A Trifle, A Trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Amazing how an area can grow to become so completely disgusting over time. Forests become traps of wood and other organic materials, with critters and insects mixed about. Mountain paths can transform into escalators of manual labor, splotched with stones and trees and high-flying birds. And the sea is not in the least sickening, with its blue stretch of eternity, spanning in every direction, to every horizon. A glass tabletop with a bobbing vessel atop it, it becomes.

But such is the life of one in pursuit of pokemon, a round the world however long it takes, yet doing it again and again type of voyage. I've seen the highs and lows of it now for well nigh on five years, and still I have yet to hold the title of the greatest. I do seem to enjoy chasing the beasts around though, so I'll probably keep doing so until something better comes between they and I.

My friends remain, well one of them. Brock gave up the life of a young man and settled himself down with a girl he met on some remote mountain. Misty is about all I have left. We've grown up, much to the glee of my sporadic nostalgia, and we no longer fight like siblings. Nay, we've passed from brother and sister to just good friends. About a year back, we tried to be a couple. It seemed like the good thing to do, but it was just too odd. I was used to laughing at her when she was frightened by a bug, not consoling her like I had really thought I should.

Yeah, that lasted a whole three days. We don't talk about it much, an embarrassing week. But here we are, traveling again throughout the lands, in search of something that we have long since forgotten. Seldom do I even catch pokemon anymore.

Pikachu is a trooper. He's been in so many life-or-death battles, I've lost count. Half of his right ear is gone, a large scar snakes down his left cheek, another across his torso. He has grown larger than a Pikachu should, standing now nearly three feet high. It's not surprising, seeing as how he's trained so hard for so long. He's even developed claws.

But aside from him, all I have is an egg. Yes I, Ash Ketchum, am carrying an egg around. Misty laughs at me all the time for it, a constant window of opportunity for the enthusiastic jester. The parents of the egg were nowhere around when I found the thing, nearly a month ago. It was just sitting all by its lonesome, upon a rock, in the middle of an underground cavern.

Misty has a few left as well: Togipi, Seadra, and Golduck (not the one from that idiotic Psyduck, this one is a good pokemon with an actual brain). She too is clueless as to where we're heading. I suppose it's a fair life though, going from town to town, living off of money won from battles. The worst thing though, is everyone we fight with automatically assuming that Misty and I are together, a painful reentry into an old wound. For some reason it just hurts a little more than it should for them to be wrong. I should be used to it though, for since I've been on this repetitious journey, people have assumed it.

We go now, at a most leisurely pace, towards another forest. It brings a cringe to my gut just thinking about it. I used to love trees and all growing things so much, but now I'm tired of them. I want a change of scenery, something like an old ruin of some city, or a rolling stretch of grassland.

"Here we go again," Misty says from beside me, "I hope there's not many bugs in here." She still fears them worse than death itself.

"You'll be okay." I say, feeling the same dread, the same horrific fear that engulfs me each time I see a forest...boredom. It's awful! Pikachu does growl though from my other side, an unusual occurrence, save for when he's entering battle.

"What's wrong with you, Pikachu?" Misty asks, looking towards him. He lets go another snarl, a bit louder this time. The trail tapers somewhat, forcing the three of us closer together, and the trees blot out the light to leave a shaded wood, brown with the death of trees.

I feel a static presence near my leg, and look down to see Pikachu's electric sacks arcing slightly. Now I know for sure something's up, "What's wrong, buddy?" I stop and lean down to his level, and see his fangs bared, and claws outstretched.

"Ash, is he alright?" Misty asks, obvious worry in her voice. I didn't want to say it, for it would increase her fear, but something was out in the trees, and Pikachu didn't like it.

"He just senses something he doesn't like." I said, turning to her, and giving an added smile for effect. It didn't work though.

"What could he sense to make him do that?" She had a point, and I wondered if I really needed to pass it off as nothing. I looked in the direction of Pikachu's threatening, yet couldn't see a thing.

"Not sure, but I hope it's just some pidgey." I had to laugh when all else failed, usually a good tactic.

"A pidgey?!" Misty all but yelled, trying to keep her voice as low as possible, "what kind of pidgey could piss him off so bad?" Apparently she thought I was serious.

"Easy," I said, raising a hand, "I wasn't serious. I really don't know what's up, but sitting here isn't going to figure it out. Let's just keep going. Come on, Pikachu." I begin to walk, Misty reluctantly at my side, and Pikachu slowly behind me. He keeps his gaze fixed to the distant left, and I can only wonder what on.

"Ash?" Misty asked, "Exactly where are we?" there was my answer. In all my haste, I had forgotten into which forest we entered. Perhaps our location would be the clue to put our mystery to rest. I whip out my map. Staring at it for a moment, I find were we are, and where we're going.

"Kaynewood," I say, searching for the book that I had bought on this region. The book had all historical areas explained, and I hoped to find this place in there as well. I did find it, yet the information was not at all what I had expected, "It says that this forest was once a mighty fortification for an ancient army. They were barbarian raiders, and hoarded their spoils somewhere in this wood. Many have tried to find their treasures, and a few have even died in the ancient traps that still operate."

