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"It's not a big deal."
"Ash, I think being hospitalized is a pretty big deal."
"I've been through worse."
Cynthia scratches behind Pikachu's ear instead of replying. Normally, pokémon wouldn't be allowed anywhere near a hospital room for a myriad of different reasons, but when Champions are involved, rules become more like suggestions.
That's how she'd gotten in here, too. One of the orderlies had tried to turn her away, citing the fact that Ash was still recovering. Cynthia understood perfectly well that the man was just doing his job, and she’d also understood that her kid was hurt badly enough to be in the fucking ER. It would've taken Arceus Itself descending from the heavens to stop her from getting into that room, and even then, Cynthia wouldn't have been opposed to deicide in light of the circumstances.
Luckily, she'd found Ash conscious—a downright miracle, considering he'd taken a hyper beam at point-blank range and had several broken bones to show for it—so Arceus would be safe until further notice.
"By the way," Ash inquires, drawing Cynthia's attention back to him, "how'd ya find out I was in here?"
Of course he's asking about something so mundane despite what's happened. It's so Ash that it almost hurts. "I got a call from Looker. He told me there'd been an incident, and I came here as soon as I could."
Ash gives her a puzzled look. "I thought Looker worked in Alola now."
"He does, but he still has contacts in Sinnoh," Cynthia clarifies. Eccentricities aside, she's genuinely impressed with how one man can manage two separate information networks that span different regions. Lance's G-Men could stand to learn a thing or two from him, especially with how quickly the one responsible for putting Ash in here was taken into custody. "Everyone at Interpol is working to keep the press from finding out you've been hospitalized, as well."
A sad smile creeps onto Ash's face. "...M'sorry I caused problems for you and Looker," he says, and in that moment Cynthia wants so badly to yell, beg, do something that can convince him to let go of the guilt. Nobody, least of all a child with the biggest heart she's ever known, should end up so severely injured at the hands of a poacher and have their first thought be about how it's inconveniencing someone else.
But, understanding the futility of trying to undo years of trauma and pain with a few words and having been in this situation so many times before, Cynthia decides to offer what little comfort she can bring. "This isn't a problem at all, Ash," she reassures, placing a hand on his arm (the one that isn't in a sling.) "We're just glad you're okay." She glances at the very concerned rodent in his lap. "Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu chirps, tapping one of his paws against Ash's chest and quickly turning a frown into a wide grin. While Cynthia can't quite understand pokémon in the same way Ash can, it doesn't take a mind reader to see the love in putting on a brave face for someone you care about.
They really do operate on the same wavelength... Cynthia feels grateful for that, in a way. Ash will always have someone to rely on, no matter where or when (thanks, Celebi) he ends up. It doesn't absolve her of failing to be there for him—knowing he had to face down Hunter J alone still makes Cynthia feel sick to her stomach—but it's something, at least.
And with how Ash's whole expression lights up at Pikachu's encouragement, Cynthia's confident he'll make it through the recovery period just fine—or about as fine as one can be after something so traumatic, anyway.
"Thanks, buddy." Ash moves to give his partner a hug, inhaling sharply when he realizes his mistake. Cynthia eases him back down to a reclined position.
"Careful, now." She sees him opening his mouth to speak and instantly follows up with, "No need to apologize. I just don't want you aggravating your injuries."
"...That easy to read, huh?"
"No, I used my secret telepathic abilities to divine what you were going to say."
She flashes him a cheeky grin, and Ash bursts out laughing. There's a warm feeling in Cynthia's chest, seeing him smile like this; it's what she fights so hard for, really. Giving her kid the chance to smile, be happy, and, well, be a kid in a world that expects so much of him for nothing in return.
They'll go get ice cream together once he's discharged, she decides.
It's not every day that Ash calls on one of his Legendary friends for help. He knows the risk of getting deities involved, even if it's willing on their part, and most situations can't justify that risk. There's also the matter of them having their own affairs to attend to; Ash wouldn't feel right about wasting their time with some petty scuffle he could resolve under his own power. Put simply, only an emergency of the world-ending kind could ever make him consider it.
And while the current situation isn't a "world-ending emergency" in the traditional sense, Ash's whole world could come apart if his worst fears are realized.
"Sinnoh Champion Hospitalized."
Those three awful words were enough to make his blood run cold, and no sooner he had discerned her location from the news report did Ash summon Giratina to take him there as fast as physically possible. He had none of his flying-type pokémon with him, so this was the only way.
The adrenaline rush from soaring through the air is still present, Ash finds, but it's the kind that makes his heart feel like it'll burst right out of his chest rather than anything remotely enjoyable. Poor Pikachu is struggling to hang on at such speed, so Ash anchors himself on one of Giratina's horns, keeping Pikachu firmly between himself and the appendage.
"You okay?!" he calls over the raging wind.
"Chu!" Pikachu replies, giving his approximation of a thumbs-up.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ash signals for Giratina to keep going at full throttle.
