Realisations 2...
Chapter 42.5 - Realisations 2...
"All clear!" Steven had come back out of the cabin and told the three waiting outside that they can go inside if they wanted to but not to touch anything. The three were watching the cleanup crew, who were wearing biohazard suites, do their job as they waited. The crew would take a picture of each of the lifeless bodies of the way they rested and then carried them to the large biohazard trucks they came in and placed them in the back of them. Jenny, Britney and Richard turned around when they heard Steven and headed inside the cabin. "There's mangled body of one of the Skull Brothers inside with his head smashed in but other than that, there's nothing to be disgusted about. Just don't look if you have a weak stomach. Careful now," said Steven as he assisted Britney over the broken down front porch. Richard shifted in his spot again but said nothing.
"Thank you Mr. Stone," replied Britney with a smile.
"You're welcome. And just call me Steven." The two led Richard and Jenny inside the cabin. Jenny asked him if they found anything that could help them find out who the Skull Brothers were working for while Richard was recording as he followed behind them, videoing them and the place. "Unfortunately, no. All of their gear or belongings have no way of being traceable. No serial numbers on their weapons, the lock boxes or anything. They had no personal items either." The Champion of Hoenn led them towards the hall way and stopped near the basement door and stairway that led upstairs.
"Why'd you stop?" asked Jenny.
Steven sighed a bit. "We found some things. In the basement, we found dried blood and torn clothes. In the upstairs bedrooms, we found both of them to have ropes tied to the bed posts, with one of the rooms having torn clothes as well," he said and the other three gasped.
"What kind of disgusting animals were they?!" shot Britney, unable to control herself and at that moment, the basement door opened and Alder appeared. He took a couple steps forward, not noticing them, placing a small item into a large clear zip lock bag. He took off his rubber gloves and placed them into his pants pocket.
Steven moved to his fellow champion. "You found something?" asked Steven. Jenny, Britney and Richard followed from behind.
"Yes," said Alder after a moment, raising his head and realizing he wasn't alone. "I found a smart phone in the basement in one of the shelves. It's been slightly damaged and there were some interesting things in it. Very few contact numbers, some notes on trivial matters. But there are some pictures and two videos on it. The images are a little blurry and the video has choppy sound. But you could still make some of it out. And some of it is very disturbing to say the least."
"Disturbing?" repeated Steven and Alder gave him a significant look, one that he got to mean that they'll talk later without the press there. "Alright. Where are Diantha and Lance?" he asked changing the subject. Alder was about to say that they went upstairs when footsteps were heard coming down. "Find anything up there?" asked the silver haired Champion, turning towards the stairs to see the two he mentioned.
"Nothing that can tell us anything about the Skull Brothers beside the little we know of them or who they were working for," said Diantha and Lance said the same. Diantha turned to the other three. "We haven't found any hidden dangers. Britney and Richard; you are free to look around and record but please don't touch anything. Officer Jenny; please have the crime unit come and do a full sweep here," she requested and the three nodded. The two news workers moved to the basement as Jenny called the crime scene unit.
"Lance, I found something but we should wait until we're back at headquarters to talk about it," said Alder and Lance did not object.
Lance sighed, running a hand through his spiky red hair. "It's going to be a long night." Alder, Steven and Diantha nodded, agreeing with him. They decided to take one last look around the place before the crime scene unit came, in case they missed anything. They each searched in a place they haven't yet while Jenny went back outside to wait for the CSU while the news duo were recording around the cabin.
A raven haired young man was walking down a very bright road, alone and confused. He had no idea how he got there or where he was going. But his gut was telling him to keep going, to not stop. He walked on and on for what seemed like hours. Right when he began to feel like he was too tired to continue, something caught his eye in the distance. He couldn't make it out but kept continuing forward, increasing his pace. He was beginning to make out a shape but couldn't tell what exactly. That should have worried him but for some strange reason, it didn't. The closer he got to it, the safer and more comfortable he became. He was just about able to make out what the shape was when a bright white light erupted from it that blinded him. He raised his hands to shield his eyes and waited for the light to dim down but it never did.
"Guardian…" The voice that said the word was so soft, so soothing, so angel like that for a second he thought he imagined it. "Guardian…" Hearing it again made him realize that he wasn't imagining things and the voice was coming from the bright being.
"Who are you?" asked Ash, his eyes still shut and his arms covering his face.
"Guardian…"
"What do you want from me?"
"Guardian…"
"Where am I?"
"Guardian…"
"WHAT DAMN IT?!" shouted Ash, losing his patience and becoming angry. The bright light vanished and the voice stopped repeating the word. The young man gulped, knowing he crossed some unknown line that he shouldn't have. He slowly lowered his arms and cracked open his eyes. He couldn't make out anything so he opened them fully and looked around. The road had become dark and the outlined being was gone. Ash looked around frantically and didn't know what to do. He felt something behind him and turned around and he saw…nothing. He shook his head, trying to clear the doubt in his mind and turned back to face forward.
He took a few steps in front of him when he heard it again. "Guardian…you will have to make a choice soon." It was the same voice that spoke before but it seemed like it was coming from everywhere. The young man snapped his gaze all over the place, trying to find the source. "Guardian…you will have to make a choice soon."
"I heard you the first time!" shouted Ash, looking around, moving forward and picking up his pace.
"Your choice…" Ash began running. "Your choice…" His heart was beating like mad and it had nothing to do with him running. "Your choice…" Ash saw a large structure in the distance and sprinted towards it. "Your choice…"
"ENOUGH!" yelled Ash, getting closer to the structure. He saw it was a pyramid like building with steps made into it that ran all the way to the top. He climbed the steps and when he reached the top, he saw two large golden mirrors. He slowed down to a jog before stopping in front of them, panting. Both mirrors were exactly the same in every aspect, from size, to shape, to design and everything else. He was marveled by how well made they were. The voice spoke again.
"Your loved ones…" The left mirror began glowing before it faded away and revealed an image. Ash peered into it. The picture showed him with everyone he loves and cares about gathered around him at his home in Pallet Town. His friends and mother, his pokémon and his girlfriends were all around him, every one of them smiling or laughing along with some other people in the background that he couldn't make out. Some of them looked familiar while others weren't. "Everyone else…" The right mirror glowed before an image showed on that one. Ash moved towards it and peered inside. He saw many different people who he didn't know. He saw young couples holding hands walking down the sidewalk, families with young children playing in the playground, elder people sitting on a bench and several small and cute baby pokémon playing with one another in the grass. "Your choice…" The voice repeated.
