~*~
CHAPTER EIGHT
~*~
Anju swallowed deeply. Now she really, really wished she'd never opened that damned box. Or all the drawers in Misty's room. Or looked in that photo album she'd found hidden in Misty's wardrobe…
Misty's keys rattled at the lock, and Anju's deep cerise eyes swept from the trembling square of photographic paper clutched in her fingers to the doorway. Misty slid indoors carrying a shopping bag from the Goldenrod department store and wearing a watery smile.
Misty stared at her friend, who was sitting unmoving on the sofa holding a photograph so tightly in her grasp the tips of her fingers were pure white. Anju's dark pink eyes stared back from beneath a barrier of lilac hair and long black eyelashes.
"Anju?" Misty asked cautiously, as she dropped her keys on the nearby table and allowed her shopping bag to slide slowly to the floor. "Anything wrong?" Anju didn't reply. Misty felt her temper stir and she grunted in annoyance as she strode over to the sofa; feeling strangely uncomfortable under Anju's penetrating gaze.
Protectively, she crossed her arms and drew herself up to her full height - a habit that had stuck with her since her childhood fights with…him. She'd always taken her extra height as an advantage until he had outgrown her.
"Don't act all considerate with me Misty Waterflower!" Anju exploded into voice and practically leapt up from the sofa. "If that is your real name!" Misty stared at Anju; she didn't know what was going on. Even though Misty was the taller of the two girls definitely, Anju, with her thick purple hair curled up into balls on each side of her head, and wearing an accusing scowl on her lips seemed at her most formidable. Then Misty chuckled wearily; she was so tired of it all.
"What do you mean? Of course it's my real name idiot!" Startled by Misty's easy-going front, Anju faltered for a second, then turned and grabbed the picture from the sofa.
"What is this?" she inquired steadily, still glaring. Misty disguised her shock at seeing the picture, and looked at Anju with bored, teal eyes.
"It's a sonogram picture? So?" Anju's eyes flashed.
"It's your sonogram picture Misty." Misty's mouth twitched.
"It's not mine! I haven't…haven't got a b-baby…!" Anju stabbed the corner of the black and white photograph with her index finger nail.
"See here? MisKetc, 12/13/04. This is your baby. Misty Ketchum." Anju had guessed the reaction to this would have been dramatic, but Misty simply stood there, but tightened her hands into fists at that surname.
"My name, Anju Kunésaki, is Misty Waterflower," she retaliated, through equally tight lips. Then Misty sank to the sofa, pressing her bare knees together. There was silence for a moment, except for Anju's heavy breathing as pity and the basis of her friendship with Misty began to pick away at her anger.
"Er, Misty…" But Misty spoke again, quietly.
"Why are you so angry at me? What have I done?" Anju stood in silence, her breathing evened. Misty reached out and plucked the picture from her friend's fingers. Softly, she rubbed her fingertips over the edges of the corners as she stared at the black and white swirl that had been her baby. Biting her bottom lip, she briefly indulged herself in a memory, where she wasn't 18 and feeling sticky photographic paper under her fingertips, but she was 14, and she was feeling a satiny texture of white rose petals instead.
"I-I-" Anju began. Sighing, she sat down next to Misty, and awkwardly put her arm around the girl. "I guess I just was a bit shocked and annoyed that you didn't tell me sugar…" Misty nodded.
"I did have a baby," she began, waving the picture gently, her voice oddly strained. "Poor baby. My poor, poor baby…" A half stifled sound of anguish escaped her throat, and Anju felt her shudder. Misty turned to Anju; her eyes seemed brighter than usual; bright with tears that hadn't been shed for years.
"Do you want to tell me this Misty?" Misty nodded assuredly. Anju noted with concern that Misty's cheeks were flushed and her breathing was oddly irregular. Suddenly, one lone tear slid down Misty's flushed cheek, leaving a thin meandering sliver.
"I must be the only missing person…who nobody misses at all…"
~*~
Ash caught Brock's eye over the top of his advertising agent's head and made a gesture signifying just how bad that guy's toupeé was. Brock smiled. It was great to have the old Ash back; the Ash standing across the room from him right now, who was pointedly ignoring Mr Bad-Toupeé and talking loudly to Pikachu.
"Mr Ketchum!" the Suit spluttered, his entire face bright red and flecks of saliva flying from his gaping mouth onto his grey suit jacket. "Can you not comprehend what you have done? Never before has the Indigo League encountered this in their Master!" The pitched, whiny voice droned on and on, but Ash seemed to get calmer and calmer.
A few minutes later, Ash walked out of the office with Brock and Jo. Ash sauntered his way down the familiar white painted corridor with Pikachu balanced on his hat, and his friends followed cautiously behind him. Ash's lips pursed up into a whistle, and soon Brock could recognise it as the theme song for a favourite TV programme of Ash and Misty's during their early teen years.
A tall figure with flashing glasses stopped Ash as he walked past her. Lorelei flipped her thick purple ponytail over her shoulder, and adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose as she shook Ash's hand and congratulated him for doing the thing that she herself had wanted to for countless years. Ash slid one arm behind his head and sweatdropped in embarrassment as the idolised Ice Pokémon Master poured compliments on him, before sashaying down the hallway, leaving Brock drowning in his own drool.
~*~
A few days later, the early morning light fell serenely onto the videophone in the Ketchum residence, bypassing the lumps on the sofas that were Jo and Brock. Their even breathing at different intervals was almost musical. The whole house was peaceful, until…
RING RING RING! RING RING RING! PHONECALL! PHONECALL!
Rousing from sleep instantly, and skidding into the hallway wearing a teeshirt, boxers and a single sock, Ash frantically punched the button in excitement. The screen remained blank, but a pretty sounding southern accented voice pealed from the speakers.
"Um, hello there, may I speak to Ash Ketchum please?"
"Er yeah he's me…" Ash said curiously, as he tried to match the unfamiliar voice to a face. "Do you mind if I turn the videophone on?"
"Oh no, go ahead," the voice affirmed. Ash flicked the small switch, and the screen flickered into life, revealing a young girl about his age with light purple hair in thick waves around her heart shaped face, intense cerise eyes and slender fingers holding the phone receiver close to her ear. Her face broke into relief. "Oh thank God it's you!" she exclaimed. "You wouldn't believe what I've gone through to find you!"
Even though the girl was excited, Ash could plainly hear that she appeared to be trying to keep her voice down. Ash looked over at the digital clock nearby.
"And you're ringing me at five in the morning why? Who are you?" The girl's mouth opened in a form of surprise that turned into a happy smile.
"Yes I can see it," she murmured. "You two…fit…" Ash stared at her pointedly. "My name is Anju Kunésaki, and I'm the receptionist at the Cianwood Fighting Pokémon Gym." Ash nodded for her to continue. "I've been searching for you for a few days now Mr Ketchum."
"Why have you been searching for me?" Ash asked half warily. Anju smiled happily again, but this time with content.
"I think I have something that belongs to you."