Catching Up To You
(part 4 of 7)
by Maeyan (maeyan@mailcity.com)
DISCLAIMER: While I have traded many pieces of paper for their goods,
I have no ownership or rights to the characters, etc of Pokémon.
If they're looking for new owners, however I get dibs on Gary!
-----------------
Misty, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu followed the professor through the lab and into his living room. Pikachu climbed onto Misty's lap as she sat down, Bulbasaur and Squirtle taking up positions at her feet. She didn't know what to say. Everyone thought Ash was with her. He wasn't here. Where was he? Maybe Pewter City? Her rambling thoughts were interupted as Professor Oak passed Misty a cup and nudged the sugar pot towards her.
"Let's try to get the whole story together, shall we?" He said, smiling.
Misty gulped her tea, wishing it was something stronger. Wishing she were stronger. She placed her cup back on the table and set Pikachu on the couch next to her, trying to organize her thoughts. Trying to find a way to tell the story.
"It was on our way to the new gym at Yula. We were talking... well, fighting, I guess. You know how we do..." Misty looked up and Professor Oak nodded. "Well, suddenly Ash got this weird look in his eyes. He threw his Pokéballs down and walked away. He said he was tired of it all. I..." She swallowed hard, trying to stop the tears. "We waited a whole week. He left everything, including Pikachu. I thought he was just angry with me for nagging at him. I thought he'd be back. He's never left before, at least never without Pikachu. I... I... I was so sure..." She looked hopefully at Mrs. Ketchum. "We came straight here, hoping he had just come home."
Mrs. Ketchum twisted a tissue in her hands. "I received a letter. He said that he was leaving and didn't know when or if he was coming back. He said it was probably the last letter I would get from him for a while. It was postmarked from Pridion. I wasn't worried until I called the Pokémon center there and they said they hadn't seen him. I... called there because I thought he still had Pikachu, but I guess if he was alone, he could have stayed anywhere..." Mrs. Ketchum's voice trailed off, and Misty knew she too was thinking of the number of hotels and motels in a big city. When you didn't have to worry about places that allowed Pokémon, the number of options available grew dramatically.
"Pridion." Misty's voice reflected how tired she was as she tried to remember the roads that let to that particular city. "It's been a while, but I think it's east of here." She would need a map, but she thought that Pewter was on the way. Brock would help. It would be a long trip, though. She would have to stock up, of course; good thing she had her savings, she didn't have to waste time trying to earn any money. They could start tomorrow morning.
Misty's mental list of preparations was interrupted as Professor Oak returned his cup to the table and stood. "I didn't want to say anything, but when you showed up at my door this morning, Delia... but then with Misty's story. Well, I'm afraid my news is rather more disturbing than what you've both said so far." He led the others to the lab where he stopped in front of a rather large computer. They watched as the Professor punched a few keys, bringing Ash's Pokémon license to the screen.
Misty tried to read the latest notation, obviously added only a few days earlier and therefore long after she and Ash had last visited a Pokémon Center, but felt a tug at her clothes. She looked down to see Pikachu standing on tip-toe. Misty picked up the electric Pokémon and made room for the others to see the screen too. The Professor hit another key and the screen switched from Ash's picture to a list of Pokémon.
"This list of Pokémon are all the ones that were registered to Ash last week."
"Uhm, 'were'?" Misty asked, a horrible thought suddenly forming in her mind. "...'last week'?"
Another keystroke and the screen changed again, this time completely blanking the list of Pokémon.
"Were." Professor Oak nodded. "Ash has petitioned to surrender ownership of all of his Pokémon. It was sent to me for a final certification of Pokémon health."
"Bulba!" The realization hit them all at the same time. "Squir?"
"Piiikaaa? Pikapi?"
Their voices were desperate and soft. Misty could feel the disbelief ringing solidly through Pikachu's small frame, but she didn't know what to say to him. To any of them. Ash giving up his Pokémon? He really meant it? But...
"Pikapiiiiii!" Pikachu jumped from her arms and raced for the door, Bulbasaur and Squirtle paused for only a moment's nod to each other and then followed him out the door.
"Ah, Pikachu! Squirtle, Bulbasaur, wait!" Misty ran after them, pausing for a moment to turn back to the living room and grab her backpack. Professor Oak followed her into the hall, but didn't speak. She reached for his arm. "Please, Professor! Don't transfer them until you hear from me again!"
She took off after the Pokémon before he could respond, only to see Bulbasaur and Squirtle scurry through the front door. She rushed after them and almost collided with a rather tall, auburn-haired young man who was standing just outside.
She stumbled a quick apology as she hurried past and broke into a run; Pikachu was no longer visible and the others were soon out of sight as well. "Everyone, wait! Hey!"
*****
"Gramps? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Gary walked into the house, frowning. He'd never before received an emergency summons from his grandpa. And if Misty and Pikachu were here, where was Ash?
