Chapter 12.

“and they both just passed out. I’ve never seen anything like it before, almost magical, but it can’t be”
Brock had been telling the tale of their deeds, and how Ash and Misty came to be in this position.
The entire group, including professor Oak, Gary, Richie,  Tracy and nurse Joy were sitting around one of the desks in Oaks lab listening to Brocks narrative, whilst Ash and Misty had been laid on another table. They had tried to separate them so as to allow nurse Joy to examine both of them individually, but they seemed locked together, still holding on determinedly despite the fact that they were unconscious. On top of that, their temperatures had become so extreme that it was painful to the touch, and it seemed as though they were balancing one another out. If they were moved apart it could cause damage, so nurse Joy had to settle for a double examination, but not before she had heard what had happened. Pikachu and Azurill had fallen asleep together by their trainer’s heads, they must have been exhausted by worry, not to mention all that they had done that day already.
“you seem so sure, but do you have any other explanation?” professor Oak asked.
“…well no.” Brock admitted
“but it can’t be magic, it doesn’t exist” Jessie said.
“ahh but that would depend on what you define to be magic” professor Oak said. Everyone was silent at this, so he continued.
“to someone who had never seen the power of psychic Pokemon, their powers might be described as magic. If you were not familiar with Pokemon, you may describe each of their powers, however diverse, as being magic” he explained
“but….but Misty isn’t a Pokemon, and neither is Ash” said Violet
“some humans are rumoured to have mysterious powers are they not?” professor Oak said. Everyone looked blank.
“though this case is special even amongst those” he continued, “this isn’t a mere trick of the eye.”
Mrs Ketchum interrupted him “but now you’re speaking as though it definitely happened, that you know what this is” she said.
“yea gramps if you know what’s up with them then please share it” Gary said irritably.
Professor Oak sighed
“ahh very well then, though this may be hard to take in” he warned them. They all looked at him expectantly and he continued.
“there is a prophecy, known amongst psychic Pokemon in particular. Very few people are aware of its existence, and even fewer know the whole story. You are fortunate that I am one of those people.” One or two of the party looked at each other in puzzlement, but held their questions and allowed professor Oak to continue.
“the prophecy is known as the ‘Vinculum Duos’, and states that if two people, chosen at birth by the fates that control all things, were to come together in love and friendship, then a power that had hitherto that moment laid dormant within them would awaken. They would have a bond of unimaginable strength, present since their birth but would grow stronger over time. This leads me to believe that it was not mere coincidence that Misty fished Ash out of that stream all that time ago. The nature of this bond is that they have a deep spiritual connection to each other, allowing them to feel the others thoughts and, for example, detect when the other is in danger. These things, along with a few physical powers they would be able to call upon, and they would become more attuned to each others feelings as the bond develops. However, when they are together this power becomes far greater, the extent of which is not covered in the prophecy. In any case, I believe that Ash and Misty are the two spoken of in this prophecy” he concluded.

There was silence around the room. No one was quite sure what to say, they were torn between questions, scrutiny, belief and disbelief.
“but….but how do you know that Ash and Misty are the two in the prophecy?”  Tracy finally asked.
“because of a line that was passed down with the prophecy. there is an extensive history with this prophecy, and much complication with it too. there were many lines which seemed to detail different people as being the true two, so I suppose it would just be a matter of finding the correct one, and I believe I now have. For a while it seemed irrelevant, the insane babblings of whoever wrote the prophecy in the first place, but now I think about it, it makes perfect sense.”
“and what is that line?” Richie asked.
“when the Ash leaf licked in flame floats with the water flower on the glistening lake beneath a Mist so fine, then shall evil be vanquished and the power of two shall awaken”. More silence followed this as everyone made the connection between the two.
“but that’s just a prophecy, someone who fancied becoming an author…isn’t it?” nurse Joy asked.
“well I’ll leave that for you to decide, but keep an open mind.” Professor Oak replied.
“and what do you believe professor?” asked Brock.
“myself, I believe in the power of the two, as firmly as I believe that sickness is bad and happiness good” he said.
