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From: Nikolai Mirovich <Nicholi_M@excite.com>
Subject: {ASSM} The Courier <*> (Pokemon Fanfiction, Ff, Rom)
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2000 16:10:03 -0400
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_______________________________________________________ Say Bye to Slow
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<1st attachment, "The Courier.txt" begin>
The Courier
by
Nikolai Mirovich
The trainer looked up from her tea, startled from her quiet
contemplation of its steaming depths by the sudden sounds of an argument.
She glanced up, as did a dozen other of the restaurant's patrons. What she
saw made her scowl in annoyance, but what she perceived took her breath
away.
Two people had entered the establishment, obviously hoping to escape the
heat of the mid-Summer's day, and had brought their argument in with them
as a mid-sized pikachu looked on in dismay.
"I can sympathize," the woman said more to herself than to the pokemon,
sizing up the two figures.
One was a boy who seemed to be enjoying the argument, which consisted
mostly of name-calling and accusations of physical and mental inadequacy,
far too much. He seemed to hold himself with a fool's confidence, a
prideful fellow with nothing to be truly proud of.
The other was a girl, who seemed to have been pulled from their silent
observer's very dreams. She was certainly dressed for the weather, which
only served to extenuate her subtle beauty. The boy's harsh words seemed
to be the antithesis of the truth. He called her ugly, yet the observer
was filled with a sudden admiration as she saw the fire in the girl's
sea-green eyes. The boy claimed his companion was scrawny, yet the woman
could easily make out the subtle curves of her firmly muscled legs, the
demure swell of her hips, and even the rise of her small breasts through
the tank-top the girl wore.
"He's quite insane," the observer commented to her pokemon over a sip of
her green tea. The little rattata nodded in agreement, sipping tea from a
small cup made just for him. "But he IS just a child," the woman
continued, "I suppose that it is to be expected."
The argument soon wrapped up with the traditional exclamation of "Well
fine!" from both parties, and the two stormed off in different directions,
the boy leaving the restaurant, while the girl found a table.
"Come on, Pikachu!" the boy grumbled, the automatic doors sliding open
for him, "I know where we're not wanted!"
"That's a surprise," the woman chuckled under her breath, pulling out a
small slip of paper and a pen, "But I suppose he has to make up for his
lack of interpersonal skills." She quickly wrote something on the paper and
handed it to her pokemon. "He doesn't even respect his pokemon enough to
give it its own name. Here you go, Nezumi dear, I need you to do me a
favor."
The rattata took the now rolled up piece of paper in his paws. "Ratta!"
he exclaimed happily.
The woman smiled. "Now, listen carefully, dearest," instructed Nezumi's
trainer, scratching him under the chin affectionately, "here's what I want
you to do..."
***
"That absolute jerk!" grumbled Misty; practically throwing herself into
a seat, hoping to alleviated some frustration. To her disappointment,
however, the chair was comfortably padded, giving way as she sat down
heavily, and not helping to alleviate her mood.
Instead she sat, quietly fuming, for several moments, elbows on the
table, her hands holding her head against the pain as her delicate fingers
rubbed her temples.
"Why?" she asked herself, the beginnings of tears forming in her soulful
eyes, "Why do I even bother-? What-?!" She suddenly demanded, looking up
as the sound of an almost polite squeak interrupted her anger. She
expected to see a waiter, the sound reminded her of the noise their shoes
made on the linoleum floor, but was surprised when she found herself
clearly waiter free.
Misty glanced around for a moment until a small, almost apologetic voice
caught her attention. "Rattata?" the small rodent pokemon inquired as it
stared up at her with big moony eyes.
"Gah!" the girl exclaimed, practically leaping out of her seat in
startled surprise.
The little pokemon drew back at her reaction, seeming to pout even with
his severe over-bite. "Ra..." he muttered dejectedly, turning away from
the girl and slowly ambling away on his hind legs.
"Oh! I'm sorry, little one," apologized Misty, containing herself once
again, "You just startled me."
