“Everyone thinks I did it, Mom.” Ash told his mother over the video phone. “I believe you sweetie. I know how much you love her.” Delia smiled at her son, a tear escaped her eye.

Less than a second afterwards she was pushed out of view by Ash’s father “You better have not done it, or your gonna be in big trouble Ash!” his father yelled at him. “I didn’t do it. And it’s gonna be proved in court.” Ash scratched his head.

“Good luck, Ash.” his mom blew him a kiss. “Thanks. And thank you Dad, for telling me to go after Misty those years ago.” Ash smiled at his dad. “Oh…your welcome.” his dad waved to his son and then Ash turned off the video phone.

Misty sat in a wheel chair, with the most dead face a person could have. It was quite awhile after the incident with the baseball bat. “It hurts me to see you like this, Mist.” Ash, pushing her around campus. “I’m gonna fix this. I’m gonna make everything ok again. The next life is gonna be sweet. You’ll see.” Misty still did not respond.

The two were in Misty’s room. Misty still in her wheel chair, while Ash sat on the bed, looking through his poke’dex. “Ah, here we are. If I can prevent this. Maybe I can prevent anyone from stopping us from being together.”

“Good luck…” Misty wished him. Ash read the entry. “I was in a movie where me and Misty and her sisters had to do something horrible. Mommy made me block out what happens next.”

Ash was in a basement now as a seven year old boy. “We’ll skip to the part after you save the girls. The part where you have to take turns kissing and being naked with each of them.” Misty’s uncle described.

“I don’t think so.” Ash glared at him. “Uh, I!-don’t think so. Now take off your clothes.” he ordered him. “No way!” Ash yelled, and ran off into another location of the basement.

“Come here you little brat.” Ron went after him. He caught up with Ash and turned him around in front of a desk. Ash slammed a hammer in Ron’s face, knocking him to the floor. Then he destroyed the camera with the hammer and threw it to the side.

“You little bastard! Your gonna pay for that!” Ron grabbed a hold of Ash. “Dad? Are you down here?” Starn asked, walking down the stairs. He spotted his dad, gripping Ash by the arms.

“What’s going on?” Starn asked, confused. “This little punk destroyed my camera! Now listen here. I’m kicking you, and your mother out of my house. And I forbid you from ever coming near my niece again you hear!” Ron yelled at Ash.

Ash opened his eyes, he was in a very large bed, inside a very large, very nice room. “Morning, Ash.” a beautiful girl lying next to him greeted. “And you are…?” Ash asked. “…Stop playing Ashton. It’s your girlfriend.” she smiled and kissed him on the lips.

Ash began having flashbacks course through his mind. “Ashton I’m so glad to see you!” a young Misty hugged a young Ash tightly. At seven years old. “You have to stop sneaking over. My uncle’s getting mad. And he hits me.” now a much mature looking Misty said worriedly, age fourteen. “But I wanna see you Misty.”

“Now we’re moving away. I told you Uncle Ron was telling the truth, Ashton.” Misty said, angry, but inside sad as can be. An image of Ash crying in on the bed in his room flashes.

“Ash is an incredible genius when it comes to Poke’mon competition. What will he do next?” an announcer announced over the speakers as Ash was now a man in his twenties on the battle field.

“Hi I’m Lilly Waterflower.” a woman shook Ash’s hand. “Ashton Ketchum.” Ash replied. A clip of the two making out on a couch flashes in his mind.

“Ashy, stop wasting time. You gotta get to work.” Lilly snapped him back into present with a kiss on his cheek. Ash immediately got out of bed and headed out the bedroom.

He began touring the house. Or mansion is more like it. It was huge. “Lilly, where’s Misty at?” Ash asked his assumed girlfriend when she came after him. “Are you talking about my sister?” Lilly asked.

“Yeah.” “She’s living in the ghetto, why?” Lilly replied. “…I’m going to work.” Ash finally said after taking a few seconds to think, and opened the front door.

“Without taking a shower?” Lilly asked. “Yes-bye.” Ash answered quickly and hopped into his Bentley. Lilly raised her eyebrow and shut the door.

Ash found Misty’s location in a phonebook at a pay phone and he was off to her place a second afterwards. He reached her neighborhood. It was a very bad location. Truly the ghetto. “I can’t believe Misty lives here.”

He parked on the side of a very cheap looking apartment complex and walked into a hallway of the building. There was a poor appearing man lying on the floor sleeping. He walked all the way to the end of the hall and found Misty’s door. He knocked three times.

“Can I help you?” Misty opened the door, and then looked down the hall. Ash saw her face was very dirty-like, and she had a scar on her right cheek. A big and ugly one. Her hair was also down, went just past her shoulders.

“Misty?” Ash asked, surprised to see the state she was in. “Ashton…? What are you doing here?” she squinted at him. “I wanted to come see you.” Ash smiled.

