Authors Note:
Just wanted to get some feedback for the first chapter of my very first story. I have other chapters written and will upload them too, I just want some feedback first.
So please! Read, enjoy, and review!
Disclaimer: I sadly do not own Pokemon or any of its characters.
Chapter 1: A Late Walk
It was cold and dark. He walked through the dimly lit streets of Southern Viridian City looking forward to finally laying in his own bed. He knew sleep would avoid him like it usually has the past few years.
It started to rain. The early spring weather was to be expected but he didn't prepare accordingly. The raven-haired man looked up at the sky and sighed angrily, picking up his speed. He was dressed in a black suit with a white undershirt, the bare minimum attire required to attend the event. The tie he wore was now untied and draping loosely around his collar.
"Just great," he whispered to himself wishing he had brought his trench coat with him. He could picture in his mind's eye exactly where it was; on the coat rack next to the front door. The companion that was perched on his shoulder could sense his master's bitter mood and tried to comfort him.
The fancy league dinners were always mandatory for the handsome Pokémon Master. He always hated going to those parties, but he was very happy when he found out that his loyal friend could accompany him.
He always dreamed of how happy he would be when he finally achieved his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. But now that he achieved that childhood dream, he still felt like there was something missing from his life, more like someone.
He often found himself thinking of the night they parted ways, and tonight was no exception. His mind drifted to those memories as he continued through the dreary streets. He couldn't believe it was almost 3 years since that night. He tried to push that haunting memory away but it always found its way back. She had always been with him throughout his journeys. Even when she wasn't there physically, he knew she was there for him. She was the reason he always stayed so determined during the 8 years it took him to become a Pokémon Master.
She was there for the most important battle of his life: The one that gave him the title "Pokémon Master". Defeating the Dragon Master meant he would go down in the books as the Kanto Champion and a Pokémon Master.
He remembered her racing up to him after the battle was over and crowds were cheering. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. His ears tuned out the roar of the stadium and the Indigo League Pokémon Song. His brain tuned out anything that didn't have to do with her. He couldn't remember anything else other than her warm embrace.
She wrapped her petite figure around his strong frame. Unlike when they were children, he was now taller than her and could rest his cheek on top of her head. He focused on her fiery locks as they embraced. He would never admit it but he loved that hair. He inhaled he scent, Chlorine. She always smelled like she had just gone for a swim. He loved how she never wore any of that fancy perfume. That fragrance was now associated with her and always made him feel at peace. Whenever he was near water he couldn't help but think about her.
They separated only far enough so that she could look up at him with those deep, cerulean eyes. They sparkled like diamonds. He felt like he could gaze into them forever. "I'm proud of you, Mr. Pokémon Master." She gave him a small wink that brought an even bigger smile to his face. He felt something strange growing inside his chest as they stood there.
He was only snapped out of this trance by the others that came to congratulate him. He reluctantly stepped out of their embrace and smiled at all his friends and family that also helped him to achieve his goal. Every close friend that he met over his journeys was there to support him. He gratefully accepted their praise with numerous hugs and handshakes.
He walked up to his mother and, despite her small figure, gave him an Ursering sized hug. She backed out of the embrace and clasped her hands over her heart. "Your father would have been so proud," she said as tears threatened to cascade down her face. She told him that she was throwing him a party that night to celebrate his accomplishment.
The party that night went by so quickly that he could barely recall much of what happened. All he could remember was that he desperately wanted to talk with her. He didn't know what about but he knew that he wanted to be near her again, to feel what he felt again. That hot-tempered, redhead was the only person who could make him feel that way but he could never figure out why.
As the clock started to approach midnight, most of the people that attended the party had gone with the exception of his closest friends. As he passed by the hall he could see his mother talking with his grey-haired mentor. As he passed by the kitchen he found the person he considered to be like an older brother. Right now that aspiring breeder was hopelessly hitting on an unlucky girl that still remained at the party. He chuckled at the sight of this. Where was Crogunk when you needed him?
Passing the dining room he finally caught a glimpse of her scarlet hair standing out on the porch. He snuck out the door so not to be noticed by the small amount of guests that still remained. His mother would chastise him for leaving a party that was thrown in his honor.
He looked at his best friend. She really looks beautiful in the moonlight. Just like when we were on the road together. He didn't want to disturb her. She looked so peaceful staring up at the stars. As he watched her a flood of memories came back to him of all the times they spent together over the last 8 years. He may have gained many friends over the years but she was his best. They formed a special bond that he knew in his heart could never be broken, a bond that could get even stronger one day. People thought he was too dense to ever realize such feelings but he was just too afraid to voice them in fear of ruining their relationship.
He slowly leaned up against the rail beside her. Noticing the familiar figure standing next to her she edged closer so that she could lean her head against his shoulder. I love how strong and warm he feels. I could stay like this all night. They stayed like that for quite some time just enjoying each other's company.
"These stars look beautiful tonight," she whispered happily.
"I used to come out here all the time when I was younger. When I wanted to be alone and think," He started to say, "They always helped me feel at peace".
She looked up at him with those azure eyes and he felt the rest of the world melt away. She started to speak but he was too focused on how beautiful she looked under the glow of the moon. Finally he broke out of the trance.
"Have you ever put any thought into what you are going to do now that your dream of becoming Pokémon Master has been fulfilled?" He actually hadn't put any thought into it.
He shrugged which only brought a snicker from the red-head. "What's so funny?"
She took her head off of his shoulder and shrugged herself. "Well you should start thinking. You haven't lived a day of your life not knowing what you wanted to achieve."
That part was true. Ever since he could remember he had the goal of becoming a Pokémon Master. Now that it was his reality, he needed a new plan.
