Ages:

Ash--> 21

Misty --> 20

“...” Spoken Words

italics Thoughts

~~~~~~ Scene changes / flashbacks / change in P.O.V

(...) Author’s Notes

Disclaimer
: None of the following characters used in this story belong to me, k? Only the plot is mine, the rest....belongs to good ol’ Japan ^-^

Links to the Past

Last Chapter review:

“What?” he asked, placing the coffee on the table in front of Misty.

“Thanks...but, how, how did you know I drink my coffee this way?” she asked him, pointing to the mug before her.

Ash looked around the room and then back at her.

“Just a lucky guess, I suppose.” he replied smiling, “So, what’s for breakfast?”

Misty sweat-drops. (-_-’)

Chapter 6: Sharing the Secret

Misty had been debating with herself all day whether or not she should tell Ash what she’d found out.

But he’d wanna know all the details...and I haven’t read far enough into the folder to know them... said one voice.

But you could always tell him and then look through the folder with him. stated another voice inside her head.

But see, that’s assuming he takes it how you want him to, the first voice lectured, you don’t know how he’ll react. He could freak out totally, just run off somewhere and then you’d never see him again.

Misty sighed at her continuing internal consideration. Ash looked over at her and raised an eyebrow as he watched her stare out at the ocean absent-mindedly.

“Misty, are you sure you’re ok? I don’t think that coffee earlier helped too much.” he said.

Misty smiled weakly at his statement.

Coffee doesn’t work on consciences, bonehead!

“No, Ash, I’m really ok. Don’t worry about it anyway, it’s not important.” she replied staring at him sympathetically.

Ash raised both eyebrows this time.

“Why are you looking at me like that? And what do you mean ‘it’s not important’? If something’s bothering you, Mist, then you can tell me. Maybe I can help.” he stated sternly and confidently.

Misty continued to stare at him a moment longer and then returned her gaze to the ocean.

He can help, ya know. You both have pretty much the same problem and if you are supposed to know him, it’d be good to let him in on your discovery. the second voice informed her.

Just remember the consequences... the first voice chided.

Misty returned her attention back to Ash, who was looking utterly confused and bewildered.

“Ok Ash, I’ll tell you...but you gotta promise you won’t freak out, ok?” she said, ringing her hands in her lap.

Ash blinked quickly a few times, then nodded.

“Ok...I promise...what is it?” he asked unsurely.

Misty gulped and stood up from her position on the front steps of the porch.

“Follow me.” she said simply.

Ash nodded again and rose to meet her. Misty opened the door slowly and made her way across her living room; she grabbed her folder on the way (which was back in it’s original spot on the mini table). She led the way into the kitchen and sat; Ash did the same.

Misty bit her lip nervously and placed the folder on the table in front of her. She opened it slowly, leafed through the pages until she came to the one she had read earlier. She held it up to look at it, then looked at Ash.

“This may make a few of you flashbacks clearer...” she said, placing the paper in front of him and pointing to the part to read.

Ash looked at her and then the paper. He began to read.

Misty bit her lip as she waited for his reaction when he came to her name...

There it was. The reaction she was waiting for: a look of shock mixed with perplexity and bewilderment.

Ash looked up at her.
“You...you were on that ship with me?”

Misty gulped and nodded.

“But does that mean you were with me? Or just on it?”

Misty shrugged.

“I dunno. I didn’t read far enough into it yet.” she said folding her hands and placing them in her lap.

“Well, how far did you read?” he asked, scanning the page once then looking back at her.

She pulled the paper down to the table and pointed to the last paragraph she’d read.

“Wow...you didn’t read much...”

Misty shook her head and let go of the paper.

Ash continued scanning the page and stopped suddenly; he looked up at her frantically.

“Misty this states all the people they uncovered from the ship wreck...look, here’s the guy we were looking for the other day.” he said, pointing to a name and moving it where she could see it.

Misty looked at the name Ash was pointing at:

“Gary Oak...What’s the information they have on him?” she asked, unconsciously wetting her dry lips.

Ash scanned the page once more, then pointed to something on it.

“Here’s what it says:

‘ ...date survivor was discovered: Feb 17th (‘07)

victim’s gender: male

age: late teens, early twenties

name: Gary Oak. ‘ “

Ash finished and looked up at her.

“So, that’s it?” she asked moving the paper into her line of vision again, “There’s not an address or anything? No other background information?”

Ash got up and moved over to the chair next to Misty to get a better look at the paper.

