=Author's Note= We've seen Ash's mom, and we've seen Brock's dad. But there's always been one question lingering in the back of every Pok‚fan's mind (where they easily ignore it); Where in God's name are Misty's parents? Instead of just dismissing the question, or taking the morbid angle and claiming that they're dead, I chose to write this story. Questions and comments are welcome. =Legal Disclaimer= Pok‚mon, its characters, locations and all other associated literary and fictitious holdings are not owned by me. Any legal action taken against me will probably cost more than it would result in, so I wouldn't waste my time or my money if I were you. BadgeQuest #4 Fire and Ice Royalta; a beautiful mixture of sandy, sunny beaches and damp green rain forests. This was truly one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It wasn't too hot, it didn't rain too much (as far as rain forests are concerned), and the people were friendly...most of the time. Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu sprinted, zigzagging through the dense forest. Occasionally, a gunshot would graze a tree close by, sending them veering off desperately. Behind them, an angry mob rallied to capture or kill them. The shouting and crack of the guns could be heard for miles. "Ash, you moron!" Misty shouted, "Look at what you've got us into now!" "It was an accident!" he insisted, ducking. Pikachu dashed ahead of them using its Agility attack. At least the electrical mouse would escape harm... "You couldn't have had milk, or even water?" Brock huffed as he sprinted. He felt a sharp pain starting to develop in his side; all of the flying they had been doing had taken its toll on his stamina, making him a little soft. "Look, I hadn't had a Caterpie Cola in a long time..." he tried to explain, "How was I supposed to know burping in the presence of the Emperor would be considered a treasonous insult?" "It was a real good belch too!" Dexter said from Ash's pocket, "I could feel that one all the way through my circuit breakers!" "Less talking, more running!" Brock said. "I have a better idea." Ash pulled a Pok‚ball off of his belt and tossed it out. The ball spit forth a large mass of energy that soon formed Pidgeot, the trainer's Bird Pok‚mon. "Pidgeot, get ready to fly!" Brock began calling out his Onix, intending to hitch a ride as well. Misty looked desperate. "That's fine for you guys, but what about me?" she wailed. "This 'is' for you." Ash said sharply. Misty gaped, confused. "Pidgeot, take Misty back to the boat, fast!" His bird hopped over to Misty and helped her onto its back. Ash picked up Pikachu and placed it on Pidgeot's back as well. "You too, Pikachu." "What about you?" her voice betrayed the worry she felt. "I'll think of something." he assured her. He looked to Pidgeot. "Better get going." The bird took off with a rush of wind. Brock, atop Onix, cut through the thick jungle like a hot knife through butter, waving at him to hurry. Misty and Pikachu called frantically to Ash as Pidgeot flew them towards their freedom. "Don't worry, I'll be fine!" he shouted. He just wished it were true. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his friends made it to safety. Relief quickly turned to dread as he saw the mob closing in on him. "Oh, man, this is suicide." He pulled another Pok‚ball off of his belt and tossed it out. The ball produced his Charizard. "Okay Charizard, it's time to go." The flame lizard opened one eye lazily and gave him a glare that could melt titanium. "Oh come on!" Ash pleaded, "We could be killed!" Charizard responded by giving him a short puff of its Flamethrower. Now the mob had encircled Ketchum and his Pok‚mon. One of the attackers was hasty and fired a quick potshot. It bounced off of Charizard's leathery skin, leaving a large red welt. Now both its eyes were open; the Pok‚mon stood, roaring in fury. It blasted a circle of flame around itself and Ash, driving the mob back. The panicked crowd fled in terror. Ash recalled Charizard with a sigh and continued his dead run for the boat. He reached the shoreline, only to see that the vessel had pulled out of dock without him. Misty, Brock and Pikachu were on board, yelling and waving their arms desperately. He threw a look back over his shoulder and yelped; the mob had regained its courage and was coming back for a second try. Luckily, Pidgeot was still in the air; it swooped down and grabbed him roughly with its claws, then kicked up a hurricane of sand as it left the ground. Ash cried out in pain as his avian friend's sharp talons dug into his shoulders. Still, considering the size of the mob beneath him, he wasn't about to complain. Pidgeot flew awkwardly out to the private yacht and dumped him unceremoniously onto the deck. Ash got up onto his hands and knees, gasping and coughing desperately. Brock rushed over and helped the poor teen up to his feet. "Ash, are you okay?" "Still breathing." he grinned, shaking it off. He stood up, then frowned. He frantically searched all of his pockets, finally finding it. "And I have the Regalbadge!" he thrust the tiny crown-shaped pin into the air before returning it to his pocket. Pikachu chirped, mimicking his ecstasy. "Yes," Misty said sarcastically, "It doesn't matter that we escaped death by a hair, or that by some miracle you weren't riddled with bullets. The badge is the really important thing here." Brock and Pikachu couldn't help but snicker. Even Togepi seemed to laugh. "I would have made it just fine," Ash grumbled, pulling a Pok‚ball off of his belt, "If Charizard had obeyed and flown me to the boat." "You actually thought Charizard would obey?" Brock said in disbelief. "You can barely get it to battle, what makes you think it'll let you ride him?" "I didn't exactly have a lot of options...especially since someone needed my Flying type to haul herself out of danger!" he made a face at Misty. "I didn't ask for your help, Mr. Gastrointestinal Eruption!" Brock sighed as his friends got into another one of their arguments. "Not this again." * * * "Not this again!" Ash's mom gave her son a stern look through the Pok‚mon Center's videophone screen. "You know I worry about you, Ash. Just make sure you put on a clean pair of-" "Mom!" he wailed. "And make sure you stay away from Team Rocket! I don't want you tangling with dangerous criminals any more." Ash struggled to keep his cool. Brock, in the meantime, couldn't help but smile as he watched the scene from over Ash's shoulder. "You should listen to your parent, Ash." he said half-mockingly, "She knows what's best for y-" "Brock!" came a deep voice from the vidphone. Brock stopped in mid-sentence, already worried. Brock's father, Flint, stepped into the picture on the screen. "Brock, is that you?" "Uh, dad, hi!" Brock said, giving a little wave. "What are you doing at Ash's house?" "Mrs. Ketchum invited me over for tea." Flint explained, glaring at Brock through a pair of squints identical to Brock's. "That isn't important; why haven't you registered for college classes yet? You've been out of High School for almost a year now, young man! I expect to see some grades coming in soon, or-" "Uh, sorry guys, I think we're losing the connection..." Ash said. He started making static noises into the microphone. Brock joined in, helping with the illusion. "Uh, boys?" Ash's mom raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms. "It's a videophone..." The