The next few days passed by in a blur of training my pokemon who had not been injured, catching up with friends and meeting Ash's and later Brock's new Pokémon when he made it to the compound a few days later. Brock had to stay in Sinnoh for a few days later than Ash as he had a few things to take care of; none the less I was stoked to have him back and greeted him with a hug overlayed with sisterly affection.

Both the boys were staying in the Ketchum residence. This delighted Delia and she couldn't stop smiling and cooing about having her boy home and his best friends along with him. While she was extremely sympathetic and concerned for me and my situation, this didn't stop her cheery mood and honesty, I was glad it didn't stop this, in her eyes, momentous occasion from bring much needed joy to her. Since I had taken up residence over in the Oak compound I had visited Delia frequently; a fact that thrilled the woman who had become more like a mother to me over the years I had been running the gym. Since I had moved back to Kanto to take over my gym I frequently made visits to her whenever I visited the aging professor.

Currently me and my prior travelling companions were relaxing out in the grass. A soaring tree provided us shade while simultaneously generously providing homes for some of the flying types that lived on the property. The sky was a blank blue canvas above us with only a few blotches of clouds languidly cruising by. The sun's rays danced over our bodies and seeped into our skin warming us up despite the curtains of wind that swept the area.

I opened an eye and stretched my body out lethargically, releasing my muscles from the cramp that claimed them. I sighed, relishing in the warmth and the serenity that came only in the presence of the two guys beside me. I shut my eyes again and snuggled into the warmth of the earth and let myself fall slowly into a slumber….

I was then rudely awoken by a water gun to the face.

I gasped as the frigid water contacted my heated skin. After the shock of the gelid water had left my system I couldn't help but laugh as I saw my stupefied and freezing friends beside me. I followed their line of vision and couldn't stop the laugher bubbling and releasing it as I saw my politoed and croconaw laughing. The pair of them were bracing themselves on their knees, laughter wracking their forms and they only paused to grin at me when they saw me looking.

"What's the big idea soakin' us!" Ash shouted, standing up and glaring at my mischievous team members.

"Yea, can't you see we are relaxing?" A frustrated brock asked glaring disapprovingly at my still amused Pokémon.

Shaking my head, I heaved myself onto my feet and ignoring their confused looks I sauntered over to my Pokémon. Raising my eyebrow and tapping my foot they had the sense to avoid eye contact with me and sheepishly stop laughing.

"Well Croconaw, Politoed care to explain?" I said keeping my face neutral to stop the laughter from escaping and instead fought to school my face into a look of disapproval.

"Croc, con, croconaw, co, naw! My croconaw said feverishly while looking at me pleadingly.

At such a display, I couldn't stop the grin from taking over my features and both my Pokémon visibly relaxed. Shaking my head, I told them I wasn't mad but to not do that in the future to which they nodded. With the discipline over I crouched now and hugged them both at the same time, thanking them for trying to cheer me up. They smiled and nodded at me before nuzzling me. I giggled and smiled as they both jumped back into the water no doubt going to try antagonize one of my more serious team members.

Shaking my head, I returned to my confused friends and sighed before smiling at them and lying back down on the ground.

"Um Misty what was that about? And since when did you have a Croconaw?" Ash asked confusion clearly colouring his words.

"Come to think of it Misty you have a lot of new Pokémon, where did you get them all from when you've been at the gym?" Brock asked also returning to his seat leaning against the tree.

I sighed, wishing desperately that I could go back to the serenity that had claimed me before. I opened one eye, eerily reminiscent of a certain mischievous croc pokemon of mine and with that one look I knew that wouldn't be an option, if their inquisitive expressions were any indication.

"Well Ash they are my more mischievous Pokémon and that was their way of trying to cheer me up as I've been a bit down recently" I explained. I had to look away and ignore the looks my two friends cast each other at my obvious confession.

"As for how I got Croconaw and the rest of my newer Pokémon It's a long story, you sure you wanna hear it?" I paused to assess their reactions and when they both nodded I continued.

"I'll start with my new Kanto Pokémon. I often train in the seafoam islands to strengthen both myself and my team. I went there one day to train up Dewgong who was at the time a little Seel and with my newly evolved Cloyster. While there I was followed through the cave by a little Krabby who once I noticed him following us decided to challenged us. Initially I didn't want to capture him but he put up such a valiant fight against Cloyster I just had to! At the same time, I saw a little Slowpoke who was separated from the rest and I had wanted a Slowking for a while so caught him to." I said a smile taking over my features once I finished recounting my story.

"After training them up for a few weeks I went to the beach to do some deep- sea training with Gyarados. While getting him to practice freezing waves as they got near use I noticed there was the most beautiful Tentacool trapped in a net! We saved him and it was love at first sight, we didn't even battle him he wanted to come with us" I exclaimed clasping my hands together, my eyes shining with happiness. In my happiness haze I payedno notice to my male companions who were shaking their heads at my display.