“but like, what do we do now?” Violet asked
“yes what now? it’s all very well some prophecy saying that my Ash and Misty are special, I know that, but that doesn’t help the current situation. What’s wrong with them professor?” Delia asked, choking back sobs.
“I think that they touched on that power I mentioned earlier, but they touched it too soon, and they weren’t ready for the energy it would take” professor Oak explained.
“well that’s hardly a surprise, Ketchum’s always tried to jump in at the deep end, anything to speed up the path to Pokemon master” Gary said. Everyone rounded on him, Misty’s sisters, Jessie and James and Meowth, Mrs Ketchum and nurse Joy all looked ready to unleash hell on him for his shallowness but professor Oak interrupted him.
“Gary please, eloquence! No I do not believe that they knew what they were doing, that they consciously tried to use their powers. They won’t even be aware of their gifts and so it must stay for now. it is possible that in times of great emotional stress they may have called upon their powers inadvertently”.
“that’s true” said Brock “Misty had just got trapped behind the energy fence and Ash was trying to get to her, I’ve never seen him so distraught” he explained.
“ahh yes that would make sense” professor Oak said. “they are more than just close friends aren’t they” he continued.
To most of them this was old news but Gary,  Tracy and Richie were taken aback.
“you what?” said Gary incredulously
“what they finally confessed it?”  Tracy asked excitedly
“damn looks like I owe Brock £20, I knew there was something but I never thought one of them would have enough courage to say it” Richie said smiling.

They were all distracted by a movement from the other desk. Ash and Misty were still in the same position but were trembling violently. Nurse Joy immediately ran over with a needle but professor Oak stopped her
“no that wont do any good!” he exclaimed.
“what’s happening to them?” Mrs Ketchum sobbed. Professor Oak walked quickly over to them and started speaking.
“its all in your head, none of it’s real. Come on now keep calm, think, none of it is real”
“what’s happening to them??” Richie asked, walking over to stand next to professor Oak.
“please tell me what’s wrong with my Ash” Mrs Ketchum still sobbed
“nurse you will have noticed how strange their vital signs are for two people in a coma” professor Oak began, turning to nurse Joy.
“why yes now that you mention it, their vital signs are not reading as though they were comatose. The temperature is one thing, but as for the rest of their vital signs, why, they read as though Ash and Misty were still wide awake” she explained.
“that is because they are awake, though not in this world. They are caught between reality and the spirit world, and they must survive it without giving in to fear, for fear they will encounter, and in the forms that mean most to them” professor Oak explained with a grim expression on his face.
“what can we do?” James asked, a slight quiver in his voice.
“very little for now I’m afraid, save sit by them and above all remind them that what they are seeing is not real.” Explained professor Oak.
“I feel like, so useless” Lily sighed and the others nodded in agreement.
“well I’m afraid that the only people who can really help them at the moment are each other. However, when the time comes I will need you all to help me in fulfilling the prophecy” Oak said. Everyone looked at him uncertainly
“err what do you mean ‘help you fulfil the prophecy’??” asked Daisy
“when the time comes, we have to get Ash and Misty the lake at the back of the lab” professor Oak explained.
“and how will we know when the time has come?” said Brock. He had guessed the answer but still didn’t particularly want to hear it.
“when the Ash leaf licked in flame floats with the water flower on the glistening lake beneath a Mist so fine” professor Oak said again.
“what?” asked everyone with the exception of Brock and  Tracy.
“don’t worry, you’ll know” Brock said.
“well….but like, what about the Mist?” Violet asked after a pause.
“yea there’s like, no Mist out side” Daisy added
“I think your sister will provide us with that” professor Oak said. They all looked over to the two unconscious forms on the desk. Both were still shaking, but sure enough a thin mist was beginning to gather around them, seemingly emanating from Misty herself.
“what the?!?!”
“it’s almost time”……


the rustling continued, getting louder and louder by the second.
“what is it” Misty asked, her voice shaking now as she clung tightly to Ash.
“I don’t know, just stay close to me” he replied and squeezed her a little tighter.
Amid the rustling Ash and Misty heard a small thud, as though something had hit the floor near them. It was followed by another and another, until it rivalled the rustling noise. Ash looked wildly around to see what was making the noise. There was nothing. Then he looked at the floor.
