Broken Hearts

A Pokémon FanFic

By Destiny & Fate United

Disclaimer: I do not own and do not claim to own any of the characters or Pokémon that belong the Pokémon franchise.

Chapter V: Untimely Resolutions

Tracing her fingers along the water's edge, Misty watched with sullen interest as her Pokémon moved about freely and joyfully, each one paying close attention to her every expression and action. Chilling sensations ran through her body, each one colder than the last. The very thought of forgetting her past was not easing, but something else was worrying her for the first time, something stronger than her desire to be wrapped in the arms of Ash Ketchum.

Sighing, as though the very effort was draining her soul, Misty stood up and headed for the kitchen, her own mind far away from the now empty shell walking around the Gym arena. The same swirling emotion flooded her dreams; it had to be the world itself. These dreams had only begun when he left, and now he was back, they were becoming worse. Each night she woke in a cold sweat, each one involving Ash falling to his doom again and again, each time Misty was unable to move a muscle. And each time, she felt that familiar and painful snapping of something so close to her; her heart.

That was her reason, her main excuse to avoid him; she would not watch the one flame in her life extinguish itself upon the brutality and cruelty of life. She opened her eyes to see the mug she was holding had fallen to the floor. Cursing her stupidity aloud, she picked up the broken pieces and threw them into the bin. How symbolic; she turned away and felt the water run down her face.

BH

Turning on the spot, Ash slammed his fist into the man's gut, the whisper of air leaving his lungs before he fell to the ground. Dragging him silently into the bushes surrounding the local store, Ash removed his clothes and put them on, resuming the guards post beside the other one, now donned by Gary who resumed his post opposite Ash. The guards around the area had been swift; there was no doubt about it. But what had surprised them was how fast it had been. The outer regions of Cerulean had already been seized, the main sections of the town under lock and key, the right officials payed off and the key players all on their side. Team Rocket had moved swiftly, and now effectively controlled most of the town.

However, they went by something else these days. Ash shuddered as his mind raced; two people, a man and a woman moved passed, nodding towards the newly clothed pair only slightly before continuing their rounds of the city. The town's people walked past them, slowly and carefully, watching suspiciously all the while. Gary moved slightly, his hand indicating to move into the store. Nodding, Ash took one last look around before dashing into the store. Removing the clothes, Ash walked towards the counter, the familiar happy girl greeting him cautiously before turning the store lights off.

"Well, he is doing ok, but perhaps you should move elsewhere? I can't afford to have the guards checking my store all the time; they could become suspicious," she whispered as Gary and Ash followed her into the cellar. A small click indicated the store had shut, leaving them alone in silence.

"That was easier than we thought. But even then, this is becoming more and more dangerous Ash; we should just leave and move north. This place will go under soon anyway," Gary groaned, his body tired and eyes weary as he slumped against the corridor.

Ash sighed and kept going. Gary was right, but he was not going to leave until all options were tried; even if it meant risking his own life. But he would not risk the others; he had come of his own will and so had they. They could leave if the time came.

"Suck it up Gary and keep moving. I thought you were tougher than this," he smirked as Gary felt the rush of adrenaline kick in.

Clanging and sounds of busy Pokémon greeted Ash's ears as light began to grow dimmer around them. They had been going all day so far, and the progress amazed even Ash, not that he expected less from the great rock trainer. Walking into a slightly larger corridor carved from the surrounding rock, Ash watched as Brock marshalled his troops, barking orders and directing the digging scraps into neat piles while also having Vulpix move around, her fur coat glowing radiantly as she nuzzled away happily near Brock's backpack. Walking towards him, Ash felt a small yellow mouse jump onto his shoulder once more, sniff, and then lick him affectionately.

"It's good to see you too buddy," Ash smiled as Brock turned around, the sweat dripping from his forehead rapidly.

"You certainly took your time Ash; I thought you were meant to be a master of sabotage."

Ash shot a glare at Brock who simply smiled. "My mistake then; but remember, if you make another mistake, I will not be there to bail you out again Ash."

Gary whistled as he looked around, the girl following behind him tentatively. "Not bad Brock. How far are we now?"

"We are roughly two Onix lengths away from the Gym itself. Although, it could be harder if we run into another pipe problem; Onix can only take so much water."

