Disclaimers: I do NOT own Pokémon! This is just fanmade.
WARNING: This will be an Egoshipping (GaryxMisty) story. If you don't like this pairing I suggest you stop reading right now.
Shattered
Chapter two: Illnesses
Misty's room was a mess. Her clothes were spread out on the floor, her night table blocked the way to her bathroom and Misty herself was well… She was discovering the joys of crawling under a bed as an adult. Her Vaporeon sat right next to her trainer, her tail flicking from left to right, curious as to what her trainer was doing this time.
"I'm sure that medicine is somewhere around here," Misty grunted from underneath her bed. "If I can't stop your sneezing fit, I'll go crazy for sure. Maybe it's in the bathroom…"
A curse followed when she hit her bed. Rubbing the sore spot she stood up and frowned down at her Pokémon. "Let me see," she demanded.
The Pokémon obliged and Misty crouched down, taking the Pokémon's neck in her head. "Higher honey, I can't see…" she muttered to her Pokémon as she squinted her eyes a bit. The back of the Pokémon's throat was swollen and red. A color she didn't like on her favorite eeveelution. At all.
A small sneeze followed and Misty wiped it off with the sleeve of her green sweater. The water type looked at its trainer apologetically while Misty patted its head.
"I'm going to wash my face and look for that medicine," she said to her happily before darting off towards the bathroom, putting her night table back. She took one of the pink towels and let the water run. It was then she heard the loudest sneeze ever, followed by a wave of cold water. Only Misty's face was still dry, as she'd used the towel to protect herself.
Carefully she lowered the towel, only to be met with a sad Vaporeon. She let out a loud laugh and took the Pokémon in her arms, cuddling it as she opened the cabinet right in front of her.
She found five little bottles in the end, all with a different color. Misty put her Vaporeon back down and sniffed at all of them once before deciding the purple one was the one she was looking for. After giving the medicine to her Pokémon, she put it back into its pokéball. It was then she noticed the current situation of her bedroom.
All the clothes she'd gotten out of her closet were wet, so were her sheets and well… Practically everything that was in her room was. "Well Vaporeon," she said with a bemused look. "I must say that I'm impressed. I never saw a room drown before. But I think you managed to kill my bedroom today."
A devilish smile played onto her lips. "Good thing there's a cleaning crew," she said to herself. "Good thing I'm an admin."
She got out of the bedroom, her feet getting more wet with every step she took. In the back of her closet she found a pair of black jeans and a Growlithe-sweater. It was not what she'd hoped for but it was better than nothing. She took a pair of grey sneakers as well and quickly changed, only putting her shoes on when she was outside.
"Now where to go…" she whispered to herself as she looked from left to right, a frown plastered on her face. She'd always thought the sweater looked quite cute. Especially with the two ears on top… Maybe she could make use of that.
Misty put her hands in the front pocket of her sweater and walked off in the direction of the elevator. Shelly and Matt's Azumarill greeted her when she entered. The little Pokémon didn't like her that much though. She'd once stepped on its tail when it was still an Azurill. Their relationship went downhill after that.
Shelly eyed her suspiciously. "What are you up to, walking around in your regular clothes?" she asked as she pushed some buttons to go the ground floor. "You usually don't wear them inside the building. Especially not that sweater," she pointed out.
"Vaporeon used her Water Gun inside my room," Misty sighed. "I'm just going to ask the cleaning crew to come and clean everything up. And in the meantime… I have a small project to work with," she winked.
Shelly nodded at her, knowing what she meant. "He's on duty right now. You should try and catch him if you're outside. Good luck with that by the way. I heard you threatened him with a gun."
Misty snorted once, tapping her foot impatiently. "I didn't threaten him, I just…"
"Scared a guy who might actually be interested in you, away," the red-haired woman finished her answer for her. "Why do you always do that Misty? I mean come on. How long have you been here? Five, six years?"
"Nine actually," Misty responded when the elevator stopped. "And he is not interested in me. He just thinks I'm a push-over," she scoffed. "Anyway, I'm going to go. See you later."
Shelly nodded once and turned the other direction, the water Pokémon following her. Misty could've sworn it put its tail in the air as if to say "Walk to Darkrai, woman".