"I don't understand. What do you mean by my choice?" asked Ash, alternating his gaze on the two images.
"Your choice…" replied the soft voice.
"That doesn't help!"
"Can't save everyone...must choose…"
"I will save them all!" countered Ash.
"Impossible. You must choose."
"Nothing's impossible! I can do it!"
"You…MUST…choose!"
"I WILL NOT!"
"THEN YOU DOOM THEM ALL!" shouted the soft voice and a bright light erupted from in front of him, engulfing him. That was all he saw for a split second before he blacked out.
A raven haired young man's eyes snapped open and all he saw was darkness. He closed his eyes and opened them again several times and each time his vision became a little better. After doing that, he could see a faint outline of some lamps. He furrowed his brow, confused for a second, until he realized he was looking up at a ceiling. When he made to move his limbs, he found that there was weight on him. He looked down. He could make out a few outlines but couldn't really tell what was putting pressure on him. His pupils turned slightly blue as he used his Aura Vision and that's when he realized what the shapes were. It was Leaf and May. They were sleeping on the bed with him, their auras lighting up the dark room, heads resting on his chest, hugging his arms and their legs were on top of his lower body. He smiled at the sight of the two. He was very glad he wasn't alone. He turned his head a bit to the side and saw the digital clock on the night stand that said 245am. He gazed back at the brunettes on top of him. He could feel their curvy bodies on his and it heated him up but he controlled it. He then felt another sensation that made him widen his eyes.
Shit! I gotta go!
He slowly pulled his arms out of the girls bear hugs, rubbing against both of their chests in the process, making the girls let out slight moans in response. He froze and felt his heart beat madly. He waited a few seconds and seeing them still fast asleep, he continued. He was able to get his arms free with them still asleep. He tenderly lifted Leaf off of him and onto the bed and did the same to May. He shimmied down the bed and the moment his feet hit the floor, he silently bolted to the bathroom to relieve himself. "Ahh…man that feels good…" he sighed. He washed up afterwards and looked into the mirror while drying his hands. The images he saw in his dream flashed across his mind's eye and he stopped.
Your choice…you must choose…
He shook his head and put the towel back. He turned off the bathroom light and exited, closing the door behind him softly to not make noise and turned around. Before he knew what was happening, a set of lips was on his. Getting caught up in the moment, Ash returned the kiss. A little bit later, with him knowing who the kisser was from the beginning, the two separated and he looked into the blue eyes of the Hoenn native. "Hey. You feeling better?" she whispered.
"Much," he answered, before pulling her into a hug. He held onto her until he sensed something move towards them.
Ash let go of May only for him to end up in a bear hug by Leaf. "ASH! I'm so happy you're alright!" she said as she buried her face into his chest. Ash was about to comment when Leaf continued, preventing him from speaking. "You said we'll talk after but I need you to know this first; I'm sorry for everything! Absolutely everything! Please forgive me! Please give me a chance as I'll do anything! Anything you want me to do, I'll do it to earn your love back! Just don't give up on me! I've done wrong, I know! I messed up many times! But I promise you, if you give me a chance to prove myself to you, I won't let you down and I'll do whatever it takes. You are the best thing in my life. You mean everything to me. I cannot lose you because…I love you Ash," she finished up with some silent tears going down her cheeks. Ash was quiet, listening to her words while reciprocating the hug. When he caught May's concerned gaze on him, he smiled at her to show things are alright and she got it as one spread on her face too. Leaf calmed down after a moment of just being in the embrace but didn't move or make a sound.
"Leaf Green…" She slowly raised her green eyes to lock with Ash's brown eyes. He gently wiped away the tear streaks from her face. She felt her heart race with her loving his tender touch on her. "My childhood friend…my childhood crush…" Leaf blushed but maintained her gaze. "I should be the one who is asking for your forgiveness. All the things I said to you, the way I behaved towards you, I apologize with all my heart. I never should have done that and I never should have allowed myself to act like that towards you. I hope you can one day forgive me for it. And don't even worry about what happened as I forgive you but if you don't forgive me, I understand. I'll do anything to make it up to you. But I only ask this one thing from you; please apologize to the girls. And as much as I would want things to work out between us if you do forgive me, they need to forgive you first before anything else happens."
"Ash, we already forgave her and we already talked to her about everything. We're all good with her and she is with us," informed May.
"Well, thanks for keeping me updated," deadpanned Ash and the two brunettes giggled a bit before calming down.
Leaf looked into his eyes. "I do forgive you Ash. I don't blame you for getting angry. I just hope you can move past it and love me as much as you love them," she requested. Ash smiled at her.
"I promise Leaf to treat you the same as I do to them because…I do love you. With all my heart Leaf." Leaf let out a happy sound and she hugged him tightly as she buried her face into his firm chest once more, letting out joyful tears and May was smiling at the two. She loved happy events as it made her all joyful inside. "With me, there is no measure when it comes to me loving you so you shouldn't worry about if it's less or more. And you said you'll do anything?"
"Anything." Leaf responded immediately, raising her head and giving him a fierce look that said she wasn't kidding.
"Okay. Then can you please wait until after May's date? And then we'll tell everyone, alright?"
"It's a deal Ashy. But…can I have one small thing until then?" she asked and he nodded with a smile, responding with anything. Leaf leaned in and placed her lips onto his and he returned the kiss passionately, running his hand through her long hair and the other was on her cheek while Leaf's hands were cupping his face. The kiss sent a jolt through them both and soon after they separated. She looked breathless and Ash was a bit dazed.