two trainers froze, horrified and humiliated. "Uh, gotta go!" Ash said, slapping the signal cutoff button. The screen blacked out, giving the trainers a reprieve. Dexter decided to interject; "Boy, I can't believe you forgot it was a video phone ." he laughed. Ash thumbed the power button on him and returned the device to his pocket. Misty was almost rolling out of her seat in laughter. "Boy, you two are a riot!" she giggled. Brock and Ash frowned. "You know, it isn't so easy dealing with parents, Misty." Brock tried to defend them. "Oh please. I get along with my parents fine." Misty bragged, wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes. "You?" Ash said incredulously, "I've never even seen your parents..." "We may not talk as much anymore, but we get along like peanut butter and jelly." Misty said, "You two could learn a thing or two from me-" "Mys-terious!" someone from across the Pok‚mon center called out. Misty's face grew pale. "Oh, no." she squeaked. Ash, Brock and Pikachu turned to see what was causing all the noise; a tall, willowy man in a business suit was running across the terminal, waving his hands in the air and grinning. He had close cropped brown hair that was starting to recede towards the back of his head, and a pair of small spectacles on the end of his nose. Behind him, stout, rotund, redheaded woman wearing a ridiculous dress and a large sunbonnet huffed to keep up. She was carrying a lazy, overweight Persian. Misty looked around desperately trying to find a way out. Seeing none, she did the only thing she could do; she snatched the hat off of Ash head and slapped it on her own cranium. "Hey!" Ash started to protest, but Misty slapped her hand over his mouth. She looked at him and Brock. "Just play along, please!" she begged. The man and Persian-laden woman reached their spot at the phone terminal. "Oh, Mysterious, it's so good to see you!" the woman sang. "Mysterious." Ash and Brock giggled; they had never heard Misty's full name before. Misty ignored them, rubbing the back of her neck. "Mom, Dad, hi..." she said with a plastered smile, "What are you doing here?" "Oh, we were on another vacation, and we thought we'd pop into the Pok‚mon Center." Misty's dad said in a high-pitched, nasal voice. "Yes, Percy was looking a bit sickly." Misty's mom held up the Persian. Ash figured the only thing it needed was a few hundred laps around a track and a major diet. Pikachu snickered at the lethargic feline from its perch on Ash's shoulder. "But what in the world are you doing here, Mysterious?" her dad asked. "I thought you were still on the Island." He looked at the two boys and the Pikachu that comprised her escort. "And what are these scruffy-looking individuals doing with you? They aren't trainers, are they?" "Scruffy?" Ash cried indignantly, "Who are you calling 'scruffy?' Why you-" Misty shoved Ash out of the way before he could get anything insulting out. "No, they aren't trainers!" she said quickly. "Good." her father said. "Because we hate trainers." her mother agreed, stroking her Persian. "It's bad enough that you and your sisters do it, Mysterious, you don't need to be around those people all the time." She gave Ash and Brock the appraising eye. "So who are they?" Misty tried to scratch her head, but Ash's hat got in the way. "Uh, why..." she pointed to Brock. "This is...Bill!" "Bill?" Brock said. "He wants to be an accountant." Misty added. "Oh, how lovely!" Misty's mom squealed. She ran up and grabbed Brock by the shoulders. "You have that intelligent look about you, Bill!" She looked up. "Though your hair is atrocious. I know this one woman in Saffron City that would do wonders for your roots." "What about the kid with the Pikachu, Mysterious?" her father asked. "He's...uh...he's...Gary!" she finally shouted. "Gary!!!" Ash roared in surprise. "Nice to meet you, Gary." Misty's dad shook his hand while Ash stood there, fuming. "That Pikachu, is it your pet?" Before Ash could respond, Misty jumped in. "Yeah, his pet Pikachu. Just something I caught for him." "How nice!" Her father said. He frowned. "Looks a bit filthy, though. Don't you ever bathe it?" Suddenly, the Center's call tone interrupted the discussion of Pok‚mon hygiene. "Oh, listen, Bill." Ash said through gritted teeth, "Misty's Pok‚mon are ready for pickup...why don't we go and get them?" "Good idea, Gary." Brock drawled. They each grabbed one of Misty's arms and dragged her off. Pikachu was right on her trailing heels, also wanting an explanation. "Be right back!" Misty called out to her parents as her friends pulled her roughly over to the pickup counter. "Okay, Mysterious, what's the deal?" Ash demanded. "My name's MISTY!" she shouted in his face, "And if you two weren't Pok‚mon trainers we would be in this mess right now!" "Well, excuse us for following our dreams." Brock said dryly. "Now back up a bit and start over." She heaved a sigh and tried again. "My parents don't approve of Pok‚mon training. They think Pok‚mon shouldn't battle, that is isn't proper. That's why they left my sisters in charge of the family gym..." "So? You think they would have accepted it by now." Ash said, collecting his Pok‚mon from the nurse at the counter. Pikachu scampered up on his shoulder, clutching at his now-hatless head. "Ow, Pikachu! Watch the hair!" "They always hoped I'd be different..." Misty said sadly, "I was supposed to be the different sister...that's why they didn't name me after a flower, like my sisters. I guess they were really disappointed when I chose to live at the gym instead of with them. They never got over it." "But why do we have to...well, play the roles of 'Bill' and 'Gary'?" "They would have gone nuts if they knew I was on another Journey, especially with other trainers. We have to keep the fa‡ade going, at least until they leave." "Excuse me." a voice with a strong accent interrupted from directly behind Ash. The young trainer jumped three feet into the air with surprise. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to sneak up on people?" Ash yelled. "My apologies, sir, but are you not the great Ash Ketchum?" Misty snorted. "He's Ash Ketchum. The great part I wouldn't bet on." Ash gave Misty a hard look. "Parents, remember?" For once, she shut up. He turned back to the stranger. "Okay, we know who I am. Who are you?" "I am Rico, and I have come very far to enlist the aid of you." His skin was a dark tan, even darker than Brock's. He wore a large, filthy hat on his head. In fact, little about him seemed to be bathed. He had a bushy moustache and long black hair to match. "My village, the people of Machu Pachu, has heard of your attempts to foil Team Rocket, as well as your selflessness in helping others." His voice became pleading. "You must save our village, you are the only one who can." Ash grinned, blowing on his knuckles. "Well, I guess I probably am." He stopped to think about it for a moment. "Uh, what exactly is wrong with your village?" "El Frio Diablo," Rico whispered as if the mere words would strike him down. He shivered, looking down at his feet. "Ell Frito Diobo?" Ash tried to repeat. "No, El Frio Diablo. The 'Freezing Devil'. Please, you must help my people!" He got down on his knees, pleading. "Please, Mister Ketchum!" "Okay, okay, calm down..." Ash said quickly, "I'll help, I'll help." He felt Misty kick him in the back of the leg. "Ash," she hissed, "What about my parents?" Rico held