“Me? Why?” Misty continued squinting. “Cause I…I really care about you. I want to see what your up to. You’re my best friend.” Ash took his cap off.

“Aww…what a bunch of bull. Come on in.” Misty invited him inside and Ash walked in, hurt by her words. The place was a mess. Dirty floor and magazines and newspapers lying all around. Food left out. Misty went to her bed and plopped down on her back. “So, you still fucking my sister Mr. Big Shot?” Misty asked, lighting a cigarette.

“Uh…” Ash nervously “Sorry. I forgot your rich now. You have no sense of humor.” Misty blew the smoke out of her mouth. “Misty I’m sorry.” Ash apologized.

“For what? For sneaking over to my house all those years ago when my uncle threatened to beat me? And ultimately causing me to live like this?” Misty puffed and blew again.

“I…I can change this.” Ash wiped his eyes, filling with emotion. “What are you talking about?” Misty sat up on her bed, her legs crossed.

“I couldn’t tell you. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Ash looked down. “I hear that one all the time. Try me.” Misty lit her second cigarette though she was still on her first.

Around twenty five minutes later Ash had finished explaining about the poke’dex and time travel. “You’re right Ashton. I don’t believe you. Is that your pick up line? Is that how you got my sister to fall in love with you?” Misty asked, bitterly.

“No. you’re the only person I’ve told. And I’m never gonna tell another person, ever.” Ash looked down for about the hundredth time that period at Misty’s place.

“I heard that one before too.” Misty put out her third cigarette and threw it on the floor. “Then how would I know you prefer bacon to chocolate?” Ash looked into her eyes.

Misty shrugged her shoulders “Good guess.” “Ok. Well what about the fact that you think tentecruel are the cutest poke’emon? Or that when you have an orgasm your toes go numb?” Ash asked. Misty was speechless.

“And now no matter how perfect my life may be, it’s not enjoyable to know your living like this.” Ash looked away from her. “Yeah? Why the sudden change of heart?” Misty folded her arms.

“I’m gonna change your life. I’ll make sure your with a guy what can give you what you want.” Ash wiped developing tears from his eyes, and got up off the bed. “Good!” Misty shouted as Ash opened the door and headed out.

“Cause you aren’t giving it to me. Take a look around! Thanks for this shithole, and this carton of cigarettes. Well fuck you Ashton!” Misty threw the carton at the wall.

“Bye Mist.” Ash walked down the hall way. “Mist?” Misty raised her eyebrows.

Ash was back at his house, sitting on his bed. He had his poke’dex out. “If life with me is bad for Misty…then maybe life with someone else will work out better.” he thought.

He found an entry. “I met this jerk gym leader named Rudy. He really liked Misty.” Ash stopped and let a tear fall. “Goodbye Mist.” he began reading again “He was trying to steal my girl. I found out that Rudy wanted her to stay with him, but she said ‘no.” he finished.

He was now standing beside Misty on the beach. Tracy was boarded Lapras, along with Pikachu, waiting for them to get on. “Get on Ash, don’t we have to get a move on?” Misty ordered him.

“Wait Mist. Didn’t this Rudy guy ask you to stay with him?” Ash asked. “Uh…yeah…he did.” Misty shifted her eyes nervously.

“Why don’t you stay with him?” Ash asked. “I…I don’t know.” Misty continued shifting her eyes. “It seems like this guy really likes you.”

“Yeah.” Misty looked in the direction of Rudy off in the distance with the others. “I think you should stay with him.” Ash looked over at them. “What?” Misty raised her eye brows. “I don’t want you around anyways. I mean that! Go!” Ash pointed, staring at her with his angry eyes. He could see the confusion and fright in her eyes. “Go! Damn it!” Ash surprised Misty using language he hadn’t used in this point of his life.

“Oh…ok…fine then! I will!” Misty ran off to Rudy, crying her eyes out. “Bye Misty. I’ll miss you, and I love you.” he stood there pointing, another tear of his fell to the sandy beach.

Ash opened his eyes, and sat up from his lying position. He was lying on a pure wooden bed. He looked around him and saw other men sleeping on wooden beds. “Misty?” Ash asked.

“She’s not in here is she?” Tracy asked. Ash looked beside him to see Tracy lying there. “Ahh!” Ash scooted away from him. “She really got whipped bad last time she snuck over.” Tracy said.

“Huh?” Ash was confused, he then began seeing images in his head. “You’re not going anywhere!” Rudy yelled. His men grabbed a hold of Ash and Tracy “Let go!” Ash tried to fight his way out of their grip. “Ash!” Misty yelled for Ash, crying in the arms of Rudy.

“Take them to the camp.” Rudy ordered his men. “You son-of-a-bitch. You hear me? I’ll kill you!” Ash yelled, being taken away.

