HIGH SPIRIT
2
Part Two
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Delia pushed her son's journal away from her in disbelief of what she just read. Her eyes were filled with tears. "How could Misty be dead? And the whole time?" she wiped her eyes. She had just read what the situation turned out to be from the first 'High Spirit' story and as you can imagine it was quite a shock to discover what Misty was the entire way through it.
Through the window ahead of her, she could see it was raining. She leaned forward to slide the journal she pushed away back towards her. Once it was back in place, she resumed reading. She read through until she was at the part where chapter one of this story ended on.
'For though my life was at jeopardy that moment on the cliff, the news of Misty's death still remained the scariest encounter of my life. Even the events that would follow it would not match the rate of my heartbeat. But a truly shocking and surprising revolution would still be breached.' and Ash's story continues…
It was a quiet and peaceful scene by the lake. The water began to sparkle as the sun rose over the mountain. Then a body slowly emerged from the water and crawled on to the shore in soaking wet clothes.
It was Ash. He breathed heavily and dripped everywhere. He took a seat in the grass, facing the water. His eyes wandered the surrounding. His heavy breathing reduced over time. "Pikachu?" he stood up as he called out his pokemon's name.
"Pikachu!" he shouted. "Pikachu! Where are you?!" he wandered the area, searching. "Pikachu!"
He walked into the woods that surrounded the lake. He walked through the trees, looking for his friend, and his way back to the hotel. He walked till his feet became sore and blistered.
Several hours later he reached an unfamiliar town. It seemed pretty empty. As he walked into the town, few people walked the streets with him. He came across a bar called 'Joe's Tav.' "I need a beer." he said and walked into the joint.
When he got inside he looked around. There were a few tables pushed against the wall. It was an old and dirty place. A row of stools were lined at the counter, and the bartender had his back to Ash, as he was cleaning some glasses.
There were two TV's attached to the ceiling. One was on CNN, and the other was ABC's NBA Sunday game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. There were two other customers inside. A man at one of the stools, drinking his beer, and a mysterious figure in a coat with a hood on, staring at the TV.
The barking of some houndour outside seemed to aggravate the bartender, Joe. Ash walked up to the counter to order. "Excuse me. Could I get a beer?" but he got no answer, as Joe continued to stand with his back to Ash.
"A-hem. Could I get a beer, sir?" he got no answer once again. "Sir? Could I-"
"Yeah-yeah I hear youse! Shut up! Damn!" Joe turned around and clenched his fist.
The burst of anger startled Ash and he quickly sat down on a stool. He was soon joined by the figure in the coat.
"I'd like another glass, Joe. And one for my friend." the person spoke with a familiar female voice.
"Friend?…eh, ok." Joe filled up the glasses.
"Huh?" Ash stared at the person, the hood still over her head.
"Here you are." Joe handed her the drinks.
"Thanks. But who are you?" Ash asked her as she handed him a glass.
She took a drink from her glass and removed her hood.
"Oh my god…Misty?" Ash couldn't believe it.
"Hi, Ash." she smiled.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you!" she exclaimed happily.
"How can Joe see you?" Ash asked quietly.
She took her locket out from it's tucked position in her shirt "I've got his picture."
"Oh." Ash had a very confused and seemingly scared expression on his face.
"What's wrong, Ash? You look like you've seen a ghost." she laughed, along with Ash. "Sorry. But I have to use that line sometime."
"I'm glad to see you." Ash smiled at her.
"And I'm glad to talk to you again."
"How did you know I would be here?" Ash asked.
"I've been following you. Watching over you. A guardian angel is what I was trying to be. But-" her explanation was interrupted as Ash noticed something outside.
"Is that who I think it is?" he saw someone familiar through the window.
"Who? Who are you talking about?" Misty asked him.
"That guy outside." he got off the stool and went outside. Misty got off her own stool and followed him.
Ash walked across the empty street to an old man seated behind a stand.
"Hello, Ash, Misty." he greeted them.
"You're the guy who sold me a blue locket." Ash pointed to him.
"Indeed." the old man nodded.
"Did you know about the locket's magic…glow-thing?" Ash asked him.
"Of course. I discovered it."
"What the?" Ash became sidetracked once again by yet another person. He saw down the street a man with his hands in his pockets. He walked away from Misty and the old man and towards the person.
The old man watched as walked off, along with Misty. "Ash has a very short attention span. He did the same thing to me earlier." Misty told him.
"I know." the old man nodded.
Ash caught up with the man. He had dirty, black, messy hair, shooting out in all directions from the top of his head. He also had a thick black beard on his chin.
