Finally, Chapter 3 is here! Enjoy it. (: Fillerishy. Dedicated to SilverSharpie3, since she was the only one who bothered guessing what Roulette meant, haha.
Disclaimer: I don't nor will ever own Pokemon or it's characters.
Suggested for ages 13+ for swearing, alcohol, drugs, etc.
Bittersweet Memories
Chapter 3: All Aboard the S.S. Current
'Misty... Come on, get up... Mist? Please, Misty...'
Misty groaned and struggled to sit up. Her head was pounding as a wave of nausea swept over her. She felt an arm slide across her lower back, helping her balance up right. She blinked a few times, trying to clear the small bright dots impaling her vision. As they cleared, she looked at the boy keeping her stable. "Ash...?"
"Hey Mist." He gave her a relieved smile. "How are you feeling?"
She wearily looked at him and disregarded the question. "What... happened?"
His expression turned grim as his hand pressed against her forehead. "You fainted! Does this happen often? Are okay?" He asked, a little panicked.
"No... It's never happened before." She rubbed her eye, feeling slightly delirious. "And I'm just a bit dizzy, that's all."
Ash stretched out his other hand and helped her on her feet. "You really should go get checked then. A good friend of mine in Kanto is a doctor, I can ask him to come over, asap."
She shook her head. "No, no. That won't be necessary. I just didn't have breakfast, that's all." Misty swatted Ash away and took a few steps, stumbling into his arms.
He perked a brow as she grinned sheepishly. "I'll go get you something to eat-"
"No!" She interrupted. He gave her a confused look. "Oh-um. I'm full."
"But you just said you didn't eat breakfast."
She bit her lip. "I-err... Uh, yeah. I mean I'm just not hungry."
Ash nodded. "You have to eat a little, though." He began to walk out of the room. "I'll just get you something light, like crackers. You're probably getting sick, that's why you don't want to eat. Gotta stay strong for the tour!"
Misty opened her mouth to speak, but before she knew it, he was gone. She stared after him for a moment, then defeatedly slumped in the dining room's chair, clutching her head.
...
Gary shivered. Even though it was a fairly warm summer day, he felt unusually chilly. He sighed as his nose started to itch suddenly. He tried to jerk his arm upwards to scratch it, but found it restrained against his torso. 'What the hell...?' He groaned. His closed eyelids began to flutter open as he released a large yawn.
He blinked sleepily as his vision cleared. He found himself nose-to-nose with a slightly disgusted Leaf.
"Eww, Gary. Your breath smells."
He stared at her incredulously, then looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was shoved in the corner of Drew's living room, propped up against the wall. Leaf had scooted back a few inches, but was still staring at him with a devious expression. May was sitting on the sofa next to Dawn, peering over at him curiously. Meanwhile, Paul was completely indifferent to the situation, and was still in his beanbag with his eyes closed.
He blinked innocently a few times, before his expression rapidly changed to one of annoyance. "Oh yeah! Damn, Leaf! What was that sleep powder for? And untie me!"
She giggled mechanically. "Hehehe. No can do!" She stood up, winked, and hopped onto the couch. "Nice boxers by the way. Piplups? Classy."
"AWW! Gary those are so cute!" Dawn piped up.
Gary's eyes grew wide as he looked down. He knees were curled up to his stomach, his arms and ankles securely bound by a rope... and he only had his boxers on. "What the- HOLY CRAP! Why am I not wearing any clothes? WHAT DID YOU DO, LEAF?"
Leaf shrugged, then nonchalantly said, "You fell asleep on me, and I got bored. If you want your clothes back they're right there." She gestured to his clothes, which were a few feet away from the struggling teen.
Gary looked to his right. Sure enough, his clothes were neatly folded in a pile behind the sofa.
"How am I supposed to get that?" He whimpered. "Cut this rope, damn it!"
She waved her index finger and winked once again. "No can do!"
He stared at at her in complete silence, his mouth slightly parted. Creeped out by his look, Leaf cringed. "What?"
"...Wait. Who even took off my clothes?" Gary questioned.
She smirked. "Yours truly. Why? Embarrassed?"
Now it was his turn to smirk. "Oh, nothing. It figures you did this little prank."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the tied-up boy.
Snapping his fingers, Gary pursed his lips and swiveled his head like some sort of diva. "You just wanted an excuse to be all up in my sexy."
While Leaf was switching between strangling the poor boy and bashing his head in a way that would make Misty proud, May and Dawn continued to watch from the sidelines.
"He so asked for it."
...
Drew had just finished his shower and in a blink of an eye, threw on his clothes, shot out of the bathroom and slid down the railing of his staircase. As he jumped of the ledge, he pulled the damp towel off of his hair and ran his fingers through his still-wet locks, ruffling them.
