Whispering Darkness Part 2 By Crysta Disclaimer: I own the fic, and Crysta, nothing more, nothing less. Everything else Nintendo and Gamefreak own. Note: Sometimes I will go to a point of view way of talking. You'll know who's character I'm using as Misty is blind and Ash isn't, and they're the only two I'll use for a point of view ;) ********** She opened her eyes. Nothing. Even now, a week after the accident, she was still getting used to her blindness. She sensed it was light outside. Sighing, she climbed out of bed and began to try to find her way around. She didn't do too well. "Ow!" she hissed as she hit her foot on something. She struggled across the room to the dressing table. Luckily she had managed to work out where everything was on there. She felt about. Jewellery box. so to the right must be her little lamp. yes, there it was. Just past that should be her hairbrush and comb. She fumbled around. They weren't where she expected them to be. She felt about, but couldn't find them. She began to get worked up about it. Finally she gave up and started quietly to cry. ********** I'm half awake and the only thing on my mind is Misty. I wonder how she's getting on. Maybe I'd better check. Yeah! I'll go check on her! Well. after I get dressed. OK, I walked out and fell over something, nearly flying down the stairs. My house is a death trap. I can see, and I get into trouble. Misty. How will she do in this place? I'd better clear away some of the junk so she doesn't fall and get hurt. There, it's away now. I'll go check on her. The door's closed. Maybe I'd better not. What if she's getting dressed or something? I'll knock. That way I'll know if I can come in or not. *knock knock* "Who is it?" OK, she's up at least. "It's me." I called through. She doesn't need to ask who me is. There's only one guy in this house. Unless I'm turning into a girl, which I'm not. "Come in." She's not happy. I pushed the door open. She's at her dressing table. Is she? She is! She's crying! I put my hand on her shoulder. "Misty?" "I can't find my hairbrush or comb." She said. I smiled and looked around. Hmm. Wait, maybe they got knocked off? I'll check the floor. Yes, they're here, under the table. I picked them up. An idea struck and I started to brush her hair. ********** I jumped. Was that Ash I could feel brushing my hair? "Ash, what are you doing?" "I'm brushing your hair." Pause. "Do you want me to stop. I was silent for a minute. Then I said "No." He resumed. I smiled as he brushed it. He was so gentle. Never pulling. If he caught a tangle, he would carefully work it out without hurting. I've never known a man to be so gentle. Most guys aren't this nice. Maybe it's pity. Maybe he feels sorry for me because I can't see anything and his Oddish caused it. There's no proof it was Oddish. It could have been a wild pok‚mon that I accidentally scared but didn't see. I don't want him to feel bad. It wasn't his fault. "Ash. It's not your fault." He didn't answer. I kept going. "If I hadn't been hiding there it wouldn't have happened, you'd have known I was there and." "Misty." "What?" "Be quiet." It wasn't an order. Ordinarily I would have whacked him. But now. I don't want to. Maybe I do love him. Maybe. ********** Ash's soft strokes were just as effective as hard ones. He liked brushing her soft red hair. He stopped. "Do you want me to tie your hair back?" he asked her. "No." Misty said. He smiled and ran the comb through it. "My mom's cooking breakfast now. You want to go down?" "Sure." Ash missed her fiery spirit. "Come on then" he said softly, taking Misty's hand and guiding her across the room. Misty let him. ********** "Ash dear, have you had a wash? Changed your clothes?." his mum kept going even though no-one was listening to her. She dished out the pancakes. Her Mr. Mime ran past, going to the garden. "Mr. Mime!" (Work to do!) it said. Ash smiled. "That's my Mimie!" his mum said, smiling. Ash grinned. "It's enjoying itself." "Misty dear, do you need any help?" his mum asked. Misty shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks." Ash smiled. She seemed to know what was on her plate and where on the plate it was. At least eating wasn't hard. Misty pushed her plate away when she'd finished. "That was great, Mrs. Ketchum." She said. Pikachu looked up from his ketchup bottle. "Ketchup?" "Not ketchup, Ketchum!" Ash told him. Pikachu shrugged and finished the bottle off. "Pikachu, why don't you take Misty outside to play for a while?" Mrs. Ketchum suggested. "OK. Come on Misty." Pikachu put his tail on her leg so she could feel where he was and he could guide her. "Ash, I know you're upset." his mum started. "Me?" "Yes you. Well. There's a healing master who lives in Viridian Forest, maybe she can help." "Healing master?" "She's an expert in healing." "It's worth a shot!" Ash jumped up. Him mum smiled and passed him his backpack. "Come