One Heart

by Dragoness

If you liked my other giant fics, hopefully, you'll like this one too...Ash finds himself tormented by strange dreams and searches for a way to end them.

38. Play

A/N: Told ya so. Bet you didn't say Zapdos right…? Right?? *sweatdrops* Well, if you did, sorry, I wasn't quite THAT fast…but if you didn't…Look, I told you so! *^_^*;; Heehee…Umm…Well, do enjoy this chapter. Dunno exactly when the next one will be, but school's out next week so perhaps very soon. Not guaranteeing anything though. On a different note…Go see Pokmon 5! NOW! Well, after you read this…and it's out on Friday so if you're reading this today, I guess it's kinda hard to go see it right now…but anyways, do go see it! We need to give them all the money we can so that EVERYONE can see it! They're being mean again and not showing it in a lot of places. They're being stingy, so give them reason not to! *whines* I wanna see it…*sweatdrops* Anyways, there's my spiel. The producers have lost faith in us, their fans. We have to earn back their respect! Er, wait I said I was done. Sorry. I'll shut up now. On with the fic. *^_^*;;;;  (my apologies to anyone who hates plugging/free advertising. I'll try not to do it again)

Chapter 38
"Play"

We talked a lot over a light supper. She asked me a lot of questions about what had happened to me to make me come here. I told her as much as was comfortable, but even that was stretching it more than I'd like. I think she could tell, but she didn't press at all. I wondered if she really needed to…

"You brought a psychic Pokémon, didn't you?"

"Yeah…"

"May I see it?"

"Um, sure…"

I got Espeon's Pokéball from my belt and released her. She shook her ears out and smiled at me, then leapt gracefully onto the table and sat delicately next to my plate. I was almost worried Sabrina would say something about that, but Pikachu was already sitting on the table, and even though Espeon was bigger, she was used to being able to sit on the table from her time as an Eevee, and I didn't really care. Luckily, Sabrina didn't say anything either. Espeon looked at her curiously, then sniffed my plate and began licking up the crumbs.

"An Espeon…" Sabrina murmured, "How…appropriate."

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing…I was just thinking about Eevee…It's born practically helpless. Unable to wield the elements even through training. Very unusual for a normal type Pokémon."

That's true…

"Yeah but that doesn't mean they can't be powerful…"

"Oh, I know, but you didn't let me finish. Once an Eevee evolves, it gains complete mastery over a particular element. Espeon is psychic obviously…but most students here who decide to train a Pokémon choose not to train an Espeon. Raising it from the Eevee stage is difficult, and most would prefer a Pokémon that has psychic powers from the start. In addition, Espeons raised by another trainer tend to be disrespectful, even aggressive, towards new trainers, so that rules out that option.

"But for someone like you…I think Espeon is an excellent Pokémon for you…I think she'll be very helpful…"

"Helpful…?"

"Yes. She'll understand what it's like for you to have to deal with this kind of power for the first time."

That's right…I had to help her a lot when she first evolved…She didn't really know what she was doing…

I found that our eyes had met. I'd been staring at Espeon ever since my inner revelation. She calmly returned my gaze. I saw a twinkle in her eye and the upturned corner of her usually hidden mouth.

"Now it's your turn to help me, huh…?" I whispered.

She glanced at Sabrina, then smiled and nodded at me. "Espeon!"
'I'll try my best!'

I chuckled and rubbed her head. "That's all I'd ever ask of you."

She smiled happily at my affections, which pleased me too, if only for a moment.

"But Sabrina…" I wondered out loud, "Just how is Espeon going to help me? I thought you were gonna-"

"I'll help Espeon as well. Most psychic Pokémon trainers, and I mean those of us with psychic powers ourselves, form what you might call a 'link' with our Pokémon. In some ways it might be considered a disadvantage…For example, if either the trainer or Pokémon is distracted in battle, it's impossible for the other to focus either, as you witnessed firsthand about five years ago…"

"Uh…eheh, oh yeah, that…"

"On the other hand, it enables both parties to fully concentrate by over twice the degree if both are focused, and to understand each other, even without words or eye contact. You could say that we…think with one mind."

What? Why does that phrase sound familiar…?

"Wait a second!" I exclaimed, pounding my fist on the table and starting Pikachu and the dishes. "That's not true!"

"What's…not true?" Sabrina asked hesitantly, honestly confused for the first time I'd ever seen.

"It's a load of crap! You don't have to be psychic to form a bond with your Pokémon!"

