The Pewter City Gym seemed different to Ash, and as their footsteps echoed in the entrance way, bouncing off of the high ceili

A/N: Sorry that this chapter was awhile coming. Finals and all that. But now that I'm home, I took the opportunity to finally finish up this chapter. It's the longest one so far.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I really appreciate and value your feedback. It always makes me happy to see that 'Review Alert' in my email inbox. I'm glad that you're enjoying the fic so far!

Disclaimer: Pokemon and its characters and concepts do not belong to me.

Five Days of Midnight

Some Enchanted Evening

Chapter 4

The Pewter City Gym seemed different to Ash, and as their footsteps echoed in the entrance way, bouncing off of the high ceilings and concrete floor, he stopped for a moment to take in the gym in its entirety, to see what had changed.

No, he realized a moment later, the gym hadn't changed, it was he who had changed. The feeling of anticipation, the butterflies that had fluttered in his stomach, the sound of his heart pounding unsteadily in his ears, his palms slick with sweat as he had stood in the entrance and realized that he was taking the very first step on his journey towards becoming a Pokemon Master…those feelings were gone. He had now seen so many battles, so many trials, that the Pewter City Gym did not hold the level of otherworldliness that it once had, a world that he had so desperately wanted to join.

Brock wasn't bothering to hide the look of contentment that spread across his face the moment that they stepped into the gym, and Ash smiled at the goofy grin that spread across his friend's face. Calm, steady Brock was reacting just as he did whenever a pretty girl passed his path.

"Dad! We have challengers!" a voice yelled out, and there were footsteps pounding into the gym. A younger boy stood in the doorway, sharing Brock's dark eyes and hair and tanned skin. His face lit up with pleased surprise when he saw the group. "Brock!"

"Forrest!"

Brock wrapped his brother in a tight hug, resting his chin on the top of his head. "I've missed you guys," he said honestly. Though he didn't regret joining Ash and Misty—in fact, it had brought about some of the best times of his life—he couldn't help but miss the siblings that he had practically raised.

"Brock!" Now it was Flint, Brock's father who also startlingly resembled him, that entered the gym, and he looked just as surprised as his young son had at seeing the eldest and former gym leader return to Pewter City. "Welcome home!" He clapped a fatherly hand down on his son's shoulder.

"Thanks," Brock said honestly, releasing Forrest. "It's good to be home." He looked around. "Where are the others?"

Flint chuckled. "Back at the house. Well, most of them anyway." He smiled a bit bittersweetly. "Ariana and Helios left. Got their starter Pokemon and are off in training now. But the others are still at home." He ruffled Forrest's hair playfully. "And this one's helping me with the gym. He'll take over someday as leader."

"Oh, you think so?" Brock teased, and Ash smiled. Sometimes he wished that he had siblings, especially while he was growing up. It was nice to see the relationship that Brock had with his younger brother. The closest thing Ash had had was Gary, and Gary was more likely to push him in a mud puddle than treat him with any sort of brotherly friendship.

"Yeah," Forrest replied, playfully sticking his tongue out at Brock. "You got your chance. It's gonna be mine in a couple of years. Dad said so."

"You'll be a great gym leader someday," Brock assured him, dropping his arm casually around Forrest's shoulders, slinging his bag onto his other shoulder. "Come on. Let's head back to the house. We've been walking for awhile."

"Will you cook?" Forrest asked, taking quick steps to keep up with Brock's longer stride. "Dad's lousy."

"I heard that," Flint called, following his sons from the gym.

Ash remained behind for a moment, continuing to look around the gym. Pitting a Pikachu against an Onix…not his smartest move, he could admit now in hindsight. But if any Pikachu could have done it, it would have been his.

It had seemed much bigger the first time around. Then again, the first time around, Brock had seemed intimidating. Everything about a gym battle had been intimidating.

"It was a long time ago, huh?" a voice from behind him said, and Ash turned to see that Misty was still waiting in the entrance. He smiled at the sight of her, because it was appropriate—in every important moment of his life in the last five years, Misty had been there, whether front and center in the memory or just lingering on the edges, like she was doing at this very moment.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Hard to believe that we barely knew each other then. And we didn't know Brock at all."

