A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy...
I own the story, not the Pokemon and yadda yadda yadda... let's get on with it!
"The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize that the situation is over, you cannot move forward." -Steve Maraboli
Chapter 15: Cracking Through the Armor
Mew had decided to talk to Tyranitar one on one while Ash was inside to help him gain more insight on the person he signed himself up for. She talked to him about guardians, psychics and the world itself. Mew also talked about Tyranitar's status of being one of Ash's Aspects and told him what they were. Tyranitar listened intently, but was looking down all the while, trying to take everything in. He wasn't sure how to feel about all this, but he appreciated Mew trying to make things clearer to him.
Tyranitar raised an eyebrow when she mentioned how different Ash and his family was compared to other people. He had limited knowledge about aura guardians, but he was curious about what Mew meant by this. Other than changing his eye color and adopting a slightly different personality when his eyes were changed, Ash didn't seem that different from other humans. He decided to raise his inquiry to Mew.
"(Are Ketchums really that different from others of their species of human?)" Tyranitar asked.
"(Well… yes and no.)" Mew answered nebulously. Tyranitar was confused by the answer.
"(You made a point of it. How are they different?)" The rock type asked.
"(Ketchums and their psychic counterparts are the first humans I made. They may look similar to other humans, but they are more similar to my legendary children in terms of destructive power. It's very frightening when you think about it… the power your trainer fails to realize he has. Never let him indulge too much in that power. You are his Aspect of Negativity, though you are more distinct than others of your title in that you are closer to the rarer title of Aspect of Life." Mew explained.
"(What is this Aspect of Life?)" Tyranitar asked.
"(You are the embodiment of what is both good and bad about life. Loss, growth and perseverance. You fit that more closely than any of Ash's partners. Consider being Ash's Aspect of Life more of an evolution of what the base Aspect of Negativity is. You haven't reached that point with him yet, though, so you are only his Negativity Aspect currently.)" Mew continued
"(Hmm…)" Tyranitar didn't know what to think of this.
"(Naturally questioning things and having a hard time believing in something at first isn't a bad thing. So many creatures in life are like this for survival. If you two are to grow strong together, you both will need to learn how to acknowledge your negativity healthily. If you do that, I see your partnership with Ash as one of the strongest I've witnessed yet.)" Mew explained herself further. Tyranitar widened his eyes.
"(Wow…)" Tyranitar said with a gasp.
Tyranitar started to ponder to himself. Being Ash's Aspect of Negativity didn't sound like a good thing to him, but from how Mew spoke, he figured it was much more than just being negative. He wondered if it was even possible to make negativity positive. Tyranitar also didn't understand how he could represent life best to Ash. Mew looked at the dark type with a patient smile.
"(Feel free to ask Ash more about things when you get the chance. If manage to connect with Ash and curb any spikes in negativity he has, you have nothing to worry about. Ash wouldn't harm you willingly.)" Mew said with conviction.
"(Hmm…)" Tyranitar was surprised at how confident the psychic mythical Pokémon sounded about a human. It was in this time, Ash approached Tyranitar and Mew. Ash noticed Tyranitar seemed a little down despite Mew talking with him. Mew seemed unsure at how to make him feel better.
"(Oh, here he comes.)" Mew noticed Ash approaching at the corner of her eye and decided to cut herself short. She said, "(Your trainer is special. Treasure him. Try to be a bit more open to him. I promise you he's a good one. Pokémon to Pokémon.)"
"(Pokémon… to Pokémon. Right.)" Tyranitar said with a slight nod in acknowledgment. Ash managed to get up to Tyranitar and looked up at him. Tyranitar looked down at his trainer to give him full attention. Ash was warmly smiling at his newly caught partner. It unnerved Tyranitar with how genuine it seemed. Tyranitar shook his head at himself. He shouldn't be thinking about his trainer deceiving him when he showed no signs of doing so.
"How are you feeling, buddy?" Ash asked curiously.
