Ash's POV

My eyes were so heavy, they refused to open. I didn't know how long I was asleep, but I know it was too long. My back burned, and my stomached stung. What have I gotten myself into this time? I thought trying to remember the events before I closed my eyes.

All I could remember was waking up under a tree with Serena, and Gary next to me. I had quiet a strange dream. However some part of me knew it was true.

I tried once more to open my eyes, but the pain running through out my body was too extreme forcing me to fall deeper into sleep.

"It's not time to wake up." A voice echoed through his head.

No one's POV

Serena sat worriedly by the hospital bed side. Come on Ash, She thought trying to calm herself. It's been two days now. Please wake up. She felt her eyes tear up once more. "This is all my fault." She mumbled trying her best not to let the tears fall.

Gary stood in the corner of the small hospital room staring at Ash begging in his head for him to wake up. He lent against one of the walls looking as if he wasn't worried, but really, he was terrified. He heard Serena mumbled something, but he couldn't hear, so he shook it off.

The room was dead silent except for the soft sound of Ash's breathing. If it was silent their heart's would skip a beat until they heard Ash's breathing again. Gary let his thoughts drift off, and for a while, all he could see was Ash's helpless body laying on the bed. His fist tightened, and his anger was growing making him grind his teeth.

A knock on the door interrupted Gary's thoughts. He shifted his weight off the wall, and stared at the door, as it opened. When he saw who it was, he wasn't sure if he should be sad, or angry. But the look on the boy's face made his face soften. Worry took over the boy's face, and the bags under his light blue eyes showed he hasn't slept in what looked like days.

Serena stood up defensibly facing towards him, but she too relaxed when she saw his face. No words were spoken between them, but they all knew why he was here. To see Ash.

Serena calmly walked past him out the door, and left him alone with Gary, and Ash. The boy walked over to the chair that Serena had just left, and plopped in it tiredly.

"You guys should get some sleep," Gary commented.

There was a slight pause before he took in a breath to answer. "How can we?" He paused, and seemed like he chocking down tears. "Look at what we did. This isn't fair for him." His fist tightened, as he tried his best to choke down his tears.

"You didn't do this to him. Giovanni did."

"But. . . why didn't we do anything? This is my fault."

"Alain. Stop putting the blame on yourself. You knew there was nothing to be done."

"But there had to be some way. If we would've found out some way to stop Giovanni then Ash he. . . ." Alain looked down, and began staring at his hands. Gary looked down at his feet.

"He'll be just fine." Gary said interrupting the silence.

" I hope you're right." Alain stood up, and walked out of the room. When he got back, his brother, Red, quickly stood up from his seat.

"How is he?" He asked urgently.

Alain sighed. "Still sleeping." Red's face darkened, as he slowly sat back down in his seat.

"I don't think we need to worry. Ash he's strong. He'll wake up." Serena chimed in faking a smile. Alian sat in one of the waiting chairs without looking at Serena. Red too didn't say anything. A look of slight shock formed on her face. "Don't you have faith in him?" She lectured causing the two lift their heads.

"Of course we do." Red said standing up.

"Well you act like you don't. He's grown up a lot without you two." Red's face had a hint of horror, and sadness.

"I know. We weren't there for him when he went on his journey. But please understand we wanted to. We were just trying to protect Ash." Alain said lowering his head back down.

"I don't think Ash needed your protection. I think he just wanted to show you that he could be like you. I remember how much he looked up to you two. When we were little he wouldn't shut up about you two. He said that one day he wanted to protect you to show he wasn't a burden."

"But he wasn't a burden. We love him, and wanted to protect him. We chose to do this for him." Alain said standing up from his chair, and looking at Serena.

"But he wouldn't have wanted that. He would've rather defend himself then you two do it for him. You broke his heart that day. I heard he stayed in his room for weeks when you two disappeared."

Alain lowered his head. "We- we hadn't known."

Gary was now sitting in the chair praying for Ash to wake up. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. "Come on Ash." He whispered. "Wake up already. It's been two days. It's time you woke up. Your brothers are back. Isn't that what you wanted? You wanted them to come back, right? Well now they're here, so wake up already."

The room was once again silent. Ash's breathing was hard to hear. Gary lifted his head to see Ash still sleeping. "What's wrong, Ash? It isn't like you to be in a such a state for such a long time." Gary looked down at Ash's hand to find he was moving one of his fingers. It wasn't moving much, but it was moving. A wave of relief washed over him making him relax. "That's the most we've gotten in days." He let out a soft chuckle. "Can't you just wake up already?"

Gary stood up, and walked out the room. He was tired. Everyone needed some sleep, so he decided to persuade everyone to spend a night in the nearest Pokemon center. It was late too, so the nurse had walked over to them to tell them visiting hours were over.

Ash opened his eyes to find he was in a hospital room. It was dark making everything look gray. It was silent. Too silent. Pain was running through his body, but he forced himself to sit up. "Oh man. What happened this time?" He whispered to himself, as he flinched from the pain. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, and slide off the bed onto the cold tile floor.

He headed to the door, and opened it and found no lights were on. Everything was dark, and gray. He rubbed his eyes hoping everything would become brighter, but nothing worked. He walked into the dark hall way, only able to see a couple of meters in front of him.

He stopped. For a second it sounded like there were footsteps that were not his own. He stopped to try and hear if there was any movement.

Then, he heard it again. Footsteps. They sounded like they were headed towards . . . him.

To be continued