Crimson Tears

Chapter Four: Enter AJ

The stars dotted the skies gleaming and shining each uniquely. A soft wind from the north blew through the trees singing a eerie tune on this beautiful night. The quiet loomed over the sleeping campsite. It was well past midnight. The hot ambers of the fire had slowly died away long ago and now all was left was the gray empty ash. Although it was deadly quiet, one members of the group lay awake.

"Misty?" Ash asked nervously praying she was awake, "Misty, you up?"

A slight yawn indicated the young girl was still up but barely.

"I was worrying about the tournament tomorrow. You know, against the Elite Four."

"Afraid?" Misty smirked slightly turning over in her sleeping bag to face him.

Ash striated up and glared at her,

"Am not."

"Then why would you still be awake?" Misty smiled in a trivial mocking voice.

Ash didn't answer. He turned and looked at the stars,

"Do you think I have a chance?"

Misty looked shocked. All this time he was bragging about how long he had trained and how he would beat everyone and now he was worried? Now he was looking at the slim chances with a grim face when he always had a smirk.

"Of course Ash. You're really talented. You should beat them easily."

"I don't think so." Ash smiled shifting a bit to watch her out of the corner of his eye, "I mean, no one my age has ever done it…Maybe I'm rushing…"

"Ash! You are such a idiot!" Misty hissed, "You have worked all you're life for this moment! You shouldn't back down now! Not when you are this close! If I had thought you couldn't do it, would I still be rooting for you."

"Yes." Ash grinned.

Misty frowned on how he took her encouragement. He flung back a insult. Like he always does…

"You know my Dad was a Master, Misty?" Ash said out of the blue.

Misty looked a little taken aback,

"No, you never mentioned him before."

"Never wanted to." Ash said softly, his face somber.

"What, was he a bad father?"

"Na. He was the best anyone could ever hope for… That's why I hate him."

Misty blinked,

"How could you hate him if he was perfect?"

Ash was silent for a long time after this. Misty looked over at his face which was streaked silver in the moon light. His eyes reflected the starry night in a amber haze.

"Because he promised me…."

Misty blinked. A silver tear slipped down his red cheek…He brushed it away….

"Promised you what?" Misty asked curiously.

"A promise…that he will never fulfill…He promised to watch the day I won a place in the inner circle…"

"Ash, I'm sure he'll be there tomorrow…"

Ash turned his eyes to her. He narrowed his golden eyes and rested them upon the girl in front of him,

"No. He will not be there…"

"But Ash-"

"Didn't you hear me? He won't be there alright?! He- he's dead."

Ash turned away quickly hiding the tears that slipped out under his control. Misty looked stunned.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault." His voice came stiffly as though he wanted her to leave him alone.

He rubbed the tears roughly out of his eyes. He hated to cry. Ash thought it was stupid to do so. It was a waste. When nothing would come out of it.

"Misty…have you ever lost someone?"

Misty looked hard at Ash's form…

"Yeah…"

"Do you think…I mean did you cry?"

"Yeah…of course. It was…You know…The natural thing to do…and crying helps heal…it washes the heart…"

Ash blinked…

"Do you think you could help me?"

"What?"

"I mean…help me cry?"


Misty spotted the silver convertible in the distance but for some reason it looked parked. Misty slowed down and eased down on the breaks. She came to a full halt a few feet from the car. She jumped off her bike and folded it back into it's simple size. She tucked it carefully in her pack and slipped into the shadows…

What is this guy up to?

She heard someone whistling a pretty tune…when it dawned on her for what it was she stiffened a muffled gasp… Someone was whistling Lugia's song…But that was impossible…only a few people have heard that song before.

A chill swept down her spine…

Who was she dealing with?

Misty reached a clearing that opened out into a meadow of beautiful flowers. There was the man picking them with his little yellow companion…She cocked a brow…

What was going on?

"So do you always follow boys into the woods at night or is this just a one time thing?" The figure was looking strait at her hiding place…Misty froze…

How did he know? Or was he just talking to himself?

Misty hesitated before stepping out of the darkness. She could she his face…But his voice was hidden…Like he was trying to mask it from her…


Ash stared at her.

