Elevated

by Arina Ketchum

An answer a challenge from a Pokemon Fanfic Mailing List: Ash and Misty get stuck in an elevator. Does not necessarily have to be an Ash-And-Misty-Romance-Novel. Originally written mid-to-late 90's.

Author's Notes: An answer a challenge from a Pokemon Fanfic Mailing List: Ash and Misty get stuck in an elevator. Does not necessarily have to be an Ash-And-Misty-Romance-Novel fic. (AAMRN). Originally written circa mid-to-late 90's.

This is actually my favorite one-shot story I've written. I hope you enjoy it, too!

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Elevated

By Arina Ketchum

"Ash! Ash, come on, wake up already! You're gonna be late!"

Misty's yelling slowly reached Ash's brain as he began to wake. He snorted at the shock of being woken up so suddenly, so loudly. "What's the emergency?" he cried, his voice sounding very frog-like at the moment.

"Ash, the Gym here is only open till noon today, because it's Christmas Eve! Remember we asked about that last night when we checked in?"

"What time is it?" Ash asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Eleven-thirty!"

"WWAAHH!" Ash screamed and jumped out of bed. "I forgot! Quick, I need breakfast!"

"There's no time for that, not if you want to get your badge today! We can worry about food later. Hurry up and get dressed!"

"Where's Brock?! Where's Pikachu?!" Ash cried frantically as he raced around the room trying to get his misplaced clothes on his body all at once.

"I don't know. The last I saw of them was at breakfast with Togepi."

"You guys went to breakfast without me?!"

"Well, you looked so peaceful, and you were so tired last night we decided not to disturb you."

Ash pulled on his pants, and then winced as he remembered something. "Nature calls." he grumbled and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Misty rolled her eyes. "Men," she muttered, and went into her room to get her stuff.

Fifteen minutes later, Ash and Misty were racing toward the city Gym, two blocks down and four blocks over from the Pokemon Center, where they had been staying. When they arrived, they found Ash wasn't the only one who wanted a badge for Christmas...so did half the population of the world! Or so it seemed. The line to the front desk alone seemed to stretch for miles. At twelve o'clock, however, chimes overhead the desk rang, and the secretary announced the Gym was now officially closed until the first of January. Moans from hopeful trainers, including Ash's, sounded, and the line dispersed. Head hung low, Ash walked out of the Gym, hands stuffed in his pockets.

Misty caught up to him, said nothing, just let him brood silently for a little while. Finally, she said, "Ash, cheer up. You'll get your badge after Christmas, it's no big deal."

Ash stayed silent.

"Hey, Ash, why not go get some ice cream? You haven't eaten yet, and technically it isn't morning anymore, so ice cream -"

"No thanks."

"Ash, I'm making you pay for my bike right now!"

"That's nice."

"ASH! You're not listening to me!" Misty stopped behind him and stamped her foot angrily.

"Nope."

She caught up to him and faced him, stopping him. "I know you're upset Ash, but it's not the end of the world."

"Oh no? Well, excuse me, Miss Sunshine, but this city's badge happens to be the *ONE* thing I wanted for Christmas."

"You mean you wouldn't even have wanted to be home for Christmas if you'd gotten the badge?" As soon as it came out of her mouth, Misty knew she'd said the wrong thing. Ash would have killed to be home for Christmas, but their journey had taken them much farther from Pallet Town than expected, and so, Ash was stuck in some no-name city, without his mother to celebrate Christmas with.

"Oh no," Misty covered her mouth with her hands. "Ash, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it!"

Ash just gave her a hard look, and Misty felt like her heart was being ripped out by his cold stare. He pushed past her and walked back to the Pokemon Center without another word, Misty running after him, yelling at him to forgive her.

* * * *

"Ash, please, I didn't think about what I was saying!" Misty cried as they entered the Pokecenter again.

"Ash, do you need your Pokemon healed?" Nurse Joy called from the front desk, knowing he had gone out to the Gym.

"No thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash said, trying to sound like he wasn't furious at the moment. He headed toward the elevator and pushed the button to call the car.

"Ash, please!" Misty begged him to say anything to her at this point.

Ash didn't even bother looking at her as the elevator doors opened and he stepped into the carpeted cubicle. Seeing this a chance to talk to him without distraction, Misty jumped in as well. Ignoring her, Ash pushed the button on the keypad for the fourth floor.

"Ash, at least say something!"

"Something."

"A-S-H..." Misty whinged, stamping her foot yet again.

"I have NOTHING to say to you, Miss Hanosea."

Oh, so that's how you're playing the game, Misty thought, two can play, and I always win.

Misty, before Ash could stop her, hit the red emergency button, immediately forcing the elevator to stop and the fire alarm to sound.

"What'ji do that for?" Ash cried angrily.

