "Shouldn't Delia be the one who—"

"Faraday."

"All right," Faraday muttered, running up the short steps and into the house.

"What are you guys talking about?" Ash asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Ratty told him—they understand tone, he reminded himself. "Get back to weeding."

Ash did so, and had gotten a good chunk done when Faraday returned with the Pokéball.

Ratty took the device, trotted through the garden, and held it out, button facing the small Bellsprout. It hesitated slightly before pressing its head against the button, thus activating the capture mechanism. It disappeared in a flash of red light; the ball rocked, and then pinged. Capture complete.

"Cool," Ash noised. "We've got a Bellsprout."

"Take good care of her," one of the Bellsprout told Ratty.

"Don't worry, we will," Ratty said, walking back through the garden and handing the Pokéball over to Faraday. "Take her to Delia and introduce them, then come back."

"Okay," Faraday said, accepting the Pokéball and running back into the house. Satisfied, Ratty crossed over to Ash and sat down, facing a patch of nearby forest where he had seen something big and black lurking.

When Faraday returned, Ratty told him to keep an eye on Ash, and then began the laborious walk over to the woods. A small distance and slight slope—his muscles were not happy.

"And what are you doing here?" Ratty asked when he was almost to the scrub brush.

"Oh, cheers," the Darkrai sneered. "What, here to try and take another bite out of me?"

"Don't think I won't," Ratty said, entering the cover hiding the Darkrai from human eyes. He was loathe to do so, but he sat down anyway to relieve his tired limbs. "Why are you here?"

"I don't have to answer to you."

"No, you don't," Ratty agreed. "But I will talk, and I expect you to listen.

"That boy is the offspring of my trainer," Ratty said carefully, making sure his words were sinking in. "As far as I'm concerned, he may as well be my own kit. I will protect him with my own life.

"But I'm not getting any younger, and I'd feel better if I knew he was taken care of."

He watched the Darkrai's reaction carefully before continuing. "You're no one's Pokémon. I can understand that. But at the same time, so long as you hang around him, I expect you to protect him. Are we clear?"

"And why should I do that?" the Darkrai shot.

"Yes, why should you?" The Darkrai's answer had confirmed his suspicion. "You struck me as a Pokémon who isn't concerned with the safety of humans. Either you ignored them in their distress, or you took an active part and attacked them." It wasn't an official move, but Ratty's glare arrested any argument just the same. "And yet here you are hanging around a youngling, going so far as to let him believe you're his friend." He held up a claw to stop the protest. "I don't care about your past—I care about your present. You take care of him for as long as you stay around him. And—heaven help me—I request that you do. He needs friends. Friends that speak human."

The Darkrai looked away. Ratty was pleased to see that he had made him uncomfortable.

"Look at me," Ratty commanded. When he did so: "I want you to take care of Ash, watch over him. If you fail, mark my words, I will haunt you. Are we clear?"

"Inescapably," the Darkrai grumbled. "I'd hate to have a pesky ghost-rat bothering me."

"Ah, but don't you recall the rumors?" Ratty returned. "I'd come back as a Ghost-type. Maybe a Rotom—they seem to be your favorite."

He chuckled at the thunderous expression on the other Pokémon's face. "Good bye, Darkrai," Ratty said, laboriously getting to his feet. Ow. "I'm sure you and Ash will be getting into trouble again very soon—just make sure he gets out of it."

"And what if I don't want to?" Darkrai asked, still being difficult.

"Then leave."

He expected the expression. "It's good for you to be here," Ratty said. "Everyone needs someplace to belong. And I think you like the Pokémon you are when you're around Ash. Just don't mess it up."

With that, he began the laborious trek back to the garden. Upon arrival, it was to find that Ash was done and resting a moment.

"Ahem," Ratty coughed, then lifted his front paws when Ash looked at him. "I see no need to spend half the day getting up the steps when you can carry me."

"Aw, Ratty, but you're heavy," Ash grumbled, but still picked him up.

"Not as much as I used to be," Ratty sighed; the majority of his weight was in his muscles, which had atrophied with age.

Faraday flew up to land on Ash's head, directing him with his leek. "All right! Let's see what other chores Delia has for you!"

Ash sighed, prompting Ratty to paw at his face. "Right, sorry," Ash said, heading for the house. As he turned, Ratty spotted the Darkrai, still lurking about—

And now watching with curiosity, and another expression Ratty couldn't quite decipher.

Ratty smiled, then patted Ash again.

"You two will go far, kid," he said, prompting Ash to smile down at him.

Yes, he reflected—tone was everything.