Disclaimer: I don't own the registered Pokémon stuff, but this story and some of its characters are my creations.
A/N: I was going to add an interactive part by playing around with colours, but somehow it wouldn't work inside ff.net. Oh well…
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Ch. 9 – Return
Brock, Mrs. Ketchum and Mimey had gone out to do some shopping. Ash and Misty were at home, watching television. Or rather, Ash was begging Misty to let him have the TV.
"C'mon, Misty! That's my television!" he whined.
"Ash, the Pokémon Trainer's Guide show stopped their production even before you got your license!" Misty argued. "You've been watching the same reruns for who knows how long already!"
After several more minutes of bickering, Ash finally gave in. He sat there grumpily, arms folded, staring into space. Pikachu tried to talk to him, but failed.
He glanced sideways at Misty after a while. 'How come I always end up doing what she wants these day?' he questioned himself. 'Well, okay, so I like her, and she always seems to be right. But I still don't understand why she likes soap operas that much…'
Misty was totally engrossed the show. It was like everything on screen was happening in reality. She grinned slightly when something she liked happened, and grimaced when someone did something obviously stupid.
Ash was stubbornly telling himself that he hated soap operas and would never watch one, but couldn't help getting absorbed by the show. It currently displayed a couple taking a walk on a moonlit beach. Then, their arms were wrapped around each other and they were involved in, according to Ash's opinion, what suddenly became the most interesting activity. Soon, he unwittingly found himself staring at Misty's lips.
Misty watched on, her mind wandering. The flowing, blonde hair of the girl in the screen shortened and turned bright orange, and the guy's neat, brownish hair became spiky and jet-black. A dreamy look came over her face as she became immersed in her reverie. Suddenly, her mind snapped back to reality and she became aware that Ash was staring at her.
She tensed up, wondering what he was doing. Her eyes looked straight ahead, but she was focusing on Ash. Finally, she turned to face him with the intention of starting a conversation, but all words left her as she found herself lost in the depths of his large brown eyes.
The couple in the television were getting louder and louder. Ash and Misty drew closer and closer, not really conscious of what was happening. When their lips met, a jolt of electricity ran down their bodies, and their minds were completely oblivious to anything else happening around them.
Togepi watched with interest. Pikachu quickly covered the baby Pokémon's eyes and carried it to somewhere else in the house.
Their kiss at the river was gentle and sweet, but this one was more heated. Bells were ringing wildly in Ash's head — He never knew that this level of pleasure was even possible.
The two lovers slowly leaned to one side of the sofa, with Misty on top of Ash. By chance, her knee pressed on a button on the remote, switching off the TV. Now, the two of them have no influence from the distracting sounds of the show, and are acting from their own hearts.
After some time, Ash pulled away for a while. "Wow…" he gasped, seeing stars. "Mist, you're good!"
"Oh, that was nothing. You just wait…" she replied impishly. She captured his lips with her own again, being more adventurous with her tongue this time.
Ash's mind exploded with ecstasy. He found himself in cloud nine, completely giddy. Not wanting to be the inexperienced one, he tried to do the same to Misty and found that he was actually quite good at it.
They were having the most wonderful time of their lives, and were starting to moan softly. They felt like they could just stay like that forever, but…
CRASH
Having rolled to one side too much, Ash and Misty fell onto the floor, a tangle of arms and legs.
"I love you, Misty…" Ash mumbled, still lost in the seventh heaven.
"I love you too, Ash…" she mumbled in reply, in the same dreamy state.
Suddenly, there was a loud knocking at the door. "Hello? Somebody open the door for us please?" (A/N: Man, I'm good at ruining these moments :-D)
Misty silently screamed in fury. Brock's timing couldn't have been worse. She tried to get up, but her whole body had turned to jelly and she seemed to have forgotten how to operate her limbs.
"Uh… hold on a minute!" she mustered her strength and called out as clearly as she could.
"Ash, can you get up?" she asked urgently, with a distorted tone. "Brock's home!"
