Club Indigo 2...

Chapter 37.5 - Club Indigo 2...

They kept dancing and Ash even danced a bit with Giselle, Liza, Clair and Sabrina again before they went and danced with the others in their large group. The girls didn't mind him dancing with them except for when he danced with Giselle, eying her carefully. When the song ended and a slow song started, Ash was about to ask which of the girls wanted to go first but three of them pushed May forward as she hadn't had her date yet so they felt it was fair. Cynthia didn't get involved on that but she was still happy and content. Giselle looked jealous but then quickly hid it. May and Ash started their slow dance as Misty, Dawn and Serena went back to their VIP area along with Cynthia, Sabrina, Clair, Liza and Giselle while the others paired up with their loved ones to take part in the slow dance. On their way back to their area, the girls were asked to dance by several guys but each of them turned them down without a second's thought though for different reasons. When they got back to the VIP area, they found that their drinks and food were there and so were Shauna and Lizabeth who were waiting for them.

"About time!" whined Shauna and the girls simply shrugged and commented that they were sorry for having fun making the two blunettes pout.

"Stop being such killjoys and let's take a shot together," suggested Liza and they all agreed. They each got a shot and made a toast before gulping down the shot. They started munching on the food, which were mostly snacks, as they talked to one another before pouring another one and taking that one down with another toast. They poured the next one to get ready for the inevitable future shot.

"Hey Misty, how come Daisy didn't come?" asked Serena.

"She said she didn't feel like it and had some things to think about. Now that I think about it, that's pretty weird. She never said no to going to a club before. I wonder what's going on?" she pondered for a bit about why her sister didn't join them before moving on and they talked about something else.

While the girls enjoyed themselves in their VIP area, their friends were becoming closer with their loved ones on the dance floor during the slow song. Gary and Ilene had had been talking together quietly before they closed the already small gap between them. Ilene was looking up at Gary while he gazed down into her eyes. They slowly leaned in and kissed each other softly on the lips before separating. The pokémon researcher smiled at the Queen who blushed before resting her head against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her even closer to him and she did the same.

Riley and Daisy Oak were dancing silently as they looked into each other's eyes with both of their hands on the other's waist. It was as if they were communicating everything between them through their locked eyes alone and didn't need words to express themselves. Soon enough, they both smiled before Daisy made a move and leaned in closer and Riley copied her soon after. The two shared a kiss before separating and hugging each other tighter with Riley resting his chin on top of her head.

Brock and Lucy were talking a bit as they held one of their hands together to the side with the other around their partner's waist. They were both happy that they were here, sharing this time together. They had also agreed that they needed to find more time for each other as they missed each other greatly when they were separated because of their work. They promised to not let anything get in between their love again and sealed the deal with a passionate kiss before continuing their dance.

Joy and Richie were quiet at first as they danced, holding each other close together with her head resting on his shoulder. Richie couldn't believe he was lucky to have such an incredible girl be with him and Joy couldn't believe that she had such a great guy to call him her boyfriend. They shared a short kiss before talking about how lucky they were and how they owe it all to Ash for being their friend. How it was because of him that they got together and they agreed to thank him for that one day.

Violet and Chili were dancing together and enjoying each other's company. Chili was commenting on everything and Violet was smiling. She could listen to him for days as he said everything with such passion and was so energetic that she couldn't get enough of it. However, there was something else that she wanted and she placed her hand against his lips and he shut up instantly. She lowered her hand and gave him a kiss, which he returned eagerly and she loved that he wasn't afraid to show that he wanted it. They separated and continued dancing quietly, which was surprising as Chili kept his mouth shut but had a broad grin while Violet rested her head on his shoulder.

Iris and Cilan were in a very close embrace as their lips were locked before they separated and Iris kept her gaze on him while wrapping her arms around his back. Cilan had one arm wrapped around the middle of her back while his other hand was gently stroking her side. They continued on this way while they slow danced. They both had smiles on their faces as they enjoyed being in the other's embrace as they thought about how they first got together, which was when they went looking for Ash during the first few months he had disappeared.

Lily and Cress were quietly talking to one another and commenting about how things just turned out so well for them and their siblings too. After that, they continued dancing quietly for a moment before Cress confessed to Lily that he likes her very much and Lily gasped at that before admitting the same thing to him. They both smiled and kissed before they continued dancing and talked quietly again.

Ash and May were slow dancing among the other couples, right in the middle of the dance floor and in the middle of all their friends. The raven haired guardian was unable to look away from her sparkling blue eyes and May couldn't stop gazing into his passionate brown eyes. They leaned into each other and kissed with such emotion that neither of them wanted to stop but that didn't go according to plan as they separated too soon for their taste.

