Hello everyone who's been reading,
NOTE: THE STORY IS COMPLETELY REVAMPED/REWROTE!
So everything you loved is even better! Or hopefully anything you didn't like is changed.
New readers enjoy! And please review review review! And if you love the story and know anyone who might like it too spread the word! I'll be eternally grateful.
And if anyone, (crosses fingers) likes the story enough to do some fanart, I would officially take a bullet for you :D
I do not own any character from the Pokemon Franchise.
[1]
~~~~~~~~~Returning Home~~~~~~~~~
After traveling for a day our heroes decided to rest up at a nearby pokemon center a few miles out from Vermillion City. Ash, Brock, and Misty were all relaxing on a sofa while their pokemon were being tended to. Misty sighed from behind the novel she was holding, a content sigh, one of alleviation. Yesterday had been a long day of walking and it was nice to be able to finally sit for awhile. Togepi wriggled in her arms playfully; she looked down at the small pokemon and smiled as she gently stroked her thumb over Togepi's head. Even though Togepi and Pikachu hadn't evolved yet they had both gotten so much stronger. It was funny; the same could be said for her and Ash's abilities as trainers. She glanced over at Ash who was mulling through a stack of magazines. She noticed that he tossed away a perfectly exceptional one regarding pokemon evolutionary habits.
'It's almost impossible to believe it's been six years since we all met, it feels like so much longer' she thought to herself.
Ash was now sixteen, and though his voice had deepened and his height had risen, his bold and sometimes childlike determination still lingered. His blissful disregard for, well for a lot of things had also decided to stick around. Misty would be turning eighteen in a few days, and contradictory to Ash, she had been growing up most rapidly for years now. There were some days where, at certain times, she could barely recognize her own image. Her hair, though it continued to be styled in a billowing side ponytail, was considerably longer, and when she freed it, it flowed beautifully to barely reach just underneath her shoulders.
Regardless of the number of many things that had changed, one striking and piercing contradiction remained absolute.
"Hey Ash I'm going to the machine for a snack, you want to come with me?" she asked, subtly drawing out her bait. Ash didn't answer and instead turned the page absent-mindedly.
"Ash?" she tried, casting out again.
"Huh?" he said looking up. Misty repeated herself for a third attempt.
"No I'm fine" he said distracted with the magazine. Another lost catch.
Misty was about to get up when they heard someone approaching and shifted their attention upward to see Nurse Joy appear from behind a door.
"Is there a Misty Waterflower here?" she announced to everyone.
"Um, right here" Misty answered timidly raising her hand.
"There is a call for you on videophone three" Nurse Joy explained and returned to the back.
"I wonder who that could be" Misty wondered aloud.
"I'll be back in a minute" she continued getting up and setting the novel she'd been reading, entitled Evolve Already!, onto the small table in front of her.
The beeping sounded and their pokemon were brought out as Misty disappeared around the corner.
"Who do you think would know we're here?" Ash asked Brock.
"Who knows." was his only reply.
They reattached their pokemon to their belts, and saved Misty's on the counter.
The boys waited for a couple minutes before Ash started getting antsy and began to shift his weight every few seconds. Before long though the small shift mutated into a full pace back and forward across the edge of the counter.
"She's taking forever," Ash complained.
"Well you know how a girl can talk" Brock sighed.
"Let's go wait outside, maybe she'll think we left her." Ash replied chuckling.
They grabbed the pokeballs and following a quick glance backward from Brock they walked outside into the bright sunlight. It was a great summer day, and they were both anxious to enjoy it. The wind blew circles around them, animating life into the nature surrounding them, the sound of millions of leaves rustling in the trees could be heard for miles. Brock and Ash located a place in the shade and sat on the ground to wait.
"So did you see what Misty's sisters were wearing yesterday when we were leaving?" Brock said nudging Ash in the ribs suggestively.
"Uh yeah of course, I mean you'd have to blind not to" he answered chuckling.
A few more minutes passed and they were just contemplating on leaving when Misty ran out the door.
"Hey guys wait up!" she yelled, hurriedly attempting to hoist her bag onto her shoulder.
"So who was on the phone?" Brock asked.
"My sisters." Misty answered.
"What did they want?" Ash pushed.
"They just wanted to thank us for the help we gave them yesterday with the gym, and to tell me that a new gym leader has taken over Lt. Surge's gym."
"Really!" Ash exclaimed, a new blaze of anticipation in the face of challenge burned brightly in his eyes.
'Why can't he ever have that much feeling over me?' she lamented.
"Yeah, and he's giving out rare techniques to winners" she elaborated.
"All right!"
"Should we go?" Brock suggested.
"Of course, rare techniques are so worth the trip!" Ash exclaimed.
"Plus my sisters tell me he's soo dreamy" Misty gushed, 'I wonder if it's true?'
Ash and Brock sweat dropped and felt their shoulders droop with the same manner as always when Misty found herself intoxicated with the thought of pretty men. Trying their best to ignore her they made their way to Vermillion to find out just who this new gym leader was.
