Here's the second last chapter folks. Thanks for those who nominated and voted for this story in the BIC comp. Please read and send me a note telling me what you think. And stay tuned for the final instalment!
The tone amongst the group had completely changed since three days ago. Then, they were leaving Pewter feeling victorious. Misty was rescued, Cerulean was on the verge of liberation, the four of them were on good terms. Now, on the last leg of their journey back to Pallet, even the news that King Walter had surrendered didn't brighten their day. Gary and Misty were each sitting alone quietly. At least Ash and Timmy were still on speaking terms, but neither of them was particularly talkative in the circumstances.
Ash sat next to Timmy at the back of one of the carts, patting Pikachu who was dozing on his lap. They were through the woods and into the sunshine. In a few hours, he would be back in familiar territory.
Ash did not feel like the same person. After what he had experienced, going back to peasant life was a let down, like a grown man going back to play with toys. He wondered what Andy was up to with his weedle, and Jessica, and Mike. Would his mother notice any changes in him?
When they arrived in Pallet Town, Ash did not have to wait to have one question answered. Andy was waiting to greet him, and he no longer had a weedle. Now, buzzing over him, flew a full-grown beedrill! Everyone in the party was alarmed at first sight of it, but Andy assured them that it was well trained and wouldn't harm a soul. "The boss even let's it chase the rattata away," he said.
Ash could only talk with Andy for a few moments. The group were on their way to an audience with the king.
♦
The king surveyed the four youths before him. Hi gaze descended upon Ash, who was kneeling deferentially. He raised an eyebrow at Pikachu who was imitating its tamer.
"Rise, Ash. I commend you all for a successful mission, and especially you, Ash, as the second in command."
"Your highness, I have to admit a lot of the credit goes to Gary."
Gary sneered.
"O King," said Misty, "Ash showed much courage and initiative."
"I chose you and Gary for your complementary abilities," said Samuel. "From what I hear, it appears I chose well. It also appears that your relationship has not improved—that is unfortunate. Now I expect you're tired from your journey. Prince Timmy, you will be seen to your quarters. Ash, you may return home. I shall summon you again in the morning. Prince Gary, you are dismissed. Princess Misty, we are expecting an envoy from Cerulean in the morning, so I wish to speak with you alone."
♦
Delia embraced her son. Ash groaned as his sore ribs were squeezed. She then had a close look at the bruise on his face.
"What happened to you?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," he lied.
"So saving a princess isn't as easy as it sounds?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Delia just smiled.
"Hey mom, meet Pikachu. I found him in the Viridian Forest.
Delia examined the yellow monster.
"What a distinctive tail it's got. Are you sure it's safe? It doesn't bite?"
"Mom!"
"I'm just kidding, dear. Pikachu's lovely. Now sit down for dinner."
He sat down. Finally, Ash let himself relax. A weariness descended upon him. A home-cooked meal and a well-earned rest. A few formalities with the king in the morning, and then life would return to how it was. Maybe that wasn't so bad after all.
Halfway through dinner there was a rap on the door.
Delia opened it. It was Mike.
"Miss Delia..." he said huffing, "I need to... talk to Ash."
"Come in, Mike."
Mike rushed in. He paused momentarily at the sight of the monster, but then went on.
"Ash... Jessica said... Gary..."
"Slow down dear," said Delia.
"Jessica overheard Gary talking at the Spearow... He's getting his gang to come and bash you."
Delia gasped.
"I'm going to face him."
"Ash, no!" said Mike.
"Ash, you're already hurt enough," said Delia.
"No mom," I have to face him some time. I'll try and talk to him. If I'm going to lose, I'd rather get it over with."
"Jessica's trying to find Andy to come and help," said Mike
"I don't want you guys getting caught up in this."
"We're friends, Ash. We're in this together."
Ash called Pikachu.
"Hey Pikachu, can you go to the palace? Get Misty and Timmy?"
Pikachu cocked its head and wiggled its ears.
"Misty and Timmy," said Ash, pointing outside towards the palace. "Bring them here." He pointed to himself.
Pikachu perked up.
"Pika pika!" it said, nodding. It hopped out the door and ran off.
"What can they do?" asked Mike.
"They know Gary better than I do. They might be able to talk him out of it."
"Do you think Pikachu understood properly?" asked Delia.
Ash shrugged. "Mom, do you have a better idea?"
Just then, Jessica and Andy arrived. Andy's beedrill was buzzing overhead. Ash and Mike went outside to meet them.
