Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to do this guys. Life has been pretty chaotic for me this last month or so though. School, studying, tests, work. Not to mention the catastrophic computer failure that essentially wiped my computer. But, such is life. What can you do but keep on moving when life tries to kill you? Anyways, here is the next chapter in "The Choices They Have Made."
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May unsteadily crawled out of the Sky Sled. The last thirty-six hours had been torture. When she wasn't busy emptying the contents of her stomach while flying, she was trying to figure out all aspects of her plan. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically. "Finally!" she cried when she touched ground. "Never again am I going to fly on this thing!" Pulling her belongings out of the Sled after her, May gestured at the Pidgeot. "Thanks guys. Go home. Fly safe!" she cried as they began their takeoff. The flock of birds were already in the air. They circled up, pulling the sled after them. They turned back to fly over May. Gaining speed, they turned in the direction of home, and with a last powerful beat of their wings, broke the sound barrier. The sonic boom was extremely loud, and the backlash of it sent May sprawling on her backside. "That wasn't very nice," she grumbled as she got up, dusting herself off and getting her bearings to her surroundings.
She was on the side of the road to Cerulean City. She was on the Mt. Moon side, and could see the gates to the City. Smiling for the first time in the last day, she broke into a jog, trying to get to Ash. Her Ash now. She laughed giddily, trying to picture what it would be like. Magical, surely. How could it not be? She was going to be with Ash! Just wait, Ash Ketchum, she thought. I'm coming for you!
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It was a good fifteen minute walk to the city. Upon arrival, she went straight to the Pokecenter first. Even if she didn't want it, May knew that she needed a rest. And even if she didn't, her Pokemon did.
"Welcome," Nurse Joy said with a smile. "What can I do for you today?"
"I just got off a long rather…turbulent flight. Do you think you could give my Pokemon a checkup for me?"
"Absolutely. Would you like a room also?"
"Yes please," May said as she slid her 'Dex into the slot and placed her pokeballs into a tray. Nothing popped up on the computer screen. Meaning Ash hadn't said anything since the first message. That worried her a little bit, but not to terribly. "Oh, Nurse Joy!"
"Yes?"
"Have you seen a trainer named Ash Ketchum recently?"
"Oh, that cute boy with the Pikachu?"
May ground her teeth at the description. This hussy is too old for him, yet she calls him cute. "Yeah, him. Is he around?"
"No, I haven't seen him in a while. Why, is everything alright?"
"Yeah, fine. Thanks." She took a room key off of a hook and went to the room. Yawning, May went in, closing the door behind her, and plopped down on the bed. No sooner had her head hit the pillow than she was out.
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She couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour. When she woke up, May let out a yawn and stretched her arms above her head, loosening the muscles that had tightened during her sleep. Going back to the front desk of the Pokecenter, she rang the bell on the counter. Nurse Joy wasn't there, and the bell would hopefully summon her.
"Yes, how can I help you?" she asked, rounding a corner. "Oh, it's you. How was your nap?"
"Great, thanks. How are my pokemon?"
"Tip top condition. I gave them something to settle their stomach, and they're all resting in their Pokeballs. One moment, let me get them." Nurse Joy went back to the back.
May pulled out her 'dex again and slid it in the slot, checking for any mail. Sure enough, the computer screen beeped, an envelope blinking on the screen. May felt her heartbeat increase. Was it Ash?
It was! But, it was the oddest thing. It was a reallllly long list of instructions. Directions, really. Turn right here. Go straight for this long and then turn here. Find this landmark and go there. Really odd directions. But, he promised he would be there at the end of the hike.
Nurse Joy came back just then with the tray of Pokeballs. "Here you are," she said with a smile.
"Thanks Nurse Joy." She shrunk the pokeballs down to carrying size and put them back onto her belt. "Do you think you can print this out for me?" she asked, gesturing to the screen.