"Excuse me, sir. Could I ask you something?"
The man looked at Ash and nodded.
"Are you wearing a locket?"
The man shook his head 'no.'
"Oh…" Ash turned away from the person and back to Misty. He saw her talking to the old man, and opening her back pack.
"Why do you want to know?" the man asked him.
Ash turned back to face him. "…Huh? Uh. never mind…I thought you were someone else. Sorry." Ash turned around to get back to Misty.
"See you around, kid." the man said as he continued walking on his way, with his hands in his pockets.
Ash turned around and watched him walk away. Then he went back to Misty.
"What were you doing, Ash? Who was that guy?" Misty asked him, concerned.
"Uh, no one." Ash shrugged his shoulders.
"As I have already explained to your friend, Ash. I am your grandfather." the old man spoke up.
"What?" Ash raised his eyebrow. The confusion surrounding him was continuously adding on.
The man that claimed to be his grandfather pulled out a black circle shaped locket from inside his shirt. "I died when you were still in your mama's womb. I always wanted a grandson. And I have been able to watch you over the years. And have now been able to talk to you after discovering a special kind of water." he pulled out some water bottles and set them on the table in front of him. "There is a special body of water which I can not speak of. Even to you two. Just by painting the special liquid over a locket will keep it's magic within it forever. Why does it allow the living to see the dead? I don't know. I believe it may be because the lord works in mysterious ways."
"…Wow…all this information is a little overwhelming." Ash said, not really sure if he could believe any of this. It all sounded a little out there to him.
"Take your time." his grandfather told him.
"You know what? This is all very interesting and everything, but I have to go find Pikachu. He's still out there in the woods." Ash took Misty's hand and they started off to their mission to find the lost pokemon.
"But-"
"Sorry. I have to go." Ash continued on, pulling Misty as he went, leaving his disappointed grandpa behind.
"Ash, you've been going in fast motion." Misty said, releasing herself from his grip.
"I'm a hyper person full of energy." he said.
"But your just gonna leave your grandfather behind? Your grandfather that you just met?" Misty asked him, with her arms crossed.
"I met him before, obviously. Or I wouldn't be able to see you."
"Yes you would."
"Look. I'm just really worried about Pikachu right now. I can't stand being away from my friends for too long. It hurts me." he told her, crossing his arms as well.
"I understand." Misty looked into his eyes. Sad eyes.
"I just got reunited with you since our departure. I found out that I have a grandfather who sold me a magic locket and who died before I was born and I also saw someone that I could have sworn was…" Ash trailed off.
"…Was what?" Misty asked.
"Nothing. Let's get going." he started walking off towards the woods.
Misty sighed and went after him.
After traveling through the trees for a long period of time, the two finally reached the lake where Ash had fallen into the day before. "This is where I last saw Pikachu." Ash said, as he started walking around the area looking for him.
"Pikachu! Where are you?!" he shouted as loud as he could.
Misty joined in. "Pikachu? Pikachu! Come out!"
After about five minutes of shouting Pikachu's name the two sat down in the grass to take a break. "Where could he be?" Ash asked himself.
"I'm sure Pikachu is looking for you too. He's probably going to a place where he knows you'll go." Misty said, trying to brighten things up.
"You think?"
"Yeah. Maybe he went back to the hotel." Misty suggested.
"Hey. Maybe your right, Mist." Ash lied down on his back and looked up at the clear sky above.
Misty lied down right next to him, and joined in looking up at the sky.
"I know I always say this when I see you, but…it's good to see you again, Mist." he said, closing his eyes.
"I never get tired of it." she replied.
"And now I definitely have a high spirit. I got depressed again when you left. Now that your back, my spirit has sky rocketed and I feel better than ever." Ash said proudly.
"…That's great." Misty smiled, and then frowned.
The two lied there like that for half an hour, just glad to be in each other's company.
This time, This place
Misused, Mistakes
Too long too late
Who was I to make you wait
Just one chance
Just one breath
Just in case there's just one left
'Cause you know, you know, you know
I love you
I loved you all along
I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore
On my knees, I'll ask
Last chance for one last dance
'Cause with you, I'd withstand
All of Hell to hold your hand
I'd give it all
I'd give for us
Give anything, but I won't give up
'Cause you know, you know, you know
That I love you
I loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'd never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore ('Far Away' by Nickelback)
"I have something for you, Ash." Misty finally spoke after the long period of silence.
"Oh? What is it?" Ash asked, rolling over to face her.
