Yesterday's Tomorrow

Five – Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Pokeshipping Day 5 Theme: Canon

Universe: Anime Canon

...

The wind was rough and the waves were violent, but it didn't matter because he would be okay. He left, trekking through feet of snow that he could barely walk through, and she had wanted to come with him but he wanted to go on his own. No, he said he had to go on his own. The idiot. Didn't he know that she'd chase through any type of storm after him? Even if it meant frostbite on her toes and legs.

Tracey was the one who stopped her from going, told her it was better to let him go ahead because he was less likely to get noticed. Clearly Tracey didn't know Ash as well as he thought, since he seemed to get stuck in the first few feet out on the snow-packed ice. She was going to run to help, but his pokemon were there for him and then he was gone.

It was terrifying watching the three legendary birds and Lugia clash just in the air above him, fire melting and lightning shattering the ice around Ash. All she could to was tell herself over and over again that he would be okay.

They didn't know what was going on and maybe Melody was talking to her a bit, or Tracey, but she bit at her finger nail, sea-green eyes focused on Ice Island. Maybe he was appeasing her, Misty couldn't be sure, but Tracey got out his binoculars to watch for him.

"Please hurry," she whispered, moving both of her hands back around Togepi and hugging the baby pokemon to her chest. It was just to keep her warm from the cold, not because she was absolutely terrified for her friend.

Beside her, Melody held her seashell ocarina in a vice-like grip, the cold air whipping her dark hair into her eyes. "Lets hope the legend is true."

"There!" Tracey cried out suddenly, startling both of the girls and even the Slowking that was silently waiting with them. Of course Ash was flying to them on Lugia's back. It wasn't like the pokemon was a legendary creature or anything like that. He was waving at them, and Misty felt her shoulders relax because he was okay. She even raised her hand up, waving back at him.

Then he wasn't.

Misty watched Ash and Pikachu twist around to watch something behind them, and then Lugia was surrounded by triangular metal pieces that she recognized. They were pieces to a cage, like what had held Molters and Zapdos prisoner. Even from where she was, the redhead could see the electricity trying to bind the pieces of metal together, Lugia's high-pitched cry of pain reaching them as he struggled.

She screamed as Lugia hit the ice, Moltres and Zapdos circling around them. She clutched Togepi so hard that the tiny pokemon squeaked in her arms, but she barely paid attention, only watching as Lugia surfaced again. Ash and Pikachu were still clinging onto his back as Lugia rose up into the air and unleashed an unholy powerful Hyper Beam in the direction of that psycho's ship. They could see it explode from there.

Lugia was hardly done. Even from the distance they could see the legendary pokemon panicking, lashing out at everything. They all ducked back as a second Hyper Beam shot into the air before Lugia's head lolled to the side, the concentrated energy shifting direction. It slammed into the island just below them, sending debris up into the air and then shattering the ice.

The Beast of the Sea fell in slow motion, pieces of the metal prison flying off. He slammed into the water, a massive wave flying up in his wake, but this time, Lugia didn't come back up.

It all happened within the span of a minute. Maybe two.

Misty just stared, her mind unable to comprehend or keep up with the events that just transpired in front of her. She blinked several times because clearly her overly paranoid mind just made that up. Ash was still back on Ice Island and everything was fine.

Her eyes were still locked onto the water where Lugia had vanished, and she inhaled sharply when she saw two figures surface. The yellow creature was moving, swimming over to his trainer, but Ash didn't seem to be moving.

The wind started raging more around them, massive, violent water spouts curving up into the air as lightning danced through the sky. The world would turn to Ash, that's what the legend said. Misty was the one to figure out that it meant her friend, but of course, it probably meant in a literal sense too. The whole world would fall to ashes.

"Here, take this."

Misty was so startled by the declaration that she almost jumped again. Her tear-filled eyes turned to Melody, glancing first at the ocarina that she was holding out, and then at the girl's face. "Huh?"

"Legend or not, Ash can't do this alone." The redhead could actually hear the accusation in Melody's voice. She and Tracey were Ash's friends and they were just standing there in a shell-shocked stupor while the water starting raging around the younger boy. Just that expression on the brunette's face alone snapped Misty out of her stunned immobility. No, Melody was not going to be the one to do this. No matter how much she tried to deny it to both others and to herself, Misty couldn't deny what she was feeling now. What she knew now.

She smiled, and the expression clearly surprised Melody. Shaking her head, Misty reached forward and put her hand on the shell ocarina. "You'll have to play Lugia's song. I'll go look for him." Moving Togepi in her arms slightly, she looked out towards the water to make sure that he was still there, ready to dash off. She needed to say this, to get it out in the open because it mattered. "And Ash is never really alone. He's got..." She trailed off. "Me." Some people might not have found the word's very telling, but after everything that had happened, Melody clearly understood. Her blue eyes were surprised, but a smile of understanding soon replaced it. She held out her hand, and Misty grabbed it, squeezing it tightly but briefly.

