" Buddy, what happened?" Ash asked, trying to touch his friend. 

But his friend wouldn't let him.

And suddenly Ash got this...... feeling.

That he had something to do with it.

Ash tipped his cap down, and before anyone could do or say anything, he had bolted out the door.

" Pika Pika!"

Misty turned to the door. " Come on!" She exclaimed, all Ash's Pokemon, even Squirtle, followed.

Ash was running and crying, running and crying.

" Squirtle was my first water type Pokemon." As throught, memories flashing to him. He could hear Brock and Misty, but pushed on, breathing heavily.

He wasn't seeing where he was going, and next thing he knew he was plummeting through the sky down.

He remained silent. It was for the better if they didn't know, anyway.

But where he landed and his condition, it was impossible.

He landed on a rock.

He got a big bruise.

And he twisted his leg while falling.

But ash, not wanting to get caught, but his lip and hobbled on his good leg. He pulled his jeans down, so no one could see the bruise.

Meanwhile, Misty and Brock were looking everywhere.

" Have you seen a kid about... This high, has raven colored hair and brown eyes?* Brock asked. " He's our..."

" Brother." Misty substituted.

" I was gonna say family but yeah that works."

The person shook his head, but their kid said, " wait! Does he have a black shirt and shirt sleeve blue and white jacket, with a baseball cap?"

" Yes!" Brock and Misty yelled.

" And jeans?*

" YES!"

" And was he falling from a cliff?*

" Fa- Wait, what?!" Misty cried.

The kid nodded. " Yep. He wasnt looking where he was going, and fell into that pit." he pointed to a cliff, and Brock thanked the kid, while Misty ran to the edge.

" Ashhhh?*! She yelled. " AAAAASH?!"

" He can't hear us, Misty. And besides, he must have ran to hide."

" Squirtle."

" Bulba Bulba."

Misty sighed, then turned to Charizard. " Could you fly us down?"

Charizard nodded, and when they all got on, he swooped down.

Down, they found a red substance.

Brock sighed and groaned. " Blood. Ash has a bloody something."

Misty widened her eyes. " Oh, no."

" Pika Pika!" Pikachu pointed to the forest.

" He's in there!" Brock yelled.

Ash was as small as he could make himself- hat down, body scrunches up behind a tree. He hoped no one would find him

But they did.

His friends.

" Ash!" Misty yelled as Pikachu led them to him. " Are you okay?"

Ash remained silent as Misty knelt in front of him, her eyes filled with concern. Pikachu crawled into Ash's lap, nuzzling him, but Ash couldn’t bring himself to respond. He tipped his cap down further, shielding his eyes as if it could hide the pain he was feeling inside.

"Ash, talk to us," Misty pleaded, her voice soft yet urgent. "We just want to help."

Brock, meanwhile, placed his bag on the ground and gently placed his stethoscope against Ash’s back, listening carefully. His brow furrowed. Ash’s breathing was ragged, uneven—clearly not just from his fall, but from the emotional strain he was going through.

“Ash, your lungs... You’ve got to calm down. You’re breathing too fast,” Brock said gently, keeping his voice steady.

But Ash barely reacted. His mind was elsewhere, focused on the weight of guilt he couldn’t shake.

Misty exchanged a worried glance with Brock, then shifted closer to Ash. "It wasn’t your fault, Ash. Whatever you think you did—"

"Yes, it was," Ash whispered, cutting her off. His voice was hoarse and cracked. "It was my fault. Squirtle... Pikachu... they almost..." He trailed off, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him.

"You’re wrong, Ash," Brock said, sitting down beside him. "Accidents happen. You didn’t cause this."

Ash squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. "I didn’t see it. I didn’t think fast enough. Squirtle, Pikachu... they could’ve died because of me."

Misty's heart ached seeing Ash like this. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We all make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean you failed. You’ve saved all of us more times than I can count, Ash. You care about your Pokémon more than anyone I’ve ever met."

"Yeah, buddy," Brock added. "Squirtle and Pikachu trust you. You’re their family."

Ash didn’t respond at first, but Pikachu, noticing his distress, gently nuzzled Ash's cheek. "Pika... Pi," the little Pokémon said softly, his way of telling Ash he still believed in him.

Tears brimmed in Ash’s eyes, but he quickly swiped at them, not wanting to let anyone see. Yet, he couldn’t stop the lump in his throat or the overwhelming emotion from escaping. "I... I just don’t want to hurt anyone else," he whispered.