"Now you listen to me, Ash Ketchum." Misty said over the ringing of the alarm. "You may not be able to be home for Christmas, but at least you have a home to go to! Some of us don't have that kind of luxury!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Me, you idiot! Why do you think I've been traveling with you all this time? It hasn't been about the bike, that's for sure!"

"You mean...Misty..." Ash pointed at her in a state of shock, afraid the next words out of her mouth were going to be "Because I like you, Ash." He gulped.

"That's right. I can't go home, 'cause I don't have a home to go to! My sisters' own that Gym under the agreement of our parents' wills! I was only a baby when they made their wills, and they didn't even think of making me part-owner of it when they died! Now all I ever hear when I do go home is a bunch of sarcasm like "Caught any good Pokemon lately, Misty? Become a Pokemon Master yet? Oh, by the way, the FBI called here the other day, they want to know where you hid all those stolen badges in the last big heist by Team Rocket!" Misty was in tears by then, and she fell to the floor, weeping. "I never got a break from the three of them, so I left, and I can't go back now, because of the constant jabs I get from them, the smart aleck remarks..." Misty wiped her face and sniffled. "Some of us aren't you, Ash," she whispered and looked at the faux wood paneling of the elevator.

Ash didn't say a word, sort of relieved, actually. "If that's all you have to say, then let's head back upstairs." he pushed the emergency button again, to start the elevator. Nothing happened. He pushed it again, and still nothing happened.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Ash said, staring at the panel of buttons, seeing if there was another button he could push to make the elevator move again.

Misty stood up again. "We're stuck here?"

"Not yet." Ash opened the phone box and grabbed the receiver. He scanned the directions on the wall, then started talking into the receiver. "Hello, can anyone hear me? We're stuck in an elevator!"

"Anything?" Misty asked desperately

Ash shook his head. They both looked up as they heard the fire alarm turn off. "They'll have to start it up again now." he said, hopeful, forgetting he was supposed to be angry at Misty.

Tense minutes, passed, and still nothing happened.

And then it happened - Misty started to flip out.

"GET US OUT OF HERE! I WANT OUT NOW!!" she squealed, banging her fists against the metal doors. "GET ME OUT OF HERE! I CAN'T STAND IT IN HERE!"

Ash stared at her in shock. He'd never seen her react in such a manner before.

"PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE IN HERE! THE WALLS ARE CLOSING IN! GET ME OUT!" she screamed.

"Misty, calm down!" Ash laid a hand on her shoulder to console her, but she whirled around and smacked him on the chin with the back of her hand.

"STAY AWAY! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Misty began to throw her entire body against the doors, hoping they would budge. Finally, after five minutes grueling

minutes, she broke down, sobbing, and curled into a fetal position against the

cold steel. "We're gonna die here," she whispered.

Ash cautiously approached her again. "Misty?" Misty was shaking uncontrollably. "Misty, say something, please."

"I want out." she sobbed. "I want to get out of here. The walls..."

"What's with the walls?" Ash looked around him. "Nothing's wrong, Misty. Why are you acting like this?"

Misty didn't answer him, only started to sob again. "I want Togepi," she cried. "I want my mommy."

Ash grabbed the phone again. "Hello? Can anyone hear me? We need help here! We need to get out of this elevator!" No one answered Ash on the other end. He hung it up, feeling defeated. Misty was acting like a scared little kid, and they were stuck in an elevator on Christmas Eve.

Wonderful.

Hours passed, with no sign of Misty changing her behavior. Two hours ago, Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi, along with the rest of the Pokemon Center, had discovered the trapped trainers in the elevator, and workers had arrived only an hour later to start working on the elevator. The elevator had no trap door at the top to get them out, so all Misty and Ash could do was wait for the elevator to start moving again.

"Misty, we'll be alright, they're gonna get us out really soon. I promise." Ash said. His back was leaning against the back of the elevator, his arms resting on his bent knees. "I hope." he thought to himself. He'd covered Misty with a blanket from his backpack earlier, a gesture to which Misty had yet to respond.

"Pika-Pi!" Ash could hear Pikachu call down the elevator shaft.

"We're still ok! Hurry up and get us out of here! I think Misty might be sick!"

"We're working as fast we can," Brock yelled down. "Just be patient."

"Easy for you to say," Ash muttered. He wasn't really upset with Brock, but he was worried about Misty.

"Ash."

Ash looked over at Misty. She'd finally begun to stir from her frightened position. "Yes, Misty?"

"We're going to die here, aren't we? They'll never get us out and we'll never see Togepi or Pikachu again," Misty began to sob.

"Misty, c'mon, Brock and the others are on the floor above us. The workmen are fixing the elevator now." Ash looked up to the ceiling as shouts from the workmen came from above. "See, what'd I tell you? We'll be out of here in no time."

