BadgeQuest The Big Goodbye =Part 7= Growing Pains Ash hated hospitals. He hated the overpowering white that seeped over every surface, making the place unbearably bright no matter where he looked. He hated the sterilized smell that assaulted his nose. He hated the sight of the sick and the dying, and the squeaking gurneys that wheeled back and forth down the hall, and the muttering doctors with their cryptic little clipboards and horribly cold stethoscopes. Most of all, though, he hated the fact that he was in here more times than he cared to remember. Pikachu seemed to sense his discomfort as it sat on his shoulder. Looking about, the tiny Pokémon couldn't help but sense how different this place was from a Pokécenter. A Center was a place for Pokémon to heal, but it was also a place of rest, of gathering. Here at the hospital, there were no accommodations for trainers and Pokémon to stay, no sense of community…only illness and gloom hanging like a dark cloud over everyone. Looking down at the slender, pale form lying prone on the pristine sheets of the hospital bed. For the past hour, he had watched her chest rise and fall with slow, shuddering breaths in complete silence. Part of his brain refused to recognize the sickly, hollow face with eyelids closed and paltry lips drawn tight in a continuous grimace. Her chocolate locks were plastered against her forehead, soaked with a light sheen of sweat. Her eyes fluttered softly in her unnatural slumber, dancing about in a silent nightmare that forced her muscles to spasm every so often. Though her features were burned into his mind, he could never believe that this person, this ailing woman hooked up to mysterious, beeping machines had brought him into the world and cared for him for as long as he could remember. "Ash…" Her lips parted slightly, murmuring the name in a sigh as her eyes flickered open. They danced about for a moment before focusing in on the figure hovering above her. Ash had never moved so quickly in his life as he jolted to his mother's side, so quickly that Pikachu was nearly thrown from its perch. "Mom!" he cried, feeling like he was ten years old again. His hands found its way to hers, clasping her so hard part of him feared he would crush the delicate, willowy woman. She smiled wanly at him, filling him with a sense of immense relief. "Ash…" she beamed softly, her voice faint, but growing stronger by the second. Her eyes searched about in confusion, suddenly concerned. "What happened? Where am I?" "You're in the hospital, mom." Ash hesitated with the rest of the truth, unsure of just how much to tell her. He decided to tell her part of the story, at least the part he knew she could handle. "You and Brock passed out. The doctors aren't really sure why…maybe a gas leak, or something." She seemed to accept this, giving him a small nod. "I'm just glad everyone's all right." she sighed again, this time in relief, as she lay back against the pillow. "I was so worried about all of you, alone out in that storm." He returned her smile, setting Pikachu down on the bed. Pikachu cried out in happiness, and immediately scampered the length of the bed to rest on her stomach. "Easy, Pikachu!" he scolded the purring Pokémon, even as his partner snuggled down on top of her with a pleasant rumble. "I don't mind," she smiled, running her hand across the Pokémon's fur. "Maybe Pikachu could keep me a little company while I'm in here." Her face darkened for a moment. "Mister Mime?" "He's at the Pokécenter," he reassured her. "They say he's going to be fine…" She relaxed, once more leaning back as she stroked Pikachu. "Thank goodness…" she murmured. "I don't know what I'd do if I was all alone again…" Ash felt the words punch him in the stomach. He tried to tone down his shock, feeling guilt well up anew. "Mom?" Delia seemed to realize just what she had said. Her hand quickly found its way to Ash's arm, rubbing it reassuringly. "No, no, sweetie." she cooed in a motherly voice. "It's fine. I'm fine, remember?" He took her hand, squeezing it even as he tried to muster a smile. "I didn't know you were lonely, mom…" "Well, with your father…gone, and you off adventuring, I don't get to see my family much anymore." his mother admitted. "But I understand, sweetie. You're growing up. Leaving your old life behind is only natural, after all." Ash was speechless, which was quite the rarity for the outspoken trainer. His mother was lonely? She felt like he was abandoning her? Why was she choosing now, of all times, when he had so much to deal with, to tell him this? "Are you all right, Ash?" his mother looked at him with a face full of concern. The guilt piled higher on Ash's heavy heart as he put on his bravest face, hiding from his mother behind another layer of lies. "Just