Abandonment Issues
Chapter One
At the age of ten Misty left to go travelling, by the age of thirteen she took over the Cerulean Gym, by the age of fifteen she was running Kanto's top Gym! By the age of sixteen Misty became a member of the highly famous 'Sensational Sisters', by the age of eighteen she became a model alongside her sister for the best selling magazine, by the age of twenty two Misty had traded modelling for writing articles about water Pokémon for the magazine. At the age of twenty five she handed her gym over to the hands of her sisters, quit the 'Sensational Sisters' and the magazine and traded in her lifestyle for one much more quaint as she settled down to become a Pokémon Researcher specialising in Water Pokémon.
Now at thirty three none of this seemed to matter as she cruised along in her car ignoring any of the speed cameras. Misty should have been crying, breaking down somewhere, wondering why it had happened to her. But instead she rode the streets of Cerulean, trying to feel something; anything. The red head felt her tires screech to a stop as she reached an open field, images of what had just happened hours ago plaguing her mind.
Misty's heels slapped against the cold tiles of her kitchen, the only other sounds were the soft music being played from the upstairs bedroom. She just assumed that her boyfriend had something special planned for them. She quietly slipped off her shoes and headed upstairs, her feet enjoying the coolness of the wooden boards underneath them as she did so. Misty reached the white door at the end of the corridor, her hands meeting the ice metal of the doorknob as she turned it.
Inside Misty saw her boyfriend, under the covers. His body entangled with that what Misty could only describe as a 'bottle blonde tramp'. Misty just stood there. The man in her bed began to stir, his eyes falling upon that of his three year long girlfriend. Quickly his face fell as he jumped out of the bed distancing himself from the girl.
Instead of beating the boy senseless or spitting words of hate at him she just shook her head and began to pile random clothing into her suitcase. Two strong hands trapped her wrists stopping her from continuing her to leave. "Mist, look at me." She did as she was told and saw the pain in his eyes. When she felt his grip loosen she trailed her land up to his cheek and into his ear she softly whispered, "I should have known."
With that Misty zipped up her suitcase and left the shell of her former home. Her ex-boyfriend stood there frozen to his spot watching the redhead leave his life, hoping that this would not be the last time.
Now sat there in her parked car she thought back to the girl, Misty had no doubt that she would be gorgeous. Misty's hands wrapped around her upper arms as she pulled her legs up towards her in an attempt to comfort herself. There was no ambiguity to the situation, Misty knew that he had loved her, and she had returned all of that love yet she knew she'd brought this on herself. All she ever did was push him away and this was the result. Staring absentmindedly Misty stayed sat there for over two hours.
Once Misty finally came back to earth she felt her mobile vibrate in her pocket she picked it up to see ten missed calls, twelve unread messages flash upon the screen. And then Misty felt her mobile begin to vibrate once again indicated that she had a incoming call- to her surprise it was not who she expected it to be...
"Misty?"
"Hello Professor, can I help you with something?" Misty's monotone voice went unnoticed by the bubbly Professor.
"Why hello Misty. Actually yes there is something you could help me with. This past week I have started my new project and have, with great difficulty, been studying in more depth each singular Eevee evolution, starting with Vapereon. I was hoping that with an insight of an Water Pokémon Specialist I would be able to gain a greater understanding to the evolution."
"Professor- what is it that you exactly need from me I'm not quite sure I understand..."
"Misty, I was hoping that you would come over to aid me as my assistant whilst working on this project." Honestly Misty was thrilled, it would be a great honour to work with the Professor after all she'd idolised him ever since she was a young girl. "Professor I would love too!"
After exchanging goodbyes Misty set off on her way to meet him at his home, glad not to be dwelling on what had happened that morning.
It didn't take as long as Misty thought it would to reach the Oak mansion, but the never ending driving at top speed ensured that she got there in record time. She waited outside and once she was allowed through the large iron gates she parked up in the extortionately large driveway. Misty wasn't left waiting at the door, instead the minute she knocked a young teen answered the door.
