Main characters: Ash: 18 Misty: 18 Brock: 23 Sandy: 15 Duplica: 18 May: 15 Max: 10 Dawn: 13 ½ Disclaimer: I don’t own Pokemon or any of its characters etc etc Fireworks, Part 5 for AshMist ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- “Staryu, finish it off with Rapid spin!” “Seedot, try to use Absorb!” Staryu slammed into Seedot and sent it flying, knocking it out. “Seedot, return!” called the trainer. He threw a handful of money in Staryu’s direction and ran off. “Ash, do you have to attract the attention of every trainer there is?? I can’t keep winning battles for you! Now my Pokemon need to rest!” Misty angrily stomped off towards the Pokemon Centre. They had gotten everything they needed at the Poke Mart and were on their way back to Brock’s house when Ash started talking to trainers along the road, who upon learning they had Pokemon demanded a battle. Misty still didn’t trust Ash to handle his Pokemon so she had to do all the work, and even though they had made good money, now they’d lose it if Ash got them into trouble with trainers again because Misty’s Pokemon were all too tired to do anything. So, they turned back towards the Pokemon Centre, meaning more wasted time and that they were now late for their next meal. Misty was feeling more and more worried. ‘Why do I keep doing it?’ she asked herself. ‘I have to make him like me again, but how could he when I’m back to being Little Miss Bitch every 10 minutes?’ She didn’t have an answer. She just knew she had to try harder. She was sure Ash was already smitten with her, but was it the same degree of passion and love that he’d confessed he had for her that night by the lake? Before the accident? No, it wasn’t, not by a long shot. Ash watched a range of emotions flash over Misty’s face as he followed her back down the road to town. He felt bad at making her angry. After all, he did owe her a lot. She helped to restore his memories, regardless of how little he knew, and he wanted to thank her. Well, actually he wanted a lot more, but he didn’t want to rush her. He knew he liked her, he could tell that’s what it was, but he had to make her like him back. How? Before he could come up with an answer, a young man stepped out onto the path in front of them, blocking their way. “You there! You have Pokemon, and I demand a battle!” Ash turned to Misty, knowing she would blame him for this and felt his chances with her slip further away. But he found that she wasn’t angry at him. Instead, she just shrugged and took out a pokeball. “Ok, fine, whatever. Go Politoed.” Politoed came out, looking worse for wear after a previous battle. The trainer paused. “THAT’S what you’ve got? It’s not even worth battling you! I’ll take some prize money now if you don’t mind.” He held out his hand, but Ash stepped in front of Misty. “No, I’ll battle you!” he said. Misty grabbed his good arm and turned him around. “What are you doing?!?” Ash smiled at her. “You’ve done great for me, but we can’t give up without SOME kind of fight. I’ll try.” She relaxed her grip on his arm and nodded, smiling. ‘How noble! How kind! Maybe I don’t have to try so hard after all.’ She thought as Ash turned back to face the trainer. The two trainers locked eyes. “Go Wingull!” cried the challenger. Misty’s heart leapt. ‘A water and flying type! Pikachu will knock the socks off it for sure!’ “Go Ash!” she cried out. Ash turned to Pikachu and smiled, pulling out a pokeball. Misty stopped jumping up and down. ‘What?’ “Hop off, Pikachu,” he said. Pikachu leapt to the ground, standing over near Misty, a downcast look on its face. ‘He’s not using Pikachu? But then…who…’ Ash threw out the pokeball. Misty gaped. ‘…no – freaking – way…’ Sure enough, there stood Tauros, its three tails whipping around. “Tackle attack!” Ash yelled. Tauros ran forward, charging at Wingull. The trainer smiled. “Wingull, take to the sky.” Tauros’ full body charge missed its mark as Wingull soared up above its horns. “Now Water Gun.” A powerful blast of icy water hurtled down to strike Tauros right between the eyes. “ASH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?” Misty screamed at him. “Tauros can’t attack a flying type! Why didn’t you use Pikachu???” but Ash didn’t seem to be listening. “Tauros, shake it off and circle it.” Tauros stalked around, watching Wingull every moment. “AAASH!!” called Misty again. “Tauros can’t fly! Call him back and use another Pokemon, quick!” but at that moment, Wingull opened up with a Quick Attack and Tauros was struck over and over. “AAAAASSHHH!!!!!” Misty wailed. She thought he was being so brave and all that, but now the whole thing’s gone to pot. Ash turned to face her. “Don’t worry, Misty. Watch this.” He waited for Wingull to make its move, then when it came close