Part 15
June 13th
Cerulean City
Anabel rose up from her bed with a nod in response to the excessive knocking coming from her door.
"Anabel, you can't sleep forever!" Ash hollered.
Taking a moment to let her eyes adjust to the sunlight that was glaring at her through the open blinds of her room, Anabel recalled just how wonderful it felt to actually sleep on a bed. If only there was some sort of portable bed that you could take with you while you were traveling, then she would have no complaints.
Sliding off her bed, Anabel wobbled a bit on her feet for a moment as her vision became blurry. Rubbing her eyes a bit to clear her vision, Anabel took a step to begin her journey to the entrance of her room, only to find herself stumbling into the wall.
"Anabel, are you okay? What was that?" Ash asked from outside after hearing a thud. A few moments passed by before he Anabel finally opened the door for him, revealing the girl as she held her head. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I…fell off the bed." She replied slowly, causing Ash to tilt his head as he glanced at the covers her bed. They were a mess, but they didn't resemble the look of someone rolling off the edge, and Ash was no stranger to falling off the bed.
"Is everything alright?" Ash asked once again.
"Yeah, I'm just kind of tired still."
"Did you sleep well?" Ash continued, receiving a long yawn in reply from Anabel which he took as a 'yes'.
"Can't we just sleep all day?" Anabel asked as she returned to her bed which she immediately dove onto.
"I wouldn't mind doing that, but we can't stay in Cerulean City for too long. Plus, I have a friend that I want you to meet." Ash explained, receiving a groan in reply from Anabel. "How about this, once we get to Pewter City, we'll take a few days off to rest up. Does that sound good?"
"It sounds wonderful."
"We'll leave in about an hour. You can get breakfast down in the cafeteria if you want. Just make sure you clean up the room a bit for Nurse Joy. They really appreciate it when you try to keep the room tidy for them." Ash said as she rose up from her bed once again, beginning to straighten the covers of the bed that she had messed up in her sleep.
"Okay." Anabel said as she rose up to give him a nod. "I'll be down soon."
"Thank you Nurse Joy." Anabel now that she was at the entrance of the cafeteria.
"It's no trouble at all. Enjoy your meal." Nurse Joy replied as she gave Anabel a wave after guiding her to the cafeteria. Anabel then began to look around the room as she entered, searching for Ash. The room had a number of people within it standing on line at a buffet that had a spread of breakfast items for people to choose from.
"Oh, no way!" Someone exclaimed, drawing Anabel's attention. Near the back of the room Anabel could see quite a few people crowded around a table.
"Hah, and that's my win!" A familiar voice declared, causing Anabel to approach the crowd. She was positive that it was Ash.
Slipping through the crowd, Anabel eventually good a decent view of the table where she could see Ash giving high fives to the crowd for his victory over another trainer in a common activity that many addressed as mock battles.
Mock battles are mainly used for entertainment by people who couldn't take part in an actual Pokemon battle. So rather than taking the time to have real Pokemon battles, by using their Pokegear they could hold a virtual battles where type advantages and move sets determined the winner. While it lacked a few key areas that make up actual battles such as the willpower of your Pokemon, many professional trainers used mock battles to make sure they were aware of what sort of weaknesses their team had.
"It's no surprise that the Indigo Conference Champion can win a few mock battles. But let's see how you do against another Champion." A young man said as he took a seat in the chair that had been occupied by Ash's previous opponent.
Ash looked at the young man, allowing a smile to form on his face as he looked the man seated before him. It was Drake, Champion of the Orange League.
"Wow, a mock battle between Champions."
"This is going to be great!"
"It's on now." Ash said as he immediately returned to his seat, prepared for another battle. On the table there were two slots that were specifically designed to hold a Pokegear to connect it to the small projector at the center of the table that would allow others to view the virtual battle.
The virtual battle was nothing like the real thing. The projector showed the Pokemon standing on a flat area, remaining motionless until their trainers gave them a command. Then they would take turns attacking each other until either trainer ran out of Pokemon that were able to battle.
In the end, the crowd that had gathered was left quite satisfied with the end result. Even their hearts were racing as the battle came to an exciting conclusion.
"Not bad." Drake stated as he leaned back in his seat with a sigh of relief. He had just barely beaten Ash with his last remaining Pokemon, his trusty tank-like Dragonite.
"Dang, you got me." Ash muttered as he recalled how the battle had ended. He had-had the advantage with two Pokemon remaining against Drake's Dragonite, but his Wartortle and Charizard was no match for his Dragonite's Thunderbolt attack. "Just wait until next time."
"You got it." Drake replied as they got up from their seats to shake hands, much to the delight of the crowd who then began to request autographs and pictures.
"So what did you think of mock battles Anabel?" Ash asked as the two of them stepped out of the air conditioned Pokemon Center, requiring a moment to adjust to the heat before they began moving.
"It was interesting." She replied although she was far more interested in it than she was letting on. While Ash and Drake had tended the small crowd in the Pokemon Center, Anabel has observed another mock battle that was taking place, and she was already beginning to like what she had seen. Mock battles seemed so much easier to learn from rather than the time consuming training sessions she had with Ash. She could progress so much quicker as a trainer through mock battles than real battles. "Why didn't we start with that?"
"Start with it…what do you mean?"