up a trio of plane tickets. "I have here your tickets to our village. I will escort you to the island myself, if that is all right." "Yeah, yeah, fine, just give us a moment." He turned and brought Brock and Misty into a huddle. Pikachu scampered into the middle, also wanting to be a part of the conversation. "Okay, what do you think?" "Ash, we still have to get rid of my parents." Misty wailed softly. "Actually, Misty, this could be the perfect way to kill two birds with one stone," Brock interjected thoughtfully, "Now we have an excuse to leave." "I don't know..." Misty drawled. "Mysterious!" her mother called, walking towards the group. "Come, we have so much catching up to do!" "Let's go." Misty intoned flatly. They broke the huddle. "Oh, mother, I'd love to, I really would, but you see-" "We're off to Machu Pachu for some sightseeing." Brock finished, smiling broadly. Ash nodded, picking up Pikachu. "Sorry we couldn't stay longer, but we're in a hurry." Misty's father, trailing behind his wife, brightened at the mention of the island. "Oh, Machu Pachu! I've heard of that lovely little island, it's supposed to be beautiful." He smiled at his wife. "Think we could make a little detour from our plans, honey?" "Oh, I'm sure we could squeeze in a day or two...maybe even a whole week!" She agreed enthusiastically. "It'll be fun spending time with the kids!" "Oh, uh, we wouldn't want you to change your plans for us!" Ash said desperately. "Nonsense, we insist." Misty's mother patted Ash on the head. She got behind the three teenagers and began herding them towards the door, the lazy Persian not slowing her down a bit. "Misty," her father said, "That League hat is atrocious! And it's so filthy. Don't tell me you let your friends wear it, too." Misty grumbled; it was going to be a long trip. * * * "Everyone all strapped in for takeoff?" Misty's mother asked lightly. "Yes," they all groaned. "Say, Mysterious, I've been meaning to ask," her father began, "Machu Pachu is just a mining village with some beautiful scenery...doesn't seem like the kind of place teenagers would go on their vacation." "Oh, uh, I heard that the bay looks beautiful at sunrise," she lied, "And I was just dying to see it." "And your friends?" He gave Ash another appraising eye. She smiled nervously, "Oh, they're just a couple of guys I know. We, uh, met back at the gym." "Well, they certainly seem better than those other boys we heard you were following around," her mother lectured, "From what Lily told us, they were nothing but a pair of scruffy, dirty trainers." "Whatever happened to the one that you liked, Mysterious?" her father asked. "You know, the one trying to be League Champion?" Ash shot Misty a quick glance, and maybe just a little smirk. "Oh, he's still around." Ash said offhandedly. Misty gritted her teeth. "Just one other thing..." her mother finished. She pointed to Rico, who was sitting next to her. "Who is this gentleman accompanying us?" "Good morning, ma'am." Rico greeted her politely. Misty moaned and slid down in her seat as the plane's engines revved for takeoff. * * * "What a horrid little dump." Misty's mother sneered as they exited the plane. For once, Ash agreed with her; the town looked to be half-destroyed. There was dirt, dust and debris littering the ground like topsoil. He coughed and tried to cover his mouth, but the dust was everywhere. Pikachu coughed too, nearly falling off of Ash's shoulder. In the distance beyond the town, they could see the island's volcano. Rico had told them that it had been dormant for a long time. At least it was one less thing to worry about. "Maybe we should get back on the plane..." Brock said only half-jokingly. He looked around, taking in the vista. Off in the distance he could see the majority of the town's buildings and businesses...what was left of them, anyway. "You sure you want to come here, A-I mean, Gary?" Ash's fist clenched. Whatever this El Frio Diablo was, it was going to pay for all of this. "We're staying." He shot Misty a glance. "That is, as long as it's okay with the Trainer over there." Misty stuck her hands in her pockets, looking down apologetically. "Yeah," she nodded. "Well, let's make the most of it." Misty's father said, grabbing their luggage. With Mrs. Waterflower's bundles, it made for quite a load. "I'll be with you in a second." Ash said hastily. He grabbed Rico and Brock by the sleeves and dragged them off to the side while Misty led her parents towards Machu Pachu's meager airport terminal. "Okay Rico, what now?" "Well Mr. Ketchum, I suppose we wait for the monster to attack us." Rico said nervously. A crashing noise caught the trio's attention; looking off to the east, they saw dust and parts of buildings flying up into the air. Pikachu pointed and hollered 'Pika-ka-cha!' excitedly. "I'm guessing that's him," Brock said dryly. He, Ash and Pikachu took off at a dead sprint in the direction of the attack, with Rico huffing and shouting behind them. * * * Over by the soda machines, Misty's mother raised her large, tacky sunglasses and peered at the three men running across the field. "Where do you suppose they're going?" She squinted, seeing Ash and Brock pull something off of their respective belts. "And what's that they're holding?" Misty looked, horror-stricken; if her mom saw them call out their Pok‚mon, her secret would be blown and there would be a lot of yelling, disapproval and unnecessary argument. She slammed a fist into the soda machine as hard as she could, causing it to shudder and spit out a can of Caterpie Cola. "Look mom, you're soda! Better drink it before it's cold." "Oh, my, you're right." She bent down to pick up the soda just as Ash and Brock called out their Pok‚mon. Ash jumped onto Pidgeot, while Brock mounted his Onix. Misty turned, remembering her father. She prayed he hadn't seen anything. Her father was over at the machine next to her, scratching his head. "The darn thing won't take a traveler's check." he said, holding up the small piece of paper. He tried feeding it in again, oblivious as Ash and Brock roared out of sight. Misty wiped her brow and checked on Togepi, taking a nap in her backpack. At least one of them was getting some well-deserved rest. She couldn't take much more of this. * * * Brock squinted through the haze of destruction as they neared the battle scene. "I can't make anything out." He hollered to Rico, sitting further down on Onix. "What does this 'El Frio Diablo' look like anyway?" "That." the local pointed with terror dripping from his voice. Ash gaped in awe, flying low and close to Onix on Pidgeot. It had been a while since he had seen one of those; a huge, screaming bird flew over the town. It seemed to glow with a bright blue aura. A trail of sparkling crystals created a rainbow effect as it flew high above their heads. Every time it opened its beak, a beam of bright blue energy spewed forth, freezing whatever it touched. "Articuno." he whispered in awe. He pulled Dexter from his pocket and activated the small device. "Give me a stats reading on him, Dexter." The red palm-top computer beeped and displayed a strengths graph. "Ash...or is it Gary now?" Ash glowered at the wisecracking machine. "Whoever you are, you're in big trouble. This little birdie is strong." "I can see that!" Articuno swooped towards one of the half-frozen buildings, now brittle from the cold. The Legendary Bird easily smashed through