Disclaimer: I own none of this…well the story line, but not the characters.

AN: Read the bottom one it’ll explain stuff

{} = Author notes

() = Pokemon talk

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Ash and Misty were now on their way. It was quiet; the only words spoken were on direction.

"Ash, what do you think wiaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!" The ground beneath Misty crumbled and she fell through.

"Misty are you ok?!" Ash yelled down to her.

"I think so, my ankle hurts really bad and I have a slight headache {slight, man I'm getting cheesy}, but other than that I'm fine."

"Do you think you can get out on your own?"

"No, it's like 20 ft down. Whoever set this doesn't want something to get out."

Ash didn't say anything for a while. He was trying to think of a way to get Misty out when something caught his eye. "Misty I'll be back in a few minutes, I think I figured a way to get you out."

"Ok, just hurry please."

Ash walked towards a bushy area as he said to himself, "Man she's gunna kill me after this. Pikachu go." He whispered. {Thought I forgot her didn't you. You're right I did ^_^;;;}

"Pika pikachu (finally fresh air.)" She said as she stretched.

"Sorry buddy. I need a favor, can you go talk to that Spinarack for me and ask if it can get Misty out of the whole for me."

"(Bug, Misty, let me think...HELLO! She'll kill you!)"

"I know, I know, but it's the only way that's quick enough to get her out. There isn't any other way unless I want to take forever."

"All right, but don't tell me I didn't warn you." Pikachu went to go talk to the Spinarack while Ash went to Misty.

"Misty please don't freak out, I know you hate bugs, but can you please get over that fear for now."

"Bu...bu... bugs. You're sending a BUG to get me! Are you crazy!" She yelled with panic in her voice.

"Listen, it's the only way out. Just try please." He begged.

"All right. I'll try."

Pikachu then came over with the Spinarack. Ash said to be careful as it climbed down. Ash and Pikachu started to get worried, for at least five minutes nothing could be heard. When all of a sudden, "AAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHH get it out of here please. Please get it out, I cant, god please Ash." She started to cry a little. Every time a bug goes near her all she can think of is what happened when she was little. Spinarack then scrambled up as quickly as possible with a terrified look on its face. The girl scared it so bad, it never heard of such a powerful screech attack.

"Ugh how are we going to get her out?" Ash sat there for five minutes trying to think of a way top get her out when Pikachu spoke up.

"(I GOT IT! Why don't you go down with Spinarack's web and get Misty your self!)"

"That's a great idea Pikachu! Thanks!"

"(That's what I'm here for. To think of things you don't. Which is like all the time.)"

"Hey! Oh wait I guess its true...oh well. Hey Misty I'll be down in a minute!"

"Ok!"

"Spinarack shoot your web down the hole and make it strong enough to hold two people."

"Spinar (Got it!)" Spinarack shot a thick string of its web down the hole. Ash then climbed down the hole to get Misty.

"Ok Mist, come on it wont hurt you."

"I don't ha...have to...to touch it do I?" She said as she tried to hide her fear.

"No, I'll carry you if you want."

"Good." She went towards Ash slowly, he grabbed her waist and she put her arms around his neck. He looked down at her to see her staring back at him; her fear of bugs didn't get better it only got worse. He smiled to reassure her and she smiled back. "All right Spinarack pull us up!" Misty buried her head into Ash's chest, she never told anyone, but she was also afraid of heights and this didn't help her at all.

"Misty we're out."

She looked up to se a pair of eyes staring at her curiously. "AAHHH Ash get it away, tell it to leave!" She yelled as she hid behind Ash.

"Sorry buddy, but my friend here isn't very fond of bugs, but thanks for your help." The Spinarack nodded its your welcome and scurried back home. He than turned to Misty, "Can you walk?"

"I think so." She started walking, limping slightly, to Ash she looked ok, but then she fell. "Ow...maybe not." Ash started to look through her bag and pulled out a Pokeball.