fine, Mom. Couldn't be better." * * * "Couldn't be better!" Brock said cheerfully, leaning back against a trio of comfortable pillows in his tilted bed. He slurped on a box of juice, idly flipping through television channels with his other hand. He gave Misty an encouraging smile as she sat by his bedside, broadcasting worry like a soap opera. "The doctors say I'll probably be released after a few tests come back. Heck, this is the first chance I've had in a while to take a break from all this 'demon hunting' we've been doing." Misty brushed at her unnatural black locks, feeling a wave of relief extinguish the hot coals of worry that had burned in her stomach. "I should have known," she said with a laugh. "Only you could enjoy yourself in the hospital." "Hey," he countered, "You and Ash have been in and out of them so much in the past few months, I'm actually kind of relieved to be on this end." He set the remote down, picking up a small switch attached to the bed. "And you haven't even seen the best part yet!" Misty frowned, puzzled as he pressed the switch's only button. His eyebrows waggled as he nodded towards the door. Within seconds, the white portal swung open, revealing a tall, attractive nurse with long red hair and a mini- skirt that accentuated her graceful legs. "Is there something you needed, Mr. Stone?" she asked sweetly, smiling at her charge. Misty's eyes rolled in annoyance as Brock's face split in a grin broad enough to bridge the gap between Johto and Japan. "Not right now," he said, "But I have been working on those samples the doctors wanted." He indicated a small beaker sitting on the bedside table, filled with an ominous yellow liquid. "Of course." The nurse reached over and took the beaker, exiting with another smile. Brock looked at Misty, his grin still present. "See? Better than cable!" "You're pathetic." Misty swatted him, chuckling along with her old friend. "If you didn't have me to keep you in check, your romantic life would involve nothing but drooling at the first piece of meat that walked by." He snorted, returning the swat. "You're one to talk. Just look at your situation with Ash!" "Brock!" she cried, her eyes growing wide. She punched him in the arm, looking over her shoulder as if she expected the object of her infatuation to be standing right behind her, leering at the pair and ready to laugh at her. Ash was nowhere to be seen, of course, but that didn't dampen her paranoia. "Hey, relax." he shrugged, taking another long drag of juice that emptied the box. "I'm just saying, is all; Practice what you preach." "Easy for you to say." And say it he had, about a million times. Maybe he was right, though…Maybe she had blown this whole thing out of proportion. It was possible that she was just the victim of an ill-timed crush, couldn't it? "It's like I've always said." He smiled, tossing the juice box on the floor. Lacing his fingers behind his head, he leaned back with a comfortable groan, and continued, "I mean, you might as well be honest with him. Your entire life revolves around him, after all." The words burned into Misty like a hot brand. They sunk into her, rotting her from the inside as surely as if they were the poison she felt them to be. "W-what?" "Y'know, it's kind of pathetic…" he sighed, then burped loudly. "You follow Ash across the globe like a lost puppy, begging for his attention. By the time you figure out he'll never love you, you won't have anything left." She felt her jaw dropping, but said nothing as he continued thoughtlessly. "You need to decide what to do with your life already. Get on with it, break the cycle. Go out and be adventurous!" Misty fought back tears, trembling with anger and shock. Never, not once in their time together, had Brock ever said such horrible things to her. "I just want you to know," she said slowly and evenly, "That if you weren't in a hospital bed, I would 'put' you in one." As it was, she could barely restrain herself from removing his teeth with a pair of pliers and making a necklace out of them. He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning further into the pillow. "Hey," he shrugged, "I'm just saying this for your own good. I'm your friend, and I want what's best for you." A small chuckle escaped his lips. "You'll see. You just need to figure out what you want to do." Misty stood up, rubbing her thighs. Suddenly, she didn't feel like talking. "I'm going to go check on Ash's mom." she said shortly. Glancing down at the discarded juice box, she asked, "You just going to leave it there?" "I figure I'll ask that nurse to get it when she comes back." He waggled his brow again suggestively. Misty just rolled her eyes and exited as he pulled another juice box out, readying another sample for the doctors. * * * Her eyes immediately picked him out of the hustle and bustle of the hospital's hallway as she exited Brock's room. 