Part 3 --- Misty's Nightmare
By Blastoise

"Horsea, use Smoke Screen!"

Horsea sprayed thick black ink in the water, hiding it from the vicious Gyarados. The Gyarados swayed its head from left to right, trying to see pass the thick ink in the water.

"Okay, use Bubble Beam."

Horsea inhale some water, then send a barrage to bubbles toward the unsuspecting Gyarados. The attack hit Gyarados head on, but it weren't very effective.

"Gyarados, use your Hyper Beam!"

Hearing the command of its master, Gyarados opened its humongous mouth, revealing large, long fangs. An orange beam is fired underwater, toward the small seahorse Pokemon.

Then, the whole water tank grew white as Horsea starts to glow, it's growing in size and also in power; it's evolving into Seadra!

"This is our chance, Horsea, I mean Seadra. Use your Whirlpool attack." A voice commanded from top of the water.

Using its newly scales on its body, Seadra spin at top speed underwater, creating a large twister of water, a deadly whirlpool. The Hyper Beam met the whirlpool and was completely nullified by it.

"Finish it with Hydro Pump!"

Seadra let loose a spiral of water, pushing Gyarados with so much pressure and force that it already fainted before it was smashed into the wall.

"Misty Waterflower is the winner! She will be moving to the Semi-Final the Whirl Cup!" The announcer yelled at the top of his lung as million of fans cheered for Misty.

"Hey, congratulations Mist!" Misty was being pulled into a bear hug by Ash. Misty blushed a little as she hugged back.

"Thanks, Ashy-boy." Misty beamed at Ash, who's a little annoyed by his nickname. "Where's everyone else?" Misty watched Ash scratch the back of his head.

"Uh, they went back to the cabin to sleep, it is kinda late, you know." Ash said happily, "so what do you want to do now?"

"You want to watch the stars with me?"

"That's one of those romantic things girls like to do, right?"

Misty scowled at Ash for the stupid comment, "Yeah, come on." Ash is being dragged away from the city, and toward the woods. The both sat on the dry ground and stared at millions of bright stars in the sky.

"Misty? Tomorrow is your-"

As though if Misty is ignoring to Ash's question, she asked quickly, "I am nervous about my match tomorrow." She then smiled, "How come you are never nervous about your matches when you were battling in the Pokemon League?"

"I guess I am not nervous in my matches because... Because you are always by my side, cheering for me. I guess you give me the confident to win." Ash chuckled nervously as he scratch the back of his head. He just have to ruin these kind of romantic moments, "Come on Misty, let's go back or they'll start to worry about us."

Ash stood up, he smiles down at Misty. A warmed hand gently warped itself around Misty's wrist and pulled her up slowly.

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah Mist?"

"Will you promise me that you'll always be by my side?" Misty looked down at the ground, waiting for Ash's answer.

"Yes, Misty, I promise."

Misty opened her eyes, seeing the light green ceiling of the room. I am not in my room, where am I? Misty instantly thought. She tried get up, but every time she tried, her head gets all dizzy. She gave up trying, and instead to enjoyed the soft mattress of this bed.

She turned her head a little to see a person sitting on a chair. That person was wearing a blue jacket with a black T-shirt underneath, long blue pants and with a Pokemon League hat.

That person's smile had faded as he set his gaze on Misty. He stood up as his face begins to turn red, not from embarrassment, or the heat, but anger and hatred.

"It's all your fault, Misty." He said in a low and deadly voice. Misty tried to inch away from him, but found herself unable to move.

"You killed her. You killed the only person I loved." Ash was outraged. Tears were running down his battered face.

Misty, very slowly and very terrified, took a look at her hand. Unknowing to her, she was holding a knife and her whole hand was full of bloodstains.

"You killed her, you killed Melody..."

"No..." Misty quietly replied to the person who's towering over her. She shrunk into a ball, trying not to look at her bloodstained hands.

"It's all your fault Misty, I HATE YOU!!!"

