The overwhelming sensation of panic lingered thick in the air. Most people were frozen, but Brock and Paul had moved to Ash's side and were putting pressure on the bullet wounds to halt the bleeding.
Misty, Dawn, and Serena never found comfort from the tears that flowed from their eyes, but they knew that if they wanted to save Ash, they had to be strong and assist in any way they could.
They came to a quiet accord and ran to Ash's side, trying not to get in the path of Brock and Paul. It wasn't until they arrived at the boy's downed corpse that they realized there was no way they could aid at the time; they had no idea what they could do. All they could do was rely on the others and hope they knew what to do. They had faith in Brock in particular, but they doubted he'd ever been in a scenario like this before.
Seeing Ash in his current form up close increased the three women's feelings of fear tenfold. They felt their respiration deepen, and they choked back twice as many tears as before.
Dawn and Serena soon gave in to the onslaught of emotions and collapsed to their knees, convulsing in terror. Misty wasn't much better, but she managed to keep her balance.
May stood there, still locked in place, without even blinking. The multitude of tears streaming down her face were the sole indication that she was alive and not just a statue.
At the time, her mind was a muddled mass. She was aware of what had just occurred, but she couldn't seem to believe it. She couldn't believe what had just transpired. Along with this, another thought was constantly running through her thoughts.
That would have been her on the ground, slowly dying if Ash hadn't saved her.
"Ash"
He'd saved her...and now he could lose his life as a result. This notion caused May to cry even more.
Pikachu was feeling a little different than the others at the moment. He was actually on fire, a blinding wrath overpowering whatever fear or despair he could have felt. He ignited his cheeks forcefully as he gazed down Team Rocket.
When James peered up from his perch on top of Jessie, he was startled with the image of a snarling Pikachu.
"Pikachu, listen to me, Meowth and I had no idea what Jessie was up to; we didn't know she had a gun. I...I'm so sorry, Pikachu. I swear on my life I'm speaking the truth, I'm so sorry."
Jessie had done something that James and Meowth couldn't believe. Shocked, shocked, and terrified were just a few of the emotions racing through the brains of Team Rocket's two male members. They could barely be termed thieves before this event. Jessie, on the other hand, may have just become a killer.
Anything James said fell on deaf ears due to Pikachu's simmering indignation, his rage and loathing growing the longer he glared at the trio.
Jessie turned her head, still hidden beneath James and Meowth, to gaze Pikachu in the eyes. Despite all that was going on, she was smirking. "It appears that you will require a new trainer."
That was the breaking point.
Pikachu harnessed all of his electrical might and unleashed the most powerful thunder attack anyone has ever witnessed.
"PIII KAAAA CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
The assault was blinding, appearing to be brighter than the sun itself. If they hadn't seen the assault originate from a Pikachu, they would have assumed it was from a legendary pokemon like Zapdos or Zekrom.
Team Rocket flew through the air, burnt and unconscious. It would be a wonder if they survived that vicious attack.
Only a few people of the group noticed what happened to the Rocket trio; the majority couldn't take their gaze away from Ash's collapsed body.
"Brock, the bleeding won't stop! What are we going to do?" Paul screamed.
Brock withdrew his hand away from Paul and signaled for him to do the same. Brock hurriedly pulled Ash's shirt up, revealing the extent of Ash's injuries. were both still pumping blood at a frightening rate.
Brock whispered some expletives while attempting to devise a strategy. "All right, Paul, we have to get him to Professor Oak's lab, where he should have some equipment that we can use to assist stop the bleeding. We have to pick him up and carry him very carefully, because if the bullet is as close to his heart as I believe it is, we have to be really careful."
Paul nodded and prepared to lift Ash. But, before they did, Brock turned to Misty. "I need you to go back to Ash's house and tell his mother what happened, and then bring her up to the lab as soon as possible."
Misty hardly registered the command, but when she did, she nodded and dashed toward the house.
"Alright, Paul, we lift. Ready? One. Two. Three!" Brock said, laboring as he raised and tried to support Ash's torso while Paul hefted his legs.
"We need to hurry before it's too late; Max, urge your sister to move! We don't have time for this!" Paul yelled as they made their way toward Professor Oak's lab.
Dawn and Serena had apparently been awake enough to notice everyone depart as they followed the others to the lab.
Pikachu was not far behind. He was in agony now that he had vented his rage on the rocket trio. As he rushed alongside Brock and Paul, tears spilled down his red cheeks.
Max had gathered himself to the best of his abilities and focused on his job by this point; he needed to be strong for Ash, just as he usually was when one of them was in peril.
He dashed over to his sister, groaning deeply as he saw her state, "Oh May..." he said to himself.
"May, we need to hurry to the lab; we need to see what we can do to aid Ash!"
May didn't say anything, her emotionless expression never wavering. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.
Max recognized it would take a lot to shake his sister out of her stupor. He grabbed his sister's shoulders and began shaking her. "May! We need to get going! Come on!"
It was pointless because May was still refusing to budge. Max sighed and tried the last thing that came to mind.
'SMACK'
Max resorted to smacking his sister in the face, attempting to shake her out of her funk. "May, get a grip! If you don't want Ash to perish, we need to start moving!"
May's legs began to move as a result of the slap and the urgency in her brother's comments. She was jogging at first, but soon she was sprinting toward Oak's lab.
Max kept up with his sister's speed, relieved that she was no longer immobilized. He could tell she wasn't totally recovered from her shock, but she'd grasped the importance of getting to Oak's lab. He simply hoped she was all right...
Because of their early start and the siblings' rapid pace, both parties arrived at the lab's entrance at the same moment. Serena flung the door open with haste, allowing Brock and Paul to enter first, holding Ash.
Brock screamed at the top of his lungs, "Professor Oak! We need you! NOW!" Tracy, Oak's assistant and Ash's old Orange Islands buddy, heard the cry and dashed to the door.