Professor Oak led his grandson back into the lab and nodded at the monitor; Gary's eyes wandered to the screen. The image split; one side was Misty's photograph and the other side was a long list of Pokémon, starting with Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Ash's Pokémon were listed as belonging to Misty? "Gramps? What is going on?"
Mrs. Ketchum turned then and grabbed him, crying onto his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed her standing there until now, and Gary patted her head awkwardly. She burbled the story to him and his frown turned to shock. He had never imagined a day would come when Ash Ketchum would give his Pokémon away and disappear.
Well, he thought, that explained the upset group that almost knocked me down as I came in. I guess Ash didn't tell anyone what he was doing.
A concept Gary found both surprising and puzzling, since Ash was usually so eager to brag and boast, always ready to tell the world how Ash Ketchum was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
As his grandfather pulled the weeping mother away and led her to the guestroom, Gary turned his attention back to the computer. The transfer request was recent and complete. And yes, the date was the same day his grandfather had sent the message requesting his urgent appearance.
"So why has Ash given all of his Pokémon to Misty?" he asked when his grandfather came back into the room.
Professor Oak shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know, Gary. He filed the request in Pridion, Tuesday night. That's when I sent for you. I wasn't too concerned until I saw that it was a permanent transfer and that Pikachu was included in the list." He then relayed Misty's story about Ash's departure. As he listened, Gary went from curious to shocked to angry.
"So he simply left her out there? Alone?" Gary felt a tremendous urge to hit his old friend-turned-rival-turned-friend. "Ash has run off and she's out there trying to deal with his Pokémon and god knows what else..." He paused. "She's going after him, isn't she?"
And suddenly his grandfather looked really tired. Gary wondered how he could have missed the fact that as he'd grown older, so had his favourite relative. The Professor sighed and looked away, staring as if at a memory. "She loves him. Of course she'll go after him."
Gary blinked, not at the words but rather at the way his grandfather had said them. "Gramps? Are you sure *you're* okay?"
"Hmm?" The Professor looked at Gary, blinked once, then smiled, shaking his head. He was back to the 'Gramps' that Gary was used to.
"Yes, sorry, Gary. I'm fine. Just thinking about something that happened a long time ago." He walked back to the computer and began tapping at a few keys. "I can't reverse the transfer of ownership," he began, and Gary stepped to his side, watching the monitor flicker. "But since both Ash and Misty's Pokémon are stored here, at least the Pokémon won't suffer or have to leave."
Gary raised an eyebrow. "Misty's Pokémon aren't stored at the Cerulean City gym?"
Professor Oak shook his head. "Not for years now. Misty lived here for almost a year, when Togepi was sick. She decided then that it was easier to keep her Pokémon here. After that, she's just never switched back."
Gary nodded. "I remember Ash mentioning something about it, now that you say that." Gary grinned and rubbed his chin. "I remember being surprised that he'd actually sent me a real letter instead of just the usual taunting postcards we'd been exchanging for years."
"He sent you a letter?" Gary was happy to see his grandfather was distracted from the tension of recent events by the odd revelation about his two favourite trainers. "Ash wrote a letter? To YOU?"
"Mm. I still have it. Like I said, I was surprised. He said he needed to talk to someone and that I was the only person he could think of. I was in the North Islands at the time and practically starving for human contact, so I wrote him back. We corresponded back and forth for a while, kinda reconnecting our shattered friendship... catching up on each others' lives." Gary shrugged and gave a small grin. "We were rather pathetic and depressed, looking back. They were long letters. I was telling him about me and Rei - we'd just broken up over her decision to go to Pewter, remember that? - and about May getting married and how my Pokémon and I weren't bonding as well as we should have been. He was writing more about himself, Misty, and Togepi, but he also had some stuff about his mom's latest boyfriends, that his dad was..."
Gary stopped, his mouth hanging open for a moment as an idea came to him. He snapped his fingers. "Gramps, did you say the transfer had been initiated at Pridion?"
"Yes. Why?"
Gary felt the most incredible urge to shout with triumph. "Because," he smirked, "I think I know where Ash is heading."
---------------
Misty sat on the bench outside the Pokémon center and considered what she was about to do. She could only hope that Professor Oak had been able to stop the transfer of Ash's Pokémon. After the long trip trying to find Pikachu and the morning's battle with the fearow especially, she needed to get them in to the Pokémon center; they were too far away from Pewter to wait and use Brock's private facilities. She'd also decided that she needed to get her Pokédex updated with Ash's information. She was going to cry if she opened his one more time; his most recent trainer ID photo had caught him in a goofy mood, and the leering grin made her miss him more.
But she wasn't their owner and she didn't need to be arrested for Pokémon theft.
She stood, gathered her resolve and then reached for Pikachu. "Let's go, guys." She pushed open the doors and walked purposefully into the lobby.
