Okay, I dedicate this to my new friends at the forum who helped me
see my dumb mistakes so I could get this stupid thing to upload.
Also, thank you to my friend Allison who helped me get my lazy butt in
gear and finish this! She also came up with the title. Love ya, Allison!
I also dedicate this to my parents and thank them in advance for not
sending me into therapy should they ever read this and find out I'm
into a (contraversially) kids' show.
Disclaimer: I did NOT have sexual relations with that woman.
"All right! We finally made it to Viridian City!" Ash exclaimed,
as he, Pikachu, Misty and Brock stood outside the city's gates.
"I'm glad, Ash," Misty said sarcasticly, "EXCEPT we were
SUPPOSED to be in Cerulean City! How'd we end up here?"
Brock held up his hands in defense. "Don't look at me; I let
Ash hold the map all week."
Ash defended himself. "You specificly told me that we were
going to
Viridian City to catch more Pokemon!"
"That's only what you wanted to hear!" Misty exploded. "I told
you that we were going to Cerulean to visit my sisters."
Pikachu agreed. "Pika pi!"
Brock crossed his arms. "Either way, we're stuck here now, so
what
should we do?"
"Catch more Pokemon!" Ash immediatly replied.
"No way!" Misty exclaimed. She looked around the city, and
through
the streets. There were stands set up all along the sidewalks, and
people
were walking around with balloons, food and souviners. "It looks like
there's some kind of festival here today. Lets check it out."
The group walked through the streets, and Brock read the huge
banner
that hung above the party: "'Mother's and Father's Day Festival.' That
sounds pretty cool." Little kids and their parents were
everywhere,
holding hands and laughing.
"Look! I see Joy!" Brock suddenly shouted. "I'll bet she's
looking
for me! She probably still remembers me from when she saw me before!"
"You mean when she had you arrested for harrassment?" Misty
asked,
but Brock was already gone. She sighed and sat down on a bench. "We
may as
well wait for him here."
Ash sat down next to her with Pikachu. "Why wait here
for Brock? Lets walk around and see the sights!"
Misty didn't answer.
"Misty, are you still mad at me for taking us to the wrong city?" he
asked.
Still no anwer.
"Mist, are you okay?" Ash asked, reaching out to touch her
shoulder.
Misty jumped when Ash touched her shoulder. "Oh, I didn't hear you
talking to me.
Sorry.
I'm fine." She turned to where she had been starring before. Ash
followed
her eyes to see a little girl with red hair, holding a parent's hand on
each
side. She was swinging between them and laughing.
"Sorta looks like you, if you were younger," Ash commented. He
thought Misty didn't seem herself. He wanted more than anything to
reach out
and take her hand. "Are you sure you're all right?"
Misty didn't take her eyes off the girl, but asked Ash, "How
old were
you when your dad died?"
Ash cringed. So THAT'S what was bothering her! He knew
her parents were dead, but they hadn't really
discussed it
before. "My dad isn't dead," he informed her.
Misty turned to him. "How come I've never seen him?"
"He doesn't live with us anymore. He left years ago because he
and
Mom fought so much. I don't really remember him," Ash told her.
Timidly, he
asked, "What about you?"
Misty looked like she wanted to speak her mind, but just shook
her
head. "I'm okay. Really. Don't worry." She forced a smile and stood
up.
"We'd better find Brock before he's arrested for indecent exposure or
something." She walked away.
Ash turned to Pikachu. "Strange. I've never seen her like
this."
Then he followed her.
Later that night, the group was at the Pokemon Center for the
night.
Ash was in the top bunk above Brock, who was almost arrested that day
for
harrassment again. Misty lay in the top bunk of the bed across the
room.
Everyone was asleep except Ash. He watched Misty sleep, wishing he could
find a way to make
her
happy again. He heard her roll over in bed and cough. "Are you awake,
Mist?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she answered. She turned towards him. She was wearing
her
red hair out of her ponytail. Ash liked it when she wore her hair
down. He
thought she was very pretty. "I didn't know you were awake too."
"Can't sleep?" he asked her.
"Not well."
"Are you still upset about the festival and everything?" he
asked.
"Don't worry about me. I'm okay," she replied. "Good night."
"No way. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily.
Something's
bothering you and I want to know what it is. Maybe if you tell me
about it
you'll feel better," Ash insisted.
"What's there to say?" Misty asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"You
know my parents are dead. Is it wrong for me to be sad about it?"
"No," Ash answered. "It's just that I hate to see you like
this. I
want you to snap out of it."
Misty sighed and rolled over on her back. "Fine. I give up.
What do you want me to tell
you?"
Ash thought for a moment. "Well, how did they die, if you
don't mind
telling?"
There was silence for a minute, then Misty cleared her throat.
"When
I was 6 they went out for a cruise for their anniversary on the SS
Marina..."
~*~8 years ago, SS Marina~*~
John and Lydia Waterflower sat at a table for two in the ship's
elegant cafe. John wore a suit, and Lydia wore a beautiful blue
ballroom
dress, with her blond hair tied in a bun on her head.
Lydia poured some wine into her glass. "I wonder if the girls
are
okay on their own at home. I wish we could call them."
John smiled warmly. "They're fine. Daisy, Violet and Lily are
responsible, and Misty won't give them any trouble. Try to enjoy this;
a
25th anniversary only comes around once a lifetime."
Lydia smiled back. "You're right, as usual." She closed her
eyes
and listened to the piano music being played in the corner. "They're
playing
our song, John!"
John stood up and offered Lydia his hand. Lydia took it, and
they
walked to the dance floor. They began dancing to the soft and slow
song, and
the entire world seemed to disappear around them.
The magical moment was broken by a sudden gunshot. Men and
women in
black clothes sprang out of nowhere and grabbed party guests from
behind.
A man grabbed Lydia's hands from behind and held them. "Hand
over
your Pokemon."
John tried to pry the man off of Lydia, but a second man
grabbed him
from behind also.