"Aha found it! Go Arcanine!"

"Arcanine (What's up)"

"Hey can you do us a favor and carry Misty on your back for a while. Until she feels better or until you can't carry her anymore?" Ash asked.

"Arca arca nine! (Sure, anything for my mistress!)"

"Thanks Ash." Misty said.

"No problem Mist." They started walking again and at a slightly slower pace.

"I wonder who set that trap, and if it was meant for us."

"Gggggrrrrrrrrr"

"What's wrong Arcawwwwoooooahh." Ash started to fall, but Arcanine grabbed him just in time. "Thanks."

"Ash, I think someone is trying to stop us from getting to the tower."

"Well it didn't work because I can see the tip of the tower right now."

"Well, well, well, it looks like they were smarter than we thought." A mysterious voice said from behind some bushes.

"Who are you?!?" Ash and Misty said at the same time.

"If you knew that answer we'd have to kill you, but since that's what we came here to do I guess you can see who the better trainer is, Ash." The two mysterious figures pulled the hoods off and revealed themselves.

"Gary/Richie!?!?!"

"Yep. Now that you know who we are we have to kill you." Gary sneered. Gary and

Richie pulled out two pokeballs and let their Pokemon go.

"Arcanine take Misty and get out of here. Go towards the tower and wait for me I'll catch up later." Arcanine nodded and started to take Misty away.

"But Ash..."

"Don't worry Mist, I can take care of myself."

"But..."

"Go!"

Misty knew Ash wouldn't change his mind so she nodded and said, "Be careful." Then she and Arcanine disappeared into the forest. Ash then turned around to Gary and Richie. "Ok, I don’t know what the problem is with the two of you, but prepare to lose." "You wish Ketchum."

"Pikachu, Umbreon go!"

"Machamp/Venasaur go!" Yelled Gary and Richie.

"Pikachu Dark Thunder!"

"Venasaur block it." Gary smirked. This is going to be quick, an electric against a grass, what a loser. Pikachu launched a big lightning blast towards Venasaur. Venasaur stood its ground and when the blast hit him he flew back a couple feet, dazed slightly.

"What! How!"

"Half dark type remember."

"Machamp low kick and double kick combined!" Richie yelled.

"Umbreon dodge and use quick attack." Umbreon dodged the attack. Pikachu was still paying attention to Venasaur to se Machamp coming straight for him.

"Pikachu watch out!" Ash yelled. Pikachu didn’t move in time and was slammed up against a tree. "Pikachu are you all right?"

"Pikachu (sorta)"

"Ok hang on, Umbreon dark thunder Venasaur and lightning gun on Machamp." Umbreon did as he was told and fainted both Pokemon.

"No way he’s stronger than we thought." Said Richie.

"Well since his Pokemon are tired let’s get him." Ash was taking care of Pikachu and was to busy taking care of her to see them coming. "Pika pi pika chu (Ash! Watch out!)" Ash turned his head to see Gary and Richie running straight for him with some shinny object in Gary's hand.

Gary and Richie stopped. Ash had disappeared. "Where’d he go?" Richie questioned.

"Right behind you." Gary couldn’t react fast enough and he was tossed into the tree behind him, and the knife slipped out of his hand. "So Gary tell me, what happened to you. About a couple weeks ago you were fine and nice and now all of a sudden you turn on me and try to kill me."

"Well Ash, since I lost to you before, I wanted to join the side I knew wasn’t gunna lose." Gary was stalling; Richie had gone to pick up the knife and was sneaking up on Ash. Gary was smiling the whole time, when Ash figured it out he turned around just as Richie swung the knife at him.

"Damn it! I should have known sooner or later you’d sink to his level." Ash said while he held his cheek where the knife had cut him. "I don’t want to do this, but…" Ash closed his eyes building up energy. Richie was to stunned to move, a purple aurora was building around Ash. Ash then opened his eyes and brought Gary and Richie into the air. "Now go back to wherever you came from and tell the jerk who’s doing this to shove it and he won’t ever get passed Ash Ketchum." He then threw them into a nearby lake. Ash then went to look for Misty.