"Oh that…Well of course not, but this is a different kind of-"

"No it's not!" I insisted forcefully, "I've been doing the same thing with Pikachu and the rest of my Pokémon for as long as I can remember, and there's no way I'm psychic!…Uh, was…Whatever! You know what I mean, right Pikachu? Espeon?"

They seemed unnerved by the way I was taking this, but still nodded solemnly.

Sabrina looked at each of us in turn, a small but self-directed smile forming on her face.

"I see…No, this doesn't surprise me at all…I could tell…from when I first sensed you, that there was something special about you."

Sensed me?

"Wha-?"

She continued, ignoring me. "I've always believed that everyone is psychic to some degree, they just can't always realize or expand on it. My father disagreed of course. But…well, here you are…"

What's that supposed to mean…? I'm supposed to prove that? Just me? And what'd she mean that 'everyone is psychic to some degree'? Everyone has psychic powers? How could so many of us not notice…? Why-

I froze. My fists clenched in their spots on the table. It just all suddenly made sense.

How could so many of us not realize that we can evolve…?

"Are you alright, Ash?"

"Huh? Uh, oh, yeah. I'm okay…"

I trailed off and looked at Espeon. As soon as I saw the gem in her forehead twinkle, it seemed like everything slowed down. First, she sensed it, then I saw that she had. Next came the distortion in the air behind her. She flicked her ear, then turned her head to anticipate whatever it was behind her. As the gas cloud gained its purplish color and intimidating form, Espeon's face formed into a mischievous sneer and greeted it with a cry.

"Spe!"
'Boo!'

Haunter, interrupted in his own mischief making, reeled at the outburst, genuinely shocked. After half a second's recovery, he burst out into raucous laughter, pleased at finding a sharp victim, a challenge even. He showed how much he was impressed by a hearty slap on the back, except that his hand went through her, upsetting Espeon. Haunter just laughed more and Espeon, as well as the rest of us, had to join in to chuckle at his antics. I laughed if only to relieve the tension. Haunter noticed me and pointed and laughed even harder.

"Hau, hau, hauntaar! Haunta haunter haunt!"
'You may be good, but you're not as funny as him! He was my top student!'

"I what…?"

Sabrina sighed. "Since he came here he's been calling himself the guru of comedy…He wants to teach everyone how to be funny."

"Haunter haunter," Haunter agreed slyly, "Haunter haunter haun!"
'Sabrina's been making great progress, but you're a natural!'

"I…oh…Maybe…Not-not really, though…"

"Hanuter??" Haunter cried in surprise.
'What?'

He floated right up to my face, peering at me curiously, then faded and appeared to my side, then behind me, above, below, before finally reappearing in front of me and thoughtfully scratching his head with a confused look on his face.

"Is something wrong…?" Sabrina asked coolly.

Haunter didn't answer her. Instead, he focused his gaze on me and imperceptibly drifted closer and closer until his face was just barely not touching mine. When I realized how close we were, I backed up nervously, but his disembodied hands shot out suddenly, hitting, but not hurting, my face, covering my eyes with a deathly cold shadow of violet. It faded, but the coldness remained, quietly sliding down the back of my skull to my spine. I opened my eyes, shaken, only to see his face just before it merged into mine. His chilling, immaterial body dissolved through my skin, but didn't come out. I gasped for breath as my lungs seemed to freeze in place. Purple gas clouded my vision. I could feel Haunter moving around inside me, but I couldn't tell what he was doing. I could vaguely hear Sabrina shouting, Pikachu and Espeon too.

Finally, with a churning that made me nauseous as well, Haunter shot back up my spine, blasting my head with a sickening freeze and exiting through the back of my brain. I fell forward, barely able to save myself by bracing against the table with shaky arms.

"Haunter, what were you doing?!" Sabrina shouted lividly, now far too loud for my sensitive ears.

Haunter mumbled a reply from behind me, but never really answered. The unearthly presence behind me faded after that.

"Haunter…!" Sabrina growled, then sighed futilely. "I'm so sorry…Are you okay?"

I was slowly gaining my breath and temperature back, so I nodded.

"Uh-huh," I said without looking up, "I-I don't think he was trying to hurt me…"

"I'm sure he wasn't," Sabrina agreed, "but he tends to forget the limitations of living creatures, and usually acts without thinking…He's so difficult to control too…I'm really sorry."

"It's okay," I reassured her, forcing a grin in her direction, "I'm fine…"

"If you say so…" She stood up. "I'd better go talk to him. See why he did that in the first place…make sure he doesn't do it ag-"

She stopped to stare at the abnormally long and large tongue that seemed to be coming out of the center of her plate and licking up the remainder of her meal.