“whoa shit” he swore, and held Misty’s head to his chest so she couldn’t see.
“Ash what’s happening?” she asked, really shaking now.
“don’t look” Ash hissed.
All around them on the floor, thousands of bugs crawled this way and that, and more kept pouring from the holes in the wall. Ash winced as the piles of bugs got closer and closer. These were not your average bug Pokemon either, those he could handle. Bugs of every sort crawled all over; tarantulas, scarabs, caterpillars, moths, spiders, earwigs, every type of creepy crawly imaginable was pouring into the room until it was impossible to move without stepping on them. In the centre of the room Ash and Misty huddled together, Ash still not letting Misty see what was happening. One of the tarantula began to crawl slowly up her leg.
“err A-Ash…w-what’s that on m-my leg?” she asked nervously. Ash glanced down and gulped.
“Mist…don’t move ok, just stay still, it’ll be gone soon” he said, and slowly raised his leg, and brushed the hideous creature away. It landed on its back wriggling insanely
“there you go” he said, trying to make as if it was really nothing. On the floor, the other bugs had massed over the fallen tarantula, when they moved apart all that remained was a stain on the floor. Ash took a deep shuddering breath.
“Ash what’s happening?” Misty asked “please tell me”
“..ok then, but you really won’t like it. Shall I describe it, or do you want to look?”
he relaxed his grip and Misty raised her head slowly away from him and opened her eyes. Ash saw her open her mouth to scream, and quickly drew her head to himself again. She screamed into his chest and Ash felt the force of it reverberate around inside him like a physical force.
“sshh  its ok, it’ll be ok just don’t look” he said calmly, gently stroking the back of her head. Her screams eventually petered out into sobs. She tried to pull herself together, she choked back the sobs into hiccups which shook her body, but she stopped crying.
“Misty it’s ok to be scared, you’re not the only one” Ash said quietly. A few more tears trickled down her cheeks but she but she didn’t break down again. Despite the situation she began to feel herself adjusting to the fear. She slowly raised her head again, taking care not to look at the floor, she focussed on Ash instead.
“s-sorry” she stammered “l-looks like I g-got you w-wet” she smiled nervously, rubbing the patch of Ash’s shirt where her tears had fallen.
“hey it’s ok” he chuckled, keeping his eyes off of the floor.
“it’s all in your head, none of its real. Come on now keep calm, think, none of it is real” came a voice.
“what?” Misty asked.
“I didn’t say anything” said Ash, looking around at the ceiling for the source of the voice.
“sounded like…professor Oak”. Misty suddenly slapped him on the arm.
“hey what was that for?” he asked, slightly offended that she would hit him for no reason.
“s-spider” she explained and tried to smile again.
“thanks, well done” he said, giving her a slight squeeze, “who’d have thought it though, I knew you didn’t like bugs but I didn’t realise you hated them this much…I guess that’s why they’re here…heh, imagine if we’d been flooded with peppers and carrots”
“oh shut up” Misty replied, punching him lightly on the chest
“another bug?”
“no, I just felt like hitting you” they both laughed, the immediate fear of the situation dissipating as they found themselves blanking out what was happening on the floor, the voice they had heard doing more for them than they would have realised.

Suddenly the landscape around them began to change again. The walls became blurred, the bugs merged together and the entire room seemed to collapse upwards into its own ceiling, taking away all of the fears that came with it.
“oh thank God” Misty breathed a sigh of relief, another tear trickling down her cheek. They were in the white world again.
“couldn’t agree more” Ash said and gave a relieved smile, wiping the tear away. Before they could settle down however, the landscape began to change again. Everything went from white to black. There were no visible features, and no light from anywhere. Misty and Ash felt for each others hand in the darkness and held on tightly.
“where are we now?” Misty whispered.
“well…since the bugs were your fear, I guess now it’s my turn” Ash replied grimly, straining his eyes to pick out anything in the blackness. Suddenly, a dim light began to shine and slowly grew, though it was still not clear enough for them to see clearly. It seemed to be a thin shaft of light, starting as a pinpoint in the distance and diffusing near to them. It got a little brighter, and they made out a statue. It appeared to be a gigantic angel, sitting cross-legged with its hands in its lap, the stone cracked and aged beyond age.
