DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, Nintendo, Gamefreak etc etc, we all know the deal.
A/N: Now, I KNOW this seems like it's just a whole lot of people dropping dead like flies, but it makes the story go, so bear with us. It's good! At least, I think so...
Someone was holding a knife to Misty's stomach, and another to Ash's throat. He couldn't feel it though, he had been knocked cold by yet another henchman.
"So, what's it gonna be? Ash Senior, or Ash Junior?" the knifeman asked with an evil laugh.
Misty conintuanly sobbed. How did they know she was pregnant? She was still weak from the last punch-up she had been involved in and could hardly defend herself or her family.
"I...I cant't..."
The nightmare ended as Misty woke up with a start. Her heart was racing and her palms were covered with sweat that she didn't bother trying to wipe off. It was only 3:28am, but she feared sleeping again.
She was a little reassured when she heard Ash snoring, grateful that he was still there with her. Her hands drifted towards her stomach, where another life was growing inside her at that very moment.
"I'm never going to let anything like this ever happen to you" she promised the barely conceived child. "Maybe it would be better if you stayed in there a while" she sighed, wanting this chase to be over but knowing it could take a long time.
They had all managed to squeeze into one room, to save on accomodation costs. The hotel was nice, simple and, above all, discreet, which was exactly what they were looking for.
The worry inside Misty disrupted her sleeping pattern, and she gently grasped Ash's hand, happy in the knowledge that he was for this baby and not against it.
Misty distractidly slept for another four hours, and was surprised to find Ash getting up before her.
"Wow, Sir Ketchum, I'm impressed! This could be a first of you getting up before ten in the morning!" she laughed.
"Haha, very funny" Ash groaned. He had actually had a good night's sleep, though he had thought about the baby alot.
"What's wrong, Ash? You look pensive" Misty observed, pulling him over to sit down with her.
"A lot's going on up here" Ash pointed to his head.
Misty smiled. "Same down here" she replied, indicating her stomach.
Ash stared in amazement. "I can't believe our child is in there" he marvelled. He cautiously placed a hand over her stomach and smiled. "Hey son" he laughed, the new phrase was weird to say.
"What are you going to do if it's a girl?" Misty grinned.
"Name her Rose" Ash said without hesitation. Misty gasped, tears forming in her eyes.
"Are you serious?" she asked softly. Ash nodded, his hand wandering from her stomach to her face.
"Of course" he replied. She smiled and kissed him lovingly, letting the kisses get deeper and longer.
"Ash, the others are next door" she quietly reminded him. He pulled away from her in disappointment.
"Damn, I forgot." He sighed and grinned mischeviously at the same time, that same grin that had stuck with him ever since he was ten. "Suppose we better get ready for another action-filled day" he said warily.
Misty sadly smiled. "Don't put the weight of the world on your shoulders, Ash."
"I'm not putting the weight of the world on my shoulders, Giovanni is" Ash replied. "I'd better go and have a shower. Can you keep out of trouble for five minutes?" he asked mischeviously.
"Yessir!" Misty saluted. Ash laughed, kissed her again and walked into the bathroom.
Misty yawned and stretched as she heard the other three stirring from their slumbers. In mid-yawn she heard the phone ring, and instantly picked it up, feeling a little happier this morning.
"Hello?" she answered casually.
"Misty Ketchum, this is your soon-to-be-ended life!" A male voice cheerily announced the words, and it took Misty a second to understand what it meant.
"Who...who is this?" Her voice quivered, though she desperatly tried not to show it.
"Someone you seem to have taken a sort of...oh, how should I put this...liking to over the last couple of weeks" the voice replied.
Then it hit her. "Giovanni" she sneered coldly.
"Bingo! And for 100 bonus points, can the lovely Mrs. Ketchum tell us what day it is today?" Giovanni asked sarcastically.
"The day your sorry ass goes to hell" Misty hissed as quietly as possible, not wanting to panic the others.
"Ouch, good guess, but far from the truth. Speaking of the truth, that's exactly what today is all about" Giovanni announced.
"I don't need any truth. I know everything about you. I know you have a heart of stone for putting Ash through all this and not giving a damn about it!" Misty exclaimed, tears spilling over to her cheeks.
"Ohhh, don't cry, there's got to be none of that when the little bundle of joy arrives" Giovanni smirked.
Misty gasped and thought back to her nightmare. "How do you know?" she whispered.
