Not very much Ash or May this chapter. This is more of a Harley and Misty Chapter. No, I'm not shipping them. That'd be wierd. What would that be called anyway? Octanshipping?
In anycase, "Harley's Perfect Revenge" is another case of me taking a quirk from the Japanese version of the character. Harley often speakes with english mixed with his Japanese. So if "Harley's something something" ever comes up again, that's what that's from.
This,by the way, is the chapter Pokeshippers may not like. What with Misty- whoops! Almost spoiled it.
EDIT: August, 7, 2006: Fixed a POV problem in the flashback. And maybe some other stuff I forgot.
"Oh, are you the Gym Leader here?" Harley came out of the shadows and asked Misty.
"Why yes I am." She smiled at him, asking, "How can I help you?"
"Well, I was just walking by, but did I hear you sending that girl off to find the boy you were talking to earlier?" Harley asked her innocently.
"Yeah," Misty said unconcerned, "he asked me to tell her when she got back. Why?"
"I thought I heard a rumor that you had a crush on a boy who was a wandering trainer with a Pikachu…" Harley smiled devilishly.
Misty blushed. She put her hands to her face, turning from Harley. "Well…" she started, smiling feverishly.
Perfect… Harley thought, I'll just make Misty jealous and turn her against May! I'll ruin her by making her friends her enemies! Harley's Perfect Revenge!
"…I used to," Misty finished.
Harley's mouth dropped like a sack of bricks. What? But… but my Perfect Revenge…
"I'll tell you the story, but you've gotta promise to keep it under your hat, okay?" Misty winked at him. Harley nodded, hoping that during the story he could come up with a new way to attack May.
"It all started a long time ago…" Misty reminisced. "I got in a fight with my sisters and told them that I would come back and become the Gym Leader. I was so young then, and I didn't know what I was getting in to." She told him about how she rode her bike as far from Cerulean as she could go. She sat down near a river between Viridian and Pallet and began to fish. "'If I was going to become a Water Pokémon Master, then I've gotta catch more Pokémon,' I thought to myself," she recounted the story to Harley, "but I never thought that I would catch what I did that day." Misty told him how she fished up a young boy, cradling an injured Pikachu in his arms. He asked her where he could go to help his Pokémon, and she pointed him in the direction of the Pokémon Center in Viridian. He then stole her bike and rode off into the distance with it. "I'd later find that it was almost entirely destroyed by Pikachu's Thunderbolt," Misty recounted humorously. She would then journey to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City to confront the boy who took her bike. When she arrived, she found a distraught boy, waiting for any word that his new friend would be okay. While she did tell him off, Misty would later ally herself with the boy against a Team Rocket attack on the center. She told herself that she would journey with the boy until he repaid her for her bike. "Of course, that's what I told myself." She said to Harley, pouring him a cup of tea. She took a sip from her own cup and continued her story. "The more I followed him, though, the more I became his friend, and the less I actually wanted to get my bike back. I learned a lot about Pokémon with him, and actually caught most of my Pokémon while I was with him. I don't know when it happened, but at some point, I guess I started to feel different about him. I liked him in a different way. The way he would command in battle. The way he loved his Pokémon. I started to notice these things more and notice the annoying things he did less. I thought I would be able to mindlessly follow my crush forever."
"But then it happened. I got a call from my sisters shortly after Ash had finished competing in the Johto League. They told me to come back to the Gym and watch it while they went on a trip. I initially refused, citing Ash's debt to me of one bike as my reason. The Nurse Joy of the Viridian Center, however, had repaired my bike while I went on a journey with Ash and his friends. I gave him my handkerchief to remember me by, hoping he would understand the significance of my gift and how I felt about him. When he left for Hoenn, I didn't hear from him as often. And while I was the Gym Leader, I know I've become a better trainer. I've gotten a lot closer to my dream here than I would have if I had kept hanging on Ash's curtails. I guess I started to take the lessons Ash had taught everyone he met during his journey to heart during this time. I knew that if I loved him, I wouldn't mind letting him go for a while. And if I didn't, then my crush would fade eventually."