They walked the twisting path through the woods talking and laughing; though as the group got hungrier things got quieter. Walking through the woods in silence made the rest of the trip towards Vermillion seem more mysterious. It was odd but the closer to Vermillion that they came a strange feeling became more and more apparent. Though no one admitted to feeling a sense of foreboding, it was clear all three of them felt its affects. A deep tightening feeling was contorting its way into Misty's stomach.
"So you think the new gym leader is going to stay with electric type Pokemon?" Brock mused aloud, trying to break the tension that seemed to encircle the entire trio. The air suddenly felt lighter as if a opening had been cut into it.
"I don't see why not, I mean you can't go handing out thunder badges without using electric pokemon." Ash replied matter-of-factly with his arms tucked behind his head while he walked with his eyes shut. Pikachu shifted uncomfortably on his shoulder now that Ash's arm invaded his space, though he was accustomed to traveling that way.
"What if the gym leader decided to change the entire badge and use different pokemon?" Misty proposed; she loved to get the better of Ash, regardless of how simple that task was to accomplish.
Stunned by the original thought, Ash opened his eyes and peered at her from over his shoulder.
"Uh, yeah I guess he could do that" Ash stumbled over his words, "I just care how tough he is".
"Do you think he's anything like Surge?" Misty asked curiously aloud.
"Well if he replaced Surge he must be stronger, a guy like the lieutenant wouldn't give his gym over to just anyone, even if it's his own idea to leave." Brock replied.
Misty nodded "Wow, you're right. He must be almost impossible to beat" she projected.
"It doesn't matter; I'll still beat him no matter what!" Ash cantered in his usual declaration, though Brock and Misty never gave thought to it anymore. Brock scratched his chin and took out his electronic database that he carried around everywhere. His fingers began to type along the small keyboard; the tones of the keys seemed to echo within the woods.
Misty was busy enveloped up in her own thoughts, 'My sisters are usually right about a guys looks, and Brock is always right about people's skill and strength, I just can't believe that a guy that gorgeous and powerful exists! Though that only leaves one question… I wonder if he likes water pokemon?' she clutched Togepi closer to her and walked slightly faster as she felt her emotions surge with anticipation.
Finally the crunching under their feet ceased as they reached the gate for Vermillion City.
"Oh yeah!" Brock yelled his fist pumped into the sky. He scrambled to the gate, arms outstretched into the metal bars, pushing his head nearly through the spacing. He looked from left to right like a crazed animal and eventually he spotted what he was looking for. He pulled his head back and looked at the other two. Ash and Misty stood confused for a moment when Brock pulled open the gate.
"FOOD!" He said and took off running.
They saw him enter a nearby hamburger joint. Misty's heart leapt with recognition as it was one of the places where her and Ash ate the first time they were in Vermillion. Her mind swirled with the nostalgic memories of the past. Ash and Misty followed their gluten friend and when they walked into the place they found Brock already at a table scarfing down french fries. Food fell from his mouth and Misty buried her face in her hands, embarrassed at the endless amount of people watching Brock shove his face with food.
"Can't you really slow down?" she mumbled to him.
"What?" Brock said with a mouth full of food, chunks of fried potato launching onto the table.
"Oh never mind!" She sighed as Ash kept himself buried in a menu.
"So Ash, maybe later you and I could go see the shore?" Misty suggested.
"Huh? Oh yeah maybe" he said half distracted.
His indifference bore itself into her chest, she grimaced with the force of it, but she wouldn't ever let it show, she couldn't, she was too strong and old for that nonsense.
'I've changed how I treat him, and I really try to give him hints, but all he ever does is worry over pokemon. Even now after he's defeated the Elite Four and Gary, he still just moves onto other regions. Will he ever notice how much I love him?' she thought despairingly, feeling suffocated and gripping the tabletop with frustration until her pale knuckles turned pitch white.
Brock caught a quick glimpse of his fiery haired friend out of the corner of his eye. Her delicate brow was downcast and her lips dragged downward in a tight pout. Though all of that was nothing compared to the cold sadness that her eyes held in them that, most of all, killed him every time he saw it. Thinking quickly, he devised a ploy to pull her out of her dejected disposition. By the time Brock was finished with his Dewgong impression using two fries and straws for whiskers Misty's melancholy had broken into stifled giggling. She didn't know what it was but Brock always seemed to know when she needed a lift.
They had hamburgers and shakes, which at one point came out Brock's nose when Ash told a joke about a Geodude in a circus. For the remainder of the time Misty sat there watching Ash; again not believing how long they all had been friends. Aside from her usual depressing thoughts it really was a fun time; they paid the bill and walked out into the bright Vermillion afternoon.
"So you guys ready to go see the new gym leader?" Ash asked excitedly.
"Sure, why not, let's get a move on" Brock stated and began to walk in the direction of Surge's old gym.