Lydia had three Pokeballs in her evening bag. Lydia bit her
lip.
"I'm not a trainer, sir."
The man's grip tightened around her wrists. "I'm the leader of
this
gang. Do you think you can actually fool me? I saw you playing with
three
water Pokemon earlier today on the deck." He beckoned to a woman in
black
standing nearby. "Perhaps she needs some proding."
The woman smiled evily and nodded. "Yes, boss." She took a Pokeball
from her boss's belt for him. "Go Nidoqueen!" A mean-looking Nidoqueen appeared from the ball
and
stood in front of them. Lydia tried not to let the fear show on her
face.
John attempted to struggle out of his captor's grip in vain.
"Leave
my wife alone. Take me instead!"
The gang leader shook Lydia. "Now then, lets see what's in
that bag
of your's. If I'm not mistaken, I'll find a Vaporeon, a Lapras and a
Starmie." He snatched the bag from around Lydia's shoulders.
Lydia's temper rose. "Don't you dare try to hurt my Pokemon!"
But
the woman in the black suit had already stuffed the balls in her
pocket.
The man holding John addressed his boss. "Sir, this girl's
going to
give us trouble. Perhaps we ought to take care of her." He nodded
towards
the Nidoqueen.
John made another attempt to struggle free. "Don't even think
about
it!"
John's capture laughed. "Maybe we ought to get this one put
away
too."
The boss nodded. "Good idea. Nidoqueen, ice beam. Try to hit
them
both at once."
Lydia cringed. John shook his captor off just in time to throw
his
arms around Lydia before the beam hit them. The last thing Lydia and
John
Waterflower ever heard was:
"Tell death's gates that Giovanni of Team Rocket sent you!"
~*~Present~*~
Misty added, "Most of the people on the ship were killed. A
survivor had witnessed my mom and dad's murder and told us the whole
thing."
Silence followed, and Misty sniffled as a few tears escaped from her
eyes.
Ash was almost speechless; he hadn't been expecting that. He
wished
he had never brought up the subject. "Misty, I'm sorry. I really am."
Misty propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Ash, a
new
determination in her eyes. "I found out today that Giovanni uses the Viridian
Gym as a hideout. It would be great if I went there and beat him in
a
Pokemon battle. I don't know why, but it would make me feel a lot
better
about everything." She layed back down and said unhappily. "The only
thing
is, I'm not a good Pokemon trainer. It'd be embarrassing if I lost to
him."
Ash sat up and exclaimed, "Don't say that!" He forced himself
to
look into Misty's eyes, which he usually had trouble doing. He lowered
his
voice and softly said, "For what it's worth, I think your a great
trainer. I
always have."
Misty raised an eyebrow. "You're not just saying that?"
Ash shook his head. "No. And battling Giovanni wouldn't be
just
about winning. Just showing up and facing him already proves that you
have a
lot of nerve and bravery."
Misty nodded. "You're right, for once."
"So you're going to battle him tomorrow?" Ash asked.
"I guess...Yes," Misty answered. She looked at him and said, "I'm
glad I
talked to you. I'm...sorry for not opening up to you sooner."
"You don't have to apologize," Ash told her. "I know it was
hard for
you to talk about it."
Misty smiled for the first time since they got to Viridian.
"I'm
glad I can trust you."
Ash smiled back. "What are friends for?"
Misty said, but not aloud: "Sometimes I wish we were more than
friends."
There was silence for a few minutes, and Ash finally asked,
"Mist?"
But she was asleep. He smiled and said, "Good night, Misty." before
falling
asleep himself.
The next morning, Ash and Misty walked to the Viridian Gym.
"Where's Brock at?" Ash asked.
"He left around 5 this morning dressed in black. 'Said he had
some
business to take care of, then left for Officer Jenny's," Misty answered.
"Typical Brock," Ash said with a laugh. Misty laughed too,
then they
both were quiet. "Mist, are you scared?"
Misty laughed nervously. "No way!"
"Are you sure?" Ash asked her skepticly.
"Of course! There's nothing for me to be afraid of," Misty
replied
as they approached the front of the gym. She was convincing herself more
than anyone else. She stared nervously at the gym doors.
Her voice was a terrified whisper. "You're coming with me, right?"
Ash bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I can't."
Misty was suspicious. "Why not?"
Ash avoided her stare. "Just...there's something I haven't
told you
that I probably should, but I can't."
Misty looked hurt. "Your keeping something from me, Ash. I
thought
we trusted each other."
Ash felt so terrible that he almost told her his secret, but
said,
"Please try to understand. If I tell you, it'll change everything."
"What do you mean? How would it change?" Misty asked.
"I can't tell you how, but it will. I promise I'll tell you when
you
come back. I'll meet you at the Pokemon Center."
"Well, okay." Misty agreed. "But I don't know if I want to go
inside alone."
"Don't worry! You'll do fine. I know you'll knock the pants
of that
guy." Ash wanted to hug her good luck, but he knew that would seem
suspicious, so he just smiled.
Misty turned to walk in the gym, but turned at the last minute
and
walked back to Ash. "Ash, just in case something happens to me, I have
something important to tell you before I go."
Ash took a deep breath and said, "Misty, I know what it is."
Misty gasped. "You do?!"
"Yes, I do. And I couldn't agree with you more."
"What?" Misty was shocked. "Your kidding? You agree
with...with..."
"Yes. I agree with what you have to say. I should have payed
you
back for your bike ages ago," Ash told her.
"My...bike?! No, that's not what-" Misty tried to say.
Ash put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her towards the gym
entrance. "Don't worry about your bike. You need to focus on your gym
battle."
Misty protested. "Ash, shut up and listen for a second! I'm
not
talking about my b-"
"You'll do fine, Mist. I believe in you! Good luck!" He
opened the
gym door and pushed her inside, closing the door after her.
Misty leaned against the door as it was slammed behind her.
"I was trying to say that I love you."
