By A. Jonathan Taylor
Ch. 1: Hasta la Vista, Misty!
On the day after his 19th birthday, Ash Ketchum was having such a horrible nightmare! He saw stonewalls painted with blood... he followed the walls until he found Misty in spiked chains and manacles on the wall! As soon as he opened his eyes... he realized that it was all just a horrible nightmare.
He's grown up throughout the years; he's grown reaching 6', he is looking a lot better now that the back of his messy black hair has reached his neck, medium muscle tone, and his body became muscular... but not heavily muscular. As the years passed during growing up and training his Pokémon, he has learned a lot of important things, including love.
Now he figured that maybe that the nightmare was a prediction foretelling the coming of a war, and if he stayed with Misty any longer... she'd die. He got out of bed (he and his friends are in a hotel of the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, the reason why they're at that place again was because Max is beginning his on Pokémon Journey) and put on blue underwear, blue pants, a white t-shirt, a blue jacket, and a red cap.
His Pikachu hopped from bed and onto his left shoulder, Ash saw the door open by a young girl, and not just any girl, it's Misty Waterflower! Misty was more beautiful than when she was 12. The usual hair style she had when she and Ash first met changed, now she has short red hair covering her forehead and a large crimson ponytail draping all the way from the back of her neck to her lower back. She was now 5'5" and sweeter than ever. (A.N.: If you want to know her bra cup size, it's near to the 40 D-size.)
Misty asks him, "Well, aren't you getting out?" Ash answers, "As soon as the other guys get up."
As soon as they did, Ash stared off into space, thinking about Misty's safety. As someone was about to snag food from Ash's plate... he didn't even bother to react. He found a brochure recording history of the land. He read it up to a mysterious cave called the Tunnel of Infinite Darkness. He looked up at Misty and the others and then he said to them, "I'll be going into the Tunnel of Infinite Darkness. I have to leave you everyone. Hasta la vista."
Brock nonchalantly says, "Okay." 30 seconds after Ash & his Pokémon walked away... everyone (including Brock) realized what Ash said, and shouted out, "WHAT?" They went up to look for Ash, but he was nowhere in the Pokémon center to be found, meaning that he is going into the Tunnel of Infinite Darkness!
Misty ran after him to stop him before even entering the cave. Ash became an unusually fast runner. It became an hour until he finally made it to the boarded up entrance to the Tunnel, which is pretty far north from the Indigo Plateau. Oddly, every Pokémon that he currently owns, including his Pikachu, followed him. Ash tells his little buddy, "Pikachu, break down those boards with your iron tail attack."
Pikachu's tail illuminated in a strong white metallic glow, Pikachu smashed his tail against the boards, and broke them down like a hot knife to super-softened butter.
Ash explained to his Pokémon why he's going into the Tunnel, "It was said that whoever walked into that Tunnel would experience total darkness, blocking out all five senses; sight, touch, smell, taste, & hearing... leaving us to rely on our extra senses. If we are strong, we will survive and pass the test, once we pass the test... our strength will be amplified. But, since it's so dark in there... those who are weak-minded will be just scared out of their wits until they run back to the entrance. Are you all sure that you're all prepared for it?" His Pokémon called out in agreement, they were as ready as Ash ever was!
Misty finally came to stop him within several heartbeats... as he was about to enter the Tunnel... she began crying as she called out to him, "ASH! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE, ASH! I LOVE YOU!" Ash turns to face her and said to her, "That's why I have to go... I'm sorry, Misty. Good-bye."
The Time Has Come
Before going into the Tunnel, he turned to Misty and says, "I love you too." He kissed her (A.N: French, if you wanted to know.), for the first and last time. Then he disappeared into the darkness...
/ I close my eyes /
Misty closed her eyes...
/ And I can see /
/ The day we met /
In her memories she saw him (and slapped him across the face) on the first day they met.
/ Just one moment and I knew /
/ You're my best friend /
/ Do anything /
/ For you /
/ We've gone so far /
/ And done so much /
She then remembered the time she danced with him at the first kimono festival they've been together at.