'Here's more bad news,' she sighed inwardly as she saw Ash occupying a bench not to far from the door. His head hung low, almost between his knees, with his hat tugged low over his brow. She could almost feel the waves of depression pounding against her as she approached him. Just looking at him, Misty couldn't help but be reminded of just how screwed up she was. Even with everything that had happened-perhaps because of it-her first, strongest impulse was to take the young man in her arms and comfort him. She wanted nothing more than to hold him close, to tell him that everything would be all right. No…She wanted to tell him so much more than that. Brock had been right; If she wasn't honest with Ash, if she didn't tell him how she felt, she would explode. "Hey," she heard herself say as she sat down, operating on autopilot while her head swam with dizzying emotion. "Is your mom all right?" He nodded, never looking up. "Yeah. Pikachu's watching out for her right now." His hands wrung together with slow, unsteady twists. Every now and then one of his knuckles would crack, piercing the oppressive silence between the two. It seemed like an eternity before he asked, "How's Brock." "He's…Brock." Misty admitted with a miniscule smile. She looked over, hoping to see some kind of reaction, but Ash hadn't moved. "You okay?" There was another long pause before Ash answered. "Have you noticed how much things are changing?" he asked with a small voice. "And how much they've begun to suck?" His quivering voice surprised Misty a little. So many times in their time together, Ash had proven to be stronger of heart, sharper of mind, and greater of spirit than any challenge he faced. She sometimes had to remind herself that he was almost two years younger than her, only sixteen on the verge of seventeen. Despite all his accomplishments, Ash Ketchum was still very much a boy trying to become a man. Now he was up against a challenge greater than any they had come across in their seven years together. What he needed now, more than anything, was a strong friend to stand at his side. He needed her friendship. If only she didn't love him so much. "Things always change, Ash." Misty reassured him. Without hesitation, she placed her arm around his shoulder, leaning down with him. "That's the way it works." "Am I abandoning everyone?" He blurted the question without thinking, saying the first thing on his mind. "Am I…letting everyone down?" "What are you talking about?" Ash sat up, meeting Misty's eyes. She found her shock doubling when she saw his amber eyes glossed over with tears, barely held in check. "My mom was left all alone when I left. Just like my dad…And when we were in the hills, Giselle said something about…about everyone picking up the slack when…if I failed." Misty kept her anger in check by envisioning the beating she would give Giselle later. For the moment, she said, "Forget all of that. We should concentrate on the problem at hand." "It's too much, Misty." Ash murmured. "It's too much." His shoulders slumped forward in defeat, his eyes once more staring down at his shoes. The old spark that had filled each word, each syllable with enthusiasm, was nowhere to be found. "I've never been so afraid. I've nearly lost Brock, and Mom, and…you." Her bones ached where the regeneration treatments had knitted them back together less than a week ago. The doctors had assured her that there wouldn't be any lasting scars from her incredible encounter with Exile. Looking at Ash, wracked with guilt and pressure, she began to think that the scars weren't hers to bear anymore. "What happened to all of us has nothing to do with you." she said slowly in a low, serious voice. "You have to stop-" "Excuse me…" A young nurse tapped Misty on the shoulder, drawing her away from Ash. He possessed a shock of soft blue hair kept tied back behind his head, and a ready smile spread on his features. His blue scrubs hung immaculate off of a wiry frame as he leaned over, holding a small piece of paper between his fingers. "Are either one of you Ash Ketchum?" Ash looked up, resettling his face into a facade of calm, emotionless peace. "That's me." he nodded, accepting the paper. "Message for you." The nurse said simply, backing away with another smile and disappearing into the constant flow of people in the hallway. Ash unfolded the paper as Misty watched. His eyes scanned across the tiny message, his face evolving into different expressions; first confusion set in, soon followed by his brows knitting together in anger. Finally, he crumpled the paper and tossed it over his shoulder, letting it bounce against the wall and onto the small, hard bench. He jumped