More shouts followed, then the car began to sway. Misty screamed while Ash stood up and yelled to the ceiling, "HEY, what's going on up there?!"

Nobody answered him and the car swayed even more. Misty jumped toward Ash, clinging to him like a baby, and whimpering. Suddenly, the car just stopped swaying and dropped - the occupants could tell the exact moment it changed directions from going horizontal to going vertical. Misty screamed - right in Ash's ear - and the only thing keeping them both from hitting the roof of the cubicle was Ash's arm, hooked over the slim metal armrest bolted to the side of the elevator.

Then, before the cubicle could smash into the floor at the basement level, it stopped again. Ash and Misty let go of the breaths they'd been holding without realizing it. Misty still hung onto Ash for dear life, sobbing hysterically once more.

"Ash, I want to go home! I don't want to be here! I want to see Togepi! I don't like this! Get us out of here!"

"MISTY! ASH! Are you ok?" Brock yelled down to them.

Shakily, Ash yelled back, "Yeah, barely! Hurry up and get us out of here!"

"The cable snapped! Onix managed to grab it before you guys became pancakes!

We're gonna haul you up in a second!" Brock answered.

Moments later, the doors of the car were forced open by the workmen. Ash grabbed his pack and Misty's, and ran out onto the safety of the floor they'd been hauled up to, Misty still clinging to him.

Ash dropped the packs, in lieu of an enthused Pikachu so happy to see its friend.

Togepi toddled over to Misty and looked up at her. "Bri?" it cried.

Misty didn't answer, but closed her eyes and fell to the floor in a dead faint.

* * * *

Ash and Brock talked quietly outside Misty's room, while Nurse Joy treated Misty inside with the door closed.

"And she was hysterical for most of the time we were stuck in there, Brock. You should have seen her. She acted like she was crazy!"

Brock looked away, in thought for a moment. "She certainly has a problem. Ash, you've got to promise you won't be angry at her when you see her."

"I'm not angry at her. She scared me so badly though, the way she carried on."

"Ash, I think Misty has something called 'claustrophobia'. It means she's terrified to be in confined spaces for a very long time. Had it been a normal ride up the elevator, nothing would have happened, and we probably never would have seen her act like this. But when the elevator wouldn't start up again, she had a panic attack, simple as that."

"Will she be okay?" Ash asked, worried, as he looked at the closed wooden door.

Brock shrugged. "Maybe, in time, she'll get over this incident. She can probably get some help for her claustrophobia, but..."

"It takes a lot to admit you've got a problem." Ash finished as Nurse Joy opened the door and came out. "How is she?"

"She's resting right now. She's been through a lot, but she's been asking to see you, Ash."

"Me? Why?" Ash was surprised. Joy shrugged. "Thanks, Joy, for all you've done." Joy smiled and went downstairs.

"You go on in Ash, I'll talk to her tomorrow." Brock patted his shoulder and walked across the hall to the room he and Ash were sharing.

By now it was nearly dinnertime, and because of the crisis, Ash had nearly forgotten it was Christmas Eve (then again, so did the author ^_~). Ash slipped into Misty's room quietly, Misty was sitting on her window seat, looking at the sunset, dressed in a nightgown and cotton robe, her legs crossed at the ankles, stretched out before her on the seat, her feet covered by blue terrycloth slippers.

"It didn't snow for Christmas." she sighed.

"It still could. Six more hours till midnight." Ash quickly piped up.

Misty didn't look over at him. "I suppose you hate me now. You have every right to, after the way I behaved."

"Misty, you couldn't help it. It was just your instinct."

"I've always been like that. Ever since I was little. I mean, being in the pool, or in a lake, or some body of water, there are no barriers to hold me back, I'm free to do whatever I want there in a large space. When I first got locked into a closet when I was six, I flipped out, too. I just couldn't help it. Daisy got me out a minute later when she heard me screaming, but the incident was so terrifying...it was dark in that closet. To a little kid, it's like the end of the world. Unfortunately, even now that I'm older, I still freak like I'm six again, even if the lights were on in the elevator."

"I still don't hate you. You're a good friend, even if you socked me one," here Ash rubbed his sore jaw, "I probably deserved it for my earlier tantrum, and for ruining your bike way back on the road to Viridian."

Misty smiled ruefully and looked down at the beige carpet.

"Hey, Misty?"

Misty looked up at Ash. Ash leaned down, pulling some sprig of mistletoe out of his back pocket, and before Misty could object, he kissed her on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Misty," he said softly and dropped the mistletoe at her side.

Misty was wide-eyed with shock. She touched her cheek, then picked up the mistletoe with the other hand, looking at it, then at the wooden door which was slowly closing behind Ash as he left the room. She wanted to call out to him to come back - but something stopped her. She looked down at the mistletoe which she had dropped in her lap, then out the window.

It had begun to snow.

The End.