Chapter 8

'I'm way too tired for this.' Ash thought with a sigh. Officer Jenny grabbed 
Ash's ear and pinched much like Misty did to Brock.

"Ow! That hurts!" Ash whimpered as he was dragged out of the way.

"I'm sorry but you'll both have to go to the hospital for the night." 
Silvermane giggled a bit.

"Grrr, grrrr,grrrr!" Officer Jenny then noticed the pokemon and scowled.

"And your under quarantine too buster! Don't think I've forgotten about your 
great escape attempt either." Silvermane stopped giggling and let out a 
pokemon version of a moan.

"Growlll." Ash was dragged down the path that lead to town and was shoved in 
a waiting ambulance.

"Wait a minute!" Ash growled as he was pushed into the wailing vehicle. 
"Someone has to go and explain this to my-"

"Father?" cut in an annoyed voice. Ash heard the voice and immediately 
looked for the source. Ash found his fathers eyes staring straight back at 
him in the crowd.

'Eeeeep!' Ash thought as he studied his father's body language. 'Emotionless 
face, crossed arms and tapping foot. Turbines! He's spitting mad!'

"Dad?" Ash asked quietly. Ash didn't have time to ask what was wrong before 
the doors were shut.

"Just relax." Officer Jenny ordered. Ash was seated opposite to Mary and her 
mother. Ash sat back and closed his eyes as he began to think.

"Why are we being rushed to the hospital?" Ash asked out of nowhere." 
Officer Jenny was caught off guard by the question so she didn't answer 
right away.

"You've been missing for hours in the most dangerous forest in the world. 
Why wouldn't you be going to a hospital?" was her reply. Ash crossed his 
arms and leaned back on his seat.

"It's odd for a healthy person being rushed to a hospital, that's all." Ash 
rode in silence until they reached the Cherry Canyon hospital. Ash jumped 
out of the ambulance and was lead inside by an emergency team.

'What did I get myself into?' Ash groaned inwardly with a sweatdrop.

Next day

'Now, where did they put my backpack?' Ash was scouring his hospital room 
for his bag. Ash had spent the entire night being poked and prodded at by 
doctors and nurses. Ash had enough when took his blood sample for the THIRD 
time.

"And what do you think you're doing?" A voice from the door said.

"DAD!" Before Mark could take two steps into the room, Ash tackled him with 
a hug. "SAVE ME!"

"Whoa! Calm down! I just came to see how you were doing. Save you from 
what?" Ash pulled him into the room and shut the door.

"You may think I'm crazy for saying this but, I'm perfectly healthy! These 
quacks won't leave me alone! Dad they gave me a booster shot. ME! Dad, get 
me out of here!" Mark gave his son a once over and sighed.

"Get your bag. If you get caught, it's on your head." Mark said seriously. 
"And here I thought you were sleeping in a coma or something. Next time you 
want to do something dangerous, don't get caught at it."

"Yes! Thank you!" Ash grabbed his backpack, slung it in his shoulders and 
waited for his father to leave first.

"You're on your own sport. See you at home if you make it." Mark gave Ash a 
wink and Ash replied with a peace sign. Mark closed the door and Ash waited 
for about five minutes before making his escape.

'No ones looking, here goes nothing.' Ash crept out of the hospital without 
anyone noticing him. Ash began to run as soon as he was out of sight.

"Free at last!" Ash whispered hoarsely as he passed the cadet training 
course. Ash had almost totally forgot about his promise to the guys at the 
training field after his little escapade was done. Ash heard familiar voices 
on the equipment, so he snuck up closer to the fence.

"-he's just a show off. That's what I think." Growled a voice Ash recognized 
as Frank. There were five cadets Ash was graduating with. Frank, Joe, Tyrel, 
Nick and Boomer. Frank, Joe, Tyrel and Nick were almost inseparable whereas 
Boomer was more like Ash, a bit of a lone wolf.

"Did anyone catch what he said to Mary?" Nick asked. There was a pause.

"It must've been something really important, Mary's been smiling nonstop 
since she left the hospital last night." Ash thought that it was unfair that 
Mary had gotten out before him. "Mary's also acting like she has a secret 
too." Tyrel snickered.

