DISCLAIMER: I would like to own Pokemon so I would be rich and Misty would be still on the show, but too bad, I don't
I updated earlier this time…a lot earlier. So proud :D –poundschestliketarzan-. This is mainly because I am really sick and staying at home to write even though I already missed 3 tests. Not that you care…
I just want to say thanks to the people who took the time to review this story. I feed off of reviews, I run on reviews, I NEED REVIEWS.
Anyways, read and enjoy
B U R N I N G ~ A S H E S
Promise Under the Sakura Tree
By Hoppip
As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.
-Bruce Lee
He was hot.
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She was cold.
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He was fire.
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She was ice.
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He loved the bright sunshine.
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She enjoyed the cold rain.
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He was the sun.
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She was the rain.
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He wanted to live in a fairy tale.
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She thought fairy tales were unreal.
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He wanted to be someone's knight in shining armor.
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She despised princesses, for they're so weak.
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He thought the world was a wonderful place.
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She hated the life she must live.
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He lived for everyone who he loves and loves him.
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She only lived for him.
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He will someday be frozen.
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She would one day break through the ice.
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He will meet her.
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She will meet him.
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And things will change.
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Ash Ketchum never met anyone like her. The bright red hair and the sudden changes of colors in her eyes, they were all so – different. When he first saw her riding on her bike down the street, her eyes were greenish blue, almost warm. But as soon she looked at him, they changed into a shade of icy blue. When he asked her for help, she refused bluntly right in front of his face. She did not soften for his friendliness but called him fat. He knew that he wasn't fat…was he?
She was like no other girls in his school. They actually would want to have Ash Ketchum carry them on a bike. Heck, they would die for him to talk to them. So nicely asking did not work so he of course had to come up with a way or he would be late. He wasn't the smartest guy around, but he wasn't weak. He just picked her up and dumped her back there and just started pedaling. Again, unlike other girls who would have blushed, she nagged him, scolded him, and pulled on his ears without mercy.
But now inside his science classroom, standing up from his assigned seat, he watched her walk down the aisles of other students from below his red cap. Not daring to show his face to her, he could still feel the coldness that she was shedding. He was scared. But suddenly she just stopped there, right in front of his desk. He looked up and saw her staring menacingly down at him. She was scary. He could imagine her hair sticking up in flames…death was not an option.
For a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Ash couldn't help but find her familiar but he just couldn't figure out where he'd seen her. After mouthing "fat guy" with her rosy lips, she sat down to the seat beside him. After she sat down, Ash stumbled into his seat beside the window. For the first time in his life, his friendliness would not come out of him.
As Ash turned his head back to the front of the class, he noticed everyone staring at them. It was awkward but she didn't seem to notice. Luckily Professor Rowan did not want waste any time and started the lesson on Optics right away. Ash wasn't the study guy. His grades weren't great and he would fail one or two classes. Instead of listening to his teacher, he just turned his head and stared out the window. For the next half an hour, Professor just reviewed the things he talked about the classes before.
Ash occasionally glanced at lab partner and found her sleeping. She was good. Her textbook was placed high on the table, opened to a random page. She was behind the book, snoozing. It also helped because they're at the back of the room and the ever so broad Sid was right in front of her, blocking the professor's view.
Professor Rowan stopped talking for a while and Ash took his view away from the window only to find him passing out booklets. She was already awake by that time. As Ash got his paper, he noticed that the words said "Pop Quiz". He did not panic, having tests when he knows nothing about the topic came too often for him. He did not care if he failed; the painful part was seeing his mother sad about it.
Ash could not help but notice the redhead beside him as calm as him. She just took a long nap and did not learn anything with them. But her glasses did not make her seem like someone who would wing a test.
"You may start your test now."
With that note, Ash and the rest of the students of 203B flipped their test booklet open.
What does electrical discharge run on?
Ash knew that is was going to be a long test…
Ring
"Ok students, will you now all hand in your tests please."
"Damn that was hard!" Gary Oak said as he put his test papers into the basket on Professor Rowan's desk.
