Chapter Nine: Conclusive 
 
You show me how to see 
That nothing is whole and nothing is broken 
-Utada Hikaru 
 
	 
	There was a red rubber ball being tossed between two kids across the 
street. Gary leaned his back against the wall of the gym and watched them for 
awhile. The sight of the ball bouncing against the pavement brought up bitter 
memories. 
 
He had a similar toy once when he was younger. It had been years since he 
last played with it. Too many painful memories soaked into its rubbery skin. 
And yet Gary forced himself to stare at the ball and think of them.  
 
The screeching of tires and someone's screams filled his younger ears. They 
weren't Ash's screams. Cause Ash was too busy, standing there, preparing to 
die. And that awful red ball was still just rolling slowly across the 
pavement. 
 
Gary gave a start when the hidden door to his left finally opened. Gary slid 
behind the tall bushes and watched as a man exited, ready to welcome Misty 
into the gym. The door was exactly where Misty supposed it would be.  
 
Good girl, Gary thought with a smile.  
 
Gary didn't give it time to close. He slid in as soon as the other man was 
clear. The guard didn't even know he was there.  
 
The door snapped shut and locked Gary into a corridor of darkness. Fumbling 
blindly, Gary made his way down the hall. This is where the plan depended on 
him. It was one thing for Misty to get into the gym. It was quite another for 
Gary to navigate behind the scenes so that she would get her deserved 
audience with Giovanni.  
 
Eventually darkness gave way to a pale yellow light. It flickered down from 
badly worn down florescent lights in the ceiling.  
 
The hall was surprisingly empty. No wonder Ash had been so easily kidnapped, 
thought Gary. What happened to those impressionable guards clad in armor at 
the gates? Or the hoards of grunts that used to traffic these halls? What 
exactly happened to the criminal empire that Gary knew used to be behind this 
walls? What had he been so afraid of those years before? His imagination?   
 
He kept expecting Pokemon to be watching him from the shadows. Immoral 
Pokemon. Ones that just shouldn't exist at all. Mutant Pokemon, parts of 
other Pokemon sticking out like growths from their backs, different unmatched 
eyes in their stretched eye sockets, and each mouth filled to its capacity 
with fangs.  Each one with every intent to see intruders (or perhaps just 
everyone) suffer.  
 
Gary thought of the psychic Pokemon from his nightmares and shuddered. Now 
there was an evil Pokemon- its face and all its intentions hidden behind a 
impenetrable metal armor. He kept seeing it in the corner of his mind. 
Laughing quietly as it lay back into the recesses of his memory- just waiting 
for the chance to jump out and replay the events of the past so it could 
finish what it had started.  
 
The hall eventually led Gary to a few rooms of unnecessary worth. A few 
locked down weapon closets. One or two Pokemon storage facilities, that Gary 
quickly scanned for any sign of the evil Pokemon. Fortunately nothing unusual 
met his eye. Each one was fantastically equipped with the latest transporting 
technology and of course the old design of too small cages and not enough 
poke feed pellets to go around.  
 
Seeing the poor state of the Pokemon in Giovanni's care made Gary sick. He 
wanted to break in and pull a vigilante. But he also knew that Misty needed 
him. Not to mention the waiting security system Giovanni had to have on these 
storage rooms. He could rail Giovanni later about the treatment of his 
Pokemon.  
 
Finally, Gary struck gold. There was a ladder just short of one of the 
storage facilities. It hung a bit above his head though Gary could just touch 
the first bar when standing on his tiptoes. It looked like it led up to the 
upper levels- its stiles disappearing into the shadows above. Gary took a 
daring jump and managed to wrench himself up onto the first rung. With the 
swing of his lower body, he pulled himself up so that his feet rested on the 
bottom bar.  
 
This was rather easy. Almost too easy, Gary thought as he quickly climbed up 
to the balcony above. He relinquished the worry when other more pressing 
thoughts came to his attention. Like how to sneak up on Giovanni without his 
Persian reacting... 
 
