~*~

CHAPTER FIVE

~*~

Pikachu wailed. Brock sniffled. Ash rang up Tracey and Linda and they were upset too. Brock emailed Jo about it, and she rushed around to console Ash, but he sent her home, saying she could do nothing to help. He rang up his mom who wept openly on the videophone with everyone in the Pokémon Centre staring at her. But Ash didn't cry. Not anymore.

He didn't know how he felt. He knew he felt alone, when he sat on the couch watching the last few minutes of the last episode of "Vampire Princess Miyu" and suddenly realised that Misty didn't know how it ended. He felt alone when he lay alone in the huge bed, whose sheets were immaculately washed by her the previous weekend.

And it hurt like hell when he reached over to the now empty side of the bed for a cuddle, and his arm hit nothing but cold air and a flattened pillow.

So now what? Would he bury himself in his work? Find himself a new girlfriend? There was no shortage of trophy girlfriends fawning all over him because he was the Master. Or would he remain in this twilight half-existence, pining in silent shock over the soulmate that had vanished in the middle of the night?

Ash's young cousin was very fond of Misty, and obviously asked where she had gone. Ash answered the young girl that she had evaporated like water, and gone to live in a nice place with lots of Water Pokémon. The little girl seemed to accept this, and Ash began using the analogy that Misty was dead, and tried to put her out of his head. She hadn't been taken. She left him of her own free will… purposely left him without so much as a note.

She couldn't have cared for him much after all.

A few weeks after Misty had gone, an article appeared in a local Southern Kanto newspaper, written by a new junior journalist called Messena. It was a report about the editor of the Daily Dodrio, giving evidence about…Ash's eyes homed in on the name: Misty Waterflower. Almost hungrily, he read the article, about the editor blackmailing his defenceless girlfriend, and thought guiltily back to him talking her in to taking the interview. He closed his eyes and felt his chest begin to thump heavily. Ash reached over, and picked up the phone.

Brock and Jo were there in under an hour. Silently, they listened to a distraught Ash waving the newspaper around and swearing. Finally, Ash collapsed on the sofa with a sob, and Jo soothingly rubbed his shoulder. Brock studied the newspaper and picked up the phone, dialling the paper's head office.

"Hello, this is Isa how can I help you?"

"Um hi. This is Brock. I need to talk to one of your juniors. Messena?"

"One moment please I'll just patch you through sir."  There were a few pips on the line.

"Hello this is Messena."

"Hi Messena. I'm Brock, calling on behalf of Ash Ketchum." There was a hesitation on the other line.

"He read the article and wants to know what Carys Sonezaki was blackmailing his girlfriend with. I heard she ran away. I don't blame her. Could have got him in serious trouble if the authorities had found out…" Messena said in a whisper, as she relayed the story quietly to Brock. Even his eyes widened as he realised.

After replacing the phone, he turned round to an expectant audience, Ash with red eye. He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly there was a thump at the door. Jo opened it hesitantly, and suddenly…there she was. All strawberry blonde hair and revealing clothes, although the glasses from when Ash had first met her were long since replaced with vivid blue coloured contact lenses. Misty's cousin, Linda Winhamall. Staggering behind Linda, under many humongous bags boxes of shoes, was a tuft of green hair and a red bandana. Brock relieved his old friend Tracey Sketchitt of his load, and he grinned sheepishly around at everyone.

It was like some twisted reunion, Ash murmured to his subconscious. Everyone who was in their group at the time him and Misty had got together was now here…except Misty herself.

It was what had happened between Linda and Tracey that was confusing. As far as everyone knew, there was no romance between them, but Tracey lived with her in the metropolitan area of Goldenrod in Johto, and accompanied her to social functions and the like just like a husband would. Ash was dismayed to find himself envying his friend's semi-relationship.

Drinks were handed out, by demand of Linda, and everyone sat down. Ash was ready to rip Linda's throat out – he'd never liked her anyway. Brock looked around.

"Ash are you ready to hear this?" Ash nodded slowly. Brock took a deep breath. "Linda, I suppose you could help me explain this story. What did Misty's father work as?" Linda's face brightened.

"Oh, he was a famous Water Pokémon Trainer…he was always invited to these wonderful parties and Auntie Nadesico always brought me along…"

"Yes Ash," Brock interrupted Linda's inappropriate trip down Memory Lane. "Misty's father was very famous. In fact, for a little while, way before you and Misty, even I was born…when he was a very young man…he was a Master." There were gasps from Jo and Tracey, and a yawn from Linda. Ash shook his head…he didn't understand.

"Ash," Tracey began slowly. "Misty was trained by her father originally, and anyway, she has his Water Pokémon genes. Misty trained you…" Ash half resented that remark, but he knew it was true, at least for the beginning of his journey. But then, achingly slowly, something came back to him. A very serious rule in the Indigo League. His mouth opened wide in shock.

"And if the League Board found out that connection to a Master I could be…disqualified…all my Badges…my title, everything…" he recited in shock. Everyone nodded.