The giant rock snake looked at Brock and nodded, resuming the digging with such interest Ash wondered if Onix even remembered that this was serious, and not a simple playground exercise. Rubbing his eyes, Ash felt the weight of the world creep upon him again. The same words moved replayed themselves in his mind, each time causing Gary to wake him up in a cold sweat. It shouldn't be worth worrying, but Ash couldn't help it. The town was darker than when he had first seen it, Pokémon acting strangely all around the town borders, but nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet; except for that death in Vermillion.

It had been three hours since he and Gary had arrived down in the tunnel, and still the girl had said nothing. She sat alone, watching every now and then but never saying a word. Once or twice Ash could have sworn he saw her look scared, but it didn't last long. Scratching behind Pikachu's ears, Ash felt the little Pokémon vibrate happily. He smiled and stopped, rubbing his hands to try and keep the circulation moving through his body.

"Pikachu, you can stop vibrating buddy," he said. A small mutter from Pikachu removed his confirmation and he looked around. The cavern had begun to shake.

Brock rushed to the front, his eyes filled with horror as boulders and stones began to fall to the ground, slamming into Geodude and Onix with such force it sent sickening sounds of crunching around the cavern. Gary was already rushing to the front as Ash joined him, both grasping their pokéballs before launching them into the fray. Popping out from the ball, Wartortle screamed to life, shooting out ice as it tried to prevent the further collapse. A raging Glaceon joined him, launching her own ice at the structure. Onix was trying to keep the boulders away, Brock jumping onto his back to help guide him. Slowly but surely the rumbling of the boulders eased up. The trio sighed in relief before Brock felt a drop of water on his arm. Looking up, the drips quickly turned to a flood. Crying out, the trio braced themselves for the end.

BH

Already mid afternoon, Misty stood out the front of the gym, embracing the final warmth of the rays from her balcony, trying to forget about the challengers who had left angrily this morning after discovering the Gym was closed. Smiling, she was interrupted by another girl, one much older and far more fashionable than Misty would ever care to be. Without a word, she stood beside Misty, taking in the warmth too as she sighed deeply.

"Still thinking about him?" Lilly said absentmindedly, her heart rejoicing at seeing her little sister look away, most presumably to blush.

"No. He is only a friend, and that is how it will stay Lilly," she quietly muttered back, trying to cool her face desperately.

Lilly sighed, sitting down on one of the chairs. "Misty, why are you fighting against your feelings for him?"

Misty finally faced her, her back resting against the railing. "What's left to fight for Lilly? Everything we have ever known has changed. Everything good has been destroyed or morphed into something unrecognisable. Ash has changed; he's not the same boy I fell in love with long ago."

"Maybe he has; but so have you sis. The two of you were naive back then; you have seen more in your short lives than most people get to see in their entire life. The places you have been, people you have meet and the things you have seen have become a part of who you are; we only ever grow through our experiences Misty," Lilly replied, her voice calm and gentle which made it hard for Misty to retort.

"Ash has done things Lilly that scare me; his whole attitude to life…it scares me. I can't be near him; his life is chaotic, unstable and downright dangerous," Misty spat.

"This is why you love him all the more. You have to stop making excuses Misty. No just listen; Ash has become something else since he lost his mother and the Professor, and who wouldn't? Gary has changed too; they lost the closest people they dearly loved and it has changed them. I am not defending what Ash and Gary have done, but I am telling you that their lives have changed not through actions they had control over. Misty, whether you would like to believe it or not, the more you accept what Ash has become, the more you will find that he has not changed from what he once was; the more you fight it Misty, the worse you will become."

Misty glared at her, daring her to say another word. "I can't accept what he has done. Ash is not my life anymore; I am a Gym leader now. If he wants to run off with another girl I don't care. He can do what he wants, as long as he leaves me alone."

"The problem still remains though Misty, you still love him."

