Chapter 3
Lost and Found
Vivi listened intently as Misty continued to weave her tale. It had started out kind of bumpy, but the more Misty told, the more Vivi wanted to hear. The boy who could talk to Pokemon was on a journey to defeat the eight sages of the land and get a jewel from each of them, Misty had said, so that he could prove himself to the emperor and become a knight. So far, he had caught a Caterpie (which the princess really hated), evolved it into a Butterfree, and caught a Pigeotto. The boy almost lost his first sage battle because of his kindness to Pokemon, but fortunately, the sage understood and awarded him the victory anyway. The sage even decided to join the princess and the boy. He had the ability to understand a Pokemon's feelings, and also the ability to repel all girls within a two-mile radius.
"What happened next?" Vivi asked impatiently.
"Well," Misty continued, "the boy needed to get to the next kingdom so he could meet the second sage, but the princess did not want to go."
"Why not, Miss Misty?"
"Hang on, I'm getting to it. The princess did not want to go because the kingdom had three sages instead of one- her sisters! She had told them that she was not going to come home until she was ready to rule the kingdom, and she knew that they would make fun of her if she came back now."
"So what did she do?"
"She tried to get the boy to meet another sage instead, but he was too stubborn and wouldn't do it. So she had to follow him, even if she didn't want to."
"Why did she have to?"
"Because . . . he was her friend. The princess was not going to tell her friends about her sisters, but they were doing such a bad job, she had to battle him herself!"
"So who won!"
"The princess of course! But then, the three witches attacked the gy- castle. The boy handled them easily, so the princess' sisters gave him their jewel, even though he really lost."
Vivi listened to Misty's story all day, but she never got tired of hearing it. It was fascinating, something new was always happening. But even more than the story itself, Vivi loved the way Misty told it. She told it with such emotion, and it made the characters so real. Vivi could feel how much they cared about each other in Misty's voice. It was almost as if Misty had been there herself . . .
"Man, I thought we'd never get here!" Ash said as he rubbed his back.
The group had taken the magnet train from Goldenrod to Saffron, but the trip to Viridian was an eight-hour bus trip.
"Me too!" May agreed.
She did not look like her usually cheerful self. Her hair was messy, as were her clothes, and her eyes drooped.
"I think we should get some rest before we do anything else." Brock suggested. "We're probably ahead of Team Rocket, so there's plenty of time."
It was already night in the small city, so the group took Brock's advice and checked into the local Pokemon Center. Pikachu flopped onto a bunk, and everyone else did the same. Except for Ash, that is. Even though he was tired, Ash was ready to resume searching for Misty.
"How are we gonna find Team Rocket once they get here?" He asked.
May laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that. They usually find us one way or another."
Ash was not entirely convinced, but he asked no more questions. He did not want the others to know how worried he was about Misty. He kept telling himself that she would be fine, that it was only Team Rocket, but there were two little words that would not leave him alone: "what if." What if there were something really wrong? What if they could not find her? What if Team Rocket was not as innocent as they thought?
"Stop it!" Ash scolded himself. "No one else is worried, so why should I be?"
But he could not help thinking about it. The more he tried to ignore the thoughts, the more persistent they became. Sort of like Team Rocket, only not so annoying. And the worst part was that, for now at least, all Ash could do was hope. Hope that Misty was not hurt or scared or alone.Ash finally turned out the light and went to bed himself.
"Don't worry Ash," Brock said to his worried friend, "we'll keep looking tomorrow."
Ash only nodded solemnly.
"Poor Ash." Brock thought. "He tries to hide it, but it's obvious that he's really worried about Misty."
But he had to admit, he was starting to get a little worried himself.
"I'm sure Misty can take care of herself though." He told himself. "Team Rocket'll probably be begging us to take her back."
He only hoped he was right.
