“So now you want to battle? Fine by me.” Paul smirked.

“Brock, you be the ref.” Ash said.

“alright…” Brock sighed, “The battle between Ash and Paul is to begin. One on One. No time limits…..Begin!”

“Go, Torterra!” Paul shouted.

“Go, Pikachu!” Ash yelled.

“What is Ash thinking? I thought Brock and I taught him better,” Misty said, walking up to the battle.

“Wait, you trained Ash to be this good?” Dawn asked.

“No, but we helped him get better. He’s just naturally a good trainer,” Misty sighed.

“But what do you care, Misty? I thought that you didn’t like him,” Tracy whispered.

“Can I tell you something that you can never tell Ash? I do love him. I absolutely love him. But my father has something against Ketchum’s. He said that if I told him that I ever married Ash that he’d disown me, make Ash’s life torture, and kill any children that we may have. So I can’t do that. I don’t want Ash to be in this much pain but I can’t even tell him. It’s hard for me but it’s all I can do. Trust me I want to be with Ash but I can’t. It’s better if he moves on,” Misty explained.

“Misty, you know that he won’t. It be better if you told him the truth,” Delia stated.

“Can I let this set in first? I think that if I don’t at least get a boyfriend for some time my father will let up,” Misty asked.

Delia looked into her eyes. Misty truly meant it. Her heart softened. Misty was still in love with Ash just as he still loved her.

“Alright. It’s ok. Just tell him soon,” Delia smiled.

“Pikachu, Dodge!” Ash yelled.

Pikachu barely dodged a zen headbutt. It landed and took a deep breath. Pikachu couldn’t take much more. All it had been doing was dodging all of Torterra’s attacks. Thankfully, Pikachu had the speed element. So it could even dodge Torterra’s earthquake attack. It would jump onto Torterra’s back and then as soon as the earthquake had passed, off it jumped. But it was getting tired. But the same could be said about Torterra.

“Just a little longer, Pikachu,” Ash encouraged.

“Torterra! Full power Hyperbeam!” Paul yelled.

“Tor!”

Ash scanned the field. He had to find cover for Pikachu. Then he saw it. Under Torterra. Perfect. But if he yelled it out, then Paul would move Torterra.

‘Dang it! How can I tell Pikachu to run under Torterra at the last possible second!?’ Ash thought.

“Pi?!” Ash heard Pikachu say as it looked at him.

‘Did you hear my thoughts Pikachu?’ Ash asked in his head.

Pikachu nodded.

‘Well then, at the last second, run underneath Torterra’s belly.’ Ash ordered.

“Pikachu!”

Both waited for Torterra to finish preparing the hyperbeam. The seconds seemed like days as they waited.

‘Wait for it. Wait for it,’ Ash thought as he saw the split second before Torterra was going to unleash the beam, ‘NOW!!!’

“Pika!”

Pikachu ran as fast as it’s uncharged legs would take it. So basically, just under it’s Volt Tackle speed. The second it made it underneath Torterra’s belly, it launched its hyperbeam. It was close, but Pikachu made it.

‘Pikachu, full power Thunderbolt!’ Ash shouted in his head.

“Piiiii-Kaaaaa-CHUUUUUUU!!!!!!” Pikachu screamed, unleashing it’s electricity.

Torterra flew up with the electricity. Ash focused his sight on it and saw that it wasn’t out yet.

‘Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle/ Iron Tail combination on Torterra mid air!’ Ash exclaimed.

“Pika!”

Pikachu charged its body up with electricity into a Volt Tackle and then jumped up, preparing its Iron Tail. It hit Torterra square in the head. And yet it was still able to battle.

‘Again!’ Ash shouted in his head still.

“Pika!”

Pikachu hit Torterra with its Volt Tackle/ Iron Tail three more times before the giant grass/ground pokemon hit the earth. When the smoke cleared, Torterra was finally out.

“Yes! We finally did it Pikachu!” Ash exclaimed, running to his tired pokemon.

“Pikapi!”

Pikachu jumped into his arms. Ash hugged Pikachu tight and then threw him up in congratulations. He caught him and did it again. But when he moved to catch Pikachu easier, Ash slipped. He fell flat on his face. Pikachu landed on his lower legs.

“Pikapi! Chu pika?!”

“Yeah, I’m ok Pikachu. But that hurt a little. Guess I need to be a little more careful.” Ash said, starting to pick himself up.

“Ash! You ok?” Brock yelled, running to him.

“Yeah, I’m ok Brock.” Ash sighed.

But not from where Brock stood. Ash had a deep cut on his forehead and his left arm didn’t look quite right. Ash realized one of his injuries when he lifted his right hand to feel his forehead. When he brought it back to look at it, he saw a lot of blood and a large gash on his hand. He stared at it. It didn’t hurt. He couldn’t feel it. His nerves were numb. Maybe he was just in shock.