"I'm sorry it took so long May," he admitted to the brunette with a sigh.

"It's alright Ash. Don't even worry about it. Everything worked out for us in the end. I'm just glad that I'm with you and my family is supporting us all," replied May with a beaming smile.

"Me too May. You already know this but I'm always going to repeat it; I love you with all my heart May," stated Ash and May took in a sharp breath as her heart started beating faster. She knew that he loved her but this was the first time he said it to her alone, without it being a group setting. It was finally their time to be together. Well sort of as they were at a club with the other girls but she saw things as the glass half full kind of person. Either way, she enjoyed being with him and was immensely happy at that. Quite honestly, she was happy with everything between him, her and her 'sisters'.

"I love you too Ash. I'm glad that we're together and as long as you're in my life, I know everything will be alright in the end," admitted May with a slight blush.

Ash smiled at her and agreed with her, repeating her words to back to her. The two leaned in together and shared a heated kiss that enflamed them both and soon their hands went wild as they went over each other's bodies. Ash had one hand in her hair while the other was rubbing her back. May had one hand in his hair with the other on his chest. Their tongues soon got involved though they didn't go too crazy as they remembered where they were, but it was hard for them to hold back. Ash was a little assertive in their kissing, which caught May off guard at first but she enjoyed it as it was the man she loves who was doing it and also thought that the alcohol might be egging him on a bit. As the slow song was starting to finish up, the two separated and looked into one another's eyes. Ash let a devious grin form on his face and May tilted her head in confusion for a second before she let out a squeak. He had grabbed her nicely shaped ass and squeezed it, surprising the brunette.

"Hmm, someone's being naughty and bold in front of all these people," whispered May as she smiled at him, impressed and was being turned on that he was so daring. Ash leaned in closer to whisper into her ear.

"Just wait until I get you all alone," replied Ash, making May go crimson as she felt herself burning up as she thought of what they would do together when they were somewhere private.

"Eager are we? Or is that the vodka talking?" jabbed May and Ash just gave his trademark goofy grin that made her smash her lips against his and kiss him furiously.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's impatient," remarked Ash after they separated and May slapped his arm playfully before they both chuckled. They decided to head back to the VIP area when another song started that was faster paced. They joined their friends in the large area after showing the VIP security their hand stamps. Right when they sat down, Liza handed the two shot glasses as they were all about to take another shot together. The large group of friends called out 'cheers' together and they gulped down their drinks and set them on the circular table.

"About time you two! Everyone else came back sooner than you. We were starting to think that you would go at it in the middle of the dance floor!" joked the green haired girl, earning some smirks and chuckles from the group, making May blush furiously but also had a sheepish grin form. Ash however just laughed as he didn't get embarrassed because of all the alcohol in his system.

"I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy seeing that as you'd love to see me naked huh Liza?" countered Ash while smirking. Everyone's jaw dropped at what he just said, including the green haired girl who reddened. She recovered quickly though.

"Hmmm…maybe. You are good looking but I don't think you're man enough for me," shot Liza making Gary, Brock, Richie, Cress, Chili, Cilan and Riley howl with laughter while the girls giggled. Ash raised an eyebrow. He knew what she was doing but decided to have some fun. Everyone was waiting to see what Ash would do or say as they had thought something; Ash seemed to be a happy drunk and a drunken Ash was a fun and entertaining Ash.

"Well, you're entitled to your opinion Liza," replied back the raven haired guardian as he sat forward a bit, making several in the group focus their attention on him. "Man, it sure is hot in here. Don't you guys think so?" he asked them. Most didn't get the question and said that they were alright. The rest however, including his girlfriends, did get where he was going with this and rolled with it.

"I did tell management about the air conditioning being weak," remarked Shauna casually but also smirked a bit.

"Yea, it sure is hot Ash. You're sweating like crazy," commented May as she wiped his forehead with a napkin, pretending to get his sweat that wasn't actually there and he thanked her.

"Yeah, maybe you should take off your shirt so you can cool down," suggested Dawn with a mischievous look on her face as she tugged on his shirt's sleeve, making most of the girls around them gulp at that.

"She's right Ash. You're really hot," added Misty, after slipping her hand through his shirt and rubbed his chest, making some of the other girls become red faced as they watched her do that while the guys had their eyes widen.

"I don't know…"

"You don't have to be embarrassed about your scars Ash. They show that you're brave. You should or otherwise you'll burn up. You need to cool down," encouraged Serena, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifted it a little, making the females take in a sharp breath.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I should. You think that'll be alright if I do that here Lizabeth? I mean I don't want to get you two in trouble or anything," he asked her.

"No, you're fine Ash as long as nothing else comes off," responded Lizabeth with a flushed face.