"No no no, that's not today's topic. Today we'll focus on all those lies and deceits Delia fed into you and your husband's fragile little minds." Giovanni was loving this. It was better than sending out a bunch of men with guns. It was real torture.
"Delia never lied to either of us" Misty defended Delia, her voice still on restraint.
"Oh, how innocent you are, how terribly naive. I'm afraid she did lie to you, child" Giovanni said in mock sadness.
Misty went quiet. "What would you know?" She continued to cry at the accusations Giovanni was making.
"The truth. Tell me, what do you think of your father-in-law?" he said slyly.
"Michael was a decent, kind, loving father to Ash who died for no cause" Misty replied as the tears flowed.
"He died?!" Giovannie cried out in mock horror. "But my child, I have seen him every day!"
"Please don't..." Misty sobbed.
"I do not lie, Misty" he said, sounding half-serious. "Just because Delia married Michael, it doesn't neccessarily make him the father, now does it?"
"What are you talking about?" Misty asked quietly.
Giovanni grinned. It was time to drop the bombshell. "Just tell Ash that his father is his own worst enemy."
"How could Michael...?" Misty trailed off before it dawned on her. "Oh no, no, you can't do this to Ash now, stop playing these sick games with our minds. Michael Ketchum is Ash's dad, please, just leave us alone!" she begged.
"Michael was a loser who had no hope of a future! But I, I have a future far greater than any Ketchum ever did" Giovanni said.
"Ash doesn't deserve to be tortured like this. You''ll be sorry when he gets to you!" Misty said, and angrily hung up the phone. She sobbed into her hands, the pressure of the last few days finally being released. Then she wondered why on earth that phonecall had affected her so badly. It was all a stack of lies anyway.
Misty heard a knock at the door and quickly wiped away her tears.
"Are you guys up? We've gotta get an early start" Brock announced.
"Yeah, Ash is just taking a shower!" Misty replied through the door. "We'll be out in a sec!"
"Okay, sure thing" Brock said and went back to the kitchen to work on their breakfast.
Misty knew she couldn't tell Ash about the phonecall. It would freak him out too badly, and now that there was a baby at hand things would have to be far more protected and looked after.
They all ate a hearty breakfast and groaned at Ash when he boasted the best night's sleep out of all of them, and started packing their bags.
"You know James, maybe you should let someone else have a go with that thing..." Jessie mentioned subtly as he picked up his machine gun.
"But Jessie, no one else can use it like I can!" he whined, the rich little boy coming out in his words.
Jessie sighed. There was no way they were going to get that thing off him. "Where are we off to today?" she asked Brock, who was studying a map.
"I think we better just keep going north. We should hit Pewter in a day or so, but he could've dropped any amount of clues - or men - along the way" Brock replied, his mind slowly mapping out the way to his hometown.
They all picked up their bags and weapons as Brock stopped talking
and made for the front door. Ash turned the knob when it suddenly flew open before him, knocking him to the ground as ten henchmen ran into the room.
"Ash!" Misty cried, running over to him, not wanting to face another attack. He stood up and looked at her in concern as the others prepared their weapons. "I can't do it again" she whispered.
Ash nodded, preparing his revolver. "I know Mist, but I can't hide you. Just try and stay clear of everything if you can."
Misty nodded and prepared her pistol, even though the other four had already begun to open fire. She cautiously backed away, trying not to be seen or heard, when she went too far and backed into the window.
A henchman had been watching her moves, and instantly ran over as she felt the cool surface of the glass with her hands. He wrapped his arm around her neck and covered her mouth as she desperatly tried to scream.
"Yo Ketchum!" the henchman yelled as his teamates fell to the floor.
Ash turned around and went pale at the scene laid before him. They were on the 22nd floor, and a fall from this height would undoubtly be fatal.
"Let her go, it's me you want, not her!" Ash yelled, desperatly trying to reach some sort of compromise with the henchman, who only laughed.
"Yeah, I'll let her go, out the window!" he replied. Ash went even whiter and reached for his revolver. "Touch a weapon and she gets it!" the henchman warned, and Ash immediatly withdrew his hand from the revolver. Misty shook her head, trying to tell Ash to get away while he still could, considering the henchman was no longer armed.
But Ash shook his head. He was not going without her, he had vowed that to himself from day one. He knew what he had to do. And he did it without hesitation.
"Let her go and you can have me instead." Everyone but the henchman gasped, even though they knew that Ash's love for Misty could actually go that far.
"No deal" the henchman shook his head. "I need both of ya" he grinned wickedly, loving the anguish he was causing Ash. Misty was still shaking her head furiously at Ash, but it was to no avail.
