Ashley: Where's AKCC?
Rhythmi: I don't know. I haven't seen her for a while.
Isaac: So how are we going to do this chapter without her?
Keith: Wait a minute, does that mean we won't exist?! Put up missing posters!
Rhythmi: *slaps Keith* We're still going to exist. Haven't you read any of the many stories with us in there?
Ashley: Rhythmi, what are you talking about? Keith doesn't read.
Keith: Yes I do!
Ashley: Oh yeah? Name one thing you read that wasn't your script.
Keith: *opens mouth, but says nothing*
Isaac: That is just sad.
Rhythmi: You're telling me.
Ashley: If AKCC isn't going to be here, then we'll just start without her. I mean, she almost has fifty chapters done for this story and it's not even at the halfway point yet. We can do the intros without her.
Rhythmi: How do you know so much about her stories? We barely know what's going to happen in the next chapter!
Ashley: I am in all of her current stories albeit for one. I'm working overtime! And they're all different characters too!
Isaac: That reminds me, how's your newest story?
Ashley: The damn author hasn't even started the second chapter. Although, she's finally getting to the actually main plot in Runaway Life.
Keith: Can we get off the topic of just you and back to us since, you know, this is OUR story.
Rhythmi: For once, Keith's right. Isaac, can you do the disclaimer?
Isaac: *mumbles* I swear, the blonds always do this job. AKCC does not own any part of Pokemon. She only own her OC, Ashley.
Chapter Eleven
Ashley's POV
"Rhythmi! Slow down!" I yelled as Rhythmi as dragging me across the lab. As Ash said yesterday, basically everyone we know is here today at the lab. Right now, Rhythmi is pulling my arm out of its socket while dragging me to see the Gym Leaders. She pushed past several other students so we were right in front of the crowd.
"I think you pulled my arm out of its socket." I muttered as I rubbed my arm.
"Shush!" Rhythmi hissed. I rolled my eyes as Pikachu hopped onto my other shoulder with Keith and Isaac behind her who finally caught up with us.
"How can a girl like her run that fast?" Isaac panted. Once they were able to catch their breath, the presentation started.
"Hey there guys! I'm Misty!" a girl with orange hair appeared on stage.
"And I'm Brock! Ready to see what we can do?" a guy with black spiky hair appeared next to her. I tried to hide my face. Partially from them noticing me, but also to hide the fact that I know Misty and Brock who has just said the lamest introduction ever. But everyone else around me just cheered.
"Alright! Come on out guys!" they both yelled as they threw their pokeballs into the air. Several water-type and rock-type pokemon came out.
"Wow." the entire class gasped. Except for me since I know their pokemon and saw them many times before.
"Now, as Gym Leaders," Misty began. "we have to battle any trainers who challenges us to a gym battle."
"And if they win," Brock continued. "they get a gym badge like these." they both held up their gym badges.
"This Cascade Badge can be earned from the Cerulean City Gym where I'm the Gym Leader." Misty stated.
"The Boulder Badge can be earned from the Pewter City Gym where I used to be the Gym Leader, but my younger brother has taken over that role." Brock explained.
They continued to talk about what a Gym Leader does and how the pokemon there battle and the skills they have to have. I zoned out the entire conversation since it's nothing new to me. I mean I used to be a Gym Leader I already know this stuff. Why should I learn about it again? I snapped to attention when they allowed everyone to meet their pokemon.
"Come on, I want to learn more about these Gym Leaders." Rhythmi grabbed all three of us and dragged us closer to Misty and Brock.
"Rhythmi, you're going to be an Operator. Why do you want to learn about Gym Leaders?" I asked.
"I want to learn all I can." Rhythmi answered. "Plus, if you or Keith get assigned a mission to any of the regions, you probably need help from the local Gym Leaders."
"I don't need help from anyone!" Keith shouted. I rolled my eyes at his sudden outburst which also caught the attention of the Gym Leaders.
"Oh my Arceus, is that you Ashley?" Misty gasped.
"Have I met you before?" I asked them.
"You should. And why are you wearing color contacts?" Brock leaned in closer.
"I have no idea what you guys are talking about." I backed away a bit. "I have never seen you guys before until like five minutes ago and this is my real eye color." I lied.