Pikachu jumped up from the sofa in the Pokemon Center lobby
when he
saw Ash come through the door. "Pika pi!"
"Where did you and Misty go?" Brock asked.
"I walked her to the Viridian Gym. She's battling Giovanni,"
Ash
replied.
"What?!" Brock exclaimed, standing up from his seat. "Giovanni, as in
the leader of Team Rocket? He's at the gym?!"
"The one and only."
"You let her
battle the leader of Team Rocket? Ash, she could be killed!"
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.
"Don't say that. I think she'll do fine!" Ash replied.
"Besides,
she has a good reason for battling him." He explained Misty's plan of
revenge to Brock and Pikachu.
Brock couldn't decide whether this was a good idea or not. "I
don't
know...She just better play her cards right in that battle and not slip
up."
Giovanni sat on a throne in the back room of his gym, sipping a cup
of tea
and petting the Persian on his lap. He had had a quiet day; there was
no
word from his Team Rocket thugs, and no trouble with having to escape from
the police
The intercom on the wall buzzed, and a guard in the lobby reported:
"Sir,
a little girl's standing out here wishing to challange you. Are you up for a
battle?"
Giovanni replied, "I'm always up for a battle. Send her in."
He
stood up, causing the Persian to fall from his lap and land gently on
the
floor on it's paws. He walked to the center of the arena and awaited
his
challange.
Misty strode confidently through the door. "Giovanni, I
challange
you to a battle!"
"What do you want a battle for, little girl? Don't think you can
get the cops over here. I have many guards and escape plans to foil your plan,
if that's what this is about," Giovanni sneered.
Misty said angrily, "I'm here for revenge. Eight years ago
on
the SS Marina, you killed almost 50 passengers on board."
Giovanni stared at her. "Of course. You don't think I know
that?
Yes, I remember that night well. What's your point?"
"Two of them were my mom and dad. Two water Pokemon trainers.
You
killed them first," Misty shouted, her anger rising. "If they had had
the
chance to fight back, you'd be the one who was dead."
Giovanni laughed meanly. "You brat. Fine, you can have your
battle.
Get on your side of the floor and chose your Pokemon."
Misty took her place and threw her Pokeball onto the center of
the
floor. "Lets go, Starmie!" Starmie appeared, ready to fight.
Giovanni nodded and held up a Pokeball. "The Pokemon I select
has
been with me a very long time. In fact, if memory seves, I believe
this is
the creature I used to kill your parents. Nidoqueen, go!" Giovanni's
Pokeball flew to the floor, and the biggest Nidoqueen Misty had ever
seen
materialized before their eyes.
Misty took a deep breath. "We can beat them, Starmie. Hydro
pump!"
"Nidoqueen, see if you can rip that Starmie in half!" Giovanni
exclaimed.
"Nido!" Nidoqueen grabbed Starmie in its hands before Starmie
could
attack it, and tried to rip Starmie in two.
"Starmie!" Misty exclaimed. She shouted to Giovanni, "What
kind of
attack is that? It's against the rules!"
"It's a perfectly legal attack. Haven't you seen a rage attack
before? A rage attack can do many things," Giovanni replied, pleased
that he
was making his opponent angry.
Misty watched helplessly as her Starmie was in agony in Nidoqueen's
paws.
Finally, Nidoqueen threw it on the ground hard, and Starmie was barely
concious. Misty's anger began to rise even more. "Starmie, forget the
Nidoqueen.
Attack that man!"
Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Well, if that's how you want to
fight...Nidoqueen, go after that brat!"
Starmie held back reluctantly, not wanting to hurt a human being.
When
it saw Nidoqueen charge at Misty, it began to attack Nidoqueen, trying
to
pull it away from its master.
Giovanni laughed at the scene. "That girl's as good as dead."
Brock looked at his watch. "Misty's been gone almost two hours.
Do you
think she's okay?"
Ash stood at the window of the Pokemon Center lobby with Pikachu on
his
shoulder. "Of course! She's probably just taking her time walking
back here
from the gym." But he didn't sound so sure. "Brock, can I tell you
something if you promise not to tell anyone?"
"Sure," he replied.
"I almost told Misty before her battle, but I decided I'd better
not," he
told him.
Brock smiled and teased, "Oh, I know what this is about! It's
about
love, isn't it? Does it have anything to do with Misty?"
Ash cringed. "No! It's nothing like that."
Brock was dumbfounded. "What, then?"
Ash cleared his throat and said to the floor, "Giovanni's my dad."
"You're kidding!"
"No. He and Mom divorced when I was really young, when mom found
out he
was the Team Rocket leader. He had been sneaking around behind our
backs. I
haven't seen him since. Mom won't let me, and I really don't want to. I'm
still mad at him for abandoning us."
Brock nodded knowlingly. "I know how that feels. And Misty doesn't know?"
"I'll tell her when she comes back."
"Wow," said Brock. "I wonder how she'll take the news, knowing that
your dad killed her parents."
Before Ash could answer, the loud ringing of the phone on the
lobby's
counter made everyone turn to look at it.
The secretary picked it up. "Hello, thank you for calling the
Viridian City
Pokemon Center. How may I help you?...Officer Jenny, speak slower. I
can't
understand you...Two of them?...At the gym? What happened?...Oh my
goodness..."
Ash turned to Brock and Pikachu with a worried look on his face.
The secretary continued, "I'll send Joy over right away." He hung
up the
phone and called, "Joy!" Joy ran to him and the secretary spoke to her
in a
low voice. Joy nodded and ran out the door with her medical bag.
Ash, Brock and Pikachu ran up to the secretary. "Sir," Brock asked
him.
"What happened at the gym?"
The secretary shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. Officer
Jenny was
pretty sketchy on the details. All I know is that there was a terrible
battle at the gym, and two Pokemon are severely injured."
Ash gripped the counter top and asked, "What about the trainers?
Are
they okay?"
