"Well this place certainly looks different." Ash said as they entered
Pewter City, the once peaceful town was now a hustling and bustling
metropolis. The streets were lined with stores and shops, and tons of
people filled the streets. It was almost as crowed as Celadon on one of its
busy days. Tall buildings had replaced the old, worn down ones, and the
buildings that were old and still standing, like the gym for example were
hidden in the twisting back allies. Ash found a place on the curb to park
and got out on the passenger's side, so as not to get run over by all the
speeding cars in the area. Pikachu took his usual spot atop Ash's head and
kept a lookout while Ash walked through the city. Occasionally fans asking
for his picture or an autograph surrounded him, he agreed most times, still
wondering just HOW many people watched his match many years ago when he
became the famous name on the entire planet. Today he quickly found
sanctuary in the alleyways that the gym was by. Ash stopped by the gym when
he noticed two men in black suits standing by the door, sunglasses on to
conceal their faces and shifting their weight to each leg nervously. Like
something was going on inside the gym and it was taking longer than they
expected. Pikachu jumped off from Ash's head,
"Ok Pikachu, you distract them while I run around to the back door and get in okay??" Pikachu nodded his head as he walked over to the two men, standing right in front of them,
"Go away." One of the men said as he pushed Pikachu in the opposite direction with his foot, Pikachu jumped up on the man's head and started to bite his head, the man yelled and tried to throw Pikachu from his head, and as soon as the other man went to get Pikachu, he jumped off of his head and he man was tackled. They both fell to the ground and Pikachu jumping on top of them. Ash hurried around to the back of the gym and used the set of spare keys that Brock had given to him. He walked inside and suddenly stopped at the end of the corridor when he heard voices, he silently slipped into the room and saw a man, standing with his back to Ash, and sitting tied down to a chair, was Brock, bloody, bruised, and beaten.
"I'll give you one last chance, you tell us where she is and I'll spare your life!!!" The man said as he struck Brock again in his head, Brock's head snapped back, and he slowly lowered his head,
"I'm telling you, I don't know anything!!!!" The man hit him again, this time with a much harder blow to his head than the last time, Ash turned very angry, so angry in fact that he pulled out the switchblade that he carried with him and looked back at the scene taking place in front of him. He was going to scare the man to make him go away, but if he had to cut him, he certainly would, and that would be his punishment for hurting his friend. Suddenly from the front door entered Pikachu, looking just as fierce as ever, electricity emanating from his cheeks as he got ready to let loose his power full force, the man walked towards the Pokémon, and that's when Ash made his move. He came forward and stood in front of Brock, who was surprised to see Ash there.
"Hey you, I wouldn't touch my Pikachu if I were you." Ash said as the man turned around and regarded Ash with steel gray eyes.
"Well, well, well.if it isn't the great Pokémon master, I didn't expect you to be here, all the more reason to deal with the both of you right now." The man said as he walked back towards Ash and Brock, each footstep echoed through the entire gym.
"And what makes you think you'd be able to get rid of me?" Ash spouted a reply as the man finally realized the switchblade in his hand, he twirled it around his fingers and he knew it made the man very nervous, but he wasn't going to show it.
"I don't think you know what you've gotten into little boy, why don't you take your Pikachu and go home." Ash laughed at the man's insult,
"I think it's YOU who doesn't know what he's gotten himself into, you think you have the authority to go wherever you want to and beat up people just to get what you want." Ash spat out as he stepped in front of Brock, tightly holding his switchblade in his hand. The man didn't seem like he was going to back down, he started toward Ash and pulled out a knife of his own,
"If you must know, this certain gym leader has the whereabouts of a little runaway that had escaped from us about a week ago, we want her back so he's going to tell us, whether I have to kill you and him in the process to do it!!"
"I would like to see you try!" Ash replied, the man soon charged toward Ash, the knife gleaming in the light as he tried to ram the knife through Ash's heart. Ash quickly assessed the situation, if he moved out of the way, the man would certainly hurt Brock intentionally, so he decided to take the blow and get as less damage as he could. He turned and put his arms in front of his chest as the man came in, both of his arms were cut, but it wouldn't be nearly as bad as it was if he got it in the heart. He kicked the man away and ran forward, first slashing him across his arm. The man yelled in extreme pain and the knife fell out of his hand, it hit the floor with a loud ting and Ash kicked it out of the man's reach,
"Now, you listen to me, you have no authority over other gym leaders when I'm around, whoever your boss is, I'm going to let you go to him and tell him you failed to gather any information, it would prove more effective than any method I would use to punish you. Now get out, and don't ever try to come back here. There will be much more SEVERE consequences if you do." Ash replied, pointing the knife in his direction, the man looked at Ash evilly, then looked behind him to Brock,
"Don't think you've gotten away so easily just because he was here to save you. Remember that well." He said as Pikachu escorted the man out of the gym, giving him an extremely big shock on the way out. Ash turned to Brock; he seemed to be hanging on to consciousness by a thread. He cut his friend free of the rope and Brock nearly fell out of the chair, Ash caught him and held him upright so he wouldn't fall to the floor.