He entered his living room, welcomed to the sight of a half-naked, black-and-blue Gary crawling around as best as the tied up teen could.
"Oh hey Drew," May said casually, not taking her eyes of of the TV. "Nice hair." Leaf stared at the ceiling, her cheeks puffed out and red from holding in her laughter.
Dawn looked at him innocently. "Did you just take a shower?"
Drew smirked, and reached up to flick his hair out of habit, before realizing he couldn't. His wet bangs were slicked back on his head instead of their usual spot, hanging over his eyes. He quickly put his hand down to avoid embarrassment, and spoke up. "Yeah. Just nice, May? I didn't even have to check my hair when I got out of the shower. Whatever it looks like, it'll always look hot."
The brunette snorted. "What? You passed up a chance to look in the mirror? Must be the apocalypse. Obviously you haven't seen your hair yet, you aren't panicking."
He glared at her as Ash walked in, Misty following. The raven-haired teen walked by Drew and casually patted his back as he passed him. "Hey Paul, what's up?"
Ash's eyes grew twice their size as he came to a stop before the real sleeping Paul. "Paul...?" He faced Drew. "...and Paul? WHY ARE THERE TWO PAULS?"
"Dumbass, I'm Drew. Green hair, see? It's just wet, so it's darker, but it still looks green-" He pulled a lock of hair over his eyes to make a point. "...which is exactly why my hair is purple."
The room became unusually silent as they stared at the purple-haired Drew.
"...why is my hair purple?" His cool facade completely disappeared as astonishment crossed his face. He ran out of the room and staggered back in, holding a small hand mirror, and looking completely bewildered.
"WHO DID THIS? WHO WOULD FUCKING DARE TO EVEN TOUCH MY HAIR? WHICH SMART ASS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO DO THIS TO MY DAMN HAIR? MY HAIR! MY BEAUTIFUL HAIR! DO YOU KNOW HOW DAMN LONG IT WILL TAKE FOR ME TO GROW IT BACK TO NORMAL? I LOOK LIKE A FREAKING PRUNE! AND LOOK AT MY EYEBROWS! THEY'RE STILL GREEN! WHAT RETARD WALKS AROUND WITH PURPLE HAIR AND GREEN EYEBROWS?"
Misty clicked her tongue at him. "Profanities."
"...I like purple hair." The blunette spoke up.
Drew's eye twitched as he rotated slowly, looking each person in the eye. "Who. Did. This."
Leaf broke out in giggles. "I didn't know it would work that well! Good job, May!" May nodded in agreement, her face flushed and choking in silent laughter. The two brunettes shared a high-five.
"You did this?" His eyes narrowed.
May looked up and whistled. "Maaaybe. Not too much of a pretty boy now, are you?" She stuck out her tongue.
He clenched his jaw then smirked. "I'll always be sexy. Now I'm just sexy with purple hair. I could always dye it back."
Misty made a disgusted expression. "Bleh, why would you even want to dye it back to that disgustingly green color?"
Drew sneered at her. "Says the ginger."
"Freaking glorified eggplant."
The Prune and the Ginger engaged in an intense stare down until they were interrupted by a sudden noise.
Gary, who had long been forgotten, shot up from his position on the ground, ruffled and fully clothed. Two loose ropes encircled his feet as he exclaimed, "FREEEEEDOM! SWEET FREEDOM!"
"Idiot." Paul snorted.
Ash looked at the original purple haired boy curiously. "Were you awake this whole time?"
A series of beeps echoed from Dawn's phone. She pressed a few buttons then momentarily stared at it in silence. "It's Solidad. She just said we're taking the first available boat to Kanto, which is tomorrow night."
"What? Why so soon? Just found out we were going on a tour in the first place!" May cried out.
Drew pulled out his phone. "Just got a text from Reggie. Apparently they want us to be there as soon as possible to prep. They've had this thing planned for a while, May, so expect them to throw a concert in your face at anytime."
Misty nodded. "Yup. Plus boat rides take a few days, so it'll take a while to get there."
Dawn shot up from the couch. "Well this has been fun and all, but we have to go. We have less than 24 hours to pack!" She grabbed Gary by the collar and stuck her eye in his face. "And do you know how long it takes to pack?" She released him and strolled towards the door. "Let's get going girls!"
They nodded simultaneously as everyone in the room began to flood towards the exit.
Except for Paul that is.
The boy began to stand up before being jerked down due to a sudden weight. He raised an eyebrow and tried again to stand up, finding his beloved beanbag attached to his butt. "What the hell?"
The teens at the door turned to face Paul, with his seat sagging off his pants.
"YOU GOT STUCK." Dawn exploded in a fit of giggles.
Paul's eyebrows furrowed as Ash approached him, holding the end of the bean bag not attached to the confused teen. "Ash, why are you holding it?"
