HIGH SPIRIT
2
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I can happily say that the first 'High Spirit' was a success, and once I announced I'd be making a sequel, everyone was up for it and it has been much anticipated . I came up with the story before I even finished the first one, and once again that happened to me before I finished this one…what do I mean? wait and find out. But besides that, I'm sure you will like this story just as much, if not, more than the first one. Most sequels usually don't do well, that wont be the case with this one.
Those of you that have not read the first story must turn back now and read it!
There on the bed in what appears to be a hotel room and which there appears to be no one in that room, lies a notebook. It's a blue note book, which has been bent, and written on, and stained by past spilled drinks. The notebook sat there, waiting for it to be taken to it's requested location.
It would soon be on it's way there. A knock was at the door. "Mr. Ketchum?" the man at the door asked. He knocked a few more times but got no answer. He used his key card to unlock the door and venture in. "Mr. Ketchum?" he asked again, but it was clear that Ash was not there.
The man went back into the hall and returned to the room, pushing a cart of cleaning supplies. Then he noticed something written on the large white board against the wall. He read the note and then looked at the notebook on the bed.
…a day later that note book was in the back of a van, sitting, waiting. The back of the delivery van opened and the man that had been driving it picked up the package with the notebook inside, and took it to the front door of the house it was being delivered to.
He knocked on the door and waited for a reply. Within a few seconds a woman came to the door, carrying some travel bags. "Hello." she greeted the man, and sat her bags down.
"Hi. I have a package for you, Mrs. Ketchum." he told her and handed her a package that she wasn't expecting to get, based upon the look on her face.
"Whose it-" she was cut off as the man handed her a sheet of paper and a pen.
"Sign here, please." he pointed to the line she needed to sign. She quickly signed it and the man walked back to the van.
Delia took the package inside and shut the door behind her. She walked to the kitchen and sat it down on the table. Then she walked to the stairway and stood there. "Are you in the shower yet, Tracy?!" she called, looking up the stair.
"…No. not yet. Just a sec." he called back.
Delia murmured and went back into the kitchen. "Well you better hurry up. The flight leaves in two hours, and this is our only shot at getting to see Ash battle. If we don't make the flight, it's your head!" she yelled, feeling stressed. And then her eye caught the package on the table.
She walked up to it and sat down. "It's from Ash?" she read his name on the back, and tore it open. Inside was the blue notebook. She opened it up to the first page. The title at the top was 'Ash's Journal.' and to the right of the title read 'Please read!'
She did as it said and began reading the first entry. 'Hi, Mom. Let me tell you a story…'
…One week earlier
Pikachu leapt into the air, his face full of serious fury on the outdoor battlefield. "Pikachuuu!!!" He released a powerful blast of electricity on the charizard he was pitted against. This was all that was needed to end the battle.
"All right!" Ash jumped into the air, and then ran to his Pikachu, wrapping the pokemon up into a big hug.
"And with that victory, it's number 17 in a row, and his 33rd win in his last 35 battles. He will advance from the preliminary rounds and on to the 'Master Tourney.' Congratulations, Mr. Ketchum." the public address announcer said over the speakers.
Meanwhile the people in the stands were going crazy, and many of them were swamping the field to congratulate Ash and interview him. Camera crews were the first to arrive.
The only few that were not swamping the field were still sitting high up in the bleachers. It was a group of four men all wearing black. Two of them were smoking, the others just glaring down at the people. They did not look happy.
"So it's official. He's the number one seed in the tournament." one of them men spoke.
"And I'm matched up with him first." the leader of the group realized. He had long black hair, with red dyed stripes. He wore a thick leather jacket, which covered his muscular form.
"It doesn't look good." another guys spoke.
The leader blew out smoke, and threw his cigarette forward.
"What are we gonna do?" his friend asked him.
The leader continued looking ahead at the crowd. Then he turned to his gang "We cheat."
Back down on the field, Ash was being interviewed by a female reporter. She stood close to him and spoke into her microphone. "Mr. Ketchum, how have you been able to keep up this consistent winning. A performance like the one your putting on hasn't been seen in almost 14 years."
"I try as hard as I can and never give up. And I keep faith in my pokemon." Ash answered.
"Your first battle in the Master Tourney is next week against Frank Stillwell. You have the number once seed, and Mr. Stillwell has the last seed. Does that mean anything?" she asked.
"No. everyone that's competing is dangerous and should never be underestimated. Every opponent has to be looked at as if he or she is the best of the best."
That night Ash was in his hotel bedroom. He sat on his bed, talking on the phone. "Guess what, Mom?"
"What, sweetie?"
"I made it through. I'm in the tournament."
"Oh that's wonderful! When does it start?" Delia was jumping up for joy inside.
"Next week." Ash said while looking at the calendar on the wall.
"You can count on me and everyone else to be there cheering you on."
"That's ok, Mom. You need to take care of things back home."
"Nonsense, I'm gonna come keep you company." she argued.
"I have Pikachu with me."
"What about Misty?"
Ash was dead silent.
"Ash?…Sweetie?" Delia became worried for her son.
"She's in Cerulean." Ash finally answered.
"Oh. Well you can count on me to be there for you."
"Thanks, Mom."
"Well…I need to be going. I have some errands to run."
"Ok. Bye, Mom."
