DISCLAIMER: None of these two authors own Pokémon.
A/N: Here we go again! Numero four in the Dilemma series, yeeeehaaa! We've got no idea how long it's gonna be, in fact, we've got a couple of blanks in the plot too. Haha! But that was the same with the others, so here's hoping this is as good as the rest. Remember, this is just a prologue, it is very short and I have cut it back by half cos it's only an intro really. The exciting stuff will happen soon, promise!
"Mom! Oh my God, I have to have this C.D!" Rose Ketchum exclaimed to her mother, Misty, as they briefly passed through the music store in Pallet Mall.
"No" Misty said bluntly. 12-year old Rose's face fell.
"But why? It's got all my favourite -"
"Rose, C.Ds are too expensive for us at the moment. If you want it, you can get a job babysitting or mowing lawns or something and then buy it with your own money" Misty explained, leading her daughter out of the shop. "Now come on, we did not come here to buy music…"
"No, but we can buy clothes!" Rose squealed, running over to the designer store she had just laid eyes on, her long dark hair swaying behind her. Misty sighed. The eldest of her five children, Rose was on the brink of entering the horrendous teenage stage of life, but one would think from first glance she had hit that point already. She was already in the trendiest clothes, wearing the "in" shades of make-up, and getting into the occasional hormonal fight with her parents.
"Rose" Misty said in a more warning tone. "Clothes are -"
"Cool, awesome…40% off" Rose grinned deviously.
"That's nice, but as you well know it is your brothers' and sister's birthday tomorrow and so far you have got them nothing" Misty reminded her. Rose looked up guiltily at her mother.
"Yeah. What do you buy for three seven-year olds?" she asked as they walked towards the department store. She was referring to her triplet siblings, Felicity, Andrew and Scott.
"Well it would be easier to buy them all one thing, but they've all got different personalities. What would you like to buy them?" Misty asked.
"I dunno…" Rose trailed off and shrugged. "I'll find something in the store. Toys or something, those three aren't hard to please. Andy would just be happy with a bucket of lollies, Flick would love a ratty old Barbie and Scott would be quite content with any showing of a vehicle that moves fast." Misty laughed at her daughter's all too true comments.
Ash, Misty's ever-doting and loving husband, was distracting the triplets and their other son, 10-year old Cory, while the girls went to do their shopping. Not that he minded. He loved his kids to death, and not a day had gone past in the last seven years that he hadn't thanked the unknown force that had spared him, his wife, his children and his friends from Gary Oak's sinister plots and attacks.
It had been seven years of peace for the group, which was more than they could say for the last time they were the target of evil. After conquering the evil Team Rocket leader, Giovanni, five years of silence had prevailed until a painful wake up call from Gary in the form of Brock's first wife, Suzie, and his unborn child's murders. Brock was now married to Wilhemina, and was the proud father of 6-year old Lisa Slate. Jessie and James were still grounded in Viridian City with their one and only child, Jack, who was slightly younger than Cory.
Half an hour later, Rose emerged from the toy section triumphant, meeting her mother back in the clothing aisle.
"I thought we weren't here for clothes. Or music. Or anything fun for that matter" Rose rolled her eyes.
"So you'd rather see your younger siblings' crestfallen faces when you tell them you don't have a present for them?" Misty asked. It was a sentence that kept Rose quiet, as Misty knew well that she was close to her brothers and sister.
"Well okay, I got Andy a noisy plastic cellphone thingy with lollies inside, Scott some more of those little matchbox cars and Flick some cheap dolls clothes." Rose couldn't have emphasised 'cheap' enough. Five children had brought the family even more warmth and love than previously, but they had also come at a literal price.
"Great, good choices. Better go pay for them, now remember, this is a loan so I expect a pay back" Misty reminded her.
"I know. Mandy owes me some money anyways" Rose said, referring to her best friend.
The two of them walked to the multiple check outs, picking the shortest one with their limited purchases. A copper-headed woman with a tag announcing her name was Alice dryly greeted them before slightly starting as she took a glimpse of them.
"You okay Miss?" Misty asked as she searched for her wallet.
"I…I'm fine, sorry, I…sorry, I don't know what came over me" the woman replied with a short but unconvincing laugh. As she scanned the items and declared the total amount of money owed, Rose couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. She'd never seen a checkout chick looking so nervous before. Plus this checkout chick looked slightly familiar, subtly pulling at Rose's memory nerves…
"Rose! Come on, I've got to get some stuff for dinner" Misty announced. Rose reluctantly followed her mother, her mind still in a bit of a twist and an unsettling feeling swimming throughout her stomach. Telling herself it was stupid to judge someone who would never cross her path again, Rose forced the thoughts out of her mind by chatting amicably to Misty about the triplets birthdays.
The two of them walked through the front door of their house forty minutes later to be greeted by various toys strewn around the living room and Cory, Andy and Scott sitting contently in front of the television.
"Hey you three" Misty greeted them, ruffling their hair admist protests and giggles. "Where's your sister?"
"Thought she was with you" Cory said.
"No, where's Felicity?" Misty tried again.
"Oh she's out the back with Dad" Scott supplied. "What did ya buy?" he asked, leaping out of his seat and hurtling towards Rose.
"Woah, slow down, you can't see until tomorrow" she grinned, holding the bags above his head and out of his reach.
"Aww, no fair" Scott pouted.
During this, Misty had walked down to the back yard, finding Ash sitting on a chair and Felicity nowhere in view.
"Hey" she greeted her husband simply, sitting beside him and planting a brief kiss on his lips.
"Hey there, I was wondering where you two had got to. But I guess you girls and your shopping…" Ash trailed off and grinned.
"We got what we needed, not what we wanted. Or what Rose wanted anyways" Misty winced, thinking of the expensive items Rose so badly wanted but that were just out of their grasp.
"Hmm, that girl's not gonna survive in the big wide world if she keeps wanting to spend money all the time" Ash noted.
"She's only twelve, she'll get over it. How were the others, where's Felicity?"
"Dead to the world on her bed. Completely zonked out after a game of tag that never seemed to end" Ash groaned. "She had a late night last night though, do her some good to get a few more hours sleep."
"Yeah" Misty agreed.
"Oh, and James called, they are gonna be able to make it tomorrow, they're planning to leave in the morning" Ash announced.
"Good, God knows those two need a weekend away from that city. They always seem so rushed off their feet, going here there and everywhere" Misty sighed, thinking of her two old friends and their son. To her, those three seemed like a unit of endless energy, but Jessie frequently assured her that it was the city life, a life they enjoyed and wouldn't be giving up anytime soon.
"And Brock and Wilhemina and Lisa are coming over too, so there's gonna be quite a few people here. You sure you'll be able to cope with it?" Ash asked worriedly.
"I'll be fine. Just gotta make a cake and we're sorted." Misty smiled at her husband's genuine concern and intiated a soft kiss of reassurance.
Unbeknownst to her parents, Rose was standing by the back door, watching Ash and Misty with an admiring smile on her face. Even she could see that those two were meant for each other, that it would be impossible for anyone or anything to ever come between them. With a daydream-like sigh, Rose wandered upstairs to her room, hoping, as she always did, that one day she would be as lucky as her parents were.
A/N: Okay, that was originally four pages, but I have cut it back because don't wanna give away too much and all. The next chapter will be up as soon as G-O-Double-D gets it done, but as soon as it is, up it goes! Reviews are always nice too…nudge nudge, incredibly subtle hint there! Haha, thanks guys, next one up soon!