Sorry for the delay. I stared work on yet another unfinished work of mine. I am now working on three different stories at the moment, which means that new chapters of this series will come up less. Sorry about that, but I've really wanted to come back to this other series. Anyway, here we go…
Warning: This chapter is a tad dark, especially the end. Also, there are frequent switches between points in time near the end, in case you get confused.
-Kouji Tamino
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Misty, Brock and May were sorely outnumbered as they Fought valiantly against Team Aqua. They were beaten, and Misty was kidnapped. She found herself having a quick conversation with the charismatic Kaine, new leader of Team Aqua. He offered Misty a position in the criminal environmentalist group, but allowed her to leave if she so declined. What will her choice be? Meanwhile, some old enemies offered their assistance in finding the location of Team Aqua's Sevii Island hideout. After rashly suggesting going to the base alone with the former Team Rocket members, Ash got into a fight with Brock. He became hysterical over rescuing Misty until he eventually broke down. What new troubles will pop up for our hero? Let's find out.
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A Series of Events
Episode 7: The Enemy is…
And so, another day arrived for Ash and the others. Ash stared at the ceiling in thought, dressed in just his yellow and white striped boxers. Pikachu slept peacefully on a drawer, snoring quietly. "Misty… I will rescue you. I swear it…"
"Ash, are you all right?" May asked, walking into the room that he, Brock, and Gary were staying in. "I heard some crying last night, but I-- Oh my god!" she screamed, covering her face. "I'm so sorry, Ash! I didn't mean to walk in like that!"
The young man blushed a bit as he sat up. "No, it's okay…" He looked away as he crossed his arms. "And no one was crying…"
"Ash, it's all right to cry when you're hurt…" May said softly, sitting next to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "You've been through a lot of bad things lately, so go ahead and cry…"
"It's all right, May…" Ash said with a grin, running a hand through her hair. "I'm fine, now…"
"Okay, Ash…" she said with uncertainty. "If you say so…" 'Damn! He still treats me like a child…' May mentally sighed to herself. It made sense, considering that she was a few years younger than Ash, and was once his 'student', so to speak. He would most likely never treat her as more than a 'little sister', nothing more… She sighed audibly.
"Is something wrong, May?" Ash asked, giving her a concerned look and tilting his head.
"N-no, nothing…" she lied, blushing. 'He's so cute…' She gasped as she got a look at his slightly toned body. 'Wow, and he has a lot more muscle than before… Yummy.' Without thinking, she began to stroke his chest, going down to his firm abs. "Mmm…"
Ash began to become a tad uncomfortable. His face began to turn red "Erm, May? What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Whoops!" the younger woman shouted frantically, quickly removing her hands and putting them in her lap. Her face was redder than a ripe tomato, and she couldn't even bring herself to look at him. "…I'm sorry, Ash…" Quickly standing up, she began to leave. "I won't… bother you anymore…"
"May, wait…" Ash began, standing up and grabbing her arm. The girl accidentally tripped on someone's pokéball, sending them both to the floor. Ash gasped, quickly pushing himself up with his hands. "May, are all ri--yi-yi-yi!" Ash's eyes widened as May's small shirt gave him a good look at her cleavage.
"Ash, what's wrong?" she asked, wondering why Ash was stammering so much. She gave a devious smile as she came to a realization. Teasingly, she looked to the side and put her arms together, which subsequently squeezed her breasts together as well.
Ash gulped, sweat running down his brow. "May, I… This isn't…"
"Ash…" May turned her face back towards him, looking at him with sad eyes. "I know this probably isn't the right time to tell you this, but… Ash, I lo--"
Just at that moment, Brock came into the room. "Hey Ash, I'm heading over to the store, want any…" he stared, jaw dropped, at the scene before him. Suddenly, his left eyebrow began to twitch violently. "I can stand the kisses on the cheek, and the unusual attraction girls have to you…" He began to breath heavily, rage growing. You could almost see the steam coming from his nose. "But I cannot stand you being a… a… a playboy!"
"Nnnoooo, you got the wrong idea!" Ash screamed, yelling his head off. He quickly stood up. "We both fell! We slipped on a pokéball!" He stared at the tool evilly. "In fact, who's is that, anyway?"
Brock chuckled nervously. "Oh, that? That's… mine." He picked it up and put a hand behind his head, blushing slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry…" He sighed, latching it back on his belt. "Anyway, I was going to the store… Want something?"
Ash thought for a moment. "Um no, that's okay… And… I've decided that no matter what you say, I'm still going to rescue Misty…"
"If you say so, Ash…" Brock muttered, still not sure if this was a good idea. "Just… be careful, man…"
Ash nodded, giving a thumbs up. "You know I will… I mean, what's the worst that can happen?"
Brock stared at his younger friend with an exasperated look before sighing. "Oh, I don't know, Ash…" he began in a sarcastic tone. "What could possibly go wrong in an infiltration of a dangerous criminal organization that's hell bent on proving that their way is just?"