 
 
 
 
Misty frowned when Gary landed a perfectly aimed kick into the Persian's 
side. It wasn't illegal to touch another person's Pokemon, but most people 
considered it a unspoken taboo. Especially in such a violent manner. So, of 
course, she could not fully condone Gary's actions. But this was neither the 
time or place.  
 
And Misty knew he wouldn't have hurt the Pokemon at all if it hadn't posed a 
threat.  
 
	"Tell your Pokemon to back down," snapped Gary lifting his leg to kick 
the snarling cat again should it leap at his ankle again.  
 
	"Why?" 
 
Gary pushed the gun harder into Giovanni's lower back. It seemed there was no 
other reason necessary. 
 
	"Persian." 
 
The Pokemon stopped, looking piteously up at its master not unlike a little 
child caught doing something wrong. And Giovanni gave no further order.  
 
Gary sighed. The gym leader had his Pokemon well disciplined... or rather 
well scared. He didn't have to look to know that Persian would not be jumping 
at him anymore. The Pokemon had retreated underneath the armchair and curled 
up into the smallest ball it could possibly be.  
 
"So what did I do to earn this unexpected pleasure?" said Giovanni without 
holding back any of his irritation. "I must say I am getting tired of being 
ambushed in my own gym."  
 
He cast his eyes down at the redhead below and smiled wryly. "Don't tell me 
this is some sort of half ass rescue attempt? I hate to have to put a damper 
on the moment, but you've made a mistake. I have nothing to do with your 
friend's kidnapping."  
 
	"We didn't think you did," snapped Misty. "We just know you know more 
than you've been letting on. And you're as good a place to start as anywhere 
else. After all- the ransom letter was left to you." 
 
	"That means," Gary smiled over Giovanni's shoulder. "... there's 
something you are not telling us."  
 
Giovanni ground his teeth and then tossed his head arrogantly. "So what do 
you want? If you think you can bully me into saying anything, you're sadly 
mistaken."  
 
	"I'm challenging you."  
 
Giovanni squinted down at the red head once more. She was clutching onto one 
of her poke balls very tightly. Her stare was unrelentingly... and for a 
moment he might have thought she was his son. She had a lot of Ash's fire to 
her.  
 
	"I'm challenging you to a battle. If you win, you can call the police- 
your guards- have us arrested for assault. Whatever you wish."  
 
Gary hesitated, his eyes wavering uncertainly from Misty and his captive. It 
was evident he was perhaps not filled in with all the details.  
 
Giovanni grinned with sharp teeth. "I like that idea."  
 
	"But if I win," interrupted Misty fiercely. "You will do everything in 
your power to help us save Ash."  
 
There was a silence that rang with Misty's demand. Giovanni knew he had 
little choice but to accept the deal. And should he lose, then he'd just have 
to throw in another lie or two to hide his relation to the boy.  
 
But it would probably come out. Big secrets had a way of doing so. Giovanni 
looked absentmindedly down at Misty again. His somber expression startled 
her. But he didn't let his ill thoughts cloud his decision. After all, it was 
the gym leader's job to accept all challengers.  
 
	"It's a terrible bet. To think you could get your friend here to force 
me into telling you everything right now... or I that could've called the 
police already."  
 
Giovanni plucked a cell phone out of his jacket pocket. His hand had been on 
the receiver. Before Gary could make any lunge for it, Giovanni dropped the 
phone over the balcony. It crashed heavily onto the floor below. Both Gary 
and Misty sagged with visible relief.  
 
	"I accept your challenge."  
 
The gym leader reached for his pokebelt but Gary caught his hand. Giovanni 
met the boy's glare with one of his own. 
 
	"I think I will find it hard to battle without my Pokemon, boy."  
 
	"Three on three," said Gary ignoring Giovanni's bitter retort. "No 
funny business. I'll check them. Just to make sure you don't cheat." 
 
	"I think this is hardly fair. This is between me and the young lady."  
 
	"You're the leader of criminal organization." 
 
	"Former leader of said recently disbanded criminal organization."  
 
	"Regardless," snapped Gary motioned with his free hand for the belt. 
"You can't be trusted."  
 
Seeing that he wasn't going to win, Giovanni unbuckled his pokebelt and 
handed it over to the boy. Gary inspected each of the red and white balls 
with careful almost hesitant scrutiny.  
 
