With everything that has been going on, Misty had been stunned by not only her reaction to the outbreak but along with the exposure of Ash's emotions that have risen up in the last few hours.. It was something that she would have never expected from him. On the one hand it could be some way of showing any possible feelings towards her, in the method of providing comfort in a time where she has felt so drowned in darkened pessimism. But on the other hand, these emotions might just be a assorted signal of Ash's affectionate actions, as a mix of her own personal feelings towards him and the drama being mixed in from the outside world into her own world of what was once filled with serenity and happiness... The whole scenario seemed to be unreal, so confusing and so disorienting for her.. She didn't know what to think or feel.. nothing was making any sense at all..

Misty decided that it was wise to actually take a nap, but before she laid down she headed towards the bathroom, feeling that a quick shower could help calm her down a bit. Slipping out of her pajamas, and leaving them on the counter, she turned on the hot water and jumped into the shower. The stingy hot water made her jump at first but as she continued to be exposed to the water it became more calming and started to relax her nerves ever slightly.

As she let the hot water run through her orange hair and around her body, she continued to think about Ash and his most recent actions. Even though his sweet and courteous exploits with her were something that she could have only imagined in her deep fantasies, Ash's actions seemed to be almost out of character. Normally this teenage boy was always a man of action and really though nothing of soft and fuzzy things but now he was using more actions of the thoughtful and the caring nature.. It just didn't seem to connect in her mind..

Misty finished up her shower and grabbed one of the nearby towels, drying herself. She wrapped herself in a dry towel and walked back out into the bedroom, taking her clothes with her. Placing her clothes on the nearby chair, she crawled into the bed and tried to get comfortable but no avail... Misty grabbed one of the nearby pillows and hugged it closely, pretending like it was Ash who was with her in the bed. Not for the funny business but like that previous evening in which they shared each other's warmth and comfort.. To Misty that moment she had shared with Ash was one of the most delightful moments that she could have ever shared with anyone. It provided her with so much comfort and warmth, and she felt that nothing could have ever harmed her. Misty felt safe in his arms.

Slowly, but surely, Misty was able to fall into a deep slumber, feeling the warmth of the blankets create a humble barrier of protection. As she slept, Misty felt her subconscious continue to flirt with her sanity, feeling the strings of reality and hope being pulled into various directions. Her comfort that was intertwined with the blankets was now being torn away like tissues being pulled apart in water. Misty started to turn in the bed, feeling the discomfort of the inner mechanisms of her mind being torn apart.

"No.. stop.. stop it.." she moaned in her slumber. Misty continued to toss and turn in the bed, her imagination now starting to take a toll on her judgement of what was reality and what was fictitious. Suddenly a voice appeared in front of her..

"Misty...Misty..." the voice whispered, ghastly and unreal. Misty slightly opened her eyes from hearing this strange whisper in the room. She still laid in the bed but tried to scan the room for any signs of life..

"Nothing.." she mumbled to herself, closing her eyes and holding onto the pillow ever so tightly. She tried to fall back asleep, but then it happened again.. but only louder..

"Misty.. Misty.. wake up.." the voice continued to echo. Misty opened both of her eyes, not wanting to move from her spot but wanting to know the source of the voice.

"Who is that?" she replied, still looking over at the wall. Her heart beat started to increase, becoming scared at what was in the room.

"Do not worry.." the voice spoke, "I am here.. with a message.. to you." The voice was haunting in tone, but it sounded so familiar to Misty. It had sounded like one of her closest friends.. maybe..

"Could it be?.." Misty thought to herself, starting to think of who it might be. "A-Ash, is that you?" she called out, slightly trembling.

"Noo.." the voice replied. Misty's heart dropped from hearing this, "I am not a mortal that you may know of... I am merely a messenger.." the voice continued, "I am here to deliver a message.. to you.." Misty was confused by what the visitor was.. and what did it mean by 'a message'? She had to find out who it was. Taking her pillow, still wrapped in her arms, Misty sat up in the bed and looked towards the direction of the ominous voice. She gasped when she saw the strange being standing near the suite door, almost dropping her pillow.

In front of her was a cloaked man, whose age was unknown. He had long white hair exposed from his raised hood, though his face was hidden in the black. It's cloak was long and was coloured black, displaying various dark red symbols on its front. On the side of the robe he was displaying a scabbard with a long blade inside, carved with strange silver symbols on its black handle. He held a tall black staff, to his right side, that had pieces of green emerald clearly exposed from the core of the staff. What seemed the most ominous part.. was that he didn't have any feet at all.. he seemed to be levitating in his spot.

"What do you want?!" Misty spoke out, freaked out of what she was seeing in her room.

"I told you.." the figure replied, "I am here to deliver a message to you..."

"Well.. s-say it then! I-I mean I don't want to be rude.." Misty stated, continuing to hug her pillow tightly. "I want Ash to be here! I'm scared of this thing!" she thought to herself.

"I do apologize for my... ghastly appearance.." the figure continued, "But this is simply who I am.."

"A-And who are you ex-exactly?" Misty asked, slightly trembling.

"I am the over-watcher.. the over-watcher of what is to come.." the figure replied, "I am selected to follow a specific group of individuals... individuals who have proven that they are worth living.. and I am here with a message of protection..."

"Pro-Protection?" Misty stammered back, slightly lost in what this thing was saying to her.

"Yes," the figure replied, "Of protection... I have come here with a warning, with regards of your future actions and endeavors..."

Misty's heart froze, hearing these news. "What do you m-mean by that?" she replied.

"With what has happened to your current world, in terms of the infected attacking those who remain alive and healthy, there is something that you must be able to know in order to survive this nightmare."