"And you were trying to power up Pikachu to take on an Onix," Misty reminded him, a slight smirk tugging on the corners of her lips.

Ash laughed, despite himself. "Yeah. Probably not my best idea." He smiled at Pikachu at his feet. "But you did a great job, Pikachu."

"Chaaa…" Pikachu sighed in agreement, looking at the gym as though he, too, were remembering the first battles that had taken place here so long ago.

He wished that he could go back and tell the boy who had come into the gym of the challenges that he would face in the years to come. "It's been a long time," he repeated, shaking his head.

"But it's been a good time, for the most part," Misty pointed out, and Pikachu nodded in agreement, smiling up at his trainer. "Come on, Ash. Brock's making dinner and he has seven brothers and sisters still at home who haven't had his cooking in five years. If you don't hurry, there won't be any left for you."

"Oh, man!" Ash exclaimed, the idea of entering Brock's house to find all the food gone actually causing him a certain amount of distress. "Come on, Pikachu!" Pikachu leapt up onto Ash's shoulder as he ran past Misty to the door, grabbing her arm on the way. "Come on! I'm hungry!"

"Of course you are," Misty muttered, rolling her eyes as she struggled to keep her balance as Ash dragged her out of the Pewter City Gym.

Ash discovered that he liked the feeling of sitting around a big table with a big family for dinner. Sure, maybe some of Brock's siblings were squabbling, and there wasn't enough for him to have seconds of the delicious food that Brock had prepared, but there was a feeling of festivity, almost as though it were a holiday, as though the meal were a party. It was a feeling that he had never had growing up, sharing meals with his mother and sometimes older relatives who he barely knew and who pinched his cheeks and called him 'adorably scruffy', as though he were a puppy and not a person.

The room was filled the chatter and laughter and yes, some yelling, but it was how Ash liked it. He liked busy, he liked commotion and action. Peace and quiet bored him.

"So what brings you three back to Pewter?" Flint asked. He was seated at the head of the table, with Ash and Misty to his right and Brock to his left. Pikachu was sitting on Ash's lap to save space, and was helping himself from his master's plate, while Misty fed Togepi small morsels that she had broken off.

"We're just taking a rest after being out in the Orange Islands for so long," Misty said, looking up from her task. "And Brock met back up with us in Pallet Town, because he had to make a delivery to Professor Oak there. So we decided to come to Pewter and then over to Cerulean."

"And you're from Cerulean?" Flint asked Misty politely. "I think Brock mentioned that."

"Misty and her sisters run the Cerulean Gym," Brock told his father, and Flint grinned at Ash.

"You seem to have a talent for collecting the gym leaders as well as their badges," he teased good-naturedly.

Misty haughtily stuck her nose in the air. "Ash wrecked my bike. I'm waiting for him to pay me back for a new one."

Ash rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Sure. That's the only reason you've followed me for five years. You know, Misty, in five years you could have collected enough money from losing trainers at the Cerulean Gym to buy yourself two bikes." He grinned at her, satisfied with his logic. Once in a while he seemed to pull something good out.

Misty stuck her tongue out at him, unable to argue with the truth of his statement, and Ash's grin widened as it always did when he emerged the victor in one of their battles. He tossed in, "Besides, I didn't ruin your bike, Pikachu did!"

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed in protest.

"Luckily Pikachu is much cuter than you are," Misty cooed, scratching Pikachu's head with affection. He cooed happily at the attention, his ears sloping down near his cheeks to give Misty better access.

"You would be so bored without me," Ash predicted, folding his arms in smug satisfaction.

"Ha! You wish," Misty instinctively replied, but Ash knew that in reality, he was in no danger of Misty's leaving, even if he happened to replace her bike the next day. Not that he could, even if he wanted to. Any money he made from battles ended up being shelled right back out on food, shelter, or supplies for future battles.

"Well, in any case, I'm glad that you were able to make the trip," Flint intervened, showing where Brock had inherited his talents for interrupting a brewing argument between Ash and Misty. "Misty can stay in your room, Brock."

"She can?" Brock said ironically. "Where am I supposed to sleep?"

"You and Ash can camp out in the living room," Flint said. "Be a gentleman."

Misty grinned, kicking Brock's shin lightly under the table. "Yeah, Brock. Be a gentleman."