it, spraying ice and bricks everywhere. "Brock," he shouted, "Circle around, we'll out-flank him!" His friend nodded, taking Onix down one of the streets. Ash signaled Pidgeot to peel off and land on one of the undamaged buildings. Once he had set down, he looked at Pikachu. "What do you think, Pikachu? You up for this one?" The electric mouse backed up, looking at Ash like he had just gone insane. "Pika! Ka-cha-pikachu!" Ash looked disappointed, but nodded. "I guess I understand." he said. He pulled a Pok‚ball off of his belt and expanded it. "All right. Let's give it another go," he threw the ball as hard as he could at Articuno, "Charizard!" The ball split in mid-flight and released Charizard. Thankfully, the large lizard wasn't asleep, or he would have plummeted to the streets below. It still wasn't pleased with being disturbed, however, and roared its frustration at Ash. "Charizard, get it together!" Ash hollered. He saw Brock start his attack with a Rock Throw. Onix had picked up one of the larger debris and hurled it at the Legendary Bird. The more nimble avian Pok‚mon easily dodged the shot, spraying a blast of ice at Onix. "Onix needs you, Charizard!" he hollered, "So get your flaming butt in gear!" Charizard swooped down, blasting a wall of blazing fire at Ash, Pikachu and Pidgot. The three unfortunate objects of Charizard's rage danced about, trying to avoid the hot attacks. "Jeez, this is getting monotonous!" Ash wailed to himself. He brought Charizard's ball out and activated the return mechanism. The familiar red beam shot out, returning the fire lizard to a state of pure energy, then drew it back into the ball once more. Ash looked at Pikachu and Pidgeot. "It looks like it's up to us, guys." * * * "Onix, no!" Brock shouted. Onix, the pride and joy of his team, lay on the street writhing in pain. The lower half of its rocky exterior was frozen, so cold it had turned the poor Rock Pok‚mon blue. Articuno flapped low nearby, intending on finishing the rock snake while it was down. "Hang on, Onix!" Brock put one hand on his belt, intending to call out Vulpix. The tiny fire fox would be no match for Articuno, not by a long shot. It didn't matter, though, as long as it saved Onix's life. As he expanded Vulpix's ball, a bolt of electricity struck down from the heavens and speared Articuno. The ice bird screeched in pain; Flying types were always weak against Electric attacks. He looked up to see Ash and Pikachu aboard Pidgeot. The trio wobbled slightly as Pidgeot tried to compensate for the awkward load it was carrying. Pikachu launched several more Electric attacks, being very careful not to hit its friends. Articuno wailed, now hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned. Despondent, it flapped its wings and launched straight upward, flying off towards the island's volcano. Brock sighed in relief. He replaced Vulpix's Pok‚ball back on his belt, then walked over to Onix. "Don't worry, old friend, we'll have you fixed up in no time." He recalled Onix. Hopefully it wouldn't suffer from freeze damage as pure energy. Ash recalled Pidgeot and placed the ball on his own belt. "Man, that thing is tough. I'd love to have it on my team." he said wistfully. "I don't know if we're going to be able to beat it, let alone catch it." Brock said dubiously. He watched the receding form of Articuno. "What I don't get is, why is it attacking the town in the first place?" "I don't know." He looked at the buildings around them. The ice bird hadn't bothered to tear down more than one or two walls from them. "It didn't bother to finish off these buildings...just opened them up. Almost like it's looking for something." Rico ran up from his hiding spot in a demolished building. Once the battle had started he ran like a Rapidash being chased by a Golduck. "That was incredible!" he cried, grabbing the two trainers in a bear hug. "You have driven off El Frio Diablo! He is defeated!" "I don't think he'll stay defeated, Rico." Brock drawled thoughtfully. "I think it was looking for something, and it won't stop until he's found whatever that is." Ash nodded his agreement. "Don't be ridiculous!" Rico said nervously, "It is a monster! It only knows destruction, that is why it destroys!" He pounded his fist into his open palm. "We must track the monster to its lair in the mountain and finish it!" Ash sighed. "Yeah, guess so." "Hey!" Misty shouted from down the street. She was running towards them, keeping her parents in tow. "What happened, guys?" "It was very rude to run off like that." Misty's mom insisted, still carrying Percy the Persian. Ash and Brock gave each other looks of confusion; here they were, trying to save a town, and she was calling them rude? "Uh, sorry," Brock began, "But, uh, we were looking for-" "A softserve yogurt shop." Ash finished. He looked over at a half-demolished building. "There's part of one!" "I think the rest of it is over there." Brock pointed down the street. "Come on!" He got behind Misty's parents and pushed them away, promising them fat-free yogurt. Misty made sure they were out of earshot, then looked to Ash and Rico. "What'd I miss?" Ash rolled his eyes. "We've got a Legendary Bird on our hands, Mysterious. An Articuno is here, and it's mad as all get-out." She pulled Togepi out of her back and cradled the egg-shaped youth. "An Ice Bird, huh? What's the plan?" "We'll track it down." Ash explained. He pointed towards the dormant Volcano. "Rico says its lair is in the mountain." He looked to Rico, who nodded in confirmation. "We'll leave as soon as possible...unless of course, you'll be too busy babysitting your parents?" he asked with annoyance. She grinned for the first time since meeting up with her elders. "Oh, no. We can say goodbye to those two, they hate hiking. The most walking they ever do is the walk from the taxi cab to the plane." She very nearly danced with glee. "There's no way they'd want to come on a hike up a mountain, especially a volcano." * * * "Come on, let's keep up the pace!" Misty's dad hollered. He was wearing a ridiculous alpine hiker getup, waving from above them on the trail. "We don't have all day now!" "Yes, do hurry!" Misty's mother said, bringing up the rear. Her rather heavy pack wasn't slowing her down a bit, probably because she had stuck Ash with it. "You're such a dear to carry my supply pack, Gary." she smiled. Brock was dragging behind as well, carrying an equally heavy pack. "What's this one?" he huffed. "Why, that's lunch!" Brock tried to make the best of it. "Well, that was thoughtful of you, Mrs. Waterflower. You packed a nice picnic lunch for all of us." "All of you?" she said, confused. Then she laughed. "No, no, silly, that's my lunch." She pulled a can from her pocket and stuffed it in Brock's bag, making him groan further. "And a diet soda. After all, I have to keep my figure trim!" She patted the boys on the head. "You're such nice boys." Ash rolled his eyes as he and Brock struggled under the weight. Pikachu walked behind Ash, trying to help the overloaded trainer. The poor mouse was afraid his friend would topple over and crush him. "No problem." Ash grunted, casting Misty a glare that could melt steel. She could do nothing except look apologetic. "Everyone!" Misty's father had reached the apex of a particularly steep slope, "Everyone! I found something." They ran up to where he was shouting, except of course for Ash and Brock; they could