Well, one more one-shot before I finish up EVAN AAML's…hopefully. I'm halfway done, I swear! It's one of those double pairing fanfics, and you know how those take a while.

The reason this one got up before the other was because I found this in one of my notebooks from before the winter break. I typed it up and edited today.

Uh, I can't decide if Pikachu's a girl or guy. I don't care what the pictures say, I'm still deciding. Therefore, I will continue to leap back and forth between genders until I've come to a conclusion. Not within the same story, but in different oneshots.

AAML

"Move! They're everywhere!" The woman snapped.

"We noticed," I said, nervously, still finding room for smartass comments in all the worry and destruction. I needed to learn to keep my mouth shut, I really did. Unfortunately, it was the times when my mouth should've shut the fastest that it opened the most.

The woman glared at me slightly, worry still lingering in her eyes. "Don't be smart with me, missy. Your life lies in my hands."

"I understand," I nodded quietly. "I'm sorry."

She humphed in my direction before continuing her frantic instructions. Stay down, stay hidden, stay quiet. I'd heard it all before. How stupid did she think we were, honestly? It wasn't the hardest thing in the world to figure out. Of course, she was practically tossing us into the house when she finished talking, one torture after another. I managed not to speak of it. I winced, seeing as I went first and crashed into the door. It opened in front of me with a crash, barely audible against the sound of gunshots and fire behind us. Big hands lifted me up, I thought it was Brock. I could've been wrong, though it seemed like he would be the only one to rip me up so fast and drag me down a flight of stairs.

"Buneary!" Dawn gasped. "Her pokéball! It fell! Oh no, oh no! We've got to go back! Oh, Mew! Ash, I've got to go back." I heard footsteps up the stairs, followed by a heavier set by Ash as her dragged her back down the stairs. "Ash! No! Let me go! I have to get her! She's going to die! Please, Ash, don't let her die!" She was screaming, then sobbing as Ash kicked the door closed and led her gently downstairs. "She's going to die."

"I know," He whispered. "I…I don't know what to say, Dawn. Do you…do you want to hold Pikachu? I know it's not much but…"

"That'll help," She said with a broken voice. There was the sound of claws on the floor and the ruffle of fabric as she picked him up and held him tight. Maybe that would make her feel better. I hoped so. I'd hate to have her cry, she's such a sweet girl.

"Everyone here?" Brock asked.

"I'm not," I laughed nervously. A few laughs accompanied mine, a courtesy. They didn't actually care. I didn't blame them. There was a few minutes of murmurs, nearly unidentifiable, then Ash shuffled over to me and sat down quietly, his breath ragged and noisy. I wasn't surprised. He had been running. "Ash, I know you're tired, but pick up your feet. I hate that noise.

"You're nervous," He said nonchalantly.

Damn right I was nervous! How long had it been since I'd gone exploring with the real life 'Go, Diego, Go!" kid? Four years? Hell, it could've been close to five. The point was I was completely out of my comfort zone. Ah, my comfort zone that was the simple rut of battling fresh off the press trainers and training my pokémon. Why did I ever want to leave that perfect, perfect place and go straight into this hellish place?

His hand drops to my shoulder and suddenly it's crystal clear. That heart stopping, ground shaking, mouth drying, I'm-your-freaking-fangirl-Ash-Ketchum-take-me-now-and-have-my-children-please feeling he seems to cause is the reason I'm here. In a freaking cellar. Yes, I'm locked in a cellar, hiding from a few people who need the Chosen One. At least we're not alone. Brock's here, Dawn is too. All four of us together. She's starting to forget about Buneary, a bit, preoccupy herself with being agitated at his almost silent chant of every Joy and Jenny he's ever met. I am too. I think he's actually doing it more to annoy her than to relieve his own stress. He's gotten used to all this crap. Lucky son of a gun. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!

"Nervous, me?" I laughed. "Please, Ash, I live for this!" I laughed. Oh, Mew, I'm going to die! I closed my eyes and tried to slow my pounding heart, though neither helped. It was practically black in the place anyway. I couldn't see a thing. All I had to go by was sound to figure out where we were. Humans do have night vision, which was a good thing. Mine would eventually kick in, even if it did take a while.

"You don't have to hide anything from me. We're best friends, still. At least, I hope we're still best friends. You seem to get mad at me for no reason, so I'm never sure anymore." He gave the same nervous laugh I had, then stopped and made an effort at helping me again. I guess he was getting his practice with someone easier to fix, instead of going after Dawn's broken spirit. "It's alright if you're scared, Misty. It's been a long time since we've had to deal with…" He trailed off.