"(All of this feels overwhelming. Mew was just telling me about aura guardians and how you're different from most of them.)" Tyranitar admitted and revealed. He told him everything that Mew told him except for the trust in his trainer part.
"Aspect of Life, huh? Well, that sounds really cool! Not even Mom or Grandpa has an Aspect like that. I hope you can trust me and we get to that point together!" Ash said excitedly. Mew found herself chuckling at his enthusiasm. Tyranitar seemed unsure.
"(I'm not sure if I can trust you, yet, though. At least, not completely.)" Tyranitar admitted. Ash made a small frown, but wasn't surprised.
"Oh?" Ash tilted his head at that. Tyranitar started to look uncomfortable. He was looking away from his trainer.
"(I… still feel conflicted about coming with you, but… part of me is happy I did.)" Tyranitar said. Ash wasn't surprised to hear this, but was glad he was beginning to warm up to him. Still, the boy knew Tyranitar wasn't done speaking. The rock type said with a frown, "(I've gained a lot of skepticism over time because of what happened to me and my mom.)"
"Can you tell me?" Ash asked earnestly.
"(…)" Tyranitar stared into the boy as his response. Seeing as Tyranitar wasn't speaking, Ash decided to speak for him.
"I understand if you don't want to since I just reunited with you today, but… whenever you're ready I'll be your ears." Ash said. Tyranitar looked away upon hearing that. He had a pensive look in his eyes. Ash was looking at his partner, concerned.
"(Ash…)" Tyranitar said in a soft voice.
"I only want you to be happy, Tyranitar. You can count on me to try my best for you, no matter what." Ash said as sincerely as he could. Tyranitar could pick up on his trainer's frankness and was baffled by it. He'd never seen a human this patient toward him before.
"(You confuse me so much)," Tyranitar said in a small voice. Ash heard him and looked confused himself. The rock type continued, "(I know you're good and yet…)"
"You can't accept it yet, right?" Ash guessed. Tyranitar nodded sadly.
"(I really wish I didn't feel this way.)" Tyranitar said with a sigh.
"That's alright," Ash said easily. He continued with a reassuring voice, "I'll be here for you even if you feel conflicted about me."
"(Thank you, Ash.)" Tyranitar said gratefully.
"Tyranitar, perhaps you should tell Ash about what happened to your mother soon after Ash continued with his journey? I think it'll be good for you to let it all out." Mew interjected and suggested.
"(…)" Tyranitar looked away from both Ash and Mew and started to tear up. Ash looked concerned at his partner while Mew seemed like she was thinking ahead. She had the type of look where she knew the consequences of her actions, but was glad it was working. Ash didn't take notice of this.
"Tyranitar… are you-" Ash cut himself off when he noticed Tyranitar beginning to cry. Ash asked, unsure of what was wrong, "Tyranitar?"
"(I… failed her…)"
"Please stop crying. Here…" Ash said as he made his left eye turn to red. He still wasn't sure how to convert aura into elemental typings without doing the aura allegiance. Raising his hands up, he blew some hot air toward Tyranitar's face. Tyranitar was slightly startled by the gentle breeze, but then realized Ash's intent. Within a few moments, Tyranitar's tears were dried.
"What happened to your mom?" Ash said, now not worrying about being too prying. He wanted to make sure his friend was going to be alright. Tyranitar seemed hesitant to say anything. Ash eyed the rock type with an earnest, but stubborn look. It was the same look as when Ash deliberately took his attacks. Tyranitar knew there was no getting out of this.
"(She… died a few years ago trying to protect me from poachers disguised as rangers…)" Tyranitar admitted.
"…!" Ash was so surprised to hear this that he was speechless. The boy could see why Tyranitar hated humans now. He felt sad for his partner.
"(I could do nothing at the time. I failed her…)" Tyranitar said while holding in his tears. Those words stirred something in Ash that he hadn't felt in a while. He started to frown.
"Tyranitar, do not say that again," Ash said while covering his eyes with his hat. He said it in such a low voice, the rock and dark type was starting to get a little nervous. Ash was giving off an intimidating and distant vibe that he didn't have before. His voice carried more authority than before. Tyranitar didn't dare show any fear through his voice.
