The Target, The Victim, The Saviour

Fan Fiction By Krafty Quill

Quick Backtrack:

Previously…

Giovanni hired an assassin to have Ash taken out. However, a Charizard that seemed to pop out of nowhere saved his life. Not knowing the assassin's intentions, Ash and his friends rescued her from the Charizard and took her to a hospital in Viridian. There, Ash and Misty had a huge fight that left them not speaking to each other...

Author Notes:

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, except The Killer Cloud that is. Kind of corny name I know but I was too tired to think of anything else. This story is made for non profitable purposes, so just read and enjoy people.

This is part two of the now three part Oneshot - if you can even call it that anymore. I just had this burning sensation to get this part up, so its going to be a little shorter than my previous chapter but i promise to make up for it in the final part.

Part II

White whisks circled within the mug's hot, caramel contents as the embedded spoon swiftly lapped its course, occasionally causing screeches of metallic tings through its careless slaps against the inner walls. The stirring stopped and the silver utensil was extracted, letting settle the pool of sizzling beverage. Beneath the rising, chocolate-scented steam, a young face danced to the tune of the slothful brown waves.

The pleasant aroma whiffed into Ash's nostrils as he brought the mug to meet his lips. With a soft whistle, he cooled his drink before letting it slide down his throat, blessing his insides with the affectionate warmth he desperately needed. He lowered his cup and smiled, the taste still trapped between his ceiled lips. Hospital food may not have been the best but their hot chocolate was nothing to complain about.

"Thank you, nurse Joyce."

The young, pink-haired woman illustrated her appreciation of his manners with a smile before taking off, tray of hot chocolate ingredients carried safely in her hands.

She left Ash's vision through a door labelled 'Staff'. Ash wondered what the nurses did when there were no people or Pokemon to care for. The empty, pale blue couch in the main lobby was clear of business for the hospital. Aside the couch, a girl sat in a plastic armchair, red bangs hanging about as her face was submerged in her palms.

This was serious. When a water Pokemon magazine could sleep peacefully on the glass table an arm away from Misty's reach, one would know it was serious. Ash gulped down some more of his drink.

He was out of ideas. Perhaps this was just one of those holes she'd have to dig out of herself. Ash turned away from her, hoping he could find something else to captive his mind on a nearby wall.

Large posters of the human skeleton, or of various fruits that were 'healthy for you' failed to hold Ash's attention for long. Ticks from above managed to excite his ears in the hushed, sterile environment. Looking up, his golden brown eyes discovered a red-rimmed clock, ticking only seconds before it was officially four pm.

They had to get going! He mouthed a handful of hot chocolate, realising they'd have to hurry. It was nice of them to save that woman back in Viridian Forest and bring her to his hospital but she was no longer need of their assistance. The nurses around here seemed like very nice people. They had to be, after all, they were cousins to the nurse Joys of Pokemon Centres. There was no doubt they'd be leaving her in good hands.

Telling Misty it was time to go was the last thing he wanted to do. If she didn't scream back, she'd probably ignore him. He could tell her the biggest Weedle in the word was resting on her shoulders and she wouldn't even take notice of his presence. He'd search for Brock first, and have him tell her. Now, where could he have gone?

The answer was simple. A place like this; with nurses swaggering around in short dresses behind every corner, it was a no-brainer. He turned to the counter and, sure enough, Brock was leaning over it and towards the pretty receptionist on the other side. Ash shook his head but nevertheless moved a little closer to watch his mentor in action.

After several minutes, which must have been a new record for Brock, he left the poor woman alone and made his way towards Ash, head hung and his feet dragging his bodyforward.

This time it was Ash's turn to comfort his friend with a hand on the shoulder. "I'm guessing it didn't go too well…"

Brock sighed, his face still looking at the white-tiled floor. "Well…" he started low but then all of sudden jumped to his feet, scaring Ash into tipping a little hot chocolate onto his hands. "Actually, she gave me her number!"

"She what?" The shock was so intense that Ash hardly felt the mild burn of the hot drink through his fingerless gloves. "But how…?" He realised that the line of questioning wasn't particularly supportive behaviour. He shouldn't have been doubting it, but rather celebrating with his friend. "I mean, good going!"