	"Hm. Expecting the pokeballs to bite, perhaps?"  
 
Gary scowled and thrust the pokebelt back into Giovanni's hands, careful not 
to take the gun off him.  
 
Calmly, Giovanni picked three pokeballs out of the bunch and let the rest 
fall into the armchair. He clicked the pokeballs between his fingers as he 
continued, "I promise not to sick my old favorite on the girl- if that's what 
you were worried about. I'm afraid I lost track of it soon after our little 
bout."  
 
	"You lost that... that thing?" spat Gary, gripping the pistol tightly 
in both hands.  
 
	"Regrettably," said Giovanni nonchalantly. "Do be sure not to shoot me 
in the middle of the match. I'd hate another interruption."  
 
And then, sweeping Gary to one side, he addressed his opponent again, "Shall 
we?" 
 
Misty's only response was the click of her pokeball as it grew to normal size 
in her waiting palm. Giovanni grinned. He was going to enjoy this.  
 
	"I'll warn you now. I went easy on your friend earlier. I will not do 
the same for you, little girl."  
 
	"Wasn't asking for it. Go Vaporeon!" Misty sent the pokeball spinning 
through the air, tossing out her beautiful mermaid beast. It landed in a low 
crouch with its back arched and tail erect- waiting.  
 
Gary watched, a smile betraying his thoughts. So Misty evolved her after all. 
 
Giovanni caught the look and twisted the small pokeballs around in his hands 
for a moment, contemplating. Then at last he stuffed two of the pokeballs 
into his jacket pocket and threw the third hard against the gym floor. It 
cracked open like an egg and spilled out a huge ferocious purple horned 
monster that towered over the little Vaporeon. Nidoking managed a toothy grin 
that the littler Pokemon did not return.  
 
'You're an awful small snack.' said the Nidoking. 'I think I'll still be 
hungry after swallowing you whole.' 
 
Vaporeon swayed its tail angrily. 'Just try it ugly.'  
 
The guard stood to one side, casting uncertain glances from his boss and back 
to the young girl he had brought in. Even seeing Giovanni throwing out his 
own pokeball in response, Stephan was still somewhat at a loss of how to call 
it. Was this a real battle? 
 
Figuring that it probably was, Stephan took a few steps back so that he was 
safely beyond the chalked out boundaries.  
 
Lifting his un-slung arm, Stephan did as he was trained in these rare non-
team rocket moments and played referee.  
 
"Trainer... um-" He glanced at Misty earning a swift glare in return, 
"Girl... versus the reigning Viridian Gym Leader. Three on three battle to 
the knock out. Battle... start!"  
 
And the girl wasted no time. Immediately Misty swung out her arm and shouted 
her first order, "Quick attack!"  
 
Vaporeon lunged at the giant purple armored Pokemon. Giovanni snapped his 
fingers. At the same instant the sound reached the Nidoking's ears, the 
monster slammed its body weight against the floor. 
 
Misty and the referee fell back- rocketed by the explosion beneath their 
feet. Even Gary stumbled slightly, grabbing hold of the railing to catch 
himself. Concrete slabs leapt up from where the monster dropped.  
 
Luckily Vaporeon had anticipated such a retaliation. She pressed off the 
floor the instant before impact. Shrapnel stabbed at her unprotected body as 
she dove straight back into Nidoking's back. Vaporeon delivered a clean blow 
to the back of the Pokemon's spine between two armored plates. Nidoking let 
out a roar of displeasure. 
 
"Vaporeon, aurora beam!" 
 
Vaporeon fell back between the bladed spikes along Nidoking's spinal cord and 
delivered a charged beam into the spot of her last attack. The colorful blast 
cracked the armor along sides the Nidoking's shoulder blades. For a second, 
Misty saw the whites of the Pokemon's eyes, suffering from the blinding pain 
of the double blow attack. 
 
Typically, Misty wouldn't be this ruthless. To cause so much intentional pain 
to a Pokemon was cruel. But this was for Ash. And even if her hands were 
shaking- even if she regretted every move, this was for Ash. 
 
