Team Rocket sloshed through the muddy puddles that covered the wet path. The rain hadn't given a hint of stopping any time soon, and they were all scanning the forest for decent cover from the rain.
Suddenly, there was a rustling noise in the grass several feet ahead.
"Did you guys hear that?" Meowth asked in suspicion.
"Naw...let's get to cover! We're going to get pneumonia or something at this point!" Jessie remarked.
"OK...it musta just been the rain, or something."
They splashed onward, James holding tight to Jessie now so they could feel a little warmer, and they walked past a large tree with low hanging branches ans a huge trunk . "Well, well, well...this is the best cover I've seen!" James commented, crawling under it's boughs.
"Yes...finally, I can get dry!" Jessie told them, settling down.
They began to relax a little, sitting by the trunk. The water that had soaked them was starting to dry now, too.
"I really could've swore that I heard something..." Meowth went on.
"Out here?" Jessie asked, "No one else could be out here now. Nah, no one's that crazy except us!"
Meowth shrugged, leaning against the tree. He leaned down in the grass, and then held something up to Jessie and James. "Maybe...the owner of this," he said.
James gasped at the sight of the little electronic book he held. He snatched it away, examining it. "It's...it's that kids' PokeDex! Look...he left it here...must have dropped it! That means..."
"Look--the grass looks trampled over here!" Jessie pointed to the grassy area behind the tree.
Without further hesitation, Team Rocket hopped up and was searching the surrounding forest for more signs of the kid and his friends.
* * * * * *
Ash tried to tighten his grip on the slippery branches of the bushes. The branches were rough, sharp, piercing into his hand as he held on for dear life. He wanted to cry out in pain, but he knew he just couldn't let go of her...
Misty still held onto Ash's arm with both hands, crying, her eyes squinting as the rain fell hard over her helpless body. She knew Ash couldn't hang onto her like this--she anticipated her fall, crashing into the rocks, her life leaving her...she hoped with all her heart that Brock would run up behind Ash, and grab onto her, and pull her up, saving her...why couldn't he come now...
"Don't let...go...Misty," Ash strained, gritting his teeth. "I'm...trying to...pull you up..."
"Pi! PIKACHU!!" cried Pikachu in terror, holding onto Ash's leg. It wouldn't help, but there was nothing else he could do.
The mud on the ledge slid beneath Ash's weight and he tried with all he had to step back. At least, at LEAST he had to save her...
Several feet away, beneath the leaves of a small tree, a small cat-like Pokemon sat. He watched as the boy struggled to save his friend...they hadn't seen the ledge, and now she was about to fall.
The Pokemon, with it's long, bushy tail, cocked it's long ears as the red-haired girl cried out. The Pokemon had seen humans before; more and more had been coming up the mountain. And as much as the Pokemon disliked humans, well...he didn't think these two deserved to die. He knew there was something he could do for them. He closed his eyes and pulled power from within...
Ash's hand clung to the bush so tightly he could no longer feel it. Blood dripped from it, turning the puddles beneath it red, and cuts and scratches on his hand were numerous. He didn't care. He held a life in his other hand...the life of the girl he loved. He WOULDN'T let her die. She was still crying, painfully wailing as she felt his grip weakening.
"Ash....Ash...please..."
He felt her slipping away, beyond his grasp. He was slipping, too...he didn't have the strength...he couldn't hold on. He didn't have the strength to pull himself up, or Misty, for that matter. He closed his eyes, forgetting, surrendering...
But then, he felt something. A feeling...it came over him like a bolt of lightening, filling his arms, legs, and hands with power, a sense of strength. He opened his eyes, gazing down at Misty, and realizing that yes, he had to save her, and he could. Something had given him power, somehow...he felt stronger, and sure that he could do this. He felt the strength to pull her up, to hold on.
He pulled her up, grasping tightly to the branch, hoisting her to the cliff's edge. He closed his eyes again, feeling power as he pulled one more time, falling backwards with Misty into the bushes behind them.