"What do you expect," Ash replied tiredly at his best friend since they were born. "I guessed half of the questions." He quickly stole a glance at the ginger haired girl who expressionlessly put her test papers into the basket and gave a little yawn. He was furious. It was like she was mocking all the other students who thought it was hard. He knew that she was going to fail because she's just an arrogant but scary person you can hardly call a girl. No make-up, short hair, and gave no attention to him or any of the other guys in the class.
Ritchie, Ash's second best friend noticed something different about Ash. "Hey dude, why aren't you all friendly with the new student? She shouldn't be that hard to get along with, she's a girl."
"Ha! A girl! I don't know what to do with her. I tried this morning, but I guess having everyone in this class like me is going to be impossible." It was not a good time to say those words because Misty was right behind him, ready to release her wrath.
But instead of killing him on the spot, she decided to have a little fun and get justice for her deceased bike. "Fat guy, you burned my bike."
"Eh?" Ash turned his head and found his worst nightmare glaring down at him. "I'm sorry, uh, Muffy? But it was an accident. I'll pay you back someday, I promise." He finished it off with a sheepish grin and sweating from head to toe.
"First of all, my name is Misty, not Muffy. Second, there is no way I'm going to get to school now. You have to pay triple the amount of damage you did today." She said coldly, her eyes even more icy than usual.
Before Ash could protest or cower, Gary came to save the day, at least for Ash. "How bout you catch a ride with me every day on my red convertible." It wasn't much of a question. Misty only snorted in response.
"Why would I ride in your car everyday?"
Gary was caught by surprise. She was doing this new girl a favor. But his face immediately went back to that seductive expression and an arrogant smirk. "Playing hard to get?" He thought out loud, "It's a good thing you're hot. I mean look at your legs!"
Misty was mad. She was furious. She did not like people judging her appearance or hitting on her. She never expected something to happen so soon.
"Gary, leave her alone. She just transferred and you're already trying to get her in bed with you? That's just sick." Dawn said as she walked back to her seat in the front row.
"Oh come on Dawn baby. It's not like we never tried that before. You were drooling over me. But she's a tough shell to crack. I can't even get her into my freakin' car!" Gary exaggerated the last sentence, his smirk still in place.
Dawn immediately reddened at what he said. "Hey! We weren't in bed exactly. I blew you off, remember? Now stop going around saying that to everyone because it isn't true!" Before storming out of the classroom, she scowled at the people who were staring at her sudden outburst.
Everyone in the class was speechless in the class except for the playboy Gary who was laughing maniacally. "Ahahahaha. Did you see that? Paul, you should really control your girlfriend or I'm gonna persuade her into taking a ride on the Gary express, now more hard, more fast, and more stuff coming out of it!"
"She's not my girlfriend. You can do whatever you want with that troublesome girl." With that note, the violet haired boy took out a random book and started to read soundlessly.
"Yeah right. She's not your girlfriend. What are you going to tell me later? You're not her boyfriend?" Gary turned back to Misty. "You know Miss Long Legs, I'm quite popular around here. It would boast your popularity to go for a ride with me. Maybe you and I can hang out after our little ride, you know, where can get down and dirty. I can just picture where your legs are going to be and the rest of your body. The Gary Express is going make you a very happy girl, I can go faster and make the road a lot more painfully pleasurable just for you." He finished off with a wink.
Misty was not happy about this. This guy was crossing the line. Class was going to start and she has to change for swimming. There's her chance to ditch this perv.
"I'm sorry Mister Hedgehog but I am not interested in that. You are disgusting. Now will you excuse me, I have to get to my next class." Her voice was strong with the distaste of Gary's behavior. She left Professor Rowan's Lab right after.
Unexpectedly, Gary still kept that smirk on his face. He always got his girl. He pretty much played with all of the girls in Pallet and is not going to back down on this one. Not with those legs. But his expression changed as he saw Ash chucking beside him.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! She called you a HEDGEHOG! I mean, look at your hair!" Ash said between his furies of giggles. Even though the girl was not nice and frightens him immensely, but her dissing Gary was too good to be true. "Dude, you should really get her to ride on your car. That way, I would never have to be late in the morning anymore. Her insults at you are something I'm not going to miss. Today, she calls you a hedgehog. Who knows what she'll say tomorrow!"