to his feet and began stalking off without so much as a goodbye in Misty's direction. "Ash, wait!" Misty tried to follow, but the traffic swallowed him up too quickly, and she found herself trapped behind an empty gurney. By the time the med techs had wheeled by, Ash was gone. Dejected, she sat back down, taking the small balled-up message in hand. Carefully, she unfolded the paper. "What in the…" Out back. Alone. Now. "Ash…" she muttered, frowning with worry. It felt as though she had been doing that a lot lately. "Don't do anything stupid…" * * * The blue-haired nurse rounded the corner, joining one of his associates dressed in pristine white. "How are things going on your end, Jessie?" Jessie held a small vial of rancid yellow liquid, keeping it as far away from her body as possible. "I'm holding a canister of distilled twerp. How does it look?" "Um…I actually meant if you found out anything useful." James pulled a face as Jessie set the vial down on an unused gurney. "You know…something to maybe put us back in the Boss's good graces." She sighed, folding her bare arms across the snug-fitting nurse's uniform. Though the outfit covered more than her Team Rocket uniform, she still felt naked without her long vinyl gloves. Her hair felt confined in the enormous pony tail, and she knew James felt the same about his own blue locks. Hopefully, the mission would be over soon, and they could go back to dressing as usual and trying to steal Pikachu. "James," she lamented, "I'm having a hard time remembering when we 'were' in his good graces." He nodded, having a seat next to the Brock juice. "I know what you mean," he said glumly. "It's like I said earlier…Things used to be a lot simpler." "Well," Jessie said after a moment's thought, "At least you and I haven't changed." She graced him with a rare smile, which he gladly returned. He took her hand in his, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "We still have that, right?" "Oh, gimme a break!" a loud, indignant squawk echoed from above them. They looked up in unison to see a shadowy face peering down at them from behind the metal grate of an air duct. The face faded away, replaced with a foot that kicked the panel down at their heads. Before they could even yelp in surprise, Meowth tumbled down, landing in a face-plant on the immaculate tile. As he stood and brushed himself off, Jessie reached out and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. "Meowth!" she hissed, "What in blazes are you doing?" "We said co-vert, not oh-vert, you idiotic fleabag!" James added, turning red in the face. "Can't you do anything right?" "Relax…" Meowth broke Jessie's grip and produced a pair of sunglasses and a small cane. "If anyone asks, we'll just tell 'em I'm a Meowth for da blind." "That's not how it…oh, nevermind." Jessie snapped, exasperated. "Did 'you' learn anything important?" "Eh," the feline shrugged, tossing away his props. "Pikachu is hanging out with da twerp's momma. He'd be easy for da takin', since Jimmy-Boy here just got rid o' da twerp himself." Jessie nodded. "That was uncharacteristically brilliant of you, James. Did you have some kind of plan in mind?" Looking abashed, James said, "Actually, that was a real message. Someone at the front desk asked for an orderly to run a message, and I recognized the name, so I thought I'd find out what it was about." "Hey, not bad, Jimmy!" Meowth crowed. "Sure beat Jessie shakin' her tail for dat bigger twerp!" Jessie eyed Meowth disgustedly, then handed him the vial. "Here, Meowth," she said with exaggerated sugar dripping from her voice, "Have some lemonade." She looked back to James with anticipation as Meowth gladly accepted the jar of liquid. "Well?" Jessie broke first, staring at him insistently. "What did the note say?" "What? Oh." James rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes of the duo. "I, uh…I didn't read it. I just delivered it." "Wonderful," Jessie groused, bopping James atop his head. "Just wonderful. Aren't we a productive group today." "I wonder what the message was about, anyway…" James mused aloud, inadvertently invoking Jessie's full wrath. "…Hey, dis isn't lemonade! It's…AUGH!" * * * Ash tugged his jacket tighter around his slim shoulders. The rain was unrelenting, and pounding noisily against the bill of his tattered cap. His feet stuck in the mud with each slogging step as he made his way around the exterior of Pallet's plain, modest hospital. The darkness cloaked the land in every direction, like a suffocating blanket draped across his home town. He fought off a chill, wondering who had dragged him out in the middle of a storm to talk. With a small spark of his faded humor he hoped that Missingno had suddenly learned how to write notes. A few more steps, and he was standing