The secretary swollowed hard and replied, "I heard one of the
trainers is
dead."
Ash backed away slowly, shaking his head. "Oh no...Misty!" he
turned and
ran out the door with Pikachu.
"Ash, wait!" Brock exclaimed, as he ran after his friend and
expected the
worst.
Ash reached the gym in record time. The area around it was crowded
with
gawkers, and some officers were patroling the perimeter to keep them
back.
An ambulance and a police car were parked by the doors.
Ash tried to push his way to the front of the crowd, but found it
impossible. "Pikachu, do you see anything?"
"Pika!" Pikachu replied, pointing to the left where a stretcher was
being
pushed towards the ambulence. A sheet covered the entire body laying
on it.
"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, running towards it. He was close enough
the
stretcher to reach out and touch it, but an officer suddenly grabbed
him from
behind.
"Hey buddy, where do you think you're going?" the officer shouted
angrily. "Stay out of the way."
"Let go of me!" Ash yelled, trying to get free. "That's my
friend!" But
the officer wouldn't let go until after the ambulence had driven away.
Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder. "Pika pi chu."
"Look, here come the cops out of the gym! They have somebody!" a
bystander exclaimed.
Ash looked around, but couldn't see anything. He followed the
crowd to
the police car and pushed his way up front as the police shut their
suspect
in the back. He looked into the window for his father and gasped.
"Misty?!"
Misty sat in the car with her head down. She looked up at him and
smiled
weakly as the car started and drove away towards the police station.
Brock caught up to Ash and asked, "What's going on?"
Ash turned to a nearby police officer still patroling the area and
asked,
"Who was that on the stretcher?"
"That," she replied, "Was Giovanni, the Viridian City gymleader and
Team
Rocket boss. He's finally been taken down, and that 14 year-old girl
did it."
Ash, Pikachu and Brock sat in the lobby of the Viridian City Police
Station. They had been waiting for the officer to get Misty's
statement
before they could see her.
Ash didn't know what to think. He had been angry at Giovanni at
first
when he thought he killed Misty, but now he was mad at Misty for
killing his
father. She was only going for a gym battle; how did it turn into
murder?
Officer Lila came into the lobby and addressed them. "Your friend
has
admitted to being guilty of murder. She doesn't have any serious
injuries,
but she's pretty shaken. You can visit her by her cell if you want.
We're
taking her to county prison in the morning."
Brock turned to Ash. "Are you going in?"
Ash answered coldly, "Why should I? She killed my father!"
Brock sighed. He knew this had been coming. "Ash, she didn't know
it was
your father. Try to forgive her...Let me talk to her first. I'll tell
her
know everything. Then you can have a word with her if you want."
Brock
stood up and walked through the door that led to the prison cells.
Pikachu
jumped up and went with him.
"Pikachu, wait!" Ash exclaimed. "You're not on HER side, are
you?"
Pikachu didn't hear him, and disappeared with Brock.
Ash sat in a chair and sighed. Brock actually expected him to talk
to
Misty? What should he say? "Hi Misty, I know you killed my father but
I'm
okay with that because I still want to be friends?" Brock better not
be
taking Misty's side, he thought, because Misty wasn't the innocent girl
she
had been that morning. She had killed someone. Now Brock was
expecting him
to forgive her? Misty didn't forgive Giovanni for killing her parents,
but
Ash was supposed to forgive Misty for killing his dad? It made no
sense. He
had never known his dad well, but that didn't mean that he should
forgive
Misty for killing him just because of that.
Brock came back about 10 minutes later with Pikachu. "She's in
pretty
bad shape, Ash. Maybe if you talk to her she'll calm down a bit."
Ash couldn't believe what Brock was saying. "What am I supposed to
say?"
"Tell her you forgive her," Brock answered, as if it were obvious.
"But I don't."
Brock was clearly frustrated. "Just...Just go in anyway. This may
be
the last chance you get to see her for awhile."
Ash gave up his arguement and headed for the cells.
Misty sat in the floor of her cell with her head in her hands. It
was
bad enough that she had killed someone today, but to find out he was
her
friend's father? It was too much. She hadn't meant to kill him, but
when
Giovanni's Nidoqueen attacked her, she had to defend herself. She
acted on
impulse. She shivered to think what would have happened to her if she
hadn't
had her swiss army knife with her.
Ash would forgive her. She pictured how he had smiled at her and
encouraged her that morning before her battle. He would never turn on
her...right?
She looked up when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She
looked
out the barred door and stood up immediatly. It was Ash. She walked
to the
door and stood in front of him, though the bars separated them.
There was silence at first as they looked into each other's eyes
and
tried to guess what the other was thinking. Misty thought Ash looked
different than usual. He wasn't exactly angry, but he definitely
wasn't
happy.
Ash reached through the bars and put his hands gently on Misty's
shoulders. Misty put her hands on his wrists. "Ash..." That was all
she
could say.
Ash's voice was sharp and firm. "Misty, you didn't do it, right?"
What was he talking about? She knew he had seen Giovanni's body
being
carried from the gym and her being led away by the police. He knew
darn well
that she was guilty. She avoided his eyes and didn't answer.
Ash's hands suddenly squeezed her shoulders so hard that Misty
gasped and
went stiff.
"Ash, you're hurting me."
"Misty, look into my eyes and tell me you didn't kill my father."
Misty forced herself to look into his eyes. There was so much she
wanted
to tell him, but her voice wouldn't let her. She looked down at the
ground
and said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry Ash."
Ash's grip on her shoulders left as he let his arms fall to his
sides.
He stared at Misty, his look a mix of anger and pain. Misty tried not
to
burst into tears. "Thanks a lot, Misty," Ash said sarcasticly, then
walked
away.
Misty grabbed the bars. "Ash, wait!" But he ignored her and
walked out
of the hall. Misty stood gaping as she heard the door to the hallway
slam
and Ash left, then sank to her knees and bowed her head. "Now what?"
see my dumb mistakes so I could get this stupid thing to upload.