Misty looked up at her opponent. Most trainers would be appalled by her 
tactics. Or at least upset at the condition of their Pokemon. Giovanni 
appeared particularly nonchalant.  
 
He played with ring on his finger for a moment before giving a soft uncaring 
command, "Bite it." 
 
Misty, temporarily distracted (and disgusted) by Giovanni, did not seem to 
hear what Giovanni had just said. Nor had she any idea that it was some sort 
of command. She realized too late. 
 
Nidoking twisted its head around and latched its large mouth around 
Vaporeon's middle. Vaporeon let out a cry of pain pried from Nidoking's back 
and pulled back to the front. Nidoking bore its large teeth into the Vaporeon 
body with every intent to bite the Pokemon in two.  
 
"Vaporeon!" Misty screamed.  
 
Vaporeon burst like a bubble being popped. Water poured out of Nidoking's 
mouth and fell with a sloppy splash against the broken gym floor. 
Disgruntled, the Nidoking stepped back.  
 
The puddle re-solidified into the bubble-jet Pokemon and Vaporeon stumbled 
forward onto her front legs, briefly coupled by exhaustion.  
 
"Hm. I forgot it could do that."  
 
"You almost killed my Pokemon!" shrieked Misty at the gym leader. "If that 
had been- if I had a different one out... your Pokemon would have bitten them 
in two!"  
 
"That is the idea of the attack, my dear," replied Giovanni earning a jab in 
the side from Gary. 
 
"Oi. Watch yourself, bastard."  
 
"I told her I wasn't going to play nice." 
 
"Gym leaders aren't supposed to kill their opponent's Pokemon," retorted 
Gary, flashing the gun as if Giovanni might have forgotten it. 
 
"But it does sometimes happen... accidentally."  
 
Gary made to smack Giovanni broadside with the gun but Misty's shout stopped 
him.  
 
"It's okay!" She glared back at Giovanni. "I'll just be more careful from now 
on."  
 
Gary gave the gym leader a glare of his own.  
 
Giovanni merely shrugged away the oppressive atmosphere, "You two challenged 
me. It's not my fault I don't like losing."  
 
"This is a gym battle. As a fellow gym leader I have to say your method is... 
unorthodox at best," snapped Misty. "Do you not even care when your Pokemon 
are injured? Your only defense is to have them hurt a Pokemon in an even more 
cruel way."  
 
"There's far more at stake here than a simple metallic badge. I hope now you 
realize that." 
 
Misty smiled. "You really don't want us to know why they came after you."  
 
Giovanni did not smile back. Instead he actually bellowed a command, 
"Nidoking, megahorn!"  
 
The horn on the monster's head began to turn and screech at a frightening 
pace. With each increasing twist the horn unscrewed from its head- growing 
longer and sharper. Vaporeon crouched and backed up with tail raised- waiting 
for her master's order.  
 
Misty laughed. So Giovanni did have something to hide. His actions proved it. 
For a former leader of a criminal organization, he really was a terrible 
liar. He reminded her of Ash. 
 
Misty shook her head. No, nothing like Ash. Giovanni is so not like Ash. 
 
"Vaporeon," called Misty just as the drill charged into the earth near her 
Pokemon. She thrust her pokeball out in front of her and shouted, "Return."  
 
Vaporeon glowed red, and in the instant which it should have been sucked back 
into the pokeball- the laser light turned and shot like a dart deep into the 
thick hide of the Nidoking.  
 
The mighty king toppled over, Vaporeon standing triumphant on its chest.  
 
Stephan called it, "Nidoking is no longer able to battle."  
 
Hand neatly placed on her hip, Misty smiled coy up at her opponent. Vaporeon 
mimicked the action, tail flashing.  
 
"Very good," said Giovanni returning Nidoking. Vaporeon landed skillfully on 
her feet as the matter beneath her was sucked back into a container. "You 
certainly are a gym leader. You handle your type quite well."  
 
"I would've accepted the compliment if I wanted one from you," retorted Misty 
haughtily.  
 
