Disclaimer: Pokémon, that wonderful addiction, isn't mine. Thank you.
*Thank you*.
This is a Morning Glory fic of mine, and not just the fic is mine, but also the Morning Glory idea. If you want to borrow it (unlikely as that is) you have to ask me. Fair enough?
Most of the main characters are in here somewhere, twisted and warped though they are. I try to give cameos to everyone you know well. K?
Azalea Town, Johto
"And... now!" hissed Misty, watching the scene on the dock with narrowed eyes.
Her Mantine, receiving the signal via a radio collar, dove in front of the man and wrenched the gun from his arms. Five wingbeats and it was far up in the sky. It sang back at her - "your cue".
Painting a tough grin onto her face - the one that people saw - the Water Princess of Morning Glory stepped out of her hiding place and towards the criminal. "You've been monitored for five days, man. Give up."
The guy drew another gun slowly, pointing it at the center of her chest. "Staryu, come!" she yelled, pressing the marble-sized Pokéball. The gunman shot.
His bullet hit Misty's chest with the impact of a truck. Not even a bullet- proof vest can save you from this, she thought, going down. Staryu shot a thin jet of water, as focussed as a laser, over her body and into the gun, blowing it apart. The crook went down and stayed down - unlike Misty, who jumped up and handcuffed him.
I'm going to have one hell of a bruise, she thought, striding past the pain. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Morning Glory, of which she was the figurehead. Showing pain would ruin the effect she was aiming for. Team Rocket had no place in Johto and the Water Princess would defend her land in person from them - and maybe that was the true difference between Morning Glory and Team Rocket.
But Pokégods, she hoped it wasn't the only one.
The huge old Volvo Estate was waiting just around the corner. "Dump him in the back, Misty," Officer Jenny Seraphina said, pointing to the open boot of the car. The lecture began.
Mantine and Staryu exchanged meaningful glances as the young police officer harangued her leader. "Misty, you bloody fool! If I'd known that man had one gun, let alone two, I wouldn't have let you in there without two squadrons to back you up. What's going to happen to your 'image' if you're *killed* on one of these missions?"
"I'm the Pokémon Master, Seraphina," said her passenger. The older woman shut up and stared ahead, her lips tight.
"Sajen, I didn't mean it that way," said Misty, after a pause. "I meant I can take care of myself! What I learned to become a Master, I haven't forgotten."
"Does it also occur to you that these missions are a waste of time?"
"No." Misty said, and the conversation was over.
The car pulled into Misty's office block and the Master hopped out. "Misty, have some faith." Said the Officer Jenny, as she drove away.
Misty sighed, pulling out a key and letting herself into her office/apartment complex. No one understood why she did the kinds of things she did.
Just yesterday, she had been treated to an hour of scolding from, *surprise*, her part-time secretary. Somehow, Suzie seemed to feel personally affronted by the fact that Misty allowed anyone at all to have an interview with her. But why shouldn't she? This was a democracy, or at least it would be as long as she was in charge. MORNING GLORY, at least, would respond to people's needs... She had to make people feel heard... She had to embody, *be*, the difference between Kanto and Johto...
"Misty, everyone knows that Morning Glory is way better than Team Rocket and you don't have to hand out cups of... of... coffee to every lunatic who wants to inflate their ego by sitting around in your office!" Suzie had screamed yesterday, and nearly quit.
After Misty had offered to shorten her two visitor days and raise Suzie's salary, the young Pokémon breeder had calmed down.
"Water Princess, it is not the money. And to hell with your visitor days, you see people at *their* convenience whatever I try to do. You are, just, the most exasperating client I have ever had." A deep sigh.
Misty then had bent down and offered an apologetic hand to Suzie's Vulpix, who sat cowering at the side of Suzie's desk. As if by magic, a little bite-sized Vulpix-treat appeared in that hand, and Vulpix took it with a little purr of relief.
Suzie laughed raggedly.
