Pokemon: Fire and Ice

Chapter 4

The group set up camp over a mile away. Ash wanted to continue, since he had been asleep for who-knows-how-long, but Giovanni—having a slightly more eventful day and far older—couldn't keep up. Another reason was that they had found the perfect shelter: a small cave dug into a rocky ravine with thick trees protecting the entrance. It was warm and cozy inside, instead of a creepy atmosphere like some shelters Ash was forced to take during his journeys.

Now the humans sat on opposite sides of the fire, backs leaning against their respective wall. Their Pokémon were snuggled at the corners of the cave. The fire had been created with dry sticks Giovanni salvaged with Tepig's Ember attack. Ash had learned the nearest city was Nimbasa, a few days away. That was weird... Ash was able to remember he was just in Nimbasa.

His amnesia wasn't that severe at all. He could remember his personal life and his experiences across Unova. Giovanni had even asked him a series of personal questions and trivia just to be sure, and Ash answered them all correctly. The only thing wrong with him was that the memories he thought were real were disappearing quickly, proving otherwise. That and the fact Ash couldn't remember anything leading up to the kidnapping. Yeah, that didn't sound like a big deal, but you would think your subconscious would label that timeframe, you know?

"What is the last thing you remember?" Giovanni asked.

Ash looked down in thought. He remembered Nimbasa. Let's see... there was Team Rocket... his Gym battle... the touring the city with Iris... the Stamp Rally... the Subway Bosses... oh, yeah!

"I remember talking to Ingo and Emmet, the Subway Bosses," Ash announced. "They were telling me that the drawbridge was fixed and I could cross it to Driftveil City."

"Anything after that?"

Ash lowered his head in disappointment. "No."

Giovanni thought for a moment, pondering with possibilities. "It could be possible that was when you were taken and that you were knocked out at that moment. Or it's simply part of the amnesia."

"Maybe..." That didn't feel like the case to Ash, but with everything going on, he didn't protest. Thinking about that memory depressed the boy. "I hope my friends are okay."

"Friends?"

"Yeah, I was traveling with Cilan—you know, the Gym Leader from Striaton City?—and this girl from the Village of Dragons, Iris." Ash glanced at Giovanni. "Do you think they're looking for me?"

Giovanni shrugged. "Possibly, I don't see why they wouldn't."

Ash tried to piece together his broken mind. He saw flashing images, but when he tried to grab them, they would disappear and he would only be greeted with a headache. After several minutes of struggling and no satisfaction, Ash threw a tiny tantrum: he stomped his feet and pumped his fists while growling. Giovanni, who zoned out for a moment, blinked at his sudden outburst.

"Why don't I remember anything?" Ash demanded. He ignored Giovanni's earlier explanation. The man sighed.

"That Gothitelle worked hard to interfere with your mind," he explained. "Your subconscious is trying to separate fantasy from reality, stimulating memory loss."

"Is there any way to speed up the process?"

"There's no way to tell. Another psychic, maybe, but I'm afraid we don't have one. Backtracking and trying to relive old memories is also good idea; that's why I decided to head back to Nimbasa instead of going with the police."

Ash let out a defeated sigh and planted his palms on his hanging head. It felt like something was on the tip of his tongue... and he should remember it. Giovanni's voice interrupted before he played the mind game all over again.