Chapter 51: Trust Shattered, The Truth Revealed

Blade regained consciousness after his battle with charizard. He had expected to be in pain, but he wasn't, in fact there was no pain at all. It was as if his body was brimming with energy.

That was until he tried to stand up…And realized that he couldn't move his arms or legs. This caused him to let out a cry of "Snea…"

"Ah, so you're finally awake."

With a jolt Blade looked up and found himself surrounded by a small group of Pokémon and…oh no…two humans. His heart sank as he recognised the Charizard from earlier. Also present were Pikachu, Typhlosion, Cyndaquil, Sylveon and that wretchedDewott.

"Wh-what's going on here…Geyser?"

'So Ash must be here.' His eyes settled on the boy with the untidy raven hair. Hair the same colour as the tuff on the top of Hikari's head. And then Blade spotted the Z shaped birthmarks on his cheek. Identical to the one on Ashachu's chest. Yup, this was Ash alright.

He stared directly at the boy and said, "Ash, I presume."

Ash gave him a smile. "Well, he sure knows who we are. It's Blade isn't it."

Blade gave a cursory nod. There was no point in denying who he was. "What do you want with me," he snapped. "And what have you done to me? Why can't I move." It wasn't the first time, and it likely wouldn't be the last time he's captured.

"I'm afraid your paralysed," said Pikachu, sticking up his paw. "Thunder wave. I'm very sorry, but it was the only way we could make sure you wouldn't run away or attack any of us when you woke up."

Blade grimaced. 'Well, you aren't as dumb as I thought' though he had no intention of admitting it.

"Now tell us," said Ash. "Where's Ashachu."

Blade had had enough, everyone used that name, he tried to ignore it, but he simply couldn't anymore. "You mean Hikari?"

Ash shook his head, "Nope, I mean Ashachu."

"Don't play games with us," Charizard growled. It was a deep menacing tone that sent an instinctive shiver through Blade's spine. "You know exactly who we are talking about."

Pikachu stepped forward and gestured to himself with his paws. "He looks a lot like me, except he has a Z shaped mark on his chest."

Blade sighed. Ordinarily he might have enjoyed pissing them around a little bit. But he thought it best to not annoy Ash or his Pokémon. Not with Charizard leering at them. "Yes, I know exactly who you mean. He told me his name was Hikari. He's still with Team Rocket. Don't know where they went, okay." Blade conceded.

"Like the distortion world you don't," Charizard growled, making Blade flinch.

He blurted out desperately, "Look, they just flew off in that balloon of theirs. I attacked Charizard to give them time to get away. I was trying to protect Hikari…err Ashachu."

Pikachu gave him a curious expression. Coxing his head, he asked, "you were trying to protect him?"

Blade nodded. "Yes. Believe it or not, I really and truly care about your kit. I-I love him." Blade had never said those words about Ashachu before. He did not know why he had said that. It just came out of him before he had time to truly think about it. As he spoke, something broke deep down inside him and his eyes began to feel wet. He was actually crying. Blade hadn't done that in a while. He wanted to wipe the tears away, but couldn't move his paw, so they just welled up in his eyes. Stinging and blurring his vision. "happy. I love him."

The Pokémon all started murmuring with each other as the humans exchanged looks.

"So, this is the Sneasel Ashachu's been playing with behind your back," one said. "And I think now we know why!"

Ash let out a sigh. "I'm such an idiot! I should have talked to Ashachu about this. Asked him rather than just assuming Blade was dangerous."

Blade couldn't help his thoughts 'you should have'

The other human clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, we don't know he's actually telling us the truth. Sneasel's are well known for being sneaky."

"So, what do we do with him?"

"Hang on to him for the time being," one suggested. "He could be a way of getting Ashachu back from Team Rocket, if he's one of them. Then once we get Ashachu back, we hand him straight over to the Aether Foundation."

"Great," Blade grumbled. "Just great!"

*Later*

"Charizard. See if you can see find Team Rocket from the air. They won't get far without their balloon," said Ash.

"Zarr…" Charizard gave a nod to his trainer's instructions before taking to the air.