"I can see what he saw in you," then quickly before Misty could respond, 
Giovanni threw out another pokeball. It erupted out three tiny brown puppet 
looking Pokemon. They were a considerable change from the monster that was 
Nidoking- but not really a bad one. 
 
Vaporeon relaxed as Dugtrio chirped a polite howdy-do.  
 
'I'm fine, thank you.' 
 
'That's good then,' replied the Dugtrio in complete unison. 'We would have 
hated to battle if you weren't feeling well. It just wouldn't be fair.' 
 
Vaporeon made a face. 'You're pretty friendly aren't you? Are you sure you're 
a rocket-dan Pokemon?' 
 
"Toxic," said Giovanni suddenly, interrupting the Pokemon's conversation.  
 
'Right'o boss,' responded the little Pokemon. It worked up the bile in its 
mouths and spat out at the Vaporeon.  
 
"Dodge!" shouted Misty in vain. The toxic caught Vaporeon, who hadn't yet 
anticipated the fight, directly in the face. The fish finned Pokemon stumbled 
back, pawing at its injury.  
 
Misty knew that toxic would eventually take its toil on her Pokemon. She also 
knew had no antidotes, not having the foresight to bring any Pokemon items 
with her.  
 
She had already glanced through Ash's Pokemon supplies. He too had been 
running low on everything. Antidote was one of those things you don't 
normally think of restocking when potions were more important and cheaper. 
 
"Vaporeon fall back! Use aqua ring," Misty ordered.  
 
Vaporeon stumbled back to her master's front. She gently released a bubble of 
water around herself. The white magic rinsed off as much of the toxicants as 
it could and healed her wounds from the previous fight.  
 
It would only buy them time but Misty had two others that could finish the 
job Vaporeon started. 
 
Misty pulled Magicarp's pokeball from her bell and gently slid it into her 
back pocket. She really did not need another Psyduck incident in such an 
important battle.  
 
"Earthquake." 
 
Misty nearly fell to her knees. She caught herself with her hand, and pushed 
herself back to her shaking legs. Vaporeon stumbled but the magnitude was 
minor. It did little to unsettle her.  
 
	"Vaporeon, hydro pump!" 
 
Vaporeon complied. A volley of water parted the protective orb around 
Vaporeon and slammed hard into the threesome. The force ripped the Pokemon 
back through the concrete and into the balcony. Giovanni and Gary lurched 
with the impact, catching the railing to steady themselves.  
 
Reluctantly, Stephan raised his arm, "Dugtrio is out of bounds. Round goes to 
Vaporeon."  
 
With a snap of his wrist, Dugtrio was returned. Although he was left to his 
last Pokemon, Giovanni didn't seem overly concerned. The last pokeball was 
between his index and middle fingers waiting to be released.  
 
"I'll have to apologize for not being frank with you, miss."  
 
Misty blinked.  
 
Vaporeon too, looked up at the gym leader. She was on the brink of 
exhaustion. The toxins had worked into Vaporeon's system making her bleed 
water from her pores.  
 
Vaporeons only expelled water in attacks.  They did not sweat unless there 
was something wrong.  
 
Giovanni didn't know what else Misty had in her arsenal. But he was sure he 
could take out all the Pokemon with this powerhouse. It couldn't replace 
Mewtwo but it wasn't his favorite new Pokemon for nothing.  
 
	"What do you mean?"  
 
	"I mean that I have not been taking you seriously. So consider yourself 
now- taken seriously." 
 
He tossed the pokeball high. In its arched decent it spat out a large winged 
Pokemon. Misty felt herself shudder at the sight of it. Its screech pierced 
deeper into her than any projectile. A dinosaur, a fossilized Pokemon. She 
hated these things worse than ghosts. They were like zombies- creatures that 
should have long since been dead.  
 
The Aerodactyl bared its gleaming sharp teeth down at Vaporeon as if already 
anticipating ripping into the Pokemon's flesh. Vaporeon, still slightly 
delirious by the poison, flinched.  
 
Giovanni snapped and the Aerodactyl went into a nose dive. It slammed into 
Vaporeon, sending it through a tumble across the gym floor. Misty called over 
and over again for attacks or dodging but Vaporeon was just too exhausted.  
 
