Vanish

Chapter 16

"The day after tomorrow!" May asked loudly, not caring if she woke anyone up at the late hour.

Misty sighed. "Yes, we should be there the day after tomorrow. The guy will be here tomorrow. He says he's been having trouble with the helicopter, and he needs to get a part for it."

May looked down. "Sorry, Misty. I'm just worried... I mean, I know Kenny's okay, because he called me and Max just last week and told us he was taking a 'long needed vacation', but still. One person got killed. Twelve got injured." She shuddered. "And right in my hometown, too."

Misty patted May on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. We'll be there soon enough."

"Do you think Ash knows?" May asked, a glare instantly coming to her face as anger bubbled up inside her. "Or maybe he does know, and he just doesn't care? He doesn't care about what happens to us or Petalburg. All he cares about is that...that stupid...that stupid rat."

Misty involuntarily took a step back. "May..."

"He should be here, Misty! He's my friend! Last time I checked, friends help each other in times like these. Well, I guess he doesn't care. Selfish little..."

"May, calm down. You're upset... You don't really mean that about Ash."

"Oh yes I do! And nothing he can say will ever take that back!" And May stormed off to wait impatiently for the helicopter.

Misty looked up to the ceiling, wondering herself where Ash was. Probably off taking down Team Rocket somewhere... She sighed and shook her head. Ash never learned. He just couldn't do things like that alone...
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Pain, oh terrible white-hot pain. That was the first thing Ash noticed when he came to. He opened his eyes very slowly, but nothing changed. It was pitch dark.

What...? Where am I? I thought-I thought... Ash strived to get into a sitting position, and maybe figure out where he was. But instead of going as he planned, his arms collapsed beneath him in pain, and he slipped off something and fell hard on something even harder than what he was laying on seconds before.

The fall just made pain shoot up and down Ash's body, and he once again prayed for them to stop... His head swimming, he began to drift off into the darkness again...

But before he had the chance, light filled the whole room, making Ash's headache blow up to a whole new level.

He squinted at the sudden light and groaned. He realized he was in a small room... He had fallen off a couch.

Ash was so busy trying to stop the pain, he didn't even notice that someone was talking to him.

"Ash? Ash?"

Ash opened his eyes again to find Norman's face over him. Ash forced a small, bitter smile.

"Let me help you..." And Norman gathered Ash in his hands and carefully placed him on the couch again.

Ash winced, closing his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Norman asked worriedly.

Ash looked at him again. "Just peachy," he said in a hoarse voice. "I only feel like I got run over by a freight train."

Norman gave him a serious look. "Why'd you go in and help like that? You knew they had grenades. You could have let me take them."

Ash snorted softly. "Sorry, Norman, but...watching something like that and not doing anything is...against my nature."

"So you did something stupid. Something so stupid, it almost got you killed."

Ash's eyes flashed. "Listen, don't lecture me. You're not my father, so you can't tell me...whose life to save and...whose to throw away." He suddenly groaned again and brought his hands to his head.