Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Author's Note: Well, as promised in the latest update of "Journey of Legends", here's the beginning of a new Pokéshipping story. Chapters should be around this length, and it'll only be around 5 tops, so this story shouldn't drag on. Just something to write to keep me in the Pokémon state-of-mind while I work out the plot of "Journey of Legends".
This was inspired by a picture I saw on DeviantArt. Also, the events of the Togepi Paradise episodes never happened. Please read, enjoy, and review.
-l-l-l-
The repetitive knocking at the front door lured the 15-year-old, red-haired girl out of the pool. She grabbed a towel she had placed at the edge and quickly dried off any loose water droplets cascading down her body. It was a little early in the morning for any challengers to approach the gym, but there was always the odd trainer who wanted to get a head start on the day.
She should know, having traveled with one such person for years.
Towel now slung over her shoulders, she opened the door with a forced smile, mildly irritated at both the incessant knocking and the interruption to her morning routine. "Hello, and welcome to the – oh!"
"Hello, Misty," greeted the tall man before her. "I see you remember me."
"Yes, of course!" She suddenly became very aware of her state of dress and the fact that her hair was dripping wet, giving her the appearance of a drowned rat. All-in-all, it was not the best impression to make upon such an important figure. "Sorry…if you'll give me a moment to change, I can receive you properly –"
Her guest laughed. "Really, that's completely unnecessary. I actually find it quite admirable that you're so dedicated to your duties. It's one of the reasons I've come to see you. Is there a place where we can speak in private?"
"Um, yes," she answered, moving aside to let the man in. She shut the door behind him and lead her guest past the swimming pool. "Follow me. My sisters are still gone on their tour, but the kitchen should be the most comfortable place." They walked to their destination in silence; when they reached the kitchen, Misty opened the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of orange juice. "Would you like something to drink?" she offered.
"No, thank you though. I'm hoping this meeting will be relatively short…I have other duties to attend to."
Misty nodded, "Of course." Being a Gym Leader was hard enough; she couldn't even imagine what sort of responsibilities her guest had to deal with on a regular basis. Taking a seat in a chair, she cupped her hands around the glass and looked up. "So, what can I do for you?"
The man took a breath and settled his back against the kitchen's wall. "You're aware that part of my job involves traveling the world and stopping people or organizations which mistreat Pokémon, yes?" At Misty's nod, he continued, "Well, it's come to the attention of myself and my colleagues that there's a movement in Hoenn focused on doing just that."
Hoenn? Ash… Misty hadn't heard much from her friend since being forced to return to the Cerulean City Gym, but she knew that he was venturing around Hoenn in an effort to compete in the Ever Grande Conference. Last she knew, he was preparing for a rematch for his second badge. "What does that have to do with me?"
"There are two organizations in Hoenn who are…at odds, would be the polite way to put it. Their methods are a bit unclear, but their goals are to change the world for the betterment of humanity, according to them. We don't believe that their plans have good intentions for the locals, but it's difficult to make a move against the bosses when we don't have any definitive evidence of their activities, nor a solid lead on where they're hiding.
"That's where you come in. We'd like you to infiltrate one of the organizations and serve as a spy to feed us intelligence."
Misty started in shock. "M-me? I don't understand…"
Her visitor sighed. "I'll be honest. My associates don't believe it…prudent…to entrust this task to a teenage girl."
"Then why –"
He raised a hand to forestall her. "Please, let me finish. One of these organizations calls itself Team Aqua. Reports of their activities show that they're a water-based crime syndicate.
"You," he continued, holding out a hand palm-up and beginning to tick points off on his fingers, "are a very talented Water Pokémon trainer. Part of my job is to keep track of the standings of the Gym Leaders," he added when Misty opened her mouth to ask how he knew that. "In addition, a new recruit who is young is far less likely to attract suspicion than one who is older, especially since you're a Water-type specialist. Being from Kanto, you'll also be far less recognizable than other water experts such as Juan or Wallace, even considering your status as a Gym Leader.
"Misty, this isn't something I would ask of you if I didn't think you were capable of doing it. But you should understand that if you take this job, you may be asked to do some…morally grey deeds in order to keep your cover as a member of Team Aqua. If that's something that you feel you're not comfortable with, then you should let me know now. I would completely understand."
Silence stretched between the two as Misty considered everything she had been told. She was being asked to help take down a criminal organization within a region of the world that held no true significance to her, other than the knowledge that her best friend was currently traveling there. But her guest was also not a Hoenn native, and yet he was willing to interfere in their affairs in order to help make the world a better place. Was it right to refuse to help just because she wasn't from the region?
