Disclaimer: I don�t own anything but the stuff I make up.

Summary: While at a pokemon center, Ash begins to hear voices in his head, and sees cryptic and puzzling visions. He can trace it back to the ghost of a girl who wants revenge, but she seems to have forgotten everything about herself� can Ash help her remember or will she remain a dangerous and vengeful spirit forever?

Author�s Notes: I was sent a summary of this story (a different summary, it might seem, but I�m getting there ^_^) by AC_Ishida, my beta reader. I just decided to have a little fun with it. Anyway, I would also like to thank Mystique Meowth for reading it beforehand and giving it compliments. Thanks to you both, and to all my reviewers! On another topic, I want to say that when I saved this on Word as a .doc file, all of my italics were lost. Every time someone speaks with < >�s attached, try to think of it as italics� please? ^_^; Thanks.



~*Forget Me Not*~





Ash absently put his dirty clothes into a washing machine supplied by the pokemon center he was in. A loud yawn escaped from him, and he rubbed his eyes, feeling extremely tired. He and his friends had been walking all day trying to find this place. It seemed like pokemon centers were getting further and further apart.

He honestly didn�t know much of how to work a washing machine: Brock usually did it for Misty and him. Now, both were asleep, and all of his thoughts were of joining them. Ash stared blankly at the buttons and words, mind puzzling. Finally he decided he didn�t care: the urge to close his eyes was too overwhelming. He pressed some random controls and felt a little proud when the machine started to whirr and hum.

Blinking slowly, Ash wearily stood up and made his way to the door, noticing Misty and Brock were sleeping on the couches. Again. It had been weeks since he had a nice place to sleep.

�I�d give anything for a bed,� Ash muttered, walking out of the room.



He halted, suddenly feeling much more awake. Spinning around, he looked back into the room he had just been in. Nothing had changed, the soap was just where he left it, his clothes basket was still sitting next to the machine, and the machine was still loudly working on getting the stains from his clothing.

�Wh-who�s there?� Ash asked. The entire area was very dimly lit, and the shadows were long and dark. �Where are you hiding?�



�I-I didn�t know anyone was listening to me,� stuttered Ash, glancing wildly from place to place, trying to find the person who was speaking to him. It was a very feminine voice, but it had an edge to it that made him feel chilled. It sounded warm and feral at the same time, a combination that he had never heard nor wanted to hear.



�Where are you,� Ash said, trying to sound brave. A burst of disquieting laughter made him feel as if someone was pouring ice water down his spine.



He stood, fixed to the floor, trembling. �I� I don�t see you�� he said, although it sounded more like pleading. �You can�t be in front of me if I can�t see you��



Ash never answered. He backed out slowly, and dashed toward his friends, almost tripping over Misty. He leaped into his sleeping bag and zipped it almost all the way, breathing rapidly and shaking. �That was scary�� he thought, already feeling safer. He could hear his friends take soft breaths in and out, and this calmed him a great deal. His eyes began to flutter shut.



Ash immediately sat bolt upright, expecting to see someone standing over him. No one was there. �Who are you?� he demanded, less frightened. �What do you want from me?�

Misty rolled over. �I want you to shut up,� she murmured sleepily.

�Someone is talking to me,� Ash said. �Didn�t you hear them? It sounds like they are right next to us!�

�You�re dreaming,� Misty sighed, �I didn�t hear anyone but you and your big mouth. Go back to sleep.� Ash stared at her for a long time, until her breaths became deep and even. He turned back around and sighed.

�Why couldn�t Misty hear the voice?� he asked himself.



Ash�s mind teetered between fear and confusion. �Who are you?� he asked for the third time. �Why can�t anyone hear you? What do you want?�



The voice grew even more cold and evil.





Ash neither said nor thought anything. His eyes were wide open and his lungs had a harder and harder time filling with air.





�Leave me alone,� Ash thought fiercely. �Go find someone else to annoy.� He wanted to sound indifferent, maybe courageous. He wanted this person, whoever they were, to get out of his head. He was, in a word, terrified.



He tried reasoning with her. �You don�t even know what happened,� he mentally chided. �You can�t expect me to do anything for you. I won�t do anything for you. Go away.�



�No.� Waves of drowsiness washed over him. �No��



Her words grew faint and murky, just like his consciousness. Everything blurred and clouded, and his eyelids began to slide down. He welcomed the realm of sleep, hoping he could get out of the nightmare his reality had just become.

~*~

Ash was dreaming. He was aware of it, which was strange. He was never aware of his dreams. All he did was remember them once he woke up. Not once before was he able to move and think on his own accord.

