Chapter 11 (XI) : Clearance

"Ash, honey, are you ready?", Delia asked as she came into the main room with a huge stack of clothes that

obviously belonged to Ash.

"Hmm, yes mom, I just need some more things and then I'll be off to the railway station!', Ash said as he

packed in his table clock.

" Oh my little boy has grown up so much.", Mrs. Ketchum said as she wiped a tear with her handkerchif

(I dunno if i spelled it right).

"Yeah!", Ash said unemotionally, as he shouldered the last bag on his left shoulder. All together he was

carrying three bags and would be dragging along two large suitcases. He was to use Mr. Mime's help to take

the stuff over to the station. Ash was going off to Cerulean city to study in the Cerulean University in the field

of Pokemon Biology.

"Ok, Mom, thats about it, so I better be off to Cerulean City!", Ash said as he bent down a bit to kiss his mom.

"Oh..ash.. I'm going to miss you so much!", Delia couldn't stop the tears from coming out of her eyes.

"Don't worry mom, I'm only moving five hundred km away, You can always come and visit me if you want, or

me doing the vice versa. Don't worry, It'll be alright. I'll do just fine", Ash adjusted the bag on his left

shoulder and then started walking away waving to Delia.

"oh Ash, you seem so far away from me. Even though you are going away, i feel that you are moving far away

from not only me, but from yourself!", Delia watched her grown up son move away from her after a month of

brooding and doubt.

"Bye mom, I'll miss you", Ash said without turning about as the pair (him and Mime) walked towards the path

that would lead to the railway station.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, please stay clear of the path near the tracks. The train from Pewter and the ones from

Vermilion and Saffaron city are arriving on the third platform on lane 5, 6 and 8. The pokemon arrival station

will be active for the arrival of three electrodes, an Onix, a Pidgeot, and a Steelix.", the announcement came

through the amplifier on the top of pillars all around the platform.

An electrode came in slowly rolling cautiously to ease into the platform, while the Onix skilfully slithered

across the rocky bed and put its head on the platform to let its rider off.

Four young women stood at the platform to recieve the expected guest, but none of the riders of either the

Electrode or the Onix was the sought for guest. Thirteen minutes passed and still no visitor.

The purple haired girl and the pink haired girl went to get some sodas for themselves while the blond girl

sighed as she sat down beside her red-head sister.

"Are you sure that he is to arrive now?"

"Yes"

"Misty, are you sure we're at the right platform? Its been already thirty minutes...h...aaaay, w..whh...at...ss

that r...rumbling a..and sh..shaking , eeeeeeeek!"

Misty quickly got up and perked her senses to extreme alertness as the trembling began to come closer and

closer to the platform.

This sounds bad, i wonder what it is? I better get those three to safety

"Violet, Lily, Daisy, get into the other station that recieves trains. You'll be safe there. I'll just stay behind here

in case something comes up that would require my help!", Misty beckoned to her three elder sisters and

jumped from the elevated benches to the steel rods hanging from above and swung herself into a sitting

position as a crack in the platform appeared and the pokemon and people alike scattered. The crack began to

become larger and suddenly a huge steel-type pokemon erupted from below her with suprisingly a passenger

clung very tightly to it. The creature screamed and bellowed and after an inaudible word from the trainer

calmed down to lower its neck side so that the man upon it could get off.

"Brock?", Misty asked in amazement.

"WHAT? WhO"S THERE? STEELIX IRON TAIL READY TO STRIKE!!", Brock twirled around while issuing the

order very rapidly like a man who was in sheer anger and panic at the same time yet somehow retaining his

strategical mind.

"Brock, WHOA, its me, Misty,...no not around you...above you, YAAAAH", Misty smiled but the smile turned

into a frozen face of terror as a steel tail came at an incredible speed and stopped just inches from her

forehead.

"Oh it only you, Misty, right, yes, Misty. Thats your name. Steelix ease down.", Brock commanded while

taking only a momentarily glance at her.

"B....Brock...wh..what's wrong wi..with you?", Misty asked as she nervously jumped down onto the cracked

platform.

Steelix had now calmed down and had gotten out from the platform and was on the landing pad and for

whatever reason seemed very cautious and vicious keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

Security soldiers came streaming in unholstering their guns and locking them on Brock and the Steelix. A

couple of police Gligar started flapping into the covered platform surrounding Brock and Steelix.

