Author's Notes: I forgot to note what the current vote for the ending to be
is. 3 votes for Ash to be with Misty and 1 vote for Ash to be with Marin.
Also, I apologize for any confusion caused by the I. D. piece in the last
chapter that may have come up, as I just saw the first three episodes for
the original Pokemon series for the first time while I was writing this.
Ash's I. D. is in his Pokedex and that's what he showed the clerk. Anyway,
I was asked why someone would flame a good story. My answer to that is
someone might not like the story and I at least want to know that it was
being read. So if everyone knows that I accept flames then I should get
more reviews so that I know more people are reading my fics. Yet, this one
seems to be the most popular fic that I've done so far as I've gotten five
reviews basically at once where I have not even gotten half that amount for
the other two fics that I wrote. I also take all reviews seriously and do
what I can to write what everyone wants, so no reviews for any story causes
a big roadblock as I like to read reviews that I'm sent. Also, for my third
fic, I got a review, but I need information of who should be shot. Ash or
Misty. Neither will die permanently in the fic, but I need that info, as
I'm undecided about it. Please read it if interested. One last note. Here
in this chapter and probably in the rest of the chapters, I'll be referring
outside of quotes to Ash's daughter as Misty C. and Misty just as I have
before, but that's only for when the situation calls for it. When Misty and
Misty C. aren't around in the same scene, then I'll leave out the 'C.'
part. This is to alleviate any confusion the two characters share with
their names. Anyway, I've delayed chapter nine long enough. Here it is.
*
Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Brock approach the orphanage casually. "What do you want now!?" a girl's voice called out from behind them.
All four turned to see the girl Ash beat running towards them. "We were just wanting to look at the pokemon here," Brock replied, calmly.
"Oh? Uh, okay," the girl replied, sounding uncertain.
"What's your name little girl?" Misty asked.
"I'm Misty. Misty Crystal," the girl replied.
Misty was genuinely surprised. "My name's Misty too."
"Really?" the girl asked, eyes widening in delight.
Misty nods. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu then introduce themselves. The girl then runs into the building and soon runs back out with a woman trailing the girl. Must be her mother, Ash thought.
"Well, I see that my Misty has brought some trainers who are interested in an orphaned pokemon," the woman greeted. "The pokemon are this way, if you'll please follow me."
Ash followed right behind Misty, Brock, and Pikachu wondering why everything seemed so familiar to him. He did what he could to occupy himself with looking at the vast amounts of pokemon that were in the orphanage. He looked at a few Oddish that seemed to be trying to make friends with some baby Vulpix. Ash smiled as he thought of all the pokemon that he had helped make friends with each other on his journey to become the Pokemon Master in the first place. If Ash had not yet decided that he would become the Pokemon Master again, he knew that he would have made that decision right now as felt filled with renewed determination. I really don't need to do anymore training, Ash thought to himself, but realized that he never intended on doing any serious training. All Ash was after on this journey right now was answers. Answers that were still eluding him even though he finally felt that they were within grasping distance.
"Hey Ash! Come over here!" Misty called to Ash.
Ash came over to Misty and when he was close she asked, "Aren't they so cute?"
Ash looked at what Misty was looking at. Tentacool. Ash felt his stomach begin to turn as he remembered the first encounter he had with them. "Uh. Misty." Ash started, trailing off each time
"What?" Misty asked, warningly, very likely knowing what Ash was thinking about the Tentacool.
"N- Nothing!" Ash stammered, backing away slowly. Very slowly so Misty might not notice. When Ash was a few feet from Misty he turned and broke into a run as far away from the Tentacool as he could. Misty sighed and returned to admiring the Tentacool. Meanwhile Brock was very interested in all the rock pokemon that was there, but there seemed to be more rock pokemon there than Brock expected as he was having a field day with the rock pokemon.
Ash looked around and looked at the pokemon individually and stopped when he saw some Caterpie. As he watched them, he thought back to the time when he first caught any pokemon. It was a Caterpie that eventually evolved into a Butterfree that he had to release to make it's own family. As he was watching the Caterpie play with each other, Ash felt that someone had come up behind him. He turned around to find the woman who greeted them standing there. When she saw Ash turn around she gasped.
