Brushing Ash's dark locks from his forehead, Erika checked his temperature. It 
was still higher than it should be, but he felt cooler than he had two hours 
before. Erika smiled, taking this decrease in temperature as a sign that the 
antidote she had created was working. 

She sat in the chair next to Ash's bed and simply watched him. He was still 
unconscious, but his breathing had become more regular as the antidote began to 
work its way through his system. Despite the fact that he had begun to regain 
some of his usual color, he still remained pale; his black hair contrasted 
greatly with his white skin. 

It pained Erika to see him so still and sick. In the time she knew him, Ash was 
never one to be motionless. He enjoyed being active, which was one the many 
qualities of his that she found endearing. There was something about Ash that 
simply drew her to him, a bond she couldn't identify. He had lied to her, left 
her, and broken her heart, and yet she found herself yearning to be held by him. 
The mixed feelings she still held for him frustrated and confused her, but she 
felt calm whenever she could simply be near him, enjoying his presence. 

She smiled as her eyes came to rest on Pikachu, who had fallen asleep on Ash's 
chest, being rocked up and down as his trainer breathed. A wave of sadness 
overtook her and she stood to leave. Pikachu reminded her of the pokemon she had 
lost, and Ash ... well, he was the source of too many memories. 

Erika jumped when she turned to leave and saw Gary standing behind her. He sent 
her an apologetic smile and walked towards her. "How is he?" he asked. 

"Better," Erika told him, watching as Gary bent over to examine Ash more 
closely. 

He straightened, nodding. "We're lucky you are so good with poisons." He studied 
her for a moment. "Why is that, by the way?"

Erika shrugged. "I trained grass pokemon. They deal with poisons and powders and 
such." She grinned. "You didn't think that perfume was the only thing I knew how 
to brew?"

They were silent for a moment, both looking at Ash.

"Is he always so reckless?" Erika asked suddenly.

Gary shot her a questioning look.

"I mean, he tried to take on fifty people, single handed," she explained. "What 
was he thinking?"

Gary smiled sadly. "I'm not sure he even stops and thinks about things like 
that."

"Well, he's going to get himself killed!" Erika said with a little more emotion 
than she meant to. 

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes, Erika, I wonder if that 
isn't his goal."

Erika looked at him sharply. "What?"

"There are times I feel like he's given up on life, you know?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, her throat suddenly tight. "Suicide?"

"No," Gary said, shaking his head firmly. "He would never do that, but he never 
hesitates to put himself in danger."

"That could just be bravery," Erika said. 

Gary shrugged. "Or maybe he feels as though he's got nothing to lose."

Silence descended upon the two, until all that could be heard was Ash's 
breathing and Pikachu's soft snoring.

"Well, either way," Gary said, breaking the silence. "Ash has the luck of a 
leprechaun rubbing a rabbit's foot while wearing a horseshoe for a necklace." He 
began to walk out. "Maybe that'll be enough to keep him with us. 

He exited the sick bay, leaving Erika to stare at Ash as she pondered her 
thoughts. 

~*~*~

When Ash finally floated back into consciousness he found himself alone, save 
for a sleeping pikachu on his chest. He shifted his weight and his breath 
hitched when pain shot through his abdomen. He ached all over, from the roots of 
his hair to his toes. 

The movement was enough to wake up Pikachu, who raised his head and stared 
sleepily at Ash. After the pain become less noticeable, Ash smiled at the 
pokemon and pet his head. Pikachu lowered his head contentedly, happy his 
trainer was awake. 

"What's going on, Pikachu?" Ash asked, his whole body tensing when he recognized 
the room to be from a Team Rocket ship.

Pikachu yawned before explaining to Ash exactly what had happened after Ash had 
been shot. 

Ash relaxed when he realized he wasn't captured and everyone was all right. 
"Lance, huh?" He murmured, contemplating the idea of the greatest pokemon 
trainer in the world having what seemed to be a personal vendetta against him.  

He was torn from his thoughts by loud shouts coming from outside his room. 

"I don't care what Lorelei says!" A deep voice hollered. "I don't trust you as 
far as I can throw you."

"Well, that's fortunate, because I would shoot your arm off before you could 
touch me."

Ash recognized the second voice to be Gary's and he assumed the other voice 
belonged to Lance.

"You weren't so confident yesterday, Oak," Lance said. 

