BadgeQuest

The Big Goodbye

Chapter 8

Add a Pinch of Evil…

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        Misty stood in the kitchen, doing two of the many things she had 
promised herself she would never do; she was baking, and she was doing it in 
Brock's frilly pink apron.

        Hunched over a cookbook at the kitchen counter, she used one hand to run 
a delicate finger across the page, following the recipe's cryptic instructions 
as best as she could. Her other arm circled lazily above a bowl, running one of 
Mrs. Ketchum's large, wooden spoons through a thick mass of brown goo. Dixie sat 
nearby at the kitchen table, with the far easier task of whipping together an 
icing. It had been Misty's idea to whip together a welcome-home cake for their 
returning hospital attendees, and the blond bombshell had reluctantly agreed, 
albeit wordlessly.

        'She's still not speaking to me…' Misty lamented silently, throwing a 
cup of beaten eggs into the mix and stirring sullenly. Dixie hadn't spoken to 
her since the incident between them hunting for Missingno, at least no more than 
necessary. Misty had tried starting up a couple of conversations while baking, 
but the foreigner had only grunted in response. 

        "So," Misty cleared her throat nervously as she dusted her hands clean, 
"I've been thinking about keeping the black." She tugged on one of her bangs, 
coating it in a thin sheen of white flour. "It makes me look gothic, doesn't 
it?"

        Dixie gave her a look that could curdle milk.

        Shivering from the cold shoulder, Misty felt her iron resolve set in. 
They needed to get this out of the way, right there and then. Brushing the rest 
of the ingredients into handprints on her apron, she pulled up a seat next to 
Dixie, resting on her elbows. "You know," Misty said, "You can be mad at me 
forever, but that doesn't change one simple fact."

        "What's that?" Dixie grunted.

        "Ash picked you."

        Dixie was silent for a moment, contemplating Misty's words. She blinked 
her luminous green eyes at the raven-haired redhead, who waited with bated 
breath. Then, as slowly as the dawning sun, her features began to soften. "You 
promise y'all ain't trying to steal him away from me?"

        "Dixie," Misty crossed her heart with a wan smile, "I've had almost 
seven years to take that road. We already tried it, and it didn't work out so 
well. Besides," she added, hiding the pain that the words really caused her, "I 
can tell he really likes you." When Dixie said nothing at this, Misty pressed 
her attack. "He gets this little gleam in his eye, kind of like a sparkle."

        "…really?"

        She could feel the temperature in the room dropping as Dixie spoke 
hesitantly, looking to her at last with those large, lustrous eyes. She could 
almost feel the ice breaking between them, and all it took was for her to break 
her own little heart. "Really truly," Misty assured her with a forced smile. 

        With that, the last of the tension in the room dissolved as the two 
girls began speaking again. They talked excitedly about the last two days' 
events, each expressing similar fear and worry about their little circle. Though 
Misty was annoyed that she was the one having to deal with Ash's girlfriend's 
insecurities, she decided that she could suck it up and take one for him, just 
this once. She just hoped he appreciated it.

        "Can I ask you something?" Dixie asked out of the blue.

        "Before you say anything," Misty assured her with a suave wink, "Yes, 
these are my natural eyes, and no, I don't swing that way."

        Laughing, Dixie managed another smile. She really had missed talking to 
Misty, and wasn't really angry at her for loving Ash. After all, she was guilty 
of the same, wasn't she? "No, not that…though I wonder what Ash would think of 
that..."

        "It's make Ash's head spin just to think about." Misty giggled.

        "What I wanted to ask was, how did you and Ash meet?"

        The question brought pause to Misty's good cheer. "Meet?"

        "You know," Dixie encouraged her, leaning forward. "When y'all-"

        "Yeah, I get the concept." Misty said quickly. She rose from her seat, 
retrieving a pan from the cupboard to put the cake batter in. "Why did you want 
to know that?"

        "Dunno. But I've been thinking about it." Dixie let loose with a wistful 
sigh, pulling her spoon from the now-thick frosting. "What was he like back 
then?"