Misty stormed off, leaving Lilly to bask in the glowing rays. Not caring for anything else, Misty raged into her room, the slamming door echoing throughout the gym. Pillows flew through the room, her blankets torn from her bed as her anger boiled over. Misty screamed in fury as objects flew through her room, crunching themselves into her walls. Like a banshee she wailed, the pillow ripped to shreds as her hands blazed with hatred. Ash had destroyed her life once, and here he was again, wrecking and hurting her once content life. He had to pay for what he had done to her; she had tried to love him, tried to accept him but he was too broken, too different from what she once knew. Infuriated, she kicked the lamp stand to the other side of the room, the sickening shattering of glass causing Misty to come to her senses.

Tentatively, cautiously and slowly she moved to the broken remains. Collapsing to her knees, she touched the stand, the softness and quietness of the room the only thing that kept her from yelling out in anger. The stand, made of softly crafted glass was now a shattered remain, the soft glistening from the light in her room casting rays of various colours around her. The lamp had been a gift from a dear friend. She collected it up in her arms and cried to herself. Crafted into the shape of two entwining bodies, the lamp had been a gift from Ash for her birthday two years ago.

The lamp had been her dearest memory of their time together; having convinced her to pose for the photo, Ash had then left for a day or two before returning, his motives hidden and avoided as she had pestered him. Once the day of her birthday rolled around though, it became clear what it had been. Given breakfast in bed by Ash, she had been surprised to find a gift also on the tray. Uncovering the gift, she could still remember letting out a cry of shock, her face turning red as she watched Ash fall to the floor laughing. After telling him off though, she had smiled. He had explained everything to her and was near tears as she thanked him again.

But now, looking at the crumpled remains, she cried. Tears cascaded down her face and onto the broken lamp, the figures broken beyond repair. Gently, she put it onto her bedside table and lay down, the tears stopping slightly as she watched the ceiling. Ash had tried to save her repeatedly during their travels, even when she wanted to leave him and set out on her own adventure. She couldn't stand though to be away from him; there was something about him, something about his presence that made her want to stay. He had changed though; she could still feel the touch and taste of his lips on hers, the scintillating enjoyment flooding her body once more as she fantasised over him.

Shaking her head, she rolled over, trying desperately to erase the memory from her mind. But while she tried to erase it, the more the memory began to replay in her mind, eventually extending her time now. Ash had never taken notice of her before, and now when he was trying to resurrect their relationship, was she the one breaking him? She had blamed him for ruining her life, but he had not done that on his own terms. Her coldness to him, her rejection of his love for her…her heart aching Misty got up, her mind now clear. Ash needed her help. Hastily, she grabbed her bag and filled it up, placing her clothing and supplies in rather hastily before collecting her pokéballs. Moving to her closest though, she paused for a second, unsure of what to wear. She would not wear the tomboyish clothing of past years, and instead choose something more suitable for travel.

Putting on a blue tight fitting t-shirt, she kept a black vest over the top of it, while putting on dark blue jeans which held tightly to her body. She needed to be flexible and be comfortable, while being able to move freely. Tying her waist length hair into a ponytail, Misty grabbed her bag and headed out into the Gym area. She would say goodbye to her sisters before she left, she owed them that much. Expecting no one in the kitchen she walked in, she placed her bag onto the table before heading to the fridge, taking some of the food to have on her journey. She was going to try and find Ash somehow, even if she had to search the ends of the earth for him.

"So our little sis has come to her senses finally," Violet smirked as Misty turned around in surprise, dropping her food onto the floor.

"I guess it was only a matter of time like you said Lilly; she loves that hunk of a man too much," Daisy teased as Misty's face began to turn red.

"For your information, I am going to save Ash's arse before he does something stupid and gets himself killed," she yelled, sending the two sisters into a fit of giggles.

"I'm sure you will be looking out for his arse," Daisy retorted, narrowly dodging a flying piece of cheese that instead plastered itself onto Violet's laughing face.

"Girls leave her alone, Misty is following her heart," Lilly said, joining the two sisters already in the kitchen.

"What? Are you saying we don't follow ours? What about that vacation we just had? If we did not follow our hearts we would have been stuck here for years," Violet spat back as Daisy backed her up.

"You two do follow your hearts, but only when the new hottie in the room happens to glance your way, suggesting that he make you another one of the girls on his list," Lilly smirked, the two sisters turning to a familiar red their younger sister had already done.

"Misty go for it; we will be here to back you up," Lilly said.