"Have a break tomorrow," Misty had ordered, worried by the exhaustion on her friend's face.
"Yeah, sure, little mermaid," Suzie coughed. "Think I'll make tonight an early one as well."
Today her younger brother, Columbus, was on the post with his little Growlithe. Misty gave him a little wave and he gave her the all-clear sign, meaning she had no new obligations.
Thank the Pokégods.
"Hey, wait, Master Waterflower," Columbus said.
"Yes, Columbus?" Couldn't it wait? She needed something to plaster over that incredible bruise -
"Brock and the others are upstairs, waiting for you."
"Thanks, Columbus," Misty sighed. Now that he mentioned it, she could hear laughter drifting down the stairs and through the bulletproof glass doors, cracked open. Oh, pokégods, no peace today.
-Lavender Town, Kanto
Her graduation day.
May strolled along the stage of the Institute of Co-ordinate Health Instruction, last of all her class. She wasn't just graduating; it was with ^magna cum laude^ that she received her diploma and badge of office - the stylised Chansey egg pendant to wear around her wrist. She had topped her class.
Beside her, Dulcie reached out her arm to touch May's left hand, in which she clutched the chain and egg. May deftly passed it over, receiving in its place her Chansey partner's own pendant - a golden bean, with a little leaf curling up from it.
Their own pendants looked exactly the same as those of every other graduate standing on the stage, and every other graduate who had ever become a Nurse Joy. But May understood her Pokémon partner's wish to examine their pendants; in this situation she felt, almost as strongly as her Chansey, the desire to touch, smell, see, even taste their success. Glancing towards Dulcie, and the back of the stage, she brought Dulcie's bean towards her mouth and mimed biting down on it. Dulcie's eyes brimmed with laughter.
Then they reached their place in the line, and stopped - and the clapping began.
In the crowd, two of May's best friends grinned at each other so brightly that her grandfather was hard pressed not to laugh at their enthusiasm. Each of them was smiling the kind of way that suggested *they'd* done everything it had taken to get May her Nurse Joy diploma. Even worse, knowing those two, that was actually the kind of thought-train running through their minds right now.
The speeches were over. Chuckling, Professor Oak stood back as the group of new Nurse Joys surged down from the stage, allowing the two boys beside him to reach and congratulate Nurse Joy May Oak first. He slipped a little aside to see Dulcie - it was a failing of his, he knew it, putting Pokémon always before people - but anyway, he drew close to Dulcie and grabbed her paw.
Aide-Dulcinea bounced round, startled, then gave a happy chirp as she recognise the person who she knew the best, apart from her healing partner May. She turned away from him for a moment, back to May, tucked her head over on one side and regarded May, surrounded by wellwishers; so many people wanted to talk to her that the boys were being pushed away. With a very human "Chaaan," sort of dry remark, she looked up at her secondary trainer and cooed inquisitively again.
"Nothing much, Dulcie. Just wanted to check on you. You know I never think so much excitement is good for you Chanseys," Oak chatted, bringing out a reader-device that measured emotional broadcast. Even as he spoke, Dulcie's emanations changed from a replica of the crowd's exuberance and oblivious, expansive pride (Chanseys, when not looking after patients, automatically broadcasted a concentrated aura of the emotions surrounding them) to self-aware care and faint humour.
As if she'd understood what he'd said. And of course, she had.
"I'll borrow you tonight, okay Dulcie?" he murmured to her, beginning to lead her back to the throng. He *couldn't* spend too much time with her in public. "You know, I think May's going to want to go out to dinner with a few of the other graduates, and I don't think that's the kind of situation you want to be in."
It was mean of him to separate these two on their graduation night, but the Chansey understood the need. And they could have their own celebration tomorrow. Tonight, he knew, everyone else would want to share in their own part of May's success. Inevitably, it would be their celebration, not hers; May could handle that. He knew her.