barely walk. Nevertheless, they made it and let the huge packs slide off their shoulders. The packs barely beat them to the ground as they sank to their knees, panting with exertion. Misty tilted her head at her father's discovery; a wide, dark opening in the rock face of the cliff. "Wow..." she said, "I wonder how far in it goes." "Oh, let's explore it!" her mother said excitedly. She set Percy down, who yawned and welcomed a large flat surface to stretch out on. Pikachu walked around the obese Persian with disdain and peered into the cavern. "Come now, it will be fun!" Misty's mother squealed. She pulled a pair of lanterns out of the pack Ash had been carrying and handed one to her husband. Together, they entered the cavern. Misty's parents had their lanterns set on low, which didn't provide much illumination. The group could barely see the people walking next to them, much less what lay in the inky blackness of the cave. "Dear, turn your lantern up." Misty's mother said, adjusting her own light. The lanterns glowed bright enough to see the majority of the chamber. It also allowed them to see that they were surrounded. "Oh my God!" Brock yelled in horror. The group was circled on all sides by a whole flock of Articuno. There were over a dozen of them. Apparently, they didn't like having their home invaded, and began screeching their protests. "They're everywhere!" The Rock's voice wavered with fear. "Guess Articuno aren't as rare as people thought..." Ash said with a mix of sarcasm and unfathomable terror. He took a defensive stance. "Pikachu, let's get ready!" Pikachu nodded and growled at the Articuno. Brock and Misty prepared their own defenders for combat. "Vulpix, I choose you!" "Starmie, go!" They both threw their Pok‚balls, releasing the monsters from storage. Starmie floated, trying to cover the perimeter of the group, while Vulpix looked from one Legendary Bird to the next with confusion and fear. Misty's parents were shocked. "They are trainers!" she hollered indignantly. Her husband was similarly peeved. "Mysterious, what is the meaning of this?" he huffed. "Not now, please." she hissed. Her brow was creased with concentration. "Starmie, Light Screen!" Her star-shaped Pok‚mon produced a bright barrier between it and the Articuno. Unfortunately, the barrier didn't cover a 360-degree radius; one of the Articuno perched behind Starmie blasted the Water type with an Ice Beam, freezing it in its tracks. "Starmie!" Misty ran to her fallen star monster, cradling it. The poor Pok‚mon had turned blue, and was shuddering with hypothermia. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!" Ash yelled. His Pika pal powered up for a voltage volley, but was caught unaware from behind, as Starmie had been. "Pikachu!" The Pok‚mon hit the ground, half-frozen and whimpering with the cold. Ash ran up and swept his comrade up in his jacket. A pair of Articuno, in the meantime, were bearing down on Vulpix. "Uh, Ash, this may be a good time for a hasty retreat." Brock said. Vulpix tried to use his Flamethrower; it drove the ice birds back, but didn't knock them out. "We're outgunned here!" The group turned to run, Ash and Misty carrying their chilly pocket monsters, but the way was blocked. The Articuno were furious now, having been disturbed and attacked all at once. They bore down on the tresspassers mercilessly, pecking at them and blasting them with freezing sprays of ice and snow. "What now?" Misty yelled to be heard above the noise that their attackers were making. She looked over to Ash. Her friend was staring at a Pok‚ball in his hand. He looked uncertain. "Now," he said grimly, "We play the trump card, and hope it doesn't backfire on us." He tossed the ball out. "Come on out, Charizard!" Charizard formed from the energy spat out of the ball and landed face down, asleep on the job. Ash nearly tore out his hair. "Charizard!" he screamed, "Get up!" The lizard rolled lazily onto its back, apparently not to enthused with the prospect of battle. One of the Articuno, the one that had attacked the village, saw Charizard and recognized it from the battle. It launched a freezing Ice Beam at the lizard, hitting it square in the chest. Charizard roared in pain, spraying flame everywhere. "Wonderful," Misty's father said disgustedly, "We're not only going to die with Pok‚mon trainers, we have to die with incompetent ones." Lucky for them, it wasn't so; Charizard's flames of anguish managed to drive the Articuno back, clearing a path out of the cave. The group seized the opportunity, scrambling out of there as fast as possible. Ash, Misty and Brock were in the lead, followed by Misty's parents. Unfortunately, Ash had the misfortune of tripping over the bags that Misty's mother had so kindly made them carry up the steep slope. He tumbled, tripping up his friends and sending all of them rolling and bouncing down the rough trail. Ash clung tightly to Pikachu, trying to take the brunt of the rough terrain so the mouse wouldn't be hurt further. Misty did the same for her Starmie, as well as Togepi still in her knapsack. Brock managed to tuck and roll with his Vulpix safe in his arms. Faster and faster they tumbled until they reached the bottom of the trail. The trio crashed into a tree planted conveniently to the side of the road, bringing their exodus of the mountain to a halt. Ash moaned, trying to sit up. He ached all over, and had about a million cuts and bruises. He coughed, sending pain shooting through his chest. "Is everyone all right?" Brock moaned as well. He wasn't in much better shape than Ash. A shiner was starting to form around his left squint. "I'm okay..." he checked in his lap, where Vulpix sat. It had lost consciousness, but seemed okay. Misty, who was half on top of Ash, pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. She checked Starmie, who had landed several feet away from its trainer when she had lost her grip on it. It was still partially frozen, and the jewel that comprised most of its front was blinking dimly. "I'll live," she groaned, "Though just barely." Ash opened up his jacket to check on Pikachu. The rodent was frozen, and now battered. It 'Pika'ed weakly, hardly stirring. Suddenly, the wind picked up; Ash could hear a pair of wings beating, coming closer. He grew fearful, but his fear turned to rage when he looked up. Charizard circled above them, coming in for a landing. The flame lizard landed unsteadily, causing the ground beneath them to quake. "Ash?" Misty asked quietly. Ash was trembling with fury. She had never seen him so angry. His face was turning as red as Charizard. "That's it." he said softly. He pulled Charizard's Pok‚ball off of his belt and flipped up the main control button. Beneath it, a smaller red button glistened. "That is it. No more, Charizard." He pressed the button. The Pok‚ball immediately beeped and fizzled. "You're released." he growled at Charizard. "Go!" Charizard eyed him, unsure of what to do. "Go!" Ash screamed, pointing upwards and away. His former Fire type flew off with a huff, not needing to be told again. Ash pulled out Dexter, activating the device. "Dexter, de-register Charizard." "Huh?" the machine said, confused after just waking from stasis mode. "De-register? Ash, what's going on?" "Just do it." Ash growled. He picked up Pikachu and moved to his feet, groaning in pain. Then he began limping towards the town, intent on finding the Pok‚mon Center. Misty