BadgeQuest

The Big Goodbye

=Part 6=

…In The Rain

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        Misty sat in the exact same spot Brock had, doing exactly what he had 
been doing that very morning. The album was opened across her lap as she flipped 
back and forth between the pages, entranced by Ash's past. There were dozens of 
pictures; some of them had his parents, some were of Flint and the mysterious 
uncle. A few of them even had Professor Oak in them, grinning for the happy 
couple out of sight behind the camera.

        A small, red backpack lay at her side, its contents heaved across the 
rest of the couch. She had torn apart the pack to produce several of her own 
pictures. With a few snapshots in hand, she couldn't help but note the 
similarity between the previous generation's adventurers and her own group of 
friends. She wondered where they would be in ten years. Hopefully, she thought 
with a touch of sadness, We won't be scattered to the winds like these guys.

        The door squealed open and shut, letting a cold draft race through the 
house. She snapped the album closed, turning on the couch just in time to see 
Ash lead a small gaggle in through the entryway. Her face brightened as she 
caught sight of Richie standing near the back, with Dixie hovering close to him. 
As quickly as it had come, though, her features darkened as Giselle's timeless 
sneer appeared.

        "We're back!" Ash shouted to the household, wringing out his cap on the 
hardwood floor before slapping it back onto his soggy head. The effort was 
rendered useless as Pikachu shook out its own share of the storm outside, 
sending water cascading across the hallway walls. "And we have company!" 
Quickly, Ash caught sight of Misty and crossed the room, leaning down close. 
"We've got problems."

        "You mean besides our usual bunch?" She rose and pushed Ash out of the 
way, snagging Richie in a bone-crushing hug. "Richie!"

        "You must be Mis-ugh!" Richie's breath was evacuated before he could 
finish. His voice was replaced by several loud pops as Misty inadvertently 
rearranged his spine. "Nice to…see…you again…"

        Delia descended the stairs, tucking one of her many books under her arm. 
She had only met Richie a few times through some of the different League events 
over the years, but anyone in her house in need of nurturing was an instant 
member of the family. "Richard!" she cried warmly. The boy escaped Misty's hug 
only to be wrapped in one of Delia's. "Oh, you poor, poor thing, you're all 
soaked to the bone-oh!" she noticed Giselle standing off to the side. "I don't 
believe we've met yet. I'm Delia Ketchum, Ash's mother. And you are…?"

        "People call me a star…" Giselle flipped her waterlogged hair back over 
her shoulder, spraying Misty in the face. "…but I'm just Giselle." She accepted 
Delia's hand, shaking it briefly. The elder Ketchum cocked an eyebrow, but 
remained silent as Misty wiped the droplets from her eyes.

        "Charmed." She turned to her son, an unmistakable undertone of annoyance 
in her voice as she said, "Ash, dear, I wish you had told me we were going to 
have company over…I would have had some hot tea ready for you." She noticed a 
familiar twitch in her son's face, and immediately her voice dropped a few 
notches. "Ash, is everything all right?"

        Ash took a deep breath, slapped a broad smile across his lips, and lied 
straight to his mother's face. "Yeah," he nodded cheerily, forcing the sentiment 
through a gritted smile. "Everything's okay. I'm just a little soaked, that's 
all. And we can't stay long," he added, not missing his mother's annoyance, "We 
have some…training to do."

        His mother peered around him, looking out the glass smeared with running 
water, then down at the sopping wet Pikachu at their feet. "In this weather?"

        "Yup." he nodded, putting on quite a convincing act. "I figure Charizard 
could use some heavy anti-element training. Plus, all these thunderheads are 
like a floating armory for Pikachu."

        "Pi!" Pikachu agreed with a nod of its tiny chin.

        Misty watched Delia's face transform from one of confusion to 
acceptance. However, she saw a brief, fleeting instant of true recognition in 
the woman's eyes. Without having to ask, she knew that Delia wasn't fooled for a 
second by Ash's deception. 

        "Okay, sweetie." she smiled, then pulled his hat off and ruffled his 
hair. "Just make sure you're all careful, okay?"