Brock grumbled, but didn't attempt to argue, and Misty smiled smugly, leaning back in her chair, contented, as Togepi chirped in her lap.

After dinner, Ash and Brock released their Pokemon in the gym, allowing them time out of their Pokeballs to stretch and play, as they were delighted by the attentions of Brock's younger siblings. The girls in particular seemed drawn to Pikachu, having only contact with the less cuddly rock and ground Pokemon that their brothers trained, and Pikachu returned their attention and affection with enthusiasm. Misty's Pokemon remained their Pokeballs, with the exception of Staryu, as there certainly was not any water to be found in this particular gym. Togepi, however, seemed to be receiving just as much fuss as Pikachu, and the friendly Pokemon chirped happily as it was passed from one intrigued child to the next.

Ash smiled as he watched their Pokemon frolic. "See? No unusual behavior there," he pointed out to Misty and Brock. "They seem anything but aggressive to me."

"No, that mostly seems to be affecting the wild Pokemon in the area," Flint interjected, and the three turned to him in surprise.

"You've noticed something weird, too, Dad?" Brock asked, and part of Ash wanted to clamp his hands over his ears so that he wouldn't have to hear anymore of the conversation. But his curiosity got the better of him in this situation, and he instead waited to hear Flint's response.

Flint nodded gravely in response. "Yes, I have." He glanced out the entranceway, and pointed. "But it might just be because of the eclipse."

"The eclipse?" Misty questioned.

He nodded once more. "We're due for a solar eclipse tomorrow."

"Pokemon are so in tune with nature," Brock mused. "That might be the cause of their strange behavior."

"See! Nothing to worry about!" Ash exclaimed, feeling relief rush through him at this information. "It's just some stupid eclipse that's behind all the weird things going on!"

Misty didn't look as convinced. "I guess so…" she said reluctantly, watching the Pokemon play.

"C'mon, Misty, it's no big deal," he insisted, and his face brightened. "I'll bet there'll be a lot of Pokemon roaming around!"

Misty rolled her eyes at his usual train of thought, but it didn't bother Ash. Rather, he was glad to see the worried expression wiped from her face, even if it was replaced by mild annoyance.

"It's going to be great," he crowed, standing in the entrance to the gym and looking up at the moon approaching the sun. "It'll be cool."

"If you say so, Ash," Misty murmured, her eyes focused on Togepi darting between the Pokemon much larger than it was. "If you say so."

For the second night in a row, Ash Ketchum was pulled roughly, unpleasantly, suddenly from his dreams by a sudden sound. It was something that was becoming a regular occurrence, and one that he wasn't very pleased with at all.

For a moment he sat there in his sleeping bag, unsure what had woken him up. This time, it wasn't Misty's shrieks of terror, and now the night seemed to be silent. He wondered if he had imagined it all—if he had had a nightmare, but then Pikachu leapt into his lap, his eyes wide with shock as he pointed towards the door. "Pika, pika!" he exclaimed frantically.

"What was that?" Brock's voice sounded from the darkness next to him, where they were camped out in his living room. "What's going on?" Brock was awake, and that made Ash reconsider whether or not it had been his imagination. If it had been, surely Brock would still be fast asleep?

"I don't know," Ash replied, bewildered. "Is something going on?"

He winced as suddenly the house was flooded with light, and was blinded for a moment by the blazing light. It's an attack, he thought wildly, and he felt around for his bag, trying to reach for his Pokeballs.

"Brock! Brock! Did you hear the noise?"

"Dad, what's going on?"

"It was so loud!"

Brock's siblings tumbled into the room, climbing into their brother's lap, fretting to themselves, the smallest girl clinging onto a Pikachu doll, while Flint stumbled in as well, rubbing his eyes with exhaustion.

"Where's Misty?" Ash asked instinctively, noticing the missing party immediately.

"Right here," Misty replied as she slumped into the room, her hair a cloud of red around her face as she hugged a terrified Togepi. She rubbed her eyes tiredly with her spare hand, standing there in her blue nightgown and bare feet. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," Ash repeated, and he looked towards Flint for an explanation.

Flint, however, looked just as confused at the sudden turn of events as the rest of the group. "I just heard a loud sound from the window," he said, scratching the back of his head with a large yawn. "I hope there wasn't an accident."

