Notes: I’ve changed Ash’s pokemon team, just to warn you. He left his pokemon behind when he disappeared.

 

Disclaimer: NOT MINE. ‘nuff said.

 

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, italics indicates translated pokemon speech.

Timeline: 3 months later

 

Chapter 1: Recollections

           

            Misty and Brock were traveling along in Johto. Professor Oak had entreated them to deliver the GS Ball to Kurt in Azalea town, so there they were. Misty noticed the prominent gym building.

            “Hey Brock, want to check it out?”

            “Sure, since we have nothing to do.” Brock said. “Kurt’s still busy making apricorn balls.”

            The two entered.

 

            “Wow, it’s like a greenhouse in here.” Misty said. Brock smiled, but then winced as several Metapod, Spinarak, and Caterpie appeared. He anticipated Misty’s screams, which rent the building.

            “EEW! BUGS! GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!”

            Misty began smashing bugs left and right with her mallet. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm.

            “That’s enough. Those bugs didn’t do anything to you.” A semi-familiar voice said.

            Misty turned and stared. “A-ASH?!”

 

            Ash smiled. “Yes, it’s me.”

            ‘Grrr! You selfish pig! Where have you been!” Misty smashed him upside the head with a branch, only to discover that she had hit a log instead. “What the?!”

            “Over here.” A singsong voice said. Both Misty and Brock looked up to see Ash sitting on a tree branch with a purple-haired girl in green.

            “Who are you?!” Misty demanded.      

            “Who are you?” The girl repeated. “You’re the ones who broke in here.”

            “What!? We did not!”

            Brock stared at the girl. “Wow…” He began to drool.

 

            Misty turned her attention to brock and malleted him.

            The girl smiled. “I’m Bugsy, the leader of the Azalea gym. And you are?”

            “Misty from Cerulean!”

            “Your dislike for bugs is really too bad.” Bugsy said.

            “They’re disgusting! How can you bother to train them?!”

            “What?” Bugsy asked. “How can you say such a thing?”

 

            Brock sensed a catfight and backed up.

            Ash and Bugsy jumped down from the impossibly high tree, landing perfectly on their feet.

            Brock gaped. * That was at least fifteen feet up… *

 

            “So what if I hate bugs?” Misty spat in Bugsy’s face.

            “That’s it!” Bugsy snapped. “Let’s settle this with a pokemon battle!”

            “Now you’re talking!”

                       

            Ash sighed and shook his head. * Misty is going to lose so badly… *

           

            “Staryu, go!”

            “Spinarak, you’re up!” Bugsy said.

            “Grr… Staryu, water gun that disgusting bug away!”

            “Spinarak, use String Shot!” Spinarak nodded and coated Staryu in silk thread so it couldn’t attack.

            “Grr… Staryu, Spin Tackle!”

            Spinarak leapt out of the way and then used poison sting. A poisoned Staryu collapsed to the floor.

            “Bugsy wins first round.” Ash said, smiling at her.

 

            Misty caught the expression and frowned. * Why is Ash on her side? *

 

            “So? What’s next?” Bugsy asked.

            “Grr… Starmie, go! Bubblebeam!”

            “Spinarak, use Double Team!”

            The area filled with copies of Spinarak.

 

            “Starmie, attack all of them!”

            “No use.” Ash said to himself. As Starmie busily destroyed the copies, the real Spinarak crept up behind it and delivered a vicious Solarbeam attack.

            Starmie crumpled as well.

 

            Bugsy smirked at a stupefied misty. “So, you still think bug pokemon are worthless?”

            Brock’s jaw was practically plastered to the floor by now.

 

            “You asked for it!” Misty said angrily. “Pikachu, go!”

            Ash gasped slightly as he recognized his pikachu. Only now, its fur was blue and it wore a dull, glazed look.

            His heart twisted. * Pikachu… I didn’t mean to leave you behind, but you couldn’t pass the island gates. I’m sorry… *

            “Weird color.” Bugsy said. “Oh well. Spinarak, let’s try a Tackle attack.”

            “Pikachu, get out of the way and use Surf!”

            Pikachu managed to evade slowly, and then sent a volume of water crashing at Spinarak.

            Spinarak floated to the surface.

            “NOW USE THUNDERSHOCK!”

            Pikachu nodded and did so, frying Spinarak.

 

            “Spinarak, return.” Bugsy said. “You did great.” Her eyes hardened. “All right, if you’re going to cheat, so be it. But I won’t give up. Dustox, go!”

            Misty blinked at the moth pokemon.

            Must be a dual water/electric type. Bugsy told Dustox. So use Giga Drain.

            Dustox nodded and drained off Pikachu’s energy, leaving it a limp, pathetic mess.

            Bugsy and Ash gave each other high-fives.

 

            “I can’t believe it…” Misty finally whispered, brokenly.

           

            “Now get out of my gym.” Bugsy said.

            Misty did, but vowed to get to the bottom of the relationship between the two…

 

End Chapter 1…