After being flung around, Vaporeon finally collapsed at her master's feet. 
Misty rushed to her Pokemon's aid. Her skin was moist and clammy, her 
breathing labored- but she'd be fine once Misty was able to get her to a 
Pokemon center. Her only chance of overcoming the poison would be in the 
pokeball- where the poisons advancement slowed considerably more so than in 
battle.  
 
"Aerodactyl advances!" shouted the referee as Misty recalled her Pokemon. It 
seemed he was relieved to be finally calling one in his boss's favor.  
 
Misty thumbed through her remaining Pokemon. Torchic was a bit unreliable 
when it came to frightening opponents, still being very much a child in 
mentality. Seadra was pretty useless in fights without a water field. 
Magicarp was useless in general. That only left Starmie and Golduck.  
 
Golduck, once evolved, became very similar to that of Ash's Charizard with 
its new personality. Although Misty had been ecstatic about its evolution she 
quickly and painfully realized that she had not been ready to handle the 
psychic Pokemon. It was unrelenting, stubborn and disobedient.  
 
She spent a lot of her time recently trying to find experts that might help 
her explain the violent change that had overtaken her Pokemon. In Ash's case 
it was simply a lack of understanding. But for Misty, a skilled gym leader, 
it was rather unlikely that she wasn't skilled enough to handle a Golduck.  
 
Finally after a reluctant but overall desperate meeting with Saffron City's 
gym leader, Misty discovered exactly why the Pokemon refused to listen.  
 
Sabrina was an imposing figure. After all, the last time Misty had been there 
the gym leader had turned her and Brock into dolls with her psychic powers. 
This time though, Sabrina had been cheerful and almost unnervingly pleasant. 
Seemed that Haunters could work miracles.  
 
"It's because you're female," explained Sabrina looking up after thoroughly 
examining the bill and eyes of Misty's Pokemon.  
 
"Excuse me?"  
 
	"I mean that in the best possible way. Women make stronger psychics 
trainers but the also have the hardest time starting out."  
 
	"I- I don't understand." 
 
	Sabrina smiled, cocking her head slightly as if she found it hard to 
believe someone didn't understand something she found so simple. Her 
expression irritated Misty. 
 
"It's your thoughts, really. Women are skilled multi-taskers. Our thoughts 
are complex, processing many things at once. In battle, that gives us an 
edge. How to think about dodging while attacking at the same time. We think 
ahead of our actions. We anticipate consequences. But with psychic Pokemon 
this could cause confusion. Imagine hearing thousands of contradicting voices 
at once. This is what a psychic Pokemon hears in a human girl's mind."  
 
"But- but I have a psychic Pokemon already. My Starmie."  
 
"How long have you owned this Starmie?"  
 
"Oh. I don't know. Since before I can remember. It was a present... from my 
mother..."  
 
"And how did your psyduck behave before he evolved?" 
 
"He was pretty useless unless you bonked him on the head a few times," 
confessed Misty. 
 
"Your Starmie has learned to understand you. It probably took you awhile as a 
child to even start battling, yes?" Sabrina didn't wait for a response. 
Misty's meek expression told all, "You've lost the patience- and it will 
quite a deal more before a Pokemon like Golduck can hear and obey you. 
Especially if it was hopeless in its pre-evolution state."  
 
When Misty looked dejected, Sabrina continued, "Don't feel discouraged. Your 
Pokemon will be dependable in time. But as with any powerful Pokemon, those 
trainers who are not ready to handle the power- suffer. Remember that."  
 
Practice, Sabrina had said. Practice in clearing her mind and directing her 
thoughts. Practice safely. Well, she hadn't the time. She went to the 
Viridian Gym only day or two later. And now look at the mess she was in. 
 
With Ash's life hanging in the balance, there was no way she could start now.  
 
Misty grabbed Starmie's pokeball and put all her hopes into it. Please 
please! Don't let me have to rely on Golduck.  
 
	"Go Starmie!"  
 
The jeweled Pokemon spun outwards like a shuriken, body slamming into the 
flying Aerodactyl. Both Pokemon plummeted hard into the gym floor. Aerodactyl 
recovered first. It lashed out- biting ferociously into the tough hide of the 
Starmie and tossing it across the field.  
 