Ash was back on the uncomfortable bed. “Where are we?” Ash looked at Tracy. “The same place we’ve been for the past fourteen years.” Tracy responded. Then, a loud bell went off, and all the men woke up. They stretched and went outside, and began lining up.

“Come on Ash. Get in line.” Tracy waved at Ash, leaving the area. The two went outside and stood in line with the other men.

Ash saw across in the distance a line of girls behind a fence. He spotted Misty in the line. “Ok girls, role call.” Rudy began taking role, reading from a list.

“What the hell is going on?” Ash asked his friend. “Shut up Ash. If we’re caught talking they’ll shoot us.” Tracy whispered to him. Ash gulped.

Rudy came over to their side and began taking roll. “Well your all present and accounted for.” Rudy finished reading the list. The line of men took a deep sigh of relief. “Except for two men.” Rudy said, stopping in his tracks while walking away from the guys.

Every guy in line, except for Ash moaned a horrible and angry moan. “The men missing are Gary Oak and Bryan Anderson.” Rudy said, not turning around to face them. “Mori, pick a man to die in place of Gary.” Rudy told his sister, standing next to him.

“I hate Conan.” Mori pointed at the guy. Rudy’s men grabbed Conan and put a blindfold around him. “No. please don’t.” Conan panicked. Then Ash heard a gun shot coming from Misty’s side of the fence and looked over immediately.

Then…Rudy pulled out a gun and pointed it at the bent over Conan. “Goodbye fucker.” Rudy shot him in the head. “Holy shit! What’s wrong with you!” Ash yelled in his fright.

Rudy then pointed his gun at Ash and shot him in the left foot. “Son-of-a-bitch!” Ash fell to the floor, holding his foot in agony. “It’s been awhile since I shot you Ash. What’s it been…? Four years? What’s up with you today?” Rudy asked, bending down to speak with him.

“Mori. Choose another.” Rudy said, stepping away from Ash, whose still in pain. Rudy then cocked his gun. “I’m tired of Ash. He’s not a fun boy toy anymore.” Mori told her brother.

The men grabbed Ash and placed a blindfold around him, and pushed him down on his knees. “Wait a minute. No. I’ve gotta find my poke’dex.” Ash began panicked. “Too bad. There’s a bunch of made up shit in there anyways.” Rudy fired the gun.

“Ahh!” Ash screamed and flinched. “I wanted you to hear a shot first, and then cock the gun in your face before I kill you.” Rudy laughed evil like. “I have to tell Misty that I love her.” Ash bit his lip afterwards.

“A little late Ash. The gun wants to tell you it’s in love with you. Love kills.” Rudy said, cocking the gun. Ash tensed up. Rudy put his finger on the trigger.

“Wait! don’t kill my man, Ash!” the voice of a being up on the rough of the sleeping pin was heard. Everyone looked upwards and saw Bryan standing there, looking down, pointing at Ash.

“What the hell are you doing up there?” Rudy used his hand to shade his eyes of the sun while looking up towards Bryan. “I slept up here last night. All the guys stink, sir.” Bryan explained.

“Well too bad, Bryan. I’m killing Ash anyways. Your next.” Rudy pointed the gun from Ash to Bryan and back to Ash. “Doooooont!” Bryan screamed, jumping off the rough to protect Ash.

He landed face first on the ground beside Ash and Rudy. Rudy, his mean, and Mori began cracking up. “Oh Bryan, your too funny. I’ll free Ash.” Rudy took the blindfold off of Ash, stood him up, and pushed him into the line with the other men.

“Thank you, sir.” Bryan stood up, and placed a hand behind his head. Rudy smiled…then he lifted his gun upwards and fired it at Bryan’s head, blood splattered everywhere, including Ash’s shirt. Ash let out a soft scream, in shock could not do much.

Ash is in the kitchen now, washing dishes with Tracy. “Tracy? Where’s my poke’dex?” Ash asked, continuing to wash. “It’s in the house. I think all our stuff is being stored in one of the bedrooms.” Tracy responded, not looking at Ash.

“I’ve gotta get my poke’dex. If I can get it, I can get us out of here.” Ash said. “How?” Tracy asked, the two stopped doing their work.

“Trust me.” Ash told him. “Ok, if you KNOW it can free us, I’ll help you attain it.” Tracy gave him a reassuring smile. “Thanks.” Ash smiled back.

“So are we in a poke’mon trainer’s slave trade or something?” Ash asked. “Of course. You’ve been acting so weird today.” Tracy went back to doing dishes.

That night, Ash stood at the fence separating the men and the women. He stood there waiting for a certain woman to appear. Then he saw her. It was Misty, and she was taking out the trash to a dumpster not too far from the fence. Ash waited for her to throw away what she needed to throw away before calling her.