and Brock exchanged glances of surprise. "I never thought..." Misty started. "I know." Brock said, equally amazed. Before they could say anything else, Misty's parents barreled down the steep trail. It had taken them a few extra minutes to get there, seeing as how they hadn't taken the short cut their younger companions had fallen into. Misty's mother was turning red, probably not accustom to running, and certainly not with a Persian in her arms. Her father had an easier time with his longer legs. He skidded to a halt in front of where Brock and Misty sat underneath the tree, cradling their Pok‚mon. "I think you have some explaining to do, Mysterious." Hands on his hips, her father had a stern look on his face. * * * Misty sat down with a heavy sigh in one of the reception area chairs in the Pok‚mon Center. At least Starmie would be all right; the doctors said that the Water type would just need a day or two of rest and observation in the Center before it was ready to battle again. She wished her problem with her parents was as easy to fix. They were standing on the other end of the Center, arguing and occasionally pointing at Misty. She could catch snatches of their conversation; 'What to do', 'Scruffy trainers', 'All your fault'. She rubbed her temples, moaning. Ash walked from the receptionist's counter to where Misty sat and took the seat next to her. "Everything okay?" he asked. "Starmie will be fine." she mumbled softly. She tossed Ash his hat back, which he accepted gratefully. It wouldn't be needed anymore now that the deception was shattered. She glared over to where her parents were having their fight. "Those two, on the other hand..." "You know, it's not that uncommon to fight with parents." Ash tried to console her as he put his hat back on, "My mom and I fought all the time." She sighed, exasperated. "It isn't the same, Ash. Your mom is busting with pride at what you've become. My parents..." she waved her hand dismissively, "They just don't listen, they don't get it." Ash leaned back thoughtfully. "Huh." he rubbed his chin, "It's not too different with me and Charizard." Misty looked at him like he was crazy. "No, seriously. I mean, look; he never listened, he didn't respect me, and he fought with me all the time." He smiled wistfully. "But now that I think about it, I can still remember all of the good times. I can remember when I first caught him as a Charmander, all alone on that rock...I remember all of the battles we've won, and all the hard times we've pulled through together." He looked sad, "And now he's gone. And I miss him." "I guess it's too late to get him back." "Yeah," he nodded. He looked at Misty's parents, who had appeared to calm down. "I guess once you give up, you can't try again." He smiled at his friend. She smiled back. "Thanks, Ash." Brock exited the back room of the Intensive Care Unit and rendezvoused with his friends. "Everything's squared away, guys. They'll take care of our Pok‚mon." He stuck his large hands in his pockets. "What do we do now?" Ash saw Rico run in through the Center's automatic doors. "Now? Now we get some answers." he said with masked rage in his voice. He stood and intercepted the local at a fast pace, Brock and Misty hot on his heels. "Rico!" he barked. "Mr. Ketchum, thank goodness you are all right." Rico said, relieved. "Stuff it." Brock said, "You didn't tell us there was more than one Articuno." Rico glanced around nervously. "I know not what you speak of, Mr. Stone." Misty punched the native in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. "Why are those Articuno attacking the village?" she hollered. "I do not know, they are monsters!" "Those monsters didn't bother to finish us off once we got out of their home." Ash spat, "They were just defending themselves. What have you got on them, Rico?" "All right, all right." Rico said, holding up his hands, "I will tell you. Just do not hurt me." he pleaded Misty, who looked ready to take another shot at him. "The Freezing Devils have not always attacked us. At one time, we did not even know of their existence. A short time ago, diggers in our iron mines discovered a nest of giant blue eggs." Rico was sweating nervously now. "We removed the eggs to further examine them. Then, strangers come and say that they will purchase the eggs from us for large amounts of cash." "Who?" Brock demanded. "I know not. They wear big R on their uniform." He scratched his head, puzzled. "They also have talking cat with them. Very strange." "Rocket." Misty muttered. "It figures." "But before they bring cash, El Frio Diablo attacks. Sometimes two of them, sometimes three. Always they destroy buildings, tearing them apart." Ash was disgusted. "So that's it. You stole their eggs, and they want them back." "We are a poor village, Mr. Ketchum." Rico tried to explain, "We have nothing. The money they would have given us could have done much for our town." "Where are they eggs?" Ash grilled Rico. "We're going to give them back...all of them, right now." Rico started to protest but decided against it. "Of course. I will take you to them right now." They started off. Misty was following behind them when someone grabbed her by the shoulder from behind and spun her around. "Where do you think you're going, Mysterious?" her father demanded. "You aren't going anywhere with those...those trainers!" her mother shrieked, lugging around Percy the Persian. Misty felt red seep into her features as her rage blossomed into a full-blown fury. "I am going back up the mountain to try and stop the Articuno from destroying what's left of this town." she said as slowly and calmly as she could manage. "Absolutely not!" her father shot. "You'll do no such thing, young lady." "We didn't raise you to be a fool, Mysterious." her mother scolded. That was it. "My name is MISTY! M-I-S-T-Y! And you didn't raise me at all, mother!" Her mother started to protest, but she cut her off, "No! You don't seem to get it, do you? I'm a Pok‚mon Trainer. This is what I do; I battle with Pok‚mon, and I try to help them whenever I can. That's what we're doing right now. And let me tell you something about those 'scruffy' trainers; those guys are the best trainers anywhere and they're the best friends I could ever have. Now, I don't care if you don't like them, and I don't care if you don't like what I do, and I don't even care if you don't like me. I'm a Trainer, and there isn't a single thing you or anyone else is going to do to change that!" She stormed out with a huff, stomping her feet as loudly as she could. Ash was leaning on the outside of the building, waiting for her. "You okay?" he asked, jogging to catch up to her. She rubbed her eyes. "I will be." He gave her a smile. "C'mon, Brock and Rico are heading for the Town Hall to get the eggs. Let's catch up." * * * "Here, Articuno." Ash called softly. "Come out, come out wherever you are." Brock, carrying an egg similar to the one Ash was cradling, gave his friend a funny stare. "Ash, I wouldn't be in too big a hurry to call them over." He looked up the mountain path that would lead them back to the cave, shuddering. Brave as he was, he wasn't too eager to repeat what had happened a few hours earlier. " Once those Articuno realize what we're carrying, they'll be after us like a Pidgeotto catching Magikarp." Dexter quipped from inside Ash's jacket. "Uhh, I hadn't thought of that..." Ash mumbled. Misty rolled