Disclaimer: Pokémon does not belong to me ... yeah ...
Chapter 7: Broken
Their blue eyes connected.
May was determined to win.
"Go ... Beautifly: she called, releasing her pokéball gracefully into the air.
Robert, standing opposite her, smiled secretly.
"And I choose you ... Milotic!" he replied, pointing his pokéball ahead, its red beam revealing the huge pokémon.
Beautifly hovered in the air, murmuring nervously, its trainer smiling confidently.
"Milotic, Watergun!"
"Beautifly, dodge it!"
Beautifly flew upwards, the large cannon of water following it.
"I have to shake it off .. Beautifly, Gust!"
Beautifly paused, then began flapping its wings, only managing to indent the fast approaching water gun only slightly.
Robert smiled slightly.
"I'm finishing this .. Milotic, Hydro Pump!"
May's eyes widened, her skin beginning to crawl.
"Beautifly ..."
At full contact, her pokémon fell to the ground, but for May, it seemed as if time itself was slowing, as if taunting her.
She clenched her fists at the thud on the ground.
"Beautifly, get up!"
Her pokémon slowly began to rise, only managing to hover a few feet above the ground.
He had to admire her courage, but it had to be finished.
"Finish, Milotic, Twister!"
A large spiral of water channelled down towards Beautifly, but it was clear to May that when Beautifly had first fallen, she was to lose.
She gripped the pokéball.
"Beautifly, return!" she cried in anguish.
Robert soon followed suit.
Approaching her, he smiled, to her irritation.
"Good battle," he spoke, offering his hand.
May shook it reluctantly.
"For you, you mean," she replied, wanting to leave.
Robert held her hand for a moment longer.
"No, it was a good battle for both of us."
- Pika – Pikachu! -
Max walked about the pool, admiring the ripples, the contours of its face, when he was interrupted.
"Excuse me, but do you know where I could find Rudy?"
Max turned to be greeted by a pretty face whose dark eyes danced at contact with his.
"Why? Who are you?"
She smiled.
"I'm his younger sister, Mari," she replied, holding out her hand.
"Max," he managed to choke, gripping her hand firmly.
"Nice to meet you, now do you think you could take me to my brother?"
A blush creeping into his cheeks, he found he could only nod dumbly.
- Pika – Pi – Pi -
As soon as he saw her, he felt his knees buckle.
Misty stood before him, her long hair playing in the slight breeze, her bright eyes level with his own in shock.
Her strapless blue dress flowed seamlessly as she entered, the door closing behind her on its own accord.
When she finally arrived, staring, he found himself getting lost as she continued to stare, filling him with an unbearable longing to hold her.
He opened his mouth in search of the words that could not be said.
She was beautiful.
Misty could not tear her eyes away from him.
He looked different.
His informality made him all the more attractive and she felt herself being drawn to him, not that she needed any encouraging.
Suddenly, he was moving towards her.
What was she supposed to do?
- Pika – Pika – Chuuu! -
Rudy left Misty's room red-faced and suddenly very warm too.
He couldn't stop thinking about the wedding dress and seeing Kiana in it, but it wasn't the dress that was the problem.
It was the fact that he couldn't picture Misty or anyone else in the dress but Kiana.
What did this mean?
- Pi – Pikachu! -
Kiana looked desperately around the room, finding no one in sight.
Where was Misty?
The spare room lay before her, not one sheet ruffled or touched in anyway.
Its impeccability irritated her.
"She was never here," she finally realized.
- Pi – Pika – Pika! -
Max watched her nervously, unsure of what to say.
He had never been so shy around a girl before, so what made her any different?
"Hey, um, Max, do you think my brother could be out back?"
He turned beet red at the sudden recognition she gave him.
"Umm ... well .. I .. uh .. maybe?" he spluttered.
To his embarrassment she began to giggle.
"Sorry ... I'm embarrassing myself. If you want, I could just leave," he muttered, turning away.
He felt her hand slip into his own.
"No don't, please. I'm the sorry one. My brother, he can wait. Do you just want to hang out?" her soft voice offered.
Max nodded, for fear that he might choke if he tried to say something.
- Pi – Pika – Pikachu! -
Ash took a deep breath as he stood in front of her.
Slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled her in for a kiss, born of many endless nights dreaming.
He kissed her softly, feeling her recoil.
"Ash – stop it!"
She stepped back.
Watching her only made it painful.
