The Closest Ones

56. Hearth and mind

Over a year ago, Ash's time with Jack, Alex and Hrist

Ash's breath was punched out as lost his hold on the steel pipe from the ceiling. As he was falling, he felt like the rest of air that was left in him has started tearing him up from inside out.

It then stopped when he felt strong sting in his chest, the air in his lungs finally calming. He looked at his chest and saw a small tube coming out of his chest.

"You do that again and next time I am using a knife." Hrist said from his side as she made herself comfortable. She was in her classic clothes that she had from team Rocket. She placed the stick next to her closing her eyes. Ash took slow breaths, his eyes roaming around the room. Alex was gone looking around the city and Jack was working on device that would help them.

His eyes saw Jack's floating pokemon and it made ask a question. "Hrist?" Hrist hummed in respons as she had her eyes closed. "Why don't you have a pokemon?"

Ash felt as another wave of air left him, when Hrist hit him in stomach. "I see you have enough air otherwise you would be quiet."

Ash took a deep breaths. When his eyes looked at Hrist, he saw her looking away with pain in her eyes.

"It would help me understand you."

"What's make you believe I want you to understand me?" she asked while ignoring Ash for a moment.

"Otherwise I can't believe in all of this if I don't know you. And how am I suppose to follow all the orders you will give me."

Hrist groaned as she laid her head back. "Will you leave me for the rest of today if I tell you?" Ash nodded to which Hrist sighed. "I think capturing pokemon the same thing as slavery."

Ash's eyes widened at her words. "Wh-"

"Don't interrupt me Satoshi." Ash shut his mouth to prevent himself from continuing. "I see it as slavery by using pokeballs. Pokemon used to roam everywhere freely and they could live with people. But then, people decided to create pokeballs to capture them to make pokemon their own figters. To have someone else to work on their fields. And pokemon can't choose to obey or not. The moment they are captured, they have to listen. Like slaves in old times, people who would live in their villages in peace until a stronger nations came and enslaved them. Put chains and collars on them to make sure they would never run. Does it sound similiar to how pokemon catching works?" Ash was completely silenced by her words. He had no idea what to think about it. He looked at her, but she had her back to him. "See you at dinner." After that, she wolked out of the room.

Ash sat in silence, thinking of how to change her mind. "You won't Satoshi." he heard from side. He looked at Jack as he approached him. "She has it carved into her mind." He said giving him helping hand.

"What do you mean?"

"How much do you really know about the underground business? Black market and other stuff?" Jack's question made Ash silent. "Thought so. You see, these days it is being pushed back. But cities like this or oganisations like ours is still alive. Some of them are just doing classic stealing and some of them don't care. Hrist was unlucky one. She never talks about what happened to her before but what I know is that, she was a slave."

Ash stayed silent for a long time. He knew world could be cruel. People could believe in absolute crazy and dark stuff. They could believe the destruction of this world is needed to be done, but he never knew this. He already suspected that the trio was working for someone because Jack let it slip a few times, but now he knew for sure.

"Not even I know the whole story. But what I know is that she was slave since her childhood. She did and became everything she was tasked to do. Got punished for any resistance or failure." Jack said holding his hand over his face.