"Ash," said Jessica between puffs, "You've got to hide... At the Spearow... I heard Gary rounding up his mates... coming to bash you up."
"He won't run," said Mike. "I'm going to stay here with him. You guys in?"
"I think both of you have lost your minds," replied Jessica. "Ash, you better hide now and sort it out after Gary's had a chance to cool off."
"Guys, I don't think we have much choice," said Andy. "Look over there."
Gary was coming down the road leading a group of five guys roughly his age. Andy moved in front of Ash. Jessica and Mike took positions to his left and right. Andy's Beedrill floated above. Gary's gang wielded sticks, except for Gary himself. A well-built youth stood at the back of the group.
"Hey, Gary," said one of the guys, "you never said anything about a beedrill."
"Yeah!" said another. "You only said you'd take care of the pikachu."
"Relax," said the guy at the back. "That's Andy's—it doesn't hurt anyone."
Gary stopped. The two groups faced each other.
"I only want Ash," said Gary. "I don't have a problem with the rest of you."
"Your highness," replied Andy, "we've come to welcome Ash home. You're welcome to join us so we can hear more of your travels."
"Gary," said Ash, "it's not my fault. Misty said she was seriously thinking about marrying you."
"So all this is over a girl?" said Jessica. "Your highness, why don't you and Ash settle this in a more honourable way?"
"He knows I'll beat him one-on-one," said Ash.
"Men!" said Jessica. "I meant ask the lady to decide."
Gary did not respond to any of this.
"Get them!" he said.
Gary moved to the back. The well-built guy moved to the front, forming a head of formidable-looking triangle and bringing him face to face with Andy.
"Hi John," said Andy. "What've you been up to since you were kicked out of class?"
John's eyes narrowed.
"Never could learn self-control?" Andy continued.
"Go!" said Gary.
Andy didn't wait for John to make the first move. He closed in, punching towards John's face. John blocked and retaliated with his club. Andy blocked that blow and moved around him. Meanwhile, two guys went for Jessica and two for Mike. Ash moved in to help Mike who was the weaker fighter.
The fight continued, but it was four against five, John was tough, and Ash was still recovering from his injuries. Trying to avoid being clubbed meant that Ash's group had to fight defensively, and they scored very few hits against Gary's mob.
Wham!
Mike was struck in the shoulder and fell down. Ash reached out and kicked Mike's opponent in the head. That stunned him enough to give Mike a break, but Ash had to continue defending against his own opponent. Jessica had to defend against two opponents and was quickly tiring. Andy scored a kick against John's hand, injuring his right wrist. John dropped his stick and drew back.
"Retreat!" called Ash.
Ash pulled Mike onto his feet and they withdrew into the house. As soon as Andy's beedrill followed them in, they shut the door and Ash bolted it. Delia attended to Mike's shoulder. Fortunately, no bones were broken.
Thump! thump! thump! on the door.
"Miss Delia," Gary shouted through the door. "We don't want to break our way in, so please hand Ash over immediately."
"Your highness," Delia called back, "save your manners for the king."
"Mom! Don't make him angry with you."
Delia smirked. "Let him in and I'll show him a thing or two."
Everyone's eyebrows were raised. Meanwhile there were more thumps on the door.
"When I used to be a maid at the palace, I was also learning how to fight. You don't think Ash inherited his skill from his father?"
"Miss Delia," said Jessica, "you haven't practised in years!"
The thumping got louder.
"My father?" said Ash. "You've never mentioned him before."
"He was an excellent swordfighter in his younger days."
"We're gonna need a whole troop of swordfighters to get out of this mess," said Mike.
The sound of smashing glass turned their attention to the window. One of Gary's mob had smashed it with his stick.
"Mom, I better surrender," said Ash. "No point in the rest of you getting hurt."
The door thumped so hard, the whole house shook.
"They're gonna smash their way in," said Jessica.
"Do you have anything we could use as weapons?" asked Andy.
"We can break the legs off your table," said Mike.
"What about a knife?" asked Jessica.
Another crash against the door. This time, the frame cracked.
"Your Beedrill!" said Ash.
"I've trained my Beedrill not to attack anyone," said Andy. Jessica looked at Ash in horror.
"It's our only chance," Ash protested.
The door was hit again. This time, it caved in with a crash. Four guys entered slowly, clubs at the ready.
"Ash," said Gary, "surrender, or your mates are gonna get it."
"Now!" called Ash.