Ash began to sit up and Pikachu leapt from his resting place on his chest. He 
groaned as his stomach severely protested the movement and waited a moment to 
allow the pain to subside before slowly swinging his legs over the edge of the 
bed. He paused, then forced himself to ignore the pain as he stood. Using the 
wall for support, he began to make his way to the door, which seemed incredibly 
far from him. 

"I was unarmed yesterday. Today is an entirely different story."

When Ash finally got to the door he placed one hand on the door knob and the 
other over his bandaged abdomen. With a deep breath he opened the door. He was 
hadn't thought it was possible for Gary and Lance to become any louder, but as 
soon as he opened the door the volume of their voices increased greatly. It was 
only then that Ash noticed he was working on a rather large headache. 

Neither man noticed Ash's sudden appearance at the door as they continued to 
threaten one another. 

Ash closed his eyes and leaned against the door frame, unable to fully support 
himself without help. 

"Are you threatening me?" Lance asked, malice in his voice. "Not that I'm 
surprised, you're nothing but a cold hearted murderer."

"Me?" Gary all but screamed. "Who's Dragonite ATE people?"

Ash's eyes opened in surprise and he turned his head to get a better look at 
Lance, who appeared unfazed by the accusation. Ash decided it was time to stop 
the argument before Lance beat Gary to a pulp, or Gary shot Lance. 

"As much as I hate to interrupt you two," Ash said, closing his eyes when he 
realized it even hurt to talk. "Would you mind keeping the arguments to a dull 
roar?"

Both Gary and Lace visibly jumped, not having realized he was there.

"Ash!" Gary said. "You shouldn't be walking around! You were shot yesterday."

Ash shot him a dull look. "Really? I thought something was out of the ordinary."

Gary rolled his eyes. "I can see your sense of humor remains intact. That's a 
good sign."

Lance snorted, crossing his arms as he glared at the two of them. "Touching, 
really."

Gary spun around, clearly ready to go at it with Lance once again but Ash 
stopped any further confrontation by stretching out his hand, saying, "I'm 
sorry, I don't believe we've met. I'm Ash Ketchum."

Lance stared at his outstretched hand with a look of disdain and made no move to 
take it. "I know who you are."

"Ah," Ash said, letting his hand drop with a polite smile that didn't quite 
reach his eyes. "Good." 

They glared at each other, Lance with open hatred, Ash with well masked 
emotions. 

"You'll get what's coming to you," Lance said through gritted teeth. 

"I certainly hope so," Ash replied calmly.

Lance did not know what to say to that unexpected answer and so he simply turned 
and stormed off, leaving Ash and Gary standing in the hallway, albeit one was 
not standing so much as leaning, and he was beginning to find the prospect of 
remaining upright to be somewhat of a burden. 

When Lance was out of hearing distance Ash said, "Pleasant guy."

"Yeah, he's a real sweetheart," Gary said sarcastically. "Come on, you really 
should be laying down."

"I'm fine," Ash said, all the while leaning against the door frame with his arm 
over his wound.

"Yeah," Gary said, looking at him skeptically. "That's why you're so white you 
could blend in with the walls."

Ash sent him a glare. "Okay mother, help me get to bed."

Gary choose to ignore the mother comment and helped Ash slowly make his way back 
to the cot. 

"So tell me," Ash said after sitting down. "What is this I heard about a man 
eating Dragonite?"

Gary paled before turning slightly green. "You'll be happier not knowing, trust 
me."

Ash shook his head. "You're probably right." Pikachu climbed into his lap, 
making himself comfortable but being sure not to bump Ash's wound. Ash felt the 
boat lean and cocked his head, watching as a bottle of rubbing alcohol fell off 
the table and rolled across the room. Looking at Gary he said, "I take it we 
aren't still docked at Seafoam?"

Gary shook his head. "We're heading back to Fuchsia to meet up with Bruno and 
Agatha."




A/N: I know, very short and not much action. Sorry. I wanted to have Ash have a 
confrontation with Lance, I believe there will be further problems between those 
two in the not to distant future. This chapter was more of a filler than 
anything, I used it to help flesh out Erika a bit more, eventually I will get to 
the part where the coupling's are revealed, but I wouldn't count on it too soon. 
I also introduced a new topic that I think will become important in later 
chapters, maybe you noticed or maybe you brushed past it. We shall see. Well, 
please review, every little bit helps.