POKÉMON:  WARRIOR'S DESIRE

I’ve returned to my regular writing schedule, so chances are I can get these out much more quickly.  Yay!

Usual disclaimers apply.  These characters do not belong to me.

TIME:  Sometime in the near future

LOCATION:  Cerulean City Gym, Cerulean City

            “Um...you’re like, kidding, right?”

            “You’re totally not serious, are you?”

            “Yeah, so, like...what put that idea in your head, and stuff?”

            Misty looked at her three older sisters in utter disbelief.  An invitation for the Lord of the Fight tournament had been sent to the Cerulean City gym, as it had been to all other gyms in Kanto and in Jhoto.  When the invitation came today inviting the Cerulean gym leader, Daisy, Violet and Lily Waterflower had other plans.  Said plans were to reject the invitation and denounce the League for hosting such a ridiculous tournament.

            Naturally, since the older sisters got it first, they spoke on behalf of the entire gym, not even once asking for Misty’s opinion.  Hell, at times they didn’t even want to consider her a sister, let alone a gym leader.

            Misty had managed to snatch the literature before either of her sisters could throw it out.  It now rested in her back pants pocket as she confronted the older Sensational Sisters.

            “Nothing ‘got into my head’,” Misty said coldly, not backing down from her older siblings.  “This is something I want to do!”

            “But who said you could?” Lily snapped.  “Did we say you could enter this tournament?”

            “Since when did I need your permission to do anything?!” came Misty’s reply.

            “Since you left the gym and started hanging around that skinny little dork, Ash,” Daisy said.

            “Since you’re not even a real Sensational Sister,” Violet added.  Misty was getting angrier.

            “But most importantly...” Lily finished.  She waited for Violet and Daisy to get ready to join her.  “...because we said so, that’s why!”

            Misty was in shock.  But he shock soon left her and was replaced with a sudden realization.  Even if Misty’s parents did favor the older sisters over her, she wasn’t willing to let them boss her around.  When she was a little girl and was just getting into Pokémon, she didn’t know any better.  Violet, Lily and Daisy habitually took advantage of their weaker youngest sister at every opportunity.  But now she was older – almost sixteen, to be exact – and was not going to take it anymore.

            “I didn’t leave anything,” she said.  “And don’t you dare talk about Ash like that!”  Her last statement was almost a shout, and her voice reverberated off the walls.  As they were talking – or for a better term, arguing – they were in the gym itself, on the side of the large pool in which the gym battles were taking place and the stage of the Sensational Sisters’ performances.  “I’m not going to be intimidated by you three anymore, got it?”  She turned her back to them.  “Besides...anyone who’s anyone in the Pokémon industry is going to be there, I know it!”  Misty turned around to face her sisters.  “And who would be better to represent the best gym in the world than me?”

            “Me,” said Daisy.

            “Me,” said Violet.

            “Me,” said Lily.  “See?  There’s three choices right there.”

            Misty grumbled angrily.  “It’s been decided, little sis,” Daisy said in a hard tone.  “If one of us doesn’t go,” she motioned to herself, Violet and Lily, “no one is.  And let’s be honest, you can’t fight for shit.  You don’t even know how to throw a decent punch, do you?”

            Misty had had enough.  Her right fist clenched itself shut, out of her sisters’ sight.  She was about to prove them wrong.  “What...” She held up her left hand to her older sister Daisy.  “...with this hand?”  For a slight second, her attention was drawn to Misty’s elegant hand.  “Or this one?”  In a flash, Misty’s left hand went to her side and her right fist snapped up and at Daisy.  She landed a stiff right jab on her sister’s chin, which sent her stumbling back a few steps before landing flat on her butt.

            The others were shocked and appalled.  Daisy looked like she was about to cry.  But it soon turned out she was ready to scream.

            This sudden flash of defiance completely threw off Daisy.  She didn’t have any time to think; she just reacted.  With a haggard scream, she lunged at her youngest sister, her fist cocked back.  With a flash of skill that her other sisters didn’t know she possessed, she parried, and sidestepped the attack.  As her sister’s eyes flashed wide in shock just before Misty drove her knee into her exposed stomach with all the force she could muster.  After pausing for a second – and readying herself – her leg snapped up and struck Daisy; it only got her in the shoulder, but it had enough force to send her splashing into the water.

            Daisy surfaced a moment later, her hair soaked and matted to her face, looking up at Misty with the same shocked expression.  She could practically hear the balance of power shifting in the opposite direction.  Misty stood over with a hard, stern glare, which sent a chill through Daisy’s body even more intense than the cold water could produce.

            “What were you saying about not throwing a punch?” Misty asked.

            Misty didn’t bother to elaborate on where exactly she picked up those moves.  But the pain she felt when her sisters insulted Ash like that still lingered.

            Speaking of Ash, that’s exactly where she “picked up those moves”.  Ever since Brock left, she had found herself spending more and more time with Ash.  Not enough for them to be sick of one another, but not enough for them to spend every waking minute on the phone to one another.  The two were virtually inseparable while Ash was at home, training for the Lord of the Fight.  Ash had taken time off from most serious Pokémon competitions for some well-deserved rest, as well as to focus on his training.

