Ash Ketchum: Rise of Galactic

Ch. 45 Dynamite

   DAMN! SHE'S HOT!

Clemont was sitting by himself nearly a hundred yards away from the camp, leaning against a tree. He was drawing in the dirt with a stick, doing mathematical equations, something he did when he was upset. He didn't notice Korrina until she was standing a few yards from him.

  "May I sit down?" Korrina asked.

  "Free world," Clemont said. "At least until the Galactic take over."

   Korrina sat down cross-legged a few feet from him. She picked up a rock and rolled it in her hands. For a long time neither of them spoke.

  "They estimate that there are seven and a half trillion trees in the Amazon rain forest," Clemont said. "That one right there is called a strangler fig. The Peruvians call it matapalo, the killer tree. It starts when a bird drops its seed up in a tree and the strangler fig grows down to the ground until it chokes out the host tree and takes its place."

  "That's interesting," Korrina said. After another moment she said, "It's not your fault, you know."

  "I let my best friend down. I wasn't loyal."

  "Did you want him to stay?"

   He looked up angrily. "No! Of course not."

  "Then you honored his wishes from him even when you did not want to. That's loyalty, is not it?"

   Clemont couldn't answer.

  "Serena doesn't really think it's your fault either."

  "You could have fooled me."

  "Sometimes people are like that. When we're upset at someone and they're not around, we take it out on whoever is close. Even people we love. Serena's afraid for Ash and so she's upset. And since he isn't here, she took it out on you. Does that make sense?"

  Clemont sighed. "I guess so."

  "The truth is, no matter what anyone said back there, if it wasn't for you, we'd all still be locked up at the academy. All of us, including Ash." Clemont looked up to see her gazing at him. "You're the smartest person I've ever met. And you're smarter than any us. You're our only hope of saving Ash." She looked at him for a moment, then leaned forward, staring him directly in the eyes. "Ash needs you. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and save him."

  "Do you think I can save him?"

  "I know you can save him. And I know you can save us." She leaned back.

   Clemont stared at the ground for a moment. When he lifted his head his expression of him had changed. He looked like himself again.

  "Let's break down our situation into its individual components. We're hiding in a tropical rain forest next to a seemingly impenetrable fortress with two thousand armed guards, huge electric fences, and ubiquitous camera surveillance. Our original way into the compound through the ranch entrance is no longer an option, and our second route was locked off by Ash.

  "Our foe seems all-powerful, but if history has taught us anything, it's that everyone and everything has a weakness—you just have to find it. My weakness is jelly donuts. Your weakness is dehydration, or lack of water." His brow of him furrowed. "Zeus's weakness is also water." Suddenly his face of him animated. "That's it!" He clapped his hands together. "That's their weakness!"

  "What?" Korrina asked.

  "Water! They built protection around the power plant but not their water source." I have jumped up. "I know how to shut them down."