The pokemon stopped in his tracks and slowly glanced over his shoulder
with a sad look in his eyes. "Tatta?" he inquired in the gibberish most
pokemon spoke in.
"It's alright," assured Misty, leaning down to the little creature's
level.
The rattata turned around fully, extending his snout forward to look
Misty squarely in the eye. He narrowed his gaze and sniffed the air
between them before exclaiming loudly holding out the small rolled out
piece of paper he held in his paw.
Misty couldn't help but chuckle at the little pokemon's antics, and
found her animosity slipping away with every smile that he brought to her
lips. "Is, is that for me?" she inquired sweetly, trying to be nicer to
the rattata.
The pokemon nodded with a wide grin.
"What's it say?" inquired Misty without thinking.
The rodent pokemon's grin became even broader as he dramatically
unfurled the scroll and took a deep breath. "Ra, ta! Rattata, ta ra.
Atta, rat ra!"
Misty couldn't help but laugh as the rattata went on and on, pretending
to read allowed from the scroll as though her were the town crier.
"Alright! Alright!" laughed Misty in spite of herself, holding her stomach
and struggling to stay in her chair, "I'll read it! I'll read it!"
Misty took the little scroll and squinting against the necessity of the
small but legible print, read the words she found to herself in a quiet
whisper... "You enter this lonely room, And your light fills my hollow
heart, But your companion's cutting words, Threaten to tear your soul
apart...
I can see your eyes burning with fire, As your whole being is filled
with pain, And by virtue of those harsh words, It shall be a miracle if you
manage to stay sane...
So let me hear of all your troubles, Give on to me the tears that you
would cry, Allow me to banish this tormented sorrow, And just let this
tragedy die..."
"Wow," she said almost too quietly, looking up at the little Rattata as
he leaned against the napkin holder, idly spinning the end of his tail with
one paw, "Did you write this?"
The rattata stood proudly at attention and nodded. "Ratta!" he
exclaimed happily, and gave a little bow.
"You're too much!" laughed Misty, scratching the rattata between the
ears with her index finger as she rested her head in her free hand, one
elbow on the table, "I was only teasing, Rattata."
The pokemon shrugged as a dark shadow fell across him. "His name is
Nezumi," came a soft, self-assured voice, making the rattata look straight
up into the air with a happy exclamation.
"Oh! Sorry, I didn't know," Misty apologized, looking up at Nezumi's
trainer with a polite smile.
The woman who stood before her seemed to be taken back for a moment,
loosing her train of thought. "I- Yes, it's okay, miss," she assured, her
glasses not quite hiding the emotion that filled the clear gray of her
eyes.
"Please, call me Misty," she said, offering her hand to her new friend's
trainer, "I guess I've already met Nezumi."
The woman's eyes widened for a moment, blushing as she took the girl's
hand. "Oh, I'm sorry," replied Misty, "Was it something I said?"
"No, no," the woman assured her with a smile, "I was just...
distracted."
"Ne! Ne! Ne!" laughed Nezumi, causing to Misty to glance wide-eyed at
the pokemon in amazement.
"He can talk?" she inquired, not noticing that the woman hadn't
relinquished her hand.
"Um, no, not really," she assured her, by way of explanation, "But I've
been trying for the last year or so to teach him to say his name. Rather
than just his species."
"Oh, I see," replied Misty, taking her hand back without noticing the
flash of dismay in the trainer's eyes.
"Please forgive my manners," she continued after swallowing hard, "My
name's Lilcamp, Miranda Lilcamp."
"Of the Lilcamp Trading Company?" inquired Misty, turning back to
Miranda.
She nodded. "The same," Miranda explained with a shrug, "I'm currently
working as part of the Courier Crew, though. It... Gets me out of the
house a whole lot more, and let's me see the world."
Misty smiled, suddenly remembering the commercial she'd seen for them.
"Ah! A cross between Fed Ex and the Road Warrior!" she laughed as the
woman sat down across from her.
"That's the one," chuckled Miranda with a nod, seeming to enjoy the
sound of Misty's laughter.
"So, what brings you here?" the girl inquired as Miranda summoned a
waiter.