Bullets? Guns? Grenades? Bombs? The fact that we're just sixteen and totally unprepared for this hell bound place we call the world? How about the fact that we're totally screwed and we'll both die alone and unloved, not to mention I'm still a virgin, which I really don't want to die as, in this mewdamned cellar?

"…With the High Ups of TR," Ash finished lamely.

"Red and white, we're always right. Follow the R, right to the stars," I quoted from a poster we saw not too long ago. I hated those twisted little rhyme. "Bloode is red, the gun's to your head. TR, terrorists by far. The R of T, they're all after me," I murmured quietly. I was barely making sense anymore. "I'm prepared for trouble, and you'll make it double." My throat hurt, like a rock was stuck in it, a rock with spikes. "Their motto was the opposite of what they intended. It meant good things. It meant they would save the world, not destroy it. 'To denounce the evils of truth and love'. Ash, I'm…I wish it was Brock and you and me again. All we had to worry about was Jessie and James. I'd give anything to hear that stupid, stupid motto again, just one last time."

It was quiet again. Brock was silent. Dawn was silent. I wondered if they were listening to us, and if so, how long. I bet they thought I was going insane. I couldn't blame them, I probably would've too. This whole war was driving me mad. I thought the others had to go insane too. I wondered if any of us sane anymore, not just that, but would we ever be sane ever again? "It can't be them, Misty. It's over."

"They're dead, aren't they?" I asked quietly. He didn't answer, just squeezed my shoulder. He was never any good with words. He didn't know how to break it to me gently. Break it to me, ha, like I hadn't already seen it happen. "Oh, Mew, Ash! I can't believe they're d-d-dea…" I couldn't bring myself to finish. My hands were trembling against my legs. I dropped my head forward, almost touching my lap but not flexible enough to do so. I jerked back up again, fast enough to be lightheaded, my tears banished again. "They helped us so much at the end. They were so, so good in the end."

"I know, quiet down, Misty. They'll hear us up there. Any second now the screaming could stop, they'll extinguish the fires, and they'll start looking for us. You never know when they start. It could be hours, could be seconds. I don't know how they managed to find us, unless they tapped into the trackers Max had. But he went the other way, how could they find us?" He was starting to ramble, thinking. He stopped, and turned back to me. "If you want to feel better, stay quiet. If we die Jessie and James died for nothing, what's the word, what's the word?" He thought for a minute. "In vain. You don't want them dead in vain, right? You want them dead for no reason? No, of course you don't. We keep quiet and alive. That's how we say thank you."

"They were really good people, Ash." I couldn't seem to get that point across enough. "They were in their twenties, damn it! They were in their early twenties! She and Cassidy used to train together! She knew her! They talked! I know they don't get along great now, but you couldn't ever kill Gary, could you? I barely know him, but I couldn't kill the guy! But Cassidy! Cassidy shot them down like they were targets in a firing range! She slaughtered them." I gasped for air, my throat was closing up and fast.

"You can cry, Mist. It's fine. If you need to cry, then you cry. No one will think anything less of you. It'd probably make you feel better met too. It'll be nice to know that you can feel. That makes you better than all the TR grunts combined."

"No, weaker," I told him.

"Stronger," he corrected firmly.

"Then why haven't you cried?" I growled. "You haven't shed a tear. You always cry. You cry at everything. You cry because other people cry. What, do you not care? Do you think this whole thing is just another grand adventure?"

"I care. I just can't," Ash responded bitterly. "I don't think I can cry anymore. After all this, I'm just numb to the world." He paused, then completely changed the subject. "I didn't want you here. You didn't have to be involved in all this. I wanted you in Cerulean, safe. In one of the smallest cities in all of Kanto. Quiet Cerulean. Who would think of you? It's been forever since we traveled together. Who would think of you? They didn't even go after my mom but they went after you! Retarded, that's what it is. They've got no idea what their doing. Don't know me well at all."

"They knew that you could get your mom out of Pallet without showing yourself," I said, placing a hand on his back. "They knew that you'd have to talk to me in person to get me out, though, didn't they?"

"I wanted you there! I wanted you safe! But…the gym." His hand fell away from my shoulder as he groaned. "Ho-Oh, the gym!"

"It burned," I said, surprised at the even tone. The gym was my world, but right then, I didn't seem to care. "All of it burned. They would've killed me if you hadn't come to get me out of there. My sisters are probably dead. At least one of them has to be. Maybe they got lucky and all got out. Stranger things have happened."

