Chapter Four
Mist and Shadows
"What do you mean, she's gone?" exclaimed Ash. His cry broke the silence that had followed the nurse's outburst. Ash had stared at her in shock, before her words had sunk in enough for him to react. "What do you mean?" he repeated, still with a raised voice.
"What happened?" asked Brock, in a steadier voice, shooting at Ash a look that demanded self-control. Ash's shoulder's slumped. Brock's right, he thought. Whatever has happened, it's not the nurse's fault. She's obviously as shocked by it as us.
"I checked on her at about eleven last night, about an hour after you'd come back to this room to stay for the night. She was asleep then, and her condition was pretty stable. I left quietly, so that I wouldn't wake her up. When I went back this morning, to see if she was awake yet, she was gone." She was obviously distressed.
"When did you check on her?" asked Brock.
"At around nine," replied the poor nurse.
"What was the room like? Was the window open, or anything?" asked Ash.
"No, the window was shut. So was the door. Nothing in the room had been touched. And the bedcovers were still tucked in around all three edges, so, unless she pulled herself up onto the pillow, and then got off the bed without making any impressions on the covers, I can't think how she left!"
"Show me," said Ash. It wasn't a request.
When they got to Misty's room, it was just as the nurse had said.
"It's almost like she just disappeared where she was," Ash said, the puzzlement clear in his voice.
"Pika-pi-pikachu," added Pikachu, in an equally uncertain tone.
"Morning nurse, Brock, Ash," greeted officer Jenny gravely, as she entered the room.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here," breathed the nurse, sighing with relief.
"So your friend Misty has gone?" asked Jenny, getting straight down to business.
Ash and Brock nodded in unison.
"Could she have run away? Have you had any arguments recently?"
"No, we haven't argued at all. Besides, she's too weak to run away," replied Ash.
"Yes, I'm very worried. She was not in a very good state when she arrived here last night, and her condition was not entirely stable," broke in the nurse, very anxiously indeed.
"So if she was so ill, how did she manage to leave: and without any signs of her exit, either?" puzzled officer Jenny, glancing around the room, taking in the situation quickly.
"We don't know. That's why I phoned you straight away," said the nurse.
"It's a good thing you did," said the officer. "Something very strange is going on around here, and I intend to find out what it is."
"So do I," said Ash, taking a step forward and raising a clenched fist. "So do I."
It was late in the day. No progress had been made. There was no sign of Misty anywhere. It was as if she'd disappeared off the face of the earth. Ash and Brock were both very worried. They knew how sick she was, and there was no way she'd be able to go far with the little energy she'd had left.
The sun was setting as Ash wandered along the beach. Brock had gone with officer Jenny. For once it hadn't been because he thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. It was because Jenny asked one of the two friends to go with her, to help her think of why and where Misty had gone, and hopefully track her down. Ash and Pikachu had gone off on their own because the more places that were searched, the more likely that Misty would be found soon.
"Where are you, Misty?" Ash asked the blazing horizon. The colours of the sunset were bright and beautiful, but they didn't have any answers. "Why did you leave? What did I do wrong?"
Pikachu looked up at his friend with concern, the bright black eyes shining.
Ash's heavy-rimmed eyes restlessly scanned the sea-sky horizon, but there was nothing there. Nothing at all. The mist still hung a little over the ocean, shimmering faintly with it's strange, opaline light. It was a lot thinner than in the morning.
Brock and Officer Jenny walked up beside him. Ash didn't even turn his head. "Why is there always mist over the sea?" he asked, in a dull voice.
"I don't really know. I don't think anyone does," replied the officer. "That's what gave the town and the bay their names. Opal Town and Opal Bay. See the way the mist shines like it's made of opal?" The four of them looked at it for a long time, silence settling over them. Ash blinked hard, fighting the salty water that rose in his eyes, blinding him. He brushed his sleeve harshly across his eyes, hoping that no one had seen. At least no one could see it when you had a lump in your throat. A lump so big that I just want to choke, thought Ash, swallowing as hard as he could, though it made no difference. No difference at all. Misty, where are you?
"Where am I?" mumbled Misty, as she sat up slowly, rubbing her head. It ached furiously. She grimaced at the pain, as it came flooding back as she awoke. Her grumbling helped about as much as the grimace.
She looked around, slowly, taking in her surroundings carefully. She could hear waves, which meant that she was near the sea. And there were some trees nearby. But there was something very strange. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, though. As she tried to puzzle it out, a figure emerged from the trees. Fear crossed Misty's face, and she crawled backwards on all fours, scrambling away from the approaching person. As it came out from beneath the trees, and light fell across it, Misty could see that it was a boy. He looked like he was somewhere between Ash and Brock in age, but he looked totally different from them.