        Misty considered the question for a moment. If anything, she should have 
been asking Ash about this. But then again, why ruin their first conversation in 
nearly two days? "He was…difficult." She decided at last. "Ash and I met just a 
few miles outside of Pallet Town, down by an old creek I was fishing out of…"

        * * *

        The atmosphere upstairs was far more depressing and dark, emanating from 
the room of the girls' topic of conversation. Ash lay on the top bunk of his 
bed, looking up at the ceiling, oblivious to the world and far beyond caring. 
His hand was wrapped around the baseball he had rescued from his father's secret 
stash, rolling it in his fingers absently. Pikachu lay at his feet, mirroring 
its trainer's mood. The Pokémon hadn't moved in hours, just like Ash. Together, 
they created nearly enough gloom to summon their own personal, localized storm 
cloud.

        "Hey, Ash!" Dexter sang from Ash's desktop, where the boy had discarded 
his mechanical wonders after their visit to the hospital. "Why don't we play a 
game?"

        Ash remained silent, his mind a million miles away.

        "Oh-kay…" Dexter drawled, muttering quietly to Gear. "Time to kick it up 
a notch."

        "Leave the boy alone, Dex." Gear hissed.

        She should have known better. "All right, Ash, gloomy time is over, fun 
time starts now!" Dexter pleaded loudly (actually, Dexter did 'everything' 
loudly), "You can't spend the rest of your life in bed, moping just because some 
nut in a mask and a spooky cloud-demon are running around making your life 
miserable, can we? Let's sing a song!"

        There was a pause, and then Ash spoke. "Pokédex: Initiate sleep mode, 
override auto-failsafe."

        There was a small cry of protest that died quickly as the Pokédex shut 
down, forced into an unwilling sleep. Ash rolled over without another word, 
returning to his silent pity party.

        "Well…" Gear said dryly, "Now that the peanut gallery is quiet…" Had 
Gear been a human, she would have regarded Ash with sadness and concern. As it 
was, she could only work with words and pauses, which she did with surprising 
mastery considering her relatively youthful age. "Ash, dear," she began, "We are 
all very concerned about you. You are not acting like yourself anymore."

        "…Pokégear," Ash muttered, "Initiate-"

        "Wait!" Gear cried desperately, "Please do not shut me off, Ash." Ash 
didn't speak further, allowing Gear to remain active for the moment. "Ash…You 
are not yourself anymore."

        "…Then who am I?"

        "I beg your pardon?"

        Ash Ketchum, destined savior of humanity, champion of the helpless, all 
around good guy with bright, shiny teeth, spat disgustedly at his sentient radio 
wrist-phone with a tone to scorch stone. "If I want to be miserable, I will. I 
have every right to be."

        Gear was silent, contemplating Ash's mumbled, venomous words. Finally, 
she said, "Fascinating." She sensed Ash wouldn't inquire further, so she pressed 
on, "Your response is not at all what I have come to expect from you, Ash."

        "Yeah," Ash said bitterly, "I've been getting that a lot lately."

        The device ran a brief examination, just to make sure. "A voice analysis 
indicates that you are indeed Ashlan T. Ketchum. However, all of the previous-"

        "I GET it, Gear, okay?" Ash snapped again, rolling over and glaring at 
the talkative device on his desk. "What do you want from me?"

        "Ash…" Gear murmured, almost sounding hurt. "We do not want anything 
from you. All of your friends and family, myself and Dexter included, are 
concerned about you. We only wish you to be happy."

        "Happy? That's a joke!" He rolled back over, snubbing her. He recalled a 
favorite phrase his parents used to tell him when he was little. "If wishes were 
fishes, we'd all be slapped by Magicarp." The bitterness began to well up inside 
of him, pouring from a deep pool that had no bottom. He had failed his mother, 
he had failed his friends… "All I ever wanted was to be a normal kid." he 
decided with a dismayed sigh. "All I ever wanted was to be-"

        "The greatest Pokémon Master?" The words cut him short, coming from the 
tiny, mysterious device. He listened in silence as she continued, "The best 
there ever was? Hasn't that always been your dream?"

        More silence.

        "Ash…I know I have not known you long. Not long at all, in fact. 
However, in that short time, you have shown me so much…You have taught me that 
humans, even with their short life spans and the limits of flesh, are capable of 
great things. Tremendous things. Bravery. Strength. Compassion…even towards 
forms of life you do not understand."

        Ash knew exactly who she was talking about with that last part. He 
rolled over, glancing down from his high horse of pity on the top bunk. "Gear…"

        "You saved me from deletion, Ash." Gear told him in no uncertain terms. 
"You have saved many people. I know firsthand, at least recently, that it has 
not been easy. From what I have heard," she said, "It has never been easy. So 
logically, one can assume that it will never get any easier."

