~*~
CHAPTER FOUR
~*~
Chuck strode in through the doors of him Gym on Cianwood Island, and was greeted by his lavender-haired receptionist, Anju.
"Mornin' toots," he growled, good-naturedly pinching her bottom as he strode past. "Any challengers here yet?"
"Not for a Badge sir, but there's a young lady called Misty who wants to apply for a place as a Trainer at the Gym." Chuck rubbed his hands together.
"What's she like then?" Anju pulled out her checklist.
"Seventeen, red hair, greeny coloured eyes, long legs, not fat, big chest, specialises in Water Pokémon and no wedding ring." Chuck leered happily.
"I like her already! Water Pokémon huh? Doesn't she know this is a Fighting Pokémon Gym...she needs at least one."
"Her Poliwhirl is willing to evolve sir."
"Good good. Well, we'll see after I've rated her…we've got some spare WaterStones right toots?"
"Yes sir."
"Alright, send her in, in about 10 minutes time."
~*~
Misty sat nervously on the tatty leathered seat in the Gym's waiting room, and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She didn't know what was wrong with her; everything felt so cold recently. Cianwood Island…she'd never heard of the place. She had simply ran till she couldn't get any further. First a plane into Johto, then in the early hours of the morning she had grabbed the nearest bus, which had deposited her at some structure called the Glitter Lighthouse in Olivine City.
Seeing ocean in front of her, she'd jumped on her Lapras, gritting her mind against the fact it had been a birthday present from Ash, and surfed out past whirlpools until she couldn't any more. And now here she was…applying for a place in a Fighting Pokémon Gym. Listlessly she picked at her fingernail. She imagined there must have been a time when she, Brock and Ash had been waiting together in this room.
Anju reappeared with a smile, layers of chiffon skirt flying everywhere as she announced the "Great Chuck" was ready to challenge her.
"Challenge me?" asked Misty, hurriedly. "Oh no I don't want a Badge, I want to become a Trainer here!"
"That's right sugar," Anju replied. "It's his way of seeing if you are worthy enough!" She winked and gestured towards the door that led into the small stadium. Suddenly, years of routine took over, and her nervousness left her.
"Let's get this over with then," growled Chuck, flicking his cigarette out from between his lips and onto the ground, where he stepped on it.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Misty replied, her teeth over her lips in an empty smile.
"Okay girlie, it's a 2 on 2 Pokémon Battle. Of course, you don't have to win to get a place here, but you can't lose too badly babes." He winked at her. "Ready?"
"Never been more ready for anything," Misty retorted. Chuck arched back and threw a Pokéball.
"Poliwrath I want you!" he called in his deep voice, as a Poliwrath appeared from the red energy chanting its name.
"Misty calls…" "Stay in Psyduck!" she thought as she maximised a Pokéball. "…Chinchou!" The Angler Pokémon materialised, and Misty took a peek at Chuck who seemed unperturbed. "Too bad for him…he doesn't seem to know that Chinchou is Electric and Water elements!"
~*~
Approximately 7 minutes later, Chuck recalled his fainted Primeape, and chucked both his used Pokéballs down a pipe that would take them direct to the Pokémon Centre on the seafront so Nurse Joy could treat them. Misty calmly recalled her Togetic and replaced it into her bag.
Chuck smiled begrudgingly at the girl, and tossed her a small triangular capsule with "001" printed on it. It shimmered a navy colour under the arena lights, and Misty recognised it as a TM. Her Gym's special TM, TM11, Bubblebeam, was more of an oval shape, and was silver coloured.
"That's the Cianwood Gym TM, DynamicPunch." Chuck crossed the floor and handed Misty a blue, semi-transparent stone with a pretty swirl in the centre. "Here, you need this to evolve your Poliwhirl." He strode to open the door for her, winking at Anju as he went. "Anju, this lil' lady's got herself a job. Show her to her room." He turned to Misty. "Congrats babes. You are now officially, the only Junior Trainer Female in the Cianwood Gym."
~*~
Anju squealed as she realised that hers and Misty's bedrooms were adjoined.
"You and me, we gotta stick together sugar," she drawled, reminding Misty of a nice version of her cousin Linda. "We being the only two girls in this Gym. Well, besides Chuck's wife, but she's just so antisocial, atrocious hair too…"
"Do you have any Pokémon?" Misty asked distractedly, as she unpacked her Memory Box and quickly kicked in under her chest of drawers.
"Who me? Nuh-uh sugar, my being here is to take Chuck's phone calls, and to keep the collection of StormBadges up. Never wanted to battle with Pokémon. Oh, they're cute an' all and I love watching battles…" Anju's pretty voice droned on and on, bouncing straight off Misty's memory, that was already too full, of scenes, dialogues and people, she needed so desperately to forget.
~*~
Blue, green, aquamarine.
Blue, green, aquamarine.
Ash swirled his toes in the heated water of the centre pool in the Cerulean City Gym, only half hearing Daisy and Violet arguing over what colour Misty's eyes were.
"Does it really matter?!" he wanted to yell…but he didn't. He just kept his eyes transfixed on his reflection in the pool. Officer Jenny had spent the whole morning interviewing him - did he LOOK like he knew where Misty was? If he knew, he'd be there with her instead of at the Cerulean Gym, feeling every hairline crack in his heart splinter over the surface as confusion battered against it.
Brock tore himself away from the short-skirted Lily Waterflower, and squatted down next to Ash, choosing his words carefully.
"So…" he began simply. "How do you feel?" Suddenly Ash heaved a huge ornamental seashell that had been placed decoratively at the poolside into the water itself, shattering the glasslike texture of the calm water. The ripples ran jaggedly from the epicentre and grew until they had filled a large area of the pool.
"Like that."
"Point taken…" Brock sat in uncomfortably silence as Ash seemed to go back into hiding inside himself. The water calmed, and returned to a fairly tranquil state. "Look Ash, you'll be alright. You just need some time. See? The water's calmed down."
"Yeah but it's not the same!" Ash yelled, turning red, swollen eyes onto his friend. "That bloody seashell is still under there, and all the water has mixed around. It's not the same…"
"Ash chill, we can take the seashell out of the pool!" Ash remained in silence, and raggedly ran one arm over his face, to catch any tears that may have squeezed out.
"But who's gonna take out the one from inside me?" Brock had no answer, and could only provide a comforting presence to his tormented friend as they sat at the poolside in Cerulean Gym. The home Misty would never return to.