Ash sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, okay, a lot of bad shit could happen, I get it… But I'm still going…"
"Fine Ash, do what you want to…" Brock said, finally giving in. "I can't stop you. Like you said, you're not a child anymore, right?" he turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door as he left.
"He's right, you know…" May finally said, still laying on the floor. "You could be killed…" She slowly sat up, staring at him with teary eyes. "Don't you care? You sure don't act like it!"
"May, the reason that I'm so dead set on rescuing Misty no matter what is because…" he looked away, blushing slightly. "I think I've fallen in love with her…"
May gritted her teeth, crying out as tears ran freely down her face. "But I know for sure that I love you!" she gasped, covering her mouth at her outburst.
"Oh May…" Ash said, putting a hand over his face. "I'm sorry…"
May fell to her knees, covering her face with both of her hands as she cried softly. Suddenly, she stopped, looking up and smiling sadly at the man. "But because I love you so much, I'm willing to give you up to Misty… Good luck, Ash…"
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"So, are you guys ready?" Ash asked, walking into the lobby of the Pokémon Center. His backpack full of the equipment that Jessie told him to supply himself with, he was ready to infiltrate Team Aqua's headquarters with the former Rocket members and get Misty back.
"Ready when you are!" Meowth replied.
"I still don't think this is such a good idea…" James whined. "What if they catch us and interrogate us and torture us!"
"Relax, James…" Ash replied, a determined look on his face. He was dressed in black body suit for stealth. "We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen!"
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And so, late that night, the group arrived at the Team Aqua headquarters, which was located not too far off the shore of Knot Island's Treasure Beach, underwater. Ash had caught the Gyarados from his 'incident', so they held onto it while it dove underwater and traveled through a cave. Once inside the cave, the Gyarados floated up towards a source of light. Now inside of the base and out of the water, Ash recalled the Pokémon and the 'rescue party' continued their mission. Quietly, he noted a familiar Magikarp submarine. "Hey, how did this get here?"
"We kind of…" Jessies blushed in shame. "Kind of forgot it when we almost got caught the last time we were here…"
"So that's why we didn't use it in the first place…" Ash muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Quietly sneaking their way past guards using special magnetic boots and gloves on the steel floors and walls, they made their way into the next room. They gasped as they saw the rather large number of Team Aqua members walking around. They slowly trudged their way across the ceiling, staying close to dark corners and praying to Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres that no one looked up and spotted them.
Unfortunately for Ash, Meowth was moving a little too slowly. The cat's furry tail frequently brushed against his nostrils, giving him the urge to sneeze. He managed to keep his instincts under control, but just as the trip to the prisoner's room was about to end… "Aaa… aaa… ACHOO!"
Everything went completely silent as everyone's eyes widened. The group suddenly had about 100 or so Team Aqua members staring up at them. "Scraaaamblle!" Meowth screeched, as they all turned around, stood upside down on the ceiling, and began running towards the exit. Ash, having not fastened his boots correctly, gasped as one came loose, then the other, sending him plummeting to the ground. "Twerp, no!"
"Go on without me!" Ash shouted before hitting the floor with a thud. He winced in pain, finding it hard to get up. Aqua members began to crowd around, glaring at him. Next thing he knew he saw Misty, dressed in the Team Aqua uniform, push her way through the crowd and stare down at him with an horrified expression, suppressing a scream. He wondered why she reacting in such a manner before seeing some blood on the floor in the corner of his eye, most likely coming from his head. Oh, so that was why… He quickly lost consciousness.
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When Ash finally awoke, he found himself in a hospital bed, his head and ribs bandaged up. He groaned, checking out his surroundings. As he looked around the room, his gaze fell upon Misty, who was staring at him plainly while sitting in a chair right in front of his bed. "…What the hell are you doing here, Ash?" she asked, exasperation evident in her voice.
"I could ask you the same thing…" Ash replied, anger growing as the pain began to subside. "What the hell am I doing here? Just what the hell are you doing with Team Aqua!" he growled, clenching his fist. "I spent yesterday and today worried sick about you, wondering if you were safe and being treated well. And then, when we come to rescue you, it turns out that you're on the side of the bad guys!"
Misty began to blush. He was worried sick about her? However, her pride made her completely ignore that part and instead made her focus on the attack on Team Aqua. "That's just like you, Ash! Always jumping to conclusions! Open your eyes, Ash! Team Aqua aren't the bad guys! They just want to create a world with more water so Pokémon have a better place to live in! Team Magma wants to destroy that and do the complete opposite!" She sighed, looking at him pleadingly. "Please Ash, join the cause…"
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"So, our prisoner is the famous Ash Ketchum?" Kaine asked, sitting in a chair in his office.
"Yes, sir…" Misty replied, saluting him. "Wait, how do you know Ash?"
The leader of Team Aqua chuckled. "Why, everyone has heard of the heroic Ash, who has time after time saved the world from destruction… His tales have become legend…" Grinning, he turned around in his swiveling chair, no longer facing the woman. "I want him… Convince him to join, and if he doesn't…"
Misty gulped audibly. "…and if he doesn't?"