Blade felt the whoosh of the air thrown up by the beating of his large wings wash over his still paralysed state. He'd always hated it when the cold winds had gotten into his fur, but was unable to make the instinctive motion of flattening it back down with his claws.

Of course, even if he could move his arms, he would still have to free them from the strong grip of Sylveon's feelers. The ribbon like flesh protruding from her neck, that was certainly weird to Blade, were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, under his armpits and down his forearms, leaving him slumped against her right flank.

Whenever she walked, he was dragged behind., lying loosely on the ground. The strain of his lower body pulling at his shoulders was starting to hurt. Something compounded by the fact that he was unable to move. To shift himself into a more natural position.

"Come on, let's go," said Ash, signalling to the other Pokémon to move out.

"Wait, where are we going," the other asked asked.

"Team Rocket were heading in that direction." Ash pointed in a north-easterly direction. "Our best bet is probably to follow."

"And Blade."

"Comes with us!"

Blade rolled his eyes and tutted. When would this nightmare end? The rest of the Pokémon ignored him. 'like I haven't dealt with enough of your shit!'

They set out again. Blade winced, and gritted his teeth as he was dragged across the stones, roots and other protruding objects that littered the forest floor. He gritted his teeth. This was as humiliating as it was uncomfortable.

And it was about to get worse…Suddenly, and without any apparent reason, he felt a great weight press down on his stomach and chest, forcing the air out of his lungs. His rear and lower back were suddenly forced even harder into the forest floor and a twig stabbed at his back.

He let out an "Oouf," and a wince of pain as his eyes met a pair of chocolate eyes and a small yellow face. For whatever reasons, Pikachu had climbed on top of him, seemingly intent on riding him like some kind of Pokémon sled. 'humiliating, but it's probably only getting worse from here.'

Blade growled and bared his teeth. "Oi. Get off me." He snapped his teeth, that was as threatening as he could be while immobilized.

Pikachu was unphased. Something told Blade he'd be unphased even if Blade had been able to move. The mouse Pokémon seemed to radiate power…

It almost felt to Blade as if the electricity running though Pikachu's body was burning him. And he was visibly more muscular than Hikari.

"Off…" he tried to jerk but couldn't, and so just let out a beleaguered sigh. "What do you want?"

"Pika." Pikachu coxed his head as if curious. Then he reached out with his paw and touched Blade's chin.

Blade shivered as his Pikachu ran his paw across his jawline. Pikachu's paws were warm and soft. Like Hikari's. Still there was something weird about it. "Like, seriously, what."

"I want to know what's been going on between you and my kit," Pikachu said coolly.

"Your kit," Blade asked.

Pikachu nodded. "Mmmhmm. Ashachu. Though, you've been calling him Hikari. Oh, and before you lie to me." The tone of Pikachu's voice changed on the word 'me.' Becoming cold, icy and menacing. It was almost hard to believe such a tone was coming from the squeaky mouse. His claw found its way to the end of Blade's chin, where Pikachu dug his claws into the Sneasel's flesh.

"Gah." Blade grunted, trying to suppress a cry of pain. Blade wasn't particularly worried, he'd been threatened with death since he was born, even so it still hurt.

"Don't! Because if I find out that you've hurt him. If you've even put one claw on the tip of his pointed ears. I'll end you. Understand."

Blade was in pain. His instincts told him that Pikachu certainly could do what he was threatening. But he wasn't going to let this rodent intimidate him. His eyes narrowed to slits and he snapped back, "No you won't. It's not in your nature. And I doubt your trainer over there would let you."

Pikachu smirked at him. "And what would you know about my nature?"

"I know you're not a killer. I can tell. I know killers. I know Pokémon who would terrify the hell out of you. Who would take pleasure in cutting off your tail, or skinning you alive? Or leaving you in a bloodied heap on the forest floor. You can't scare me, Pikachu. Not compared to what I've seen."

Pikachu's grin broadened. "That so?"

