The Legend Thief - Part 5: The Cure

Chapter 10: Pichu vs Ash

Meanwhile, Pichu had just lost the battle against Ash's cofagrigus. Her chimeco lay on the ground of the water-park's tower. With a bitter smile, she returned it to its pokeball in a burst of white.

To her surprise, Ash returned cofagrigus to its pokeball as well, in a wisp of dark gray.

"Why?" Pichu asked, who was shocked but hid it with a glare, "Why don't you just finish me now?"

"Oh, if I wanted to... I could." Ash stepped closer to Pichu. Her heart raced, and she took a step backwards, shaking. Her back hit the fence. She was trapped. Ash continued, still stepping forward, "But you're too valuable."

"What?" Pichu was startled again, "What value could I have to you?!"

"Well... you're the heir to Protego, the team of peace. Even if it is unnoticed to most pokemon trainers, when they attack it is the last barrier between me and my goal." Ash said. He leaned his face in front of hers, "And besides... what do you have to gain from staying where you are now?"

"I-I... Raichu! My brother! My family, my team!" Pichu stuttered.

"Your brother abandoned you when your father died! Your family was ignorant of your own choices for a team! And your team forced you to be their leader! When do you ever have a choice with them? Join me and you will be free!" Ash stepped back, and held out his hand.

"No!" Pichu's lip quivered, "Y-you... don't you remember what you did you Shell and Quinci?! You ripped their souls back at Aves Island!"

"Look," Ash tried to convince Pichu. "I know what you're going through. Let me help you..."

"But... but I'm the heir to Team Protego, the protector of all teams. It is my destiny... my destiny to do good. To help bring peace to the world."

Ash narrowed his eyes, "Is that really what you want? To be that person who has to fight evil all the time? The whole world's fate inside your hands? It might seem amazing at first, but being the savior isn't always what it seems. How does the world repay you? With nothing! Nobody knew it was you who stopped the Rebellion of Instinct. You are part of a secret team. Your whole life is filled with darkness and secrecy. The world just dumped all their responsibility and problems on you. But if you join me, you can be free!"

"But... but why should I join you? Out of all people?" Pichu asked.

"Because I know what you're going through. I've been in that position before. I know what I did back at the island might have seemed... evil and cruel, but it had to be done." Ash paused. Pichu was shocked. Ash continued, "You know, destiny isn't a pathway you have to follow, paved out before you were even born. Destiny is the future. And the future can be changed by the actions of the present." Ash held out his hand once more, "Join me, Pichu."

Pichu didn't know what to say. Her entire body seemed frozen, and her mind seemed to move as if it were jello. But despite this, her trembling hand lifted itself. Slowly... slowly... it rose towards Ash's.

***

"Come on!" Ravisu said. Her swanna was flying around steelix and sandslash, releasing bright bursts of ice beams down.

"You guys are as slow as Quinci at the Battle of Instinct!" Shell said, extremely annoyed.

"Sorry... an arbok bit me! Rudia's was just fixing up the wound." Raichu said.

"Then why didn't you send Quinci or Bell over?!" Shell huffed.

"Uhh..." Quinci and Bell glanced at each other awkwardly.

"Ugh, who cares." Ravisu said, and waved her hand at the friends. "Hurry up and fight!"

"Oh, yeah, I have a plan!" Raichu said. Get the pokemon in water!"

So the friends and their pokemon ran over to the nearest pool, with sandslash and steelix following. Monferno and starmie both let out their attacks, with monferno hitting steelix with a mach punch, and starmie hitting sandslash with a psyshock. The two enemy pokemon stumbled into the pool, and Raichu quickly put his hands in the water. With a burst of energy, the pool lit up with yellow light like before, with the same buzz in the air. The crackle of lightning could be heard, and when the light had died down, the two pokemon were heavily weakened.

"Now attack!" Shelly commanded, and all the friends in turn told their pokemon to attack. With a bright burst of colors and light, the two enemy pokemon soon fainted. Using psychic, starmie brought the two pokemon to the surface so they wouldn't drown.

The battle was won.

"RAICHU!" a voice called out. Raichu looked up to see Pichu standing with Ash. "Help me!! Or Mom will kill you!"

Raichu quickly sent a bolt of lightning at Ash, but already drained of energy, he could only muster a weak zap.

Ash turned away, and summoned a dragonite. He jumped on, and looked at the purple-black pokeball that now help Tapu Koko before putting it back into his backpack. Ash look one last look at Pichu before jumping onto his dragonite. 

Pichu didn't even try to stop him.

He rose up with his dragonite, and zoomed through the park. From the stairs, the friends tried to intercept him with range attacks, but he and dragonite dodged them all. In three easy pokeball returns, Ash had already flown away.

Raichu ran up the stairs, and hugged Pichu in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "I'm not, Ash's arbok got me in the ankle!"

"An arbok?" Bell scoffed. "Did he steal that from Team Rocket or something?" 

"Team wha???" Quinci echoed, confuzzled. 

"That's... horrible." Pichu said, ignoring Bell and Quinci, glancing at her brother's foot.

"Uh are you sure you're fine?..." Raichu asked skeptically. Pichu looked down at her hand, which now was trembling.

When Ash had offered her to join him, she had betrayed herself. She really had wanted to join him. To start anew, to start in a place where she could be free. Only Raichu's flash had startled her out of her traitorous act.

"Yes. I'm fine," Pichu sighed and hid her hand in her pocket. "Let's go."