"Well if it's alright then why not," said Ash and he stood up.

Before the others could register what was occurring, the raven haired guardian stood up, took off his black shirt revealing his toned and muscular upper body and wiped away his 'sweat' with it before sitting back down in between the four girls. He spread out his arms over the top of the couch and lifted his left leg, crossed it over his right leg with his foot on top of his knee. May snuggled up to him on one side and placed a hand on his chest and so did Misty on the opposite side while the other two sat closer next to them. The club lights were hitting him at the perfect angle to show off his muscles but also made his chest scar stand out, which drew everyone's attention in the group as it was hard to miss. It made them all realize how much he suffered to protect everyone. That made the newer girls swoon over him since he wasn't hiding it away and were impressed of what he's done. The sight of him in that position made not just Liza blush heavily, but also made Shauna, Lizabeth, Giselle, Clair, Sabrina and Cynthia go tomato red. Some of the guys had covered their girlfriends' eyes but ended up getting elbowed hard in the side by them while telling them to grow up.

"Ah, I feel so much better," commented Ash, making the girls giggle and respond with 'I told you'.

"Uh…Ash…you…uh…muscles…um…scar..." Liza couldn't speak properly, barely stammering out a few words out as she stared at him.

"I'm sorry Liza, I can't understand you. Could you speak properly please?" he asked her with a smirk, making the group laugh a bit. Liza recomposed herself and crossed her arms over her chest as she turned her flushed face to the side as she muttered something. "I'm sorry Liza, I didn't catch that. Could you speak up please?" asked the young guardian, teasing her some more.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" asked Liza with narrowed eyes glaring at Ash and they all started laughing out loud, making the green haired girl pout and become embarrassed. "You're such an asshole," whined Liza.

"Ah c'mon we're just messing around right?" he asked her and she just glared at him. "Sheesh, no wonder you live at the Charicific Valley; you're about as moody as a Charizard." Everyone laughed harder and Liza growled loudly at him. "Alright fine I'll stop. How can I make it up to you?" he asked her and Liza thought for a moment before smiling evilly, making Ash become a little worried.

"I challenge you to a drinking match!" That made Ash tilt his head but also made Clair, Sabrina and Cynthia stare at Liza. "What, are you scared to losing to a girl?" she mocked him with a slight babying tone of voice.

"Nope. I'm not afraid of losing to a girl. Hell, I lost to girls before in the past and I'm not ashamed of it at all," replied Ash. "But you're on Liza. How are we doing it?"

"Alright then Mr. Hotshot; we keep taking shots until one of us drinks more than the other or pukes. Whoever drinks more or doesn't puke wins. Got it?" she asked him and he nodded. As Ash and Liza stood up and faced each other, Lizabeth went to Liza's side with a bottle of vodka and a shot glass while Shauna did the same to Ash. They sized each other up, with Liza turning red again as she couldn't draw her attention from his body, along with a few other girls who were stuck staring at him, while their other friends were discussing who would win. Gary was orchestrating the bets.

"Okay so I got half of you betting on Ash and the other half betting on Liza. Oh man, good thing I wrote this stuff down. This is gonna be great. I can't wait till Ashy-boy pukes. I'm never gonna let him forget this one," laughed Gary and several peeved girls shot him glares but he didn't care and Ilene shook her head in amusement at him.

"You ready Ashy-boy?" mocked Liza, hearing Gary's name for him that he hated.

"Shouldn't have called me that Liza. Now I won't let you win. But hold on a second..."

"What, you backing out? Realized that you can't just talk big anymore?" she cut across him.

"No. We just didn't iron out the details yet. I just want to know what I get when I win."

"When you win huh? Confident. I like that. But sorry to burst your bubble kiddo but there's no way you're winning. I've beaten everyone I challenged to this. But to give you something to work for and to make this interesting I'll amuse you. If you win, and I mean IF, you can order me around and I will let you do anything and everything that you want to do to me for a whole day and I can't object or stop any of it."

Almost everyone's jaw dropped at her offer while Sabrina, Clair and Cynthia burst out laughing. They knew how Liza was with her bets as she had used the same one several times before to get others sucked into the challenge and had lost humiliatingly as they tried to keep up with her. Even though Cynthia was a bit peeved she made that bet, she didn't say anything, wanting to see the result. Giselle, Shauna and Lizabeth were surprised that she would offer something like that to him, the four girls were flabbergasted and the others were too astonished to say anything. But all the guys were thinking that Ash was lucky to get such a bet with a hot girl, jealous at his opportunity. Ash merely grinned.