"Brock?" Tracy tried to ask Brock, but when he saw Ash bleeding in his arms, he stopped himself off, his eyes widening before rushing to get the professor.
Max cleared out a table near the back of the lab's first floor, which was generally used for the larger Pokemon's check-ups. As Oak appeared through the doorway, Ash was placed on this table.
"Why is everyone screaming? Tracy told me there was something wrong," Oak inquired. He didn't need an explanation when he noticed Ash on one of his lab tables, a pool of blood rapidly growing beneath him. The older man then fixed his gaze on Brock, whose clothing were fully stained red.
Oak felt the panic flood through his system, but he pushed it aside as quickly as he could, as he'd learned to do after working with pokemon for so long. His first responsibility was to assist Ash, whom he considered a grandchild; he could panic afterwards. He had job to accomplish for the time being.
Oak instantly put on rubber gloves and began cutting off Ash's shirt and jacket with a pair of medical scissors.
"Someone tell me what occurred," Oak said, appearing cool and controlled. He had to be, given how frequently he dealt with Pokemon emergencies. He convinced himself that this was not a different circumstance, but in the back of his mind, he knew it was.
It was quite different.
Brock, who had kept his cool for virtually the entire duration of the encounter, was finally losing it. With tears in his eyes, he spoke to Oak, "Professor... T-Team Rocket...and the gun... Ash..."
Brock couldn't finish a sentence because the panic he'd been fighting was finally getting the best of him.
"Brock! I need you to stay with me! I can't save Ash without your help. You need to be calm," Oak raced over to the man's shoulders
Brock wiped his eyes and gathered himself, realizing the gravity of the situation once more. "You're correct, professor... He has two gunshot wounds, one in his shoulder and one in his heart, both of which entered from the rear, and I didn't see any exit wounds."
"How long has it been since he was shot?" Oak said as he examined the wounds.
"About 4 minutes," Max said, checking his watch.
Oak cursed himself as he considered his alternatives. He came to a decision only a few moments later. "Brock...I know you're just a pokemon doctor, and I'm just a professor... but we have to operate on him right now."
Everyone's eyes widened, notably Brock's, who was stunned by the professor's words. "What, Professor Oak...can't I—"
"Brock, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it... Ash will die, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The nearest hospital is in Viridian, and by the time we got Ash there, he'd be long gone." Oak's comments, while true, heightened everyone's worry.
Brock wiped away his apprehensive expression and replaced it with one of determination. "Okay...Just tell me what to do," he was the only other person who could accomplish it.
Except for himself, Brock, and Tracy, Oak instructed everyone to leave the lab. Everyone took their leave hesitantly, giving the men space to remove the shrapnel, halt the bleeding, and most importantly...
Please save Ash's life.
Now that everything was out of their hands, the group let their emotions completely take over. Even Paul was crying at the prospect of losing the guy he considered his best friend.
Everyone was so caught up in their own little worlds that no one noticed Misty and Delia rushing at breakneck speed towards the lab. Paul didn't glance up until the last second, when he had to stop Delia from running into the lab.
She was sobbing uncontrollably and struggling against Paul's hands, attempting to get through the doors. "Where is my baby?! Let me see him! Let me go! I have to see him! He requires me!"
Paul, who was having difficulty controlling his own emotions, was now trying to calm Delia down. "Delia! Delia, please try to relax; they're operating on him right now; I know they're not surgeons, but you have to have faith in Brock and Professor Oak!"
He wasn't sure what he'd said, but something had calmed her down, at least physically. Instead of resisting Paul's grip, she collapsed to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably. Seeing their best friend's mother in this state only added to everyone's grief.
45 minutes passed with hardly a single word spoken. Every soul present did nothing but mourn and pray for Ash's well-being. People gradually ran out of tears one by one. They tried to cry, but their bodies were unable of producing enough tears to keep up.
"Someone... please...tell me what happened to my Ashy," Delia whispered sadly. However, it was loud enough for the entire group to hear. Max decided to take the initiative.
"Team Rocket returned and attempted to steal Pikachu. One of them pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot May. The woman went to shoot her, but Ash defended her, he protected her. Ash, he...he saved her life."
May sank to Delia's level and summoned the tears to begin crying again. "I'm so sorry, Delia! If it hadn't been for me, Ash wouldn't be in there right now; it should have been me!"
May burst into tears as her overpowering emotions spilled out.
May wasn't sure what she expected from the young mother after what she'd just said, but it certainly wasn't for Delia to draw her into a close embrace.
"May, listen to me...don't ever, ever blame yourself for what happened today. This is in no way your fault. Ash saw you in danger and made the choice that you are more important to him than his own safety, his own life. He was just being himself. Ash is always willing to put protecting someone he cares about before his own life, and he's shown that again today. I promise you, May...this is not your fault." She needed May to see she was telling the truth.
May mustered the courage to offer Delia another long hug, this time with a half-smile. May whispered in Delia's ear while they were hugging. "I know he'll be fine."
The two silently parted ways and nodded to each other.
As they stood there, they realized that everyone's eyes were crimson, particularly Pikachu's. He'd been fighting Dawn for about 30 minutes, definitely wanting to be with Ash for his procedure. He'd eventually worn himself out and merely cried along with the rest of the group.
Everyone stood in silence once more, not knowing what to say. Misty was the one who finally shattered it. "You know, Ash is going to be OK. He's put his life in danger more times than I can count, and he's always come out on top; this is just another one of those situations."
"Yeah, like when he saved the Sea Temple!" Max said, a faint smile on his face as he remembered Ash's bravery that day.