Sabrina slammed her fist onto the table, clattering the plates and startling the tongue into retreat. "Can't I even get thirty minutes' peace around here!?"

"Geeng…Gengar…" an apologetic but obviously naughty voice came from beneath the table.
'I'm sorry…I thought you were done…'

I was about to lean over to look underneath for myself, but instead, my own plate gave me a fanged grin. I yelped in surprise, tried to back up but forgot I was sitting down, so I somehow managed to flip the chair onto is back, spilling me onto the floor rather painfully. When I opened my eyes, ignoring my throbbing head, I saw that same fanged face, no pitch black and surrounded by a poisonous purple cloud, peering down at me in concern.

"Ash! Are you okay?" Sabrina called.

"Uhh…Y-yeah." I clumsily sat up, trying not to fall again from my awkward position and somehow succeeded. Pikachu jumped down from the table to make sure, and Espeon followed. Sabrina wasn't too far behind.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized again and helped me up, "These guys…"

"It's okay…"

She didn't seem too convinced. After silently looking me over for a moment, she glared at Gastly and Gengar. "Alright, you two are doing dishes all this week! Do you understand?"

They both gasped in their relative languages, glanced at each other, then nodded solemnly, doing their best to hang their heads in shame.

"Good," Sabrina said sternly, then turned to me, "I'm really sorry about all of this. I need to go find Haunter now. Will you be okay on your own?"

"Sure," I replied, hoping I wasn't lying.

"Okay. Feel free to explore the rest of the house if you want. I want you to feel at home here…" She gave me a hard look out of the corner of her eye. Somehow I got the feeling that she really meant 'the rest of the house except for that one room. You've already explored it enough.'

"Okay."

She nodded. "Take care."

"Uh, yeah…You…too…" I trailed off when I found myself talking to air.

I didn't have much time to comprehend her sudden exit. A pair of gleeful and yet spooky cries echoed from behind me, followed by a "Pii!" of alarm. I spun around to see the dishes that'd just been sitting on the table a moment ago now floating in the air. Gengar danced happily on the largest one, and Gastly zoomed around them, clinking the silverware and the glasses together as he did. The rest of us stared blankly, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Gengar paused in his mad dance to laugh viciously at us.

"Gengar, gengar!" he cried to Gastly, who laughed in agreement.
'C'mon let's show 'em!'

The two ghosts stopped their own antics, but the plates swirled around to perform a bizarre midair march, almost like in that movie, 'Bellossom and the Beast'. As me, Pikachu, and Espeon watched, the ghost Pokémon led the arrangement away to the kitchen, and soon the sound of hard rushing water hitting flatware was heard.

I glanced at my Pokémon. "Uh, let's go look around, shall we?"

They hastily nodded their agreement.

            *  *  *

We got lost very fast. Well, the first thing I recognized was that door I wasn't supposed to look in. I found myself staring at it from the adjacent hallway. I felt almost compelled to go open it, despite, or maybe even because of, Sabrina's warning not to.

I stepped forward before I even realized I did.

"Piika…" Pikachu breathed tersely. He clung tightly to my shoulder.
'Don't do it.'

"Don't what?"

"Pikachu pika pika…"
'Sabrina said not to go in there…'

"What makes you think I was going in there?"

"Piiika."
'You started walking to it.'

"…Oh."

"Pikachu, pika, pikaa…"
'Come on, I don't want to make her mad…'

I briefly tried to imagine how mad she'd be and instantly shuddered at the thought. "Alright, you win. Let's go somewhere else…"

The next familiar thing I found was my room. I tried to remember the route I took to get there, even though I knew it probably wouldn't do any good. It was too early to go to sleep yet, so we decided to wander around more.

We had pretty much determined that the upstairs were an impossible maze, so I decided to try the basement.

It took me a while to find the door leading down there. I was also taking great care not to get too close to the kitchen where the sound of a wild faucet and insane laughter could be heard three rooms away.

Down the stairs…Honestly, I wasn't sure exactly what I was expecting. Anything from a game room to maybe even a crypt, but certainly not this!

The basement was well-furnished and brightly lit. In fact, it didn't seem to resemble anything like a basement at all. The ceiling lights cast a friendly glow over the whole place. The hard carpet was an orangy-peach color, but somehow didn't look tacky with the yellow wallpaper crisscrossed by blue and white diamonds.