Also, thank you to my friend Allison who helped me get my lazy butt in
gear and finish this! She also came up with the title. Love ya, Allison!
I also dedicate this to my parents and thank them in advance for not
sending me into therapy should they ever read this and find out I'm
into a (contraversially) kids' show.
Disclaimer: I did NOT have sexual relations with that woman.
"All right! We finally made it to Viridian City!" Ash exclaimed,
as he, Pikachu, Misty and Brock stood outside the city's gates.
"I'm glad, Ash," Misty said sarcasticly, "EXCEPT we were
SUPPOSED to be in Cerulean City! How'd we end up here?"
Brock held up his hands in defense. "Don't look at me; I let
Ash hold the map all week."
Ash defended himself. "You specificly told me that we were
going to
Viridian City to catch more Pokemon!"
"That's only what you wanted to hear!" Misty exploded. "I told
you that we were going to Cerulean to visit my sisters."
Pikachu agreed. "Pika pi!"
Brock crossed his arms. "Either way, we're stuck here now, so
what
should we do?"
"Catch more Pokemon!" Ash immediatly replied.
"No way!" Misty exclaimed. She looked around the city, and
through
the streets. There were stands set up all along the sidewalks, and
people
were walking around with balloons, food and souviners. "It looks like
there's some kind of festival here today. Lets check it out."
The group walked through the streets, and Brock read the huge
banner
that hung above the party: "'Mother's and Father's Day Festival.' That
sounds pretty cool." Little kids and their parents were
everywhere,
holding hands and laughing.
"Look! I see Joy!" Brock suddenly shouted. "I'll bet she's
looking
for me! She probably still remembers me from when she saw me before!"
"You mean when she had you arrested for harrassment?" Misty
asked,
but Brock was already gone. She sighed and sat down on a bench. "We
may as
well wait for him here."
Ash sat down next to her with Pikachu. "Why wait here
for Brock? Lets walk around and see the sights!"
Misty didn't answer.
"Misty, are you still mad at me for taking us to the wrong city?" he
asked.
Still no anwer.
"Mist, are you okay?" Ash asked, reaching out to touch her
shoulder.
Misty jumped when Ash touched her shoulder. "Oh, I didn't hear you
talking to me.
Sorry.
I'm fine." She turned to where she had been starring before. Ash
followed
her eyes to see a little girl with red hair, holding a parent's hand on
each
side. She was swinging between them and laughing.
"Sorta looks like you, if you were younger," Ash commented. He
thought Misty didn't seem herself. He wanted more than anything to
reach out
and take her hand. "Are you sure you're all right?"
Misty didn't take her eyes off the girl, but asked Ash, "How
old were
you when your dad died?"
Ash cringed. So THAT'S what was bothering her! He knew
her parents were dead, but they hadn't really
discussed it
before. "My dad isn't dead," he informed her.
Misty turned to him. "How come I've never seen him?"
"He doesn't live with us anymore. He left years ago because he
and
Mom fought so much. I don't really remember him," Ash told her.
Timidly, he
asked, "What about you?"
Misty looked like she wanted to speak her mind, but just shook
her
head. "I'm okay. Really. Don't worry." She forced a smile and stood
up.
"We'd better find Brock before he's arrested for indecent exposure or
something." She walked away.
Ash turned to Pikachu. "Strange. I've never seen her like
this."
Then he followed her.
Later that night, the group was at the Pokemon Center for the
night.
Ash was in the top bunk above Brock, who was almost arrested that day
for
harrassment again. Misty lay in the top bunk of the bed across the
room.
Everyone was asleep except Ash. He watched Misty sleep, wishing he could
find a way to make
her
happy again. He heard her roll over in bed and cough. "Are you awake,
Mist?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she answered. She turned towards him. She was wearing
her
red hair out of her ponytail. Ash liked it when she wore her hair
down. He
thought she was very pretty. "I didn't know you were awake too."
"Can't sleep?" he asked her.
"Not well."
"Are you still upset about the festival and everything?" he
asked.
"Don't worry about me. I'm okay," she replied. "Good night."
"No way. I'm not letting you off the hook that easily.
Something's
bothering you and I want to know what it is. Maybe if you tell me
about it
you'll feel better," Ash insisted.
"What's there to say?" Misty asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"You
know my parents are dead. Is it wrong for me to be sad about it?"
"No," Ash answered. "It's just that I hate to see you like
this. I
want you to snap out of it."
Misty sighed and rolled over on her back. "Fine. I give up.
What do you want me to tell
you?"
Ash thought for a moment. "Well, how did they die, if you
don't mind
telling?"
There was silence for a minute, then Misty cleared her throat.
"When
I was 6 they went out for a cruise for their anniversary on the SS
Marina..."
~*~8 years ago, SS Marina~*~
John and Lydia Waterflower sat at a table for two in the ship's
elegant cafe. John wore a suit, and Lydia wore a beautiful blue
ballroom
dress, with her blond hair tied in a bun on her head.
Lydia poured some wine into her glass. "I wonder if the girls
are
okay on their own at home. I wish we could call them."
John smiled warmly. "They're fine. Daisy, Violet and Lily are
responsible, and Misty won't give them any trouble. Try to enjoy this;
a
25th anniversary only comes around once a lifetime."
Lydia smiled back. "You're right, as usual." She closed her
eyes
and listened to the piano music being played in the corner. "They're
playing
our song, John!"
John stood up and offered Lydia his hand. Lydia took it, and
they
walked to the dance floor. They began dancing to the soft and slow
song, and
the entire world seemed to disappear around them.
The magical moment was broken by a sudden gunshot. Men and
women in
black clothes sprang out of nowhere and grabbed party guests from
behind.
A man grabbed Lydia's hands from behind and held them. "Hand
over
your Pokemon."
John tried to pry the man off of Lydia, but a second man
grabbed him
from behind also.
Lydia had three Pokeballs in her evening bag. Lydia bit her
lip.
