It's taken me like an hour to get this chapter posted today - this website is falling to pieces and wouldn't let me create the new chapter in the Document Manager. I say this all just to give you a heads-up that if you do like this story and want to continue reading it to the end, you may want to go subscribe to it on AO3 instead in case this site complete breaks and I can't post uploads here in the future.
Chapter 18
Lonely Souls
The morning after she'd inadvertently eavesdropped on the conversation Ash had had with her friends during dinner found AJ once again out in the Sanctuary, training.
They'd started with warm-ups like they always did - stretches followed by laps then calisthenics, the best workout she could find at the moment - but if her movements seemed stiffer, more jerky than usual, like she wasn't completely focused on the task at hand, well… That's probably because she wasn't.
In the back of her head, she kept repeating Ash's words, over and over again. Unintentionally, like a bad song you couldn't stop repeating the chorus to no matter how hard you tried.
A mistake. She was a mistake. He'd never wanted her, and when he found out… He left. She was right. She'd always been right.
And yet… For some reason, inexplicable even to her, the confirmation that her secret fear had been true hadn't filled her with any more of the rage and anger that had felt so commonplace over the past week or so. Oh, her hate for him was still there, still simmering somewhere deep down, but above that, looming over everything else, like that last frozen spire of Mt. Silver itself, was this gray sort of pallor she'd come to know as grief.
And this was throwing her off her game somewhat, because what did she have to grieve over? What did she care if he never wanted her? She'd never wanted him, either, and anyway, she'd always suspected it, deep down - no need to pretend anymore, no need to pay any heed when her mother swore up and down that he was a great man - kind, compassionate, brave - she knew better. Now that she had confirmation, she didn't need to have any reservations. Her hatred for him should have boiled over.
But instead, her anger felt… cooler, more distant. Still there, but not as present, as though it had burned a hole inside her gut and had sunk so low that it was little more than a dim glow now. And after basking in its raging heat for so long, the absence now left her chill.
If she didn't know any better, she'd almost say she was… hurt. Except even just the thought that that might be true was so upsetting that she forced it out of her mind every time it cropped up, shaking her head, trying to focus on her breathing, on keeping pace, on counting repetitions.
But then, inevitably, thoughts of the conversation last night would pop back up in her head again, unbidden, and the cycle would continue.
The worst part was, no matter how it galled her, she could almost… almost… sympathize. In a way, at least. Not the abandoning her and never wanting her and being an awful human being part - no, she'd never forgive him for that. But the rest?
The pressure of being the Champion - she understood that uniquely well. Better than anyone else on that mountain, surely. The need to get away, just for a bit - to step back into nature, to journey again, just for a little while, to recenter, to clear your head - she understood that, too. After all, that was the whole reason she was even here.
And the idea that it had been an accident, that he hadn't meant to be gone forever, that it had never been his intention to abandon her or her mother or anyone else…
Honestly, she wasn't sure. A large part of her wanted to shrug it off in disgust, to interpret it as just what it appeared to be - pathetic excuses from a washed-up loser who refused to take responsibility for his actions. But as easy as that would be, she couldn't exactly deny that, absurd as his story was, well… Wasn't that literally exactly what had happened to her and her friends? If she held Ash wholly to blame for abandoning her, didn't that mean she had also effectively abandoned her mom as well?
It didn't sound fair when she applied the same standard to herself. But if she was being fair to herself, then she had to be fair to him, too, otherwise she would just be an immature hypocrite. Being immature is why she lost her battle against him in the first place. She needed to grow up and control herself. She needed to be mature - to learn to control her emotions, not be controlled by them. Even when - no, especially when - it was hard.
But being mature meant confronting the idea that he hadn't abandoned her on purpose, and if that was true, then her reason for hating him…
The thought was so upsetting that she'd end up shrugging that right off as well, because it was easier to ignore than to confront. Just like the actual Ash Ketchum.
And then her thoughts would loop again. Just as she did - running circles in this grassy field. Running nowhere. Ending up right back where she started.
But at least jogging was beneficial. Her inner turmoil, however, was just distracting and upsetting. She needed to focus. To buckle down and get to work. Maybe then, her head would clear up.
After warming up, she lined her team up on the riverbank again and set them to doing repeated reps of their standard special attacks, their usual endurance training, blasting them out over the water where no passing pokemon were likely to be harmed. This had become routine for them by this point, and even Hydreigon had become used to it. Her endurance had already improved by a notable margin, even after just a few short days. Improvements were easier to notice when you were just starting, but even still, it spoke to her potential. If only they could get over her block…
It was around this point that the wild pokemon of the Sanctuary began gathering around again, which had also become routine. They'd been cautious and uncertain about this strange human and her pokemon partners initially, but curiosity had eventually gotten the better of them, and by now, many of them would join in on the training - though some clearly took it more seriously than others.
AJ didn't mind. They were rarely distractions, and many of them even agreed to help out, launching projectiles for her team to aim special attacks at or providing them with snacks or water during breaks.
As she watched, the same little Charmander she'd noticed a few days before raced excitedly to her Arcanine's side to join him in spewing fire out across the water's surface. It had only managed weak Embers before, but now, after a few days of training, the distance they traveled had nearly doubled, and the streams of flames were considerably more consistent. It would probably learn Fire Spin before too long. They were really improving!
She actually really liked it when the wild pokemon joined in. It made her feel less like an outsider here. Most of the legendaries were still avoiding her, and with her avoiding her friends in turn and not wanting to return to the cabin, she was grateful for their company. It made her feel a little less lonely, and it provided a needed distraction from her unwanted thoughts.
After another couple of hours practicing moves and working on the basics of speed, timing, aim, control, etc., the time had come for battle practice. It was at this point that most of the wild pokemon bowed out, as AJ's team was in a league of their own in this regard. The wild pokemon of the Sanctuary simply couldn't keep up, which meant they just got knocked around and her team gained nothing from the experience. Some of them would stick around to watch or even battle each other, but AJ usually had her team draw lots and have them battle one another. Not the best training regiment anymore - they'd battled each other too many times now - but the best workout they were likely to get.
However, it was as the wild pokemon were clearing the field and her Pichu and Aegislash were squaring off for their match that something different finally happened.
A loud howl rent the air, high-pitched and slightly whiny, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
Startled, AJ glanced around, then turned and looked up toward the hilltop behind her, shielding her eyes from the bright mid-morning sun, squinting to find the source of the commotion.
It was a pokemon, of course - although what kind, she couldn't say. It was perched on the hilltop, howling at the sky, though she could make out little more than a vague silhouette thanks to the glare of the sun. Thankfully, after a few more seconds - once it was done making a dramatic introduction, she assumed - it finally quieted down, lowering itself on all fours and loping rapidly down the hillside at an impressive speed.
