Kasumi's Tale
By:Sora
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. It belongs to Nintendo, 4KidsEntertainment, and a bunch of other companies. Nobody sue me. I just got fired the other day and I'm really broke. Once again, "Sleep Tight" by Sara Brightman does not belong to me.
Chapter 2- What Starts It All
My trip to the Indigo Plateau weeks ago only seems like a dream now. So far away. Everything had gone back to it's normal schedule. Everything stayed normal until a few months later. That was when diaster struck. I had no idea how this day would change my life forever.
I had a special job of my own at the gym. I was to little to battle or train the Pokémon, so I got to register the trainers, hand out coupons and direct trainers to the gym. It was fun on busy days. I got to meet lots of neat people and some of their Pokémon. But somedays we had hardly any trainers and I had no one to play with.
Today was an epcially slow day. But we did have one trainer come by. He came up to the desk and sort of looked around as if I weren't there. "Excuthe me?" I said. "Can I help you?" The man just sort of grinned at me. "Yes, child. I do believe you can."
I was puzzled. This man reminded me of someone, but I didn't know who. "Would you like to battle?" I asked, trying to be polite. The trainer had amused smirk now. "Battle? With you?" "No. With my Dad or Daithy. They're doing the battles today."
"That's alright. I don't want to battle. I just want to check out the gym."
There was something wrong with that. Why did he wanna see the gym? "I don't know…" I said. "I'll be right back!" I promised and took off towards the gym where Daisy was battling a trainer. "Daithy!" I called. "Just a minute, Misty! I'm busy right now!" I glanced back towards the trainer who was tapping his foot, impatiently.
"Daithy. There'th thomeone here. He wanth to thee the gym." Daisy turned and sighed. "Just a moment, " she told the young girl she'd been battling.
"Who wants to see the gym and why?" Daisy asked me. I just shrugged. I took her hand and pulled her to the lobby. "Thith ith my thither, Daithy." I told the strange man. The man chuckled at my lisp. "What an adorable child."
Then he grinned at Daisy. "So, pretty lady. Can I see your lovely gym?" Daisy bit her lip and looked down at me, nervously. "I don't know, sir. Why is it you need to see our gym? You must have a reason." The man chuckled to himself. He reached into his long coat and pulled out a plastic card. "I'm from the Offical Pokémon leauge. I'm here on offical bussiness. I have to run an offical gym inspection."
"Gym inspection? Why weren't we told of this?" The man shrugged. Daisy carefully studdied his ID. "Alright." She gave in. "The Pokémon Leauge is so paranoid lately." She muttered. "It's all those Pokémon theives, like Team Rocket," said the man.
I don't like the way he grinned when he said that. There was something very wrong with this. "Follow me." Daisy led the way down the hall. "Get the Pokémon out. Just in case," Daisy whispered to me. "Right." I nodded. Daisy pushed open the door and I crept past her, so the man didn't get sucpicous.
I went into the small room where we store all our Pokémon. I took all the Pokéballs and hid them under my jacket. I carefully walked out, slowly so I wouldn't drop the balls. Once the Pokéballs were safe on my bed, I raced back to the gym.
I gave a thumbs-up to Daisy and she smiled at me. "Great. You can't be too careful, ya know." We followed the inspector around a he "inspected" the gym. "Where's your Pokémon?" He asked. "I need to see them too."
I glanced at Daisy. What do we do now? She gave me a confident grin. "They're all at the Pokémon Center, sir. A very talented trainer managed to defeat all our Pokémon." For a moment I thought I saw the man scowl, but when I looked again he was all smiles.
"Fine, then. I left my notebook, could you please go get it for me?" "Um, okay." Daisy left to get his notebook.
The man looked like he was about to say something to me, but changed his mind. Quickly glancing behind him, he pushed me in the pool. I screamed and took in a mouthful of water. I wasn't a very strong swimmer yet and my clothes were dragging me down. I struggled to the top. "Daithy! Daithy, where are you?!"
I choked on some water and sunk under. Everything was blurry. So dizzy. What's happening? I have to help Daisy! I can't drown. What sort of water trainer would I be if I drowned?
I kicked off my sandels and propelled myself to the surface. I came up coughing a sputtering. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me out. "Are you okay?" Daisy asked me. "That guy from the Pokémon Leuage!" I gasped. "He puthed me in the pool!"
My Dad, Lily, and Violet raced in. "What happened?" Dad demanded. "Misty, are you alright?" I nodded with chattering teeth. Violet took a towel off the rack and wrapped it around me. "Where did that guy go, Mist?" "I don't know. He dithapered when I wath in the pool." "There's something I really don't like about this," muttered Daisy.