It was an odd sensation; May's heart sank and fluttered at the mention of it. Ash had saved her life several times before, she remembered. He'd done it for her before, and while it made her feel immensely cared for and loved, the more overriding sensation was one of responsibility for putting him in these circumstances. However, as time went, the feeling that Ash cared so deeply for her began to win her over, and a faint grin spread across her lips as she realized how much he meant to Ash to be willing to put up his life for her. This notion caused her heart to virtually beat out of her chest, as well as a few more tears to fall down her cheeks.
"He once saved me from plummeting to my death, and I'll never be able to repay him for that, and I can't even begin to count all the other times he's been there to save me," Dawn reflected.
To pass the time now that this topic had been broached, almost everyone told stories of how Ash had saved their lives while sacrificing his own. After some time, the chatter began to quiet down. Serena was thinking about something she should've realized sooner. Something she'd always suspected but had never said aloud
"Ash is a hero," Serena murmured quietly to herself.
"What was that Serena?" Max inquired on behalf of all.
Serena raised her head and addressed the group, "I said Ash is a hero. He's a true, 100 percent, real life superhero. He's literally saved every one of our lives at some point...even he's saved the world on more than one occasion! To be heroic is to be courageous enough to die for something...Ash is willing to die for each and every one of us. If that doesn't make him a hero, what does?"
Serena looked around and noticed that everyone agreed with what she'd stated. Ash was a hero to all of them. He was always fearless in the face of danger. He was always able to be strong when no one else could.
But this time, it was up to them to be strong for him.
The doors to the lab suddenly opened, exposing a slightly bloodied Professor Oak. When they saw this, everyone felt sick to their stomach; they knew exactly whose blood it was. Despite the little sickness, they all went to Oak in the hopes of receiving good news.
"Professor, please tell me he'll be okay," May begged, her voice breaking as she spoke; she couldn't recall ever feeling so desperate in her life. Ash would never be able to live with herself if she died while protecting her.
Oak's only comment was, "I apologize, but that's not why I came out here." "Delia, I need Ash's blood type right away because he's lost a lot of blood and needs a transfusion. We removed the bullet fragments and stopped the bleeding, but he's lost roughly half of his blood, which is more than enough to cause his body to shut down."
Fear gripped everyone once more as Delia frantically responded, "Ash is AB negative, just like me. Take as much blood as you need Professor, just save my baby."
"That's wonderful Delia, run inside and find Tracy, he'll be taking the blood," Delia said as she dashed inside. "Please inform me that someone else has AB negative or O type blood; we can't safely take as much blood from Delia as Ash need; we'll need one more person."
Everyone looked around, hoping to see someone raise their hand or walk forward. They quickly found, however, that the remainder of the group either didn't know their blood type or weren't a match. Ash's situation was becoming increasingly bleak, and everyone was aware of it. The tears instantly flowed again.
"Professor Oak?" Brock's voice said from behind him. The elder guy turned around to see an exceedingly determined Brock in front of him. "I'm AB negative. You're going to have to handle Ash from here because I'm not accepting no for an answer. I want you to take as much blood from me as you need... just save my brother."
Oak instantly nodded and returned to the lab with Brock in tow. The gathering of people who remained outside let out a collective sigh.
Dawn had just laid Pikachu down, and he was still looking as angry as he could be. May became aware of this and started to attempt to cheer him up.
"Hey Pikachu, you know Ash is going to pull through, right? He would never leave you behind like this, he loves you too much," May remarked through tears. And even as she tried to cheer up Pikachu, her voice was nearly completely destroyed.
"Pika Pika Pikachu..." Pikachu sighed. May's lecture was clearly not working; she needed to try something else.
"Here, Pikachu, I guess there's someone who can keep you company while we wait for Ash to recover."
May then reached for a pokeball and released Glaceon. May's expression darkened as she approached Pikachu after she was informed of the scenario.
Glaceon replied shyly to Pikachu, "Gla Glaceon."
Pikachu raised his head in amazement. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Glaceon, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. Instead of answering, Pikachu approached Glaceon and held her tightly. Glaceon licked Pikachu's cheek in response as the two hugged close to each other while Pikachu sobbed.
May gazed on, as happy as she could be in the current scenario that Glaceon was able to help Pikachu, even if only somewhat. The gang sat in silence and waited...it was the only thing they could do.
After another hour and a half of silence, Professor Oak and Tracey strolled out, capturing the complete attention of everyone, who sprung to their feet as soon as they made their presence known.
"Ash is one hell of a fighter, I can tell you that much. He's still hanging in there, even after losing so much blood. We did the transfusion and it seemed to get well from what I could tell. The bullet in his shoulder was no cause for concern, but the one near his heart managed to nick an artery, which is why he lost so much blood so quickly.
"When they heard the news, everyone's eyes flooded with horror. Seeing this, Oak continued. "I was able to sew up the artery and remove the bullet fragments that luckily did not strike his heart, so Ash is alive... for the time being."
"W-what do you mean by that professor?" Paul inquired on behalf of the group, his voice shaking with terror.
"If I had to guess... I'd say Ash has a 50/50 shot, and even worse chances of ever waking up again," Oak groaned again, his voice faltering near the end. This was not something he wanted to say, but he knew that sugarcoating it would only make matters worse.
For what seemed like the millionth time that day, everyone's eyes welled up with tears. The possibility of losing Ash was becoming all too real, and it hit them all hard.
"C-Can we see him?" Serena said, her voice begging as she fought back tears. At the very least, long enough for her to pose this inquiry.
"I don't see why not," Oak murmured regretfully, as he and a sobbing Tracey led the way.
When everyone entered the lab, they observed a variety of machines as well as shelves full of literature. The back of the lab, however, appeared to have been converted into a temporary hospital room. Everyone noticed Brock and Delia as they passed by, sleeping on beds generally used for healing Pokemon. They were both incredibly pale.
"Professor...they'll be fine, right?" Max murmured timidly, motioning to Delia and Brock.