"Look over there!" Rhythmi grabbed my wrist. "Come on!" she started to drag me again. I was thankful that Rhythmi was being her over-excited self to pull us over to another area, but it was the coordinators area. Great.
We were right in front of Dawn and May while they were doing an appeal. Next to them was Serena performing with her Delphox. When they were done, they started to explain the skills pokemon in a contest and showcase must have. I knew all of this so I tried to hide behind some of the other students, but Rhythmi kept on pulling me next to her.
When they were done, Serena started to approach me, no doubt to question me, but Rhythmi pulled me in another direction.
She dragged me to a lecture Professor Oak was giving about healing pokemon when Rhythmi saw something else she wanted to see. But before she could grab my wrist, someone pulled me back and Isaac's wrist was grabbed instead. I sweatdropped as he was yelling as he was getting dragged off by Rhythmi. I turned around to see Keith. He must have been the one to pull me back.
"Thanks." I said.
"Looks like you needed a break from her." Keith pointed in the direction Rhythmi went.
"Yeah, I think my arm is dislocated from all of her dragging." I rubbed my arm.
"She is pretty strong." Keith laughed.
"I'll see you later then. I want to go see another presentation about pokemon evolution." I walked off.
Once I was out of sight from him, I took a deep breath. "That was close one." I sighed.
"Pika." Pikachu nodded.
"And I thought the ponytail will fool them." I started to tie my hair into a ponytail again. It was already on a ponytail, but it was starting to come undone, I pulled the hair tie out and let my hair fall down to my waist for a moment. I started to gather it up again and tied it tight enough to make sure it doesn't come loose again.
"Ashley!" I froze at the sound of the voice. No, no it can't be him. Not here. "Ashley!" I automatically turned around to see Gary Oak running up to me.
I finally snapped out of it. "Do I know you?" I asked.
"You don't remember me?" he looked distraught. I shook my head. "It's me. Gary Oak."
"Nope. Doesn't ring a bell." I lied.
"You have to remember me. We've known each other for years." he stated.
"Sorry, but I've never seen you before." I lied. How could I forget him? After what he did, I wanted to forget him.
"What do you mean you never seen me before?" he grabbed both of my shoulders.
"Hey! What are you-?" I shouted. "Let me go!"
"Not until you remember me." his grip tighten.
"Let me go!" I struggled in his grip as I avoided making eye contact. I felt the grip around my shoulders disappear as I heard a loud punch.
"She said to let go." I saw Keith was right in front of me with his fist raised and Gary was on the ground holding his jaw.
I looked at Keith in shock as Gary got up from the ground and glared at Keith before walking off.
"Are you okay?" Keith turned around.
"I-I'm fine." I stuttered.
"What did that guy want?" he asked.
"I have no idea." I lied. "He kept saying that I know him, but I have never seen him before."
"So why did all of these people keep on recognizing you?" Keith asked.
"Well, from what I can piece together, there used to be another girl named Ashley who looks similar to me who met all of them and now they think that I'm her." I lied. Oh my Arceus, how many lies did I say already?
"It's starting to get a bit out of hand." Keith commented.
"Tell me about it." I muttered.
"Let's get back to the lab." he said as he grabbed my hand. We walked back to the others, but Keith always stayed by my side as he kept a hold on my hand. I felt myself blush whenever I looked at our interlocking fingers. What is happening to me? Do I actually like Keith?
Ashley: Damn, that was a very short chapter.
Rhythmi: You haven't notice? Her earlier chapters are very short. Now, her average chapters are like 4-5k words.
Ashley: What was the point of the chapter though?
Keith: How the hell are we suppose to know? You're supposed to be working with her.
Ashley: I work FOR her! I don't write the scripts! If I did, I would never write anything like that!
Isaac: At least we weren't shipped off to Kanto like last time. That was worse then AKCC's early writing.
Rhythmi: Cut her some slack, she hated her English class back then. She had almost no experience writing back then. But ever since she started to write her stories, her writing has gotten better.
Keith: Or worst.
Ashley: Let's wrap up this chapter. *turns to readers* Don't forget!
Cast: Review!
