Chapter 1- The Storm
Disclaimer - I do not own anything regarding Pokémon.
Author's note - I just want to give a huge shout out to Anonymous101 for being such a creative and skilled writer that inspired me to pick up my favorite hobby. It's been years since I sat down to write something and with the recent Pokémon craze I finally have a spark in me that is just itching to be written down. So if you haven't checked out Anonymous101's work, I strongly suggest it!
The day is shinning brightly and together, Ash, Misty, and Brock decided to stop for the day and enjoy the sun and set up camp for the night. They have been walking non stop besides to sleep and eat for days and today was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. The spot they chose was nestled in the middle of thick green trees surrounding a small pound with a medium sized water fall, perfect for swimming as well as a nice surrogate shower area.
"Well, now is the perfect time to let our Pokémon out for the day!" Ash shouted as he called out all five of his Pokémon; Meganium, Donphan, Quilava, Espeon, and his newest edition, a Mantyke. They all popped out of their pokeballs happily and began running around enjoying the freedom. Pikachu bounced off of Ash's shoulder calling out to his friends and running off to play for the day.
Misty laughed and threw her Pokémon out along with Ash's, over the years of being a gym trainer helped her water Pokémon collection grow. "Come on out Gyarados, Vaporeon, Tentacruel, Corsula, and Psyduck!" She stood along side Ash on a row of rocks over looking the small pond with most of their Pokémon splashing away, besides Psyduck who still has yet to evolve nor learn to swim.
"That's okay Psyduck," She said pityingly as he clung to her leg, "You can stay right here."
"Okay guys! Come on out!" Brock yelled, throwing out his Pokémon also, "Go Steelix, Gravelor, Crobat, and Chansey!"
Ash smiled as he looked out at the playing Pokémon, it has been years since things were like this, traveling around with backpacks not really knowing if they'll find a place to sleep for the night but enjoying every minute of it anyways. It has been nine years since destiny took them their separate ways and now at only nineteen years old Ash is known as the prodigy teen of Pallet Town. He went through region to region challenging any leader or champion that stood in his way of his dream. He has earned his spot as the Kanto League's Champion and into one of the Elite Four. Currently he is out on a mission, that he volunteered for, to go re visit all of the Kanto gyms and challenge their strength and ability's as gym leaders. Not everyone can be a gym leader and it takes constant skill and resourcefulness to continue on with the title's. This was Ash's dream job, having the title as Pokémon Master yet still going through and challenging old friends and new competitors. The gym leaders didn't necessarily have to beat him but their gym had to be in top shape, their Pokémon had to be in a healthy, fighting state and the gym leader themselves had to prove that they were still challenging.
When he was given this job his first thought was to visit Brock whose father maintained the gym still. Brock was too busy traveling from region to facility making sure Pokémon centers and breeding centers were up to par with the well being of each and every Pokémon. He has made a huge name of himself known to all as the greatest Pokémon doctor/breeder for his age at only twenty-three. Not only is he paid for his visits and advice but he also sells his recipes for Pokémon food which is known as the healthiest diet for all different kinds of Pokémon breeds. He sends the money back home to his family giving them everything they could want and need finally. He was visiting home for one of his sister's birthday when Ash stopped by telling him the great news that his father Flint passed his inspection test and can resume holding the Pewter City Gym Leader. His real motive was to ask Brock to accompany him on his journey through the Kanto region.
"I figure since your job is to travel through the region might as well check up facilities as I check up on the gyms... It'll be just like old times Brock!" Ash had said to Brock, and it was an offer he couldn't refuse. The two had grown to be such best friends going through such trials no child has ever gone through and still coming out on top and in healthy condition. Their travels strengthened their relationship and left an ever lasting bond. This new adventure with Ash would be just like old times... except they were missing one thing, or rather one person. Misty.
Ash still felt bubbles of excitement over her name. The three had kept contact over the years but seeing each other for the first time in years was a real shock for Ash, sure he had grown into a handsome, charming man standing tall at 6'0. He was lean and muscular from all of the physical training he endured with his Pokémon to be the best. His dark hair was pretty much the same, messy and unruly hidden underneath a favorite hat of his. He lost his baby fat cheeks, his face becoming more defined complimenting his chestnut eyes. Yes he was known to many, many women as the sexiest Pokémon Master of all time! He knew this but it still made him act childish and blush at the thought of girls fawning over him.
Nothing prepared him for the sight of his female best friend though. He had called her letting her know of his test and they playfully fought about who was going to win and so on but what caught the red head off guard was when he told her he wanted her to join him on his new journey.
"I have Brock with me Misty, I need my team back, my friends to guide me through like old times, what do you say?" She couldn't say no to him even if she wanted to. The damn boy still gave her goosebumps when she saw him on the cover of a new magazine. He had grown into an exceptional man indeed.