As it approached, AJ tensed. Whatever this pokemon was, it was almost certainly a legendary of some kind. She didn't recognize it, but that also meant she didn't know its temperament. Was it coming to attack? Did it want to drive them off? None of the wild pokemon looked scared or worried - more curious than anything else - but that didn't necessarily make her feel any better. With legendary pokemon, you could never tell what they were going to do.
The creature raced down onto the field, dodging nimbly between the other wild pokemon who were gathered around to spectate, and for a moment, AJ thought it was coming toward her. To her surprise, however, it performed one last, unnecessary leap before landing with a nimble sort of grace right in front of her Pichu.
The creature was a good size - maybe about as tall as her - and though it had rushed down on all-fours, it was standing now on just its two hind legs. It was covered head to toe in bright yellow fur with the occasional jagged streak of black, though its belly, face, and feet were also black. It also had blue whiskers, and overall looked distinctly feline in appearance, with sharp claws and fangs and pointed ears.
Seeing it up close, AJ thought that it was maybe a Zeraora - though what legends involved Zeraora or where it came from, she couldn't remember. Sammy would know, she'd ask him later.
As she watched, the pokemon gazed down at Pichu with a shrewd sort of look, as though it were sizing him up, before it flashed a crooked yet excitable grin. Extending a paw, it flipped it palm-up and growled, flexing its digits in a 'come at me' sort of way.
Pichu blinked, clearly confused, then turned to look at AJ over his shoulder as if wondering how he was supposed to respond to this weirdo.
AJ, however, was suddenly beside herself. Was this legendary pokemon actually offering to spar?!
This was it! Training! Actual training, with a legendary pokemon! Someone strong enough to give her a run for her money! Finally, a way for her team to actually get stronger! She could cry!
Still, though, she needed to be calm - don't freak out. She might scare it away. Play it cool. Don't startle it…
Taking a hesitant step forward, keeping her hands up in a sort of 'I come in peace' gesture, she licked her lips out of nervous habit before calling out to the strange pokemon in the least-threatening voice she could come up with.
"Um… Hello there! I'm… Uh, who are… Are you asking to battle with Pichu?"
The Zeraora glanced over toward her for a moment, looking her up and down with an almost annoyed expression as though this strange human was nothing more than an irksome distraction, before looking back at Pichu and nodding excitedly, letting sparks dance up and down the fur on its body in a show of eagerness.
Ah, so it was an electric type as well. Maybe that was why it was interested in Pichu? Though none of the legendaries in the Sanctuary had given her the time of day before… Something had to have sparked a change.
Ha, sparked - cause it's an electric type?
"Pichu," she said, trying and failing to reign in her excitement. "This is your chance! I think it'd be a good experience! Why don't you give it a try?"
Pichu tilted his head to the side, still looking a little unsure. After a moment, it turned and chirped in confirmation, and the Zeraora, roaring in approval, raced to the opposite end of the field, taking Aegislash's place as it slowly floated out of the way.
This was it… What she'd been hoping for for so, so long! And Zeraora was another electric type at that! AJ didn't think Pichu could take him in a one-on-one fight; even with the disadvantage of being a baby pokemon weighing against him, there was also Zeraora's legendary status to contend with. It was sure to be crazy strong. But still - it was bound to be a workout, and training against opponents of this caliber was sure to help her prepare for the day when she finally beat Ash in a battle.
As Pichu squared off against his foe, AJ stepped away from her normal position, standing behind her pokemon, and instead walked around so she could watch the fight from the sidelines. She normally still issued commands when training against wild pokemon, so a legendary should be no different.
However… Memories of her loss to Ash, specifically in the way he'd beaten her without issuing a single command, had left her flustered and frustrated. How had he done that? How could she learn to do it, too? Short of asking him, the best way to figure it out would be to practice.
Besides - Pichu didn't need commands here. This was training, not a full-on battle. The goal wasn't necessarily to win. She wanted to focus more on his movements and seeing where there was still room to improve.
Since she wasn't participating, AJ took the role of the referee. Standing off to the side toward the middle of their makeshift arena, AJ raised one hand high overhead and called out, "Ready? Begin!"
At once, Zeraora charged forward, loping on four legs, sparks erupting all over its body as it barreled down on Pichu. A Wild Charge, then. So it was starting off guns blazing.
Electric-type moves wouldn't be as effective against her Pichu, but the physical tackle aspect of the move would still hurt. If he were a tankier electric-type, like an Electivire, he could probably shrug the attack right off, but considering how Pichu was about one-sixth Zeraora's size, that wasn't an option.
Pichu, for his part, instead remained still. Bracing himself on all four legs, he let out a cry and let a surge of crackling electrical energy rise out of his fur, covering him in a golden glow, powering him up. It was Agility; he was trying to raise his speed to give himself some sort of advantage in this fight where he was already up against numerous disadvantages. Not a bad idea.
When Zeraora drew close enough to tackle, Pichu dodged nimbly to the side, movements enhanced by Agility, and followed up with a Quick Attack straight into Zeraora's side.
The legendary stumbled, but the blow seemed to barely phase it, and it quickly countered with a Slash from its claws that only narrowly missed.
Then the two were off, dodging and leaping and twisting and streaking all over the battlefield, two yellow electric speedsters in a tussle to see who screwed up first.
The problem was, she knew, PIchu's disadvantages were too many. His greatest abilities as a member of her team were the ones meant to set the battle up for his team mates - only many of those moves wouldn't work here, as there was no further battle down the road in this one-on-one match. On top of that, while normally he could use something like Rain Dance or Electric Terrain to boost his admittedly lacking offensive capabilities, those would only end up strengthening Zeraora as well.
Her Pichu was a lot of things, but a strong attacker wasn't one of them. Being a baby pokemon had its disadvantages, including electrical sacks in his cheeks that were not nearly as developed as his evolved counterparts, meaning he couldn't zap opponents with nearly as much juice.
Then there was his size - what gave him an advantage in dodging attacks also left him with a disadvantage when dealing physical attacks of his own. A Quick Attack from him didn't hurt nearly as much as one from Zeraora did. Normally, he needed the type advantage to help him actually win a fight. This was a terrible match up for him from the get go.
But that was actually what she had been hoping for. Training was all about pushing yourself to your limits and learning to overcome obstacles. If she wanted easy, she wouldn't be a pokemon trainer in the first place.
