Interview with Misty of Celadon City.
So, Misty. Thanks for agreeing to this. First thing I'd like to talk to you about is... well, you've probably guessed already. Could you tell me a little about the accident?
'Sorry, I don't feel ready to talk about that right now… can I have a few minutes to get my head straight? Thanks…
First things first, I just gotta get this off my chest: I think Ash is still alive. No, I don't know anything you don't. I haven't seen him in forever. Not since the accident. I don't think anyone has… And I don't think he'll ever come back, either. You have to remember, Ash was so upset after Pikachu died, that you can't even imagine… He didn't say anything when it happened, no, but the look on his face… my word. I don't know how any human being could ever recover from that.
What, in your opinion, is Ash up to now?
He's looking for Pikachu, probably. Dead or alive. He won't stop until he's found him. That's for sure.
And yourself…?
Me? How is that even relevant, please?! Well, okay, if you say so… I've been back in Cerulean, keeping an eye on the Gym. Daisy, Lily, Violet, my sisters, I don't even know if they're gonna come back, we've never been that close anyway… I don't sound that enthusiastic about it, I know, and that's cos I'm not… But it's my responsibility to take over the Gym. It'd be shut down if I left it unattended.
Have you been seeing anyone since… the accident?
Hey, that's none of your business! All I'll say is this: a girl can't wait forever. With Ash, I dunno, I guess I just kind of assumed at some point something would… I dunno. I guess the whole lesson I've taken from this whole thing is: don't assume anything. If you want to do something, if you wanna say something, if you want to be something, then do it. If you wait too long, it can soon become too late…
Look. The only reason I travelled with Ash in the first place was cos he owed me a bike.. well, that's what I said, anyway. Truth is, I forgot about the bike aeons ago. I stuck with Ash because… well, Ash is a good, pure, honest person. They're aren't many people like Ash in this world. When you find one, you stick with them. And hope that they stick with you…
I just hope, wherever Ash is now, this world or the next, that he's happy. That he's reunited with Pikachu. That's the most important thing, really. You can't have one without the other. Yin and yang, salt and pepper, cheese and onion, take your pick of metaphors because those two were all of them. It's both or nothing. Goodness, in the grand scheme of things, the damn bike seems so unimportant…
Okay, I think I'm okay to talk about the… accident. Now… if you like…
Please… go ahead.
It was just a regular day. Pikachu gets kidnapped by Team Rocket. It's no big deal, you know? It seemed to happen every other day. We even used to laugh about that big Meowth balloon. It's stupid, grinning face, it's ludicrous enormity, it seemed like it was all just so one big gimmicky joke… but, by the end of the day, no-one was smiling.
No, I shouldn't think so…
Look, you have to believe me here. This is really important. Team Rocket never meant to hurt Pikachu. They were the bad guys, yeah, but 'good' bad guys, in a way. There was a sort of innocence about them, like they never really actually wanted to do any real damage, like they never thought they'd actually get Pikachu. Sort of like they were just doing it to give them something to do, like they were playing a part, maybe even just to kill time… Never to kill Pikachu. Never that.
I couldn't see properly who did it. Who took that final, fatal shot, the one that caused this whole tragic affair. But James's Ekans and Ash's Pidgeotto were fighting, and one of them knocked Pikachu out of Meowth's hands. I couldn't see which one it was. Obviously Ash had his own idea of what happened, and dealt with it in his own way…
Yes, what he did to James was-
I don't condone what he did to James. No, it was sickening, but Ash was so upset, he wasn't in control of himself…
Anyway. Pikachu was in a cage. And this time it really was shock resistant. Even for Pikachu, there was no way out. This time, the only sodding time, Team Rocket had done their homework. I bet they really wish they hadn't.
And the fall… it seemed like he was… when I still shut my eyes, I can still see it… hear him screaming…
…
Th-th- thanks… thanks for the tissue. But I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just can't talk about this anymore…'