In front of the statue, something else lay. Ash took a deep breath and stepped forwards to investigate. It was Brock, lying on the ground at the angel’s feet.
“Brock!! what are you doing…” Ash began, but stopped as he saw Brocks face. It was deathly white, and he didn’t move even when Ash had shouted his name.
“Brock??” Ash asked, weakly now, he had a good idea of what he was going to find. He knelt down next to Brocks head, and rolled him over. He had to put a hand to his mouth to stop himself screaming as he looked into Brocks blank, lifeless eyes.
“Brock?? BROCK!!!” Ash cried, shaking the figures shoulders and slapping his face in a futile attempt to wake him up. He picked up Brocks hand and let it go, it dropped to the floor.
“Misty he’s dead” Ash said weakly, choking back the tears. It was then that he realised that Misty was no longer with him.
“MISTY?!?! MIST WHERE ARE YOU?? PLEASE!!!” he yelled frantically. He wheeled around to where Brock had been laying, but found that he wasn’t there. Instead, another figure lay in his place. Her body curled up in a foetal position, and he red hair flowing on the floor.
“oh God Misty, not you, please not you” Ash said falling to his knees beside the lifeless form of his best friend, his only one, the one he loved. He put a hand on her shoulder and shook it feebly, unable to accept that she could be gone. He took a deep breath and rolled her over to face him. Tears openly flooded down his cheeks as he looked at her face, so young and so scared, her eyes once full of life now empty puddles of blue.
“there is no life in your future…only death” a voice spoke, a deep and malevolent voice that echoed and bounced the words back around Ash’s head.
Ash threw back his head and screamed. He turned back to her, picking her up and cradling her in his arms. He kissed her lips and shook her shoulders, he let her go and she simply collapsed back to the floor. Ash fell to his knees again sobbing and repeating her name over and over.
“Ash? ASH!!!” her voice, but he must be imagining it, she was dead at his feet.
“no no no she can’t die she can’t” he moaned.
“ASH!! ASH I’M ALIVE ITS IN YOUR HEAD REMEMBER, I’M ALIVE COME BACK TO ME!!!”…it had to be her voice, there was no doubting it. And now that he looked at her lifeless form on the floor he realised that it in fact couldn’t be her. There were mistakes, simple little mistakes like the fact that her hair was down and slightly too long, her eyes the wrong shade of blue and her hands the wrong shape. Things he knew so well and yet had not been able to realise in the midst of his grief.
He looked at the body again, repeating the fact over and over in his head.
“she’s not dead, this is in my mind. She’s not dead this is in my mind, she’s not dead this is in my mind…” slowly her body began to fade. Then it changed shape and took the form of his mother, then professor Oak, then  Tracy; cycling through all of the people that Ash cared for and loved, but this only strengthened his resolve. The worst of his grief had come with the form of Misty, after that nothing compared. Finally the last image faded and with an ear splitting crack the stone angel cracked in two.
“this may not be real, but rest assured, she will die” the voice said quietly, and then he was on the floor in the white world, with Misty by his side, cradling his head in her arms. He opened his eyes slowly, hesitantly and looked up at her.
“m-morning” he said quietly and gave her a small grin.
“oh Ash I thought I was gonna lose you” she said, she was crying again. “what was happening to you? What did you see?” she asked.
Ash closed his eyes again and shuddered
“death…I saw death” he whispered. She sat down beside him and stroked his forehead.
  “I hate this place” she said, as much to herself as to Ash.
“so do I” he sighed “but give it time, I’m sure everything will get back to normal”
“but what if it doesn’t?” she asked quietly.
Just then the white light dimmed.
“oh no not again” Misty cried. Ash sat up and they huddled closely together, waiting for what ever was coming next. However nothing did come, they had assumed that the landscape would change again, but all that had happened was the light had dimmed and the temperature seemed to have got a little warmer.
“what’s happening? Why isn’t it changing” Misty said shakily. Ash did not reply, he had his eyes shut an appeared to be in some sort of trance.