Two had already passed, but Misty's story still was not finished. She had already told Vivi of how the boy who could talk to Pokemon had beaten the first eight sages. Along the way, both the princess, the boy, and the sage had made friends, human and Pokemon, and said good-bye too many times. The boy had caught several new Pokemon, while he released others so they could follow their own dreams. The princess herself had caught a magical egg Pokemon, and a very stupid Psyduck. The witches continued to try to steal Pikachu, but failed miserably every time. Some things never changed. Vivi's favorite part when Pikachu won against the third sage's Raichu, even though the Raichu was stronger. Finally, the group made it to the tournament that would decide who would be the one to become a knight that year. Although the boy lost, he had put up a hard fight, and he was not about to give up. The sage had to leave, but the princess continued to follow the boy into a chain of islands, where he would face another set of sages. There was no way for him to become a knight this time, but it did not matter to him. He wanted all the experience he could get. So far, the princess and the boy had met a new friend, an artist, who joined them on their quest, and a beautiful Lapras who ferried them from island to island. The boy had already won two jewels, and he was now going after his third.
"The third sage was also a prince, just like the princess's sisters." Misty said. "He was a very handsome and kind prince, and he fell in love with the princess."
"He was very sweet to the princess, and invited her to a royal banquet. There, he asked her to stay with him forever. The princess really liked the prince, but she also liked her friends. She didn't know what to do! She thought about it a long time, but she still couldn't decide. Then the prince and the boy had to battle to see if the boy could get his third jewel. The princess watched, but she wasn't sure who to cheer for. But finally, she knew that no matter how much she liked the prince, what she really wanted was to be with her friends."
"So she didn't leave?"
"No. The prince was sad to see her go, but he knew he couldn't change her mind. She wasn't in love with him."
"But why not? He was so nice to her."
"There's more to love than that."
"Like what?"
"Like . . . friendship, and helping each other out. Those kinda things."
Vivi did not completely understand, but she was glad that the princess had not left.
It was already past noon when Ash woke up the next morning.
"I can't believe I overslept!" He said. "We have to start looking for Misty."
"Give yourself a break, Ash." May said. "We all had a rough day yesterday, and I know you're worried about her. You deserved a little rest."
Still, Ash wanted to start searching as soon as possible. But first they needed a plan. How were they going to know when Team Rocket showed up, or where? Ash did not know where to begin. Fortunately for him, Max had a plan.
"Jesse, I'm hungry, how much farther is the gym?" James whined.
"Quit complaining, we're almost there!" Jesse yelled back at him.
She was hungry herself, but James' complaining was only making her more irritated. Really, she had no idea how far they were from the Viridian Gym. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but the path in front of them, lined by miles of trees.
"Can we at least stop for a rest, Jesse?" Meowth begged.
"No! What's the matter with you two! You're such babies!"
James and Meowth sighed. There was no way they were going to win this argument. Jesse could not be outdone. Suddenly, James just collapsed onto his knees.
"Jesse, I can't take it anymore! I can see Pikachu right in front of us, but that's impossible because Pikachu is with the Twerps, and the Twerps aren't here! I'm so hungry, I'm hallucinating!"
"Wait a minute, Jim, I see it too!" Meowth exclaimed.
"Me too!" Jesse said.
Sure enough, a little mouse Pokemon sat in the middle of the path, just staring at the three "criminals".
"Do you think this is some sort of triple hallucination?" James asked. "Or do you think that Pikachu is really there?"
"Maybe it ain't the Twoip's Pikachu." Meowth reasoned. "They do live around heres, you know."
"Oh well, a Pikachu is a Pikachu. Let's go!" Jesse exclaimed, running toward Pikachu.
The others followed, but just as they reached the Pikachu, it ran ahead of them.
"Wait, come back, we won't hurt you!" Jesse called.
But the Pikachu was not stopping. Then, just when they thought it was going to get away, it turned and gave an evil looking glare at Team Rocket. The next thing they knew, they had fallen into a deep pit, and it was not comfortable.
"What is this!" Jesse screamed.
As she said this, three angry faces came into view just above her.
"What are you Twerps doing here?"
"Yeah, how dare you use our best trap against us!" James added.