But it wasn't the room itself that surprised me the most…It was the…dolls…

Every wall and then some was lined with shelves upon shelves of dolls, large and small, human and Pokémon. There was a workbench to one side, a tool rack nearby, and a desk on the opposite side with large papers spread across it and pencil and paint racks at the corners. A woman, Sabrina's mom, was sitting at the desk, her back in my direction.

I stood on the steps and just stared at the whole place for a while. Espeon finally got impatient and nudged the back of my leg to get me to move, so I did. After I got off the steps, I stopped again, because I wasn't sure where to go from there. My gaze wandered to the shelf closest to me. The dolls, all sitting there perfectly still and staring out with immoveable expressions on artificial faces, nevertheless had a look of reality to them…as if say, Sabrina, or even the ghosts, started moving them around with their minds like she did with the spoon, I'd be pretty convinced. I actually braced myself, in case something like that happened, but it didn't.

Hey, some of these look like the same style of doll that Sabrina had-

"Is that you, Ash?"

I jumped at the sound of her voice from across the room. Sabrina's mom had turned around in her chair and was smiling at me.

"Uh, y-yeah, it's me…" I answered quickly, "Umm…"

"You look a little surprised. Is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, fine…Uhhh…I just, um…" I gestured around the room, "What's with all the dolls?"

She laughed politely. "Oh these…I made them."

"What!?" I exclaimed. I stared at the multitudes of finely crafted dolls. There had to be hundreds of them. She made them all?!

"Do you like them?"

"Like? I don't know…but…Wow! You…you really made all these? That's amazing…They, they look almost real…"

She chuckled. "But they're not…"

"…Yeah…"

"I'm glad you appreciate them…Why don't you come have a seat? We didn't really have a chance to talk before."

"Uh, oh, okay."

I made sure Espeon was still with me and crossed over to her. There was a stool next to her, so I sat there. When I was close enough, I could see what she had on the desk. A half-finished doll with white eyes and pale straw-colored hair, and a light blue and white dress that wasn't completely sewed together. A needle and a long piece of thread lay next to and through the dress. Sabrina's mom picked it up and began sewing the dress again.

"You went down to the gym today, didn't you?" she asked, "Did you take the test?"

"…Yeah…"

"How was it? Sabrina gave it to you right? She didn't make it too hard on you did she? She gets carried away sometimes."

"Oh…No, it was fine," I lied, clenching my burnt hand.

"That's good…How do you think you did on it?"

"Uhh…I don't know really. I don't think I did very good, but I don't know about Sabrina…"

She laughed to herself. "That's not surprising…"

"Huh…?"

"She's hard to read…You really have to know her well. The best psychics have trouble figuring her out, but I can't even read minds but I can read her like a book…"

"Y-You're not psychic…?"

I'd always thought…

"Nope," she replied, "Not an ounce of psychic power in me." She smiled. "I just make dolls."

"Oh…But Sabrina and, and her dad…"

"Yes…and they're quite good at it too…" She sighed, pausing in her stitching to stare at the ceiling. "It's difficult sometimes, living two psychics, but they're both wonderful people and I couldn't ask for a better family."

I watched her. That was a genuine smile.

"After all you've been through…" I murmured to myself, "It must be really nice to be a family again…"

"Mm…Yes…"

…Really nice…

In the following silence, she went back to sewing up the dress of that lifeless half-doll…

…Doll? Wait…!

I gasped softly, but she didn't notice. My Pokémon did, but they didn't say anything.

"Didn't…Weren't…Uh…"

She gave me a sidelong smile. "Yes?"

"Uh…I don't know how to…ask…Umm…D-Didn't Sabrina…turn you into a doll?" I finished in a whisper.

Her smile changed into a look of sadness, and she was no longer looking at me. "Yes, she did…"

"But…" I looked around at the doll-filled room, growing more confused by the second. "You make dolls…after that…? Why…?"

She chuckled softly. "Oh this has nothing to do with that…I've always made dolls. It's a…hobby. I like to call it that at least, never mind that I get paid for it now."

"But……"

She waited, but after I still couldn't think of what to say, she spoke instead. "If you're wondering if it bothers me…No, it doesn't. I've always enjoyed making dolls, even before that. Besides, they still look the same from up here, just dolls, not real." She smiled. "It's hard to forget that when you make them yourself."

That didn't really convince me of anything, but I figured it must make sense in a way. "Guess so…" I shrugged.

"Besides," she added, "it's not like I'm going to let one incident keep me from something I love, whether it's doll making or my family."

