"It's all your fault," said Charlus.
"How is it my fault?" Ash cried, "I thought it was 'your seat, bitch'!"
"You were in the copilots seat!" He argued, "it was your job or put on the cloaking device!"
"You never told me to!"
Charlus groaned, "Its always your job, Re— I mean Ash!"
"Again, you told me to!"
Ash remembered all the times he'd wasted defending Charlus in front of Gary whenever he'd had a sip too many.
Wasted was the accurate word because Charlus Oak was as useless as a Magikarp on land or rather an appendix, a useless organ occupying space and sometimes inflaming itself to cause addition problems.
The jets at the chamber had a special cloaking device on them to help infiltrate into the enemy lines. The plan had come up with was simple yet elegant, at most, it was an hour job. But as soon as their jet had landed, there was a landing party awaiting for them.
There were now locked in a dungeon enclosed by narrow steels bars which despite Ash's best tries, refused to bulge.
"It's no use boy," Charlus said dreamily while lounging on the floor, his hands behind his head, "we'll never leave this place alive."
If there was anything he loathed more than the isle he was trapped in, it was Charlus fucking Oak.
Why was dad even friends with this nincompoop? He often found himself wondering.
Back at the academy, he had heard glorious remarks from the trainers, they kept fawning all over the great Charlus Oak's bravery and the victories he's won.
Those were nothing but hoaxes because the great Charlus Oak couldn't be the blithering idiot picking his teeth with what looked like a bone.
Ash wanted to throw up.
"At least I'm trying you twat!" He cursed when his useless advice became more useless. "You could at least lend a hand!"
"Why are you so eager?" He asked, "got someone at home?"
Ash immediately thought of Pikachu, Greninja, Charizard and all of his Pokemon. There was also Serena still waiting for a dance and his mom, his sweet innocent mom who was caught in all of this just like him and then there was Gary, his best friend who would spit on his grave if he died so soon.
"Of course I do," he said, "my Pokemon and my mom!"
Charlus laughed, "That's why you're so eager, once you put yourself into my shoes, you'll understand this..." he spread his arms, "this is the dream! Look at me, I have no one and I'm happy!"
"What about Gary?"
"Who?"
"Your son!"
"Oh yeah, he's terrific."
As time passed, Charlus kept on getting more useless.
Ash didn't think it was possible.
But then again, making the impossible possible was one of the things Charlus Oak was famous for.
Seconds turned into minutes which turned into hours but Ash didn't lose hope, he kept trying to come up with a plan for their escape if only he had a lever he'd be able to get out of here.
But no matter how hard he tried, how hard he kicked, cried, or prayed, the metal bars didn't budge, and neither did Charlus.
I can't give up, Ash thought, I have to get out... I can't die... not while I still owes her a bloody dance.
But starvation did wonders to his body, it wasn't until he broke his tibia that he collapsed on the floor, dead tired with exhaustion.
"Told you," Charlus croaked after a long time.
He's Gary's father, he told himself, you'll regret it if you kill him.
But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't shake the thought of beating the useless trash of a man to death with his broken bone.
"At least I'm trying, you twat." He said, "I'm not lying useless on the ground."
Charlus sat up after a long time, but he still refused to look at Ash. "I'm not trying because there is no escape."
"And how would you know?"
The brunet still refused to look at Ash, "I've been here before."
"Been here? Like on a field trip?"
"Captured," he sighed, Ash saw his lips curl into a smile, "with your idiot father."
"My father was not an idiot."
"What do you know?" Charlus scoffed, "you never met him, I did."
He couldn't argue with his iron clad logic, Ash bit his lip in sadness. "Then how do we get out?"
"Oh my God!" Charlus exasperated, "I told you we can't! Your mother is a strong woman, if you died she'll get over you in some time."
Ash couldn't help but snicker. "It's not her I'm worried about."
Charlus frowned as he turned towards Ash. He couldn't help but notice the redness crawl up towards his cheeks.
"You got a girlfriend at home?"
Ash didn't answer, he simply looked away.
"You... dawg," Charlus snickered, "who's the little wench?"
"She's not a wench!"
Charlus gasped dramatically, "My my, your father would crawl in his grave with pride if he finds out that you're keeping up with his legacy."