"(Ash…? Which version of you am I speaking to?)" When Ash looked up at Tyranitar, he got his answer. Tyranitar gasped, "(The red eyed one?)"
"The name's Ashton. I suppose I haven't properly introduced myself to you yet. I'm Ash's counterbalance and the second half of the aura allegiance you saw earlier." Ashton said. He continued in that same low voice, "Do not feel like you failed your mom."
Tyranitar could feel himself getting angry. He had just opened up about a traumatic experience and this boy was telling him not to feel the way he did? He couldn't believe his ears. Tyranitar started to growl at Ashton. Ashton looked at the rock type passively. Ashton had a feeling he'd react this way and was indifferent.
"(How would you know anything about the feeling of losing someone that close to you? She was everyone I had and knew!)" Tyranitar hissed. Ashton's passive look turned into a more patient and understanding look. He shook his head wistfully in a way that made Tyranitar confused.
"I lost my mom, too. She was everything to me, especially since I don't know my dad." Ashton told the rock type.
"I…" Tyranitar was surprised at how quickly he admitted this. He was also feeling bad now.
"I lost Mom and I nearly lost myself. I almost stopped existing because I got separated from Mom and Ash had no memory of her. My last sight of her before I found out she lived was her charred and unconscious on the ground trying to protect me." Ashton said somewhat bitterly. Tyranitar got a shiver. He never heard Ash speak like this before. He felt really bad about what he said now. Ashton continued, "Trust me, I know how you're feeling quite distinctly. It was enough for me to come out, after all."
"(I'm so sorry about that. I should have thought about what I said before I said it.)" Tyranitar said from the bottom of his heart. Ashton lightheartedly laughed for a moment before appearing serious again. He wanted to make Tyranitar understand that he was alright.
"It's fine. You didn't know." Ashton said. He continued with as understanding as a voice as he could, "What happened to your mom was tragic, but you can't do anything about it. All you have to do is keep going and try to apply what you learned from her in your life. Become the best Tyranitar you can be."
"(…)" Tyranitar didn't know how to respond to that.
"I… broke down thinking about how I lost Mom before, when Ash didn't remember her. I know it isn't easy. Even though I was fortunate in meeting her again, the nine years I thought she was dead was so painful. I kept thinking it was my fault for not doing more. I know you did what you could like I did nine years ago." Ashton said.
"(I… tried my best, but…)" Tyranitar started, but Ashton interrupted him.
"Don't add a 'but' to that sentence. Treasure the time you had with her, but don't let it consume you like I did. Live for her. I know she'd want you to be happy." Ashton said with a smile.
"(I… thank you, Ashton.)" Tyranitar replied. Ash's eyes turned back into brown.
"I'm not sure if I can ever get you to trust humans completely. I totally understand if you choose to not like them. However, I also want you to understand that not all humans are evil. So many of us are kind and sweet. Even if you don't trust humans, I do want you to trust me, or at the very least, be comfortable around me." Ash said while bringing out his hand. To his surprise, Tyranitar placed a claw in his hand and started to shake it.
"(I… feel like that won't be a problem.)" Tyranitar said with a smile himself.
"Tyranitar…" Ash was so happy, he wasn't sure how to put his feelings into words.
"(Thank you for the kind words, Ash and Ashton. I'm grateful to see that at least you didn't change for the worst.)" Tyranitar said.
"Like I said, I want the best for you. We're gonna get strong together and we're gonna help each other improve." Ash said excitedly. His face grew more serious as he said, "I really hope you'll be happy with me and that I'll be the trainer you deserve. If you ever want to, I can release you. Don't ever feel pressured to doing something you don't want."
"(I… doubt that will happen. I want to at least get to know you again. I look forward to getting strong with you, too.)" Tyranitar said with a grin.