"NOOO!" Misty woke up suddenly, breathing heavily. She looked around, yes, she's in her own room. Pikachu and Togepi are sleeping peacefully at the foot of her bed.

She closed her eyes slowly and laid on her bed, not knowing she's sweating very much; her breathing slowly went back to normal. She sat up, ignoring the painful headache, "What happened?" She asked herself.

Brock rushed into the room, looking extremely worried. "You had a nightmare, Misty, are you okay?" Pikachu and Togepi began to rouse from their sleeping spot.

Duplica entered the room as well. She sees the sleeping Pokemon and picks them up gently, moving them to another room.

Brock grabbed some pillow and set it comfortably behind Misty's head. He looked really concerned, and asked once again, "Are you okay?"

Feeling a lot better to know that the second part of her dreams were a nightmare, she answered tiredly, "Yes... what happened? Why is everybody here?" Misty asked, ignoring the aching pain in her head.

"You don't remember?" Duplica re-entered the room, "We saw Mew at the cemetery, and Ash too!"

Misty's eyes widen in fear and shock. Brock hisses quietly across the room, "You dumb ass, shouldn't used the 'A' word."

"Is- is Ash here?"

Looking slightly offended by Brock's rudeness, Duplica answered quietly, "Yes." In the background, Brock threw up his hands.

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sure." Brock replied reluctantly, then he turned to Duplica, "let's to get him." They both swiftly exited the room, leaving Misty to think about her thoughts.

A minute or so later, Ash entered the room. Misty brought her eyes to meet Ash's, but found them moving around, never meeting hers.

They sat and stayed in a humble silent. Ash kept his head down to the floor the whole time, in contrast of Misty staring at the blue ceiling.

"How is my Pokemon?" Ash asked with his face unmoving. His voice didn't change a bit, just like the old days.

"They're fine," Misty stopped, then continue, "But they missed you though." Misty's voice gave a hint of sadness, but Ash didn't catch it.

"You promised Ash, you promised me..." Misty started chokingly, almost on the verge of breaking down. She brought her knees up to her crest and hugged it tightly.

"Hey Ash?"

"Yeah Mist?"

"Will you promise me that you'll always be by my side?"

"Yes, Misty, I promise."

"I know... I am sorry, Mist..." Ash said bitterly, he stood up and took a step to Misty.

"Please don't call me that!" Misty started to cry, "You don't know how much it means to me when you first call me that..." She let the tear flow freely down her face, and continued on. "But you're not that Ash anymore."

"Misty, I..."

"Please just go and leave me alone, I... I want to think." She said tiredly, she raised her arm and dried her tears with her wrist.

At that moment, no words can describe the pain I am in. I felt rejected, I felt betrayed, and I felt sorrow. This painful sorrow has been growing inside of me; eating me away.

Every time I get hurt, it growls stronger. I am tired of fighting it, fighting something that is unbeatable... I don't know how much I can take before I..., before I lose my grip and cripple over.

"Misty, I..." Ash started again, but found himself lost for words. Feeling an abnormal emotion inside him, "Fine, cry all you want." Then without looking back, he left the room.

Okay, let me see. Misty lay on her bed, thinking to herself about the whole situation. Ash's dead; and now he's back, but just in a shadow form. The long war is ended by Mewtwo and everybody is happy. Mew shows up with this prophecy and says I am the Chosen One?

'When the Chosen One perishes, when the war ends, people cherishes.' So far, the prophecy fits; but there is still a lot I don't understand.

Misty sighed and said tiredly, "This is so confusing." She got up from her bed and quickly walked over to the window. She tiredly pull the drapes apart, revealing a dark sky, no light can be seen through from the dark clouds.

She lazily turn to look at her alarm clock beside her bed, it reads 9:27 am.

"What the? ...No, it can't be."

Misty quickly remembered the prophecy. As day is swallowed up by night, a second war will begin. Could it be true? But there is no second war.