Ash would do it. Considering all the life-threatening adventures Ash had been a part of in both Kanto and Johto, she knew that he would have absolutely no issue with running headfirst into a situation that was likely to hurt innocent people or Pokémon, especially if he had the opportunity to prevent it.
Not that Ash had the necessary subtlety to pull off something as sneaky as posing as a double agent in an enemy base (his failed subterfuge as 'Ashley' in the Celadon City Gym was not something easily forgotten), but that was beside the point.
Misty closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before releasing a slow breath. "I'll do it," she said, blue-green eyes meeting the brown ones of her guest.
He pushed himself off the wall. "You're sure about this?"
"Yes."
"And you understand that, in the course of this mission, you may be forced to partake in some unsavory tasks? I want to be very clear that you don't have to do this unless you truly feel like you can manage it. I don't want to risk your well-being unnecessarily."
"…Yes, I understand. I may not like it," she whispered, "but I'll do what I have to in order to help you bring down Team Aqua."
The tall man looked at her for a long moment, trying to analyze if she was truly ready. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. We'll have to depart rather quickly if we want to make good time."
"What about your other duties?"
"This is a priority. I'll take you to Indigo Plateau so you can be properly prepared for what you're going to face."
"Wait!" Misty cried, realization striking her. "What about the gym?"
"Hmm, yes, that is a slight problem. You said your sisters are gone –"
"Not that they were ever very good about taking care of the gym in the first place," she muttered.
"— and I'd rather not leave Kanto short-handed one of its primary gyms. …I'll make some calls," he promised after a pause. "I think I know someone who wouldn't mind taking over for a little bit, once she understands the situation."
"Alright…can you just give me a moment to gather some things, and I'll meet you outside?" Her companion nodded and left, and Misty heard the closing of the gym door as she raced upstairs to her room. In short order, she had the basic necessities packed in a traveling bag and a sleepy Togepi cradled in her arms. She visited the tank where all the Pokémon were kept and immediately withdrew them all into their Pokéballs, placing the capsules in her bag.
When she made it outside, the man was standing with his back to the gym, just looking in the direction of the sun. Misty locked the entrance to her home and approached him. "I'm ready."
"Good. I don't suppose you have any sort of flying Pokémon, do you?"
"Um, well Gyarados is part Flying-type, but I don't think that's what you mean."
Her companion gave her a wry smile. "No, not quite. I'm going to suggest investing in one. In fact, Hoenn has one that should be just perfect for you." He eyed Togepi. "I wouldn't recommend taking certain Pokémon with you."
"No, I…I know. I'm only going to take a couple with me. I just…could you take the rest to Professor Oak for me after we reach Indigo Plateau? I have a friend there who should be willing to take care of Togepi and the others."
This time, the smile that crossed the man's face was a bit more genuine. "That's the least I can do for you, I think. I'll be sure to let your friend and the good Professor know what's going on so they don't worry."
"Thanks."
He nodded as he reached for his belt and withdrew a Pokéball. In a flash of light, a rather large Pokémon stood before them. He climbed on the Pokémon's back and held out a hand to Misty; she took it and settled in behind him. "Hold tight," he warned, and then they were airborne.
Misty didn't look back.
-l-l-l-
Ash raced around the Weather Institute, looking for more members of Team Aqua to neutralize. The less grunts his friends had to deal with, the more likely it was that they could protect Castform, and by extension, any information held on the computers. To Ash, it just felt like any other day, foiling evil-doers and protecting the innocent.
The echoing of indistinguishable voices made its way to the raven-haired trainer's ears, and Ash increased his pace down the hallway, Pikachu bounding forward right next to him. His path ended in a T-intersection not far ahead, and just as he was trying to decide which way to turn when he reached it, one of the voices spoke up. This time, he was close enough to hear what the speaker had to say, but the familiarity of the voice caused him to skid to a halt. He had spent years being berated by that very same tone, often when the speaker was frustrated or exasperated, but there was absolutely no reason for that person to be here, in Hoenn, working in conjunction with Team Aqua.
Shaking his head to assure himself that he was merely hallucinating, he went left at the intersection and froze.
It didn't take much to surprise Ash Ketchum. Even after years of being followed around by Team Rocket, all it took was a costume change and a phony story about winning some contest for him to be fooled. Not that the trio of would-be thieves were very competent at keeping their prize (Pikachu, and sometimes his other Pokémon), but the point remained that Ash was quite susceptible to being caught unaware.