A giggle made them both turn to look at May who went red. "Sorry. It's just the looks on your faces was too funny," commented May, now making Leaf and Ash go red though they smiled a bit. Leaf withdrew from Ash and then walked over to May. "Leaf what…"
"Quiet!" snapped Leaf and both May and Ash were startled by her sudden remark. The green eyed brunette grasped the blue eyed brunette's hand and then led her to the brown eyed raven haired guardian before pushing her onto him, who caught her in his embrace. "Enjoy your time alone together you two," she said, grinning at them who returned the smile, understanding what she was doing. Leaf turned to the door, talking as she walked. "Now don't be up too late you two as I'll still wake you up early. Oh and Ashy…" She turned her head to look at him with her back still to the two. "We may both be brunettes, but don't be thinking about me when you're with May now." She gave a playful smirk and wink before exiting the room, leaving behind a chuckling Ash and a slightly annoyed May.
"Ouch!" yelped Ash all of a sudden.
May had punched his shoulder. "Even though we're alright with it, you better not be thinking of her when you're with me!" she said, her eyes blazing. Ash looked her in the eyes with his caring and warm brown eyes and May felt her anger and annoyance melt away. She hugged him immediately. "I'm sorry Ash…I just…I've been waiting so long to be with you…I don't want you thinking of anyone else but me right now…I know it's selfish but I…" May was interrupted when Ash gently raised her head by her chin and kissed her. She felt her body temperature shoot up and her heart beat madly, feeling one of his hands rub her back while the other went up and down her side. Ash felt himself become enflamed and soon he inserted his tongue into her mouth and May reciprocated. They kissed for quite a while until they stopped and both were looking into each other's eyes.
"No need to worry May," said Ash softly as the two looked into one another's eyes. "I'll never do that. And how could I?" he asked rhetorically and May let a radiant smile form on her face. "There's the smile I know and love." Her smile grew and she kissed him again, making them go out it again until they separated a few minutes later. Ash was smiling at the beautiful brunette in his arms and May was feeling happier than she ever did in his embrace.
She suddenly remembered something and her eyes widened, taking a step back and looked at him with his attention on her. "Ash, there's some stuff you need to know about that happened after you knocked out..." She explained what happened afterwards. The healing, how the girls forgave Leaf and they were on the same page, the others leaving, about Lucario and Gardevoir and finally about Sarah and Anabel knowing about the shield event, his feelings and so does Cynthia and Leaf. "I thought you should know so there aren't any surprises."
He nodded at her after a moment's pause with a smile. "Thanks for letting me know what happened." She smiled and replied back saying it was no problem. "May…I'm gonna go get some water and then I'll be back. Do you want some?" he asked her and she said she would. Ash left the room with a blanket. He went to the balcony, found Gardevoir and Lucario fast asleep, snuggled together and covered them with it. He then went to the kitchen. He didn't run into anyone since it was late at night until he stepped into the kitchen and saw that his mother was still up. She looked to be a little tired. "Mom?"
Delia turned around at once from the sound of his voice. "ASH!" She hugged her son and he felt like he was going to be snapped in two. "I'm so happy to see you up on your feet again!" She let him go finally after he tried to get some words out but was only able to mumble. "Sorry."
"It's alright. But what's up Mom? Why are you still awake?" he asked her, getting two bottles of water from the fridge after he stretched his back from her tight hug. She just shook her head saying it can wait till morning. "C'mon Mom, you can tell me."
Delia looked at Ash for a moment before sighing and began speaking. "Well, it's about the girls' parents…" She explained everything to him and Ash understood. "I just want you to know. They're happy and content with everything but they were at first hesitant about Leaf until I explained some things to them. They're okay with it and won't get involved as long as the girls are happy. I know you'll do everything you can to make sure they are happy and safe but if you need anything, just let me know. It's okay to ask for help, especially from your mother and especially when it comes to six girlfriends. Okay sweetie?"
Ash nodded and hugged his Mom. "Thanks Mom. I will never make any of them sad ever again or allow anyone to hurt them either. I can't and won't let it happen. I promise." He hugged her tightly and she returned it. He then withdrew quickly and gave his mom a stunned look. "Wait, what do you mean by 'six' girls?!" he asked her and his mom laughed.
"Well, Leaf is a given. And the others might have missed it, but you can't hide anything from me. I know Cynthia likes you and you like her too," she answered and Ash's jaw dropped. He was about to ask her how but then she raised her hand. "After you came inside from talking to her in the hallway and said your reason why, the girls backed you up instantly. That was a red flag and then when she came to spend the night here? And how worried she was after you showed your memories? C'mon, you can't fool me sweetie."
Ash shook his head while chuckling. "Should've known. I'm sorry Mom. But you should know about something." His mom tilted her head, giving an intrigued look. He sighed before speaking again. "It's actually eight," he said quietly.
Delia's eyes widened and she gasped. "Eight girlfriends?!" she repeated back in a whisper. She knew better than to yell it out. "How? When? Who?"
"I'll explain everything later Mom. I promise. I will say that the other two are Sarah and Anabel though." Delia nodded and also thought that they two weren't bad girls. They were beautiful and also behaved properly. But she also thought how could she have missed it? "I just…didn't want to make a scene. And I just found out about that recently. The girls know about it of course and I don't want all the extra attention it would bring," he admitted.
Delia cleared her head from her thoughts. "I understand but you can tell me okay? And tell the girls they can be open with me as well. Just don't try to hide things from me anymore. That's all I ask. Alright?" she requested and Ash agreed. He again promised that he'll explain everything to her later since he was tired right now. He said goodnight to his mom, grabbed the two water bottles and began heading out of the kitchen. "Oh and one more thing I need to tell you." Ash stopped and turned around to face his mom. "Natasha isn't doing well. We need to have her go to the hospital but she won't go. And she's very afraid of everyone, barely allowing us to clean her up a bit and make her wear some clothes. Her nose and eye should be checked and her bruises too. She may have bones broken or fractured or even internal bleeding. She's been crying nonstop, hasn't slept properly and she's still awake." Ash sighed heavily, commenting that he could heal her but not yet. He may be back on his feet and had some use of his aura, but he was nowhere strong enough to heal someone right now who was heavily injured. And he doubted Natasha would allow Lucario to heal her either even if said pokémon wasn't resting himself after healing him. "I see. Well, she only relaxes for a moment when I mention your name. You think you can give her some of that Ketchum charm to help her relax and understand that we're here to help and that she needs to go to the hospital?" requested Delia.