"I know that this is going to sound weird," Misty reached the counter and Pikachu jumped from her shoulder. She plopped her bag down and bent to pick up Bulbasaur and then Squirtle. "But can you update two pokédexes with the same information?" She leaned on the counter and smiled her most angelic smile.
The Nurse Joy smiled back. "You mean like, for you and your husband? Sure, as long as you're registered as co-trainers." She lifted the Pokémon from the counter and placed them on a gurney.
Misty's face clouded a bit, but she recovered quickly and reached into her bag for the remaining Pokéballs and the two pokédexes. "Actually, it's a strange set of circumstances. You see, my friend asked me to watch his Pokémon for him, while he went on vacation..." She placed the two red machines on the table. "And I wanted to know if I could get both our pokédexes updated with their current stats. I have their basics and the stats from a while ago already in there- I… I just want them updated."
Nurse Joy reached for the pokédexes. "I'll see what I can do," she said and she pushed the gurney through the doors. Misty turned and started for the rows of chairs, just reaching them when Nurse Joy called her name.
"Yes?" Misty tensed as she walked back to the counter. She still hadn't figured out what to say if she was questioned about her possession of the Pokémon. She was second claimant on his license but what if the Professor hadn't been able to stop the transfer and she was walking around with someone else's Pokémon.
"I just wanted to make sure I had this right: you want me to update Mr. Ketchum's Pokédex with the information on only the Pokémon he transferred to you, right? Or did you want me to update his with the information for all of the Pokémon together?"
Misty felt her knees go weak as the nurse's words sank in. The ones he transferred... to me? "He... uh... forgot to tell me that he'd actually transferred them. He was in a bit of a hurry when he left, so it surprised me that he remembered. Could you go ahead and just duplicate the files for all of the Pokémon. It's easier that way." Nurse Joy nodded and left. Misty headed into the cafeteria.
So, she thought. Ash transferred all his Pokémon to me? He thought this out that far? Or was it Professor Oak? No, she knew it was Ash's doing. And now she knew that he had really meant it when he'd said he was quitting.
The tears slipped silently down her face as she contemplated a future without Ash. She didn't like the idea.
And suddenly she, too, was tired. Very tired of keeping a happy face and holding out hope that everything would be okay. She felt an incredible desire crawl into someone's lap and just cry. Like she had done in her younger days. She wished she could just curl up in bed and blot out the day by hiding under the covers. She wanted someone else to take control. To tell her what to do next. She just wanted to give up.
"Pika?"
She'd been pining into her coke for longer than she thought, she realized, as she saw Pikachu and the others walking towards her. Misty shook her head. They could all be laughing somewhere- maybe on a beach. Ash had mentioned making a return trip to the Orange Islands to see Tracey; they could've been there by now. Not separated, Ash missing and Misty a town away from Pewter hoping like hell that Brock had heard something from him.
The Pokémon climbed into the booth with her. "What does everyone want to eat?" Misty asked, wiping her eyes and hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as it sounded. "We'll stay here tonight and, if we leave early enough tomorrow morning, should reach Pewter by dinner." She saw the hope flicker in their eyes and though they discussed what they might, or rather might not, find at Pewter, the hope remained.
-----------------
"Chuuuuuuu!"
The electric attacks weren't doing much damage, she knew, but she needed to give Bulbasaur more time. She certainly hadn't expected to run across a pissed-off scyther when they'd left the Pokémon center that morning. The tattoos and scars covering the Pokémon identified it as a Dark scyther. Since no one had emerged to challenge her or to direct the Pokémon's attacks, Misty assumed that it was no longer a member of Team Rocket, and had been left to survive, or not, on its own. Misty'd never understood how an organization could so twist a Pokémon that it would remain dark even after it was abandoned.
"bulba Bulba BULBA !**BULBA**!"
This was a fight for territory on the part of the Dark scyther- and therefore a desperate one for her team. Scyther were dangerous enough, but when turned Dark, a Pokémon's power levels increased at a higher rate. None of her own Pokémon were strong enough to fight it, especially on land. She racked her brains trying to remember what attacks worked against scythers; she'd traveled with one for how long, for goodness sakes. She muttered a silent apology to Tracey for not listening as he'd extolled the virtues of the bug Pokémon.
"Ther!" A tackle attack: Squirtle was down
"Squirrrrr!" And hurt. Misty glanced at him, concerned, but quickly looked back at the enemy Pokémon who had returned to the bushes in hopes of camouflage. Be okay, she murmured silently to the fallen Pokémon, then,
"Pikachu! Try another Thunderbolt!"
In front of her, Pikachu charged up --
"Piii kaaaaa Chuuuuu Chuuuuuu! "
and sent a bolt of electricity flying at the bug Pokémon. "Chuuuuuu!"