Misty smiled and nodded. Placing the food into her bag, she exited the kitchen and headed for the pool, needing to make one last stop before she left. Nearing the pool, she grabbed her pokéball and smiled; it had been a while, but Gyarados would love the chance to explore the world once again. However, she stopped at the pool and paused. Something was wrong. The water in the pool was moving more than usual. Bending down to examine it she gasped, watching the water from the pool slowly drain from a crack in the pool. She was about to call out for her sisters until she heard them cry out.

"Misty, did you invite someone here?" Daisy asked, causing Misty to frown.

"No, what do they look like?"

"They are dressed in black covert gear and are carrying…Get down!" she cried out as the men opened fire. Bullets shattered the entrance to the Gym, shouts from the men ringing out in the entrance as they raided the front doors. The Gym on red alert, the siren wailed as doors to the area began to seal them off. The three sisters joined Misty by the pool, the crack opening and allowing a slab of the pool to fall away. They screamed as the gun fire continued its assault on the defences of the Gym, only droned out through the sound of explosions. Watching the water leave in horror, Misty thought she could hear gasping and cries for people that sounded familiar begin to reach their ears.

"That sounds like…" Daisy started.

"But it couldn't be," Violet muttered.

A large bird, graceful and majestic flew up from the hole, the person on the back gasping for air. Landing onto the pool side, the trainer dismounted and looked towards them. Ash Ketchum stood before them, his characteristic grin looking back at them. Hurriedly followed behind him came Brock and Gary, and a rather scared and shocked girl. Misty ran and embraced Ash, spinning around on the spot as the remainder of the group smiled. Gun fire and shouts of threats continued to plague the arena as the explosions grew closer.

"Misty, what's going on?" he asked, the three girls running towards Gary and Brock.

"No time Ash; where does this tunnel go to?"

"One of the local stores; who is making all that noise?" he asked as they mounted Pidgeot, Violet and Daisy joining Gary on his while Lilly and the shocked store girl teamed up with Brock on top of Onix.

Misty turned to him grimly. "Team Rocket."

Nodding, Ash whistled. Gary nodded and took off into the cavern, followed closely by Brock who held on tightly to the girl with Lilly's help. Ash and Misty nodded as Pikachu clambered onto Ash's back. A rupturing where the kitchen was made them pause as men and women entered the arena, their guns aiming squarely at Ash and Misty. Flying up, Pidgeot managed to avoid most of the bullets before dashing into the pool, the confused guards clambering towards the pool with haste.

Inside, the duo raced after the other two groups, their advantage good enough to allow a steady flight towards the exit. A bullet raced past Ash's head, causing him to turn around and see the guards had already made their way down. Cursing himself, he carefully prised Wartortle from the ball, yelling to create and ice shield behind them. Obeying, the Pokémon shot out a wall of ice, covering a part of the cavern in a six-inch ice wall.

He smiled; a jab into his back made him think otherwise. Misty gripped him tightly as the water form earlier began to move back towards them. "Hold on Mist," he cried as the water began to fly back towards them. On instinct he made her fly higher, making it harder to get any wing movement above. Ash was about to move down when he saw it; a large dragon-like-serpent with glittering aqua scales was moving towards them, his eyes mad with glee and mouth wide open in anticipation of an easy meal.

"Gyarados, hydro pump!" she cried.

A jet stream of water sprayed forth, forcing the current to remain low as they passed over head. Returning the Pokémon, Misty held on tightly. Ash prayed and held his breath as the final wall of water descended upon them. "Hope you aren't afraid of getting wet Ash," Misty smirked.

Pidgeot tucked in her wings and flew into it. Almost as if on cue, Ash opened his eyes and looked around. He couldn't hear anything; the soft calming blue world moved around him forcibly, but not by choice. It moved over him almost like a blanket, warming him but only slightly as the breath in his lungs began to give way. He could feel the compression grow, his view cloudy and blurry with the pressure growing for air. Misty nudged him again, this time pointing ahead of him. Light glowed brightly, making him dig his heels into Pidgeot. The bird, already struggling against the current began to shot through the water faster, causing Ash to grip her tightly. Seconds passed, his breathing escalating, his heart rate rising…the light grew, his eyes closing as the world faded to black. Misty felt the almost dagger like icy air shoot through her system as Pidgeot broke through the wave. Scouting ahead, she saw Glaceon ease her hydro pump, returning to Gary who smiled, but quickly turned to worry.