"GUYS, YOU CAN EASE OFF. THIS IS BROCK KASAYAKA, THE GYM LEADER OF PEWTER CITY ", Misty

screamed as she saw that the men looked at Brock as if he was a real threat to civilised society.

" Steelix!", was the only word Brock said as he recalled his pokemon and then stood there staring at the

guards almost daring them to try and shoot him. None of the guards felt that they could shoot him, for at that

moment Brock looked like he could've survived thirty nine bullets if anyone dared.

Brock looked about him and then recollected his senses.

"Ladies, Gents, I am very sorry for this disturbance and danger of this rude eruption. I have been delayed....

and had to come here as fast as I can. There is great trouble afoot and I must warn everyone of this. Hear this,

the Dark Duress is arising. I sensed it, but this time it is of much more evil than ever before and not in the

same location as before, but now it is....it is going to be somewhere where everything is...within reach and

easy to destroy. I bid you let me go through for I have no time for this stupid legal crap, so MOVE NOW!!!!"

Brock said in such a commanding voice that almost everyone including Misty stepped back three steps.

"Ahem..Yes Sir. Go right ahead, but the damages...?!", a commanding officer said meekly

"I will pay for them, send me the bill !", Brock motioned to Misty and started walking towards the exit.

"Brock, you scared me there. I thought we were going to have a happy reunion or something but suddenly

this?!", Misty said quietly being afraid of Brock for time being. She saw her three sisters who has watched the

whole thing and Violet signalled to her that they would meet up with them at the Circus.

"Misty..", Brock came upon the railway platform and turned upon Misty. "Misty, my dear, there is more than

just an evil presence in the area. Do you remember the disgustingly mutilated and abused bodies of the

Nurse Joys found seven days ago??"

"Um..Yeah, that was very bad !", Misty said knowing not what emotion shoudl arise within her.

"Yes, well, that incident was something that was a trademark of some evil kind during the Dark Wars. And

there were evil creatures of pure evil darkness created that would destroy everything within a certain power

level, and I have for the first time in my 24 years of life witnessed it."

"WHEN? BROCK ARE YOU OK?", Misty asked feeling concerned about her friend.

"Yes, Misty I AM!", Brock stared into Misty's eyes. "But Graveller is not, in fact Graveller is no.....more!"

"Oh", Misty gasped and then lowered her gaze onto the platform. "I'm so sorry!"

"Yes! Very sorry, I am also. Now if you are so kind, I would like to go to the League."

"Why don't we go to my place first and freshen u-", Misty began but then saw Brocks'angered eyes

suddenly light up in amazement and astonishment. His eyes were staring at something behind Misty.

Misty turned around slowly expecting something very strange dangerous or evil. She had placed her hand on

her waist to ready her pokeballs. What she was very astonishing indeed.

A tall man with beautiful neck length hair with a bit of a bang on the front forehead. The man had piercing

hazel eyes and a shaded tan face. He was wearing a black T-shirt with a white over jacket. His jeans were

black with only a streak of red in the shape of a chinese dragon along the left cuff of the left leg. The man's

hands were occupied with blue fingerless gloves. Upon the two shoulders there were two large bags each and

one heavy looking bag was perched upon the lad's back.

He stepped off the silver train that flashed ~ PALLET TOWN---CERULEAN CITY~, and calmly unshouldered

the two bags. Then he turned to the door to recieve the two suitcases from the Machoke porter. He saluted the

Machoke and gave it a box of "Muscle Treats". The creature became happy instantly and looked at the new

passenger and gave him a wink. The Machoke put the treats in the counter and punched an impression of its

fist right beside it. Then it walked off to the struggling man and happily lifted the two suitcases above its head

grinning in its pokemon way. The man smiled back at it and gladly accepted its offer saying to it good-

naturely,

"If you help me, I'll give you another box of treats once we arrive at my apartment. Its not far from here, so are

you up it Machoke?"

"MACHOOOKE!", the pokemon stamped its feet in approval and agreement.

"Great then lets go towards the exi-", the man turned around and saw the two people.