"…Well it just seems like a much easier method to getting a grasp on Pokemon battles than what I've been doing." Anabel explained, receiving a snort from Ash.
"That's a good one Anabel." Ash said with a chuckle, causing Anabel to raise an eyebrow as she looked at him.
"What's so funny?"
"Mock battles and real battles are completely different." Ash began. "Mock battles may seem like you're learning, but it doesn't translate to real Pokemon battles. It doesn't teach you all of the mechanics of a Pokemon battle. Sure you'll learn about type advantages and you can experiment with move sets, but there's so much more to a real Pokemon battle."
"But wouldn't it be easier for me to get exposure to all sorts of scenarios?" Anabel asked.
"Yeah, fake ones." Ash responded.
"Well what sets them apart?"
Ash looked up in thought for a moment, recalling the fact that Anabel lacked exposure to Pokemon battling as a whole. Watching a live Pokemon battle was a completely difference experience to just watching one on tv. Anabel had yet to witness a real battle between two professional trainers since the beginning of her journey. Spotting their destination not too far ahead on the block, Ash smiled as he thought of the solution to this dilemma.
"I could waste time telling you, but it would be way cooler if I showed you." Ash said as he came to a stop in front of a large building with the Cascade Badge hanging over the front entrance. It was the Cerulean City Gym.
"A Pokemon Gym? But I wouldn't stand a chance against a Gym Leader." Anabel exclaimed as Ash opened up the entrance for her.
"We're not here for you to battle Anabel. I want you to watch."
"Misty is currently in a training session with her Pokemon, so I suggest you be careful if you go near the pool." The receptionist explained as they came to a stop in front of a pair of large double doors.
"You got it, and thank you." Ash said as the doors separated for he and Anabel to enter the largest room of the gym.
Anabel stared in awe as she stepped into the room, observing the enormous pool that was used for both water shows as well as Gym battles. Oddly enough, the room was completely silent and the surface of the water was flat as though no one had touched.
"Where's Misty?" Ash asked before a cyclone of small purple razor blades burst out of the center of the pool, raising a good twenty feel over the pool. Soon the cyclone began to take on water that rose up from the base to eventually surround the entire swirling vortex.
"Yeah, great job with this Dragon Pulse!" A voice shouted from the top of the cyclone. After looking up for a bit, the group of three spotted a head of orange hair that they assumed to be Misty on the back of her Kingdra hovering at the top of the cyclone, commending her Pokemon for its recent success with its newest move. "You know what to do!"
"King-dra!" It shouted before firing one energy blast down the center of the cyclone. Once it hit the surface of the water, it detonated, destroying the entire cyclone which caused a brief rainfall throughout the room.
"I really should start wearing a swimsuit to this job." The receptionist mumbled in a deadpan as yet another one of her formal suits was soaked in the water.
"Awesome Kingdra!" Misty said as the two of them came crashing down into the pool, disappearing underneath the surface for a moment.
"Lookin' good out there Misty!" Ash hollered after the two of them had resurfaced, gaining their attention as they realized that they had guests.
"Pika!" Pikachu added as it waved its arms to greet her.
"Ash?! What are you doing here?" Misty exclaimed as she recognized her old friend. Jumping onto the back of her Kingdra, they quick sped over to the edge of the pool where their observers were waiting for them.
"Well I thought I would drop by for a visit, although we might me make it a short one on account of the rain." Ash replied as he motioned to his clothes with a chuckle. The receptionist cleared her throat as well to reinforce Ash's point while tapping one foot.
"I'm so sorry." Misty exclaimed as she hopped off the back of her Kingdra, immediately drawing the full attention of Ash. Anabel looked at Ash curiously as he gained a dark pink aura as though he was trying to suppress the feeling. "I'll pay for the dry cleaning Suzie…again."
"Whatever you say Misty. I'll be in the changing room if you need me." Suzie replied as she left the pool.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu said as it lept off of Ash's shoulders, running over to Misty who scooped it up from the floor to greet it.
"I haven't seen you in ages Pikachu." Misty said as she allowed Pikachu climb onto her shoulder where it began to rub its cheek against her own.
It had been nearly a year since Ash had last seen Misty while they were in the Fuchsia Technical Academy together, and he couldn't deny that she had grown even more since their last meeting. He was still taller than her, but she almost stood as an equal next to him. She had grown out her hair to the point where it now passed her shoulders, although she kept it tied up in a ponytail while she was practicing in the pool. Slapping himself mentally to give himself the fortitude to ignore the form fitting one-piece swimsuit Misty was wearing; Ash gave her a grin as a greeting.
"It's good to see you again Misty." Ash said.
"I could say the same thing." Misty replied as she looked at Ash from his feet to his face. He had definitely grown since college, and what she had seen of him on television during the Indigo Conference was nothing compared to seeing him in person.
"How's everything going?"
"Great. I'm getting ready for the selection test to become the Gym Leader here." Misty stated confidently. She had spent her year in college becoming a water type specialist. Now she was working to become a Gym Leader at a water type gym. All of these were 'stepping stones' on her journey to becoming a Water Pokemon Master.
"That's awesome Misty. I'm sure you'll get the job."
"Thanks Ash." Misty said before a moment of silence set in between the two of them. Neither of them could think of something to talk about at the moment until Misty noticed Anabel standing beside Ash. "Who's your friend?"
