CHAPTER 2: Power And Responsibly

Ash and Pikachu made their way back to the campsite, and Brock and Misty ran to meet them, “ASH KETCHUM! YOU HAD ME…US WORRIED SICK!” Misty yelled in a combination of relief and anger. “What does it matter to you?” Ash said coldly catching Pikachu and Brock both by surprised. Even Misty was taken aback. “It matters to me, because I’m your friend Ash Ketchum, and… what?” Misty asked when she noticed she was looking up to Ash. “When did you get so big, we were eye to eye yesterday?” her anger melting into confusion. Ash just blinked for a second, before turning his back. “I hunch, anyway we should be in Golden Rod in an hour.” Ash said coldly with everyone Brock and Misty just watched him questionably while he picked up his sleeping bag, “you guys coming?” he asked, shaking them out of their trances.

A few hours later…

“You sure you don’t mind watching the Gym for me, Misty?” Whitney said looking questionably, “No problem, we’ve been traveling almost none stop for the last seven years, I could and I’m sure Ash and Brock could use a brake, right guys?” Brock nodded a yes, and Ash just sulked. “It’s just a month, and your family needs you. We’ll manage.” Misty said reassuring her friend. “You don’t mind taking a break from your journey Ash?” Whitney asked turning her attention to the quiet pokemon trainer behind them. “Nope, besides Professor Oak and Mom are in town for a while so I’ll catch up with them.” Ash said giving a fake smile. Then as if on que, Daria Ketchum and Prof. Samuel Oak walked down the street toward them. Ash then for the first time that day smiled, “HEY MOM! HEY PROFESSOR!” Ash said happily as he ran to his mother and, as of three weeks ago, his future stepfather. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Gary walking behind him, and his eyes filled with hate. “Gary…” “Ash…” the boys exchanged, and Gary couldn’t help but notice Ash had grown since they had last met. “Have a growth spurt, Loser?” the whole group watched questionably as Ash and Gary glared down. Whitney sighed in relief when her taxi showed up. “Well gotta run! Take care of my Gym!” She then waved and jumped into the car and it sped off.

“Look at the time, we have to go, we’ll talk to you later this evening Ash.” Oak said as he turned “Bye my baby, make sure you have on clean you-know-whats tonight when you come in!” Mrs. Ketchum said oblivious to the tension in the air. “Come along Gary!” Gary didn’t leave Ash’s gaze, “I’ll be along in a sec.” Once he was sure that his grandfather and Ash’s mom was a way, “Don’t think for a second I’m happy about this, loser.” Ash just glared, “what’s your problem, don’t you want your grandpa to be happy?” then Ash felt a strange feeling in the back of his mind, making him feel as though he needs to step to the right, and Ash did this and missed Gary’s fist by an inch. Gary tried again, and hit nothing but air. By now Ash was getting irritated and threw what he thought was a weak punch. The ‘weak’ punch sent Gary flying through the air, through a wall, and into a women’s restroom. Then a scream was heard and Gary shot out the whole he made, fallowed by, angry, yet in Ash’s eyes, attractive and familiar girl, around his age, with long brown hair. Didn’t take long for it to click who she was, “MELODY!” the girl looked up, and saw Ash waving and completely forgot about the ‘pervert’ who then easily made a dash after his grandfather.

“Ashy boy? Is that you?” Melody asked, Ash answered her with a hug, “It’s been so long!” he said as she hugged him back. Ash then saw in the corner of his eye, Misty giving them an evil eye. “Mel, you wouldn’t happen to be doing anything this evening would you?” Ash asked nervously. Melody blinked confused, “um… no why Ash?” Ash took a deep breath, and a part of him told him not to for the reason he was, “Would like to go out with me tonight?” Melody just looked confused, “What about Misty?” Ash just grimaced, “What about her?” She then saw that something had to have happened between them, so to her delight, he was free for the taking, “Sure Tiger, I’d love to!” she then wrote her address down and handed it to him, “Pick me up at 6, and don’t be late!” she said winking and turning to leave. Ash smiled triumphantly before turning and seeing the hurt expression on Misty’s face. Misty just quickly turned her back and dashed into the gym slamming the door behind her, Leaving Ash shocked and Brock even worse. “Ummm…someone tell me what’s going on…please?”

Later that evening Ash slowly and nervously made his way to Melody’s apartment. Ash after a deep breath knocked on her door. In a moment Melody came bouncing around. Ash could do nothing but stare, “What cha think?” Melody asked spinning around in front of Ash. Ash’s jaw dropped, she had an extremely short miniskirt, with a tight V necked top. “Umm…ummm…ya-you look…g-great Mel.”