"I don't know what Ash was thinking! Going into the Forbidden Grove like 
that. I tell you, Ash is not all there upstairs." Joe added in.

'And what do you mean by that?' Ash growled in his head.

"I know what you mean." Tyrel added. "No one in their right mind would go 
into the forest. Has anyone figured out how he got out of that dead end?"

"Nope." Nick said simply.

"Now that is creepy " Frank finally added in. "You know what? Now that I 
think about it, Ash really scares me."

"What?" scoffed Tyrel. "Why would you be scared of that nobody?" Nick 
interrupted.

"That nobody can bench press his own body weight, run faster then any of us 
and has the best marks this school has ever seen." An uneasy silence passed.

"Point taken." Tyrel said breaking the silence.

"Besides, who else do you know could handle cadet training with as little 
practice as him? No one here I can tell you that." Joe added in.

"I think there's more to him than meets the eye." Nick said out of nowhere. 
Ash waited for him to explain. There was a long pause.

"What makes you say that?" Frank asked. There was another long pause.

"Think about it. Yesterday he apprehended Team Rocket, outran his fellow 
cadets and saved a girl from the Forbidden Grove by carrying her out. And he 
still walked into the ambulance!" Nick said in a nervous tone.

"He's definitely dangerous." Frank sighed. Ash felt his stomach turn to ice 
as he realized the truth.

'I-I am dangerous.' Ash could hold his own in a fight against his father and 
that was saying something. 'I'm faster, stronger and smarter then most kids 
my age.' Ash began to sneak away from the fence but, not before he heard 
Nick's two cents.

"No, not dangerous, more like cautious and deadly. He's smart enough so he 
gets out of sticky situations but has his strength to fall back on. I 
honestly think he's been holding back his true abilities in cadet training." 
Ash didn't stick around to hear anymore and was on his way.

"I can't believe they see me like that." Ash mumbled to himself miserably. 
"They make me out like I'm some sort of monster."

'But isn't that the truth?' Ash instantly shot that thought down in flames. 
'I'm no monster! I'm me, Ash Ketchum! I'm helpful, kind and hardworking!' 
Ash looked to his right to see Candy's shop before him.

"Why not?" Ash asked himself. A treat right now might help his mood. Ash 
walked into the sweetshop to find it-

'Empty? That's not like this place' Ash walked up and sat on a stool. Candy 
almost magically appeared out of thin air.

"Hi Ash! The usual fruity fantastic?" Candy asked in her usual cheery voice. 
Ash shook his head.

"No, give me a vanilla milkshake." Candy was startled for a moment but went 
to fill the order. Ash watched as she expertly scoop out the ice cream, 
poured in the milk and mixed it up.

"Something wrong Ash?" Candy asked as she sat down the milkshake in front of 
him. "You should be on top of the world right now. You're a local hero!" Ash 
stopped sipping his milkshake to respond.

"I'm no hero." Ash said quietly. Ash went back to his milkshake when Candy 
responded.

"Oh no? Well, they seem to think you are." A puzzled expression passed over 
Ash's face as he looked up from his drink.

"Who?" Candy pointed to the glass window. When Ash looked, he nearly fell 
off his stool. When Ash had come in mere moments ago, the street was empty. 
Now-

'There has to be twenty girls out there!' Ash thought in a yelp. Ash saw the 
entire high society girls club in a big group outside Candy's shop. 'What do 
they want?'

"Looks like you just became the number one bachelor in Cherry Canyon." Ash 
felt himself go blue in the face.

"Ummmm. Can I sneak out the back way? If that's not too much to ask." Ash 
choked out. Candy tried her best not to laugh.

"Sure you can. You go straight through here." Ash was lead into the back 
alley behind the sweetshop.

"Thanks Candy." Ash ran down the alley and didn't stop until he was out of 
town.

'Maybe I've gotten myself into more trouble than I realized,' Ash thought to 
himself as he headed home. Ash confirmed that thought when he reached home.

"What's going on here?" Ash whispered to himself. In his driveway there was 
Officer Jenny's bike and Bruce's pickup truck. Ash crept towards his house 
and settled beneath the living room window, listening to the voices inside.