"This is Anabel. She's the new trainer Silph Co signed and I'm showing her around Kanto to help her see what the Pokemon world is like." Ash explained, receiving a nod of agreement from Anabel.
"I see." Misty studied Anabel for a moment. "Have you told Dawn yet?"
Ash palmed his forehead at the realization that he hadn't introduced Anabel to Dawn yet.
"Oh my goodness, how could I forget?" Ash asked himself. Between the sudden trip to Hoenn, his party and meeting with Riley to discuss how they would handle training Anabel, he had completely forgotten to call Dawn and talk to her. "I'll definitely call her tonight…man, I haven't even checked in to see how she's doing or how things are going in Jubilife City."
Misty chuckled a bit at Ash. He hadn't changed at all since his graduation. He was still the same supportive and warm hearted guy that was more concerned about others than himself.
Anabel eyed Misty once again as she smiled warmly at Ash. Her aura had become a bright pink.
"So Misty, I came here to ask you for a favor." Ash said, pulling Misty out of her thoughts.
"Oh, what can I do for you?"
"Anabel has been in a few Pokemon battles, but she still hasn't seen a real one yet. I was hoping that the two of us could show her what it's really like." Ash explained as he gave Misty a wink. It took her a moment to catch on as she realized that Ash just wanted to have fun during this battle.
"You're in for a treat Anabel."
Anabel was simply astounded as she stood at the edge of the pool, observing the battle between Misty's Kingdra and Ash's Wartortle. She had been in Pokemon battles while she was in the Battle Academy and she had witnessed battles between the Frontier Brains, but she was receiving a completely different vibe from the battle she was watching.
It wasn't simply a show Ash and Misty were putting out for her, the battle conveyed their desire to be the very best they could possibly be. All of the effort and time they put in could be seen as their Pokemon executed their commands flawlessly. The bonds between trainer and Pokemon were incredibly close, but what really left Anabel speechless was the expressions on their face.
"Kingdra, use Water Pulse!" Misty shouted as she stretched out her arm to motion toward Wartortle. She wore a brilliant smile as she battled, shifting from one foot to another as she were trying to move in sync with her Pokemon.
"Wartortle, counter that with Hydro Pump!" Ash yelled in return as he threw a fist in the air. The smile he wore matched the brightness of Misty's, almost as if the two of them were trying to outshine the other.
The two attacks collided at the center of the pool, sending ripples throughout the pool that flipped over the platforms Ash and Misty had been standing on. When the two of them rose up to the surface of the water, they could only laugh as their Pokemon helped them over to the edge of the pool.
Anabel felt her edges of her slips curve upward as she looked at the two trainers. She couldn't deny that she was envious of them. She wanted to have a battle like this. One that she enjoyed, where she was smiling, and laughing with her Pokemon and her opponent. One that she wouldn't forget.
She wanted to feel her heart race. To think so hard that her head hurt. But most of all, she wanted to taste victory.
"How was that Anabel?" Ash called out as he and Misty approached her with towels in hand to dry themselves a bit.
"It was…fantastic." She replied. "The two of you were having so much fun."
"There's more to it than just having fun." Ash said as he dried off his hair.
"I know. It's about building trust between you and your Pokemon." Anabel said, recalling what Ash had told her while they were on Route 5.
"Right." Ash said as he gave her a warm smile. She was already learning.
"Um Ash, if you have some time, I know this great restaurant that we can relax at for a bit." Misty asked rather tentatively as she gained Ash's attention. Ash placed his thumb against his chin as he took a moment to think about Misty's offer.
Ash took his time to consider the idea, to the point where Misty began to doubt that it was good idea to make the offer.
"If its too much trouble, you don't have to." Misty added.
"No, no. It's fine." Ash said immediately. "I'd be happy to do. As friends."
"Of course." She replied as she gave Ash a playful push, although Anabel could see that her aura had momentarily become black before returning to its usual azure color. Anabel then looked at Ash's aura, noticing that it had become a light shade of gray.
Ash then gave her a grin that lacked the brightness that defined his character. They were both faking. But what for?
Anabel was the first to finish changing out of her wet clothing and into something dry that Misty had given her, and now she was seated alone in the lobby of the Gym with her Espeon.
"They're both so cool Espeon." Anabel said as she related Ash and Misty's battle to her Pokemon. "Do you ever think we'll get to be as strong as them?"
"Espeon." Espeon said with a nod of encouragement. If they put in the work and time, anything was possible.
Anabel looked up with a small smile as she recalled the battle she had just seen. All of the battles that she had been in paled in comparison to Ash and Misty's battle.
"We've got a lot of work to do if we want to be as good as Ash and Misty." Anabel said to herself as the front door opened up, allowing three attractive women to enter the lobby. The first one had bright red hair that fell down to her shoulders. The second had long cool blue hair that she had tied up into a pony tail, and the last of the three had lovely blonde hair.
"I'm like, so glad someone invented the air conditioner." One of them stated as she fanned herself with one hand.
"Oh please Lily, you were only outside for like five minutes." Another said as she rolled her eyes.
"Calm down Violet." The blonde said. "Lily has always been a drama queen."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Lily exclaimed before spotting a head of purple hair not to far from them. "Who's she?"