        He hung on the edge of indecision, biting his lip. "I…Gear, I-"

        Something within Gear buzzed, overriding her stirring, compelling speech 
with an automatic program. It was an incoming signal, cellular in nature. Such a 
simple call only took Gear an instant to recognize and analyze. "Incoming call," 
she reported dutifully, her programming overriding her consciousness for a 
moment, "Narcissa, Giselle. Kanto Region, Pallet Zone."

        Ash jumped down, curiosity burning away at his own self-loathing. His 
socks slipped on the hardwood floors as he skidded towards the desk, bumping 
heavily into the corner. With a muttered curse, he picked Gear up and pressed 
the control to open the channel. Gear could have done so on her own, given the 
proper (and polite) request, but waited instead for Ash to be ready. "What do 
you want?"

        "Ash!" the terrified scream filtered through a haze of static. It was 
odd, hearing that tone of horror coming from something that usually sounded 
aloof and superior. "Oh God, Ash, I'm out in the hills, I found him!"

        "You WHAT?" Ash exploded into the tiny device, clutching it tightly in 
front of his face. "Missingno?!" 

        "No, you idiot, your mom! YES!" Her voice sniped. "I need help, I need 
you to come and…oh my God…"

        "Giselle?" A bloodcurdling scream split from Gear's speakers, followed 
by a hiss of static. "GISELLE!" The signal suddenly cut out, freeing Gear's 
mind. "Gear, where did that signal-"

        "Already traced the call, Ash." Gear told him. "She was right where she 
said she was. Pallet Hills, coordinates-"

        "Save it." Ash strapped her to his wrist. He picked up Dexter, thumbing 
the power switch. "Let's get ready to motor, guys."

        "You know," Dexter groused as he came to life, "I'm really tired of you 
just switching me-"

        "Later." Ash grabbed his coat and hat from the bedpost, throwing the 
garments on in a flash before strapping his Pokébelt to his waist. His full team 
was assembled; Charizard, Wartortle, Ivysaur, Pidgeot and Articuno. There was 
just one missing. "Pikachu."

        The lethargic mouse raised its head, still curled up on his sheets. 
"Pi?"

        "Let's go."

        Instantly, the mouse was at his side, a trail of sparks following his 
jagged tail as he zoomed to the floor. Ash started for the door, doggedly 
determined. Then he stopped, listening to the giggling, giddy voices downstairs. 
A pair of names whispered from his lips sent his mind spinning.

        "Ash, what is it?" Gear asked.

        "Yeah, c'mon!" Dexter, oblivious to Giselle's call, was more than a 
little irritated. "What's the sitch?"

        If he went downstairs, Misty and Dixie would want to know where he was 
going. And as sure as the sun would rise again, he wouldn't be able to lie to 
'both' of them face to face at the same time.

        "Hel-loooooo? Handheld genius computer to Ah-ash!" Dexter called.

        "Pi?"

        He wasn't about to involve them again, whether they liked it or not. He 
wasn't going to let his family down. He wouldn't let them be hurt again.

        A split second after he made the decision, his feet were already 
carrying him to the window. He knew the house like the back of his hand; there 
was a lattice right outside of his window that would lead him down to the 
ground, slick with rain though it was. He had used it a hundred times in his 
youth, sneaking out and in after hours without his parents' knowledge. He only 
prayed that it would hold his weight one last time. 

        "We're taking a different route." he told them, sliding the window open. 
Rain and wind poured in through the opening. Flashes of lightning painted 
ominous shadows onto his face as he squirmed outward, climbing out the window 
and gripping the lattice with strong, sure fingers. For the first time in days, 
he felt a strange calm coming over him as he climbed down. Pikachu, more nimble 
than its trainer, simply jumped the distance to the ground, landing with a wet 
squelch in several inches of mud which quickly stained its immaculate fur coat.

        An invisible tug caught Ash's heart as he reached the ground. Looking 
over, he caught sight of a warm light trickling out from the kitchen window. 
Greater warmth bathed him with invisible sensations as he stepped cautiously 
towards the window, ignoring the pounding drops of rain that beat against his 
clothes and hat. Without looking, he knew what the feeling was; Misty. He could 
feel her happiness stronger than anything, overpowering the gloom of the 
constant storm, stronger even than his own misery. He didn't understand how or 
why he knew, he just…'knew'. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

        "Stay safe," Ash murmured one last farewell, a smile ghosting onto his 
lips for an instant. "Both of you." With one last throb of his heart, he was 
gone into the night, gone to do battle.

