Disclaimer: You've probably memorized it by now. I don't own Pokémon or "The Shining" or all that good stuff. Sorry I've taken some scenes directly from the book and mini-series, but most of it is mine.
Last time, Ash and Misty found themselves with bigger problems on the hands. Ash is trapped upstairs surrounded by ghost-Growlithe, while Misty and Team Rocket are succumbing to the wrath of the mallet-wielding Brock.
Summary: Can Ash, Misty, and Team Rocket save Brock from the wrath of the Fireside's Warmth Hotel? Or will they meet their painful fate there?
Midnight! Pokéball Go!
by Spruceton Spook
Part 16:
Matters of Life and Death
Ash moaned fearfully as the Growlithe approached him slowly, their fire-filled eyes concentrated on him. Downstairs, Misty was crying out desperately to him, and he felt horrible not being able to help. Worse, he had no idea what was happening.
Pikachu looked up at Ash. "Pika! Chu pika pi pika pikachu!"
Ash looked questioningly at Pikachu. "They're. . .they're not real?" he asked, hoping that he had heard correctly.
With tear-filled eyes, Pikachu nodded.
Suddenly, Ash looked up at the Growlithe sternly, a spark of determination illuminating in his eyes. This only made the mad dogs growl louder, barring their razor sharp teeth at their intended prey. Ash closed his eyes tightly along with Pikachu.
"Not real! Not real!" Ash began to chant, keeping his eyes closed the whole time. "They're not really there! They don't exist! Not there!"
He repeated this for about ten seconds, trying to focus on his purpose. His heart pounded the whole time, scared to open his eyes. Finally he did, and with a small exclamation of happiness, saw that the Growlithe had vanished.
"Hey, that's all I have to do!" Ash exclaimed. "If I don't believe in them, then they won't bother us!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, smiling.
Ash got up and let Pikachu down. "Come on, Pikachu, now we have to save Misty!"
With that, Ash bolted towards the staircase. He reached it and turned on his heels, then descended two steps at a time. The happiness he had experienced moments ago was now replaced by fear again, but also by boldness. He knew how to beat the hotel now, and he was going to take major advantage of that.
Halfway down the stairs, he froze to see Brock smiling up at him, holding a mallet in his hands. The look on Brock's face sent shivers up Ash's spine, but he managed to smile, happy to see his friend awake again.
"Hey, Brock," Ash said, his thoughts focused once again on Misty. "What's the matter? What's happening? Why is Misty screaming? Is she hurt?"
"Ash! Run!" Misty called. Ash's head suddenly shot up, and he looked back down at Brock, who began to hold the mallet out in front of him. His eyelids flew open in fear. "He's going to kill you, Ash! Run!!!"
"W--What?" Ash shuttered.
All of a sudden, Brock swung the mallet at Ash, missing him by inches. Ash screamed.
"Oh my God!" he shouted. "What are you doing, Brock?!"
Brock started after him, and Ash immediately turned and ran. Now he knew. He looked over his shoulder a couple of times to see Brock a few feet in back of him, the mallet raised high above his head. The glare in Brock's eyes of hatred convinced Ash that this was no joke, and even if it was, it was certainly not a funny one.
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt now!" Ash cried, and Pikachu hit his intended bulls-eye dead-on. Brock groaned loudly as the electricity filled his body, and he fell to one knee at the top of the stairs. Ash ran on, never stopping and not looking back.
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Misty had stopped screaming to Ash as soon as she heard silence from upstairs. That was no good, though. She had stopped crying minutes before, for she had no more tears to shed. Now that Brock was gone for a while, she had to stop concentrating on herself, and start concentrating on saving Ash. Hopefully, by the grace of God, it would not be too late.
Misty looked over at Team Rocket, and began to drag herself over to them. The pain in her leg where Brock had struck her with the mallet was not going away, but it did fell a bit better. She groaned every time she moved it, however, even if it was just a little. She was afraid to think of what standing on it would be like, but she had no time for that.