Ash held out his hands in admitted defeat. "Take me. And her. Destiny awaits" he said calmly. The henchman grinned and dragged Misty over to where Ash was standing. He then tied the two up with rope he had brought as a supply as Misty shouted.
"You're not going to get away with this! Do you hear me? This is despicable, disgusting work you do and you'll pay for it!" she yelled.
Brock, Jessie and James felt helpless, but they all were contriving plans to get them out.
However, their plans were to be unfulfilled. The henchman was talking into his radio to Giovanni, whose voice Misty recognised with a shudder, and Ash took this as his oppurtunity to escape. Standing in the direction of the henchman, he kicked his face with all his might and watched in satisfaction as he fell back, out to it.
"Okay, we gotta move fast. Don't worry about the ropes, Mist, just follow me, okay?" Ash directed.
"But Ash, your bag..." Misty said weakly, feeling light-headed.
"Forget it, our lives are more important at this stage. Brock, Jess, Jimmie, go now! We've gotta get outta here, the whole place might be under attack!" Ash hissed, and followed the other three as quickly as he could out the door.
Misty was virtually dragged along behind him but made no attempt to walk by herself, she felt so weak. She had seen how far the drop was from the window, and how confident the henchman had been. It was all too real for her.
"Great, now I don't have a gun" Ash groaned as they ran out the fire escape stairs, knowing that Team Rocket members could be guarding the lifts. A discreet back entrance was guarded, but not enough for them to be recognised as word got around the radios that a certain henchman had got a hold of the Ketchums and others started going up to the room.
They ran for everything they were worth, to the outskirts of Viridian, on the route to Pewter. Misty had virtually collapsed by the time they had reached the outskirts, and Ash had had to carry her half the way. Now, as James cut the rope, he was trying to wake her up.
"Mist? Misty?" he said quietly, gently tapping her cheeks. "Misty, we escaped" he announced as she came to. He smiled when she opened her eyes and gently hugged her, knowing she was still adjusting to the scene. "You are too brave for your own good" he laughed.
Misty nodded. "Would you have really gone with them?" she asked, curiosity hitting her.
"Mist, don't you think that's a bit of a rhetorical question?" Brock said in sarcasm and she laughed.
"How's the future Pokemon Master down there?" Ash asked worridly, suddenly wondering if the stress had been too much for the both of them.
"I think little Master is going to be just fine" Misty reassured him, still in his arms but feeling strong again. "Where are we going again?" she asked in a sort of daze.
"The greatest city in the world!" Brock announced.
"Well then it can't be Cerulean" Misty groaned. "Please don't say it's Cerulean" she pleaded.
"Nope, Pewter City!" Brock declared, a sudden excitement of going home taking over his body. He hoped he would get a chance to check on his siblings and father, to make sure they were okay and not caught up in this stupid game of Giovanni's.
Their supplies were now down by half, since they had left Ash and Misty's bags in the hotel room, and they were down to three guns only.
"Do you think we can survive on half our supplies and three guns?" Misty asked worridly.
"It'll take more than guns to survive, Mist. Giovanni has a very sick mind" Ash said in disgust.
Misty looked at the ground. "I know...too well" she sighed.
"What?" Ash asked.
Misty shook her head hurridly, sending her strawberry hair into a
frenzy. "Nothing, nothing, I'm just mad at Giovanni."
"We all are, Misty" Jessie spoke up. "He's a mastermind when it comes to things like this. He's just a tad pissed off about the whole Orange Islands thing, but you should be proud. You two destroyed a part of evil that has been around for far too long."
"You wouldn't be saying that eight years ago" Brock pointed out.
Jessie sighed. "I know. I just can't believe I was under his control for so long. I should know better than that." She suddenly had an overwhelming desire to cry, and hid it as best she could.
"It wasn't your fault, Jes. Some day maybe these guys will see what a lowlife Giovanni is too, and take the same road we're taking" James tried to reassure her.
Misty leaned her head against Ash's shoulder as he put an arm around her shoulders. She was thinking about the phonecall she had got that morning, and was seriously debating whether or not to tell Ash. She hated hiding anything from him, but maybe this time it would be for the greater good.
In any other circumstance, they would've looked like a very happy group of friends, with a young couple who were very much in love with each other. That wasn't entirely false, but they were both playing with their lives, they all were. And so far, love and friendship seemed to be at the bottom of their priority lists.
A/N: Last one today! Graham is writing another one as I speak (type?) so hold on for more exciting action!
