Sorry about the delay, I'm not really sure where I want to go with this and battle scenes are not my friends. And so we continue…

Ch. 9

Misty wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Every inch of her hurt, a lot. Something warm was pushing on her arm, and there was a dull buzzing all around her. She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't do it. As she gave up the buzzing cleared up into voices.

"…don't know what she's doing here! You got her into this, you and your stupid hero complex!"

"Well you're the one who wanted to follow first and blast later. It's later, are you satisfied now? Shouldn't you be more concerned about her anyway? You're not marrying her ya know."

Who was her? There weren't any others around that Ash and Drew would be talking about that like except for… Misty's eyes shot open.

"Misty! Don't move." The warm thing on her arm pushed down harder and she realized it was a hand, Ash's hand.

"Ash, what? What's going on? Where is May? What about Drew?" Ash gave a sniff that sound suspiciously like he had been crying.

"Misty calm down, just stay still, you might be hurt." he said softly. Then he glared at a point somewhere behind her.

"I'm fine Ash, I want to see what's going on." She said starting to sit up. "I heard you say something about May." Of course they hadn't said May specifically but it wasn't hard to figure out. She froze in her sitting pose, starring at what Ash had been glaring at. There was May alright, and Drew. He was hovering protectively over her, and she looked far worse for the wear.

"Wha, what happened?" Misty stammered.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Ash mumbled. Drew looked up at her, the tears he was trying to hide obvious in his shimmering green eyes.

"There were too many powerful attacks. They collided, and we all got caught in the cross fire. Some of us more than others." Misty looked mournfully toward May, but Drew shook his head.

"No, him." He inclined his head the other way. Misty shifted slightly so she could take in the scene but Ash blocked her way.

"Do you really think she needs to be looking at that?" He snapped.

"Ash, seriously?" she said, pushing around him. He relented with an annoyed sound and she saw it. Nyander slumped on the ground, chunks of the building piled around him, and his limbs at odd angles.

"Is he…you know?" she whispered.

"We don't know, we haven't checked." Ash said.

"Well don't you think you should?" she said indignantly.

"We've got more important things to worry about." Drew said.

"Ok fine, so we sit here and wait for one of them to wake up? Drew, stop being an idiot we need to get her out of here and find help." Misty said. She started to stand up, and Ash jumped to his feet. Lucky for her, because she shook, stumbled, and fell back into his arms.

"You probably broke your leg." Ash said, pulling up toward himself. "Or something. Either way, you're not walking out of here on your own." She scowled at him and he looked at her apologetically. "Here, I'll carry you on my back." Misty began to protest, but she had little choice in the matter as Ash swung her up across his back. Drew scooped May up, carrying her bridal style, and they began to pick their way around debris to get out of the fortress.

"Doesn't this seem a little backward?" Misty mumbled into Ash's shoulder.

"Did you really think it wouldn't end up this way Misty?" he asked.

"Yes. I was supposed to protect you from this."

"How did we get in here?" Drew asked, stopping at a crossing and staring around.

"Like I remember?" Ash retorted.

"Are you actually admitting you're lost and don't know where you're going?" Misty said in surprise.

"I've grown up a lot Mist. Ten years can do that to a person."

"You don't need to tell me that." She said. Drew gave them a sidelong glance. He called her Mist, and she hadn't said a word against it. His eyes dropped back to the unconscious brunette in his arms, a look of pain etching his face.

"I think we should go this way anyway." Drew said, turning toward the left.

They walked along in silence now, all looking at anything but each other.

"I should have guessed you be no better with direction than Ash. Maybe it's just a male thing." Misty hissed at Drew after twenty minutes of wandering the halls.

"Misty, we don't need that right now." Ash said quietly. Misty glared down at him.

"Yeah, what we need is to get out of here. That freak was bound to have helper-watch out!" As though her statement had been the invitation they were waiting for, about a dozen goons descended on the group. There was a massive flash of light as they each released a Pokémon, blocking the way.

"I was wondering when I was going to get to battle." Ash said, setting Misty gingerly down, and pulling out two pokeballs.

"You cannot be serious." Misty and Drew said together, looking at him incredulously. Drew still held onto May, who had yet to awaken. On the contrary her heartbeats were slowing and her breath was coming in shallower with each passing minute.

"Well, you can't take them alone Ash, I'm going to help you." Misty said, enlarging two pokeballs of her own.

"Torkal, Bulbasaur, let's go!" Ash called out as he released his pokemon.

"Gyarados, Corsola…no!" Gyarados came out just fine, but instead of her tough little Corsola Misty got her Psyduck.

"There's no time, just go with it. Drew, get her out of the way!" Ash shouted, and just in time, as all of the goons chose this moment to unleash a flurry of attacks, including rock throw, thundershock, water gun, razor leaf, and ice beam.

"Torkal, Fire spin!" a huge cyclone of fire erupted in front of them, blocking most of the attacks.

"Gyrados, Dragon Rage!" Misty commanded. She tried to take a step forward and winced in pain. Ash hesitated, looking like he was deciding whether or not to run to her. That hesitation was enough.

"Bulb!" "Tor!" Ash's two pokemon had been hit by attacks from the goons, who were now advancing. Debris was falling all around them.

"Ash, this is too much!" Drew called from the corner.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Ash called back. At that exact moment a hail of small pebbles rained down on Ash, Misty and their Pokemon. They managed to dodge most of them, all except for Psyduck, who caught a large piece right in the head.

"They're coming Ash! Gyrados, Surf!" Misty interjected, but the water from her most powerful Pokemon's attack was disapated, and the goons were inches from them.

"Psy yi…duck!" Everything stopped. Misty brought her face back out from the shield of her arms. She stared open mouthed at the goons and their pokemon who were floating in mid air, along with all the debris, surrounded by a purplish glow.

"Psyduck?" she asked, looking down at the little duck.

"Psy." It replied. "Psy yi, duck."

"I think he wants us to go." She said, looking around at Ash and Drew.

"Well, you don't have to tell me twice." Drew said, starting off along the hallway, trying not to jostle May as he picked his way across the debris.

"Misty, come on." Ash said, swinging her back up on his back.

"No Ash, I can't leave him!" she protested.

"Misty, if you return him then they'll be able to get at us!" he insisted, starting to walk forward. She started to hit him as hard as she could.

"No Ash, no!" she protested, her voice breaking. "No, I can't leave him!"

"Psyduck, Psy!" The small duck seemed to be encouraging her, and she looked back at him, tears swimming in her teal eyes.

"Psyduck." She whispered.

"Psy." Ash stumbled slightly.

"Misty, he's pushing me." Ash said. Misty stared at her pokemon.

"Goodbye Psyduck." She whispered. Ash took off running now, catching up with Drew at the end of the hall. They all gave Psyduck one last look, and it nodded. The goons and debris all fell to the ground with an echoing crash, and they couldn't see anything anymore.

Misty sniffed and buried her face in Ash's shoulder.

"C'mon Drew." Ash mumbled. "I think I see a door up there."

Ooo, sad. And not as much battle as I was trying for, but like I said, battles are so not my thing. Hope you still enjoyed it.