Still, when he was normally surprised, he recovered quickly, often firing off a quick comeback or attempting some sort of escape from whatever pitfall he was in. Being stunned into speechlessness was rather unusual.
Yet that was the situation he found himself in.
His mouth worked wordlessly for a long moment as his brain tried to comprehend what his eyes were telling him. Finally, he managed to gasp, "Misty?" The pair of Team Aqua agents standing before him whirled around at the voice, and Misty's blue-green eyes widened in shock. Only two thoughts came to mind at the confirmation that Misty was indeed in the Weather Institute. The first was the buzzing question of what his best friend, who should have been tending to the Cerulean City Gym far away in Kanto, was doing in Hoenn, working for the enemy.
The second was that, ignoring the entire situation and the jumble of questions Ash wasn't even sure he knew how to ask, Misty looked…cute.
She was dressed in the typical garb of Team Aqua: a black- and white- horizontally-striped short-sleeved shirt that hugged her developing bosom and left her midriff bare, and blue pants with a design of white rings on the side of each leg. Black gloves adorned her hands, and a blue bandana with crossbones designed to look like an 'A' topped her head, allowing the uneven bangs of her ginger hair to peek out.
Misty had never really gone out of her way to look feminine during their travels together, but clothed as she was in an outfit designed for females, and with her trademark ponytail clearly absent, it was hard for Ash to not notice that she was clearly very pretty. The realization was a disturbing one in context, if only because there should have never been any way for the current situation to take place. Ash was sure that he shouldn't like the idea of Misty looking good dressed as a member of a criminal organization.
The multitude of conflicting and confusing emotions was the only thing that prompted Ash to continue speaking. "Misty, I don't understand. What are you doing?"
A strange smirk twisted her features; apparently the shock of seeing him in the Weather Institute had worn off. "Sorry, kid, I think you're confusing me with someone else. Go find that Castform," she directed at her partner. "I'll hold him off." The male Team Aqua member nodded and ran off. Ash was torn between letting him go so he could get answers from his best friend, and chasing him down to continue his mission to protect Castform.
His decision was made for him when Misty threw out a Pokéball and commanded the released Corsola to use Spike Cannon. Only battle instinct had Ash unleashing Corphish with the order to use Harden; the glowing needles of Spike Cannon clattered uselessly against the crustacean's reinforced carapace. "Answer me, Misty!" he shouted, now angry as well as confused. "What are you doing here? Why are you working for Team Aqua?"
"Shut up, kid, you're getting on my nerves." Ash clenched his fists at how cold she sounded, pretending that their friendship didn't even exist. "Corsola, BubbleBeam!"
"Corphish, you use your BubbleBeam, too!"
The attacks collided in the hallway, and Ash used the moment of distraction and ensuing haze to run at Misty in a burst of speed. He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her so close that their noses were practically touching. "What's wrong with you?" he whispered.
Misty's blue-green eyes remained hard for a long moment, staring into Ash's brown ones with startling intensity, and then they softened. "Damn," she murmured, "honestly didn't think this would happen."
Ash's grip on her loosened, allowing Misty to recall Corsola silently. "Misty…" he breathed.
Suddenly, her gaze was serious again, though it lacked the uncaring quality from before. "Knock me out."
"Wh-what? I don't –"
"We don't have time for this!" she hissed. "You have to knock me out so you can save Castform. Do it!" she urged when he visibly hesitated.
Ash exchanged a look with Pikachu, whose ears were down in a combination of sadness and miscomprehension. He returned his attention to Misty, searching her face for some clue as to what was going on. Finding only resolve on her features, he looked down again to find Corphish at his side, blinking in confusion. "Corphish, use Crabhammer," he muttered dispiritedly. Even if he didn't understand the situation, he did trust Misty, no matter how strange her request seemed.
The crustacean blinked again. "Cor?"
"Yeah…"
"Ash," Misty said as Corphish's right claw took on a white glow, "you can't tell anyone about me." The raven-haired trainer hesitated again, but then nodded slowly. "Good. Now, go rescue Castform."
Ash turned away as Corphish jumped up and launched his attack at the back of Misty's head. She grunted when it connected, and Ash winced at the sound of her body slumping to the floor. "C'mon," he muttered to his two Pokémon after a moment, "you guys heard her."
He ran down the hallway with his two Pokémon at his side and came across Castform shortly thereafter. Scooping the diminutive creature into his arms, Ash carried it around until he ran across his friends. Ash only paid half a mind to May's reprimands as the Castform in his arms turned into a Ditto and leaped into Millie's waiting hold.
