I have had covid and leg surgery and so so much time to sit around - yet my writing has not been flowing. I think it has to do with my attention on the anime. Because, ya'll, Pokeshipping is canon as far as I'm concerned after watching Seaside Battle! I'll save my rambling for tumblr. *Insane cackling*
Part 10
Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call! Phone call!
"Wahh!" Ash wails as he falls backwards out of bed.
"Ash?" Misty questions, peering over the side of the bed at him.
"The phone startled me," he chuckles sheepishly, rubbing his back that had hit the floor.
"I've got it," she says, stepping over him to the other side of the room where the room's phone continues to ring.
It had been two weeks since they started staying at the Saffron City Pokemon Center. All was quiet as they contemplated their next move. The hope was that the egg would hatch which would give them more information on what to do with it. Though it seemed to grow darker each day which deeply concerned our heroes. The time at the Pokemon Center had been necessary to allow both of them to heal substantially. Yet the time was spent in an awkward hiatus. They did not know what to do about the egg, and they made slow progress repairing their broken friendship. There was more to be said, but, what, they did not quite know. Though it had become comfortable to spend their days together once again.
"Hello?" she asks suspiciously. She does not turn the camera on until she hears a familiar voice on the other end.
"Misty?" Professor Oak asks apprehensively.
"Professor!" she exclaims, immediately switching the camera on.
"Hi professor!" Ash greets warmly, standing up behind Misty.
"Oh Ash I," Professor Oak startles, "I'm glad I got in touch with you. You weren't answering your phones, so I had Nurse Joy transfer me to your room. I really didn't mean to interrupt anything, but I needed to chat with both of you."
"You didn't interrupt anything, professor," Ash assures him, wearing a dopey grin.
Misty, however, could have cooked their breakfast on her face.
"You moron," she mutters to herself and moves to allow Ash to chat directly with Professor Oak. At the same time, hiding her pajama clad self behind Ash.
"I'm passing on a message from Gary. He's been working hard at figuring out what is so special about that egg, and it brought him to the site where it was found."
"You mean, the Cerulean Cape?" Misty asks, leaning over Ash's bare shoulder.
"Yes," Professor Oak explains, "there was evidence of a recent shipwreck. Pieces washed up on shore. So Gary hired a crew to search the sea."
"What did he find?" Ash asks.
"Well, he isn't sure yet," Professor Oak confesses, "but he thought you should make your way to Cerulean in the meantime."
"Well, we weren't sure where to go anyway," Misty says to Ash.
"Yeah," he agrees, "we'll start heading that way."
"Stay hidden while we figure this out, you two," Professor nods to them."
"Right," Ash and Misty respond simultaneously.
"Chaaaa," Raichu yawns from the Pokemon bed.
"Time to get ready to go, buddy"
Raichu is less than amused, but he rolls out of bed anyway and stretches. Misty giggles at the large rodent.
"I call the bathroom first!" Misty claims, sprinting towards the connected bathroom.
"Wait!" Ash calls out chasing after her, "just let me use it real quickly!"
She tries to pull it closed while he tries to keep it open.
"Rai," Raichu rolls his eyes and collapses back into the bed.
"Got it!" Ash exclaims as he pulls the door all the way open and forces himself into the bathroom.
"Ash Ketchum!" she huffs irritably, though arguably she is more entertained than irate.
"Nature calls!" Ash grins sheepishly as he goes to remove his boxers.
Misty chirps in surprise at his actions and flees in embarrassment leaving Ash cackling in the bathroom.
That evening, the pair find themselves on the southern path having left Saffron City behind them.
"I wonder what Gary found!" Ash exclaims in excitement.
"Hopefully some answers," Misty responds hopefully.
"This is the stuff Gary is good at," Ash admits, "but of course he doesn't hold up in a battle against me anymore."
"Gary is a great battler," Misty says, turning her nose up.
"What?" Ash asks, shaken by her sudden defense of his first, and most important, rival.
She peers at him and smirks, reassuring him that she is only joking with him.
Ash grins and rolls his eyes back at her, chuckling at himself for falling into her trap.
"What's that up ahead?" Misty asks, pointing to a large tent set up alongside the road just a half mile down.
"Not sure," Ash shrugs his shoulders.
"We should be careful," Misty tells him warily.
"Right," he agrees, "Raichu, into the bag."
"Chu," Raichu agrees, snuggling himself into Ash's large traveling backpack. He pulls out a pair of sunglasses and hands them to Ash.
"You think that's necessary?" he asks. "It's almost night."