        This time, Ash didn't have to lie at all. "We'll be real careful, Mom. I 
promise."

        As if sensing what was coming next, she took Richie and Giselle by the 
arm, pulling them insistently towards the kitchen. "Training's all fine and 
good," she said sagely, "But none of you are going anywhere until you've had 
something to eat and something hot to drink. Dixie, could you give me a hand in 
the kitchen?" Dixie cast one last glance back at Ash before agreeing, following 
the trio into the kitchen and leaving the raven-haired duo behind in the 
entryway.

        Misty brushed a lock of hair from her face, looking to the soggy pair in 
front of her expectantly. "All right," she sighed, "What's the emergency this 
time?"

        "This is no joke, Misty." Ash warned her gravely. "Where's Brock?"

        "He's off dealing with some other crisis." Misty said flippantly, 
rolling her eyes.

        She didn't expect Ash to lose his temper, and was more than a little 
surprised to see his eyes alighted with fire. "I'm not fooling around here!" he 
shot back, grabbing her by the arm.

        Misty winced as his grip became viselike. Since when did Ash have an 
explosive temper? That was her department. "Okay, okay, I-Ash, you're hurting 
me!"

        "Huh?" He yanked his arm back as if burned, eyes wide. "Sorry…"

        Rather than get angry, she moved in close. He seemed hesitant at her 
touch, but she ignored that, taking him by the shoulder. "Something's got you 
spooked…Wanna spill?"

        With a long, deep breath, Ash recounted the situation to Misty, watching 
her features transform from bemused, to serious, to horrified. He watched her 
turn three different shades of pasty gray as he finished the tale, and didn't 
blame her a bit. He felt the same way.

        "You really weren't kidding, were you?" she whispered.

        He shook his head. "We are royally screwed this time…Missingno could be 
anywhere."

        "Those attacks that've been on the news…You don't think-"

        "I'd bet on it." he nodded coldly. 

        "Pi."

        Swallowing, Misty attempted to re-forge her courage. "Brock's in town 
right now. He said something about 'Cabin Fever.' I think he'll be back in-"

        His head shook again. "There's no time. We need to be out there now, 
looking for this thing." Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a quartet of 
handheld radios, handing one to Misty. "The Professor loaned me these babies. 
We've tuned them in to Gear's frequency, so we'll all be able to stay in touch 
with one another."

        Misty turned the box over in her hands, the clipped it onto her belt. 
"That's great," she drawled, "Just great. There's just one problem…" At his 
questioning look, she finished, "How the heck to you plan on finding Missingno 
out there?"

        * * *

        "Heeeeeere, demon, demon, demon!"

        Misty cupped her hands to her mouth, feeling foolish as she slogged 
through the mud in the rolling hills outside of Pallet Town. The rain continued 
to pour down, pounding against her simple blue poncho. The garment hung heavily 
against her skin, weighing her down through the puddles. 

        Behind her, Dixie scanned the landscape, looking for any signs of the 
creature that Ash had described to her. Before their adventures in Snowfort, she 
wouldn't have believed him for anything. Now, the thought of a gaseous demon 
didn't seem so far-fetched. Pikachu bounded at her feet, along with the two 
girls at Ash's request. Misty wasn't sure why, but Ash must have had a good 
reason to send his partner with them.

        Misty called again, as if calling the family Growlithe home. "Oh 
Deeeeeeemoooooon! Ollie-ollie-oxen-free!"

        "I don't think that's working," Dixie snapped, wearing a yellow poncho 
similar to Misty's. Only Pikachu was left to its own devices, and the Pokémon 
didn't mind too much. A happy trill escaped the mouse's soggy grin each time the 
storm flashed with lightning and belched a great clap of thunder. "Why don't you 
try offering it a treat?" Even through the sarcasm, it was clear that Dixie was 
hot under the collar about something. Then again, being chased by a monster 
tended to do that.

        "I think we 'are' the treat."