"Tyranitar, first thing tomorrow morning, I wanna see what tricks you managed to get over time. I also want to see a way we can work together to fit your style." Ash told him. Tyranitar nodded.
"(If you're up for it, I have something for you to do tomorrow, actually.)" Mew popped back into the conversation. Ash and Tyranitar nearly forgot she had been there.
"What is it?" Ash asked curiously.
"(I want you to find a Tyranitarite I've hidden for you. You may only bring Tyranitar and Lucario for this. Consider this a trial.)" Mew quickly explained.
"Not another trial…" Ash groaned his thoughts. Mew didn't seem too surprised at the Ketchum's response.
"(It's to your long-term benefit. You can choose to decline, you know.)" Mew said. Ash rolled his eyes.
"I wouldn't want to decline to chance to get closer with my partners and I know you know that." Ash sighed. Mew chuckled.
"(That's exactly why I catered this challenge to how you are as a person. I know you better than you think.)" Mew said. Ash didn't like how well Mew knew him. Part of him wondered if she was manipulating him to do what she wanted. He could never know with that Pokémon. Ash decided to focus his attention on Tyranitar.
"Are you up for this, Tyranitar?" Ash asked his reptilian partner.
"(What's a Tyranitarite?)" Tyranitar asked curiously. Ash quickly explained to him what Mega Evolution was and that certain Pokémon had a specific stone that allowed them to change forms. Tyranitar immediately thought about how Ash could change Lucario's form and grew curious. He said, "(I see. Should be interesting to battle alongside you, Ash. I wonder how I would feel in that form. I heard from my mom that Tyranitars often lose themselves if they get too much power. I wonder if she was talking about Mega Evolution back then…)"
"Well, if it comes to that, I'll be there for you and I will do what I can to get you back, no matter what. Hopefully, it won't come to that." Ash said as soothingly as he could. Tyranitar looked appreciative at his trainer. Ash turned to Mew, "Where did you hide Tyranitar's Mega Stone?"
"(I hid it in the caves slightly below ground. Once you find the area, you'll have to battle two of my legendary guardians.)" Mew told them.
"…Legendary guardians? Who?" Ash asked nervously.
"(Regirock and Regice. They haven't seen you in three years because I relieved them of their duty by being more active myself. I'm sure they'll like the excitement of battling you. Be sure to tell Lucario about this.)" Mew said, looking toward Lucario. She noticed Wasabi was now manipulating her electricity in different shapes and Lucario looking in awe.
"Right," Ash said as he nodded.
"(For now, I'll leave you to your devices. I'll come back when you wake up to see you off. Best of luck tomorrow, Ash.)" With that, Mew teleported away from the duo. Ash didn't know what to think about Mew while Tyranitar was feeling a bit more liberated.
"(Do you think we'll be able to beat two legendaries by ourselves?)" Tyranitar asked. Ash looked up at Tyranitar with a confident grin.
"I have full faith we will. I believe in you and Lucario." Ash replied.
"(That's… comforting to hear.)" Tyranitar said with softened eyes.
For the rest of the night, Ash decided to interact with the different Pokémon. He could see how experienced Wasabi was and wondered how strong she was. He knew that she had to be incredibly strong to take out one of Alice's guardian partners and Gordo's Pokémon without showing signs of being close to fainting. He found himself wanting to battle her one day. He noticed Pikachu seeing Wasabi as a mentor of sorts as he was trying to emulate her. It was nice to see Pikachu willing to learn from a Raichu instead of stubbornly dealing with a Raichu.
Lucy was enjoying Wasabi's show of technique and decided to join in on the fun. She was manipulating her Stone Edge attack to form different rocky shapes. Lucy created a Pikachu-like rock and gave it to Pikachu. She even carved out eye sockets for the rocky Pikachu with one of her claws. Pikachu seemed tickled by this. Tyranitar was impressed and Lucario was in awe. Ash loved how nice Aurora's Pokémon were. He wanted to meet more of them soon.