"What?" Ash asked, turning around to see if there was something behind him, but seeing nothing, turned back to face the woman.
"Is it you Yellow?" the woman asked.
Ash sighed, remembering what the clerk said. "No, I'm not Yellow, but I heard about him how he fell into the river. I'm Ash, and I take it that you're Marin right?"
The woman sighed. "It's just that you look so much like him. Even with that hat, I thought that you could be him. But yes, I am Marin. You must have talked with someone in Cherrygrove city about it because my daughter hardly speaks of her father. I don't know if it's just that she's too excited about Pokemon or if it's that she doesn't care about him," Marin said, voice cracking towards the end.
Ash felt an urge to hug Marin and barely, just barely, suppressed the urge to do that before replying, "I'm sure your daughter cares about her father. I think that she just is dealing with the loss in her own way."
"Hmmm, that's interesting," Marin said, thoughtfully.
"What is?" Ash asked, confused.
"Oh, it's just that you sound like my husband Yellow," Marin said, lightly.
Shortly after that, Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu left the orphanage and went back to their hotel rooms. While on the way Ash commented to no one in particular, "I wonder if there's any other pokemon orphanages around."
"Why do you say that, Ash?" Brock asked.
"No reason. I was just wondering," Ash lied, nonchalantly.
"Then why ask?" Misty asked, suspicious.
"I don't know. I was just wondering," Ash replied.
"Well, why don't you go back and ask?" Misty asked.
"I'm not wanting to know that badly," Ash replied, finally being honest with his friends about this topic.
"Well, I'll ask then," Misty said, running back to the orphanage.
Ash just stared at Misty's retreating figure, surprised. "What was that about?" Ash wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Brock replied.
Ash and Brock went back to the hotel to wait for Misty, but they noticed that it was beginning to rain. Brock kept Ash from running out into the rain by telling him that Misty would find shelter quickly. If she was nearby they would see her. If not then she would do what she could to stay safe.
Even with Brock's consolation Ash still was worried. Brock finally was able to get Ash to bed when he gave Ash some Lavender tea. Shortly after Ash drank the herbal tea, he was fast asleep. When Ash was asleep Brock was finally able to relax. Brock began to write in his journal that he had been keeping for a little while now. He had noted that Misty seemed to be having trouble keeping her food down in her stomach in the morning and Ash seemed to be preoccupied with something. Brock had no trouble figuring out what Misty's secret, she was pregnant. But Ash was still a mystery to Brock. Brock sensed that there was something that Ash wasn't telling anyone, not even Pikachu. Brock didn't want to worry Pikachu, neither Misty, but it seemed that Misty had already noticed as she had asked him if he had noticed anything like that about Ash. Pikachu seemed to prefer to be ignorant of what was going on with Ash, or Pikachu was trying to help Ash. Brock couldn't figure out why Pikachu had begun shocking Ash more and more as the days went on.
It seemed that Pikachu would shock Ash if Pikachu tried to show Ash, but Ash didn't even notice, yet at times it seemed that Pikachu would shock Ash during times when Ash was giving Pikachu his full attention. Maybe Pikachu is just trying to make certain that Ash is still around, Brock thought. Everything seemed to be going different than what he had thought this journey would be like. It almost seems as if Ash is no longer interested in becoming the Pokemon Master, Brock thought shaking his head as he was finishing up his entry in his journal. Shortly after the journal is stowed away, Brock is fast asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
In the morning Misty gets up. She had to spend the night at the pokemon orphanage because it was too dangerous to try to return to Cherrygrove city. Misty looks out the window and sees that the rain had ended sometime during the night. After Misty eats a small breakfast that Marin had prepared, though she could have had more but Misty didn't want to be imposing, Misty makes certain that all of her pokemon are doing well. Misty especially is pleased with her Togetic. Though all of her other Pokemon seemed to be doing just as well as Togetic. Togetic just seemed to sense Misty's feelings of uncertainty. Togetic had no idea of what Misty' uncertainty was about, but still knew that she wouldn't be like that for no reason.
As Misty was leaving and ten feet from the house, Misty C. came up to Misty. Misty waited for Misty C. to say something, but when it became apparent that Misty C. was going to just wait there Misty commented, "Lovely morning isn't it?"