And in her mind's eye, it wasn't Zeraora that Pichu was facing, but a Pikachu; a stronger, larger, yellow electric monster commanded by an older man in a dumb cap. That was the end goal. Defeating them and proving once and for all that they were better.
Zeraora dodged another of Pichu's attempted tackles, then hit the ground on all-fours and, while Pichu was still moving through the air, lashed out with a powerful Thunderpunch.
The move scored only a glancing blow, but it was enough to send her tiny Pichu flying back a few paces. As he leaped back to his feet, however, ready to continue their physical altercation, Zeraora let out another howl, throwing its arms back, and with only the telltale crackle of static as a warning, let loose a powerful Discharge that sent an explosion of electricity arcing outward 360 degrees around Zeraora.
Pichu, unable to dodge, tried to counter with a Thunderbolt of his own, hoping to overpower the Discharge and push it back, but it was no use. Pichu's Thunderbolt faltered then failed under the stronger attack, and the Discharge hit Pichu dead-on, knocking him backward.
It being an electrical attack meant it didn't do much damage, so her partner was back on his feet in seconds, but those seconds were all it took for Zeraora to gain ground.
Charging in on two legs this time, its hands were raised, both fists crackling in bright, blue plasma. AJ had no idea what that move was - a double Thunderpunch? Or some special move that only Zeraora could use? - but as it reached Pichu it began to let loose with its fists, raining blows down at her partner like it was a martial arts master.
Her Pichu did his best, dodging and jumping about, putting his small stature and his Agility to the test, but eventually, back to the corner, as Zeraora pressed the assault relentlessly, he seemed to realize there was no getting out of this and he'd have to meet him head-on.
Leaping back, down on all-fours, her Pichu let out a cry as Zeraora charged him again, and, engulfed in a wave of yellow lightning, he exploded forward in a Volt Tackle to meet his opponent in a direct clash of thunder versus thunder.
Zeraora caught the tackle in both hands, its plasma-coated palms struggling to push the Pichu away before, in a literal twist, it spun, jerking its torso around and narrowly dodging the Pichu missile as he rocketed by before slamming one of its fists into Pichu's back, knocking him out of the air and down onto the grassy ground.
"Stop!" AJ shouted, hurrying forward. "Stop the match! Pichu lost! It's over!"
Thankfully, Zeraora didn't try to press the fight. On the contrary, as AJ helped Pichu back up and checked him for injuries, the Zeraora hunkered down and began to speak to him in low, rasping growls.
Pichu, who AJ deemed was ok if maybe a little bruised, responded rather despondently at first, but then slowly began to perk up as the two chatted back and forth. Eventually, once AJ had let him go, Zeraora led him a few steps away where he hunkered down on all-fours beside Pichu and, with a growl, let electricity begin arcing all over its fur as though it were trying to show him something.
Pichu, after observing for a moment, then got down and copied him.
Zeraora growled something else, and Pichu responded, making tiny adjustments until the legendary pokemon was pleased.
AJ stared.
Were they… training still? Was Zeraora trying to teach her Pichu something? Maybe how to improve his ability to hold his electricity in his body, or… some other secret only legendaries knew? How? Why?
As reluctant as she was to interrupt this, however, getting to spar with a legendary was an opportunity she didn't want to pass up - and she wanted the rest of her team to get the chance to try it as well.
Stepping forward again, AJ cleared her throat awkwardly and, when Zeraora glanced at her, annoyed, she tried her best to smile as pleasantly as possible. She needed to stay on its good side… even if it was clearly a brat.
When she asked it if it would consider sparring with the rest of her team, however, it looked distinctly unenthused.
Pichu, ever the team player, joined in, chattering at Zeraora and gesturing at his friends, making his most adorable baby-doll eyes just for extra effect.
At first, AJ thought it wasn't going to work and she'd just have to be grateful it had taken a liking to Pichu and let him train while she worked with the others, but the Zeraora let out an over-the-top sigh and chattered something back at Pichu, to which Pichu apparently perked up and nodded excitedly. The next thing she knew, the legendary was throwing its head back and howling at the sky again.
AJ covered her ears, wincing. It wasn't too terribly loud - Hydreigon was much worse - but it was still unpleasant. After it had calmed down, both it and Pichu turned back toward the hill it had raced down earlier, and AJ found herself turning as well, confused, only to find a group of newcomers emerging over the crest and heading down the hill toward them. Her jaw dropped.
More legendaries - five of them, in fact. Coming toward them. And some of them she recognized.
There was a Latias, zooming through the air without needing to flap its wings, its sleek red-and-white body glistening in the morning sunlight as it streaked towards them, doing a lap around the field at record speed as if just showing off that it could.
A Cresselia floated gracefully behind it, not rushing, its golden-crescent head held high, body shimmering in a radiant rainbow aurora. It occurred to AJ then that Cresselia must have been the pokemon she'd seen floating across the moon when she'd first entered the Sanctuary looking for Sammy what felt like so very long ago.
And she could have sworn one of the pokemon was one of the Tapu guardians of Alola - although how it had arrived here, she had no idea. Weren't they supposed to be guarding the islands? This one - Tapu Fini, she thought? She could never remember - floated down in a lavender seashell, riding inside as though it were a queen in her royal chariot, its long, aquamarine hair undulating in the breeze.
She had no idea who the other two were though. One of them was another feline pokemon like Zeraora, though this one walked on all-fours and was sleek and slender, its fur the pure white of fresh snow. Most notably, however, were the fangs - or tusks? Absurdly long and large, they almost looked like blackened swords were extending down out of the pokemon's jaw. How it didn't stab itself with them, she had no idea.
The last pokemon was easily the most distracting. It almost looked like a Ditto - if Ditto were as big as a Snorlax, pure silver, had a golden knut for a head and sported two massive, beefy arms. The pokemon almost looked like what would happen if liquid mercury gained sentience and decided to become a gym bro. Its shoulders and hands also sported massive iron knuts, which not only made it it look more swole, but also gave off the impression that it was wearing brass knuckles. A punch from this pokemon would literally pulverize her, but it lumbered along with an almost lackadaisical pace, as though it were content to merely bask in the sunlight.
Once the newcomers had all reached the bottom of the hill, they gathered together behind the first yellow legendary, looking surprisingly friendly and inviting. AJ could only gawk. What was this? Why were they all here now, and what was with the sudden shift in attitude? What, had they just been waiting beyond the hill for Zeraora to call them, or had they just… appeared, magically, at that exact moment? Every other legendary she'd tried to speak to had either run away or ignored her entirely. Even Sammy's baby Articuno wouldn't let her pet it - though to be fair, it was a baby. It probably didn't count.
