Asher's Team:

Lago - Rhydon

Sebastian - Nidoking

Selena - Nidoqueen

Seraph - Clefable

Death - Marowak

Colossus - Steelix

Quiet. That was all I could manage to think in my delirious state as my mind desperately tried to scramble together coherent thoughts.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to make my eyes twitch with life, and when I opened them I was greeted with the familiar sight of a hospital room.

I groaned from exhaustion as I flexed my arms, only to immediately recoil in pain as my arms burned with a sharp soreness that resonated with agony that reached up to my shoulders. I took in a deep breath to numb the pain, and when I looked down I was shocked to see my arms were coated in bandages that reached up to my biceps along with a series of cables that were linked to me!

I felt some panic flare up in me. Though, now that my thoughts were coherent, I couldn't help but think of what happened before I woke up. I was pinned, Barret was about to die and then Crust-

"Ah, you're awake. I thought you'd be out for longer."

I turned my head toward a familiar voice, and was met with the sight of a grey haired man who looked to be in forties or so. He had a neutral expression on his face, and his attire suggested that he was a doctor.

I tried to respond to him, but my throat felt almost painfully dry, so much so that I wondered if any moisture was in my throat at all, and talking was impossible for me.

The man seemed to take note of my condition as he swiftly took a seat right next to me, he thrusted a cup into my hands and after taking a sip I uttered out a raspy thank you.

He waved off my thanks." It's no problem mister Blight, and I can understand that this all may feel a slight sudden for you. Ask any questions you might have for me and I'll do my best to answer them."

After I was satisfied with the cup, I took a breath before just asking." Why am I in a hospital, what happened to me, and where are my pokemon?" I stressed that last part, and when a solemn look crossed the face of the doctor as he refused to meet my eyes, I knew that something was very wrong.

"What happened to my team?" I questioned further, not caring that I was being pushy, as anxious thoughts bled into my mind and the situation weighed down on my shoulders.

After a moment of silence, the doctor grabbed me gently by the shoulder and stared directly into my eyes. His professional demeanour made alarm bells ring off in my head, but when the ice was finally broken my blood ran cold.

"Mr Blight... three of your pokemon, your Golem, your Dugtrio, and your Sandslash, have all been confirmed to be deceased. The rest of your pokemon are alive, but inconsolable for the most part. You've been in a coma for a whole two weeks, and a purple haired girl has been making visits for you regularly. Your arms were injured during a pokemon battle, but not in any permanent-"

I couldn't hear what the doctor was telling me after than. I couldn't breathe. I could hardly even think. The only thoughts running through my head were about the soul-shattering news a complete stranger just delivered to me.

My eyes remained unblinking as my expression froze like a picture, the crushing weight of what I did not yet pressing down on me as my breath shallowed and the burning sensation on my arms went ignored as I rose to my feet.

My vision became clouded with stars as the bleeping of machines hooked up to me in the background faded away, yet I couldn't bring myself to care about such trivial things as the burden of responsibility crashed down onto me, forcing my shallow breaths to cut off.

Pure guilt and devastation hit me as my weak legs went numb, yet I didn't fall. My eyes went wide and pupils narrowed as delayed realisation finally hit me. Then, all at once, my thoughts became centred around my three poke- my three friends that I'd never see again.

Crust's lax and easy-going attitude and the way he'd taunt our opponents, Sonic's energetic personality and his eternal innocent curiosity, Barret's three heads and the way they'd always be bickering like mortal enemies.

I lost all of that. I'd never get to say my goodbye. I'd never get to say sorry for failing them, I'd never get to make up for forcing them to-

I could finally breathe again as my chest tightened and my hoarse throat felt the soreness of being overused flood it for some reason. Oh wait, I knew the reason-

"Aaaaaaaaaaaggghhhh, aaaagh AAAHHGH! Why- why did this happen?! I said- I said everything would be fine! Why was I such a fool?! I'm sorry! SONIC! BARRET! CRUST!... I'm so sorry."