Misty C. looked startled, as she probably wasn't expecting a comment from Misty like that. "Um, I was, um, wondering if, uhh." Misty C. trailed off.
"Yes? You were wondering what?" Misty asked, kindly.
"Uhh, I was wondering if you and Ash were married," Misty C. said, nervously.
"Misty!" a voice cried out behind them. Misty turned to see Marin holding a basket in her arms, full of pokemon food, staring at her daughter. "That is being rude! You know better than that!"
"I'm." Misty C. started.
"It's all right," Misty called out to Marin.
"Okay," Marin replied, continuing towards where the pokemon lived.
"Sorry for saying that," Misty C. said.
"It's fine. Yeah, I'm married to Ash," Misty replied wondering if that really was still what was fact, thinking about what she had learned about Yellow. Apparently Yellow appeared the same time as Ash disappeared and then Yellow disappeared about the same time that Ash was found. It was a slim chance that it wasn't fact, but Misty wasn't certain about that. All she knew was that Ash would need to choose who he would live with if he did regain his memory. Would he leave her if he chose to be with Marin or would he choose to be with Misty? "Why do you want to know?"
"I was just wondering. I saw how he looked at you yesterday and I remember that look. My daddy looked at mom that way sometimes," Misty C. replied.
"What about other times?" Misty asked, suddenly getting butterflies in her stomach, but keeping a calm face.
"He often was thinking about something. When I tried to ask what he was thinking about he told me it was nothing," Misty C. replied. "Oh! I just remembered that I still have my chores to do! Good-bye, Misty!"
Misty watched Misty C. run into the house to start her chores. Misty had assumed that there was a pokemon orphanage in Ash's memory when Ash asked if there were any others that they knew about. Misty was now quite certain that she had found Ash's missing past, but didn't want to force it on him. She knew that he would need to find it on his own if she wanted him to have a fair chance at it, but she also knew that she could be mistaken about thinking that she had found his lost nine years and it would hurt Ash more if it turned out that it wasn't his lost nine years. Misty hoped that he would remember soon so that she wouldn't have to worry about this. She was the only one that she suspected knew about this, but had no way of being certain about it.
As Misty walked through the calm morning forest, she began to relax. She was calmed by the serenity of the forest in the early morning. The sun had been up for an hour, but the air was still crisp and cool. When her Togepi evolved into Togetic, Misty had stopped carrying it in her arms as it seemed to get in the way more and was heavier. So, Togetic was walking along side her, pleased that Misty wasn't so distressed and had calmed down. Soon they were in Cherrygrove city and Misty quickly found the hotel that they were staying at. As she went in she stopped to put Togetic in its pokeball and watch the news.
"In other news, the famous trainer and one time Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum, is no where to be found. They were last spotted in New Bark town and it seemed that the word had been released that they were going to Blackthorn City. Either he has gotten lost or something has happened to him. We hope that it is only that he have gotten lost and not that something has happened to him. However, some are thinking that he was never heading to Blackthorn City in the first place, but leaving a false trail so that any reporters that were following would not be able to find him. Wait, just a moment," the reporter was saying, pressing something further into her ear, "I have just received information that he has just made a phone call from a hotel in Cherrygrove city. As far as I know he is still on the line."
Misty's attention snapped to finding where the phones were. She quickly found them and saw that Ash was still on the phone with Professor Oak. Misty ran over and told Ash to stop telling the Professor where they were. Ash motioned Misty to wait a moment.
"Hold on," Ash said on the phone. "What Misty?"
"The reporters have found out about that phone call and have found out that we are here," Misty replied.
"What?!" Ash yelped, surprised. Ash then got back on the phone. "Professor, is there a microphone around that the reporters gave you?"
"Why yes there is! How did you guess?" Misty heard the Professor cry out.
"Well, then I think that I shouldn't tell you where I am when I call. It seems that they're using that to track us."
Misty watches the picture of the Professor on the screen get really surprised when Ash says that. Apparently it never occurred to the Professor why the reporters had given him that microphone. When the phone call was done, they hurried back to their rooms and found Brock trying to make his move on the housekeeping lady. Misty drags Brock by his ear into one room with Ash following.