"I guess we should go check…" Brock suggested hesitantly. He stood up unsteadily, reaching for his shoes, not bothering to change out of his pajamas. Ash scrambled to his feet after him, reaching for his jacket and pulling it on over his t-shirt against the cool of the night that he expected once he stepped outside.

Flint sighed. "Guess so. Forrest," he addressed his second oldest son, "watch your brothers and sisters while we go see what's going on out front."

But nothing could have prepared Ash for what he saw when they did step outside to investigate. He stood there, still half-asleep, his hair a mess and Pikachu practically dozing on his shoulder, Misty next to him still in her bare feet and nightgown and Brock on her other side, Flint standing a few feet in front of them, and Ash felt as though all the sleepiness and exhaustion of the day had been knocked out of him. His curiosity was replaced by a sinking feeling in his stomach, and he could practically feel Brock stiffen even with Misty between them.

Misty kept her arm around Togepi but raised her other hand to her mouth in shock, speechless, and Ash could only stare with his mouth open. Brock took a step towards his father, but seemed to halt after that first step, as though he could not bring himself to take another step towards the rubble, the pile of stone and ash and clouds of smoke that had once, had just been, Pewter City Gym.

It had once been Pewter City Gym, but now it was gone, a haze of dirt hanging in the air like an omen around the destroyed remains.

And suddenly, Brock was running towards the ruin, and he fled past his father, who took off hot on his heels. The Slates, father and son, ran towards their destroyed gym as though it would help, as though that would rebuild it, or at least make them understand.

"Brock! Wait!" Misty cried, finding her voice, and she ran down the stairs and hurried after them, and Ash finally felt as though he would be able to move his legs if he tried, and he took after Misty at a jog, catching up with her easily as she worked to avoid stones and sticks.

"Wait," he said, catching Misty's arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Give them a moment. Plus, you're not wearing any shoes." He glanced down at Misty's bare feet. "There's probably a lot of broken glass and a lot of stones."

Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked at Ash, and he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. He felt as though she were looking to him for answers, and answers were one thing that he couldn't give her. As though she noticed the hopelessness in his eyes, she shifted her gaze to the rubble of the gym, where Brock and his father were now standing, wandering from one end to the other as though searching for an answer among the glass and concrete.

And suddenly, it occurred to him, and he could have smacked himself for how long it took him to realize what had happened. But then, for Ash, it wasn't unusual for him to overlook the obvious answer and instead search for something more obscure, though it was something he was improving with over time. But now that the answer had come to him like a beacon of light shining down, he growled it loud enough for Misty and Pikachu, still on his shoulder, to both hear.

"Team Rocket."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu growled in response, in obvious agreement with Ash's prediction.

Misty, however, looked less certain, her eyes still wide on Ash's face. "Do you really think so?"

Ash stared back at her, bewildered at her response. "Who else could it be?" he asked. "They're always behind anything bad that happens!" He clenched his fists in anger as he looked over at the leaders of the former Pewter City Gym. "This is probably payback for what happened in Viridian. That gym was destroyed, so now they're looking to take over another gym." Brock looked so forlorn, standing amongst what had once been his pride, and Ash felt the ball of anger in the pit of his stomach grow a little stronger, a little harder. "They've gone too far this time, though."

Misty turned her head to follow Ash's gaze, her hair blowing gently in the calm night breeze that belied the events that had happened. "But if it was Team Rocket, where are they now?" she asked quietly, as though she didn't particularly want the answer. "Since when are the ones to disappear after attacking?" A faint smile played across her lips, but there was no joy behind it. "Usually we'd be hearing their stupid motto right now if it was Team Rocket."

Ash wrinkled his brow. "But it has to be Team Rocket," he insisted. "Who else would it be?" Misty expression became more troubled, but she didn't respond to his question, which Ash took as a victory. "I mean, maybe it isn't Jessie and James. I doubt they would have been able to…you know…actually do it." He looked at the remains of the gym, a forlorn expression in his dark eyes. "But I still think it was Team Rocket. Someone from Team Rocket. Maybe it's even the leader getting revenge for destroying Viridian City Gym."

