Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

'…..' thoughts

"……" speech

.
A man lay exhausted on the mat of a training room. His chest heaves up and down as he pants for air.

'That's excellent Gary! You've almost learnt everything. I don't have anything more to teach you really.'

Sabrina walks up to her fallen boyfriend and sits on the mat next to him.

"Thanks," he says out loud.

Sabrina lifts her right hand and it makes its way to the brown, rich hair on Gary's head. She plays with it, twirling and combing, knowing that Gary enjoys it immensely and finds it comforting. Gary soaks it all in till he gets a twitch in his back. His face contorts in a bit of anguish as he sits up.

"Ohhh. My back," he groans.

Sabrina just gives him a sympathetic smile and though she doesn't say it out loud or telepathically, her eyes scream to Gary, saying 'I'm sorry' for the pain.

He notices this and his face softens. He catches her cheek slowly with his right palm and gently strokes her milky skin with his thumb.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. You know that right?"

He tilts his head and looks at her with passionate eyes.

"I love you."

Sabrina blushes at the sudden change in mood but still voices say in the matter.

"I love you too babe."

Gary puts on that cheeky grin that Sabrina's grown oh so accustomed to and loves. Not taking his hand off her cheek he leans in and closes his eyes till his lips locks with hers. The kiss is tender at first growing in passion and before long, primal instinct seems to kick in. Deep kisses were just the start. Soon hands were roaming and groans escaped the pair's mouths.

Gary decided he had enough teasing and his hand went to remove Sabrina's top. But the passion and love between the two would not be sated for now.

(BANG BANG BANG)

The couple pulled away from the embrace and looked at the door.

"Master Gary!" was the yell from the other side of the door.

Gary gave Sabrina a sheepish smile that said 'we'll continue this later'

He then turned his gaze to the door and his mood turned a complete one-eighty.

"Come in," he growled.

As soon as he granted permission to enter the door swung open and revealed a rebel trainer panting heavily.

"Master Gary! You must come quickly! The force that went to the border is back and Master Bruno is injured!!!"

Gary jolted slightly at the news. 'Bruno's injured? Damn. We must have lost pretty badly.'

After a few seconds of it sinking in he quickly got to his feet. "Go and make sure all the injured get treated on the double!"

"Yes sir!!!" the man saluted before sprinting away.

Gary then took a look at Sabrina sitting on the mat and nodded. "I'll talk to you later," and with that he disappeared.

.
Bruno sat with his back against a tree as the area around what used to be Saffron gym became an outdoor hospital.

He applied some ointment to his ribs and rubbed gently.

(Poof)

Bruno looked up only to see that Gary was now standing in front of him with a grim expression on his face. He knelt down next to the fighting master.

"Are you alright?"

The fighting master had a somber expression on his face as he cast his gaze downward.

"I'm fine Gary. It's Brock I'm worried about."

Gary's kneeling form visibly jumped and panic set in his mind. Brock was a close friend after all.

"Why?? What happened to him? Is he injured???" rattled Gary.

Bruno looked up at the young man with an extremely confused face. "Didn't Luke brief you?"

This time it was Gary's turn to be confused. He shook his head slowly showing just how clueless her was.

"No. I teleported here when I heard you were injured……………….Bruno…. What happened to him?"

Bruno's gaze went down once again staring at the grass around him. Gary kept on looking at him till he sighed and slowly muttered, "They captured him Gary. He's in League hands now."

Gary's eyes opened wide and his scream caught the attention of everyone in the area as they felt the power spike.

"WHAT?!?!?!?!"

.
Water splashed in the air as Feraligator moved at top speed along the surf. Not one drop hit Misty as she manipulated the water and it just went around her. It really was a sight to see this beautiful woman standing straight and tall with arms crossed as her powerful pokemon swam at top speed without her losing her balance. Then it started to slow down as it came closer to a boatyard with many battle ships and towers sticking up from the water. The pokemon stopped at the side of one the docks and Misty jumped on while taking out a pokeball. "Return," she called as she pointed it towards Feraligator. Two seconds later he was gone as the red beam went back into the pokeball. This was the first time Misty was back at her southern pass quarters/office since the fight with Blaine a few days ago.

She walked straight along the dock until she reached a small building. In front of the door was her faithful Togetic. "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be with the first line of defense," said the water master irritably.

Togetic just looked at her and said smugly, "I had some business to attend to but I am on my way back. I just wanted to tell you that you have a visitor."

Misty was stumped as to who this person could be. She knew that Gary, Brock and Ritchie were busy and they were the only ones who weren't afraid of her……………….much.

"Well who is it?" Misty asked the pokemon in an agitated voice.

Togetic smiled slyly and said, "You'll see," before teleporting away.

Misty looked annoyed to say the least. She gritted her teeth and managed to say, "I have to remember to get back at Togetic later," she said before entering her temporary staying room. She closed the door and walked to the nearest table. With a wave of her hand her cape turned into clear liquid and lowered itself before solidifying again so it was now hanging over a chair. Where is this damned visitor?

"Good day Mistress Misty." gasp Misty instantly froze. '……….That voice…' was all she could think as she brought her hand to cover her mouth.

Very slowly, she turned around to see the speaker. For a second one could see emotion in her eyes. Confusion one could say, as well as fear. But it only lasted a second for she regained her composure to answer her addresser. It was an elderly woman in a brown vest and brown soft long pants with her dark grey cloak un-hooded. She had brown hair that was starting to gray ever so slightly and even in her old age she looked simple and beautiful.

"Good day Mrs. Ketchum," Misty replied politely with an ever so hint of annoyance. The older woman frowned and tilted her head not masking the fact that something Misty said had bothered her.

