Shattered Friendship

Flight to Kalos

Who do they think they are? Ash fumed as he stormed back to his house, wanting nothing more than to punch his ex-friends in the face and break their noses. What did I ever do to deserve this? Some friends they turned out to be! And Professor Oak-how did he become a world-renowned researcher when he has a brain the size of a pea? 

He racked his brain, trying to think of anything he could have done that might have upset Paul enough to frame him for cheating. But no matter how hard he tried to think of something, anything that might somewhat rationalize his behavior, his mind drew a blank. Eventually, Ash decided that trying to figure out Paul's reasoning would be a waste of his time. What did it matter at this point anyway? It had already happened and there was nothing he could do about it. 

When Ash arrived back home, Delia was in the kitchen washing dishes. He slammed the door hard, nearly causing her to drop the plate in her hand in fright. 

"Ash!" she scolded her young son. "What did I tell you about slamming doors?" 

"Sorry, Mom," Ash muttered, still too angry to feel remorseful. 

Delia must have sensed that something was bothering him, for she placed the plate on the drying rack and walked over to Ash. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and Ash found himself relaxing slightly despite his rage and hurt. 

"What happened?" she asked softly. "Did you have a fight with one of your friends? And where's your new Pokemon?" 

"Worse than that," Ash said angrily, wiping away the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes. "Paul framed me for cheating on that stupid license test. Just because our answers happened to be the same. And everyone else believed him, even Professor Oak! He said I have to wait until next year to start my journey." 

Delia sighed and wrapped the raven-haired boy in a comforting embrace. She had known for a long time now that Paul had harbored a deep envy towards her son, but she hadn't realized just how deep his resentment was ingrained in him. 

"I'm sorry, Ash," she said gently. 

"It's not fair!" Ash burst out suddenly. "There's no proof that either of us cheated except for our answers being the same! Why am I the one being punished while he gets off scot-free?" 

"I know it's not fair, sweetheart, but we can't control how other people act," Delia said soothingly. 

"I know...but now I'll have to wait until next year to become a trainer. All because of Paul's stupid lies!" Ash ranted. 

Delia hesitated for a moment. She knew what she was about to suggest was ridiculous in every sense of the word. They weren't exactly the wealthiest family in Kanto, not since Ash's father had left Delia to run the house on her own. But she would be a terrible mother if she just let her son's dreams be crushed. 

"Well, not necessarily," the auburn-haired woman said slowly. "There might be a way we can get you started on your journey on time." 

Ash looked at her, a spark of hope entering his eyes for the first time since he'd arrived home. "Really? You think so?" he asked eagerly. 

"Yes," Delia replied. "But it's going to be quite expensive and if it works, I'll need your help to pay off some of the expenses once you become a trainer." 

"I'll do it! I'll do anything! Please, let's do it. I just want to become a trainer," Ash begged. 

Delia hesitated again before replying, "We'll move to Kalos." 

Two hours later, Ash and Delia were on a flight to the Kalos region. The ten-year-old could hardly contain his feelings of nervousness and excitement. Just a couple hours ago, it had looked as though his dream of becoming a Pokemon master was more or less at an end. Now thanks to his mother, he had a chance to pursue his dream after all.