Gary wasn't going to let Ash laugh at him all day. "Well, Ashy-boy. I'm going to get her to ride with us every single day. Maybe you can even drive Ol' Priscilla while we make out in the back. Now let's go, with still have to change for swimming class. The ladies are waiting to see my extremely hot body and I'm itching to see theirs'!"
Ash Ketchum does not like the cold icy water. It reminds him of the scary girl he met this morning. Swimming for one and a half hours in there every two days was bad enough, but swimming with the scary girl is just excruciating. Rudy, the swimming teacher assigned Misty to be his partner for the rest of the year. She's the only one that he cannot be his positive self around. She puts out his flames. She drenches him in the cold. She freezes him up. But apparently being the only one that does not have a partner in the whole class, it was the only choice.
It's not like he doesn't like her. He likes her when she's making fun of Gary. But something about her just isn't right. Ash could see through people, read their emotions, despite his denseness. Misty was sad, and it was her only emotion. There's a part of him that wanted to make her happy and show her how nice it is to be happy for a while. But the other part of him just wants to leave her the way she was. He was confused because she looked so familiar. But he wasn't surprised. The car accident that happened 9 years ago gave him permanent amnesia. It took him two months to recognize his own mother. All he remembered after the mysterious car crash was to wait for someone under the cherry blossom tree on the night of the festival. He didn't know whom, but he went every year anyways. But last year, he found Angie under the tree. They have been going out ever since. He didn't know if she's the person he's been waiting for, but it had to mean something.
In his trance of thoughts, he noticed that he was pushed into the freezing water after standing on the edge for over five minutes. He lifted his head from the water and found Misty smirking proudly from the edge of the pool.
"Hey! What did you do that for you big meanie?"
"Well, you looked really dirty so I thought taking a bath is necessary. You're all clean now, you should thank me."
"THANK YOU? I'M FREEZING COLD!"
"Meh."
Just then, Gary swam over in the middle of their bickering. "Hey Miss Long Legs, you look hot."
Misty on the other hand was having fun making Ash miserable, turned her head and scowled at Gary. "Leave me alone Hedgehog."
"Leave you alone? Not possible. Unless you and I have a little bet. Today, Rudy is letting us just swim around the pool to practice for the exam next glass. We can use one of the lanes and have a one-on-one swim-off. 1200m, freestyle If you win, I will not bug you anymore. But if I win, you have to ride on my car every single say, morning and afternoon. Comprende?"
"Hmm…Freedom. Swimming contest….you're on." Misty said confidently. Swimming was her thing, and she can beat him to pulp. "Let's have fat guy here be the judge." Turning her head to Ash, she said "If there's anything wrong with the results, your head is not going to be very happy."
"Ok then, let's race!"
Misty and Gary, both in readying positions at the starting points of lane 6, preparing to dive in and swim for their lives. With a blow of a whistle, both competitors dived into the water and started swimming. Misty started off with a simple front crawl and so did Gary. They were head to head but Misty occasionally was in the front. By the fifth lap, Gary was 100m behind. It was hopeless for him. He was good, but no one expected Misty to be better.
Gary was not about to let this opportunity slip. He started speeding up and caught up to Misty. But on the last lap, Misty released all of her energy and charged into the finish line. Gary was close behind. Taking off her goggles, Misty grinned triumphantly at Ash who was dumbfounded. She earned her freedom fair and square.
Everybody in the class was watching, once again speechless at Misty's behavior. She beat Gary, the fastest swimmer in the whole school. Rudy was really impressed and encouraged her to join the swim team, which she happily accepted. Gary only panted in defeat. His fangirls who were obviously oblivious to the bet were weeping that their hunky heartthrob lost to a girl.
Before anything else could happen, an announcement went on.