in the middle of the empty parking lot. The distant sound of ambulances howling over the sound of the rain and the wind made him wonder if the demon had struck again while he was wasting time there. "Hello?" He cupped his hands to his mouth, bellowing as loudly as he could. Only a handful of cars were around to hear them, and they did not listen. "If this is a trap, I'll just tell you right now, I have a Charizard, and we're both really ticked-off!" There were several moments of silence after that. He began to feel foolish shouting at thin air. Furious, frustrated, wet, he pounded the hood of a lime green Gremlin. "Stupid!" he spat at himself. He felt like an idiot, standing out in the middle of a parking lot, shouting at thin air. He struck the green monstrosity once again, kicking at its paneling and leaving a sizable dent. "It's not the car's fault. It's an import." Ash turned to find a figure melt into view from the darkness, hands tucked into an obsidian trench coat that obscured the rest of his body. The man (Ash knew him so by voice alone) approached him slowly, his feet sliding out of the coat's swishing folds with each step. Squinting through the downpour, Ash felt disconcerted as the man's features refused to coalesce. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light, or lack thereof. As he drew closer, Ash realized that it was not; The man's entire face was a mask of black, hiding even his eyes. "Miss me?" Ash thought he saw the mask stretch around the man's mouth, betraying a possible smile. "It's been a while." "Solo!" Ash's eyes narrowed beneath his cap, glaring at the mysterious intruder. "What are you doing here?" "Same thing as you, I imagine," she shrugged, casually ignoring the rain. "Getting wet, seeing the sights, fighting evil…The usual." "Do you know anything about Missingno?" Ash was in no mood to pussyfoot around. The mask stretched in another infuriating smile. "Plenty. But I'm staying out of this one, 'Chosen One'." "Why?!" "Because," he said patiently, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, "It's not my problem, and it's not my fight. Besides, demons give me the heebie- jeebies." He leaned back against a car, casually stretching his arms above his head. Solo's calm voice, so indifferent to the situation, was enough to make Ash want to pound his non-face in. His knuckles cracked as his fists trembled at his side. "If you know how to stop Missingno," he fumed, trying his best to keep his voice down, "Then tell me." "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't." "I can make you." Ash told him. Solo laughed at this. "You could try," he chortled, "But I imagine it's harder to fight a demon when your arms are broken." He grew serious after a moment, his laughter trailing off as he stood straight once more. "Look, I didn't come here to trade barbs with you, kid. I came to warn you." "About the demon?" Ash snapped snidely. "Yeah. Thanks. I got that part." "Don't take the demon lightly, Ketchum." Pointing furiously back at the building, Ash spat, "My mother and best friend are in there right now because of that monster, and you think I'm taking this lightly?!" "You're in more danger than you realize." Ash couldn't contain his fury anymore. His barely-contained fury dissolved into a fit of shouts, with his arms waving high above his head. "Just once," he shouted, "I wish someone would give me a straight answer when it comes to these demon things!" But Solo was already melting into the shadows, stepping backwards the way he came. "I have faith in you, Chosen One." Solo told him solemnly. "Your father was quite the Disciple, and I see a lot of him in you." For what felt like the millionth time that day, Ash felt his jaw drop in utter shock. Solo had appeared out of nowhere into his life, spouting off innuendos to all of Ash's darkest secrets without really telling him anything. He had possessed the fourth Hidden Machine, and had given it to Ash willingly. Now he was telling the boy that he had known Seth Ketchum before his death. What else did he know? "WAIT!" Ash cried desperately, sprinting into the shadows after the mysterious figure. He was too late; Solo had already vanished into the night without a trace. Somehow, the disgusting slurry of mud beneath his feet showed no tracks, no markings…nothing. "Come back here! How do you know my father? Answer me!" Lightning flashed around him in the distance, briefly dispelling the darkness that encircled Ash like an oppressive cloak. He looked up, baring his teeth in a half-scream, half-moan of disappointment as his arms spread wide. The heavens shook and roared with thunder, and he roared back at them, back at the vanished Solo, at the unseen demon that hunted him and toyed with him. "ANSWER ME!" =To Be Continued=