"And I know your type," Blade continued. "Tame Pokémon." He put emphasis on the word tame. "Always got a human to provide for you. To tell you what to do. You lot have forgotten your instinct. You wouldn't be able to take me if ASSSH, weren't here would you!" Despite being bound and defenseless Blade had no issue taunting the mouse

"Doesn't matter, because Ash is here," replied Pikachu. "And I suspect you know very little about us tame Pokémon, as you put it." He dug his claw into Blade's chin again, making him visibly wince. "You see, I've been trained. I know special moves and special ways to use my attacks and my body that would never occur to you. A wild Pokémon. And I've got lots of experience. Probably more than you."

"I don't think so." One of the many things Shadow had drilled into his head, was to act in unusual ways during battle, his short time with Team Rocket had sullied the work he did to get as far as he did.

"It doesn't matter what you think. Because, right now, I don't need to fight you. Now tell me. What's been going on between you and my kit." As he spoke that last sentence, Pikachu let off a spark. Not enough to cause Blade pain, but enough to know he was there.

Blade gritted his teeth. He hated to admit it to himself, but he had lost. It was better to just talk. And really, what did he have to hide anyway. Plus, there was something he needed to know. "Alright I'll tell you. But first, I want to know. What happened to Raiee."

Pikachu coxed his head and frowned. "Who's Raiee?"

"You don't know?"

Pikachu shook his head. "Uh-uh."

Blade sighed. He hadn't really wanted to admit it to himself, he had even tried to deny it. Ashachu had lied to him. He wasn't Hikari at all. 'he lied to me…'

"Raiee was a female Pikachu I used to really care about. A long time ago. She had a kit called Hikari."

Pikachu frowned. "And Ashachu told you he was Hikari."

"Not exactly," said Blade. "He, umm, when I first encountered you and your humans in Po Town, I heard you talking about Hikari. And I guess I kind of thought…"

Pikachu tutted and rolled his eyes. "You mean you mistook Ashachu for Hikari, and he never corrected you? Is that what happened."

Blade sighed, closed his eyes and gave a single nod of his head. "Yes." He paused. "Raiee meant, still means, a great deal to me," Blade explained, sadly. "I don't want to go into the details but, when I first met Hikari. Well, Ashachu I suppose now. It was like there was a piece of her still in this world. Even if it was only a little. And I wanted to get to know her son. Find out the sort of mon he was. I gave him back Raiee's thunderstone."

Pikachu remembered the time Ashachu showing them a thunderstone.

"I'd been watching your group earlier in the day. I'd noticed that little rivalry between Ashachu and Geyser," said Blade. "I offered to help him train."

"So that's why he kept sneaking off to meet you," said Pikachu. "You were helping him train."

"At first," Blade replied. "One thing led to another and…Then we just grew closer."

"When did it become romantic," Pikachu asked.

"When we were in the Aether Foundation, after being rescued from the Centurion. I don't know…I guess I'd always felt that way. But it was like there was something in the air then. It was your son that initiated it. He wanted it…." He continued "I guess I wanted it too…Anyway, the Riolu caught us, and was very upset by it. Like really upset. I don't know why. I wasn't thinking straight. I mocked him for it. And he ran off in tears."

'So that's what caused the trouble between Ashachu and Hunter,' Pikachu thought to himself. 'Poor Ashachu. If only he had talked to us about this. I could have helped.'

"Ashachu was angry at me at first," Blade continued. "But the next time we saw each other, we made up. Ashachu really did have feelings for me. To be honest I regret most of it. I didn't realize how much your kit loved that damn blue furball. If I had, I'd never have tried to come between them." Blade felt ashamed, but then his mind started wandering. 'Why be ashamed, he was lying to me about who he was, what other lies has he told me? Was anything real between us?'

"I see," said Pikachu. "Now tell me about this Darkrai. Shadow."

"Ah!" said Blade. "Well, you see. Shadow is my lover…Well my main lover," he added when Pikachu raised an eyebrow. "I'm not into monogamy okay. That exclusive shit is for humans."

"I don't care about your sex life," said Pikachu. "I want to know who this Darkrai is…"

"Well, fine since you're so desperate to know, he's my boyfriend, my protector and…..until Ashachu, he was the only reason I had to keep living. But he's a monster, the things he's done, seeing them would drive normal mons insane. But it really isn't my place to go spilling his personal stuff."

