You Never Knew Me

0|3 : Am I Supposed To Care?

Running out of the lab with Pikachu on his shoulder, Ash was excited to leave once again out on a journey to a place unknown to others. But this 'excitement' had come to an abrupt end at Oak's reminder. He'd have to stop by his home and tell his mother, Delia.

The thought of his mother putting on the act of the year, trying to guilt-trip and pressure him into staying with her for a while, completely souring his mood.

He loved her and all, however; she was always stuck in the past. Once she had even thought him to be 'her' husband before quickly realizing it had been him, yeah it wasn't her husband she was seeing in him. Her neediness despite secretly having a boyfriend was annoying. Especially when said person checked up on him to make sure he was safe, unlike his own mother.

Not that it mattered much to him since more often than not, he'd be absent. Still, as these thoughts reached him, his pace slowed til it stopped.

"Pika pi?"

Pikachu licked his ear, noticing something was wrong. Ash giggled at the ticklish feeling, "Hehe, I'm okay Pikachu..."

Looking at the cloudy dark sky and the drizzling rain, Ash took off his hat and placed it on his partner's head. "I don't want you getting a cold now, do I."

"Pika pi!"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll be fine. Though I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen."

Expressing his thoughts, he quickly cleared his mind and started toward their destination. It didn't even take two minutes before they arrived at his home. But even from the outside he feels the solemn air within the house.

Ignoring it, he placed an overjoyed grin on his face and filled his eyes with excitement. Reaching for the door's handle, he went over the words in his head. I got second place in the League, but Diantha invited me to a training camp run by her. I'll be gone for a few years, but I'll call you on occasions. Of course, that was a lie.

It was a perfectly good excuse, though. His mother wouldn't suspect a thing, as she normally didn't pay him much attention.
Prepared to push the door open, he was startled as he heard familiar voices inside arguing.

"You have no right to tell him to give up! He got second place and if you hadn't noticed Alain is two years older than him!"

"Sawyer, give it up. Stop fighting us on this, he's lost six leagues now!"

"Shut up Brock, out of everyone here I thought you would know better than anyone how much he's sacrificed so that he can help all of you jerks reach your own goals!"

"Your right, I know, which is why I'm not saying he should give up! But he needs to take a break! He hasn't rested for a moment. He has great talent and his love for Pokémon is strong. Both of which are perfect for a gym leader. I won't ask him to give up, but he needs to relax for a year or two."

"You know nothing than if you think just being a gym leader can satisfy talent like that!"

A loud groan, Ash was familiar with as Brock's sounded. "Sawyer, you're not listening to-" he was interrupted though.

Misty groaned in annoyance, "Sawyer, if you're going to fight us on this then you should just leave." Ash held back a groan of his own at her voice. Misty was a mediocre trainer when he met her, just a bit better than him. Yet, she despite being only a year older acted high and mighty, lashing out with a hot-temper.

"I won't! I won't let you do this to him!" Sawyer's words were a borderline scream.

"Why do you defend him? He's such a kid, always whining when something goes wrong." Iris's voice sounded the same childish tone in it as he had grown used to. He didn't particularly blame her. Others easily influenced her with their headstrong opinions, like Misty and May. She'd make an amazing trainer one day, possibly a Champion if she worked hard. Despite this, she was definitely one of his most exhausting companions.