Chapter 4

"Hello?"

"…"

"Hello? Anyone.."

"Hi…It's me."

"Hey, son! How are you?"

"Im fine…Uh, how is everyone..?"

"Just fine. It's been a while since we've heard from you."

"I know...I'm so sorry dad... I really should call more often. It's just that with running this…."

"Whoa whoa. I didn't say it to make you feel bad. I'm just really glad you called. I know that you must be very busy."

"Even so…I will be keeping in contact much more now. Family is too important to lose touch right?"

"Of course. I've learned that as well. So what's…No honey! Put that down….Sorry. Your little sister is a handful. So what's new?

"Nothing much. I…I just wanted to see how everyone was. Everything is ok right?"

"Yes…yes it is. Is everything ok with you? You sound a bit worried."

"Me? Worried? Not in the slightest. Um…I'm going to be headed over there tomorrow to visit all of you, that's why I called."

"You are?! That's great news! I can't wait to see you, son. Really."

"Me too, dad. Well…I gotta go start packing so I'll let you go."

"Okay. Sounds good. Just give me a call if you need a ride from the airport okay? See you tomorrow."

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"I just wanted you to know that…I love you all. Very much."

"…We love you too, son."

"Bye, dad."

"Bye, son." *Click*

"Good boy." Another voice in the receiver said. Brock's heart beat skyrocketed at the sound of her voice. Had she been listening to the whole conversation?

"Va..Vanessa?" Brock stuttered.

"The one and only. Just making sure you don't do anything to jeopardize your family's life." The Team Rocket Agent said through the line. "You did a good job though. We wouldn't want any accidents happening to the Slate family do we?"

Brock slammed the phone with all his might. His chest heaved in and out and his emotions whirled through feelings of anger, desperation, and freight. Team Rocket seems to be keeping very close tabs on him. He gazed around his apartment, wondering what other methods that organization was using to keep track of what he was doing…and saying.

"This is bullshit…" Brock muttered to himself.

He grabbed a duffle bag and started packing his belongings to begin his journey into Kanto.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Ash sat still in his locker room, alone for the moment, thinking about what transpired on the battle field. He thought about the decision he made to forfeit the match. He knew he did right choice from a just stand point, but he didn't know if what he did was right for him. After Professor Oak ran out onto the field and told him about the Metagross' condition, Ash had about ten seconds to think and act. Hardly enough time to make such an important choice. Even now in a few moments he had to talk to the horde of reporters that are looking for answers as to what had happened out there. He felt he needed to talk to Lance too. Just to straighten things out before going out there.

*Knock knock*

"Ash?" Misty said as she opened the door.

Ash looked up at his old friend. Her sound of her voice always seemed to refresh his spirit, making him feel just a little bit better, no matter how bad a situation might be. "Hey, Mist." He smiled at her. "Come in."

She felt relieved to see Ash smile. She was worried that he wouldn't want to talk to her at the moment. Ash did not take his eyes off her as she walked across the room toward him. She looked as beautiful as ever to him. She left her shoulder length hair down these days, showing off that gorgeous red hue of hers. She sat down next to him on one of the leather arm chairs.

She studied his face for a moment, trying to discern what he was feeling at the moment. "Quite a surprise you gave everyone out there."

Ash's smile disappeared at the mention of it. Misty instantly regretted bring that up so quickly. She should have known this was really hard on him. After all, the consequences of such a noble act…could be horrific. "I was just as surprised...", Ash said.

"Ash…" She had to choose her words carefully she thought. "I want you know that whatever happens, you absolutely did do the right thing okay? I know it that if..."

"Did I really, Mist?" he interrupted. He looked at her with the most heart breaking eyes she had ever seen. "I just lost the biggest match of my entire life, and not because I wasn't good enough or I somehow choked the match away. It was because…I didn't take advantage of an opportunity my opponent gave me." Ash turned his head down. "Whatever misplaced sense of nobility or self-righteousness I have inside me, really fucked me over this time."

Ash caught Misty off guard with what he was saying. He was right, in a way. It wasn't his fault that Lance did not check his Pokémon's health before the match. Lance was responsible for that, and he should be the one paying the price, not Ash.

Ash kept looking at the ground, not moving a muscle while Misty thought of a different approach. She swiftly got off her chair and walked across the room.

"So, Ash." she said in a completely different tone. "You would have liked to have won right?"

Ash looked up at her incredulously. "What do you think?"

"I think yes." She smiled. "So would you have liked winning with an asterisk on your title?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"If you would have won with Metagross keeling over like that, you would have won by default, don't you think? Not because you beat him straight up, but because you had an advantage. Fair or unfair, but still an advantage. Would you be satisfied with that?"

She left him dumbfounded. It took him a couple of seconds to answer.

"No I wouldn't." he said sternly.

She smiled and walked over to him. "Then? What are you so pissed about? You would have won the match, but the glory would have not belonged to you and you know that."

Ash couldn't help but smile a bit as he looked at her.

She continued. "Professor Oak is already talking to members of the Board of Directors about giving you a rematch with Lance instead of you having to go through the qualifying matches again, considering the circumstances of the match of course. You have everything in your favor, Ash. Everyone saw what you did out there, there would be an uproar of protest if you're not given your opportunity to battle again. So you're glad you did what you did right? You acted on your instincts, which are usually spot on."

Ash stood up in front of Misty and let out a small laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" She said

"Nothing." He said with a smile. "You just know me so well, Mist."

That made her heart skip a bit. She loved it when he smiled at her like that. "And so you know…your nobility and righteousness are not misplaced, as you said. They are where they should be."

"Thanks." He said as he closed his eyes for a moment, letting all the anxiety melt away. He reopened and locked with hers. "You made me feel a lot better in mere minutes, when I felt the worst I have felt in years, Mist. You really know your way around my head don't you?"

"Well when I have had to put up with all your crap over the years I had no choice but to pick some things up." She teased. "Well Ashy-boy. Time for you to face all those reporters you love so much."

"Right." he said as he grabbed his belongings. "And if you call me that again, Ms. Waterflower, I'll make sure you have twenty Caterpie sneak in your room at tonight."

"All bark and no bite, sir!" she screamed as Ash started chasing after her as she ran out of the locker room.