She rolled on to her side and faced him. "You bought me this locket, so I wanted to get you something." she said, sitting up to get something out of her back pack.
"You didn't have to do that. After all I got you that locket like five years ago."
"So? I think you'll need this." she said, pulling out the object.
What Ash saw made his eyes go wide. It was his classic hat he wore throughout his pokemon journey.
"I bought it from your grandfather when you wandered off earlier. I thought that you should get it back." she said, and placed it on his head.
"So…a dead person bought something from another dead person? Don't you think that's kind of weird?" Ash asked.
"I guess you could say that." Misty said. "But I wish you wouldn't use the word 'dead' because it brings me down." Misty's eyes widened "But also it's not such a bad thing!" she said quickly. "It's something that everyone should accept."
Ash sighed. "Well thanks again." Ash touched the bill of his hat.
"Just don't lose it again, please."
"I wont." Ash smiled at her, and she smiled back.
"Do you want to go to the hotel to look for Pikachu?" she asked him.
"Sure." he nodded, and he got up on to his feet, and then helped Misty on to hers.
Meanwhile in another open field not too far away, the gang that tried to kill Ash earlier were all standing in a circle, chatting. "Now you'll be getting a first round bye. And against one of the best poke'mon trainers in years. It's perfect." one of the men said to the leader, Frank.
"But your still the last seed. Wont we have to be doing some more cheating?" another member asked.
"Of course." Frank responded. "Just not as extreme."
"What else can we do?"
"I don't know. It's your job to figure it out." Frank yelled at him. Then he noticed something off in the distance. In between the trees, he could see movement passing them. He couldn't believe who he saw.
"Oh my god…" he was stunned.
"What is it, Frank?" his friend asked.
"It's Ash!" he pointed to the trees.
"Where?" his men all asked in unison, looking in the direction Frank was pointing.
"Right the hell over there! Let's go!" he yelled and started running. His men ran after him.
Ash stopped, as he heard the sound of feet hitting the ground. He looked to his right to see Frank and his men running towards them.
"Oh shit! We have to go." Ash said, starting to walk again.
"What is it?" Misty asked.
"We're being chased." he said, and the two started running deep into the woods.
"You son of a bitch! don't let them get away!" Frank yelled as the gang chased them.
"We have to hide somewhere. We can't outrun them." Ash said as the ran through the trees.
"There!" Misty shouted.
"Where?"
"Behind that big tree." Misty pointed. The two pulled up in front of the noticeably bigger tree than all the others and hid behind it.
Within the next ten seconds, Frank and his gang came running by, looking in every direction for them.
When the sound of their running faded, the two emerged from behind the tree and leaned against it, still catching their breath.
"I can't believe those guys." Ash said, and slid down against the tree, so he was sitting up against it.
Misty remained standing, and looking off into the direction where the group went. "That's it…" she said, still looking in the direction.
"What's it?" Ash asked.
"That's why I came back. I came back to tell you something important." she said, taking a seat next to him.
"Which is…?"
"Those guys that were chasing us are up to no good. It was a gang of corrupt poke'mon trainers that don't play by the rules."
"Oh?"
"Frank Stillwell, who your supposed to meet in the first round of the Master Tournament is the leader of the gang, and the most corrupt of all them. His plan was to murder you so he wouldn't have to face you in the tournament." Misty explained.
Ash was shocked. "They almost succeeded, at the cliff. He fired a gun at me, but I jumped into the lake. But Pikachu was still up there. Maybe HE has Pikachu with him." Ash wondered.
"I have to act as your guardian angel now and keep you safe from him." Misty told him.
"You'll do a good job." Ash smiled, after a few seconds, Misty followed with a smile of her own.
"I have go get Pikachu now."
"Pallet Town isn't too far from here. Maybe Pikachu…" Misty said
"Maybe Pikachu went there? That's a good point. Let's go." Ash pointed in Pallet's direction and the two walked off.
Frank and his people were stopped in the woods, all panting, and catching their breath. "Are you sure you saw him?" one of the men asked.
"I'm positive. He was with a girl." Frank said, gritting his teeth.
"What girl?"
"I don't know. But I know I saw him walking with a girl." Frank kicked the dirt in frustration.
"Maybe you were seeing things." another guy teased.
"I wasn't seeing things, damn it! That bastard is alive. And we need to find him before he squeals."
…To be continued…
So you know what to look for in the next chapter. Ash and Misty are going to Pallet Town to look for Pikachu, and Frank and his gang are after them for one more attempt at murder. And possibly the mystery of the man Ash saw in town will be revealed. Wait and see…