PART 2

November 28th 2016(10 years later)

Ashley awoke. It would be her 7th birthday today. She got up from her bed and got dressed quickly. Then she hurried downstairs. No one was there, but a yellow hat and some wrapped presents were sitting on the kitchen table. There was a note on one "Dear Ashley, sorry we had to do something at the gym, be back later, mom & dad" that’s strange. She thought, knowing they had never left her by herself anywhere before.

She put on the hat and opened one present. "What’s this?" she tore open the card attached. It read "Here are some toy pokeballs, used to capture pokemon. Inside if you get them open, are plastic surprise Pokemon, not even we know which one will be inside" Ashley looked at it, "A surprise Pokemon..cool" and opened it. She found a plastic Pikachu inside. But she had no clue what this was, let alone what a Pokeball was.

As a matter of fact she barely knew what training and battling were. She only knew that in training you had to go to gyms and beat the gym leaders there. She asked herself a lot about what that meant, beating gym leaders in battles.

She was lucky to know what she knew, for her parents told her nothing about that. But now then, why didn’t she ask? Of course she had asked, but received a hesitation, a pause, a stutter or something of that nature as the answer, then they would just change the subject. She could tell they were hiding something from her.

She put the ripped wrapping paper off to the side and opened the next present. Oh a doll! She thought. Ashley loved dolls. And her mother had even given her a Pokemon Doll set which she had won, many years ago. She carefully piled that presents wrapping paper, ripped like the last, right on top of the other one.

She looked at the last present. It was in a shiny Blue box, no wrapping paper on it. A few holes as well. Ashley lifted the lid off and her eyes lit up with Joy "A bird, a bird!!" she shouted as she put her hand in the box. The slightly small, green bird perched itself on her finger, this startled Ashley at first, but made no sound or screech. The bird began to climb up Ashley’s arm. And she giggled a bit, as she was very ticklish.

Next to where the bird had been, laid two bowls. One with water, and the other, which Ashley could tell, was bird food. She began to pet the bird. Its shiny Jade wings, started Dazzling in the light. Ashley walked over to the shades, drawing them to a close, blocking away the sunlight which moments before had half-blinded her. She started peeling off the Birds feet lightly, so it wouldn’t hurt him.

That got her thinking, was it a boy or girl? And what should she call it? She searched through her head for a suitable name. Henry? Nah, too royal. How about Jade? Too plain. Ashley was looking for a name that would not only be suitable, but would fit her bird as well. "I got it!" she said, not realizing she had said it aloud. No one was there to stare though. So what’s the big deal. She thought to herself. "Racheroo" she said giggling to herself.

She was happy to finally find a good name. A funny name as well. Named after the national Parrot himself, Mr. Racheroo. But she wouldn’t have the Mr. in front, just Racheroo. She began to pat Racheroo’s side wing. To Ashley, the bird appeared to be much older, but it was truly only a newborn Parrot. She peeled Racheroo’s toes off of her shoulder one by one and lifted it up into the box to eat some of its bird food.

Ashley, being bored, headed upstairs to her bedroom. She climbed the short flight of stairs and made her way to the third room on the right, her room. When in, she flopped her tiny body right onto her bed and began to think. She wondered what her parents where really doing at the gym, and what they normally did at all. Ashley had wanted to know for years now. Why couldn’t she know? All her friends had. Ashley got up and went downstairs to look for anything in the house that could tell her the answer. She figured that the best place was the basement to look. She could barely believe that she had only been down there once. She got her new bird and headed down.

As she got down the stairs it grew very cold and she put her arms around herself. "It's freezing down here" She told Racheroo. "Don't remind me.." The bird muttered softly. Ashley glanced at Racheroo for a moment, thinking she had heard it say something. Then she turned her head back and kept going down until she reached the bottom.

Her basement was among the strangest she had ever seen. It had a black, rough ceiling that had bumps in it everywhere. The floor was of dirt and soil, feeling squishy against her hot pink summer sandals. She put Racheroo down on a large box after finding a picture of some kid around her age with a yellow..pokemon was it? She asked herself. "What could this be?" Ashley asked Racheroo picking up the picture. The bird just lifted its' head gently. "Thought so.." Ashley added slowly.

