Drifting Away: Prologue
I suppose I should write a disclaimer, not sure why though... How can I own Pokemon? If I did, I wouldn't be posting at all. I'd be buying stuff all day. Anyways... I do not own Pokemon or any characters that appear in it. (The power of cut and paste)
I actually gave some thought on how a story should go and came up with this. Enjoy. Please… No death threats? Oh, be forewarned. I love cliffhangers.
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A red backpack dropped with a thud to the floor of the Cerulean City Gym as Misty surveyed her home. Everything seemed to have been exactly as it was when she last saw it. Well, everything with the exception of a few cracks here and there and some chipping paint, but that was to be expected since it had been five long years since Misty had last stepped in the gym. All in all, it was still home. She was still taking in her surroundings when a slim, blonde woman walked in, drying her hair with a towel. She stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Misty. Hesitantly, she inched her way closer, making sure she was not mistaken.
"Misty!" She screamed, "Like it's you!"
Misty forced a smile and went to hug her sister, "Good to see you too, Daisy."
"Violet, Lily! Get out here! Our baby sister's back!"
Two others, just as pretty as the first, appeared and soon with Daisy, flocked around Misty.
"Like where have you been?" Lily squealed, "It's been like years since we last saw you!"
"Oh, I've been traveling mostly," Misty replied quietly, her gaze falling to the ground.
"Traveling? You mean with that Ketchum kid?" Violet chimed, "Where is he anyway?"
Misty abruptly burst into tears as a shocked Daisy tried to comfort her sister in a hug. The three sensational sisters stole glances with one another, each seeming to have no idea of what had happened to their sister.
"Misty," Daisy started, leading her weeping sister to a chair, "He didn't like hurt you or something, did he?"
"No," Misty replied in between sobs, "Ash... He... He died..."
Daisy, Lily and Violet gasped in unison and hugged their sister, sharing in her pain.
"Like what happened...?" Lily asked innocently.
"Lily!" Daisy, sharply reprimanded, annoyed at how insensitive her sister could be.
"Daisy, it's okay," Misty said, finally able to control herself somewhat though a sniffle did escape her occasionally, "He drowned while he was trying out for the Johto League..." She took a deep breath before beginning her story, bracing herself for the pain recalling the fateful day would bring. "Ash had just won the Steel Badge and was trying to cross Sea Route 40 to get the Shock Badge in Tanba. Ash and I... We went ahead. Brock wanted to stay and help the local Nurse Joy heal a sick Miltank. Ash was worried Brock would forget all about us so we left Pikachu and Togepi to make sure he remembered that he was supposed to meet us in Tanba. So everything was set... We rented a boat and were off, just the two of us. It was a perfect day for sailing... But when we got farther out, we got caught in a whirlpool..."
Misty went on to tell how she and Ash released Staryu and Totodile, how they clung to their pokemon screaming each others names over the crashing water, and how eventually she passed out not before seeing Ash disappear under a dark, massive wave.
"When I woke up, I was in Tanba's hospital. Brock was there with Pikachu and Togepi but Ash wasn't... Officer Jenny said they didn't find him anywhere and may have washed up somewhere else. That's what Brock and I were hoping but... Months passed and there was still no word of Ash. But we didn't give up... Brock and I went to every town looking for him... But he..." Misty found her mouth going dry as she tried to finish her tale, "He was gone."
"Oh Misty," Daisy comforted, drawing her sister into yet another hug, "Did you check with his mom and stuff?"
"Yeah... Brock and I couldn't call Mrs. Ketchum cause we didn't know her mom or Professor Oak's number... We called Professor Oak when we reached New Bark(Is that right?) Town from Professor Elm's lab. Ash's mother... Professor Oak said she died a few months after Ash..." Misty couldn't finish her sentence, it was too painful for her. All she could do was bite her lip in order to fight back fresh tears.
"Misty...?" Daisy questioned, "Like when did this all happen...?"
"About three years ago."
Misty didn't notice the smile on her sister's face as she turned to Violet and whispered something into her ear. Violet in turn did the same to Lily, who upon hearing ran out of the room. Sounds of paper being moved and drawers being rummaged could be distinctly heard but Misty paid no attention.
"My best friend died... And I didn't do anything to help," Misty accused herself.
"Like I wouldn't say that little sis," Daisy beamed when Lily appeared with something behind her back, "Because I don't think Ash's dead."
"What...?" Misty questioned. Lily plopped a dusty envelope into Misty's lap. Misty took the envelope and studied it for a few moments, the words scribbled on it all but faded. "What's this?"
"Like that came in for you like two years ago from that Ketchum kid," Lily blurted.
"WHAT?!"