Misty paced over to the secretary at the desk and explained the whole situation that had occurred in her bedroom. Five minutes later she was outside, watching the grunts patrol. On her right there was a Mightyena running in circles around its partner, jumping in the air sometimes. Such fools.
She then noticed a large and broad rock to her left which was… Moving. "Blastoise," she smirked to herself as she walked towards the Pokémon and its trainer.
Ten minutes earlier, outside HQ: (Gary's POV)
"I did call her Gary!" Ash screamed at his best friend. "I called the gym several times. They said Misty was out traveling. They never said she left. I just assumed…"
"You assumed wrong," Gary answered softly. He didn't want to be heard or seen by anyone. His Blastoise would make sure no one did. "She… has become part of Team Aqua Ash," he whispered into the darkness as he rubbed his temple.
It was silent for a while, both men lost in thought. In the background Gary could hear a woman's voice. She was talking happily. Then suddenly she stopped, asking Ash what was wrong. He must've shaken his head because she was quiet too. Everything was.
"That can't be," Ash mastered to say. "If this is your way of trying to make clear I should've visited or called her, I don't think it's funny," he murmured. "Although Misty might've put you up to this, I'm telling both you and her that-"
"I'm not lying Ash."
Another silence followed. Gary sat down for a while, his left arm resting on his knee. Blastoise was right behind him. Shielding him from any danger that might come.
"This afternoon," Gary began as he listened to the waves beneath him, "she held a gun against my chin. I knew Red could be angry but this… There was no anger. Her eyes were so cold and her voice so emotionless. It was almost as if… As if she was not really there anymore you know. And yet… That day in Slateport, she was Misty. She was so her."
"I- I can't-" Ashe tried to say. But he couldn't. He just stayed quiet and listened to Gary, recalling everything that had happened.
Three weeks he'd been living here. Three weeks he'd watched her. Looking for something that reminded him of her. Yet nothing did. It was as if she'd built a wall around herself. Until earlier that day… She'd blushed when he winked at her. He was sure of it. He'd seen her anger, her embarrassment. The look on her face when she saw his Blastoise.
"Gary, go home," Ash said to his friend. "You don't have to this. You don't have to stay there. You have a life outside. I will find a way to get to Misty. I will try to get her out. After the championship is over I'll come to Hoenn and-"
"No," Gary replied, shaking his head. "I'll bring her back home. The only time when she shows her emotions she's either playing with her Pokémon, on her own or… Or talking to me. Challenging me. I just wanna know why. Why did she become like this. I'm a researcher by heart Ashy-boy," he laughed. "My mind can't handle a mystery unsolved."
"Gary, have you lost your mind?" Ash answered. "If that organization knows who you are they could kill you, they could-"
"They won't," Gary stated. "They didn't kill Misty back then. The only thing they can do is keep me, or ask for ransom. You know my grandfather and I can pay any amount of money. Besides. I've got Umbreon with me. If I'm in danger, he'll come to my side."
The brunette caressed his necklace and smiled a little. People had never understood why he'd made his necklace into a pokéball. But in the end, that plan worked out pretty fine for him.
"Call me," Ash responded. "If I need to come and get you, don't hesitate. Just call."
His Blastoise let out a roar and nudged Gary in the shoulder. Someone was coming his way.
"Gotta go Ketchum," he quickly said as he put away his phone. Right when he got up Misty appeared and he couldn't help but smile. There she was again, coming for him. Apparently Red was still up for a battle. He'd try not to woo her this time though. He'd found a different tactic to get close to her. To challenge her, to make her annoyed with him so badly she'd want to hit him. But maybe… That meant flirting with her after all.
Misty's POV:
"Good evening, Kai," she said after patting Blastoise on his paw. "I hope you were not just sitting around, doing nothing?"
Blastoise growled once in response and she smiled at the Pokémon. "Of course you heard me coming, now didn't you?" she replied to the Pokémon. Somehow she'd always been better at having contact with Pokémon. Humans were too complex. Their emotions made them less loyal. Humans betrayed you. Pokémon never did.