"You're sure he was fine when you saw him last?" gruffed and older voice. 
Ash thought it strange that Bruce would ask his father about his welfare.

"Yes, yes. The rascal was trying to sneak out as a matter of fact," laughed 
Mark.

"Really?" asked a feminine voice. Officer Jenny's voice had a hint of 
amusement in it.

"Good. That means that he'll be returning to work soon." Bruce had moved 
from his spot so Ash had to strain to hear him.

"Bruce, that's something that I've been meaning to talk to you about," Mark 
said next, surprising the hidden Ash. He pushed the knot that was forming in 
his throat down and leaned in to hear better.

"What?" demanded Bruce. Officer Jenny's voice grew faint, then louder, 
signaling she too was moving around the room.

"As you know, the cadet training tournament is in two days," Officer Jenny 
started. "Ash is the best cadet I've seen in all my years of cadet training. 
But…" Officer jenny looked over at Mark for help.

"But he needs a few days to rest up. If he works for you like he has been, 
Ash won't do his best," Mark finished for Officer Jenny. There was a pause 
before Bruce's laughter echoed through out the house.

"I take it Ash hasn't told you yet," Bruce managed to choke out between 
bellows of laughter.

"Told us what?" Mark demanded.

"I've made him my second. Ash will only be called into work on the special 
jobs." There was a pause before more laughter echoed Bruce's.

"Why that little scamp!" laughed Officer Jenny. "Not telling me this! Your 
boy is way too humble, Mark."

"I know, I know." Mark responded. "I guess this solves our problems. Would 
you like something to eat? I have stir fry in the fridge." Ash stayed put in 
until all three adults left the living room.

'What were they laughing about?' Ash wondered. 'Must be an inside joke.' Ash 
waited for about ten minutes before he wandered into his house.

"Hey dad? I'm out in the greenhouse." Ash called out. Mark didn't have time 
to reply before Ash was gone.

'That kid! Like a deserting rat on a sinking ship. I'll talk to him later.' 
Mark went to entertaining his guests. Ash closed the door to the greenhouse 
behind him and sat down.

"Life is about to get complicated." Ash whispered.

'Now dad knows that I have free time.' Ash ran his fingers through tangled 
hair. 'Which means more lessons and more chores. As if I wasn't tired now.' 
Ash got up and ventured into his green world. Ash didn't know how much his 
mother had influenced him until he had to start up the greenhouse again.

"Mom always had a way with flowers. I guess mine is with vegetables." Ash 
chuckled to himself. Ash had carrots, turnips, cabbage, tomatoes, peas, 
potatoes and strawberries. Ash copied his mothers neat rows of vegetables 
but for the strawberries, Ash had got creative.

'Mom would be so jealous.' Strawberries were at the back of the greenhouse 
where dads old junk was. Ash had converted the junk into a maze of potted 
red berries. Ash went to work weeding the vegetables and watering the 
strawberries. An hour passed, two, then three.

"Ashura!" Mark opened the doors to the greenhouse. "Ashur-?" Mark stopped 
dead in his tracks.

'I never realized how much Ash has been doing in here.' Mark marveled at all 
the rows of vegetables Ash had newly weeded. Mark walked in but saw no sign 
of Ash.

"Ashura!" Mark called out again. Mark walked down the rows of vegetables 
looking for Ash. Mark came to the end where most of his old, rusty junk was 
stored.

'I've got to get rid of this one of these- What?' A moment passed before 
Mark registered what he was looking at. 'What happened here?' Mark thought 
in awe. Mark's useless junk pile had been rearranged into a mountain of 
rusty…..art.

"Strawberries?" Mark gasped aloud. In whatever rusty jagged container could 
hold them did. Strawberries reddening in the high light greenhouse were 
bulging out of the junk pile.

'Did Ash do this? It's beautiful.' Mark then thought of Delilah and her 
garden. A pang of hurt and bitterness that Mark had harbored against Ash for 
the crazy things he had done the day before, seemed to crack.

"Ash?" Mark asked again. Mark listened for a response and heard something 
soft reply.

