"Delia, let go of me!"

"Richard, please don't go!"

"It's too late for that! I'm leaving!"

The three-year-old woke up to this shouting. He poked his head out of his covers and looked at the clock. 2:30. His eyes were wide as he looked at his Mew doll.

"Do you know why Mommy and Daddy are fighting at this hour, Mew?"

Since he didn't get an answer, he crawled out of the covers and down the ladder, quietly opening his bedroom door and tip-toeing towards the steps. When he peered around the corner, he held back a gasp. His mother was on her knees, tears streaming down her face, and his father was glaring at her.

"P-Please don't go," She sobbed. "Think about the kids!"

"Amber's going to be gone within a year anyways! And Ash… Who cares about him? He's just an annoying addition to our family! We don't need another like him!"

"H-How can you say that? H-He's your s-son!" She looked up at him, sorrow in her brown eyes. Ash felt his eyes tear up as a presence formed behind him. He turned and saw his older sister. She looked at him in concern.

"What's wrong?"

He squeezed Mew and shut his eyes. "Daddy said that no one cares about me, and that I'm annoying… I don't even know what that means!"

She frowned. "You'll figure it out when you go to school. I can't believe he said that!"

"And another thing!"

"Oh, no!" Ash turned and looked around the corner, scared of what he would say.

"This town is the biggest dump I have ever seen! Sure, it's clean, but the same can't be said about the idiots who live here! I can't stand it here anymore! I'm leaving!"

Amber gasped, and Ash let tears fall as he looked at her.

"When is he going to come back?"

"H…He's not… going to…"

Tears spilled rapidly out of his eyes now. They heard the thunderous footsteps coming towards the stairs, and Amber quickly jumped into the shadows, pulling her little brother with her. The furious man stormed by, and the young woman chased him to their room.

"Richard, please!"

"Mom's crying?" Amber whispered. Ash hugged her in fright.

"Amber? I'm scared!"

"Don't worry, Ashy… It'll be okay…"

After some shouting, the thirty-year-old man stormed by again, this time with a pack on his back, and the twenty-nine-year-old woman ran after him. Ash, finally finding his legs, ran after them.

"Ash!"

He ran downstairs and outside after his father. "Daddy, don't go!"

He turned and glared at the three-year-old, frightening him.

"Ash, get inside."

"No!"

"Ash, it's raining! Get inside!"

"N-No!"

"Ash-"

"I'm not going inside until you come in with me!"

"Ashton Richard Ketchum, get inside right now!"

"No!"

"I'm not going either!" Amber was suddenly next to him, her blonde hair already soaked, and her green eyes showing determination.

"Amber, I already have to deal with this brat! You get inside before I have to deal with you, too!"

"No! Dad, we need you! How do you expect Ash to grow up normally if-!"

"Who cares about him?"

She gasped, and tears invisibly started running down Ash's cheeks even faster.

"Amber, get inside," He growled, pointing to the house.

"No! Not until you and Mom work this out!"

"Amber Susan Ketchum, you go inside before I make you!"

"You can't! And I won't!"

The tone that Richard was using scared Ash so much, he had to hide behind Amber. She never seemed so angry.

"…Fine then." With that, the man turned and walked away.

"No… No! Daddy, no!"

"Ash, stay back!"

"No! Daddy!"

"Ash, calm down!"

She had to hold him back from running to his father. After a couple of minutes of fighting, she picked him up, and he dissolved into sobs.

"D-Daddy, no…"