"Really? Why's that?" he said confused. His mom gave him a look of disbelief before connecting the dots for him. "Oh…I didn't realize that could happen but that makes sense. Okay Mom. I'll give it a shot."
"Thanks sweetie. And it's alright. You help people without expecting anything in return, which is why you probably miss these kinds of things sometimes. You think you can go talk to her now since she's probably still up? I just checked on her a little while ago."
"Yeah, I haven't really been noticing it in the past but I'm starting to now, like Leaf, Sarah, Anabel and Cynthia but I still miss it sometimes. I guess but I have to...AH SHIT! May's been waiting for me," exclaimed Ash, looking at the two water bottles in his hand before dashing to his room. Delia stayed behind, waiting patiently with a smile, knowing he'll come back. She occupied her thoughts while waiting with the possibilities the future may hold for them all.
Ash entered his room and began uttering out an apology. "May, I'm so sorry for taking so long!" He looked around and saw no one in the room and the bathroom door was open with no light on. "May?" A pair of hands covered his eyes from behind.
"Guess who?" asked a soft voice in his ear, making him gulp and his heart to beat faster.
"Hmmm…beautiful voice…soft hands…great rack pressed against my back…" That last comment earned him a knee to his leg but she didn't stop pressing against him. He winced but continued. "Short temper if you know how to push her buttons…" A growl was made into his ear. "Can make very cute growls that make you want to just kiss her nonstop…" The growl turned into a purr in his ear. "And when she purrs, you just want to keep making her purr so you never stop hearing it." The purr turned into a slight moan. "And the slightest moan from her can turn you on and make you want to just be with her all night. Has to be the Princess of Hoenn; May Maple." The soft hands were lowered and then Ash was made to turn around and felt a pair of lips smash onto his. Their kiss erupted with passion, the water bottles dropping to the floor as Ash moved his hands down her body, making May shiver in delight before he rested them against her round butt. He squeezed them, making her moan again before picking her up from her ass, causing her to squeal into his mouth. They continued their kiss for a bit until they stopped, their faces barely an inch apart. "I love you May."
May's lips curled up into a smile before she spoke. "I love you Ash." She leaned in slowly and gave him a simple kiss filled with all her feelings for him. When they withdrew again, he looked into her sparkling blue eyes to have her see how much he cares for her. He lowered her back down. She smiled again before hugging him and resting her head against his chest.
"I'm sorry I took a while. My Mom was in the kitchen and we ended up talking a bit."
"So that's why. I was starting to wonder what happened to you. But it's alright. Just try not to have that happen again without at least giving me an update," she joked.
"I'll try." They chuckled a bit. "May, there's also one more thing…"
He explained to her what he and his mom talked about them, the girls and how Natasha needed some help. When he finished May looked up at him with sadness in her eyes. She never liked seeing anyone being hurt or sad. "Understandable about our parents but we'll deal with that if need be. About Natasha, that's depressing. It's going to take a while for her to open up to us. I understand her though. I would probably feel the same way in her shoes," she said and Ash nodded solemnly. "Go. Go and convince her to go to the hospital tomorrow and see if you can make her sleep too. I understand if it takes a while. I'll be right here waiting for you. I can't be childish about this. She's hurt, frightened and traumatized. That's more important than cuddling up next to you, no matter how much I want it," she said, her voice completely serious and with no trace of hesitation.
Ash gave her a respectful and admiring look. "You truly are one of a kind May and when you get an idea in your head, you don't let anyone stand in your way. That and your motherly personality are two of the many things I love about you. You are my Passionate Princess," he told her and May gasped at his pet name for her. She kissed him lovingly.
"Thank you my Knight. Now go and take care of Natasha. And come back as soon as you can," she told him and he nodded, saying he'll come back for sure to spend the night with his princess. May gave a radiant smile again that made Ash's heart skip a beat before he left the room. He went back to his mother who was waiting for him in the kitchen still, slightly out of it. "Sorry Mom. Had to explain to May."
Delia shook out of her imagination of all the possible grandchildren she could have if everything went well in the future. "No problem sweetie. Anyway, c'mon. Let's take care of things," she said and he nodded. Delia led the way and Ash followed his Mom to where Natasha was. She made him wait outside the room until she called for him, saying she wanted to check something first. She stepped inside and found the red head still awake like last time she checked. "Hey Natasha, how are you doing?" she asked but she didn't get a reply back except for a tired and fearful look plastered all over a tear streaked face. "Are you feeling any differently? Any new pain?" she asked, choosing to not 'see' the tears as she thought it may embarrass her or make her cry again but again no answer. Delia sat down on the edge of the bed but yet again Natasha didn't react. Her good eye, which was bloodshot from all her crying, was open part way and it was filled with fear and pain. "It's okay sweetie. You can tell me. I want to help." All she got was a slight shake of the head. Delia sighed but let a small smile form on her that made Natasha become both confused but also became more afraid, with the latter showing on her face. "Oh no, don't be scared. I'm smiling because I have a surprise for you." She kept her gaze on the red head, trying to see if her expression will change after what she says next. "Come in please!" she said.
The room door opened and Natasha moved her gaze to it and Delia witnessed the sudden transformation in her. The fear in her eye was instantly replaced with security and her body visibly relaxed. She could see the way the traumatized girl was looking at her son; a look of admiration, respect, gratitude and something else that she couldn't quite put a word on. She didn't think it was love because she could usually see that a mile away if she looked for it. But then again, she missed it with Sarah and Anabel. That made her wonder suddenly if she may have missed it with anyone else? She focused back at what was happening in front of her. Natasha's gaze was close to it but what was the word for it? She also noticed how he was able to calm her just be being in the same room with her. She smiled in remembering how the other parents were right about her becoming smitten with Ash. Was that it? Was that the word? Maybe. When he came up to the bed, Delia got up to make room for Ash and he sat down beside her. She then said goodnight to them both before leaving them alone.