…I get it…I don't know how she was able to overcome that though…Is she that much stronger…? Maybe they all are…

"Why do you ask?" she asked and continued sewing.

"Uh…I…I just thought…I-I dunno really."

"Mm," she nodded. I watched her for a little longer, unsure what to say anymore. "Did Sabrina go back to the gym and leave you here all alone?"

"Uhh…Kinda. Yeah."

"That wasn't very polite," her mother sighed.

"Oh, no, it's okay. See, Haunter-"

"That scoundrel?" She made a face. "Well that explains it. She's trying to find him, right? Well, if he doesn't want to be found, she'll be out looking for him for a long, long time…"

I chuckled appreciatively. I knew about that…

She laughed a little too. "Well, I suppose if you have nothing better to do, you could help me out right here."

"What do you want me to do?" I wasn't sure how I could help, but I wasn't about to say no.

She smiled. "Do you have any experience in doll-making?"

"No…"

"Sewing? Carpentry?" I shook my head to both.

"Can you draw?"

"No."

"Hope you learn fast then," she smiled even more and pulled open a drawer by my side. I scooted out of the way. She retrieved a pile of faintly yellowed papers and set them on the desk in front of me. "Take a look through there and see if you can't do any better. My best dolls came from some of those designs. When you're ready to try, there's more paper and some crayons in that drawer."

I stared at the top paper while she went back to work. It was a crayon drawing of a girl with lines for limbs, a blue triangle for a dress, and hair that looked like two black lines sliding off her head. The eyes were nothing more than empty blue circles, and the mouth was a black line with an upwards curve at one end.

These are her best designs…? They look like they were drawn by a three year old…

I flipped through the rest of the pile carefully. The pages were definitely aged and I didn't want to hurt them. They were more or less the same style, if you could call it that, of the first one. They started to get better towards the end, but the last one…The quality was almost as bad as the first one. It was of a girl with dark green hair wearing a white dress and hat, eyes empty red circles and no mouth. I dropped the rest of the stack back on top of that one and noticed that I was breathing harder. Even through the crudeness of the picture, I recognized that girl, and I recognized those eyes…

I left my hand on top of the papers, not willing to look at them anymore, but not ready to put them away yet either.

"Uh…" I started to ask.

"Hm?"

"Wh-wh-who…uh…Who…drew these…?"

"…My daughter, Sabrina."

"…Really…?"

"Mm-hm…" she nodded, "That was…back when she wanted to make dolls too…"

Make dolls? You mean make them the right way…Yikes…

"Oh…"

I glanced back at the papers and carefully lifting them up and set them back in the drawer after opening it again. Before I closed it, I looked inside again and sure enough, there was blank paper and a small frayed cardboard box of barely and unwrapped crayons with round tips.

"Do you want to try it?" her mom asked me.

I didn't look up at her. I was too busy staring at the, at Sabrina's crayons.

"I-I don't know…"

"Let me guess…You haven't drawn anything since kindergarten?"

"Uh…Yeah, actually…"

I could never sit still long enough…

"I don't really think that makes a difference…But, of course, if there's something else you'd rather be doing, by all means, feel free. I wouldn't want to keep you here."

"Uh…I……umm…."

She's got me there…I really don't have anything else to do…

"I guess it couldn't hurt…" I mumbled.

I pulled out a sheet and the box. I was afraid the box was going to bust, but it didn't. It was one of those little rectangular ones with the flip-open lid that didn't fasten closed in any way besides gravity. Part of the corner was missing. I flipped it open and peered inside. I tried to figure out what to start off with, then I realized that I had no idea what I was going to draw.

"Hey, Miss…Mrs….Uh……Sabrina's mom…?"

"Mrs. Carson," she replied helpfully.

"Uh, yeah. Um…What am I supposed to…uh…draw?"

"Whatever you like. If it's a person or a Pokémon, I might make it into a doll."

"Oh…Okay…"

People…I don't know about that…Pokémon…? Uhh…

Pikachu had crept onto the desk while I wasn't paying attention and started sniffing the crayons.

I guess that's as good as anything.

I grabbed a yellow crayon and began.

            *  *  *

I lost track of the time that I was coloring. I lost track of what I was doing too. I started off trying to make a Pikachu, but when that didn't work, it started turning into something else, and I didn't know what. The wax on the paper seemed like a blur to me, and my hand moved on its own.

A hand set on my shoulder and I froze. It had broken through the cloud I'd been in. I wasn't sure what to do.