"Bye, Baby. I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'll see you next week."
"Ok."
"Bye." she hung up, and Ash sat the phone down on the night stand, next to the radio clock, a flashlight, and his journal.
He turned to Pikachu, who was sitting beside him on the bed. He pet him on the head, and laid down. His mind wandered to his missed friend, Misty. He had tried to forget about her and the situation, trying to get back on track with his life.
But he was reminded of her absence. "I miss you, Misty." he sat up on his bed and looked around the room.
There was a blank white board to the right of a bulletin board, and a television to the right of the white board.
On the bulletin board there were news paper clippings involving his winning performance as a pokemon trainer. There were also pokemon flyers and photos. Photos of his mom and himself. Professor Oak, Gary, Brock, Pikachu, and Misty.
He used to look at photographs and be reminded of good memories from the past. But now all he saw was sadness. Moments that will never be experienced again. The depression that he felt during the four years after Misty didn't show up to meet him at the lake was starting to take over him again.
12:03am the clock read now, Ash was lying in bed, trying to get to sleep. But he was finding it difficult to do so. The song 'Ghost' by Howie Day was playing on the radio.
lately i've been thinking
lately i've been dreaming with you
i'm so resitant to this type of thinking
oh, now it's shining through
i was alone for the last time
before my night's vacation with you
alive from the first
now i'm denied by the ghost of you
you take yourself a photograph and laugh at me
please
Ash lied there, holding Pikachu in his arms. Tears ran down his face. He was startled suddenly when he heard a squeaking noise from behind him.
He released Pikachu from his arms and turned around to grab his flashlight. He turned it on and flashed it in the direction of the noise.
i know there's little use in crying
it's more wide awake and dying then i'm used to
i thought we'd walk these streets together
now i'm hoping that i'll never have to meet you
step aside from all this anger
and somewhere in between i can feel you
ask me should we try again
i'm thinking no
y'know, it's not what i believe in
it's not what i believe in
you take yourself a photograph and laugh at me
please
you make yourself a photograph and laugh at me
please
no i, wanna taste you, love
no i...no i
no i, just wanna taste you, love
He had the light shining on the whiteboard. There was a drawing in the bottom right hand corner. It was a red heart. Ash smiled and switched off the light. He got back under the covers and went to sleep, feeling better now, knowing he wasn't alone.
standing in your shoes
i turn and now
you're standing bare in my doorway
i only wish that i had been prepared
i'm gonna have to go along with your way
just take the plastic camera out
it's in the pants you borrowed in the driveway
alive from the first
now i'm denied by the ghost of you
make yourself a photograph and laugh at me
please
you make yourself a photograph and laugh at me
please
no i, wanna taste of love
no i...
i was alive from the first
now i'm denied by the ghost of you
The following morning, Ash sat on his bed reading the newspaper. Pikachu was asleep on the pillow. After reading the front page of the paper, he took it and tacked it to the bulletin board with all the headlines.
On the front page it was the article about him and his winning streak, and an inside look into his first match of the Master Tournament, with a picture of his opponent. The opponent that he was not aware of that would be breaking the rules soon.
Ash walked back to the bed and lightly shook his sleeping pokemon. "Wake up, buddy. It's time to train."
The clock read 6:48am. "Pi." Pikachu woke with a smile, and Ash picked up his pokemon and carried him out the door.
The two left the hotel and walked out into town. They walked through town and into the forest. They walked deep into the forest, and found themselves on a cliff with a great view of the land below.
"Ok, Peek. We've got another big journey ahead of us. Our destiny awaits. It can't be taken lightly. We're gonna train till our muscles ache and our veins pump battery acid." Ash said as he walked in a circle around Pikachu.
"Pika!" he used his agility, while sparking out electricity, getting pumped up.
But Ash and Pikachu were not alone at their spot. They were not alone at all. His opponent was hanging out there as well, along with his group. They remained off in the distance amongst the trees, looking on.
"When are we gonna take him out?" one of them asked.
"Hold on…let him have his fun." Frank said.
Ash and Pikachu continued training. They were working on durability, and keeping Pikachu in a good enough shape to last a long period of time. Pikachu did suicides as Ash encouraged him on.
Less than an hour later the two stopped to take a break. "Good job, buddy." Ash petted his pokemon for a job well down, and then walked over to the edge of the cliff.
He knelt down, and looked at the world below. There was a big lake with the rest of the land being covered in green. "It sure is beautiful huh, Pikachu?"
Pikachu took a spot next to his master and got a look at the view. "Chu." he nodded.
"You better enjoy it while you can." a voice from behind him said.
Ash slowly stood up and turned around. It was Frank, and his gang was behind him, some with their arms crossed, some with their hands in their pockets.
"I don't have the skill to end your winning streak. But I can end your living streak." he took out a gun and pointed it at Ash. He cocked it and smirked.
Ash felt time slowing down, and his life flashing before his eyes. He turned around and looked down below the cliff.
Then he closed his eyes, and leapt forward off the cliff just as he heard the sound of a gun shot.
Frank then pointed his weapon to a frightened pikachu.
"Pika pi!!!"
And the gun went off…
…To Be Continued…
Don't worry folks, it's not over yet. There's plenty more ahead. Including the return of Misty. So stay tuned, sit back and prepare for yet another journey.(And sorry about this opener being so short)