"Of sure, Max, but we had to extract quite a bit of blood from both of them, so they're extremely weary; they simply need a lot of fluids and some rest to regain their strength," Tracey remarked, recovering from his sobbing. Max sighed with relief; at least things were looking up.
Oak eventually led the gang to a bed that was being occupied by Ash. Despite the new blood running through his veins, he appeared much paler than usual. The only movement he was making was the automatic rise and fall of his chest with each breath. Each shallow inhalation.
Nobody had ever seen Ash in such a vulnerable state. It was more than enough to have Serena, May, and Dawn cry softly once more. Seeing the strongest person they'd ever known seem so frail broke their hearts and terrified them to their cores.
Most people took a seat with Ash to pray to Arceus that he would wake up and be okay. Serena took one hand into her own, while May took the other. Dawn was quite delighted to brush her fingers through his unkempt black hair and Misty was also brushing her fingers through Ash's hair.
For a long while, the only sound heard was the heartbeat monitor, doing its best to reassure everyone that Ash was still alive.
After approximately an hour, Oak instructed everyone that they should go home and recover before returning in the morning. Everyone consented to go after some coaxing. Having said that, no one was excited to be leaving his side; the girls practically had to be pulled away, but they eventually yielded, not wanting to complicate things by being obstinate. Everyone seemed to stroll out of the lab glancing over their shoulder; they had to keep an eye on Ash right up until they departed.
The company arrived at the house around eight o'clock, a little late for dinner, but Paul still suggested it. However, no one was hungry in the least. Everyone just wanted to sleep. It wasn't difficult to persuade anyone to skip supper, especially since neither Brock nor Delia were present.
As a result, everyone went to their own rooms. Because of the stress of the day, it didn't take long for people to start falling asleep on a regular basis.
Paul and Max were out almost quickly, having managed to drive the scary thoughts from their brains long enough to fall asleep. The stress of the day had taken its toll on them, and they desperately wanted to rest.
Misty, May, Dawn, and Serena, on the other hand, remained in their various beds, unable to sleep. When they closed their eyes, they could see Ash, pale and weak, bleeding... It was best to just keep their eyes open, although images of Ash were still flying about in their heads.
Misty remembered when she and Ash danced in Maiden Park, when Ash was annoyed with Danny and Rudy, and when she was annoyed with Macy and Melody. Misty also reminiscences about when Ash was not getting up in the tower where there were Ghost Pokemons and how she was worried about Ash and then Ash suddenly got up. Misty realized that when she was traveling in Kanto with Ash and Brock, she had forgotten about the bike destruction.
Misty also thought about her travels with Ash and Tracey in Orange Islands where many commented that the two were lovebirds which she and Ash used to deny. Misty thought that she was crushing on Ash in Shamouti Island. Misty thought about her first encounter with Ash when she felt he was bad to Pokemons but over the time she traveled with him, she found that he was actually a very kind and selfless person.
The people around her were right about her and Ash, she thought she was just having a crush on Ash but now she realized that she had something much deeper than a crush. She, Misty Waterflower was in love with Ash Ketchum.
She knew that she was forced to run the gym by her sisters who were usually traveling around the world but over time, she had recruited many gym trainers. Even then she felt she was foolish as she continued to run the gym by herself mostly instead of traveling with Ash when possible and getting stronger when possible and having gym trainers run the gym when she was not in the gym.
Even though she was in constant contact with him, she felt that she should have done as much as possible to travel with Ash. Now, Misty wanted to be with Ash all the time and never leave Ash as she realized how precious time spent with her love, Ash Ketchum, was.
May had been staring at her half of the Terracotta ribbon for what seemed like hours. Every few minutes, she would glance across to the couch across from her, where Ash was supposed to be sleeping right now, and imagine that he was there, keeping her awake with his gentle snoring. Despite being told not to, she felt partially responsible for what had occurred.
May couldn't get over Ash's willingness to take a bullet for her. Her mind couldn't wrap its head around the thought of someone being so unselfish, especially after all the times he'd risked his own life to rescue hers in the past. Even after witnessing his unselfish acts numerous times, it was difficult to believe that a figure as magnificent as Ash existed in real life. May reflected on all the times Ash had been there to protect her.
Countless times... She'd lost count of how many times she'd done it. May couldn't help but smile when she saw this.
Ash was her guardian, and he loved her so much that he was willing to die for her. Her life was more essential to him than his own. May noticed the extraordinarily deep amount of care required for this mindset, and Ash possessed it.
He had it reserved for her.
May was no longer at all unsure about her feelings for the raven-haired trainer. She had assumed that her crush on him while they were traveling together had just never faded, but she now realizes that this was not the case. She was certain now, after spending so much time thinking about Ash and all he'd done for her...
She was head over heels in love with him. She had been for quite some time.
May Maple was hopelessly in love with Ash Ketchum.
She felt dumb for ever wondering that her feelings were anything less than true love now that she recognized it. It wasn't just how he'd risk his life for her; it was all the minor details. How he was always there for her, how he made her laugh, how he made her smile. To her, everything about him screamed perfection. May couldn't understand how she hadn't noticed this sooner. All those years of missing him...she realized she'd always loved him.
On this night, everything Ash had ever done for the four females was rushing through their heads. They all knew Ash would always be there for them, continuously assisting them and simply being someone they could rely on for anything, but they had no idea how much he had done until they really thought about it. It wasn't difficult to think that the girls had the same opinion about the raven-haired boy...
By far the most important person in any of their lives was him.
Dawn was particularly preoccupied with this concept. Her mother was correct, and she realized it now. She had tremendously strong feelings for Ash and had done so since they first met. She, like May, had assumed that she simply had a crush on him from when they were traveling together.
But, after giving it some thought, Dawn realized that the word "crush" did not truly express her feelings for the raven-haired man.
It's not even close.
Dawn knew Ash would have done the same thing for May if she had been in her shoes earlier today. Dawn realized she was passionately in love with him because of his selflessness, in addition to all of his other beautiful attributes.