"Ash? Hey, are you done yet?"

I stared at the paper, waiting for it to come into focus. I saw streaks of dark, orange-ish hair, and bright blue eyes atop a smiling face in a yellow dress…and I recognized her.

"…Ash?"

I could barely think, let alone speak. My mind had gone numb, my mouth dry. All I could do was stare at the girl that I had put on paper. The quality…might not have been anything worth anything, but…at least she looked like an actual person…like herself…in crayon…

The hand shook me, jarring me into awareness. I looked around jerkily, like I'd been shocked from a good sleep.

"Wh-what…?"

"You okay? You were really getting into that, I hope you didn't hurt yourself." She sounded like she was joking, but I wondered…

"Uh…I'm okay. I just…um…"

She rubbed my back, an embarrassing gesture, to help me relax. I couldn't tell if it worked or not. She leaned over me a little to look at the drawing.

"She looks beautiful…" she said softly.

No, it really doesn't do her justice…

"Uh, thanks…"

"She looks like that girl that was with you…What was her name? Sunny…?"

I blinked. "Misty…?"

"Oh that could be it," she nodded.

I laughed hesitantly. She had no idea…

"Are you doing to give her a name?"

"A name?"

"Yeah…"

I glanced at the picture and swallowed. "Uh, I'm not really good at names……Uhhhhh…Ya know what? I kinda like that name…Misty…Uh, that'll work for now…"

She smiled. "I think that's a fine name."

…Yeah…

She coughed a little. "So…are you done?"

"Huh…?" I asked blankly, then remembered what she'd said. "O-oh…Yeah…I, I think so…"

She reached around me and picked it up to see better. "This really is good…Are you sure this is your first time since kindergarten?"

"Yes…"

"Well…" she set it down in front of me again, "it's up to you to decide what you want to do with it. I'd be happy make a doll for you, or you could just keep the drawing if you want…"

A doll…Oh please no…

"Uh…No, I…I'll just keep her, it…"

"Alright." She yawned. "Well, it's getting late…Have you called home yet?"

I cursed out loud, then quickly apologized, grabbed the paper, and stood up to go.

"Don't forget your Pokémon," she reminded me.

I looked around for them, but I hadn't thought to do that before. I was used to them just following me. Pikachu wasn't on the desk anymore. I glanced at the floor. Espeon was loosely curled and sleeping by the corner of the desk. Pikachu had his forepaws draped over her side. He looked up at me with half-open eyes and a blank look of failed comprehension.

"Time to go…" I said gently and knelt down to wake up Espeon. I rubbed her head and it took a while for her to realize that was coming from the outside world. She blinked sleepily, then yawned and tried to get up, but Pikachu still hadn't gotten off her back yet. She shook him off none too gently, then proceeded to stretch and rubbed against me briefly. I stood up too and turned around. "Thanks for letting me stay with you for a while…and thanks for letting me stay in your house too…"

"Oh, don't mention it. It's been a pleasure having you, and I'm sure it will continue to be."

"I hope so."

She smiled. "Well, you'd better hurry upstairs. You don't want to worry your poor mother."

"Ugh, you're right. Okay, see ya!"

We hurried back to our room. We didn't get quite as lost this time, but we did pass that one door on the way again, even though I had the suspicion that it wasn't supposed to be on the way…

Once we got inside, I flipped on the light and went to the desk. Pikachu and Espeon headed straight for the bed and started bouncing on it. They laughed, getting a real kick out of it.

I sat down, that drawing still clutched tightly in my hand, but so careful not to wrinkle it. Before I could call home, I had to figure out what to do with it. I held it in front of me, stared at her smiling face. I couldn't believe I'd actually done that. I couldn't even really remember how I did it, just that I did. But was it really real?

I moved one hand towards her, expecting to touch wax. Instead, my paw graced the silken locks of her fine golden red hair. She giggled, but it sounded so far away, the beauty of her innocent smile hazy.

My eyes snapped open, my hand mere inches away from the page, her sweet crayon face still smiling. I stared just a little while longer before rapidly pulling open the nearest drawer and putting her inside. I almost closed it too, but…couldn't for some reason. I didn't want to hide her away in there. It wouldn't be fair. Instead, I set her on the desk next to the phone, which left only one thing to do.

I've called home hundreds of times. This one shouldn't have been any different…except that this time, I was alone on my end.

The phone had barely rung once before it was picked up, making me wonder if Mom had been sitting there waiting for my call, and I decided that must be the case.

