Chapter 8

May woke up suddenly. She thought she heard someone talking.

"Ash? What's going on?"

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She couldn't believe what she saw. Ash, Misty, and all of her poke balls were all gone. May knew that Misty would stop at nothing to complete her plan, whatever that was. She got up and started to run into the only place they could have gone, the forest.

Ash and Pikachu were still trying to find Misty. It seemed like they were walking for forever; it was as if Misty had just disappeared. Ash found a small and empty clearing with some bushes in the middle of it. He leaned against a tree and looked at the sky.

"Pikachu? Why did she do it?"

Pikachu's ears flopped down and he looked down at the ground, just as sad as Ash.

"Pika…"

"Yeah, I don't know either. I just wish we could find her…"

"Pikachu!"

Ash and Pikachu ran behind the tree and the bushes that they were by. They heard a noise coming from the bushes in the middle of the clearing. Then suddenly, the bushes moved aside and Misty popped up from the ground with a man.

"Pikachu, no," Ash whispered, "shhh…we need to hear what they are saying."

"You did a good job Misty. Those pokemon were a valuable addition to the project."

Ash recognized that voice. It was Rudy! And then he saw it.

"Pikachu! It's the medallion!" said Ash in awe.

It was around Misty's neck. Everything seemed to make sense now. Well, somewhat. Ash figured that Misty's behavior had something to do with the medallion, he was sure of it. But what it did, he had no clue.

"Thank you Rudy. It was really easy, even easier than the pokemon convention was."

"Well, you keep up the good work. The boss will be pleased with you. I have to get going now."

Rudy went back down inside the hole, and the bushes went back to their original position. Just as Misty was going to go back to the campsite, Ash and Pikachu jumped out of the bushes. She was shocked, but just for a second, because right then, the medallion began to glow and she seemed calm again.

"Misty! What have you done?"

"Ah-ah-ah! No questions, or else."

She wagged her finger at Ash, and then she pointed at the glowing medallion.

"What is that?"

"Oh nothing. Just something I like to call my psychic friend."

She smirked and Ash couldn't take it anymore. Just then, May found the clearing. She hid behind the bushes where Ash had hidden with Pikachu just a moment ago.

"Misty, I don't want to do this…but I have to. Pikachu! Go! Thunderbolt now!"

"Pika Pikachu!"

He got ready for the attack, but before Pikachu could do anything, Misty touched the medallion and Pikachu started to sleep. Ash couldn't believe it. His only pokemon at the moment, and he was sleeping.

"Pikachu! Come on! Wake up!"

"Don't bother. He's not going to wake up for a long time."

She chuckled and started to walk away.

"Hey! Stop! What did you do to him?"

Misty turned around and grinned.

"Oh, that's simple. Hypnosis. He's asleep. Don't worry; your little friend isn't hurt."

"Misty! Why are you doing this? What happened to you?"

"What?" she said innocently, "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Yes you did!" said Ash angrily.

This couldn't possibly be the real Misty. She would never do anything cruel to a pokemon. Ash knew what to do. Suddenly he started to run towards her, but Misty just touched the medallion again. A blue glow had appeared all around Ash and he couldn't move.

"Mis-ty! Wha- what are … you do-ing?"

Ash was struggling. He was still trying to reach her, but it wasn't doing much. All he could do was walk an inch at a time. Misty saw his stricken face and gazed at him in awe. Why wasn't the medallion stopping him? She stood there mesmerized by his strength. Misty let go of the glowing medallion, but that didn't change anything. Ash continued to come closer to her, inch by inch. She wanted to run away, but for some reason her feet wouldn't let her move. He was getting really close and Misty tried to shield herself from him.

Ash had to stop because the pain was too much. He put his arm around his stomach and bent over to catch his breath. Misty let her guard down, and decided that the medallion was working after all. But then all of a sudden, Ash yelled in agony as he used all of his strength to lean forward. He reached to grab the medallion and when he touched it, a huge flash lit up the clearing, and it became flooded with Ash's yell.

After a couple of seconds, the flash subsided and Misty was standing there, with a horrified look on her face. The medallion was on the ground, and it was broken in two. In front of her was a transparent Ash, with a glow outlining him. Misty couldn't believe it. She was herself again. But Ash… he wasn't. She didn't even want to begin to think of what happened to him.