And, like May, she was furious at herself for not identifying her feelings for him sooner; her affections for him had always been there, it seemed, she was just too terrified to admit it.
Dawn was quite certain that everyone would be asleep by now because it was way past midnight. She had the biggest need to be by the raven haired boy's side, and to be honest, she couldn't think of anything she'd ever desired more. She rose from her cot and prepared to leave the house for the lab, having made a plan.
She had entered the hallway and was ready to descend the stairs when she heard a whisper behind her.
"What are you doing, Dawn?" the bluenette exclaimed, holding back a squeal so as not to disturb anyone, before recognizing the voice as Serena's.
Dawn calmed down when she saw her blonde-haired companion in the darkness. Dawn addressed Serena when she had recovered.
"I could ask you the same question," Dawn said, noticing Serena was also wearing slippers.
Serena said shyly, "I-I just... really wanted to see Ash, okay? I'm terribly frightened for him."
Dawn responded with a sigh. She'd really wanted to go see Ash by herself, but Serena was bound to show up whether she liked it or not.
"I was going to do the same thing... Let's just go together, and try not to wake anybody else up," Dawn said as they walked down the stairs and out the front door.
Neither of the girls had thought to check to see if Misty and May were still awake, though they should have. They would have noted that her couch was currently unoccupied, as was Dawn's bed...
Even in a location like Pallet Town, strolling around after midnight was a little scary for the two young women; given what had happened, who could blame them for being a little scared? However, they each had their pokemon and were confident that if anything went wrong, they would be able to handle it. Fortunately, they had no problems on their trek. They were halfway through their trek when they noticed Misty wandering alone in the dark, and they dashed over to her.
"So you're going to visit Ash, that's a surprise, first Serena and now you," Dawn grumbled.
"I'm also worried about him, which is why I'm going," Misty replied, feeling down, and Dawn and Serena nodded.
They got at the lab and attempted to open the doors. Surprisingly, the doors opened smoothly. They'd kind of anticipated the door to be locked, but they didn't question it as they quietly entered the dark structure.
They made their way to Ash's location, passing Brock and Delia resting blissfully on the way. It was a little tricky to maneuver because they had to keep the lights turned out in order to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
Fortunately, being in the dark for so long had forced their eyes to adjust, providing them with some visibility.
They could now see Ash's bed barely 10 feet ahead of them. Misty, Dawn, and Serena hesitated, however, when they saw the youngster wasn't alone, which they hadn't expected.
Misty, Dawn, and Serena huddled behind a nearby bookshelf, watching and listening to May speak to Ash, who was still comatose.
As she chatted to the unconscious trainer, she stood close Ash's head, glancing over his face.
"What is she doing here?" Serena inquired calmly of her bluenette companion.
"She probably felt the same way we did," Dawn reasoned, knowing May well from their friendship. "Now, shhh, I'm trying to hear."
They could hear May chatting to Ash in quiet tones as they listened closer.
"...I'm so sorry this happened, Ash. I'll never be able to thank you enough for saving me, again. I'll never be able to repay you for what you did. I know you've already done so much for me, but there's one more thing I need you to do for me..." May choked on her words, forcing her to pause and compose herself before continuing.
"...I need you to wake up; I realize how important you are to me, and I know I can't live without you; you have to wake up, Ash!" May wailed, her eyes welling up with tears. "I need you here with me more than anything! Please keep fighting and waking up!"
May finished by kissing him on the cheek. The brunette then drew another chair to the edge of the bed and placed her head on the mattress. Sleep came very immediately as she felt the comfort of Ash's presence.
Misty, Dawn, and Serena's jaws were wide open behind the bookcase.
"Di-Did she just..." Dawn murmured, taken aback that May had kissed Ash. She looked to Misty and Serena, hoping that they could understand what she was saying, but all Serena did was cry a few tears, her mouth gaping. Misty, on the other hand, was stunned that May would do such a thing.
Dawn exclaimed in surprise once more. Why is Serena sobbing? She put the tears up to seeing Ash again because she was fatigued and had too many things going on in her thoughts to be concerned.
Noticing that May was already fast asleep, both females shook their heads and moved softly over to Ash. The three ladies drew up chairs and lay their heads on the bed, slipping into the depths of their dreams with Ash by their sides, after turning off the lamp that illuminated Ash's bedside.
Whatever else was going on, being there for Ash was the most important thing right now. The only thing that mattered right now was that Ash awoke.
And very soon.
Somewhere on the North Side of The Forest Near Pallet
Jessie, James, and Meowth were all burned from head to toe on the ground. The majority of Jessie's hair was singed and charred; she'd clearly taken the brunt of the attack.
The rocket members were only now waking up after all these hours. The first to awaken was Meowth.
"Ugh...what happened?" Meowth moaned, scratching his head in anguish. Almost soon after saying this, memories of the day returned to him.
He shifted his gaze to Jessie, who was still unconscious. James, on the other hand, was beginning to wake up.
"James, are you all right over there?" Meowth asked his pal and companion.
"I-I guess so," James said, clearly in discomfort. "But I can't think of anything..."
Meowth took the time to describe everything that had transpired over the day, and everything gradually but steadily came back to James. Jessie had awoken during Meowth's explanation, furious about her hair but otherwise fine.
She sat silently as Meowth described how she had gone 'mad' and 'lost her sanity.'
"Thank Arceus, we survived that Thunder strike; I've never seen, let alone felt, anything that powerful," Meowth said, as James nodded in agreement.
Jessie glared angrily at her two colleagues, recalling exactly what had occurred. How dare they try to prevent her from completing the task? She yelled in order to catch their attention.
"Hey, morons! Why did you stop me from finishing off the rest of the twerps?" yelled Jessie, stunning both James and Meowth.