        "Fan-tastic." Dixie groaned irritably. She jumped as another bolt of 
lightning flashed uncomfortably close to the trio, followed closely by another 
rumbling roar of thunder. A vile curse ruptured from her lips as she swore at 
the heavens, challenging their cry with her own. "God, I hate this!" she 
shouted, looking up into the sobbing sky. The rain cascaded off of her angry 
face and down her poncho, adding to the cold chill that had haunted her since 
the ordeal with Ash's destiny started.

        Misty was almost afraid of the uncharacteristic outburst, pulling away 
from her. "Hey, calm down!" she said, holding her hands. "It's okay…"

        Dixie whirled on her. Anger spent, her eyes were hollow and frightened. 
Their mission was temporarily abandoned as she looked to her friend pleadingly. 
"Don't. Just don't."

        "What?"

        Venom crept into Dixie's glare, sending Misty stumbling back in 
surprise. Dixie followed in step, causing Misty to retreat several more steps 
before she composed herself enough to stand up to the simmering Southerner. 
"Dixie?" Misty wasn't fazed by the sudden temper tantrum (having thrown quite a 
few herself through the years), but was rightfully concerned. "What's the 
matter?"

        Dixie paused for a moment, as if hesitating over something. Her face 
betrayed no indecision, however, as she said, "Do you love Ash?"

        Misty couldn't have been more surprised if Dixie had pulled a revolver 
out and shot her. Her mouth flapped open and closed wordlessly, her throat dry 
and sandy despite the torrential downpour. Even Pikachu, who had been watching 
the lightning with rapt attention, was now fully focused on the girl's argument. 
"W-W-What?" she whispered, her voice long gone.

        "Are y'all. In love. With Ash?" Each syllable burned into Misty like a 
white-hot brand of guilt. Dixie folded her arms, ignoring the rain, ignoring 
their Pokémon protector…even the looming, demonic threat wasn't enough to sway 
her. Obviously, the problem had been working at Dixie's last nerve for days. 
There was no more avoiding it. "Well?" Dixie demanded loudly, raising her voice 
even more above a loud crack of ominous thunder.

        "I…It isn't that…You can't just…" Misty stammered helplessly, hemming 
and hawing. Her hands flapped nervously at her sides, and her face grew beet 
red. A thousand excuses fluttered through her mind, but not one of them seemed 
even remotely worthy. Besides…Did Dixie really deserve a lie? "I…I…"

        Dixie's face dropped like a stone. "You do, don't you." It wasn't a 
question. It didn't have to be, for the answer was written all over Misty's 
face. "You're in love with Ash."

        "It isn't that simple." Misty insisted lamely.

        Dixie didn't even hear her. Her voice continued to rise as she said, 
"That's why you were acting so weird in Bluster…You…You…"

        "Dixie, you have to believe me-"

        Misty's pleas were halted by Dixie's lightning hand as it slapped her 
full on the mouth. Misty's fingers brushed against her rapidly-reddening skin as 
she gaped in awe. Had Misty's own guilt not been confusing her, she would have 
launched an immediate counter-attack. But despite her every impulse, she did not 
tear the foreigner apart.

        Dixie had her own rage on display. She glowered wordlessly, quaking on 
the adrenaline high. The silence between the two was absolute, save for the 
pounding of the rain against their plastic slickers. It was as if there was a 
spell binding the two, keeping them frozen in that one moment as nature crashed 
and roared around them.

        At long last, Dixie broke the silence. Her voice wavering, her eyes 
watering, she said, "How could you do this? I…I trusted you. I thought we were 
friends." The tears that she had tried to hold back burst forth, running down 
her cheeks. It was everything she could do to not to give in to the sobs stifled 
in her chest. "I thought…"

        More wordless seconds dragged out as Dixie silently cried, not sure if 
she was more angry, or more hurt by Misty's betrayal. Misty stood helplessly by, 
head hung in shame. She had to tell Dixie something…to tell her that it wasn't 
true, that she was so sorry, that she and Ash were just friends, that there was 
nothing between them like that. Even if it was true, Misty knew in her heart 
that she was no threat to their relationship…she knew that Ash didn't feel 
anything like that for her anymore.