“Dawn, get me a first aid kit!” Brock yelled, “Ash, are you in any pain any where else?”

“No…” Ash said as numb as his body was at that time.

“I’ve got it Brock!” Dawn shouted running up to them.

“Give it here!” Brock shouted back, “Now Ash, you need to sit still no matter how bad it stings. K?”

“K.”

Brock slowly cleaned Ash’s wounds. He had to use alcohol to be sure that no bacteria would cause an infection. But Ash never flinched. Not once. After all of this, Brock looked up behind Ash and saw Misty looking like she was having a hard time deciding on something. But he pushed that thought out of his head quickly. Brock turned his attention to Ash who seemed to be numb.

“You gonna be ok Ash?” he asked.

That knocked him out of his trace. He smiled at Brock and stood up and took Pikachu to be healed. Brock wished that he knew what was going through Ash’s head.

Ash rushed up to his room after dropping off Pikachu. What just happened? He had just hurt himself like always but this was different. Before, he pretended not to feel pain to make his friends not give themselves a heart attack worrying about him. But this time, Ash didn’t feel it at all. He didn’t think that he hit his head that bad. This had to be something else. Maybe he should do an experiment.

“Ash and Richard Ketchum, you’re pokemon are fully healed. Ash and Richard Ketchum, you’re pokemon are fully healed.” The pa called out.

Ash slowly walked down the stairs. He was so busy thinking about why he didn’t feel anything, he didn’t see Misty at the bottom of the stairs till he walked into her…literally. Ash walked straight into Misty.

“Sorry Misty. I didn’t see you there,” Ash apologized, letting out his sorrow in his voice.

Misty just stared at him. She knew that this was hard for him. She knew that he loved her. That was something Ash never hesitated to show her when they were together. But this wasn’t easy for her either. She loved him with all her heart. But she never got the chance to truly express that to him. And now it might be to late. So she’d have to settle with making sure that he was physically ok.

“You ok?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Ash murmured.

“Ash, I still want to be friends. Please, can we go back to the way we were before we tried. Please, I don’t want you out of my life. You mean so much to me and while I may not love you, I can’t live without you,” Misty sighed, hugging Ash.

Ash’s eyes widened. She still wanted him around? Maybe it wasn’t hopeless. Not quite yet. But still, he’d best keep in mind that she didn’t love him to keep from doing anything drastic.

“Will that make you happy? That’s all I want. For you to be happy,” Ash asked once again.

“Yes, Ash. That would make me very happy,” Misty stated.

“K. Then nothing will change between our friendship. Now I have to get Pikachu so it doesn’t get into Brock’s secret ketchup stash,” Ash chuckled.

With that, Ash left Misty. She felt happy already. But if only he knew the truth. If only.

“Thanks. Come on Pikachu,” Ash stated as he picked up Pikachu.

He quickly headed back into his room and then took out his switch knife.

“Pikachu pikapi!”

“Don’t worry Pikachu. I got this from my dad before I left on my journey. He told me that one day I’d know what to do with it. I know that it isn’t to take my life. But still, I’m curious. Why didn’t I feel any pain when I got hurt earlier? I need to know something,” Ash said.

Slowly, he put the blade up to his skin on his arm. He took a deep breath and then cut himself. But no pain followed. He looked at the blood that came from the new wound. He hadn’t cut that deep but it still should’ve hurt. He looked at it and couldn’t stop his other hand from touching it. It didn’t hurt. Ash concentrated on it. Still nothing. It actually felt just a tad good. But only when he concentrated on it. What was happening? Was he turning emo? He didn’t have anything against emo people, but for him to be turning into an emo? Something was up in his heart. He didn’t know what to make of it. But if he didn’t say anything to Pikachu in a second, it would shock him. It made this clear by charging up.

“It doesn’t hurt Pikachu. Not a ting of pain,” Ash stated.

“PIKA?!?!?!”

“I don’t know what to make of it either. But not a word to anyone else, deal? I don’t need them to worry about me anymore.” Ash begged.

“Pika chu pika chuka pichu kapi?”

“True, since when have they ever known what you say,” Ash agreed.

“Hey Ash! It’s supper time!” Brock called up to him.

“Coming!” Ash yelled back, “Remember Pikachu, this is our little secret, got that?”

“Chu pika,” (yeah, I got it)

“Good. Well, let’s go eat!” Ash exclaimed happily.

Pikachu sighed and followed its trainer down to eat. It stopped to look out the window and saw Misty leaving with her sisters. Good riddance. Who needed that two timing girl in their life anyways? Pikachu looked back at its trainer and sighed. Ash did. Ash still needed her.