Misty played with a strand of her hair as she waited for the grunt's response. He'd not seemed fazed by her remark. Neither by the use of his name. As if he was expecting her to know. Or maybe he was so scared, the poor guy couldn't even think straight anymore. Shame.
"I was actually picking up something," he smiled as he held up a water stone in his hand, studying it. "Should I give this to you, admin Emerald, or?" he questioned her, his smile still tugging at his lips.
"You may keep it," she answered. "You might need it in the future."
He nodded once and put the stone in his back pocket, walking away from her. She glared at his back. Why was he acting so indifferent now when earlier that day…
"What brings you here, if I may ask?" he asked casually, both of his hands resting in his sides as he stood at the edge on the cliff. One push and there'd be no more Kai.
"Why are you being so polite, if I may ask?" Misty scoffed as she crossed her arms. She just wished she'd brought a pack of cigarettes with her. It was cold outside. Back in Slateport it was warm the whole year 'round. Oh how she wished to be there again.
"Blastoise," he reacted. "He doesn't like it when I play with people's feelings. That's why he knocked me over. He doesn't like it when I act that way. But hey. You can't blame a man for trying, certainly not with that outfit," he eyed her. "Looks kinda cute. Especially those ears. I thought people here only liked water Pokémon."
She blinked once and looked down, wanting to cover up her body as he smirked at her. This man… It was then his Blastoise's paw gently slapped the back of the trainer's head.
"My oh my," Misty laughed. "Definitely smarter than your trainer aren't you?" the Pokémon just shrugged and Misty kept on laughing as Kai rubbed his neck. "High paw my friend!"
She put out her right hand for the Pokémon to touch and he put out his for her to touch it. Even if the Pokémon tried to be gently, it could still hurt a lot. He was definitely a strong one. She looked up at him expectantly and Blastoise bowed down so Misty could climb onto his shell. When the Pokémon stood tall and straight again she couldn't help but to let out a tiny giggle. A second later she glared down at Kai, not appreciating the look he was giving her.
"Why being so nice to my Pokémon? Regret pointing that gun at me?" Kai asked as he and his Blastoise walked a bit farther, the Pokémon careful not to let the woman drop. His eyes would dart over to her sometimes and she patted the Pokémon on the back, telling him not to worry.
"Maybe I've changed my opinion about you," Misty said. "A little." She was still working out her plan but sitting on the Pokémon gave her the advantage. If she could just pretend to slip then she would be the one to laugh.
Kai stopped in his tracks, looked up at her and stared into her eyes again, making her feel uncomfortable. There was something in those eyes she recognized. Yet, she couldn't place them. They belonged to someone, someone she knew...
The grunt cleared his throat after the staring contest had ended and they walked in silence for a while, she still sitting on the water Pokémon's back. The inner researcher in Misty started to watch his every move. The first thing she noticed was that he walked with his shoulders straight. He didn't slump like most of the guys around here did. No, he had some sort of… Grace in his step.
He kicked a small pebble in front of him and another smile followed. She was sure he was thinking about something. There was a memory he'd found back in the back of his mind. Then his hand went towards his face and he touched the bridge of his nose, looking a bit confused afterwards. So, he wore glasses normally. Interesting…
The silence was comfortable and Misty could feel her eyes close as the Pokémon's step rocked her. When Kai started whistling a tune, she got pulled back into her memories. His hands were in his pocket now and everyone now and then he kicked a pebble as if trying to find the right beat.
A shiver ran down Misty's spine as she realized what he'd been doing. He was making her feel comfortable. Her eyes opened again and he was still whistling, sometimes looking from left to right, still guarding HQ. He'd not noticed her sudden revelation. He was just joyful, so was his Pokémon. They didn't realize she could kill them if she wanted too. They were too relaxed…
"Where did you get your Blastoise from?" she suddenly asked, making him lose the beat. He turned around and frowned at her a bit, angry for breaking his good mood. Something wasn't quite right about this man in front of her. He meant trouble. She knew that.
"He was my starter," he smiled at his Pokémon while stroking its nose. "My mother grew up next to a water Pokémon gym in Sinnoh. The leader gave me a Squirtle for my tenth birthday."