"I guess that I'll just stay here for a while and relax. My Pokémon sure deserve it with how well they performed today." She laughed again.
"Now what's so funny?" He said with a little bit of agitation. It had been a long day, and a long couple of months. He wasn't in the mood for thinking about the future. He just wanted to relax close to home and spend time with his friends, especially her.
"You should really put some more thought into the future," She pointed a finger at him and said so matter-of-factly.
"Why can't I just wing it for a little while? I'm beat from all the training lately and I really need a vacation." She shook her head and laughed again.
"Would you care to elaborate what you find so funny with relaxing?" The events of the day had left him exhausted and with very little patience. He pushed himself off the railing and faced her.
"I was laughing about when you said you would 'wing it'. Don't you remember how many times 'winging it' caused so many problems during our journeys together"?
"Like what?" He said with a more stern voice and crossed his arms.
She leaned off the railing and put her hands on her hips like she usually did when they were about to fight. "Well for one, you always got us lost because you would refuse to read a map and say I'll just 'wing it'. Or when you would go into a battle without thinking and solely hope on 'winging it'. You put the both of us, and plenty of other people, in tons of situations that needed a lot more than 'winging it'."
He was very tired and was not in the mood to put up with her belittling him again. He loomed over her. Standing at 6'2", he was now a good 5 inches taller than her. "Oh, yeah? Well I turned out pretty damn good for someone who just 'winged it' everywhere. I became a Pokémon Master. I even saved the world a couple of times." He said the last statement looking up and waving his hand in the air in a cocky manner. He glared back and her saying, "and if I put you in so many horrible situations then why did you always follow me around? "
She stood her ground and replied with the one thing that always ticked him off the most. Normally he would just let it go but tonight he didn't have an ounce of patience left in him. "Because you trashed my bike and the only way I could make sure you paid me back was if I reminded you every day. Arceus knows you would forget your head if it wasn't attached to your shoulders!" She screamed. She never told him the real reason that she stayed with him. At first she used that as an excuse but soon came to realized she had developed feelings for him, although she would never voice them. It had almost torn her heart in two when Nurse Joy fixed her bike and her sister made her go back to the gym.
"Well you got that damn bike back from Nurse Joy yet you still stuck around! How come?" His tone made her even angrier. Deep down she knew that she loved spending time with him and that he was her best friend but right now she was furious that he would even ask such a question.
"Maybe it's because I knew you needed someone to keep you in line!" she spat back at him.
"Well maybe I don't need someone like you anymore. I am capable of taking care of myself. If you think that I am the cause of all the trouble that happened to you on our journeys then maybe you shouldn't stay anymore. Maybe I don't want you around anymore." He regretted the words the second he said them. Her eyes transformed from furious to hurt. He could see the tears she tried desperately to hold back. Before he could apologize to her, she began to speak again.
"Well if you don't want me around anymore then I guess I will be going." A single tear slid down her face. "For good. Goodbye." She added in a whisper. The tears she had been trying to hold back flowed freely as she said the last word. She turned and ran out to her car. She was too far hurt to even consider facing him again. He was the first person she let inside after so many years and he hurt her, just like everyone else. She thought he didn't care if she stayed or if she left. She drove off and the last image he saw of her was the tears that he caused.
A crack of thunder broke him out of his thoughts. The rain had started coming down harder. The night had gone from bad to worse.
He should have gone after her and he regrets it every sleepless night he has. After years of thinking about this fight that ended their relationship, he now knows just how important she really was to him. Now there was an empty space in his life that only she would have been able to fill.
A feminine scream tore through the sound of pounding rain and thunder. He looked over at his furry, yellow friend and nodded as they raced off towards the sound. They rounded the corner and came to a stop.
The electric rodent that was on his shoulder jumped off so that he could lead the way with his amazing sense of smell. As Pikachu jolted forward, his master did as well. Years of training side by side helped him keep up with the speedy rodent easily. They both stopped in front of an alley. They could the see a dark figure lying in a puddle as they slowly approached.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky and he caught a glimpse of the figure. They could tell that it was indeed a woman by the slight figure. She was wearing a ripped, blue sweatshirt with the hood up so they couldn't see her face.
They slowly approached and another bolt of electricity revealed that she was bleeding badly from many wounds and lying face down in a puddle. They could also see many bruises running up her legs all the way to her shorts. Some looked fresh, others looked old.
When he came up to her he bent down and was relieved when he found a pulse. He tried turning her over and as he did the hood fell slightly so that some hair peeked out from the hood. He gasped at the sight of it. It was a bright orange that the he had become so familiar with.
He reached up to pull the hood back fully. "No, it can't be…" The sky lit up once more and he jumped at the sight that lay before him.
"Pikachu, go get help!" He pulled her closer to him as he said the order. Recognizing who this figure was Pikachu nodded and raced off using his Agility to double his speed.
As he looked back at her, her eyes slowly opened. The sparkle was gone and it was replaced with hurt and pain. "….Ash?" she said but her voice was barely audible over the worsening storm.
He noticed there was a large gash near her temple. A small smile appeared on her lips but then she closed her eyes again and became limp in his arms.
He gently laid her head in his lap and quickly took off his jacket. Panicking, he tried his best to press the fabric up again the wounds that were bleeding the most. She's loosing too much blood! I have to stop it somehow. He began to tear the jacket into pieces, pressing and tying them against the bigger wounds, cursing himself for not being an Ambipom. If I don't stop it then she is going to… No! I can't think like that! I won't let her leave me again! He pressed even harder.
"Please stay with me, Misty. Come back! Please come back! Please!" He begged over and over. Those words are the ones that he wished he said to her the last night he saw her instead of letting her go. He would not let her leave him this time without a fight.