"Wow, an ancient fort, huh?" Misty stared off into the woods, "Maybe Pikachu is sensing their ghosts." It was just too cute. She was completely serious when she said it, and when I laughed she still didn't get it.

"Ghosts? No such thing as ghosts." I was rolling with laughter, despite myself, and despite any sense of self-control that I had. I really couldn't stop.

"Ash, what's wrong? It wasn't that funny," I just howled more. My face didn't give it away, but I was in severe pain, and becoming terrified at the prospect of dieing laughing, "Ash! Get up! You're scaring me!"

"Haa-ha-help! Haa-haa-ahha" I hoped and prayed Misty would do something to get me to stop this madness.

"Pikachu!" I heard her yell, and he diverted his attention from the forest to find me laughing like a madman. I felt his fear as he drew near to me, and then I felt my hair stand up. It was just too funny.

"Chhhaaaaaa!!" I heard the scream, and felt the voltage. It was but a mere spark for him, but it zapped me dry. My laughing ceased as if a spirit exiting my body, and as I sat on the ground, the realization that I was being controlled sank in.

"Ash! Are you alright?" Misty dropped down to me, genuinely worried, and I was glad she was there. I nodded my head slowly, and then raked my tongue across my mouth out of thirst. I had enough experience with my electric rat that I knew not to drink a drop right now.

"We've got to get out of here," I said, and stood up. My clothes were singed around the edges, but it didn't matter. I was free of laughter. I wondered if I would ever want to find humor again. I looked around myself, to find nothing changed. It just appeared to be a normal forest in autumn, nothing odd about it. My head turned to Misty, and I saw her standing at a distance, looking timid and afraid, "what's wrong?"

She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. She turned and met my gaze, and I saw fear in her face, and tears in her eyes, "You were...being controlled. Pikachu is going crazy. This place is an old hangout of barbarian raiders. I'm fine." Okay, mine was a stupid question.

"I'm sorry, Mist. Let's just go, okay?" I went over to her, and placed my arm around her shoulder.

"How?" She asked, as tears began to flow.

"What do you mean?" She pointed a finger down the trail the way we came in. My eyes followed, yet couldn't believe. There was no trail. It ended dead into a wall of trees and vines. I looked frantically about, yet could see no other way. Fear was mounting, yet soon became anger. How dare some damned spirits lock us in here?

"See? We've got to go forward, or not at all." She looked into my eyes, and my rage piled higher. I stepped back a few feet, and found Pikachu with my gaze. He apparently felt my stare, and turned to face me.

"Alright, we'll play hardball. Pikachu! Get us out of here!" I flung my arm in the direction of the blockade. Apparently my fire was contagious, for Pikachu got the hint, and leapt into action.

"Piiii..." He crouched and bent his head down, electricity dancing around him like moths to a light bulb; "Kaaaa..." an orb of energy engulfed him, demonstrating his massive power that he had worked so long to attain. When he raised his head, his eyes were glowing white, and currents were even dancing between his fangs, "CHAAAAAAAA!!!" The mighty blast of lightning rocketed from his body, all but blowing Misty and I backwards from the force. Trees gave way to the power, as it seared past them, and when it reached its target, blinding white filled the world, accompanied by a blast that was sure to be heard on the moon.

This time we were sent sprawling backwards by the force of the explosion. Grass and bush was uprooted, trees bent like rubber, and some snapped. The very air crackled with energy, and as Pikachu's blast tapered and waned, I was already picturing in my head the beautiful road out of this place. But it was not to be. To my sheer horror, as I looked toward the wall of trees, I found it still there.

"Oh no." Misty whispered from beside me, and I felt like crying out of frustration.

"Why!!" I yelled, as I ran toward the wall and threw myself into it. I was bounced back by a force field, and landed face first in the dirt. I lay there. Misty came over to me, but I couldn't face her. I had failed her.

"Pika?!" Pikachu was pissed too, and I knew it. I felt so bad for him as well, for he had given us his all. All our hard hours fighting and training for a cause we had forgotten...wasted. And now when we needed true power, and thought we held it, it wasn't enough.

"Ash...get up, please." Misty. She had been there with me through it all, since the first day of my journey. Now we are thrown into this new challenge as fast as we can blink and she is still there, trying to help me. I'm pathetic for letting her down. I raise my head from the mud.

"I'm sorry, Mist. I've let you down, so many times. Now add another failure." I stand up, looking into her eyes, and finding sorrow and fear. There's one more thing in them too, but I'm too blind to see it.

"Ash, don't do this to yourself. You did the best you could; I've never blamed you for anything bad. Even though we've had some rough times, I've always felt safe with you. Don't lose your fire, the one that everyone loves so much." She smiled, and I actually felt better. I draw her into an embrace, and for a moment, even though the evil spirits of hell be around us, we're just fine.