She didn't understand; what was going on? Nudging Ash, she expected a response. Instead, his limp body flopped, his head resting on her shoulder. Panic set in; ordering her down, Pidgeot landed swiftly allowing Misty to jump off and onto the ground with Ash. Laying him up against the closest rock, she began to strike his chest, pounding footsteps behind her bringing cries of concern. Gary slid next to Ash, checking his pulse hastily as Misty continued to strike his chest and breathe into his mouth. Gary tried slapping him, but it was no use. Misty kept going; she couldn't give up on him now, not when she needed him. Gary moved back slightly, Brock joining the scene along with the girls. Already in shock, Misty kept going, trying desperately to resuscitate him. Tears began to streak down her face; hitting him in the chest, she cried out. Gary tried to comfort her but a look of deepest loathing from her red and angry face stopped him in his tracks.

Hitting him once more, Misty began to pound him; he was not going to leave her. "Damn you Ash!" she hollered, sending chills down everyone's spines. Slumping, she cried, her eyes not leaving the blue turning face of Ash Ketchum. Brock put his hand on her shoulder, Daisy stifling a cry behind her unsuccessfully. Gary stood up, his eyes closed and hands shaking. Ash was gone.

BH

The carnage and chaos surrounding the Gym arena was unbelievable. Everywhere he looked there were grunts running in circles; some were moving forward while others looked as though they had been to the front lines of a war and back. Although this was not far from the truth; they were all in the middle of one, and though no one said it, they all wished it would end. But to speak it would break moral, would crush and lay waste to all that they had achieved so far. He was experienced, campaigned and learnt in the art of war. But even this was beyond him. How the children had escaped his grasp again was astounding. He should have expected it though; they were exceedingly good…

"James," said a shrill, but amazingly feminie voice.

He turned his gaze, now meeting the familiar and once proud rocket known as Jessie. Having already established herself as a capable fighter and leader in the war, James sighed, knowing the chance of meeting up with her and reminiscing over old times would be close to impossible. How he missed her.

"Jessie; what is the status of the operation? You know how much the boss despises failure, especially after his changing of this group's name."

She shuddered; everyone knew the new name off by heart, but no one would say it. They preferred the title of Team Rocket, and wished they had never left the name to begin with. But with the resistance seeing the Rocket as nothing more than pity crooks, Giovanni had taken unusual steps, removing the title and establishing himself and the new group as hardened warriors, each one capable to taking ten men to the grave before they died. She shuddered to think of the last unfortunate soldier who asked to leave the frontlines.

"It is good; the Gym is secured, but none of the inhabitants are accounted for. From reports gathered from the initial wave of soldiers, it would seem they used the tunnel as their escape route. And well, they cannot move forward now."

James raised his eye brow and shook his head. "Ice tunnel again?"

Jessie nodded. "A specialty of one boy; Ash Ketchum," James sighed, scratching his head.

"Are you positive it was him?"

"Inspect the design for yourself; we had enough trouble in the past with him to know his trademark inside and out, back to front and through glancing at it we can deduce who it is. Remind me who the target was this time," he said absentmindedly as he began to walk towards the pool edge.

Hurrying after him, Jessie wiped the sweat from her brow. "The Gym leader of Cerulean; the exact reason unsure, she was required for some testing at request of Giovanni."

Standing over the wreckage of the pool, James frowned at the design. Jessie, seeing his look of interest mixed with worry tried to understand what it was that sparked his curiosity. Removing some of the broken debris, they had begun to bring in pick axes and other methods of ice breaking, including an incredibly upset and angry Magmar. He shook his head; it did not make sense.

"What is it that worries you James?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Somehow, this was not intentional; no one would seek to break through the pool of the Gym, not since we took control of the town four hours ago. They would have pushed up through there," he said pointing to a vacant spot three metres from the north end of the pools end.

"So the twerp did not mean to help them escape intentionally?"

"My thoughts exactly; perhaps luck has aided them this time," he muttered, sitting on the edge of the pool.