A/N: Now, I KNOW this seems like it's just a whole lot of people dropping dead like flies, but it makes the story go, so bear with us. It's good! At least, I think so...
Someone was holding a knife to Misty's stomach, and another to Ash's throat. He couldn't feel it though, he had been knocked cold by yet another henchman.
"So, what's it gonna be? Ash Senior, or Ash Junior?" the knifeman asked with an evil laugh.
Misty conintuanly sobbed. How did they know she was pregnant? She was still weak from the last punch-up she had been involved in and could hardly defend herself or her family.
"I...I cant't..."
The nightmare ended as Misty woke up with a start. Her heart was racing and her palms were covered with sweat that she didn't bother trying to wipe off. It was only 3:28am, but she feared sleeping again.
She was a little reassured when she heard Ash snoring, grateful that he was still there with her. Her hands drifted towards her stomach, where another life was growing inside her at that very moment.
"I'm never going to let anything like this ever happen to you" she promised the barely conceived child. "Maybe it would be better if you stayed in there a while" she sighed, wanting this chase to be over but knowing it could take a long time.
They had all managed to squeeze into one room, to save on accomodation costs. The hotel was nice, simple and, above all, discreet, which was exactly what they were looking for.
The worry inside Misty disrupted her sleeping pattern, and she gently grasped Ash's hand, happy in the knowledge that he was for this baby and not against it.
Misty distractidly slept for another four hours, and was surprised to find Ash getting up before her.
"Wow, Sir Ketchum, I'm impressed! This could be a first of you getting up before ten in the morning!" she laughed.
"Haha, very funny" Ash groaned. He had actually had a good night's sleep, though he had thought about the baby alot.
"What's wrong, Ash? You look pensive" Misty observed, pulling him over to sit down with her.
"A lot's going on up here" Ash pointed to his head.
Misty smiled. "Same down here" she replied, indicating her stomach.
Ash stared in amazement. "I can't believe our child is in there" he marvelled. He cautiously placed a hand over her stomach and smiled. "Hey son" he laughed, the new phrase was weird to say.
"What are you going to do if it's a girl?" Misty grinned.
"Name her Rose" Ash said without hesitation. Misty gasped, tears forming in her eyes.
"Are you serious?" she asked softly. Ash nodded, his hand wandering from her stomach to her face.
"Of course" he replied. She smiled and kissed him lovingly, letting the kisses get deeper and longer.
"Ash, the others are next door" she quietly reminded him. He pulled away from her in disappointment.
"Damn, I forgot." He sighed and grinned mischeviously at the same time, that same grin that had stuck with him ever since he was ten. "Suppose we better get ready for another action-filled day" he said warily.
Misty sadly smiled. "Don't put the weight of the world on your shoulders, Ash."
"I'm not putting the weight of the world on my shoulders, Giovanni is" Ash replied. "I'd better go and have a shower. Can you keep out of trouble for five minutes?" he asked mischeviously.
"Yessir!" Misty saluted. Ash laughed, kissed her again and walked into the bathroom.
Misty yawned and stretched as she heard the other three stirring from their slumbers. In mid-yawn she heard the phone ring, and instantly picked it up, feeling a little happier this morning.
"Hello?" she answered casually.
"Misty Ketchum, this is your soon-to-be-ended life!" A male voice cheerily announced the words, and it took Misty a second to understand what it meant.
"Who...who is this?" Her voice quivered, though she desperatly tried not to show it.
"Someone you seem to have taken a sort of...oh, how should I put this...liking to over the last couple of weeks" the voice replied.
Then it hit her. "Giovanni" she sneered coldly.
"Bingo! And for 100 bonus points, can the lovely Mrs. Ketchum tell us what day it is today?" Giovanni asked sarcastically.
"The day your sorry ass goes to hell" Misty hissed as quietly as possible, not wanting to panic the others.
"Ouch, good guess, but far from the truth. Speaking of the truth, that's exactly what today is all about" Giovanni announced.
"I don't need any truth. I know everything about you. I know you have a heart of stone for putting Ash through all this and not giving a damn about it!" Misty exclaimed, tears spilling over to her cheeks.
"Ohhh, don't cry, there's got to be none of that when the little bundle of joy arrives" Giovanni smirked.
Misty gasped and thought back to her nightmare. "How do you know?" she whispered.
"No no no, that's not today's topic. Today we'll focus on all those lies and deceits Delia fed into you and your husband's fragile little minds." Giovanni was loving this. It was better than sending out a bunch of men with guns. It was real torture.