Ash studied his hands, currently full with the beanbag. "...two...THREE!" ...and pulled it as hard as he could.
rrrrrrrip!
Stuffing flew all over the living room floor, as the seat tore in half. The remnants of the chair's outer cover continued to hang off of Paul.
The teen's face became exasperated as Ash slowly walked away. "You are a complete idiot." And with that, Paul saved the rest of his dignity and stalked out of the room.
"...Okay, well we're gonna go now. Bye!" Dawn chirped, checking herself in a mirror adjacent to the door before skipping out.
Leaf gave a small wave and smiled. Maybe guys weren't that bad after all-
Gary called after her. "Hey Leaf!" She turned around. "Call me." He winked and threw her a piece of paper, which she side-stepped to avoid as it dejectedly floated to the ground.
-Or not.
She gave him a blank look, then walked out the door wordlessly. No, she would avoid all relationships. No way would she put her trust in these boys. Gary frowned, before turning to the same mirror the bluenette was looking at to check himself out. Expecting to see his 'oh-so-amazing' self, he was surprised to see a marker-drawn mustache and 'Leaf was here!' written on the side of his cheek. "DAMN IT." He screamed before stalking off to wipe off his colorful facial hair.
Misty smiled at Ash and gave him a quick hug. "Thanks for taking care of me when I fainted earlier."
"Aww, no problem, Mist." He smiled a goofy smile.
"Can you not tell anyone-especially my friends-about me passing out?"
He nodded. "Sure. Why not? You better get yourself checked. It's awesome that we're going to Kanto since my doctor/friend I was telling you about lives there."
"Just... don't. I don't want them to worry, okay? And I promise I will. See you tomorrow!" She smiled once again then left.
Meanwhile, May was muttering to herself. "Should I visit him now, or tomorrow? It's kind of late now, but if I wait until tomorrow, something might come up and that's my last chance to see him..."
"See who?"
May jumped up and held a hand to her chest. "My God! You scared me!"
Drew chuckled and stepped back. "Revenge for my hair. Now...who?"
"Oh, ehehe. I guess I did deserve it then. Um. No one..." She laughed awkwardly, and looked down.
His eyebrow shot up. "Who? Your Dad? Boyfriend?"
She punched him in the arm. "Stop being so nosy. Just my brother. He's... in a situation. And this tour won't let me see him as often as I want."
Drew frowned. "It must be a hell of a situation for a sister to care about her brother that much. Aren't siblings usually fighting like crazy? Well I wouldn't know, I'm an only child."
"Of course I care about him! He only has me left!" She glared at him, before realizing what she said. Her expression soften as she looked down.
"What do you mean...? Oh... I get it... sorry."
She sighed disappointingly and began to walk out the door. "Don't be."
"Wait-" He grabbed May's arm. "I'm sure whatever this situation is, you two will get through it. After all, he has someone amazing to care for him."
She gave him a small smile before whispering a thank you and leaving his house.
And all of a sudden, everything that went wrong that day- whether it was being mauled by rabid fangirls, harassed by violent paparazzi, or his shocking new hair color- didn't matter anymore.
...
He's a guy that you should feel sorry for.
He had the world but he thought that he wanted more.
I owe it all to the mistake he made back then,
I owe it all to my girl's- click
Misty rose groggily from her bed, pressing the snooze button gently. She had been feeling unusually tired throughout the week, though she made sure to get more than enough sleep daily.
The smell of breakfast wafted to her nose. She shivered, and put on a thick sweatshirt before going to the kitchen of her and Leaf's comfortable abode.
Their condo resided on the border of Slateport City, neighboring the white sand of the infamous Slateport Beach. It was a gorgeous place- the ivory building towered over the lapping waves, so close to the ocean that one would only have to take a few strides to touch the vibrant shells and rippling water.
It was their temporary residence. The two girls mainly lived in Kanto, but during their Hoenn tour, they opted to share a place instead of living at May and Dawn's house.
She pulled out a chair from their small dining room table.
"Morning, Misty!" Leaf chirped. "Have you finished packing yet?" The cheerful brunette stuck a plate of newly made waffles in front of her friend.
Misty eyed the food and slowly pushed it away. "This looks great, Leaf, but I'm not up for waffles right now. I just don't have an appetite. I really have to get to packing, so I think I'll pass for now." She grabbed an orange and a bottle of water. "Thanks though!"
As Misty ran out of the room, Leaf frowned. Was she that bad of a cook? She used to never pass up on her breakfast. She shrugged, and assumed she was just getting sick. After all, Ash did mention something about her not feeling well, so it was safe to say that Misty was just coming down with a cold. Now that Leaf thought about it, she didn't look like she was in the best condition. She made a mental note to pack orange juice and some Advil for the boat ride.
...
May unlocked the door of her house and staggered in. It was still early in the morning, and she had just visited Max in the hospital.