A man walked right through Professor Oak and Dulcie, breaking their hand/paw grip and causing Chansey to squeal softly "Seeycha!" in indignation. Professor Oak found a small pamphlet in his hand, pro-Team Rocket of course, for that was how his 'sentinels' worked. But the man, Ritchie, turned back, his face unusually strained. "Sorry, Oak, Chansey," he said. "I'm in a hurry, I didn't mean to jostle you." He vanished in the crowd almost literally. Professor Oak glanced at the pamphlet curiously.
Professor Oak got Dulcinea back to May.
Then he began to feel the onset of terror.
-Pallet Town, Johto (The next day)
May looked at her grandfather, deeply concerned. Between yesterday and today a witty, expert, limited-but-defiant scientist had turned into a tired, pain-shadowed old man.
"They're coming after me," Professor Oak said quietly.
"But, Grandfather, WHY?" The young woman was close to tears.
"May, I have several things to tell you; I don't think all of them will rest easily with you.
"Firstly, have I ever behaved in a way that was dishonourable, or that made you morally uncomfortable? Haven't I always tried to do my best for the people and Pokémon around me?"
His granddaughter swallowed. "Well, no, and yes, Grandfather."
"Do you trust me, May?"
"Yes."
"May, I have set myself against Team Rocket, for the cause of freedom that they continue to stamp out. They have become aware of it, and I need your help - yours, and Gary's, and a friend of Gary's', I believe, who might be of use... this would be dangerous, May."
How young did he think she was? Well, she *had* been close to tears a minute ago.
Of course she'd known he was against Team Rocket. She'd just never thought that he was doing anything dangerous enough to attract their attention.
There was a lot of things about him that she didn't know. As there were a lot of things about *her* that he didn't know. Like the fact that she wasn't a kid, or even a teenager anymore. Pushing that aside, she gave him her answer - thinking it should have been obvious to him - maybe it had been, and he had only wanted her to confirm it.
"I don't really like Team Rocket myself, Grandfather," she said dryly.
Oak straightened a little, some of the lines on his anxious face released. "May - thank you."
He breathed in very deeply. "May, here is a floppy disk. I want you to go to the E Core cyber cafe in Saffron this afternoon and speak to Jacques. He will recommend a time for you to come back; by then, the monitor program will have failed and you will be given a manual timer to keep track of how long you spend on the computer. Choose the fifth one from the back, near the vending machine. Also, request the Porygon assistant, "Dataduck". Read the Notepad document first, then follow its instructions. May, be careful."
May smiled, and kissed her grandfather on the cheek as she took the floppy disk and left. Her wonderful memory, which had served her and her grandfather so well in the years that she had studied, and assisted him in his work, kept replaying, 'Jacques... Dataduck... E Core... fifth from the back... notepad... near the vending machine...'
She headed to her own apartment first and tidied it, putting her most treasured and necessary belongings in a tidy pile by her bed. She just knew that, soon, she would need them.
Now…
THANK YOU LIGHTNING STRIKE!
You were kind enough to give my Return story (left with zero reviews for weeks) its wonderful first review and besides I like your stories.
THANK YOU NI'KHALI/KARRA!
You're a great author, yet you have time to review my little… umm… fanfics. And you reviewed TWO of them. Hey, that's pretty cool, isn't it.
THANK YOU LIGHT SNEASEL!
You said that my sad, pathetic Eevee's Tale story actually has some social merit (yes, if you're reading it to three year old Pokefanatics, but you were kind enough not to say that).
THANK YOU ANIEVE III!
You reviewed. Isn't that fantastic?!?!
THANK YOU CALYPSO!
You're working on a major undying epic that even has appendices, and you're reviewing my Melting story. The two of those together suggest I REALLY need to thank you. Well, thanks!
THANK YOU ZE DRAGON MISTRESS!
You haven't reviewed my stories yet, but I know you will. Besides, I have to thank you for listening to all my story ideas. You are nicely supportive. Heya!!! Ave soror!!!
