Prologue

Misty blinked back tears. It was actually over. When she had left for the first time, she had known she would see them again. Now it was over for good. She would miss them so much. Brock, with his slitted eyes, his patience and knowledge about everything, the delicious smell of his cooking. May, the obstinate little 11-year-old co-ordinator, her red bandana, her love for everything delicious and her unmistakeably Ash-like determination. Max, with his high squeaky voice, his big ambitions and how he thought everyone was the greatest. And Ash. Misty's best friend in the world. He had come a long way. When she met him 4 years ago, he had been a headstrong, cocky, but good-hearted kid who thought he was going to catch every PokŽmon, win every battle, and be the World's Greatest PokŽmon Master. Now he was a smart, strong trainer with a strong sense of justice. A dreamer. Over-confident, as always. But he was still Misty's best friend, and always would be. Always would have been. Misty's eyes filled with tears and she muttered, "I never thought I'd have to say this again. You guys have been the greatest friends ever...but..." her voice broke and she let tears spill onto her cheeks. Rain began to pour from the grey sky and the boat gave a puff of smoke. It was going to leave soon. Misty looked around at them all and burst into hysteria. "I'll miss you so much," she cried, flinging her arms around a surprised Ash's neck, who eventually hugged her back. When she looked up, everything was blurred through the tears clouding her eyes. Rain was rolling down Ash's face, not deflected by his trademark cap. Or maybe it was something else. Max was crying too. "We'll see you again, won't we?" he asked urgently. Misty choked, wiping tears out of her eyes. She looked down at his earnest little face and couldn't bear to disappoint him. "Of course," she said quietly, trying to dislodge the enormous lump in her throat. She reached down and hugged the tiny little kid. She looked at May and Brock. Brock looked sadder than she'd ever seen him. May was speechless with shock and pain. Misty knew just how she felt. She smiled down at the younger trainer sadly, tears glistening in her cloudy blue eyes. "You never thought this day would come," she said softly. "Did you? I know. I felt the same way."

May burst into tears, and so did Misty. The two girls hugged each other and cried and promised to visit each other someday.

Then all that was left was Brock. "You've been amazing," said Misty, squeezing Brock's hand. He tried unsuccessfully to smile.

"You too."

The boat was leaving. Misty gasped and ran up the ramp, leaping on board as the boat picked up speed and the ramp ascended. Misty turned and looked back at the wharf, but she couldn't distinguish the four familar faces among all the other people there as the boat sped off. "Goodbye!" she called in a strangled voice, but the wind carried it away into the sea, fading away with the faces of the four people Misty valued most in the world.

It was a month since Misty left for Cerulean City. Brock was sad. He'd fallen in love with just about every girl he'd ever known, but not Misty. She was a good friend, and that was it. So he hadn't realised that Misty leaving would be such a blow to him. He'd grown used to her. The way she snapped at Ash, her obsession with water PokŽmon. The only solution he could think of was leaving for good as well. To completely blot it out of his life. He knew how badly it would affect the others, but he couldn't help it. He had to erase this whole thing. Then maybe it would just all go away.

"I'm staying here," he announced as Ash massaged his tired feet and May and Max cooed over the view of Pewter City. Max dropped the stick that was propping up the window and it slammed shut onto May's fingers. Ash looked as if he could've died of shock. "Wh-why?" asked a bewildered thirteen-year-old. Brock adopted a pained look, wondering how to explain it. "Since Misty left..." he began. "No. Now that I...no..." He looked at Ash pleadingly. Ash looked back at him, his normally joking, happy face left sad and serious, as it had been incessantly over the past month. "You want to make it all go away," said Ash quietly. "You wish things hadn't changed. You need to erase it." Brock stared at the younger boy.

"Yes," he said finally.

"It won't work," said Ash, his voice cracking. "It'll get worse." Brock didn't know what to say. He didn't have to, because Ash was still talking. "I've been brooding over the whole last month. It doesn't work."

"She didn't have to leave," said Max suddenly, and Brock felt a pang of sympathy for him.

"Yes, she did," said May, her voice shaking with restrained tears. "Cerulean City is under attack. There is a death threat on her sister, Max. She couldn't let it be. Team Rocket is taking over everywhere."

Brock dropped out of the conversation and climbed up to his bunk, pondering what his friend had said. Brock hated to admit it, but Ash was right about most things.

Brock woke up very suddenly. He soon realised why. The bunk was shaking. "Wake up," said a voice urgently. It was Ash. "Come on, Brock, this is important!"

It was still dark. Brock grunted. "More important than my beauty sleep?" he said stupidly, climbing down.

Then he saw Ash's face.

His friend was pale and shaking. His mouth was set in a tight line and his already messy hair was sticking up in all directions. Pikachu was nowhere to be found. Ash's eyes were looking at Brock, but they seemed to be staring straight through him in a blind terror. The building shook as a large explosion took place somewhere downstairs and shouts from outside penetrated the flimsy brick walls. "It's May," Ash croaked. "They've got May."

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