Chapter 15: Aftermath
Huff and puff.
The ragged breathing of the boy encompassed the silence of the room.
Cuts and bruises adorned his body.
The pain gradually dulled.
His body stubbornly rejecting its agony.
Ash glanced at adversary with tired red eyes.
Giovanni was defeated.
However, the Rocket Boss managed to survived Ash and Pikachu's [Slash (Fake)].
Beneath the man's clothes was a thick Kevlar vest.
Although the damage was mitigated, it was enough to draw blood.
Instead of fleeing from the scene as Ash initially thought…
Giovanni had blacked out from the pain.
Ash sat in the middle of the room, holding a fainted Pikachu in his arms.
A corner close to the broken glass were residue embers.
Charizard had been victorious.
But his neck was deeply wounded by the Nidoking's last ditch [Horn Attack].
And so, the orange dragon was resting, catching his breath.
Ash scanned the room.
His now normal red eyes tearing up.
His Pokémon were all badly hurt.
And it was all his fault.
He hung his head in shame.
"Is this the victory you wanted?" a familiar voice asked behind him.
The raven-haired boy needed not turn.
He already knew who it was.
"Is this your so-called 'very best'?" Gary asked again.
The orange haired boy was better off than Ash but wounded nonetheless.
His hand pressing onto his bleeding shoulder, trying to stop the blood.
But the pain did not stop him from chiding his rival.
"This is what happens when you go in guns blazing."
"Your Pokémon all harmed and bruised."
"These are the consequences of your bonds."
Gary turned away, clenching his fist.
"I'm not like you."
'There is only one thing I want now.' He began thinking.
'And its not these bonds of friendship.'
'They only served hold me back.'
'Instilling fear into me.'
'Fear of my Pokémon getting hurt.'
'No... What I want is power.'
'The power to win, no matter the odds.'
'The victor in every possible scenario.'
'And I will get that strength! Never letting it go!'
With that, Gary had passed out outside Giovanni's room.
"Excuse me! Please let me through!" Blue pleaded desperately.
Pushing herself amongst the crowd, she finally broke through.
The girl immediately rushed into the building, ignoring the city folk's cries.
Quickly, she found Green outside the Boss' room.
Her cries muffled into the boy's tattered purple shirt as she hugged him tightly.
"Ivy, ivy!" her starter called out.
She then witnessed the aftermath of Ash's battle.
The Rocket Boss defeated.
As well as his goons.
A Nidoking passed out from its burns.
The smell of smoke ever present.
Then she saw her friend among his Pokémon.
He had also fainted, hugging Pikachu.
She could not stand it anymore.
Blue sprinted to hug Ash just as tightly.
Afraid of her two childhood friends leaving her.
Recalling everyone except Pikachu, she rushed the two boys to Saffron City's General Hospital.
A month had passed.
Ash was still hospitalized.
His Pokémon mostly healed yet still required medical attention.
Gary, on the other hand, was perfectly fine and well.
Both him and his Pokémon.
"Everyone was hospitalized," a depressed Ash said.
Blue sat beside his bed, lending her ear to her friend.
"All because I didn't take them to the Center to recover," he continued.
Because of Team Rocket's never-ending pursuit, Ash did not dare enter the healing center due to being afraid of civilians getting caught in his mess.
"All because I made them fight until they almost died…" he sobbed.
Blue held Ash's hand, trying to calm him down.
'I should have died that night,' he thought to himself.
'But I won somehow.'
Ash recalled how all remaining Team Rocket members were rounded up and taken into custody.
Giovanni was no exception.
The man turned out to be the mysterious Gym Leader of Viridian City.
Because of the trio's involvement in the arrest, all three were awarded the Earth Badge.
Only Ash refused.
"I've gotta deal with these assholes."
That was the boy's vow.
'I'd finished what I set out to do.'
'But for what?'
'My Pokémon almost died.'
'Victory in exchange for deep wounds.'
'It wasn't just physical ones…'
'It cuts deeper for me.'
Blue caught Gary's hand before he could leave Ash's ward.
"What do you want?" Gary asked.
"That's cold, Green," Blue shot back.
"Red might give up being a Trainer at this point."
"And even though you guys fought together…"
"You're just gonna leave without a word?!" Blue scolded.
Gary knew where she was coming from.
But he had already decided his role.
"You misunderstand," Gary started with severe smile.
"We just happened to launch our attacks at the same time."
"Red was battling for the sake of justice."
"But I was just there for training."
A lie he concocted.
Knowing full well he went there for some semblance of closure.
Closure of his former ace's death.
"It's natural for Pokémon to get injured in battle."
"So why is the idiot getting all down about?"
Gary feigned ignorance at his friend's depression.
Blue was taken aback but countered back.
"This… this wasn't an ordinary battle!"
"You know that!"
Gary narrowed his eyes and spoke with a serious tone.
"It's the same."
"There's no right or wrong in a battle."
"…Just the weak and the strong."
Blue felt frustrated at her admired person.
"Take the blockhead for example," he continued.
"He was fuelled by his Pokémon's emotion and mixed himself into their mess," Gary spoke aloud, wanting Ash to hear it from his ward.
"To be used by those emotions…"
"Those bonds…"
"Is to be weak."
Gary turned to leave.
"Strength is the opposite," he continued again.
"It's to be unaffected by those shackles…"
"No. It's the ability the use a Pokémon's full potential for the sake of victory."
"That's the only value by which a Trainer should be measured."
Blue was appalled.
'Aaah…'
'It makes me sick…'
"Green? Do you know Eevee has hypersomnia?" she asked, anger in her tone.
"She's been in deep sleep since the day you gave her to me."
"So please tell me…"
'To watch you close off your feelings like this.'
"What 'value' did you push onto Eevee to reduce her to this state?!" Blue demanded, her deep blue eyes threatening to cry.
Gary stood silent.
"…I had no value," he simply stated.
Reflection.
"Just like that suicidal idiot, the 'me' from before had no value."
Realization.
Gary tilted his head towards the girl which a sinister look.
Rejection.
"If 'value' is something one makes for themselves, then my value will be…"
Chapter 15: Aftermath
"Power."