*Even Later*

"Who in the distortion world are you!" Blade was scowling at the second Pikachu before him. This one was vastly different from Pikachu and Ashachu. Smaller with a wider tail that was cut at the end. He was certainly nowhere near as attractive as Ashachu.

The other Pikachu raised his eyebrows and coxed his head curiously. "Hmmm. So, Ash caught another arsehole. Great."

Despite being recognizable as a male, Blade thought there was something very feminine about the way he moved.

"You got a name cutie or is it just Sneasel."

Blade felt a pang of irritation at being spoken to this way. Before he could respond he heard Ash groan from somewhere behind him, "Oh man! Hikari what are you doing out of your ball?"

Blade was shocked, stunned. "N-no way! Your Hikari?"

"That's my name," Hikari replied coolly, without looking at Blade. "Don't misuse it."

"Hikari," said Pikachu. "This is Blade. Blade. Hikari."

Hikari looked at Blade. "So, you're Blade. Hmp, well now the little brat's behavior makes a lot of sense. I'd have broken a thousand silly trainer rules to get inside of you!"

Yup, Blade definitely did not like this Pokémon, and he scowled at him.

Hikari continued, "Well, perhaps not you. I think Sneasel are scary and gross. But I can see why Ashachu likes you. Hmmm."

To Blade's horror, Hikari licked his paw and touched him between his legs.

"Yes, I can see exactly what Ashachu sees in you. Wow!"

"Err Hikari," asked an exasperated Pikachu. "Is that really necessary."

But Hikari ignored him. "So, where you released, traded or ran away!"

Blade wasn't sure what Hikari meant. "What?"

"You can't be a wild Pokémon. Not with muscles like these." Hikari's paw had reached his chest. Blade winced when he touched his chest. "So, what happened to your last trainer? Did he release you or trade you? Or did you run away?"

"None. I am a strong, independent, wild Pokémon," Blade growled, gnashing his teeth.

Hikari withdrew his paw, flinching momentarily. Blade felt a small sense of satisfaction, though it was short lived as Hikari's attitude returned.

"So, what was it you were saying about me? Just now while I was in my Pokéball. Don't deny it, we can hear in those things you know!"

"Umm Blade said that he used to know your mother Hikari," said Pikachu. "Rai. Rai-some."

"Raiee," snapped Blade. "She was my friend." Blade couldn't stand such disrespect to his friend.

"Ah yes." Hikari nodded. "You gave my mother's thunderstone to Ashachu, believing he was me."

Blade sighed and nodded. "That's correct. Raiee used to be very special to me. She gave me that stone right before…before they took her. Told me she wanted you to have it!" He may not really like this Pokémon, but if he was Hikari then he owed it to Raiee and to himself to make an effort. "I always wanted to meet you because. Because, even though she's gone, I felt that a part of her still lives through. And I wanted to get to know the Pokémon that had her blood."

There was a moment of quiet. Hikari bowed his head and rubbed at his eye with his paw. Pikachu put a paw on his shoulder. "Hikari?"

Hikari snapped his head back up, staring at Blade dry eyed. "Well, I hate to break it to you hot stuff, but I'm not my mother. I'm my own mon!"

"Yeah but…I'm not saying." Blade began, but was cut off.

"My mom threw me away. The Pikachu in the nest pushed me out when they found out what I was. Then the other Pokémon in the forest first tried to kill me and then tied me up and stuck me on a train."

"Oh…" Blade had no idea what to say. That certainly didn't sound like the Raiee he had known. "I'm sure. I mean. Raiee…"

"Shhh." Hikari hissed putting a paw to his mouth to silence Blade. "I'm not interested in anything you have to say about my mom, got it. That's a part of my life that over now and I intend to keep it that way. And I certainly am not going to talk about it with some disgusting Sneasel I've never met looking for closure. Go find some appropriate way to deal with your emotional needs."