The remaining two looked in the direction that Lily was pointing, spotting Anabel who had been observing them silently.
"Oh my gosh!" Violet exclaimed as she rushed over to Anabel, beginning to examine her lavender. "I love your hair!"
"T-Thank you." Anabel replied nervously as all three of the women studied her short locks. She had never received attention like this before.
"Is it naturally this color?" Lily asked.
"Mhmm." Anabel responded with a nod.
"It's so pretty." Violet went on, causing her to blush.
"Ugh, guys. We haven't even introduced ourselves." The blonde woman said, causing the group to step back from Anabel.
"I'm Lily Waterflower." The red head said.
"I'm Violet Waterflower!" The dark haired woman announced.
"And I am Daisy Waterflower!" The blonde added as the three of them assumed a pose that felt unbalanced without a fourth person.
"And together we're the Sensational Sisters!" They declared together.
"It really doesn't feel right without Misty guys." Violet noted as they separated a bit to look at where they had just been standing.
"Well looks who's here." Daisy exclaimed as she clapped her hands, directing their attention to their youngest sister who had just entered the lobby by herself in casual clothing. They all waved to Misty, motioning for her to join them by Anabel.
"Misty, have you met our new friend?" Lily asked as Misty looked at Anabel.
"Oh Anabel. Now that I think about, I never introduced myself." Misty said as she extended a hand toward Anabel. "Misty Waterflower."
"And together, we're the Sensational Sisters!" Her sisters declared as they assumed the same pose they had earlier, waiting for Misty to join them. "Come on Misty."
Misty deadpanned as she stared at her older sisters.
"I already told you guys that I'm never going to do that." Misty stated.
"Oh come on Misty, don't be such a downer!" Daisy whined along with Violet and Lily, only receiving a glare from Misty.
"How long were you alone with them?" Misty whispered to Anabel.
"Not to long." Anabel replied.
"Lucky you." Misty muttered as Anabel looked around a bit.
"What happened to Ash?" Anabel asked aloud.
"Ash is here?!" The trio exclaimed, startling Anabel a bit while Misty rolled her eyes a bit.
"Yes, he stopped by to have a battle today." Misty replied. "We're going out for lunch once he changes."
Misty only had a moment to realize what she had said before she wished she could take it back. All three of her sisters crowded around her, hounding her with questions.
"You're going out on a date with Ash!?" Violet asked.
"Are you trying to get back together with him?" Lily added.
'Get back together with him?' Anabel asked herself. So Ash and Misty were previously in a relationship.
"Alright, that's enough!" Misty shouted to put all of their interrogation to an end.
"Is something wrong?" Ash called out as he came jogging into the lobby to see what all the commotion was about.
"It's Ash!" They said together, abandoning Misty and Anabel to swarm him with questions now. Misty bit down on her bottom lit a bit as she watched her sisters surround Ash as threw out one question after another at him. They were almost too close for comfort.
Anabel eyed Misty for a moment, noticing that her aura had become a bright green. The more Anabel watched this situation unfold, the more she was beginning to understand. Misty had never gotten over Ash.
"So Misty, what did you do after you graduated from the Fuchsia Technical Academy?" Ash asked as he glanced at Misty who walked alongside him. The restaurant Misty had suggested was on the northern side of the city, and they were moving their by foot, which meant a lot of people were looking at them as they moved.
Even though the two of them had been talking since they had left the Gym, their conversation hadn't gotten very far since they constantly had to break their conversation to say hello to passing fans who recognized them.
"Well right after I left, I went to the Seafoam Islands." Misty began. "The first thing I wanted to do was start capturing new water type Pokemon and studying them in their natural habitats. It was incredible."
Anabel walked behind the duo, watching them as they shared their experiences since graduation. Watching two pros battle was very enjoyable, but listening to two pros talking about Pokemon was just as cool. They both knew so much and yet they would constantly admit that there was so much more they had to learn.
Anabel felt a strange sensation wash over her body once again, almost as though she was floating. Looking down at her feet to make sure that they were touching the ground, Anabel found that she was indeed standing on the ground. But her vision had become incredibly blurry like when she had first woken up. She couldn't see a thing.
Taking a few moments to rub her eyes, this restored her vision enough for her to follow Ash and Misty properly, but she could feel a headache coming on. Anabel began to rub her temples, trying to soothe the pain she was experiencing.
"Anabel, are you okay?" Ash asked, looking back at his traveling companion after noticing that she wasn't keeping up with them.
"Just a headache." She replied once she caught up to them.
"Do you want to go back to the Pokemon Center?" Ash offered.
"No, it's fine. I'll be fine." She insisted. "I'm probably just, hungry."
"I hear ya." Ash said as he gave his own stomach a pat. "Are we almost there Misty?"
"Yeah, it's just two blocks away." Misty said as she pointed up the street. "Maybe you'll feel better once you sit down Anabel."
"Right." Anabel said with a nod.
Arriving at the restaurant, the three of them entered to discover that every booth inside the restaurant had been taken, leaving them with no choice but to take one of the tables outside in front of the shop.
"Sorry guys, usually they'll hold a booth for me, but I guess they were too busy today." Misty said as they took a seat at their table. Anabel gave her a small yet reassuring smile.