Pichu, being Pichu, was hopping up and down energetically, waving hello at the newcomers. He only stopped when Zeraora spoke to him, at which point Pichu turned and started shouting toward the members of the rest of her team, who had been gathered around the edges of their makeshift battlefield to watch the match.
Slowly, her team moved forward, clearly unsure about what was going on here. Even Hydreigon came over, but she stopped behind AJ as though she could somehow have hidden behind her.
"What's going on?" AJ asked, feeling overwhelmed.
The Zeraora smirked, then pointed at her team and then the newcomers, then crossed its arms in a satisfied sort of way.
"Are they… here to help us train, too?" she asked, hardly daring to believe it. What was this? Why the sudden change of heart?
Then again, maybe it was better to not look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.
Splitting them up into practice pairs was simple enough, particularly since each of the legendaries apparently already had a partner in mind. All that was really needed was to make sure they were spread apart enough to not interfere with one another while she herself walked around and monitored them, taking mental notes on areas she could see needed improvement.
Which is exactly how she spent the next couple of hours, making slow, repeated circles around the large field they'd taken to training in, watching these impossible battles unfold before her eyes and drinking in every second of them in the hopes that she'd find every clue they offered to how they could get stronger.
Arcanine had been paired up with that white-coated cat with the sword-like fangs, and despite this legendary apparently being an ice-type, it was easily giving her Arcanine a run for his money.
Her fire-type bounded across the field aggressively, launching Flame Charges and Fire Fangs left and right, but the ice-type dodged most of the attacks with nimble grace, peppering Arcanine with Powder Snows meant more to irritate and annoy than to harm. It was evident that her Arcanine struggled with smaller, more agile foes, and it seemed like she'd allowed him to fall back too much on 'hitting something really hard' as his go-to strategy. Of all of her pokemon on her current team, Arcanine would probably benefit the most from starting again from the basics and building himself back up. If she could work on varying his options to approach, he'd be better equipped to deal with surprises like what Ash's Venosaur had thrown at them.
Nearby, Aegislash was squaring up against that large metal blob pokemon, which had apparently been quite the interesting matchup, as while Aegislash could phase through or else face-tank many of its opponent's moves with its hefty shield and ghost-type attributes, the metallic goop monster seemed equally impervious to physical attacks, letting most of them slip right through it. Their battle seemed focused on letting Aegislash block its powerful blows and then practice different ways of countering, and in a way, it felt less like a battle and more like this legendary pokemon was an unusually handy training dummy. They may not be the same, but it was easy to see Ash's Snorlax in the hulking girth of this strange Ditto-esque legendary.
Up in the sky, Togekiss was paired up with Latias, and as she watched from down below, the two streaked back and forth in blurs of white and red, filling the air with blasts of Extrasensory and Dragon Pulse, Dazzling Gleam and Aura Sphere. It almost looked like there was a fireworks display. Theirs was a high-speed battle of aerial superiority, but it seemed apparent to AJ that while Togekiss excelled in a broad range of offensive options, she was lacking in physical stamina - something AJ had already taken note of from her loss to Ash's Espeon.
Milotic and Tapu-Fini had taken to the river for their bout, and as they battled, they dove in and out of the water, blasting one another with Water Pulse and Ice Beam and Psychic. The entire riverbank had become a splash zone, drenching anything that came too close. Milotic was easily one of the most technically proficient members of her team, but Tapu-Fini had her beat when it came to defensive barriers and shields, not only throwing up Light Screens and Aqua Rings to block or absorb Milotic's blows, but even just clamping its shell shut and letting her attacks wash harmlessly over her.
But while AJ made frequent rounds to her other pokemon to check on them and see where their strengths and weaknesses lay, she spent most of her time watching Hydreigon who had been paired up with Cresselia.
She'd been hesitant to let Hydreigon practice, however, as the last two times she'd tried to bring her out to battle had ended disastrously. Luckily, there were no innocent bystanders nearby who could get hurt this time - most of the wild pokemon having gravitated to the other battlefields to spectate, having sensed that Hydreigon was a danger - and here in the Sanctuary, there were no icy mountains to bring crashing down in avalanches or forests to set ablaze.
Plus, her opponent, Cresselia, seemed like an excellent pick. She exuded a calming, compassionate aura that was distinctly non-threatening, and most of her moves that she used were psychic-types, such as Psybeam or Confusion, which Hydreigon was immune to, meaning she could practice dodging without taking any actual damage.
And yet, despite everything for once being in her favor, Hydreigon was clearly still terrified.
When the battle had started, Hydreigon had panicked almost immediately and fired off a frantic Tri-Attack that Cresselia had managed to calmly deflect with her psychic powers. Then she attacked again - Hyper Voice, Dark Pulse, Dragon Breath, everything calmly dodged or countered by Cresselia without the pokemon even breaking a sweat. Even more miraculous - she didn't seem angry or annoyed with Hydreigon's temperament, instead calmly waiting while AJ tried to soothe her.
Eventually, the combination of AJ's reassurances and Cresselia's benevolent temperament was enough to quell Hydreigon's fears somewhat, and AJ got her to agree to practice with Cresselia, dodging her psychic attacks and countering with Dragon Breath - a simpler move that Cresselia wouldn't have to work so hard to defend against.
It was an improvement - technically a massive improvement, all things considered - but Hydreigon clearly still had a ways to go. Eventually, after little over an hour, Hydreigon was the first pokemon to call it quits, and AJ returned her safely to her ball, letting her know how proud of her she was to face her fears and thanking Cresselia profusely for her help.
A couple hours later, as the afternoon was winding down, the rest of her team was beginning to tucker out as well, so AJ decided to call it quits.
She'd been standing by Pichu at the time, watching him and Zeraora duke it out, and though she couldn't be certain, it seemed to her like Pichu's Volt Tackles were coming out faster now, thanks to Zeraora's guidance. Granted, she didn't have any tools here to measure that, so maybe this was all in her head, but it certainly seemed that way to her. The rest of her team looked exhausted, but pleased, as they gathered around her, their legendary sparring partners joining in, everyone calling out to one another in thanks and farewell as they separated for the day.
As Pichu climbed up on her shoulder to wave farewell at the retreating Latias and Cresselia, AJ felt something cold pass over her, like she was being watched.
She turned, scanning the hilltops, half expecting to find Ash spying on her again like he had been before. Instead, she found something much worse that made her blood run cold.
There, on one of the hilltops, was a familiar lavender pokemon.
Mewtwo.