Ash, now lying on his back, opened his eyes. Misty lay right at his side, still crying hysterically, though she was relieved to be on solid ground. She was safe. Ash got up, sitting in the bushes, panting heavily and shaking as the rain continued. Misty sat up too, and promptly threw her arms around Ash, the tears still streaming down her face.
"Ash! Ash! You...saved me!" she cried, "Thank you, thank you..."
Ash hugged her close, comforting her. He figured that in this situation, it was OK. She was shaking, too, crying still. He felt like crying, too, but what good would it do? He was just so glad she was alive.
"Thank you...thank you...you saved my life, Ash Ketchem." She watched him, and he wasn't sure how to respond.
Maybe she did care a little...sure, he'd just saved her life, but...something in her eyes was begging him, pleading for him to take her out of her imprisonment. She was trapped. She wanted to be free again. Ash knew.
They looked into each other's faces, and Ash leaned close to Misty, trembling both from fear and cold, and, closing his eyes, he kissed her on her soft lips.
It wasn't a long kiss, but right away Ash felt something very odd come over him. The kiss ended, and he pulled back a bit. Misty's eye's were closed, her palm to her forehead, and she shook her head, seeming confused, or maybe even in pain. Ash wasn't sure what had happened.
"Uh...wha..." Misty looked up, her eyes squinting open. "A...Ash? Ash?! Wha...what's going...on?"
Ash was confused. "What do you mean, Misty? Are...are you OK, Misty?"
Misty looked a little surprised. "Where are we, Ash? I...I'm freezing!" She shivered, gazing up and around her.
"But, Misty...don't you...re...mem...ber....." Ash's voice trailed off, and his expression suddenly changed. She DIDN'T remember.
"Misty--what just happened?" he enquired of her curiously.
She rubbed her eyes, and looked up at him hazily, though it was clear in her eyes that there was some realization there, some understanding. "I...I had fallen...on the ground, and then...then I looked up, and I saw, uhm...Brock! Yeah, Brock's face. And right then, I just...well, blacked out, I guess. It was so strange, Ash, and I just...I just don't remember anything else! It's all blurry, no matter how hard I try..." She shook her head, as if trying to regain what she had forgotten.
"And then you were here, Misty?" he asked her.
"Yeah, that's right. It was like waking up from a dream, but, heh, I don't remember it at all. I opened my eyes, and my head hurt. Then, well, here I was. How funny." She still sounded confused. "How...did I get here, anyway? What happened?"
Ash smiled. In fact, he even started laughing out of happiness. Had he taken her out of the trance? What if...? She didn't really love Brock now, did she?
"Uhm, Misty," he asked her, suddenly ceasing his happy outburst and looking at her earnestly. "What about...Brock?" His voice was nervous, though he tried to hide it.
"Brock? What about Brock?" she asked, puzzled. "Hey...where is Rock Boy, anyway? Haven't seen him around." She shrugged. "Come on, Ash...I'm cold. Let's get out of this rain!"
Ash cried out. "Yyeess!" he shouted, throwing up his arms. This feeling of happiness surged through him. He was amazed--she was fine! She didn't love Brock anymore! He just knew it! She hardly cared about him at all! Misty gave him a surprised look.
"Erm, calm down, Ash!" she told him, extending her hands.
"Oh, sorry..." he said, smiling. But...since his kiss had taken her out of the trance...then didn't that mean that she really...loved HIM?
Ash's eyes brightened. He tingled all over. In fact, he felt a little light headed and shaky, too. He beamed, putting his hands down as not to fall over from dizziness.
Ash let his breath out slowly. Something moved near a tree not too far away. He squinted, looking closer, and seeing that it was in fact a Carefree! But as the Carefree looked at Ash, he knew right off that somehow, that Carefree had saved him and Misty, used it's power to help him. Ash smiled at the Carefree, nodding softly, and watched him another moment until he sprang off into the long grass.
* * * * * *
"Look! Over there!" James told his partners, pointing at some bushes a few feet away. "There's something over there!" Jessie said, holding onto James' waist.
"Let's go see!" Meowth told them. They trudged over to the bushes, suddenly hearing...laughter?