"Zzzzzzzz." Mark walked into the rubbish to see a sleeping Ash. The events 
of the last day shattered into a million pieces in Marks mind when he saw 
Ash's sleeping face. Ash had fallen asleep picking the ripe strawberries 
because there was a full bucket ready to go with a curled boy beside it.

'He must've fallen asleep after he was finished. My baby boy, he's all 
tuckered out from yesterday.' Ash was barely aware of being carried out of 
the greenhouse, into the house and into his room. Mark changed Ash out of 
his cloths and set him into bed. Mark hesitated before doing something he 
hadn't done in a long time.

"Sleep in Ashy." Mark whispered in his ear. Mark push back Ash's hair and 
kissed his forehead. Mark made his exit just as Ash mumbled something in his 
sleep.

"I'm sorry daddy. I …..  mean to crash…computer. Gizmo and I….playing…" Ash 
mumbled. Mark was stopped short for the second time that day.

'How much do you remember?' Mark wondered as he shut the door behind him. 
Ash fell into a sleep of memories


*****

"Why can't I see the puppies?" A four-year-old Ash asked in a pout. Officer 
Jenny sighed as she looked into Ash's infamous 'look'. Ash had the best 
bambie eye routine she had ever come across.

"Because she's nursing." Officer Jenny could almost literally swear she 
could feel her will breaking before those eyes.

"Can't I just see them? I promise I won't touch." Ash begged. What could 
Jenny say? She was a sucker for those eyes.

"Alright! You can go see the puppies! Just don't touch ok?" Little A bounded 
up in delight.

"Thank you!" Ash gave her a quick hug and ran for the puppy pen. Ash walked 
up to the gate and hung off of it like all four year olds do.

"Growl?" Ash was noticed by the mother for a moment and dismissed as a 
non-threat.

'Look at them They're all so cute! Not that I would admit that to Ken mind 
you.' Ash thought excited. Ash counted six puppies in the litter. Ash 
watched them nurse for a good hour before Officer Jenny came to check on 
him.

"How's my lucky litter of seven?" Officer Jenny asked walking up behind Ash. 
Ash wasn't startled by her presence, but more by her question.

"Seven? But there's only six in there." Ash said confused. Officer Jenny 
mimicked Ash's confused look.

"There are? But Flameflower had seven puppies." Ash scanned the pen again.

"I found it! It's in the pen but-" Ash paused for a moment. "Why isn't 
Flameflower feeding him too?" Officer Jenny was a little startled when she 
realized the truth.

"OH NO! Poor little one! He doesn't have a chance now." Officer Jenny had 
tears well up in her eyes. Ash noticed and it dawned onto him what was 
happening. Ash acted fast in order to save the lone puppies life. Weeks 
later.

"Growl!" Ash had been visiting Officer Jenny for the last month properly 
feeding the outcast puppy. Mark didn't notice his son's absence. After all, 
Ash was with Officer Jenny.

"Hi Silver! Did you miss me? YIPE!" Ash was bowled over by the not too small 
puppy anymore. Flameflower had rejected Silvermane because he had been the 
runt.

"Growl! Growl!" Ash giggled as the odd puppy licked Ash's face until he was 
drenched.

"Stop! I had my bath yesterday!" Ash managed to squeak between licks. 
Reluctantly, the pokemon got off of Ash and Ash rose to his feet. "So, how's 
the brat pack?"

"Groooow!" Moaned Silvermane. The brat pack is what Ash referred to as 
Silvermane's sisters and brothers. Ash dumped the puppy chow into a bowl 
since he had gotten off of milk a week ago.

"That bad huh? We'll say hello after Officer Jenny comes for her daily 
visit." Ash began to groom the silver haired fire pokemon as he ate. 
Silvermane wasn't the runt of the litter anymore; in fact, Silvermane had 
grown huge under Ash's care.

"Groooowllllll!" Silvermane leaned into Ash's caressing brush and began to 
crowd Ash.

"Silver! Cut it out before you sit on me." Ash sealed his fate with those 
words. "Get off of me you big lug!" Ash giggled. A wrestling match occurred 
that ended up with another bath for Ash.