"You sure you want to put that on the table?" he asked her and she replied back saying it again as she told him there's no way he's winning and asked what she would get when she would win. "Alright then, I tried to warn you. And to make it amusing for you I'll offer the same thing. If you win and I mean IF, I'll do anything and everything you want me to do for a whole day with no objections at all." He glanced back at the girls. "Is that alright with you?"

Misty, May, Dawn and Serena glanced at each other and then at Cynthia who shrugged while still chuckling, saying she can't help them on this one. That drew some interesting faces from the others but then they thought that Liza and Cynthia must be close and must be trying to get some advice so they let it go. The four thought for a moment before deciding they wanted to see who would win as they heard rumors of Liza's betting and drinking. They and Cynthia didn't want Ash to look like a wimp and they were actually alright with him winning or losing as it was too interesting of a bet to pass up. They also wanted to see who would win and what they would do with that kind of control over someone.

"Go for it Ash," said the four together and he grinned.

"Ah, look at that. Ashy-boy needs permission to take a drinking challenge from his girlfriends. You are so whipped man," commented Gary, making some of them laugh.

"A real man listens to and respects the girl or girls in my case, that he loves and doesn't do anything on purpose to upset them and doesn't go against their wishes for something stupid. You should know that better than anyone Gare-Bear as you should've learned that a long time ago," replied Ash as he kept his gaze fixed on Liza.

That statement shut up Gary instantly and several of their friends had their eyes widen over what he just said. The girls felt their hearts flutter at what he just said. Ilene glanced at her boyfriend with a very curious expression as she wanted to know what the hell that was all about. Sabrina knew why he said that and she couldn't believe it. Ash just completely put her ex-boyfriend in his place without revealing anything and she was moved by what he just did for her.

"You ready Liza?" asked Ash, drawing attention back to the challenge and the green haired girl nodded. "On the count of three then. One…two…three!" Both Ash and Liza gulped down the first shot together without trouble and held it out for Lizabeth and Shauna to pour more into it. They took the second shot and again the two blunettes poured the third. This went on for quite some time as they kept going, quickly nearing and passing the double digits.

"How are they doing this?" asked a stunned Joy.

"What I want to know is how the hell is Ash is keeping up with Liza?" asked a bewildered Clair. She had never seen anyone go toe to toe with the green haired girl in a drinking contest before.

"You should see him when he's eating food. Now that's incredible," remarked May as she kept her mesmerized gaze on the raven haired guardian.

They kept going until both were about to finish the large bottles. Lizabeth and Shauna were looking at the two with worried expressions. The vodka they were downing like water was very strong but was also smooth so it wouldn't really hit someone until much later. After pouring the next shot, both Liza and Ash drank that one too and lowered it for their refill. After being refilled, Liza and Ash raised their hands halfway and stopped at the same time.

"Oh shit, who's gonna puke?!" asked Daisy Oak as her eyes darted back and forth between the two.

Liza was feeling pretty drunk right now. She was barely standing and felt like her stomach was going to explode. She wavered a bit but quickly spread her feet a bit to balance out. She had maintained eye contact with Ash for the whole time but then she lowered her gaze to the shot in her hand.

Ash was starting to feel like he was completely gone as he couldn't feel or sense anything. The alcohol had completely over taken his aura, suppressing it and he was beginning to feel the full effects of it. But he could tell that Liza was further gone than he was. He waited to see if Liza would puke or stop drinking to see if he would win automatically or if he had to take one more shot.

It took a few long and tense seconds before Liza finally willed herself to down the shot and slammed the small glass onto the table and looked up at Ash with a triumphant smirk. Ash looked at her with a stunned expression, not expecting that at all. Everyone was looking at Ash to see if he would match her or not. After a moment Ash copied her and took the shot too. Then, he gestured for Shauna to pour him another one. Liza stared at Ash as he had Shauna pour himself one more shot, gulped that down completely before placing his empty shot glass onto the circular table, stood up straight, crossed his arms and grinned at her.

Liza couldn't believe it. He had kept up with her and even took one more shot than her. Nobody had ever done that before. She reached for her shot glass, held it for Lizabeth to pour her next shot to match him. She looked at the filled shot glass and something happened that she never thought would happen to her. She couldn't take another shot. She placed the shot down and looked at her opponent.

"You win Ash," said Liza, somehow still able to speak properly but then she grew dizzy and stumbled back a bit. She was about to fall down but then Ash was able to move to her in time somehow and caught her before he lowered her onto the couch. "Thanks. Well, I'm a woman of her words. You won and I honor my bets. I gotta say this too though; you're the only one who's ever beaten me so take advantage kiddo at the fact that you own me for the next 24 hours. So…with that being said…what do you want me to do and what are you going to do to me?" she asked as she looked into his eyes, thinking of everything that he might do to her. She was kind of curious to know just exactly what was going to happen. She was never in a situation like this before. It scared and excited her since he was quite handsome, fit and had free reign to do anything he wanted to her and she had to do as he said.