        "Dixie, you-"

        Cold.

        Fear.

        Death.

        Death!

        DEATH!

        Misty screamed, clutching her head as she fell to her knees. The mud and 
rain seeped into her jeans as she cried out at the horrible feelings that 
assaulted her from every direction. Senses she never knew she had came alive, 
burning with an icy terror. Images flashed through her head; images of a white, 
prim house on Pallet Lane, with a white picket fence and a well-tended garden 
out back. Faces blazed into her mind's eye, the faces of two people she loved 
with all her heart, faces of people whose lives were in great danger.

        "Pika!" Pikachu rushed up to Misty, forcing its way onto her lap. 
"Pikachu! Pi, pikachu!" The Pokémon howled, tugging at her hood, trying to get 
her to calm down. "Pi!"

        Her anger spent, Dixie dropped beside Misty as the redhead's screams 
quelled. "Misty!" She forgot her outrage and Misty's betrayal. Was this 
something that the demon could do that Ash hadn't told them about? He had been 
so vague on the details, she wasn't really sure 'what' they were up against. 
"Misty, what is it?"

        Deep, heaving breaths of cold wet air helped clear Misty's head as she 
leaned over, resting on her hands and knees in the pounding rain. She knew the 
call was coming even before their radio buzzed. She knew what was going on, even 
as Dixie answered the call, speaking with Ash's buzzing, static-filled voice 
with growing urgency. As Dixie finished the call and hurriedly put the radio 
back onto her belt, Misty knew exactly what she was going to say.

        "Misty," Dixie began, confused and halfway to hysterics, "There's 
something wrong-"

        "Back at the house." Misty finished. She rose, ignoring Pikachu, and 
Dixie, and the rain, the thunder, the lightning, the mud that clung to her, the 
guilt and hurt that assaulted her heart… There were more important things to 
deal with.

        She only prayed they weren't too late.

* * *

=Five Minutes Earlier=

        Ash strode along a deserted, hilly path very similar to the one the 
girls were on, feeling the same torrent that they felt. Part of him felt empty 
without his partner to back him up, but he knew without a doubt that sending 
Pikachu along with them was the right choice. He was no chauvinist, and he knew 
all too well that Misty and Dixie could take care of themselves, but when 
Missingno was involved, he didn't want to take chances.

        Giselle and Richie trailed behind him, wearing slickers just like he 
did. Each of the trainers had an arsenal of strong Pokémon on hand to deal with 
the monster, assuming they could find him. The same dark feelings that had 
blasted Ash's mind back in Alaska were there, but not nearly as strong as they 
had been. Each time they came, he felt better prepared. It had taken forever to 
recognize them for what they were; a warning. Some kind of "demon-sense" that 
would give him an advanced warning.

        With a sickening feeling in his stomach, he looked down at his Pokébelt. 
There were only a few days left before he would have to give them up. The 
League's decision still stood, and he would have to either apply for a new 
license, or turn them over to another licensed trainer.

        "Hey, goofball!" Giselle's voice broke his thoughts, drilling into the 
back of his skull. "Move it along, I'm getting soaked out here!"

        He ground his teeth, counting to ten. Even when he was a boy, his father 
had drilled into him a strong sense of chivalry. Highest on that list was the 
number one rule, "Never hit a woman."

        "Hel-lo! Are you listening, or is that dumb hat of yours cutting off all 
the oxygen to your underdeveloped brain?"

        He mentally ran through the numbers again. "You might want to thank my 
father." he said without turning around.

        "Huh? Why?" She caught up to him with a few quick steps.

        "His memory's the only thing that's keeping me from killing you right 
now."

        She laughed, slapping him on the shoulder. "As if you could take me, 
runt."

        Richie ran up to the both of them, completely missing the dark vibe 
between the two. His face was brighter than Ash had ever seen it, filled with 
silent laughter. "Are you guys loving this, or what?"

        "You mean the ungodly storm, or Ash's witty rejoinder?" Giselle grinned.