Before the kind mother entered her room again, Natasha was crying a bit. She had fallen asleep for a few minutes and had woken up abruptly after seeing another nightmare. She couldn't stop seeing the Skull Brothers in her head and couldn't stop hearing their horrible voices either. Please Arceus! Make them stop! I don't want to see them! I don't want to hear them! Please make it stop! Despite her pleading and prayers, the images and voices continued in her head. She couldn't make them stop their haunting. She kept feeling the pain they inflicted on her, the humiliation they made her suffer through. No matter what she tried to do to overcome it, she failed. It was so bad that she wanted to just die right there. She looked around for something to use to help her take her own life in her hysterical state but found nothing. She then noticed the Blissey right beside her, who was gazing at her sadly. She thought maybe the pokémon can put her out of her misery…
Before she could dwell on it, the room door opened and she saw Delia enter again. She was checking in on her almost every half hour or so. She saw the woman give her a kind expression and then she talked a bit to her but she kept quiet mostly, shaking her head once to something while she was feeling fear fill her. Natasha knew she was just trying to be kind and help but she was just too scared to let anyone in close. Please just leave me be or help me end this suffering, she thought until she saw the woman smile. Why is she smiling? What could she be happy about? Wait…I knew it! She's going to hurt me! Why?! What have I done to you?! Her fear was shown through her face and the woman started talking again but she didn't hear her until she said 'surprise for you' and she felt herself start trembling. She had enough surprises for the rest of her life. I don't want any surprises from you! Please just leave me alone or end my suffering by…Her thoughts was interrupted when she glanced towards the door when it opened again. She felt her fear evaporate and felt herself stop shaking. She opened her eye fully and gazed at the person who entered. It was her savoir, her hero. The one who rescued her from the horrible clutches of those sadistic and lust filled bastards. She watched him walk closer and closer to her, the older woman of no concern to her anymore. She saw her guardian angel come to her bedside before taking his mother's spot on the bed, sitting beside her. She didn't notice his mother leaving the room after wishing them a good night since her gaze was fixed onto the raven haired young man.
"Hey Natasha." His voice soothed her again just like it did the first time she heard it. The concern in it, the strength in it, the soft way it reached her ears. "How are you feeling?" he asked her.
Natasha could feel the compassion in his words and it made her react. She opened her mouth to respond, to talk to him but no words came out. Her vocal cords were shot and she just now realized that she couldn't speak. She thought she was just tired. But no, her voice was actually gone. She whimpered and her lips quivered before her reddened eye began to overfill with water. Ash grasped her hand gently after seeing her reaction and she squeezed it as tightly as she could. I can't talk! I can't talk! Arceus! My voice is gone! Why is this all happening to me?! She closed her eye and sobbed, her mouth open, taking in shuddered breaths with only her whimpering and crying the only sounds she could make. It was very disheartening to see for Ash.
"It's okay Natasha. Let it out. All of it," he told her and she seemed to be heeding his words as her crying became more intense. Ash, without ever letting go of her hand, got up and repositioned himself to sit at the top of the bed, leaning against the headboard. Natasha leaned her head against him, moving her arm across his stomach and sobbed into his chest, her tears staining his shirt but he didn't care. He wrapped his free arm around her and gently stroked the top half of her arm. He waited for her to just cry it out for a bit until he decided to speak. "No one will hurt you ever again Natasha. I promise. You have nothing to fear while I'm around and nothing to fear from my family and friends. They just want to help. Okay?" Natasha's sobbing continued for a while before they eased up a bit, attempting to pull herself together. Ash sensed she was trying to overcome it and he smiled a bit. "That's it. Don't let it keep you down. I know you can do it," he said, encouraging her.
When she hugged him and he her, she couldn't help but feel safe. The voices and images in her head had become less pronounced, fading away more and more as time passed with her in his embrace. Thank you! Thank you for saving me! Thank you for getting me out of there! Thank you for making the bad things in my head go away! She tightened her grip on him as much as she could, afraid that she was imagining him beside her or that he was going to vanish from sight. She heard his encouraging words but she didn't believe she could do it, especially not on her own. Please don't ever leave me! You're the only one who can protect me from the bad stuff! I can't do it by myself anymore! Please never leave me! Ash felt her grip tightening on him and figured it was because of two reasons; first was that she was scared and the second was that she didn't want him to leave her. And he was right on both counts.
"Natasha," he said softly and waited for her to react in some way. Her sobbing finally ended after a long time. She slowly raised her head to look at him. Ash saw that her eye was very red and her cheek had many tear streaks on it. He slowly raised his hand, making sure she could see what he was doing. "I'm not going to hurt you. Will you trust me?" he asked her. After gazing into his eyes for a moment, she nodded. He moved his hand slowly closer to her and gently wiped away her tear streaks. His tenderness towards her was something she had never received from anyone and she felt so much emotion from that single action she didn't know how to process it. When he finished, she lowered her face, resting her head against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her again. "I won't ever leave you. You can stay with me for as long as you want. I'll do anything and everything within my power to help you, to keep you safe. But you need to let me in okay? I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do but if you allow my mom and me to help you, we can make things better little by little. We want to take you to a hospital so you can get checked out and make sure you're alright. We can't do that here. Okay? Will you let us take you?" he asked her.
Once again, Natasha was stunned at how he was waiting for her answer, for her permission, for her acceptance. He wasn't forcing her to do anything she didn't want to do, even though he was right. She was in so much pain from all her injuries but she was too afraid to go to the hospital right now. He doesn't want anything from me but is offering everything to me. He can't be serious. Is he? She looked up into his eyes again and what she saw before was still there. The concern, the worry, the kindness and the compassion in them for her; she never, ever, had anyone look at her like that in her life and nothing even came close from all the objectifying looks she had received in the past, even from her own partners in the organization. He is…he is being serious. He truly does care. She nodded her head ever so slightly but enough for him to see. She then rested her head against his chest again. Her extreme tiredness was beginning to overwhelm her, her eyelid beginning to fall. She let it happen since he was here with her. Ash noticed this and smiled a bit.
"Thank you for trusting me Natasha," said Ash softly. "I'll wait by your side until you fall asleep before I go back to my room."
Natasha's eye snapped open and she hugged him tightly again, indicating that she didn't want him to leave. She didn't want her source of safety and comfort to leave her. And once again, Ash was stunned. NO! Don't leave me! Don't let the bad things come back! Please! She started whimpering again and he quickly took control. He raised his hand to her head and gently stroked her head through her hair.