My gosh…Look how beautiful she is…

Ash couldn't help but notice all her changes. Her hair had grown out to shoulder length and gleamed crimson with streaks of silver moonlight….Her eyes were still the two diamond he remembered. And her attire was totally different. She wore a beaten up pair of jeans and a bright aqua shirt with shimmers of sliver glitter in it… She looked like a goddess. Ash tried hard not to blush…He didn't know how well this cloak hid his features.


"What's your name?" Misty heard the man ask. Misty was a bit worried…Was this man evil? Should she… Would he harm her? Was it safe?

"Misty." Misty stated. For some reason she could trust him. Her instincts let her.

She watched him curiously as he tucked the bundle of flowers in his hand into a small leather pouch attached to his belt. He didn't seem to notice her eyes following him. He turned away and started walking down the path with pikachu at his heel. Misty was a little surprised but she stayed put. He called back over his shoulder,

"Well, Misty, although it is lovely to meet you I would be very content with you not following me anymore. Unless you would like me to inform your parents which I doubt they would be thrilled to-"

The man stumbled over a log and flipped frontward landing sharply on his rear. His cloak got caught on the log ripping it down the back and clear off him.

"Pika piii!" His pikachu cried running to his side.

Misty suppressed a gasp. There before her sat a small fifteen year old boy. He had nice jet black hair in a normal boy-cut and a slight shadowing under his eyelids.

The boy sat leaning against the log his eyes tightly clamped. He was breathing hard as if he had the wind knocked out of him. He clutched his side in pain…

Misty looked him over once more before offering any help. He wore some normal beat up jeans and a black tee shirt. It was then she saw them. Six pokeballs attached to his belt. This kid was a trainer…

"You okay?" Misty asked cautiously approaching him.

"I've been better." The boy replied in a higher voice then before. It was smooth and clear with a touch of familiarity. She felt as though she knew him somehow…

Man, he's kind of cute… for a kid anyway.

The boy's eyes snapped opened. He had beautiful golden like amber eyes.

The boy checked his side and lifted his shirt a bit to revel a cut that was spilling blood.

Misty had to hold her gasp of surprise again.

"You're hurt?!"

He looked up at her and blinked as if he just noticed she was standing there. He quickly checked for his hood to find it behind him…His cover was blown.

"Darn it." He groaned.

"That cut looks severe…"

"Yeah…I can handle it." The boy muttered.

He looked up at her and then looked away,

"I don't need you're help."

Misty's face burned red. How dare he talk to her in that manner. She was older then him. He should respect gym leaders anyway.

"Pikachu." The boy muttered to his pet. The pikachu leapt over and examined his wound. It spoke to him and the boy nodded.

"You understand it?" Misty asked.

"It's not an it, Miss Misty. It's a him." The boy growled, "And yes I do."

"What is his name then?"

"Pikachu."

"Oh."

The Pikachu began to charge up as Misty watched worriedly.

"You are gonna let Pikachu shock you?! How will that help?"

The boy looked at her annoyed.

"My pikachu knows what he is doing."

"Okay. Suit yourself."

Pikachu let charge a pure white electric charge at the boy's wound. It surrounded him in a white haze and then faded away. The boy didn't even flinch. He lifted his shirt to check his side and sure enough, the wound was gone.

"What was that?!" Misty gasped.

"It was a lose charge of low voltage energy. With a trained Pikachu you can teach them to do that but it takes patients and pain. Sometimes they mess up." The boy groaned rubbing his skin were the wound used to be.

"Does it hurt?" Misty asked.

"No. Just itches." The boy smiled getting to his wobbly feet.

"So… Whose parents should we call?" Misty grinned, "You should talk. Awfully young to be driving a car."

This caught the boy off guard. He blushed slightly in the cheeks,

"I'm young…but not that young. I just turned sixteen." The boy murmured almost to himself.

"Who are you?! Why were you spying on me?" She demanded.

The boy glared at her in disgust,

"You actually think I was spying on you? I wasn't. I was visiting some old friends…" He trailed off.

Misty appeared shaken,

"You knew Ash?"

"You could say that." The boy muttered pulling his cloak from the log…She noticed the gash that was in it before was suddenly gone. Misty ignored it.

"I knew him in a different life if you must be so literally."

Misty was silent for a moment. She finally spoke barely above a whisper,

"Who are you?"

"A-Aj My name is Aj Gray." The boy muttered.


To Be Continued…

Please r + r!

Kool! Gray. Aj Gray. Okay it was the first thing that popped in my head. So sue me…No don't!