        * * *

        "And then," Misty doubled over with laughter, clonking her forehead on 
the table. That only made Dixie laugh harder, sending both of them into peals of 
laughter that nearly toppled them. "And then he ran full-bore into me from 
around the corner!"

        "Wearing the-"

        "Wearing the blindfold!" Misty hooted, slapping the table. "I asked 
Brock about it after that. He said…" Misty was laughing so hard, she couldn't 
even speak. Her breath came in ragged gasps between bouts of fitful laughs.

        "What did Brock say?" Dixie answered between guffaws. "What on Earth was 
he doing walking around with-"

        "Hold on," Misty gasped, her face beet-red from laughing. "Hold on. 
Gimmie a second." She managed to calm down, recapturing her breath. Once she was 
ready, she continued with barely-restrained amusement. "Brock said he was going 
to let destiny pick the perfect date for him. He pointed himself at a big crowd 
and was going to walk blind until he bumped into someone."

        Dixie wiped away the tears her laughter had brought with it. "And he 
bumped into you?"

        "Yeah, but first…" Misty's resolve was starting to break down once more 
as laughter crept into the edges of her words. "First, he ended up walking like 
three blocks. Brock and Pikachu chased him through Main Street traffic before he 
slammed into me and they caught up!"

        "Are you serious?" Dixie gaped, resting her chin on her hands as she 
leaned on the table. "That's insane! Ash could have been killed or something."

        "Yeah," Misty chuckled, taking a quick peek at the cake to check on 
their baking endeavor. It was golden and delicious, so she pulled it from the 
oven and set it upon the table to frost. "But that's one of the great things 
about Ash. He was born under a lucky star."

        * * *

        Rain pelted against Ash's ancient aviator goggles, blurring the dark, 
murky world as it sped beneath him and his Poké-team. He and Pikachu rocketed 
through the air next to Pidgeot, held aloft by the Pokémon's mysterious Hidden 
Machine power of flight. Raising his wrist to his face, he shouted to be heard 
over the wind that roared around them as they traveled at near-Mach speeds. 
"Gear," he bellowed, "How far to the triangulation point?"

        "Approaching it now, Ash." 

        Gear's voice sounded normal, but was heavily amplified so that he could 
hear her. Dexter, however, opted to shout just as Ash had. Somehow, Dex always 
found the most irritating, obnoxious way of doing anything, even basic 
communication. "I'M SCANNING FOR ICKY THINGS, BOSS," he hollered, "BUT SO FAR 
ALL I'M PICKING UP IS-"

        "There!" Ash jabbed a finger downward. His sharp eyes had caught sight 
of a dark shape lying prone on a hillside. It could have been a trap set by 
Missingno, or it could have been Giselle, yet again the victim of the demon's 
attacks. They were too high up to tell. 

        Ash reached out, brushing Pidgeot's wing to attract the bird's 
attention. At Pidgeot's questioning glance, he pointed downward, using hand 
signals he had worked on with all of his Pokémon to warn the bird to be careful. 
With a trill in reply, Pidgeot angled itself in, taking its passengers with it. 
They circled the target as they descended, rapidly slowing in their dive until 
they were low enough and slow enough for Pidgeot to release them from the Fly 
technique.

        Ash tumbled to the ground, shoulder-rolling in the mud and coming up on 
his feet. Pikachu skidded to a halt next to him, kicking up a small wave of the 
gunk. Sparks flew from its cheeks in anticipation of the battle to come as 
Pidgeot took up flanking position on the other side of their trainer, wings 
poised to strike and eyes locked on the unmoving shape.

        His Pokédex was in his hand before he had finished standing, sending out 
invisible scans as Ash pulled the goggles from his eyes. He quickly twisted his 
reversed cap back around, bringing the bill to block some of the pounding, 
merciless raindrops that assaulted them all. "Dex?"

        "It's human." Dexter told Ash quickly, giving him a heat scan on the 
built-in display. "Female, age sixteen to twenty-two. Quite the looker, too. 
Wanna see the X-Ray? She's got great-"

        "That'll do, Dexter. That'll do." Ash said quickly, tucking him back in 
his pocket but leaving him active. "Keep an eye out for Missingno. He's close…I 
can feel him." It wasn't just an expression Ash was spouting; he felt a dark 
tingle at the base of his skull, the same one he had felt the first time 
Missingno lurked through the caverns of Mount Moon.

