Chapter Nine
The Island In The Mist
Misty threw a cloak around her shoulders, feeling a new determination coursing through her veins. She was ready, she told herself, and her eyes froze to the colour of ice as she turned to face Simon.
"I hate what you are making me do, and I would never do it if I had a choice. But we have some kind of link between us, and you have used it to make me do what you want. If I could, I'd knock you senseless and wouldn't regret it. But most of all, I want you to know that after this thing is done, I'm leaving, and you will never see me again. Don't you dare even try."
Simon's face was set and his tone cold. "That's fine by me. And don't worry: I won't try." He sounded harsh and uncaring, but on the inside he battled with himself. He could feel her anger through their link, and it hurt him. He'd tried as hard as he could, but his feelings were there, and the idea of her leaving for good and remembering him with so much anger cut him deeply. He firmly squashed the idea of letting go of his power over her. There was no going back now.
He beckoned her to follow, and, turning on his heel, led her to the laboratory.
"We're nearly there!" cried Beth over the sounds of the rushing waves. The three of them turned and saw the island looming out of the mist. On the side facing them, there was a small beach.
"We'll land here," said Beth, steering the rudder as the little boat skipped over the choppy water.
As they got closer, and the mist cleared, they all stared at the sky in shock.
"What's going on?" cried Ash. Dark clouds were forming over the island, thickening and swirling in a thundering mass. They swelled in a growing vortex. It was like seeing an entire sky full of storm contained in one place. The clouds looked like they were about to burst with rain, thunder and lightning.
Beth paled. "Oh no. It's happening- he's doing it. We might be too late already!" She had to yell over the rising winds as they got closer and the storm began to set in.
"What are you talking about?" shouted Brock.
"The tests are coming to an end: this is the final one. Not even he knows what could happen. He's using Misty to complete the triangle needed to conduct the experiment. Anything could happen. Someone could get killed if it goes wrong!" she yelled back, despair in her eyes. Ash's face hardened, and a dark fire filled his eyes.
"Who is he? How do you know all of this?" shouted Brock.
Beth's eyes filled with angry tears. She took a shuddering breath and shouted her reply in a broken voice.
"Because he's my brother."
The secret room behind the lab was dim in the darkness of the gathering clouds above. Mew was still trapped in the cage, and when it saw them walk in, it flew with alarming speed around its tiny confine. As Simon shut the door behind them, Mew let out a cry and threw itself against the bars, though it made no difference. It could not escape.
Misty cried out as Mew battered against the bars again and again. She could feel the waves of power it was using, muted by the chemical on the bars. Simon strode closer and raised his voice over the noise of the dull cracks and thuds. One of Mew's legs hung limp after one particularly sickening crack against the bars.
"I suggest you save your strength, Mew. You will need it if you are to survive this.
"Misty: come here. We must do this now. My sister is coming, and she intends to stop me once and for all this time. I cannot allow that to happen. We have no time to lose. Take my hand."
Misty shook her head and her eyes were full of tears, but she could not deny him. His will overrode her, and she stood frozen as he took her hand. They faced Mew, who suddenly halted in mid air, watching them with its huge blue eyes. Time itself seemed to suddenly stand still as the triangle was formed.
As Simon closed his eyes and made his link with Misty secure in his mind, the light of their power began to glow around them.
The boat ground harshly onto the sand. Ash leapt straight out, followed quickly by Pikachu, Brock and Beth.
"Ash, please! We're already too late! It's happening: nothing can stop it now," cried Beth as Ash began to pelt towards the trees. He didn't stop, yelling over his shoulder as he ran with Pikachu at his heels.
"It's not too late! I've got to save Misty!"
As he sped through the trees, a huge building appeared ahead. He ran to the door and threw it open, letting it bang against the wall.
"Misty! Misty! Where are you? MISTY!" he yelled, running down the nearest corridor. The first door led to an empty room, as did the next. Then he found a locked door. He threw himself against it, shouting Misty's name. The door didn't move. Ash stopped, panting. Then he remembered something. Taking a Pokeball from his belt, he cried out Charizard's name.