"Watch Togepi for me." The water-trainer added, holding out the baby pokemon. Melody nodded her head, taking her into her arms, and Misty ran towards the beach. She wasted enough time.

"What's your plan?" Tracey yelled over the howling wind as they slid down the ice-covered stairs.

"What do you think? Swim out there and get him."

"The water's so rough, and it'll be freezing." Misty wanted to snap at Tracey about giving up on Ash already, but she saw the desperation in his eyes. He didn't want to lose two friends that he felt sort-of responsible for. He must have saw the determination on her face, because when they reached the cold beach, he tossed his bag to the ground and pulled out a massive roll of rope. "Tie this around your waist, I'll drag you both back. Be careful."

Misty understood. Either he would haul them both back, or if she got in trouble, he would haul her back. Tracey wasn't going to try and stop her though, and honestly, if he started pulling her towards the shore before she had Ash, she'd probably just cut the rope.

Still, she tied it tightly around her waist and didn't hesitate for an instant to dive into the ocean.

It felt like she jumped into a pool of knives. The water was so cold that it stabbed and burned her skin. She almost gasped and lost her breath below water, but she got to the surface quickly enough, swimming along the top so she could see where she was going. The waves were so rough that it took every once of her strength to power through them, avoiding chunks of ice on the way.

Her lungs were on fire, her muscles screamed in pain, and the wind was freezing her hair, but Misty was not about to give up. Ash was her best friend. Her burden. Either she got him out alive, or she was going to die trying.

"Pikapi!"

The voice was almost a godsend. If Pikachu was still above the water, crying out for his trainer, then that meant that he had probably managed to hold Ash up enough to stop him from sinking.

"Ash!" It hurt to yell, her voice cracking from the cold, but she cut through the water as quickly as she possibly could, finally catching sight of Pikachu's bright yellow fur contrasting with the murky water. "Pikachu!"

"Pikachupi!" She could see the relief in the small pokemon's eyes. He had clearly been doing his best to keep his trainer above the water, especially as the waves got rougher. "Just hang on!"

She grabbed Ash, flinching at how cold he was. Pikachu clung to the other side of him while she tugged on the rope and Tracey began to pull them. By some miracle or another, Ash was somehow still breathing, though he was definitely struggling. He had water in his lungs, but not enough where she'd have to give him CRP. He'd probably have to get a doctor to check it afterwards, but at least she didn't have to break his ribs just to save his life. It was one of the unfortunate side effects of CPR that no one talked about.

Relief washed through Misty as they reached the shore. Tracey grabbed Ash under his arms, tugging him up onto the sand, Pikachu climbing up and shaking off his fur. Misty followed just after, her limbs numb and rubbery as she gasped for breath and shivered against the cold air.

She turned her head, staring over at her two friends and tried to push herself up. She stumbled, kneeling down beside him on the cold ice that didn't really feel like much to her anymore. Misty pushed on his chest lightly, not like she would do if she couldn't hear any breathing at all. "Come on Ash, breathe."

"You've got to." Tracey added.

"Pikapi!"

Misty tried to hide the tears that were building up in her eyes, focusing on Ash so that no one else would notice. "Please, Ash." Her voice shook as she stared shaking him a little bit. "Please. You can't..." Her voice caught in her throat because she couldn't say the rest.

Her heart leapt when he made a small noise, his eyes slowly fluttering open and darting around in pure confusion. He jolted up, and of course he was asking about the sphere and not himself or why he probably couldn't feel the cold anymore. He didn't ask how he got out of the ocean or why she was soaked, he was just being his stubborn self and trying to get up those stupid ice steps with that stupid ice sphere.

The funny thing was that this relieved Misty to no end. If he woke up acting differently, she would have been scared for him. Scared that he had run out of oxygen in the water or the cold was getting to him. When she tried to help him up the stairs, he looked at her only briefly, but she saw everything that he didn't know how to convey or say. He was still scared but he was also relieved and thankful. Even if he wouldn't have been, it still would have been worth it. As the orbs were placed on the alter and even the cold that encompassed her was cured, she could finally breathe again.

He would be alright.

...

Note

Just a novelization of when Misty saved Ash. Canon stuff you know? Don't really have much to say for this except omg we're getting to actual Pokeshipping Day! Gotta save the best for last! Though the one for tomorrow AU is going to be fun. I mean technical my own universe is slightly AU but nah man, I don't wanna do that.

Til tomorrow!

Written: Skylight Sparkle
Edited by: CLAVUS