Finally reaching Team Rocket, she started to nudge Jessie. She had only been hit once, and Misty found that she was her best chance.
"Jessie, wake up!" Misty said, moaning a little. She shook Jessie's back desperately. To her relief, Jessie murmured quietly and opened her eyes.
"Oh thank God!" Misty exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face. It had been the first time she smiled in an hour. "Thank God you're okay! I never thought I'd be so happy to see you."
Jessie sat up and groaned, holding her arm. "What's happening?" she asked, her face winced up in pain. "What's the matter with your friend?"
Misty's eyes started to well up in tears. "That's not Brock anymore. Come on, you have to get up. He's gonna kill Ash! He's gonna kill my friend!"
Jessie rolled over and sat up on her knees. She held her arm closely to her side. "What's happening?" she asked again.
"I don't know," Misty replied. "And I don't think I'll ever know."
Jessie looked down at James. "Oh my God, James!" she screamed, horrified. "No!"
Misty dragged herself over to the opposite side of James, and helped Jessie roll him over onto his back. He was undoubtedly unconscious, and Jessie searched desperately for a pulse. She sighed in relief when she found that he had one, and that it was steady. James was breathing very softly, but nonetheless he was breathing. Jessie looked up at Misty and smiled, and Misty smiled back. Both had feared the worst after seeing what Brock had done to the teen.
Jessie focused back on James and began to shake him. "James! James! Please wake up!"
Misty joined in on nudging James, very forcefully. James was not awakening, and in a panic Jessie began to shake him harder.
"James! Please, you have to wake up! You have to!"
"What's happened?"
Misty and Jessie turned to see Meowth limping over to them, walking on all fours. He had a look of terror in his face.
"James isn't waking up!" Jessie said, tears starting to fall from her eyes. "I. . .I don't know what to do. . ."
"Jessie, calm down," Misty said, putting a hand on hers. She smiled reassuringly. "He'll be okay."
Still, Jessie looked down at James. Suddenly, she began to breathe in heavy puffs, and a look of anger came over her face. "James, wake up, damn you!" she shouted, slapping her partner sharply in the face. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" She slapped his face over and over again, as hard as she could. Misty and Meowth just watched in disbelief.
"I'm not going to let you die!" Jessie screeched, hitting James again with an ear-stinging slap. All of sudden, James began to moan and come to. Jessie gasped in happiness as James' eyes fluttered open.
"Jessie?" he moaned. "My--my back. . .my back."
Jessie smiled and looked up to the sky, mouthing a thank you. "Shhh. . . ," she said. "It's okay. Misty, help me get him over to the corner there."
Though it was torture on her leg, Misty propped James' back up, and she and Jessie dragged him over to the corner of the room. James cried silently, his back and side exploding with pain. When they reached there, Misty let go of James slowly, and Jessie collected him in her arms. James' eyes closed again, but he was awake. Jessie rocked back and forth, cuddling James in her arms. She thanked Misty silently with tears of happiness but fear streaming down her cheeks.
Misty propped herself up along the wall, her bad leg twisted around disjointedly. "I have to save Ash," she said simply, hopping up and down on her good leg in an attempt to support herself.
"Wait, I'm going with you," Jessie said, getting up. "You're not going up there alone."
Misty wanted to protest, but instead she thanked her and accepted the help.
Jessie turned to James, who was now sitting up. "Here," she said, handing him her Pokéballs containing Arbok and Likitung. "Just in case, okay? I'm going with Misty."
"Okay," James said softly, accepting the balls into his hands.
"Meowth, stay with James," Jessie told him, and Meowth nodded. Jessie looked back down at James and planted a small kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back, I promise."
James nodded, and Jessie stood up, holding her bad arm close to her.
"Shouldn't we call the police?" Jessie asked Misty, who shook her head.
"No. Look outside," Misty answered, motioning towards the windows. "With the snow they'll never get here on time. We have to do this ourselves."