"Maybe…" Misty replied, uncertainly. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her arms against the now cool air, and Ash wished he had thought to grab his jacket before running out of the house. "I wish I knew what to say to them," she added softly, her eyes on Brock and Flint, now trudging back towards them, their heads low and their hands stuffed in their pockets, weighed down by heavy thoughts.

"It's gone," Brock said numbly as he came back to Misty and Ash. "The entire gym. It's just…gone."

"Did you…" Ash cleared his throat, uncertain whether he should be asking this question or not. "Did you see anything over there?"

Brock shook his head. "Nothing," he replied, his voice still oddly calm and detached. "There's…nothing."

Flint came up behind his son, his own face drawn with worry, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's just the building," he said firmly, as though he were trying to convince not only the three trainers but himself, as well. "It's just four walls that we can build again. We'll get the funds from the city. The important thing is no one was hurt."

His grip tightened as he saw the reluctant expression on Brock's face. "Really," he stressed. "It's going to be fine. We'll have it up again in no time."

"I can't believe it's gone…" Misty whispered, so quietly that only Ash heard her. He swallowed hard; he, too, was having difficulty accepting what had happened. The night seemed to quiet now, peaceful and tranquil, and it was as if the entire event, the earth-shaking crash that had awoken them and the devastation that now lay in front of them, had all been a terrible dream.

"Come on," Flint said quietly, putting a heavy arm around his son's shoulders. "Let's go get your brothers and sisters back to bed."

"Yeah…" Brock replied, distracted, and Ash knew that while he was trying to convince himself that all that had been lost was a bunch of stones and concrete, he was also coming to terms with the fact that really, it had been so much more. It had been a second home.

Misty and Ash filed behind the two Slates, like a funeral procession, back into the house where they had to face the wide eyes of Brock's younger siblings, looking up at them for answers and explanations.

Ash saw Brock hesitate, his eyes landing on Forrest as the words got caught in his throat. There was no delicate way to put what had happened—anything gently said would have to be a full-out lie.

"What's wrong?" Forrest spoke for the rest of the young ones, searching first Brock's face, then his father's, and finally looking at Ash and Misty as though looking for some reassurance from the disappointment on the faces of his family. "What happened? Did you find out what that noise was?"

"It was the gym, Forrest," Flint said gently, coming forward to put his arm around Forrest's shoulders. "It's…well…it's gone." He squeezed his son's shoulders hard, as though trying to fortify him against the horrible words that were now spoken out loud.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Forrest asked in disbelief. "Brock?"

Brock didn't respond, and Forrest's mouth dropped open. "It's…it's really gone?" he asked, with the air of one who had seen a dream within reach and then snatched away.

"For now," Flint firmly added. "Tomorrow I'll go into town to petition the city to give us the funds to rebuild. I'm sure it'll be granted by the League, at the very least. This is just a temporary problem." He grinned. "Besides, no gym doesn't mean we won't still battle trainers. We just won't have all the extra frills for awhile."

Forrest looked a bit appeased as his father's logic, but Brock still looked grim.

"But for now, it is way past all of your bedtimes," Flint changed the subject briskly. "Come on. To bed!"

Ash, Misty, and Brock watched as Flint shuffled his rather reluctant younger children back towards the stairs, back towards bed. The room suddenly felt too quiet again, as the three trainers tried to comprehend how things could have turned so quickly, and so unexpectedly.

Pikachu hopped down from Ash's shoulder, curling up next to his pillow on the ground. However, his eyes remained open and he looked curiously up at the three, waiting for them to make their next move.

"I guess we should go to sleep, too," Misty said softly. Togepi, safely in her arms, had already fallen back asleep. The one not affected by the events of the night.

"Yeah, I guess," Ash said uncertainly. "You going to be okay upstairs?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Misty replied, looking towards the staircase as though she'd rather not climb them back to Brock's bedroom. "Well. Good night?"

He almost laughed at this, because there was nothing so far this night that insinuated that it was even remotely close to a 'good night'. But he didn't comment on it, and instead climbed into his sleeping bag, a silent and still forlorn Brock climbing in next to him, Pikachu near his head, the sounds of Misty's retreating footsteps sounding in the background as she climbed the stairs.