"Misty, I'm sorry-"

"Don't be."

"I'm so sorry for everything I've done." He curled up tightly and began saying sorry to our dead friends, or injured family, our pokémon, wherever they were. Ash Ketchum apologized to all of them, and still didn't cry.

"You haven't done anything, Ash." I wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "You haven't done anything. Don't let them tell you any different. You saved as many as you could. You saved who you could and you made good choices. Is it your fault my sisters were out shopping when you got me? Is it your fault water pokémon can't run? Is it your fault they wouldn't get back in their pokéballs, or that some of them can't?"

"No, but there had to be a way I didn't think of."

"No, Ash, there was no other way. You did what you could and that's okay. We can't all be perfect, Ash. Bad things happen, terrible things have been happening, but you can't change everything. You tried your best."

"And it wasn't good enough," He spat. "It's never good enough."

"Don't say that! You're losing hope! If you loose hope, we're all damned, because none of us have any dreams left in us! The supercontest halls were the first to go, followed by contests, finishing with the gyms! None of us have any dreams left. The research labs have no more funding! So, who's left? Tracey? Yeah, that's not helping. The wild pokémon are too scared to come out, and probably will be for a few generations, there goes that dream. Meanwhile, pokémon training is still legalized by TR!"

"Misty!" He panicked. "Lower your voice!"

"Why?" I shouted.

"Why do you think?" He snapped viciously. He grabbed my shoulders and gave me a rough shake. "Keep your voice low! Cool your temper for once in your life! Do you have to be completely insane all the time?"

"Of course I do!" I shouted. "And I still don't see why I have to be quiet! I can be as loud as I want! Give me a reason, not an order Mr. Pokémon Master!" This was dangerous, deadly, but strangely exhilarating. But, hey, there was only one way to get my Ash back.

"They'll hear you!"

I leapt to my feet. "Why does it matter? You've already said your goodbyes to the world. Apologizing. That's how Ash Ketchum leaves, and might I say, what a wonderful exit! I couldn't think of a better way to go! Well, do you have any last words, Mr. pokémon Master? Anything you want to say before our sould plunge into the pits of hell? Come on, share with me! I can't wait to hear the immortal words of Ash Ketchum, the first and last, sole causer of all haven and hell in our world!"

"Shut up!" He snapped.

"Why? You're to blame for all of this!"

"It's not my fault! We still have a chance at this if you would just shut up! Sit down and shut your mouth before we're all dead."

I smiled, even if he couldn't see it in the dark. "Was that too hard? You've got your fighting spirit back already. Think up a plan, Ash. We can't hide in the basement forever. They'll find us sooner or later."

"It's not a basement, it's a cellar," Brock corrected.

"I'm not happy, and I still have my mallet," I snapped. "Don't go there."

"Hey, guys!" Dawn whispered excitedly. "I found shoe polish and bleach! We can disguise ourselves with this. I'll blacken my hair and chop it off. I'll look like a boy then. Misty can blacken her hair too! And boys," she jiggled the jug of bleach dangerously. "It'll be tricky, but we've got water and bleach and one trained professional to get you two blonde." She grinned at me. "I'm not looking like a guy without taking revenge on their kind."

"No! Dawn!" Brock moaned, fingers running through his hair. "I'll look stupid! I'm way to dark to have blonde hair!"

"Blonde streaks, then," She smirked. "That won't look nearly as stupid. It'll still look pretty bad, but it won't look that bad. Look on the bright side, you and Ash can look stupid together. I'll keep searching, maybe I'll find some brown shoe polish for Ash's hair. Then it won't look as suspicious."

"What do you mean?" Ash snapped. "I'm not changing my hair color! Like they're not going to know what I'd look like just because my hair is a different color! They're still going to know! It's not like you're a plastic surgeon."

"Fine, I pour the bleach on your face and burn you," Dawn snapped. "It's a good idea! It'll be dark, they won't notice. Odds are they said we're looking for a dark boy, a medium toned boy, and two white girls. One girl has red hair, one girl has blue, and the two boys have black hair. They won't know the specifics. If we can come up with a good excuse for what three boys and a girl are doing down here, we're home free!"

"Shooting a porno?" Brock asked.

"Brock!" The three snapped, keeping their voices low.

"Strip poker?"

"Brock, would you shut up?" I said, giggling. "I swear, I've got that mallet on me! I'll hit you so hard you won't know up from down, you pervert! You'll be crying for mercy and wondering why you said something like that in the presence of two ladies."