Lies, Misty thought to herself. No way Crasher Wake would give up his Pokémon for someone like him. When she was still at the gym, she'd once asked him to send a Pokémon so she could study it. He refused immediately, telling her that he did not hand over his Pokémon. To anyone.
"She had a good relationship with Crasher Wake then?" Misty asked as she stretched out her arms a bit. She was getting tired. She'd have to make her move soon or else her chance would be lost. Besides, the grunt would probably have to go inside too in a few seconds.
"Apparently she did," Kai laughed at her, going through his hair with his right hand. "What's with the interrogation? Scared of me or something?"
"As if," Misty scoffed down at the grunt, her arms crossed over her chest, the Growlithe's eyes now looking weird because of the wrinkles in her sweater. "I am scared of no one."
"Then maybe, you want to get to know me better?" Kai inquired as he looked up into her eyes. She had no idea why but every time he did that, a bell rang in the back of her mind. Something was definitely wrong with him… But what?
"Oh please," Misty laughed. "As if I ever wanted to know you. No, I need to check we don't have some intruders in here. You could be infiltrating this organization. You could be part of Team Magma without us knowing. But don't worry, I'll find out. I always do," she warned him.
He let out a loud laugh, ready to answer her but suddenly stopped. He turned his head and tried to look beyond his Blastoise. So he had heard it too. Interesting. Not every grunt was able to pick up a sound. Especially not when feeling as comfortable as he. Most of them only heard things because they'd become paranoid. Yet, he was so relaxed.
"Who is there?" Misty demanded as she jumped off Blastoise's back, standing protectively in front of the Pokémon, Kai next to her. Both of them were watching the darkness, she holding her gun and he ready to order his Pokémon to attack.
After a few seconds Blastoise let out a reassuring growl. Both of them relaxed and Misty put away her gun. If the Pokémon couldn't smell or hear anyone then it had probably been a flying Pokémon after all.
"Guess I'll go then," she murmured as she put some of her hair behind her ear. "Unless… You want me to stay?"
Kai looked down at her and smiled. So her plan was working. She couldn't not smirk, but she tried and as he took a step closer and leaned down she knew her move had been super effective. Yet, she had not expected there'd be a counterattack. She'd not expected him to be so… Different.
"I'm sorry, my lady," he said as he took her small hand in his and placed a kiss on top of it. "I won't fall into your trap today. Maybe some other time."
She pulled back her hand quickly, rubbing it off on her sweater and he smirked down at her as he put his hands in his pocket again. His eyes never left her, not until she turned and walked away. But she knew his eyes were still watching her back and she could see him standing there, hands in his pockets and grin on his face. She'd wipe it away soon enough though.
Four weeks later on the training field: (Gary's POV)
Misty had been running around with a clipboard all day. Sometimes she'd nibble on the back of her pen and frown at the other grunts. A new one had joined the grunts two weeks ago, a small blonde girl with a Raichu as strong as LT. Surge's. Yet, her Mudkip wasn't a fighter. Misty hated it when Pokémon were undertrained. Cause her grunts were always the best.
Gary watched her from the pool that lay next to the training field. His whole body was hidden underwater, only his nose and the top of his head peeked out over the water. Sometimes she'd turn around, feeling him watching her and she'd frown. One time he'd waved at her with a smile on his face, making her turn her back to him, shaking her head as she did.
Some of the others looked down on him for trying to get close to her. They knew she was off limits. Even as a friend. But still. He knew he'd make her notice him. Even if it took forever. He'd get to know her, know the reason why she was even here. And then, he'd take her back to Kanto with him.
Ash had called him a few times over the past few weeks, checking up on him. His friend still could not accept or understand his choice to stay with Team Aqua. Neither did Gary really. He just knew he had to. For once, he'd be the hero. Not Ash.
"Kai!" Misty yelled, clutching her clipboard as her head turned in search of him. When she spotted him as he got out of the pool she frowned at him. He took a towel and started drying himself off, some of the female grunts watching him as he did.
"Yes, admin?" he replied, his towel now hanging in his neck.