"We've gone from Mrs. Ketchum, to Delilah, to mom. And now back to Mrs. Ketchum?" she stated more than asked. She looked at Misty who looked like she was thinking about something. Delilah could only guess it was the memories of when the young woman and herself used to spend long days together.

"I-I didn't think it was appropriate anymore." Misty stuttered out but with a firm tone none the less.

Misty's faltering did not go unnoticed by Mrs. Ketchum though, who appreciated the small but still very monumental triumph in the short conversation.

"Why would you say such a thing Misty? I know it isn't because of Ash because you continued calling me that long after the revolt at indigo. Or maybe you think so because you have not come to see me in the past two years."

Delilah sat down on a couch and leant forward with her hand entwined. Misty stared ahead and said nothing.

The older woman waited till Misty's roaming eyes caught hers before taking her next step.

"What happened to you Misty? You were such a joy."

Misty gritted her teeth as flashbacks of her happier days came back to her mind. She did not want to remember. Those were days of compassion and kindness. She was weak then. She had to remain strong for herself. For the rebels. For everyone.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Delilah speak again. "You didn't carry all this hate with you before. You never ………"

Before she could finish Misty looked at her with a look that said 'how dare you! You should know what' before launching a full blown retaliating, "That's because Ash was with me!!!!!! What happened is that he was killed and taken from me!!!" Misty screamed to Delilah. She acts as though she did not know that before! Wait, why do I care what she thinks? I don't care about her anymore. I don't! she thought.

"He left us all Misty!!!" Misty jumped in surprise and her eyes opened wide upon hearing Delilah's scream and nearly lost all balance. "You think you are the only one who feels what you do towards the league?!?! Well I've got news Misty Waterflower, you are not!!! And it's selfish of you to think that!!!" Delilah shouted to match Misty's. The still shocked water master stared at the other woman. Apparently Delilah's screams had gotten through to part of Misty because the eyes reflecting the bitterness and harshness of the cold of Misty's heart were not present at that time. No. What was present in her eyes……………was fear. Fear of having to face what Delilah was saying. Fear of having to accept that she needed others and wanted their bonds again. And lastly…………….Fear that she had to give up the last part of Ash she had…..the thought of his revenge. Delilah could see her swallowing and Misty's eyes revealed the pain she had kept hidden so well. It pained her to see Misty's eyes.

"Misty," she said getting up. She stood face to face with Misty and gripped her shoulders comfortingly. She looked her in the eyes and she could see Misty's aqua eyes shimmering. "Misty, I know you can't stand it. The pain is almost unbearable. So young and you think you cannot go on unless you feed off the hate that the league has created within you. But it will not help you Misty."

Misty turned her head away to break eye contact. She blinked back the tears. She was determined not to cry especially in front of the woman she once considered a mother. She had to remain strong. Mrs. Ketchum noted the red creeping under Misty's eyes and her nose. She heard her sniffling and her pants for air. It was time to move in for the kill.

"Honey, holding onto the hate will not help you. In fact, it will destroy you. Instead of holding on to the hate, hold onto love. The love that you have for Gary and your friends. The love you have for me as a mother and the love I have for you as a daughter………….and the love you had for my son. Remember what he stood for? Compassion, kindness and love." Delilah took hold of Misty's head with a hand on each cheek and turned it so their eyes locked. Misty's lips trembled in a crooked line trying to purse together while a single tear escaped her left eye and the rest just waiting to flood over. Delilah choked back a sob herself so she could finish speaking.

"We all love you so much Misty. And you know as well as I do that Ash would never want to see you like this. Please Misty………………………..I've already lost one child………………..I don't want to lose another."

Misty was crying now. Her lips trembled and her breathing heavy. She looked Delilah right in the eye with so much emotion bottled inside her. Anger, fear, regret, shame and sadness.

"I- ack-I" she couldn't say it. The sobs making her eat her words. Two years worth of emotions coming out at once. It was so hard.

She looked to the ground. Tears running without end. "I-im s-o-o-orry," she wailed, "i-m s-o-o-o sor-r-r-y"

She shook her head side to side very slowly and put her hands to hide her face. But Delilah removed them and quickly embraced the young woman she loved so much. "It's ok now Misty," she croaked out with her own tears staining her face. "It's going to be ok now," she soothed over Misty's wailing. The two women dropped to their knees still embraced. Misty crying into the shoulder of Mrs. Ketchum and Delilah thanking God Misty would be alright. Finally, she was coming back to them. Not Misty the water master but Misty Waterflower whom they cared so much for and the woman who stole her son's heart.

Hours later

(Clang)

The sound of an iron door opening was enough to shake Brock out of his slumber. He looked to the bars of his cell and with the moonlight that drifted in the window he saw three soldiers down the corridor walking towards his cell. When they had reached in front of the cell he realized the middle guard had a tray of food which he assumed to be for him. The guards flanking the one with the tray raised their elemental weapons at him. "We're going to open the cell. If you try anything we've been authorized to use these till you pass out," said the guard on the right lifting the gun to indicate the 'these'.

Brock realized there was nothing he could do so with a sigh and gritted teeth, he nodded.

Seeing the feared Pokemon Master humbled made the guard who spoke chuckle. He approached the cell with a set of keys and unlocked the door and then……….

"Rasp!...gurgle………….rasp…..rasp."

The bodies of the two guards fell to the floor with blood squirting from the neck.

The middle guard had his two hands shot to the side with a small dagger in each as he held the killing pose for a while, the tray of food on the ground.

Brock raised his eyebrow and studied the man.

He got up into a fighting stance. "Who are you?!" he bellowed.

The assassin found the situation amusing and chuckled before using his right hand to pull off his mask. "It's good to see you Brock."

Brock went stiff and couldn't believe his eyes.

"MAX?!?!"

A/n: Phew. I haven't updated in a while huh? Sure some of you thought I was dead. Lol.