Ash felt very strange, as though he was trying to wake himself up from inside. He also felt hot, unbearably so, until something cool touched his side.
That was when Misty felt it too, the same feeling of struggling into wakefulness that just wouldn’t come. She drew her legs into her chest and shivered, it seemed to be getting colder by the second, until something at her side touched and began to warm her……

Everyone in the lab was feeling uneasy, Brock, Daisy, Tracy and Delia sat around a desk silently, Richie was pacing the room nervously, Violet and Lily were sitting quietly near the desk where Ash and Misty were laid, though it was impossible to see clearly due to the mist that had steadily gathered thickness as time passed. Gary had gone outside for some fresh air. Only professor Oak was sitting back in his chair and looked expectant. He seemed nervous, but not in the same way that everyone else was, but no-one was in a state to notice. The mood had darkened a while ago when they heard the tell tale buzzing of a zeppelin passing high above the lab, and since then no-one had uttered a word. Jessie, James and Meowth were sitting together in a corner, whilst Pikachu kept a watchful eye on the two sleeping figures in the mist, and on Azurill who was snoozing beside him. He hadn’t moved a muscle for ages, except to shake the moisture from the mist off of his fur.
“oh my God!!” Violet screamed, shattering the silence. Everyone turned to her alarmed. She was squinting through the mist with a look of surprise on her face.
“what?” everyone asked in unison.
“I-I swear I just saw something happen” she said uncertainly.
“what did you see?” professor Oak asked. He had stood up and looked tense.
“it’s probably nothing but I thought I just…oh oh there it is again” she shouted.
“I saw it that time” Richie said “an orange flicker, sorta like a flame or something”
“right, we need to get them to the lake now” said professor Oak, stepping forwards.
“right then I’ll take them” Brock said, putting out a hand. He immediately withdrew it
“what’s wrong?” asked Tracy in surprise
“Ash just burnt me” he said, clutching his hand which was bright red.
“what! How?!?” Richie asked, taking a close look at Brock’s burnt hand.
“I don’t know I just put my hand out and got burnt” Brock said, still looking at his hand in disbelief.
“try picking Misty up” Tracy suggested. Richie walked over and put his hand through the mist
“ooh ooh ooh cold” he said, grasping his now frozen hand with his other hand and hopping around in a circle.
“what the hells happening to them?!!?” Jessie asked getting frustrated again.
“no time for that, we have to get them to the lake” professor Oak said
“but how when none of us can touch them?” James pointed out.
“we’ll have to carry them on the desk” the professor replied, moving to the edge of the desk and grabbing hold.
“well what are we waiting for? We don’t have much time” he urged them, and everyone stood around the table and got ready to lift.
“on three. One…two…..three”. with an audible groan they all lifted at once and began moving towards the door.
“having fun?” Gary asked, walking through the front door at that moment
“shut up…and get the door open” Brock managed to say.
“alright alright keep your hair on, I was just…”
“GARY!!!” they all roared and Gary ran to the door and opened it.
Despite the supernatural goings on, Gary couldn’t resist smirking as he watched on while they made slow but steady progress towards the lake.
“I swear they used to do funerals like this” he said. Daisy aimed a kick at him as they passed which connected with his shin.
“hey it’s a fact” he said, hobbling along a safe distance behind the group.
“it’s insensitive” Daisy retorted. They were silent for the rest of the way.
As the group made their way down to the lake, the Pokemon that had been resting near by picked themselves up and followed the procession silently, aware in some sense that what ever was happening was important and an event to witness. When they reached the lake they set the desk down and waited for professor Oak to tell them what to do next.
“Brock could you release Ash and Misty’s Pokemon from their balls please.” Professor Oak said. Soon all of the Pokemon were with Pikachu and Azurill on the ground, and Pikachu filled them in on what was happening.
“(Ash and Misty? How, I mean why, I mean when, no what. Oh I don’t know what I mean, this is confusing)” Bayleef said, scratching her head
“(well… yea it is but now that I think about it, it does make some sense)”  Cyndaquil replied thoughtfully.
