Infected

Chapter 10

This was the worst idea.

Misty and Brock stood back at quite a distance, watching as the young Ash took several small steps towards an injured Lucario. The Pokemon had popped out of nowhere, threw a bone rush at them and collapsed. Ash had noticed it was injured, and now he was being stupid.

"Ash.." Misty mumbled cautiously, Togepi chirping in her arms. Pikachu sat on the ground beside her, its ears lowered on his head. It cooed warningly.

"I'll be fine. Hey there--" Ash started, slowly reaching out for the blue dog when it looked up and flung an aura sphere. It was stupidly close to hitting Ash. The boy yelped in surprise as it exploded behind him.

"Ash, it's not safe," Brock growled. Ash ignored them.

"I'm only trying to help," Ash explained, once again reaching to the Pokemon. It looked at him and snarled, before it's aura sensers on its head twitched. The dog looked at Ash carefully.

"He's gonna get himself killed," Misty sighed, taking a step towards the boy. Lucario snarled at her.

"Where are you hurt?" Ash asked himself retoricaly, not expecting any answers.

'Why are you helping me?'

Ash looked up at the Pokemon in shock, his eyes wide. Lucario looked at him expectantly, his sensors high in the air.

"You can speak?" Ash stuttered.

'Only because your aura is strong enough. Now, why are you helping me?' Lucario replied, his eyes narrowed. Ash's shoulders slacked, his eyes round.

"Because you need it," Ash replied simply, finally finding his wound and taking it into his hand. Lucario twitched slightly, scowling. Ash apologized.

"Is he..?" Misty asked.

"I think so?" Brock concluded.

"Hey Brock? Got any of that spray left?" Ash asked, turning  and looking at the friend. Brock nodded slowly, reaching from his bag and walking over to them. Lucario stared at him with knives in his eyes.

"It's alright Lucario, he's a friend," Ash quickly explained. The dog softened his gaze, but still kept a strong glare on him. Brock sprayed some of the potion he had onto the Pokemons paw, gaining a hiss from it.

"Sorry. Can I wrap it for you?" Brock asked, revealing a roll of bandage in his hand. The blue dog looked to Ash, then to Brock and nodded. After about five minutes, his large black paw was wrapped in clean bandage.

'Thank you' it said, rising to it's feet once again. The two boys followed in suit.

"No problem Lucario. Good luck on your journey," Ash said, setting a smile on the canines face.

'You too'

And with that he bounded away into the trees.

"Ash...were you, I don't know, able to understand Lucario?" Misty asked, watching as he made his way back to the group. Pikachu hopped up onto his shoulder.

"Yeah. It was so strange, he said 'my aura was strong enough to talk to him' or something," Ash explained as the group continued their travels.

"Your...Aura?"

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"That's the first time I remember it happening, and more or less the only time. Sure there had been some cases of telepathy, but we could all understand the Pokemon those times," Misty finished. Serena humed, leaning back against the wall.

Ash mumbled something, before gasping and returning to normal. The two girls watched quietly, their eyes full of worry.

"This is horrible...seeing him in so much pain," Serena mumbled, moving down beside him. She checked his IV drips and moved some of the bangs from his face. Misty nodded.

"Mhmm. At least he's unconscious for the most of it," Misty yawned, closing her eyes for just a moment. Her mind was flooded with memories of her younger self with Ash, traveling around the regions with Brock and Tracy. Her mind wandered. Was it only Kalos that had been affected? Was everybody at home safe?

Those were her last thoughts as she drifted off to sleep.

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It's short and I hate it HHH

Also, I'm already 10 chapters in like. I think this is the longest progressive story I've ever written. Save for the oneshots that I never upload and the multiple Sweet Dreams chapters I've typed out but shh details

The next chapter or two won't have anything big going on. Not much action. Y'all need a little break.

Anywho.

Thanks for reading!

Sy