"Ash! What happened to you?" Misty asked worriedly.

"Richie decided he wanted to slice things and cut me across the face. Don’t worry I’m fine." Ash looked at Arcanine it looked like it was going to drop on the spot. "Misty do you think you can walk?"

"Yeah sure." She recalled Arcanine and walked for a while. Ash could tell she was hurting, but didn’t say anything until she almost fell.

"Misty get on my back."

"Ash I can do this myself, I know how to walk."

"I’m sure you do, but until your ankle is better I don’t want you to walk."

"I’m fine ash."

"No you’re not."

"I’m not helpless."

"I never said you were."

"You implied it."

"No, I didn’t."

"Yes you did."

"Did not"

"Did too."

"Did not"

"Did too."

"Did not"

"Did too."

Ash got really frustrated and walked towards her and picked her up and put her over his shoulder. " I don’t care what you say or do, when you’re with me and you’re hurt you are not walking." He said in a demanding voice. She never heard him talk like that so she just nodded. At the same exact time Pikachu decided to come out of its Pokeball.

"Pika Pikachu (What's going on?)"

"Oh Ash decided I went to slow so he decided to carry me."

"Pika (sure he did.)" She said with a sly smile on her face.

"Misty, when did you start understanding Pikachu?"

"Huh? Oh! I never realized it, I guess when I came back, something happened and I can understand all my Pokemon and yours."

"Interesting."

They continued walking for another hour and were now at the front of the tower. {That rhymed ^_^}

"Misty call out Arcanine and tell it to scout out this place o we can stay here for the night."

"Arcanine check out the surrounding and make sure its safe to stay here for the night." Misty said as she called out Arcanine.

"Arcanine (All right.)"

"Ash why don’t we just go inside?"

"Because one, you need to keep off that ankle and we cant do much with you like this and two, its almost dark and we need rest, I’m sure you don’t want to risk sleeping in the tower do you."

"No, guess you’re right."

"Stay here and get our sleeping bags, I’ll go find some wood." Ash came back a few minutes later to see Misty asleep in her sleeping bag and Arcanine lying next to her. "Arcanine can you please light the fire." Arcanine nodded and did as it was told and then went back to sleep. Ash sat there for a couple minutes just staring at the two of them. I can’t believe she’s still here, the only one who has never left me all through our journeys. Maybe one day I’ll tell her, but not yet.

"Pikachu pika (Thinking ‘bout Misty again.)

"Yeah. Oh yeah! Better tell the gang what’s up." He suddenly said.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Hello?"

"Brock, its me Ash. I just wanted to let you know Misty and me are fine and we should be back in a day or two. I gotta go I need to tell Jennifer where we are."

"Who?"

"Oh yeah, uh, Hydra I need to tell Hydra where we are."

"Ok man. Thanks for lettin’ us know bye."

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Jennifer, it’s me Ash, Misty and I are at the tower, we’ll check the place tomorrow."

"Ok, anything else?"

"Yeah Gary and Richie showed up today. They weren’t themselves. You could tell in their eyes something was missing."

"All right I’ll look into it. See yea." She turned off the communicator and turned to Sabrina. "We’ve got a problem."

"Hmm." <The questioning type of hmm. >

"Seems as there are two evils now."

"Great, now we have a bigger problem, I hope Ash and Misty know how to handle this."

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All right people, this was probably the worst chapter in the history of my story. Sorry, I’m not that good at battle scenes, but I will ask someone to help me out so it will be better in the next chapters to come. This would have been out sooner, but my disk I saved it to messed up and lost my story so I had to do it all over again, but luckily the computer rescued it and I only had to type a couple parts over. Well thanks for readin’ and please review and tell me what you think!

-Misty Wildflower