Brock smirked. "You think you're the first to dig a hole?"
"Well, our holes are a lot better than yours!"
"Who cares about the stupid hole, what do you want!" Jesse screeched.
"What have you done with Misty!" Ash demanded.
"We don't know what you're talking about, do we James?"
"I know what they're talking about!" James said proudly. "Misty is that redhead Twerpette!"
"Shut-up, James!" Jesse whispered, rather loudly, to James. "Do you want them to think we know something?"
"Oh, right. Misty who?" James corrected himself.
Ash and the others sweat-dropped, but they did not forget their purpose.
"We know you have her!" May shouted down to the three Rockets. "And you'd better tell us where she is, or we'll-"
"Or you'll what!" Jesse taunted.
But she immediately regretted her words when Pikachu went into attack stance, sparking at its cheeks.
"Now wait a minute!" Meowth called back.
All three jumped out of the whole and took a ready position.
"Don't go threatenin' us over stuff we ain't even done!"
"Come on, do you really expect us to believe you're innocent?" Max asked.
"Yeah, because we is!" Meowth answered.
"Pikachu . . ." Ash said.
Pikachu knew what that meant. It returned to its threatening pose as Team Rocket shuddered.
"Really, we don't know anything!" James said as he cowered.
"Yeah, we don't keep up with all them girls the boss's kidnapped!" Meowth added.
"Aha! So you do know something!" Brock exclaimed triumphantly.
"Not really." Jesse argued. "He might have her and he might not. We don't know anything about your twerpy little friend."
"But you do know where those girls are being kept, don't you?" Brock interrogated.
"Maybe." Jesse answered. "But we're not gonna tell you!"
"Oh yes you are." Ash said slyly. "Because if you don't . . ."
Pikachu took its cue.
"Alright, we'll tell you!" Team Rocket cried together.
On the outside, it appeared to be a normal gym. Stone gray walls, green roof, and a few statues of rare Pokemon. But in this case, appearances were deceiving.
"Hey, I thought this place got destroyed a few years ago." Ash said.
"Yes, but the boss has rebuilt since then." James answered.
"But the police were involved after that. Isn't your boss kinda worried he'll get caught?" Brock asked.
"Of course not." Jesse said. "It's so obvious, it's the last place they'd ever look!"
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Said Ash.
"Actuallyit's pretty smart." Max stated.
"See? But of course, we can't expect you Twerps to understand such a brilliant plan." James added.
"Hey, you didn't think of it either." May said curtly.
"Guys,come on, we're wasting time." Ash said.
Then Ash and the others forced Team Rocket to lead them inside the building. They walked all the way across the wide room until they came to the opposite wall. Jesse then lifted the lid on a small metal box on the wall and pressed a code onto the buttons beneath it. A piece of the floor slid back to reveal a passage way that led underground.
"Ok, we brought you here." Jesse said. "After we get down there, you're on your own."
Ash and the others followed Team Rocket down the stairs and into the darkness.
". . . So the boy was so close this time, but finally, he was beaten." Misty said.
"Aw, I feel sorry for him!" Said Vivi.
"Well don't, because he still didn't give up. He'd never give up! And I know he wouldn't want you to feel bad for him."
"Didn't he ever get tired of losing though?"
"Of course, but he knew he couldn't win if he just quit. And he wanted to win more than anything. But for now, he and his friends headed back to his home. On the way, they stopped in the Princess' kingdom and visited her sisters. But . . ."
"But what?"
"But they wanted her to stay and take care of the castle while they went to a ball in another kingdom."
"So what did she do?"
"Well, she was glad that her sisters finally realized that she was capable enough to handle the castle. But that didn't seem so important anymore. The boy was her best friend in the world, and she knew that it would be really hard for her to leave him. But there was nothing she could do. She couldn't leave the castle unattended, and the boy still hadn't achieved his dream, so he couldn't just stay behind with her. So after all the time they'd spent together, and everything they'd been through, the princess and the boy had to say good-bye."
"That's not fair! What happened next?"