"Beedrill," said Andy, pointing at Gary's henchmen, "attack them!"
Beedrill buzzed towards them.
It did not have to attack. The four youths dropped their clubs and were out of there faster than you could say "frightened rattata". John, who had been looking in from the door, followed his mates, clutching his injured wrist.
Gary was left alone. Turning his back to the doorway, he faced his retreating mates and called out to them. He did not see the monster approaching from behind.
"Wait, stop!" yelled Ash.
The monster did not know Ash's voice. By the time Andy realized what was about to happen, the beedrill bent down its rear end. With a short buzz, its point pierced Gary's shoulder.
"Beedrill, no!" called Andy, but it was too late. Gary dropped to the floor, writhing in pain.
"Oh dear no!" said Delia, her hands to her face. "He's going to die unless we hurry. We have to cut open the wound and wash the poison away."
Ash walked over to him. The prince was a pitiful sight. His face was contorted in agony, his right hand clutching his shoulder, his legs writhing like those of a wounded raticate.
"Hold him still," Ash said. Andy grabbed his legs, Mike and Jessica an arm each. Ash pulled out Gary's sword.
"Go on," said Gary, "put me out of my misery... I'm going to die anyway."
Jessica stared. "Ash, you're not gonna kill him?"
"Turn him over," Ash repled. "Hurry!"
They did so. Gary was in too much pain to resist.
"You stabbed me in the back already, Ash," said Gary.
Ash ignored him. He used the sword to tear off Gary's sleeve. He looked at the wound. With the tip of the sword, he slashed it open.
Gary screamed, then swore at Ash.
"Mom, some water!"
Delia rushed over some water and washed the wound. It bled profusely.
"I think you cut it too deep, dear," she said. "We'll have to bandage it."
"Pikapi!"
Ash looked up. He saw Pikachu leading the way, with Misty and Timmy struggling to keep up.
Misty came over and looked down at the mess that was Gary.
"What happened?"
"My Beedrill," said Andy, sounding very depressed.
"Where's the nearest healer?" Misty asked.
"There's only one," said Jessica. "She's on the other side of town."
"What about the palace?"
"Oh yes," said Delia. "There's an infirmary there, where the healer's former apprentice works"
Misty directed the others to construct a makeshift stretcher out of two brooms and some items of clothing while Delia bandaged Gary's wound. They placed Gary, who was now unconscious, onto the stretcher, and Andy and Ash carried him. Andy sent his beedrill home.
On the way, Ash recounted the events to Misty and Timmy. By the time they got there, Gary was pale. His skin was cold and clammy, and his breathing shallow. They rushed him into the infirmary.
"Gary can be a real jerk sometimes," said Timmy, while they were waiting outside. "I think you did the best you could in the circumstances."
"Yeah, but will the king see it that way?" said Ash.
"I feel lousy," said Andy.
"It was my idea," said Ash, putting his hand on Andy's shoulder.
"Look, if it was up to me and my graveler," said Timmy, "I wouldn't've hesitated to defend myself."
The entire group spent the night in the palace grounds, getting what sleep they could on seats and on carpets. The king meanwhile had spent the whole night up, summoning each person individually into his chamber. Everyone came out ordered not to speak with others about what was discussed.
"I don't believe I had an audience with the King," said Andy, who was the last one to see him. "I had no idea how kind and wise he was. Still, it was very scary."
Ash could see from his worried frown that Andy was taking the matter as badly as he was. In truth, they were both responsible, and if Gary died, what would the king do to them?
"Are you going to get into trouble?" asked Mike.
"What about me?" asked Ash.
"Sorry, I'm not allowed to discuss it," Andy replied.
By early morning, they were all fast asleep. Ash woke up to find Misty next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. He stirred, and that woke her up. She didn't say a word or look at him. She got up and went to check on Gary. She came out a short while later.
"You'll be happy to know that Prince Gary is over the worst of it. He's conscious again, still weak, but free of the poison."
Most people did not know whether to smile or weep. Ash felt partially relieved. He glanced at Andy, but couldn't read his emotions.
"Oh, and his shoulder hurts," Misty added, casting an angry glance at Ash.
"I did the best I could," Ash protested.
Very soon, an attendant brought the group a light breakfast of tea and scones. Shortly after that, they were all summoned into the royal chamber. The king looked worn out. Standing near him was Philip from Cerulean.
"Please come in and sit down," said King Samuel. "I have much important news to discuss."