This is a Morning Glory fic of mine, and not just the fic is mine, but also the Morning Glory idea. If you want to borrow it (unlikely as that is) you have to ask me. Fair enough?
Most of the main characters are in here somewhere, twisted and warped though they are. I try to give cameos to everyone you know well. K?
Azalea Town, Johto
"And... now!" hissed Misty, watching the scene on the dock with narrowed eyes.
Her Mantine, receiving the signal via a radio collar, dove in front of the man and wrenched the gun from his arms. Five wingbeats and it was far up in the sky. It sang back at her - "your cue".
Painting a tough grin onto her face - the one that people saw - the Water Princess of Morning Glory stepped out of her hiding place and towards the criminal. "You've been monitored for five days, man. Give up."
The guy drew another gun slowly, pointing it at the center of her chest. "Staryu, come!" she yelled, pressing the marble-sized Pokéball. The gunman shot.
His bullet hit Misty's chest with the impact of a truck. Not even a bullet- proof vest can save you from this, she thought, going down. Staryu shot a thin jet of water, as focussed as a laser, over her body and into the gun, blowing it apart. The crook went down and stayed down - unlike Misty, who jumped up and handcuffed him.
I'm going to have one hell of a bruise, she thought, striding past the pain. That didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Morning Glory, of which she was the figurehead. Showing pain would ruin the effect she was aiming for. Team Rocket had no place in Johto and the Water Princess would defend her land in person from them - and maybe that was the true difference between Morning Glory and Team Rocket.
But Pokégods, she hoped it wasn't the only one.
The huge old Volvo Estate was waiting just around the corner. "Dump him in the back, Misty," Officer Jenny Seraphina said, pointing to the open boot of the car. The lecture began.
Mantine and Staryu exchanged meaningful glances as the young police officer harangued her leader. "Misty, you bloody fool! If I'd known that man had one gun, let alone two, I wouldn't have let you in there without two squadrons to back you up. What's going to happen to your 'image' if you're *killed* on one of these missions?"
"I'm the Pokémon Master, Seraphina," said her passenger. The older woman shut up and stared ahead, her lips tight.
"Sajen, I didn't mean it that way," said Misty, after a pause. "I meant I can take care of myself! What I learned to become a Master, I haven't forgotten."
"Does it also occur to you that these missions are a waste of time?"
"No." Misty said, and the conversation was over.
The car pulled into Misty's office block and the Master hopped out. "Misty, have some faith." Said the Officer Jenny, as she drove away.
Misty sighed, pulling out a key and letting herself into her office/apartment complex. No one understood why she did the kinds of things she did.
Just yesterday, she had been treated to an hour of scolding from, *surprise*, her part-time secretary. Somehow, Suzie seemed to feel personally affronted by the fact that Misty allowed anyone at all to have an interview with her. But why shouldn't she? This was a democracy, or at least it would be as long as she was in charge. MORNING GLORY, at least, would respond to people's needs... She had to make people feel heard... She had to embody, *be*, the difference between Kanto and Johto...
"Misty, everyone knows that Morning Glory is way better than Team Rocket and you don't have to hand out cups of... of... coffee to every lunatic who wants to inflate their ego by sitting around in your office!" Suzie had screamed yesterday, and nearly quit.
After Misty had offered to shorten her two visitor days and raise Suzie's salary, the young Pokémon breeder had calmed down.
"Water Princess, it is not the money. And to hell with your visitor days, you see people at *their* convenience whatever I try to do. You are, just, the most exasperating client I have ever had." A deep sigh.
Misty then had bent down and offered an apologetic hand to Suzie's Vulpix, who sat cowering at the side of Suzie's desk. As if by magic, a little bite-sized Vulpix-treat appeared in that hand, and Vulpix took it with a little purr of relief.
Suzie laughed raggedly.