on Misty, we're going to Viridian Forest!" he called. "Why? More bugs." moaned Misty. "To get you healed!" Ash replied. "Yes. Yes, I'll tell him Tracey. Bye now!" Mrs. Ketchum was on the phone. She put it down and turned to Ash. "Ash, that was Tracey. He said he wants to go to Viridian Forest. I mentioned you were going and he asked if he could come." "Of course he can!" Ash grinned. "The more the merrier." Pikachu said. Misty listened quietly. Then she made a comment no-one else had thought of. "What will Tracey say when he finds out I'm blind?" "Well." "That is, I." "Erm." the three (Ash, Mrs. Ketchum and Pikachu) said. "Good question." Ash finished. ********** ". I miss the old Misty." Tracey whispered to Ash. He nodded. "She's been really quiet and withdrawn since the accident." "Even I can't cheer her up." Pikachu said. Tracey sighed. Ash got an idea. "Tracey, you got your sketch pad?" "Yeah, why?" "I want you to draw something for me." Ash said. "But it'll be hard to get into position." "What are you up to Ash?" Pikachu asked. "You'll see Pikachu. And remember, curiosity killed the mouse." "Cat." Pikachu said, but he knew what Ash was getting at. "Misty?" Misty turned her head in Ash's direction. "Ash, is that you?" "Yeah, it's me." He said. Then he smiled. "I thought I'd come and talk to you." "Where are Tracey and Pikachu?" "Tracey's sketching Pikachu." "Oh." Ash sat down, facing her. He held her hands in his. "I'm here for you Misty." "I know Ash." Ash signalled to Tracey to start sketching. His pencil flew over the paper. Pikachu whispered to him. "So that's what Ash wanted to do!" "Yeah. Keep it down." Pikachu watched the picture take shape. Tracey's pencil captured even the tiniest bit of detail. Every delicate feature was carefully sketched. "Ash, I finished the sketch!" Tracey called over. "That's great, let me see!" Ash took the sketch pad. "You've outdone yourself Tracey. Misty, if you could see this picture, you'd love it." "Let's move on." Tracey advised. We want to reach the cottage before nightfall. ********** Well, cottages in woods aren't unusual. One in Viridian Forest is. I had to guide Misty through the forest, so getting here was slow, but we've made it now. Tracey was knocking on the door. "Ash." Misty whispered, resting her head on my shoulder. "What?" I asked her. "I'm tired. Can we rest?" she asked. I smiled. "It's OK Misty, we're here." I think, as the door was blasted open and Tracey flew backwards (Cottage with a door that opened OUTWARDS, to Tracey's disadvantage.) A voice yelled from within. "I'm sorry about that. Come on in!" I helped Tracey up and guided Misty in. Then I realised who the voice belonged to. She was a human, I think. But something was weird. She looked like a cat too. Her body was covered with white and pink fur, and she displayed two cat ears and a cat's tail. She didn't seem to notice this. "Hi." She said, a soft sparkle in her green eyes. ********** "Hi." She said. Tracey felt his heart race. "She's beautiful." "No, not another Brock!" Pikachu yelped. The girl/cat grinned. "Nice to meet you. My name's Crysta, pok‚mon healer and pok‚mon." "Err. are my ears going funny? Did you say you were a pok‚mon?" Ash said. "Ehe. well, yeah. Basically this is what you get if you cross a human and a Mew. Long story, lots of questions, no time. What can I do you for?" "Well, we heard you're a great healer, the greatest of all time." "Whoah, don't push that. I'm not the greatest." She walked over to a shattered test tube which dripped a green substance. "I just dabble in the more herbal remedies. Pok‚mon weren't meant to take medicines like humans. Herbs can cure them just as well as anything else." "Well, OK. We also hear you can cure human problems too." "Well, kinda. There are a few rules." Ash's heart sank. "What?" "Rule number 1!" she waved one finger in Ash's face. "I do not do the bringing people back from the dead. I can do it, but it's not a pretty sight!" "We don't want that anyway!" Ash's expression lit up. "Rule number 2!" This time two fingers. "I don't do love potions. And don't push it. The last guy who pushed it ended up getting a girlfriend with Eevee ears and a Pikachu tail. Not pretty." "No love potions. Don't need one anyway!" Ash grinned. Crysta smiled lightly. "Rule number 3!" three fingers. "I can't cure certain pok‚mon-induced problems." Ash felt his spirits doused. "Like.?" "Like blindness from Stun Spore, deafness from Screech." She trailed off as she saw Ash's face fall. "You wanted me to cure one of them?" "Blindness." "You're not blind." Crysta waved a hand/paw in front of Pikachu and Tracey's eyes. They jumped. "They aren't either." "No, but she is." Ash indicated Misty. "Oh. Well. I'm sorry, but there are no known remedies for blindness. I'm sorry." Ash's heart sank again. Right into his shoes. "Unless." He felt hope filter through again. To Be Continued.