Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, nor Peter Pan
About: Ash and Misty are 13, around the same age Peter and Wendy are believed to be in the original story.
Chapter 1: Through the Window
The moment Misty Waterflower accepted her parents were never going to return, something inside her broke and drifted aloft towards a place filled with children's discarded secrets and dreams. On days that are especially windy, these fragments sometimes stray off course and are left adrift as floating particles, the motes that dance in sun beams and disappear when you try to catch them in your palms. Sometimes, these capricious fragments return to the source, settling back into the nooks and crannies of the child's spirit. Rare are the times when these little pieces are fated to catch on the feathers of a creature not of this world, a magical entity that exists in the hearts of all children, whether they are aware of it or not. It traverses this world in search of those pure of heart, seeking to bring those who are worthy the happiness they deserve.
On the downy, white wing of this creature is where Misty's fragment settled, dusky with woe, but behind the hurt, the creature could see that the person of which it belonged to had a heart that was pure and in need of healing. The creature, Togetic, gauged that this fragment had been floating in the air for some years now, lost in the winds until caught by his wing.
Togetic steered towards where he would find this human, and on this occasion he was not alone. Another child accompanied him, though this one was unlike any other, a boy who was thirteen and yet was not. By the boy's side, his yellow companion, whose cheeks crackled with excited electricity as Togetic consented to bring the pair along.
You best behave, warned Togetic, concerned with the boy's propensity for mischief.
"Ah, don't worry," the boy responded, his scratchy, high voice flippant. "I'll be on my best, promise. Same goes for you, huh Pikachu?"
"Pi!" the yellow creature, Pikachu, agreed enthusiastically.
The boy and his Pikachu oft went out on their own adventures, sailing passed windows to purposely startle any children who might catch a glimpse of them, as only children could see him, particularly the ones who still believed in magic. Children of this age were more cynical and less superstitious than decades passed, and it became rarer for them to find children who could see them. Even if children could not see him, Togetic could see them, gleefully drinking in their joyful expressions as he showered them with happiness.
/.../
Reading was better than dreaming, Misty believed, because you can choose what to read, and written tales are usually more pleasant than the nonsense that our minds concoct during slumber. For this reason, Misty was abed but not asleep, her aqua-green eyes scanning the pages of a book during an hour in which the other neighborhood children would be drooling into their pillows.
Under the fluorescence of a clamp-on book light, the heroine of the tale, a girl named Hali, was transforming into a mermaid. Her legs were fusing and growing scales, shimmery and chromatic. Hali's wish was unfolding, and Misty could not help but feel, along with joy, a bit of envy towards her.
If Misty could grow a mermaid's tale and swim away into the depths of the ocean, away from her selfish, rude sisters, away from a dull adventure-less life, she would do it in a heartbeat. Why she stayed was purely practical. There were limitations of being a child. Her income relied on the inheritance her neglectful parents left her and her sisters, of which she could only receive through her adult overseers, one of which was her eldest sister, Diasy, who would never let her handle her own money, and without money in this world, you'd likely not survive. Misty hated this harsh reality.
She supposed she could give her parents credit for not abandoning them financially. Their relationship was linked through a bank account.
The characters in her book were more present than her family, and they provided her with the affection that the adults in her life withheld from her.
Misty returned to her book, dispelling memory of her parents to a hole reserved for them.
At the end of Hali's transformation, when her body was half-fish and half-human and her button nose could no longer pull in fresh air into her lungs, she began to weep, but no tears fell. Physically, she couldn't produce them, and so her sobs were only dry, pitiful strains, part sadness and part happiness.
Having become a mermaid, Hali felt at once joy and loss and fear, and only then did she understand what she had traded for the sake of being something she knew in her heart she was not.
The letters on the pages became muddled as Misty's own tears began to well into her eyes, and she wiped them with the back of her hand before tears fell and left telltale crinkles on the paper.
As she rubbed the tears from her eyes, there was the sound of her window opening, a sudden whoosh! followed by a yellow flash, fast and bright like lightening. She was so startled by the flash that she didn't even have time to yell. Multicolored dots swam across her vision, and once again she rubbed at eyes, cursing for the temporary near-blindness and sudden intrusion. She expected to see part of her room destroyed, or on fire, or smoking, but instead of flames there was a yellow, glowing creature- a mouse, or a cat, she couldn't tell- blinking up at her with large black eyes.
"Pikachu," it said in a delighted, squeaky voice. Misty gaped, a scream stuck in her throat.
And then, two other entities entered through her window, drifting in as smoothly as morning clouds. Unlike the first creature that had appeared in her bedroom, one of them emitted a white luminescence; pale as the moon, and its shape was unfamiliar and less animal-like. Its midsection had red and blue triangular markings, and its head was spiked like a crown. Despite its alien appearance, a sense of benevolence surrounded it like fresh mist.
The other intruder was a boy and well, he looked like a regular human, except that his clothes looked to be made of leaves, and he wore a pointy green hat with a feather atop it, and most significant of all, he was flying. Misty gasped.