"Certainly." She pushed a few buttons, and the printer under the desk whirred to life. The nurse looked briefly at the message while it was printing. She smiled a sly smile. "You know," she said in a knowing way, "My husband did something similar to this once."
May looked at her curiously. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yup. One morning he came into my house early, he knew where the hidden key was, made me a wonderful breakfast, and left it and a note on a tray next to my bed."
"What did it say?"
The nurse let out a giggle and smiled as she told her story. "It was a list of instructions. It said that if I did everything right, he would have a special surprise for me at the end of it."
"Yeah?" May asked, curious. "What was it?"
Nurse Joy held out her left hand, and touched the engagement ring on it with her right hand. "This. He proposed to me at the same place he asked me to go on our first date. It was one of the most romantic things he's ever done for me." She was smiling fondly at the reminiscence. "I think I'll call him," she said as she picked the papers off of the printer. "You'd better get started though. This looks like it's going to take a couple hours. Let me know how it goes?"
"Absolutely. Bye!" May took off at a run for the door, following the instructions.
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May was almost at the end. Two more instructions. Follow the green wall, keeping it on your right, until it turns to the right. May kept her right hand on the wall, her heart beating faster and faster in excitement. Suddenly, the wall wasn't on her hand anymore.
All right, last direction. Follow the round building around to the front. May looked around and found the round building the note was talking about. There was a big hole in the wall, and she could see a swimming pool inside it. Must be a fancy hotel with an indoor swimming pool, May assumed.
Deciding not to hold back anymore, she ran around the building. She came out around the other side, and saw him. "Ash!" she cried out.
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Several Hours Earlier
The plane had just landed in Celadon City, and Dawn was exhausted. She had hardly gotten any sleep, and Piplup was a zombie. Pikachu and Ash weren't much better, but they were determined to keep going. Brock finally convinced him that he was human and had to sleep. So they went to the Pokecenter to grab a quick nap. That was all Ash was allowing until they got to Cerulean. Four hours rest, and then they were flying to Cerulean.
Piplup and her other pokemon were with Nurse Joy, along with all of Ash's and Brocks Pokemon. She was in her own room, and Brock and Ash were sharing a room. Deciding that she couldn't sleep, despite her exhaustion, Dawn decided to get something to drink. She thought she had seen a vending machine out there.
She had. What she didn't expect to find, but wasn't surprised, was Ash. He was sitting on a chair, nursing a half-empty can of soda. He hadn't heard her come in. Dawn walked to the vending machine, put in some money, and picked a soda. Ash looked up when he heard the machine spit out the can. "Hey," he said. "I didn't hear you come in."
"I'm surprised that you heard the machine," Dawn replied with a smile. She sat in the chair next to him. He had bags under his eyes, swollen and purple. "You look horrible," she said playfully.
"I feel horrible."
"You know, it's called 'beauty sleep' for a reason. It helps you look good on the outside, and feel good on the inside."
He laughed once. Dawn popped open her can and took a drink from it. It was cold, and she could feel the cold spread through her chest as she swallowed, and the taste of the sugar revived her some. Putting her drink on a side table, Dawn reached out and took one of his hands in both of hers.
"Everything's going to be fine, Ash. You really need to stop worrying."
"How can I?" he asked, pulling his hand free. "Misty's sisters blame me. Like if I had been there, nothing would have happened. How can I not worry about something that could be my fault?"
"You listen to me, Ash Ketchum," Dawn insisted, taking his hand again. Maybe I'm dreaming this, she thought. There's no way I could be so bold. "This is in no way your fault. How could it be? You were on the other side of the world."
"Exactly," he said, trying to pull his hand free again, but Dawn held firm. Or maybe I'm just too tired to care.
"You need to stop beating yourself up about this. There is nothing you could have done to cause anything."
Ash squeezed Dawn's hand. "I know," he whispered. "And there's nothing I can do to stop it, either."