"Put on some clothes will you. I'd like to have a battle with you. You've been swimming and lying around all day. I will kick your butt for not training like the others," she said, one of her hands in her hip.
"You got a little something there," he pointed towards the corner of her mouth. "Some ink I think."
Misty turned around furiously and he let out a laugh, as he caught his clothes after one of the other grunts threw them at him. Some of the women pouted and then glared at the young grunt. He just shrugged and mouthed a "what?" to them. He was such a slime when it came to the auburn-haired woman in front of Gary. If the poor women wanted to watch his body, then why take that pleasure away from them?
When he saw Misty glaring at him he decided to put on his trousers and shirt after all. The wrath of a woman, was something he'd rather not face. He could remember his sister May throwing tantrums all day…
"Will we use the battle field?" he asked her as she strode over to him, still scribbling down some things. He tried to watch what she was writing but she placed the clipboard against her chest.
"Yes. Now, show me how good that Blastoise is," she smirked as she ordered out her Vaporeon. The Pokémon growled once at Gary and followed it's trainer to the edge of the battlefield.
They stood right opposite each other, both of their Pokémon now out of their pokéball. The other grunts had gathered around the battlefield, the new one and her Raichu intently watching Gary. One of the grunts ran off, probably calling his friends. None of the grunts had battled an admin before. And yet, here he was. Loss or win, it wouldn't matter. People would know his name, they'd know about the battle.
Gary smiled. That was exactly what he wanted. He wanted word to reach Archie. He wanted to become an admin himself. Nothing would annoy her more, nothing would give him a better chance at getting through to her.
"Ready?" he shouted at the woman in front of him. Misty responded with a nod and so both of their Pokémon dashed off towards the middle of the battle field. He could see the confused look on her face. His Blastoise was as fast as a small Pikachu. He'd trained his Pokémon well. Strength was not always the most important when raising them. The element of surprise, made you win more often than brute strength did.
"Gyro ball!" Gary shouted when he got close enough to the Pokémon. Yet, he'd not expected Vaporeon to pull off a Shadow Ball. He should've known though. Misty's Pokémon were probably the best trained in the whole building. Except for his of course.
The two orbs hit and an explosion followed, making them and everyone who was watching put their hand in front of their eyes. The cloud of dust that greeted them disappeared after a few seconds though.
"Nice move you got there," Misty said, genuinely proud for once. "But that won't defeat me. Vaporeon use Hydro Pump!"
And so their battle continued, both of them ordering their Pokémon to attack. And still, their moves were as strong as the other's, they evaded the attacks as quickly.
A crowd had gathered around the training field. Most of the male grunts were rooting for Misty while the female ones kept whistling at Gary. He smirked a few times and waved at some of them, making them squeal in delight. If only he had this power over Misty. It'd be so much easier to win her over.
But somehow he didn't like to see her as one of his many captures. No. He didn't want to get her to love him, to adore him. She just needed to trust him. To walk away from this whole circus.
In the corner of his eyes he could see Shelly and Matt arriving as the crowd split in two to let them through. Behind them was Archie. Right what Gary was hoping for.
"Let's end this!" Gary shouted at his Pokémon. "Now!"
Blastoise nodded once and jumped in the air, straight at Vaporeon. Misty ordered the Pokémon to dodge and so it did. In the meantime the bigger Pokémon had dug its way underground. All Gary could do was hope his Pokémon didn't hit the a floor of steel while digging. They'd be done for if Blastoise did.
"A ground attack on a water-type Pokémon?" Misty laughed. "How stupid. This won't have an effect at all. Amuse me," she said as she bowed. She was so confident about herself. Gary liked that.
Shelly and Matt didn't seem to be amused by their battle. Not even they could hold their own against Misty for that long. When Archie found Gary watching at him, the older man looked at him in a way Gary knew too well. He saw potential. He saw power.
Not that he would like it if his capabilities would be used by this man. He'd vowed to himself that he'd leave as soon as he had to kill someone. He wouldn't go that far for Misty. For no one. Part of his mind knew that if he wanted to save Misty, he probably would have to do it. But he couldn't.
