Rosy returned from the university with her father that day. He'd set up a tour of the campus for her, to help her decide where she wanted to attend college. She, and her parents knew that if she were to enter the Pokémon League after graduation, she'd be a serious contender, but Misty insisted that she get an education first. She headed upstairs to tell Johnny about it. "Johnny," she called. His door was closed. "Hey, booger brain, I've got something cool for you." She held a Pokémon Stadium poster behind her back. She'd picked it up at the student store on campus. "Johnny?" She knocked on the door. "Hey, what's up?" She turned the handle and pushed the door open. The room was empty. Clothes and toys were strewn about. The bed was unmade. It looked like it did every day. "Mom," Rosy shouted from upstairs. "Where's Johnny?"
Misty went upstairs and peered in Johnny's room. "I don't know, sweetie," she said. "Come to think of it, I haven't heard from him all day. I wonder what he's gotten into. He's so much like Ash was at this age." She sighed, remembering her husband when he was just a boy. A great friend, but constantly drove her up the wall. "Let's go ask Daddy." Ash shrugged at their inquiry, as did Derek when he was asked. They all figured he was out playing somewhere, and would be back in time for dinner. Like Ash, he was never late for a meal. Dinner time came, and he was nowhere to be found. "I'm getting worried," Misty said, parting the curtains in the front room, looking for any sign of Johnny.
"I'm sure he's fine," Ash soothed her. He put his hand on her shoulder.
*
Nightfall made turning back impossible for Johnny. He'd made it into the mouth of the cave in the Whirl Islands, and his flashlight shone on the rough terrain ahead. All around were unforgiving ledges, intimidating rock formations, and vicious waterfalls that pooled into dark, murky water that looked very deep. The roar of the waterfalls was deafening. Undaunted, he scaled the nearest rock to get a bird's eye view of the cave. Across a lake of dark water was a tunnel. Johnny was sure that tunnel led to his prize, Lugia. He walked along the edge of the crag, looking for a safe route to the tunnel. He spied a series of stones in the water. He tested his weight on one of them. It held, so he chanced the stepping stones to get across. He reached the mass of land that held the tunnel. He pulled a map out of his pack, and studied it. He hadn't bothered copying the words that accompanied the pictures; they were in some strange language he'd never seen before. He turned the map in every direction, trying to figure it out. He went into the tunnel, and was faced with a voluminous waterfall, bigger and taller and louder than all the others in the previous room. The mist that sprayed from its meeting with the water made it difficult to see. It seemed that this was the only thing on that side of the tunnel. He shined his flashlight around the waterfall, and could barely make out four men in dark jumpsuits and hard-hats with lights on them walking on the ledge above the massive falls. Quietly, he followed them on the ground level, until he found he could no longer. The only way he could go was up. But how? The waterfall stretched as far as the eye could see on one wall, and the other walls were at a ninety degree angle with the floor. He caught sight of a rope that had been left dangling on the edge of the cliff above. Apparently, the men had left it there. Johnny scaled the rope and set off after the men.
*
Midnight had passed, and Misty and Ash were beside themselves with worry. Rosy and Derek were up as well. Derek was as solemn as ever. Even Rosy was subdued. Misty was on the phone with the Cerulean Police Department, giving a description of John. Ash was pacing the front room floor, unsure of what to do. "I just spoke to Officer Jenny," Misty said, hanging up the phone. "She said she was going to look for Johnny as soon as we hung up. She said the best thing to do is get some sleep, not worry, and look for him in the morning. She said she'd be by tomorrow to help us out, if we need it."
"Help us out with what," Ash asked.
"Think, Ash," Misty said. "She's a police officer, which means she deals with missing people all the time. If she comes here tomorrow, she can find clues that can tell us what happened to him, if anything happened at all."
"I guess that makes sense," he agreed.
"Come on now. Everyone to bed."
Misty went upstairs and peered in Johnny's room. "I don't know, sweetie," she said. "Come to think of it, I haven't heard from him all day. I wonder what he's gotten into. He's so much like Ash was at this age." She sighed, remembering her husband when he was just a boy. A great friend, but constantly drove her up the wall. "Let's go ask Daddy." Ash shrugged at their inquiry, as did Derek when he was asked. They all figured he was out playing somewhere, and would be back in time for dinner. Like Ash, he was never late for a meal. Dinner time came, and he was nowhere to be found. "I'm getting worried," Misty said, parting the curtains in the front room, looking for any sign of Johnny.
"I'm sure he's fine," Ash soothed her. He put his hand on her shoulder.
*
Nightfall made turning back impossible for Johnny. He'd made it into the mouth of the cave in the Whirl Islands, and his flashlight shone on the rough terrain ahead. All around were unforgiving ledges, intimidating rock formations, and vicious waterfalls that pooled into dark, murky water that looked very deep. The roar of the waterfalls was deafening. Undaunted, he scaled the nearest rock to get a bird's eye view of the cave. Across a lake of dark water was a tunnel. Johnny was sure that tunnel led to his prize, Lugia. He walked along the edge of the crag, looking for a safe route to the tunnel. He spied a series of stones in the water. He tested his weight on one of them. It held, so he chanced the stepping stones to get across. He reached the mass of land that held the tunnel. He pulled a map out of his pack, and studied it. He hadn't bothered copying the words that accompanied the pictures; they were in some strange language he'd never seen before. He turned the map in every direction, trying to figure it out. He went into the tunnel, and was faced with a voluminous waterfall, bigger and taller and louder than all the others in the previous room. The mist that sprayed from its meeting with the water made it difficult to see. It seemed that this was the only thing on that side of the tunnel. He shined his flashlight around the waterfall, and could barely make out four men in dark jumpsuits and hard-hats with lights on them walking on the ledge above the massive falls. Quietly, he followed them on the ground level, until he found he could no longer. The only way he could go was up. But how? The waterfall stretched as far as the eye could see on one wall, and the other walls were at a ninety degree angle with the floor. He caught sight of a rope that had been left dangling on the edge of the cliff above. Apparently, the men had left it there. Johnny scaled the rope and set off after the men.
*
Midnight had passed, and Misty and Ash were beside themselves with worry. Rosy and Derek were up as well. Derek was as solemn as ever. Even Rosy was subdued. Misty was on the phone with the Cerulean Police Department, giving a description of John. Ash was pacing the front room floor, unsure of what to do. "I just spoke to Officer Jenny," Misty said, hanging up the phone. "She said she was going to look for Johnny as soon as we hung up. She said the best thing to do is get some sleep, not worry, and look for him in the morning. She said she'd be by tomorrow to help us out, if we need it."
"Help us out with what," Ash asked.
"Think, Ash," Misty said. "She's a police officer, which means she deals with missing people all the time. If she comes here tomorrow, she can find clues that can tell us what happened to him, if anything happened at all."
"I guess that makes sense," he agreed.
"Come on now. Everyone to bed."