            Ash went to formal training under Genju three days a week for a few hours a day.  He was very experienced, and aside from the Master, only two other students outranked him – both black belts, but not masters.  When he wasn’t in class, he would be in his back yard for a while, training his body and his mind.  Meanwhile, Misty would watch her boyfriend – usually from a distance – watching his every move, every punch, every kick, every tactic.  Ash kept refining his moves so much it seemed like he would be unbeatable.  She couldn’t keep up with all of his techniques just by watching him, but had seen enough punches and kicks to perform them on her own without much trouble.

            She was quick enough on her own, and being a Sensational Sister, she had been taking up dance and gymnastics since she was a little girl.  Naturally (according to her older sisters) she wasn’t anywhere near as good a performer as her older sisters.

            Misty flashed a glance at her two other sisters, a gesture that begged them to try something.  When nothing came, Misty turned on her heel, and strode out of the gym.

TIME:  Later that night, around 11:00
LOCATION:  Misty’s room

            Misty sat on her bed, rubbing a towel through her hair after just getting out of the shower not too long ago.  Her Togepi sat on her pillow, his back to her as Misty finished drying herself off.  She was barely finished getting dressed when the phone rang.  Almost instinctively she knew who was on the other end.

            “Hello?” she said, picking up the phone.  She pushed her arms through the sleeves and the garment reached down to mid-thigh.

            “Hey Misty,” Ash’s voice said over the phone.

            “Hey,” she said sweetly.  She was wearing only said nightshirt as she sat back down on her bed.  She gently lifted Togepi up and set him off to the side, watching him crawl under the covers and start to sleep.

            “What’s going on?” Ash asked.

            “Not much, just got out of the shower.”  She tossed her towel to the side.  “I wouldn’t have imagined you to be up at this hour, honestly.”

            “Why not?”

            “Well I’m sure you’ve been training pretty hard, haven’t you?  I’d imagine you’d be too tired to even walk.” She couldn’t help but chuckle, the image of Ash dragging his exhausted body up the tall flight of stairs to his room, collapsing the second he hit his bed.

            “Yeah, well...I gotta give myself some time to recuperate.  I don’t want to completely wear myself out, you know?”

            “Yeah, you’re no fun when you barely have the strength to stand.”  There was a hidden meaning in that last statement, something she wondered if he picked up on.  Either way, she continued with her conversation.  “And speaking of the tournament...” Misty fingered the filled out application for the Lord of the Fight tournament, glancing over the information once or twice before putting it back on the desk.  It would have to be mailed out tomorrow.  “...I have to tell you something.  I’ve decided to enter myself.  Cool, huh?”  No response came for a little while.  “Ash?”

            “Misty...are you for real?”

            “Of course I am.  Why not?”

            “Well...I’m just a little worried, that’s all.  I mean, I – well, we – don’t know exactly what we’re gonna be up against.  And, well...I’m worried something might happen to you, Misty.”

            “I’m capable of taking care of myself, Ash Ketchum!”

            “I didn’t say that you weren’t.  I just...don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all.”

            Now it was Misty’s turn to be speechless.  It’s amazing that a guy like Ashura Ketchum could be a bit clumsy, headstrong, self-righteous and thick headed, and yet be so caring and concerned for those closest to him.  Of course, very few people other than his Pokémon, his mother, herself and Brock saw that side.

            “That’s sweet of you to say, Ash,” she said after a little while.  “But come on, think about it.  How many times have we endangered ourselves while you were training for the League competitions?  We’ve endured lots of dangerous situations, Ash.  Why should we get hung up over a little tournament?”

            Ash sighed.  “I guess you’re right,” he said.  “Still, you know I worry about you...”

            “I know.  But don’t worry, I’ll be alright.”

            “Alright.  Well, goodnight, Misty.  Love ya.”

            “Love you too, Ash.”  She heard the other end disconnect, and she hung up the phone.  Though she hadn’t realized it, she had spent more than a half hour on the phone with Ash, talking about whatever events happened that day.  The incident earlier with her sisters seemed to stick out the most in her mind, and Ash was a bit surprised at how Misty put her older sisters in order. 

            Misty made sure not to disturb her sleeping Togepi as she slid into bed and pulled the covers up over her.  As she settled into sleep, her own words kept coming back into her subconscious.

            Why should they get hung up over one tournament?  In a few short the years, the entire world will get hung up over a little tournament……………

NAME:  Misty Waterflower

STYLE:  No singular style; mostly gymnastic and dance-based attacks

DOB:  24 April 1983

HEIGHT:  5’2”

WEIGHT:  108 lbs.

HOBBY:  Aquatics

FAVORITE FOOD:  Seafood

MOST IMPORTANT:  The Cerulean City gym

LIKES:  Water Pokémon, water-related activities

DISLIKES:  Bugs