Brock placed a comforting hand on Ash's other shoulder. "You're not alone, Ash. We’re here to help you, just like you've always helped us. But you’ve got to let us."

Ash took a deep breath, though it still felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on him. He glanced up, looking at Misty and Brock, and then down at Pikachu, who stared back up at him with unwavering loyalty.

"I’ll try," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "I just... I need some time."

Misty nodded, her expression soft. "We understand. But just remember—we're in this together. You’re not doing this alone."

Brock’s eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of Ash’s leg—the bruising was severe, and Ash was clearly in pain. "Ash, what happened to your leg?" Brock asked, his voice filled with concern.

Ash quickly shifted, hiding the injured leg under his body. "Nothing."

" Ash-"

"I said it's fine!" he snapped, his tone sharp and defensive. He pushed himself up, wincing as he did, and before Brock or Misty could stop him, Ash bolted, running farther into the woods despite his obvious limp.

Misty's hand flew to her mouth in alarm. "Oh dear," she muttered, watching Ash disappear into the trees.

Brock groaned, running a hand through his hair. "This is bad. If he keeps pushing himself like this, he's going to make things worse."

"We can't just let him keep running away," Misty said, her voice tight with worry. "But how do we stop him when he’s acting like this?"

Pikachu, who had been sitting nearby, let out a concerned "Pika Pika!" before dashing off in the direction Ash had gone, determined not to leave his friend alone.

"We have to follow him," Brock said, standing up and grabbing his medical kit. "Before he hurts himself even more."

Misty nodded, and without another word, the two of them, along with Pikachu’s Pokémon companions, hurried after Ash.

Ash was struggling to climb a tree, his hands slipping on the bark as he tried to pull himself up. His injured leg wasn’t helping matters, and he gritted his teeth against the pain. “Okay, I don’t actually know how to climb a tree, Pikachu,” he muttered under his breath, glancing down at his loyal companion. “Help me here.”

Pikachu, looking up at Ash with a mix of concern and confusion, tilted his head. "Pika?"

Ash let out a small, frustrated laugh. "Yeah, I know, not my best idea," he said, gripping a branch but losing his footing. He wobbled precariously before catching himself, wincing as his leg throbbed painfully. "But I just need to get away... just for a little while."

Pikachu's ears twitched, sensing the desperation in Ash’s voice. The Pokémon gave a determined nod, scampering up the tree with ease, trying to show Ash how to navigate the branches.

Ash attempted to mimic Pikachu’s movements, but his exhaustion and injury were catching up with him. His leg gave out suddenly, and he slipped, nearly falling from the tree. He clung tightly to the nearest branch, his heart racing.

“Pikachu... maybe this wasn’t such a great idea,” Ash admitted, panting as he tried to steady himself. But before he could think of a way to get down, he heard voices in the distance—Brock and Misty were closing in.

"Ash! Where are you?" Brock's voice echoed through the woods.

Misty added, "Ash, we just want to help!"

Ash’s chest tightened as he leaned his head against the tree trunk, silently hoping they wouldn’t find him. Pikachu, perched on a higher branch, looked back down at him, his eyes full of worry. "Pika..."

Ash sighed. "I know, buddy... I know."

Brock and Misty frantically searched the surrounding area, calling out for Ash and Pikachu. The dense forest made it hard to track them down, and each minute that passed only added to their worry.

“I don’t see them anywhere!” Misty said, her voice filled with frustration as she scanned the treeline. "Where could they have gone?"

Just then, Brock’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of something—a leg dangling awkwardly from one of the nearby trees. He pointed quickly. "Wait, Misty! Look! Over there!"

Misty’s eyes widened as she saw the leg, recognizing Ash’s jeans. “Ash!” she called out, rushing over to the base of the tree.

Brock shook his head with a sigh, realizing what Ash had tried to do. “He climbed a tree... with that leg? How stubborn can he be?” Brock knelt down by the tree, calling up to Pikachu. “Pikachu! Can you help pull Ash up?”

Pikachu, already aware of the situation, let out a determined "Pika!" and hurried down to Ash’s level, gently nudging Ash’s arm and trying to help him adjust his grip on the branch.

Ash, clinging weakly to the tree, gave a half-hearted smile at Pikachu's efforts. “Thanks, buddy...” he whispered, his energy clearly fading from both exhaustion and pain.