"That's it."
"That it? That's the end?" Vivi asked in disbelief.
"I'm not sure."
Misty felt like she was going to cry. She was so afraid that it was the end. She knew that she'd see Ash again, but she worried so that she would just fade from his life. She was so afraid that he would forget her.
"That's a terrible ending! Make up a new one!" Vivi yelled.
"I can't." Misty said as a tear escaped her and slid down her cheek.
"But she was so in love with him! It's not fair!"
"What makes you think she loved him?"
"It was easy to see. Remember all that stuff you told me about love and friendship? It's just like that! I think I get it now. So you can't let it end like that. Why doesn't she just tell him how she feels?"
Misty smiled at her little friend. There was so much she did not understand.
"Because, what if he didn't feel the same way? Then she'd totally ruin their friendship!" Misty said.
"But he does feel the same way!"
Her voice finally gave, and a few more tears ran down her face.
"Don't cry, Miss Misty." Vivi said, suddenly feeling guilty for upsetting Misty so. "It's just a story. Isn't it?"
But Vivi was not so sure anymore. If it was just a story, why couldn't Misty change the ending? And why was she so sad about it? It just did not make sense.
"Isn't it?" She repeated.
"Yeah, you're right." Misty sniffed. "I should just forget it."
But Vivi did not totally believe her. It seemed like Misty was hiding something, but she could not quite figure out what it was.
"Ash . . ." Misty thought, ". . . was I really that obvious?"
Suddenly, there was a sharp knock at the door.
"Get lost, Team Rocket!" Misty answered.
"Misty? Is that you?"
It did not make any sense for him to be there, but there was no mistake. She would have known his voice anywhere.
"Ash!"
Misty ran to the door and kneeled down and opened the meal slot. She could only see his eyes, but it was Ash alright.
"Hi, Misty! Are you ok?" He said.
"Yeah, I'm fine, but what are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, what do you think?"
"Pikapi!"
"Hi there, Pikachu!" Misty said to Pikachu.
"What's going on here?" Asked Ash.
"I have no idea. Where are the others?"
"This place is pretty big, so we had to split up."
"Who is it?" Vivi asked as she came up to the door.
"Hey, I remember you!" Ash said.
"I remember you too!"
"How do you know each other?" Misty asked.
"Vivi lives near Mauville City in Houenn. I met her on my Pokemon journey."
"Are you gonna rescue us?" Vivi asked.
"Yeah, just as soon as I figure out how to get this door open."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Ash stood up then and started to fiddle with the door handle. Vivi busied herself with stroking Pikachu's fur through the meal slot, but Misty kept talking to Ash.
"So, are you a Pokemon Master yet?" She asked.
"Not yet."
"Oh, I'm sorry. How far did you get?"
Ash did not really want to tell her, because then he knew she would start asking questions. But he could not just lie about it, she would find out if he did.
"Uh . . . actually, I got to the finals this time."
"What!"
"Don't act so surprised!"
"Sorry, it's just that . . . wow, that's really great, Ash!"
"Aw, it's not a big deal."
"What do you mean it's not a big deal? Of course it is! What's up? It's not like you to be so humble."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
But Misty did not get to answer, because Ash heard footsteps coming down the hall.
"Someone's coming, I'd better hide."
"You'd better be careful! Don't you dare get caught!" Misty warned.
"I won't! And Misty?"
"What?"
Ash bent down to speak to Misty one last time before he left.
"I'm really glad you're ok." He said.
Their hands met in the slot in the door for an instant, and then Ash was gone again. Misty knew that she was blushing. Ash was definitely not the romantic type, so how was it that he could make her heart pound like that? It was always little things like that, things she never expected. It caught her completely off guard.
"Hey Miss Misty?" Vivi said, calling Misty back to Earth. "Is Ash your boyfriend?"
"No! Of course not! What a crazy idea!" Misty laughed. "We're just friends."
Vivi just looked at Misty suspiciously.
They both turned as they heard the faint sound of the door being unlocked.