"Are you sure you'll be alright Anabel?" Ash asked as she studied her expression. Anabel gave him a nod and the same smile she gave Misty.
"I'm fine." She repeated, doing whatever she could to hide the splitting headache she was experiencing. It felt as though someone had dropped a large rock on her head and her skull had split open.
"Hey there Misty!" A waiter called out as he stepped out of the restaurant to approach their table.
"Clark, how are you doing?" Misty asked as he waved to him.
"Quite fine thank you. How about you?"
"I'm doing great."
"Look, we're really sorry about giving away your table." Clark said as he motioned to the building. "We got hit with a rush about an hour ago and this one family started to make a huge fuss when they saw us holding your table. The boss didn't want them making a scene inside so we gave them your table."
"It's no trouble at all Clark. Really." Misty said.
"So what can I get for you guys?" Clark asked as he looked at Misty's company before stopping at Ash. "Ash Ketchum, oh my goodness, I can't believe I didn't notice you at first."
Ash only chuckled in reply.
"No way, you're friends with Misty?" He asked, gesturing to Misty who gave him a sharp glance.
"Well of course. I do have a life outside of Pokemon." Misty replied.
"How do you guys know each other?"
"We graduated in the same class from the Fuchsia Technical Academy." Ash responded.
"I see." Clark said before he kneeled down beside Ash to speak to him privately. "You wouldn't mind taking a picture with me, would you?"
"If you guys have a mean hamburger and fries." Ash replied.
"Deal." Clark said and they shook on it.
'Same old Ash. He still lets his stomach do the thinking.' Misty said as she watched Clark whip out his pad and pen to write down their orders.
"So what can I get for you guys?" He asked again.
"I'll have the sliders like I always do." Misty said, receiving a nod from Clark as he scribbled it down.
"And what can I get for you?" He asked, looking directly at Anabel who had been massaging her temples furiously.
"J-Just some, water." She said slowly, struggling to focus on Clark.
"Anabel, are you sure you're alright?" Ash asked as he leaned forward to get a better look at her.
"Yeah, I just need some water." She repeated once again. She had become incredibly hot and was in desperate need of a way to cool down.
"Bring her the sliders." Ash added. "She's hungry too."
"You got it. I'll be right back with your drinks." Clark said as he put away his notepad and made his way back into the restaurant.
Anabel leaned forward in her chair, exhaling quite loudly as she tried to remain in the shade provided by the umbrella. Her headache had gotten worse if that was somehow possible, and now she felt as though she was on fire. She was just so thirsty.
"Anabel, where are you going?" Ash asked as he watched the girl rise from her seat.
"The bathroom." Anabel replied softly. Maybe going into the air-conditioned restaurant would help, and perhaps splashing some water on her face.
"Do you want some company?" Misty said as she rose up.
"No. I'm okay." Anabel said as she motioned for Misty to sit.
Both Ash and Misty watched as Anabel sluggishly made a trip towards the front door of the restaurant at a pace that would put a Slowpoke to shame.
"I think we should take her to a doctor." Ash whispered to Misty, but as she opened her mouth to respond, the clatter of silverware hitting the floor gained their attention.
Turning around once again, they found Anabel on the ground beside the table she had knocked over, throwing everything on it to the ground.
"Anabel!" Ash exclaimed as he jumped to his feet, knocking over his chair in the process.
Hospital
Ash and Misty were seated in the lobby of the Cerulean City medical center, quietly waiting for any news on Anabel. She had fainted at the restaurant, resulting in Ash and Misty rushing her to the closest hospital to see what had happened.
She was immediately taken in by the staff, but it had been nearly an hour since then and Ash and Misty hadn't heard a word about her since.
"Do you think she's alright Misty?" Ash asked once again.
"I'm sure she's fine Ash." Misty replied, giving the same answer she had given Ash all of the other times he had asked this question. She needed to add in something to give Ash some reassurance. "The doctors here are some of the best in Kanto. She's in good hands."
"I know, but I can't help but feel that this is my fault." Ash admitted as he looked over at Misty who was next to him.
"How so?"
"She not built a trainer, physically speaking. She doesn't have the stamina or experience to travel long distances by foot, so we agreed to take time to help her get stronger." Ash explained, receiving a nod from Misty. "I knew she wanted to get stronger, so I sort of tried to rush her progression. I didn't let her rest as often as I should've and I think she's paying for it right now."
Ash let out a deep sigh as he shook his head.
"Man, I'm not a very good teacher." He muttered as Misty studied his expression. His clear frustration made it evident that Ash was already beating himself up on the inside. He always did this, even when the problem had nothing to do with him.
As Misty opened her mouth to speak, she was interrupted by a nurse that had approached them.
"Excuse me, are you the couple that brought Anabel Coletta?" She asked, looking at Ash and Misty.
"Yeah, but we're not a couple." Ash replied as he stood up. "How is she? Is she alright?"
"She's awake now-" The nurse began.
"Can we see her?" Ash asked immediately.
"Well you can, but I need to explain a few things to you first. You mustn't do anything that will increase her heart rate. She under observation right now." The nurse explained. "We're doing a full physical check up on her to make sure that she'll be well enough to leave by tomorrow."
"Um, do you have any idea what made her pass out?" Ash asked curiously.