"What is it!?" Brock cried. "I was so close to getting a date with her!"
Misty looks at Ash just as he looks at her and they both burst out laughing. Brock does not find this at all amusing. It seems that he just keeps getting angrier. Soon, Misty realizes this and calms her laughter. Misty then gets Ash's attention and calms down, however slowly. They tell Brock about what happened and they decided to leave town earlier than they planned. They had planned on spending a few weeks there and relaxing, but they knew that if reporters came there, they would not be able to relax at all. By noon, they were already heading out of Cherrygrove city. An hour after they left, the first wave of reporters came and tried to find Ash. The hotel clerk kindly told them that the rooms had been rented for a few weeks. The reporters did not ask where they were, but left not knowing that while the clerk had told them the truth, he did not tell them that they had cancelled their stay that morning. The reporters just did not ask about that. He smiled smugly to himself. He could tell how difficult it was to have reporters following someone around. He had seen enough of it when there was a celebrity that stayed at this hotel.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Marin is crying again, but this time it's worse than it has been for two years. Misty is worried. She walks over to her mother and asks what was wrong. Marin's crying first slows then stops. Marin then looks at Misty's expression of concern through teary eyes. Marin then replies, in a cracking voice, "Nothing dear. I was just missing Yellow. Meeting that Pokemon Master Ash made me realize how much I still miss him."
"Really?" Misty asked, as her mother pulled her into a hug.
Marin doesn't reply except by nodding. Things would work out, Marin tried to reassure herself. She felt hollow once again. The only things that kept her going was her children. If they weren't here, she didn't know what she would do. I'd probably have already killed myself, Marin thought bringing more tears to her eyes as she realized how much she really was still upset about Yellow's disappearance. Still, something about him made me think about Yellow, Marin thought, thinking back on when she met him. Although, he didn't seem to like to be around the bugs, this Ash was there and Marin thought about how Yellow often looked at the Pokemon that he was caring for. It was that exact look. Marin then realized how much the two were alike. Could Yellow be Ash's brother or twin? Marin thought, realizing what exactly could have been going on. Could that mean that he was here trying to find Yellow? Marin decided not to tell her children or anyone about this. She would need to work this out on her own.
*
Author's notes: How was that? Did anyone expect that? I know that I was asked to have Ash meet Marin in Pallet, but technically they didn't meet they just learned who the other was (again). Though, I wonder what everyone thinks about what Misty's and Marin's perceptions were. Should I have this thought continue or should I start working towards a conclusion? If you review your opinion, it may influence my decision, but I'm not putting this up for a vote. Anyway, the current vote for the ending to go is as it was when I started this chapter a few days ago. I wonder if anyone actually expected this. I certainly didn't as I had intended this to go a little different, but then I went to bed and forgot what I had intended to do. I vaguely remember, but not enough to work with. Anyway, look forward to the next chapter!
*
Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Brock approach the orphanage casually. "What do you want now!?" a girl's voice called out from behind them.
All four turned to see the girl Ash beat running towards them. "We were just wanting to look at the pokemon here," Brock replied, calmly.
"Oh? Uh, okay," the girl replied, sounding uncertain.
"What's your name little girl?" Misty asked.
"I'm Misty. Misty Crystal," the girl replied.
Misty was genuinely surprised. "My name's Misty too."
"Really?" the girl asked, eyes widening in delight.
Misty nods. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu then introduce themselves. The girl then runs into the building and soon runs back out with a woman trailing the girl. Must be her mother, Ash thought.
"Well, I see that my Misty has brought some trainers who are interested in an orphaned pokemon," the woman greeted. "The pokemon are this way, if you'll please follow me."
Ash followed right behind Misty, Brock, and Pikachu wondering why everything seemed so familiar to him. He did what he could to occupy himself with looking at the vast amounts of pokemon that were in the orphanage. He looked at a few Oddish that seemed to be trying to make friends with some baby Vulpix. Ash smiled as he thought of all the pokemon that he had helped make friends with each other on his journey to become the Pokemon Master in the first place. If Ash had not yet decided that he would become the Pokemon Master again, he knew that he would have made that decision right now as felt filled with renewed determination. I really don't need to do anymore training, Ash thought to himself, but realized that he never intended on doing any serious training. All Ash was after on this journey right now was answers. Answers that were still eluding him even though he finally felt that they were within grasping distance.