After my outburst my spirit was left broken, I was left with nothing but the hollow weight of responsibility and guilt in my heart that ate away at my conscience until I was brought to my knees, the dark reality and consequences of my actions bearing down on me as I was left a shattered and empty husk that could only sob and weep on the ground.

The doctor fell to my side as I wept like a baby, but my ears were ringing like bells as dots began to cloud my vision and finally my brains lights went out as I passed out on the floor, my energy completely drained.

After I'd woken up I was required to spend a few days in the hospital for them to assess my health, and I was given the green card to leave. The staff in the hospital were reluctant to let me, but I needed to see my pokemon. I needed to apologise for what I'd done.

We were never supposed to be battling Giovanni to the death like that. He was far above my league, yet for some reason I thought we were strong enough to take him.

I clenched my jaw as I held my tears inside my eyes, refusing to cry anymore than I already had in an attempt to keep the rest of my dignity intact. A few strangers sent me glances in the streets, though I didn't care about that.

Three of my pokemon died because of my arrogance. Even if Giovanni was the one we were fighting, in the end I was the one who started that fight, and I was the reason they died. I overestimated myself because of the accomplishments I'd made, I let my pride blind me, and the world responded by making me pay for my mistakes.

The worst part was, I couldn't find anyone else to blame except myself. Giovanni too, but I couldn't convince myself of that.

Part of me didn't want to face my team. I'd failed them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they left me. I couldn't tie them to a pokeball, and they definitely reserved the right to hate me after what I'd done.

That's not even talking about how close I'd gotten to having my Trainer licence revoked for my actions. If I hadn't said what I'd said to Lance then I definitely would-

I shook my head as I finally reached the Viridian City Pokemon Centre. It was large, imposingly so, and I was almost relieved to feel so small as the sun rose behind me. Once I entered I'd need to explain myself, to convince my team that I was worth sticking with. Honestly? That would take an expert conman and a whole bag of blatant lies. I could just walk away and never see them again too. That would spare me the pain of having to look my victims in the eye.

Yet, I pushed forward and walked into the facility and readied myself to face my friends and be honest with them. If nothing else, they deserved the truth.

Whether they could accept me back or not? That wasn't up to me.

The first thing I was met with when I entered was the calling of my name as Bethany gestured for me to approach, a kind smile lingering on the nurses face as she greeted me.

"Asher, it's good to see you again. How are you holding up?"

I faked a smile in response." I'm doing... well I'm not okay, Bethany. They're dead, and it's my fault."

The pink haired medic lost her smile as she immediately questioned me." What do you mean, how are their deaths your fault?"

I let out a deep and weary sigh as the exertion from so much sadness in the past few days made my bones feel heavy.

It was a bad sign that I was already tired.

I took a deep breath as my legs shook and my cheek tingled with the burning sensation from earlier mostly gone, yet the shame still remained and the bitter taste in my mouth from the encounter had yet to fade away.

After explaining the situation Bethany had, understandably, responded by slapping my daylights out. Truth be told, a single slap was far less than I deserved. Though she'd lashed me verbally, afterwards she just gave me a hug and told me it would be okay and that I needed to face my team.

So, here I was. Standing in the decent sized ranch behind the Pokemon Centre that held my team beyond a field of green. I could see them all loosely scattered in my line of sight.

They all looked physically alright, and maybe to someone else they'd look mine emotionally too, but not to me. To me they looked down in the dumps, as though they weren't feeling much of anything. It was unnerving.

I took a deep breath as I began to walk towards the scattered team and didn't even bother shouting out to them when I had zero energy for such things, and instead I just took a seat next to the first pokemon I could see. That being Lago.

He was perched under a tree, his eyes closed as he sat in the shade. If I didn't know any better then I'd think his eyes were closed.