Jessie nodded, taking a deep breath of air. The two girls made their way first to the kitchen, where Misty grabbed one of the carving knives off the table. She looked at it sadly, hoping she would not have to use it. But just to be safe, she grasped it tightly, and she and Jessie took the staircase to the second floor.
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Ash ran precariously through the halls of the hotel, Pikachu right beside him. Behind him, Ash could hear Brock screaming and hitting everything in sight with the mallet. Ash had no idea what was going on, but all he knew was that he had to get away from Brock -- and fast.
Ash had taken another staircase up to the third floor, and Brock had done the same. Not knowing the hallways well, Ash just took turn after turn, hoping to lose Brock in the confusion. But it was no use, Brock was always right behind.
"Oh no!" Ash screamed suddenly, and Pikachu looked up to see that they had met a dead end. It was, in fact, the Presidential Suite's private corner, and there was no way out. Ash spun around in fear to see Brock smiling at him, holding the mallet firmly.
"Hey, Ash! What's up?" Brock asked, beginning again with the same friendly routine as he had done with Misty.
Ash stood his ground. "What the hell's the matter with you?" he asked bravely, looking Brock straight in the eye.
"You are," Brock replied simply. "You and your damn journey, that's what. I'm sick t'hell with you, ya know that?"
Ash was shocked. "Why?"
"I'm sick of you thinking you're so damn great! You're not. I've had more success in Pokémon than you have, and you still get all the attention! Everything has to revolve around you. It would be nice once in a while for me to get a break!"
Ash shrugged fearfully. "But why this? Why are you doing this?"
"Cause you have this hotel and I don't!" Brock replied angrily. "I deserve it more than you do! And it wants me, too! They told me themselves!"
Although Ash was ready to tell him to take the hotel, he knew that this was not Brock talking to him. He was not the Brock that he knew, and because of what had already happened, Ash realized that this was just another one of the hotel's tricks. Somehow the hotel had taken possession of his best friend, and there was no way in hell Ash was going to let that continue.
"You don't need the hotel," Ash told Brock, looking sincerely into his eyes. Brock growled and swung the mallet again at Ash, but missing him. Ash jumped back timorously.
"Yes, I do!" he contradicted. "They promised me good things if I had it! They promised me!"
Ash took in a deep breath. "They lie, though."
Meanwhile, Jessie and Misty searched throughout the halls of the hotel. Misty was becoming worried, and Jessie put a hand on her shoulder.
"Where are they?" Misty asked, her voice cracking, glancing up into the face of her enemy, who had suddenly become her ally.
Jessie smiled pleasantly. "Where do you think they are?"
"Huh?" Misty was confused.
"You've been with them for so long. Just like me and James. I've been around him so long that I feel I've created, well, a bond with him. Maybe. . .just maybe you have that same bond with your friends."
Misty looked to the ground. She closed her eyes and started to create mental images of Brock and Ash, smiling back at her. Ash and the Brock she used to know. The sweet, caring, fun-loving Brock, who thought barely of himself ever and would do anything to help his friends. Misty became unhappy, a sweep of melancholy rushing through her body. Suddenly, the words "president" starting to ring in her head, and she looked up instantly. "They're at the Presidential Suite!" she announced, and took off, limping on her bad leg. Jessie followed closely back.
Ash watched in disbelief as the mallet dropped from hands, gasping in disbelief. Brock buried head in his hands, moaning and rubbing his forehead neurotically. Then he looked angrily at Ash.
"No, you lie!" he bellowed, stumping over to claim his dropped object. "You're the one who's lying!"
"No, Brock! Listen to me!" Ash said. Brock was halted in recovering the mallet as he looked up at Ash. "The hotel doesn't care about you! It never will! We care about you Brock! Me and Misty. We need you more, you know that! You know deep down that you don't want to do this. You're just too afraid to go up against the hotel."
As if he was shot by a gun, Brock fell to his knees and began to cry loudly. Ash was still afraid to approach him, but stood looking down worriedly at him. He suddenly jumped back as Brock looked at him again, his eyes filled with tears.