        "No, this rain!" Richie threw his arms out, laughing delightedly. He 
must have caught the unlikely look his fellow demon hunters gave him, for he 
added, "I was stuck in that hospital for months…Never got to go outside, or 
anything." His faced dimmed for just an instant. "I had to look out that window 
every day, watching the world passing me by."

        "Yeah, yeah, sob-sob." Giselle waved him off. "Just go play over there. 
Maybe if we're lucky, Missingno will come back to eat the rest of you."

        Ash watched Richie walk off, arms still spread as he let the rain dance 
across his body. He couldn't help but marvel at his friend's naiveté. This 
Richie was nothing like his friend from years before. He saw the world with 
brand new eyes; fresh, clean, unspoiled. Part of him almost hated to take that 
away from him, but he didn't entertain any thoughts about letting Missingno get 
away. 

        "You know," Ash said aloud, "You could go easy on him."

        "True." Giselle agreed. "We haven't even scratched the surface on how 
pathetic *you* are yet."

        Ash bristled, clenching his fists. "Do you ever shut up?"

        "Oh, please." Giselle strode forward, looking out to the dim, dank 
hills. Her black poncho blended well with the black clouds that hugged the land, 
pouring endlessly onto the soaked land. "I swear, the Goddess must have had a 
glitch in her crystal ball or something if she chose a loser like you."

        "You think you could do better?" he challenged, thunder crashing as his 
temper flared. "I captured *my* demon. Where's yours?"

        She snorted, unfazed by his anger. "You think you're hot stuff, taking 
down Exile after he just emerged?" Her shoulders squared as she stared him down, 
eye to eye, their noses nearly touching. Her twisted features grew icy as she 
said, "Missingno has absorbed more people than you can imagine…His power is 
absolute. You don't stand a chance…on your own." she added, pulling back. "I'm 
the one that'll take Missingno down, and prove that I'm really the One."

        "What is it with you and this *One* crap, anyway?"

        Her eyes narrowed. "It's about being the best. I won't accept anything 
less."

        "Best?" A laugh escaped his lips. Despite the gravity of the situation, 
despite everything that had happened to him, he couldn't help it. "Are you 
insane? This has nothing to do with who's better!" He threw his arms out, 
looking up at the tearful sky as his voice rose to its highest. "I would give 
ANYTHING for someone else to have this job! You want it?" he shouted at her, 
pouring all of his pent-up frustration, "It's yours! Take it away!"

        "God, you're such a drama queen," she rolled her eyes.

        "I didn't WANT any of this!" he screamed. Even Richie caught his 
outburst as Ash began spitting and fuming. "You stupid, ignorant little girl! I 
don't want any of this!"

        "Then don't do it."

        The quiet whisper came so quickly that it quelled Ash's tantrum in an 
instant. "W…What?"

        "Destiny isn't a map." Giselle had become the exact opposite of her 
previous self, quiet and collected. "It's something you have to live up to. 
Destiny picked you. You don't like it? Fine." She began to walk away, turning 
her back on him in the middle of their argument. "The rest of us will just pick 
up the slack, just like we always do."

        "You…You…" Ash stammered, lost for the words to retaliate. "Y-Y-You 
don't…You c-can't…"

        "Uh, guys…" Richie was almost afraid to interrupt, but the situation was 
rapidly heading towards a full-out battle…one they couldn't afford with the 
stakes as high as they were. "I hate to break in, but we haven't seen any evil 
clouds out here yet."

        "I don't understand…" Giselle murmured, scanning the hills with her 
eyes. "I was sure he'd be out here…hiding somewhere, maybe in a cave or 
something."

        Still shaken by Giselle's powerful sting, Ash's mind whirled back to his 
childhood, when he used to spend his summer days exploring the hills outside of 
his home town. He knew this area like the back of his hand, and there was 
nowhere he could think of that Missingno would choose to hide in. "This doesn't' 
make any sense…" Ash muttered. "Why did Missingno come back here, anyway? He 
would have an easier time hiding in a big city, where there would be lots of 
people to snack on."

        "I thought of that." Giselle chucked her thumb at Richie. "Remember, 
Missingno is still carrying around half of the little twerp's life force."

