4 months after started training with Koda

January

No POV

"Again!" Koda yelled as Ash was lying on the ground, tired. He was traing every day since he came here. First it was just to get him into physical condition, where he could do anything Koda or his sister would tell him, but after a few months, it got more difficult. He would start training him with weapons, having him run obstacle course or just to train his patience.

Now, he was training him to try get Koda down from his feet by any way, but failing everytime. Ash stood back up, only in shirt and shorts, that was dripping sweat, by training. His scars could be seen, but they were mostly covered by red skin, which was result of Koda's wooden sword, that he would hit with Ash when he failed.

He was tired, but determined. He learned multiple things, one of those to never ask for break, but also things he should have learned long ago, as his mind went back to the first training.

"Please I am tired, can we have a break for a moment?" he asked, which only ended up by Ash doing another more training for that day and at the end of day, Koda would tell him that nobody won't wait for him to save them.

Ash ran at Koda again, making sure he wouldn't do the same thing by walking to side to just avoid his charge. Koda this time held the weapon ready and clashing each other. As they fought for who would  back away first, Ash used his leg to trip his legs, but failed, as his feet didn't move at all.

"How am I suppose to get you on ground?" Ash asked, but his question was quickly was gone from his head, when Koda grabbed his hand and threw him over his shoulder. Ash landed on his back, feeling how all of his breath was kicked out of his lungs.

"You need to count with everything your opponent can do and who it will be. If you fail with one way, find another one. If you will train harder, you will be able to do what you tried, but even then, not all opponents will be same size as me and not every opponent will be human. So instead of asking how, you ask which way. " he looked down at Ash, who was trying to catch his breath. "If you want to defeat a ninja, you must become one!"

March

"Tell me again what do you want me to do?" Ash asked, as he held the katana in his, stunned by the request.

"You heard me Ash, I want you to try slice through my chest." Koda said with straight face.

"Hell no. I am gonna kill you Koda."

"No you are not, if you would, I wouldn't say try." Ash turned his view at Aya, who seemed to tell him the same thing. Ash took a deap breath and ran with katana at Koda, aiming to slice through his chest. To his surprise, he blocked it by stopping, the blade between his hands and then kicking him back.

"Wow, I guess that is today's lesson." Ash said with slight excitement in his voice and Koda nodded.

April

"You need to learn to ignore some pain. If you are gonna flinch at every small cut, the enemy will use it against you." Aya said, as she watched Ash holding bricks in his hands and on his shoulders, with only shorts on and eyes closed. His body was now more covered with muscles, but more showing his scars.

Ash felt the small cut on his back, smack on his side, but didn't move with his hands at all.

"After all that pain, do you think I will break down Aya?" Ash asked with smirk, as he flinched for a moment the jolt of electricity hit his leg.

"No, but you break after that one moment." she said, as he felt heat more in room and sudden memories coming into his mind. "And they will come back. The police gave you a word, but still nothing." Aya voice made Ash loose in his nightmares even more.

"They can do it." Ash said, but he lied to himself and he knew that the police or other organisation about protection have never done anything.

"You know they won't." she said and  slid with her finger over one of the bigger scars at his back. On this, Ash failed and let the bricks fall with also his own feet failing to stand anymore.

May

Ash stood in the middle of the room around him flew at high speed Ninjask, hitting him from multiple sides, but before he could hit back, it was gone again.

"Concentrate!" Koda yelled as he watched Ash standing there.

Ash closed his eyes doing what he was told to.

"If your enemy is too fast, don't try to hit back with anger. Think about the next move that your enemy will do and calm down. Think about calm, happy memories and then attack."

And with this he swung with his fist to his right, hitting Ninjask in face after it tried to attack again.

June

Aya and Ash fought with each other. All weapons free with one moment them clashing with katanas, to another Ash deflecting throwing daggers with hand fan.

Koda watched from side with Pikachu who seemed worried. His trainer didn't stop and the past months was training even more.

Ash threw his katana at Aya, whos eyes widened and dodged, letting the katana stuck in the wall. Ash ran at
Aya and she did the same. Both fighting on close, blocking each others fists or kicks, only rarely one landing a hit.