He was too far away to see clearly, yet to AJ, it seemed as though their eyes met and a dark chill ran down her spine. What was he doing? Why was he watching her? What, did he think she was out here abusing pokemon? These legendaries had agreed to help her of their own accord - she'd done nothing wrong!
Before she could react - though honestly, she had no idea what reaction she would have had - he vanished, simply teleporting away, and she let loose a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
Scary. He scared her. Few things in life legitimately frightened her - not, like, in the moment, like obviously the avalanche had scared her, but she didn't stay up at night thinking about the dangers of avalanches. Not like Mewtwo. He scared her like few things in life had scared her before. And she had no idea what she was supposed to do about him.
Shaking it off as best she could, she ordered her team to take a dip in the river to wash off some of the sweat and let them cool off. All except for Milotic, who'd been in the river all afternoon, but she joined them anyway. She hardly needed a reason to spend time in the water.
Now that training was done for the day, once her clothes had dried off after her dunk in the river, she really had nothing to do other than return to the cabin. Which also just so happened to be the last place on earth she wanted to be. Especially now that everyone else was being so buddy buddy.
It had been claustrophobic before, sure, and that hadn't changed. But at least before she'd had a reason to spend time there. Pichu and then later Sammy had been hurt and were recovering, and naturally, she'd wanted to be near them, so she'd willingly submitted herself to staying in the cabin. Plus, Ash had seemed more than willing to spend extended amounts of time in the Sanctuary, so staying in the cabin meant not having to deal with him.
But that wasn't true anymore. Now that he and Sammy were bonding over legendaries, he no longer avoided the cabin and was even coming 'round for dinner on the regular. And it didn't help that Jade and Cole had seemingly teamed up to try to get her and Ash to 'talk it out' or whatever. It made her feel like, suddenly, the two people who were supposed to be on her side here weren't anymore.
Now, it was AJ spending copious amounts of time in the Sanctuary and avoiding the cabin. When had she and Ash swapped places? That didn't seem right.
Still, it was better here than there with their stares and judgy eyes. So instead of returning, she elected to stay, releasing Hydreigon from her ball once again and telling her team to wander about and do whatever they wanted. And while they went to do just that, AJ walked over to the hillside and plopped herself down on the soft grass, taking a deep breath and letting the scent fill her nostrils with pleasant nostalgia for the days when she was younger and spent every afternoon running around in the wild outdoors.
This was peaceful. She may want to leave this place as soon as possible, but while she was here, she may as well enjoy it for what it was. A time to relax. A time to focus on things that didn't stress her out. Things that weren't Ash, for example, or the things he said, or the things he did, or…
Crap. This was impossible. And it was likely never going to end, either - even if she did get out of here. At least, not until…
"How do I get stronger?" she asked herself out loud, her voice a faint whisper, barely audible over even the gentle eventing breeze.
The problem was, you couldn't lay it out so simply. She had to accept that there was no easy fix to this, no simple way to suddenly grow by leaps and bounds. Once you had reached her level, once you were near mastery of a craft, skill growth slowed to a crawl. This was true about all fields - painting, dance, professional athletics, and, yes, pokemon training. There weren't any simple tricks that were going to show immediate, drastic improvements in her battling, not once you'd reached Champion level, and especially not any that would be enough to bridge the gulf that stood between her and Ash.
Training with the legendaries was great - amazing, even. The type of opportunity she could have only dreamed about before. But it would take weeks, probably several months, before her team began to really show the signs of their growth. Not soon enough for her. And in any event, Ash had likely been training with these same legendaries for over a decade now.
And the worst part was, the more she thought about this, the more the frustration and hunger for strength grew within her, the more she remembered Cole's story about Giovanni. How the boy he'd once called his best friend had become one of the greatest evils the world had ever seen, all spurred on by a seemingly unquenchable thirst for power.
AJ wasn't like him. She wasn't. She loved her pokemon. She'd never abuse them, never cast them aside because they failed to perform to her standard.
But her battle with her father had already showed her that there was a part of her that, when blinded by rage, would place her needs above theirs and disregard her normal concern for their safety. And while that may not be on the same level as kidnapping and torturing pokemon or trying to take over the world, well… If there was one thing she'd come to understand well while trapped on this icy mountain, it was slippery slopes.
But still… Was it so wrong to want to be stronger? She was a pokemon trainer - and the Champion of Kanto, at that. Wasn't getting stronger the whole point? Wasn't being the best the very reason trainers battled at all?
Only, it wasn't, she knew. Not for her, at least. It was never about being the best. It was about being better than him.
And it was then that, as she lay there on the soft grass, watching the sun set in the most peaceful prison on earth, a thought bubbled into her mind. One spurred on by memories of the training this afternoon, her desires for quick, relatively simple ways to gain a boost in battle power and the realization that sometimes, she placed her needs in front of her pokemon's - and above all else, how much she hated Ash Ketchum.
Her thoughts swirled together in her mind like berries in a poffin blender, churning and breaking apart and forming together into a singular question in her mind that seemed to ring out like a deep, brassy gong, echoing across the night.
Why hadn't she ever evolved her Pichu?
It wasn't a new question. Or rather, it was a question she'd been asked loads of times before, countless thousands of times, even way back when she was a greenie trainer still traveling the Kanto circuit. People were always asking her that, either because they were surprised that she'd willingly stick with a baby for a partner or else assuming there was some specific reason behind it, be it a tragic illness or some personal philosophy about pokemon training that she wanted to share with the world.
But the truth, AJ only now realized, is that she'd never actually asked herself that question. Had never even allowed the idea to come to mind. Because she knew what the answer was. She'd just never actually admitted it before.
When asked, AJ would always brush the question off by saying it was his choice - that Pichu simply preferred being a Pichu, and that was that. And for most people, that was the end of the conversation. After all, plenty of pokemon chose not to evolve. It was hardly unheard of - at least, outside of the pro-battling sphere. Who were they to judge?
But the reality was, AJ had never actually asked Pichu if he wanted to evolve. She'd just assumed that was the reason because he never had.
It wasn't like she was stopping him. She didn't carry everstones around in her bag to keep him trapped as a Pichu, and it wasn't that she didn't love him enough. She loved him to pieces. He was her best friend in the entire world. Which must mean, then, that if he hadn't ever even tried to evolve, he simply must not want to.
And she'd taken such pride in that - bragging about it, even, when people would ask. Pichu was a fighter - he was determined to show the world what a Pichu could do. He didn't need to evolve, to become something other than what he was to be strong. He already was strong, and he would prove it - and so would she. Together.
Unbidden, Ash's words from their ill-fated battle came floating into her mind, thick with condescension.
'Why didn't you evolve that Pichu of yours? I certainly hope it wasn't to prove a point.'