Misty's thoughts were disrupted by a rough bang on the door. Brock stormed in a second later, in his hand holding the most recent newspaper.

Handing the newspaper to Misty quickly, he said in a frightened voice. "Mew's right, the prophecy is happening!"

Misty took the newspaper and scanned the big lines. Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua joined forces. Instantly, words like "These evil doers raged war against all the regions on the world." and "Instead of weapons, these members use their Pokemon to do their dirty works." seemed to be jumping out of the paper.

Brock quickly explained the situation to the puzzled Misty. "Don't you get it? The prophecy was right, this is the second war. If you don't do anything about it, there is nothing we can do!"

"Can't the armies do something?"

"The newspaper said the armies' weapons aren't working, and they are defending the cities with their own Pokemon."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is," Gary walked into the room, interrupting the conversation. "Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua combined have a lot more Pokemon then anyone else."

Brock nodded, "Gary is right, since the machinery weapons are gone, it will only an amount of time to take the Triads to take over the cities."

"How come Cerulean is not attacked?" Misty asked with a bit of concern for her own hometown.

"Is not attacked yet," A shadowy figure walked into the room; Ash's voiced startled everyone, especially Misty. "They already took over Pallet Town."

Gary's face fell, "Is grandpa okay? What about my sister?" Gary wanted to grab Ash's shoulders and shake him, but when he reached for Ash's shoulders, he got nothing but cold air.

"They're alright, they escaped Pallet and they are coming here, since this is the only city that is not attacked. But..." Ash dropped his head, and stared at the ground.

"They got your mom?"

I felt it again. It's becoming stronger and stronger within me, I could feel it. I am not sure how long I can fight it.

How can you fight emotion?

I didn't say anything and stayed in silent. I felt Misty's eyes burning into the side of my head, I dared not to look at her. I did not answer her and let the others carried on the conversation.

"Brock, you think I should, you know, follow Mew's directions, and be a Chosen One?" She had a serious look on her face, yet part of it was fear, like the first time someone caught you cheating on a test.

"From the looks of it, I guess you don't have any choice..." Gary burst into the room suddenly, sending chills down at everyone's spines.

"Is everybody in my house?!" Misty asked irately, "My house is not a hotel, you know."

"Sorry," Gary put his hands up in front of himself, "Don't get all angry on me..."

Misty looked around the room at her friends. Each and everyone of them had a solemn look plastered on their face, especially for Ash. Misty felt sorry for her long time friend, Delia is Ash's last relative, and now, Ash got nothing left but his Pokemon.

Misty's heart softened at the sight of Ash. "Who else is in here?"

"Everyone. Tracey is contacting Professor Oak right now with their communicators. Duplica and Melody are taking care of the Pokemon. May is making Poke-blocks for our Pokemon."

Misty sighed again, looking down at the newspaper that now laying on her bed. All the people will depend on me? What if I mess up? What if I fail? What if I-

Seemingly to be reading Misty's mind, Ash spoke up loudly. "Misty, for as long as I known you, you have been the strongest person I've ever met. Besides, if you are in any trouble, I, I mean, your friends will be by your side." Ash stuttered, and finished rather quickly, hoping that Misty didn't catch his last phrase.

Heh. I already broke my promise and left her once, I don't wanna do it again. Besides, this isn't about me, this is about her saving the world. She is the Chosen One.

When Ash puts it that way, Misty could feel her familiar confident and courage coming back to her. With all her friend by her side, this whole saving-the-world thing suddenly doesn't seem as hard as it is. "Alright then!" Misty said excitedly, now Tracey, Melody, Duplica and May in the room. "Looks like a new journey had began for me, and this one is gonna be the best one ever!"

That not only brought courage into Misty's heart, I felt her words brought hope into me as well. But I had doubt about this being the best journey ever.

This time, I did not know what to do. I realized that this is not my story alone, its Misty's story as well. Both of us are waiting for that page to turn, that page from our story-book...

To Be Continued.