The two people who had been his best friends all along his adventures when he had started travelling at the

age of 10. The two people who had helped him get through the thick and thin.

"ASH!", Brock cried as he forgot all about his female reciever.

"B..Brock??", Ash said as he absently dropped his bags on the floor.

The Machoke sighed and placed the bags down and then went to bring its snacks. It sensed a long reunion

and decided to have something to satistfy it till then.

"Brock, You old dog. Where have you been all these years. Hey, hows the gym going? And hey, thanks for the

present on my birthday! I really enjoyed the mystery gift you sent me. I thought it was some sort of chocolate

egg and then i found out that it was actually a pokemon egg. Mom tended to it and in a few days it hatched,..

You SON OF A GUN, it was a fab pokemon. I mean, a wooper is a very good pokemon. My mom now has

someone to tend to while I'm here!!"

"Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey, slow down. What are you doing over here? How come you're all alone and how come

you got all that baggage with you? Glad you liked the Wooper. Don't worry, it'll grow into one strong

Quagsire some day and then your mom will find it much more useful, though I doubt she'll keep it then. I

bet you, that you'll keep it then. ITS BEEN A LONG TIME ASH!!", Brock couldn't restrain himself and hugged

Ash very tightly.

Ash looked at the person behind Brock. The person whose face brought back a lot of memories. The girl

turned away slightly and blushed a light pink.

"Yes, Brock. It has been a long time!!", Ash said in a voice so cold and full of agonising wrath that Brock

pulled away from the embrace almost immediatly and only stared at Ash in a strange way.

"Um...Hello ASh!", the red-head ventured.

"Oh! I didn't know you had someone along Brock. Why lookit here, its Misty! Hello Misty. How are you? I

thought you were dead!!", Ash said with such cheerness that it scared Misty, especially when he said the

last part.

"Um... I'm doing fine. And no, I'm not dead if you are actually looking me right now!", Misty said her heart

being hurt more and more with each word that was being spoken from both sides.

"Oh, very well then. You're alive. Anyway, I have to get going, my apartment needs furnishing and I have to

put it in good order!", Ash said as he picked up his two bags again.

He turned towards the two past companions of his and said looking more at Brock.

"My apartment is on 435 Kindaro Street and I hope YOU'LL come and visit me. And you can bring Misty along

if you want!", Ash said adding the last part as an extra note that was required out of evident politeness.

"Ok. I'll be over this night and hear all about what you are doing and all. And don't worry, I won't leave your

girl-friend behind!", Brock said with humour.

"Brock", Ash said calmly as he beckoned to Machoke to get going. "I will tell you this once, and once only...

Misty over here, is not my girl friend. Hell, I don't know who she is. HA HA HA. Ciao Brock. Good evening,

Miss Misty"

With those heart-breaking words Ash calmly walked out of the station with eyes filled with hidden love staring

at his back. And those words slashed much deeper than any pokemon attack could. They slashed right into

her soul. They shook her and made her cry incontrollably inwards.

--~The shells were thrown...and now the damage was done ~--

"Misty, can we go to your place. There is so much that is to be said and done, I just need some water and an

apple, so do you think we could get going??"

"Um...yes, sure, of course, lets go!"

And off walked away Brock and Misty knowing not what dangers were lying in their future.

Never suspecting, never preparing, ony guessing.....

* * *

I must arise, a silent voice beneath the oceans sounded weakly through the waters.

No, you must go back into your slumber, and forget, forget, forget.., another psychic voice said

soothingly.

The po...w..er of e..vil..is ari..si..ng. I m...ust. ari..se. I Lugi..a s..hou..ld a..rise

No, go back to sleep. You are going back into slumber. Your senses are going to diminish and you are

going to slowly slip into unconsciouness. Sink deeper, deeper, deeeper

I m....u...s...t a.....r....i...s..- the psychic voice from below the waters stopped.

Thats right, slowly go into your slumber of sleep, go ahead Lugia, sleep and sleep!

The red eyes gleamed mischeviously in the black green blue waters.

The waters are pure and now my path is unblocked. And now the Darks will pay...dearly, very dearly

* * *

"Misty, you're back, and with you is ol' Brock!", Duplica gushed as she came running and gave Brock a huge

hug.