In the cool of the evening air, AJ felt her cheeks flush with anger and shame.
He had been right, of course. Mostly, at least. She could admit that now.
When Pichu had been chosen for her as her starter against her will, she'd hated him. Hated him because she couldn't openly hate others. She couldn't take it out on Professor Oak or her mother, so she took it out on him. Kept him trapped in his ball for that entire first week, refusing to use him, determined to be rid of him as soon as she could find better partners to replace him.
She didn't want to be Ash. She didn't want to be made into Ash. Why couldn't people just let her be her?
But then everything changed after her embarrassing loss against Jade in the Pewter Gym. Even though she'd neglected and mistreated him, he'd still fought so hard for her in that match. Why, she didn't know. He had to have known she didn't deserve it. He owed her no loyalty after how he'd been pushed aside and ignored through no fault of his own. But even so, he'd given it his all for her, and his bravery and determination had touched her heart.
That night at the Pokemon Center, after renting out a bunk for herself, she'd crawled into bed, pulled the privacy curtains closed, and then called Pichu out and apologized for how she'd been behaving. He'd forgiven her, of course - he hadn't even seemed like he thought there was anything to apologize for. But that was the night that everything had changed for her. That was the night that the purpose for her journey had manifested.
See, after the fight with Jade, she was struck with two conflicting views that she had been struggling to reconcile. On the one hand, she didn't want Pichu. She'd wanted a Squirtle, and they'd given her a Pichu because she was Ash's daughter. But she didn't want to be Ash's daughter, which meant she didn't want Pichu because she didn't want that connection to him.
But on the other hand, Pichu hadn't done anything to deserve her ire. He'd fought so hard for her - he deserved a trainer who would fight for him, too. And she wanted to be that. After their humiliating defeat, she felt more drawn to him than she'd ever expected to be.
The end result was the decision that she would set out to beat her father in everything he'd ever done. She'd be better than he ever was - prove to herself and the world that she'd never needed him in the first place - and Pichu would be one of the key parts of that. She didn't get to chose her starter just like she didn't get to chose her father, but if nothing else, Pichu was still technically not a Pikachu, so it wasn't exactly the same thing - and hey, people always said Ash was so impressive for using Pikachu, a not fully evolved pokemon, as his ace. Wouldn't it be even more amazing if AJ took the Champion spot with a Pichu? Then no one would talk about Ash anymore. They'd all be too impressed with her.
She'd never said that aloud, however. Never told Pichu her plan. But now, she wondered if she had ever needed to. After traveling together for years, after seeing and experiencing her hate for her father first-hand, it was likely that Pichu had been influenced by AJ's desires, even if only subconsciously. There was a strong possibility that the reason he'd never evolved was because deep down, he knew she didn't want him to. And didn't that mean that, ultimately, the choice was never really his to begin with?
The thought roiled inside her stomach like rotten stew.
She never wanted to take the choice away from her pokemon. She'd always believed that whether they evolved or not should be their decision, not hers. After all, she knew well the pain and frustration of someone else taking important decisions away from you.
But she also couldn't deny that her feelings may have played a large part in this.
As she watched, the glowing yellow ball that was Pichu zipped by down below, chasing another pokemon through the dark in a frenetic game of tag. It was good to see he was having fun, but she couldn't get the thought out of her mind.
On a whim, she sat up and cupped her hands around her mouth as though to call out to him, but an icy spike of fear stabbed through her gut, and she found that she couldn't quite work up the courage.
She was afraid. Afraid to ask him his thoughts on the matter. Afraid of what he might say.
Because if the answer was yes, he wanted to evolve… Didn't that mean she'd been a horrible trainer for all these years, ignoring his wants?
And if he did want to evolve, then what? That was conflicting in and of itself.
On the one hand, she'd miss his cute, tiny Pichu form she'd known for all these years. His soft, floppy ears, his endless energy, his cute little cries. Pokemon often experienced changes in temperament upon evolution as well - what if he stopped being the precocious little pest she knew and loved? Granted, she knew she'd always love him, even if he became more mature or restrained and didn't spend as much time stealing her hat or scampering around in the bushes, but… It would be different. And they could never go back to the way things were.
On the flipside, though - from a battling perspective, there was virtually no reason not to let him evolve. Granted, it wasn't going to be enough to beat Ash, of course, but it would certainly be a boost in power for her team. Pichu had never really been her ace - baby pokemon like him simply lacked the power to get the job done. Instead, he'd been more of a wildcard on her team, there to catch trainers off guard and set his teammates up for success with moves like Rain Dance, Electric Terrain, Nasty Plot, Thunderwave, and Baton Pass. He was nimble and hard to hit, which meant his weaker constitution wasn't usually an issue, and if he didn't hit hard either without a type advantage on his side, hey - he didn't have to.
But he wouldn't lose any of that if he evolved. On the contrary, he'd gain quite a lot. Pikachu's stronger body and larger electrical sacks on his cheeks would really open up his offensive options, and he'd retain all of the moves he'd learned as a baby. He'd run faster, hit harder, and generally be a much larger asset to the team as a whole. He could even finally step up to be the ace she'd always wanted him to be. On paper, the choice seemed cut and dry.
But a large part of her knew that the only reason she was even considering this now was because she was looking for anything - anything at all - that could help her beat Ash. It was her own selfish pride she was looking to serve with Pichu's hypothetical evolution, not him. And if that wasn't pulling a Giovanni, she didn't know what was.
And on top of that, she couldn't deny that a large part of her still recoiled at the thought of having a Pikachu on her team. The comparisons to Ash would only increase tenfold, and to make matters worse, it would feel like she needed to emulate him in order to better herself - as if that wasn't the most revolting thing she could think of.
She was getting nowhere. As the day dragged on, her thoughts ping-ponged ceaselessly back and forth over the pros and cons of having Pichu evolve and the dread of broaching the topic with him for fear of how he'd respond. And when she wasn't dwelling on that, she was back to thinking about the conversation she'd overheard the night before or the one brief meeting she'd had with Ash in the sunflower field when they'd introduced their pokemon to one another and how confusing and upsetting it was trying to reconcile Ash the Impossible Hero with Ash, her Arch-Nemesis, and Ash, the normal guy she met here on this mountain.
All in all, despite how calming the evening wound up being with her just lazing around in the grass as though she had not a care in the world, it actually wound up being rather stressful.
When the sunset reached its end and darkness began finally shrouded the skies, she briefly considered returning to the cabin before casting the thought aside and instead setting up a picnic for her and her team. It was about time for some of them to eat anyway, and in any event, with her head being all screwy, the last thing she needed was to have Cole or Jade try to push her into speaking with Ash again. Or worse - have him actually be there.