        "If Oogie Boogie's within a parsec of us, you'll be the first person to 
know about it, Ash." Dexter assured him from within his jacket.

        Ash approached the dark shape cautiously, his eyes quickly growing 
accustom to the dank light filtering through the storm clouds. As he drew within 
a few meters, it became obvious that the shape was indeed Giselle. Her dark hair 
pooled from the back of her poncho's hood, half-buried in mud that seeped around 
the edges of her body and covered most of her clothes. There could be no doubt 
that she was in trouble; the Giselle Ash knew would never allow herself to grow 
so mussed unless it were life-and-death. 

        "Giselle?" he called as he drew near, now more confident. "Are you all 
right?" Though she could have been hurt, he still moved with slow, cautious 
steps. Senses he never knew he had screamed at him, telling him that something 
was wrong. "Say something, Giselle. Please…" But try as he might, she would not 
wake up.

        * * *

        "You must know Ash inside and out by now," Dixie said wistfully, feeling 
another stab of envy attack her from within. She knew she had nothing to be 
jealous of, and yet…Ash and Misty had a bond that she might never have with him. 
It was the kind of bond that only a lifetime together could form.

        Misty, for her part, nodded with chagrin pooling on her face. "You could 
say that." she agreed readily, adding, "Though I don't know if that's a good 
thing."

        "Oh come on," Dixie snorted. "You've already admitted that you love him. 
Unless you're a great liar, and you think I have horrible taste in men."

        That drew a snorting laugh from the once-redhead. "Well, if you're going 
to make it personal," Misty drawled wryly.

        Leaning forward, Dixie pressed for more. "What do you like best about 
him?"

        Misty's eyebrows shot up. "Curious much?"

        "Just comparing notes."

        "Well," Misty said graciously, leaning back in thought, "There are a lot 
of things I like about Ash. For one thing," she ticked off on her fingers, "He 
always knows what to do, even when the chips are down."

        * * *

        Ash had no idea what to do. He leaned over Giselle's still form, 
grasping her gently at the shoulder and rolling her onto her back. Her delicate 
features were covered in mud, which the rain was already working at to wash 
away. A besides the filth, though, she appeared fine; her features were peaceful 
and serene, as if she were simply taking a nap.

        For a split-second, Ash wondered if he should call the paramedics. But 
no; they hadn't been able to do anything for her the first time, and had been 
just as clueless with Brock and his mother. Maybe that was what Missingno 
wanted…more victims to be drawn in. It was bad enough that he had led Ash all 
the way out here.

        He turned back to his battle-ready Pokémon, who were still a few strides 
away in case something bad went down. "Pikachu, Pidgeot," he said in his 
commanding tone, "Scout the area. Don't go far, and see if you can-"

        * * *

        "What else?"

        "Well," Misty smiled to herself as her walk down memory lane took her to 
happier times, "For another thing, you can't surprise him. It's annoying 
sometimes, but he's never caught with his pants down when you're in trouble."

        * * *

        The fist caught Ash completely off-guard, snapping his head around in 
mid-command so violently, his body had no choice to follow. He spun through the 
air before crashing back onto the cold, wet ground, lying in a heap. Stars 
exploded behind his eyes, matching the pain that was radiating from his chin. He 
distantly heard Pikachu cry out, and felt the ground tremble with approaching 
footsteps.

        When he finally managed to pull his face out of the mud, he looked over 
to where Giselle had been laying helplessly. She was helpless no more, sitting 
up and rubbing her fist. Her cold eyes were fixed on Ash, underscored by a wide, 
malicious grin. "Surprised, Disciple?" she asked melodiously.

        "Giselle?" Ash gaped in disbelief as the two combatants rose to their 
feet, one smiling wickedly, the other rubbing his jaw and more confused than 
anything. "What in blazes are you doing?"

        Her answer was to reach down to her own Pokébelt, ripping off a pair of 
red and white spheres. Thumbing the triggers, she hurled them past Ash, 
materializing a vicious Marowack and a Geodude. "Get the Pokémon. Knock them 
out." she commanded. 

        Instantly, the two Pokémon leapt forward, pairing off to use their 
elemental advantage to the fullest; Marowack began tossing its Bonemerang at 
Pidgeot, while Geodude barreled in on Pikachu. Pidgeot took to the air to avoid 
the vicious Ground attack, already sending waves of useless Gusts at the 
grounded, armored warrior. Pikachu was fairing equally as bad, sending waves of 
electricity ricocheting off of Geodude's rock hard, non-conductive exterior.