"Extreme levels of fatigue. Or at least that's the only thing we believe could have caused it." The nurse replied as she motioned for Ash and Misty to follow her as she guided them to Anabel's room.
Misty glanced at Ash who had gone silent. He was definitely feeling as though he was responsible for this. Placing one hand on his shoulder as they walked, Ash looked at Misty who gave him a small smile.
"She'll be fine Ash." Misty stated.
Arriving at the door to the room that Anabel had been placed in, the nurse opened it for Ash and Misty, giving them one last reminder of their rule before leaving them. The two of them then entered slowly, finding Anabel resting on a large bed staring up at the ceiling.
"Hey Anabel." Misty said as she and Ash ventured further into the room, giving her a wave. "How are you feeling?"
"Better." She replied.
"That's good to hear." Misty said as she took a seat beside Anabel's bed. The two of them then looked at Ash who was pacing back and forth at the end of Anabel's bed.
"What's he doing?" Anabel mouthed to Misty.
"Just give him a minute." Misty whispered in reply.
Ash continued pacing for just a few moments before turning to face them.
"Anabel, first I need to start by apologizing." Ash began as his aura became a soft blue. "Initially I was supposed to go to Sinnoh after the Indigo Conference, but Riley decided to drop the task of training you on me. I've been a little bit frustrated, and anxious because I want to see my girlfriend again, but that was postponed. So I've been sort of rushing in hope that you would be a fast learner so I could get to Sinnoh sooner."
Misty raised an eyebrow at this. She could understand Ash's desire to see Dawn again because they hadn't seen each other since high school, but she never would've imagined Ash doing something like this.
"It was wrong on my part. In fact, it's unacceptable. But I want you to know that from this day forward, I promise that I will do everything in my power to help you develop as a trainer." Ash said as he stared directly into Anabel's eyes. Anabel couldn't help but noticing the clear the sincerity not only in Ash's voice, but in his eyes as well.
Misty felt her edge of her lips curve upward a bit as she looked at Ash. His eyes had regained the flare that she found so mesmerizing. It was a shame those eyes would probably never look at her like that.
Anabel felt rather odd as she looked at Ash who joined Misty at the side of her bed. They had only met each other about two weeks ago, and yet Ash's confession felt as though they had known each other for years. Like two friends apologizing over a fight.
"I forgive you Ash." Anabel said as she gave him a small smile. Ash returned her smile with his usual grin, much to Anabel's delight.
"And if anything strange happens to her, give us a call."
Ash recalled what Riley had told him as their meeting at Silph's Co came to a close.
'Even though she passed out from fatigue, I guess I should give him a call.' Ash said to himself. "I'll be right back; I have to make a call."
Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder to Anabel's bed, allowing its trainer to leave and speak in private. Once Anabel was sure Ash had left the room, she looked directly at Misty who was trying to think of something to talk about with her.
"Misty, do you mind if I ask you something?" Anabel asked, surprising Misty. After everything she had seen from Anabel today, Misty didn't think she was the type to take initiative.
"Uh, sure. Go ahead."
"What's going on between you and Ash? He's been acting kind of weird around you." Anabel pointed out.
"Ash is always weird."
"No like, weirder."
"Well, truth be told, Ash and I were dating in high school. But things got really complicated between us, and we broke up over it." Misty explained. "I caused Ash a lot of grief for a while after we broke up, but he got over it and moved on. But I never did."
"So you still have feelings for him?" Anabel asked, hoping to confirm the meaning of the pink aura Misty had around her whenever she was around Ash.
"Yeah." She admitted with rosy cheeks. "Even though Ash can be annoying, he genuinely cares for everyone he meets. That was one of the reasons I fell for him. He still cares about me, but not like how he used to. I get the feeling he still hurts from how our relationship ended."
"What makes you think that?" Anabel asked, but before Misty could as the door to her room opened up. Assuming that it was Ash, the two of them immediately ended the conversation only to discover that it was one of the nurses.
"Excuse me, can I being you anything to eat?" She asked kindly. It was then Misty's stomach voiced the fact that she hadn't eaten lunch in all the chaos that came with rushing Anabel to the hospital.
"That would be great." Anabel replied as she glanced at Misty before recalling that she was the cause for them missing lunch. "Can you bring up something for my friends too?"
"Sure." She answered. "What can I get for you guys?"
Saffron City
Silph Co
Riley leaned back in his seat with a sigh after ending the call he had received from Ash.
"Who was it?" Mindy asked.
"It was Ash."
"Really? What was he calling about?"
"He just wanted to inform us that Anabel fainted in Cerulean City." Riley explained.
"What was the cause?"
"The doctors believe it from fatigue, but I get the feeling its something bigger than that."
"You don't think she reacting to being close to…it, do you?" Mindy asked in a hushed ton.
"I don't want to jump to any conclusions yet. Anabel may have actually fainted from fatigue, so we'll sit back for a bit and see if this happens anywhere else." Riley said as he placed his elbows on his desk, resting his chin on top of his interlocked fingers. "If it doesn't, then we'll have our first lead."
June 14th
Cerulean City Gym
"It's good to see that you're feeling better Anabel." Misty said with a smile which Anabel returned.
"Same here." She replied.
After her overnight observation was complete, the hospital staff allowed Anabel to leave after concluding that nothing was wrong with her. Ash suggested that they stop by the Cerulean Gym to show Misty that she was completely fine and say goodbye to the Sensational Sisters.