The meal was scant and sparse - mostly bread, cheese, nuts, and berries for the majority of her team, and what remained of Sammy's pokechow supply for Arcanine and Hydreigon. His stores of pokechow had actually been decently stocked, but considering the appetites of some of their pokemon - Hydreigon and Dragonite especially - even that wouldn't last them more than a few more days. AJ genuinely wasn't sure how she was going to feed Hydreigon after that.
When dinner ended, AJ let her team go back to roaming around the Sanctuary, content herself to flop back down on the grass and stare at the stars and think. Her thoughts were heavy and unpleasant and she didn't like them, but she preferred their company at the moment to the other humans on the mountain, so her thoughts would do.
The others scampered off, exploring or taking naps or playing with the wild pokemon, but Hydreigon stayed by AJ's side, lying down next to her, all three necks splayed out lazily on the grass, enjoying the calm and warmth of the evening air as the sky darkened and the stars began to show.
AJ must have dozed off at some point, because when she next opened her eyes, the sky was considerably darker than it had been. Slightly groggy, it took her a second to realize what had woken her.
Voices. Voices coming from beyond the hilltop. Male voices.
AJ wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone right now, but she didn't want them to stumble across her either. She didn't know why they were in the sanctuary at night - and arguing - but it wouldn't hurt to take a look.
"Stay here," she ordered Hydreigon, who looked perfectly content to continue snoozing in the soft, warm grass. Getting to her feet, AJ hurried up the hill in the direction the voices were coming from, dropping down low as she neared the top of the hill and eventually getting down on her belly once she reached the top. It was dark out and hard to see, but she'd rather be safe than sorry.
Down below, maybe a few dozen paces down the hillside, two figures stood in the darkness - one human, the other monstrous.
It was Ash and Mewtwo. And they were arguing.
"...years now, and they still don't remember! This could work, Mewtwo! Please!"
His voice sounded… desperate. Pleading. It was strange to hear, coming from him.
Mewtwo didn't respond - or maybe it did. He communicated telepathically, she remembered, but he must not be broadcasting his thoughts for anyone in the vicinity to hear, so she had no idea how he might have replied, and in the dark, it was impossible to make out his expression.
"Because it's wrong," Ash said emphatically. "You of all people should understand this. Trapping someone against their will, holding them prisoner, threatening their safety if they don't obey you… How does this make you any different than Giovanni?"
AJ felt her insides solidify. She couldn't believe he'd just said that straight to Mewtwo's face. She couldn't tell if Ash had guts or was just plain suicidal.
Maybe being this close was a bad idea. If Mewtwo decided to retaliate, she didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.
Mewtwo's response was once again lost to her, and even his expression was hard to make out in the gloom, but he didn't immediately lash out with a wave of psychic power, so that was probably a good thing.
After a moment, Ash spoke again, and his voice, which was softer now, was nearly lost beneath the sound of the wind rushing through the grass.
"People and pokemon - even the best ones - make mistakes. What separates the good ones from the monsters is how they choose to react to their mistakes. It's not about expecting perfection, it's… It's whether they're willing to try, to be better - that's how you tell."
Silence again, and body language alone wasn't enough to indicate to AJ whether Mewtwo had responded or was simply staring in blank-faced silence.
Finally, after a moment, Ash seemed to relent - his body seeming to slump from exhaustion or defeat, she couldn't tell.
"Just… think about it," he said finally. "Though you should hurry; we may not have much time."
In the blink of an eye, Mewtwo was gone.
What had that been about? They'd clearly been discussing them - or at least, AJ and her friends and the situation Mewtwo had trapped them in. Was Ash… trying to help? Trying to reason with it to set them free?
Did he want her gone so badly he'd risk pissing off a monster who'd clearly be happier if they were all dead?
It took her a moment to realize that Ash was walking up the hill. He was heading straight for her.
Panicking, AJ hastily began crawling backwards, not wanting to stand lest he see her. If he saw her, he'd know she'd been eavesdropping! And worse, he'd probably try to talk to her again! She wasn't ready for this now, she hadn't had time to prepare!
Once she'd crawled far enough, she scrambled to her feet and raced back down the hill, desperate for a place to hide. Only, this was a wide, empty field - no boulders, no trees, not even a trash can she could comedically dive into. There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run - nowhere, except her Hydreigon, who was still snoozing in the grass not too far away.
She made a beeline straight toward her.
Hydreigon lifted one of her heads as AJ drew near, sniffing the air, clearly sensing AJ's panic, but before she could make a noise, AJ dove behind her, crawling over her tangle of necks and hiding herself in the shadows.
Hydreigon shifted, beginning to lift her central head, clearly now on edge, but AJ hastily pressed a palm against her third neck, the one she was huddled against, and whispered, softly, "No, don't - don't move! My d- Ash is coming, and I don't want him to see me! Stay still and pretend like I'm not here!"
Hydreigon growled low in her chest, looping her one neck more protectively around AJ and shifting her other heads so that her trainer was more hidden.
Idly, as AJ struggled to calm her frantically beating heart, it occurred to her that this over-the-top reaction of hers could hardly be constituted as being more mature, but she pushed the thought away. She'd been emotionally vulnerable all day today; she didn't have it in her to face off against her dad right now. She'd be mature later.
She wasn't sure how long she was planning on hiding here. Long enough until she could be reasonably sure Ash was gone. To her horror, however, after a few seconds, as her heart rate calmed and her breathing steadied and she began to think that maybe he'd turned around and gone another way, the sound of footsteps on grass suddenly reached her ears, only to be immediately drowned out by the sound of Hydreigon growling.
He was here?! He came over to them?! Why?! What was wrong with this man?!
Oh no, he was going to catch her hiding like a child - why was she such a spaz?! This was ten times as embarrassing as her storming out during dinner the other night!
But the bigger problem was Hydreigon. She wasn't good around strangers already, but add to that AJ's current feeling about this particular person and Hydreigon's abilities as an empath, and there was a greater-than-zero chance that she was about to Hyper Beam him off the face of the earth if he got any closer.
Softly, softly enough that he hopefully wouldn't hear her, AJ began stroking Hydreigon's head - the one attached to the neck she was coiled up in - and whispering soothing words, desperate to calm her and keep her from lashing out.
Honestly, though, after their battle - and especially after she'd actually opened up to him the other day and confessed all of her struggles and worries with Hydreigon - he really ought to know better than to just approach her like this. She took back what she'd thought before about him having guts for confronting Mewtwo - the man was clearly just suicidal.