Ash crouched making Aya thinking he would do the same thing he did always. She jumped to only to realise he baited her into jump, kicking her in mid air and making her land on her back. She looked up to see Ash ready to hit her, but stood still.

Those stares were interrupted by Koda clappings. Ash changed his fist into hand to help her up, but she slapped it away.

July

Ash packed his things. Pikachu looked at him worried, seeing his trainer in situation he never had. Through Ash's mind, vision of what he had done. He looked at his fingers, although he washed them, he saw the blood behind his fingernails

An hour ago

Ash fought with Aya, both holding wooden sticks, trading hit after hit, each blow different, but still blocked by another hit. Aya told him this training would be special, but it still looked like others.

"Do you still remember?" she suddenly said. He raised his eyebrow, but she ignored him. "Do you remember still those blue flames Ash?" this time, he got hit into his eyebrow.

He grunted, but turned back to her. "What do you think Aya?!" he asked pissed as she was saying it.

"I think you are holding darkness inside you Ash." Aya said, as she dodged Ash's blow.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because the moment your friend died, you let it take over." she said as both of them walked in circle.

"You have no idea how I felt." Ash said as he charged at her, but she dodged.

"What I know, is that you felt the pain, inside and outside. You let the pain power your anger and you let your anger power the pain you inflicted." she said and tried to block the stick with hers, but the messy hair trainer overpowered it and hit her in the shoulder.

"I lost the ones I cared about. Whole group of ninjas died because of me! What was I suppose to do?" Ash asked in roar, as Aya jumped away. She could hear Pikachu on other side of door, trying to get in.

"So killing the scientist gave you what you needed? Revenge?" Aya asked, when her eyes widened she was almost hit by the thrown stick, that hit the wall, cracking in the proces. She turned around, but Ash was gone and she failed to notice the sudden wind behind her.

"If I wanted a revenge-" he said, knocking Aya on the ground and jumping back on her. "I WOULD HAVE KILLED THEM ALL!"

And from that moment, he saw only images the memories, nightmares and the pain he felt. When Hanzo and others died trying to help him. His pokemon covered in blue flames, a few injured almost ready to die only to watch the other ones became grey dust or glowing one that vanished in air. Pignite tried to protect them, but only got himself into worst possible outcome.

And he just watched them, chained by his weakness, stupidity and believing for the impossible. And then watch his friend die in front of him.

And then the rage. Rage for his lost one, the closest ones. And after that only how his fists destroyed glass and flash. Ignoring the pain in his body.

But then he was knocked down, breaking him out of trance. He blinked to see Pikachu looking at him with pure terror. He looked to his side and saw how Koda was kneeling over Aya, whos face was covered in blood and bruises and was heavily breathing. He looked at his hands in disbelief. They were covered in blood, Aya's blood.

"K-Koda I-" Ash tried to say words, but all of them stucked in his throat.

"Go to your room. NOW!" Koda yelled and Ash without more words walked away. Taking glances at Aya, who was now in Koda's arm.

Presence

Koda finally returned from hospital. His sister would be fine, but she would stay there for a while. Now he had to take care the bigger problem.

He walked inside the house, walking straight to Ash's room. It happened what he thought wouldn't happen, but he told Aya to do what she did. He thought the young trainer could face his demons, but it looked like he couldn't and now his sister was hurt and he knew how Ash would react.

He opened the door to Ash's room to reveal it empty. Only furniture and small letter on the bed. He took the letter from the bed, but he knew what it would say.

'I am sorry Koda. You took me in on training to help and I felt how it helped me. But I didn't realise what it also help to get better power. There is a monster inside me. I never thought about it, but I know and I am very sorry Aya was the one who had to face it. There is probably nothing I can do to repay everything you have done for. But I think the best thing for me is to be alone for some time so I can figure out what is wrong with me. Tell Aya I am very sorry and I only hope she will be fine. You thought me a lot of things, but one thing is I need to learn and that is something you can't teach me. Thank you for everything.

Ash

Ash walked over the mountain, pikachu on his shoulder and both of them took one last look at the city before they were gone. Ash felt the only good thing and that was being Pikachu still by his side. And so both of them walked, past the sign.

Viridan city 90 miles