"Brock? Brock, say something! Are you alright, do you hear me??" Ash said as he lightly shook Brock on his shoulder, after a few seconds Brock opened his eyes just a slight bit and looked at Ash, his eyes were glazed over, a true sign of pain by far. Blood trickled down his face and the rest of his body, he had been beaten badly, and now Ash regretted that he let the man go without damaging him more.
"I'm.I'm okay." Brock said weakly as he tried to get out of the chair, but Ash kept him sitting,
"No, you stay sitting, after all the blood you lost you'll just pass out of you stand and try to walk around." Suddenly the door to the gym opened. Pikachu was about to do something about the unknown intruder, but then stopped when he saw who it was. Ash heard the sound of heels clicking on the hard steel floor. Ash turned around and suddenly was shocked into silence when he saw who was standing right in front of him. Out of all the people in the world, it was Misty. Her hair was now twice as long as six months ago, she was wearing a light blue dress that complimented her eyes and she looked somewhat broken or misused. He just stood there and stared at her, holding back the urge to run to her, kiss her, hug her and ask her where she had been for the past six months. But that urge was easily suppressed by the overwhelming anger and sadness that had built itself up in his heart.
"What are you doin' here?" He asked her, she could tell that the anger that was in his voice was meant to be there, and he had the right to be mad, she left him with no word for six months, and now she suddenly just appears out of nowhere. Misty was about to respond, but she gasped when she saw Brock sitting in a chair, bloody and on the verge of unconsciousness.
"Brock!!!!" She exclaimed as she ran over to her friend, "What happened?? Who did this to you??" She asked Brock, he nodded his head and told her he was okay. Ash motioned for Pikachu to hurry up, Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder and he headed for the door, before he got a chance to leave, Brock spoke up and stopped him,
"Ash wait!!" Ash stopped, but didn't turn around,
"What was the purpose of bringing me here? Was it that you knew SHE was going to be here.did you plan this out?"
"You have to know the truth Ash, about what really happened." Brock replied, Ash turned around and regarded the two with very cold and seemingly evil eyes,
"The truth? I know the truth! Frankly I don't think anything will fix all the pain I was put through all this time!!!! Now Brock.if you want to talk to me, you can, but only when SHE is gone." Ahs said coldly as he opened the door, and left the gym. Misty watched him go, and hearing everything that he had said about her, she fell to her knees and started crying. Brock looked over at her,
"Don't worry Misty, he'll understand once we tell him what happened to you, he'll have to understand what you went through as well."
* * * *
Ash got into his car and was quickly about to drive of when something stopped him, as he sat there, tears began to roll down his face. Pikachu saw what was going on and immediately jumped to his friend's side. Ash held Pikachu in his arms and out of nowhere started to cry, he had no idea why he was so upset, I mean Misty had left him so long ago, and why should he care that she was back? After a few moments to compose himself, he started the car and drove toward home.
"Ok Pikachu, you distract them while I run around to the back door and get in okay??" Pikachu nodded his head as he walked over to the two men, standing right in front of them,
"Go away." One of the men said as he pushed Pikachu in the opposite direction with his foot, Pikachu jumped up on the man's head and started to bite his head, the man yelled and tried to throw Pikachu from his head, and as soon as the other man went to get Pikachu, he jumped off of his head and he man was tackled. They both fell to the ground and Pikachu jumping on top of them. Ash hurried around to the back of the gym and used the set of spare keys that Brock had given to him. He walked inside and suddenly stopped at the end of the corridor when he heard voices, he silently slipped into the room and saw a man, standing with his back to Ash, and sitting tied down to a chair, was Brock, bloody, bruised, and beaten.
"I'll give you one last chance, you tell us where she is and I'll spare your life!!!" The man said as he struck Brock again in his head, Brock's head snapped back, and he slowly lowered his head,
"I'm telling you, I don't know anything!!!!" The man hit him again, this time with a much harder blow to his head than the last time, Ash turned very angry, so angry in fact that he pulled out the switchblade that he carried with him and looked back at the scene taking place in front of him. He was going to scare the man to make him go away, but if he had to cut him, he certainly would, and that would be his punishment for hurting his friend. Suddenly from the front door entered Pikachu, looking just as fierce as ever, electricity emanating from his cheeks as he got ready to let loose his power full force, the man walked towards the Pokémon, and that's when Ash made his move. He came forward and stood in front of Brock, who was surprised to see Ash there.
"Hey you, I wouldn't touch my Pikachu if I were you." Ash said as the man turned around and regarded Ash with steel gray eyes.
"Well, well, well.if it isn't the great Pokémon master, I didn't expect you to be here, all the more reason to deal with the both of you right now." The man said as he walked back towards Ash and Brock, each footstep echoed through the entire gym.
