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Misty's Awakening
Part 5
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All Misty could do was wait and ponder as Ash tried to pull himself together. And, since Misty didn't know what had happened, she didn't know how to further console him.
Ash rose his head, inhaling slowly, and wiped tears from his red face. "Sorry...it still... I guess it still... gets to me..." He sniffed quietly, and let his breath out again.
Misty wanted to further her questioning, but she knew that she shouldn't force Ash into explaining it. It obviously hurt him— Ash didn't just start *crying* like this. . .
But then, what *had* happened to Pikachu?
"Ash?" Misty ventured carefully, "Are you...okay?"
He nodded, and tried to smile. "I'm really sorry, Misty. Sorry for...bawling like that...but I understand why you want to know. And I wasn't thinking about it before, but you deserve to know what happened..."
'Deserve to know?' thought Misty. The hurt in his voice as he said it... Misty almost wished that she'd never asked about Pikachu.
Ash struggled to speak, and at last he managed to make his voice work. "Well, Pikachu...he....he was taken away from me."
"Taken? Who took him, Ash?"
"...Team Rocket."
Whoa! Did he mean...
"JESSIE AND JAMES!?!?! They actually SUCCEEDED!?"
Ash shook his head hastily. "No, no— not Jessie and James. Are you kidding?" he *almost* smiled again. "No... it was some other members, I know that for a fact. I guess they took the assignment from Jessie and James to get... to get Pikachu, because they kept on failing. But these guys actually pulled it off." Ash was so still, Misty thought that *he'd* gone into a coma.
"Do you know who they were, though? I mean, can you still get Pikachu back? Misty seemed hopeful.
"There's more to the story than that," Ash went on sadly. "They took him one night, after you had been down for a month or two, and I was pretty depressed. I had him with me, of course, and we were at the bus stop because we were going to go home for a while, to see my mom and stuff in Pallet.
"We sat down on the bench to wait, and these two Team Rocket members in black came up from behind us. Pikachu could sense them, I bet... but I didn't even notice him. I was really out of it, I remember...
"But one of them grabbed me and gagged my mouth, while the other one got Pikachu...gave him a tranquilizer and stuck him in a Pokeball. I don't know how they did it, exactly— Pikachu always got away before. But, I guess he didn't have the chance to even *try* a thundershock— neither of us were sure of what was happening.
"While they were dealing with Pikachu, though, they gave *me* a tranquilizer, too...then they tied me up. I couldn't even put up a fight..."
Misty's face was becoming hot with anger, but at the same time, she felt her eyes filling with warm tears...
Another sob nearly escaped Ash, but he choked it back. "When I woke up, I was still... still tied up, but they had hidden me in an ally behind a dumpster. I yelled for a while, and Officer Jenny found me after an hour or something. She took me in for questioning and to write up a report...but she said there wasn't much they could do. Not against Team Rocket. And the crime had taken place about 12 hours before. There was no way of knowing where the Team Rocket members had gone, and when."
Misty was freely crying by this point.
Ash went on solemnly. "They never caught them. Officer Jenny told me to just go home, that it was useless, but I remember that I was so angry, I couldn't imagine letting Team Rocket get away with it. I caught a bus and went straight to the Team Rocket HQ...yeah, that was really stupid, but I...I was so mad. I had to run a lot of the way there, to the actual HQ, but I was even able to get passed a few guards. But when I got a little farther it was no use. They got me almost right off, and I was crying and yelling for my Pikachu back as they dragged me off. I got pretty violent, but they were still able to throw me out, and that was that. I had to go home."
Misty wiped the tears from her face with her sheets. "But...Ash, what if he's... still there?"
"No, Misty... I remember the day perfectly— I was just out in my front yard, and two familiar people and a Meowth rode up on bikes. Yeah, it was Jessie and James, and they said they had a message for me, and they didn't look too happy. It was something they had found out, they told me. They said that...that they had heard all about Pikachu. They told me that Team Rocket had been doing tests on Pikachu, and he wouldn't submit. He didn't eat, he didn't move, he didn't even respond to them. Then, he just *died*...died of sadness instead of letting them use him. He knew he couldn't get away, so he...died...." Ash let himself cry again, not bothering to wipe away the tears that moistened his face. "Jessie and James...they felt bad for me, even. At least— at least that's how they acted. They weren't even a part of it, but. . ."