“(how does it? I’ve known Ash longer than anyone, well except his mom, and I’ve never noticed anything strange. If I’d only listened when professor Oak was explaining it)” Pikachu said, hitting his head with his paw.
“it’s time, we need to get them in the water” said professor Oak. “Bulbasaur and Bayleef if you could please remove the legs from this desk”
Bayleef and Bulbasaur who, along with the other Pokemon that Ash had left at professor Oaks, had stepped up to watch, and the two complied, their razorleafs making short work of the table legs. When all that was left was the flat table top professor Oak signalled them to stop.
“right. Brock, Richie and James if you cold please help me lower this into the water…” the three of them stepped forwards and, together with professor Oak they picked up the table top and waded a little way into the water.
“(err why are they taking them into the water?)” Bayleef asked.
“(dunno but this is getting weirder every second. First they faint for no reason, then they go comatose, now Ash is on fire and Misty is secreting mist, and floating them off down the lake is supposed to help this?)” Pikachu said in disbelief.
“(oh for goodness sake were you not listening to ‘any’ of what professor Oak was saying in the lab?)”  Cyndaquil exclaimed.
“(well no, I was too busy worrying about Ash)” Pikachu said.
“(ok then, well luckily for you I managed to get most of it before I, err, fell asleep)”  Cyndaquil said
“(I thought you were in your Pokeball)” Pikachu said, giving  Cyndaquil a suspicious look.
“(well I needed some air so I snuck out for a little bit. I was just coming back when I heard professor Oak mention the prophecy and stayed to listen a while. Now do you want to hear it or not?)”  Cyndaquil said, and yawned.
“(yes we do)” the Pokemon said in unison, and  Cyndaquil proceeded to tell them all that he had heard. He had, unfortunately, fallen asleep before professor Oak had got to the significant verse at the end, and so they were still in the dark as to why Ash and Misty were being placed in the water.
By this point the group carrying the table top had moved far enough out to be able to place it down in the water lightly and did so. They all returned to the shore except for professor Oak, who stopped and turned to watch from the lake. Humans and Pokemon alike waited silently for something to happen. So focussed were they on the lake, that no-one noticed a small cat-like figure with a long tail floating from tree to tree behind them, watching.

ten minutes later they were still in the same places, and still waiting for something to happen.
“this is probably just some big mistake and the two twerps have nothing to do with any prophecy” Jessie whispered irritably.
“sssshhhh” replied everyone within earshot.
Just then something happened. A blinding flash of light from the two figures now floating in the middle of the lake, and the fire blazed even higher. At the same time, the mist gathered itself in a thick ball of cloud before dispersing rapidly in very direction. The entire lake was now covered in a thin veil, though it was still possible to see through. Everyone gasped as sparks like the ones that had spread along the force field fence at Cerulean gym started pouring out of the water and bathing the figures of Ash and Misty in an eerie blue light.
Delia Ketchum unconsciously took a step forwards, she was standing right on the edge of the lake and her fists were clenched tightly, as were those of everyone else around her.
Professor Oak stretched his arms out towards the centre of the lake
“when the Ash leaf licked in flame floats with the water flower on the glistening lake beneath a Mist so fine, then shall evil be vanquished and the power of two shall awaken!!!”…

the feeling of wakefulness was getting stronger. Ash and Misty seemed paralysed to the spot, as they had been for the past half an hour. It was an odd feeling, being asleep in one world, mentally awake and physically asleep in another. In her last act before she became paralysed, Misty had sat down next to Ash and held his hand. That was the way they were now, still able to think but unable to move. Ignoring what was happening around them, Ash and Misty focussed on each other. It was much more comforting to know that they were both there together.
“please let this end soon” Misty thought to herself. She mentally tensed herself a bit more.
“Misty?”
“Ash?”
“how are we speaking?”
“I dunno. Argh I can’t move”
“neither can I just stay close to me”
“err Ash, I just said I can’t move” she mentally gave him a blank look.
“ahh right yea sorry heheh”
“dense” Misty mentally snorted quietly
“scrawny” he replied equally subtly. There was no reply, but…no he was probably imagining it…he thought he heard her laugh quietly.
“most uncharacteristic. Is this always what goes through her head when we do this?”