No time to waste, have to see if she's okay. No time to waste, have to see if she's okay. No time to waste, have to see if she's okay.
They blitz by flocks of Starly, forms blurry at such a high velocity. Giratina takes special care to avoid hitting them.
No time to waste, have to see if she's okay. No time to waste, have to see if she's okay. No time to waste, have to see if she's okay.
Mt. Coronet disappears behind them. Nearly there.
No time to waste, have to see if she's okay. No time to waste, have to see if she's okay. No time to waste, have to see if she's okay.
They're on the final approach. The Renegade Pokémon may not have the same space and time-warping abilities as its brethren, but it can do something that Ash still doesn't really understand to manipulate reality to its benefit. He's never asked for an explanation—Giratina is justifiably cagey about the nature of its powers and banishment.
Whatever it may entail, Ash blinks and sees they've somehow arrived in that split second of blindness. There's a huge crowd outside, and Ash knows from experience that they're with the media. Looker must not have been able to keep them away.
Giratina slows just long enough for Ash to pin down Cynthia's aura, and he relays her whereabouts to it, adding on a quick thank-you-for-coming-on-such-short-notice as well.
This is gonna sting, no doubt about it, but the alternative is much, much less palatable.
At least it'll be safety glass.
Hopefully.
They dive down to the hospital window, and the moment he thinks he can make the jump, Ash hurls himself and Pikachu off of Giratina's back. He goes back-first to take the brunt of the impact, and he feels that impact hit him like a ton of bricks on the way through. The pain ruins whatever plans he'd had for a smooth landing, and he lands on his side, sliding a ways before grinding to an equally excruciating halt.
Groaning in abject discomfort, Ash scrapes himself off the floor.
Definitely safety glass.
Pikachu seems to be okay, from the look of things, and so does Cynthia. Right. That's good.
”Hey, Cynthia.”
”Hello, Ash. Hello, Pikachu.”
”…That hurt.”
”I’ll bet it did.”
The nurse (who Ash is also just now noticing) glances at him, and then the gaping hole where the window used to be. She's remarkably calm, all things considered.
"I'll... go tell the other doctors that Champion Ash is here." The nurse hurries out the door without another word.
Struggling to his feet and putting Pikachu back on his shoulder, Ash then lets out a shaky breath. "What happened to you?" he asks, seeing Cynthia's traction-bound leg. Cynthia quickly takes the book she'd been holding—Fifty Shades Something Something—and shoves it under her pillow.
Her hands now free, she waves Ash over. "I'll tell you, but you look like you could use a hug first."
Ash takes her up on that offer, having to force himself not to rush over and confess to how worried he'd been that she'd been dying and he'd let her down like Latios and Lucario.
"You're shaking, Ash."
"I know."
"You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going anywhere."
"...I know."
He won't cry here. Cynthia's the one who got hurt, not him, so he doesn't get to cry.
"It was an honest accident. We were training, and Garchomp's Dragon Rush collided with Spiritomb's Giga Impact." Cynthia pauses, letting the realization sink in for Ash. "I've never seen such an explosive result before, and if I'm being honest, it was kind of exciting... until the shockwave hit me, that is."
Ash cringes at that. He experienced something similar a few weeks prior, but he had his aura powers to mitigate some of the damage on top of speeding up his body's ability to heal. If Cynthia had been closer, or the initial explosion was more destructive, who knows what could've happened?
"I wish I'd been there to help."
Cynthia pats him gently on the back. "It was my own fault. I should've known to stand further away."
"But—"
"Ash," she interrupts, tone a bit more stern. "There was nothing you could have done to change things."
I could've been there.
I could've done something.
I could've kept you safe.
C a n ' t d o a n y t h i n g n o w
Ash's heart sinks. He's too tired to try and pretend any of this is okay. "Yeah," he says bitterly, "I can't fix this. I'm such an awful friend that I can't help the person who's always went out of her way to help me."
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu demands, upset that his trainer would even think of calling himself an awful friend.
Cynthia doesn't visually react much, but Ash knows her well enough to see the concern in her eyes. "Of all the lies I've ever heard, you calling yourself an 'awful friend' is probably the most egregious." She gently tilts his head up so that their gazes meet. "You just careened through a window because you were worried about me. I doubt an 'awful friend' would even consider doing such a thing, and furthermore, you've already helped me plenty just by being here." She sighs deeply. "I thought words wouldn't change anything, and maybe there's some truth to that, but I was absolutely wrong in this case. You make my life so much happier by being in it. If I ever made you think otherwise, then I'm truly sorry, Satoshi."
Satoshi.
Ash remembers the last time she'd called him that; it was when he'd lost to Tobias. Almost immediately after leaving the stadium, Cynthia personally told him how proud she was of his progress as a trainer.
Those simple words turned one of the most miserable days of his life into something salvageable.
"You'll do great things, Satoshi. I believe in you."