"Oh, I was just dropping off some medical supplies," replied Miranda
with a shrug, "But, if you don't mind me asking..."
Misty found it difficult to meet Miranda's cautious gaze as she found
the words. "The argument was nothing," she assured, "It's the same old
crap every time. I don't know why I even bother with him."
"You seemed to be kinda related," pondered Miranda, "I've only seen
siblings fight like that."
"No, we're not related," muttered Misty a little more bitterly than
she'd intended, "But sometimes he's worse than my sisters."
"They don't appreciate you either?" the woman inquired with careful
concern.
Misty shrugged, her gaze contemplating the table between them. "Not at
all," she admitted, "They only want me around when they want something."
"That's rough," sympathized Miranda, "So, if you don't mind me asking...
Who is he?"
"Ash?" inquired Misty, with a bit of a laugh, "Just some kid I'm stuck
traveling with until he replaces my bike.
"Oh, I see," replied Miranda with a nod as the waiter brought them more
tea, "But why endure his company if he's so inconsiderate of your feelings?
A bike can't be worth your sanity."
"I guess it's better than traveling alone," Misty continued.
"It's not that bad," the woman responded a little forlornly.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" apologized Misty, "But you have Nezumi to keep you
company, right?"
"Ne-ratta!" called Nezumi, adding in his own confirmation of the fact.
Miranda smiled down at her pokemon. "Yes, of course," she assured them
both, "Nezumi's been my friend since we were both little. I found him
stealing food from the pantry when I was a kid. My parents would have
freaked if they'd known about him back then, so I raised him in secret, and
I think we have a pretty good understanding."
The rattata nodded in agreement and Misty smiled. "He certainly seems
intelligent," she commented, "Unlike some people I know..."
Miranda's smile faded as she carefully reached out with her hand, taking
Misty's and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's alright," she assured
the girl, "I'm sure once he's older he'll see how pretty you are."
"You, you actually think I'm pretty?" inquired Misty, a look of complete
bewilderment crossing her face.
The woman's expression became one of deep concern. "You don't agree?"
she inquired, her patient voice seeming puzzled.
Misty shrugged. "It's not that," she said, turning away reminiscing,
"It's just that not many people seem to notice, especially not my family.
And the few people I've met who've mentioned it always leave, or don't
really mean it, or are just plain not interested in me beyond physical
attraction. It's kinda pathetic really."
"Well, well you are," stammered Miranda, looking pensively down at the
table cloth.
Misty turned back. "Thanks," she replied, giving the woman's hand a
squeeze, before relinquishing her own and reaching for the tea.
"Careful, it's hot," warned Miranda, pulling out three porcelain
teacups, two normal sized and the third far too small for a human, but
perfect for Nezumi.
"Oh wow!" Misty commented, noticing the intertwined dragonairs that
encircled the full circumference of each cup, "These are really nice!"
"These two were my Father's," explained Miranda, "But the little one I
had specially made. I suppose I'll have to let Nezumi use a full size one
once he evolves."
"Were?" inquired Misty with concern as she poured them both tea before
carefully giving some to the rattata.
Miranda nodded thoughtfully. "Yes," she explained, blowing over her
green tea before taking a sip and continuing, "My Father had two dragonites
when I was younger. They helped out with the business now and then, and
when I was old enough I was given one of the eggs from one of the only
clutches they successfully had. They're very slow to reproduce, but that's
how I got my dratini. Her name's Umi."
"You have a dratini?!" exclaimed Misty loud enough for the entire
restaurant to hear, but by now the other patrons were used to her sudden
energetic outbursts.
Miranda nodded again, and sipped her tea. "If you'd care to accompany
me later, I'll show you," she offered without looking up into Misty's
suddenly wide eyes.
"Would you?!" exclaimed Misty, completely awestruck by the concept.
Miranda blushed, looking up at the girl over her thin-lensed glasses.
"You must like dragons," she commented, her voice wavering a little.
Misty shrugged. "Well, if their water dragons, yes," she explained.