/ And I feel /
/ Like we've always been together /
/ Right by my side /
She then saw herself with Ash walking side-by-side in their past.
/ Through thick and thin /
/ You're the part of my life /
/ I'll always remember /
/ The time has come /
/ It's for the best I know it /
/ Who could've guessed that you and I... /
/ Somehow, someday /
Then she saw the times she wanted to keep traveling with Ash & the gang.
/ We'd have to say good-bye. /
/ You've helped me find /
/ The strength inside /
/ And the courage /
/ To make my dreams come true /
/ How will I find /
/ Another friend /
/ Like you /
/ Two of a kind /
She saw herself arguing with Ash as kids.
/ That's what we are /
/ And it seemed /
/ Like we were always winning /
/ But as our team /
/ Is torn apart /
/ I wish we could go /
/ Back to the beginning /
/ The time has come /
/ It's for the best I know it /
/ Who could've guessed that you and I... /
/ Somehow, someday /
/ We'd have to say good-bye. /
/ Somehow, someday /
/ We'd have to say good-bye. /
As she opened her eyes... she said to the entrance of the Tunnel, "Good-bye, beloved Ash."
Jessie, James, & Meowth of Team Rocket weren't far behind; as they were about to attack Misty... they retreated back into the bushes. They realized that Ash is no longer with his human friends... they felt pretty stupid, spending all that time chasing Ash's Pikachu.
Jessie said, "You know, without them... we can get that pest's Pokémon with no trouble whatsoever." James replied, "I like your idea and all that, but thinking about that tunnel, I've heard a group of children went in there and never came out again." Jessie yelled at her partner, "DON'T BE A SISSY! WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT? OUR JOBS OR OUR LIVES?" Meowth questioned his human friend, "Isn't that what jobs are for? Supporting our lives?"
Without thinking twice, Team Rocket ran into the Tunnel of Infinite Darkness... after an hour of walking... Meowth cried, "Oh, no! I've gone blind, and cat Pokémon like myself usually see in the dark!" Jessie calmly said, "We can't just give up if we've lost our sight!" James said, "Maybe this Tunnel is actually an evil test to see if anybody is willing to risk his or her lives to go through it." Jessie scolded James, "Quit your whining!" James realized he wasn't and said to her, "I wasn't whining! Wait a minute, that's odd; I usually whine at times like this, now I don't feel like whining." Jessie replied, "That is scary."
At that, Wobbuffet popped out of his Poké ball and said, "Wobbuffet!" Jessie complained, "I wish I'd just lose you here!" James sighed, "On the bright side, you don't get to see him." Meowth said to his friends, "Try feeling the walls, that way we can follow it to the exit..." Then the talking Pokémon started to panic, "If there's one."
Another hour of walking later... James said, "I knew it! There goes my sense of touch!" Jessie scolded him, "I'm not giving up!" Meowth said to James, "With her eyes blinded and her senses vanishing, I think we have to really on our other remaining senses."
Another hour of walking later... James said, "Uh... Meowth, I can't smell anything. Not even my breath." Meowth asked, "Did you remember to brush your teeth?" James said, "Now that you mention it... yes, I did. I still taste the mint flavor of that toothpaste." Jessie scolded them again, "I swear if I get to hear another comment about your senses disappearing, I'm going to pound you!" Meowth joked, "You can hit us if you can find us." James laughed, "You can't hit what you can't see!"
Another hour of walking... Meowth asked James, "Is your sense of taste gone yet?" James said, "Yes, it has. Now what do we do, Jess?" Jessie shouted, "Just shut up!" Meowth & James both said in unison, "Good idea." They decided to rely on their sense of hearing. They had heard the sound of dripping water, with their minds' eyes they felt the sound waves bouncing off the walls and creating the world through a blind man's eyes. They followed the sound and the shape of the tunnel.