"You!" She pointed at the boy in green, who shot his dark eyebrows up in surprise. "I've seen you before, years ago. I knew I couldn't be imagining it. But… but you look exactly the same!"
No one, including her parents when they were still present, had believed her when she told them that she'd seen a boy fly passed her window, wearing the same clothes he wore now, looking the same age as he did then. How could that be, when over 6 years had gone by since then? She had been so young that for a while, Misty thought it had been a dream, and perhaps it was.
The boy's quizzical expression shifted to an amused, almost smug look, and he grinned at her, revealing an impressive set of pearly teeth. "I never grow up."
"That impossible," she said, though everything about him and the creatures with him were impossible. Perhaps she was going mad, or this was some sort of incredibly lucid dream. She pinched her cheeks just to make sure, squeezing her eyes shut and concentrating on waking up. When her lids opened, they were still there, staring at her expectantly.
My apologies on behalf of all of us for startling you, spoke the white, mysteries creature, understanding in its large eyes. The words that had come out of his mouth had not been what she heard in her head. From its mouth, they sounded more like chirps, and yet their meaning was as clear as if the creature had actually spoken them. There was something in the way it spoke, the way it looked at her, that eased the unrest that was spilling in her chest. We did not think that you could see us, since most humans cannot. You are a special case, it seems.
Special, she was never called that unless used in a mocking way, and usually by her sisters or school bullies who found her odd for preferring old-fashion methods of entertainment over staring at a screen all day. Special were the characters in books, the chosen ones, the heroes and protagonists of stories far more compelling and significant than her own. And yet, here this magical creature was, calling her special, and with absolute sincerity.
My name is Togetic, the creature continued. And these are my friends-
"Ash Ketchum!" interrupted the boy in green, taking off his hat with a sweeping, Western-style bow. Misty was unsure if the boy, who did not look Western in the least, bowed that way in earnest or in jest, but she returned the gesture with the customary one of her region.
Underneath his hat, was raven-dark hair, unruly and spikey. She had a hunch that this boy, Ash, was as wild as his hair.
"And this is Pikachu," Ash added, gesturing towards the yellow, glowing critter on her carpet. It said hello using its name.
She was going to speak her name, and halted. "It's nice to meet you all, but just what are you? And what are you doing in my bedroom?"
In other circumstances, the questions may have been rude, but three otherworldly beings of some sort had just barged into her bedroom- not matter how amicable they were- during the night without precedence and all things considered, Misty was handling the outlandish situation better than others in her position would have been.
I am Togetic, a fairy, and I came to bring you happiness, if you will accept it, replied Togetic, its tone as calm and friendly as ever.
Misty's shook her head, confused. "But fairies aren't-"
"Don't say it!" Ash yelled, a look of terror on his fair face. "Never finish those words you were about to say. If you do, a fairy-type will grow weaker, until eventually it becomes so weak it can no longer use its powers. It usually only happens to the fairy-type, unfortunately, since they are most humans know about them and yet don't believe in them."
"Types of what?" Not much was making sense to her. It was like another world he was speaking of, and likely he was.
"Types of Pokémon, pocket monsters. They're called that because they are made from the pockets of children's imagination. Anyway, take Pikachu, he's a Pokémon, and so is Togetic, but Pikachu is an electric-type mouse and Togetic is a fairy-type Pokémon. There are many types. And me, well I'm not a Pokémon, but I'm a Pokémon Master. I'm the leader where we're from."
Ash declared this as if it were an entirely normal thing, as if he were bragging about being the Dungeon Master of Dungeons and Dragons.
"And where exactly is that?"
Brown eyes shining, Ash cocked a grin, and Misty felt something flick in her chest.
"Beyond the cosmos."
Wherever that was, Misty felt an unbidden desire to go there, somewhere far away where not even the stars could reach. Misty was picturing it, a place like paradise, inhabited by lovely, benevolent monsters and a boy with a smile that was brighter than the glow of a fairy.
Child, Togetic's voice cut in, Now that you know what we are and why we're here, will you accept the happiness that I offer?
"Are you going to take me with you?" she asked, her voice hopeful. How she wanted to experience an adventure of her own, not just read about others having them. If the
Togetic's white face was at once amused and sympathetic. That is not what I mean. I will shower you with joy so that you may go on in your world with less sadness in your heart.
"Aw, come on, we can take her with us. It's been a while since we've had another human girl in the Islands."
Togetic fixed Ash a disgruntled stare. You promised.
"She's the one who brought it up! You said you wanted to make her happy, and bringing her with is going to do that, right?"
"Please," insisted Misty, "please take me with you. My life is so boring and unhappy. I want to see others like you. I want to see more magic. And, and-"
"Mermaids," Ash finished for her, observing the various motifs of the mythical being around her room, pausing at the framed painting of a mermaid one who mildly resembled her, one that she'd sometimes imagined herself to be. "There are mermaids, not just Pokémon, though there are mermaid Pokémon, too. All kinds of magical creatures live there, and I can show them to you, if you fly away with me!"