"Hey!" Blade protested. "That's not fair. I just…"

"Talk to the tail because the face isn't interested." Hikari spun around and waived his tail at Blade. "Arceus, I am not looking forward to having you on the team."

"I am not Ash's Pokémon," Blade growled. He was angry now. His last connection with Raiee had been cruelly shattered. Just like the illusion of one Ashachu had given him. He decided it there and then. He hated both of them. Ashachu and Hikari. 'You're both despicable, disgusting, wretched….I want you dead…both of you, you disrespectful fuck! And that lying little rat! I'll kill him!'

And when he regained the ability to move, there would be the distortion world to pay for what they'd done.

A roar from overhead announced the return of Charizard. At the same time a beam of red light shot from somewhere behind, sitting Hikari in the flank who quickly dissolved to energy.

"Seriously, Oshawott taught you some bad habits," mumbled Ash. "Did you find them Charizard."

The orange dragon like creature nodded and begun pointing frantically. Blade closed his eyes. He was sure whatever was coming next would not be good.

*Shortly Later*

Blade, still wrapped in sylveon's feelers, grumbled as they reached some building.

"Ashachu!" He heard Ash cry out.

"Pikaka."

"Pika chuuuuu!"

"Ashachu," Ash moaned. "Oh Ashachu no. No, no, no."

Blade couldn't see, but he recognized the distress of someone cradling an injured loved one.

"Oh Ashachu," he cried. "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I love you, Ashachu."

Pikachu continued to let out a long loud moan. A single unbroken note of sorrow and pain. "Piiiiiiiikaaaaaachuuuuuuuu!"

Blade was reveling in their suffering. 'You're all bastards, every last one of you, you all deserve to suffer! Hahaha'

"Ash," said one of the other humans tentatively, unsure what to do now. "I can explain." Simply put, while separated, Lucario, Hunter's father, and once Ashachu's friend had beaten the chu within an inch of his life.

"Sylvee."

Sylveon and Charizard made their way silently across the floor to join their trainer. Sylveon released Blade leaving the still paralyzed Sneasel behind.

"Sylveon," Ash sniffled. "You're using refresh."

"Slyvee!" Sylveon nodded.

Ashachu felt his body recovering. "Pikachu."

"Ashachu! You're okay." Ash hugged Ashachu close to his chest and kissed his forehead. "Thank Arceus. Oh, thank Arceus."

"PIKA." Pikachu gave a happy cry before throwing himself at Sylveon. "Thank-you Sylveon. I could kiss you!"

"Aww. You're sweet," Sylveon replied.

Meowth had approached and started dragging h away. "Huh. What's happening now." Blade had been lying there, unable to see anything except a hole in the ceiling punched by Charizard. "Let me go!"

"Oh, quit bein' such a drama queen," said Meowth. "Sheesh."

"Meowth," Blade asked.

"Twerps really did a number on you. Paralysis is the worst. Which move they get ya with?"

Blade sighed. "Thunder wave, I think. Fucking Pikachu's." Blade was, well happy to see the cat pokemon.

A second later the faces of Jessie and James appeared above him.

"There you are, Blade," mused Jessie unconcernedly.

"We were wondering what had happened to you," added James.

Blade scowled. "Yeah, thanks for helping me."

"Oh, quit your whining," said Meowth. "'ere, use dis on him." Meowth handled a small spray bottle to James.

"Full restore. Where did you get this?"

Meowth shrugged. "Swiped it from da scatterbrain twerp when he wasn't looking. Been saving it for a special occasion."

Jessie glowered at him. "What! When were you planning to tell us about this? How many others have you got?"

"I wasn't. Now will you hurry up and give it to Blade. My paws can't operate the nozzle."

James bent down and sprayed the contents of the bottle over Blade's body. The effect was instantaneous. Blade felt not only a huge sense of relief wash over his body, but also as if he had just acquired a massive amount of energy.

He felt as though he could do anything now…Take on any opponent. And best of all, he could move again. He jumped back to his feet and punched the air triumphantly. "Ahh that's better. Meowth I could kiss you."

Meowth battered him away with his paw, blushing.

'not like I haven't done it before.'