After yet an hour of walking... James thought-spoke, "I bet Jessie didn't give up yet, as well as I lost my sense of sound. But still, I can hear my thoughts. And that's a good thing." Jessie panicked in her thoughts, Okay, now I'm starting to panic... I can't hear James and Meowth, or Wobbuffet, anymore! What am I going to do? Could this be the end? What am I going to do? Jessie held onto something, she might be holding James, because she's feeling something very warm and protective of her. Neither Jessie nor James knew that they actually are holding to each other.
After the 6th hour of nothing but walking and inner feelings... they encountered a blue serpentine aura creature with wide jaws and hungry red eyes in their minds' eyes! An unusual masculine voice spoke in their heads, "Turn back, if you don't wish to feel the power of this Tunnel." Team Rocket retreated back to the entrance of the Tunnel (in a matter of 2 hours) and as they exited the Tunnel... their senses returned to them. The time of day it was night and their clothes are drenched, they figured that they walked through the water that was in that Tunnel.
Meowth sarcastically said, "That was fun." James panted for air as he spoke, "I think we've lost the twerp." Jessie said, "Okay, now it's time... that we should give up going after him." James said, "Now we know what got those kids." Meowth sweat dropped, "That was pretty farfetched, maybe you were right about the evil test thing. If Ash went in there to protect that girl, Misty, then I guess he did it for the best to protect her."
(A.N.: I know it seems odd for them to mention their enemies by their names, but it was the effects of the Tunnel of Infinite Darkness that changed them, i.e. James' not whining in desperate situations back in there.)
Jessie said, "From what and whom? We've lost him and that was our goal. Now that we've lost those Pokémon that he's ever gotten..." Jessie got to the point of crying her eyes out. Meowth asked, "What's wrong Jessie?" Jessie explained why she's crying; "Now that there aren't any Pokémon of the young man's to steal... we're out of a job."
They had one last place to turn to... their boss, Giovanni. They broke the news to him over the telephone, every last moment of what happened ever since they ran into Ash Ketchum, and their final try in the Tunnel of Infinite Darkness... Giovanni said, "You know what you worthless creatures?" Jessie, James, & Meowth asked their boss, "Don't tell us; we're fired?" Giovanni said, "Exactly!" James furiously said to him over the phone, "You don't have to fire me! Because I QUIT!" James was so full of adrenaline that he smashed the phone along with the phone booth!
Back at Team Rocket Headquarters... Giovanni got the message, and was more than pleased that he didn't have to deal with them anymore! As Giovanni pets his Persian, "After all this time, I'm glad to be rid of those three. Now seems like the perfect time to start our World Domination Alliance project."
3 weeks later, the three former members of Team Rocket decided to live as hoboes. After those three miserable weeks, all three of them got so slobbering drunk that they couldn't even afford any drop of alcohol. When fate came... someone picked them up.
During the 3 weeks, Misty and the others have been working and training... Misty had misery struck her as if it was a mountain falling onto her back! She tried her best to get over it but t was absolutely no use, she just cannot get over the fact that someone she loved the most is no longer beside her (Ash Ketchum, duh). As night fell... Misty continued to dream that Ash is still beside her.
Misty's Song
/ Out here in the quiet of the night, /
/ Beneath the stars and moon /
/ We both know we've got something on our minds /
/ We won't admit, but it's true /
/ You look at me, I look away /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know how to start /
/ I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that you might break my heart /
/ Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do? /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to say that, I love you /
/ I practice all the things that I could say, /
/ Line by line, every word /
/ I tell myself today could be the day, /
/ But every time, I lose my nerve /
/ I look at you, you look away /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know how to start /
/ I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that you might break my heart /
/ Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do? /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to say that, I love you /
/ Why, do you turn away /
/ It must be, you're afraid like me /
/ I try, but I can't pretend that I /
/ Don't feel for you the way I do /
/ Can't you see /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know how to start /
/ I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that you might break my heart /
/ Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do? /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to say that, I love you /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, but I don't know how to start /
/ I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that you might break my heart /
/ Oh, why should anything so easy, ever be so hard to do? /
/ I wanna tell you what I'm feeling, and to say that, I love you /
She had a very distinct feeling that she may see him again.
To be continued...