her eyes, lugging Togepi. One egg was enough to worry about. "You figured we'd just show up with an armload of the Articuno's eggs, and they'd just take them back and thank us?" "Something along those lines." "We'll probably be lucky if we make it off the mountain in one piece." Brock murmured. He peered through his squints up the dormant volcano's path, looking for signs of their quarry. "Don't see anything yet. Maybe we can just dump the eggs in the cave and scram before they ever find us. Hey, maybe this won't be so hard after all." he laughed jovially. "Uh, Brock?" his friends said with a shiver in their voices. Brock shot them a glance. "Something wrong?" His friends were staring behind them. He turned to see what was the matter, and understood in an instant; the entire flock of Articuno was bearing down on them, enraged that the trio would have the gall to cart their eggs around in the open. "Oh shoot." the Rock muttered. * * * Charizard rolled over lazily, coming slowly back to consciousness; something had disturbed its nap. Whatever it was, it greatly hoped for their sake that they were flame repellant. Charizard looked over towards the source of the noise; a flock of those large blue Bird Pok‚mon-Articuno?-were attacking something on the trail nearby. It pushed up onto its clawed feet and stretched its wings. It might be amusing to see what was going on, perhaps see if it could claim a bit of the action. The fiery lizard took off with a jump and a large push from its mighty wings, gliding towards the battlefield. * * * Ash jumped back from a freezing blast of icy wind, nearly becoming a frozen Popsicle. One Articuno, the one that had attacked the town, was leading the assault on the 'intruders'. It swooped in, aiming an Ice Beam that shot right between Ash and Misty. The pair leapt out of the way and slid down the hillside, already covered in ice from Articuno's previous attacks. Brock, meanwhile, was making a desperate grab for the bundle of eggs that had been cast aside when the ordeal started. "Brock, make a run up the hill!" Ash yelled, "We'll try to keep them busy here." His older friend nodded and began a grueling sprint up the steep trail. Ash shook his head and pulled a Pok‚ball off of his belt. "I must be nuts." he muttered. Misty grabbed a rock to stop her slide and carefully rose to her feet. "Keep them busy? Are you crazy?" she screeched incredulously at Ash, "We don't have anything that can last two seconds against it, much less beat it!" She was about to hurl more of her fury at him when a dark shadow flashed over her. She gasped and looked up; Charizard's bulky form was lazily winging its way towards the trail. "Ash, look!" she yelled, pointing towards the sky. Ash saw what she was so excited about. "Charizard?" he whispered. Articuno saw Charizard as well. Apparently, it hadn't heard about the lizard's "falling out" with Ash. It shot towards Charizard, blasting it with an Ice Beam. Charizard roared in pain and spiraled from the sky, crashing into the ground with enough force to make the terrain quake. Ash ran towards Charizard without hesitation. "Charizard!" he yelled. He hurtled several bushes and boulders cluttering the side of the mountain, making his way towards the fallen Pok‚mon. "Just hang on," he told Charizard as he pulled a Hyper Potion from his pack, "It'll be okay." Charizard blinked, looking up at Ash. Why was this kid being so nice to it? All it ever did was flame broil the little twerp. It grunted as Ash injected the Potion into its arm, bringing its hit-points back into acceptable levels. It struggled to get up, still a little woozy from that last hit. Articuno screeched and dove in, intending on finishing off Charizard with one final blow. He built up a large blast of freezing power in its beak and let loose a huge Ice Beam. The cascading blue energy shot straight for Charizard's tail flame. Ash's eyes widened. If that Ice Beam hit, Charizard could die; the Charmander evolutions each had a flame on their tails, one that could mean death if it were extinguished. Without thinking, Ash leapt in front of the attack, taking the brunt of the beam on his chest. He screamed in agony as the ice energies enveloped his body, freezing him. He could feel his body temperature dropping like a stone. "ASH!" Misty screamed, sprinting to where her longtime friend had dropped to the ground. She skidded to a stop and went down on her knees, checking his pulse; it was slow and erratic. Most of his skin had a bluish hue to it. "Ash, you're going hypothermic!" "Actually," he said weakly, a sardonic smile playing across his sapphire lips, "I think I'm just freezing to death. He coughed violently and looked up at Charizard. "You okay, Charizard?" The fire lizard was in total shock. After all it had done to this kid...broil him, slash him, bite him...this trainer was still willing to risk his life for it. Maybe it had been wrong about him all along. Charizard looked up at Articuno, hovering above them. It was time to make things right. It took off, sending a backblast of air rushing past Ash and Misty. Articuno tried to hit it with several Ice Beams, but it dodged them. Charizard's rage fueled it, making it stronger, more agile, and more powerful. It concentrated hard, focusing the flames from within, and let loose with a Fire Blast attack. The star of fire shot out of the lizard's mouth and sped towards Articuno at impossible speeds. It struck squarely on the mark before the Legendary Bird could dodge. The flames engulfed the bird, sending it crashing towards the ground. Charizard huffed at its downed opponent, then sped back towards its trainer...towards its friend. Misty scrambled back in fear as Charizard landed heavily on the ground. The fiery lizard drew in a breath, then spat flames onto Ash. "No!" Misty yelled in horror. Then she stopped; Charizard's flames weren't raging out of control, like they usually were. They were focused, never staying more than a moment on any part of Ash. Soon, the blue hue disappeared from his face. He moaned and sat up; he may not have been hypothermic anymore, but his system had received a fairly bad shock. "Ch-charizard?" He said weakly. His former fiery friend snorted. "Charizard, you saved us..." "Nothing can save you now, boy!" a shrieking voice from above cackled. "Your friend already gave us the eggs, twerps. I don't see Pikachu, but that full-grown Articuno will make a lovely parting gift!" They looked up; Team Rocket was looming above them in their Meowth balloon, smirking as they always did. They had Brock bound and gagged, tied to the outside of the balloon's basket. Jessie and James leapt from their air-headed vehicle down onto the ground. "To protect the world from devastation," Jessie began. "To unite all peoples within our nation," James wasn't far behind her, pulling out his trademark rose. "To denounce the evils of truth and love," "To extend our reach to the stars above." "Jessie!" She threw a Pok‚ball out, releasing Arbok. "James!" Her partner sent out Weezing. "Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" Their feline cohort leaned out of the balloon. "Meowth, that's right!" He unsheathed his claws and put the points under Brock's neck. "Better hand over that boid, or thing'll get ugly." He tore the gag off of Brock's mouth roughly. "Tell 'em, Rock Boy." Instead, Brock bit into Meowth's hand and tugged down, pulling Meowth out of the