The ground rumbled close to Vaporeon and Misty ordered it to jump in the air, expecting Blastoise to just come up again. What she didn't expect the Pokémon to do was to come up, and jump in the air as well with an enormous speed.
The crowd went silent for a second as Gary screamed his next attack. "Skull Bash!"
Blastoise hit the little Vaporeon with such force that it flew backwards. Misty ran to get her Pokémon and caught it in her arms, flying backwards against the wall herself as she did so.
They all watched the defeated admin who sat with her Pokémon in her hands, her back slumped against the wall. She winced for a second and Gary frowned at her, ordering his Pokémon back into the pokéball. He jogged over to Misty, planning on helping her.
"Great battle," he said when he reached her. "Come on, let's get your Vaporeon to a nurse." As he put out his hand for her to grab it, a shiver ran down his spine. He knew what that cold metal was at the side of his neck.
"Go away," admin Siam hissed at him. "Or I will make sure, you'll leave this place in a coffin."
Gary looked up at her, his eyes staring into hers. He knew she'd be able to pull the trigger. It was that same cold and emotionless look that Misty had given him a few weeks earlier. Yet, he wasn't planning on showing her he was scared. He just stood upright again, staring at the woman.
It was then that Archie spoke.
"Siam. Leave him be. Jet, let's go back to my office shall we?"
Siam put away her gun again, frown on her face. She spat towards Gary's feet and he smirked at her and waved. It seemed there was another woman who was annoyed by him. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing though.
When the two admins left together with Archie, Gary turned his attention back to Misty who was now getting up by herself and had already ordered her Vaporeon back into its pokéball.
"Can I sit around more now?" Gary asked her after she dusted off her clothes. He couldn't help but look at her from top to bottom. He rather liked the admins' outfit. A black and blue jacket with a pair of black jeans and blue boots. The colors fitted Misty.
Misty grinned at him and put out her hand. "Good fight. I guess I'll have to start training you now," she smiled at him.
Gary knew something was wrong but still put out his hand, only to be pinned down to the ground a second later. She had his elbow locked behind his back and he had nowhere to go.
"A Pokémon, says nothing about the trainer," she whispered into his ear. "Never forget that, Kai. You were good, but you're not better than me," she purred playfully.
She let him go and whipped her braid over her shoulder as she smirked down at him. He watched her go as she stalked off and shook his head as he got up. He was liking this battle between them way too much.
A few days later in the cafeteria:
Misty slouched into her chair and almost let her plate with food fall onto the table. She sniffed once and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. Matt stopped eating and just stared at her, his mouth open and fork still halfway up in the air.
"Are you alright?" he asked, unsure of what her answer would be.
Misty shrugged once and drank from the glass of water in front of her. Her hair was frizzy, her nose was dripping and her skin was so dry, she was sure she'd be able to scrape it off. The hammer that was knocking on her skull didn't help either. Somehow, she felt as if Kai's Blastoise had used a Skull Bash on her instead of on her Vaporeon.
She sighed and stirred her soup as she remembered their battle. It was one of the best she'd had in a long time. But it was no pleasure to lose. She admired the Blastoise though. He was fast and strong… She had to give it to Kai, he was a good trainer.
A smile tugged at her lips as she sipped from the soup. Archie had found their battle quite amusing and wanted them to train Kai more. There was still one spot left for an admin. If he was as talented at the other stuff as he was at this… Then he might become the next one. Talents like his, didn't come to the organization often. Which made her wonder if he was, in a sense, like her…
"Still can't believe," Misty whispered out loud, making Shelly and Matt give her questioning looks. "Took me years to be an admin and he could do it in mere months. He seems a bit too good to be true, don't you think?" she asked as all their heads turned towards him.
He was having a cup of coffee and talking to the blonde grunt with the Raichu. Alexis was her name. He laughed at her comments but Misty knew his eyes were always focused on her. Somehow she'd become used to it after a few weeks. Although she wasn't sure if he was looking for a way to kill her, or for a way to get into her bed.
"Yeah," Shelly answered, taking a bite from a baked potato. "But he won't pass the other tests that easily. Besides. Everyone knows that the first year of an admin is filled with missions to make sure they're the right person for the job. Most of them fail then. He won't be around for long anymore."