"Ash?!" she practically screamed into the phone.

I winced and rubbed my unfortunate ear. It didn't take long for it to start ringing.

"Hi…Mom…" I got out. My voice sounded weird with one ear out of commission.

"Where have you been?!" she inquired all too forcefully. I held the receiver half a foot away from my ear and wondered how long it would take before she got the picture…Probably too long knowing her…

"Mom, I can hear you, you know…You don't have to-"

"Where have you been!?" she repeated desperately.

Okay, answer the question first…

"I've been here…Look, I'm sorry I didn't call you-"

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?!" That was more of a whisper-shout, but it had a strong effect.

"Mom…I…" I looked at her eyes. I'd wanted to say yeah, but…no I couldn't. Beneath that thin mask of anger was so much concern…I sighed. "No…I-I'm really sorry…There was so much here, I got sidetracked, and…"

"You never once thought to call your mother?" She wasn't scolding anymore, but that still drove home, even worse.

"Nn…No…I-I forgot…" I hung my head. "I-I'm r-really s-sorry, Momma…" My voice choked a little, not entirely on purpose.

She sighed softly. "I'm just glad you're alright…But don't let it happen again! Okay?"

I grinned just a little. "Okay."

She smiled back, but it didn't take long for her to launch into another spiel of questions. "So how do you like Saffron? What time did you get there? Is it clean? Is the school hard? How's Sabrina? Where are you staying? You didn't lose anything did you? Is the food healthy? Are you behaving yourself? Do you still feel well? Don't forget to-"

"Mom!!" I had to cut her off or she could go on forever. "It's fine. About an hour or two after I left. Yes. I only took the first test so far. She's fine. At her house, the guest bedroom. No, I didn't. Yes. Yes. Yes. And I won't."

"…What was the test like?"

"Uhh……" I rubbed the burnt spot on my hand, but only found a slight raise in my skin where it should've been healing. I glanced down to see only the faintest evidence that it'd been hurt at all. I blinked.

"Ash?" Mom asked, her voice peaking in concern.

I looked up quickly. "Oh, yeah. The test. Umm…It wasn't that bad. Didn't really know what was going on, but I don't think Sabrina cared about that. Uhh…I guess I…passed, 'cause she hasn't sent me home yet…"

That means…I'm really psychic, huh…?

"…Alright…You be careful, okay?"

"I will."

"Okay. I think your friends want to talk to you now. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye, I love you!"

"Love you too, Mom."

She set the phone down and called towards the family room. I waited tensely while she stood up to give someone else the phone. I was fine with talking to Mom, or even Brock, but Misty…It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her. It was more because-

"Hey Ash!" Brock smiled broadly into the camera, "How's it going?"

"Uhh…I-It's fine, I mean."

"Fine?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Good?" I tried.

He laughed. "Okay, I get the picture. You're fine, right?"

"Broock…"

He chuckled. "Sorry…" We both spent a moment waiting for the other to say something. He chuckled again. "I guess anything I could ask, your mom already did for me, huh?"

"Yeah…"

"Weell…I bet she didn't ask this…"

"…Huh…?"

"How is Sabrina anyway…? I mean…you know…How is she?"

"Uhh…She's okay…I think…What do you mean…?"

"You oughta know…All that…that…stuff…"

"Stuff…" I pondered that for a moment. "O-oh! You mean…Oh…Brock, you don't have to worry about that, trust me. She's…You'd be surprised how, how different she is…"

He nodded a little but didn't seem too convinced. "I believe you, Ash…Just…Just be careful, alright…?"

"I trust her," I said quietly, "Maybe you're right, maybe I shouldn't…No, I just do…If all the stupid psychic business is true, then I have to trust myself enough to believe that…"

When I glanced at him again, he was smiling, mostly to himself. "When you put it that way…Yeah, that makes sense. I'd still keep my guard up, but you're right, you don't really have any reason not to trust her anymore. In fact…" He scratched his chin thoughfully, "if she's really as different as you say, I may have to come visit you guys…Would help if you dropped a good word or two in my name…Ya know, there's always room in the Brock-man's heart for a fine young lady…"

I blinked in disbelief. "You're not serious…? Sabrina? You were just saying…"

He chuckled in embarassment. "Well, yeah, I-I'm not really sure about that…She's probably not my type anyway…Eheheh…heh…"

I raised an eyebrow, though I couldn't help but grin. "Not your type…? That's a new one."