"Because you shouldn't have been doing it in the first place! Have you lost your damn mind!? For all we know, Ash could be dead right now! We aren't killers, Jessie!" James quickly recovered and put on a brave smile.
"Oh, so he's 'Ash' now, huh? You're all buddy buddy with the twerp? Is that why you stopped me?" Jessie retorted, enraged.
This time, Meowth seized command of the conversation, saying, "No! But we don't want to murder him! What's wrong with you!? Why did you do it, Jessie!? And where did you even obtain that gun!"
"The boss gave me the gun!" Jessie yelled, revealing her genuine feelings. "Do you want to know why he gave me a pistol and not either of you? It's because you two are nothing more than a couple of IDIOTS who do nothing except bring me, and the rest of the organization, down.
"When James and Meowth heard this, their mouths dropped open, unable to comprehend how much Jessie had changed in such a short period of time.
"Giovanni gaveme the order to kill the twerp and anyone else who would stand in the way, because he knew he couldn't trust you two with even the information of what he wanted me to do," Jessie scoffed.
This astonished James and Meowth even more, with the former expressing his confusion once again. "But why, Jessie? Why would he want such a mission, and why would you accept such a mission?"
"Because, not only have we been defeated numerous times by the twerp, but he has also managed to thwart many other Team Rocket plans in the past. Giovanni sees him as a threat to the organization and wants him eliminated before he can thwart any more of Team Rocket's plans. As I previously stated, this is a new Team Rocket, willing to do anything to get what they want...and if the situation calls for it, that includes killing."
The way their partner was acting and what she was saying startled and worried James and Meowth. Jessie had obviously changed over the years, but more recently than ever before. They were all in it for one other at first, banding together after each of them endured their own personal hardships in their lives, but as time passed, Jessie became increasingly cold and domineering, while James and Meowth began to wonder why they were still in the terrible organization.
They frequently found themselves disagreeing with the organization's actions. And with the new 'killing' policy, James and Meowth felt they couldn't stand it any longer.
"Well then, Jessie, if that's how Team Rocket will work from now on, then I quit. I can't do this anymore, I can't be a part of something so...evil," James replied, slightly worried about Jessie's reaction. Having done that, he understood he had to tell who was now his former partner.
"I agree with James; Giovanni is a psychopath, as is anyone who associates with whatever this...this new Team Rocket is!" Meowth concurred wholeheartedly.
They were shocked to hear Jessie start smiling when they expected her to get enraged and possibly physical.
"HAHAHA! You think I need you two clowns?! Good riddance! If it hadn't been for you, I could have finished the job," Jessie exclaimed.
Jessie was met with shock and disgust from James and Meowth. In his final act as a member of the criminal organization, James removed his Team Rocket jersey and spat on it before he and Meowth began walking toward Viridian City.
Jessie was too preoccupied with inputting a number on a new technology being created in the Pokemon world to see the two leaving. It enabled individuals to phone each other from anywhere in the world by using a satellite in orbit. She thought she remembered them calling it a 'cellular phone,' or something along those lines; she just felt happy that team Rocket had managed to threaten the producers of this item, allowing them to obtain them without them being disclosed to the public.
Jessie dialed Giovanni's office number, and his photo showed on the phone's little screen.
"Giovanni, Sir!" exclaimed Jessie.
"Ahh, Jessie, how did our little scheme go?" Giovanni inquired, a psychotic grin on his face.
Jessie's face flushed as she realized she wasn't sure if she had succeeded or not. "S-Sir, I'm not sure if he's dead or alive; his Pikachu flew us away before I could check... I definitely shot him, though, and from what I could tell, I struck him quite close to his heart."
"Very well. I suppose you tried your best. If he wasn't murdered, I don't think we'll be able to go to him and try again like we did here... We're going to have to get him to come to us. You, James, and Meowth need to get back to HQ pronto."
"Umm, about that...after James and Meowth found out about the plan, they kind of...quit," Jessie stated nervously, unsure how Giovanni would react to the news.
Giovanni let out another sigh. Even though he despised the two, Team Rocket's leader despised members leaving the organization. "I had a feeling that might happen, which is why I didn't tell them about the plan in the first place, but they were expendable agents anyways. Now return to HQ, we have a lot of planning to do if we are going to lure Ketchum to us. Since we don't know if he's dead, we have to be ready for that case."
"Do you have any ideas?" Jessie inquired. As much as she disliked him, Jessie knew Ash Ketchum was as tough as they come, so she knew they had to be ready if he survived.
"I'm sure me and Ghetsis can come up with something," Giovanni remarked, smirking. He then hung up the phone, leaving Jessie completely alone in the dark.
Professor Oak's Lab
It was early morning, around 7:00 a.m., and Samuel Oak was already dressed for the day. He was currently enjoying his coffee at the lab's living quarters. His only task for the day was to keep an eye on Ash. He was praying that he would survive, and he was willing to go to any length to make it happen.
Professor Oak pondered having Ash sent to Viridian City Hospital, but soon discarded the notion. Moving Ash in his current state was just too dangerous. The procedure went smoothly, especially considering that neither he nor Brock were actual surgeons, but he didn't want to take any chances. He decided it would be best to wait and see if he improved before transferring him anyplace; after all, he had all essential equipment here.
As he moved from the living quarters to the lab, he noticed Delia and Brock, who were still sleeping comfortably. He smiled to himself, knowing they'd both feel as good as new when they woke up. His gaze then shifted to Ash's location.
When Oak realized Ash wasn't alone, his eyes widened in amazement. A knowing smirk appeared on his face as he took in the entire situation. Misty, Dawn, Serena, and May were sleeping with their heads on his bed.
Thinking about it now, he should have known they wouldn't be able to stay away from Ash for long, especially in his current state. After all, he was their best buddy.