If only solarbeam didn't take so long. Bulbasaur was a grass type and had the most advantage, but they'd found out quick that he was outmatched in level. "Bulbasaur! Anytime now, please!" His solarbeam was their last hope.
"Chuuuuuuu!"
Misty gasped as the scyther again used its doubleteam defense to evade Pikachu's attack and headed straight for the wounded water Pokémon. She dove for Squirtle, hoping to grab him and roll to safety.
"Squir!" Misty heard Squirtle's worried yell as she shoved him out of the way, the scyther's wing attack connecting with her leg instead of the water Pokémon. The pain was intense, but Misty managed to push the wounded Squirtle back into the brush and further from the battle. She tried to stand, but fell immediately back to the ground. Her eyes swam with a red haze and she closed them. The sound of the battle raged around her.
"Pika! Piii kaaaaah chuuuuu!" Pikachu screamed at Bulbasaur and let loose another thunderbolt, finally managing to connect and stun the opposing dark Pokémon.
"Bul..." Misty opened her eyes again and managed to focus well enough to see Bulbasaur finally step out from behind the electric mouse, his bulb glowing. Pikachu nodded and jumped aside as the grass Pokémon finally released a beam of solar energy into the belly of the scyther, sending it flying into a nearby tree.
"Po... Pokéb... ball go." She somehow managed to fish an empty Pokéball from her pocket and now, still slightly bleary eyed with the pain, she threw the ball at the weakened bug. She watched until it was in the ball, and only when she was sure that it would stay there did she allow herself to lapse into unconsciousness and another dreamed memory where she could, for a short while, escape her pain.
--------------------------------
"Well, little sister. So you brought
him home at last." Lily smirked and
cocked an eyebrow from the doorway.
Misty snorted and closed the oven door.
"He's been here before, Lily." She set
about chopping more vegetables. Anything
to keep herself busy. She deliberately
chopped them larger than her sister
preferred, hoping to redirect the
conversation. "How many of these did
you want?"
It didn't work. "Hmm. Two will be fine.
And yes, he's been here before, but never
for Christmas. You usually come alone.
And then you get all depressed until he
shows up at New Year's and you two go
off traveling again."
Misty rolled her eyes and threw the
vegetables into the pot. "It's nothing.
We were in the area already. His mother
is on a holiday cruise somewhere warm,
and I asked if he'd like to stay and
celebrate with us." Her big sister's
look was full of disbelief when Misty
turned and shooed her from the kitchen.
Turning back to the food, Misty smiled
softly. Ash was here and it was going
to be the best Christmas ever.
Ash was here. She was with Ash.
-----------
Misty's leg felt as if it was on fire. She was sure of it, in fact, despite the fact that her eyes seemed to be glued shut. She tried to yell, but her mouth wouldn't work either, so she silently struggled, trying to pull it away from the flames.
There was a wall. She couldn't move her foot out of the painful heat because of a soft wall. "Oof. Careful, Brock, will ya? She's struggling again."
"Hold her still. I have to get this changed or the infection will never clear up." Misty kicked weakly at the wall and felt it give slightly. She moaned, trying to muster up the strength to kick again and maybe knock the wall away this time.
"Easy for you to say. *Hold her still* indeed." It was no good. Misty relaxed and waited for the flames to overtake her.
"Do you want to switch places, Gary? I would be more than happy to let you do this!" Cool air hit Misty's leg and the flames died away. She sighed silently.
"Bleagh! No way. I'll just keep my bruised ribs, thanks. Ugh. How can you stomach doing that?" Suddenly Misty's leg was bathed in a cool stream and she smiled. Water. She loved water. That's where she'd met Ash - the water.
"Trust me, you get used to it after a while. The trick is to keep your mind on the next step. Never think too long about what you're actually doing. Here. Hold this end. At least it looks pretty clean." The water was gone and Misty's leg was starting to get warm again. Not flames, no. Not fire warmth. More like a blanket-kind of warmth.
"How deep is it? As bad as we thought?"
"Not really. She'll have a scar. A pretty bad one, too. And she'll need crutches for a while to stay off it. But on the whole, it's not too bad." Misty's brain was starting to process the conversation she was hearing. Brock? Gary? Crutches?
"Then I won't kill him. He'll just hurt a while."
"You'll have to find him first. Okay, you can put her leg down now." Misty struggled against the sleep that was creeping up on her. Him? She wanted to open her eyes, to demand to know what was going on, where she was...
"Oh. I know where he is. I figured it out when I heard he went to Pridion. If Pikachu hadn't run off..." Misty's struggles gave out and she finally fell back asleep, the voices fading into the distance as she retreated back to her dreams.
To Be Continued...
-------------------------------
DISTRIBUTION: Please respect my (limited) copyright and ASK
permission to borrow this story. This will be posted to my website
(http://draxonious.tripod.com/), fanfic.net, fanfic.org, the AAMRN
yahoo group and the PFFML yahoo group.