"One lady." I thought I saw Brock grin in the darkness. "And just to get all three of you mad, it's not Misty or Dawn." There was the sound of footsteps on Brock was tackled to the ground. I was pretty sure the boys were wrestling again. Dawn rolled her eyes and twirled the bottle of bleach in her hand. I was starting to make out some silhouettes instead of the darkness I was finally starting to get used too.

"Boys, break it up," I called quietly, "hurry, before Dawn gets too mad and pours bleach all over you, and I don't think it's color safe."

I don't know how much time passed. It could've been days, it could have been weeks, months even. It was nice though. Ever since the thing had started we'd been running and running from everything. We just needed some time to stop going and relax. We sat and ate what we found, which wasn't very good tasting, but it was edible. We drank from the faucet Dawn had used to aid in the bleaching of the boy's hair. We were quiet and peaceful until we heard the deadly knock from above, a noise from the outside world. The quiet dripping of the faucet was all we could hear, even our breathing was dead silent.

Then, Dawn spoke. "What would three boys and a girl be doing down here?"

"They wouldn't," I hissed. "Why'd they stay so long in this damn town? How hard must they be searching? Could TR just have moved on? Why didn't they realize that we weren't here on the first day?"

"Maybe someone reported us. They saw us come down, just wanted the Rockets gone," Ash suggested. "You know how strong of a motivator fear is. People will do anything when they're scared out of their mind. TR is good at that."

"We don't even call them Team Rocket anymore," I whispered. "Have they got us scared too?"

"No, Team Rocket's just not who they are. No matter how hard they try to talk us out of it, Team Rocket's always going to be Jessie and James," Ash nodded at me. We could see clearly in the dark by now. "TR's a much bigger threat."

"I know!" Brock said suddenly. "I know what kids would be doing in a dark, secluded place at all hours of the day. It doesn't matter what time it is upstairs, because kids are always running away to find these kinds of places."

"What?" Dawn rolled her eyes. "Making out?" Her eyes widened. She smacked her forehead. "Oh, duh. This place is – was – probably the hottest make out spot in the area. And, heck, if two guys are kissing all the better! It's all experimental and we don't want our parents to know! Brock, you're a genius!"

"You came up with the plan, I just had an idea," Brock chuckled with false modesty. "But, if we write a book, I want full credit."

"I'll tell Violet when she's writing the rough draft." I agreed.

"But who's taking who?" Dawn asked. "I'm fine with anyone. I've got no problems with any of you. Besides, I already none of you are interested in me." She frowned. "Which doesn't help my self confidence at all."

"You don't need it," Ash rolled his eyes. He grinned and rolled his eyes over to me I knew what he was thinking, and groaned. He was such a typical guy.. "Hey, Dawn, would you even take Misty?"

"Ash, you're sick," I rolled my eyes.

"Homophobe," He accused.

"I'm not a homophobe! I'm just saying you're sick because you don't want us to kiss because you think we're gay, you want us to kiss for your own sick pleasure. You just want to have the picture of us making out in your head when you go to the bathroom tonight." Oh, how we went to the bathroom. You don't want to know. I don't want to know. I've blocked it from my memory, we're not going to talk about it.

"Sure, but that would mean you and Brock had to be partners so you two would have to kiss and I guess I could get out a phone or something and record it and send it to everyone we know," Dawn innocently suggested.

"Nevermind."

"Thought so."

"I call Dawn!" Brock said quickly. "No offense, Misty, but you know how much I've always wanted to see you and Ash kiss, not to mention how much I'm sure you two lovebirds want to make out down here, isn't that write?"

"Ugh! You are such a perv!" I flushed. Yes, I was madly, head over heels, romantic fantasy in love with a boy named Ash Ketchum. But did Brock have to point it out? In front of him? In front of Dawn, a huge gossip? All I needed was Ash to finally find out I liked him on top of all the corpses knocking at the front door. Too much stress to handle. He'd probably hate me, spitting out clichéd lines of how I was his only support to rely on. How I was the single most important creature in his world, and now I had betrayed his trust. I had changed. The horror, the pure, unadulterated, PG-13, melodrama horror.

Or, we could take the other route, the worse route. l He could think himself in love with me, but was really just bonding to the closest living thing he had on hand. In this crazy, old time adventure story world, there was one thing he could always depend on. My love, immortal and pure, and would be the sole thing to guide him to this storm. But, it wouldn't be real. It'd be something to loose himself in, hide himself.

Wow, don't you just love these kinds of dilemmas? I should've killed myself when I had the chance.