"See?" Brock stretched out a piece paper with digits to Ash's face. "I knew I could do it one day. It just takes time! Practise, practise, practise! Just like I told you. Now you believe me?"

"Of course! I do! Hey Mis-" He stopped himself, realising the celebration would have to remain second rate from the lack of her presence.

"Speaking of Misty, you made up yet?"

Ash shook his head.

"GOOD! This may sound crazy, Ash but I think if it wasn't for Misty dragging me away all the time I'd probably have quite a few numbers by now! Think about it, most of the girls never really reject me. It's just that she always pulls me away too soon. You should depress her more often!"

"That's not funny," Ash said bluntly. He didn't want to be a party pooper but he couldn't escape his feelings. "I'm sorry I couldn't be happier for you. If anyone, you deserve it the most. It's just that I still feel kind of bad about this whole thing. The things I said and all."

Brock didn't know what say.

"Don't worry about me. It's her you should be worrying about," he said as he shrugged his head toward Misty. "Brock, could you do me a favour and tell her we better start leaving. Sun's going to set soon. I'm going to wake up Pikachu and check if the patient's up. Maybe I'll get a chance to say goodbye."

Ash swallowed the last bit hot chocolatein his mug and then handed it to Brock. Uncontrollably, a burp escaped his mouth, airing the first hint of grubbiness in the atmosphere. The chocolaty moustache was cleaned off with a brush of the forearm.

"Sorry." He whispered to himself as he began to walk away, though unsure if what he was really apologizing for was the show of bad banners.

ooOOoo

The beeps were becoming really irritating. She couldn't stand it anymore, having all these things attached to her arms. She kept her eyes closed, by choice now, waiting for the opportunity to rise and flee from this place. She hadn't heard anything for several minutes. Whoever they were, that were in her room earlier, must've left.

The oxygen levels in the room were intense compared to the air her nostrils usually mingled with. It had to be a hospital. She still couldn't figure out how she could've gotten to this place though. One minute she was staring death in the Charizard's eyes, the next she was here.

She shrugged her shoulders a little, testing to see how much of the pain had subsided from her claw wounds. Good thing she managed to fire that arrow before she was winged away by the wild creature. While she lay resting in a hospital bed, the target lay resting in its grave. A cruel mismatch of fortune she had to admit.

Priority number one was escaping from this place. Apart from the blanket over her body, she could feel nothing but the faintest piece of fabric covering her. They had stripped her of her combat gear, weapons and all. It wouldn't be long before they began to ask questions concerning her parcels. Too much suspicion was never a good thing. She had to get up and start thinking of a way to retrieve her gear.

Cautiously, her left eye began crack open, stinging a little from the sudden rush of light. She could see a green wave, pouncing in the foreground of a black computer screen in coordination with the irritating beeps she'd been hearing for a while now. She scanned around but the slit of vision could only pick up blurs of white as it travelled across the room.

Considering she couldn't see much, it wouldn't have been a wise choice to assume no one was in the room. However, if someone was in the room, they surely would've said something at the sight her movements.

She opened her eyes.

The light rushed at her. She blinked hard and opened again. Slowly, the silent, roof-fan's blurry image cleared. Soon, her vision was in full effect. She rose abruptly, tossing aside the sheets covering her andripping awayall the medical equiment on her arms."…" She gasped at the pair of golden-brown eyes that were fixed on her. But more shocking was the face they belonged to.

"Ah! Finally you're awake!"

It was a young boy with dark spiky hair. His voice sounded familiar … it was him! It was him that was in the room earlier. She never saw him without his league cap on but she was sure of his identity. He was the target.

She was quiet and still blinking a little rapidly, a side effect of wakefulness Ash believed. He couldn't help her wake up any further but perhaps he could try to wipe the perplexity from her green eyes. "Sorry if I disturbed you but I thought I'd say goodbye before me and my friends left."

But she didn't say anything. She looked like a lost child. "Oh, uh, my name's Ash. My friends and I found you back in Viridian Forest. We were walking through when we heard this really loud scream and ran towards it immediately. That's when we saw you and the Charizard…" He told her all about what happened. "… when we finally got to you, you were unconscious, so my friends and I brought you here to recover."