Sleep, however, remained as elusive to Ash Ketchum as that mysterious Pokemon had been, earlier in the day which had seemed so long ago now. He tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position, but his mind raced and wouldn't allow him a moment's rest.

Why would Team Rocket want to destroy the Pewter City Gym? He was fairly sure now that it couldn't have been Jessie, James, and Meowth—there was no way that it could have gone so smoothly, that the destruction could have been so complete, if it had been them. Those three would have managed to botch it somehow. Plus, they had just seen them earlier in that day and Ash was sure that they would have thrown out some sort of hint of what was to come if they were involved. But Team Rocket was an entire organization, and as frightening as it was, there were many, many members that they hadn't come into contact with yet. It could have been any of them. Or all of them.

Was it revenge for the destruction of Viridian City Gym? It could be, although in Ash's opinion it would have made more sense if they had instead tried to take over Pewter City Gym. After all, they were still without a gym, and their situation wasn't any improved. Then again, maybe he was being foolish in trying to figure out reason for Team Rocket's actions. They simply were cruel and awful for the sake of being cruel and awful. The fact that they were hurting people by destroying the gym would be enough of a reason for them to go ahead.

What would they do now? Was it over? Was that the end of their revenge? If Flint was able to rebuild the gym, would they destroy it again? Or would they move on to the next gym, seeking to ruin the entire Kanto League?

The next gym was Cerulean, and Ash's thoughts wandered to Misty. Misty and her sisters, the leaders of the Cerulean City Gym. A pang of worry shot through him at the idea of the gym destroyed. Misty would be devastated to lose her gym, and despite the fact that she constantly argued with them, she would be destroyed if something happened to her sisters. And an upset Misty was the worst thing in the world—he didn't know what to do in response to her. He was used to Misty either being happy or being angry at him, and he knew how to get along with her and he certainly knew how to fight with her, but when she was upset all he wanted to do was make her feel better so that she would either smile or yell at him again. But he had never been a good one with words, and he usually ended up just saying the wrong thing and making it worse.

Which was probably the reason he wasn't trying to initiate a conversation with Brock, next to him in the darkness. Ash shifted his head, trying to tell if Brock was sleeping or not. The older boy's back was to him, and so he couldn't be sure either way, and staying quiet seemed to be the best decision in any case.

They would have to head off to Cerulean as soon as possible, to try and head off Team Rocket if they were, in fact, trying to destroy multiple gyms. They would have to beat them to the next city, and it was with this renewed resolve that Ash closed his eyes, hoping for sleep.

But something still nagged him. This doesn't seem like their style, Misty had said. And, well, maybe it didn't. Team Rocket was the type to stay around and brag about the misdeeds they had committed.

But it had to be Team Rocket. Nothing else made sense.

"Hey, Ash?" He opened his eyes again, tilting his head back to see who had softly spoken, despite the fact that he knew even before laying eyes on her upside-down, that it had been Misty, clutching her sleeping bag, her bare feet near his head.

"Hey," he replied heavily. "Can't sleep either?"

"That makes three of us," Brock's steady voice sounded, quiet and still thoughtful and heavy with disappointment, and answering Ash's internal question as to whether or not he had been sleeping.

Ash shifted over so that Misty could fit her sleeping bag between them, and she gratefully took the space and crawled in. Despite the fact that the floor was nowhere near as comfortable as Brock's bed, she had no desire to be alone right now, and therefore right there, Ash on her right and Brock on her left, Pikachu near her head and Togepi at her side, was the most comfortable, and comforting, place she could imagine being.

Similar thoughts ran through Ash's head as the group lay together. It was a feeling of completeness, as though as long as he had Misty, and Brock, and Pikachu, everything would be okay in the end. No matter what was going on, they would see it through together. They always had.

"It's good to be together again," he voiced his thoughts, and heard a shift as both Misty and Brock turned their heads to him.

"Don't get me wrong," he added hastily. "I like Tracey a lot. He's great. But…it hasn't been the same. It's not the same unless it's…us."

He heard Brock chuckle a bit, and he felt a rush of achievement that he had managed to say something at least somewhat correct. Brock hadn't laughed since dinner, and now he was chuckling.

"Yeah," Brock said ruefully, good nature creeping back into his voice. The feeling of comfort, of safety, of a united front, of being together, was contagious. "I missed you two knuckleheads, too."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu protested.