It caught itself in midair, gonged and spun its second star angrily.  
 
	"Starmie, use thunder!"  
 
Aerodactyl had little time to recover before being struck by tens of 
thousands or so volts of electricity. Aerodactyl shook off the attack like 
water and took the skies again with a shriek.  
 
	"That's impossible. Flying types are weak against electricity." 
 
	"But Aerodactyl is also a rock type, my dear." Misty cringed. Giovanni 
always used my dear when he was trying to piss her off. And it was starting 
to annoy. "And rock type a pretty impervious to electric moves."  
 
	"Aerodactyl," continued Giovanni cockily. "Whirlwind." 
 
	"Starmie hydro pump!"  
 
The Aerodactyl flapped its huge wings that shot air down like a tornado. It 
sliced through the water attack and picked up the Pokemon and flung it 
against the opposite gym wall.  
 
The tornado over took Misty- trapping her in a wall of slicing wind. Bits of 
concrete from the broken gym floor sliced at her exposed skin. Ash's hat 
escaped and flew away from her reaching fingertips. 
 
Misty covered herself, peering between her arms and through the heavy winds 
at the field. She couldn't hear the call but she knew it mattered little. 
That attack had not only sent Starmie out of bounds- it also knocked it out. 
She only had one Pokemon left.  
 
Panic began its race against her heart. The walls of the slicing winds were 
pressing in on her.  
 
Normally it was against the rules for an opponent to attack a trainer. But 
Giovanni had already proven that he cared little for rules.  
 
He wouldn't kill her. But that didn't mean he wasn't planning on making her 
sweat a little.  
 
She could just see Gary threatening Giovanni with the gun. But she knew it 
would be useless. He wasn't scared of them. He never had been. Those other 
people were who Giovanni was scared of.   
 
Misty sucked in a few more mouthfuls of air. She was losing oxygen and fading 
fast. He just wants to make me pass out, Misty thought against her panicking 
heart. He won't really kill me.  
 
What now. What now, Misty thought desperately. Gary's depending on me. Ash is 
depending on me... I can't lose. I can't. I won't.  
 
Her hand trembled over Golduck's pokeball. Did it matter? She would lose if 
she didn't pick a Pokemon. But... But this was Golduck. The last time she 
tried to use it... 
 
It turned against her.  
 
She still remembered the pain- as the Pokemon used its psychic attack on her. 
Like her brain was suffocating- exploding... breaking apart slowly in her 
hands. It would have killed her if her sisters hadn't come to her aid. The 
trainer she was battling against quit Pokemon training then and there. Even 
when her sisters tried to give him the cerulean badge.  
 
"What that Pokemon did to you..." said the young boy in tears at her bedside. 
"I have an Abra. I'm going to release it now... I can't possibly- not if it 
could do that to me."  
 
I should release mine too, Misty had thought. This Pokemon is dangerous.  
 
Misty bit hard into her lip. A piece of stone cut into her arm. The pain was 
sharp. Her hand closed into a tight fist that she brought back up to her 
lips. Tears stung at her eyes. All she had to do was reach and she couldn't 
bear to. 
 
	"Forgive me. I'm afraid... Ash."  
 
	"No no. You're doing it all wrong," he had once said, five years 
earlier. 
 
They were training. Water against Electric. Psyduck versus Pikachu. His 
backyard was their field with boundaries marked by the white picket fence he 
had recently painted. 
 
Ash stood in front of her with fingers, hands and arms still covered in white 
paint. His precious black shirt had paint flecks. He even had a few white 
streaks on his face and in his hair. He resembled a poorly striped zebra. 
 
	"I'm holding a pokeball, Ash. There's no right or wrong way to hold a 
pokeball," snapped Misty back rather crossly, still a bit bitter about being 
tricked into an unfair fight.  
 
	"Yes there is," responded Ash. "Look." 
 
He abandoned his place at Pikachu's side and came up behind Misty. She made a 
move to face him, but he caught her arm and forced her to face front, "No- 
look ahead Misty." 
 