He looked around the age of fifteen, with caramel skin, chocolate eyes and long coffee coloured hair. He wore a stripy blue polo t-shirt and white three quarter pants. Looking through his side swept fringe he looked his guest up and down and allowed a devilish grin to play on his face. "Hey babe, you here for me?" Misty was taken aback by the boy's remark after all he was at least half her age! She stared the boy down in a good old fashioned Misty way, her mouth taped shut so not to say something she may later regret.
All of a sudden the boy was hit on the head by a rolled up newspaper. Misty looked to see the owner of the powerful arms now holding the newspaper- of course it was the infamous Gary Oak. "Go on, scram, Go help Gramps." The young boy gave Gary evils and the next thing she knew both boys had cracked a smile and younger of the two was complying to his orders but not before flashing the woman stood at his door a cocky grin. Gary watched the boy swagger away and turned to his guest still smiling. Well that was until he saw who his guest was, "M-Misty?" Misty nervously rubbed the back of her neck (a trait she'd picked p off of her ex and once the realised this she promptly stopped) and nodded at the fellow researcher in front of her.
"Hey Gary."
"Erm, hey, not to sound rude but what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to help your Grandfather with his research..."
"Ah so you're the 'reinforcements' Gramps sent for?"
Misty shivered, it was cold out and she hadn't exactly stopped to grab a jacket in her urgent need to leave her home. "I guess so."
Gary noticed the woman in front of him shiver, "come in you must be freezing."
Misty stepped inside and was hit by the heat hugging her, warming her body and muttered a "thanks." The atmosphere was awkward, the two adults had not seen each other in seventeen years and even back then they weren't exactly on the best of terms. Misty's eyes darted around the room familiarising herself with her new surroundings. Suddenly the new boy returned, "I see you couldn't get enough of me!" Another hit from Gary. But that didn't stop the boy's plentiful flirting as he winked at the thirty three year old. "Why aren't you helping Gramps?" The boy just shrugged and replied "said he's good so I thought I'd go play on my Xbox, not if you wanna do something, babe." The last part was directed at Misty who just shuddered at the youngster's perverted thoughts, 'he's too much like Gary!' Gary hit him with the newspaper for a third time. "Dad! If you keep hitting me with that thing I'm seriously going to call the child line I'm sure they'd be very interested to know that you've been abusing me!" Misty let her eyes graze over the two boys, "Dad?" Now that she looked, I mean really looked, she saw the similarities.
"Puh-lease, I didn't even hit you that hard! I thought you were a man Jacob." Gary looked at his soon; the same cocky grin Misty had seen previously on the teenagers face plastered his face. Gary knew exactly what he was doing.
"I am a man!" The teenager buffed out his chest for added effect. "You sure? I could've sworn men were taller than that..." Gary stood next to his son, the height difference noticeable. "Dad!" The teenager whined, he pushed his father away put Gary managed to get him in a headlock and give him a noogie. "Dad! Dad, get off! Jesus Dad, stop it!" At that very moment Professor Oak entered the room and hit Gary on the head with a newspaper he picked up (coincidentally the one that Gary had put down not too long ago.) Gary let go and looked at the flustered face of the thirteen year old who stuck his tongue out, earning a triumphant grin from his father.
"Misty! I deeply apologise for the behaviour of these two-" he then whacked both, in turn, on the head with the newspaper- "I hope it wasn't too unbearable." Misty shook her head, "it was actually quite entertaining!" She giggled as both boys looked away. She then turned to Gary and asked, "I didn't know you had a son..." Gary turned and rested his arm loosely on the teens shoulders, a lopsided smile on his face, the pride practically radiating from him. "Misty this is Jacob." The boy stared at his as though he'd just put him on fire, "Jake, my name is Jake!" Gary rolled his eyes. "I'm Jake nice to meet you, Misty." Misty shook the boys outstretched and hand and smiled at the relationship shared between the two.
Everyone began to chat, no one noticing Gary leaving silently except for his son who was sent a reassuring smile. That was the last time she saw Gary Oak for the entire first week of her stay at the Oak Mansion.