        "So?" Richie asked. Just the mention of the life that Missingno had 
stolen from him made him shiver. "What does this have to do with me?"

        "Imagine your wimpy little soul is a piece of meat. Eating it halfway 
was like eating it raw, without preparing it." She made a gross, twisted face, 
squinching her hands together as her companions imagined a twisted ball of raw 
beef. "Right now, it's sitting inside of his stomach, burning like a bad case of 
indigestion." Her eyes locked with Richie's, staring at him with a hunger that 
must have mimicked Missingno's. He shuddered, wondering how she could know the 
demon's motivations so intimately. "When I heard that the headcase had come to 
Pallet, I figured that was why Missingno was heading back south."

        "So, I'm bait?" Richie squeaked with horror.

        "Nothing's going to happen to you, Richie." Ash reassured him with a 
hand on the terrified boy's shoulder. He glared at Giselle, furious that she had 
held all of this back until now. "You could have told us," he snapped.

        "Sorry if you can't keep up," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

        Ash was about to reply when he felt a wave of cold run down his spine. 
It had nothing to do with the weather, or the frosty look in Giselle's eyes. The 
cold brought with it a dark, tingling premonition, as if the hand of evil had 
brushed against his very soul.

        Images danced in front of him as Richie and Giselle's voices grew 
distant. The world shimmered, and then reformed. Suddenly, he was standing in 
front of his house, transported in an instant. The rain chipped away at the 
house's eggshell paint while he stood there, watching. Try as he might, he could 
not move, and so stood rooted to the spot.

        Suddenly, he felt himself moving forward. The door to his house loomed 
large in front of him, then parted easily. He slid past the portal with ease and 
into the living room. Voices floated from the kitchen, voices that he recognized 
in an instant.

        Ash could not control his movement, nor his eyes, as he crept down the 
hall. His body didn't respond to any of his brain's commands. Helplessly, he 
approached the kitchen, spying two figures sitting at the table enjoying a cup 
of afternoon tea.

        "Brock! Mom!" Ash shouted with glee, happy to finally see a friendly 
face. He felt so cold, so strange, that his heart leapt at the sight of his 
family. "What's going on?" 

        The noise seemed to catch their attention as they looked over at the 
doorway in tandem. However, their faces immediately fell into looks of pure 
terror. His mother leapt from her chair, pressing herself against the counter on 
the opposite side of the room as her mouth opened in a shrieking wail. Brock 
shouted something at her as he yanked a Pokéball from his pocket, but Ash 
couldn't make out his words. It was as if their voices were echoing in the 
distance, too far to be heard.

        "What's wrong?" Ash reeled back as Brock rushed at him. The larger man 
was almost upon him when something knocked him back hard. He flew back into the 
table, knocking it apart as he bounced against the hard tile. "What's going on? 
Guys, it's me!"

        He moved forward, helpless to stop himself. The world began to blur and 
twist at his vision's edges, growing hazy and finally to black. The last thing 
he saw was Brock's face, mouth open in a silent scream.

        "Brock? Brock! Mom, no!"

        He felt himself pitch forward, and suddenly he was struck with a wave of 
cold, gritty mud as he tumbled to the ground. His senses realigned themselves as 
he tasted the cool, soggy dirt, spitting it out as he hauled himself back up 
onto his hands and knees. Coughing, he looked up, and found himself back among 
the dark hills with Giselle and Richie.

        "What happened to you?" Giselle looked down, frowning. "You totally 
spazzed out there for a second."

        "Ash? You okay?" Richie knelt down, helping his friend to his feet.

        "He's not here because of you…" Ash murmured, wiping his lips free of 
the grit. His face was a muddy mess, but his thoughts were far from that, dozens 
of miles away in a cozy cottage where he feared for his family's life. "He's 
here because he knew I was coming."

        "What?"

        "He's after me. And he's not in the hills…" His mind raced, putting the 
pieces together at last. "He lured us out here with those attacks. He's headed 
for…" His eyes widened. Had the premonition been real?

        "Ash…?"