Ash and Brock made it to the Cerulean gym in record time since Ash was so eager to see his best friend but he bumped into the vivacious cerulean sisters instead right when he entered the gym. Brock went from a level headed man to a puddle of hot goo when he caught sight of the three sisters.
"Hahaha, oh Brock you still haven't changed one bit! Like our baby sister is so excited to be leaving with you guys, she's had her bags packed since she got off the phone with you!" Daisy giggled as she pushed Brock away from her.
"Daisy could you not embarrass me this one time?" a familiar voice said from around the corner.
And there she was, his ... beautiful best friend! Misty had grown just a tad, probably around 5'6 but that didn't stop her endless legs. She rounded out in all of the right spots but still had a muscular and fit figure from years of swimming every single day. Her shorts she wore left little to the imagination with muscular thighs and long pale legs. She wore a blue crop top that showed off her midriff and her ... Ash blushed for even looking had made her crop top even shorter. Her red hair was still short but she didn't keep it up in a side pony tail anymore, she kept it in a short A line bob with bangs that framed her cheeks. She was gorgeous! A knockout!
"Hey you guys!" she smiled at them so happy to finally see them in person after so many years. And Ash melted, he still felt hot under the collar when he saw any girl he liked but this was different, this was a genuine, intense feeling swirling in the pit of his stomach. Only her smile could do that to him.
Just like old times they started arguing over the assessment Ash had to give and he battled her. He won but she still passed the test giving him quite the challenge. Misty was no push over when it came to being the Cerulean Gym Leader. When she left Ash and Brock and came back home while her sisters were touring on vacation she felt like a joke, a washed up brat baby sister of the beautiful gym sisters. Whoever stopped by only wanted to see her sisters. So she trained her Pokémon hard and took a page from Ash and trained right along side them to become the best water Pokémon gym trainer anyone has heard of for miles to come. She was always cute but as she grew into a young woman of twenty - one she was arguably more beautiful then her sisters. She trained hard and it paid off. She worked too hard to hand over the gym to her whiney, self - centered sisters so she never left the gym when they came home. Instead she became known as the only gym leader in Cerulean City. When Ash came to take her away her sisters readily agreed to stand in for their baby sister. They wanted nothing more then to have her re join her child hood crush.
"Misty want to battle your Vaporeon with my Espeon?" Ash asked her still standing on the same rock formation around the pond. Brock was already setting up camp and starting lunch. They couldn't have picked a better place if they tried, next to the area Brock was setting up a pot for stew was an abandoned log cabin in perfect sturdy condition. The windows and doors were still in working condition and would be perfect for sleeping in tonight. The cabin only had one bed but they could fight over that later.
"You're on show off! Vaporeon, would you like to battle right now?"
The blue tailed Pokémon happily jumped onto a rock ledge and chirped happily ready for the next training session.
"Come on Espeon lets show this hot head what a real master looks like!"
"You jerk, you may have the Pokémon Master title but you'll always be a bratty ten year old!" With a really nice body, she thought.
Ash growled and grit his teeth, "Espeon, quick attack and then use psychic!"
"Vaporeon dodge and dive into the water, try to not get hit by the psychic beams!"
Brock shook his head and smiled, those two were always ready to yell at each other, some things just never change. He was happiest when he was with the two of them and just watched them for a bit. The two had grown into wonderful people, each surpassing any obstacle in their way and demolishing anything that tried to stop them. Ash's Espeon used a psychic attack that threw Vaporeon straight into the water but that was a mistake when Vaporeon just camouflaged into the water and pounced.
A huge gust of cold air hit him suddenly and he looked up at the sky. It was still clear and sunny but off to the west was dark stormy clouds. He frowned and called Ash and Misty over to him, "Guys can you go gather wood and supplies enough for a few days, I think a huge storm is headed our way. I'll get the cabin set up while you guys take care of that."
Ash and Misty nodded looking up at the sky and noticing the chilly breeze that hit them. Misty could smell the rain in the air and knew rain would be hitting them very soon. She recalled all of her Pokémon and jumped onto a few rocks leading her back onto the grass. Ash followed suit and together with Pikachu close behind they ran into the forest gathering up as much wood and supplies as they could find.
The wind was really picking up and making it hard to see without getting dust in their eyes and noses. Misty looked at Ash as he climbed a tree to gather thicker branches for a fire. She turned her head slightly when she felt a gust of wind and rain splatter her cheek and a dark shadow passed over Ash in the trees. The minute her eyes were on the spot of the shadow it was gone from sight but she knew she saw something so she kept spinning in place to find it... must have been a cloud passing over head. She bent down to pick up some rocks and stuffing them in her bag she had. she kept wiping her eyes as the rain really started coming down soaking her clothes and chilling her to the bone. This rain was ice cold! She didn't remember hearing anything about a storm headed their way...