        "Have you gone off your nut?" Ash demanded, leaping forward to catch her 
wrists before she could call forth reinforcements. "Call them off!"

        She was silent in reply once more, catching him with a nasty right hook. 
This time, he was a little better prepared, but the blow still drove him back 
and sent his head spinning once more. Her boot dug deep into the pit of his 
stomach while he was off-balance, knocking the wind out of him. He fell to his 
knees, clutching the wound even as she wound up again for another kick.

        Blazing with anger, Ash managed to catch her kick just inches from his 
chin, clutching her leg as she struggled furiously. "Fine," he growled, rising 
to his feet with her foot still in hand, "We'll play twenty questions later." He 
yanked on the appendage, pulling her off her remaining foot and dumping her onto 
the ground. He should have pressed the attack, but the gentleman in him forced 
him to back off a bit to wait and see what she did.

        "Pika!" Pikachu shouted desperately from Geodude's grip. The living 
boulder had managed to grab hold of its tail, and was swinging it around at 
dizzying speeds. "Pi pi piiiiiii!"

        Ash glanced back at the situation, feeling Pikachu's and Pidgeot's 
desperation. His favorite mouse was close to passing out, and Pidgeot couldn't 
dodge Marowack's flying bone forever. "Guys," he shouted, "Switch places!"

        Their trainer silently urged them on, lending them all of his hope as 
the Pokémon sprang into action. With practiced precision and a power they had 
never displayed before, each of the Pokémon targeted it's partner's foe, 
launching a fierce attack; Pidgeot let loose with a blade of pure air, amplified 
by some of its own sharpened quills in a Razor Wind. The blow knocked Marowack 
back, forcing it to let its Pika-prisoner free. 

        Pikachu rolled to the ground, already mustering up electricity, which it 
blasted at Marowack. Though highly resistant to electric attacks, Pikachu 
summoned more power than it ever had before, more than enough to overpower the 
Ground type's natural defenses. Marowack was blown backwards, lighting up like a 
Christmas tree as the force of the attack drove it deep into a puddle of mud.

        There was no time to congratulate his winning team, as Giselle was 
already back up on her feet. She began reaching for another Pokéball, but Ash 
held his hand up, his other already hovering near the rest of his untapped team. 
"Don't." he said in a low, dangerous voice.

        She hesitated, then smiled. "No, I suppose that wouldn't work, would 
it?" She laughed, allowing her hands to drop to her sides. "You'd just pull 
another little sidekick out to stop them, wouldn't you? Maybe that Wartortle of 
yours, or that magnificent Charizard. They'll do you little good, anyway. I've 
already won."

        Ash froze, clueless as to what to do next. Just seconds before, he had 
been rushing off to rescue Giselle, and now, suddenly, she was attacking him? 
Nothing was adding up, and Ash was bad at math in the first place. "Giselle," he 
called, "What's the deal? We're on the same side, why are you-"

        "We're not on the same side yet, Disciple!" Giselle snarled, tossing 
back her poncho like a tattered plastic cape. Her features grew suspiciously 
content as she added, "But we soon will be. Just as soon as I absorb the rest of 
you, you'll all be working for me."

        Ash backed away a few steps, truly frightened by the diva's sudden 
transformation. "What are you talking…" His entire focus was on Giselle at the 
moment while his Pokémon guarded their fainted foes. Perhaps it was that reason 
that he finally noticed it; the dark tingle, the one that had been buzzing at 
the back of his skull for the past few days, was at last zeroed in on a target. 
It was as if this gigantic arrow had been hanging over Giselle, pointing down at 
her for the entire week, and he was just noticing it now. "Oh no." he whispered 
hoarsely.

        Her smile grew broader. "I do believe we have a winner!" she crowed, 
stepping in to match his backwards stumble. "Finally figuring it out, Disciple?"

        "It can't be…" Ash continued to shake his head, still moving backwards 
with awkward, shivering steps. "It's impossible. You…You…"

        He tripped over a small stone, falling flat on his back. Seizing the 
opportunity, Giselle closed the space between them with a quick gait, leaning 
over into his face. "Go on," she sneered, "Say it. We both know the truth now."

