Ash stopped running once he reached the gym in Violet. He put his hands on
his knees and leaned over, catching his breath. A second later, he got up
and walked inside the gym. He looked around before deciding that he must go
up to the top floor. He was sure that Faulkner was up there.
Ash ran through the room, searching for his friend while Brock panted behind. A short girl with hazel colored hair in two pigtails and matching eyes walked up to Ash. She crossed her arms and leered at him.
"What are you doing here? You going to try to beat Faulkner?" She barked.
Ash stood on his tiptoes and looked over her head. The girl, however, got up in his face.
"Are you?" She asked annoyingly.
Ash looked her in the eye.
"I'm looking for Faulkner, do you know where he is?" Ash asked politely.
She crossed her arms again and moved menacingly in front of him. Ash fought a sigh.
"Look, Hazel," he said because he didn't know her name and that was the first thing that came to mind, "I REALLY need to see Faulkner. Now."
The girl glared at Ash.
"Why do you need to see Faulkner?" She asked, with a slight edge in her voice.
"Look, I just really need to see him. Do you know where he is? Please?" Ash pleaded.
"My name's May, by the way," The girl replied.
"Great. Nice to meet you, May. Where's Faulkner?" Ash asked desperately.
"What if I don't know?" May said infuriatingly.
Brock looked between his comrade and May. He rolled his eyes and looked to the desperate Ash. He was on edge.
"Look, Ash, you think you can finish up this argument? We have to find her, you know?" Brock said, gazing at a watch on his wrist.
Ash glared at his friend for a moment and then turned his gaze back towards May.
"I KNOW, Brock. I know. I just need to find Faulkner first," Ash said, the irritation finally showing in his tone.
Brock flinched at Ash's tone.
"Sorry, Brock," Ash recovered quickly.
"You still haven't answered my question," May insisted.
Ash's eyes turned back towards May. Ash sighed.
"Look, we have to run," Ash said, before darting off.
Brock looked back at May in apology before darting off after. May glared at the retreating figures before making up her mind and running after them.
Ash ran up the stairs and to the top floor, panting heavily. Brock came next, who was trailed by May. Ash's eyes quickly scanned the floor. He saw plenty of trainers up there. He saw members of the gym challenging other trainers for the right to battle Faulkner. He ran past them.
And then he saw it. Now, you must understand that the whole place was focusing on Ash and his party. Seeing as two guys, one with a bright yellow Pikachu, and one really tall guy were running through the place. And that's not to mention the angry teenage girl running behind them.
Ash had spotted a door. An open door. He bolted to it, but not before gym members blocked his path. Ash ignored their grabbing arms and thrusting legs and slid underneath them. He was on a balcony now. He looked to his left and saw only a small plant and a table. When he looked to the right, he saw gold.
A rusty fire escape. Ash jumped up and began climbing up the rungs. Brock hadn't been able to get through, but May was another story. She had just slipped through the door just as Ash had made his was up to the roof.
She too looked from left to right and spotted the ladder. She climbed up carefully, but made the mistake of looking down. She swallowed, but gritted her teeth and looked away. She continued climbing.
"Faulkner! HELP!" Ash yelled to the figure in the sky.
Faulkner looked down from his perch to the waving figure on the roof. He ordered his Pidgeot down in a wild swoop. The Pidgeot gracefully landed on the roof and Faulkner strode off it just as May had climbed up to the roof. Faulkner noted Ash's worried eyes and felt worried himself.
"What Ash?" Faulkner asked curiously.
Ash swallowed and was about to speak when May tackled him. Ash fell violently on the roof. Faulkner grew concerned.
"Got you finally, Ash-LEE!" May yelled triumphantly.
Ash struggled against the girl sitting on top of him. Faulkner stared at the girl before forcefully pulling her off Ash.
"Ash, what happened? Why'd she tackle you?" Faulkner asked, tired.
"Well, for one thing, Misty's gone. I have no clue why she tackled me, though," Ash said, dusting himself off.
"Ash, what happened? Why'd she tackle you?" Faulkner asked, tired.
"Well, for one thing, Misty's gone. I have no clue why she tackled me, though," Ash said, dusting himself off.
"Misty's gone? As in, she left?" Faulkner asked, understanding his young friend's worry.
Ash nodded.
"Okay, well, I sure haven't seen her. Maybe she's in New Bark," Faulkner suggested.
Ash shook his head.
"I don't think so, but you can check. It'd be a perfect place to settle down in, but she could be found too easily and she would have to camp. I also don't think she'd go backwards, towards Kanto," Ash said, sounding somewhat smart.
