Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Below The Surface ❯ Chapter Four ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Below the Surface

by arcadejunkie

WARNING: READ THIS WARNING: This fic is rated R for events that will happen in future chapters. There will
be major character deaths, and implied m/m rape. Don't read this to flame me, because I find flamers to be
hilarious creatures.

Authors Note: This fic is told from the point of view of an original character, but it is not an original
trainer fic or anything like that.

Since everyone asked so nicely, here's....

Part Four

Miss. Freeman's POV

As soon as I finished grading tests, I went downstairs to get back to my car. I wasn't in a hurry as I
usually was, but I felt a little more tired than usual, because the principal had to question me about
Satoshi's outburst.

I was a bit surprised to find Giovanni walking down the hallway with his hands in his pockets. He was just
walking out of the principal's office with Satoshi.

"Get in the car." he says coldly, not looking at Satoshi.

Satoshi obeys, looking down at the ground as he slowly drags his feet on the floor.

I forgot where I was for the moment, and I was a little startled when Giovanni looks up at me, and smiles.
"Hello, Diane..." he says in the warm voice that I loved to hear.

I try to smile, but I feel a bit of coldness in his voice that I hadn't felt before. "Is Satoshi okay?" I
ask instead.

Giovanni's smile disappears as he looks behind him just as Satoshi leaves the building. "He's been so
distant lately..." he says sadly, looking away.

"I'm sure Satoshi will improve.." I said, forcing a smile, while trying to be optimistic.

Giovanni smiles at me, and gives me a hug. "Why don't we go somewhere for dinner?" he asks.

"Sure, that would be great."

I was about to ask about Satoshi, when Giovanni brought up the subject. "Do you mind if Satoshi comes with
us?"

I shook my head, even though I hesitated a little.

***

Satoshi greeted me at the doorway when I knocked on the door. He didn't really look at me, because his
eyes were affixed to the ground.

"Satoshi..." I say softly, kneeling down to him. "Are you going to be okay?"

He doesn't respond.

I gulp and for a moment, I hate Giovanni and I hate myself. "W-What's going on?" I whisper. The words come
out naturally as though they have been suppressed for a long time.

"N-Nothing..." he says, barely shaking his head. "Nothing." he repeats a little firmly the second time.

"Are you two ready?" Giovanni asks from the top of the stairs.

I stand up, completely forgetting about Satoshi. "Yes, we are.." I say, walking up to him with some
hesitation.

***

We all piled into the car clumsily. I sat in the front seat of the car with Giovanni, while Satoshi sat on
the back seat.

"Where are we going to eat?" I asked, while Satoshi just stared out the window, drifting off.

"Giovanni's..." he answered, not really concentrating on what he was saying.

I started to laugh softly, and I turned to Satoshi to see if he was doing the same. Instead he was just
resting his head on the palm of his hand.

Giovanni didn't seem to notice or care what I was laughing about, because he was concentrating on driving.

I stopped laughing at that moment; the situation had lost its humor.

***

As soon as we finished our orders, the waiter took all our menus.

"Is that all?" the waiter asked.

"Yes," Giovanni said, sounding a little impatient. The waiter didn't catch the tone, but he left anyway.

"Diane..." Giovanni said, turning to me. He takes out a wrapped gift from his pocket.

I take it with shaking hands and I remove the wrapping neatly. In the center of the box is a golden
brooch.

My eyes widen. Gym leader or not, this had to have cost a small fortune.

Satoshi glares, and a surge of guilt washes through me. "I can't take this.." I start, handing the gift
back to Giovanni.

"No, I insist.." he says with a smile

My will to give the present back fades as I kiss him deeply. "Thank you.." I whispered.

Satoshi got up from his seat and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Giovanni asked warily.

"To the bathroom," Satoshi said coldly.

Giovanni huffed at Satoshi's rudeness, but he didn't say anything.

As soon as Satoshi was gone, I noticed that Giovanni's hands were covered with scrapes and bruises. "Are
you okay? How did you hurt yourself?" I asked indicating his hands.

"Oh..this? It's just that I tripped over the last step going down the stairs this morning..."

"Bad morning...?" I ask, feeling sick.

He only nods.

After Satoshi returned, nobody spoke for the rest of dinner. Satoshi picked at his food at Giovanni's
annoyance, while I didn't really feel like talking to Giovanni anymore.

***

Satoshi didn't come to school the next day. I didn't really think much of it, until I received the excuse
list and read through it with mild interest during snack time.

He was in the hospital.

I drop the piece of paper in panic, with my hands shaking. My head aches as I suddenly feel dizzy.

"No...No.." I whisper over and over to myself, holding my head in my hands.

Suddenly I remember the night I had dinner with Giovanni, when Satoshi was crying.

I had to call Giovanni. I had to see what this was all about.

I forced myself to my feet as I walked to the teacher's phone. I passed the office on the way there, and I
felt a need to go in there, but I only passed it, before I finally arrived at the phone.

I quickly dialed Giovanni's number, feeling panicked. The phone rings twice for what seems like an eternity
before Giovanni finally picks up.

"Hello?" he said in a gruff voice.

"I just heard that Satoshi was in the hospital! What happened?! Are you two okay?!"

"Yes, we're both fine. We had an accident on the way home. Satoshi isn't injured seriously, so he'll
probably just spend a night or two there."

"Will I be able to visit him after school?" I ask, clutching the receiver tighter.

"Yes." Giovanni says.

We both hang up, and I want to cry suddenly.

"It's just an accident..." I say to myself softly. "..just an accident..." but my voice just sounds empty.

***

The hospital is cold and sterile, and I can smell the stench of sickness.