"Oh God, Ash, I'm so sorry!" he apologized. Ash smiled. He could tell that Brock was all right, that he was telling the truth. The sincere expression he displayed confirmed that.
"It's okay!" Ash replied, his voice cracking with small sobs. "It wasn't your fault."
Ash dropped down to Brock and hugged him. Brock gripped his friend tightly. How could he have done such a thing? Why did he let the hotel, which he accepted now was haunted, take over him?
All of a sudden, the two heard heavy footsteps down the hallway. Raising their heads, they witnessed Misty and Jessie stop abruptly in the hallway, looking down at the kneeling Brock and Ash. Misty uttered a gasp of bafflement but also of happiness when she noticed Brock and Ash embracing, and the deadly mallet kicked to the side.
"Misty?" Brock asked, teary eyed.
Misty began to well up in tears as well. "Brock? Is that you?"
Brock nodded slowly, and suddenly broke down. "I'm so sorry, Misty. I'm so sorry!"
Misty smiled joyfully and ran to her friend's side. She flew down to the floor and hugged Brock, which he returned strongly. They cried together, Misty burying her head into Brock's chest and Brock gently stroking Misty's hair.
"I never meant to hurt you, Misty," Brock coughed out in sobs. "I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, Brock," Misty replied, smiling into his face. "It wasn't your fault, I know that."
Brock and Misty turned to Ash, who was looking at them emotionally. Misty extended her arm to Ash and he joined in on the group hug. Misty felt so relieved to be in Brock's warm arms, arms that weren't trying to hurt her. She looked over at Ash, who looked back at her with a reassuring smile and a nod.
Jessie stood in the entranceway of the Presidential hallway, staring down at the sight before her and fighting back tears. Up to this point, she had never felt any compassion toward the group of kids she considered her adversaries, but now she felt a sudden rush of caring for them. Her heart melted.
Brock started to fell better. He looked up and Jessie, whose face suddenly turned to fear and uncertainty. He smiled warmly at her, and slowly but surely, she smiled back. Nodding to her, Brock looked past her and froze. Misty and Ash could feel Brock's body tensing up, and they looked worriedly into his face to see what the matter was.
Although only visible to Brock, the bartender stood directly behind Jessie, shaking his head disappointedly. "This is not what we agreed on, Brock," he said.
"I know," Brock replied out loud, confusing Ash, Misty, and Jessie. Jessie had spun around to see what Brock was looking at, and when seeing nothing, returned her befuddled gaze to Brock.
Misty began to shake. "Who are you talking to Brock?" she asked, a feel of nausea returning to her stomach in a flash.
"Brock, don't let these traitor 'friends' of yours trick you," the bartender said calmly. "They're lying to you. They don't care about you Brock. They're just being nice to you so that you can cook their food for them. So that you can carry the heavy bag. They don't want you for a friend, they want you for a slave and pack-rat."
Brock breathed in deeply. "Really? You can sense that?" he asked, his face twitching.
"Brock?" Ash asked, looking anxiously at him. His eyes kept switching from Brock's face to behind Jessie, where apparently Brock's attention was drawn to. Suddenly, by the expression on Brock's face, he could tell that Brock was somehow communicating with someone that only he could see. He immediately grabbed Brock's arm.
"Brock, I know you can hear me!" Ash cried, noticing that Brock was paying no attention to him. "Listen, they're not real! If you don't believe in them, they won't bother you! You know that you don't want to listen to them."
Brock's face became agitated. He was listening to both Ash and the bartender at the same time (even though Ash did not know this), telling them two contradicting statements. Finally, he drew his face away from the bartender and looked into the faces of his friends, even Jessie's. He looked at them with hate, but suddenly his expression changed drastically. Their faces seemed so much more friendly, so more sincere than the bartender's. The urge to grasp the hotel into his possession again was growing intensely, but the attraction to his friends was fighting it like penicillin fights a deadly disease. Suddenly, he felt torn in two, and had nowhere to go.
STAY TUNED FOR THE EXCITING CONCLUSION!