His black hair was quite short, and straight, some of it flopping in his face, across his brow, throwing shadow into his eyes. Those eyes were deep, sparkling, secretive. Misty had no idea what the secret behind those eyes could be, and she could not see the colour of them as they flashed beneath the shiny black hair. His deep blue velvet suit was spotless, as was the white lab coat worn over it, unfastened and flapping slightly in the breeze. He approached, never pausing in his stride, and she saw that he was tall as Brock, maybe even taller. He held out a hand to her.
She hesitated.
"Don't be afraid of me. I'm here to help you," he said, and though his voice was as smooth as silk, she thought there was a colder edge there. Nevertheless, she took his hand, and pulled herself to her feet. At the touch, Misty's pain suddenly disappeared. Why? How…? How did that happen? And why is he prepared to help someone he's never met before? How did he know I was right here? The questions streamed into Misty's mind, as she looked at the stranger, who hadn't let go of her hand.
"My name is Simon," he said, in that velvety voice, as he bowed to her. He raised her hand to his lips with a kiss, then released her.
"I…I'm…My name is Misty," she stammered. Simon smiled at her, but it was a strange smile, lacking warmth, but not cold either. She knew there was something out of the ordinary about him, but, as with the strangeness of her surroundings, she couldn't figure out what it was.
"Misty…A beautiful name," he commented, almost to himself. Then his intense gaze fixed on her again. "Come, I will take you to the house." He gestured to something behind him, though it was hidden in the mist. They walked in silence. He hasn't even asked how I got here, or where I came from, Misty thought, feeling uneasy. Not that I know how I got here.
Double doors loomed suddenly from the fog. Simon opened them, and stepped inside, into a large and very tall room.
Blue carpet, the same shade as Simon's suit, softened the floor. Corridors stretched off on either side, doors all along their walls. The walls were papered with a lovely creamy colour, which gleamed softly in the light from the lamps along the walls. But most of the light came from the chandelier overhead, which glittered with crystals. But Misty didn't notice any of it, not at first. She saw the staircase, nearly as wide as the room, leading to gallery landings that ran along the walls all around, up above. A little statue stood on a column at the top of the staircase, carved from white marble. It seemed to gather light from all around itself, and glowed with a muted brilliance.
"Go on, take a closer look," said Simon, though his tone neither encouraged nor discouraged. Misty didn't stop to wonder how he'd known what she was thinking. She walked up the steps, and halted a foot or so away from the little shining statue. It was of some kind of creature, with large eyes, short, pointed ears, a small, compact body, and a long, curving tail. "What is it?" asked Misty, fascinated by the little creature.
"It is the most rare Pokemon there ever was. No one knows what type it is, or where it came from. It is a mystery. Very few have ever seen it." Simon's voice came from just behind her, but Misty hadn't heard any of his steps.
"What's it called?" Misty wondered, walking around the statue, unable to take her eyes from it.
"It is called Mew."
"Do you think we'll ever find her?" said Ash, in a dull voice.
"Of course we will. It's not like she's disappeared off the face of the Earth," Brock protested from his sleeping bag a couple of metres away. The look Ash shot at him indicated that he considered it a possibility.
"Don't be silly," Brock said.
"Well, we've been hunting around all day, and found no trace of her."
"That doesn't mean we won't find her tomorrow."
"It's so strange not having her around."
"I know what you mean. I even miss the way she smacked me over the head whenever I saw officer Jenny or nurse Joy."
"I miss her, too," Ash added, wistfully. Brock stared at him suddenly.
"Just how much?" he prompted. Ash wasn't about to be caught. He just shrugged, avoiding the question.
"I just miss her."
Simon had showed her to a room upstairs. It led off through a door along the gallery landing. The room was spacious, and as elegantly decorated as the rest of the house, in cream and deep blue. A four poster bed stood in the corner, silky cream muslin hanging from it. A table and mirror stood against the wall, and a cushioned stool was placed in front of it. A side door led to Misty's own bathroom. It was all in an old style, like something from the Victorians. The most wonderful thing about her room was the balcony that opened from full height glass doors. Misty was enchanted by everything, and even more surprised and delighted when she peeked into her wardrobe. It was full of old style dresses, all in shades of blue and cream. Only the dresses weren't old. They looked like they'd never been worn.
Misty remembered what Simon had said. 'Dinner will be at eight o'clock. I will come to your room then to show you to the dining room.' Misty realised, as she looked in the mirror, that she wasn't exactly dressed for dinner. Her clothes were all dirty and scuffed, and there were muddy marks on her face. My hair could do with a brush, too, she thought to herself. She glanced at the clock. She had a whole hour until dinner. A bath sounded really good just then.
Simon entered his room silently. He crossed the room to the glass doors, and stepped out on to the balcony. He breathed in slowly, savouring the fresh air, smelling the traces of salt from the ocean. Stars were already coming out in the twilight sky. He gazed up at them thoughtfully.