“Doesn’t look like it. But we’ve got tons of papers to go through, maybe there ‘s something in the rest of the folder.” said Ash looking everywhere on the paper Misty held.

“Well then, let’s start looking.” she stated looking over at him and sliding him a large pile of unread papers, “You start with this half, I’ll take the rest. If you read anything interesting, whether it has to do with this Oak guy or not, read it aloud, ok?”

Ash nodded and began reading his top paper, then he stopped suddenly.

“Misty?”

“Yea, Ash? Got something already?” she asked, quickly looking over at him.

Ash smiled lightly.

“No, but I’m, missing the first page of this report, do you have it?”

Misty laughed slightly and shook her head.

“Oh...I’ll look for it, just read page two ‘til I find it.”

“Sure.”

Eventually, Misty found Ash’s missing report page and was hard at work reading through her pile. All was silent for quite sometime, except for the occasional sigh of frustration or a cough.

“Hey, here’s something,” said Ash one hour in.

Misty looked over at him and placed her chin in her propped-up hand.

“Hmm?” she asked quietly.

“It’s about Gary Oak: ‘ The most recently found survivor, who has been identified as Gary Oak, has been taken to a hospital in Cerulean City and will be released in as little as a month.’ “

“But we already knew that.”

“I know, there’s more; this is the hospital analysis: ‘ hair color: dark brown; eye color: brown; skin color: olive; nationality: Japanese; height: 6’5”.’ “

Misty’s face brightened a little.

“Great, so we have a description now! What else does it say?”

“Lemme see...” Ash said, pausing conversation to search.

“Ah, here we go: ‘ victim was released from hospital on March 1st ‘ “

“Ash, that was two weeks ago!” Misty interrupted excitedly.

Ash nodded and returned to the report.

“ ‘ He has been told by Doctor Mejia to return home (in Pallet Town)’-- Wait, he lives in my town?! So then I must know this guy!”

“Keep reading, Ash.”

“Oops, sorry, Misty. ‘ -- and stay at his home for at least two weeks.’ “

“From what I’ve heard, Ash, Pallet’s really close to Cerulean and it’s a really small town, so it should be easy to find him. Plus while we’re there, we can check up on some of the people you’re supposed to know. Maybe they can help.”

Ash sighed loudly and leaned back into his chair.

“So, I’m going home?”

Misty looked at him and smiled weakly.

“Yea, Ash, you’re going home.”

Ash ran his left hand through his dark hair and looked at Misty.

“But, what about you? I can’t leave it up to you to figure this whole thing out by yourself...you need help.”

“Ash, it’s not like the folder’s not portable. I can bring it with me.”

Ash smiled.

“I know that, it’s just, what if we’ve got more to do here? I don’t wanna be tempted to stay in Pallet after we find Gary if the case isn’t solved.”

“Why not Ash? It’s your home. It’s where your family is, all your friends and probably your Pokémon too. (BTW, those Pokéballs on his belt in ch.1 were empty) Don’t you want to see them all again?”

“I do, but, like I said, I don’t want you to have to solve this alone.”

“Don’t worry about that, Ash. Just stick to the here and now. The problem at hand is finding Gary and getting him to believe our story. Just focus on that for now, ok?”

Ash nodded.

“Ok, you’re right...”

Misty smiled widely.

“I know I am!”

Ash laughed and folded his arms over his chest.

“So, we’re goin’ to Pallet Town, then? No questions asked?” asked Misty, eyeing him and smiling.

Ash’s smile widened.

“Yeah, we’re goin’...So you better get all your girly things together; this is a trip!”

Misty laughed loudly at him and rose from the table.

“What about your clothes? What are you planning to bring?” asked Misty, closing the folder again.

Ash looked down at his black shirt and jeans, then back at Misty.

“What’s wrong with this?”

Misty grimaced.

“Ash, if you are gonna wear that, at least wash the friggen thing!”

Ash chuckled and rose from the table.

“Fine, I will wash it...how do you wash clothes, anyway?” he asked scratching his head.

Misty smiled.

“Never mind, I’ll wash your clothes while you take a shower, got it?”

“Got it! I’ll leave ‘em outside the door for ya.”

“Ok, hurry up then.”

Ash turned and ran for the door in between the kitchen and Misty’s room, but stopped abruptly and turned.

“By the way, Misty thanks.” he said with a thoughtful smile.

“For what Ash?”

His smile widened.

“For being you...and for trusting me.”

With that, he turned quickly again and jumped into the bathroom.

Misty smiled and shook her head at him before going into her bedroom to retrieve her unwashed clothes.

You’re welcome, Ash...

TBC

~~~~~End of Chapter 6~~~~~

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

YES! End of chapter 6!

Now I can post this thing and take my stupid contacts out; they’re KILLING me! *lol*

oh, btw, Pikachu is gonna be in the next chapter! so you can stop mentioning that he’s not in here yet b/c he WILL BE!!!!!!

Loved it? Hated it? Tell me, please!

silverserenity2000@yahoo.com

Storyline © Angel: da Newsies fan