"What!?" shouted Misty. "But you said—"
"I never made any promises. Now move it!"
Without waiting, Ash threw the torch he was holding into the nearest soldier's face. He yelled in pain. Ash took a step with his left foot, closed the distance, pivoted, and slammed a side kick into the soldier's knee with his right foot.
The knee cracked. The man fell. Ash slammed his foot down onto the soldier's right hand which was holding his sword, breaking several bones.
Meanwhile their leader headed off, with Misty at swordpoint. Two bounds later, Ash tackled him to the ground. Misty picked up the tackled man's torch, quickly helped Ash up, and pulled him back to the others.
The leader got up. "Get Misty!" he called to his remaining soldier.
Ash had an idea. Taking Misty's arm, he pulled her into the branching tunnel, the one in which he had gotten lost last time. One soldier hesitated, but his leader signalled him to follow.
Ash continued down the tunnel at a brisk pace, but he had to be careful not to trip. The soldiers closed in on them.
"Are you crazy?" Misty told him.
"I know what I'm doing," he said, pulling her to go faster.
After a few turns they passed another opening to their right. A few yards later, he stopped at the entrance to a cavern on their left.
"When I give the word," he whispered, "fall to the ground and cover your ears."
He waited another second until the soldiers were nearly upon them. He pulled Misty into the cave, kicked some loose rubble as hard as he could into the depths, and shouted, "Now!"
He and Misty dropped to the ground. The soldiers stopped at the entrance, saw them, and advanced.
Before they could do anything, a terrifying noise arose. Zubat swarmed as they had before. They knocked the men to the ground. The wind of their flapping wings put out the torches and they were plunged into darkness.
Ash could hear the zubat thinning. He pulled Misty up, and using the unlit torch as a cane, felt his way past the soldiers and out of the cave. Keeping the wall to his right, he made reasonable progress, much faster than what he hoped the soldiers would achieve.
Before long they noticed light ahead. He pulled Misty flat against the wall of the tunnel. They stood silently and waited. Ash readied to pounce if necessary.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief when Gary walked past, a torch in his left hand and a sword in his right. Ash signalled him to be quiet, and they returned to Brock and the others at a good pace.
Brock was leaning over his brother, trying what he could to stop his bleeding.
"Someone help me," he said.
Ash turned to him, but Misty touched his shoulder.
"I'll help Brock," she said. "You look after Pikachu."
"Lucky it's only a flesh wound," said Brock as Misty knelt down. "We need something to use as a bandage."
Misty took off the coat she was wearing, the one Rose had given her. She asked Gary for the sword and began to tear strips
Ash examined Pikachu. It was unconscious but breathing. There was a lump on its head. He picked it up carefully. He was worried. There could be broken bones or internal injuries, and he had no way of knowing how to tell what was wrong or what to do. He cradled his monster in his left hand and looked down at it.
Meanwhile Gary went up to the fallen Cerulean soldier.
"How did you get past the Pewter soldiers?" he asked.
The man was in severe pain, but managed to speak.
"It was easy. We pretended to defect. When we heard that Misty went into the tunnel, we sneaked in after her."
"We can't stay here," said Ash. "The other soldiers might find their way back."
"OK," said Gary. "Here, I'll help with Timmy."
"Probably best you hang onto the sword and my torch," replied Brock. "Misty and I will help Timmy."
"You're not going to leave me here?" said the soldier.
"We've got enough injured of our own to carry," said Gary. "We'll let you go free."
"But I'll die slowly of thirst and pain."
"What do you want us to do?" asked Misty.
"Please... let me die quickly. I don't want to suffer."
"And how much suffering have you caused my people—your own people—you heartless traitor?" Misty's voice rose to almost a scream.
The man did not reply. She looked at him in the light of the torch. He looked only about twenty. A recent recruit by her father.
"For what you've done, you deserve to die. But let it be by your own hand." She picked up the man's sword she had left on the ground and cast it to him.
"Slash your wrists," said Gary. "It'll be the easiest way."
The man took Gary's advice. Misty looked away, overwhelmed by her feelings. She began to cry. Ash felt a pang of sympathy and stepped closer. She buried her face in his chest until she composed herself, and then went to help Brock lift up Timmy.
Gary picked up the sword without looking at the soldier's face and led the group onwards towards Pewter.
♦
They continued for about half an hour, when Timmy started to groan
"We can rest if you're in too much pain," said Brock.
Timmy did not reply. Misty took a look at his chest.
"He's still bleeding," she said. "We have to stop moving him."
They carefully laid him on the ground.
"His wound doesn't seem deep," said Misty, "He'll be up in a couple of days, but he has to be kept still. I've managed to heal worse wounds than this."
"I didn't know you were a healer," said Brock.
"I sneaked out most nights to go help my people. By necessity, I learnt a lot about healing, the way my father's soldiers treated them."
"So how do we get him back?" said Gary.
"Someone has to wait here with him," said Ash, "while someone else goes to Pewter and gets help."
"Good idea," said Brock. "I'll stay here with Gary to look after Timmy and Pikachu, while Ash and Misty go ahead to get help."
They all agreed, and Ash and Misty set off briskly.
After a few minutes, they were both starting to puff.
"Slow down, Ash." We won't get there any faster by wiping ourselves out... or tripping and getting hurt."
"Sorry Misty."
Ash slowed down. He turned around. Misty was two paces behind him, so he paused to wait for her. She caught his glance, and for a moment, they looked at each other in the flickering firelight of the torch.
Ash looked away. She was as beautiful in real life as her portrait made her out. More beautiful, for the portrait did not show her magnificent character. Too beautiful, for it was unfair that he could appreciate something yet be unable to enjoy it. Then he remembered that she had kissed him only an hour ago, and he looked at her again.
She stood next to him for a few moments to catch her breath. Then she touched his arm and beckoned him to go on. It was a casual gesture, yet graceful and tender. It thrilled him, but he had to put that feeling aside, for lives were at stake and he had to focus. They moved on.
"Misty?"
"Yes Ash?"
"Before, when you were about to return to Cerulean, you came up to me. Why did you—"
Ash stopped. There were noises ahead. It wasn't just footsteps. It sounded like a large group was approaching from the south.
♦
A few minutes later, Ash came running up to Brock and Gary. They were alarmed, but Ash put them at ease.
"It's gonna be OK," he said. "There's a supply convoy on it's way from Pewter, and a healer too. They'll take us all back on one of the carts."