Most of the walls are dull and pasty white as I walk through the hallway. When I arrive at the children's
section, bright colored wallpaper filled the place. The front wall has a mural with Elephants and Giraffes
frolicking in the sand.

When I arrive at Satoshi's room, I see that Giovanni is sitting on a chair next to Satoshi's bed. As soon
as Giovanni sees me, he hugs me.

"I'm glad you came." he whispers.

Satoshi is laying on the bed silently. His face is bandaged up, his eyes were red and puffy from crying.

"Satoshi.." I say gently, reaching for his hand.

He closes his eyes tightly, moving his hand away. A tear rolls down his cheek. "I need some sleep." he says
in a shaky voice.

I walk away from Satoshi, stunned. Giovanni holds my hand to comfort me, and I take it.

His hand feels repulsive to me at this moment, but it is all I have to cling onto.

***

He's quieter now. Ever since he returned to school, he hasn't said anything.

Just when he seems like he's opening up, he suddenly closes up on me. I can still see the cuts on his face
from...from...the car crash.

The other children mostly try to avoid him now. A few of the crueler ones laugh at him, but I don't punish
them, because I can't bear to look at him either without feeling my stomach lurch.

He doesn't respond when anyone makes fun of him, but I can see it on his face. It still hurts.

Worse than this is the fact that he's losing weight and growing paler every day.

And every day during class, he just sits there in his desk with an intense but unreadable expression on his
face.

***

It is recess. The dullness of the cloudy day has caused some of my students to get snappy at each other.
There have been more and more detentions lately.

Satoshi seems to be recovering. I can see him talking to the younger children. He helps out the other
teachers and he seems to be telling all the younger ones about pokemon in great detail.

Perhaps he and Giovanni do have something in common besides appearance.

Then, I wonder about the boy's mother.

Did she die? Maybe she was divorced with Giovanni..or did she just run away?

I wonder too much.

But maybe what was wrong with Satoshi had something to do with his mother.

It just had to be...it had to be something else, because I know Giovanni, and he would never hurt Ash.

I mean, Satoshi.

Giovanni said it was just an accident. He would never hurt Satoshi. Never.

***

"Hey! Shrimp! Get outta my face!" a bully yelled at Satoshi.

"Leave me alone." Ash says calmly...I mean Satoshi.

The bully laughs and launches himself at Satoshi, who is easily six inches shorter than him.

I started to run in, so I could protect Satoshi, when Satoshi pushes the bully away. He doesn't stop there.
His face is a cold mask of anger and sorrow and he pummels the bully like a training dummy. There are tears
running down his cheeks.

The sight of a little kid pounding on a big bully stuns the principal and several teachers for a moment as
I suddenly rush at Satoshi, and I lift the small boy from the larger one. His face is fierce even though
he has a bloody nose, and he's still punching at the air.

"Satoshi! Stop!" I yell firmly.

"Let go of me!" he screams loud enough to nearly make me obey.

He manages to squirm out of my grip and I think that it is all over when he falls to the ground, sobbing.

"Satoshi..." I begin.

He gets up quickly, shuddering as he forces himself to get on his feet. "I'm fine...I'm sorry...I.." then
he walks back into the classroom, just as the bell rings, holding his face in his hands.

***

"You know, you have been spending a lot of time with Giovanni lately..." Whitney pointed out, taking a bite
out of her sandwich.

"So?" I ask, trying to not sound rude, even though I was a bit annoyed with the way she asked the
question.

"Well don't you think it's bothering some of your students?" she asks pointedly.

I knew that she was talking about Satoshi.

"*That* isn't what's bothering him." I say coldly.

"Then what is?" she asked angrily.

I froze, suddenly going numb. *The car accident* I wanted to mumble, but my mouth wasn't working.

"Tell me," Whitney repeated, standing up, "What could possibly be bothering Satoshi that much?!"

I turn away from her, and after a few seconds, I hear an angry sigh as Whitney stormed away.

***

"Satoshi!" I cry, running around the playground.

Where is he? One of my other students told me that he had been playing hide and seek with the others.

"Satoshi! The game is over! You can come out now!" I cried out, with a little fear in my voice.

I am by the fence that blocks the playground from the woods when I find it.

A shoe. Satoshi's shoe.

My heart fills with panic. *This can't be happening!* I think, running into the forest.

"Satoshi!" I cry again, hoping he was alright, that nothing had happened to him.

I crawl into the bushes, when I see Satoshi laying on the ground, shaking violently.

I was about to run out to him, when I see two large men, with "R"s prominently written across their black
uniforms.

Team Rocket, I recognize.

One of them pulls Satoshi to his feet and presses him against a tree.

"Where is that Pikachu?!" he yells gruffly.

"I don't know..." Satoshi says with fear in his eyes. "Maybe Pikachu ran away!" Ash finishes, grinning
defiantly.

"I think *someone* helped it run away!" the other man yelled, punching Satoshi in the stomach.

"Where is it?!" the first man demanded again.

I gasped softly. I had to do something! I didn't really think of how stupid it was, but I started to
imitate a Ghastly, so I could scare them away. Oddly, my plan worked, and the rockets ran out of the woods
in terror.

Satoshi watched them go with a relieved expression on his face. It was kind of strange that he didn't seem
afraid of ghost pokemon.

I step out of the woods, continuing my ghostly imitation.

Satoshi just stares at me for a second, his hands shaking. "I...thankyou..." he says quietly, before
running away.

"Satoshi!" I yell.

But he just keeps running.

END OF PART FOUR

***

Whoah..this part was long (By my standards) and I plodded through it at the speed of a rampaging tortoise.

Now, I'm going to lay down, because I'm really sleepy for some reason.

Read/Enjoy/Review;)

Um...Bya.