Ash approached Lucario and told her of his plans tomorrow and asked if she was willing to come with him. Lucario nodded eagerly and looked determined. Ash was happy at seeing Lucario's enthusiasm. He may have had faith in his Pokémon, but he also had to wonder if Mew had some sort of ulterior motive to tomorrow. She always was thinking several steps ahead.
About an hour later, Ash saw Gordo returning to the house. The mahogany haired male looked at his grandson curiously and wondered what was happening. Ash quickly explained what happened with Serena's second trial and where Alice and Serena were now. He also explained what Mew wanted him to do tomorrow. Gordo frowned after hearing the news, but decided to focus on his grandson instead.
He decided to teach Ash a new technique as per Alice's suggestion. Breathing in and out slowly, Ash could feel Gordo's aura slowly rising. He told Ash that this technique was useful in building up aura for a strong attack or to defend against a good hit. It was similar to Charge as an attack. Gordo explained that it was important to do this on the fly as sometimes your initial attack fails to do much or to get a minor defense boost.
Gordo decided to showcase the technique. He gestured Ash to hit him. Ash, looking at his elder in shock, shook his head heavily. He never wanted to strike any of his family down. To get Ash to do what he wanted, he told him to consider this a sparring session of sorts, but Ash still refused. Ash knew it wasn't actually a sparring session. Gordo sighed. He didn't want to resort to this, but he didn't have the patience for his grandson's unwillingness to fight.
Gordo's eyes began to glow red tauntingly as he stared into Ash a few moments. Ash was confused by the eye contact, but after a few moments, Ash could feel himself feeling unnaturally upset. Ash began to glare at Gordo angrily. Gordo was surprised the boy wasn't outright attacking him or being in his face in anger. Gordo noted the self-control Ash had as a person.
"Why do I feel so angry?! What did you do to me?" Ash roared.
Gordo blinked his eyes at the intensity of his questions. It was strange, but he felt really excited at seeing Ash like this. He deduced it probably was because he was too used to Ash being so well mannered. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts.
"I emulated Taunt on you. Now attack me already! I'll let the effect wear off once you attack me." Gordo said. Ash was scowling at him, but didn't hesitate to create a bone club of aura. Gordo smirked in challenge, creating his own.
Ash hit Gordo on his left arm as hard as he could to show how annoyed he was to be taunted. Gordo intentionally took the hit, but slid on the ground from the impact. Red sparks hit Gordo's arm upon impact to show that Gordo's earlier built up aura softened the blow. Two 'z' like marks suddenly appeared on either side of Gordo's cheeks. Gordo's marks began to glow red as he approached Ash at a breakneck pace to retaliate. Ash was quick to respond and he used his bone club to take the strike. Ash had a hard time contesting Gordo's strength up close. Gordo's bone club was glowing red like his marks.
Eventually, Gordo managed to push Ash back. When he landed his hit successfully, Gordo's bone club and marks stopped glowing red. Ash narrowed his eyes in observation. Gordo suddenly winced and clutched his arm in pain despite his built-up aura from before. He took a moment to rub his arm. Ash was still looking at him angrily, but he wasn't attacking now that he did his grandfather's request.
"Gah… you hit hard. I like that. The emulation worked better than I expected." Gordo commented. Ash made his weapon disappear, but was still irate. Ash was glaring at him in a way that was making him feel both amused and nervous. Seeing the Ketchum glare from Ash was a nice change of pace.
"Grandpa, fix me," Ash demanded. Gordo shrugged playfully.
"I don't know. You being like this is interesting to see…" Gordo teased with a chuckle. At this point, Ash's eyes were glowing blue and he was snarling at his grandfather. He lost all semblance of his earlier patience.
"Fix me already!" Ash said while he clutched Gordo's shirt and lifted him into the air slightly. His left eye was now red as he glared at him. Gordo had changed into another shirt during the day after he ripped his first one. Gordo gasped and gazed at his grandson in shock. His amusement turned into concern for the boy.
"He's finally showing the confrontational behavior I expected from him at first. Better not mess with the fire too much…" Gordo thought grimly. He said aloud, "Alright. Look into my eyes again."