"Nothing," replied Ash, which earned himself surprised looks from most, but not from his girlfriends. He even got a surprised "WHAT?!" from Brock and Gary since he would pass up such a golden opportunity to do anything with another girl with no strings attached. That outburst earned them strikes from their girlfriends again. Ilene elbowed Gary hard in the stomach and Lucy punched Brock in the nuts. Both of them winced in pain but Brock was the worst one off as he dropped to the floor holding his groin. All the guys made a mental note to not piss off Lucy after seeing that she wasn't hesitant to strike where it was only meant to be treated nicely. After shaking her head at the sight of Brock in agony, Liza looked at Ash.

"Riight…c'mon don't bullshit me. What do you want me to do? And I know you want to do some things to me as well and it's alright. A bet is a bet and I'm not one for getting out of it or not being mature enough to handle the outcome," replied Liza. "So what do you want?" she asked him.

"You want to know what I want?" he asked her as he grasped her hand and held it, making her go red as she waited for him to answer with waited breath and so did everyone else. "I want…for you to forget about the bet and enjoy your night."

Liza opened her mouth slightly but couldn't speak. Ash took this opportunity to let go of her hand and stand up, swaying a bit from the alcohol, before he found his footing. He then asked Richie to help him to get to the restroom as he had a major bathroom emergency. He would've asked Brock but he was busy nursing his ego and manhood right now. Richie finished laughing at Brock as he got up and helped Ash to the restroom so he could relieve himself. Several girls turned their heads at the sight of the shirtless handsome man make his way through the club along with some annoyed looks from several guys since their dates and target for the night had their attention on him.

"Did he…did he just do that?" asked Liza out loud to no one in particular but May answered her.

"Yes, he did Liza. He'll never take advantage of someone, even if able and even from winning a bet."

May's answer made many of the newer members of the group think about that and Liza watched Ash being helped to the bathroom since he couldn't walk straight with widened eyes. She couldn't believe that he did all that just for fun and basically nullified the bet after he won. She thought about him a bit more before realizing that she was wrong; Ash is a real man and more of a man than any and all other guys she met or knows about. She glanced at his four girlfriends and thought they were lucky for having a one of a kind guy like him. She then glanced at Cynthia, thinking she made a great choice choosing him over Lance and that she was lucky too for getting in the group. As she pondered about everything some more, Gary recovered and over saw the payout process for the ones who bet on Ash. Afterwards, when they started talking to one another, they didn't notice three new people trying to join them in the VIP area but were prevented from doing so by the security guard.

"Hey Lucy! A little help here please!"

Lucy turned her head to see Anabel being blocked by the security guard with Sarah and Leaf beside her. The three of them were dressed up, with Anabel wearing a light purple skirt and blouse, while Sarah was wearing a white skirt and pink blouse and Leaf was wearing a green sparkling dress that was in the same style as Dawn's. Lucy had told Anabel about the club idea so she could get ready to stun Ash before she left with Brock, not knowing Sarah had already told both her and Leaf. Sarah and Anabel dressed up, though modestly and had Leaf dress up more to make her stand out so she could try and attract Ash's attention enough to be able to get him to talk to her again. The Pike Queen got up to tell the security that they were with them, who took out his stamp.

"How did they know to come here?" asked Misty quietly to May, Dawn, Serena and Cynthia.

"Must have over heard or got it from the others. Lucy probably told Anabel," guessed Dawn.

"Just keep cool for now. No need to start something here," advised Serena.

"Alright. But if Leaf does something or Ash doesn't want her here, then she's gone," said May and the four girls agreed.

Cynthia heard the four but didn't get involved. She didn't know the full details yet other than Leaf betrayed Ash. She was furious at the brunette but decided it would be better if she didn't take part in it just yet as her being with Ash was still relatively unknown. Lucy returned with Anabel, Sarah and Leaf who greeted everyone before introducing themselves to the newer people in the group. Afterwards they sat down opposite the five girls who were doing their absolute best to not show any emotion towards Leaf.

"Nice of you to join us. Why are you so late?" asked Ilene to the three.

"Oh, we took a little long in getting ready and had some direction problems before Anabel was able to get us in," chuckled Sarah and Ilene understood.

"Alright then. So you three ready to play catch up?" asked Shauna as she opened a new bottle and poured some shots for the three who thanked her and reached for their shots.