"Just wear them," Misty agrees with Raichu.
They continue to approach the tent cautiously. There is no movement at first.
"Look at the paint," Misty whispers as they come into earshot.
"Team Rocket," Ash nods, seeing the red R pasted to the side of the tent.
As they near, they spot movement at the entrance.
"And then, I think we should go to the wharf and you can win me one of those Wailmer plushies for my collection!" Misty spews suddenly, grabbing tightly to Ash's hand.
The act catches Ash by surprise, but he does his best to join in.
"Oh uh," he falters, allowing his fingers to intertwine with hers, "why stop there? I'll get you a Tentacruel, a Golduck, and a Milotic."
Misty giggles uncharacteristically and hangs off his arm.
It is adorable and entertaining, he thinks, but at the same time so not Misty.
They look into each other's eyes as they pass by the tent. They hope that Team Rocket won't care about a couple of tourists, but they are unfortunate.
"What do we have here?" a deep voice interrupts. A tall, thick man steps out from ahead on the path.
"Looks like a couple of love birds," another smaller grunt exits the tent and blocks them from back tracking.
"We don't want any trouble," Misty holds up her hands, looking like a damsel in distress.
"My fiance and I were just heading to visit Cerulean City," Ash explains, making up their back story as they go along.
"Sorry to break up the love fest," the larger man laughs sadistically, "but there's a toll on this road now and you need to pay up."
"Oh darling," Misty says, voice purposefully wavering, "pay the man what he's owed."
Ash looks back at Misty and spots a spark of battle in her viridian eyes.
"Of course, dear," he nods, reaching into his pockets.
"Infernape, flame wheel!" Ash roars as he releases his Pokemon in a flash at the man in their path.
"Starmie, rapid spin!" Misty sends out her Pokemon behind them to tackle the man who had come up behind them.
The two Rocket members are bowled over and beaten before either knows what hit them; however, the commotion disturbs the other occupants in the tent.
"What was that?" one voice asks from inside.
"Come on!" Ash urges, grabbing onto Misty's hand and running along the path, past the unconscious Team Rocket member.
"Hey!" someone calls from the tent, but Infernape sends a powerful flamethrower in that direction which seems to deter them.
Ash and Misty return their Pokemon as they run along the path towards Cerulean.
"Do you think we lost them?" Misty asks, panting slightly. It is much easier for her to swim for fifteen minutes than to run.
"Hopefully," Ash nods, "as long as they think we were just travelers."
As their heart rates drop and breathing goes back to normal, Raichu pops his head out of the bag.
"You know, it would be easier to run without you in my backpack," Ash laughs heartily, "you big pest."
"Rai rai!" Raichu complains good naturedly.
For a moment, all feels right in the world, as Ash laughs with his best buddy. Misty's hand is still enclosed tightly in his which he never let go of after pulling her along. She stares up at the pair of them and giggles at their friendship.
"Raichu, down," Ash suddenly whispers. Raichu immediately ducks back into the bag.
"What is it?" Misty asks, fear crashing into her chest.
"Funny little game you played back there," a voice, dripping with sarcasm, pierces the darkness.
"You want to see how funny I can be?" Ash asks, pulling out a Pokeball and enlarging it.
"You have the egg," the voice states knowingly, "Alakazam can sense it."
The revelation stuns Ash and Misty. A masked man steps out of the shadows.
"Hand it over," he demands stoically.
In the rising moonlight, they make out the man's face. His nose is sharp and his lips contort into a wicked grin, but his eyes are completely obscured by the mask.
"You're blind," Ash says, baffled.
"Alakazam is my sight," the man states, referring to the large yellow Pokemon approaching from behind him.
"Ala," it speaks for itself, pointing a spoon at the pair. Its psychic powers lift them into the air, keeping them frozen.
"In that case," Ash says between his teeth, struggling to click open the Pokeball in his hand, "I'm glad I came prepared."
A red light flashes as the ball opens to release Krookodile. Immediately, Krookodile lunges at Alakazam giving it a fierce crunch attack. It had been just luck that Ash had grabbed the Pokeball of the only dark type Pokemon on him.
"Kazam!" the Alakazam screeches in pain, losing control of its psychic hold on Ash and Misty.
"Thanks Krookodile!" Misty says gratefully.
"Krook," it nods coolly.
"We need to go," Misty urges Ash quietly.
"Alakazam can sense the egg," Ash says, "it would just follow us."
"Fire punch!" the masked man orders.
"Keep it back with stone edge!" Ash orders Krookodile.