* * *
I swam with my Seel in the pool that afternoon. We were in the shallow end, playing Marco Polo. "Marco!" I giggled. "Seel!" Or maybe I should say, "Marco Seel"
"Marco!" I called. "Seel! Seel!" "Oh, where are you, Theel?" I might be a good swimer, but I'm not match for Seel. I felt Seel's smooth fin poke me in the back, but when I turned around he was gone.
After a while I gave up. Seel and I were both tired. "You're good at thith, Theel. I'd never be able to catch you." "Seel! See! Seel!" Seel nudged my cheek, as if to comfort me. I hugged Seel. "I love you, Theel." Seel is my best friend in the whole world. I wasen't around other kids that much and my sisters where busy running the gym, so I'd make friends with the Pokémon.
Our pool is twenty feet deep. Myself, being not quite three feet, had never been able to make it to the bottom. Daddy and Mommy told me to stop trying. To wait until I was older. They said if I ever did make it to the the bottom, I probaly would never make it back up.
"Theel, I'm gonna try to jump to the bottom, okay? Don't try to thop me unleth I drown or thomething." "Seel!" Seel nodded as I climbed out of the pool and walked over to the low diving board. I climbed the ladder and walked across the cold metal.
I took a deep breath, bent my knees, arched my arms above my head, and dove into the water. I pushed down with my legs and opened my eyes slowly, wishing I'd thought of goggles. The chlorine stung my eyes.
The bottom is just another few feet away. I have to make it. My lungs burned, and my eyes stung, but I kept going. I was happy when my hand touched the smooth floor. I was about to head up when I saw soemthing on the floor. It was a drain. I'd seen lot's in the shallow end, but this one was open and it was slowly sucking water out.
I couldn't see the cap, but it couldn't have come off by accident. So how come it's open? Did someone open it? Then I realized I'd been under for a long time and I needed air. But I can't get up. I'm so tired.
I felt something click under my arm and pull me up. It was Seel. Seel brought me back up to the surface and I sucked in cool, sweet oxygen. I rested my head on Seel as I treaded water. "Thankth, Theel!" I hugged Seel. "I did it! I touched the bottom of the pool!"
Seel clapped his flippers together. "Seel! Seee!!" My Mom rushed into the pool. "Misty! Get out! We're going out for supper! Hurry up!" I quickly hopped out of the pool and walked across the slippery floor. Mom handed me a towel and I wrapped it around me. I changed back into my purple tee and black shorts, then we went to McDonalds for supper. Lily grumbled the whole away about going out to a kiddy resteraunt with her family and Violet complained about missing her show. Daisy was silent, lost in thougt.
When we got home, there was a long line of trainers waiting to battle. My parents took care of that, and my sisters and I snuggle up in front of the tv. "Oh, Who Wants To Be A Pokémon Master is on!"
"This Pokémon is very large and very sleepy. It takes 100000 pounds of food to sastify it's hunger. Is it a)Snorlax b)Drozee c)Hyno d)Jigglypuff ?"
That's an easy question. "Thorlax!" I said. "The answer is Snorlax, Fegis," replied the contestant. "Correct! What is Articuno's special move?" That was a hard one. My sisters didn't even know the answer. But I knew. "Blizzard!" I replied. Lily gawked at me. "How'd ya know that?" I shrugged. "There wath thomething on Articuno in the paper lath week." "I didn't know you could read."
The contestant's time is running out. "Time's up." Fegis said. "The correct answer is Blizzard." At the end of the movie, Lily got up to make us some popcorn, grumbling about something called calories. "Violet, what are calowrieth?" She giggled. "You don't wanna know, sis."
A movie called, "Mew's Mew" is coming on. Lily came back with the popcorn, turned off the lights and the movie started. The movie was sad. It was about a mythical Pokémon, Mew. It tells the story of Mew's struggle to escape poachers and trainers, trying to remain hidden forever. But a little girl finds Mew and befriends him. Then the forest was set on fire and the little girl dies. Mew shall now forever remain hidden forever.
"Time for bed, Misty," Violet announced. I stiffled a yawn. "But I'm not tired yet!"Daisy laughed and carried me upstairs on her back. She tucked me in and sang my special lullaby. "We saw Fanastasia in a far off land
Cry for the living in the desert sand
They waited underneath a splintered moon
To hear the beating of an ancient tune
Sleep Tight
The reapers waiting in the wings
Sleep Tight
To reap a man of many things
Sleep Tight
Look through the eyes of destiny
Sleep Tight
We find the kingdom, but he has the key
I meet a seer who believes and dreams
Our blood is running through eternal streams
Dust you'll return and dust you shall remain
'Cos that's the only heart that beats again and again.
"Sleep Tight…"
I soon fell into a deep sleep, with Daisy singing her song. But it wasn't a good sleep. I had a nightmare. I drempt I was the little girl in the movie. I was trapped in a quickly burning forest. I couldn't find Mew. The fire was getting closer and closer. I could smell the smoke. Choking me. I can't breathe! It was so hot.