"You, too, Pikachu," Brock assured the Pokemon. He let out a long breath. "I guess Dad's right. We can rebuild."

"Of course you can," Misty was quick to reply. "Everything will be fine."

Ash didn't believe that everything would be okay, and he was fairly sure that Brock wouldn't believe it, as well, but it seemed to soothe Brock for the time being, as he rolled back over onto his side and soon his breathing had evened out to a pace where Ash thought that this time, he really might be sleeping.

He wasn't so lucky, and nor, did it seem, was Misty. "Ash?" she questioned, her voice a soft whisper, aware of the fact that Brock was sleeping right next to her.

"Yeah?" he responded, his voice equally as quiet.

He heard Misty turn her head to face him, but in the darkness he couldn't see her face. All he could hear was her quiet breathing, and for some reason, he felt his heart start thumping oddly as he watched her shadowy outline, waiting for her to continue.

"Samuel told me something pretty scary the night we stayed with him," she whispered, and the thumping in his heart stopped, and he rolled his eyes, aware that she wouldn't be able to see it.

"Misty, did you make him tell you that stupid legend?" She didn't respond, which he took for affirmation. "Misty, he's some crazy old man who lives in the middle of the woods. He looks for signs of destruction in the behavior of Caterpies and Weedles!"

"But Ash…"

He cut her off. "There's nothing wrong. Everything's going to be fine. We'll stop Team Rocket just like we always do. They're always too dumb to actually get away with what they do."

"But what if it's not Team Rocket?" she demanded, her voice low but angry. "Will you just listen to what Samuel…"

"No, I don't want to listen to whatever Samuel said!" Ash exclaimed. He heard Brock stir in his sleep, and he lowered his voice. "We're just getting ourselves wound up about nothing. Let's just go to sleep for now and in the morning we won't be as freaked out."

Misty turned her face up towards the ceiling, reluctantly letting the subject drop for the moment. Whenever Ash had truly made up his mind, it was nearly impossible to change it. Stubborn to the bone, that was Ash. "Tomorrow's the solar eclipse," she said softly.

Ash brightened. "Yeah, it is. That'll be cool."

Misty laughed softly at the optimism in his voice. "Yeah, sure. Cool," she replied, but there was no conviction in her voice. "Good night, Ash."

"'Night, Misty," he replied, finally able to settle in and follow his own advice to settle in for the night and leave all their worries for the morning.

Misty, however, sat up all night, staring up at the ceiling as though seeking answers to the questions that she alone held.

Ash awoke slowly, groggily, the next morning, to a blaring sound. For a moment, he worried that something else was happening, that maybe the house was being attacked now, but as he clumsily sat up, he saw that all that had disturbed his peaceful slumber was the television set.

He was alone on the floor now, Brock and Misty having gotten up and left their neatly rolled sleeping bags in their place. Even Pikachu was gone, and he looked around for them, disorientated, still reeling from the events of the previous night and from sleeping in an unfamiliar setting.

"Finally, you're awake." Leaning back on his elbows, Ash tilted his head back to see Misty and Brock standing in the entrance to the living room, Togepi in Misty's arms and Pikachu on her shoulder. Brock moved past Misty, heading towards the television set.

"Want to be able to hear it," he explained, turning up the television now that Ash was awake, and crossing his arms while regarding it warily.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, sitting straight up again and looking at the television set.

"They're covering what happened last night," Misty said in a hushed voice, sitting down on the couch and turning her attention to the newscast on the television. Pikachu jumped down from her shoulder back down to Ash's sleeping bag, settling down in his lap, his eyes also focused on the television. Misty placed Togepi down next to Pikachu, and even the baby Pokemon had quieted its chirping, seemingly aware of the serious air around its companions.

"…no suspects have been named at the time, but police continue to investigate," the reporter said, clutching a microphone and standing on front of the Pewter City Gym.

Ash's eyes widened. "Whoa! Are they right outside?"

"Yes," Misty said, crossing her arms. "And they questioned all of us while you were snoozing away." She made a face at him. "Lazy."