"Hey, there's the key card! Let's grab it!"
"Not if I can help it," Ash whispered, turning around to face a newly approaching Team Aqua duo. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Lightning lanced into the would-be thieves, knocking them out and allowing Ash to rush his friends out of the Weather Institute.
Unfortunately, the entire effort ended up being a bust when the Weather Institute scientist they had thought was Millie revealed herself to be Brodie, a male member of Team Magma who managed to escape with the data they'd been trying to protect. The failure to protect the data at the Weather Institute, in combination with the whole Misty fiasco, left Ash in a rather downtrodden state of mind.
He wasn't sure what was going on, and the confusion was causing his mood to be rather mercurial as he and his friends continued their journey to Fortree City. Part of the problem stemmed from the loss of the data at the Weather Institute. The knowledge that he and his friends had been bested by a member of Team Magma stung something fierce, especially after Misty had specifically told him to go rescue Castform and protect the computer data. She had even given him the opportunity to do so by allowing herself to be knocked unconscious.
Thinking of his red-haired best friend brought him to the other issue: Misty herself.
There had been no explanation for her behavior, how it had flipped from cool animosity to remembered familiarity; even her temper on the worst of days in Kanto, Johto, or the Orange Islands had never caused a mood swing like that before. And if she was in Hoenn, why hadn't she told him? They could've met up, traveled together just like before…before she had been recalled to the gym. What if something bad had happened to the Cerulean Gym? Had Misty's sisters changed their minds about their trip? Better yet, why had she prohibited him from telling anyone he had run into her? He had agreed to that last-minute addendum more because he didn't want to sully her memory by telling Brock she was working for Team Aqua than due to any sort of understanding of her request.
Misty's actions were a mystery, and Ash was both worried about her and annoyed at her for being so obtuse.
In a far corner of his mind, Ash recognized that he was also slightly irked at himself for finding Misty attractive, especially in the outfit of Team Aqua. It wasn't necessarily his fault, given that he was a 16-year-old male subject to the whims of his recently-discovered hormones, but now that the idea had been planted, it wouldn't leave him alone. Misty was the only girl his age he had been around for a long period of time, who he could appreciate for her personality and Pokémon prowess, and who had no compunctions about putting him in his place when he got overconfident (May was a couple years younger than him and a bit too girly in comparison to the redhead).
He shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the thought and image of Misty. He wasn't even sure where their friendship was at the moment, given what had happened at the Weather Institute; trying to analyze whatever feelings of infatuation may have cropped up because of those events was a bit premature, and perhaps a tad overwhelming for a mind unused to the field of romantic interest.
Still, despite his effort, thoughts of his best friend continued to plague him the rest of the way to Fortree City, and even throughout his gym battle against Winona. Despite managing a win against the Flying-type specialist, Ash remained pensive during the successive trek back to the Pokémon Center. Brock dropped back to draw even with his friend, allowing May and Max to take the lead, and asked lowly, "Is something bothering you?"
"No," he replied, trying to muster some shred of his usual enthusiasm, "I'm fine." Misty's words about not telling anyone about her echoed in his head again, and Ash, if nothing else, was a man of his word. Brock offered him a skeptical raise of his eyebrow, but didn't bring up the subject again.
Suddenly, a high-pitched trill sounded out from above, causing the small party to look up. A Wingull circled overhead, seemingly looking for a place to land; it glided down and perched atop Ash's hat, all eyes following its path. The raven-haired trainer frowned. "Shoo, shoo," he tried amidst May's giggles.
"That doesn't look like it's working," Brock observed.
"Wingull!" cried the bird. A slip of paper fell from its beak, and as Ash bent down to pick it up, the Seagull Pokémon spread its wings and took off.
"Well, that was unusual," Max stated, watching the bird depart. He turned his gaze to Ash. "Hey, Ash, what's that in your hand?"
The raven-haired trainer didn't respond immediately; he had already picked up and unfolded the note. Scrawled across it were several sentences in Misty's familiar handwriting:
Sorry about what happened the other day. You know how I can sometimes fly into a Rage. If you want more information, talk to the friend we went to the Lake with.
-M.
"Ash? Ash!"
"Huh?"
May sighed, exasperated. "What's the note say, Ash?"
"Oh, uh…nothing. Looks like a shopping list or something." He chuckled awkwardly and pocketed the note.
"Right," Max drawled, unconvinced. "Anyway, we should probably continue on to the Pokémon Center."
"Sure," Ash replied, distracted.
He had just received his first clue as to what was going on with Misty, and he was going to figure it out, no matter what it took.