"Huh? Rock?" he muttered, a goofy grin still plastered to his face. Then, he realized what she had said, just ever so slightly. "Oh, you mean Brock!"
"Wait for a while, K?" he shouted loudly in a severely slurred voice.
Outside, Brock set down the shopping bags next to Mr. Mime. He scratched his head, puzzled. Suddenly, something in his mind clicked. His jaw fell open in shock. Before he knew what he was doing, he started banging on the door like a madman.
"Hey w-wait a minute! Aren't you two a bit too young to be doing that?!"
Those words threw ice-cold water over Misty's mind. Her previous scattyness was completely gone and she was instantly able to move again. Red-faces, she flung open the door and flattened Brock with her mallet. Mimey retreated in alarm.
"WE WEREN'T DOING THAT, YOU PINHEAD!!!!!"
Brock cowered in a corner, stammering apologies. Finally, Misty allowed him into the house.
When he stepped inside, Ash was still sprawled on the floor with his goofy grin. "What's all the commotion about?" he asked, his voice still garbled.
Misty went completely red in the face again, this time not of anger but the feeling like she was going to die from embarrassment. She picked Ash up by his collar and shook him hard.
"Huh? What happened?" he asked, looking around in confusion. His eyes landed on a very amused Brock. His face went red as well. "Oh, hi there Brock…"
"So, what were…" Brock would have dearly loved to ask what they were doing, but one look at Misty told him that it would be fatal. "So, when are you going to tell your mom about this?"
"Uh…"
"Um…"
"Hey, where is my mom anyway?" Ash quickly changed the subject.
"She saw some great bargains at the shop and told us to come home first," Brock told him, hiding a large grin. "Come on Mimey, gotta get these stuff sorted out." He hurried to the kitchen with Mimey behind him, still staring at the couple in perplexity.
"Pika pi…"
Ash looked down and saw his furry friend shaking his head.
"Not you too…"
* * * * *
Later during the day, the trio paid Professor Oak a visit.
"Here we are!" Brock said, ringing the doorbell.
The door opened, revealing Tracey in a lab coat. He stared at them in surprise but ushered them in.
"Professor, guess who's back?" he yelled upstairs.
The group arrived at the top and saw Professor Oak sitting at his computers, working on the GS Ball.
"Ash! Misty! Brock! Aren't you supposed to be in Johto?" he exclaimed.
The trio took turns to tell him about the Earth Shrine, and the talking Venusaur. The Professor and Tracey listened with great interest.
"Yes, I think I remember hearing stories about Pokémon temples when I was a child…" Professor Oak said thoughtfully. "My memory's not very good now, but there was something about birds and snakes… or was it dragons?"
"The Steelix is like a snake," Brock supplied helpfully. "Maybe it's about the forms of the creatures or something?"
"But Sakhr is the Guardian of the Earth Shrine, and he's human," Ash reasoned.
"Wait, I remember something else," Professor Oak said. "There's a song. It goes like this:
The Chosen One has missions great,
Yet the world can choose his fate.
Guardians of the Earth and Fire,
Appear only when the need is dire.
Guardians of the Sky and Sea,
May choose to guide, or leave him be.
Unless the poem is wrong, the Guardian of the Earth wouldn't appear to you, or… Were you in any sort of danger then?"
"Well, no… but he said something about Darkness…" Ash frowned.
"Guardians of the Sky and Sea…" Tracey repeated slowly. He suddenly realized something. "Guardian of the Sea!" he gave a loud exclamation.
The others gaped at him.
"You don't think…?" Misty questioned.
"Yes! It makes sense! The first time, some collector was disrupting the harmony of the elements. And Ash, the Chosen One, had to return things to normal. Maybe something big is coming up!"
"But… Sakhr told us that nothing else is happening within our lifetime. There is no prophecy about anything happening soon, whereas the ceremony of retrieving the orbs have been going on for a long time…" Misty said uneasily.
"Tracey and I will do more research on ancient legends and prophecies," Professor Oak said decisively. He smiled at his young assistant. "Tracey is very good at observations. He discovered and mapped the strange energy field that surrounds the GS Ball."