Brock, standing beneath the tree, stretched his arms upward. “Ash, listen to me! You need to let us help you! That leg of yours isn’t going to hold if you keep pushing it like this.”

Ash shook his head from where he was perched, trying to hide the wince from his bruised leg. “I’m fine, Brock... I just needed... I needed to get away...” His voice trailed off, clearly strained from the physical and emotional weight he was carrying.

Misty stood next to Brock, her hands on her hips. “Ash Ketchum, if you don’t come down from that tree right now, I’m climbing up there myself!”

Ash sighed, resting his head against the bark of the tree. He knew Misty meant it, and he didn’t want her getting hurt. With a heavy heart, he looked down at his friends and then at Pikachu.

“Alright,” Ash whispered, defeated. “I’ll come down…”

Brock and Misty watched as Pikachu helped Ash slowly make his way down from the tree, step by careful step, until they were finally back on solid ground.

Ash’s heart sank when he saw Squirtle standing there, its usual lively demeanor replaced with an unusually cold silence. “Hey, buddy…” Ash said softly, trying to reach out, but Squirtle didn’t respond. The hurt in Ash’s eyes deepened.

He turned sharply to Misty, his frustration boiling over. “See?! This is my fault, Miss ‘I Know Everything!’” He yelled, his voice cracking as he threw his hands up. “Squirtle won’t even look at me!”

Without waiting for a reply, Ash stubbornly hopped away, trying to escape the painful truth that he believed he had caused his Pokémon to lose faith in him. His bruised leg made each step a struggle, but the emotional pain outweighed the physical as he distanced himself from everyone again.

Bulbasaur, ever loyal, nudged Pikachu, urging it to follow. Both Pokémon gave each other a determined look, then sprinted after Ash, refusing to let him walk this difficult path alone. They weren’t going to give up on him, even if he had started giving up on himself.

Brock and Misty exchanged worried glances. “This is worse than we thought,” Misty muttered. Brock nodded, his face full of concern. “We can’t let him keep running like this… We need to reach him, and fast.”

Ash, meanwhile, kept moving ahead, his eyes downcast, trying to keep his distance. "I don't know how to fix this..." he whispered to himself.

Meanwhile, Misty turned to Squirtle. " Squirtle, why aren't you talking at ash?*

The Pokemon didn't reply. He crossed his arms and turned away

Misty sighed. " Ash still loves you, even after you joined the firefighting squad, you know."

Squirtle’s expression shifted from neutral to deeply troubled, his small eyes widening as the realization set in. He turned to Misty and Brock, his voice trembling as he cried out, "Squirtle Squirtle?!" which they understood to mean, He still loves me?

Brock crouched down and gently nodded. “Yeah, Squirtle. Ash still loves you. He always has. He didn’t leave because he wanted to… He had to. He’s been going through a lot.”

Misty chimed in, her tone soft but encouraging. “Ash tried to see you, but they wouldn’t let him. He was so upset when they turned him away. You’re still really important to him, Squirtle.”

Squirtle’s heart felt heavy as the memories of the past flooded back—his recent performance with the firefighting squad, his pride in making all those kids happy, but then the sharp pang of confusion when Ash was walking away. He hadn’t realized that Ash didn’t leave by choice. Squirtle’s eyes began to water as he understood that Ash’s absence wasn’t abandonment, but something that was forced upon them.

Ash, oblivious to Squirtle’s emotional turmoil, was still a short distance away, leaning against a tree with his back to them. He was too lost in his guilt and self-blame to notice what was happening with his beloved Pokémon.

Squirtle took a deep breath, then turned and sprinted toward Ash, tears in his eyes. He stopped just in front of him, calling out in a determined and emotional tone, “Squirtle!”

Ash slowly turned around, his eyes still clouded with sadness. “Squirtle…?”

Before Ash could say anything else, Squirtle tackled him in a hug, his small arms wrapping around Ash’s legs as he looked up at his trainer with tear-filled eyes. Ash knelt down, and for the first time in what felt like forever, the barrier between them started to break.

“I’m sorry, buddy,” Ash whispered, his voice shaky. “I thought I let you down.”

Squirtle shook his head, wiping his tears, and gave Ash a firm nod. "Squirtle!" It was Squirtle’s way of saying, You didn’t let me down.