"Delia never lied to either of us" Misty defended Delia, her voice still on restraint.
"Oh, how innocent you are, how terribly naive. I'm afraid she did lie to you, child" Giovanni said in mock sadness.
Misty went quiet. "What would you know?" She continued to cry at the accusations Giovanni was making.
"The truth. Tell me, what do you think of your father-in-law?" he said slyly.
"Michael was a decent, kind, loving father to Ash who died for no cause" Misty replied as the tears flowed.
"He died?!" Giovannie cried out in mock horror. "But my child, I have seen him every day!"
"Please don't..." Misty sobbed.
"I do not lie, Misty" he said, sounding half-serious. "Just because Delia married Michael, it doesn't neccessarily make him the father, now does it?"
"What are you talking about?" Misty asked quietly.
Giovanni grinned. It was time to drop the bombshell. "Just tell Ash that his father is his own worst enemy."
"How could Michael...?" Misty trailed off before it dawned on her. "Oh no, no, you can't do this to Ash now, stop playing these sick games with our minds. Michael Ketchum is Ash's dad, please, just leave us alone!" she begged.
"Michael was a loser who had no hope of a future! But I, I have a future far greater than any Ketchum ever did" Giovanni said.
"Ash doesn't deserve to be tortured like this. You''ll be sorry when he gets to you!" Misty said, and angrily hung up the phone. She sobbed into her hands, the pressure of the last few days finally being released. Then she wondered why on earth that phonecall had affected her so badly. It was all a stack of lies anyway.
Misty heard a knock at the door and quickly wiped away her tears.
"Are you guys up? We've gotta get an early start" Brock announced.
"Yeah, Ash is just taking a shower!" Misty replied through the door. "We'll be out in a sec!"
"Okay, sure thing" Brock said and went back to the kitchen to work on their breakfast.
Misty knew she couldn't tell Ash about the phonecall. It would freak him out too badly, and now that there was a baby at hand things would have to be far more protected and looked after.
They all ate a hearty breakfast and groaned at Ash when he boasted the best night's sleep out of all of them, and started packing their bags.
"You know James, maybe you should let someone else have a go with that thing..." Jessie mentioned subtly as he picked up his machine gun.
"But Jessie, no one else can use it like I can!" he whined, the rich little boy coming out in his words.
Jessie sighed. There was no way they were going to get that thing off him. "Where are we off to today?" she asked Brock, who was studying a map.
"I think we better just keep going north. We should hit Pewter in a day or so, but he could've dropped any amount of clues - or men - along the way" Brock replied, his mind slowly mapping out the way to his hometown.
They all picked up their bags and weapons as Brock stopped talking
and made for the front door. Ash turned the knob when it suddenly flew open before him, knocking him to the ground as ten henchmen ran into the room.
"Ash!" Misty cried, running over to him, not wanting to face another attack. He stood up and looked at her in concern as the others prepared their weapons. "I can't do it again" she whispered.
Ash nodded, preparing his revolver. "I know Mist, but I can't hide you. Just try and stay clear of everything if you can."
Misty nodded and prepared her pistol, even though the other four had already begun to open fire. She cautiously backed away, trying not to be seen or heard, when she went too far and backed into the window.
A henchman had been watching her moves, and instantly ran over as she felt the cool surface of the glass with her hands. He wrapped his arm around her neck and covered her mouth as she desperatly tried to scream.
"Yo Ketchum!" the henchman yelled as his teamates fell to the floor.
Ash turned around and went pale at the scene laid before him. They were on the 22nd floor, and a fall from this height would undoubtly be fatal.
"Let her go, it's me you want, not her!" Ash yelled, desperatly trying to reach some sort of compromise with the henchman, who only laughed.
"Yeah, I'll let her go, out the window!" he replied. Ash went even whiter and reached for his revolver. "Touch a weapon and she gets it!" the henchman warned, and Ash immediatly withdrew his hand from the revolver. Misty shook her head, trying to tell Ash to get away while he still could, considering the henchman was no longer armed.
But Ash shook his head. He was not going without her, he had vowed that to himself from day one. He knew what he had to do. And he did it without hesitation.
"Let her go and you can have me instead." Everyone but the henchman gasped, even though they knew that Ash's love for Misty could actually go that far.
"No deal" the henchman shook his head. "I need both of ya" he grinned wickedly, loving the anguish he was causing Ash. Misty was still shaking her head furiously at Ash, but it was to no avail.
