Obsidian and Plum: Unlikely Events

Chapter 4 - Emotional battle

It was dark inside the cave, the fire having consumed its materials and died out completely. It was about three am, Tuesday morning, and everyone was sleeping. Hawlucha had returned to its pokéball, and Greninja hadn't returned to them yet. Pikachu was asleep next to Ash – as always, and Paul had been able to use his sleeping bag for the first time since Saturday and was currently sleeping.

Ash had started mumbling in distress as he slept, the sounds he made were reflecting his pain – both physically and mentally. Moving his head from side to side, his arms moved and he was breathing as if he'd been running. His actions and sounds had woken up Pikachu, who in turn, had started calling out and trying to wake up Paul.

Something wasn't right, and Paul woke up with a start and cursed under his breath; he couldn't see and he didn't know what to do. Being stuck in the storm was bad enough, but being woken up to attend his 'carer duties' was not what he signed up for, especially when someone's life was on the line, and especially when that someone was Ash Ketchum.

"I can't see! Calm down!" Paul commanded the electric type. "The fire wasn't supposed to go out completely, damn it!"

Pikachu moved away from Ash and used his , providing the cave with a faint amount of yellow light - enough for Paul to see and quickly check on Ash.

Paul could feel Ash burning up – the heat radiating under his hand and the sweat trickling down the trainer's face. He quickly unzipped the sleeping bag all the way and uncovered Ash's body. Paul hastily called out Froslass – to help prepare the damp cold towels so he could lay them over Ash's head and chest. Ash seemed to calm a fraction, but he was still mumbling incoherently when Paul striped him of his sweat soaked t-shirt. The fact that this was an emergency, meant Paul had no time to dwell on his emotions towards the now naked trainer.

Paul rushed to get the fire going so that they had light within the cave, and so that Pikachu could stop using his static. Paul quickly sent Froslass out for ice, careful of the logs so that the fire wasn't disturbed. Once Froslass returned, they used the ice to help cool Ash down, but it was too late ... Ash had started convulsing again.

Paul turned Ash onto his side in case he vomited, and a worried Pikachu managed to keep it together enough to help support his trainer's head. Ash didn't vomit this time but he still ended up loosing control of his bladder. The angle Ash was on – on his side, meant that the urine went on the floor of the cave, trickling into the small trench. Paul was able to move the sleeping bag to prevent it from getting wet as some of the urine pooled onto the cave floor.

It was emotionally heart wrenching to watch Ash in such a state, and Paul knew he could never get used to seeing anyone in this condition. He felt like a dagger had pierced his heart in places he never even knew existed. The nauseating, sickening feeling bubbled in his stomach, but when he remembered to breath, he managed to pushed down the nausea this time.

When Ash went still, Paul laid him down on his back and placed the cold towel back onto his head. He covered Ash's lower region with another towel, and only then did he allow himself a moment to swear a list of curses that Pikachu had never even heard of.

Pikachu was looking between Ash and Paul nervously, unsure of what to do and feeling helpless. Paul knew that he – himself, had a hard time watching Ash fitting, but he would never admit that, so he felt bad for Pikachu; if it was hard on him, then he could only imagine what the electric rodent must be feeling. Pikachu would just have to pull it together like himself, and stay hopeful that things would turn around for them soon.

"His fever is getting worse. There's nothing we can do except keep him cool and wait. I'm sure he will be fine." Paul didn't really do comfort, but he hoped his effort helped at least a little. He wanted to believe that Ash would be okay, but the cold truth was that he didn't know either way, and he could only watch as Ash battled with invisible demons. There was little – if anything, that he could do except wait and hope that Ash was strong enough to fight.