"Cheers!" said the three together before taking their shots and setting down the empty glasses and Shauna refilled them. They each took the second down immediately but then let the third sit for a bit as they conversed with the others. Everything went surprisingly smoothly. Anabel, Sarah and Leaf were able to converse with most in the group without problems, even keeping things civil between Misty, May, Dawn and Serena whenever they had to talk to each other. That is, until Ash and Richie returned laughing loudly and heartily.

The raven haired guardian stopped abruptly in mid laugh from Richie's joke once he noticed the three new arrivals who were sitting amongst them. He noticed how great Sarah and Anabel looked. He then noticed how stunning Leaf looked too, momentarily forgetting what she did. But then he remembered what she did to him and he couldn't push past it at the moment. The three girls were wide eyed and blushing furiously at the sight of him without his shirt on.

"Oh, hey there Sarah, Anabel. How are you two doing? You two look great and I'm glad you came to join us," he told the two as he put on his black shirt, completely ignoring Leaf, which everyone caught. Leaf had a very hurt look appear on her face that everyone noticed while the other two had guilty looks that he had addressed them but not Leaf.

"Yea, it took us a while to find the place," repeated Sarah as she glanced at Leaf and then at Ash again.

"It's a very nice place," commented Anabel as she looked around. "Have you guys been having fun? And um, did you miss something Ash?" asked the Salon Maiden, trying to keep the mood light as she tried to make him notice Leaf.

"Yeah we've been having a blast here and I don't think I have missed anything…Anyways, things like this are always better when experienced with people you can trust and want to be around you," remarked Ash. Nobody missed the way he said that last sentence or the way he looked at Leaf when he said that. Something had happened between the two and the ones who didn't know what had a feeling it was something bad. Sabrina instantly remembered Ash asking her about if she would forgive someone who betrayed her and explained to her what happened. After seeing how he was being so cold to her, she realized that Leaf must have been the one he was talking about.

"Ah Ash, is everything alright?" asked Lizabeth, worried because he just did a complete one eighty in behavior as he became so cold all of a sudden. Many of them, including Pikachu were looking at him with concerned looks as well.

"Of course Lizabeth. I was just saying it's good to have fun with true friends like all of you and also Sarah and Anabel who just joined us," he said, completely ignoring Leaf again.

"I said I was sorry!" burst out Leaf as she stood up angrily, getting everyone's attention. "You don't have to act like I'm not here Ash!"

"And why shouldn't I Leaf?!" shot back Ash. "Why should I care if you're here or not? You don't seem to care about anyone but yourself so why should I care about you?!" Everyone was startled at what Ash just said. He had never said anything of the sort to anyone before. Frankly, it unsettled them.

"You don't mean that…and that's not true about me and you know it Ash," replied back Leaf quietly but her eyes began to water, hurt at what he said.

"I find that hard to believe Leaf. I'm trying to have some fun here so why don't you go find some other sucker for you to seduce and to take advantage of," said Ash as he sat back down onto the couch between the girls who had neutral looks on their faces but the rest were astonished at what he just said.

Leaf looked at Ash with a broken hearted expression for a moment, then turned around and left the VIP area. When Sarah and Anabel tried to follow her, she tearfully shouted at them to leave her alone and that she doesn't need their pity. The two girls watched their friend quickly move through the crowded dance floor and go to the ladies bathroom. The two then turned to face Ash, angry at what he just did.

"That wasn't nice Ash. I think you went too far. You should apologize," said Anabel.

"What happened to the sweet and caring guy I first met? Was that all just a play?" asked Sarah.

"Don't give me that bullshit," snapped Ash, his angry tone startling everyone. "When you've been made a fool of, been taken advantage of and betrayed by the same person when you've done everything you can for them from the moment you became friends, then come talk to me and tell me what you would do. Until then, don't even pretend to think that you know what happened and what I'm going through." Anabel and Sarah went quiet at that and didn't know how to respond. The others were looking at him with surprised and worried eyes. Aside from a handful, nobody knew what occurred between the two. They couldn't even begin to understand just how much he was hurting from her treachery even if they did. He couldn't stand their attention on him anymore. "I'm going to the bar. Alone," he told them as he got up and left the area with them watching him go.

"What the hell happened?!" asked Shauna, breaking the silence as she looked around at everyone.

"It's a long story," sighed Anabel.

"It's not like we're doing anything else right now so explain," said Joy.

Sarah and Anabel looked at each other before the blonde girl started telling them what happened from the very beginning. From her hospital confession and kiss while he slept, how they found out, what they all found out about Ash through his memories and worst fear, when Leaf told Ash, the aftermath with him leaving and the girls' reactions and how they came to be here. "And that's pretty much the whole story," said Anabel when Sarah finished. "We've been trying to figure out a way for Leaf to get back onto Ash's good side. We thought showing up here with Leaf all dressed up might make him open a bit for her to apologize and so they could talk…"

"Good luck with that. Ash is pissed beyond measure and for good reason too," commented Cynthia and the two girls sighed.