Dawn had had it with this self pity and self destructive criticism. She took one hand and grabbed his chin, turning his head so that he was looking at her. "You look at me, Ash Ketchum. Misty will be FINE. Say it with me. Misty will be fine."
"You don't kn-"
"Say it," she insisted, bringing her face closer so that he could see the anger in her eyes.
"But-"
She brought her face even closer, their noses almost touching. "Say it."
He said nothing for a while. Until finally, "Misty will be fine."
"Anything else?" Dawn asked in a whisper.
"Misty will be fine, and I did nothing to cause this."
"Good." Dawn had a very fast, furious mental debate. She would probably never get another chance like this, and she wasn't going to let it pass.
Quick as a thought, she turned her head and kissed ash. Not on the cheek or on the forehead, as some part of her mind had tried to say, but on the lips. They tasted of sugar and soda, but had another sweetness to it too, something she couldn't place.
It was a quick kiss, maybe a second, and then she backed up. Dawn picked up the soda and walked away, not giving him a chance to respond. "Remember," she called back to him before she turned a corner. "It's not your fault. Misty will be fine."
"Not once she hears this," Dawn heard him mumble. She stopped and peeked back around the corner. Ash lifted one hand and put two fingers on his lips, where she had kissed him. Then he let out a sigh and took a gulp of soda, licking his lips after. Dawn smiled and skipped back to her room.
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The group had taken to the sky as soon as Brock had woken. They were all tired, and it was another long flight. The sound of the wind as they flew, coupled with the lower temperatures in the sky, kept them awake and holding on though. Dawn's thoughts were giddy. She had had her first kiss. She was a serious contender in the race now.
Ash's thoughts were concerned. Misty filled the majority of his thoughts. But, a few times, Dawn intruded in his mind. He remembered the kiss, the feel of her lips, the taste of her breath… no, he mustn't think about it. But aside from that, it had been his first kiss. And Dawn had stolen it from him. Misty wasn't going to be happy. Misty…
Brock was remembering the dream he had had the night before. It had involved Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, fuzzy handcuffs, whipped cream, and a syringe. Or something along those lines…
Pikachu was concerned also. Misty was in his thoughts, but he was more concerned about Ash. He had been acting strange this morning, acting unsure around Dawn. This was a time of weakness for Ash, and being unsure would give her an opening. An opening that would bring around unnecessary complications.
Piplup was proud. She was proud of Dawn. Dawn had confided in her right afterwards, so she knew everything. Humans had a saying; all's fair in love and war. Well, this was a war of love, so if everything was fair in one, it went doubly for both. Pikachu wouldn't be happy, but he would learn to deal with it. Maybe I should talk with Buneary… Piplup thought to herself.
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The sun was falling when they began their descent. They were heading straight for the hospital, to find Misty. Ash's pokemon didn't flinch from what was asked of them. They came through the city in tight formation, weaving through the tall buildings, lowering their altitude and slowing down as they came closer and closer to the hospital, until finally they were on the ground. Ash and Pikachu vaulted off of Pidgeot before he had even come to a complete stop, using the bird's speed to add to their own. He ran through the door and was at the counter while Dawn, Piplup, and Brock were still dismounting.
They came in the door to find Ash arguing with the man behind the desk. "What do you mean she's not here?!"
"Sir, please lower your voice. I mean, we don't have Misty here as a patient. She hasn't been to this hospital since a small training accident a year ago."
Brock took Ash by the shoulders, pulling him away from the counter, trying to calm him down. Dawn went up in his place. "Is there any other hospital nearby that she may have gone to?"
The man shook his head. "As a gym leader, the Pokemon League provides for all medical insurance for her, and we're the only hospital the Pokemon League works with in Cerulean City. That's not to say she isn't hurt, but that she didn't come here to get her injuries treated."
"Alright. Thank you." Dawn turned around and saw Ash and Brock outside the glass doors to the hospital. She went through the doors. "Alright, I've got good news. She's not here."