"I've never known any other kind... Unless you count charizards and
gyaradoses, of course. Gyaradosi? Oh well, whatever," pondered Miranda
thoughtfully, "So, what do you have?"
Misty cringed for a moment. "Oh, with me I just have my staryu, goldeen
and my err- um, Psyduck," Misty stammered, feeling embarrassed.
"Hm. I see," Miranda responded thoughtfully, "There's definitely some
potential there. Assuming you intend to challenge the Indigo League some
day."
"Me?!" exclaimed Misty with a wry grin, "I think I'd only do it to annoy
Ash!"
Miranda laughed. "People've challenged them over less," she assured.
"How about you?" inquired Misty.
Miranda shook her head and took a quick gulp of tea before refilling her
cup. "Me? No way," she explained, "Those who wish to challenge them have
to follow a strict code of conduct, and well..."
"Well?" asked Misty, suddenly feeling concerned.
"There are times when I've had to protect some one or something, and I
haven't been able to abide by their rules," the woman explained only a
little sadly, "I may have collected three badges in my time, but to me
they're just trinkets. Little more than pretty souvenirs."
Miranda reached into her pocket and pulled out her three badges. Misty
leaned forward to see them and cringed as she noticed the Cascade Badge.
"You, you've been to Cerulean City?" she inquired rather pensively.
"Indeed," responded Miranda, letting the tea calm her nerves as she
stole a quick glance at Misty in the mirror on the far wall, "I was
delivering some water stones to one of our clients and I thought I'd stop
in. Not much of a challenge, I'm afraid. Barely gave Nezumi much of a
work out, and the three trainers there were so self absorbed it was
pathetic!"
Misty gave a nervous laugh. "Um, Miranda," she explained, "They're my
sister..."
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" the courier apologized, her already pale skin
draining of colour, "I- I didn't mean to offend you."
"Oh, no!" laughed Misty, waving her hand dismissively, "I can't stand
them either! It just bothers me that every one goes gah-gah over them,
'tis all."
"They weren't that great," pondered Miranda thinking back, "And I could
hardly see the resemblance. Sorry."
Misty nodded. "Yeah, I'm used to that," she continued bitterly, "No one
thinks I could be related to the beautiful Cerulean sisters-"
"They're hardly beautiful," commented Miranda, cutting the girl off.
"Oh, you're just saying that to make me feel better," replied Misty with
a slight smile, Thanks, it's a nice gesture."
Miranda looked up, meeting Misty's eyes with a determined look. "No,"
she said, "I mean it. They're beauty is so... Artificial. It doesn't
come from within. It's make-up and cosmetics that they use to enhance
themselves. It's not the inner light of their soul shining through that
makes them beautiful. Not like you."
"That is one way of looking at it," replied Misty, her smile broadening,
her argument with Ash all but forgotten, "And it's very poetic too."
"I did write that note Nezumi gave you," Miranda said shyly.
"Oh, oh yeah!" laughed Misty, "I almost forgot. It's very nice, thank
you."
Miranda shrugged. "It was spur of the moment," she explained with calm
self-assuredness, "Give me a hot bath and good night's sleep and I could
make that look like nothing."
"Well," suggested Misty, "I hear they have a hot spring here, "It's not
very popular in the Summer because everyone just goes to the beach, but
it's better than just taking an ordinary bath."
Miranda's eyes widened and she turned away blushing. "Yes," she
answered, "I know. I've been here quite a few times, and the woman who
owns it lets me bring in my pokemon when there's no one else around."
"Well, they do work a lot harder than we do," chuckled Misty, "they
deserve a break."
"Ra! Tatta!" agreed Nezumi, making both women laugh.
"Hey, if you'd like, we could go right now," offered Misty, "I'm sure
the lunch crowd will all be down at the beach wallowing so we'll probably
have the place to ourselves."
Miranda nodded slowly, covering her embarrassment at the thought with
her hand and trying to look contemplative. "I'll definitely take you up on
that offer," she replied, somehow keeping the quaver out of her voice as
she pulled out some money and left it on the table.