"Hey Ash! Come over here!" Misty called to Ash.
Ash came over to Misty and when he was close she asked, "Aren't they so cute?"
Ash looked at what Misty was looking at. Tentacool. Ash felt his stomach begin to turn as he remembered the first encounter he had with them. "Uh. Misty." Ash started, trailing off each time
"What?" Misty asked, warningly, very likely knowing what Ash was thinking about the Tentacool.
"N- Nothing!" Ash stammered, backing away slowly. Very slowly so Misty might not notice. When Ash was a few feet from Misty he turned and broke into a run as far away from the Tentacool as he could. Misty sighed and returned to admiring the Tentacool. Meanwhile Brock was very interested in all the rock pokemon that was there, but there seemed to be more rock pokemon there than Brock expected as he was having a field day with the rock pokemon.
Ash looked around and looked at the pokemon individually and stopped when he saw some Caterpie. As he watched them, he thought back to the time when he first caught any pokemon. It was a Caterpie that eventually evolved into a Butterfree that he had to release to make it's own family. As he was watching the Caterpie play with each other, Ash felt that someone had come up behind him. He turned around to find the woman who greeted them standing there. When she saw Ash turn around she gasped.
"What?" Ash asked, turning around to see if there was something behind him, but seeing nothing, turned back to face the woman.
"Is it you Yellow?" the woman asked.
Ash sighed, remembering what the clerk said. "No, I'm not Yellow, but I heard about him how he fell into the river. I'm Ash, and I take it that you're Marin right?"
The woman sighed. "It's just that you look so much like him. Even with that hat, I thought that you could be him. But yes, I am Marin. You must have talked with someone in Cherrygrove city about it because my daughter hardly speaks of her father. I don't know if it's just that she's too excited about Pokemon or if it's that she doesn't care about him," Marin said, voice cracking towards the end.
Ash felt an urge to hug Marin and barely, just barely, suppressed the urge to do that before replying, "I'm sure your daughter cares about her father. I think that she just is dealing with the loss in her own way."
"Hmmm, that's interesting," Marin said, thoughtfully.
"What is?" Ash asked, confused.
"Oh, it's just that you sound like my husband Yellow," Marin said, lightly.
Shortly after that, Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu left the orphanage and went back to their hotel rooms. While on the way Ash commented to no one in particular, "I wonder if there's any other pokemon orphanages around."
"Why do you say that, Ash?" Brock asked.
"No reason. I was just wondering," Ash lied, nonchalantly.
"Then why ask?" Misty asked, suspicious.
"I don't know. I was just wondering," Ash replied.
"Well, why don't you go back and ask?" Misty asked.
"I'm not wanting to know that badly," Ash replied, finally being honest with his friends about this topic.
"Well, I'll ask then," Misty said, running back to the orphanage.
Ash just stared at Misty's retreating figure, surprised. "What was that about?" Ash wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Brock replied.
Ash and Brock went back to the hotel to wait for Misty, but they noticed that it was beginning to rain. Brock kept Ash from running out into the rain by telling him that Misty would find shelter quickly. If she was nearby they would see her. If not then she would do what she could to stay safe.
Even with Brock's consolation Ash still was worried. Brock finally was able to get Ash to bed when he gave Ash some Lavender tea. Shortly after Ash drank the herbal tea, he was fast asleep. When Ash was asleep Brock was finally able to relax. Brock began to write in his journal that he had been keeping for a little while now. He had noted that Misty seemed to be having trouble keeping her food down in her stomach in the morning and Ash seemed to be preoccupied with something. Brock had no trouble figuring out what Misty's secret, she was pregnant. But Ash was still a mystery to Brock. Brock sensed that there was something that Ash wasn't telling anyone, not even Pikachu. Brock didn't want to worry Pikachu, neither Misty, but it seemed that Misty had already noticed as she had asked him if he had noticed anything like that about Ash. Pikachu seemed to prefer to be ignorant of what was going on with Ash, or Pikachu was trying to help Ash. Brock couldn't figure out why Pikachu had begun shocking Ash more and more as the days went on.