Please send any feedback to maeyan@mailcity.com
(part 4 of 7)
by Maeyan (maeyan@mailcity.com)
DISCLAIMER: While I have traded many pieces of paper for their goods,
I have no ownership or rights to the characters, etc of Pokémon.
If they're looking for new owners, however I get dibs on Gary!
-----------------
Misty, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu followed the professor through the lab and into his living room. Pikachu climbed onto Misty's lap as she sat down, Bulbasaur and Squirtle taking up positions at her feet. She didn't know what to say. Everyone thought Ash was with her. He wasn't here. Where was he? Maybe Pewter City? Her rambling thoughts were interupted as Professor Oak passed Misty a cup and nudged the sugar pot towards her.
"Let's try to get the whole story together, shall we?" He said, smiling.
Misty gulped her tea, wishing it was something stronger. Wishing she were stronger. She placed her cup back on the table and set Pikachu on the couch next to her, trying to organize her thoughts. Trying to find a way to tell the story.
"It was on our way to the new gym at Yula. We were talking... well, fighting, I guess. You know how we do..." Misty looked up and Professor Oak nodded. "Well, suddenly Ash got this weird look in his eyes. He threw his Pokéballs down and walked away. He said he was tired of it all. I..." She swallowed hard, trying to stop the tears. "We waited a whole week. He left everything, including Pikachu. I thought he was just angry with me for nagging at him. I thought he'd be back. He's never left before, at least never without Pikachu. I... I... I was so sure..." She looked hopefully at Mrs. Ketchum. "We came straight here, hoping he had just come home."
Mrs. Ketchum twisted a tissue in her hands. "I received a letter. He said that he was leaving and didn't know when or if he was coming back. He said it was probably the last letter I would get from him for a while. It was postmarked from Pridion. I wasn't worried until I called the Pokémon center there and they said they hadn't seen him. I... called there because I thought he still had Pikachu, but I guess if he was alone, he could have stayed anywhere..." Mrs. Ketchum's voice trailed off, and Misty knew she too was thinking of the number of hotels and motels in a big city. When you didn't have to worry about places that allowed Pokémon, the number of options available grew dramatically.
"Pridion." Misty's voice reflected how tired she was as she tried to remember the roads that let to that particular city. "It's been a while, but I think it's east of here." She would need a map, but she thought that Pewter was on the way. Brock would help. It would be a long trip, though. She would have to stock up, of course; good thing she had her savings, she didn't have to waste time trying to earn any money. They could start tomorrow morning.
Misty's mental list of preparations was interrupted as Professor Oak returned his cup to the table and stood. "I didn't want to say anything, but when you showed up at my door this morning, Delia... but then with Misty's story. Well, I'm afraid my news is rather more disturbing than what you've both said so far." He led the others to the lab where he stopped in front of a rather large computer. They watched as the Professor punched a few keys, bringing Ash's Pokémon license to the screen.
Misty tried to read the latest notation, obviously added only a few days earlier and therefore long after she and Ash had last visited a Pokémon Center, but felt a tug at her clothes. She looked down to see Pikachu standing on tip-toe. Misty picked up the electric Pokémon and made room for the others to see the screen too. The Professor hit another key and the screen switched from Ash's picture to a list of Pokémon.
"This list of Pokémon are all the ones that were registered to Ash last week."
"Uhm, 'were'?" Misty asked, a horrible thought suddenly forming in her mind. "...'last week'?"
Another keystroke and the screen changed again, this time completely blanking the list of Pokémon.
"Were." Professor Oak nodded. "Ash has petitioned to surrender ownership of all of his Pokémon. It was sent to me for a final certification of Pokémon health."
"Bulba!" The realization hit them all at the same time. "Squir?"
"Piiikaaa? Pikapi?"
Their voices were desperate and soft. Misty could feel the disbelief ringing solidly through Pikachu's small frame, but she didn't know what to say to him. To any of them. Ash giving up his Pokémon? He really meant it? But...
"Pikapiiiiii!" Pikachu jumped from her arms and raced for the door, Bulbasaur and Squirtle paused for only a moment's nod to each other and then followed him out the door.
"Ah, Pikachu! Squirtle, Bulbasaur, wait!" Misty ran after them, pausing for a moment to turn back to the living room and grab her backpack. Professor Oak followed her into the hall, but didn't speak. She reached for his arm. "Please, Professor! Don't transfer them until you hear from me again!"
She took off after the Pokémon before he could respond, only to see Bulbasaur and Squirtle scurry through the front door. She rushed after them and almost collided with a rather tall, auburn-haired young man who was standing just outside.
She stumbled a quick apology as she hurried past and broke into a run; Pikachu was no longer visible and the others were soon out of sight as well. "Everyone, wait! Hey!"
