Delia Ketchum had her back turned to the TV when the coverage of the legendary battle came on. “We have reporters on the ground and in the air, as the legendary Pokemon that have gathered at Isla De Leyendas have started to batt… we’re going live!”
“I’m here on the scene, in Newcopter 1, and the fight below me has grown even more intense, Lugia and Rayquaza seem to be attempting to disrupt the fighting but it doesn’t look like they’re having much luck. What the? Is that? Maybe Harriet can get a better look, it looks like there are Pokemon Trainers down there!”
Delia wheeled around, Pokemon Trainers?
Thankfully, there was no sign of Ash anywhere.
Then a Pokemon’s roar made everyone stop.
The grounded news reporter showed the Trainers that had been using their Pokemon in an attempt to stop the fighting, had managed to get to the legendary Pokemon, and to the shock of everyone, the legendary Pokemon didn’t attack them, instead they allowed the Trainers to climb aboard or on their backs, or necks. The cameraman zoomed in on the Trainers, and it looked like they were talking to the Pokemon.
Then the camera switched back to the helicopter, who was filming a fight between a adult man and a teen, and a Pokemon that had been in Ash’s storybooks as a child.
The helicopter made a low pass as the teen restrained the adult and the Pokemon prepared an attack.
It was then a teen Delia recognised as Gary Oak emerged.
On the return swoop Delia caught one good look at the fighting teen’s face, before the Hyper Beam attack was loosed and everything faded in an explosion.
Ms. Delia Ketchum, and Professor Samuel Oak were on the next blimp to Isla De Leyendas.
A day later, Misty and Brock joined them.
Two weeks later May and Max had joined them.
It was now four weeks since Ash had been brought into hospital.
And there had been no change in his condition.
Delia Ketchum remembered several times when Ash had gotten himself into danger like this, but not once had Ash ended up in hospital, not once had his Pokemon been left as weak as they had… were they linked, and until Ash recovered, would they not?
“You’re a Pokemon Trainer,” She had once said to him, “And that’s just how it is… but next time, could you try to save the world, just a little closer to home?”
“I guess, I could give it a try.” Ash had replied, and yet this had to be almost the furthest away from home Ash had ever had to save the world, Mrs Ketchum was beginning to feel that fate was out to get her son.
Delia Ketchum was getting a coffee out of the vending machine when May rushed down the corridor, “Mrs Ketchum! Mrs Ketchum!”
“How many times have I asked you to call me Delia?” Delia asked as she turned around, coffee in hand, she took a look at May, “What’s wrong? Has something happened? Is Ash alright?”
“Come see for yourself.”
Mrs Ketchum dropped the coffee and ran after May.
She wasn’t sure what to expect as she walked into the room, where Gary Oak, Brock, Misty and Max were gathered around the bed, which the head of had been raised so the person in it could sit up slightly without any effort. “Guys.” May whispered. Brock and Misty moved aside. And Delia saw something that caused her breath to catch in her throat.
A pair of deep brown eyes looked over to her.
“Oh Ash.” Delia rushed over, hugging her son tightly. She only let go when Ash groaned slightly. “You’re awake.”
“Hey Mum.” Ash whispered, wincing away slightly.
Delia realised he was expecting another ear bashing, like the ones she’d given him after his adventures with Lugia and with the Unknown.
“Oh, Ash, you had me so scared.” Delia sat on his bed, and Ash friends filed out of the door, Brock shut it behind him. “I saw you get hit by Hyper Beam on TV, I got the next blimp out. Professor Oak was talking with all the other Trainers who were there, he’s around the Hospital somewhere. The doctors were afraid you weren’t going to make it.”
“So was I.” Ash admitted, “I didn’t think I could.”
“I’m just glad you’re back.” Delia told her son, this time hugging him carefully. A hug that Ash returned.
There was a knock on the door.
“Come in.” Ash whispered, and then frowned at how weak his voice was.
“Come in.” Delia called for him.
The Doctor came in, “Brock said he’d come round?”
“Hi.” Ash whispered.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr Ketchum, you gave us all a scare. How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad, surprisingly unhurt.”
“Have you told him?” The Doctor asked Mrs Ketchum, she shook her head, “You’ve got very few of the bruises left, a few bones that still need to heal, but a lot of the cuts and bumps that you gained in your time in the time in the Temple have all healed.”
Ash frowned, “How long was I out?”
“You’ve been in hospital a month, Mr Ketchum.”
Ash’s frown deepened, then he looked around, “Where’s Pikachu? And all of my other Pokemon? Are they ok? Are they hurt?” Ash asked in a panic.