Ash shook his head sadly. "At least I--I can't blame *them*! I don't know who to blame, I don't care-- Pikachu's gone, and I'll never see him-- " He started to sob, and Misty, still crying as well, pulled Ash to her again and hugged him close. She couldn't believe that Ash's only remaining friend had been so cruelly taken away from him...and killed.
'Ash didn't deserve this,' Misty thought as she gently caressed his back, 'no one deserves to have their lives ruined like that.'
Misty couldn't ask another question; she didn't even want to speak. She didn't think that words could help Ash right now.
Instead, Misty gently pulled Ash down beside her on the bed, still holding him close to her, and they both slowly cried each other to sleep.
* * * *
Misty woke up to the afternoon sun casting light over her bed. She felt Ash at her side, her arms still around him, and she sighed quietly. She felt so close to him...she only wished that she could fix all the damage done in his life.
He stirred slightly. Misty rose a little, and gently rubbed his arm. He moved, and opened hi eyes, turning to look at her.
"Hi, Ash..." Misty said softly.
Ash smiled, though very faintly, and whispered back, "Thank you, Misty."
"Thanks? For... what, exactly?"
"For comforting me, and all. It's just hard to talk about...it..."
"That's okay, Ash. But thanks for telling me. It's a terrible thing, but I'm glad that now I at least know about it."
"You needed to find out," Ash told her lightly. "I'm just sorry I got all choked up about it..."
Misty hugged him gently. "Ash, don't be sorry. I understand how much Pikachu meant to you...and, he meant a lot to me, too." Misty was afraid that Ash could start crying again...she hated to see him cry...but he didn't. He slowly rose up from Misty's side, sitting up on the bed, and he helped Misty up as well.
As if on cue, Misty's Doctor entered the room.
"Oh, you're still here," he said to Ash. "It's time for Misty's medication."
Ash nodded. "OK. Misty...I should probably check home, take a shower and stuff. I'll be back here for dinner, OK?"
Misty nodded. She really wanted for him to stay, but she understood that he wasn't feeling well. "Okay, Ash...just come back."
What happened next was a pretty big surprise for Misty. Ash looked at her, leaned over, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise."
Misty nodded as if she were in a trance, and waved goodbye to Ash.
"Bye..."
He left the room. Misty stared at the door, dazed, for several moments until the Doctor handed her a glass of water.
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...To Be Continued...
Misty's Awakening
Part 5
________________
All Misty could do was wait and ponder as Ash tried to pull himself together. And, since Misty didn't know what had happened, she didn't know how to further console him.
Ash rose his head, inhaling slowly, and wiped tears from his red face. "Sorry...it still... I guess it still... gets to me..." He sniffed quietly, and let his breath out again.
Misty wanted to further her questioning, but she knew that she shouldn't force Ash into explaining it. It obviously hurt him— Ash didn't just start *crying* like this. . .
But then, what *had* happened to Pikachu?
"Ash?" Misty ventured carefully, "Are you...okay?"
He nodded, and tried to smile. "I'm really sorry, Misty. Sorry for...bawling like that...but I understand why you want to know. And I wasn't thinking about it before, but you deserve to know what happened..."
'Deserve to know?' thought Misty. The hurt in his voice as he said it... Misty almost wished that she'd never asked about Pikachu.
Ash struggled to speak, and at last he managed to make his voice work. "Well, Pikachu...he....he was taken away from me."
"Taken? Who took him, Ash?"
"...Team Rocket."
Whoa! Did he mean...
"JESSIE AND JAMES!?!?! They actually SUCCEEDED!?"
Ash shook his head hastily. "No, no— not Jessie and James. Are you kidding?" he *almost* smiled again. "No... it was some other members, I know that for a fact. I guess they took the assignment from Jessie and James to get... to get Pikachu, because they kept on failing. But these guys actually pulled it off." Ash was so still, Misty thought that *he'd* gone into a coma.
"Do you know who they were, though? I mean, can you still get Pikachu back? Misty seemed hopeful.
"There's more to the story than that," Ash went on sadly. "They took him one night, after you had been down for a month or two, and I was pretty depressed. I had him with me, of course, and we were at the bus stop because we were going to go home for a while, to see my mom and stuff in Pallet.
"We sat down on the bench to wait, and these two Team Rocket members in black came up from behind us. Pikachu could sense them, I bet... but I didn't even notice him. I was really out of it, I remember...
"But one of them grabbed me and gagged my mouth, while the other one got Pikachu...gave him a tranquilizer and stuck him in a Pokeball. I don't know how they did it, exactly— Pikachu always got away before. But, I guess he didn't have the chance to even *try* a thundershock— neither of us were sure of what was happening.