"Hey, there Duplica. Nice to see you again. There's something different about you, but i can't quite place my

finger on it. How are you?"

"I'm fine thank you. But how about we settle down and like debrief or something like that?", Duplica said as

she motioned Brock to settle himself down on the couch.

Brock nodded and smiled and complied with his hosts.

He sat down and stared at the two girls and noticed for the first time how Misty had changed over the years.

The last time he had seen her was two years ago and within those twenty- four months she had changed

significantly. He had seen her when she was only 14 and puberty hadn't hit her to its full extent yet and she

still looked like that red-haired china doll then, but now the effects of puberty were complete as Misty had

gone through a growth sprout and had grown up quite finely. He saw that her once ruffled red hair always tied

in a ponytail was now let down to her shoulders and looked very beautiful on her. Her face was one that

showed hidden pains beneath the surface of her sad blue eyes. Her arms were strong enough to be challenged

to an arm wrestling competition. Her visible anatomy had become more apparent and firmer thus making it

very difficult for anyone to mistake her for a tomboy anymore. Her legs were part of her pride as good legs ran

in the family.

Brock noticed all the changes in her within a few seconds and then turned his attention to Misty's sisters.

Misty smiled at Brock and waited to see him get up from the couch and try to flirt with each of her sisters.

But to everyone's suprise, the Brock they once knew, the one who flirted in even the most dangerous of

situations, existed no-more for he sat there and glanced momentarily at the water flowers and gave them a

wave and greeting.

"Now that the hellos have been made and I have had some nourishment, I think it is time to get onto

important stuff. First I will start with what occured on my way over here.....", Brock started with the telling of

his story with much difficulty and for the next three hours, the two gym leaders exchanged information about

what had happened in their own realms of living, and what the consequenses of the changes are.

"Amazing..", Brock said in amazement as he heard about Duplica's powers. Also equally amazed were the

three new companions of Duplica, also known as Misty's sisters.

"If a war is to break out, and I hope that it will not, Duplica's changing powers could benefit us very much!!"

"I really hope a war won't break open!", Duplica said as she handed the orb over to Brock to inspect.

"Ditto!", Misty said absently and sat confused for a moment when everyone started staring at her. Then

everyone started laughing.

"Lets hope so Misty, lets hope so!", Brock said as he handed back the ancient Orb.

* * *

The apartment was a cosy one for it had one large bedroom with a washroom within ; a useful kitchen that

could come in handy anytime of anyday and a small living room to entertain friends and guests. The bed was

a twin for extra comfort to the person and to add comfort for anyone who would be staying over. Once of the

two long couches in the living room was a bed-sofa that could hold a couple neatly if any friends decided to

sleep over.

The door was made of Cherry wood and right to it was the kitchen. The Kitchen had an outlet into the living

room so that those in the kitchen could converse with those in the living room with ease. The Sofa-Bed was

set towards the right side of the room against the wall while the other sofa was perpendicular to it yet having

leeway for the bed to come out. There was a small pokemon lamp between the two sofas, in the corner. It was

a homely gift that was given to the occupant by his ever-worrying mother. The small Tv was placed parallel to

the sofa bed against the left wall. Right beside it was the visual phone that the new occupant had bought

before settling in. You would expect the entire place to be a mess, but suprisingly, it was only the bedroom

that was in shambles with suitcases and bags lying here and there. The living room was remakably clean and

well suited to recieve the six visitors that came upon the clock around 8'0 Clock. The occupant recieved them

each graciously but one in particular, very graciously with a cold look upon him eyes. The five women and

two men settled down in the place, with the four girls, Daisy, Lily, Violet, Duplica settling themselves upon

the two sofas while the Gym leader sat himself down on the white leather sofa which left Misty standing

awkwardly knowing not where to sit for most of the seats were occupied.

"Hey ASh, why don't you and Misty go and take the bed in the other room?", Brock teased trying to ease the

tension.

"Brock!!", Misty said with her forehead twitching.

"Why not?", Ash said cooly as he put his arm around Misty and pulled her close to him.

"Wha...what?", Misty said amazed and shocked just like the other onlookers.

"Hey Misty, remember this?", Ash pulled her very close to him and bent down and kissed her hard on her lips

in the most passionate way a caniving person could make it.