“Calm down, your Pokemon are fine. They’ve all been healed and are all resting in their Pokeballs.”
“And Pikachu? Where’s Pikachu?”
“I think Danielle took him down to get something to eat, Pikachu hasn’t left your side, other then to eat, since you came out of surgery.”
Ash bit his lip, “How long ago did they go?”
The Doctor looked at Ash carefully, then smiled and shook his head, “You two really don’t like to be separated do you?” Ash shook his head. There was a happy cheer outside, then the door slipped open and an electric mouse Pokemon walked in.
Pikachu looked around Ash’s room, his Trainer’s mum was here still, and the Doctor was back… He was beginning to hate the white, bland place that was a Pokemon Centre for humans, a Hospital as Gary had called it, but why had he been told to go in? The only person he wanted to see was… Pikachu smiled broadly as he saw that the one he’d been waiting for had woken up…
“Pikapi!” Pikachu shouted, and rushed over and hugged his Trainer, friend and brother tightly.
“Hi Pikachu.” Ash said softly, then leant back against the bed.
“Don’t wear yourself out, Ash.” Delia said, concerned.
“He’ll be fine, Mrs Ketchum, now I want to run some tests. May I speak to him alone, a second?”
Delia nodded, “Come on Pikachu.”
“Pika.” Pikachu shook his head.
“I meant without any other humans in the room.” The doctor said with a smile. Now that Ash was awake, that Pikachu of his was probably never going to leave the room. “You and the others can come back in once I’m done.” Delia looked put out but left, once the door was shut the Doctor turned to Ash with a serious look on his face, “How do you really feel?”
Ash smiled slightly, “Like I got hit by a rolling Golem.”
“I thought you might, how’s your head?”
“Nowhere near as sore as it was before Arceus’s Hyper Beam hit me.”
“Was the head injury gotten in the fight outside the Temple?”
“No, I bashed my head in a fight in the Temple.” Ash told him. The Doctor nodded.
“And your chest?”
“Painful, but no where near as bad as when I passed out.” The doctor nodded again.
“And the rest of your injuries? Not all of them were results of the Hyper Beam, I think.”
Ash shook his head, “I got them fighting with… Kale.” Ash’s sudden snarl made Pikachu look up, “What happened to Kale? The guy who started the whole thing?”
“Kale is dead. He wasn’t as lucky as you.”
“The Hyper Beam killed him?” Ash asked, relaxing slightly.
“Yes. You held him back long enough for Arceus to end the threat.”
“How do you know…?”
“The legendary battle was being shown on TV, everyone who was watching TV at that moment of time saw it.”
Ash sighed, and closed his eyes as the Doctor started the basic tests, “Tired Ash?” The Doctor asked.
“A little.” Ash admitted.
“You’re not to overtax yourself, I don’t want you to end up back in the Emergency Room. If you get too tired, then tell your friends to leave, or to be quiet, and go to sleep, you’re body has been through a lot, Gary Oak told us that you nearly died on the mountain after your first fight with Kale, It should have been impossible for you to be able to restrain Kale as long as you did with the injuries you’d sustained.”
“If it hadn’t been for Arceus, I couldn’t have done, he leant me his strength and blocked the pain, but even that was giving out.” Ash admitted.
“Well, you’re a very lucky Trainer, Ash Ketchum, and now I’ll leave your friends and mother to berate you and get the full story, since no one knows your part, bar you.”
“Iason was there with me, in the first round, and Gary.” Ash said, his eyes opening and shooting towards the Doctor.
“Yes, but they have questions too.” The Doctor said, pushing open the door, Gary slipped back in as the Doctor went out.
“I’ve got a question before the others come in.” Gary said, his eyes showing his confusion, “What did you mean you were ‘on borrowed time anyway’?”
Ash sighed, “Arceus told me that my body was dying, when I saw it after my first fight with Kale, and that I could only come back to fight Kale again, after that, I’d die, and there’d be no coming back. Win or lose, I was going to die, and the strength Arceus had given me, was fading. I figured that I could take Kale down with me… I didn’t expect to ever wake up.”
“That’s why you were so confused when you first came round.” Gary realised, “Arceus told you that you were going to die…” Gary sighed, “Honestly Ashy-boy, you nearly gave my Gramps a heart attack when he saw the fight on TV.”
Ash smiled slightly as Pikachu finally let go of his hospital clothes and Gary let the others into the room.
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And with Ash going to recover soon and everything settled I decided for some weird reason that that was a fit place to end it so I could move onto the next book