"I talked with his mother; the two of us became close friends. She told me what she had heard from Ash while he was in Hoenn. She told me that he had met a girl named May in Hoenn. At first, I was jealous. The thought of Ash hanging around with some other girl made me mad. But as the time went on, I didn't think it was as big a deal. I met May one day when I visited Hoenn for the Togepi Festival. She seemed like a nice girl, and she and Ash had nothing between each other besides friendship. He didn't make any advances towards me, nor did he ask for me to stay. I thought to myself, 'You know, he probably still doesn't understand that handkerchief I gave him.' It was after that that my crush began to fade. 'Ash wasn't ready for love,' I thought. I wanted to get a boyfriend to myself, but I knew that if I kept hanging on Ash, I wouldn't be happy. It was at that point I formally dissolved my crush on him. I decided to expand my options."
"So you're not in love with him," Harley said cheerily, but deep down he was feeling defeated. I didn't need the history lesson, either! he mentally spat at Misty.
"No," Misty shook her head. "Both he and I matured while we were apart. His mother phoned me one day saying that he was returning home after the Hoenn League. I of course watched it on TV, but I was glad to know he was coming back. She invited me to meet him when he got home. I agreed and rode my bike. Part of me was eager to reignite those feelings I had so long ago. I took my new Azurill with me. I wanted him to see me in the best light possible. The moment of truth came and I heard him come in through the door. I walked in to see the look on his face. Instead of having these feelings of love come back to me, all I had was my friendship with him. After a surprise visit from Professor Birch and Max, May's little brother, we all had dinner. I decided to wait in Pallet before I went on home. I went outside to look at the starry sky. I was kind of down that I didn't have feelings for him anymore, but at the same time, I felt free. I knew now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I had gotten over my crush on him. As I was affirming this to myself, Ash came up behind me."
"Hey Misty," Ash walked up and sat down next to her, "can we talk?"
"Sure," she responded, "what's on your mind?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the handkerchief Misty had given him. "I know what this means now," he told her, "and I can't accept it."
"What do you mean?" Misty asked him. She felt her cheeks flush.
"I know you gave me this because you love me." he looked at the grass. "I'm sorry, but I can't return those feelings." He pushed the handkerchief into her hands. "Please take it back," he pleaded.
"You know the funny part, Ash Ketchum?" she asked him. Without waiting for a response she continued, "I've already gotten over my crush on you. But I won't take it back."
"Why?" Ash asked her.
"Because now it's a symbol of our friendship," she explained. "I used to like you, Ash. That's why I gave it to you. But it was just a childish crush. I've grown up a lot since we parted. Now, I want it to be a reminder to you. Of all the fun times we had together," she smiled. She closed his hand around the handkerchief and pushed his hand back to him. "You'll always be my first crush, Ash. And we'll always be best friends, okay?"
Ash smiled, and nodded. "Thanks, Misty. You are one of my very best friends."
"Now…" Misty got sly, "why did you want to give it back?"
Ash blushed and looked to the sky. "There's this girl I like…" he began.
Misty smiled, "It's that May girl isn't it?"
Ash looked to her in wonder. "How did you know?"
"You're so predictable, Ashy!" She rubbed his hat against his head. "She's probably the only girl you've been around since I've been gone."
Ash blushed. "Can you give me some advice, Misty?" he asked her. "I mean, you're great at that love stuff, and I'm not even really sure about any of it."
"Okay," Misty said, "what's the situation?"
"Well, she went home to the Petalburg Gym, so I don't know when I'll be able to see her again. There's also this new challenge here in Kanto called the Battle Frontier, which means I'll be traveling again. I'm gonna miss her, Misty. How can I make sure we stay friends?"
Misty sat up and looked at the stars. "You'll have to call her often. And send her romantic letters; I can help with this part. But above anything is you can't let her get away. I regret not telling you how I felt back then, but now that you know, it doesn't seem like it would have kept my crush on you alive longer. You can't let the girl you love get away, Ash."