basket. Meowth yelped, dangling from Brock's mouth. Brock spit him out, sputtering around a mouthful of hair. The unlucky cat spiraled down to the ground, landing with a thud. Brock was still spitting out cat hair. "Hey Ash, Misty, you guys gonna get me down or what?" Ash staggered to his feet, pulling a Pok‚ball from his pocket. Misty helped him up, concerned. "Ash, are you insane? You nearly died, you can't battle now!" He shrugged her hand off and tossed her the Pok‚ball. "Here. Fly up and get Brock down." He stared grimly at Team Rocket, advancing on the fallen Articuno. "I'll handle those two." He started forward, but stumbled down onto the ground, landing hard. "Ash..." "I hate to bother you two, but I think I've had enough of hanging out with Team Rocket!" Brock hollered, annoyed. Team Rocket was drawing closer to Articuno, their Pok‚mon eager to battle such a badly wounded foe. In such a weakened state, even the Legendary Bird could not hope to defend itself. Ash clutched his ribs, groaning. Then he felt the ground disappear beneath his feet. He looked around wildly; Charizard had lifted him off of the dirt. It swung the wounded trainer around and placed him on its own leathery back, then began charging at Team Rocket. Misty blinked, amazed beyond comprehension. Then she tossed the Pok‚ball Ash had given her, releasing Pidgeot. "Okay Pidgeot, let's hit the skies!" She mounted the avian Pok‚mon and rode on its back as it carried her up to the balloon. Jessie toed the whimpering Articuno disgustedly. It was a mass of charred, mangled blue and white feathers. "This is almost too easy." She pulled out a Pok‚ball, intending to capture it with a flick of her wrist, when another Pok‚ball streaked in from behind them and struck Articuno. It converted to energy with a wash of white light then was sucked into the capture/containment device. Both James and Jessie stared, horrified, as the Pok‚ball's diode glowed bright red, then faded. The ball floated into the air and returned to Ash's hand. Ash, still on Charizard's back, made his victory 'V' with his fingers. "Ketchum one, Team Rocket zero." he bragged. "Get ready to change the scoreboard, twerp." James growled. "Weezing, Sludge attack." Ash's eyes narrowed. "Charizard, feel up to another Fire Blast?" Charizard roared in fury. Before either Arbok or Weezing could initiate any attacks, the flame lizard let loose another star of molten fire. It blasted into the pair of monsters, sending them flying back. Jessie and James were frightened beyond terror. They recalled Arbok and Weezing, then dead- sprinted across the field. "Sorry we couldn't stay, but we really must be going!" Jessie hollered. "We'll give the Boss your regards when we hand over the Articuno eggs!" James added. He grabbed Meowth from the cat's own self-made crater and grabbed onto a rope dangling from the balloon. Jessie followed suit. "One more time, Charizard!" Ash thrust a finger up at the balloon. Charizard drew in a large breath, then launched one last flaming star. It struck the balloon with explosive force, sending Team Rocket- "Blasting off again!" The trio flew over the horizon, winking out of sight. Ash hugged Charizard's neck and swung down onto the ground, standing unsteadily on his own two feet. Great job, Charizard!" he laughed. Then he saw the flock of Articuno dropping down after him; now that the battle seemed to be over, they were coming to collect their eggs, and their fallen comrade. "Oh Jeez, I forgot about the eggs!" He looked at the cloud of black smoke that comprised the remains of Team Rocket's aircraft. "Lucky for you, we didn't!" Misty and Brock swooped down from the sky riding Pidgeot. The Bird Pok‚mon landed clumsily from all the excess weight. Misty and Brock, each with an armload of eggs, dismounted. They ran up ahead and placed the eggs on the ground, then backed up slowly. The Articuno landed warily, expecting some sort of trick. They eyed Misty and Brock, then one by one they each picked up an egg in their beaks, then flew up high. The three friends squinted as the Articuno flew up into the stratosphere, towards the top of the mountain, returning to their lair. Ash tossed his freshly used Pok‚ball up experimentally. "I guess they won't be wanting this back." he said with a grin. He made another 'V'. "I got Articuno!" * * * Pikachu sighed contently, perched on Ash's shoulder once more. There wasn't a feeling in the world that could beat the one a Pok‚mon felt right after it had been discharged from the Pok‚center. Ash sighed, equally content. He himself had been discharged from the hospital for severe burns, frostbite and internal system shock a few hours before. "Well Pikachu, how do you feel?" His comrade 'Pika'ed happily, giving his trainer a mousy grin. Misty and Brock walked back from the service counter, returning their own Pok‚mon to their respective belts. "You guys ready to jet?" Ash asked them. "Ready and rock-steady." Brock gave him a thumbs-up. "I'm all se-" Misty was cut off by a very familiar "Myster-ious!" She gritted her teeth and turned. Her parents were making their way through the crowd in the center. Her mother was still carrying that blasted Persian around. Ash and Brock backed up uncomfortably. "Uh, we'll be waiting over by the door, Misty." Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "Good luck." Brock said before they made a hasty retreat. "Oh, Mysterious, I'm glad we caught you before you left." her father said as he walked up to her. Her mother nodded. "Yes, there's something we needed to say-" "Look," Misty said uneasily, "I'm sorry I yelled at you. It wasn't right. But what I said was right. And-" "We agree wholeheartedly." her mother interrupted. "No, please, don't...Huh?" Misty's jaw went slack with surprise. Her father embraced her with a fierce bear hug, the kind he used to give her when she was a child. "You've made your decision, Mysterious...Misty." he said softly. "We may not approve," "But we understand." Her mother jumped in, "You're so very dear to us, Misty. It doesn't matter what you do, we'll always love you. And we're so proud of you." She blinked. "Proud?" "Ridiculously so." Her father nodded. He kissed her on the forehead. "Now hurry up, you don't want to keep your friends waiting." As Misty turned to leave, her mother added, "Oh, Misty, good luck with that Ash boy." "Ash? What?" Misty's mother gave her a knowing wink. "Oh, no, there's nothing between-" Her father rolled his eyes. "She follows the same boy around for five years, and she tries to tell us they're not involved." They chuckled and waved at Misty. "Don't forget to write! We'll want to know all about it!" * * * "So how'd things go with your parents?" Brock asked as they walked towards partially rebuilt airport. The sun had only partially risen, giving the sky a beautiful morning twilight. Misty frowned thoughtfully, then smiled. "It was sort of weird...but kind of nice, too." "They say anything important?" Ash asked her. He shifted Pikachu so the electric mouse's claws weren't digging into his shoulders so much. She glanced at Ash, remembering what her parents had said. "Oh, you know parents; they say all sorts of crazy, stupid things." She laughed lightly. Ash and Brock exchanged confused glances, then shrugged; sometimes it was best to just not ask. Together they walked into the sunset, ready for a new adventure. End Next- BadgeQuest #5 Of Souls and Spirits