"While they were dealing with Pikachu, though, they gave *me* a tranquilizer, too...then they tied me up. I couldn't even put up a fight..."
Misty's face was becoming hot with anger, but at the same time, she felt her eyes filling with warm tears...
Another sob nearly escaped Ash, but he choked it back. "When I woke up, I was still... still tied up, but they had hidden me in an ally behind a dumpster. I yelled for a while, and Officer Jenny found me after an hour or something. She took me in for questioning and to write up a report...but she said there wasn't much they could do. Not against Team Rocket. And the crime had taken place about 12 hours before. There was no way of knowing where the Team Rocket members had gone, and when."
Misty was freely crying by this point.
Ash went on solemnly. "They never caught them. Officer Jenny told me to just go home, that it was useless, but I remember that I was so angry, I couldn't imagine letting Team Rocket get away with it. I caught a bus and went straight to the Team Rocket HQ...yeah, that was really stupid, but I...I was so mad. I had to run a lot of the way there, to the actual HQ, but I was even able to get passed a few guards. But when I got a little farther it was no use. They got me almost right off, and I was crying and yelling for my Pikachu back as they dragged me off. I got pretty violent, but they were still able to throw me out, and that was that. I had to go home."
Misty wiped the tears from her face with her sheets. "But...Ash, what if he's... still there?"
"No, Misty... I remember the day perfectly— I was just out in my front yard, and two familiar people and a Meowth rode up on bikes. Yeah, it was Jessie and James, and they said they had a message for me, and they didn't look too happy. It was something they had found out, they told me. They said that...that they had heard all about Pikachu. They told me that Team Rocket had been doing tests on Pikachu, and he wouldn't submit. He didn't eat, he didn't move, he didn't even respond to them. Then, he just *died*...died of sadness instead of letting them use him. He knew he couldn't get away, so he...died...." Ash let himself cry again, not bothering to wipe away the tears that moistened his face. "Jessie and James...they felt bad for me, even. At least— at least that's how they acted. They weren't even a part of it, but. . ."
Ash shook his head sadly. "At least I--I can't blame *them*! I don't know who to blame, I don't care-- Pikachu's gone, and I'll never see him-- " He started to sob, and Misty, still crying as well, pulled Ash to her again and hugged him close. She couldn't believe that Ash's only remaining friend had been so cruelly taken away from him...and killed.
'Ash didn't deserve this,' Misty thought as she gently caressed his back, 'no one deserves to have their lives ruined like that.'
Misty couldn't ask another question; she didn't even want to speak. She didn't think that words could help Ash right now.
Instead, Misty gently pulled Ash down beside her on the bed, still holding him close to her, and they both slowly cried each other to sleep.
* * * *
Misty woke up to the afternoon sun casting light over her bed. She felt Ash at her side, her arms still around him, and she sighed quietly. She felt so close to him...she only wished that she could fix all the damage done in his life.
He stirred slightly. Misty rose a little, and gently rubbed his arm. He moved, and opened hi eyes, turning to look at her.
"Hi, Ash..." Misty said softly.
Ash smiled, though very faintly, and whispered back, "Thank you, Misty."
"Thanks? For... what, exactly?"
"For comforting me, and all. It's just hard to talk about...it..."
"That's okay, Ash. But thanks for telling me. It's a terrible thing, but I'm glad that now I at least know about it."
"You needed to find out," Ash told her lightly. "I'm just sorry I got all choked up about it..."
Misty hugged him gently. "Ash, don't be sorry. I understand how much Pikachu meant to you...and, he meant a lot to me, too." Misty was afraid that Ash could start crying again...she hated to see him cry...but he didn't. He slowly rose up from Misty's side, sitting up on the bed, and he helped Misty up as well.
As if on cue, Misty's Doctor entered the room.
"Oh, you're still here," he said to Ash. "It's time for Misty's medication."
Ash nodded. "OK. Misty...I should probably check home, take a shower and stuff. I'll be back here for dinner, OK?"
Misty nodded. She really wanted for him to stay, but she understood that he wasn't feeling well. "Okay, Ash...just come back."
What happened next was a pretty big surprise for Misty. Ash looked at her, leaned over, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I promise."
Misty nodded as if she were in a trance, and waved goodbye to Ash.
"Bye..."
He left the room. Misty stared at the door, dazed, for several moments until the Doctor handed her a glass of water.
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...To Be Continued...