“what goes through whose head and when?”
“oh right heh sorry I kinda forgot we could do this now”
“whose head and when” Misty’s thoughts repeated, taking on a more menacing tone. Ash decided to try a little experiment. Concentrating all his thoughts on his voice he replied
“you’re head…when we fight”
“how did you do that? You sounded like me!” she said, sounding shocked
“ahh trade secret” he replied, voice now taking on a deep echoing tone. Misty’s turn for an idea, she focussed all her thoughts on what it what it felt like to flick Ash on the forehead
“ouch, I guess that was you”
“eh no…I don’t know what your talking about” she said, trying to be innocent but her underlying thoughts gave her away.
“oh? Then I wonder who it could possibly have been” he said sarcastically, trying another tactic.
“what? Oh? Oh OH! NO STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!” they were both laughing uncontrollably, Ash because of Misty’s reaction and Misty because Ash was mentally, mercilessly tickling her. Misty summoned all of her will to visualise aiming a kick, not too hard, at an area that should stop Ash tickling her, or doing anything else for that matter.
“oooooohhhhhh” she heard Ash moan. She tried to stop herself laughing but couldn’t
“oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to, I just lashed out. Must have been a very good shot by the looks of it”
“ergh uncalled for” he wheezed. She mentally gave him a smile and affectionate rub on the head. Deep down, so deep she hoped he wouldn’t be able to hear, she thought about giving him something else, something she hadn’t been able to do since that time in the field which didn’t really count. It wasn’t deep enough.
they were both silent for a while, trying not to think about anything…or especially anyone.
“whoa…” came Ash’s thoughts.
“you getting this weird feeling to?” she asked
“well yea hence the whoa” he replied “now who’s dense” he gave her a mental wink.
“damn it if only I could call you scrawny” she said.
“and you’re not gonna?” he asked quietly. Misty’s blushed
“well err no cos err well it wouldn’t be err exactly err…true” she admitted
“oh? You flatter me” he said in a deep, romantic voice. He was enjoying this, he could see her face in his mind, she was blushing a deeper shade of red than he had ever seen anyone blush before.
“oh…Ash you forgot your clean you-know-what’s!!” she called in his mothers voice.
Before Ash could get a reply in they both experienced a big surge in the wakefulness feeling. The whole world darkened, the became bright white with the effect of blinding them for a moment. It began to fade more slowly and they found themselves leave the floor, they were suspended in mid air in a rapidly darkening world of nothingness. Up above something seemed to be slowly shifting in and out of focus. Tiny pinpricks of light that blurred and then took on definite form. Ash and Misty were going through the same forgetfulness that they had experienced when entering the dream world. Now they could remember the dream world, but the real world was unclear.
“those…those little lights. what are they?” Misty thought to Ash
“I can’t remember. I’ve seen them before…I think…I remember looking up at something just like them with you” Ash thought back.
“they remind me of my staryu…”
they both tried to remember back and found that their thoughts became intertwined. They shared the memories and feelings of the past as they tried to remember…
“stars…” they thought together and gave each other a mental smile. All around them more scenery was coming into focus. Slowly and hesitantly, but it was all coming back. And they found that when they shared their memories like they did with the stars, they were able to bring back all of their past connections with the real world…

the fire surrounding Ash and Misty seemed to be dying down, and the mist was receding. The blue sparks still crowded around them with the same intensity, and seemed to be bearing them aloft above the surface of the lake. The two figures slowly floated back towards the shore on the bed of blue light, and dropped slowly until they touched the ground, and then the blue sparks receded into their bodies. Unable to restrain themselves any further the crowd of onlookers rushed forwards, with Delia Ketchum at its head. They found Ash and Misty lying on the floor where they had landed. Their eyes were still shut and Delia Ketchum knelt down beside her son.
“are…they…alive?” she asked slowly. Nurse Joy hesitantly knelt down beside the two and examined them
“yes they are…and they are no longer comatose” she said.
“then why aren’t they awake yet?” Mrs Ketchum asked nervously.