Ash held out his hands in admitted defeat. "Take me. And her. Destiny awaits" he said calmly. The henchman grinned and dragged Misty over to where Ash was standing. He then tied the two up with rope he had brought as a supply as Misty shouted.
"You're not going to get away with this! Do you hear me? This is despicable, disgusting work you do and you'll pay for it!" she yelled.
Brock, Jessie and James felt helpless, but they all were contriving plans to get them out.
However, their plans were to be unfulfilled. The henchman was talking into his radio to Giovanni, whose voice Misty recognised with a shudder, and Ash took this as his oppurtunity to escape. Standing in the direction of the henchman, he kicked his face with all his might and watched in satisfaction as he fell back, out to it.
"Okay, we gotta move fast. Don't worry about the ropes, Mist, just follow me, okay?" Ash directed.
"But Ash, your bag..." Misty said weakly, feeling light-headed.
"Forget it, our lives are more important at this stage. Brock, Jess, Jimmie, go now! We've gotta get outta here, the whole place might be under attack!" Ash hissed, and followed the other three as quickly as he could out the door.
Misty was virtually dragged along behind him but made no attempt to walk by herself, she felt so weak. She had seen how far the drop was from the window, and how confident the henchman had been. It was all too real for her.
"Great, now I don't have a gun" Ash groaned as they ran out the fire escape stairs, knowing that Team Rocket members could be guarding the lifts. A discreet back entrance was guarded, but not enough for them to be recognised as word got around the radios that a certain henchman had got a hold of the Ketchums and others started going up to the room.
They ran for everything they were worth, to the outskirts of Viridian, on the route to Pewter. Misty had virtually collapsed by the time they had reached the outskirts, and Ash had had to carry her half the way. Now, as James cut the rope, he was trying to wake her up.
"Mist? Misty?" he said quietly, gently tapping her cheeks. "Misty, we escaped" he announced as she came to. He smiled when she opened her eyes and gently hugged her, knowing she was still adjusting to the scene. "You are too brave for your own good" he laughed.
Misty nodded. "Would you have really gone with them?" she asked, curiosity hitting her.
"Mist, don't you think that's a bit of a rhetorical question?" Brock said in sarcasm and she laughed.
"How's the future Pokemon Master down there?" Ash asked worridly, suddenly wondering if the stress had been too much for the both of them.
"I think little Master is going to be just fine" Misty reassured him, still in his arms but feeling strong again. "Where are we going again?" she asked in a sort of daze.
"The greatest city in the world!" Brock announced.
"Well then it can't be Cerulean" Misty groaned. "Please don't say it's Cerulean" she pleaded.
"Nope, Pewter City!" Brock declared, a sudden excitement of going home taking over his body. He hoped he would get a chance to check on his siblings and father, to make sure they were okay and not caught up in this stupid game of Giovanni's.
Their supplies were now down by half, since they had left Ash and Misty's bags in the hotel room, and they were down to three guns only.
"Do you think we can survive on half our supplies and three guns?" Misty asked worridly.
"It'll take more than guns to survive, Mist. Giovanni has a very sick mind" Ash said in disgust.
Misty looked at the ground. "I know...too well" she sighed.
"What?" Ash asked.
Misty shook her head hurridly, sending her strawberry hair into a
frenzy. "Nothing, nothing, I'm just mad at Giovanni."
"We all are, Misty" Jessie spoke up. "He's a mastermind when it comes to things like this. He's just a tad pissed off about the whole Orange Islands thing, but you should be proud. You two destroyed a part of evil that has been around for far too long."
"You wouldn't be saying that eight years ago" Brock pointed out.
Jessie sighed. "I know. I just can't believe I was under his control for so long. I should know better than that." She suddenly had an overwhelming desire to cry, and hid it as best she could.
"It wasn't your fault, Jes. Some day maybe these guys will see what a lowlife Giovanni is too, and take the same road we're taking" James tried to reassure her.
Misty leaned her head against Ash's shoulder as he put an arm around her shoulders. She was thinking about the phonecall she had got that morning, and was seriously debating whether or not to tell Ash. She hated hiding anything from him, but maybe this time it would be for the greater good.
In any other circumstance, they would've looked like a very happy group of friends, with a young couple who were very much in love with each other. That wasn't entirely false, but they were both playing with their lives, they all were. And so far, love and friendship seemed to be at the bottom of their priority lists.
A/N: Last one today! Graham is writing another one as I speak (type?) so hold on for more exciting action!