"A-And what do we have to do?" Misty asked, feeling obligated to say so. The figure moved forwards towards the foot of the bed, making Misty jump and tucking her legs in, whimpering slightly. "No no! Don't come closer! Please no!" she pleaded to herself. The figure stopped about a foot away from the bed, its presence still more looming than ever.

"Listen to my words closely.." the figure continued to speak, "It is not safe to stay here past two days in this city.. The city will eventually become overrun by the infected.. you and your friends should leave the city by midmorning two days from now.. for then it will have seem the infected have died off... but in truth it is only the end of the first major group, now gone.. people will think that it is all over, but it is only just the beginning... This will be very noticeable, and when you see this, you must leave the city.."

Misty listened and took in every word that he said. Even though she couldn't believe that this would be happening, it was still important to listen and make sure she understood his message. "But where will we flee to? The north is engulfed in flames and smoke, and we don't know if the east is safe.."

"You must head to the east.. towards Saffron City.. it will safe to stay here, for the telekinetic abilities of their people will cause the infected to stay away from the city.. but this will only be in effect after mid-morning of the second day, for this telekinetic barrier will be formed by then, allowing for citizens to go there... and stay there safely..."

Misty felt a sigh of relief go through her body. "Finally, a sign of hope!" she thought to herself.

"But, I must warn you.. do not share this piece of information with everyone.. only those you can thrust to keep this information to themselves.. for if this information is spread to everyone, there will become a mad panic and rush to get to Saffron City.. in which the city will merely close it's gates and prevent anyone from getting into the city... sanctuary will be cut off... Take head of my warning, child, for it'll be the thing that'll save you and your friends..." The figure started to turn towards the door.

"Wait!" Misty called out, making the figure turn back around.

"Yes?.."

"How.. how I can know I can trust you?" Misty asked, being cautious not to upset this figure.. The figure feel silent for a short moment, keeping its gaze on Misty.

"My true self cannot be identified," the figure spoke out, "But if I had been lying to you, would you believe in this?" Before Misty could respond, the figure tapped his staff on the floor and a window appeared out of thin air, startling Misty. In the mirror a slight static covered the screen but soon cleared a vision in the mirror that disturbed Misty more than ever.

It was her.. standing in the same room that they were residing in. She had been holding what looked to be a pistol in her right hand and a sword in her left, weapons covered in a red sticky substance. Misty's expression in the mirror looked lifeless.. hopeless.. almost as if her spirituality was no were in sight.. she looked pale. "Why am I so pale? I-I don't get pale that easily... do I?" Misty thought to herself. The image then slowly rotated in the mirror, showing what Misty was looking at in the image. Misty watched in anticipation, as it slowly began to show the doorway to the suite room, right where the figure was standing. Then suddenly, Misty let out a terrible scream, jumping towards the back of the bed and putting her hands to her mouth, seeing what she could now see in the mirror...

The mirror now showed that in the doorway were two corpses lying down on the carpet, covered in blood, looking as if they were trying to advance on Misty's position before being shot. But these two corpses were all too familiar to Misty.. one with dark brown hair, wearing a similar brown jacket... and the other one with jet black hair, wearing his blue jacket and his red and white hat, to which it was crumpled to the side... Misty started developing tears in her eyes, overwhelmed with what she was seeing before her... it was Ash and Brock...

"These two became infected later in the second day's evening... they were no longer human.. but a thing... a heartless infected beast... and you.. had shot both of them to protect yourself from becoming infected..." the figure explained.

"No.. NO! I couldn't have done that! No!" Misty yelled out-loud, covering her ears and shaking her head. Misty's tears fell from her face and landed on the sheets. She put her face in her hands, weeping loudly, feeling the building sorrow finally explode in that single moment... "N-No... No!.." she continued to weep, falling back into the covers. "N-No! It-It couldn't have been me! No!... No.."

"Misty.. Misty!" a voice called out. Misty felt a hand on her shoulder. She woke up, quickly sitting up in the bed seeing who it was, still gripping the pillow in her arms. Misty's heart was soon relieved with a smoothing calm wave.. to see Ash sitting on the bedside next to her. She beamed at seeing him again, after what had happened... it was all just a dream... or was it?

"Are you okay, Misty?" Ash asked calmly, "You were calling out, saying 'no' over and over again.. and you were crying..." As he said this, he reached out and wiped away one of her tears. Her smile soon faded, remembering the strange encounter with the figure. Misty started to tear up again, thinking about what she had seen in the mirror...

"Oh, Ash!" she exclaimed out, leaping towards him, throwing her arms around him. Ash became startled and confused as to what just happened, but soon though he understood why she was holding onto him tightly, like a lost child finding its parent... Misty soon started crying into his shoulder.

"M-Misty? What's wrong?" Ash whispered, returning her tight embrace by wrapping his arms around her shoulder-blades. He felt her teardrops fall on his shoulder and continued to hear her sobbing.

"Ohh A-Ash," she sobbed, "I had the m-most horrible dream in a lo-long time!.. I w-was s-so scared!"

"What happened in the dream?" Ash replied, trying to help. There was a short silence, only occupied by short bursts of sniffling and sobs.

"I w-would rather talk a-about it later.." she spoke, "I just.. I j-just want to hold you..." Misty continued crying into his shoulder, trying to weep away the images that she had been exposed to by the figure.. whatever his message was, it was loud and clear.. if they didn't leave the city by the second day's night, Ash and Brock would become infected, leaving Misty with the decision to kill them... and that was something that she could not wrap her mind around at all...