Misty nodded once and grabbed her temple in her hand. Like Pokémon, like trainer. She had gotten sick as well. But now was not the time.
Accidentally she pushed her fork off of the table with her elbow and the sound made Kai look up for a second. She could feel his eyes watching her as she grabbed her fork. It was then she heard her name.
"That admin Emerald, is like, such a loser," one of the female grunts laughed. "At least that is what Clint always says. She turned him down you know. I mean like, who would like, turn someone like him down? You'd have to be crazy."
Before Misty could get up and reply, she found Kai standing next to the female grunt who was on her way to the bin to throw some food away. He was reading a magazine, still holding his coffee and walked into the woman, spilling his coffee all over her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kai said. "I hope I didn't hurt you." He was staring down at the older woman, the look in his eyes intimidating her and making the other grunt run off again.
Misty sat stunned as she watched him walking her way. He'd defended her. She was sure about it. He'd heard what the woman was talking about.
Kai stopped at their table, his magazine now next to her food, as his hand smashed it onto the table. "I need some help with this, admin Emerald," he said as he pointed at an article. "It's about the gender of Staryu's and Starmies. I heard you are a specialist around here, so could you-"
Kai's word were lost as Misty started to feel dizzy and grabbed her head again. She could feel his hand on her arm but she slapped him away with the last bit of strength she still had.
"Come back tomorrow," she answered, still holding her head with one hand. "I don't have the time know."
He looked at her worryingly as she scraped her chair over the floor and got up. She tried to walk as gracefully out of the dining room as she could. Once in the hallway her shoulders slumped and she had a coughing fit. It was then she felt an arm supporting her lower back. When she looked up, Kai was staring down at her, still that worried expression lingering on his face.
"Emerald," he said to her. "Shall I accompany you to your room? You don't look so well."
She frowned at him. Loathed him for seeing her in this state, for having to support her. She didn't like to be touched. No one touched her. It meant they were close. And she couldn't let anyone get close to her. At all.
"I'm fine, Kai," she said bitterly. "I just have a cold. We'll reschedule our training to next week. I'll also explain you about the article then if you want me to."
He let her go, frowning down at her smaller frame. When she turned the corner, she could steel feel his eyes boring into her back.
"As if he really cared," Misty murmured to herself while she walked towards the hallways, hugging herself. It was so cold. When she put her hand on her head she could feel a fever forming and she silently cursed. She hoped she would be fighting him again soon. She wanted to beat him. But apparently, that wasn't going to happen.
The way to her bedroom was all a daze. She just fell down onto her bed, pulled the sheets close around her and fell into a deep slumber. A knock on the door made her wake up a few hours later. No one ever knocked. Was she dreaming again?
"Emerald," he heard his voice say. "Are you okay?"
Misty's heart starting racing a bit. He came to look for her. She could imagine him standing there, his hand resting on the cold metal door, waiting for her response. She turned to watch the clock on her night stand. It was 5 o' clock in the morning. Night shift had ended. He was probably heading to bed, and yet decided to come to her first…
She gripped her blanket and bit on her lip. Her fever wasn't doing her any good. If she opened the door and he tried something, she wasn't sure she could defend herself. But then again, was she really sure she was here to kill him? They hadn't found anything about him yet… Maybe, just maybe…
"I'm fine," she answered him. "You can go now. I don't need you to come and give me some nasty comment about my illness," she said bitterly. He just needed to go. She didn't want him to see her weakness.
She swore she could feel him smirk when he answered. "Shame, I brought you something though. You'll like it… I promise."
Misty had always been curious. Now wasn't anything different. "Just leave it here," she said to him. "I'll come and get it in a second."
"You sure?" he asked.
"Yeah. Go to bed, Kai."
His name seemed to linger in the air and she crawled out of her bed, blanket still around her. Her head rested on the metal door and she listened carefully until she could hear him walk away.
After a minute or two she dared to open the door. She eyed the hallway suspiciously through he crack of the door and then opened it completely. In front of her was a plate with a cup of tea and a hot bowl of soup. He'd left her a small note and she unfolded it, snorting as she read the sentence: It is NOT poisoned.