"I'm not a trainer, sir."
The man's grip tightened around her wrists. "I'm the leader of
this
gang. Do you think you can actually fool me? I saw you playing with
three
water Pokemon earlier today on the deck." He beckoned to a woman in
black
standing nearby. "Perhaps she needs some proding."
The woman smiled evily and nodded. "Yes, boss." She took a Pokeball
from her boss's belt for him. "Go Nidoqueen!" A mean-looking Nidoqueen appeared from the ball
and
stood in front of them. Lydia tried not to let the fear show on her
face.
John attempted to struggle out of his captor's grip in vain.
"Leave
my wife alone. Take me instead!"
The gang leader shook Lydia. "Now then, lets see what's in
that bag
of your's. If I'm not mistaken, I'll find a Vaporeon, a Lapras and a
Starmie." He snatched the bag from around Lydia's shoulders.
Lydia's temper rose. "Don't you dare try to hurt my Pokemon!"
But
the woman in the black suit had already stuffed the balls in her
pocket.
The man holding John addressed his boss. "Sir, this girl's
going to
give us trouble. Perhaps we ought to take care of her." He nodded
towards
the Nidoqueen.
John made another attempt to struggle free. "Don't even think
about
it!"
John's capture laughed. "Maybe we ought to get this one put
away
too."
The boss nodded. "Good idea. Nidoqueen, ice beam. Try to hit
them
both at once."
Lydia cringed. John shook his captor off just in time to throw
his
arms around Lydia before the beam hit them. The last thing Lydia and
John
Waterflower ever heard was:
"Tell death's gates that Giovanni of Team Rocket sent you!"
~*~Present~*~
Misty added, "Most of the people on the ship were killed. A
survivor had witnessed my mom and dad's murder and told us the whole
thing."
Silence followed, and Misty sniffled as a few tears escaped from her
eyes.
Ash was almost speechless; he hadn't been expecting that. He
wished
he had never brought up the subject. "Misty, I'm sorry. I really am."
Misty propped herself up on her elbows and looked at Ash, a
new
determination in her eyes. "I found out today that Giovanni uses the Viridian
Gym as a hideout. It would be great if I went there and beat him in
a
Pokemon battle. I don't know why, but it would make me feel a lot
better
about everything." She layed back down and said unhappily. "The only
thing
is, I'm not a good Pokemon trainer. It'd be embarrassing if I lost to
him."
Ash sat up and exclaimed, "Don't say that!" He forced himself
to
look into Misty's eyes, which he usually had trouble doing. He lowered
his
voice and softly said, "For what it's worth, I think your a great
trainer. I
always have."
Misty raised an eyebrow. "You're not just saying that?"
Ash shook his head. "No. And battling Giovanni wouldn't be
just
about winning. Just showing up and facing him already proves that you
have a
lot of nerve and bravery."
Misty nodded. "You're right, for once."
"So you're going to battle him tomorrow?" Ash asked.
"I guess...Yes," Misty answered. She looked at him and said, "I'm
glad I
talked to you. I'm...sorry for not opening up to you sooner."
"You don't have to apologize," Ash told her. "I know it was
hard for
you to talk about it."
Misty smiled for the first time since they got to Viridian.
"I'm
glad I can trust you."
Ash smiled back. "What are friends for?"
Misty said, but not aloud: "Sometimes I wish we were more than
friends."
There was silence for a few minutes, and Ash finally asked,
"Mist?"
But she was asleep. He smiled and said, "Good night, Misty." before
falling
asleep himself.
The next morning, Ash and Misty walked to the Viridian Gym.
"Where's Brock at?" Ash asked.
"He left around 5 this morning dressed in black. 'Said he had
some
business to take care of, then left for Officer Jenny's," Misty answered.
"Typical Brock," Ash said with a laugh. Misty laughed too,
then they
both were quiet. "Mist, are you scared?"
Misty laughed nervously. "No way!"
"Are you sure?" Ash asked her skepticly.
"Of course! There's nothing for me to be afraid of," Misty
replied
as they approached the front of the gym. She was convincing herself more
than anyone else. She stared nervously at the gym doors.
Her voice was a terrified whisper. "You're coming with me, right?"
Ash bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I can't."
Misty was suspicious. "Why not?"
Ash avoided her stare. "Just...there's something I haven't
told you
that I probably should, but I can't."
Misty looked hurt. "Your keeping something from me, Ash. I
thought
we trusted each other."
Ash felt so terrible that he almost told her his secret, but
said,
"Please try to understand. If I tell you, it'll change everything."
"What do you mean? How would it change?" Misty asked.
"I can't tell you how, but it will. I promise I'll tell you when
you
come back. I'll meet you at the Pokemon Center."
"Well, okay." Misty agreed. "But I don't know if I want to go
inside alone."
"Don't worry! You'll do fine. I know you'll knock the pants
of that
guy." Ash wanted to hug her good luck, but he knew that would seem
suspicious, so he just smiled.
Misty turned to walk in the gym, but turned at the last minute
and
walked back to Ash. "Ash, just in case something happens to me, I have
something important to tell you before I go."
Ash took a deep breath and said, "Misty, I know what it is."
Misty gasped. "You do?!"
"Yes, I do. And I couldn't agree with you more."
"What?" Misty was shocked. "Your kidding? You agree
with...with..."
"Yes. I agree with what you have to say. I should have payed
you
back for your bike ages ago," Ash told her.
"My...bike?! No, that's not what-" Misty tried to say.
Ash put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her towards the gym
entrance. "Don't worry about your bike. You need to focus on your gym
battle."
Misty protested. "Ash, shut up and listen for a second! I'm
not
talking about my b-"
"You'll do fine, Mist. I believe in you! Good luck!" He
opened the
gym door and pushed her inside, closing the door after her.
Misty leaned against the door as it was slammed behind her.
"I was trying to say that I love you."