"This won't change anything between us, right Misty?" Ash whispered. "No matter what, through thick and thin, Ash and Misty, best friends until the very end, right? We can ignore the teasing."

I swallowed. "It doesn't have to change. We can just think of this as a way out, an escape route. It's just an action to save our lives, like mouth to mouth or open heart surgery." I smiled and giggled. It was fake, so fake. I was terrified out of my mind. I wanted to scream until my head exploded.

We dropped into the too familiar silence as we heard footsteps above, heavy footsteps. Someone must have been wearing boots. There were three sets, at most. One on one, that would be great if it was a pokémon battle. It wasn't. Of course it wasn't. We had pocket knives and they had guns that could shoot off a hundred shots a second.

Brock and Dawn get close, already getting ready to become a homosexual couple. Brock giggled at something Dawn said. It sounded like a guy joke involving a cucumber in her pants. Ash giggled a bit at it beside me.

"Ash, I don't want anything to change," I said quickly.

"I think it's going to," he replied.

I sighed. "You mean we get attached. We're too emotional and won't be able to control ourselves. I know. We're good friends though, I think we could get over it. We're in puberty and the stress is only pumping out the 'make the next generation' gene, but I'm sure we'll control it."

"That's not really what I meant," Ash said. I glanced at him. He looked embarrassed, but I couldn't tell if he blushed.

The handle made a noise as the rocket member tried to turn it. "They're coming," Ash gulped. I was surprised. All this love stuff still made him nervous after all these years. Maybe he wasn't as grown up as I thought he was.

I tilted his face up to mine with a smirk. "I noticed."

Then I locked my mouth on to his. We were both stiff, neither one doing anything but sitting with our eyes closed and holding our lips together. I didn't know exactly what happened next, I must've lost some memory in the surprise, blacked out for a moment or something, but suddenly his tongue was in my mouth. My hands were racing over his shirt, then under it, scratching lightly at the skin. It kept going. On and on for I didn't know how long until I realized something.

No one was interrupting us.

Where was the snickering TR grunt, telling us to have fun? Where was the never ending rain of bullets? Our bodies should be carried off to present to the boss. I pulled back. "Ash, I'm pretty sure the TR killed us."

"I didn't think I was good enough to get that kind of reward in heaven," Ash said, his mouth dropping open. I felt myself go red to the very tips of my ears. He had not just said what I thought he had said.

We turned towards the open door and hissed at the sudden flash of light. "Close the door or kill us already. Whatever you do, show mercy."

"What were you two doing?" May asked with a giggle. May and her brother stood in the doorway, looking cocky. "Brock and Dawn stepped away the second the door open, but you two didn't even bother looking up."

"Did you two have fun?" Max teased.

"We got a little carried away, it happened. Let's just get back to TR. What are they up to, and how did you get past them?" Ash asked, trying to avoid the subject as our eyes slowly began to adjust. He was red, I could see that now.

"They just flew out so we ran in. You've still got your trackers on you," Max said solemnly. "We're got worse stuff to worry about then them though. What they're doing is child's play compared to what else is going on."

"They're killing hundreds of people and pokémon, maybe thousands, maybe even tens of thousands! Who could possibly kill millions all at once, huh?" Dawn asked haughtily, crossing her arms over her chest. Mew, did she ever look like a boy.

"The Legendaries," Mac whispered. "Every one we've ever faced so far. They're revolting. If no one can stop them…" He took a deep, shaking breath, his eyes beginning to fill with unshed tears. Poor kid.

May held him close and continued what he couldn't. "According to the prophecy, Dialga and Palkia will fix it their way. They'll move on to a new planet, a new universe," Max started to sob at this point, May held him as close of she could. "They're going to make a new home planet."

I grabbed Ash's hand, seeking comfort, he gripped mine. "But not before destroying ours."

BAM! Who saw that one coming from the beginning of the story? Huh? Huh? NO ONE. That's what I thought.

Nice plot though, do any of you lovely reviewers wants it? Feel free to take it off my busy hands. I'll never get around to it, and I would love to see it in writing. Death, prophecies, destruction, really big guns…-sighs dreamily- Yeah, if you want it, take it, just throw my pen name in there somewhere. If no one does, maybe I'll get around to it in a year or seven.

This fic is my precious baby. If you take it, make sure it's written right. –cuddles fanfic trapped in an infants body, then holds it up by the foot, starting to sob uncontrollably- Take it! Take it and do with it what you will!

Er…sorry for the random, and thanks for getting me to –gasp- nearly three hundred! Y'all rock my socks!