Carefully she grabbed the plate and walked back into her room. She placed it onto her night stand and put her hand onto her pokéball for a second. Vaporeon would check the liquids for poison but somehow, she decided against it.
She slid under the covers again, welcoming the warmth of tea. Sipping the hot liquid, she couldn't help but wonder why the male grunt cared.
Gary's POV:
Gary had been pacing around the hallways for about five minutes now and his curiousity got the better of him. He walked back towards the admins' quarters and when he saw the tray had gone he smirked t himself. "That was a job well done," he said to himself as he put his hands in his neck, now walking to the elevators to get to his own floor.
The dorms, he extremely disliked. Especially because of the other grunts. They were all so dumb. Two younger males in his room were practically drooling over Misty. They hated him ever since he defeated her. And then the fourth one was Clint. Gary knew the man had once tried to woo Misty and had failed miserably. Yet, he was still trying to get to her.
He snorted out loud when he remembered the comment that bimbo had made about Misty earlier that day. That had been Clint's doing. He was sure of it. He'd seen the man watching the auburn-haired woman. He wanted her as his prize. But that wouldn't happen. Not if Gary had anything to say about it.
When he got back to his floor, he walked through the empty hallways towards his room. The rest of them would probably have to get up soon but he was just heading to bed. When he opened the door, Clint greeted him with a punch in the face.
Gary stumbled back a few feet and grabbed his left check. He could taste the blood in his mouth and he spat it on the floor, trying to get his thoughts clear again. So maybe spilling coffee over the bimbo hadn't been such a good idea after all.
He smirked up at the man in front of him as he whipped off the blood with his sleeve. "Mad that I embarrassed your girlfriend?" he laughed as he got up again, now ready for any attack he would throw his way.
Clint flung his right fist at Gary's face but he managed to deflect it, kicking the grunt in the side when he lost his balance for a second. The brunette had fought a lot of battles in his life. Mostly over women. It made him smile a bit as he realized he was back to his old ways. This fight wasn't because of that bimbo. It was because of Misty.
Clint spat as he got up again, clutching his stomach. "You think you're so good at everything," he growled at Gary. "You think you can get her."
Gary smirked back at him, taking a step closer to intimidate him. "Oh please. I haven't even tried my best yet. But it seems that you have no more tricks left, now do you? I know you tried to get her in your bed," Gary whispered with venom in his voice. "And if I ever see you trying it again, I will find you."
Clint hurled himself at Gary but he just stopped the man with his fist, making him fall down to the ground again. The professor crouched down and nudged the grunt's arm with his hand. "Stay away from her," he warned him.
He got up again and wanted to enter the bedroom when he heard someone calling his name. Alexis was running towards him, her blonde pigtails bouncing on her back.
"Kai!" she shouted at him, trying to catch her breath when she reached him. "What happened? I heard some noise and then I saw you and Clint fight and-"
"Shut up, woman," Clint grunted as he got up again. "This fight isn't over pretty boy. I-"
"What is this nonsense?!"
The three grunts turned around and looked at an angry Misty. She was holding a cup in her left hand and a bowl in the other. Gary couldn't help but smile at her.
Her cheeks flushed when she noticed him watching her and he chuckled once, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. At the same time, Alexis was eying him closely and he could feel her raise an eyebrow at him.
"Clint, go back to your duties. And I don't want anything like this, to happen again," she said while pointing her finger from one grunt to another.
He grunted once and ran off, leaving the three of them standing there. "Alexis, bring these to the kitchen, will you? And Kai, you come with me. We gotta get your face cleaned up."
"I can go with him to the infirmary if you want me to," Alexis said, her eyes almost burning into Misty's. Somehow, Gary felt uncomfortable. It was as if they were having a silent conversation, trying to get the upper hand. In the end Misty just shook her head and put out the cup and bowl, waiting for the younger girl to take them.
The petite girl hesitated for a second but she obliged and ran off towards the kitchen, still eyeing Misty as she walked away from both of them. He couldn't shake of the feeling that there was something… Something more to the exchange they just had.