Pikachu jumped up from the sofa in the Pokemon Center lobby
when he
saw Ash come through the door. "Pika pi!"
"Where did you and Misty go?" Brock asked.
"I walked her to the Viridian Gym. She's battling Giovanni,"
Ash
replied.
"What?!" Brock exclaimed, standing up from his seat. "Giovanni, as in
the leader of Team Rocket? He's at the gym?!"
"The one and only."
"You let her
battle the leader of Team Rocket? Ash, she could be killed!"
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.
"Don't say that. I think she'll do fine!" Ash replied.
"Besides,
she has a good reason for battling him." He explained Misty's plan of
revenge to Brock and Pikachu.
Brock couldn't decide whether this was a good idea or not. "I
don't
know...She just better play her cards right in that battle and not slip
up."
Giovanni sat on a throne in the back room of his gym, sipping a cup
of tea
and petting the Persian on his lap. He had had a quiet day; there was
no
word from his Team Rocket thugs, and no trouble with having to escape from
the police
The intercom on the wall buzzed, and a guard in the lobby reported:
"Sir,
a little girl's standing out here wishing to challange you. Are you up for a
battle?"
Giovanni replied, "I'm always up for a battle. Send her in."
He
stood up, causing the Persian to fall from his lap and land gently on
the
floor on it's paws. He walked to the center of the arena and awaited
his
challange.
Misty strode confidently through the door. "Giovanni, I
challange
you to a battle!"
"What do you want a battle for, little girl? Don't think you can
get the cops over here. I have many guards and escape plans to foil your plan,
if that's what this is about," Giovanni sneered.
Misty said angrily, "I'm here for revenge. Eight years ago
on
the SS Marina, you killed almost 50 passengers on board."
Giovanni stared at her. "Of course. You don't think I know
that?
Yes, I remember that night well. What's your point?"
"Two of them were my mom and dad. Two water Pokemon trainers.
You
killed them first," Misty shouted, her anger rising. "If they had had
the
chance to fight back, you'd be the one who was dead."
Giovanni laughed meanly. "You brat. Fine, you can have your
battle.
Get on your side of the floor and chose your Pokemon."
Misty took her place and threw her Pokeball onto the center of
the
floor. "Lets go, Starmie!" Starmie appeared, ready to fight.
Giovanni nodded and held up a Pokeball. "The Pokemon I select
has
been with me a very long time. In fact, if memory seves, I believe
this is
the creature I used to kill your parents. Nidoqueen, go!" Giovanni's
Pokeball flew to the floor, and the biggest Nidoqueen Misty had ever
seen
materialized before their eyes.
Misty took a deep breath. "We can beat them, Starmie. Hydro
pump!"
"Nidoqueen, see if you can rip that Starmie in half!" Giovanni
exclaimed.
"Nido!" Nidoqueen grabbed Starmie in its hands before Starmie
could
attack it, and tried to rip Starmie in two.
"Starmie!" Misty exclaimed. She shouted to Giovanni, "What
kind of
attack is that? It's against the rules!"
"It's a perfectly legal attack. Haven't you seen a rage attack
before? A rage attack can do many things," Giovanni replied, pleased
that he
was making his opponent angry.
Misty watched helplessly as her Starmie was in agony in Nidoqueen's
paws.
Finally, Nidoqueen threw it on the ground hard, and Starmie was barely
concious. Misty's anger began to rise even more. "Starmie, forget the
Nidoqueen.
Attack that man!"
Giovanni raised an eyebrow. "Well, if that's how you want to
fight...Nidoqueen, go after that brat!"
Starmie held back reluctantly, not wanting to hurt a human being.
When
it saw Nidoqueen charge at Misty, it began to attack Nidoqueen, trying
to
pull it away from its master.
Giovanni laughed at the scene. "That girl's as good as dead."
Brock looked at his watch. "Misty's been gone almost two hours.
Do you
think she's okay?"
Ash stood at the window of the Pokemon Center lobby with Pikachu on
his
shoulder. "Of course! She's probably just taking her time walking
back here
from the gym." But he didn't sound so sure. "Brock, can I tell you
something if you promise not to tell anyone?"
"Sure," he replied.
"I almost told Misty before her battle, but I decided I'd better
not," he
told him.
Brock smiled and teased, "Oh, I know what this is about! It's
about
love, isn't it? Does it have anything to do with Misty?"
Ash cringed. "No! It's nothing like that."
Brock was dumbfounded. "What, then?"
Ash cleared his throat and said to the floor, "Giovanni's my dad."
"You're kidding!"
"No. He and Mom divorced when I was really young, when mom found
out he
was the Team Rocket leader. He had been sneaking around behind our
backs. I
haven't seen him since. Mom won't let me, and I really don't want to. I'm
still mad at him for abandoning us."
Brock nodded knowlingly. "I know how that feels. And Misty doesn't know?"
"I'll tell her when she comes back."
"Wow," said Brock. "I wonder how she'll take the news, knowing that
your dad killed her parents."
Before Ash could answer, the loud ringing of the phone on the
lobby's
counter made everyone turn to look at it.
The secretary picked it up. "Hello, thank you for calling the
Viridian City
Pokemon Center. How may I help you?...Officer Jenny, speak slower. I
can't
understand you...Two of them?...At the gym? What happened?...Oh my
goodness..."
Ash turned to Brock and Pikachu with a worried look on his face.
The secretary continued, "I'll send Joy over right away." He hung
up the
phone and called, "Joy!" Joy ran to him and the secretary spoke to her
in a
low voice. Joy nodded and ran out the door with her medical bag.
Ash, Brock and Pikachu ran up to the secretary. "Sir," Brock asked
him.
"What happened at the gym?"
The secretary shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure. Officer
Jenny was
pretty sketchy on the details. All I know is that there was a terrible
battle at the gym, and two Pokemon are severely injured."
Ash gripped the counter top and asked, "What about the trainers?
Are
they okay?"
