Misty Falls

I hear a familiar string of noise that I have grown to abhor. Sighing, I stand up

From my nice, comfortable chair, pause my TV, and walk out to see a sight I have

seen at least twenty times in the past week. To makes it worse, it was only

Tuesday...

Three steps out the door, and I already have to dodge an ice beam. Flame and

Misty were at it again. I risk my life by running up to them and begging protest

that I know will fall on deaf ears. After my futile speech, I shake my head, already

regretting what I have to do.

I pull out one standard pokéball and another one that I had allowed my sister to

draw on. It had a blue casing that seemed to be made of swirling waves. The

button in the middle resembled a pearl.

"Sorry guys… Return," I commanded. I could already see the look of fear in

Misty's eyes. Flame looked like he did not care at all. Two red lights flashed and

they were both in my hands. I went back inside, placed Misty's ball on the

counter, and went back outside to release Flame. I knew it was not his fault; she

had provoked him into fighting.

I went back inside and stared at the blue pokéball. My first thoughts were ones

of regret. I knew she views the pokéball as if it was a cage. My mind drifted back

to the cause of this phobia. I wish there was a way I could change it…

It was a sunny warm day on the orange islands. The sand felt warm under my

feat as I ran into the waves. The water was amazing! I swam out farther and

almost forgot all of my troubles… almost.

"Lynith, be careful," my brother, Joe, called out.

"I'll be fine. I can handle the water!"I called back. Joe always worried too much.

I swam far enough down the coast so that I could not hear his rants and started

floating. This is the life. I thought. It was such a nice change from dreary, cold

Kanto. As my mind wandered, it grew increasingly farther away from my body.

Then I heard something that shocked me back into awareness. It sounded like a

loud, mournful wail. Looking around for the source of the cry, I thought I saw a

glittering object. I swam closer. A voice started to come into, my waterlogged

ears. I could not make it out completely, but I did catch the words "parents, net,

return to, and lapras". I hid behind a rock as two men came by. They were

making ten seaking haul to crates full of something I could not see.

After they were gone, I swam in the direction they had originally come from.

Who were they? What did they have? My thoughts raced as I swam faster.

Then I saw it. A young lapras all tangled up in a net; its eyes were full of terror. I tried to get close and help it, but it then started thrashing wildly. I would have to try another way. I tried talking to it. That did not either. My mind raced. Okay Lynith, how do you calm this thing down? Then it hit me. Lapras might calm down if Isang something. It worked when Jai was at the doctor's office getting a shot, sowhy not now. What did I have to lose?

I started singing a song I remember from my early childhood, before my parents

turned into drunks. I got closer as I sang. No reaction. I started untangling the net.

Still no reaction. I got behind the poor girl- I decided she was a female. I pulled my

knife out of the pocket in my swimsuit, silently thanking Joe for making me take it

with me. I started cutting the net.

Almost done and that voice I heard earlier came flowing back to me. I was

almost out of time. Silently praying that I would not be caught, I started working

in overdrive. If I did not get her out of here what would happen to her? Who

knows what that man would do if he got her?

One last cut and we she was free. I was overjoyed. Then I noticed something.

The voice was getting louder. By the sound of it, he was not in sight yet. We had

to get away before he noticed. My eyes darted all around to no avail. There was

no way out. Just when I was giving up hope, the lapras did something that

surprised me; she turned her neck so that her head was facing me. Then I felt

myself being lifted out of the water and placed onto a hard surface. A wind raced

through my soaked hair and I realized that I was on her back and that we were

moving. I grabbed onto one of the thing poking out of her back, getting ready for

the ride of my life.

As we raced across the water, I heard shouts ringing out from behind us. The

man and his friend had realized that we were gone. Lapras somehow started

going even faster. I could see the island rush by faster than I thought possible. I

looked back. The men were completely out of sight and not a hint of a voice was

in the air. Lapras turned into the mouth of a large stream. Surprisingly, she was

just as fast in fresh water as she was in salt water.

After about ten minutes later, I dared to relax. We were safe. Lapras started to

slow down to a gentle cruise as I took in the scenery. It was amazing. We had

made it to a pool that was nourished by the waters magnificent waterfall. I got off

her back and swam towards the shore. I looked back to see her enveloped in the

heavy mist created by the waterfall. I then decided to name her Misty.

I grabbed the remaining item that was in my pocket; a small, waterproof

pokéball that my sister had decorated for me. I swam back out to Misty and

started talking.

"Look I know that I just met you, but I have to ask you something. You do not

seem to have any ware to go without fear that the man might find you. I do not

have a water type to help me out. We could work together as partners, but only if

you want to. I do not want to force you into something you do not want to do. I

guess I am trying to ask this; will you let me have the honor of being your

trainer?" I looked up into her big, blue eyes and waited. Every part of me yearned

for her to agree, while a small voice in my mind questioned if I got the gender

right.

She lowered her head and pressed her nose against the button. A red light

consumed her and darted back into the pokéball. It rocked once, twice, three

times and grew still. A small clicking noise announced the success. I let her back

out and hugged her neck. I finally found my second pokémon! That part of my

mind that seems to love questioning things wondered why it had taken me two

years to accomplish this. I ignored it. I hopped into Misty's back- asking her if she

minded me calling her that- and started back for the beach.

According to Joe, I had been gone for three hours and he was worried sick. I was

confused because he looked perfectly fine. A face palm followed that on his part

and I started showing off Misty. He looked her over, used his breeder knowledge

to confirm that she was female, two months old, and perfectly healthy. I smiled

and hugged her neck again as Alex and Jai came running out to see her.

My mind snapped back to the present. I took the pokéball in my hand and go

back to the deep stream outside my house. I let Misty out and continue to scold

her for fighting with Flame. When I was completely satisfied that she fully

understood that she had done wrong, I started hugging her neck. She may be

feisty, but if there is one thing I know, it is that I would not trade her for the

world. She is my girl and she always will be.