Chapter 19 – Friendship dies and true love lies

Ashachu had been sure he was dying as he lay in Ash's arms. His parents faces were going to be the last things he saw before he passed on. In some ways he was grateful for that. Grateful that there had been one last chance to see them…One moment of peace before the end.

It wasn't as bad as he had feared. There was a bright light…cliché, I know. And the pain slowly started to fade…

Wait…Was this dying. Instead of the world around him fading, everything seemed to be coming into focus. He felt stronger – refreshed…He sat up in Ash's arms and let out a cry of "Pika."

It was then that he noticed Sylveon with her feeler wrapped around his chest and belly. He realised what must have happened…Sylveon had revived him using refresh. Ashachu was grateful to her for that.

"Ashachu! You're okay." Ash pulled him closed to his chest and kissed him on the forehead. "Thank Arceus. Oh, thank Arceus."

Beside him, Pikachu gave a happy cry of "Pika" and hugged Sylveon.

For a moment Ashachu accepted the embrace, pressing his nose into Ash's neck and breathing in his scent. For a brief second, he felt safe and comfortable. And then he remembered why he was in this place in the first place and his anger at his parents returned.

"Pika CHUUUU…"

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. It was the last thing Ashachu wanted right now so he 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 burring his nose in his fur. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"

Betrayal and violence are terrible things…But there is something especially cruel when those things come from someone you love…Someone you love and thought you could trust. Someone you felt safe with in a moment of intimacy.

As Ashachu hugged Blade tight, and gripped his fur, the Sneasel drove his right claw into Ashachu's thigh.

"PIKA!" Ashachu cried and gasped with pain as he let go of Blade and put a paw to his side. To his horror he felt the warm blood under his paw. Blade had stabbed him…Actually stabbed him with his claw. "Blade!" He gazed at Blade with a mixture of hurt and confusion on his face.

And then Blade 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 drove 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."

"Blade." Ashachu gasped, unable to say anything else. Partly because the Sneasel's continual pressure on his chest made it almost impossible to get any air into his lungs. 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. "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!"

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."

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."

The foot came off Ashachu's chest, allowing him to breathe again. But it was a short-lived reprieve, for a split-second later Blade had seized hold of his ear and dragged him to his feet. 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."

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. "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.

"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."

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.

Blade's grip on Ashachu slackened, and Charizard took the opportunity to pouch. Before Blade realised what was happening Charizard has 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.

If only Shadow where here….

Ash ran to Ashachu's side and scooped him up in his arms again. "Ashachu…You're okay…Again. I've got you." He examined the cut on his side. "Shit. Need to get you to a Pokémon centre."

"Pika Pikaka," added Pikachu worriedly.

Ash stood back up. "Charizard, that's enough," he barked at the flame Pokémon, who promptly removed his foot from Blade's body.

Just in time, Blade had thought. He wasn't sure he'd have been able to take anymore. His ordeal, however, was not over, as Charizard picked him up in his claw…