YAY, ANOTHER CHAPTER! Okay, so let's see where we are...
Okay, there's still quite a bit to go...
And I still don't own Pokemon (surprise surprise.)
Okay, i won't keep you any longer...
"He—he hung up on us!" May exclaimed, almost shaking with anger.
Brock folded his arms across his chest. "There's something wrong here."
"What are we going to do about it?" Max asked. "He was right, we're not there, so we can't really—"
"It's time to bring in the heavy guns. I know who can get through to him." And Brock began to dial again.
May raised an eyebrow. "Who? His mother?"
"Nope. It's not that serious yet."
There was a burst of static over the phone before the three friends saw someone's picture come up on the screen. "Brock! It's good to hear from you!"
"Hey! As much as I'd love to say that I'm calling just to catch up on some old times… But we need your help."
"Okay……"
"Help with Ash…," Brock added.
"What! Oh, great, what has he gotten himself into this time? I swear he's always getting into trouble. Some things just never change…"
"Well, I'll let him tell you the whole story—even though he may not want to—and then you'll see what I need help with."
"Wait. What do you mean, 'he may not want to'?"
Brock sighed. "He may not want to because it's pretty bad. He's not here now, as you've probably already noticed. The reason for that is because he set out on his own."
"……So he just left you? Just like that? It must be real important to him."
"Believe me, it is. He left three days ago, and we had no idea as to where he was. We did manage to contact him just a few minutes ago, but he hung up on us when we began to ask him about what happened to him… Because you can tell something happened…"
"Okay, I think I understand this so far. Now, on a scale from one to ten, what would you rate the situation? Ten being a terrible hell-born situation."
Brock looked from May to Max and back to the phone screen. "About a nine point five if you ask me."
"Hmmm… And on a scale from one to ten, what would you rate Ash's emotional state? Ten being okay and one being totally depressed."
Brock threw the person a dubious look. "What? That's a dumb question. You'll figure that out soon enough."
"Well, I'd say a zero," May muttered. "But it depends on when you catch him."
The person frowned deeply. "Okay, give me his number, right now."
Bring! …Bring! …Bring!
Oh, no, I am not going to talk to Brock and the others again. I'm tired… My head…, Ash thought, burying himself under the blankets and putting his pillow over his head.
Bring! …Bring! …Bring! …Bring! …Bring!
Go the hell away!
BRING! …BRING! …BRING! …BRING!
JUST BE QUIET, DAMN IT! Ash yelled in his mind. Suddenly, the phone stopped. Oh, crap, this phone has an automatic answering thing…
"Leave me alone, Brock! God, I swear this is the last time I spend the night at the pokémon center," Ash grumbled, not looking at the phone and still covered with blankets. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here? Not one wink for over twenty-four hours, Brock!"
"Hmph. Sure moody today, aren't we, Ash?"
Ash's mouth dropped open from under his blankets. "Misty!"
"That was my name last time I checked. Now get out of bed and come over here."
"Swellow," Ash whispered, making the bird pokémon look at him. "Turn off the screen, will yah?"
"Well, swellow…" Click, the screen was off.
Ash then fell out of bed and made it to the chair, plopping himself in it and sighing. "So Brock called for reinforcements, eh?"
"Why did you turn off your screen?"
"Just because… But you aren't answering my question."
"Yeah, he did."
Ash paused for a long time, looking Misty up and down. She hadn't really changed much. Maybe gotten a little taller and her orange-red hair a little longer. But otherwise…same old Misty.
"Ash? Ash Ketchum, you better not be falling asleep or something. Pikachu! Pikachu, shock him for me!"
Ash recoiled at the mention of Pikachu's name. "Brock really didn't tell you anything," he stated, surprising himself with his icy tone. He flipped on the screen so he could look Misty in the eyes. "Pikachu's gone, Mist."
Misty involuntarily took a step back, her eyes widening. "What—what do you mean, gone?"
"As in gone!" Ash said angrily. "It all started one morning when we were on our way to Lilycove City. But we got stopped by Team Rocket and one of their plans to catch Pikachu. But the machine they had blew up and sent us all flying. I tried to grab Pikachu… Except he slipped right through my fingers." Ash slammed a fist onto the desk that the phone was on. "Out of all the things I've screwed up in my life, this one surely takes the cake."
"Ash—"
"Oh, no, I'm not done. Pikachu survived the fall, but must have landed on his head, because he got amnesia. Team Rocket found him and began to fill his head up with phony memories, making him think that he worked for Team Rocket… Making him think that me and the others were…the enemies. And when I finally caught up with them, Pikachu was already…brainwashed, and he didn't remember me whatsoever. I know because they ordered him to Thunderbolt me—and Pikachu did it—twice!" Ash paused. "Pikachu's still with them now… I've ran into Team Rocket twice since then. The first time, I got Thundered, Thunderbolted, Iron Tailed… It just left me pretty sore and limping, but a few days after that, I decided to set out on my own to get Pikachu back. It was my obligation to him as his best friend…… I………haven't had much luck……," Ash concluded.
Misty stared at him. "I'm so sorry, Ash, this must be really hard on you…"
Ash turned away from the screen, and both teens were silent for several minutes.
"You don't look too good," Misty commented.
Ash glared, still not facing her. "I told you I ran into Team Rocket twice after Pikachu first lost his memory. I only told you about the first time. Let's just say that the second time hurt more."
Misty's eyebrows shot up. "Ash, don't beat around the bush about this, 'cause I'm not gonna take that crap!"
Ash shook his head. "Same ole Misty…"
"Damn right. I want you to tell me every single thing that happened between the time Pikachu slipped through your fingers to now, and don't leave out any details."
Ash folded his arms across his chest. "No, I don't think so… It's not too important…" And he looked to the ceiling and stretched his arms out, yawning.
"What's that?" Misty asked, leaning closer to the screen.
"Hmm?"
"You've got a red line across your throat," Misty said worriedly.
Where James choked me with that string…, Ash thought. "It's not important how I got that…"
Misty glared. "Ash…"
"Don't Ash me! Now if you don't mind, I'm really tired and really sore and really annoyed with the people who call me." Ash's hand hovered over the disconnect button.
"Ash, don't you dare hang up on me," Misty shouted.
"You don't have a right to order me around…"
"I'm a Gym Leader, so you should at least show some respect."
"What! I was your friend before you became a Gym Leader, Misty. So don't try and pull rank on me, kay? Now if you don't mind, Miss Gym Leader Misty, I really think I need some sleep. And don't try to pretend to worry about me, because I'm not going to take any more of that. I'll be fine when I get Pikachu back," Ash retorted, angrily getting out of his seat and falling onto the bed.
"Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled from the screen.
Ash threw the blankets over him and squeezed his eyes shut.
"Ash! Get your ass over here!" And when Ash didn't move, Misty just got angrier. "I swear on your dead father that—"
That crossed the line. Ash sprang up and strode to the phone. "That was uncalled for, Misty Waterflower! Don't say anything about things you don't know about! And don't even think for a second that you know what happened to my dad! So stow the crap. I'm going to find Pikachu, and I'm going to get him back. I don't care what I have to do. So good b—"
"Don't hang up on me." Misty's voice was harder than concrete.
Ash was so angry, he almost gave Misty the finger, but instead he gave her a look and hit the disconnect button as hard as he could. And after that, he unplugged the phone.
"Shit!" Misty swore after trying to call Ash back for the third time. She ran off to her room.
She knew what she had to do.
So who wants more? Anyone? Anyone?