As Hydreigon's growls grew to a crescendo, seemingly heedless to AJ's pleas, she heard Ash's voice from somewhere nearby call out a hasty, "Whoa! Easy, girl! I mean no harm!"
Reflexively, AJ reached for her belt. If Hydreigon showed any signs of attacking, she was going to have to recall her before he got hurt. Maybe then she could play this off as her having been asleep and she'd have a justifiable excuse for shouting at him for once thanks to his idiocy.
However, as she braced herself to grab the ball and recall her pokemon… nothing happened.
She couldn't see Ash or what he was doing, and she didn't want to poke her head out to try and look and give herself away, but after a few seconds, impossibly, Hydreigon's threatening growls began to subside.
"That's right," Ash said, his voice sounding louder now, either because he was closer or because Hydreigon was growing quieter, "that's a good girl. See, I'm not so bad… You want some of this? I have extra."
The unmistakable sound of Hydreigon's jaws snapping shut reached her ears, and for a wild second, AJ thought that sure she must have just bitten him, only for his voice to ring out again, calm and soothing, sounding not at all like he'd just received a grievous flesh wound, "That's right… Tasty, isn't it? I've got loads - help yourself. Charizard likes them, too, so I collect a lot."
AJ could only stare into the dark, absolutely numb. He was… feeding her? More importantly, she was letting him feed her? She didn't let anyone feed her - no one but her, Hilda, and her mom! Even her growling had stopped - she seemed totally calm now! What was going on?! Was he some kind of pokemon whisperer or something?!
"Beautiful," Ash continued softly, and while she couldn't see him, in her mind's eye she had an image of him standing at Hydreigon's side, gently rubbing her neck while her pokemon scarfed up what she assumed was a snack of berries he'd found somewhere. She had no idea if that's what was actually happening, but it seemed likely from context. His voice had a low, level cadence to it that came across as very non-threatening, which, amazingly, seemed to put Hydreigon at ease.
"We haven't had the chance to meet yet," Ash continued. "I'm Ash. I'm…"
He trailed off, and AJ waited for him to finish the sentence with something like 'I'm AJ's father'.
Instead, he changed the topic.
"Where is your trainer, anyhow? Knowing her, she probably wouldn't leave you all alone. She's close by, right?"
Icy dread seeped into AJ's veins. Did he know? Did he somehow know she was right there, listening to him and looking like a complete idiot or was she being paranoid?
Hydreigon made a short snorting sound from one of her mouths, and Ash hummed as though it were a response to his question.
"Well, I can see your friends down there, so she's probably close," he concluded, and had to physically stop herself from sighing in relief. "Though she'd probably be mad to see me talking to you."
Normally, yes, she would be. Right now, however, she was too scared of being found out to waste any energy on being angry.
Ash let out a surprisingly loud sigh followed by the telltale sound of grass crunching, and in her mind's eye, she imagined him sitting down and staring down the moonlit hillside.
"I saw your training today," he said, and AJ blinked. He had been watching? From where? When? "You looked good - I thought Cresselia would be a good partner for you. She's gentle and doesn't like violence. Oh - sorry. I'm the one who asked her and the others to train with you today. I knew AJ was hoping for the chance, and I thought… Well. I can't do much else for her, but I could do this at least. I hope you don't mind. I know you don't like battling."
AJ stayed silent, but her mind was reeling. He was the reason those legendaries had finally decided to give her the time of day? Part of her was annoyed and infuriated, but most of her was just… confused.
"She told me a bit about what you've been through," Ash said softly, but from the tone of his voice, it almost sounded like he was talking to himself. "Terrible people, doing terrible things… I'm so sorry that you had to experience that. In a way, Mewtwo is right. There will always be evil people out there, looking to abuse and exploit others. If we could all just… isolate ourselves in our own little bubbles, we probably wouldn't experience that kind of hurt anymore. But that doesn't fix things. He can't see that.
"He wasn't lucky, like you. He wasn't saved by a kind person like AJ. Mewtwo had to fight and save himself, and now he can't trust anyone. He doesn't see that he's trapped himself in an entirely new prison of his own design, or that he's forcing others to be trapped with him. You, though…
"You've been hurt, but you still have people you can trust. And in a way, I'm sure that's probably scarier. Opening yourself up to people is what allows you to get hurt in the first place, but if you keep yourself isolated forever, well… Then it doesn't matter how powerful you are. In the end, you're just another lonely soul… stuck on a mountain."
From her hiding place, AJ stared up at the sky. She couldn't tell if he knew she was there or not. If he didn't, then why would he just randomly stroll up to a pokemon and start soliloquy-ing to an audience that wasn't there? Unless this is just what happens when you're trapped alone on a mountain for nearly two decades. You just walk up to random pokemon and start talking to them because you're lonely and bored.
That was… actually kind of sad.
From the ostentatious way Hydreigon's left head was licking her chops, she'd clearly finished Ash's gift of berries. AJ wondered how much longer her patience would last.
Ash seemed to be thinking the same thing, because from the crunch of grass, it sounded like he'd stood up again.
"Listen," he said, "I know I'm just a random old man and you don't need to pay me any mind, but… Would you do me a favor? AJ… promise me you'll look after her. I know I don't need to ask that, but… Well… No man is an island. She can't do everything on her own, but I think in her haste to prove herself, she forgets that sometimes. She's grown up now, and… she doesn't need a father, even if she wanted one. And even if she did, I wouldn't be on that list."
He said the last with a self-deprecating chuckle. Something in AJ's chest tightened in a painfully familiar way, but she ignored it.
"But she still needs her friends," he continued, and there was an odd note to his voice now. It seemed… thicker, somehow. "She needs you - and Pichu, and all the others. Remember that for me. And remember that for yourself, too. The next time you find yourself on the battlefield and you start to get scared - remember that you're not alone anymore. AJ's always going to be there, standing behind you, fighting with you. She'll never abandon you… because it's the ones who've been abandoned who know best how much it hurts."
After a brief pause, the soft sounds of footsteps on the grass reached her ears, growing quieter with every step, until they gradually faded away.
He was gone. She didn't need to hide anymore.
Yet AJ stayed where she was, curled up beside her Hydreigon, staring into space.
The tightness in her chest hadn't left, but she refused to examine it. She didn't want to empathize with him. She didn't want to understand him. She didn't - because she didn't want to forgive him. She couldn't. She wouldn't.
And as to why not, well… She didn't want to examine that, either.
So she stared at the sky in silence as the hours dragged on. Alone, ensconced in her hiding place. A prison of her own design.
Just another lonely soul stuck on a mountain.