"Luck seems to run thick with this boy; it cannot last forever anyway. Sooner or later we will catch him once and for all and remove his trace from the face of the earth, then shall people fear our dominance," Jessie smiled.

The two sat silently for a while, their own minds racing against the other. James stared at the pool; it was beginning to sink in, but even after all the years he had spent in training, he was having a hard time adjusting to what he knew was true in his heart.

"Have you ever seen a sunset?" he whispered softly. Caught off guard, Jessie blushed, amazed and in awe of how soft he could be when he chose it.

"Of course, who hasn't?"

"No, I am asking if you have seen it set."

Confused, she looked to him, his face remaining glued to the hole in the ground. "What are you implying here James? Of course I have seen it set."

"Then you know this will not last."

"We will win James."

"We may, but at what cost Jessie? Just like the sun sets, this empire will fold. It is shown throughout history time and time again. No empire can last forever," he said as grunts passed by, muttering about labour and lack of payment options.

"But this one shall."

"Why?"

Jessie didn't say anything, her gaze focussed on the men removing rubble and trying to contain the blazing Pokémon. "No matter what Giovanni may promise the world as we know it will crumble, falling away into the darkness from once it came. This war is nothing but Giovanni's way of demanding his ideas be taught and seen as good; his intention is domination. The twerp, although he stands against us, is going to save the world. Nature must balance itself out. The sunset will be the end of the empire, the end of Giovanni's tyranny and of Team Rocket. We cannot go on forever like this Jessie; wars will sprout the minute this one is ours."

Jessie felt her face became heavy and worn, the years taking their toll on her. "Why this now James; what changed?"

"Everything," he muttered, the soldiers managing to lower the Pokémon into the hole.

"I should report you for plotting and conspiring against Team…that name. Spreading descent throughout our ranks is not allowed James, by no one," she retorted, her blood racing.

"You will hold your tongue Jessie, especially after your run in with certain members of the eighth squad."

Standing up, he turned to leave, satisfied with the progress being made as roars from the tunnel made him grin. "It was only a thought. Watch the sun."

Walking away, Jessie sighed, her attention diverted back to the crack in the pool. Having seen James go from lonely and cold to one of the most respected and most powerful men in the entire organisation, she felt distant to him. She could remember sharing food with him, huddling together in their crashed balloons and trying to keep warm while creating their new plan to capture Pikachu. But these last few weeks had changed him; he wasn't cold and ruthless anymore. He had become more collected and more distracted from the goals. He was thinking more and more, this being another example. She just wished he would stop and return to what he was good at; being the head and representative of Giovanni.

BH

Gary looked over the scene, feeling detached from what he saw. Brock was shaken, his body trembling from head to toe with Lilly cuddling into him, her sobs evident over all the others. Daisy and Violet held each other, both crying softly trying to keep themselves together, watching intently Gary who could only feel the numbness and emptiness at seeing him go. His rival and best friend lay still before him, not moving or breathing. Ash was dead. All the attention focussed not on him though; the girl he had loved was on her knees, her face broken and cold. Tears streaked down her face. Gary couldn't begin to understand how she felt; she had now lost everything close to her. He wanted to move and help her up, but she would not move. Brock was the first to say something.

"Misty we need to go," Brock's voice barely registering in her mind.

Lilly tried to move her, but Misty would not go. Her eyes remained glued to him.

"He isn't dead," she muttered.

"Misty, we came to save you. Ash would want us to get you to safety," Brock said as Gary began moving the remainder of the girls to the exit.

"Why?"

The group paused, turning to Misty who remained on the spot. "You need to be protected; you have something that will change the war."

"What are you talking about?" Misty asked.

"You have a power Misty; Professor Oak mentioned it in his research when we checked his lab. He mentioned a Gym leader, to be precise the Cerulean Gym leader was given an untold power and being the Gym leader it was handed down to you."

"What power? Now you are not making sense."

"It is in the shape of a jewel; the actually size isn't specified, or what it actually looks like," Brock said, moving closer to Misty.