"Ash, are you guys really leaving already?" Daisy asked as she, Violet and Lily crowded around Ash.
"Sorry girls. Anabel and I have to keep moving." Ash replied as he tried to break away from the trio.
"But didn't you promise to take things a bit slower with her?" Misty pointed out.
"Of course. We're headed for Pewter City, but we're going to fly there instead of going through Mt Moon." Ash explained as he looked at Anabel. "I want to introduce her to Brock and Holly and we agreed to take a few days off there."
"Make sure you take her to the garden in Pewter City. It's fabulous." Lily suggested, recalling the time she had visited the garden during her last trip to Pewter City.
"Good call." Ash said with a nod. He had been in the garden as well, and he was sure that Anabel would enjoy it as well.
"Anabel, take good care of your hair!" Violet called out causing Anabel to blush as she gave her a nod.
"Good luck Anabel. If anyone can help you become a great trainer, its Ash." Daisy declared as she gave Ash a slap on the back. "Have fun in Pewter City."
"We will." Ash responded as they began to move toward the main exit of the Gym.
"Hang on Anabel, we have something for you." Misty said, halting them before they could leave. Anabel turned around with raised eyebrows along with Ash.
"For me?" She asked, pointing at herself.
"Yeah. I thought that something like this might help you during your travels with Ash." Misty said as she pulled out a minimized Pokeball from her pocket, approaching Anabel to place it in her hands.
"Oh, no I-I couldn't accept this." Anabel said.
"Don't be silly Anabel. This is for you." Misty insisted, taking Anabel's hand and opening it to place the Pokeball in her palm.
"But…" Anabel began.
"Anabel, they just want to see you succeed." Ash whispered to her after leaning closer to her. Anabel looked up at Misty, and then at her sisters that stood beside her. All of them had the same light yellow aura that Ash, Mindy and Riley had when she had received Growlithe.
"Thank you." Anabel said politely, bowing a bit to the Waterflower girls before looking down at the Pokeball she held. Pressing the small button at the middle of the device, it expanded until it became a full sized Pokeball. Anabel then raised it above her head, allowing it to open up to release the Pokemon that was contained with in.
"Psy-duck!" It said as it looked up at Anabel with an expressionless face.
"A Psyduck." Anabel said as she bent down to get closer to the water type. "Hey there."
"Duck, Psy-duck." It said as it turned around to face Anabel properly, extending a hand toward her.
"My name is Anabel. It's nice to meet you." Anabel replied as Anabel shook hands with it.
"Are you going to introduce Psyduck to the rest of your team?" Ash asked her, receiving a nod from Anabel before she called out Espeon and Growlithe.
Misty smiled warmly as she watched Anabel introduce Psyduck to her team members. Even though she had only know Ash for short period of time, it was clear to Misty that Anabel had his full support. And if Ash was willing to support Anabel, she would do the same.
"Where did you get this Psyduck Misty?" Ash asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"It was an egg up until about a week ago. It just hatched."
"Hmm, lucky you Anabel. You'll get train a hatch-ling." Ash commented with a grin.
"A hatching?" Anabel repeated.
"Yeah, Pokemon that was just hatched. It's always fun training one of those because you have the freedom to mold its personality from the very beginning." Ash explained.
"And don't worry, outside of a few physical checkups, this Psyduck hasn't been exposed to anyone. It's all yours Anabel." Misty added, causing Anabel's face to light up with a bright smile as she looked down at her team that had now reached a total of three Pokemon. She was making progress.
"Thank you so much Misty." Anabel said as she turned to face the red head with a smile that seemed reminiscent of Ash.
"It's no trouble Anabel. Good luck on your journey." Misty replied.
"Onward, to Pewter City!" Ash called out.
June 15th
Pewter City
The flight to Pewter City took an entire day riding on Ash's Charizard, but Anabel was absolutely amazed at the experiencing. Taking off into the air on the back of Ash's Pokemon was thrilling. And then to soar high above the earth, it felt as though Ash had stolen her breath away throughout the flight.
It was just one amazing experience after another with Ash, and Anabel found herself looking forward the next one. She was actually becoming excited at the thought of meeting Brock after all of the stories Ash had shared about him with her, but Ash and Anabel were greeted with a rather odd sight when they arrived at the Pewter Gym.
"Closed?!" Ash exclaimed as he looked at the front entrance of the Gym that was firmly locked up. "It's the middle of the morning, why would they still be closed?"
"Maybe he's taking the day off." Anabel suggested.
"No, Brock gets two days off a week and today isn't one of them." Ash replied. "He might be out on League business since he is a Gym Leader."
"Oh well." Anabel said as both she and Ash became deflated for a bit. It was then that Anabel noticed that a few blocks down the street there was a large crowd of people. "What's going on over there?"
"I don't know, let's check it out." Ash said as he motioned for her to follow.
Arriving at the scene, Ash and Anabel discovered that the crowd was actually looked at a street that had been sectioned off by the police who were inspecting the scene.
"Excuse me, what happened here?" Ash asked a young man that was standing beside him.
"Late last night Brock was attacked out here by a mystery trainer. He was found here on this street this morning and rushed to the hospital." He replied. Ash felt as though his heart had stopped for a moment as his eyes widened with shock.