"Have a break tomorrow," Misty had ordered, worried by the exhaustion on her friend's face.
"Yeah, sure, little mermaid," Suzie coughed. "Think I'll make tonight an early one as well."
Today her younger brother, Columbus, was on the post with his little Growlithe. Misty gave him a little wave and he gave her the all-clear sign, meaning she had no new obligations.
Thank the Pokégods.
"Hey, wait, Master Waterflower," Columbus said.
"Yes, Columbus?" Couldn't it wait? She needed something to plaster over that incredible bruise -
"Brock and the others are upstairs, waiting for you."
"Thanks, Columbus," Misty sighed. Now that he mentioned it, she could hear laughter drifting down the stairs and through the bulletproof glass doors, cracked open. Oh, pokégods, no peace today.
-Lavender Town, Kanto
Her graduation day.
May strolled along the stage of the Institute of Co-ordinate Health Instruction, last of all her class. She wasn't just graduating; it was with ^magna cum laude^ that she received her diploma and badge of office - the stylised Chansey egg pendant to wear around her wrist. She had topped her class.
Beside her, Dulcie reached out her arm to touch May's left hand, in which she clutched the chain and egg. May deftly passed it over, receiving in its place her Chansey partner's own pendant - a golden bean, with a little leaf curling up from it.
Their own pendants looked exactly the same as those of every other graduate standing on the stage, and every other graduate who had ever become a Nurse Joy. But May understood her Pokémon partner's wish to examine their pendants; in this situation she felt, almost as strongly as her Chansey, the desire to touch, smell, see, even taste their success. Glancing towards Dulcie, and the back of the stage, she brought Dulcie's bean towards her mouth and mimed biting down on it. Dulcie's eyes brimmed with laughter.
Then they reached their place in the line, and stopped - and the clapping began.
In the crowd, two of May's best friends grinned at each other so brightly that her grandfather was hard pressed not to laugh at their enthusiasm. Each of them was smiling the kind of way that suggested *they'd* done everything it had taken to get May her Nurse Joy diploma. Even worse, knowing those two, that was actually the kind of thought-train running through their minds right now.
The speeches were over. Chuckling, Professor Oak stood back as the group of new Nurse Joys surged down from the stage, allowing the two boys beside him to reach and congratulate Nurse Joy May Oak first. He slipped a little aside to see Dulcie - it was a failing of his, he knew it, putting Pokémon always before people - but anyway, he drew close to Dulcie and grabbed her paw.
Aide-Dulcinea bounced round, startled, then gave a happy chirp as she recognise the person who she knew the best, apart from her healing partner May. She turned away from him for a moment, back to May, tucked her head over on one side and regarded May, surrounded by wellwishers; so many people wanted to talk to her that the boys were being pushed away. With a very human "Chaaan," sort of dry remark, she looked up at her secondary trainer and cooed inquisitively again.
"Nothing much, Dulcie. Just wanted to check on you. You know I never think so much excitement is good for you Chanseys," Oak chatted, bringing out a reader-device that measured emotional broadcast. Even as he spoke, Dulcie's emanations changed from a replica of the crowd's exuberance and oblivious, expansive pride (Chanseys, when not looking after patients, automatically broadcasted a concentrated aura of the emotions surrounding them) to self-aware care and faint humour.
As if she'd understood what he'd said. And of course, she had.
"I'll borrow you tonight, okay Dulcie?" he murmured to her, beginning to lead her back to the throng. He *couldn't* spend too much time with her in public. "You know, I think May's going to want to go out to dinner with a few of the other graduates, and I don't think that's the kind of situation you want to be in."
It was mean of him to separate these two on their graduation night, but the Chansey understood the need. And they could have their own celebration tomorrow. Tonight, he knew, everyone else would want to share in their own part of May's success. Inevitably, it would be their celebration, not hers; May could handle that. He knew her.