"And no grabbing the bright and shinnies!" teased Misty, waving a finger
at Nezumi who did his best to look innocent, and then hurt.
"He's not a pack-rat," assured Miranda with a laugh, standing up and
running her hand through her sweat matted dark hair before grabbing her
jacket and backpack.
"Oh! Don't forget you cups," reminded Misty, collecting the small
porcelain objects that held more semimetal than monetary value, "Your Dad
would be fit to be tied if you lost them!"
"My Father is dead," Miranda said simply, taking them from Misty's
suddenly paralyzed hands without further comment.
"I-I'm sorry, Miranda," she choked out.
"It, it was a long time ago, Misty," the woman assured, tasting the name
upon her lips for the first time, "Now Umi and the cups are all I have to
remember him by."
"But, but what about the other eggs in the clutch?" inquired Misty with
utmost care.
"Selece and Undine sacrificed them rather than allow them to be stolen,"
explained Miranda, pausing and looking distant, "Then my father died trying
to save the two dragonites. Later we found that the thieves had killed
them both because they refused to obey any other trainer..."
Misty stood up, trying not to let the woman's height make her feel
insecure as she walked over and glanced into her sad gray eyes. "Miranda,
I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice filled with compassion.
"It's okay, miss," assured Miranda, wiping away a tear and trying her
best to smile, "It was a long time ago, and no one's seen the thieves
since. I've made it part of my life's work to find them, and I've given
their descriptions to the twenty-five or thirty Officer Jenny's I've met in
my time as a Courier, but nothing's turned up."
"Twenty-five or thirty?!" commented Misty, taking a step back as her
mind suddenly boggled.
"That's what I said last time I counted," offered Miranda, smiling
weakly through her tears, "I've even been to places that have two or
three."
Misty giggled in spite of herself. "I know a guy who'd kill for that!"
she laughed.
"There's way too many men like that," Miranda agreed, encouraged by
Misty's levity, but suddenly becoming half serious, "Funny, though, I
wanted to cheer you up, but all I succeeded in doing was upsetting myself."
"No," assured Misty, taking her hand, "It was my fault. But you did
succeed in cheering me up."
Miranda smiled. "It's alright," she said, closing her eyes and nodding
contentedly, "I'm used to it. And besides, I feel like I've accomplished
something."
"Oh?"
"Yes," answered Miranda with a sly smile, "But you wouldn't believe me
if I told you."
Misty's continued questioning was suddenly cut off by the maitre d's
coming up to them with an expectant look. "Ms. Lilcamp?" he inquired
without really expecting a response, "There's a call for you."
"No rest for the wicked," sighed Miranda, shouldering her backpack as
Nezumi hopped into one of her coat's many pockets.
"Business call?" inquired Misty, following her friend into the
restaurant's foyer where the vid-phone was located, "Or family?"
"Probably both," commented Miranda, becoming moderately more
businesslike.
The maitre d' was nice enough to depart as soon as the phone's blinking
light was visible and Miranda picked up the receiver before hitting the
hold button. "This is Lilcamp, how can I help you?"
The face that came to life across the screen was that of a man of
indeterminate age, whose force of personality made him seem younger than he
probably was. His dark hair was kept short and he seemed to have a
perpetual smile plastered to his face. "Miranda!" he exclaimed as though
he hadn't seen her in years, "I hate to cut your little vacation short, but
I just got a call from Sylph. Apparently their Transposition Array is down
for repairs and they need someone to transport some experiment of theirs to
one of their field offices. They'd really appreciate it if you could drop
by tomorrow morning."
Miranda smiled. "You can count on me, Bob," she assured him, "Tell them
I'll be there for nine, but not a minute sooner!"
The dispatcher laughed. "You're just like you Mom!" he commented,
"Anyways, I'll say hi for you."
"Thanks, bye," the connection was severed and Miranda hung up the phone.
"Friends of yours?" inquired Misty, her expression implying something
more.
"Oh!" gasped Miranda, trying to contain a sudden laugh, "Goodness no!
He's my step-father!"