*****
"Gramps? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Gary walked into the house, frowning. He'd never before received an emergency summons from his grandpa. And if Misty and Pikachu were here, where was Ash?
Professor Oak led his grandson back into the lab and nodded at the monitor; Gary's eyes wandered to the screen. The image split; one side was Misty's photograph and the other side was a long list of Pokémon, starting with Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Ash's Pokémon were listed as belonging to Misty? "Gramps? What is going on?"
Mrs. Ketchum turned then and grabbed him, crying onto his shoulder. He hadn't even noticed her standing there until now, and Gary patted her head awkwardly. She burbled the story to him and his frown turned to shock. He had never imagined a day would come when Ash Ketchum would give his Pokémon away and disappear.
Well, he thought, that explained the upset group that almost knocked me down as I came in. I guess Ash didn't tell anyone what he was doing.
A concept Gary found both surprising and puzzling, since Ash was usually so eager to brag and boast, always ready to tell the world how Ash Ketchum was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
As his grandfather pulled the weeping mother away and led her to the guestroom, Gary turned his attention back to the computer. The transfer request was recent and complete. And yes, the date was the same day his grandfather had sent the message requesting his urgent appearance.
"So why has Ash given all of his Pokémon to Misty?" he asked when his grandfather came back into the room.
Professor Oak shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know, Gary. He filed the request in Pridion, Tuesday night. That's when I sent for you. I wasn't too concerned until I saw that it was a permanent transfer and that Pikachu was included in the list." He then relayed Misty's story about Ash's departure. As he listened, Gary went from curious to shocked to angry.
"So he simply left her out there? Alone?" Gary felt a tremendous urge to hit his old friend-turned-rival-turned-friend. "Ash has run off and she's out there trying to deal with his Pokémon and god knows what else..." He paused. "She's going after him, isn't she?"
And suddenly his grandfather looked really tired. Gary wondered how he could have missed the fact that as he'd grown older, so had his favourite relative. The Professor sighed and looked away, staring as if at a memory. "She loves him. Of course she'll go after him."
Gary blinked, not at the words but rather at the way his grandfather had said them. "Gramps? Are you sure *you're* okay?"
"Hmm?" The Professor looked at Gary, blinked once, then smiled, shaking his head. He was back to the 'Gramps' that Gary was used to.
"Yes, sorry, Gary. I'm fine. Just thinking about something that happened a long time ago." He walked back to the computer and began tapping at a few keys. "I can't reverse the transfer of ownership," he began, and Gary stepped to his side, watching the monitor flicker. "But since both Ash and Misty's Pokémon are stored here, at least the Pokémon won't suffer or have to leave."
Gary raised an eyebrow. "Misty's Pokémon aren't stored at the Cerulean City gym?"
Professor Oak shook his head. "Not for years now. Misty lived here for almost a year, when Togepi was sick. She decided then that it was easier to keep her Pokémon here. After that, she's just never switched back."
Gary nodded. "I remember Ash mentioning something about it, now that you say that." Gary grinned and rubbed his chin. "I remember being surprised that he'd actually sent me a real letter instead of just the usual taunting postcards we'd been exchanging for years."
"He sent you a letter?" Gary was happy to see his grandfather was distracted from the tension of recent events by the odd revelation about his two favourite trainers. "Ash wrote a letter? To YOU?"
"Mm. I still have it. Like I said, I was surprised. He said he needed to talk to someone and that I was the only person he could think of. I was in the North Islands at the time and practically starving for human contact, so I wrote him back. We corresponded back and forth for a while, kinda reconnecting our shattered friendship... catching up on each others' lives." Gary shrugged and gave a small grin. "We were rather pathetic and depressed, looking back. They were long letters. I was telling him about me and Rei - we'd just broken up over her decision to go to Pewter, remember that? - and about May getting married and how my Pokémon and I weren't bonding as well as we should have been. He was writing more about himself, Misty, and Togepi, but he also had some stuff about his mom's latest boyfriends, that his dad was..."
Gary stopped, his mouth hanging open for a moment as an idea came to him. He snapped his fingers. "Gramps, did you say the transfer had been initiated at Pridion?"
"Yes. Why?"
Gary felt the most incredible urge to shout with triumph. "Because," he smirked, "I think I know where Ash is heading."
---------------
Misty sat on the bench outside the Pokémon center and considered what she was about to do. She could only hope that Professor Oak had been able to stop the transfer of Ash's Pokémon. After the long trip trying to find Pikachu and the morning's battle with the fearow especially, she needed to get them in to the Pokémon center; they were too far away from Pewter to wait and use Brock's private facilities. She'd also decided that she needed to get her Pokédex updated with Ash's information. She was going to cry if she opened his one more time; his most recent trainer ID photo had caught him in a goofy mood, and the leering grin made her miss him more.