Blade surveyed the room, and quickly spotted Ashachu. A mix of emotions filled him, momentary happiness at the discovery he was okay, but it was immediately overpowered by his desire to kill the chu.

He had tricked Blade…and that wasn't something Blade could forgive.

"Pika CHUUUU…" he heard Ashachu cry out. He discharged a powerful thunderbolt, shocking Ash and causing him to fall onto his back. Ashachu wriggled free from his arms and leapt onto the floor.

"Ahhh Ashachu," he cried as he sat up to find his kit glowering at him. "What was that for."

"Pika," Ashachu growled angrily. "Pika Pika, Pikachu."

"Pi pi pi…" Pikachu approached and placed a paw on his back as if to comfort him. Ashachu brushed it off and walked away. It had not been his intention to go back to Team Rocket, but as soon as he saw Blade standing beside Meowth he raced over.

His hear burst with joy. The one Pokémon here who would understand him and accept him…Or so he thought.

"Blade." Ashachu gasped as he threw himself on the Sneasel, wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his nose in his fur. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

Blade felt time freeze. 'I still love him, he clearly cares….' He thought 'No, he lied to me, used me to get stronger, to build a connection, for his own gain…' his mind fought itself 'he was just scared I'd hurt him.' But, as with all conflicts this one came to an end. 'He lied, he lied! What other lies has he told you, did he lie about liking me, about enjoying our time together! Was our entire friendship a lie!?''

As Ashachu hugged Blade tight, the Sneasel felt his body move on its own. A sadistic smirk crossed his lips as his right claw extended. With his left arm he hugged him back, and with that leverage stabbed the Pikachu in the side. Shadow had given the Sneasel a sadistic side, and Blade felt himself enjoying the feeling of the blood oozing over his claws, the blood of a liar, the blood of a traitor.

"PIKA!" Ashachu cried and gasped with pain as he let go of Blade and put a paw to his side. "Blade!" He gazed at Blade with a mixture of hurt and confusion on his face.

Blade's grin had vanished, and he struck again. A swift punch to the chin that knocked Ashachu off his feet and onto his back.

"Ahhh…Blade," Ashachu gasped as he forced himself to sit up. "Why?"

Blade stomped his right foot into Ashachu's chest, forcing him onto his back. The pressure made it difficult to breath and the claws on the end of the Sneasel's foot cut into his neck.

"Please stop…You're hurting me! Why are you doing this?"

"Because you lied to me," Blade growled. "You're name's not Hikari and you're not Raiee's kit. You're that humans kit." 'I trusted you, I risked my life to save you so many times! I nearly gave up the one thing I hold dear in this life to save you! And you lied to me!' Blade was too angry to voice all of his rage.

"Blade." Ashachu gasped, unable to say anything else. Blade was making it hard for the chi to breath. But also, because there wasn't anything, he could say…Blade was right.

Ashachu had lied to him. He had let Blade think that he was Hikari as a way of getting close to him.

"I'm…I'm sorr…" he tried to say before Blade stopped him by driving his foot hard into his neck.

"Shut the fuck up Ashachu," Blade snarled, showing Ashachu his fangs and using his name with extra venom. "I don't want your apologies. We've known each other so long, you had so many chances to come clean yourself. Do you know how much it hurts to have to find out that someone I loved has been lying to me this entire time, and from someone I've never met no less."

Ashachu was starting to feel weak and lightheaded from lack of air. Black bars were forming across his face, obscuring the terrifying visage that the face of his lover had become. He tried to discharge, to let off a thunderbolt in self-defence but found he couldn't – whether due to a lack of strength or some remaining affection for Blade.

"Lucario might not have killed you," Blade continued to growl. "But I certainly will. And if not me, you better pray Shadow doesn't hear about this!" Blade, even blinded by rage could tell, he wanted that.

Ashachu knew from the tone of his voice that Blade meant every word!

"Pika Pikachu Pika!" Pikachu snarled his cheeks sparking as he dashed towards Blade. He was acting on pure Pika instinct to protect his young. He was ready to kill. But there was just one problem.