“Misty…” Ash called for her, but softly. “Ash? What are you doing over here? Get back to work.” Misty pointed behind him, while walking up to the fence.

“Fuck work. I want to see you.” Ash tried his hardest to keep his emotions from making him bang the fence with his fists. “They’ll kill us if we’re seen together again.” Misty said nervously, keeping lookout, constantly watching every inch in view.

“You call this together? There’s a fucking fence in between us. And besides, it’s worth it.” Ash said, as close to the fence as one can be. Misty walked closer towards him where her fingers and Ash’s became intertwined through the chain link fence.

“This place is disgusting. You know how we’re not allowed to breed here? Well Cindy had a baby boy a couple days ago. She had kept him hidden…but Mo, one of the slave masters heard him crying yesterday.” Misty became misty eyed.

“Mo pushed clothing out of the way, which was on top of the baby. Cindy went to go protect him. Mo said he’d let her live. But she refused to let her baby be killed. So then she spit in his face. The baby continued crying louder and louder. He put the baby in Cindy’s arms and then shot her in the head.” Misty began crying. Ash squeezed her fingers as tight as he could for comfort purposes.

“And then he shot the baby, while still in his dead mother’s arms on the floor.” Misty tried wiping her tears away. Ash also had tears dripping.

“Ash…we need to get out of here. We can’t spend our entire lives in this place. We’ve already spent fourteen years of our lives here.” Misty looked away from him, a couple tear drops rolled down her cheeks.

“I’m working on an escape plan.” Ash tried to reassure her. “Howse it going?” Misty looked back at him. “If I can just get my poke’dex I could get-” “Stop!” Misty interrupted him.

“Enough of the poke’dex shit Ash! Last time you tried to get it Rudy cut off one of your toes.” Misty said, obviously upset in her tone. Ash starred at her with the widest eyes he’s ever had.

“Let’s work on a real plan.” Misty became cooled, looking into Ash’s eyes with sad eyes. “Trust me Misty. I know what I’m talking about.” Ash put his face right against the face so his nose was sticking through an opening.

A tear fell from the right side of Misty’s chin. “I’ve trusted you for fourteen years. But now I realize your as crazy as Rudy.” Misty turned away, and began walking to her arranged sleeping area.

“Misty…” Ash called after her, still stuck up against the fence. She turned around and walked back towards him. She put her face against the fence and found his lips with hers and kissed him for a few seconds.

She stepped backwards a couple steps. “I just don’t want to die without tasting your lips.” she turned around, and walked away. Ash’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m saving you.”

Ash lied on his bed, wide awake, starring at the ceiling. “Tracy?” Ash asked. “What?” Tracy softly replied, his eyes still closed. “When are we gonna try and get my poke’dex?” Ash rolled over to look at Tracy.

“When are you gonna learn Ash?” Tracy turned to face him “I only told you I was gonna help you so you’d be quiet and we don’t get in trouble.”

“What?” Ash sat up in his bed, not taking his glare off Tracy. “There’s no way in the men’s or the woman’s slave prison I’d ever help you. I’m gonna get out a different way. A way that works.” Tracy turned back around. Ash couldn’t believe his friend was acting this way.

The next day, before noon, Ash and Tracy are back washing dishes. After much silence, Ash threw a plate against the wall in frustration and it shattered. “Calm down Ash and do the work.” Tracy began scrubbing harder. “Fuck you!” Ash got down and sat against the wall.

Then Tracy noticed something going on outside and ran up to the window. Ash followed him. They saw a scatter of slaves running, and guards retrieving them. “I think some of the slaves are trying to escape.” Tracy said, and went back to doing the dishes.

Ash and Tracy were both standing by Misty now. All the men and women were together in a cluster starring ahead at some men standing in a line. Rudy stood in between the two.

“Two men have managed to escape from this island. Thirteen other men have now been inspired by their escape. So now these men will all die today. And you slaves will all watch. There will be no more escape attempts in this camp…there will be no more escape attempts in this camp!” Rudy yelled in the face of one of the men.

Ash and Misty took each other’s hands on instinct, not even looking at each other. “Now you thirteen men, will each select another slave to die with you. Twenty six will die today.” Rudy announced. The slaves and the men were stunned silent.

“Well go…go select your partner in death.” Rudy motioned for them to do so with his hands. They just stood there, some with their eyes closed, some crying. “I said go select a person to die with you!” Rudy yelled.

“We wont do it. We will never do it.” one of the thirteen said. Rudy walked all the way around the line of men until he was on the opposite side he’d been a moment ago.

“This is simple math…if you thirteen men do not select thirteen people to die with you…

…then I will select…fifty.” he faced away from them. Everyone became more shocked. “So thirteen…or fifty…?” Rudy still faced away. The men continued standing. Ash couldn’t believe a word Rudy had spoken…

(To Be Continued…)