Faulkner stared at him. Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.
"Hey, I'm not THAT dense!" Ash said.
Faulkner nodded carefully and Ash sent him a glare. May pouted.
"What are you doing here, Ashy? You trying to challenge Faulkner here? Because I bet he could battle circles around you, Chicken," May taunted.
Ash whipped around to face May. He stuck a finger out and jabbed at the air. Then he started pacing.
"DON'T call me Ashy! My name, which I don't even know how you found out, is ASH. Secondly, I'm not here to battle Faulkner. It's not any of your business why I'm here; so don't try to make it yours. And last, I am NOT a chicken, okay? Now, do you see me insulting your battling skills? No? Good. So don't insult mine!" Ash said angrily.
May rolled her eyes. Faulkner frowned.
"May, I think that Ash would appreciate it if you would stop flirting with him," Faulkner replied.
May and Ash both glared at Faulkner. Faulkner himself sighed.
"You know, not to drudge up bad memories, but Ash, you would both do that whenever anyone commented on your flirting," Faulkner stated.
Ash gave Faulkner a dark glare.
"Can you fly me to Pallet?" Ash asked, forgetting his anger for a moment.
"Yeah, sure. Why?" Faulkner asked, confused.
"I need to collect a friend," Ash said cryptically.
Faulkner nodded, though he was confused. Ash turned to May.
"Will you stay here and watch Brock? He's tall, brown spiky hair, hits on every girl within a 5-foot radius.Anyways; he's a great cook. All you have to do is make sure that he doesn't get his heart stomped on and look for a.Hang on a second." Ash began.
Ash rummaged around in his pockets, pulling out badges, trophies, and various food wrappers. He finally pulled out a small picture from his backpack. It was a picture of Misty that had been taken about two years ago at Maiden's Peak.
"Who's she?" May asked in an odd tone of voice.
"Misty. My best friend." Ash said off May's odd look.
May nodded.
"So, just let me know if you see her, okay? Thanks, May, I owe you one," Ash said, climbing on Pidgeot's back.
May nodded and just before Ash got on the Pidgeot, she grabbed him and kissed him. Ash was stunned. Very stunned. As a matter of fact he was still reeling from that. He noticed that Faulkner was openly staring at him, as was Pikachu.
"Stop looking at me like that!" Ash hollered.
Ash ran through the room, searching for his friend while Brock panted behind. A short girl with hazel colored hair in two pigtails and matching eyes walked up to Ash. She crossed her arms and leered at him.
"What are you doing here? You going to try to beat Faulkner?" She barked.
Ash stood on his tiptoes and looked over her head. The girl, however, got up in his face.
"Are you?" She asked annoyingly.
Ash looked her in the eye.
"I'm looking for Faulkner, do you know where he is?" Ash asked politely.
She crossed her arms again and moved menacingly in front of him. Ash fought a sigh.
"Look, Hazel," he said because he didn't know her name and that was the first thing that came to mind, "I REALLY need to see Faulkner. Now."
The girl glared at Ash.
"Why do you need to see Faulkner?" She asked, with a slight edge in her voice.
"Look, I just really need to see him. Do you know where he is? Please?" Ash pleaded.
"My name's May, by the way," The girl replied.
"Great. Nice to meet you, May. Where's Faulkner?" Ash asked desperately.
"What if I don't know?" May said infuriatingly.
Brock looked between his comrade and May. He rolled his eyes and looked to the desperate Ash. He was on edge.
"Look, Ash, you think you can finish up this argument? We have to find her, you know?" Brock said, gazing at a watch on his wrist.
Ash glared at his friend for a moment and then turned his gaze back towards May.
"I KNOW, Brock. I know. I just need to find Faulkner first," Ash said, the irritation finally showing in his tone.
Brock flinched at Ash's tone.
"Sorry, Brock," Ash recovered quickly.
"You still haven't answered my question," May insisted.
Ash's eyes turned back towards May. Ash sighed.
"Look, we have to run," Ash said, before darting off.
Brock looked back at May in apology before darting off after. May glared at the retreating figures before making up her mind and running after them.
Ash ran up the stairs and to the top floor, panting heavily. Brock came next, who was trailed by May. Ash's eyes quickly scanned the floor. He saw plenty of trainers up there. He saw members of the gym challenging other trainers for the right to battle Faulkner. He ran past them.