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Ash grit his teeth furiously. That was the last straw. "You must be nuts if you think I'd ever join those damn Aquas, or Magmas!" He sat up, ignoring the pain. "Misty, wake up! They make think they're doing the right thing, but how they are doing it is wrong!"
"…I knew you wouldn't understand…" Misty said sadly. She stood up and walked toward the door. "In that case, follow me…"
"Huh?" Ash asked, getting out of bed. "What for?"
She bit her lip, tears filling her eyes. "You're free now, Ash…"
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Ash stared at the submarine in which he would leave in, then looked back to Misty. The Gyarados one was long gone. He was dressed up back in the black bodysuit he came in, but still had bandages on his head. "Well, bye Misty…"
"Y'know, Ash…" Misty began, staring at the floor. "…that from this point on…" She raised her head, glaring angrily at him. "…you and I are enemies. I won't hold back if we ever battle…"
"…The same goes for me…" Ash replied, glaring back at her. He looked back to the submarine before sweat dropping. "Um, how do I get in?"
Misty couldn't help but giggle. Same old Ash. She held up a remote control and pressed a red button, a door on top of the vehicle opening. "There should be button inside that will open it once you reach land…"
"Thanks, Misty…" Ash said with a sigh.
"You're welcome… Oh, and Ash?" she asked, reaching into her pocket to reveal the switchblade given to her earlier.
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Kaine turned his seat back around her face her, smiling. "Well, since he seems to be a friend of yours, I will allow him to leave… But since he did attempt to infiltrate us…" Opening his desk, he reached in and pulled out a switchblade. "A form of punishment is in order…"
Misty stared at the knife for a moment. Was he serious? What did he expect her to do with that thing? And there was no way that Ash would ever join any organization like Team Aqua. He was stubborn like that. "But sir, I--"
"Administrator Misty Waterflower, keep in mind that whoever is against us is our enemy…" Kaine said firmly, not letting anger overcome him. "You must not let your feelings get in the way of the mission. Under normal circumstances, your friend could have been kept imprisoned or even killed. But because he is an acquaintance of yours that happens to be one of the greatest trainers alive and you are new, I have allowed him either a choice to join us or his freedom… with a price."
"…Yes sir…" she said softly, reluctantly before saluting her boss and walking out of the room.
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Ash turned around to face her. "Yes?" he gasped as the knife headed straight towards his face…
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May lay in her bed at the Pokémon center, staring at the ceiling sadly. "Ash…" She and the others had heard about Ash being captured by Team Aqua as well, and were contemplating what to do. He had been gone for 3 days. "I really hope he's okay…"
"Ash, you're back!" Brock shouted from the lobby. "But what happened to you?"
May gasped, jumping out of her bed and rushing into the lobby to see. She stared in concern and shock as she saw the condition he was in. He had a bandage wrapped around his head and a large cut on his face that extended from the top of his nose, down the side of it, and across his left cheek. "Oh my god! Ash, what happened to you?"
"Misty…" Ash said in a cold tone. "She joined Team Aqua. She's not going to be coming back…" Despite what had happened, he didn't have the heart to tell everyone that their friend turned enemy was the one who had inflicted the wound. "I'm going to bed…"
"Ash…" May said quietly to herself. 'That damn Misty! How could she do that? And after Ash had been so worried about her…' With a determined look on her face, she followed Ash up to his room. As he walked in, he slammed the door shut. She gasped in surprise. He almost slammed the door in her face! This was serious. "Ash? Can I come in?"
"Go away…" came the voice from the other side.
"Damn it, Ash! You open this door this instant! I know that this must really hurt, but you can't just hide away in your roo--" she gasped as Ash opened the door, staring down at her. Her eyes widened as Ash leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She slowly closed her eyes and kissed back.
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Ash screamed out in excruciating pain after being slashed in the face. He covered it up with his hands, blood running between his fingers. "W-why…" he managed to say, a lump in his throat. "Why, Misty?"
Misty stared at him, eyes tearing up. She dropped the knife to the ground, falling to her knees. "Because they would have killed you otherwise!" She cried out, holding her sides. "Damn it all, Ash… Don't you understand? I love you…"
Shaking his head, the man backed away. "How can you say that after doing this?"
"I'm so sorry, Ash…" Misty sputtered out, tears running down her face freely. She watched sadly as he silently got inside the submarine, closed the door, and submerged. She sat there for quite a few minutes, completely overwhelmed by what had just happened. "Oh god, what have I done?"
"You did the right thing…" Kaine said as he walked up behind her. "Now he knows what happens to those who cross Team Aqua…" He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Do not be despaired… Remember, he is your enemy now… Besides, he's been ignorant of your feelings for so long… And now he decides he wants to fight against you? You do not need friends that treat you like that…" He smiled, touching her cheek gently. "No, someone as beautiful as you deserves much, much better…"
To Be Continued…