"Charizard, use your tail and open that door!" he commanded. The powerful dragon nodded, and a few hard strikes from its fiery tail cracked the door open.
"Good work Charizard! Return," Ash said, and stepped through the doorway. A man had leapt from a chair in the corner. He was wearing an engineer's uniform, and looked tired and worn.
"Thank you so much for rescuing me! Who are you? How did you find this place?" He grabbed Ash's hand and shook it enthusiastically.
Just then, Brock and Beth appeared in the doorway. They looked puzzled.
"Who are you?" asked Beth.
"I'm the engineer who was hired to fix that leak in the Pokemon Centre's roof, but a young man had me brought here instead, telling me this was where the Pokemon Centre was. I didn't know the town so I believed him. He had me build these two giant cages, made of some metal I've never seen before. Then he locked me in here. I can't believe you found me, I'm really in your debt!"
Brock suddenly blurted out, "I remember! Nurse Joy said she'd been expecting you, but your hadn't turned up!"
Ash suddenly interrupted. "Look, I can't wait around! Do you know where the owner of this place is?"
The engineer looked thoughtful. He nodded gravely. "Yep. He'll be in his laboratory, probably in the secret room where I had to make those cages. I'll show you."
The light got stronger and stronger. As Misty felt her link with Simon solidify and grow, she began to feel Mew's presence as well. As a link began to form between Mew and herself, she suddenly heard Mew's thoughts and felt its pain. It was terrible. Mew's devastation swelled and overwhelmed Misty, and when she reached out to Mew, she felt an amazing power and beauty flow from the creature. Sadness filled her heart.
As the triangle was completed, Misty felt Simon's command to begin to drain Mew. She began to give in, feeling her way tentatively along the link between them. As she felt her way inwards to the source of the Pokemon's power, she found herself, and the pendant she wore, pulling at Mew gently. As the slow, heavy leeching began, Mew's despair welled up inside Misty. She knew that Mew was gazing straight at her.
Why are you doing this?
Mew's thought was as simple and innocent as a child's. As it sang through the link and into her mind, Misty saw the beauty and purity of Mew's life, and the goodness and happiness it enjoyed in the world. She saw herself taking that away. Why do you want me to die?
I DON'T! Misty suddenly thrashed about in her mind, fighting Simon's power over her. Her eyes flew open and she lunged at the cage, beating at the bars in an effort to free Mew.
Simon's inner strength flooded her, and when she turned, he was there, putting his arms around her, holding her tight as if comforting her. We must do this now.
I can't! Please, Simon. I don't want Mew to die.
Misty. Help me. I must complete what my father began. It's my destiny to do this, just like it's your destiny to help me. Please, Misty.
She couldn't stop him or fight him. She sank into his arms.
The wall moved away, and a blinding light filled the room. Ash, Brock and Beth ran into the secret room, shielding their eyes.
"What is that?" cried Brock.
Ash stared as his eyes adjusted to the brilliant pink, blue and gold light in front of them. His eyes widened. "It's Misty!"
"And my brother!" cried Beth.
"But what's that other one? That pink light?" asked Brock.
Ash shook his head. He'd never seen a Pokemon like that one before. But what he couldn't look away from was Misty. She was supported by the boy, who was gazing intensely into her face. He glowed with an amazing golden light that seemed to centre in his eyes, and Misty was glowing an incredibly sapphire blue. In that sparkling light, Ash saw how beautiful she was.
The boy suddenly shut his eyes, an expression of sad resolution on his face, and pulled Misty closer in his embrace. He kissed her forehead tenderly. Ash sprang forward angrily. There was no way he was going to let this go on any longer: Misty was rapidly losing strength, that much was clear. That other boy was not to be trusted at all. He didn't really care about Misty.
Simon felt Misty's power surging through him, and he sent his own to her. He gazed into her face. Their link was completed, and he felt their minds join, and their consciousness' twine together. The sense of completeness it gave him made his heart surge, and he pulled Misty closer, feeling a kind of elation he had never felt before. Misty's thoughts slowly focused on him.
