Chapter Five

Ash didn't quite understand the little electric rat even after living with it in an enclosed space for three days. One moment it would be melting into his hands as he pet it and the next he'd be electrocuted before it continued glaring at him with distrustful eyes. He almost found it endearing how cute the little mouse was. Or maybe he was bias as it was a Pikachu?

Electrocuted once more Ash gave up trying to figure out the little mouse. Instead heading over to his bathroom to check on his old injuries. His black eye was gone and he hadn't had a major 'attack' since the storm started though he'd still feel small bursts of pain it wasn't enough to bother him.

His ribs however were still bruised and it seemed the break hadn't been so bad that it needed help healing, his hands though were a different story. Slipping off his gloves he looked at his mangled fingers. They were turning a ugly purple and were starting to grow numb. It wasn't looking good, as his body tried to fix them itself and if they weren't fixed within a week and he didn't keep breaking the damage his body had fixed he might lose his hands to an infection, or suffer from dead nerves rendering his hands useless. He really needed to find a Psychic or Fairy type or even just a Normal type like Chansey that could use Heal Pulse on them well enough that he could go to a doctor and say he slammed a door on them accidentally.

"Pika pi?" He was interrupted from his thoughts by the confusing mouse knocking on his window pointing at something while staring at him. Walking over to the electric type he followed his paw.

'Gary's house?' He starred for a few moments trying to figure out why the little creature was pointing at Gary's house which could be seen side the Professor's lab when it hit him. 'Daisy!'

Daisy Oak was Gary's older sister by a few years. She was a Pokémon coordinator, groomer, as well as a doctor. He wondered. 'Would it be worth the risk?' It was funny that was all he was ever asking himself these days. Looking back at his hands he pondered it.

Did he want to lose the use of his hands? If he waited any longer he'd be stuck with another handicap which would make it difficult for him to live in the future. Just the thought of being without the use of his hands unnerved him there was far to much he needed his hands for. He'd need to take the risk. But the question was when.

He glanced at his door. As the days were growing closer to his departure his mother was growing far more violent. If he showed himself to her now after she directly told him to stay in his room she'd likely throw him out into the storm and he couldn't avoid her as it was far to dangerous to go out the window. But if he was unlucky he'd be unable to hold out in the storm for Daisy to enter her room and she might blow his cover by freaking out. Another glance at his fingers and he made up his mind. He'd have to write a note to give her to tell her he was hiding, and to not tell others about him either.

He sped to his desk pulling out a paper and pen quickly scribbling a note on it before sliding it into a ziplock bag to keep it from the rain. Before grabbing his hat, his fathers note (which he put in a separate ziplock), both of which he put in his old water proof backpack which his dad had gotten him when he was young. Opening his window he tossed the bag out, as it was already packed for his Pokémon Journey, and there was nothing fragile inside. He'd retrieve it when he made it outside. Closing the window he was startled with the sound of his door unlocking and opening and panicked.

Swirling around he found his door wide open but no one there. A quick look around and he also found no little yellow mouse. His eyes grew wide as he quickly raced downstairs, his nerves telling him everything was going wrong.

He was right as he entered the living room a familiar burning sensation rising through his body as he saw his mother kick the little mouse into a wall when it went by her. He didn't even consider the danger he was in when he ran in front of her to stop her form hurting it more.

"YOU LET THIS DISGUSTING PEST IN HERE DIDN'T YOU?!" She screeched smacking him into the ground. "HOW DARE YOU BRING ONE OF THESE STUPID RATS INSIDE!"

He gasped as she stepped hard on his stomach holding him down before she started beating him heavily. It hurt more then he thought it possibly ever could, the more then ten years worth of hatred she had for his dad and his Pikachu that she was beating him with. It almost made him miss the burning pain he usually experienced everyday.

He felt tears run down his face for the first time in years as she stepped on his arm so hard he could hear and feel the loud crack. The strong kick to his stomach that left him curling up and coughing up blood which for the first time wasn't cause by the 'attacks'. Pain pain pain pain. As she stepped on his head making it feel like it'd burst in moments, and as she stepped on his chest making him feel his heart was being squeezed to death.

He must have zoned out as the pain dulled a bit as she grabbed his neck hauling him up face to face as she strangled him. He tried to struggle he really did but everything was slipping away and he couldn't breath and then.

"PIKACHU!!"

Shock waves woke him up as he fell to the ground beside his mother. Gasping for breath he looked gratefully at the yellow mouse that had just saved him. He didn't even both to glance at his mother, that shock would have only knocked her out, she wouldn't die which he was grateful for. Forcing himself up his body protesting greatly by screaming at his mind he wobbled toward the front door. And forced himself out into the storm even as everything still felt blurry and he felt his consciousness fading.

The wind whipped him around as the rain pelted him while he grabbed his backpack nearly falling over in the process after he used his broken arm. He struggled forward towards the Oaks home listening and holding on to the encouraging sounds the little mouse was giving him as it struggled with him. Clutches in his hand his note to Daisy as the window came in sight and he was so so very close.

He could almost reach out and knock on it hoping that behind the curtain she was inside when he tripped and this time no matter how much he tried he couldn't get up and slowly under the pelting rain of the worst storm in a century he lost consciousness listening to the sound of the howling winds and the sad sounds of the small mouse trying to help him up.