"How could Leaf do that to him?! What a bitch!" growled Giselle.

"Who are you?! You don't even know her and you can't call her that!" shot Sarah as she defended her friend.

"I'm Giselle Yuto and why not? She did something that she shouldn't have, knowing that it was wrong! And why are you defending her?!" replied back Giselle instantly.

"Because she's our friend and she made a mistake and she knows it now and she's trying to fix it," said Anabel calmly.

"Well…this is pretty sad. But when the heart gets involved, people do crazy things without thinking," said Lily after a moment of silence.

"You can't seriously be on her side Lily?!" Misty asked her sister in disbelief.

"I'm not on her side. I'm just saying try to see it from her point of view," explained Lily.

"Really? And how would that help and why should we?" asked Misty. "She took advantage of Ash, broke his trust, our trust, going behind our backs and we should still give her a chance to explain or try to see things from her perspective? Are you kidding me Lil?! If someone did that to Cress behind your back, how would you feel?" That shut up Lily instantly as she didn't know what to think as she glanced at Cress who didn't have an answer either. "That's what I thought!"

"Look Misty," started Violet as she took up Lily's point. "May, Dawn and Serena too. You have a point as we may never go through something like this. But think about everything you four have with Ash and how nothing will separate you from each other. Now think about Leaf, who has fallen in love with him from the outside and wants in but doesn't know how to express her desire as she fears your wrath, your ridicule and losing him and you as friends forever." She glanced at Anabel and Sarah. "And you said that she confessed when he was recovering when he was at the hospital?" The two girls confirmed that. Violet looked back at her sister. "Maybe she thought she wouldn't have another chance as she feared him dying. There could be a million reasons as to why she did that and all of them could be horrible reasons, but she still had her reasons. You should allow her to explain properly and if it's good enough, if she genuinely feels sorry about it, give her a chance to redeem herself. I'm not saying to let her into the group or anything like that, but you can forgive her at least if she earns it." Violet's explanation made Misty, Dawn, Serena and May think heavily for a few minutes. Even Cynthia thought about what the Sensational Sister said. They thought about Leaf's situation, what they spoke with Ash about their situation and much more. They then glanced at each other and knowing what the other was thinking, they stood up and went towards Ash at the bar but Cynthia remained behind, even when Dawn covertly gestured for her to join them. The Sinnoh Champion didn't think it was the right time yet to get involved, especially in such a bad time, even though she wanted to.

"This is so fucked up," remarked Liza as she rested her head into her hands. "First I lose at the only thing I've always won before and now this. What a way to end the night."

"It's not over yet Liza," replied back Clair with a small smile as she rubbed her friends back. "Hopefully things will get better." She noticed her not looking so good. "You feeling alright? Gonna puke?"

"No, I'll be fi-UGGHH! On second thought, help me to the bathroom please," pleaded Liza after retching a bit but held it back. Clair helped her get to the girls' restroom. The others turned their attention to the five at the bar.

Ash had requested for another bottle from another bartender who was covering for the blunettes and was drinking from the bottle itself. He had drunk about a fifth of it already by the time the girls gathered around him. They looked at him with saddened expressions for a moment before he spoke. "I'm sorry for ruining the night for us," apologized Ash as he looked at them. Even though he drank a lot, his eyes hadn't lost their signature look, filled with emotion. "I don't know what to do," he admitted.

"Let her explain Ash," said Misty and Ash's eyes widened.

"What?! Why?! I'm furious for what she did! She betrayed not only me, but you as well! So how are you not angry?!" he asked her.

"We are Ash," stated Serena.

"But we kind of get as to why she did that now," remarked Dawn.

"So even though she did that, you should give her a chance to explain," finished May and Ash sighed.

"You really think I should give her another chance? This is the second time she's betrayed me and she betrayed you too," he asked them.

"That's true. But she's also your childhood friend and someone you care about Ash, someone you have feelings for. If you can give ruthless bad guys a second chance, then your friends should be given more chances than them," said Serena. That made Ash realize something and he put his head in his hands, letting out a long sigh before looking at his girlfriends again.

"You're right. You're all right. I've been acting like an idiot. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let this blow out of proportion and I should've controlled my emotions and reactions better," he told them.

"It's alright Ash. C'mon, let's go find Leaf and get this straightened out," said May. Ash got up and went to the VIP area with the four girls and apologized to the others for his actions and ruining the night for them. They quickly told him to forget about it, that the night was still young. When he asked them if they've seen where Leaf was, they shrugged. He was about to go looking for her when Sabrina tapped his shoulder, making him turn around to face her.