"We already know that!" Ask yelled, throwing his hands up. "Let's go to a different hospital."
Dawn shook her head. "No, she won't be there either. Her insurance only goes through here."
"Then let's go to the Gym." He started off at a run down the streets, his pokemon already back in their pokeballs.
Dawn and Brock took off after him. The three caromed through the streets, dodging people, bikes, scooters, venders, cars, carts, and various other pedestrians and vehicles. The gym was clearly visible, even through all the other buildings. It was also pretty close to both Pokecenter and hospital. Finally, they came to the clearing in front of the gym. They were all out of breath, and slowed to a walk now that their goal was in sight.
The group of five approached the door. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder. "Pi-ka-pi," the yellow mouse said, encouraging Ash to knock on the door.
"Go on Ash," Brock said. Dawn didn't say anything, just hugged Piplup close.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. There wasn't any response. They stood there for a minute, waiting. Ash knocked again. They should have a door bell, Dawn thought. Then the door opened.
There stood Misty, out of breath, as if she had sprinted a long distance. Her eyes rested on Ash and her face changed from out of breath to ecstatic. "Ash!" she cried as she ran through the door and hugged him tight. "It's sooo good to see you again!" Ash just stood there, stunned. "You really should give a girl a little more than three day's warning before you come and visit." Ash still didn't respond. Misty let go of him, stepping back. "Ash?" she asked. "Is everything all right?"
Ash whispered something.
"What was that?" Misty asked.
"You're not hurt."
"No, I'm fine," she responded, curious. Then Ash fell to his knees.
"Ash!" Misty and Dawn called simultaneously. Misty gave Dawn a quick glance before returning to Ash.
"Ash, what's wrong? You're crying. Here." She reached out a hand, which he took, and helped him back to his feet.
"I'm just soooo happy you're okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I got this message," he said, calming down, wiping tears from his eyes. "It said there was an accident, and that I was needed here ASAP. And then when I called, Daisy said you were gone, and she was crying, then I called again and Lily said that it was my fault, and that she didn't want me near her sister again, and she was crying, and then no one responded to my messages, and I thought that you were-"
Misty put a hand to his mouth, stopping the torrent of words. "Ash, calm down. When was the last time you slept?"
Ash thought for a second. "What day is it?"
"Too long. Come on, let's get you inside. Brock can fill me in on the details, and then you can tell me the story." There goes all my plans, Misty thought to herself.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps running along the edge of the building. The person came around into view not ten feet away. "Ash!" the runner called.
Everyone froze.
Her, Dawn thought viciously. What is SHE doing here?
Her, Misty thought menacingly. Why is SHE here?
Them, May thought as she saw the rest of Ash's companions. What's going on?
She's okay, Ash thought, still amazed that Misty was unharmed. Wait, is that May? What's she doing here?
May? Brock thought. Wait, what?
Pikachu and Piplup were doing and thinking the same thing. They looked at the three girls, gauging their emotional levels, then looked at Ash. This could be trouble. Piplup had an added thought to that though. BIG trouble. Once they find out what Dawn did… Oh no.
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Patrick and Jane were laughing so hard they couldn't breathe. The look on Ash's face when Misty had come through that door was priceless. Coupled with the three girls glaring daggers at each other, this was going to be very entertaining.
Once the laughter had subsided, Jane pulled out her phone and dialed the number. "All the birds are in the nest. Proceed with the next phase of the plan."
"Yes ma'am. The city should initiate quarantine in the next hour."
Jane hung up the phone.
"How long is it going to last?" Patrick asked.
"No more than a couple days. Just long enough to keep them here, out of the way, while we finish up some loose ends in other places."
"Oh," Patrick said. "That."
"Yes. That."
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AN III: I will try to get another chapter up in the next week or so. I make no promises though. Please review and recommend! Penguin King, out ~