Lies

Chapter 10

First, I would like to thank everyone who is commenting and voting, it means a lot.

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"I am getting straight to the point and you are going to give me the answer I want. Right. now." Ash said in an angered manner, with his expression doing most of the communicating.

"Of course." Brandon said in a calm and relaxed voice.

Ash was stunned for a moment when he heard those words, but quickly recovered and got back to business. "The only reason I am doing this is because you have been dodging the bullet more times than the amount of Tauros I caught."

"It just wasn't the right time."

"Right time?!" Ash shouted, flailing his arms to add that slight bit of emphasis. "Don't give me that bullshit! What are you going to say next? That you were trying to protect me? Just give me a break." Ash vented.

"Now that you are finished-"

"What am I, a child?"

"No."

"Then stop treating me like one!" Ash exclaimed.

Brandon just looked at Ash with the same straight face he has kept since the beginning of this conversation. Ash was getting more and more heated by the second with adrenaline pumping round his body. Brandon was looking up at Ash from his chair, and gestured to Ash to take a seat as well. Ash hesitated, but decided it was best to sit down.

"The reason why I haven't told you about most of the things we did is because it needs to be natural." Brandon explained in his authoritative voice.

"Natural?" Ash asked with an obviously confused voice.

"If it weren't natural everything you did in the moment would simply have been forced or would have failed because you would be thinking too much." Brandon further explained.

Ash understood his words and was now more relaxed than earlier on in their conversation. The last few words the pyramid king said caused Ash to laugh slightly, it was too true.

"Since we are here, and I have you at a reasonable communicating level, what do you think you will do after this tournament? You could go back to Pallet town, waste your skills and talent. You could carry on travelling, improve as a trainer. Finally, as the very last option, would be the frontier brain career." Brandon said, laying out all of Ash's options right in front of him.

The words that followed the first option perked up the child that was still inside of him. The compliment truly gave him confidence that he really could make his dream come true. The second option felt just plain wrong. The events that had occurred not too long ago, Ash simply blames himself and his travelling too much. The third option could be something that works. Ash gets to stay in Kanto, he gets to use his 'skills and talent' and also battles for a living.

Brandon could see that Ash was in deep thought, his mind weighing up all the options that were conflicting in one way or another. "You don't have to decide right away." Brandon offered. This regained their eye contact.

Ash nodded and decided to leave the decision for a different place in time.

"How's Sawyer doing?" Ash asked, the care was shown in his voice, as much as Ash tried to dampen his emotion.