Hello, it is the 28th and I am back with a new chapter! I enjoyed finding Misty's ten year old voice for this chapter and the way that she writes. This one kind of follows the last one. In the previous chapter, Misty's sisters had been all prepared in writing letters for her birthday. This chapter details what actually went down and not only the reason that she didn't receive those messages, but why she ran away from home to go on a Pokémon journey. Thanks to the very nostalgic appearance of Misty's Song on one of the Pokémon CDs, Shannon and I have always head-canoned that Misty has a huge passion for song writing as well as water Pokémon. It's something I really want to tackle more over on Pikachu Tales - and for this story too, of course. Here we see just how deep that passion ran for Misty at ten years old - until something ruined it. I hope you enjoy :)

March 31st

I need to get out of here.

I've never really had this feeling before... All throughout my life, Violet and Lily have been so annoying when they have prattled on about how they are going to leave this city and head for Hollywood and make something of themselves... Yawn.

Maybe because of this and how silly they are, I've always stopped myself from feeling this way. Well... It's got me now. No, I do not dream of Hollywood and red carpets and paparazzi and people screaming my name... But I dream of leaving Cerulean City. And now I know that I must do it before I never do.

I can't stand living here. I hate that a city so peaceful and filled with pockets of joy in places that I keep to myself are now blotted with the mess that is my home life... Our home could be so brilliant. The gym so amazing and renowned not just in Kanto. But I cannot stick around and keep putting energy into it when it seems that my sisters lack of care wins in the end anyway.

This city always used to be home... I feel my parents echoing in the air here. But still, I just must go. Monday morning made that clear to me.

Gosh, I just can't stand my sisters sometimes! They turn everything that I love into a joke. They turn everything that I say into a complete laughingstock. Could you imagine if they really knew? If they knew what I had done?

Well, they are never going to know...

Only we can know.

I felt sick when that letter arrived for me. How could I have been so stupid? I was as dumb as they all are for even thinking that I could go through with it. I don't even know why I did it. It's not like it was even a one-time occasion. I had to sneak around and work on personal letters for months and venture into the even bigger city once or twice.

It all started with a piece of writing... Like I am doing now, I guess. But not like now either. It all started with a letter. Writing to the music academy in Johto, inquiring about their upcoming course in the Fall. One letter turned into many. Letters were sent back and forth. Applications were posted. Personal letters written. Even an audition attended.

Somehow, I got in. They want me in the Fall. Well, they think they do. I know that they really do not...

Somebody much more impressive must have dropped out for me to get a place. Or they really listened, piecing together the reasons why the song I submitted made me feel close to my mom and dad. It was a pity acceptance, I'm sure of it...

I made up my mind as soon as I received the letter congratulating me. It seemed like a joke. And even if it wasn't, I am not going. I cannot go. I cannot act like I deserve to go there. I cannot act like I believe I can go there.

Well, I might not be going there but I am going somewhere. That became perfectly clear on Monday evening.

I guess I was in a bad mood all day thinking about how stupid I was to even apply to that thing. And, well, you see, because I had been in frequent contact with the academy, they had begun sending me all sorts of pamphlets through the letter box...

Usually, I am good at waking early and snatching them away from prying eyes before anyone can see. But stupidly I left all the brochures on the floor that morning to hurry with my letter up the stairs and to my bedroom when I recognized the logo on the front.

That evening, Lily laughed in my face, even waving the pamphlets in front of my nose though they were addressed to no one. She seemed to think that she could easily get a place there – all she had to do was borrow Daisy's tiny skirts and heels and they would be won over.

Violet doesn't usually ridicule me. Not purposely. At least I don't think... Though she's older than both me and Lily, she usually just copies whatever Lily is saying. She's often too stupidly positive for her own good. But this day she had a mean streak and pointed out that you had to be crazy talented to get in.

Lily was openly burned by this comment. I had to swallow my hurt (I hate that it hurt...) and suffer in silence.

Daisy didn't say much at all... In fact, she only came into the hallway because Lily wouldn't stop prattling on about what outfit of Daisy's she would swipe if she had a chance to audition.

Daisy hardly looked at any of us, let alone the pamphlets. She had a worried sort of look on her face and disappeared into the kitchen to make our dinner.

I think she was worried she might lose her favorite person to boss around. Well... TOUGH!

I am getting out of here. If I don't go soon then I might never go. I don't even know where I am going to go and what I am going to do. I don't know who I am going to be. I don't know who I even want to be. Not really...

I thought that I wanted music to become my own personal ocean and sweep me to some place better. I thought I wanted to write the kind of words that other people seem to do as if their blood is the ink of their pen, and it is their livelihood to create. To connect.

Not anymore.

I don't know why I ever thought I could do that. Like everything else in my life, my sisters have ruined that dream in me...

But it stops now. It stops now.

I am leaving. I do not know where I am going. I do not know what I am going to do. But I am not going to become the kind of water trainer that my parents and especially my dad knew I could be rotting here in the negativity or indifference of my sister's poison.

I will pack up my things and my fishing rods and head out of this place at the first glimpse of morning light. If I don't do it now, I am afraid that I never will.

I need to get out of here while I still can.

See you on the other side. Hopefully, I even make it out of the front door. I guess I'll keep you posted...

Laters!

There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :) Though this story takes place a few years before he is even a concept, this chapter in many ways was inspired by Misty's relationship with the eldest of Jessie and James' son's, Justin. The musician who heavily influenced the creation of Justin, James Bay, has a gone called Get Out While You Can. I've always thought that song describes how Misty is one of the main supporters when Justin begins his musical career and she is certainly someone pushing him to show the world his talent. During a recent ponder about Misty's character and their sweet friendship, I thought how interesting it would be if Misty is so vehement that Justin takes a leap because she was once too afraid to. It's sad that something so seemingly small as her sisters teasing her on this particular day caused Misty to keep her passion of writing to herself but a lot of moments like this can certainly build up. I will surely explore more of her relationship with her sisters as she goes through life as I continue working on this story :) Thanks again for reading and I will be back sometime in October over on Pikachu Tales - and back here next month on the same day for this story! See you soon :P

Amy signing out :3