"Incidentally," Brock continued. "Her father had an affair and her mother killed him, and then the mistress killed the mother…it was all in Misty's records; they originally kept it out of the press because of his former status." Ash could only sit in shock. His poor, poor baby…having to go through all that at god knows what young age. "They found that whilst researching for the interview, and Misty must have been so afraid they'd find out it was her father who was the only recorded Water Master, and get you disqualified…she must have just panicked and fled…" Ash jumped up angrily.

"But doesn't she know that she means more to me than that stupid title? I love her more than anything, especially those stupid lumps of metal!" It pained him to talk that way about his beloved Badges, but it was true. "Why didn't she tell me about it? We- we could have – talked about it – sorted it out…" Ash was sobbing out his words now. Brock looked at him both cynically and sympathetically.

"Would you have let her go? And more importantly, did you ever tell her you loved her?"

Ash just sobbed harder.

"She was only trying to protect me…"

~*~

Five months after Misty ran away : December

~*~

Misty, ever so slowly, dragged the pink wax across her bottom lip as Anju danced around in the background, changing her mind about her clothes every 20 seconds. Bracing her hands on the dresser, Misty blinked, and peered into the mirror, deep into the tired, worn eyes of the girl in the reflection. Lazily she reached over for a tube of foundation, and set about concealing the purple semi-circles under each eye.

A little flutter of excitement arose in her stomach – she hadn't had a proper night out since she left Pallet.

Anju had long since bored of her own wardrobe, and was rummaging through Misty's. Upon hearing her friend squeal delightedly, Misty groaned.

"She found the dress…" Sure enough, Anju flew backwards towards her, clutching one of Misty's dresses to her.

"Sugar, don't you tell me you're not wearing this!" Anju demanded, throwing a lavender coloured plait of hair over her shoulder. "This dress…it's to DIE for!" Misty looked up sadly, and let her gaze sweep the all too familiar dress she hadn't seen in over 5 months, and hadn't worn in over a year.

"I wore that on my seventeenth birthday party. It probably wouldn't fit me anymore…" Anju twirled, watching the skirt of the dress billow softly.

"My gawd…this fabric…it's all so beautifully made! It musta cos you a bomb!" Her gaze narrowed. "What exactly did you work as before you came to Cianwood?" Suddenly, a thought struck Anju. "Hey, you're like my best friend Misty sugar, and I know nothing about you!" Misty turned back to the mirror unhappily, offering no explanation about the custom-made dress that Ash had designed for her and paid one hell of a lot to be made. She had meant to leave all ties with him behind in her old life, but she couldn't bear to leave it.

"I was born in Cerulean City. I was orphaned at a young age and lived with my…" She bit her lip. "…aunt and cousin," she lied. "Then when I was about 11 I went on a Pokémon journey and…and…um…went to live in…Blackthorn City when I finished it at 15…and then I just spent a few years um…drifting out of part time jobs before coming here. Nothing special really." Anju looked sceptical.

"And the dress?"

"A very close friend made it for me. You can wear it if you want." As Anju floated off to change, Misty felt like there was a block of ice in her stomach. "Ash, Ash – ASH! Get out of my head! I don't want to think about you anymore."

~*~

"Who does this guy think he is?" Misty laughed to herself. "Ten minutes ago he had his tongue so far down Anju's throat you couldn't see where she ended and he began, and now he's trying to chat me up!" Anju appeared out of nowhere, totally drunk and with tinsel draped around her shoulders. Misty winced as she saw small stains on the front of her dress, and frowned at the horrible thumping of the music. It was Christmas Eve…did none of these "clubbers" have anywhere better to be? With family? With the people they love?

"Or maybe they're just like me. Lost and alone and surrounded by people in the place I live," she thought sadly, as she inched away from the table.

It was such a long way away from last Christmas. Was it only a year ago? Misty could remember the night clearly and lovingly. It was the night she had given a very special piece of herself to Ash, and received the same gift from him. She had felt so warm, so happy and wanted as they laid in the bed afterwards with the curtains open, and the full moon basking the white sheets with a silver light. Their limbs were so intertwined it had been painful pulling away from each other the next morning.

Delia's mother's old grandfather-clock in the hallway chimed midnight, and Ash blew at her fringe lovingly, then kissed her forehead and wished her a Merry Christmas. Of course, he still hadn't said that he loved her…and Misty had been half hoping he had been saving it for that special moment.

"Ah! My wish came true! Hey beautiful, where have you been all the Christmases of my life?" Misty blinked out of her memories. The speaker was a grinning young man, probably about a year older than her, with dark blue hair and a smile that reminded her of Ash's. She couldn't help smiling back. The man pointed upwards, at a sprig of mistletoe and he pouted. "Pwease?" Misty sighed heavily and kissed him on the cheek. He grinned even more. "Well I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Jyou. Your future husband," he added slyly. Misty rolled her eyes.

"And I'm recovering from a broken heart. Don't waste your time."

"But do you have a name fair maiden?"

"Misty."

"Ah. May I call you Myst-"

"NO you may not."

"Sore spot huh? Old boyfriend's nickname for ya?" Misty glared at Jyou.

"Look I don't need this." Jyou looked her up and down.

"Yes you do. You're desperately in need of closure. I can help! Please? Just one date is all I'm asking! I won't even expect sex!" He laughed at Misty's furious face. "I'm kidding! So how about it?"

Misty felt herself nodding yes.