Oak intended to keep the party sleeping for a little longer, but while strolling to check Ash's vitals, he tripped and knocked over a pan containing the sanitized medical equipment he had used the day before.
This tremendous clang awoke not only the four girls closest to Ash, but also Delia and Brock. They all looked at the professor, who was chuckling nervously at his error as they brushed the drowsiness from their eyes.
"Hehe, sorry about that," apologized the professor.
May's eyes widened in surprise as she took in her surroundings, realizing Misty, Serena, and Dawn were also present, clearly having slept with their heads on Ash's bed like she had.
She couldn't help but be upset that the other girls had joined her in the middle of the night. However, she had more pressing concerns at the moment...Delia and Brock were waking up.
Delia yawned and gazed toward her son and Brock, hoping that he'd be awake and feeling better. They were both sad when they realized this wasn't the case, but their disappointment was swiftly overshadowed by amazement when they spotted him accompanied by his four lovely traveling companions.
The four women, who were now wide awake, glanced at Delia and Brock with large blushes on their faces and feelings of embarrassment in their chests.
As she continued to observe the sight, Delia's stunned expression rapidly changed to one of ecstasy and delight. She was overjoyed that Ash had such wonderful pals who always wanted to be with him.
Sure, she knew from her mother's intuition that the four girls had recognized their love for her son, but she was just thrilled that he had terrific people looking out for him, people who would always care for him.
Brock appeared to be incredibly envious. Why couldn't he have four lovely women waiting for him to wake up by his bedside? Brock was left crying anime tears.
"Well, good morning girls," Delia said cheerfully, with a mocking tone in her voice.
The females all spoke up at once, albeit with embarrassment in their voices. Delia couldn't stop laughing at their comments.
"I'm sorry for waking you up again, but there are some things I need to check; please forgive me, I need to check Ash's vitals," Oak said respectfully.
All of the females were hesitant to move, but eventually agreed; it was clearly for the best that Ash got checked up on. They could live without the comfort of being near him for a while.
"Well...the good news is nothing appears to be worse... but nothing is better either. At this rate, I'm not sure when he'll wake up...if he'll wake up," Professor Oak said after checking everything.
Professor Oak didn't want to talk about the thought of Ash never waking up, but it was a very real possibility. As difficult as it was to contemplate, it was something that everyone had to be prepared for...
The news devastated the four daughters the most. Delia was the only one who still had a smile on their face and a positive attitude. Those around her thought it was strange. Dawn spoke up, perplexed.
"I mean, your son...Ash, he's... he's in a coma, so how could you be smiling right now?"
Delia didn't blame Dawn for her slightly nasty tone, which was also laced with melancholy; she could see why. She did, however, wish to clear this up.
"I'm smiling Dawn because I believe Ash is going to pull through; I have complete trust that he will wake up, and when he does, I want the first thing he sees to be a smiling face," Delia added.
It was difficult for Delia to keep up with all that was going on, but she knew she had to for her kid. She also had entire faith in Ash's ability to overcome this challenge.
Delia's perspective on the matter was really refreshing. Misty, May, Dawn, and Serena realized they were doing everything incorrectly. They had to believe in Ash, as he did in all of them. That, along with a bit of luck, was all it took for Ash to wake up. Even Professor Oak, the realist, felt that Ash would awaken regardless of the chances.
"Hey, professor Oak, do you think we should tell all of Ash's pokemon what happened?" Serena said. After all, Ash's pokemon were a part of his family.
"I already took care of it after you all left yesterday; I collected everyone and told them everything; there was a lot of tears and heartbreak, but I reminded them that Ash was strong and told them to believe that he would pull through; they have complete faith in him, just as you do."
Misty checked Ash's belt, where he usually kept his pokeballs, to see if Oak had mentioned his current party. She assumed he did because there were no pokeballs on his belt.
"Well, after giving all of that blood yesterday, I could go for a large breakfast; I say we head over to the house and create a feast fit for royalty!" Brock joked, trying to lighten the situation.
The three girls appeared unwilling to leave Ash's side. Even though they were hungry, all they wanted to do was be with Ash; it was the only place they'd found any type of comfort in the last 24 hours.
"Come on girls, Ash will be fine. You have to eat, and it won't take more than an hour. You can come right back here afterward," Delia said, noticing their hesitancy.
"Yeah, Ash appears to be doing okay. I don't think we have anything to worry about for the time being, and Tracey will be here to make sure everything is okay." Oak reassured everyone that everything would be OK even if they were gone for a little while.
"Okay. Let's go eat," Serena said on behalf of the group.
"Yeah! Hey Ash, I wonder which one of us will fini-" May couldn't help but smile at the idea of food.
May cut herself off when she realized she was talking to herself and that Ash wouldn't be with her this morning. She couldn't believe she'd forgotten about the situation.
Even the little things, like the food races they had, were some of her favorite memories. This slip of the tongue reminded her how much she wished he would wake up. How desperately she needed him to wake up.
May could only try to hold back her emotions and smile sadly instead of continuing where she had left off. The group left for the Ketchum residence without saying anything else.
They hurried to the house in time for the lavish brunch they had planned. Mr. Mime prepared the table while Brock and Delia cooked. Everyone tried their hardest throughout breakfast to divert their attention away from Ash's dilemma for the time being. But no matter how hard they tried, he was still totally occupying their heads. Nobody knew how much longer they could put up with it.
"Please, Ash... you have to wake up soon..." Dawn mumbled to herself, frustrated.
Conversations were tried by those at the table, but they faded fast, never gaining traction; no one felt compelled to speak. This only made matters worse because the silence gave everyone time to reflect, which was exactly what they didn't need right now.
Despite their faith in Ash, the prospect of Ash not making it this time was enough to frighten them into silence. They ended up eating nearly silently, just wanting to be by Ash's side again.
