Vanish

Chapter 6

The next morning, Ash let out his pokémon and gathered them all in a huddle, trying to make sure May and the others wouldn't overhear.

"Okay, you guys. Tomorrow...tomorrow morning, we're leaving... We're leaving without the others."

There was a wave of questioning comments directed to him, the pokémon wondering why.

"Because, you guys, I'm sick of just sitting around while Pikachu gets brainwashed. I'm going to get him back if it's the last thing I do. Now if you don't want to go, that's okay..."

"Gro grovyle!" Grovyle came up to Ash, apparently saying something like 'I'm with yah'.

"Koal, torkoal!" Torkoal added, nodding his head and joining Grovyle next to Ash.

"Swellow swell!"

"Phish corphish!"

Ash smiled slightly. "I knew I could count on you guys. We'll do it together, and we will make it..." He looked over to the others. "I really hope they don't mind... But in case they do, we're leaving early and leaving a note. There's no way they can stop me from getting back Pikachu... And there's no way they're coming with me. I don't want them hurt... And since we can't battle Pikachu, it's a fair bet someone's going to get hurt." He smiled bitterly to the others. "Don't try and play hero. If I jump in front of you to take an attack, it's for your own good..."

"Swell swell swell swellow swe swellow," Swellow commented dryly to the others.

Ash left his pokémon, giving them a 'thanks' before walking over to where the others were eating breakfast. He sat himself down and helped himself to a plate of pancakes.

"Well, Ash, it looks like you're walking better. How's your leg feeling?" Brock asked in that concerned-older-brother voice.

"It feels a lot better," Ash replied. "As I said before, Pikachu's Iron Tail only grazed me, so the cut wasn't so bad. What was bad was the size of the thing." He stuffed a big piece of pancake in his mouth. He gave a thumbs-up to Brock, indicating that the pancakes were topnotch.

"And it seems that you finally realized that your stomach does exist," Max stated as Ash ate another bite. "But at this rate, you're going to get sick..."

"So...," May began casually. "Where are we going next?"

"I thought we were going to Mossdeep Island...," Max started, but began to catch May's drift, and he looked straight at Ash.

"What?" he asked. "I don't know why you guys want to go there, but I sure don't need to."

"Ash, come on," May spat. "Remember? Gym battle? Seventh badge? Closer to the Hoenn League?"

"Yeah, just because Pikachu's gone doesn't mean you still can't go for it. He's only a regular pokémon, I'm sure one of your others could replace him." Once the words left Max's mouth, he knew he said something wrong.

Ash's eyes flashed dangerously, but he didn't say anything to the youngest member of their little journey parade. He's only a regular pokémon, I'm sure one of your others could replace him... He's only a regular pokémon, I'm sure one of your others could replace him... The words repeated over and over and over in Ash's mind. Replace? Why that little-

"I meant in battle, not in-" Max tried, but May cut him off with a sharp jab with her elbow.

Ash's eyebrows creased in anger. If only looks could kill...

Max looked to Ash fearfully. He didn't really mean to say what he said, but it had just come out. Max had never seen Ash look this...this angry in his life. Sure, Ash wasn't really doing anything, but he looked like he wanted to reduce Max to a puddle of goop right then and there.