"Ash…" Misty said quietly.

Ash smiled but his form was fading in and out, so she couldn't quite make him out. Ash was happy; he had finally brought Misty back and that was all that mattered. He looked at himself and realized what had happened. He looked back at Pikachu and sighed. Ash glided over to his sleeping friend and scratched him behind his ears. He turned around and glided back to Misty.

"I'm glad your back, although I still don't know what just happened."

He was getting even more faint and Misty just stood there with her mouth just slightly open, and with the saddest look on her face. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find her voice.

"I'm…sorry…really…I tried…Mis…Misty…"

May couldn't believe it. Those were the exact words that she heard Ash say a couple of nights ago. She wanted to run to him, do something, but just like Misty, she was rooted to her spot behind the bushes and all she was able to do was just watch.

Ash's form was now completely gone. All that was left was a faint glowing mist. Misty's eyes widened; the mist started to reach toward her. It touched her and she felt something warm touch her heart. She heard his voice even though she couldn't see him.

"I want to let you know that I'll always be with you…I'll be with you…in your heart…"

With that said, the faint glowing mist that was Ash glided silently toward Misty and covered her in it. Misty began to glow and after a few seconds, it disappeared and Misty looked like herself again. May was shocked to the point where she just fainted.

Misty still stood there looking at the empty clearing where Ash had just been. She finally found her voice, but it was still quiet.

"Ash?"

She didn't want to believe it. He was probably just playing a cruel joke on her.

"ASH?"

He wasn't answering her. She wouldn't let herself believe it.

"ASH!"

She clenched her fists, and closed her eyes shut. Tears started to pour down her face as what had happened finally sunk into her. He was gone. Gone. He was gone just because he wanted to save her. Misty started to cry even more and then she felt him inside of her. He was within her; she could feel him in her blood and her soul. She felt his strength, his bravery. She felt his courage and most of all she felt his warmth and affection for others.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"AAAASSSSHHHHHH!"

She yelled and yelled and as she did this she began to glow again. Her body was rising in the air and all of her emotions were coming out in bursts of light. When she rose about five feet, she started to spin around in a circle slowly, like a ballerina. Her arms were outstretched and after a minute or so, there was another flash of light and it lit the whole clearing.

The light subsided, and Misty lay stiff on the ground next to Ash. He woke up first and saw that somehow he was alive again. When he saw Misty he quickly went to her.

"Misty! Misty, get up!"

She moaned and Ash helped her stand up. When he let go of her, she started to wobble and he had to hold her up. She looked at him and tears appeared in her eyes. She smiled with joy and so did Ash.

"Ash! Ash, your alive!"

She hugged him and then she quickly stepped back blushing. Ash smiled and looked into her eyes. He felt her warmth come over him and he knew it was really her.

"It's good to have you back Misty. You had me really worried…"

Ash looked down at the ground and Misty was about to say something, but they both turned around because they heard something stirring.

"Ohhahh! Pikachu!"

They ran over to him and Ash took him in his arms. Misty leaned over Ash's shoulder and pet Pikachu.

"I'm sorry Ash. I'm sorry for everything that's happened."

He looked at her and smiled.

"You have nothing to be sorry about. It wasn't you. You didn't do anything."

Misty sighed. "Yeah, but I wasn't strong enough to overcome him."

Ash became puzzled. "Wait, who are you talking about…"

Just then Pikachu opened his eyes and his ears perked up.

"PIKA! PIKACHU!"

He jumped up into Misty's arms and they both smiled.

"It's good to see you too Pikachu."

After greeting Misty, he jumped out of her arms and ran over to the bushes and pointed to them.

"Pi, Pika Pi!"

Misty's smile turned serious and she looked at Ash.

"I'll explain everything to you while we go get the pokemon back."

Ash nodded and they both ran over to Pikachu. Misty went over to a tree and pushed a secret button. The bushes went aside and the hole appeared. Ash, Pikachu and Misty climbed down the hole and they came to an underground river. Ash was amazed. He had never seen anything like it. There was a boat floating in the river and Misty grabbed Ash's arm.

"Come on Ash! We've got to save our pokemon!"

Ash nodded and the three of them got into the boat.