Tracey looked as if he would burst with pride.
Professor Oak showed them one of his computer screens which showed a model of the GS Ball, with many wavy patterns around it. "This energy field is very large and strong, yet it can only be detected when the most powerful sensors are placed right next to it. We have not yet discovered its purpose."
He turned back to the trio. "In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea to seek out Lugia. Do you have any Pokémon that can take you back to the Orange Islands?"
All three of them shook their heads.
The Professor beckoned to them to follow him. He led them to the large fields that contained the Pokémon that were sent to him. He turned the knob and pushed the door open. Out of nowhere, a large creature swooped down from the sky and started attacking him.
"Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash shouted immediately.
"Piiiiiiikaaaaaaa…" sparks started shooting from Pikachu's cheeks, but he suddenly stoped.
"Pikachu, what are you doing?" Ash demanded.
"Pika pika!" the yellow rodent pointed at the large bird, trying to tell Ash something.
By then, the bird had calmed down. Professor Oak got up and straightened his attire.
"This Pidgeot came from nowhere two days ago. Tried to tell me something, but I couldn't understand it. Got irritated about something and wouldn't leave me alone. It—"
"Pidgeot!" Ash exclaimed suddenly. He rushed at the Pokémon and hugged it.
Professor Oak blinked. "Is it yours?"
"Hey, we left it in the forest to protect the Pidgeys from the Spearow and Fearow!" Brock said in recognition.
Just then, one of Ash's Pokéballs burst open and released Bulbasaur. He, along with Pikachu, greeted their old friend.
Ash looked up at Pidgeot. "Did you come back to look for me?" Pidgeot gave a loud squawk in reply.
"But… I don't have anymore space here…" Ash said apprehensively.
"Bulba! Bulba!"
Ash looked down. "What is it, Bulbasaur?"
"I think he's volunteering to stay here to let Pidgeot join you," Brock suggested. Bulbasaur nodded.
"Well, if you're sure…" Ash gave his loyal Pokémon a hug. He took Bulbasaur's Pokéball. "Pidgeot… return!" The large bird vanished in a red flare.
He turned to the Professor. "You think I can use Pidgeot to fly to the Water Shrine?"
The older man shook his head. "You'll need something that is at home in the water. Come, I'll lend you one."
They headed out to the rivers, and Bulbasaur happily vanished into the lush grassland.
Suddenly, Misty spotted something. "Hey, look!"
Far off, a large creature was making its way towards them. It looked out of place on land.
"Not another one!" Professor Oak groaned.
"It's Lapras!" Ash cried out happily.
"What's gonna appear next? The rest of your released Pokémon?" Brock asked incredulously.
They hurried over to Lapras, who was pulling itself along on its flippers.
"Where's the rest of your family?" Ash asked anxiously.
Lapras didn't reply and merely signalled that Ash should climb on.
"Maybe Lugia sent it here…" Professor Oak suggested.
"Is that it?" Ash enquired. "You're here to take me to the Water Shrine?"
Lapras nodded.
Professor Oak put Lapras in a Pokéball. The group followed the flipper trail to the sea and released the Pokémon into the water.
"Have a safe journey you three," the Professor bade them goodbye. Not long thereafter, the shore was no longer visible.
"Wow, Lapras's back is more spacious now," Ash commented admiringly. "You've grown so much!"
"Yeah, I agree," Misty said, lying on her back, playing with Togepi.
"I can't say anything about that since I've never been on a Lapras before…" Brock said, "But this feels great!"
Lapras sang its haunting song in a cheerful manner.
The trio simply lay there, enjoying their ride. Suddenly, a roaring could be heard, and it kept getting louder.
"What the—?"
That was all that was uttered, before everyone got sucked down the swirling vortex of the raging whirlpool.
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A/N: I have no idea where the GS Ball is supposed to be, so I sent it back to Pallet. BTW, I started work on another fic. It should be out in a day or two. Stay tuned!