        "Home!" Ash cried out. Without a second to waste, he ripped a ball from 
his belt, triggering the release catch as he sprinted forward. His other hand 
began digging through his pocket, finally emerging with a pair of battered old 
aviator goggles that had belonged to his father once. "Pidgeot, Go!" The ball 
spit his flier out in a blaze of streaming light, dumping the bird 
unceremoniously out into the rain. Pidgeot squawked indignantly, until it caught 
sight of Ash's determined face. "Pidgeot, we need to get home! Fly, now!"

        Pidgeot responded in an instant, activating the power that the second 
Hidden Machine had given it. The bird wrapped Ash in a warm embrace of amber 
energy and lifted the boy bodily from the ground. A second later, they were sky 
bound and hurtling back towards Pallet Town at incredible speed. Ash had moved 
so quickly, he only distantly heard Richie calling the girls about the dilemma.

        Ash's eyes were squeezed shut behind the lenses of his goggles, his 
heart racing. 'Please, let them be all right.' He prayed that his imagination 
was playing tricks on him, that he was just being paranoid. Deep down, though, 
he knew that such thoughts were only wishful thinking. 

        Silently, he willed Pidgeot to move faster, feeling a bright, burning 
sensation in his stomach. Amazingly, the Pokémon somehow found the power to move 
even faster. He heard a loud pop as they broke the sound barrier, achieving Mach 
speeds so quickly that they easily outran the shockwave of the sonic boom. 
Pidgeot had never moved that quickly before, and the rational part of Ash's mind 
questioned the speed. However, he was far too worried to be amazed at the bird's 
performance, and his focus solidified as he spied the sleepy village below them.

        Pidgeot took them down amid the crackling lances of lightning, some of 
them so close they made Ash's hair stand on end. With widespread wings and amber 
power, Pidgeot was able to slow them down and give them a feather-light 
touchdown. Ash didn't even bother to holster his Pokémon as he bolted into the 
house. The door had been left wide open, which seemed to confirm his worst 
fears.

        "Mom? Mom!" Ash ran into the house, bolting towards the kitchen. Even 
though he knew what he would find, his heart still plummeted as he skidded to a 
halt. There, on the kitchen floor amidst the wreckage of the kitchen table, lay 
the insensate forms of Brock and Delia. Over on the counter, Mr. Mime was upside 
down in the sink, his legs hanging limply over the edge of the counter.

        He knelt down by his mother's side, taking her head in his hands. "Mom? 
Mom, wake up! Mom!" He shook her gently, but she would not stir. Her mouth hung 
slackened, her brow furrowed. Her eyes fluttered beneath their lids, as if she 
was trapped in a nightmare, and could not escape.

        Ash felt tears of anger well up in his eyes as he stood up, feeling his 
fists curl so tightly they began to shake. His eyes rose slowly from the floor, 
finding their way to the wall on the opposite side of the kitchen. They remained 
frozen there, unmoving until a new player entered the scene.

        "Ash!" Misty, Pikachu and Dixie burst into the kitchen, soaked just as 
he was. Water pooled beneath the trio as they stood in the doorway, taking in 
the same horrors that Ash had a few moments before. Misty strode in, kneeling 
next to Brock and checking his pulse. She breathed a prayer of thanks as she 
found a strong, steady beat beneath her friend's skin. "Ash, what happened?"

        "Missingno." Ash murmured, never taking his eyes from the wall. "He was 
here. He's looking for me."

        "Missingno! He was here? Looking for you?" The questions flew from Misty 
like bullets from an automatic, bombarding Ash's deaf ears.

        He nodded his head slowly, raising a single finger to point at the 
object of his focus. His voice could not rise above a hoarse whisper as he 
spoke: "He was delivering a message."

        Misty's eyes followed his finger. As soon as she caught sight of it, she 
reared back, her hand flying to her mouth. There, in the soft colors of the 
kitchen wall, were a series of long, jagged scars that ran deep into the 
drywall. They formed a single, ominous message, one that filled her with an even 
greater sense of dread. 

        Soon.

=To Be Continued=