"Hey. You okay Sabrina?"

"Yea. It's just…I know where Leaf is."

"Ok. So where is she?" He asked her and Sabrina hesitated before answering him.

"On the dance floor…with…another guy."

"WHAT?!" Ash whirled around and looked at the packed dance floor. After searching for a bit, he found Leaf. She was dancing with a tall blue haired guy and they were dangerously close to one another with her arms around his neck and his hands were resting on her waist, barely above her ass. He felt like someone just stabbed him in the heart. His eyes narrowed and he let out a deep growl. Pikachu and the others became very worried at that point. They were about to stop him to try and calm him down but missed their chance as Ash had moved so quickly they didn't even have time to react. Pikachu scrambled up onto May's shoulders so he can see better.

"This isn't going to be good," commented Iris, seeing the way Ash was barreling through everyone without care towards the dancing couple.

"I'm sensing some really awful vibes and this is going to leave a very bad taste," added Cilan. They watched Ash make his way through the crowded dance floor before reaching Leaf and her dance partner. He grabbed the guy from the shoulder and pulled him away from Leaf, almost tossing him aside. Both the brunette and his friends were shocked at what he just did but Leaf didn't show it.

"What are you doing Leaf?!" he asked her, barely controlling his rage.

"What does it look like? I'm dancing," she replied back calmly.

"No you're not. Is this how you try to get back at me? Haven't you done enough?"

"What, you care now? I thought you don't care what I do. So why are you here?"

"Hey jackass! I was dancing with her first!" said the blue haired guy suddenly and pushed Ash from behind but he was able to keep from falling down as he balanced himself out after a few steps. His friends saw the altercation, making Brock, who had recovered by now and Richie go down to back up Ash if needed while the others stayed in the VIP area. They didn't feel the need for them to all go and there was hardly any space there to begin with. Plus, they knew Ash could probably kick the guy's ass even when he was drunk but maybe it would be better that he didn't do that in his current state. Ash spun around and locked eyes with the other guy.

"Fuck off asshole! This doesn't concern you!" shot Ash, startling everyone with his choice of words.

"It does concern me when a punk like you tries to take this gorgeous girl off my hands! Nobody messes with Damien Daisuke!" Ash's eyes widened before he started growling loudly as he remembered who the guy was. Images of his Charizard when he used to be a Charmander, trying to survive in the rain against wild pokémon attacks while on top of a large boulder flashed across his mind's eye. Damien took a step back in slight fear as this random person he didn't know was growling at him. Ash turned to face Leaf who had a confused look on her face.

"HIM?! REALLY?! You're trying to get back at me, to make me jealous by dancing with one of the world's biggest douche bags?! Do you even know who this guy is and what he's done?" he asked Leaf and the guy yelled at him but he completely ignored him. Damien was about to hit Ash when Leaf stepped between them and told him to calm down as she would handle it. Damien huffed but did nothing as Leaf turned to Ash.

"No and that doesn't matter right now since he's being nice to me unlike you! You've been nothing but horrible to me!" shouted Leaf angrily.

"Nothing but horrible to you?" repeated Ash, not believing she just said that, blinking a few times in surprise. "Nothing but HORRIBLE? I'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT HORRIBLE TO YOU?!" He yelled so loudly that it was somehow heard over the loud beat and the DJ stopped the music abruptly, making the club go into an eerie silence.

Absolutely everyone was looking at Ash and Leaf now. Leaf glanced around and saw everyone's attention was on them and she felt embarrassed but when she looked back at Ash, she saw that he was only looking at her but differently. It wasn't the cold gaze anymore. It wasn't an angry look either. It was much worse. His eyes were filled with hurt, sadness and disbelief. Her anger and embarrassment was quickly replaced with guilt and shame.

"Ash, I…" started Leaf but Ash raised his hand to silence her.

"Stop. Just don't Leaf. I came looking for you to apologize for my behavior and to give you a chance to explain why you did what you did, to sort this out and maybe move forward…but instead you were too busy trying to make me jealous, to hurt me more…and you succeeded. I hope you're happy. We're done. After everything we've been through together recently…and in the past…you have…the fucking nerve…to say that I've been NOTHING…but HORRIBLE to you…that I'm nothing…but…horrible…to you..." Ash said nothing more as he looked at Leaf for a moment with sullen eyes that seemed to bore straight into Leaf's soul before he turned around and left the dance area with everyone looking at him. Countless eyes watched him walk up to the bar, grab the open bottle that he was drinking from earlier on the counter, moved to the club's entrance, opened the door and disappeared.