******

'Stupid cadet training.' Ash grumbled. 'Why can't they leave me alone?' Ash 
had just finished the second year level cadet training. Ash had nothing 
better to do at home then study; if he was studying, Mark wouldn't give him 
extra chores. Ash had just finished the scholarly part of cadet training in 
just a month, to some others discontent.

"You won't last five seconds out here." Growled Ceris. Ceris wouldn't be 
graduating this year but a pain none-the-less. Ceris had appointed himself 
Ash's official rival once Ash was enrolled into the physical training of the 
course.

"That's what you think." Ash growled in response. Ceris smiled an evil smile 
and Ash wondered what he knew.

"You don't have a pokemon partner. You're going to be eaten alive out here 
without one." Snickered Ceris. "And I just happen to know there aren't any 
free pokemon partners left." Then, it was Ash's turn to smile.

"Actually Ceris-" said Officer Jenny. Ceris jumped five feet in the air in 
surprise. "-we have some partners coming in today fresh from their 
training."

"O-Officer Jenny! Er-" Ceris sputtered.

"Come Ash, you have to find a partner for yourself." Officer Jenny scowled 
at Ceris before leading Ash away. Ash could barely contain his excitement!

'No matter what dad tries to do, he can't stop me from my pokemon training.' 
Ash skipped along Officer Jenny barely aware of what she was saying.

"Now Ash. We have seven highly trained pokemon for you to chose from. They 
all have different abilities and temperaments, you have to chose carefully." 
Ash ran up to the Growlithe pen and peered inside.

"Can I go in?" Ash asked eagerly. Officer Jenny saw no harm so she nodded.

"Alright, but don't get them too hyper." Ash gave Officer Jenny a wink as 
she walked off.

"I don't know why you should." Ceris said appearing behind Ash. "I've heard 
about these seven. They're the most stubborn group put through Growlithe 
police training. Here watch."

"What're you doing?" Ash watched Ceris go through the gate and up to the 
pokemon. Ceris held up a delicious meat treat up to one of the Growlithes.

"Good girl! You want this don't you? Let me pet you and you can have it." 
Ash watched in shock as the pokemon snubbed away from Ceris's treat. One by 
one Ceris was ignored, growled at and snarled for his efforts. "See?"

"Maybe they're not interested in food." Ash shot back.

'And maybe they're insulted by Ceris's intelligence level.' Ash thought to 
himself. Ash kept this thought to himself because Ceris wasn't that bad of a 
guy; a little egotistical like Gary but not all bad.

"Let's see you try smart guy!" Ash sighed at his point being proven by the 
childish challenge. Ash put a nervous arm around his head and laughed. Ash 
didn't know it but, he got the Growlithe's attention by his laugh.

"I don't know if I can go in there while your watching. Besides, don't you 
have a workout to finish?" Ceris came out of the kennel with a smug look on 
his face.

"I'd like to see you be ignored by this brat pack but, as you said, I have a 
workout to finish." Ash watched Ceris leave stunned. Brat Pack? His Brat 
Pack!?! Ash decided to conduct an experiment to see if it was the same 
Growlithes he used to play with.

'One, two, three-fourfivesix- SILVER?' Ash counted the pokemon in the kennel 
and found his old friend. Silver was still the same, sleeping in the sun. 
But, my, did he get BIG!

"Knock knock!" Ash banged the chain on the gate to one of it's wooden posts. 
All eyes in the pen were either opened or were already locked on Ash. Ash 
entered the pen with a big smile.

"Well, here's a first. I've finally entered the Brat Packs presence and 
haven't needed a towel." Silvermane stepped forward.

"Growl?" Ash crossed his arms and winked.

"Hey Silver, you still chasing that runt tail of yours or have your sisters 
been doing it for you?" Before Ash could say another word Silvermane was in 
a sprint.

"GROWL, GROWL!"

"Whoa!" Ash was knocked down by the fully-grown Growlithe. "Yuck!" sputtered 
Ash between tongues. "I guess I spoke too soon. Where's a towel?" Ash wasn't 
let up for a good ten minutes. "So, who wants to be my partner?"