“you have to remember, that where they were they were still awake. And it is likely that they experienced some tough times. They are sleeping now, nothing more. They’re bound to be tired after what they’ve been through”. Professor Oak explained.
Delia relaxed and stroked Ash’s forehead.
“oh thank God. Thank you Sam, thank you everyone” she said turning to face the crowd with tears in her eyes. They all looked as relieved as she did.
“(I think we should get them inside)” Pikachu said sensibly. Brock translated and Mrs Ketchum nodded.
“yes that sounds like a good idea, we can put them in Ash’s room, Brock I’m afraid this means you’ll have to share with Mimey” she said, regaining her usual mannerisms with the news that Ash would be fine.
“well…that’ll be fine I guess” Brock said, unable to contain a slight grudging tone in his voice. That went unnoticed however as people and Pokemon began to drift back towards the lab. Ash and Misty’s Pokemon took up the task of carrying them back to the house. Brock and Richie were going to, but the Pokemon held it as a point of honour that they should be the ones to carry their trainers.
Brock walked next to Richie and Tracy back to the lab.
“so where are you two sleeping tonight?” he asked them.
“well we were going to pitch the tents in the garden, but Mrs Ketchum ‘insisted’ that we at least slept on the couch” Richie said. Brock nodded but said nothing. He was very tired and conversation was becoming difficult. At last he said,
“hey listen.…we would be really grateful if you would stick around for a while. I think Ash could use the support about now”
“hey no problem. We were invited around here anyway, apparently Ash asked for all of us before he left to rescue you guys” Tracy explained.
“thanks” Brock said and yawned.
They walked the rest of the way back in silence. It had been a very long day
“you three can stay as long as you want” Delia said, catching up with Jessie, James and Meowth. “if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have Ash, Misty or Brock with us here so, thank you” she said, a tear falling down her cheek.
“oh it was nothing really” Jessie muttered embarrassed.
“now I know you’re being modest, but thank you all the same. And as I said, you’re welcome to stay around, in fact I’m sure Ash would want you to”.
“well…” Jessie began
“not as though we have anywhere else to go” James continued
“and it’s nice to be wanted” Meowth finished.
“excellent that’s settled then. I’m afraid we’re a little short on room, so you can either stay in the lounge with Tracy and Richie, or the kitchen is free. Basically wherever there’s room” Mrs Ketchum said with a smile, happy to be able to play host to a few more guests.
The Pokemon bearing the sleeping forms of Ash and Misty followed a few yards behind.
“(so what do you reckon will happen now?)” Pikachu asked no-one in particular.
“(oh I don’t know)” said Bayleef yawning.  Cyndaquil immediately proved his superiority in that field by emitting a yawn that looked like it would never end.
“(I think Ash will want to go after team Rocket)” he said once he had finally finished.
“(YES that sounds like fun)” Totodile said, dancing around excitedly.
“(would be a hard battle though)” Corsola put in
“(and dangerous. But then we’ve been in danger before, been there done that)” Blastoise said.
“(it’ll be no problem. If we all work as a team, nothing will stop Ash and Misty from sorting this out)” Starmie added.
“(and we’ll be there while Brock does the cooking)” said Steelix, amused at the thought.
“(yea, it’ll be no problem)” said Pikachu and yawned himself.
“(tired?)” came a familiar voice. Pikachu looked up to see Sparky walking alongside them
“(hey Sparky, long time no see)” Pikachu greeted his old friend. “(how long will you be staying?)”
“(as long as it takes to sort this mess out, I’m going with you guys no matter what)” Sparky replied, cheerful as always. Pikachu gave him a friendly pat on the back.
“(all together, we can take anyone)” and they all walked back to the Ketchum house together, bearing their sleeping masters and a sleeping Azurill on top of them.
They were being followed by the same mysterious figure that had been present during the fulfilling of the prophecy. The creature drifted close now, intrigued by the conversation playing out below it. Sparky sensed that something was trailing them. He flicked his ear at Pikachu who wandered over.
“(what is it)” Pikachu asked.
“(we’re being followed)” Sparky said quietly.
“(I’m gonna jump em. On three. one….two…..three)” they both jumped around, cheeks sparking but whatever but was that had been following them, it wasn’t there now