Misty felt his lips upon hers and was shocked and then found a bit of pleasure in the hard kiss she was

recieving.

Ash was trying his best to give her a cold hearted kiss that would put her under his spell in a way, but the

actual kissing part was one which he could not resist giving in some of his long supressed feelings as she

kissed him back during that one long kiss. They were like savage enemies and lovers at the same time, though

each cared for the other, they chose not to show this. Misty's hands hadn't known what to do and right about

now she was placing them around Ash's back and was closing the gap between them. Their bodies were

extremely close to one another and as Ash's hands were already on Misty's face he couldn't do anything else.

No matter how much anger and pain he felt at her, he didn't want to come out from the passionate stance they

were in. But the part of him that wanted revenge got the better of him and he moved his face from Misty's and

then kissed her seducingly on her bare neck and blew slightly onto her chest as his nose trailed just a bit

lower and then abruptly moved away from her and went to sit in the kitchen facing the rest of the group from

his convenient place.

Misty had been enjoying the whole thing while she was in it, but she knew somewhere not all of it was for just

the pleasure of it. She had lost herself and was just going with the flow as she would never have done two

years ago when they had met at the market. As Ash had blown down her neck she felt very, how would you

say it, "turned on". But as he pulled away from her in almost applying not emotional strength at all, it broke

her heart even further.

Ash beckoned to her to grab a chair beside him and sit at the counter just like he was and to this Misty

complied without saying a word. She felt her cheeks getting red and her face turning in an embarassed

expression.

There was a moment of silence and then..

"Ahem...um...now that we have to 'introductions out of the way, I think we better get up to date with all that

has happened with Ash and tell him all that has changed over here!!", Brock said helpfully pretending that the

little exchange between the two former friends.

"Great, so where should we start??", Ash asked paying no attention to Misty's wandering eye that was perched

upon him.

"How about we tell you why Duplica is with us...", Violet said

"Then what the whole thing about the Dark Wars is about..", Daisy also said..

"About how I'm very different than all of you..", Duplica said

"Why I came here as fast as I could and what happened on my way here...", Brock said gravely.

"What the whole thing about this fabled Dark Duress is about...", Lily added

"And why you haven't spoken to me..us for all this time..", Misty spoke correcting her volcabulary.

At the last accusation from Misty, Ash looked sharply at her and almost said something. Something in that

fromt he shape of his lips would've easily figured out.."ME?", but he stopped himself in time and swallowed

his words and calmed his anger.

"Then lets hear all about this, I really haven't been reading the newspaper so much or checking the e-papers.

So I don't have a clue what the Dark Wars and the Dark Dooless or whatever that i-"

"KKKKOOOOOOORRRRIIIIYYYYYAAAASHHHHHAASSSHH", a terrible scream erupted from the streets below

and startled everyone. A noise of window glass breaking was heard and then suddenly a great shadow fell

upon the apartement, blocking the moonlight and Ash's new apartment window shattered as a the shriek got

louder and louder much like a banshee. The occupants of the room were thrown against the walls as a

tremendous force thundered against them as a hammer against a weak rusty nail.

Ash felt his body being slammed by five trucks at once and the pressure was so immense and powerful that

blood started pouring from his nose and a crack in his skull produced some more of the essential red fluid.

He fell on the floor and his eyes were open as a wave of shock took over.

Misty fell exactly like Ash did, but was didn't have much bleeding because she had had the kitchen counter to

shield her against the full exerted force and she only got slammed into the Cherry wood door with the slight

power. She fell a bump on her head and she fell to the floor feeling dizzy and feeling the pain. Her face was

turned towards the closet that stood in the short hall, but blocking the closet right now from her lower vision

was the body of her true love, Ash Ketchum.

She felt regret and more pain then that which was pulsating through her head, in her heart and she realized in

that one moment before she slipped into unconsciousness, that she had never done anything to ease the pain

of him and had only caused him pain and in the while had caused herself more pain then she ever imagined.

Misty's mind closed its nueronic waves as the eyes only saw Ash's body spasming out with his eyes open

wide. The horror was more than she could imagine, and she never could....

~ ~ ~

End of Chapter 11 (XI)

Next chapter coming soon

(title not known yet)

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