This was amazing, she thought. She'd heard stories of prey escaping the predator, prey fighting the predator, prey killing the predator but never prey saving the predator. Still, it was foolish of him. Now that she was aware that he was still alive, mission completion now shifted to first priority.

She noticed that she was alone in the room with him. A rear chokehold would probably be sufficient. Then she'd run out before anybody even noticed. She swung her legs to the side, letting her shins hang over the bed and her feet a close distance from the floor. But as she tried to push to a stand, a sharp shock hit her lower back. She yelped in pain.

"Careful!" Ash hurried over to her and grabbed onto her shoulders. "Don't try to move, you're still injured. Get back in bed. I'm going to call a nurse to come check you out."

No, she couldn't let that happen. "Wait," she said calmly, but loud enough for the word to have its intended effect on him. "I'll be alright. Please, I don't like doctors."

The doctor was for her own good … but still. Ash could relate. For some reason he felt compelled to help her. That's when he remembered. His hand dove into his pocket and excavated a blue and white specialised PokeBall, commonly called a GreatBall. He hurried over to her, opened her hand and put in on her palm. "It's yours. We found it lying next to your body in the Forest."

Her Pidgeot! Excellent! Now she had a perfect escape vehicle!

Ash watched her face, pale and lost. "You don't talk much do you?"

"Only when necessary." She didn't even look at him that time.

"Oh … well … I told you my name. The least you could do is tell me yours."

What was the big deal with names? If you needed to address anyone, eye contact was enough of a reference, she believed.

"Ash! Are you ready?" A voice came from the lobby.

"I almost completely forgot!" Ash scratched the back of his head. "I've got to go before it gets late! Nice speaking to you … er, whatever-your-name-is."

No, the target was escaping. She must stop him. She promised herself she'd never miss a hit. And that was precisely what she was going to do. The fact that he may have saved her life was irrelevant and simply a huge mistake on his part. "Wait."

It worked as it did before, stopping Ash in his tracks as he tossed his bag over his shoulder. "What is it?" He tugged Pikachu, trying to awaken him from a bedside chair meant specifically for visitors.

This gave her time to formulate a plan. The aches were going to slow her down significantly and she wasn't going to be able to keep up with him at this rate. But she knew her body better than any doctor did. Given a couple of hours she'd be fully healed and capable of completing the mission with ease. But till then it looked like she was going to have to pretend to befriend him, earning his trust so he could let her travel with him … until it was his time.

"Killer Clo-" She quickly rethought. Kyle, Sky, Cloud… "Cloud – er Claudia."

"What?" Ash said, puzzled.

"That's my name."

ooOOoo

"Do you think they'll be okay with it?"

"It doesn't matter what they say." Misty looked down as she reminisced on her past years travelling around Kanto. All the people she met, the friends she made … it was all worth it. But all good things had to come to an end. Her face sprung back up, lucid blue eyes considering him gently. "I've already made up my mind."

He smiled and pulled her close to his chest, arms wrapped around her. Her red hair tickled his chin as it rested on her head. She was quite a catch. Not just a pretty face, but strong-minded as well. The nectar scent of her hair, or the shampoo she used perhaps, pleasantly drifted into his nose as if congratulating him on becoming acquainted with her. "I never want to leave your side Misty."

That was exactly what she wanted to hear. Somebody who needed her as much as she needed them. Then, in the midst of all this, the door to the far left squeaked open. Misty felt compelled to look its way, where she found Ash holding some girl's hand as he approached them.

A thin eyebrow rose in curiosity. Misty recognized her. But what was Ash doing with the girl they saved? Holding hands and smiling? She couldn't believe it; he was trying to make her jealous! An uncalled anger took her soul, causing her to tighten her grip.

"What it is?"

Oh no! He had sensed her irrational emotion. She didn't want to lose herself to it. She scrapped the whole scene from her direct memory. "It's … nothing," she whispered back to him and slowly broke the hug so she could look somewhere where Ash wasn't present.

Ash crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling. Claudia wondered why they were standing right in front of this couple if neither of them knew who they were. But then the red hair, tied up in a shaggy bun atop a side of her head, gave her a clue. She recognised this girl from the file she got from Giovanni. She was one of the target's, or Ash's - she should probably start calling him, friends. But the deadness in the air would suggest they were distant strangers.