"Growlithe!" yelped seven voices at once. One moment Ash was standing, the 
next he was on the ground staring at seven eager pokemon faces.

'Well this is just great.' Ash thought sarcastically. 'Now what?' There was 
a sudden bark and six of the Growlithes stepped back leaving Silvermane in 
Ash's face.

*****

"Yayyy! You made it!" Ash jumped from the door to grab Sheri's hand and 
dragged her inside. Mark noticed their late arrival and gasped.

"Ash? Isn't that Mayor Teresa's daughter?" Ash smiled and ran right by his 
father with Sheri in tow.

"Did you bring the keyboard?" Ash asked Sheri. Sheri took off her backpack 
and unzipped it to let Ash have a peek inside.

"Sure did! Why's you ask me to bring it to your birthday party anyway?" 
Sheri asked. Ash's smile was big enough to make Sheri sweatdrop.

"You'll see." Ash dragged Sheri to the backyard where the people and food 
were. "Sheri, I would like you to meet Gizmo, Ken, Robert and you already 
know Candy." A nervous group said their hellos.

"Ash?" Ash turned to see his father in the doorway with a big gift-wrapped 
box. "Do you want to open presents now or later?" The second Ash's eyes set 
on the box Mark knew his answer.

"Now!" Ash replied eagerly. Mark brought the box over to a table that had a 
pile of presents already on it.

"That reminds me. Here you go Ash." Ash received a box about half the size 
of Marks from Sheri.

"Wow! Thanks Sheri!" Ash put it over by Marks.

"Actually, we should wait until after cake to open presents." Mark said. 
Ash's face fell for about half a second before he realized something.

"Food?! Alright, let's chow down!" Ash bounded over to another table with 
food and began to eat the contents on it.

"Hey! Save some for us!" Ken giggled. Ken raced after Ash. Nervously, the 
rest of the group joined Ash around the table. The rest of the day was spent 
playing, games eating and opening presents. Ash got flowerseeds, a 
slingshot, video game, a book, a new backpack and a fishing rod with tackle 
from his father.

"Bye!" Ash called as his friends left for home. It was eight and the small 
group of five decided to walk home together. An odd gaggle of kids walked 
back to Cherry Canyon in silence.

"I didn't know Ash had such a variety of friends." Robert said breaking the 
silence.

"I never thought Ash would be friends with someone so old either." Ken 
chuckled. Robert was perturbed.

"What was that shrimp?" Ken playfully ran ahead of the group to get away 
from Robert.

"Come, come now. We shouldn't quarrel." Candy stepped between Robert and 
Ken.

"And why not?" Growled Robert, wanting nothing more then to get at the snip 
that called him old.

"Because we all like Ash." Gizmo said out of nowhere. Gizmo had hardly said 
a word all day so it was a surprise to the group that he had a voice.

"Look, glasses can talk." Ken sneered. Sheri, being her mothers daughter, 
took charge of the situation.

"No! He's right. Everyone here agrees that Ash is their friend, right?" 
Everyone nodded. "Does everyone agree that Ash is special?"

"Yes." Said four people in unison. Sheri smiled her best smile and had an 
idea.

"So why don't we form something special fo Ash? It's his birthday so let's 
give him one last present."

"What do we have more to give him?" Candy asked confused.

"How about our friendship to him and our loyalty?" Suggested Gizmo. "And 
that means becoming friends ourselves." Everyone stood there in silence for 
a few minutes pondering Gizmo's suggestion.

"I'm in!" Ken said proudly.

"Me too!" Echoed Sheri.

"Me three!" Joked Robert.

"I'll do it!" Candy said with a smile on her face. All four faces then 
turned to Gizmo.

"It was my idea! Of course I'm in!" Gizmo said with a laugh. "We should make 
this a club. We have enough people for it."

"What'll we call ourselves?" Candy wondered out loud.

"How about the Little A Society?" Ken suggested. Ash, up in a tree, was 
touched by his friends loyalty. Hence, the Little Society was born.

*****

Disclaimer: I still don't own pokemon.

Author note: Hehehehe. I am truely evil! Poor Ash is the ladies man in 
Cherry Canyon when he wants to be left alone.