"Ahhh…heheheh…heh…Ugh…" He hung his head. "You got me there…"

I laughed to myself. "Thought so…"

He sighed and shook his head. "That's enough of that…Hmm…Well, besides that, just want to remind you not to do anything stupid while we're not there to save you, okay?"

I groaned. "Why does everyone say that…?"

He chuckled, but there was a lack of humor to it which I had the feeling might've been there a few months ago. "Because we know you…"

"I'll be good…" I sighed.

He nodded. "Well, then…Hm. You got any questions…?"

"Uhhh……Well," I scratched my head, "Mom said 'friends'…Who else is there? I don't think Gar-"

"Misty!" he answered, "What kind of a question was that?"

"Uh…A…stupid one…?" I guessed.

He shook his head knowingly. "You worried about her?"

"What? Me? Why would I be-"

"Because she's been talking nonstop about you since you left, and I know the both of you well enough to know that if she's worried, then you probably are too. I'm running out of things to tell her Ash. You'd better talk to her."

"She's been talking about me?" I asked, completely ignoring the last thing he said, "What'd she say?"

"Why don't you find out…?" he asked slyly.

"Wh- Brock!"

He sighed. "She's just been talking about the…the…mutual, undeclared breakup? And of course she's worried you might hurt yourself on accident or something, but that can't be helped. Listen, if you're gonna break up with someone, you gotta say it first…"

"But I-I didn't…really…well…"

"So you're still going out with her?"

"Uh…Well…k-kinda…I think…"

"Ash…"

"…Huh?"

"You gotta pick. Yes or no. You can't be undecided on this."

I didn't answer, just looked down.

"You wanna talk to her now?"

I started to shake my head, but he'd already called for her to come. Just before he stood up, he grinned at me, maybe winked, I couldn't tell. Either way I glared at him. "You know what you gotta do," he said. He handed the receiver over, and in a few seconds, Misty sat down in his place.

My unsettling stomach felt like it had tiny chunks of crushed ice in it. We just sat there and stared at each other for a while, neither able to say a word. I swallowed.

"…Hi," she said.

"Uh…H-hullo…" I stammered, feeling stupid. It was Misty after all…Shouldn't feel that weird talking to her…I swallowed again. My hand twitched for the Everstone, but I held it in place. "Um…I-It's really weird seeing you over the phone," I said pathetically.

"Yeah, it is," she agreed honestly, almost surprising me.

"Um……"

"What did Brock talk to you about…?" she asked.

"Uhh…Oh…just…N-nothing…"

"…I don't know about that…" she said softly.

Oh man, she told him to say all that stuff….Waitasec, how did I know-

"Uhhh…We just. Um. He…He said you were, um, wondering about me?"

"Oh…Um…Maybe…"

I waited. I didn't really know how to say what I had to say, not that I even knew what that was in the first place…

"Ash-"
"Mist- Uhh…"

"You go," she said.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh…I-I…I don't…um…"

"You must've had something to say…"

"Er…M-maybe……"

"…Well…?"

"Uhhh…"

"Ash…"

"Huh?"

"Just…Just say it."

"Oh…You sure?"

"Yes."

"Uh, say what?"

"…You know…"

"Um…If you say so…"

I swallowed, making my necklace too tight for a second. My hands nervously traced each others' scars. She'd helped me heal those, make them…I took a deep breath of cold shivering air.

"I-I think we can go out again w-when I – come back…If-If I-I'm b-better…by then…" My thumb pressed hard into the burn until it stung. "I-Is that…okay…?"

She didn't answer for a long time. It stung more and more.

"Yeah," she said bluntly, feelings well-hidden, "That sounds like a good idea."

"…You sure…?"

"Yes," she almost growled, "It's not like you're here anyway."

"That's not why-"

"I know."

"…Oh. Okay. I was just-"

"I know."

"……Oh…"

"…When are you coming back?"

I blinked. "Uhh……Iii…don't know actually. Um, I'll ask Sabrina tomorrow."

She nodded. "Make sure you do that."

"I will…"

"…I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Um, guess so."

"Okay. See ya."

"…Goodnight…"

She hung up and I slowly replaced the receiver after her. I sat there for a while, trying to figure out exactly what had just happened. I had the feeling it wasn't very good, but there was no way to be sure. Finally, I got up and changed into my pajamas. I had to convince my Pokémon to give me room to lie down on the bed and they did so.

Through the window, I could see the moon was out of sight, stars playing in its absence. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and set my other hand on my Everstone. As I drifted off to sleep, I tried to sort out everything that had happened that day, and only hoped that I had done the right thing…