And then he saw it. Now, you must understand that the whole place was focusing on Ash and his party. Seeing as two guys, one with a bright yellow Pikachu, and one really tall guy were running through the place. And that's not to mention the angry teenage girl running behind them.
Ash had spotted a door. An open door. He bolted to it, but not before gym members blocked his path. Ash ignored their grabbing arms and thrusting legs and slid underneath them. He was on a balcony now. He looked to his left and saw only a small plant and a table. When he looked to the right, he saw gold.
A rusty fire escape. Ash jumped up and began climbing up the rungs. Brock hadn't been able to get through, but May was another story. She had just slipped through the door just as Ash had made his was up to the roof.
She too looked from left to right and spotted the ladder. She climbed up carefully, but made the mistake of looking down. She swallowed, but gritted her teeth and looked away. She continued climbing.
"Faulkner! HELP!" Ash yelled to the figure in the sky.
Faulkner looked down from his perch to the waving figure on the roof. He ordered his Pidgeot down in a wild swoop. The Pidgeot gracefully landed on the roof and Faulkner strode off it just as May had climbed up to the roof. Faulkner noted Ash's worried eyes and felt worried himself.
"What Ash?" Faulkner asked curiously.
Ash swallowed and was about to speak when May tackled him. Ash fell violently on the roof. Faulkner grew concerned.
"Got you finally, Ash-LEE!" May yelled triumphantly.
Ash struggled against the girl sitting on top of him. Faulkner stared at the girl before forcefully pulling her off Ash.
"Ash, what happened? Why'd she tackle you?" Faulkner asked, tired.
"Well, for one thing, Misty's gone. I have no clue why she tackled me, though," Ash said, dusting himself off.
"Ash, what happened? Why'd she tackle you?" Faulkner asked, tired.
"Well, for one thing, Misty's gone. I have no clue why she tackled me, though," Ash said, dusting himself off.
"Misty's gone? As in, she left?" Faulkner asked, understanding his young friend's worry.
Ash nodded.
"Okay, well, I sure haven't seen her. Maybe she's in New Bark," Faulkner suggested.
Ash shook his head.
"I don't think so, but you can check. It'd be a perfect place to settle down in, but she could be found too easily and she would have to camp. I also don't think she'd go backwards, towards Kanto," Ash said, sounding somewhat smart.
Faulkner stared at him. Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly.
"Hey, I'm not THAT dense!" Ash said.
Faulkner nodded carefully and Ash sent him a glare. May pouted.
"What are you doing here, Ashy? You trying to challenge Faulkner here? Because I bet he could battle circles around you, Chicken," May taunted.
Ash whipped around to face May. He stuck a finger out and jabbed at the air. Then he started pacing.
"DON'T call me Ashy! My name, which I don't even know how you found out, is ASH. Secondly, I'm not here to battle Faulkner. It's not any of your business why I'm here; so don't try to make it yours. And last, I am NOT a chicken, okay? Now, do you see me insulting your battling skills? No? Good. So don't insult mine!" Ash said angrily.
May rolled her eyes. Faulkner frowned.
"May, I think that Ash would appreciate it if you would stop flirting with him," Faulkner replied.
May and Ash both glared at Faulkner. Faulkner himself sighed.
"You know, not to drudge up bad memories, but Ash, you would both do that whenever anyone commented on your flirting," Faulkner stated.
Ash gave Faulkner a dark glare.
"Can you fly me to Pallet?" Ash asked, forgetting his anger for a moment.
"Yeah, sure. Why?" Faulkner asked, confused.
"I need to collect a friend," Ash said cryptically.
Faulkner nodded, though he was confused. Ash turned to May.
"Will you stay here and watch Brock? He's tall, brown spiky hair, hits on every girl within a 5-foot radius.Anyways; he's a great cook. All you have to do is make sure that he doesn't get his heart stomped on and look for a.Hang on a second." Ash began.
Ash rummaged around in his pockets, pulling out badges, trophies, and various food wrappers. He finally pulled out a small picture from his backpack. It was a picture of Misty that had been taken about two years ago at Maiden's Peak.
"Who's she?" May asked in an odd tone of voice.
"Misty. My best friend." Ash said off May's odd look.
May nodded.
"So, just let me know if you see her, okay? Thanks, May, I owe you one," Ash said, climbing on Pidgeot's back.
May nodded and just before Ash got on the Pidgeot, she grabbed him and kissed him. Ash was stunned. Very stunned. As a matter of fact he was still reeling from that. He noticed that Faulkner was openly staring at him, as was Pikachu.
"Stop looking at me like that!" Ash hollered.