"It's okay Natasha. You're safe here. I know you don't want me to go and I'm not. I'm just going to my room okay? Someone is waiting for me and that way you can sleep more comfortably. And you're not alone. My Blissey is here. She'll take good care of you," he told her but Natasha just shook her head.
She forced herself to whimper more loudly to make him understand that she didn't want him to go. It hurt her throat to do that but she didn't care. Please don't go! Don't leave me unprotected! She may be your pokémon but she's not a fighter like you! Only you can protect me! Please! Fear was starting to fill her again at finding out he was leaving. Even if he was just going to his own room, she didn't want him to go. Ash didn't want to leave her like this but also didn't know if he really should stay. He was worried that it may cause more harm than good. He then got an idea that may work.
"How about you do this for me and I'll be the one who takes you to the hospital and I'll stay by your side throughout the whole process. Okay?" he offered. She stopped whimpering after hearing him say that and she thought about it. Knowing she was thinking about it, he decided to sweeten the deal a bit. "I'll do all that and I'll have one of my most powerful pokémon stay with you. He was the one who found the cabin in the woods. He has even taken down Legendary pokémon all by himself and he is very protective and proper. Would you like him to stay by your side as you sleep?" he asked her. She didn't believe Blissey could protect her, another reason she wanted him to stay. But hearing him speak about another one made her think about it. She had seen how powerful his pokémon are from the stadium attack and he said this one was one of his most powerful and protective. She nodded her head, agreeing to it. "Okay Natasha. Allow me to introduce the master of stealth." He held out his hand and a blue glowing orb appeared that made the red head gasp silently before it faded away to reveal a poke ball. It opened and the powerful water and dark type pokémon appeared. Greninja stood up straight immediately before bowing to both. "Greninja, this is Natasha. Would you kindly please watch over her as she sleeps?" Greninja nodded without hesitation. "And would you protect her from any and all threats?" Again Greninja agreed.
He gave a kind look to the red head and saw she was scared. He wanted to help her or do something to show he would help her and he got an idea. The water starter then brought his hands together to form a sphere and a bluish white glow appeared in between them. Natasha tightened her grip on Ash, afraid of what he was doing. The glow faded away and the ninja frog lowered his hand for them to see what was in it. A bloomed ice flower is what they saw and Natasha gasped again, thinking that it was beautiful. He slowly extended it to the red head to not scare her anymore and he stopped when he was close to her hand. Natasha looked up at Ash who gave her an encouraging smile. She looked back at the ice flower. She had to concentrate to raise her hand as she was so weak and tired. She had used up most of her energy before when she thought Delia was Ed. It was much harder to do than to slide it across Ash's stomach. Her hand was shaky and she felt like she was trying to raise a ton but kept going. She almost reached it before she couldn't continue anymore and her hand dropped down onto the soft bed. I failed. I can't even do that. What have they done to me?! Natasha whimpered and Greninja had a sad look appear on his face and Ash was feeling horrible. She had almost got it. The water starter placed the ice flower on the bedside dresser.
"It's okay Natasha. You were very close. You'll get your strength back and you'll be stronger than ever," he reassured her but she just shook her head. He didn't know what to say until he got an idea. "You will Natasha. I believe in you and because I'll tell you a secret that proves you can. A secret that almost no one knows about me. Do you want to hear it?" Natasha went silent and looked at him, unable to believe that he was willing to tell her something so personal so soon. "I'll take that as a yes. Now, I was nowhere close to being this 'good' at pokémon in the beginning. When I first started my pokémon journey, I tried to catch a Pidgey using my jacket. It…didn't turn out the way I wanted it to." Natasha's eye widened. Unable to control herself at hearing such a ludicrous story, her lips spread into a small smile before the unmistakable sounds of laughter were heard, though they were barely audible. She couldn't believe she was laughing right now after everything she had gone through just recently. Even Greninja had a smirk form on his face before chuckling and his trainer noticed. "Yea, yea, laugh it up Greninja." Natasha continued on for a little while longer before calming down. "Feel better?" he asked her and she nodded. "Glad I could be of service. But now, it's time for you to rest." He made to get off the bed but she held him back down. "Hey, we had a deal remember?" he reminded her gently but the way she was looking at him was too much. He could almost never refuse the puppy dog look or anything similar to it when he wasn't angry. "Alright, I'll stay with you until you fall asleep. But then I have to go to my room as I have someone waiting for me and so you can be more comfortable but Greninja will still watch over you. And I'll take you to the hospital myself. Deal?" He told her and she nodded.
He repositioned himself on the bed and Natasha rested against him, holding onto him like he was her lifeline. Greninja quietly moved to the corner of the room to watch over them. It didn't take too long, since she was so tired out and she was feeling safe, sleep came to her but not before she thought of one last thing; thank you…for saving me…Ash Ketchum. She fell asleep and after waiting about fifteen minutes, seeing that she was alright, Ash tenderly moved her onto the bed and raised the covers to her shoulders. He looked at her for a few minutes, waiting to see if she would continue sleeping peacefully. He then faced his pokémon who nodded at him from the corner. Ash smiled and thanked Greninja quietly before leaving the room.
He bumped into Daisy Waterflower when he entered the hallway. She had gotten up to get some water, her thirst having woken her up, holding a water bottle. "Oops, sorry Daisy," apologized Ash, helping her get her footing again.
"No problem Ash. I should've been careful too," she replied back, balancing out. "I'm glad to see you on your feet again," she said with a smile and he thanked her. "Everything okay?" she asked him, seeing the worried expression on his face.
He took a breath before answering. "I hope so. I was just checking on Natasha and convinced her to go to the hospital in the morning," he said.
Daisy smiled at that. She always saw him as a caring person and this proved it again, just like his other actions. "That's good Ash. I knew about that from what your mom was saying before. I'm guessing she told you huh?" she asked him. He confirmed that, explaining how he bumped into his mother in the kitchen earlier. "Anyway, well done. No wonder my baby sister loves you. You're one of a kind and I'm glad you're the one she chose," she said sweetly.
Ash hugged her all of a sudden, catching her off guard but she returned it. "Thank you Daisy for your kind words and approval. And you know, I'll do anything for Misty," admitted Ash, relaxing a bit in her embrace. He wondered about that but then decided that it was just because he was comfortable around her and knew her a bit.