Gordo's eyes began to glow red as he gazed into Ash's angered heterochromatic eyes. After a few moments, Ash felt himself calming down. He held his head with his free hand, trying to understand what just happened. He immediately gasped when he realized he had Gordo in a rough grip, lifting his body like it was nothing. He immediately let go and looked away, ashamed. His left eye also turned back to brown. Gordo dusted himself off slightly, then regarded Ash warmly.
"I'm so sorry for what I just did to you. I would never…" Ash started to apologize, but Gordo interrupted him by disarmingly laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Don't worry. I know you wouldn't clutch my shirt like that normally." Gordo said with a smile. Ash grew irritated by the old man, but he wasn't nearly as angry as before.
"Even still, using Taunt on me wasn't okay, Grandpa," Ash grumbled. Gordo shrugged.
"I would apologize, but… I wouldn't have resorted to that if you had hit me in the first place. I get that you don't like to fight, but refusing to fight will complicate things occasionally, as we saw. Look, I didn't get hurt from you hitting me." Gordo said while flexing his biceps. Ash saw a clear bruise from where he was stuck. Ash frowned, unimpressed.
"Your arm is sore from my hit. Imagine if I had been angry enough to hit you with Ashton. What were you thinking? I didn't want to hurt you!" Ash said in both concern and annoyance. Gordo rubbed behind his head and laughed nervously.
"You sound just like Alice when scolding me… oof." Gordo sighed. Gordo then said in a more serious tone, "I'm tough and I was prepared for that. It's okay. The next time I ask you to hit me, hit me. I don't want to force you out of character temporarily just to teach you something. I also don't want to take a harsh blow like that again for a demonstration. You seriously pack a powerful punch."
Ash was feeling awful that he did hurt Gordo. He knew that Gordo didn't mind, but he did. He didn't like to hurt anything, especially after his survival trial. He sighed to himself, but he was glad that things didn't go too far like back then.
"I guess? Me acting like that felt… wrong. Don't do that again." Ash requested. Gordo immediately nodded.
"I won't… trust me. You're quite the aggressive person when taunted and it seemed to be getting worse the longer you were in that state. I wouldn't want you to put yourself… or others in danger. Now try the technique I did earlier." Gordo instructed.
Ash tried his hardest to emulate his grandfather, but no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't replicate what he saw earlier. Gordo was eyeing Ash closely as he attempted to copy him. Gordo then snapped his fingers as he figured out what was wrong.
"Heh. Seems like being a hothead runs in the family…" Gordo chuckled.
"Hey…" Ash said with a frown.
Gordo sat down with his legs in a pretzel shape. He gestured Ash to follow suit. Ash obliged and they sat across from each other. Gordo then stared into Ash intently, studying his expression. He was understandably confused. Then, the old man touched Ash's cheek with his right index finger. Ash blinked at the touch, then became wide-eyed when his marks started to glow. Gordo looked the calmest Ash had ever seen him. He looked more patient than normal, too. The boy could tell he was taking this much more seriously than earlier.
"I mean no harm, Ash. I just mean it's harder for you to calm yourself quickly. Try to think of something to help ease your emotions for a moment and tap into that feeling. Then, feel your aura surround and empower you. Your aura is active since I spurred your power, so it's up to you to perform. You got this, young-un." Gordo said, gazing at his grandson confidently.
"Right…," Ash said with a nod.
Ash took a deep breath and began to concentrate. He tried to think of something that would cause him to calm down easily. His mind instantly went to Serena. Just thinking about her was enough to calm him down when Ashton and him weren't getting along. Ash felt his body relaxing as he let his aura envelop him. Gordo was looking at Ash in approval.
The aura that enveloped him was enough to create a minor protective shield around him. Gordo could sense his aura building up. Now, it was time to test it.