        His breath escaped as steam, puffing into her leering face as he spoke a 
single word. "Missingno."

        Giselle immediately snapped back, straightening as she made an obnoxious 
buzzing sound from the back of her throat. "Ehhhn! Wrong, Chosen Clown!" She 
paused, considering further. "Well, I suppose you're actually half-right. You 
see," she said with hands on hips, "I've been getting stronger since we met in 
the caves that served as my miserable prison for so many, many years."

        "I…I won't let you escape!" Ash shouted feebly, struggling to his feet. 
He called for his Pokémon, stammering and mud-soaked as he tried to square off 
against the demonic girl. "Pikachu, Pidgeot!"

        "Go ahead," Giselle waved him away with a scoff, snorting with 
amusement. "Tear this little vessel apart. You see, I'm not really here. Well, I 
am here, but I'm not. Actually, it's a little confusing." she admitted. Her tone 
was ridiculously casual, as if they were having a pleasant conversation over tea 
and crumpets.

        "Stop talking in riddles!" Ash screamed. "I've had ENOUGH riddles!"

        "Keep your pants on." She watched with a wary eye as Pikachu and Pidgeot 
both moved to flank Ash. Their beady eyes were trained on her, narrowed to mere 
slits. Both looked ready to pounce at the slightest indication of an attack from 
her. "See, I discovered a new trick, one that little Giselle wasn't aware of 
until it was too late. I found that when I drained a person of their life-
essence, I could leave a piece of myself behind." She gestured down to her body, 
curvaceous and dripping-wet in the pouring rain. "I could use the memories I 
kept from people to play-act as them convincingly, and no one was the wiser!" 
She guffawed, actually holding her belly for fear it would split. "I've had you 
hoodwinked this whole time, you little Goddess-Puppet!"

        Ash pondered the problem, processing this new tidbit of data. "Then that 
means…" His eyes widened with horror as he came to his second realization. "Oh 
my God…"

        "That's right, buckwheat." She crowed victoriously once more. "Your 
mommy and big brother?" She whispered just loud enough for him to hear, "They 
belong to me now."

        "You sick monster!" Ash rushed forward, raising his fists. Pikachu ran 
alongside him while Pidgeot remained behind, ready to cover any trickery the 
demon may pull off. Ash was blinded by rain and tears as he fell upon the 
Giselle-thing, raining down blows as he drove it into the mud and grass. "You 
monster!" he kept saying over and over, beating the would-be girl about the 
face. Each blow drove him crazier with anger and hate, welling up in his soul 
and pouring into his hands. "Why? Why did you bring me out here?" he screamed. 
"Did you want to gloat? You wanted to make my life even more miserable, is that 
it?"

        The beating paused as Giselle began laughing, coughing up a mixture of 
blood and mucus. She spat it onto Ash's chest contemptuously, chortling with a 
mouth of red and black. "No," she choked, her purple face serenely calm with 
silent amusement. "I needed you away so I could complete my collection."

        A pair of faces surfaced in Ash's mind as he reeled back, throwing 
himself off of Giselle's chest. She sat up on her elbows, laughing at him as his 
mind raced, his eyes becoming blank with dread. "The girls…" he said softly, 
scrabbling to his feet.

        "Your mother and that oaf should be coming home from the hospital just 
about now." Giselle cocked her head to the side, as if listening to something 
far off in the distance. "Yes…" she smirked, "There they are, at the door. Oh, 
and isn't this lovely? The girls baked a cake for me!"

        Ash wasn't listening anymore; he scooped Pikachu up into his arms, 
sprinting back at Pidgeot. His mouth moved, words came out, but he didn't even 
hear himself speaking. He felt himself being gripped by Pidgeot's amber power 
and whisked away into the air. His only thoughts were of the two girls who meant 
more to him than his own life.

        "You can't save them!" Giselle called up at him, laughing and coughing 
as she struggled to her feet. "And once we have you, the power of the 
Pokégoddess herself won't be far behind!"

* * *

        "But I guess the thing I love the most about Ash," Misty decided with a 
nod and a smile, "Is that no matter what, he'll never let you down-"

        The doorbell interrupted their discussion, followed by a key being put 
into the lock. The girls exchanged excited glances, looking down at the cake 
they had finished baking and frosting while they talked. "That must be them!" 
Dixie smiled.

        "Well," Misty hoisted the cake, "Let's give them a nice surprise to 
welcome them home!"

* * *

=To Be Continued=