"Vaporeon was a different story. Do you remember my friend Sakura? We met her and her 4 sisters on our journey?" I paused ignoring Brock fangirling in the corner and professing his love to a tree not realizing it wasn't the girls.

"Well after coming and defeating me for my badge she later came by for a visit and we became close friends. One trip she came by and had an eevee egg. She explained she didn't want another Eevee and knew I wanted a Vaporeon so she gave him to me. It was one of the happiest moments of my life" I said smiling when the aforementioned eeveelution came darting over and rubbed himself against me.

"My Blastoise was a gift from the professor when a year and a half ago, I reached Kantos top gym leader. He was a little squirtle who no one had picked that year as he was a runt so he gave him to me to train. Since then he has become one of my strongest battlers" I said while stroking vaporeon who had fallen asleep in my lap.

"Lapras I found separated from her pod and being tormented by hunters. Not only did I save Lapras and get the hunters arrested but the beautiful creature decided to join me as she was so thankful and lonely" I said sadness coating my words. My confession caused the others to gasp and righteous anger to contort their features. I nodded at them, reminiscing about my own abject fury at the treatment of the poor pokemon. My anger slowly melted away when I thought about how amazing she was and how great it was to have another team member in the ice enclosure to accompany my other ice dwelling member. Or how great it was I reminded myself mentally.

"Poliwrath I caught while training at a freshwater lake as a poliwag. I wasn't going to capture him but he took a liking to us like Krabby did in the Seafoam islands. I didn't actually catch him, when I wasn't looking he went into my bag and caught himself! Imagine my surprise when I found a full pokeball when I got home. I decided having a half fighting type would be helpful and he wanted to become one so now I have both evolutions of poliwag." I said finishing with a laugh at their expressions of amusement and as I recounted the story. Predictably ash got all haughty as I used to tease him for catching pokemon in this manner, but I just smiled and ignored him and carried on with my tale.

"I caught my Johto Pokémon when I took a journey there when the league challenge was on about a year and a half ago. Croconaw I received about a year ago, from the professor there as payment for letting him use my poliwag evolutions for his research. I'm over talking now so I'll tell you the individual stories of the rest of them later okay?" I said looking at them for confirmation before lying back and accepting Vaporeon's attempt to snuggle into my chest.

Before long I was asleep again. The warmth of the sun and the gentle lapping of the water lulled me back into dreamland. Vaporeon never left my side and I was dimly aware of Ash leaving when his Bayleaf came over to being him to the rest of his team.

I smiled to myself in my sleep as I rested under the watchful eye of my pokemon and Brock and let myself think maybe, just maybe everything would be okay.

All thoughts of peace were rudely snatched away from me that night when the professor came stumbling in. His face was red and he was breathless from his obvious exhaustion. Despite his exertion there was an alertness in his eyes that quickly drained any thoughts of sleeps from my mind.

"Professor?" I asked sitting up in bed and covering my body with my blankets. All around me my Pokémon team were stirring.

"I'm sorry to awaken you Misty so late at night however once I tell you my news… I think you will forgive me" he said between shallow breaths; all the while leaning on his knees as he fought to regain his composure.

Irritation blossomed inside me even as I fought to control it. However, it constantly wrestled out from my control no matter how hard I tried to tame it. Can you blame me? Who likes being woken at… whatever time this is. I grumbled mentally as I grew more frustrated by the second.

"Well Professor? What happened" I asked while he finally got his composure back.

He stared at me a second. His eyes were a combination of terror, fear and... pity? I fought to wrap my head around what had caused his surge of emotion in the normally mild tempered professor however nothing had prepared me for his next words.

I froze. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I couldn't react any other way as the realization that a war was coming flooded any control I had over my own body and thoughts.

"What?" I croaked weakly, desperately hoping I had misheard him. Everyone did say my ears and brain was gonna get waterlogged and for once I desperately hoped this was the case. One look at the normally well composed professor was enough to assure me sadly what he had said was real and no amount of wishful thinking could change it.

Because the unthinkable had happened

Celadon gym had been attacked.

Hey everyone hope you liked the update to Pathways! Finally, some more action is happening and some foreshadowing is happening. More drama will occur next chapter which I have just started writing. I know I said I wasn't going to update for a while but I decided I needed to give you guys some action.

Now I'm not normally one to do this but if you have the time and desire please leave a review, the only way I can improve is if you guys let me know what you think. Doesn't have to be anything lengthy but it's always nice to know people are reading and enjoying. Hope I'm not being too pushy but if you don't ask you don't receive, right? *hides behind computer*

Anyway, I'll try release the next update sometime next week so stay tuned for that! Have a great day everyone and hope you enjoyed.

Shadows