"And what makes you think you'd be able to get rid of me?" Ash spouted a reply as the man finally realized the switchblade in his hand, he twirled it around his fingers and he knew it made the man very nervous, but he wasn't going to show it.
"I don't think you know what you've gotten into little boy, why don't you take your Pikachu and go home." Ash laughed at the man's insult,
"I think it's YOU who doesn't know what he's gotten himself into, you think you have the authority to go wherever you want to and beat up people just to get what you want." Ash spat out as he stepped in front of Brock, tightly holding his switchblade in his hand. The man didn't seem like he was going to back down, he started toward Ash and pulled out a knife of his own,
"If you must know, this certain gym leader has the whereabouts of a little runaway that had escaped from us about a week ago, we want her back so he's going to tell us, whether I have to kill you and him in the process to do it!!"
"I would like to see you try!" Ash replied, the man soon charged toward Ash, the knife gleaming in the light as he tried to ram the knife through Ash's heart. Ash quickly assessed the situation, if he moved out of the way, the man would certainly hurt Brock intentionally, so he decided to take the blow and get as less damage as he could. He turned and put his arms in front of his chest as the man came in, both of his arms were cut, but it wouldn't be nearly as bad as it was if he got it in the heart. He kicked the man away and ran forward, first slashing him across his arm. The man yelled in extreme pain and the knife fell out of his hand, it hit the floor with a loud ting and Ash kicked it out of the man's reach,
"Now, you listen to me, you have no authority over other gym leaders when I'm around, whoever your boss is, I'm going to let you go to him and tell him you failed to gather any information, it would prove more effective than any method I would use to punish you. Now get out, and don't ever try to come back here. There will be much more SEVERE consequences if you do." Ash replied, pointing the knife in his direction, the man looked at Ash evilly, then looked behind him to Brock,
"Don't think you've gotten away so easily just because he was here to save you. Remember that well." He said as Pikachu escorted the man out of the gym, giving him an extremely big shock on the way out. Ash turned to Brock; he seemed to be hanging on to consciousness by a thread. He cut his friend free of the rope and Brock nearly fell out of the chair, Ash caught him and held him upright so he wouldn't fall to the floor.
"Brock? Brock, say something! Are you alright, do you hear me??" Ash said as he lightly shook Brock on his shoulder, after a few seconds Brock opened his eyes just a slight bit and looked at Ash, his eyes were glazed over, a true sign of pain by far. Blood trickled down his face and the rest of his body, he had been beaten badly, and now Ash regretted that he let the man go without damaging him more.
"I'm.I'm okay." Brock said weakly as he tried to get out of the chair, but Ash kept him sitting,
"No, you stay sitting, after all the blood you lost you'll just pass out of you stand and try to walk around." Suddenly the door to the gym opened. Pikachu was about to do something about the unknown intruder, but then stopped when he saw who it was. Ash heard the sound of heels clicking on the hard steel floor. Ash turned around and suddenly was shocked into silence when he saw who was standing right in front of him. Out of all the people in the world, it was Misty. Her hair was now twice as long as six months ago, she was wearing a light blue dress that complimented her eyes and she looked somewhat broken or misused. He just stood there and stared at her, holding back the urge to run to her, kiss her, hug her and ask her where she had been for the past six months. But that urge was easily suppressed by the overwhelming anger and sadness that had built itself up in his heart.
"What are you doin' here?" He asked her, she could tell that the anger that was in his voice was meant to be there, and he had the right to be mad, she left him with no word for six months, and now she suddenly just appears out of nowhere. Misty was about to respond, but she gasped when she saw Brock sitting in a chair, bloody and on the verge of unconsciousness.
"Brock!!!!" She exclaimed as she ran over to her friend, "What happened?? Who did this to you??" She asked Brock, he nodded his head and told her he was okay. Ash motioned for Pikachu to hurry up, Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder and he headed for the door, before he got a chance to leave, Brock spoke up and stopped him,
"Ash wait!!" Ash stopped, but didn't turn around,
"What was the purpose of bringing me here? Was it that you knew SHE was going to be here.did you plan this out?"
"You have to know the truth Ash, about what really happened." Brock replied, Ash turned around and regarded the two with very cold and seemingly evil eyes,
"The truth? I know the truth! Frankly I don't think anything will fix all the pain I was put through all this time!!!! Now Brock.if you want to talk to me, you can, but only when SHE is gone." Ahs said coldly as he opened the door, and left the gym. Misty watched him go, and hearing everything that he had said about her, she fell to her knees and started crying. Brock looked over at her,
"Don't worry Misty, he'll understand once we tell him what happened to you, he'll have to understand what you went through as well."
* * * *
Ash got into his car and was quickly about to drive of when something stopped him, as he sat there, tears began to roll down his face. Pikachu saw what was going on and immediately jumped to his friend's side. Ash held Pikachu in his arms and out of nowhere started to cry, he had no idea why he was so upset, I mean Misty had left him so long ago, and why should he care that she was back? After a few moments to compose himself, he started the car and drove toward home.