Rising Storm

Crystal gathered around the warm fire as they all exchanged stories and made smores. She walked over to Shiloh who was getting a place near the flame. Crystal sat down and smiled at him.

"Shiloh?" she started to ask.

"Huh? What?" He quickly turned to her.

She turned her eyes to the food Misty, Brock, and Ash had in there hands.

"What are those things?"

"Smores, they're some king of human treat. I've had them before; they're real sticky and gooey." He remembered that awful taste. "And they didn't taste too good either. Yuck."

Crystal laughed. Shiloh wanted to ask her something also.

"What happened to Tavius and Aren?"

She quickly responded, "They migrated back to Hoen. After the battle was finished, they decided the forest didn't have enough food to support the clan. So they left."

"Oh," he sounded disappointed.

But Crystal looked on the bright side. "Hey, cheer up! The forest is back to normal and flourishing with life too! All the Pokemon are coming back and repopulating. It's wonderful; you just have to learn to appreciate it."

Shiloh looked away. "I guess."

Crystal frowned. He just didn't seem as happy as he used to be. That should've cheered him up.

She decided to change the subject. "Hey Shiloh, check out the…"

She looked up at the sky. "…stars?"

The small white specks were being shrouded by blackened clouds. "That was fast. Those rain clouds are coming in." She turned to Ash.

"Ash there's some mean looking clouds rolling in fast!" Crystal's voice sounded shaky.

"Do you have anything we could stay in before the storm passes?"

Brock dug in his pack. He managed to find some sheets and poles. "Come on guys. Let's see if this'll work for a tent."

The two nodded and got to work.

She was trembling now.

"Crystal what's wrong?" he asked, noticing that she was feeling a little insecure.

"N-nothing," she unsteadily replied.

Shiloh knew it wasn't nothing. "I'm not stupid. Tell me what's bothering you."

"N-no, I don't want to. I don't want to bring it up!" She turned away.

I never want to bring it up.

"Why not? I'm your friend. But you seem to have forgotten that!"

She stopped. "I'm your friend too, but you've changed! You don't seem like the Charmander I was friends with."

Shiloh had to admit, he had changed. "It's my evolution. It's not like I wanted to act this way. But I did want to evolve and I had no idea I'd turn out like this. I'm sorry," he apologized.

I have to tell him, he's my friend. No matter how much I don't want to hear it.

"I was born on the night of a thunderstorm. At first I was just curious. I wandered outside into the rain. The lightning struck a huge tree and it landed right in front of me. It shook the ground near me, causing a small but horrifying earthquake. Branches, rocks, then…nothing. When I woke up it was still raining. I had been hit by something massive, maybe a rock. It was the scariest thing I'd ever experienced." Crystal looked at him with frightened eyes. "I'm scarred." (A/N: I do mean scarred not scared.)

Shiloh responded, "Everyone has some things they don't like about their life. You just have to think about the present and forget the past." He smiled.

Ash walked over to Charizard. "We set up the tent. Sorry Charizard, you can't fit in the tent and you can't stay outside in the rain. So you'll have to get in the Pokeball."

His trainer held out the Pokeball and Charizard vanished in the red light.

Crystal heard the thunder crack. A few seconds later she was dripping wet. She quickly shot into the large tent. She shook off all the rain water and it splashed on Misty.

She glared at her. "Crystal!"

"Oops, sorry," she said apologetically.

Ash walked into the tent. He walked over to his sleeping bag in the middle of the two, got in it, and lied down. Crystal didn't see any space for her so she padded over to Misty's sleeping bag.

"Can I sleep here?"

"Sure," she said drowsily. Misty laid down and tried to go to sleep but she couldn't.

Crystal knew she wasn't asleep because she kept tossing and turning, kicking her.

She jabbed her in the side again. She growled, "That is the sixth time! What is wrong?"

Misty sat up and stared at her. "Sorry Crystal, I'm fine."

"If you're fine then why can't you go to sleep?" the large Pokemon asked suspiciously.

Misty sighed. "I've just been having something on my mind lately." Her gaze traveled to Ash. Crystal was watching her, so she quickly turned away and laid down on the sleeping bag.

Crystal didn't get it. What was so special about Ash? He was just a trainer. She remembered her mother and father, they had been mates. Perhaps she had a likeness for Ash. That's it. She likes him.

She thought for a moment. A small smirk crept across her face.

Hmmm.

Crystal slowly drifted to sleep, thinking of what she was planning for tomorrow.

Sorry this one's a little short. Crystal's planning something. Dun, dun, dun! Or is it dum, dum, dum? I forget….