Daisy was starting to feel something strongly inside her too. For some strange reason, she didn't want to get out of the hug but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she replied back. "You're welcome and I do." The two separated and the two happened to look into one another's eyes for a split second that made her heart beat faster. "Have a good night Ash," she said all of a sudden and began walking to her room.
He tilted his head a bit at that but then thought she was probably tired. "Good night Daisy and thanks for listening to me," he told her. She glanced back at him and nodded with a smile. She faced forward and headed to her room with Ash turning around and headed to his own where May was waiting for him and entered it. He saw her in bed already, the cover drawn up to her shoulder, her eyes closed. He smiled seeing her so peaceful and calm. He went to use the bathroom, washed, brushed his teeth, changed into his sweats only pajamas and then climbed into bed. He decided not to wake her, letting her rest and just being able to look at her was enough for him for the moment, both facing each other while lying down on their sides.
"You gonna make a move or what?"
"I should've known you were just pretending."
May opened her eyes and saw Ash smirking at her and she grinned back. "Yea, you should've. Took a while. I'm guessing it was pretty bad huh?" she asked him and his smirk went away and a frown replaced it.
"Very. I had no idea how scared she is. It took me a long time to just get her to agree to let us take her to the hospital tomorrow and again to go to sleep. I promised to take her myself and to have my Greninja watch over her as she slept. And I bumped into Misty's sister Daisy and she asked me if I was doing alright. We talked a bit and I thanked her when she said she was glad that Misty chose me," he explained to her.
"Oh I see. And how did you thank her?" she asked with a grin and he just chuckled before saying he just hugged her and said thank you. May giggled. "I trust you my Knight. I was just messing with you." Ash commented back that he knows and has no problem saying what he did. May smiled at him, feeling her heart flutter that he wouldn't hide anything important from her anymore. "What was she doing up so late though?" asked May. Ash said she was most likely thirsty since she had a water bottle in her hand. "Makes sense. Well, you did what you had to do regarding Natasha and I'm very proud of you. You were able to get a traumatized and scared girl to open up a bit to you. I bet she could feel that you were being genuine and that you weren't just playing a game, that you actually care," she told him. She stretched out her arm and caressed the scar on his chest. "No one can doubt that you care and if they do, this is proof." Ash felt himself shiver at her touch but enjoyed it.
"Thank you May," he said, giving her an appreciative look. She could see that he was tired out and decided that he should rest but also wanted to tease him just a little bit more before letting him sleep. She smiled at him before grasping his hand, interlocking their fingers together. She then turned to lie on her other side while also bringing Ash closer to her body. She backed up into him, her firm round ass up against him and she moved their interlocked hands towards her chest, having his finger tips graze against her breasts over her thin semitransparent red night gown. "May…"
"Yes? What is it?" she asked, feigning innocence while turning her head slightly. Ash didn't say anything but snuggled in closer, pressing against her back and butt, making her tremble in delight, feeling him up against her. He raised his head towards her face and gave her a loving kiss. Blue and brown eyes found one another after and they smiled. "Sweat dreams my Knight," said May.
"Goodnight my Passionate Princess," said Ash. They both placed their heads back onto the pillows and snuggled up against one another even more before closing their eyes. And soon enough, both of them were fast asleep, feeling content and comfortable in their close embrace.
When Daisy Waterflower entered her room, she quickly got into bed. She faced the wall since her bed was next to it. She was feeling and thinking many different things. Why did I feel that way? When he hugged me, why did I not want to get out of it? She was lost, not knowing what she was feeling. She glanced at the Squirtle doll that was sitting on her bedside dresser. She smiled, reached for it and pulled it into a hug. Why did my heart beat faster when I we made eye contact? That's never happened to me before. She looked at the doll in her embrace, seeing its goofy and adorable smile. It reminded her of Ash's trademark goofy grin and that made her chuckle a bit. I'm probably just over analyzing this. It's probably nothing and most likely I'm just tired. And I just felt good to know someone cares. That's probably why I felt that way. She decided that's what it was and hugged her doll tightly until she fell asleep a couple minutes later.
A couple hours ago, in one of the other hotel rooms on a different floor below the pent house suite, there were three girls sleeping in their beds, each of them seeing dreams. The fourth was taking a shower, having been in there for a bit already. Her hair would always take some time to shampoo and rinse out. She had just begun to wash her body when her thoughts drifted onto the raven haired guardian. She froze in her place as her mind pictured him, his charming smile on his face that sent shivers down her body. She shook her head, pushing the image out. She continued her shower and when she started on her lower body, she froze again as the picture formed in her mind once more. This time though she was picturing him from the club, without his shirt on, the scar on his chest. She became so heated all of a sudden and it wasn't from the hot water.
She couldn't help herself and her hand began sliding down her lower body until it reached her womanhood and begun rubbing over it. She imagined being in his embrace in her home, with him kissing her. He picked her up suddenly and then placed her onto a bed as they continued to kiss. Both of them assisting the other in taking off their clothes and when finally in the nude, he pushed himself into her. Slowly, intimately, teasingly, making her go crazy from it. She started panting and moaning, diving two of her fingers into her opening, pumping in and out without care. She pictured them becoming one, with him picking up the pace and turning the slow love making into an animalistic fuck.
"You're mine. Now and forever." He said while growling into her ear, making her tremble from his husky tone of voice, her heart beating wildly. After some time, he climaxed into her, making her squeal out in joy in imagining how it would feel. She felt herself go in real life. She leaned against the shower wall, sliding down it as her legs became jelly like, unable to support her for the time being. She was panting, out of breath while her mind was working to catch up with what she was feeling, the hot shower water still falling onto her. After a few minutes, her mind having caught up, she thought of what this could mean.
Why did I imagine this? What is going on with me? Why can't I get him out of my mind?! She thought about that a bit more, seeing him appear in her mind's eye periodically. "Damn it…what have you done to me Ash?" She went quiet and saw him in her mind again, giving her his trademark goofy grin. "Damn it…why don't you like me? We danced in the club…and I felt your body against mine that night…what do those girls have that I don't? Why won't you look at me the way you look at them?" Her outspoken thoughts saddened her and it took her a moment to gather enough energy and stood back up. With many thoughts rushing through her mind, she quickly finished her shower, dried herself, wore her undergarments, then pajamas and got into bed. She glanced at the other girls who were fast asleep.