It seemed that Pikachu would shock Ash if Pikachu tried to show Ash, but Ash didn't even notice, yet at times it seemed that Pikachu would shock Ash during times when Ash was giving Pikachu his full attention. Maybe Pikachu is just trying to make certain that Ash is still around, Brock thought. Everything seemed to be going different than what he had thought this journey would be like. It almost seems as if Ash is no longer interested in becoming the Pokemon Master, Brock thought shaking his head as he was finishing up his entry in his journal. Shortly after the journal is stowed away, Brock is fast asleep.
* * * * * * * * * * *
In the morning Misty gets up. She had to spend the night at the pokemon orphanage because it was too dangerous to try to return to Cherrygrove city. Misty looks out the window and sees that the rain had ended sometime during the night. After Misty eats a small breakfast that Marin had prepared, though she could have had more but Misty didn't want to be imposing, Misty makes certain that all of her pokemon are doing well. Misty especially is pleased with her Togetic. Though all of her other Pokemon seemed to be doing just as well as Togetic. Togetic just seemed to sense Misty's feelings of uncertainty. Togetic had no idea of what Misty' uncertainty was about, but still knew that she wouldn't be like that for no reason.
As Misty was leaving and ten feet from the house, Misty C. came up to Misty. Misty waited for Misty C. to say something, but when it became apparent that Misty C. was going to just wait there Misty commented, "Lovely morning isn't it?"
Misty C. looked startled, as she probably wasn't expecting a comment from Misty like that. "Um, I was, um, wondering if, uhh." Misty C. trailed off.
"Yes? You were wondering what?" Misty asked, kindly.
"Uhh, I was wondering if you and Ash were married," Misty C. said, nervously.
"Misty!" a voice cried out behind them. Misty turned to see Marin holding a basket in her arms, full of pokemon food, staring at her daughter. "That is being rude! You know better than that!"
"I'm." Misty C. started.
"It's all right," Misty called out to Marin.
"Okay," Marin replied, continuing towards where the pokemon lived.
"Sorry for saying that," Misty C. said.
"It's fine. Yeah, I'm married to Ash," Misty replied wondering if that really was still what was fact, thinking about what she had learned about Yellow. Apparently Yellow appeared the same time as Ash disappeared and then Yellow disappeared about the same time that Ash was found. It was a slim chance that it wasn't fact, but Misty wasn't certain about that. All she knew was that Ash would need to choose who he would live with if he did regain his memory. Would he leave her if he chose to be with Marin or would he choose to be with Misty? "Why do you want to know?"
"I was just wondering. I saw how he looked at you yesterday and I remember that look. My daddy looked at mom that way sometimes," Misty C. replied.
"What about other times?" Misty asked, suddenly getting butterflies in her stomach, but keeping a calm face.
"He often was thinking about something. When I tried to ask what he was thinking about he told me it was nothing," Misty C. replied. "Oh! I just remembered that I still have my chores to do! Good-bye, Misty!"
Misty watched Misty C. run into the house to start her chores. Misty had assumed that there was a pokemon orphanage in Ash's memory when Ash asked if there were any others that they knew about. Misty was now quite certain that she had found Ash's missing past, but didn't want to force it on him. She knew that he would need to find it on his own if she wanted him to have a fair chance at it, but she also knew that she could be mistaken about thinking that she had found his lost nine years and it would hurt Ash more if it turned out that it wasn't his lost nine years. Misty hoped that he would remember soon so that she wouldn't have to worry about this. She was the only one that she suspected knew about this, but had no way of being certain about it.
As Misty walked through the calm morning forest, she began to relax. She was calmed by the serenity of the forest in the early morning. The sun had been up for an hour, but the air was still crisp and cool. When her Togepi evolved into Togetic, Misty had stopped carrying it in her arms as it seemed to get in the way more and was heavier. So, Togetic was walking along side her, pleased that Misty wasn't so distressed and had calmed down. Soon they were in Cherrygrove city and Misty quickly found the hotel that they were staying at. As she went in she stopped to put Togetic in its pokeball and watch the news.