A man walked right through Professor Oak and Dulcie, breaking their hand/paw grip and causing Chansey to squeal softly "Seeycha!" in indignation. Professor Oak found a small pamphlet in his hand, pro-Team Rocket of course, for that was how his 'sentinels' worked. But the man, Ritchie, turned back, his face unusually strained. "Sorry, Oak, Chansey," he said. "I'm in a hurry, I didn't mean to jostle you." He vanished in the crowd almost literally. Professor Oak glanced at the pamphlet curiously.
Professor Oak got Dulcinea back to May.
Then he began to feel the onset of terror.
-Pallet Town, Johto (The next day)
May looked at her grandfather, deeply concerned. Between yesterday and today a witty, expert, limited-but-defiant scientist had turned into a tired, pain-shadowed old man.
"They're coming after me," Professor Oak said quietly.
"But, Grandfather, WHY?" The young woman was close to tears.
"May, I have several things to tell you; I don't think all of them will rest easily with you.
"Firstly, have I ever behaved in a way that was dishonourable, or that made you morally uncomfortable? Haven't I always tried to do my best for the people and Pokémon around me?"
His granddaughter swallowed. "Well, no, and yes, Grandfather."
"Do you trust me, May?"
"Yes."
"May, I have set myself against Team Rocket, for the cause of freedom that they continue to stamp out. They have become aware of it, and I need your help - yours, and Gary's, and a friend of Gary's', I believe, who might be of use... this would be dangerous, May."
How young did he think she was? Well, she *had* been close to tears a minute ago.
Of course she'd known he was against Team Rocket. She'd just never thought that he was doing anything dangerous enough to attract their attention.
There was a lot of things about him that she didn't know. As there were a lot of things about *her* that he didn't know. Like the fact that she wasn't a kid, or even a teenager anymore. Pushing that aside, she gave him her answer - thinking it should have been obvious to him - maybe it had been, and he had only wanted her to confirm it.
"I don't really like Team Rocket myself, Grandfather," she said dryly.
Oak straightened a little, some of the lines on his anxious face released. "May - thank you."
He breathed in very deeply. "May, here is a floppy disk. I want you to go to the E Core cyber cafe in Saffron this afternoon and speak to Jacques. He will recommend a time for you to come back; by then, the monitor program will have failed and you will be given a manual timer to keep track of how long you spend on the computer. Choose the fifth one from the back, near the vending machine. Also, request the Porygon assistant, "Dataduck". Read the Notepad document first, then follow its instructions. May, be careful."
May smiled, and kissed her grandfather on the cheek as she took the floppy disk and left. Her wonderful memory, which had served her and her grandfather so well in the years that she had studied, and assisted him in his work, kept replaying, 'Jacques... Dataduck... E Core... fifth from the back... notepad... near the vending machine...'
She headed to her own apartment first and tidied it, putting her most treasured and necessary belongings in a tidy pile by her bed. She just knew that, soon, she would need them.
Now…
THANK YOU LIGHTNING STRIKE!
You were kind enough to give my Return story (left with zero reviews for weeks) its wonderful first review and besides I like your stories.
THANK YOU NI'KHALI/KARRA!
You're a great author, yet you have time to review my little… umm… fanfics. And you reviewed TWO of them. Hey, that's pretty cool, isn't it.
THANK YOU LIGHT SNEASEL!
You said that my sad, pathetic Eevee's Tale story actually has some social merit (yes, if you're reading it to three year old Pokefanatics, but you were kind enough not to say that).
THANK YOU ANIEVE III!
You reviewed. Isn't that fantastic?!?!
THANK YOU CALYPSO!
You're working on a major undying epic that even has appendices, and you're reviewing my Melting story. The two of those together suggest I REALLY need to thank you. Well, thanks!
THANK YOU ZE DRAGON MISTRESS!
You haven't reviewed my stories yet, but I know you will. Besides, I have to thank you for listening to all my story ideas. You are nicely supportive. Heya!!! Ave soror!!!