Krookodile moves stones to rise from the ground and hit Alakazam like a spike.
The enemy Pokemon is thrown backwards.
"Let's go!" Ash says, grabbing Misty's hand again. He returns Krookodile as they dash away.
Over the next hill, Ash pulls them into a large bush and pulls Misty close to him.
"What are you doing?" Misty asks in confusion, "I thought Alakazam could sense the egg!"
"I know," Ash growls, "I have an idea - just stay still and trust me!"
Ash extends his hands and concentrates really hard. A blue light surrounds them and settles over them.
Sounds from the path can be heard.
"Alakazam, which way?" the masked man asks.
"Kaza," it responds in confusion, but continues to lead the man along the path.
When it is still and quiet once again, the pair finally breathe normally.
"What was that?" Misty asks gratefully.
"I used my aura to block the egg's aura," Ash explains, "and I'm keeping a low energy block on it from now on."
"What do you mean?" she asks him curiously, "Aura?"
"Oh right," he laughs nervously, "you weren't around when I found out I'm an Aura Guardian."
"Of course you are," she chuckles, an eyebrow raised at the extraordinary man before her.
"Let's be careful and get to the Pokemon Center in Cerulean quickly," Ash suggests, pulling her out of the bush.
They trek off path through the rest of the night until they have to return to the main path to enter the city.
It is just before dawn when they finally leave the forest. Most homes and businesses are still dark and closed. Misty can't help but lead them down the path she knows so well on the way to the Pokemon Center.
"My gym," she murmurs as she looks up at the ruins of the arena.
More walls had collapsed since that night three weeks ago. The structure was permanently damaged and burned.
"All of my hard work," she cries quietly, wiping tears, trying to stay strong.
"Mist," Ash grabs a hold of her hand gently and squeezes reassuringly, "you'll rebuild.
As Misty stares up at the ruins of the gym she built, her own walls start to fall.
"I found out I was being scouted," she mutters, suddenly changing topics, "the Pokemon League was watching me to see if I was good enough to join the Elite 4 when Koga retired three and a half years ago. Even though I was a gym leader for almost a decade, I wasn't sure if I was ready yet."
Misty pauses and sighs, "I never told anyone. Not even my sisters."
Ash stares at her, perplexed, waiting for her to continue.
"I didn't want anyone to know if I wasn't selected-" she stops abruptly and inhales sharply, "and obviously I wasn't."
"Mist," Ash reaches up to stroke her hair, pushing it gently behind her ear.
"And I didn't go with you because I had to stay at the gym so they could test me," she explains, tears cascading down her cheeks, "and I wanted to tell you, but we started fighting and…"
Misty steps away from his loving caresses, and looks down shamefully.
"After all those things that we said to each other I just wanted to spite you."
Ash stares at her, trying to comprehend the actions she had taken so many years ago.
"And the ironic thing is," she spits, shaking her head, "is that their one critique is that I didn't travel and compete in tournaments enough."
"Misty, I-" Ash starts, not exactly sure what to say.
"Told you so?" she asks spitefully, "Never want to see you again? Hate you?"
However, the time for fighting and running from each other finally ends. As Ash furiously meets her gaze, he doesn't find the malice that accompanies her words. Fear and sadness reign in her viridian eyes. Thus, Ash takes the mature step forward, leaving behind the anger and cruel words that bubble up in response. This fight, this four year long fight, has gone on long enough. As they search each other's souls, Ash only finds one response that he truly means.
"I love you," Ash confesses softly, stepping back into her space.
The purity of his statement dissolves all tension. He freely laid it out in the open. They no longer must skate around the truth that both had known in their hearts.
Misty startles at the words as she struggles to shift gears. His hand grasps hers again; ready to drag her into the next adventure, leaping into the unknown together.
"If you want to stay in Cerulean City forever, I will stay with you," he whispers his promises, "and if you want to go to the ends of the earth I will go with you. I'm not scared anymore."
She allows her own built up anger to drain away as he repairs his fault in their fight. Then it is her turn.
"I don't want to hurt you anymore," she shakes her head softly and apologizes, "I'm sorry."
"I love you," he assures her again, squeezing her hands.
She squeezes his hands in response and steps close to him. She wraps her arms around his neck and lays her head on his chest while his arms wrap around her waist encasing her in a firm embrace.
"I love you too," she confesses, sewing together the torn pieces of their friendship; mending it and molding it into something even stronger.
Okay, so I know their love story isn't exactly following a normal progression, but I just start writing and this is what happens. Just mix it in with all the drama - it'll be fine.
Love, Alert, Review