Ash-
Togetic was ignored.
"Fly?!" Misty had already been captivated by the prospect of mermaids, and the mention of flying set her delight soaring to the ceiling.
"Yes, fly!" Ash expertly executed a backwards flip in the air, his feet never touching the ground. "You can do it. You just need to think happy thoughts!"
"'Kachu," Pikachu agreed, bouncing up and down excitedly.
"How do I do that?" Dumb question, being that it was self-explanatory, and yet she found herself short of producing moments that were entirely happy, as they each were regretfully tinged at the edges with sadness. Happy thoughts were her and her three elder sisters building sandcastles on the beach while her parents sipped cocktails under parasols, and then remembering that those moments were never again going to be. Happy thoughts were riding her bicycle down the street as her ponytail blew in the wind, and then crashing into the pavement, ruining her expensive bike. A happy thought was a chance to live among magical beings and other wonderful things, impossible things, that was darkened by the likelihood she'll be left behind as she always was.
The three friendly intruders shared looks between them, Ash's full of anticipation, and Togetic's a mixture of acceptance and resignation, albeit not an unhappy one. It smiled kindly at her, and without another word, Togetic flapped its wings, releasing glittery dust onto her. Overwhelming delight showered her, and she was floating.
By Kami, she was flying, sort of. She was waving clumsily, like learning to swim for the first time. She tried to mimic the wings of birds flapping, sending sparkly dust everywhere, and ended up turning on her side, like a boat flipping over.
Husky, throaty laughter crackled through the room. "You look like a floundering chicken."
Misty would normally have been extremely irked by a rude comment, but the joy she was experiencing was too great to falter. Still, she fired back. "Well, I've never done this before, Mr. Pok-a-Mon Master."
"Pokémon Master," said Ash, only slightly annoyed by her taunt, and mostly amused. "And you? You never told me your name."
"Misty," she replied.
"Misty," echoed Ash, her name on his lips as light and fresh as the meaning of her name. "Watch me. I'll teach you how."
And so he demonstrated, and sailed through her room like a paper plane tossed by an invisible hand. Upon all this excitement, Pikachu became riled, and it too started performing leaps and flips with its master, leaving Misty staring in awe.
"Show-off," she rolled her eyes, trying to pull down the delight tugging at her mouth, made no easier when Ash fixed her with another fetching grin. The boy was both cocky and charming, an enigma Misty found herself wanting to solve. What did it mean to stay young forever? Eternal happiness and adventure? She wanted to discover that for herself, to attain it if she could.
"Come, we should leave now, before your parents wake up."
"I don't have parents," Misty answered straightforwardly. There was no lament in her tone, only fact. Togetic's joy dust was in full-effect. "They're gone forever."
An obedient child in everything but going to bed on time, her nanny let this one act of rebellion slide, and rarely bothered to check on if she was asleep. As for her sisters, they were likely submerged in alcohol-induced revelry, and likely to end up staying at some boy's house, if not bring them back to their own rooms. They rarely ever took notice of Misty, anyway, except to berate her for one reason and another.
Her bedroom was too far removed from any of the house's occupants to hear any of the commotion transpiring within her four, thick sound-resistant walls.
""Good, parents are so unnecessary," said Ash, with no trace of sarcasm in his tone.
"What about your parents?" She must have struck a bad nerve, because for the first time Ash's happy countenance was twisted with displeasure, his brows knitting.
"I don't have any."
Misty gave him an empathetic look. "Did they abandon you too?"
Ash shook his head. "No, I mean, my dad did. He went off on his own adventure and never returned. I left mom. She wanted me to become a professor when I grew up, but I never wanted to grow up. And then I saw Pikachu, and I chased him until I was so far gone from home, I could never return."
"How long ago was that?"
"I don't remember. Anyway, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the Islands. Being enclosed in a small space this long makes me uncomfortable."
He flew smoothly backwards, eyes still on her as he hovered by the gaping window. Though he did not emit his own glow like the two Pokémon floating above him like lanterns, and the moon was barely visible that night, his body seemed to absorb what light the sky did have to offer, framing him in silver. His eyes were twin flames as he extended his hand towards her, a smile upon his lips. "Ready?"
Swallowing any doubt she had, Misty glided towards him, grabbing hold of his warm hand, and she let him pull her out to the sky.
I'm surprised I only found two Pokeshipping/Peter Pan crossover fics in my search to find one, and they were written years ago. They weren't really what I envisioned a Peter Pan/Poke crossover would be like, so I decided to write my own. This story will be anywhere between 4-6 chapters long, since I can't seem to commit to any longer than that. Meep. Fairytales and children's stories are usually shorter, anyway. I also found a lack of Ash and Misty as Peter and Wendy fanart, so I commissioned one from nerdinsandals on Tumblr. She did a magnificent job, and you should definitely check out her work. I probably will be using the artwork to use as an avatar for this story.
I would appreciate a review, but that's entirely up to you. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it.