But she wasn't their owner and she didn't need to be arrested for Pokémon theft.
She stood, gathered her resolve and then reached for Pikachu. "Let's go, guys." She pushed open the doors and walked purposefully into the lobby.
"I know that this is going to sound weird," Misty reached the counter and Pikachu jumped from her shoulder. She plopped her bag down and bent to pick up Bulbasaur and then Squirtle. "But can you update two pokédexes with the same information?" She leaned on the counter and smiled her most angelic smile.
The Nurse Joy smiled back. "You mean like, for you and your husband? Sure, as long as you're registered as co-trainers." She lifted the Pokémon from the counter and placed them on a gurney.
Misty's face clouded a bit, but she recovered quickly and reached into her bag for the remaining Pokéballs and the two pokédexes. "Actually, it's a strange set of circumstances. You see, my friend asked me to watch his Pokémon for him, while he went on vacation..." She placed the two red machines on the table. "And I wanted to know if I could get both our pokédexes updated with their current stats. I have their basics and the stats from a while ago already in there- I… I just want them updated."
Nurse Joy reached for the pokédexes. "I'll see what I can do," she said and she pushed the gurney through the doors. Misty turned and started for the rows of chairs, just reaching them when Nurse Joy called her name.
"Yes?" Misty tensed as she walked back to the counter. She still hadn't figured out what to say if she was questioned about her possession of the Pokémon. She was second claimant on his license but what if the Professor hadn't been able to stop the transfer and she was walking around with someone else's Pokémon.
"I just wanted to make sure I had this right: you want me to update Mr. Ketchum's Pokédex with the information on only the Pokémon he transferred to you, right? Or did you want me to update his with the information for all of the Pokémon together?"
Misty felt her knees go weak as the nurse's words sank in. The ones he transferred... to me? "He... uh... forgot to tell me that he'd actually transferred them. He was in a bit of a hurry when he left, so it surprised me that he remembered. Could you go ahead and just duplicate the files for all of the Pokémon. It's easier that way." Nurse Joy nodded and left. Misty headed into the cafeteria.
So, she thought. Ash transferred all his Pokémon to me? He thought this out that far? Or was it Professor Oak? No, she knew it was Ash's doing. And now she knew that he had really meant it when he'd said he was quitting.
The tears slipped silently down her face as she contemplated a future without Ash. She didn't like the idea.
And suddenly she, too, was tired. Very tired of keeping a happy face and holding out hope that everything would be okay. She felt an incredible desire crawl into someone's lap and just cry. Like she had done in her younger days. She wished she could just curl up in bed and blot out the day by hiding under the covers. She wanted someone else to take control. To tell her what to do next. She just wanted to give up.
"Pika?"
She'd been pining into her coke for longer than she thought, she realized, as she saw Pikachu and the others walking towards her. Misty shook her head. They could all be laughing somewhere- maybe on a beach. Ash had mentioned making a return trip to the Orange Islands to see Tracey; they could've been there by now. Not separated, Ash missing and Misty a town away from Pewter hoping like hell that Brock had heard something from him.
The Pokémon climbed into the booth with her. "What does everyone want to eat?" Misty asked, wiping her eyes and hoping her voice wasn't as shaky as it sounded. "We'll stay here tonight and, if we leave early enough tomorrow morning, should reach Pewter by dinner." She saw the hope flicker in their eyes and though they discussed what they might, or rather might not, find at Pewter, the hope remained.
-----------------
"Chuuuuuuu!"
The electric attacks weren't doing much damage, she knew, but she needed to give Bulbasaur more time. She certainly hadn't expected to run across a pissed-off scyther when they'd left the Pokémon center that morning. The tattoos and scars covering the Pokémon identified it as a Dark scyther. Since no one had emerged to challenge her or to direct the Pokémon's attacks, Misty assumed that it was no longer a member of Team Rocket, and had been left to survive, or not, on its own. Misty'd never understood how an organization could so twist a Pokémon that it would remain dark even after it was abandoned.
"bulba Bulba BULBA !**BULBA**!"
This was a fight for territory on the part of the Dark scyther- and therefore a desperate one for her team. Scyther were dangerous enough, but when turned Dark, a Pokémon's power levels increased at a higher rate. None of her own Pokémon were strong enough to fight it, especially on land. She racked her brains trying to remember what attacks worked against scythers; she'd traveled with one for how long, for goodness sakes. She muttered a silent apology to Tracey for not listening as he'd extolled the virtues of the bug Pokémon.
"Ther!" A tackle attack: Squirtle was down
"Squirrrrr!" And hurt. Misty glanced at him, concerned, but quickly looked back at the enemy Pokémon who had returned to the bushes in hopes of camouflage. Be okay, she murmured silently to the fallen Pokémon, then,
"Pikachu! Try another Thunderbolt!"