"Misty ..."
"No, please Ash, don't!" she pleaded.
Ash kicked himself.
How could he be so good at being a pokémon trainer but useless at dealing with love?
Despite himself, he stepped to her once more, where she waited, head tilted to the ground.
"Misty .."
He cupped both cheeks in his hands, lifting her face up to his own.
She was close now.
"I take it you didn't like it when I kissed you the first time by the pool," he spoke.
She forced her head down.
"Misty, please, look at me," he spoke, lifting her face.
"Is my kissing that bad? I hadn't practiced, you see. I wanted to wait for the right girl."
She didn't answer.
"Then you won't mind if I practice some more."
Before she could answer, Ash had already covered her mouth with his own.
- Pikachu – Pi – Pika! -
She wandered down the busy streets of the city, desperately wanting to be lost.
May sighed as she watched strangers pass, families, friends, children and lovers, who were too consumed in their own lives to bother with the lonely girl who watched.
She seated herself on a bench which was conveniently situated in the center of the city where she continued to watch all those passing.
She hated being alone.
Her eyes began to grow hot when she suddenly remembered the night she and Ash had gone for a walk together.
They had just returned to the Gym.
May paused for a moment as she listened to Misty shuffling down the hall.
Where is she going?
Curiosity taking the better of her, she decided to follow her only for a while.
She followed her all the way to the pool, where the water did not move, where its serenity made her feel calm.
She squinted to see the action down at the far end of the pool.
It was only at the critical moment when she saw Misty and Ash meet did she realize what was going on.
Eyes stinging, she fled on silent feet.
"Excuse me."
May jumped at the voice.
Glancing upwards, bright green eyes pierced her own blue ones.
His short, spiky hair moved gracefully in the cool breeze.
"Y-yes?"
He grinned.
She sighed.
"I believe you are an acquaintance of my younger sister Kiana, no?"
She nodded stiffly, her eyes widening.
Kiana was his little sister?
"Then will you be able to give her this note? It seems you seem to see her more than I do," he explained.
"Tell her it is from Keishi," he spoke, handing over the piece of paper.
May nodded.
"Thanks."
Without another word, he left.
- Pika – Pi – Pi! -
Keishu sighed, glancing wearily at the girl who was still seated.
"Honestly Keishi, I did not see why we could not have given the note to her personally."
Keishi smiled.
"As long as she gets the note .. besides, that girl was cute."
Keishu's eyes hardened.
"And do you know what makes it even more of a tragedy? You don't even know her name!' Keishu announced dramatically.
Keishi glared.
"You mock me, brother?"
"Always, for is it not my solemn duty?"
Keishi didn't reply.
"I will find out her name," he muttered, oblivious to the keen ears of his twin.
- Pika – Pi – Pikachu! -
When Ash finally let go of her, she looked at him, stunned.
Sighing, she could not help but frown.
"Ash ... why do you have to do this? Why?"
Ash stared.
"I don't know .. when I heard you were getting married, I couldn't bear it, I didn't realize how much you had meant to me ..."
Her eyes hardened for a moment.
"And you wait until two weeks before my wedding to tell me this?"
He sighed.
"I'm sorry Misty, I didn't know any better .."
"Oh! Right! So now you do, huh? How long has this taken to finally dawn on you?"
"Far too long."
She paused for a moment, releasing a deep breath.
"And for all this time ... I loved you, Ash, you! I waited, hoped that you would feel the same way, and now, of all times you decide to love me, just before my wedding? Ash, I can't, not now, Rudy ..."
"Can you honestly say that you love him?"
"What kind of question is that? I'm going to marry him Ash!"
Ash turned away.
"I don't believe you."
"Well you better!"
Ash suddenly became quiet.
"If you can honestly say that you do not love me anymore, then I will leave, and I will never return or bother you again."
Misty glared at him, too hurt to think properly of what she was about to say.
"I don't love you anymore Ash, and I don't need you ..."
Ash blocked out the rest, for he had heard all he had needed to hear.
He winced, feeling his heart shatter to pieces, its shards cutting at his soul.
Without so much as a glance or a breath, he left.
And so, she cried.
:X:X:
A/N:
Salutations friends/reviewers/readers!
First and foremost, thank you to those who had reviewed the previous chapter ... I am glad you were able to take the time to both read and review, and I thank you.
Please, I BEG of you to review again and tell of what you think!
With happiness!
Lady Sapphira!