Giselle was sleeping peacefully and silently, not making a single sound. Liza was also fast asleep but was also making low moaning noises. She stared at the green head, wondering who on earth she could be dreaming about. She heard her mumble a bit. "Oh…oh…" She went quiet until she heard her say 'faster' a bit later. But what really shocked her was what she said next a little later. "Make me yours Ash." Her eyes widened at hearing her close friend say that in her sleep. That she was dreaming about being with him.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of the sudden feelings of jealousy out of her and was about to draw the covers over her when she saw the happy expression on Sabrina's face. The psychic prodigy had the largest smile she had ever seen on her and that made her very surprised and very curious. Before she could snap out of her state, she saw her lips move ever so slightly, saying a single word very quietly but she heard it in the dead silence of the room. "Ash…"
Clair couldn't believe it. Liza and Sabrina were both dreaming about Ash, one of whom was picturing herself having sex with him and the other, who knew what was going on her head. She glanced at Giselle again, wanting to see if she would say anything or show any emotion on her face, remembering that she had asked him out after their battle and tried to get with him in the club. She didn't notice anything but got up and went closer to her to be sure. She peered over her and saw the dark haired beauty's hand under her pillow. She noticed the bulge on the pillow, indicating that it was her hand but wondered why she would have her hand in a fist as she slept. She knew it was a fist because of her doing it as well sometimes. She slowly raised the pillow end a bit and looked underneath it. She focused her vision in the night, being aided by the moonlight through the window and what she saw made her eyes widen. It was a cut out picture of Ash waving in the stadium from a newspaper, clutched in her fist.
The blunette dragon trainer was at a loss for words, not believing that all three of her closest friends, her new friend and herself had all fallen for the same guy. She lowered the pillow gently, went back to her bed, got in, drew the covers up and faced the wall, her back towards the other three. She stared at the wall in front of her and thought of what she had just learned. Her best friends Liza, Cynthia and Sabrina all have feelings for Ash, with Cynthia actually being with him. Their new friend Giselle has feelings for him too. What's more is that she did too but also realized that it wasn't just some lust filled fantasy that she had for him. She felt herself becoming jealous and envious when she thought of him being with his current girlfriends and her friends having feelings for him too. She had fallen for him and all it took was just a few good interactions between them and a bad one that he apologized for, after years of not seeing one another.
She had fallen for the aura guardian. She had fallen for someone, something she swore that she would never let happen to herself again after what happened to her in the past. She had always wanted someone who would be strong, who could beat her in a fight, who could protect her if she couldn't herself. Who wasn't afraid of her either but also wanted someone who respected her and actually cared for her. She had decided long ago that when she did find that person, she was supposed to make him obsessed with her. She was supposed to make him fall for her, dream about her and think about her. Not the other way around. She had broken her own promise to herself. And what was worse…she had fallen for this particular man, one who was already taken, by five girls nonetheless. Hell it might even be six girls if she counted Leaf and if he accepted her. And there were three other girls who were also head over heels for him, that she knew of and that she was sharing a room with.
How? How could this happen? Why did this happen? Why him? Of all the men in the world, why did I develop feelings for him? And why have so many other girls fallen for him too? What makes him so special? He is handsome but he's also one who could be so dangerous and volatile….and yet could be the most protective, the most caring and the most trustworthy...Is that what made us fall for him? Fall for someone who we cannot be with, someone who is out of our reach? Out of my reach? Why?
That's when she realized that the chances of her feelings being returned were pretty much zero. She felt her heart ache and her stomach twist into knots as she realized that her next love, possibly the one who could've been right for her, was doomed before it even began. The image of Ash's charming smile flashed in her mind, making her lips quiver and tears to escape from her eyes as sadness filled her. She soon realized that when she imagined him saying just five words earlier in her fantasy was true. There was no going back, no chance of being freed, no chance of finding another, as she heard his words over and over until she cried herself to sleep; "You're mine. Now and forever."
Champions Lance, Diantha, Steven and Alder were at the Pokémon League Headquarters along with President Goodshow having a late night meeting. They had just finished going over what was on the smart phone that Alder found. The pictures they found were few but all of them were of the raven haired guardian and that worried them as they thought they could have been following him for a time. They only found two videos on the device. One was of the stadium attack and what Ash did to defend everyone. The other was of the group rape of the poor girl they found. Some of the audio was choppy and they were unable to make out some of the words spoken by the red head. They were disgusted from seeing the video, with Alder turning his gaze away from it as he had already seen it. The Champions were furious but also horrified of what she went through.
After seeing that video of what they did, they had no more doubts that they deserved to be killed. As for the contacts, they had no idea who they were as they didn't have full names, only general ones, like 'Boss' and 'J'. They couldn't call them but they thought that they could track their numbers. But when they attempted that, all they got back was an error from their systems. The trace wouldn't go through. They were stumped and didn't know what to do or who to have look at it. They didn't want this to fall in the wrong hands and based on what's been happening so far during this single tournament, they had no idea who to trust to look at it. They decided to sleep on it and inform the guardian and their other fellow Champion when they had some more information. The five of them told each other goodnight and left the headquarters to head home and go to sleep.
In an office building near the Indigo Plateau, most of the lights were off except for a corner office where two people were working very late into the night to try and make the deadline. Britney Snow and Richard were finalizing their report on what happened, editing the visuals and going over everything they had recorded. He clicked the mouse button once more and the report was saved. Richard glanced at Britney with tired eyes. "We won't be able to finish this in time for the next airing. Not if we want it to be the best it can be," he said and Britney sighed.
"Well, next day news then. Are you sure you want to go down this route though?" she asked him.
Richard nodded. "Yes. People need to know what he's capable of," he responded.
Britney was hesitant. She thought for a moment. "Alright. You have a point. Let's get some sleep," she said. He agreed and copied the report onto a flash drive to have a back up before turning off the computer. They made plans to meet up tomorrow around mid day and left the office. When they reached outside, the two bade one another a good night and left. Richard watched Britney get into her car and leave before he too left the area.