In front of her, Pikachu charged up --
"Piii kaaaaa Chuuuuu Chuuuuuu! "
and sent a bolt of electricity flying at the bug Pokémon. "Chuuuuuu!"
If only solarbeam didn't take so long. Bulbasaur was a grass type and had the most advantage, but they'd found out quick that he was outmatched in level. "Bulbasaur! Anytime now, please!" His solarbeam was their last hope.
"Chuuuuuuu!"
Misty gasped as the scyther again used its doubleteam defense to evade Pikachu's attack and headed straight for the wounded water Pokémon. She dove for Squirtle, hoping to grab him and roll to safety.
"Squir!" Misty heard Squirtle's worried yell as she shoved him out of the way, the scyther's wing attack connecting with her leg instead of the water Pokémon. The pain was intense, but Misty managed to push the wounded Squirtle back into the brush and further from the battle. She tried to stand, but fell immediately back to the ground. Her eyes swam with a red haze and she closed them. The sound of the battle raged around her.
"Pika! Piii kaaaaah chuuuuu!" Pikachu screamed at Bulbasaur and let loose another thunderbolt, finally managing to connect and stun the opposing dark Pokémon.
"Bul..." Misty opened her eyes again and managed to focus well enough to see Bulbasaur finally step out from behind the electric mouse, his bulb glowing. Pikachu nodded and jumped aside as the grass Pokémon finally released a beam of solar energy into the belly of the scyther, sending it flying into a nearby tree.
"Po... Pokéb... ball go." She somehow managed to fish an empty Pokéball from her pocket and now, still slightly bleary eyed with the pain, she threw the ball at the weakened bug. She watched until it was in the ball, and only when she was sure that it would stay there did she allow herself to lapse into unconsciousness and another dreamed memory where she could, for a short while, escape her pain.
--------------------------------
"Well, little sister. So you brought
him home at last." Lily smirked and
cocked an eyebrow from the doorway.
Misty snorted and closed the oven door.
"He's been here before, Lily." She set
about chopping more vegetables. Anything
to keep herself busy. She deliberately
chopped them larger than her sister
preferred, hoping to redirect the
conversation. "How many of these did
you want?"
It didn't work. "Hmm. Two will be fine.
And yes, he's been here before, but never
for Christmas. You usually come alone.
And then you get all depressed until he
shows up at New Year's and you two go
off traveling again."
Misty rolled her eyes and threw the
vegetables into the pot. "It's nothing.
We were in the area already. His mother
is on a holiday cruise somewhere warm,
and I asked if he'd like to stay and
celebrate with us." Her big sister's
look was full of disbelief when Misty
turned and shooed her from the kitchen.
Turning back to the food, Misty smiled
softly. Ash was here and it was going
to be the best Christmas ever.
Ash was here. She was with Ash.
-----------
Misty's leg felt as if it was on fire. She was sure of it, in fact, despite the fact that her eyes seemed to be glued shut. She tried to yell, but her mouth wouldn't work either, so she silently struggled, trying to pull it away from the flames.
There was a wall. She couldn't move her foot out of the painful heat because of a soft wall. "Oof. Careful, Brock, will ya? She's struggling again."
"Hold her still. I have to get this changed or the infection will never clear up." Misty kicked weakly at the wall and felt it give slightly. She moaned, trying to muster up the strength to kick again and maybe knock the wall away this time.
"Easy for you to say. *Hold her still* indeed." It was no good. Misty relaxed and waited for the flames to overtake her.
"Do you want to switch places, Gary? I would be more than happy to let you do this!" Cool air hit Misty's leg and the flames died away. She sighed silently.
"Bleagh! No way. I'll just keep my bruised ribs, thanks. Ugh. How can you stomach doing that?" Suddenly Misty's leg was bathed in a cool stream and she smiled. Water. She loved water. That's where she'd met Ash - the water.
"Trust me, you get used to it after a while. The trick is to keep your mind on the next step. Never think too long about what you're actually doing. Here. Hold this end. At least it looks pretty clean." The water was gone and Misty's leg was starting to get warm again. Not flames, no. Not fire warmth. More like a blanket-kind of warmth.
"How deep is it? As bad as we thought?"
"Not really. She'll have a scar. A pretty bad one, too. And she'll need crutches for a while to stay off it. But on the whole, it's not too bad." Misty's brain was starting to process the conversation she was hearing. Brock? Gary? Crutches?
"Then I won't kill him. He'll just hurt a while."
"You'll have to find him first. Okay, you can put her leg down now." Misty struggled against the sleep that was creeping up on her. Him? She wanted to open her eyes, to demand to know what was going on, where she was...
"Oh. I know where he is. I figured it out when I heard he went to Pridion. If Pikachu hadn't run off..." Misty's struggles gave out and she finally fell back asleep, the voices fading into the distance as she retreated back to her dreams.
To Be Continued...
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