"In other news, the famous trainer and one time Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum, is no where to be found. They were last spotted in New Bark town and it seemed that the word had been released that they were going to Blackthorn City. Either he has gotten lost or something has happened to him. We hope that it is only that he have gotten lost and not that something has happened to him. However, some are thinking that he was never heading to Blackthorn City in the first place, but leaving a false trail so that any reporters that were following would not be able to find him. Wait, just a moment," the reporter was saying, pressing something further into her ear, "I have just received information that he has just made a phone call from a hotel in Cherrygrove city. As far as I know he is still on the line."
Misty's attention snapped to finding where the phones were. She quickly found them and saw that Ash was still on the phone with Professor Oak. Misty ran over and told Ash to stop telling the Professor where they were. Ash motioned Misty to wait a moment.
"Hold on," Ash said on the phone. "What Misty?"
"The reporters have found out about that phone call and have found out that we are here," Misty replied.
"What?!" Ash yelped, surprised. Ash then got back on the phone. "Professor, is there a microphone around that the reporters gave you?"
"Why yes there is! How did you guess?" Misty heard the Professor cry out.
"Well, then I think that I shouldn't tell you where I am when I call. It seems that they're using that to track us."
Misty watches the picture of the Professor on the screen get really surprised when Ash says that. Apparently it never occurred to the Professor why the reporters had given him that microphone. When the phone call was done, they hurried back to their rooms and found Brock trying to make his move on the housekeeping lady. Misty drags Brock by his ear into one room with Ash following.
"What is it!?" Brock cried. "I was so close to getting a date with her!"
Misty looks at Ash just as he looks at her and they both burst out laughing. Brock does not find this at all amusing. It seems that he just keeps getting angrier. Soon, Misty realizes this and calms her laughter. Misty then gets Ash's attention and calms down, however slowly. They tell Brock about what happened and they decided to leave town earlier than they planned. They had planned on spending a few weeks there and relaxing, but they knew that if reporters came there, they would not be able to relax at all. By noon, they were already heading out of Cherrygrove city. An hour after they left, the first wave of reporters came and tried to find Ash. The hotel clerk kindly told them that the rooms had been rented for a few weeks. The reporters did not ask where they were, but left not knowing that while the clerk had told them the truth, he did not tell them that they had cancelled their stay that morning. The reporters just did not ask about that. He smiled smugly to himself. He could tell how difficult it was to have reporters following someone around. He had seen enough of it when there was a celebrity that stayed at this hotel.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Marin is crying again, but this time it's worse than it has been for two years. Misty is worried. She walks over to her mother and asks what was wrong. Marin's crying first slows then stops. Marin then looks at Misty's expression of concern through teary eyes. Marin then replies, in a cracking voice, "Nothing dear. I was just missing Yellow. Meeting that Pokemon Master Ash made me realize how much I still miss him."
"Really?" Misty asked, as her mother pulled her into a hug.
Marin doesn't reply except by nodding. Things would work out, Marin tried to reassure herself. She felt hollow once again. The only things that kept her going was her children. If they weren't here, she didn't know what she would do. I'd probably have already killed myself, Marin thought bringing more tears to her eyes as she realized how much she really was still upset about Yellow's disappearance. Still, something about him made me think about Yellow, Marin thought, thinking back on when she met him. Although, he didn't seem to like to be around the bugs, this Ash was there and Marin thought about how Yellow often looked at the Pokemon that he was caring for. It was that exact look. Marin then realized how much the two were alike. Could Yellow be Ash's brother or twin? Marin thought, realizing what exactly could have been going on. Could that mean that he was here trying to find Yellow? Marin decided not to tell her children or anyone about this. She would need to work this out on her own.
*
Author's notes: How was that? Did anyone expect that? I know that I was asked to have Ash meet Marin in Pallet, but technically they didn't meet they just learned who the other was (again). Though, I wonder what everyone thinks about what Misty's and Marin's perceptions were. Should I have this thought continue or should I start working towards a conclusion? If you review your opinion, it may influence my decision, but I'm not putting this up for a vote. Anyway, the current vote for the ending to go is as it was when I started this chapter a few days ago. I wonder if anyone actually expected this. I certainly didn't as I had intended this to go a little different, but then I went to bed and forgot what I had intended to do. I vaguely remember, but not enough to work with. Anyway, look forward to the next chapter!