'Who would do something like this…?' Ash asked himself, ignoring the young man who finally recognized him. "Anabel, we have a patient to go visit."
Medical Center
Entering the lobby of the hospital, Ash and Anabel found a squad of police officers in the seating area with an amber haired woman that he had last seen on Indigo Plateau.
"Holly." Ash said softly as he made his way over to the seating area, only to be cut off by a pair of the police officers.
"Ash, what are you doing here?" Holly asked as he motioned for the officers to let him through.
"I was just dropping by for a visit but the Gym was closed. I heard that something happened to Brock, is he okay?" Ash asked.
"Last night we went to sleep, but I'm assuming at some point last night he went out for a walk with Toxicroak. When I woke up this morning I saw on the news that he was attacked." Holly explained rather frantically, struggling to maintain her composure.
"How's Brock?"
"He's still unconscious and he's in intensive care." Holly replied as one the officers stepped in.
"There were no witnesses besides Brock and Toxicroak, so we're a bit stuck at the moment." The officer added.
"What about his Toxicroak?" Ash asked.
"It's awake, but there's no way to translate what's its saying." The officer explained, causing Ash to glance at Anabel who still hadn't gotten past he officers that were guarding the seating area.
"Take us to Toxicroak."
"What are you going to do Ash?" Holly asked one of the officers guided Ash, Holly and Anabel to the room where Toxicroak was held.
"You haven't met Anabel yet, have you Holly?" Ash asked as he motioned to Anabel. Holly shook her head. "Holly, this is Anabel. Anabel, this is Holly."
The two of them gave each other a quick nod.
"Anabel can understand Pokemon, so hopefully she can act as a translator for Toxicroak." Ash explained as the officer came to a stop in front of a door, unlocking it with a key-card to give them entry to the room.
"Are you serious? She can understand Pokemon." Holly exclaimed as she looked at Anabel. "That's incredible."
Holly proceeded to take a hold of both of Anabel's hands and grasp them tightly as she looked her directly into her eyes.
"Please. Help us find Brock's attacker." Holly said, fighting back the tears that had made it to the corner of her eyes. Anabel was a bit taken aback by this. No one had ever relied upon so heavily.
Taking a deep breath to calm her heart which was beginning to speed up, Anabel gave Holly a firm nod.
"I'll do my best." She said as the officer motioned for them to enter the room.
Inside they found Brock's Toxicroak resting on a bed, covered in bruises and deep wounds that were slowly being healed through the Chansey treatment.
"Tox!" It exclaimed, recognizing both Ash and Holly.
"Easy Toxicroak." Holly said, motioning for it remain on its bed. "I know the officers couldn't understand you, and neither can I, so we found someone that can."
Toxicroak tilted its head as it looked at the two possibilities. The poison type Pokemon was sure that Ash couldn't understand it, so left Anabel. But was it possible for a human to understand Pokemon?
"This is Anabel. Just tell her everything that happened." Ash said as he motioned for her to step forward.
Toxicroak gave him a nod before sharing what had happened the night before with Anabel who listened intently to every word it told her. Soon Toxicroak's tale came to an end, allowing Anabel to relax for a moment as she turned to the group.
"Last night Brock couldn't sleep so he decided to go to the city garden with Toxicroak, but as they stared to heading out they were attacking by a trainer with an Umbreon." Anabel explained. "Toxicroak is positive that the trainer is someone named, Gary Oak."
Anabel looked at both Ash and Holly who had become deathly silent to match the dark gray aura that surrounded them.
"This…this is crazy." Ash muttered as he shook his head, looking down in thought.
"What's wrong?" Anabel asked as continued to glance at Ash and Holly.
"Gary was thrown in prison three years ago. There's no way he could've gotten out." Holly explained to Anabel.
"But if he did get out, then that means he must be targeting the people the turned against him while we were in the Tsugi Academy." Ash said softly as he thought about the people that would be at the top of Gary's hit list.
He had already attacked Brock. So the next person would probably be the one who double crossed him to guarantee their victory during the battle against Gary.
"Misty!"
A/N
I have to start by apologizing to all of you for the long update time. My schedule has been a complete mess because I got a job on top of my usual classes, so I lost a lot a time that I would usual spending writing. But with a holiday break starting this weekend, I plan on doing a lot of updating to make up for all the wasted time. Once again I'm deeply sorry guys.
We had a lot going on this chapter. This was more a plot chapter than a development chapter because I had to get a lot of things started in this one. For those of you who had haven't read the prequel High School Dilemma, Gary was arrested and thrown in prison for stealing Suicune, Raikou and Entei from the Johto League. But as you can see in this chapter, he's somehow gotten loose and is going after the people that turned against him.
Not only that, but another hint has been given about the mystery surrounding Anabel.
Now number of you told me that you're looking forward to seeing Anabel win a battle soon, and unfortunately I we won't be going to that right now. Ash will be retaking the spotlight for a bit. Also I would like to mention that if Anabel were to win a battle right now, it would be nothing more than a lucky win for her. I feel like right now she hadn't developed enough to beat a professional trainer, and if she's going to win, I want her to experience a victory because of all of the hard work and effort she put in.
I plan on updating next week guys, so be prepared for the next installment. Until next time! :)