"Of course, neither of us knew May would follow Ash to Pallet Town and follow him during his Battle Frontier quest. But after I came back to the Gym, I sent him a letter, wishing him good luck with May."
"So you defiantly have no feelings for him? Harley asked. He was crying on the inside.
"Nothing other than friendship," she told him, sipping more tea. "But why are you interested in that?" she smiled at him.
Harley gulped. Does she think I like her? he thought. "Then what did you two talk about when you sent May away?" he asked her. "If you tell me, I'll tell you my reason."
"Oh, alright," Misty said. She recounted her conversation.
"So Ash," Misty began when May was out of earshot, "how go things on the Love Frontier?"
Ash told her the things he kept out of the story while May was present. He also told her that he had admitted his feelings before he felt he was ready, only because he felt like he was going to lose her. He told Misty nearly everything: his dream about losing her, loaning May his clothes, sleeping with her, the wrestling, the sign (to which Misty laughed), and the entire situation at the Pokémon Center the night before. All of it but his injury.
"Why was May wearing you hat, Ash?" she asked him.
"Her bandana got torn when we landed," he lied to her, "so I loaned her my hat."
"Well, if you want to do something sweet for her, you should go buy her a new bandana, Ash," she shoved him playfully on the shoulder. Ash cringed.
When Misty asked him what was the matter, he brushed her off and told her that he was gonna buy her a new bandana, like she suggested. "Don't tell May, though. Tell her I just went on some errands. And tell her that I'll meet up with her at the ice cream parlor we saw on the way here." With that he took Pikachu and left, leaving Misty concerned over what happened to his shoulder that he didn't tell her.
"There, I told you what I talked to him about," Misty pointed her finger at Harley, "now why is it any of your business?"
"Because I know what's really going on," he said sadly. "I know what May's doing to that poor boy…"
"What?" Misty's eyes filled with concern, "What do you mean? What has she been doing to Ash?"
She's got the bait, now to reel her in, Harley grinned inwardly. His face took a pathetic expression. "It's horrible, Misty!" he cried. "She's so abusive of him! When she gets mad at anyone, even her brother, she takes it out on poor Ash instead. She's been beating him since they met back up in Kanto. Even her brother and their other friend don't know." His tears were free flowing now. "Ash tries to act strong. He acts like nothing is wrong. But his shoulders are cut up where she's been lashing at him. I can only assume that without anyone else to stop her, she's been even worse to him!"
"But wait!" Misty stopped him, "How do you know? Do you even know May?"
"Of course I do!" he shouted, still crying, "I was her first boyfriend!"
Misty was shocked. "And she did this to you, too?"
"Yes!" he cried. "She would beat me herself, or she'd let her Pokémon do it for her. May is so violent. But she does well to hide it." He began to dry his eyes on his sleeve. "Ash is just an innocent boy; I don't want to see anyone else become a battered boyfriend to this violent maniac!" A full-on cry returned. "I was trying to get you to fight her on your own so I wouldn't have to relive this painful story, but I'll do what I have to if it means stopping her reign of terror!"
"I'm so sorry…" Misty began, realizing she never learned his name.
"I'm Harley, from Slateport City in Hoenn," he introduced himself.
"Well, Ash and May should come back here later today," she told Harley, "and I'll confront them then. You don't have to be here with me, if you can't handle it."
"Thank you, Misty!" he cried, hugging her. "I knew that Kanto's Gym Leaders would be upstanding enough to help me!"
In the back of his mind, he thought, Hook, line, and sucker.
So yeah. Misty isn't in love with Ash anymore. Deal. And Harley's purpose has been made apparent. What do you think?
As for Harley being from Slateport City, this was apparently mentioned in the Kanto Grand Festival. For the record, Drew is from LaRousse City, where the Deoxys Movie took place. Drew'll also be coming back soon, as well as some other recurring characters...