Sitting down next to him, I spoke quietly with a fake smile." So... I'm back, Lago. How are you holding up?" My words were lame and I kicked myself for sounding so tiny in that moment. Yet, I couldn't help it, the guilt was heavy on my shoulders and the judgement of my team was something I dreaded.

My Rhydon grunted." Rhyyy." The way Lago spoke was enough to make my heart twitch for him. I don't know how a pokemon could make their own name sound so depressing, but he managed it.

Looking up from the ground, I could see that my remaining six pokemon were all approaching me. Even Colossus who, despite his massive size, placed his head on the dirt so that his massive eyes were staring right into me. My ground-types were all looking to me for that reassurance, that support, that shoulder to lean on. They weren't even holding me accountable. They all just looked glad to see me.

It felt good... but wrong. So very wrong.

My facade broke as a deep ache in my chest made breathing difficult, and I struggled to utter out my next words." I'm sorry all of you. I made a mistake that cost Crust, Sonic, and Barret their lives. And... I offer no excuses. I'm arrogant, and weak-willed, and I'm a fool that dragged you all down with me. Quite frankly you all have the right to hate me, and I offer no excuses for my failures."

My pokemon seemed startled by those words, but I continued on anyway as I clenched my eyes shut in an attempt to trap any tears that might leak out.

"Our friends are gone because of me, and no- no amount of apologies or bullshit will bring them back. There's no undoing what I've done here, I can't change the past. I am the sole reason we were battling those guys in the first place. I was- I was the one who killed those three and I'm sure that you don't wanna hear a bastard like me beg for forgiveness, so I won't even try. I can never make it up to you."

At this point, there was no denying the small river leaking from the corner of my eyes, though I still tried in vain to finish my words as I clenched my eyes shut even tighter.

The words were like poison on my tongue, yet I knew they all deserved to hear them." If- If any of you want to leave me then I - I understa-"

"Marowak!"

My breakdown was paused as I raised up my head and met the eyes of Death. He was looking a mixture of hateful and angry as he marched up to my face, uncaring of Lago looming besides me, and I was pretty sure that I could see tears behind his healed skull mask.

For a moment everything was silent, but that ended when Death raised his right fist, it was empty since his clubs were shattered by Giovanni's Marowak, and proceeded to swing at me.

My head was knocked back onto the tree I was leaning on, yet I couldn't care enough about my own pain to even react to the jolt I felt on the back of my head.

I sat back up, and in front of me was Death with tears in his eyes that were leaking down his face as he repeatedly shouted his own name until he was just screaming nonsense that wasn't even full grunts.

When he was finished Death stared directly into my eyes, and suddenly everything I felt previously vanished, if only for a moment, as I realised what he was feeling.

Betrayal. He looked as though he were bridling with grief, yet he had a fire that refused to go out in his eyes. It was the same look he had when he lost his mother.

"Death, you-" I cut myself off as I knew what he was thinking.

I was the one who took him in as a Cubone and trained him. He saw me as the one who taught him how to overcome loss, yet I was wallowing in self-pity like a loser.

I must've looked pretty hypocritical.

Starting around, some light coming into my eyes, I realised that all of them, all of my pokemon, my partners, my friends... they weren't leaving me. Even if I wallowed like I was, they weren't going to budge.

When Death saw that look in my eyes, he seemed to bristle down as he merely nodded at me as though he could read my thoughts.

Seeing them all, I felt something spark in my chest that gave my legs the strength to push myself up and meet their eyes.

I'd made a mistake. I was arrogant, I was foolish, and I was short-sighted. I overestimated myself, and Giovanni got away as a result.

No more. I'm done making so many mistakes, I'm done being childish, I'm done being so arrogant.

I caught their attention as I spoke once more." Thank you for staying with me. All of you are the best friends a man could ask for. So, now that we're back together, I think that we should... talk. About what? Well, our future of course."

I might have been knocked down, and I have been in the clutches of despair, yet... I could only move forward to make it up to them.

So, I was done stagnating. I needed to rise, look to the horizon and just... walk.

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