I coughed and woke up all sweaty. "It wath juth a dream." I reasured myself. "A dream." But I could see the orange flames licking at the door and I could smell smoke. I knew it was no dream.
I crawled out of bed and took a sweater out of my drawer. It would be cold outside. I felt the doorknob like I was told to do. It wasn't too warm. So I ran into the hall and tripped on my barbie doll.
Lily came out of her room. "Why didn't the fire alarm go off?" "I dunno." I coughed. She helped me up and we stumbled through the smokey hall. We went to Violet's room first. "Violet!" I cried, pulling on her bed sheets. "Violet, wake up! There'th a fire!" "Mmmh?" Violet rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "The house is on fire," Violet explained.
Violet jumped out of bed and the three of us raced over to Daisy's bedroom. The door wouldn't open! We heard coughing and banging coming from the room and we realized Daisy was trapped.
Coughing and swaying, Lily and Violet heaved on the door until it collasped. We pulled Daisy out, then checked our parents' room, which was vacant. "They must," Violet coughed," be getting the Pokémon."
When we got downstairs, we realized we were trapped. The fire blocked off the bottom of the stairs. "We can't go back upstairs," mused Lily. "How the hell do we get out?" I made a face at her. "You said a bad word, Lily!" I crowed. "Sorry, squirt."
"There's only one way," decided Daisy. She picked me up and tossed me over the flames, scorching my baby blue pjs. I landed in the living room, only an inch from hitting my head on the coffee table. I sat up and watched as my sisters, one at a time, lept off the stairs and landed near me.
By now the smoke was so thick I couldn't make anything out. "Daithy? Lily? Violet? I can't thee you! Where are you?!" One of them grabbed my hand and pulled me beside the fire. We passed by the gym and I caught a glimpse of my Mom and Dad.
With shock, I realized our pool is empty. I remembered the open drain I'd seen that afternoon. Our Pokémon were too exhausted to put out the flames, thanks to all the trainers from earlier. My parents were trying to get all the Pokémon out, but we have a lot so it wasn't easy. Mom saw us watching them. "Run!" she screamed at us. "Get out! The building's about to collaspe!"
We ran towards the exit. I was slow, so Daisy picked me up. We finally made it outside. It felt so good to be out in the cold, clean air. I looked over at our house. Flames were leaping out the windows and doors. Any part of the house that wasn't on fire was blackened.
I cried. Daisy held me and comforted me, but she cried too. We waited for Mom and Dad to come out for what seemed like hours. But they never came.
I heard a siren and I saw people coming out of their houses to watch our house slowly crumble to the ground. "Where are they, Daithy?" I demanded of my sister. "Where ith Mommy and Daddy? I want Mommy and Daddy!" I cried. Daisy tightened her grip around me.
Then I saw all the Pokéballs flying through the flames, just as our house exploded. I screamed, "Mommy! Daddy!" I tried to run back in, but my sisters held me back. "Shhh," Lily said. "It's okay. It'll be alright." But I knew it wouldn't be alright. Mommy and Daddy are dead.
The firemen drove up then. They put out the fire and searched the house. All our belongings were ruined and our parents were pronunced dead. I went and collected all the Pokéballs. At least the Pokémon were safe. I shook back a sob. Mommy and Daddy are more important than Pokémon!
We just sat there on the charred grass, crying. Lily noticed I was shivering. "We can't just stay out here all night." "But where do we go?" asked Violet. "Tommy can help us," Daisy said. "He'll know what to do."
Tommy? That name sounded farmillair. He is Daisy's boyfriend. I remembered hearing his name on the way to the Indigo Plateau so long ago.
"Daithy, tell me what'th going on," I pleaded. "How come Tommy can help us?" Daisy sighed and glanced at Lily and Violet. They shrugged. "I guess you have a right to know. I'll tell you on the way there."
So she told me as we walked down the cold, lonely street. "Mist, Team Rocket did this. They're going to destroy all the gyms and.…us. We're in their way of world domination. You've heard of Team Rocket on the news, right? They want you, Misty. They're taking lots of young children to work for them. They want all the rare and powerful Pokémon, so they can rule the world. As for Tommy, he's part of an underground system trying to put an end to Team Rocket's reign of terror. He has connections. You see, Team Rocket isn't done with us yet. He's the only one who can help us."
"That..that..man from earlier, he wathen't a inspcetor from the Pokémon Leauge, was he?" "No. He was the one who set the bomb and drained the pool. And he probaly sent all those trainers to wear out our Pokémon, too."
"But that'th juth mean! Juth killing innocent people like that!" "I know, Misty. That'w why Team Rocket must be stopped."
We went over to Tommy's house. I fell asleep as soon as we got there and I drempt of the fire and innocent Mews all night. I'll make Team Rocket pay for this. They won't get away with killing my parents.
To Be Continued….
C-ya, minna!