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“Say it again.”
“Come on, Ash, just-”
“No. Say it again, Brock.”
“I just think that - Oh, Ash, come on. You know what I’m saying.”
“What I think you’re saying,” Ash bit out, voice taking on a growl he reserved for the big bads, or Team Rocket when they crossed the line, “is that Paul’s a better trainer than me. Is that right?”
Brock took a breath, trying to calm himself down. “No. I’m not - “
“Good. Because Paul’s training is what led to Chimchar being like this! It’s just - it’s just plain wrong!”
“But it’s an accepted training method across the world! This is the League-endorsed training method for battle pokemon. And most of the time, it works out. Most of the time, you get strong teams that take people to the championships.”
Ash huffed. “Well, it didn’t work out with Chimchar, did it?”
“ Most of the time. Sometimes, it turns out like this. Battered, damaged pokemon that lash out at their trainers. I know you hate to hear this, Ash, but Chimchar’s dangerous. It could hurt you, or your other pokemon. Badly. Don’t you get it?”
“What I get, Brock,” Ash was shouting now, “is that Chimchar was abused! All it needs is someone to show it that it’s got someone who cares about it!”
“This isn’t Charmander! This isn’t some abandoned pokemon who just needs someone to show it a little love! This is a pokemon that will hurt you.”
“Not like I haven’t been through worse, anyway.”
It was Brock’s turn to scoff. “Oh, like that’s a good enough excuse?”
“ Pikachu’s hurt me plenty, Brock! What do you suggest, I just throw it to the side the second it shocks me?”
“You know that’s not what I’m saying. Don’t twist my words, Ash.”
“Then tell me what you’re saying! Because, to me, it seems like you’re telling me to chuck out my pokemon the second they hurt me.”
“You’re saying it like it’s so crazy, Ash! Pokemon aren’t supposed to hurt their trainers!”
“So they’re just supposed to be battling machines? That’s not fair!”
“It’s League-endorsed!”
“Fuck the League, Brock!” Ash shouted, and Brock was shocked into silence for a moment. Ash never cursed. “I don’t care about what other people say about training pokemon! They’re wrong! Pokemon are friends, not machines! They can’t just be abandoned! Come on, Brock, you don’t really believe that, do you?”
“This is different. You know it. Chimchar’s dangerous.”
“So is saving the world! So is Team Rocket! So is traveling through the wilderness! It’s all dangerous, Brock. It’s what I signed up for.”
“Ash-”
“No. I’m done, Brocko. Chimchar’s staying, and that’s final. Now butt out of it, will ya?”
Ash stormed away from the Center bathroom Brock had cornered him in, so beyond exasperated with Ash’s inability to care for himself after watching him catch a pokemon Paul had just abandoned. He hated Paul too. But Ash had such disregard for his safety. Nothing else mattered when someone or something needed help. It was going to kill him, one day. For real. Brock knew it, watching the door swinging back and forth after Ash slammed it, that one day it was going to hurt Ash so bad he wasn’t going to come back from it.
Brock couldn’t stop it. All he could do was be there by Ash’s side when it happened, and so he ran after him, trying to make amends.
He had to be there for Ash.