"Hahaha, you guys pranked your competition? Priceless!" The young, bed-ridden teen laughed heartily.
May smiled. "Yeah, we did. Leaf wanted revenge on them for even trying to push us out of the business. It turns out they're pretty cool, though."
"So what was it that you had to tell me?"
She scratched the back of her head. "Uh, well you know how we're going to Kanto?"
He looked at her curiously. "Yeah...?"
"We're leaving tonight."
The boy's face fell. "...tonight? So this will be the last time I'll see you in months?"
"I'm sorry." Her voiced cracked as she looked down shamefully.
He frowned. "Hey sis, it isn't your fault." She looked up at him.
"I know you don't have a choice, and you're doing this all for me! So while your kicking some boy-band butt, you better be thinking of me!" He cheered. "And besides, you're bringing your laptop right? We could video chat whenever you're free."
May smiled. How was it possible that someone in his position never saw anything negatively? He really was her true source of motivation. No matter how hard life gets, never let it bring you down.
"Max, I absolutely love you." She hugged him tightly, almost afraid to let go.
He returned the hug weakly. "Love you too, sis. And hopefully by the time you get back, I'll be cured and better!"
She gave him a sad smile. She knew anything could happen, and she also knew the chances of him being back to normal was little to none. But the poor boy was so enthusiastic about it, she didn't want to break his heart. "Maybe, Max. Maybe."
And who knows, maybe he would prove everyone wrong.
Her attention was pulled away as she heard a bang from the second floor of their house. Running quickly to the noise, she found Dawn trapped underneath a pile of suitcases and clothes.
"...Should I even ask?"
Dawn pouted. "I was just packing. I'm almost finished now- I just need to get one more." She dug her way out of the pile and stood up, straightening her clothes. She pulled a large tote bag from under the clothes avalanche. "Accessories! After this, I think we should start heading to Misty and Leaf's condo."
The two bands agreed to meet at the luxurious penthouse, seeing that it was only a few blocks away from the port.
May nodded and went to her room. She grabbed her tan suede bags-four of them to be exact- and lugged them down the stairs to Dawn's Mini Cooper.
She stared at the small car. "We're definitely not going to have enough space for Dawn's clothes."
...
Diiiiing!
A bell chimed throughout the condo. "I'll get it!" May shouted.
She opened the door to see a now-green haired boy leaning against the frame of the entrance, smirking. Black Raybands laid low on his nose, his eyes glinting mischievously. Gary stood behind him, with sly grin that would make any girl knees wobble. Next to him was Ash, smiling brightly and waving, whilst Paul leaned against the wall apposing the them.
Ignoring the grasshead's attempt to seem cool, May smiled widely. "Hey you guys are here! Just in time, too. Boat leaves at seven, so we'll leave in five minutes or so. Drew, stop trying so hard."
"I'm not trying, May. Roulette members are always bad ass. It just comes to us naturally."
May put a finger to her chin. "Why are you guys even called that?"
"Because with us you never know what you're gonna get." Gary smirked. "Take a chance."
May rolled her eyes and gestured them to come over. Following the brunette, they all went to the living room.
Leaf's legs were crossed and on top of a coffee table. She peered over her magazine. "Oh hi. I see your back to your usual hair color, Drewie."
Paul snorted. "Yeah, after he spent all morning at a beauty salon."
"Not a beauty salon." Drew growled.
Dawn laughed. "You guys are funny. Help us take Misty and Leaf's stuff down to the car? We should get going."
A groan from the boys and a beating from Misty's Mallet later, everyone was out the door and on their way to Slateport's docks.
...
"Attention passengers: The S.S. Current will set sail in ten minutes. Please check-in to the front desk, which is located on the center of the main deck. Make sure to stay inside your cabins until the commotion ceases. Thank you."
"Wooooo!" Dawn ran down the top deck of the ship. "We're going to Kanto! On a freaking ship! It's like a mini vacation!"
Leaf raced along side her, laughing hysterically. "I know! This is awesome! I thought it was going to be a normal boat ride- they really went all out with a pool and everything, huh?"
"Guuuuuys! Didn't you hear the announcement? We should get to our rooms." Misty screamed at her frolicking friends.
The squealing girls turned to face the redhead. After sharing a look, Dawn ran off. "Race you there!" Leaf stormed after her blue-haired friend.
"They're so hyper." Misty laughed and jogged after them."Hey guys! Isn't it passed your bedtime?"
May giggled and followed them. This was going to be the start of a great adventure.
"Kanto, here we come."
This was kind of a filler chapter, heh. Sorry.
So we found out that the wasabi wasn't the cause of Misty fainting... Then what is? I dropped a few hints through out the chapter, but it'll be revealed in the next one. I wanna hear your guesses on what her problem is!
R&R!
~Brie