As Pikachu prepared to launch into volt tackle, Blade held up a claw to stop him. "Not step further rodent or I'll fucking gut the little shit's throat with my toe, understand." Blade's eyes spoke more than his voice did. Blade knew the eyes of a killer, he'd seen them more than enough, and he was more than used to having them himself, and in this moment the only thing keeping Ashachu alive was the slowly fading love Blade still had for him.

Pikachu came skidding to a halt, just as Ash rushed to his side.

"That goes for you too Human. In fact, everybody stay where you are. I don't want to see so much as a tail twitch."

Blade stepped off him and pulled him to his feet by his ear. An arm went around him and he felt a claw dig into his neck.

"Blade…Please," cried Ashachu, tears spilling down his cheek. "I never meant to hurt you. I love you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth. You just kept calling me Hikari and I didn't want to correct you because, I didn't want to lose you as a friend. I'm still the same Pokémon that I was before, even if my name's not Hikari."

"It's not just your name that you lied about," Blade snarled in his ear. "You made me think there was a part of Raiee still alive. You played with a deep hurt in my heart. And I'm not going to forgive you for playing with my heart like that. I'm not merciful like that." All of Blade's kindness felt wasted, and that made him even angrier. 'I was always honest, always up front with my feelings! With everything! And you couldn't even trust me with your name! I don't know if anything you say is true, you could be lying, using my love for you again!'

The claw dug into Ashachu's flesh, drawing a little blood. The injury to his side was making him feel lightheaded again. He knew he was going to pass out soon. How much more would Blade make him suffer before he did.

"Let him go," Pikachu growled. "Let Ashachu go Blade, or I swear…"

"Swear! Swear what Pikachu," Blade retorted, his claw digging a little deeper into Pikachu's neck. Blade maintained eye contact with Pikachu, and decided to do to them, what his father had done to him. Hit them with psychological attacks. "What are you going to do. It's your fault Ashachu's here. You did this. You and Ash pushed him into my arms."

"What in the distortion world are you talking about," cried Pikachu, taken aback by Blade's comments.

And they'd fallen for it. "Ash was threatening to send him away. Kept punishing him, even though his only crime was to make a friend. You did what you could to make his life easier, you did your best to help him. At least that's what you tell yourself. No matter how much you say you were worried about him, you still took Ash's side even when in your heart you knew he was being unreasonable. That's just disgusting. Regardless of how much you might love that piece of shit trainer, you should care about your kit more! If you ever felt Ash was treating him unjustly you should have acted! Just remember that Pikachu, I didn't do anything to your kit besides believe in him, it's all of you that pushed away and broke him. And when you break you hold onto whatever piece hasn't shattered yet. And unfortunately for him, that was me." With each word his grip tightened and slackened. Each word making him more conflicted. 'Why do I still care!? He hurt me so much, but I still can't stand that they hurt him! Son of a bitch why do I have to love you!'

Ash had heard enough. "Charizard, use flamethrower," he commanded decisively.

It had not been a move Blade was expecting. Charizard opened his large maw and spat a jet of fire at Blade and Ashachu. Ashachu got the worst of the hit as he was standing in front of Blade, but Blade, being an ice type, took a huge super effective hit. He was too stunned to struggle.

Blade's grip on Ashachu slackened, and Charizard took the opportunity to pounce. Before Blade realised what was happening Charizard had grabbed him by the arm and was pulling him away from Ashachu.

"Sneasel!" Blade let out a cry of pain as he felt his arm break. He was thrown gruffly to the floor, where he had just enough time to roll onto his back before Charizard placed his enormous foot on top of him, crushing him.

"Hey Sneasel," Charizard growled. "How do you like to be picked on by someone much bigger than you!"

"Gah." Blade couldn't reply. The force on his chest and stomach was too much. He was going to be squashed like a bug type. He wanted to respond something witty like 'I've had bigger' but he was too hurt, emotionally and physically. He had been picked on his whole life by those stronger than him. This was no different, just nature running it's course. It was in Blade's nature to suffer for trusting others.

If only Shadow where here….

It didn't take long for Blade to lose consciousness.