enough to charge again… “Tauros, HYPER BEAM!” --somewhere nearby…behind a tree, or something…geez I don’t know, use your imagination…-- A dark figure watched a battle between a useless trainer and another more skilled yet still equally useless trainer. It didn’t make much sense, how they could be so hopelessly lost when it came to Pokemon. Only one thing mattered. Winning. It didn’t matter HOW it was done, as long as it’s done. And with that in mind, the figure threw back her cape to reveal a transmitter with a button on it. She stepped back, shielding her face, and pressed it. The ground erupted with the force of a small bomb, sending Wingull, Tauros, Ash, Misty and the other trainer flying in all directions. Ash smacked into a tree, Misty landing beside him, as Tauros’ Hyper Beam fired directly at them. Misty’s eyes went wide in horror and she threw herself to the ground with Ash beside her as the beam of pure energy passed overhead, chewing through the tree. They sat up and stared behind them where the large trunk once stood, shaking slightly. “Well,” said Ash, “that was lucky!” at which point a falling branch smacked him on the head. He fell backwards seeing stars, as two figures appeared out of the smoke and dust. As if in a dream, he sat up, remembering… “HAHAHAHAHA Prepare for trouble!” “Make it double!” “To Protect the world from devastation.” “To Unite all peoples within our nation.” “To denounce the evil of truth and love,” ”To extend our reach to the stars above!” Ash thought he was dreaming, because he had heard this before, but couldn’t remember who was doing it, so it must have been a dream. ”Jessie!” ”James!” ‘Yes,’ Ash thought. ‘I’ve had this dream before…I know these words. Team Rocket, blast – ’ ” – off at the speed of light!” ”Surrender now or prepare to fight!” ”Meowth – ” ‘ – that’s right! Ahh, such a good dream.’ “Prepare to die, clowns!” ‘…err, that’s no dream…!’ Ash sat up straight like a bolt of lightning. There before him were three people and a Pokemon. one was draped in a black cape with a hood that shrouded his face. The other two were dressed in white, with red R’s on their chests: Jessie and James, Team Rocket. “I know you two!” he shouted. “Jessie, James! I remember you!!!” He jumped up past a gob-smacked Misty and ran over to hug them both. Jessie stuck out her tongue. “Eeearch, get off me, Now.” She pushed him to the ground. Misty ran over to help him up. James looked down at them. “What is with you, ruining our cool poses like that! You’re acting a lot weirder than normal.” Misty returned his look with a glare that could engrave metal. “He’s lost his memory, and its all because of Team Rocket!” She stood up, making the others back off as she took one hate-filled step towards them. “Woah, chill out, twerpette,” Jessie said, backing away nervously. “We…we won’t trouble you then. We’ll, just, go…” They tripped over themselves as she stomped closer, pulling out a pokeball from her belt. Then the figure in black stepped in front of them and threw his hood back – correction, HER hood back, and Misty gasped. “M-May?? Is it really you? My God! You’re ok!” she ran to hug May, who curtly thrust out her arm clutching a pokeball of her own. “Yes, it is I, May, the Rocket Elite! And I challenge you, Trainer, to a battle!” Misty’s face fell as she realized what was happening. “You – you don’t remember me?” She looked into May’s eyes pleadingly, hoping against hope that she had heard wrong. May looked back, seeing something in those cerulean eyes, not knowing quite what, until… “Ah. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!” She laughed, throwing her head back. “Yes, the young lover, and her, ahem, leading man!” she said, staring maliciously at Ash, sprawled like a child on the ground. “Is it nice, not knowing who you are? Is it good to be free of the burden this…BRAT…brings with her wherever she goes? How does it feel, girl? Seeing the one who robbed you of that romantic night of roses and fireworks and love…the one who enjoys what she sees now! Ahahahahaha!!!” Misty saw red. She raised her pokeball in line with May’s and stood rigid, fire blazing in her eyes. The fact that they were friends – and that May was obviously unhinged from the accident – was now lost to her, and was replaced by a burning desire to crush her head into a pebble-sized scrap and hurl it into the ocean. She was past anger. May had laughed about Ash losing all feeling of love for Misty, and now it would cost her. Misty didn’t loathe her, didn’t feel disgusted by her and wasn’t filled with fury over her. Misty hated her. “I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!” ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------- omg! Lol just a quick one today, but I’ll write more soon!