Gordo curled his fist and took a deep breath. His closed his eyes and frowned. Ash gulped as he knew Gordo's intent. Considering how strong Gordo was physically, he didn't want a bruise like him. Ash was surprised when Gordo lightly slapped his back instead of punching his shoulder. The aura bounced the hit off like it was nothing and blue sparks showed it. Gordo looked ecstatic. Gordo smiled proudly at Ash and gave him a nuggie in elation. Ash screamed in both slight discomfort and surprise at the sudden nuggie. Gordo was laughing.
"Grandpa, let me go," Ash said while laughing himself. Gordo obliged, but he had messed up Ash's hair. Ash was happy seeing Gordo like this because he was used to seeing Gordo being abrasive. The teen was surprised that he could bring out his grandfather's softer side. He wondered if he could get Gordo's softer side to come out toward Serena someday. He knew it wasn't the time to mention Serena, though.
"Haha! I knew you had it in you!" Gordo complimented. Gordo continued, "Keep working on it and you'll be able to block off stronger hits much easier. That was a pretty good attempt!"
"Thank you for teaching me," Ash said with gratitude. Gordo gave him a thumb's up.
"Not a problem, young'un. There are so many things you can do with proper training. I'll continue to see if I can help mold you into a well-rounded master guardian one day. Now I think you should go to bed. You've been through a lot today." Gordo pointed out.
"I'm not that tired," Ash said as he yawned. Gordo snorted and shook his head.
"Says the boy that yawned," Gordo said with a sigh. He got up from the ground and used his aura grip to force Ash to stand. Ash looked at his grandfather, unsure of what he was going to do.
"H-hey!" Ash said as Gordo picked him up in his arms. Since Ash wasn't little anymore, he couldn't put the youngster on his back, so he settled with the next best thing. Ash was feeling embarrassed being carried bridal style by his grandfather, but had to admit, he was feeling pretty tired. Gordo was concerned about Ash based on how he used his technique and figured rest would help. He didn't care how awkward Ash felt as long as he was alright.
Gordo started to walk toward the Pokémon with Ash in his arms. The Pokémon looked at Ash and Gordo in confusion, especially since Gordo was holding him. Ash was blushing at their reaction. Pikachu didn't attempt to hide his laughter. Ash looked at his first Pokémon, very annoyed.
"(Turned into a bit of a baby, huh?)" Pikachu jeered. Ash crossed his arms.
"If I'm such a baby, then a baby can't really feed you ketchup tomorrow morning, right?" Ash's eyes temporarily turned red as he retorted. Pikachu gasped and immediately looked for forgiveness.
"(Not that! Anything but that! I won't call you a baby again! I swear!)" Pikachu begged. Ashton smirked and made his eyes go back to brown.
"Humph." Now it was Ash's turn to be amused at Pikachu's expense. Gordo found himself amused by the interaction.
"I'm aware of how embarrassing this is for you a teenager, so I'll put ya down," Gordo said in a relenting tone. He put Ash down. Ash thanked him under his breath. However, Gordo said with a deadly stern tone, "However, you need to go to bed. It's past one at this point and I'm not accepting 'no' as an answer. I don't care that you're sixteen when it comes to sleep. Sleep is important, especially when you're tired."
"Right. Everyone, return." Ash said as he returned Lucario and Tyranitar into their capsules. Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.
Wasabi found herself chuckling at the chain of events, then shrugged. She looked at Ash closely for the first time in nine years. She noticed that his spirit was burning just as brightly as it did when he was seven, but noticed a distinct sadness in his eyes. No… not sadness… fear. The mouse wondered if he was afraid of someone or himself? Based on what she saw with Ash's and Gordo's interaction when learning, it seemed like the boy was afraid of himself. Wasabi tilted her head. She wondered what Ash had been through the past nine years.
"(Young master, I look forward to engaging with you at some point. Thank you for caring for Little Chu. I'm happy that you've made him so happy.)" Wasabi said from the bottom of her heart. Ash smiled at that.
"I look forward to battling you as well. Also, I care about all my Pokémon. I'm glad that I've been good to Pikachu and I'm happy he's happy with me. You seem to be in a league of your own and that excites me. You also really seem really technical like Mom." Ash pointed out. Wasabi chucked at the praise. She rubbed her head with the tip of her tail bashfully.