"They must be over there!" Meowth whispered.
The three filed over to the bush, remaining cautious, and broke into them suddenly.
"Ah!" Misty cried, scooting back. She and Ash turned to see Team Rocket before them.
"How did you find us?!" Ash gasped. James held up Ash's PokeDex, waving it in his face.
"Hey!" Ash cried reaching for it. James swiped it away, smiling.
"Let's get them outta our way..." Meowth said a little evilly, eyeing them with eyes squinted.
"Huh?" Ash asked, "What? Leave us alone...we've gotta go! Come on! Why do YOU have to show up now?!"
"Where would you go" Meowth asked, tapping his foot.
"Well...down the mountain," he told them, standing, helping Misty to her feet also. "We're leaving. And I suggest that you do, too."
"Why?" asked Jessie, curiously.
Ash thought for a moment. SHOULD he tell them? Maybe he should...it might get them to leave, or...he shrugged.
"Listen," he said, stepping away from Misty, "there is something very strange about Carefree--you just can't catch it!"
"Ah, come on, kid! Cut out the crap! Team Rocket can catch any Pokemon! There's no reason why we can't catch this one!" Meowth protested.
"OK, fine--maybe you can catch it but, you shouldn't! Aw, why do I try to tell you...it's just that this Pokemon has powers that NO one should mess with! Not even Team Rocket! I mean..." he rolled his eyes, wondering how to explain why they shouldn't catch it...how could he stop them? "I mean...it could cause a lot of trouble if anyone else finds out about it. It has this powder that does strange things...it could ruin the whole world--it could ruin you!"
Jessie, James and Meowth all looked up at each other. "Powder?"
"Yeah..." Ash bit his lip. "It can make people...well...fall in love..."
James looked up at Ash, then Jessie. "Wha...?"
Ash stepped up from Misty a little further, not wanting her to hear for some reason. She was busy stroking Pikachu's back. "OK...remember that Carefree we all ran into down the mountain?" he told them in a low voice, "And remember how it flung that powder stuff all over most of us? Well...what the powder does is make the person who breathed it in fall in love with the next person they see!" His eyes darted to the two, who seemed a little flustered, especially James. Meowth backed away.
"I'll stay out of this," he muttered.
"Huh?" James asked, puzzled, though he was afraid he knew where this was headed. "You mean, the whole reason we...fell in love is...that...because of that..." he trailed of, staring at the ground.
"I don't get it...Powder? What do you mean?" Jessie asked, watching him carefully. He looked up slowly, his eyes never focusing on her directly. "Don't--don't you...get it...?" he said, the words coming slowly.
"No...so, what? What's wrong, James?" She sounded even more confused.
"You don't...really love me. It's fake! All of it! You never meant a word of anything you said! You probably...don't even get what I mean by that...do you?" He looked at her now, angry, and his voice loud. "You don't love me! You don't even understand! You're...you're just under some spell! You...you...!" He jumped up, giving her one more menacing glance. "You couldn't care less, could you? Well...fine then, nether do I!" He turned, and ran of through the grass, not looking back at her. His figure faded into the drizzle and trees beyond.
"James! JAMES!" Jessie called in despair, "Don't go! Wait!" She stood immediately, and followed after his misty figure.
Meowth was after them a moment later, slightly frazzled, but still willing to follow. Ash watched them, wondering exactly what he had said. He didn't blame himself...he should, but this was Team Rocket. They didn't really have feelings, did they?
'With any luck, they'll leave now, anyway,' he thought, shrugging slightly. He realized that the rain was still falling, not that he had forgotten, but it hadn't been on his mind. It fell steadily over them...
"Ash? Ash? Hey, Ash, what was all that about?" Misty's voice sounded, "What happened?" There was just a touch of concern in her voice.
He turned to face her, not totally sure of that himself. "Well...don't worry about that now, OK? It's just Team Rocket, you know...come on, we'll get back to our shelter."
He took her hand, and began walking away from the bushy cliff edge.
PART 8 ON THE WAY!!!