"She's perfect," he murmured to himself. "Now, finally, my work can be completed." He reached under his collar, and pulled out a thick silver chain. A pendant hung from it, the broken half of a whole. "I knew you would find the right one." He smiled slightly, as he touched the pendant lightly with his finger. The opals and crystals gleamed softly beneath his touch.
"Wow!" Misty smiled as she turned in front of the mirror. The dress was amazing, and it looked really nice with her necklace, which shone in the light of the little chandelier above. It also made her ginger hair look even brighter than it usually did. For once, she had her hair out of its usual ponytail, and she'd fastened it up on one side with a pretty clasp that had been lying on the table. "It's so much fun to wear things like this! If only Brock and Ash could see me now!" At the memory of her friends, a pang of sadness washed over her. "They must be so worried. I shouldn't be hanging around here like this. I wonder where they are? They can't be far away. I'll ask Simon if he can help me find them."
A single knock came from the door. She walked over, her dress rustling, and opened it. Simon bowed to her. "Good evening. Please allow me the honour of escorting you to dinner," he said, looking her up and down quickly. He took her arm in his own, and led her down the stairs to the hall. From there, he took her down one of the corridors and through a door. The dining hall was huge. A long table stretched almost the entire length of the room, but only two places were set. Simon seated Misty in the chair to the side of his won, which was at the head of the table. A maid entered, carrying a tray. She set it down on the table, curtseyed to Simon, and left.
The food was lovely, and, with her first bite, Misty realised how hungry she was. She remembered being tired before, and not wanting to eat, but that was all a memory, a hazy memory.
"I hope this is to your taste," Simon inquired, part way through the meal.
"Oh, yes, it's lovely," Misty replied, smiling. Simon smiled back, but it was that same smile as before, neither warm nor cold.
"I had hoped my sister would join me for this momentous occasion. Unfortunately, she travels often, and I can never be entirely sure of her whereabouts," apologised Simon.
"Oh! You have a sister! I'd love to meet her!" cried Misty, enthusiastically. "If she's anything like you, she must be really nice!" Suddenly she realised what she'd said, and looked hastily down at her plate, trying to hide her confused blush. She didn't see Simon's smile.
The meal finished in silence. When everything had been taken away again, Simon stood, and took Misty's hand.
"Would you walk with me in the gardens?" he asked.
"Yes, I'd love to," she replied, a little too hastily.
The garden was beautiful. There were lots of trees, and pretty flowers, though it wasn't all that visible in the muted light of the moon. The couple strolled about, Misty admiring the view, the plants, the stars, anything and everything. Simon listened in silence. Finally, Misty brought herself to ask the question she'd been thinking of all evening.
"This is a lovely place, and it was wonderful to meet you. I can't thank you enough for your help. But I have two friends that I really must find. They are probably very worried about me by now."
"Of course. I will help you tomorrow, as soon as you are ready. It is, obviously, too late to do anything today. What are your friend's names?"
"Brock and…and Ash," Misty replied, stumbling over Ash's name. Simon noticed it, and frowned a little.
"You are very good friends with Ash?" he asked.
"Yes. I've known him for more than a year. We've been traveling around, Ash, Brock and me, all over the place. Ash has been winning gym badges, and competing in the Pokemon League. He'll be a Pokemon Master one day. Brock wants to be the world's greatest Pokemon breeder."
"And you?"
"Me? I want to be the greatest water Pokemon trainer of all time!"
"I am certain you will be. You have the determination needed."
"Thank you." Misty blushed a little, and was relieved that it was dark so he wouldn't notice. "Do you have any dreams for the future?" she asked, after slight pause.
"Yes, I do. I am a scientist, and I study Pokemon, the way they learn their battle techniques, and how they use their power."
"Really? That's amazing!" Simon glanced round sharply at Misty when she spoke. "No, really, I think that's really cool. You must be really talented and clever to be able to do that," insisted Misty, earnestly. Simon seemed almost relieved. Almost. And in a sudden flash of realisation, Misty knew what was strange about Simon. He doesn't seem to have any emotion at all… He's not happy, and not sad. Or angry, or relieved. He's emotionless! Misty's thoughts raced with the idea. A person without any emotion was something hard to comprehend. She was pulled back into reality when Simon spoke.
"I've been working on my research for many years. My parents died quite a while ago, and they left the house and lab to me. The whole island, in fact, was theirs, and is now mine," explained Simon.
"Island?" Misty's surprise was obvious.
"Yes, this is an island."
Something really weird is going on here, and I'm going to find out what it is. A boy without feelings, not knowing where my friends are, and this whole incredible situation, Misty thought. I mean, if this is an island, how on earth did I get here?