"(Well, Aurora showed me a lot over the years. It would be unfortunate not to show some qualities of her by now, right?)" Wasabi responded.
"I guess. I hope I can see you again at some point." Ash said. Wasabi made a small smile.
"(I'm sure we will. For now, I'm gonna go to sleep myself. I'm really exhausted since I had to go through a gauntlet of Lycanrocs without healing. It didn't help that Serena blundered a bit defeating them, but it was alright. I know she's not too experienced of a trainer and I'm an unfamiliar Pokémon to her.)" Wasabi said.
"Thank you so much for protecting Serena earlier. I'm so glad she's okay." Ash thanked the electric type.
"(Not a problem. You know… Serena seems to care a lot about you, but I'm concerned that she would blindingly try to keep you happy at the expense of hers.)" Wasabi told him. Ash looked grimly at the Raichu. He agreed with her.
"I know. I don't want her to feel like she needs to be miserable for me. I want the best for her. Most importantly, I want her to be happy." Ash said in such a warm voice that it made Gordo raise an eyebrow. He seemed to be feeling conflicted. He then shook his head.
"The girl has a spark, sure, but I still would be wary of her," Gordo admitted, but advised. Ash shook his head.
"Why should I be wary when she hasn't given me any reason to? She loves me and I love her. I don't see that changing." Ash argued. Gordo looked at his grandson in sadness. He closed his eyes and shook his head in disagreement. His response carried out to be softer than Ash had ever heard from him.
"Ash, life will often twist what you think is good into something awful. So many scars may form that you may never recover from. I…" Gordo looked like he was about to elaborate, but decided against it. He shook his head and said, "I don't want to keep you up any longer. Just be wary, is all. I… don't want see my kin barely alive in front of me again because of someone I used to think was good…"
Ash knew exactly what he was referencing. He remembered the vision Mew showed of what happened after he had been separated from his biological family. He witnessed Gordo desperately hoping that he could revive Aurora since he thought Ash himself had died at the time. Delia scarred everyone in family to some varying degree, but Ash knew Delia wasn't the only example Gordo was thinking of. He seemed to be holding on the past too much for Delia to be the only person. He wondered who else Gordo had trusted in the past that was a psychic.
"Grandpa… can you tell me more about what you mean later?" Ash requested. Gordo was frowning, but nodded.
"Eventually. Just ask again when we're alone." Gordo said.
"Of course," Ash responded.
With that, Wasabi waved them goodbye and ran off toward the forest again. Ash kept waving until he couldn't see her. Lucy decided to move right near the front door and sit down. She was looking up at the moon, seemingly waiting. Ash was a bit surprised about this and then remembered that she was one of Serena's Aspects. It would make sense that she would want to greet her when she returned. Gordo gently pushed him toward the door. Ash looked at him and noticed that he was hiding his pain.
"C'mon now. In you go." Gordo said in a lighthearted voice. Ash, though concerned about his grandfather, decided to play along.
"G'night Grandpa," Ash said while stretching himself.
"Good night, Ash," Gordo replied.
Ash went inside, changed into more comfortable night clothing and fell asleep nearly instantly once he got into his bed. Gordo made sure to check that Ash was comfortable and even making sure he was tucked in properly. He left the boy's room and sat down in the living room, deep in thought.
"I know Ash isn't little anymore, but he's… so innocent still. I won't ever let anything happen to him. I will protect him from anything that will cause him scars or things that would make him resent his choices. Safe dreams, Ash. May you never become like me…" Gordo thought with closed eyes.
A/N: I always like when I write a chapter specifically focusing on character interactions. Hopefully, Tyranitar will continue to warm up to Ash.
The next few chapters are going to focus on Serena and what happened to her and Alice as they went to Hokori and get Serena's gift. I hope you'll enjoy the ride as it happens!
Next Chapter: An Intriguing Encounter