She could still smell the paint on him. Her heart beat wildly as he held her, 
tenderly positioning her in what he considered the right way to release a 
pokeball.  
 
	"Pokemon read body language. You need to show resolve. If you are 
uncertain- your Pokemon will be uncertain too," Ash spoke softly into her 
ear.  
 
Her hand in his own, she could feel his soft skin and rough patches of paint 
underneath her fingertips. Her face went hot. Misty had a hard time resisting 
him. How could she show resolve when she bothered by his touch? 
 
He lifted her arm with his and twisted her hand up with the release button 
facing Pikachu. "Let your Pokemon know," He said. "Exactly what you want."  
 
To save you.  
 
"Exactly what... do I want?"  
 
Ash grinned broadly from over her shoulder, "To win, of course." 
 
Misty thought of him now. Imagining that hot summer day and how it felt with 
his body pressed against her back. How she lifted her arm with him as her 
guide. And he was her guide now. 
 
The wind whistling in her ears and tossing her red hair across her face, 
Misty ripped Golduck's pokeball from her belt.  
 
Even if it kills me, thought Misty. I will not let you slip through my 
fingers again, Ash Ketchum. 
 
With the last of her air supply, Misty bellowed out her Pokemon's name. She 
pressed the button hard against her palm releasing the Pokemon directly into 
her arms.  
 
She didn't have to say anything. Golduck had heard her. The winds instantly 
broke apart at Golduck's presence. Its eyes glowed a second time and in 
response Aerodactyl fell hard against the stadium floor- disable crushing its 
wings.  
 
It let out a pathetic cry as an oppressive aura lifted it and slammed it hard 
against the floor again and again and again.  
 
Misty watched with certain satisfaction, her eyes following its body as it 
was crushed repetitively against the floor. There were cracks that were 
gritty like the earth. Each time the Pokemon was lifted it hung limp, 
dripping of fluids as if it had been duck into a red lake. And she dropped it 
again. 
 
Until Gary's voice cut through her thoughts.  
 
"Stop Misty!"  
 
Not stop Golduck. Stop Misty.  
 
Misty let go of Golduck. A sickening dizzyingly sensation overcame her and 
she fell heavily to her knees. The instant she did so- Golduck's attack 
ceased. But it was too late. The Aerodactyl lay awkwardly on broken slabs of 
jagged concrete, bloody and beaten.  
 
Reluctantly, Stephan approached the Pokemon. But he needn't touch it to know. 
Its jaw was broken and its legs and wings were crushed- the bones in its legs 
had poked through its leathery flesh. The Pokemon was very much dead.  
 
	"I don't know how to call this, sir," Stephan called nervously, after a 
moment, up at his gym leader.  
 
	"Misty is the winner," said Giovanni cautiously. He looked over at his 
opponent. She appeared vacant, her eyes not yet seeing the damage she had 
caused. Then her shoulders were starting to shake. And tears fell without her 
notice.  
 
	"You might wanna go help your friend," said Giovanni to the young man 
at his side. "She's going into shock."  
 
Gary hesitated. Torn between keeping his gun trained on Giovanni and helping 
his friend.  
 
As if reading his thoughts, Giovanni said, "I'm not going anywhere."  
 
Gary decided to take his word for it. But before he could move, someone beat 
him to Misty.  
 
Giovanni and Gary looked on in bewilderment as someone gently pulled 
Golduck's pokeball from Misty's hands. The dangerous Pokemon retreated 
obediently in a flash of red. It retracted into its smaller size in her 
hands. She slipped the pokeball tightly into the folds of Ash's retrieved 
hat. 
 
Then tenderly, Delia took Misty up in her arms. Misty buried herself into the 
woman's embrace and wept bitterly.  
 
"Shh. It's alright now," said Delia running her hands soothingly through the 
girl's red hair. "The battle's over." 
 
Delia looked up at them. Gary recoiled at the fierce glare. It took him a 
moment to realize that it wasn't meant for him at all. Her eyes had met with 
Giovanni's.  
 
	"John," she said. "Where's Ash?"  
 
 
To Be Continued... 
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