"Shit!" Ash cried as he fell in a heap with the branches falling along with him striking his head and legs hitting the ground next to him.
She called out to him and ran over helping him up, he had a few cuts on his cheeks but nothing a little Neosporin wouldn't fix. "I'm alright, the rain just made the tree slippery and I went too high. I think we have enough though." Ash said as he rubbed his cheek.
_swoosh!_
Misty swung around confirming her suspicion that something was here. "Ash did you hear that?" She whispered, her knees locking up.
Ash must have not heard her or ignored her as he didn't answer and continued to pick up the branches.
A sudden feeling of dread took her over and her eyes widened in fear. She twirled around looking for the source of her discomfort but the only thing she saw was a huge black shadow heading straight for her. Before she could react she was hit head on by the shadow and the pain that wracked her body was so powerful she fell straight to her knees.
"Mist!" Ash scrambled to her placing a confused hand on her hip, she was huddled on the ground in a fetal position hands over her chest crying out, tears streaming down her face. "Misty look at me, look at me, what's wrong? Misty!" He picked her up by her shoulders and as fast as her crying had started it had stopped. She was staring at him eyes wide and full of fear and confusion. She was shaking but no longer seemed to be hurting. "What... What happened?"
"I... I don't know... I saw something, It was in the trees, I tried to tell you, it ... attacked, no it just went past me.. through me? It was so painful... I never felt pain like that." She was shaking from head to toe. The pain she just felt was unbearable.
Ash stood up and brought her up along with him, "You're okay, you must have been hit with something in the wind." He didn't sound so sure but he gathered up the rest of the fire wood anyways.
Ash walked on ahead of her but Pikachu stayed close to Misty. She frowned and shivered but she followed Ash, they needed to get out of this rain. Whatever hit her must have been brought upon by this storm. Maybe Ash was right and something did hit her from the wind. Her soaking hair kept wiping her in the face, luckily it was short enough to only irritate her neck and cheeks and not her mouth or eyes.
They saw the cabin and ran for it, all of the camping stuff and Brock were inside the tiny cabin. It was already shinning inside. Ash ran up and held the door open for her as she stepped inside to the heat. Instantly she felt better, she tossed Brock her bag full of supplies and pulled off her soaking shoes. Ash set down all of the heavy fire wood and closed the door also pulling his shoes off. The cabin was warm and only the wind was heard outside but non of it was felt seeping in.
"Are you guys okay? You look shaken up..."Brock started as he was dishing up some food into bowls.
They only nodded, not sure what to say about what had just happened.
"Get dried up and we'll have dinner." He said knowing they weren't going to share. Maybe they were just mad about the sudden rain they got swept up in.
After getting changed into warm, dry clothes they all sat down to eat. Pikachu happily sat on Ash's knee and nibbled on his food. Ash was starving and gulped his food down and even got seconds but Misty barely touched her food. She was feeling feverish and on edge. No... something happened out there and she was not making this fever up... something was wrong. But she didn't voice her concerns. Instead she stayed up as long as she could with the boys talking about the old days when they still traveled around and when she started to get dizzy she announced she was going to bed.
"Go ahead and take the bed Misty, Brock and I will just sleep here," He pointed to a spot next to the fire. The cabin really was cozy and comfortable. Brock already had the fire going by the time they got back which was just like him, have everything prepared and ready to go in an emergency.
Misty nodded and told them goodnight as she wearily set up her sleeping bag on top of the bed. She climbed in and fell asleep as soon her head hit the pillow. As she slept Ash, nor Brock noticed her feverish shakes but Pikachu kept looking towards her way and twitching his ears. He could sense something was not right with the red headed girl but since Ash didn't seem to notice he went right on back to his dinner.
Finally once the boys were done with dinner Ash and Brock set their bowls off to the side and set up their sleeping bags also. It wasn't long before Brock fell asleep next to the comfortable fire but Ash still couldn't sleep. What happened to Misty today was unsettling... something wasn't right. He rolled over careful not to roll on top of his mouse Pokémon, he learnt the painful way not to do that, and looked at Misty. She was sleeping on her side away from them, but she seemed to be sleeping alright. He sighed and rolled onto his back, he guessed she was just shaken up about what happened today and that's why she didn't touch her food.
Whatever it was, it was all over and in the morning the storm will have passed and they'll continue on their journey just like before. Not a care in the world.
**********
**Well I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter! Its been years since I did any kind of writing and I'm excited to be back, hopefully I can pick up my old stories too! I believe this is my first Pokémon story though so I'm really excited to see how this goes. **