"With... proud?"
"Well," Charlus shrugged, "he was your age when he fell in love with your mother... enough 'bout him, who's the wench?"
"She's not a wench! And it's none of your business!"
As Charlus kept on badgering him, Ash couldn't help but notice the striking similarity between his best friend and his father. The two of them couldn't be more alike, both were nosy gits who couldn't keep their nose in their own business.
"I remember what it was like to be young and in love," he sighed reminiscently, "those lovely fights and deadly duels... it refreshes my memory. Don't let her go, or else you'll regret it, like me."
Ash frowned, as far as he knew, Charlus had married his love. He was assured so by Gary many a times. Infact, Gary respected Charlus just because of sticking by his mother's side through the tough years.
"What are you talking about? You married the love of your life."
Charlus looked at Ash, for the first time since they arrived at the cave, something inside him was ignited at the sight of his cinnamon brown eyes. It was an memory he'd tried locking away but time and again it kept coming back.
"Sure," he said bitterly, "of course... so who's the chick?"
Ash had promised Serena that he wouldn't tell anyone, but there was a limit of Charlus Oak's slurs he could take.
"It's Serena!" He cried, "for crying out loud, now shut up!"
He was stunned at the mention of the name of Grace's daughter, yet he couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Grace's daughter? Good luck! Unlike your father you have a think for younger girls."
Charlus broke into a laugh yet again.
"What are you talking about?" He frowned, "there is only a year and a quarter's gap between the two of us."
The brunet shook his head, "You're incorrect, Grace said that she was nineteen."
"Serena is twenty, almost twenty one."
The smile died down on Charlus's face, "Youre mistaken."
"Dude, she's my girlfriend. And as for Grace, she missed quite a few of Serena's birthdays, I'm sure it's just her memory backfiring."
Charlus sighed, "Huh, must've slipped her mind—"
Before he could complete, a loud bang echoed in the air cutting him short. Ash tried to get up to see what was happening but he was pushed down by Charlus, who had a faint idea of what was happening.
A strange feeling crept up in Ash as a face came out of the darkness. It was dark and riddled with scars. The man with the accent was followed by three of the prison guards, all loaded with weapons. If only he could get his hands on one of these...
Meanwhile, his eyes darted towards Charlus, who had a strange sense of satisfaction on his face. He walked closer to the man with a thousand scars and propped his elbows against the horizontal bars.
"Scar-face," Charlus smiled as if he was an old friend, "didn't think I'd see you again... in a lifetime."
Scar-face smiled, "Neither did I, Blue."
The smile on Charlus's face disappeared at the mention of his name.
"What? The secrets out, Charlus." Scar-face smile, "hello James, did not think that I would see you either... you're surprisingly young."
Ash flinched at the mention of his father's name but kept quiet.
"Well, you're rather old," Ash could see Charlus's hand curl in a fist.
Scar-face smiled cruelly as he gave his men aside nod, they nodded in return as if they knew what his action meant. "You are not going to argue that he's not Red? Why the frown, Blue? We both know James is dead."
The door to the prison opened and Charlus immediately leaped towards the man, unaware of the consequences, Ash wanted to help but the swelling in his leg prevented him from standing.
The guards caught hold of the ranging man, two of them grabbed each of his hands and the third one punched his face again and again until he was as weak as Ash was.
After Charlus was restrained, the guards advanced towards him but before they could reach up to him, Charlus threw a fit.
"No!" He cried, "no! Not the boy! Not the boy!"
Scar-face looked between the two of them with amusement before he ordered his guards to stand down. "Not the boy..." he circled round him, "why not?"
Charlus didn't answer but even Ash had noticed the lump in his throat.
"Does his remind you of Red... of James?"
He still didn't answer.
Scar-face grabbed a handful of his hair and made him look towards Ash, who still couldn't understand what was happening.
"Look at the boy, Charlus." He whispered in his ear, "tell him the reason you wouldn't look at him! If you do... we won't take you away."
The corner of Charlus's mouth twitched, his eyes were still buried in the ground. Ash found it surprising and hurting, he wasn't terrible to look at, then why would he refuse to look at this face?
When nothing else came out of his mouth, they took him away.