Nevertheless, he sat still. The atmosphere seemed to close in and tell him to do so. Everything around him was as black as pitch, but a light somewhere above was shining, illuminating only him. He glanced warily around, wondering exactly what was hiding in the shadows. Suddenly, a voice cut through the dark.

�Here I am,� it said. Ash placed it as the same voice that was talking to him earlier. Gradually, a light appeared in front of him as well. There was a shape in the middle that was slowly becoming recognizable as a human. A girl.

�Maybe now our conversation will not be so frightening for you, will it?� She tilted her head and smiled, but her warm expression did not reach her eyes. She was thin and young, about his age, maybe even a little younger, with straight, deep violet hair at about chin length and black eyes which reflected nothing. A spray of freckles was scattered across her nose and cheeks.

�This is not my true form,� she explained. �But maybe it will relax you just a bit.�

Ash glared at her. �Why am I here?�

She turned her head and stuck out her bottom lip, looking hurt. �Don�t be so angry with me,� she sulked. �I haven�t done anything to you� yet.�

He stepped back. �For the last time, what do you want with me?�

Her smile turned icy. �I want you to help me. Isn�t that what you do best?� She slid closer to him. �All my thoughts are of revenge. Revenge I don�t know who to deal to. I want you to help me remember.�

�I don�t know what you�re talking about!� he snapped. �If you can�t remember what happened, than that�s your problem!�

She paused. �I believed that too,� she said after a while. �And then something struck me. How on Earth could I remember anything? I don�t have a mind.�

Ash jumped back as if he�d been burned by her words. �What do you mean?� he gasped, �You can�t live without a mind.�

She chuckled lightly. �Who said I was alive?�

Ash�s voice died in his throat and he staggered away from her. �Y-you�re� you�re a��

�A ghost,� she said casually. �That�s right.�



The current conversation topic was shattered by Misty�s voice calling to him. Ash looked around. �Misty�?� he murmured. �Where are you?�

A dangerous look passed over the girl�s features. �So, there is a girl with you as well. I�m afraid I have some competition. I�ll make sure to take care of that,� she snarled. Then, as soon as it had appeared, her angry demeanor faded. �It seems your presence is wanted in the waking world. Get up, Ash!�

~*~

Ash opened one eye, and then the other. Misty was standing over him, looking impatient. �Took you long enough,� she snapped. Ash exhaled noisily and grinned.

�It was all a dream,� he said.

Misty�s face softened. �Had a bad dream, Ash?� she asked. Togepi clapped its hands together and burbled happily.

�Yeah. It�s over though,� he replied, getting up. �Let�s get out of here.�

�Brock�s waiting in the front.�

�Great. C�mon pikachu!� Ash rolled up his bag and hurriedly packed his things, wanting to leave this place. It gave him the creeps, even though he was now sure he�d been dreaming. It was refreshing for him to step out into the sunlight. He caught up to his friends and they began planning the rest of the day.



Ash stopped dead in his tracks. Everyone turned and looked back at him. �Are you OK, Ash?� asked Misty.

�Yeah, I�m f-fine,� Ash muttered, looking at his feet.

�Well, alright then,� said Misty quizzically, walking ahead but still turned back towards Ash. Soon she faced forward and continued a conversation with Brock, even though their tones were more careful and hushed.



Ash kept his eyes planted to the ground and kept walking. �Who are you?�



�What are your regrets?� Ash asked mentally. This was an eerie and haunting situation, but a curious one nonetheless. He liked getting to the bottom of things and helping people, and this aspect of his character was beginning to override his fear.



�What did you promise?�

The voice was thinner and more drawn.

Ash frowned. �How do you know?�



He listened to her with his full attention, not realizing Misty and Brock were glancing back worriedly. Even pikachu had left his side. He was walking a few yards behind them, looking down silently. They wondered what was wrong.



�Wh� why should I?�



�And revenge is your dream, isn�t it?�



Ash�s mind wavered. He imagined someone waiting for their lover. He imagined a young woman being stopped from achieving true love. What was wrong with wanting to keep a promise? What was wrong with getting back at someone who had done you wrong?

Perhaps if it wasn�t for the girl�s voice in his head, he wouldn�t have come to the same decision. There was nothing malicious about Ash. But he liked to help people. Even people whose goals seem strange and twisted, he didn�t want make anyone suffer needlessly.



There couldn�t have been a better example of subliminal messages. �OK,� thought Ash. �I�ll� I�ll help you.�

~*~