"It’s a Pikachu, didn't you know?" Racheroo spoke. Ashley looked at the bird "AHHHHHH!!!" She screamed staring at it "Don’t be scared, Ashley," The bird called. "H..h..how do you know my name?" Ashley was in total shock. She had no clue why or how the bird could talk. "Lets just say, a lot of things about you. Oh and you can call me Misty, that was my name before" Ashley looked at the bird, she remained still. Not touching it. The bird prepared to make her speech. She enjoyed telling people about her old self

"When I was around your age my sister and I were known as the sensational sisters. They were much older then me and had the looks in the Family. Everyone called me a scrawny little girl" Ashley was still listening as Misty proceeded. "It made me mad being around those three, and sort of, jealous. Even though I hate to admit that. But they still did treat me terribly, so that was their fault. So then I left running into some guy who still never paid me back for my bike." Ashley heard the last part, and thought it was kind of strange. "How exactly are you a talking bird?" She asked, this was something she had to know. "Well, Drafure turned me into a bird." Misty said sadly. "The good news is he didn't take my talking skills away" they giggled.

"Misty, who exactly is Drafur?" Misty sighed. "Do you really wanna know?" Instantly Ashley nodded. "Well, alright. Follow me" Misty walked on her small two feet crawling to a little closet door. "Its in here" She said indicating for Ashley to open the door, as she did. When open the bird walked right in and hopped from accouple boxes to get to a high one. "Is it in one of these boxes?" Ashley said coughing from some dust. Misty nodded.

"Now what you have to do is climb up on the box i'm on, and bring down the box labeled 'Training' on this shelf infront of me" She said pointing. Ashley looked at how high the shelf was and started climbing the box's to get to where Misty was. When finally there, she brang Misty to the shelf where she perched herself. "Lets see.." said Ashley looking through the boxs "Friends, Family, Pokemon, Guiding books and oh here it is, training." Misty nodded as Ashley reached out and grabbed the box. The box's were starting to shake. "Ahhh!" they screamed as the box's fell out of closet along with the boxs.

Ashley got looked over at Misty who was brushing off her wings. She looked at the box and opened it up. Inside were pictures, items and guide books with instruction written inside them. "Wow, he looks pretty evil" she said looking at a picture. Misty nodded. "Very evil, he destroys happiness, he's that evil"

"Thank you for telling me about Drafur, Misty" Ashley said glad to know about this guy. He could easily come to get her oneday. "Lets go see if Brian's home" She added, hoping Misty knew about him. Brian was her best friend who lived next door. Where she lived in Pallet, even next door neighbors were pretty far away from each other. She had known Brian since she was one year old, as her parents said. That’s when his family moved in. Brian’s family included, his mother Sabrina, and three older brothers. His father was still at the gym in Vermillion working nonstop.

Ashley walked outside with her bird and left the Victorian house on a little road. "So, how Old is Brian anyway?" She asked Ashley. "Seven and a half" She answered still peddling. Misty nodded and almost coughed. Ashley and Brian were around a year apart. The same as her and Ash.

They reached a rather big stoned house and saw Brian there, raking some leaves. "Hey Brian!" She called out riding her bike up his driveway. Brian turned around, his saphire eyes looked up and he waved. His eyes fell upon the bird on Ashleys shoulders. "Where'd you get him?" Ashley put Misty on her hand "She, is my new bird named Misty. I got her for my birthday. And you wont believe this!" Brian looked up from looking at the bird "What??" Ashley smiled and tried to whisper.

"Misty talks" He choked "Talks? Talks? You're right I dont believe it" He never thought Ashley would try to get him to like her gifts by using saying things like that. "Birds don't talk" Ashley grew mad "Mine does! Misty, say... anything" The bird just walked alittle around her hand "Misty!" Ashley said, alittle embarrassed at what Misty had been doing. "I already thought Misty was a cool bird, you didn't have to try rubbing it in" Brian said in a flat voice. "I could never hate a little rainbow colored rat."

Misty's feathered puffed out at the sound of that "LITTLE RAINBOW COLOURED RAT! ERRR..I'M NOT THE ONE WHO WONT BELIEVE THAT I CAN TALK!!" Misty yelled. "She's right, and a true friend would of believed something like this" Ashley said turning around. Brian, still in shock of the birds' abilities. "A talking bird? It really does talk.." Ashley turned around "Misty's not an it" Then turned back around. "I'm sorry Ashley." Brian sighed "I'm sorry I didn't believe you" Ashley smiled and nodded. "Its okay, just next time when I say something like that will ya believe me?" Brian nodded and noted how the bird was watching this all.

"How about we go inside and I'll make lunch" Misty said trying to change the subject "One problem, isn't that going to be hard? I mean, not to bring up the bird subject but..." Brian said. "Oh yea, forgot about that." Misty replied "Well.." Brian cut her off "I can make lunch" So thats where they headed, Ashley's house. There they sat eating the Sandwhiches that Brian had made. They soon heard the doorbell ring five minutes later and Ashley went to answer it.