I didn't realise… He felt her empathy as she saw the depth of his pain. He felt her look into a part of himself he'd tried to forget. Your parents… Your father. He watched in fascination as she took the pieces and fitted them carefully together. Memories and feelings he'd tried to shut out came flooding back. It's okay, Simon. You can remember your feelings. Just don't let them ruin your life. The unity he now felt with Misty made all his years of loneliness a distant memory. His old sadness simply didn't matter anymore. Someone understood him.
That moment of unity did not last. Simon felt Misty weaken, her power begin to fail. He sent another surge of his own through her, pulsing it through her with the beating of his heart. She didn't seem to feel it, and began to fade. Misty! Don't give up. Keep trying, stay with me now.
She was slowly dying from his awareness of her. He held her tightly, and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead, willing strength into her with everything he had. The knowledge that that kiss would be the only act of emotion he would ever show her touched him so deeply it hurt. Misty seemed to smile at that, a smile so sweet and caring he thought his heart would break. She was thinking about more than that, though.
I know about your past now, Simon. But don't let it ruin your future. She waned, waxed, waned again. She struggled to organise her thoughts. Don't let it… ruin Mew's future. Mew is dying. Simon. She reached for a last clear thought. Please don't let Mew die…
Beth cried out for Ash to stop, but before he got close enough to do anything, the Pokemon in the cage dropped to the ground, Misty went limp in the boy's arms, and the lights went out. The darkness of the storm filled the room with shadows, and a cold silence fell. Everyone stood frozen. A rumble of thunder rolled heavily overhead.
"Misty!" cried Ash, pulling himself back to reality. He put an arm around the girl as the boy sank against the cage, losing grip on Misty. Ash held her tight.
"Misty? Are you okay? Wake up, please wake up. Come on Misty. Open your eyes," he begged her.
Beth ran to her brother. "Simon? Are you all right?"
Simon had sunk to the floor, and leant back against the bars, breathing heavily. His voice was surprisingly steady. "She'll be okay. I managed to push the last of my power into her before she disappeared. Just let her rest a bit. I'll do what more I can for her." He closed his eyes, and seemed to be concentrating on something.
Ash turned his head to glare at Simon. "How could you? What have you done to her? If you've hurt her, I'll-"
"WE'RE BACK!"
Team Rocket suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere.
Ash looked absolutely livid. He laid Misty carefully on the floor, and stood to face the enemy, eyes black and murderous. Beth and Brock stood alongside him. Simon still hadn't opened his eyes, and lay as if made of stone.
"We've come for Pikachu! And you won't get away this time!" cried Jesse, pointing at Ash.
Ash gritted his teeth. "If you had ANY idea how bad your timing is right now, you'd GO AWAY AND LEAVE US ALONE!" he shouted furiously. Absolute silence fell at Ash's outburst. Thunder rolled again, booming with a foreboding strength. The look on Ash's face was terrible to see. Brock couldn't remember his friend ever being that angry, and it was almost frightening. He went to touch Ash's arm, to try and calm him down, but Ash flinched away without even looking at him. He practically snarled at Team Rocket. "Can't you see that Misty needs help here? I don't have time for this!"
Team Rocket looked rather taken aback. But Jesse wasn't ready to give up. "We didn't follow you all the way here just to turn around because your girlfriend gets some fainting fit! Lickitung, attack!"
"Squirtle, fight back!" Ash growled, releasing the Pokemon. Squirtle shot a water gun at Lickitung, stopping its onslaught and sending it flying. Ash's fury seemed to have passed onto his Pokemon. Lickitung slid down the wall to the floor. It tried to get up, staggered, and fainted.
As the two sides battled fiercely, everything around them was forgotten. Though Team Rocket put up a half-decent fight, they had fewer Pokemon, and Ash was fighting as he never had before. His battle fury ended in an incredible thunder attack from Pikachu, and Team Rocket ran for it, cursing Ash and his friends as they made their escape.
Ash heaved a sigh as their footsteps died away. "Okay, now let's-" He stopped short.
The three of them looked around in shock. Misty, Simon and Mew had disappeared.