"I am not!" he shot back instinctively. Then, distracted, he leapt to his feet, hurrying over to the window and pulling back the curtain, peering out. A crowd had gathered in front of the destroyed gym, hovering around the remains or around the news van. He could even make out the small outline of what was the reporter herself, reporting the story that was playing for them right now.

"It's crazy out there…" he muttered. He squinted up at the sky, still fairly bright. "When is the eclipse supposed to be happening?"

Brock checked his watch. "Not until later in the afternoon. Maybe that'll drive them away." He chuckled. "Give them something else to look at."

"I guess we should wait until the crowd clears a bit before heading out," Misty said reluctantly.

"Probably," Ash agreed, then he started, realizing that someone was missing. "Where's your dad, Brock?"

"He left a note saying he went into the city to petition to rebuild the gym. It should get approved. It's been all over the news." He crossed his arms thoughtfully. "I'd probably feel more comfortable if we waited until he got back before leaving. Forrest is old enough to watch them, but I'd rather wait for him."

Misty gazed out of the window, her eyes troubled. "I hope he gets back soon," she said softly, and Ash wrinkled his brow as her forlorn tone. Even he could tell that there was something bothering her that she wasn't sharing with the group. He might not be the quickest, but after five years with Misty he had learned how to pick up on certain signals.

Then again, Misty had tried to talk to him last night, and he had refused to listen. But could that silly story Samuel told her really be all that was bothering her?

Maybe she was just homesick. That seemed like a good explanation. It had been a long time since they stopped in Cerulean.

But Misty was never one to get homesick…

His attention was diverted by the television once more, which had switched back to the studio and had changed the subject. "In other news," the male reporter said, consulting his notes, "the Cinnabar Gym is closed to trainers indefinitely. Blaine, the gym leader, has vanished again and many predict that he had decided to take up his seclusion once more."

"Blaine's gone?" Brock asked, a bit taken aback. "I thought he decided to keep the gym open."

"Yeah, me too," Ash replied, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Do you think…do you think something happened to him?" Misty asked, her voice rising a bit in pitch with fear.

"No," Ash said, a bit surprised that that was the first thing she had thought of. Then again, with the last couple of days passing the way they had, he couldn't exactly blame her. "I think it's just Blaine being Blaine again. A crazy unpredictable hippie who randomly abandons his gym from time to time."

Misty turned back towards the window, her expression further marred with worry. "So you think it's a coincidence?" she asked, her tone heavy with disbelief.

"I guess so…" Ash replied uncertainly, not sure as to what answer she was looking for from him. There didn't have to be higher meaning in everything—certainly it was just a coincidence. Or maybe it was the events of what had happened to Viridian and now Pewter that had caused Blaine to retreat. If he thought that his gym was in danger, maybe he had tried to cut them off at the pass and simply close before the culprits—probably Team Rocket—could get to him.

He decided to share this theory with the others. "Maybe he's just worried about everything that's happening, and he's just playing it safe by closing the gym."

Brock looked thoughtful. "It's a possibility…" he mused. " Blaine's a pretty smart guy."

Misty didn't look convinced, and she gripped the windowsill firmly as though it would keep her grounded. She watched the crowds milling around what had once been the gym, her gaze hot as she wished them away so that they could leave and head on to Cerulean City.

"Are you okay?" Brock asked kindly, picking up on Misty's unhappy nature.

"No," she shot back. "I'm scared, okay? This is scary."

"Don't be scared," Ash said suddenly, no hint of mockery in his voice. Instead, he reached for one of Misty's hands that held the windowsill in a death grip, clasping it with his own. She started, surprised, and normally this would have caused him to pull away, normally with a red face borne of her reaction. This time, however, he held firm. It didn't feel awkward or unnatural, and the action seemed to calm her as her shoulders relaxed and she sighed, rubbing her face tiredly with the hand that was not in Ash's.

"Don't be," he repeated, assuring her. "There's nothing to worry about." He smiled. "Me, you, and Brock…we always seem to make it through. As long as we stick together, nothing will go wrong."

Chapter 5 will be completed hopefully the week after Christmas. We'll see how it goes with my work schedule.

I hope everyone who celebrates has a healthy and happy holiday! And enjoy the time off for anyone who doesn't celebrate. ;-)

As always, feedback and reviews are appreciated! Until next time!