"Brock what are you-"

Before he could move to her, Lilly moved towards Ash, her face suddenly serious and focussed. Brock stood aside, watching Lilly kneel next to Ash and remove a water drop shaped jewel from her pocket. Misty tried to speak but stopped as her sister placed it above Ash and let it go. Hovering in mid air, the jewel began to spin, casting green glow around Ash's body, sealing away from human contact. Misty scampered towards him; held back by her sister, she looked on helplessly as Ash's body began to glow bright green. His chest began to move; eyes flying open, Ash gasped for air hungrily, his breathing slowly down once the green wall around him eased down back into the aqua blue gem. Misty hugged him tightly as Lilly picked the floating jewel from midair.

"What did you just do?" Gary asked, causing Misty to suspend her hugging.

"Saved Ash's life; the jewel Brock mentioned was in my care, because once Misty left on her journey, the three of us became the Gym leaders. I took it more seriously than the others, so I was given the jewel for safe keeping," she replied, Brock hanging off her every word.

"If you had it, why didn't you tell us you knew about it?"

"Safety measures; if anyone realised what this was how would I live in peace with my sisters?"

Gary shrugged and helped Ash up, allowing Misty to move towards her sister. "It is overdue little sis, but this gem rightfully belongs to the Gym leader of Cerulean city," Lilly said, handing the gem over to Misty.

Looking over it, Misty felt slightly cold, the jewel making her feel as though she was surrounded by water, each moment cold yet calm. She examined it in the light, Ash spluttering behind her softly. Mainly aqua with emerald streaks through it, Misty thought she caught a glimpse of a face. Shaking her head, she placed it into her zipped up pocket and began to help Ash up the stairs. The group neared the exit when gunfire erupted around them again. Ricochets missed Misty by inches, screams of war chants filling the cavern; they had broken through. Misty gripped Ash tightly and with Gary raced up the stairs. A scream from in front made them stop, but were forced through by the girls behind them. Bursting into the store, Misty collapsed into a corner with Ash and Gary, Brock helping the others up before allowing Geodude to sit on top of the metal makeshift trap door. Letting her out, Vulpix yawned softly, looking around before starting to lick her master.

"Vulpix, flamethrower," Brock asked softly.

Smiling, she opened her mouth and began to melt the door into the surrounding tiles. Sweltering heat flooded the area, the rest covering their eyes except for Brock who watched the progress closely. It would not hold, but it would have to do. Returning her, he walked to the front of the store, leaving Misty to remove Ash from the hold. She stood beside him, trying to figure out what it was that he was thinking.

"You know we can't stay here Misty; we need to leave here now," he whispered, loud enough only for her to hear. She nodded in agreement; the sooner they left the safer and greater chance they would have.

"Lilly! What's wrong with your stomach?"

Misty turned around and ran to the voice; something inside her made her react on instinct, pushing even the thought of escape from her mind. Racing to her side, Misty stood over Lilly, held closely by a sobbing Violet and a dumbstruck Daisy. The store girl was already out the front door and into the streets, running for home before anything else happened to her. Misty tried to cover the wound, but watching Lilly gasp for breath, she knew it would be hard to escape here now.

Ash, finally coming to his senses, stood up, leaving Gary who had sat still since moving into the store. Dizzily and hazily he walked towards the four girls, swaying slightly as he sat down next to Misty. Seeing the blood, he began to feel sick.

"What happened?" he asked gently, watching Misty as he tears began to flow more steadily.

"Lilly has been hit; the bullet is still in her stomach. If I can't stop the bleeding, she will die. If she dies, we can't escape," she replied as thudding from the other side of the trapdoor grew louder and louder. Gritting her teeth, Lilly looked to Misty her face becoming paler with each second. Shouts and thumps grew, but Misty held her gaze with her sister.

"Don't regret it Mist," she stuttered. Her eyes closed, her breathing becoming fainter and fainter. Misty shook her; no response. Misty cried out, the pokéball on her side instantly in her hand. Her bravest sister, the only one who had ever understood her and tried to involve her in their lives, the only one who had told her the truth when she did not want to hear it was gone. Lilly of the famous three Cerulean sisters was dead.

BH

A/N: Sorry for such a long wait, but I didn't really know where to go with the story for a while there. Anyway, now that Misty has the power, can she control it? As always, please review as it helps to keep the story going. If anyone can point out anything I may have missed so far it would be greatly appreciated. The next chapter won't take as long to post; hopefully. Until then, have fun!