Ash and Melody went to a local restaurant, where they set eat and Melody found stories of Ash’s travels and adventures very, very interesting. By the end of the night they both were laughing and getting along great. They talked and laughed all the way back to her apartment. They both stop at her door and they both kindda stared at the ground, “Um…I really had a good time Mel. We’re going to have to do it again some…” Ash’s sentence was cut short as Melody wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. “Call me tomorrow Tiger.” She said pulling back and giving him a wink. All Ash could do was blink and muster a nod. After Melody closed her door Ash did back flips literally down the hall. Ash then hit the elevator button and as he waited he looked to his left and saw an open window. A large smile creped across he face as he made his way over to it and looked out. He looked straight down, six stories, and the next rooftop a good fifteen feet away. He looked down and something inside him said he could make it.

Ash took a few steps back and took a flying leap. He didn’t make it, but he did hit the wall. Ash slowly opened his eyes and looked down and then at his hand and finger tips and realized he was sticking to the wall. “Cool!” he said as he began to scale the wall. Once got to the roof he ran and leapt to the next rooftop and on to the next, loving ever second. He finally managed to his mom and Prof. Oak’s apartment. He slowly crawled down the wall and opened the window, “Psst, Pikachu!” Ash whispered waking his sleeping pokemon. “PIKA!” Pikachu exclaimed when he noticed Ash upside down out side the window. “Shush! Come on lets have some fun!” Pikachu very uneasily climbed on Ash’s shoulder and grip with all four claws. Ash slowly crawled back to the rooftop and Ash took another flying leap with pikachu screaming his little head off.

Ash finally came to a large gap in building with Pikachu now gasping for breath. “Hmm how we gonna make it, think we can jump it bud?” Pikachu’s eyes went wide and shook his head so fast it blurred. “Ok, Jumping’s out,” Ash said snapping his fingers and inadvertently touching his two middle fingers to his palm sending a long strand of webbing from his wrist, sticking to the ground. Ash held it and jerk but couldn’t pull the string from the ground. His eyes then lit up with an idea, he then aimed his wrist at a billboard and touched his fingers to his palm again sending a long string of webbing at his target. Ash then jerked it a time or two to check the strength, “Ok Pikachu HERE WE GO!” He yelled as he swung toward the billboard. A moment before Ash was to the billboard, it hit him: he didn’t know how to stop. Ash plowed wide open into the hard surface and tumbled to the ground and landed with a loud sickening thud. “PIKA PI!” Pikachu yelled out, as he ran over to his master, “Am I alright?” Ash asked seeing if he heard right, “HELL YEAH I’M ALL RIGHT! HAHAHAHA!” Ash laughed out loud loving his new abilities.

Ash and Pikachu swung and played till five in the morning, Ash finally made it to his mom and her husband-to-be apartment and slowly and sneakily walked inside and saw his mom setting there glaring at him. “Ashley Ketchum, do you have any idea what time it is?” Ash looked like a deer in a headlights, “ummm…no…what time is it?” Daria’s glare intensified “Pikachu would you excuse us.” Pikachu did the one thing a faithful Pokémon should do in this situation, run from his master’s mother. “Traitor.” Ash growled at the retreating electric mouse. “Ashley…” Ash looked up and saw his mom’s gaze, “We have a lot to talk about. Have a seat.” Ash gulped “Listen, I trust you Ash.” Daria said the tenderness returning to her face, “Your eighteen years old, and you’re old enough to make your own decisions. Yes I was worried about you being out late, but Son, you’ve traveled in the world since you were ten years old, so your tardiness isn’t what I’d like to speak to you about.” Ash had a fear of God look on his face, “T-Then what do…you want to talk about?” Daria sighed, “Ash I know Gary probably deserved to be beaten up today, but just because you have the power now to beat him up, does that give you the right to beat him up?” She asked looking at him and pausing long enough for him to think and answer, “…no” Ash said with a soft growl, “Ash you’re changing a lot, it comes with growing up, we all go through what your going through right now.” Ash smirked, “funny I doubt that.” She sighed again, “Ash you’ve been given a great power, but with great power must always come great responsibility. Please never forget that Ash…” Ash then let his temper get the better of him, “DO YOU THINK I’M NOT RESPONSIBLE?” Daria gasped at his out burst, “MOTHER I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF SO STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!!!!” Ash screamed as he stormed to his room, passing the now awake Prof. Oak. Daria watched him go and when she heard his door slam, she laid her face in her hands and sobbed.

Ash through himself on his bed, and Pikachu looked over at him sadly, “why’d I have to shoot my mouth off like that?” Ash thought about going to apologize but his pride wouldn’t allow it. He then turn on the radio to maybe clear his head, a loud booming voice came on it making Ash jump and jerk he knob to turn the volume down, he then listen closely, “YOU THINK YOU’RE A BIG BAD MAN? COME TO GOLDEN ROD CITY INTERNATIONAL ARENA FOR THE JOHTO BADMAN FIGHTING COMPITETION, LETS SEE HOW BAD OF A MAN YOU ARE!” Ash turned off the radio and smiled at Pikachu, “Hey Pika-Pal I got an idea…”

To Be Continued…