After what seemed like an eternity, everyone finished breakfast and hastily left to return to the lab. Oak had left Tracey in charge of keeping an eye on Ash while he was gone, but he knew he needed to return soon to check on Ash. Because his condition was critical, he had to check his vitals constantly to ensure that nothing was wrong.
The trip back to the lab was entirely silent, just like breakfast. Paul, Max, and Pikachu had also decided to pay a visit to Ash this time. They would have definitely attended the'meeting' if they had known about it sooner. After all, they were just as concerned as the rest of us.
When they arrived at the lab, they found a frazzled Tracey racing around.
"Tracey? What's wrong?" Oak asked his assistant right away, knowing that something had gone awry.
"Oh, thank you Arceus, you're here! About 30 seconds ago, Ash's vitals began to decline, and I've been doing everything you taught me to do if this happened, but nothing is helping!" Tracey said.
Everyone's faces flushed as they heard Tracey's comments. Ash was in a dangerous situation right now, and they all knew it. As they watched professor Oak run over to Ash to begin working on him, tears welled up in their eyes.
For a long, the only sound was the faint beeping of Ash's heartbeat monitor. They were all aware that the beats were becoming increasingly distant.
At this point, Oak had been working on him for about ten minutes. He tried everything he could think of, but nothing worked. Oak appeared calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside, he was terrified. Things were not going well...
After a few minutes, he stopped working and flung his tools on the ground in fury and frustration, yelling as he did so. Despite his efforts, Ash's condition continued to deteriorate...
Oak took a step back, an empty, depressed look in his eyes.
"Professor! What are you doing?! Help him! Save him!" Dawn yelled, her eyes welling up with tears and her pulse racing furiously as she worried.
"That's it...nothing there's else I can do. I-I'm so sorry. I've done everything I can think of, but nothing is helping. If Ash continues to fade at the rate he is now...h-he doesn't have much longer. A few minutes at best..."
Oak burst into tears once he finished speaking for the first time since it all started.
Seeing the Professor fail only made everyone else feel worse. When they heard the news, everyone in the lab burst into tears, their hope and faith destroyed. Serena charged up to Professor Oak and started pounding him in the chest.
"You bastard! You said you'd fix him!" Serena wailed as she repeatedly punched the professor in the chest. Instead of replying verbally, the grieving professor drew Serena into a hug, which she accepted as she gradually ceased striking him. She eventually simply let herself cry in his arms because she didn't know what else to do.
May was in tears, unable to believe what was happening to her. Her heart felt like it was ready to burst. Nothing had ever brought her as much sadness as she was experiencing right now. Her heart was racing, and she was pleading in her head for something to save Ash. If he was gone, she didn't know how she was going to keep on...
Her best friend, the man she adored, was about to perish...all because of her. This was more than enough to tip May over the edge. Her mind went into overdrive, urging her to recall all that had happened to them. What brought them together. Him encouraging her in her competitions. When she discovered she was in love with him and had been for a long time, despite only realizing it a day before. She'd never be able to tell him how she felt about him...
Brock had a thought as everyone stood helplessly watching their friend slowly slip away. He managed to regain his calm long enough to speak. "P-Professor, go get Ash's Lucario. We need to try something."
Oak's eyes widened as he realized what Brock was intending to accomplish. He yanked Serena out of the hug and talked urgently. "Brock, you know it's never worked on a person, and if we do it, there's a very good risk that... that this will kill him."
Brock was getting furious; they needed to act right away. "So what!? If we don't do something, Ash will die regardless! Now go get his Lucario!"
Brock's logic was unbeatable, so Oak dashed out to the pokemon ranch. He reappeared not 15 seconds later, Lucario sobbing at his side. Oak had clearly explained her what was going on and what he needed him to accomplish.
Except for Brock and Professor Oak, everyone seemed oblivious to what was going on and didn't challenge it. This seemed to imply that there was a chance Ash may be saved, and that was all that counted. They all stood there with bated breath, everyone's composure still entirely lost.
Lucario walked till he reached Ash by the side of the bed. He brushed his tears away with his paw and forced himself to concentrate. He needed to be fully calm for this to work at all.
"All right, Lucario...Use heal pulse," Brock said. Lucario did as he was ordered and promptly transferred his healing powers into his master and friend.
Using Pokemon moves to heal humans was highly debated in the medical community. Every time Heal Pulse was used on a human, the patient died. It appeared that the strength of the motion and humanity were not designed to combine. That's what made this so dangerous.
Despite this, there was a sliver of science hinting that it would work, but only under ideal conditions that had yet to be uncovered. But no matter what the odds were, no matter what the statistics were, this was their only hope.
Their sole hope of saving Ash's life.
As Lucario continued to pour his power into Ash, everyone gazed on with hopeful eyes, still crying. Lucario fell after nearly three minutes of steady mending, too weary to continue.
It was now all up to chance.
Despite Lucario's attempts, Ash's pulse became less frequent, his heartbeats becoming increasingly distant, until ultimately...
...it abruptly came to a halt.
The room was filled with quiet. There was no sobbing, no words, just the steady hum of the heartbeat monitor's flat line. The sudden silence allowed the inhabitants time to grasp what had occurred. What did this mean?
No one was able to properly comprehend what had occurred because they were too shocked to move.
Ash had truly vanished.
Dead.
Forever.
…
…
…
Something happened just when everyone was about to lose it...
The beeping started up again.
...and faster than ever before. It quickly returned to normal, which hadn't happened since Ash was harmed.
Ash's eyelids began to flicker shortly after his pulse returned to normal, and they eventually opened entirely. He sighed as he took in his surroundings, noting his friends and family all gathered around him in...the lab? He was fatigued and in some pain, but he was struck by the looks of amazement, fear, and despair on his companions' faces more than anything else.
"Uhh...hey people. Anyone like to tell me what just happened?" Ash was taken aback by the reception he was receiving, and since no one else was going to speak, he decided to.