Missing You.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Pokémon. Easy enough to figure out, as I still live at home... (sighs)

Summary: Ash and Misty miss each other desperately...

Speech. Thoughts. Pokémon.

“Oh, Nurse Jooooyyy!” Brock cooed and ran forwards, smoothing back his short brown hair as he went. Ash sighed and ran his fingers through his short, shaggy black hair as his older, much more girl-crazier, friend was floored by his own Croagunk’s Poison Jab attack. ‘Oh, boy... Misty was right about him, he’ll never change...’ “That, looked like it hurt. A lot.” Ash looked sideways at the younger black-haired girl standing beside him. “Yeah, that’s ole Brocko for ya, Dawn. He never learns.” “Pi-ka, pika.” Ash’s Pikachu jumped up onto his right shoulder, sighed and shook his yellow head slowly, causing his long pointy ears to softly bump into Ash’s head. <Truly. Pathetic.> “Uh-huh.” Ash nodded as Croagunk slowly dragged a now unconscious Brock over to a nearby couch. All three sighed again.

“Of course, if Misty was here, Brock wouldn’t dare to be so nuts, cause she’d probably thump him worse than Croagunk.” Ash mused later as they prepared to stay the night at the Pokécenter. Dawn looked up. “You know, don’t get me wrong, but this Misty sounds kinda scary. Why did you guys let her boss you around, anyway?” Brock glanced over at Ash, who quickly turned away and pretended to be absorbed with checking that everything was in his backpack. “Yeah Ash, why did we let her treat us like that, huh?” Ash shrugged. “I dunno... just got used to it, I guess.” Dawn shrugged. “Sounds more like you two are just suckers for punishment, to me.” Brock smirked. “Well, Ash is, at least. He actually chose to provoke her...” Ash blushed and growled back. “Brock, don’t make me copy her ‘ear thing’, cause I will, I swear...” Brock gulped as his grin faded. “Uh, right, gotcha...”

For probably the first time in his life, Ash slowly ate dinner, and this didn’t go unnoticed by his friends. “Hey, Ash... Are you okay, man?” Ash shook himself out of his trance and looked up. “Huh, uh, what’d ya mean?” Brock raised an eyebrow curiously, being one of his few facial expressions, as he had no visible eyes, to show concern. “Well, you’re usually well into your third helping by now, but you’ve barely had one... What’s up with you tonight?” Dawn sipped some water and nodded. “Yeah, even I’ve had more than you, what’s going on?” Ash shrugged. “Oh, uh, nothing. Just... thinking, that’s all. You know what Misty always said about me, ‘You couldn’t chew and think at the same time, Ash’, or something like that.” Dawn snorted. “Well, that’s was kinda mean. Isn’t she supposed to be your best friend or something?” Ash nodded. “Yeah, but you gotta admit, she’s usually right.” He sighed and pushed the plate back as he stood up from the table. “Hey Brock, can you keep this for me, for later? I might take a walk, clear my head, shouldn’t take too long...” “O-kay...” Brock’s mouth fell open in shock as he watched his younger friend walk away from a meal for the first time ever. ‘Something’s up with him, but I‘m not sure what...’

“Pika-pi... pika?” Ash glanced at the confused looking Pikachu balancing on his shoulder. “Huh, what’s wrong? Oh, nothing, I guess. It’s just, I’m kinda missing Misty right now, and all her craziness.” He laughed softly and glanced back up. “Do you think, I should call her?” Pikachu nodded. “Pi. Pika, chuuu.” Ash smiled. “Yeah, let’s find a phone...” “Hahahahahaha! Did somebody call for trouble?” Ash sighed and turned around to watch a large familiar balloon descend behind him. A tall red-haired woman with round green earrings struck a pose. “Listen, is that a voice I hear?” The tall blue-haired man next to her held up a rose and smirked. “Well it’s speaking to me loud and clear!” ‘Oh, no..., not this again...’ Ash groaned. “On the wind.” “Past the stars.” A cat-like Pokémon jumped up and handed a control panel to the man. “And in your ears.” “Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace.” “Dashing hope, putting fear in its place.” “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” “When everything’s worse our work is complete.” “Jessie.” “James.” “Meowth, that’s a name!” “Putting do-gooders in their place.” “We’re Team Rocket...” “In your face!” They finished together. “Team Rocket!” Ash called out, mostly out of habit. “That’s us!” Meowth replied.

