After Ash was done training his Pokemon, he returned his Pokemon to their pokeballs save for Pikachu. Pikachu leaped upon Ash's shoulder. Pikachu nuzzled Ash's face, and Ash rubbed Pikachu's head, and Pikachu gave off weak electricity that didn't shock his trainer. Instead, it had tickled Ash, and Ash chuckled a bit.

"You still like that, huh, buddy?" Ash asks Pikachu. Pikachu answered with a soft cry of his name. Just when he was getting ready to leave the open and vast area, Ash hears footsteps behind him.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ash." A very familiar voice made Ash turn around to greet him. It was Paul, holding a shiny Turtwig in his arms gently. Ash smiled in greeting.

"Hey there, Paul. I see you're not treating your Pokemon like you usually do." Ash says, making Paul chuckled. He rubbed Turtwig's head, and the Pokemon cried out its name.

Remembering what he had done, Paul felt incredibly guilty. He still wondered why he did what he did. But, Paul changed, and he knew that he was going to stay that way.

"Yeah, I changed after you defeated me," Paul says, not saying the rest of his sentence because he knew that mentioning that place would trigger Ash and that's not a good sign.

Ash looked at Turtwig and Turtwig tried to hide in Paul's clothes. Paul saw Ash's questioning gaze, and he decided to tell him.

"Professor Rowan had caught this little one, and he decided to give it to me, knowing that I would protect it and care for it correctly," Paul tells him. Ash then smiled at him.

"Hey, how about a battle with Pikachu and I? I want to see Turtwig battle." Ash says, his eyes glistening. Paul wanted to refuse like last time, but Ash nearly killed him last time, so he agreed.

"Alright. Turtwig, go battle." Paul tells Turtwig gently. Turtwig whined, but it obeyed Paul's order.

"Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash shouted, letting Pikachu leap off of his shoulders.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out happily. He always to have another battle with Paul and now he got his chance! Pikachu didn't glare at Turtwig, but he just eyed it in curiosity.

"Alright, Paul, you can have the first move," Ash tells Paul. Paul smiled.

"Turtwig, Tackle!" Paul ordered, and Turtwig started to run at Pikachu.

"Haha! Pikachu! Thunder!" Ash ordered. Pikachu looked at Ash and back at Turtwig.

This is overkill, he thought. He used Thunder, and it hits Turtwig. Turtwig cried out in pain, and when the Thunder cleared up, it tried to stand.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. Pikachu looked at the small Pokemon, and he got ready to attack. Paul was getting more furious at Ash, by the moment, and more protective of Turtwig. Finally, he ran into the battlefield.

He stood in front Turtwig, and snarled. Pikachu got out of his attacking position, and Ash growled. "What are you doing?" He demanded of Paul.

"I should be asking you the same thing! Leave her alone!" Paul shouted, shocking both Ash and Pikachu. 'No! What have I done?' , Ash and Pikachu both thought. Crippled by the shocking realization, Ash fell to his knees.

"I attacked a female. I didn't want to do that, not after I realized that I love her." Ash said, as the words flew out of his numb lips.

Paul knew that Ash was referring to Dawn and he smiled when he knew that Ash had matured. He looked at Pikachu. From what he was seeing, Pikachu was taking it hard as well.

I can't mate with her after what I had done, Pikachu thought, thinking about Dawn's Buneary. Paul felt a pang of guilt in his chest, followed by guilt's constant companion, remorse.

"I'm sorry. I had forgotten to tell you that Turtwig is a girl." Paul says, sounding guilty. Ash and Pikachu forgave Paul, and they looked at Turtwig as she looked at them. She forgave them, and both Ash and Pikachu were happy for that.

"Hey, Paul, would you like to have a six-on-six full battle with me, for old time's sake?" Ash asked politely. Paul glanced at Pikachu looking determined, and he knew what he had to say.

"Alright, Ash. I accept!" Paul says, smiling at Ash. Ash grinned back with a hint of madness in the smile, but he was sane for the moment.

For now, at least.

Alright! Here is the next chapter for The Insane Hero! Please enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving! Merry late Christmas!