"Um, Misty, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Yes," Misty said, still not acknowledging Ash with a look. "As soon as I see one of them." She sighed to herself. She didn't want to appear so moody to this guy she just met. But Ash had a way of making her feel things she didn't want to.

"Humph." Ash shrugged his shoulders.

"Ash," Claudia tried. She hadn't felt more awkward in her life. The two of them reminded her of a married couple who just had a major fight. That was right! She remembered, back when she was still sleeping in the hospital bed. Something about the girl's sisters. From the sounds of that one, it'd be a while before the silent treatment found its voice.

"Um, hi, Misty. That's your name right?" But the redhead didn't reply. This whole friendship thing was a lot harder than she remembered. But even back then, before she became an assassin, she wasn't so hot at it.

"Yeah, I'm Misty."

The response saved her sanity. "Well, I'm Claudia. Nice to meet you?" She offered her hand, even though she felt a little like she was talking to a brick wall.

"I'm Daman." The slightly taller boy besides her took Claudia's hand. They exchanged smiled then he looked at Ash. The red cap, the Pikachu, it had to be the guy she was telling him about. The guy that made her cry. He didn't even want to look at her now. How obnoxious. He'd have to teach the little brat a lesson. He stretched a welcoming a hand to Ash. "Hi, you must be Ass – er – Ash."

What? The statement stole Ash's attention immediately. But when he turned to Daman, he saw nothing but a friendly smile. Felt flames burning up his veins, but saw nothing but a friendly smile. Perhaps it was only a slip of the tongue, his optimistic self told him. By nature he'd always give people the benefit of the doubt. Just like his mother always encouraged him.

"Yeah, I'm Ash." He shook the hand hurriedly and then turned away instantly afterwards. He couldn't wait for Brock to get here so they could leave already.

ooOOoo

"You're back?"

"I just had to say bye to you one last time!" Brock was ecstatic about his success with Joyce. After calling Ash, he dashed to the counter to give her one last message stamped with his trademarked goofy smile.

"What do you mean last time?" Joyce said, a little worried. "I gave you my number, remember?"

Oh yeah, he recalled. It was such a new feeling. "Then, I guess I'll call you later."

"Please do." She smiled from ear to ear.

She was pretty. Brock shook his head furiously, shaking off the clinging effect she had on him. He dashed back to rejoin Ash and friends, waving her goodbye with a backhand.

Once he was out of view, Joyce reached under the desk and lifted a cellphone to her ear. "Yes, I've got it."

"Whoopee! I knew you could do it! This isour best plan yet!" The other voice said.

Joyce reached for her straight, pink hair and pulled it off, letting free a longer beak of dark pink hair that extended from the back of her head. "Of course it is! Now all we have to do is sit back and wait for him to call us so we can track him and the twerp down and steal that Pikachu while they are asleep!"

"I can smell a promotion already."

ooOOoo

Brock noticed a gentleman standing next to Misty as he walked toward her and Ash. He was wearing a lab coat over a white shirt, the coat's tail partially covering a pair of beige pants. "Misty, Ash, er…"

"Daman." The boy finished, standing the same height as the Rock Pokemon Trainer.

"I'm Brock. Good to meet you, man. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal these two away from you. We're late for Pallet." He tugged Ash and Misty by the collars but they both broke away simultaneously.

"Wait Brock," Ash said. "Claudia, you know the girl we saved, she said she has some relatives in Pallet and she wants to come along with us. She just went to collect her clothes from one of the nurses. I hope you don't mind but I kind of already told her she could tag along."

Brock thought for a second. "Well, Pallet isn't too far away. We should have enough food packed for one more. But if we don't I've got some reserves anyway. We'll just fill up once we get back."

"Not necessary," Misty said immediately. She took Daman's hand and they smiled at each other. Then she turned back to Brock. "She can have whatever food was allocated to me. I'm going back to Cerulean. Daman's going to escort me."

"What?" Brock and Ash said together; Brock out of pure shock whereas Ash was not mortified by the fact that she was going home, but by the fact that she was going home with him.

Author's Notes:

So there you have it part II. Kind of shortI know, butI feltI had to separate the conclusion from the build up here. Plus it felt like was going to die if i didn't post anything up.This is the longest Oneshot I've ever written. But this time, I promise the next part will be the last.Still takingreveiws.