James pressed a button on the control panel and what looked like a large rubber glove on a stick came out and shot towards Ash. “Man, don’t you guys ever give up?!” Ash moaned as he grabbed Pikachu and stepped back out of reach of Team Rocket’s big rubber grabby hand. Jessie thumped the edge of the balloon’s basket. “Hey, how dare you avoid our Big Rubber Grabby Hand, Mach 7!” Ash faulted briefly and stood back up, glaring back at them. “That’s the lamest name yet! Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the stupid hand!” “Piiiiii-Kaaaaa!” James winced as the control unit was forced out of his hands. “Uh-oh, is this a bad time?” he whined, confused at the younger boy’s sudden aggression. Ash growled. “Yeah, actually, it is. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!” The faint, but by now, familiar smell of ozone filled the air as the electricity crackled around the Meowth-head balloon before it exploded, sending the three hapless grunts flying into the sky. “Hey Jessie, I wonder what got into the twerp...” James mused, green eyes tearing up from the rush of cold air. “Yeah, we’re usually the ones who go overboard, not him.” Meowth added as he went tumbling past. “How would I know?! It beats me...” Jessie growled, blue eyes flashing dangerously. “Yeah, he did actually...” Meowth mused before Jessie thumped him on the head. “Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!!!” “Ash! Are you okay?” Brock called as he ran up, panting, Dawn close behind. “Yeah, we heard an explosion, and...” Ash shrugged. “Yeah, just Team Rocket again, that’s all.” Brock sighed. “Oh, okay. Come on, let’s go back to the Pokécenter.”

Ash finished his now cold meal and pushed the plate back. “Ahhh, that was good.” Nurse Joy walked over to clear the table, and of course, Brock jumped up to ‘help’ her. Ash sighed as Brock was floored again by Croagunk, who dragged him away to the room they had booked for the night. Dawn shook her head and got up. “I’m just gonna work with Piplup outside for a moment. We’ve almost got that combination just perfect...” Ash nodded and leaned back in the chair. “’Kay...” As he watched Dawn leave the Pokécenter, he realized that this would be the perfect time to use the phone. Quietly standing up, he made his way over to the phones in the corner, dialling the number that he’d once found written on a slip of paper inside his favourite book, one that Misty had lent him. ‘Five..., Eight..., Eight...’ “Ahhh!” He slammed the receiver down in embarrassment and turned around to see Dawn come racing back in, soaking wet. “It just started pouring!” she wailed as her hair frizzed up. Ash sighed as she desperately tried to smooth her hair back down. ‘So close...’

“Ninety-eight... Ninety-nine.... One hundred!” Dawn finished triumphantly, holding up her hairbrush. She briefly admired her hair in the mirror and, satisfied that it was smooth and straight again, packed her brush away in her bag. Ash yawned widely. He didn’t really understand the reason why girls got so worked up about their hair. ‘Well, Misty didn’t... She’d only brushed it a little when she woke up...’ he lay back on his bunk and smiled softly at the memory of Misty. The way she laughed, how she looked when she was asleep, how her hair smelt like apples... “What’s he smiling about?” Dawn glanced over at Brock and gestured towards Ash. Brock shrugged. “Knowing him, he’s probably thinking about his next battle.” Ash started and sat back up. “Errr... yeah... I can’t wait to reach the next Gym.” he blushed. ‘I can’t let them know what I was really thinking about...’ he watched as his two friends went back to sorting out their belongings for tomorrow. ‘When they go to sleep, I’ll call her then...’

Later that night, when he was sure that they were fast asleep, Ash slowly crept out of bed and tip-toed towards the door. He stopped as Dawn let out a huge snore, and Brock muttered something Ash really didn’t want to know about. “Plenty of Brock to go around, ladies, so there’s no need to fight...” Ash rolled his eyes and left the room. Glancing around, his softly walked over to the phones and started dialling. ‘Five... Eight... Eight...Five.” he raised the receiver to his ear and waited as the soft tone on the other end buzzed. “Hello... Cerulean Gym... Leader Misty speaking...” Ash’s face lit up as Misty appeared on the screen, half-asleep and yawning widely. “Sorry... did I wake you?” Misty’s eyes popped open as she blushed and ran her fingers through her short orange hair. “Um... yeah, kinda... but it’s okay. So, what are you calling me about at this hour? It better be good, Ash Ketchum.” Her blue eyes flashed dangerously. Ash grinned. “Just wanted to see you, that’s all...”

Misty half-turned as a loud crash sounded from behind her. “Pssssyyyyyyy!” “Oh no...” She glanced back at the screen, apologetic. “Psyduck’s gone and knocked over the Pokéball rack… again... for the third time this week…” Ash sighed. “Yeah, sounded like it...” “What on earth are you doing, young man.” Ash turned and stared up at Nurse Joy. “It’s past midnight, and you should be asleep...” she hissed. Ash winced and glanced back at Misty. “I miss you...” Misty smiled back at him. “I miss you, too...” Nodding, they both put the receivers down as Misty went to tend to Psyduck, and Ash turned to face Nurse Joy. “Sorry, I had to call someone, and I couldn’t do it earlier...” Nurse Joy simply pointed towards the room. “Don’t think that you’ll be allowed to sleep in...” Ash nodded and stood up. “I know...”

Well, at least he got to make the call... This took a while to write. I got stuck after Team Rocket attacked, and I just couldn’t move on from there. But, I finally got it. J.

PROFESSOR WOLFSBANE.

1-Nov-09.