The secretary swollowed hard and replied, "I heard one of the
trainers is
dead."
Ash backed away slowly, shaking his head. "Oh no...Misty!" he
turned and
ran out the door with Pikachu.
"Ash, wait!" Brock exclaimed, as he ran after his friend and
expected the
worst.
Ash reached the gym in record time. The area around it was crowded
with
gawkers, and some officers were patroling the perimeter to keep them
back.
An ambulance and a police car were parked by the doors.
Ash tried to push his way to the front of the crowd, but found it
impossible. "Pikachu, do you see anything?"
"Pika!" Pikachu replied, pointing to the left where a stretcher was
being
pushed towards the ambulence. A sheet covered the entire body laying
on it.
"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, running towards it. He was close enough
the
stretcher to reach out and touch it, but an officer suddenly grabbed
him from
behind.
"Hey buddy, where do you think you're going?" the officer shouted
angrily. "Stay out of the way."
"Let go of me!" Ash yelled, trying to get free. "That's my
friend!" But
the officer wouldn't let go until after the ambulence had driven away.
Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder. "Pika pi chu."
"Look, here come the cops out of the gym! They have somebody!" a
bystander exclaimed.
Ash looked around, but couldn't see anything. He followed the
crowd to
the police car and pushed his way up front as the police shut their
suspect
in the back. He looked into the window for his father and gasped.
"Misty?!"
Misty sat in the car with her head down. She looked up at him and
smiled
weakly as the car started and drove away towards the police station.
Brock caught up to Ash and asked, "What's going on?"
Ash turned to a nearby police officer still patroling the area and
asked,
"Who was that on the stretcher?"
"That," she replied, "Was Giovanni, the Viridian City gymleader and
Team
Rocket boss. He's finally been taken down, and that 14 year-old girl
did it."
Ash, Pikachu and Brock sat in the lobby of the Viridian City Police
Station. They had been waiting for the officer to get Misty's
statement
before they could see her.
Ash didn't know what to think. He had been angry at Giovanni at
first
when he thought he killed Misty, but now he was mad at Misty for
killing his
father. She was only going for a gym battle; how did it turn into
murder?
Officer Lila came into the lobby and addressed them. "Your friend
has
admitted to being guilty of murder. She doesn't have any serious
injuries,
but she's pretty shaken. You can visit her by her cell if you want.
We're
taking her to county prison in the morning."
Brock turned to Ash. "Are you going in?"
Ash answered coldly, "Why should I? She killed my father!"
Brock sighed. He knew this had been coming. "Ash, she didn't know
it was
your father. Try to forgive her...Let me talk to her first. I'll tell
her
know everything. Then you can have a word with her if you want."
Brock
stood up and walked through the door that led to the prison cells.
Pikachu
jumped up and went with him.
"Pikachu, wait!" Ash exclaimed. "You're not on HER side, are
you?"
Pikachu didn't hear him, and disappeared with Brock.
Ash sat in a chair and sighed. Brock actually expected him to talk
to
Misty? What should he say? "Hi Misty, I know you killed my father but
I'm
okay with that because I still want to be friends?" Brock better not
be
taking Misty's side, he thought, because Misty wasn't the innocent girl
she
had been that morning. She had killed someone. Now Brock was
expecting him
to forgive her? Misty didn't forgive Giovanni for killing her parents,
but
Ash was supposed to forgive Misty for killing his dad? It made no
sense. He
had never known his dad well, but that didn't mean that he should
forgive
Misty for killing him just because of that.
Brock came back about 10 minutes later with Pikachu. "She's in
pretty
bad shape, Ash. Maybe if you talk to her she'll calm down a bit."
Ash couldn't believe what Brock was saying. "What am I supposed to
say?"
"Tell her you forgive her," Brock answered, as if it were obvious.
"But I don't."
Brock was clearly frustrated. "Just...Just go in anyway. This may
be
the last chance you get to see her for awhile."
Ash gave up his arguement and headed for the cells.
Misty sat in the floor of her cell with her head in her hands. It
was
bad enough that she had killed someone today, but to find out he was
her
friend's father? It was too much. She hadn't meant to kill him, but
when
Giovanni's Nidoqueen attacked her, she had to defend herself. She
acted on
impulse. She shivered to think what would have happened to her if she
hadn't
had her swiss army knife with her.
Ash would forgive her. She pictured how he had smiled at her and
encouraged her that morning before her battle. He would never turn on
her...right?
She looked up when she heard footsteps coming down the hall. She
looked
out the barred door and stood up immediatly. It was Ash. She walked
to the
door and stood in front of him, though the bars separated them.
There was silence at first as they looked into each other's eyes
and
tried to guess what the other was thinking. Misty thought Ash looked
different than usual. He wasn't exactly angry, but he definitely
wasn't
happy.
Ash reached through the bars and put his hands gently on Misty's
shoulders. Misty put her hands on his wrists. "Ash..." That was all
she
could say.
Ash's voice was sharp and firm. "Misty, you didn't do it, right?"
What was he talking about? She knew he had seen Giovanni's body
being
carried from the gym and her being led away by the police. He knew
darn well
that she was guilty. She avoided his eyes and didn't answer.
Ash's hands suddenly squeezed her shoulders so hard that Misty
gasped and
went stiff.
"Ash, you're hurting me."
"Misty, look into my eyes and tell me you didn't kill my father."
Misty forced herself to look into his eyes. There was so much she
wanted
to tell him, but her voice wouldn't let her. She looked down at the
ground
and said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry Ash."
Ash's grip on her shoulders left as he let his arms fall to his
sides.
He stared at Misty, his look a mix of anger and pain. Misty tried not
to
burst into tears. "Thanks a lot, Misty," Ash said sarcasticly, then
walked
away.
Misty grabbed the bars. "Ash, wait!" But he ignored her and
walked out
of the hall. Misty stood gaping as she heard the door to the hallway
slam
and Ash left, then sank to her knees and bowed her head. "Now what?"