By: PikachuTrainer

Characters: Ash, Misty, and Brock. Oh, and the Pokemon of course!

Disclaimer: No, I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story. I wish I'd come up with such a good idea, but I did not. If this is similar to anyone else's work than it is unintentional. This story is mostly told from Ash's P.O.V. Now, on to the narrative...

"Ash, you know you only got that badge because the gym leader felt sorry for you!" Misty, a girl of about twelve years old wearing a yellow shirt, red suspenders, and jean shorts, spoke in an annoyingly knowing voice, "she couldn't stand the fact that you would be devastated if you had lost."

Ash, a boy of twelve with unruly black hair and a red and white Pokemon League cap on his head, snarled and turned around, anger marking his features, "I obtained this badge because of my superior skill as a Pokemon trainer. Something you can't even begin to understand, so stop harping on the subject!"

Misty sneered and shook her head prettily, though Ash tried not to dwell on that, "Oh yeah? If you're some awesome Pokemon trainer than why haven't you paid me back for my wrecked bike yet, Ash Ketchum?"

Brock, a boy of fifteen with spiky brown hair and squinted eyes, cut in, looking rather irked at the two trainers in front of him, "Children, will you let up? It's raining and we're going to need to find shelter soon so it would be helpful if you both would stop bickering and look out for a nice warm patch of forest or a cave. We're miles from the nearest Pokemon Center." Ash and Misty became quiet but continued glaring at each other in defiance. "This place looks pretty good." Brock stated in a satisfied tone and set down his camping gear and tent in a fairly dry patch of forest.

Ash set down his sleeping bag inside the tent and sat down, letting Pikachu outside of his backpack for some air. Misty and Brock were both trying to light a fire in the rain outside. Then he lay down, with his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling of the tent for a while. The anger in his eyes had been replaced with perplexity and a hint of stubbornness. "I can win badges by myself. I don't make the gym leaders feel sorry for me." His eyebrows lowered, "Why does she always have to start fighting?"

"Pikapi Pikachu?" Pikachu jumped on top of Ash's stomach gently and playfully punched him.

"Nah, I don't really feel like training right now, buddy. What I do feel like is showing Misty and Brock that I'm not just some kid who doesn't know what he's doing. They don't realize how hard it is. 'You wouldn't be this far if it wasn't for us, Ash,' 'You didn't earn those badges, they gave them to you,' 'Even your Pokemon feel sorry for you, Ash.' I'm sick of it! They wouldn't appreciate a real Pokemon Master if he walked right under their noses playing the tuba."

"Pika, cha." With a sympathetic air, Pikachu curled up by Ash's side and closed his eyes.

Ash scratched behind the electric mouse's ear and snorted in irritation. "Thanks, but that's not what I was thinking... You know, if I could just get away somehow they'd see just how bad they have it without me. They'd realize that they need me and then they would come crawling back to me pleading my forgiveness. Heck, I don't need Brock or Misty at all, they just slow me down." Determinedly he took off his cap and set it on the floor beside him, then yelped in alarm. The corner of the tent was steadily growing darker with a thick fog, the color a putrid mauve. In the center of the haze a bristly Pokemon emerged. It was the same shade as the fog but its eyes glowed ivory and its mouth was a maw of cavernous teeth and shadow. Two claws, disconnected from its body, floated in the air eerily beside it.

"All right," Ash yelled, "A Haunter! Go Pikach..." He was suddenly cut off by something completely unexpected.

"Are you the one who spoke the words?" It challenged, faint pupils showing sternness in its gravelly words.

"W..words?" "Pi Pika?"

"The words, 'If I could just get away somehow they'd see how bad they have it without me... I don't need them' Are you the one who spoke them?" It queried.

"Well, y..yes but how did you know? Just who are you?"

"Who I am is of little importance. I am here to ask you a question. Would you be willing to give up this life for a while to show your friends what the world would resemble without you in it?"

Pikachu shifted uncomfortably and tugged at Ash's sleeve, whimpering softly. Ash didn't notice, though, as his thoughts were abruptly whirring in his head at the revenge that had been offered to him. "You can do that?" He asked, his voice hopeful.

A smile tugged at the corner of the Haunter's mouth, giving it a gaping leer. "Of course."

Ash held tightly to pikachu as he felt the world fall around him; wind rushed by him in torrents and ripped at his hair and his clothes. Purple smog began to choke hiim, filling up his lungs with its viscous substance. With terror slowly dawning in his eyes Ash struggled to claw his way back to the tent, but he couldn't seem to find a grip on anything. Dizziness took its hold upon him and he felt the world darkening at the edges. Slowly, he sunk.

Then, with a gasp for air that there didn't seem to be enough of, Ash awoke. For a minute he sat where he was, disconcerted and feeling strangely, empty. Then his vision cleared and he gazed around him. His surroundings seemed to be no different than when he had left them, the tent with his and two other sleeping bags were situated just as they were before. The air was clear and smelled of freshly wet grass and pine trees. Relieved, Ash put his hand on the floor in front of him to push himself up, and sucked in his breath when it went straight through the ground. Panicking, he pulled it up and examined his slightly transparent hand.

Author's note: So, do you like my story so far? Sorry that it is a bit short, but it is only the first part. I'll try to get the next parts up soon. Anyhow, thanks for reading!