"Will Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower please report the office. Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower. This is urgent."
Without further ado, both teens grabbed a towel and ran down to the office. Something was not right. The lady's voice was not calm as she was this morning when she announced the Math Contest winners. They were both scared, dripping water on the once-dry hallway floor.
Both of them charged into the office door at the same time, and found Jessie and the Principal, Professor Oak waiting them. As soon as they saw them, they led the two into a small office. Their faces lacked color. They both just sat there, not knowing how to start. It was Jessie who spoke first.
"Ash, we're sorry to tell you that your house has been burned down this morning."
Ash's head was down, not wanting to look up. "How about my mother?"
It was the professor who answered this time. "They found a female body inside the house. It was burned too badly to identify. We're sorry."
Tears started to stream down the boy's face. He loved his mother, more than anything in the whole wide world. She was there for him for everything: they car crash, his elementary graduation, and when he was sick. Now she's gone. He hasn't been able to do anything for her yet. He was lost. He did not know what to do. She was the only one left in his family.
"But don't worry, Misty's sisters has offered for you to live with them before things are sorted out. They are really nice people. I'm sure, you will get along with them really well." Jessie added.
"Ash, Delia was a good woman. I knew her for a long time. I'm sure she doesn't want you to be too sad. She wants you to be happy no matter what happens. Misty, I want you to escort Ash to your house right now. Forget classes for today. You are both dismissed." Professor Oak finished gravely.
Misty did not know what to do either. When her own parents died, nobody was there to comfort her. She was miserable until she met him.
"Come on fat guy. Your mom won't love you anymore if you cry. She will cry in heaven too. She went with the pretty flowers, and will always watch over you." Misty soothed. It was the first time she talked to him without the iciness in her voice.
Oddly enough, the words sounded really familiar to Ash. It reminded him of the cherry blossoms 10 years ago. No, it couldn't be her. It was Angie that he was always waiting for. But he followed Misty out of the school anyways.
They walked quietly along the way. But Ash broke the silence.
"I want to see my house first." Ash said softly. Misty only nodded.
As they got the house, they both gasped in surprise. There was nothing left but some broken glass and a big pile of deep gray ash. Even the cherry blossom tree that Delia Ketchum was tending so lovingly was burned right down to dust. There, the once bright, happy, and loving Ash Ketchum broke down in tears. Kneeling on the floor, crying for hours and hours. Misty helplessly watched as the boy slowly changed…
He was once the sun.
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She thought twice about being the rain.
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His heart was shattered.
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Her mind was shattered.
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He no longer believed in fairy tales.
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She only wished for one.
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He lost the dream of saving someone, for he could not even save himself.
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She envied princesses, for the pain was too much.
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He's now frozen, the ashes have burned.
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She's thawing out of her own icy cave.
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Things have already changed.
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"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I love you."
"You love me? That's a lie. I know what you did. You killed him. You killed my husband."
"I did that because I loved you."
"But I don't love you. I despise you."
"My, Isn't that a strong word? But you'd better obey all of my orders. They life of your son is in your hands.
"What do you want me to do?"
TO BE CONTINUED…
Love is like a fire, it can either warm your heart or burn your house down
LONGEST CHAPTER YET!!!
Ah yes…I tried to make this chapter more dark. I really love mysteries and I hope to write one someday. I recently read Agatha Christie's Mystery on the Orient Express. It was epic. If you like reading mysteries, I recommend this book. If you already read it, then thumbs up for you.
One of my lovely reviewers, Ah-nonymous said something about this story becoming the next "All For One" by LicoriceJellybean. My face is heating up right now…hehe. LicoriceJellybean's "All For One" is really really good (I know, I lack vocabulary). I think I still have a long way to go because I really need to improve on my vocabulary, themes, and a bunch of other stuff. If one day this fic can be that good, I would do something really big that I can't think of right now…
I tried to change up the style a bit. I know it's bad to do that in the middle of a story but if I get positive feedback on it, I would consider revising the previous chapters to this matter. So PLEASE REVIEW!
~Hoppip