"Oops! Sorry!" apologized Misty, "I shouldn't jump to conclusions."
Miranda shrugged. "No worries," she assured the girl with a smile, "I
get it all the time. I suppose it's just that my Mom likes younger men.
It's nice to see her happy again."
"But what about you?" Misty asked, "Does he meet with your approval?"
"Mostly," replied Miranda, "But as I said, my Mom's happiness is more
important than my constantly comparing him to my real Father. I'm not
worried."
Misty nodded. "Well, how about we hit that hot-spring?" she suggested,
"You have to be up and out of here early tomorrow and it'll serve Ash right
to be ditched for the rest of the day!"
"Well, if you're only hanging around with him until he buys you a new
bike, why not ditch him all together?" inquired Miranda, reaching into her
pocket and digging though various things as they left the restaurant and
entered the hotel it was attached to.
"Um, I err-!" stammered Misty.
"You could always tag along for a while if you want," the woman offered,
"I could even get you a new bike."
Misty's eyes widened at the sight of the rectangular card Miranda
suddenly held up in front of her. "Lilcamp Trading Company 'Courier Crew
Platinum Card'," it read, in the background there was a cyclist clutching a
package and careening off the head of a gyarados like it was some kind of
ramp over flaming spikes to where an expectant family waited. The slogan
"Any time, anywhere!" was also stenciled across it, and of course there was
the name "Miranda Lilcamp".
"I can write it off as a business expense," explained Miranda with a sly
smile, "I'll just say that I needed a little a body guard because what I
was transporting was so valuable. And the only way you'll keep up with me,
is if you have your own bike!"
Misty only vaguely heard Miranda's explanation. Possibilities were
playing out in her head, and the new opportunities had to be sorted out.
"I- I think I need a hot bath," she commented, "I need to think."
"As you wish," assured Miranda with a nod, and lead the way to the hot
springs.
***
As promised, no one was else seemed to be requesting the use of the
naturally heated pools of water that resided on the south facing side of
the Vermillion City Hotel. Far below the fenced in area was the harbor and
the beach, both of which promised to be crowded, but here there was blessed
solitude. Or a reasonable facsimile there of.
The woman at the desk looked up from her copy of War & Peace and smiled
warily. "Oh! Hi, Miranda," she commented in a bored tone, "Back again?
Oh! I see you've brought a friend."
Miranda nodded. "Her name's Misty," she explained, and then quickly
asked, "Is there anyone in there right now? 'Cause Umi hasn't been out in
a few days."
The woman chuckled. "Oh, it's just fine!" she assured Miranda, "I'm
sure all your pokemon will enjoy themselves as much as you do. Just
please, don't let your gastly hide in the women's change room again, it
scares away customers."
"Sorry!" laughed Miranda, "But you can't blame poor, Wraith! It WAS
Halloween, after all."
The woman laughed, nodding in agreement. "I'll give you a shout if
anyone comes by," she commented, "Not everyone like bathing in the same
pool as a dragon. No matter how cute it is!"
Miranda nodded and walked past the desk to the change room. "Thanks
again!" she called and was through the door before the woman could get her
raveled up in any other conversations.
"She seems nice," commented Misty as Miranda led her to a locker-bay
where she dropped her coat and backpack on the bench in the center of the
aisle.
"Yes," explained Miranda mirthfully, "But this time of year, Nancy'll
talk your ear off!"
Misty laughed and opened the locker next to the one Miranda had chosen.
"There should be fresh towels on the bottom shelf," the woman commented, "I
don't think anyone's been here in about a month, but they keep it fully
functional just incase."
"I see," commented Misty absently, grabbing a long white towel and
sitting down on the bench to remove her shoes.
"It's been way too long since I've been here," Miranda mused as she
removed her glasses, seemingly unwilling to turn around as she simply
kicked off her shoes and dropped her ripped at the knees denim jeans down
around her ankles before pulling up her dark violet t-shirt, all almost in
one fluid motion.
"Miranda?" asked Misty, noticing both the edge in the woman's tone, and
the way she kept her back to her, "Is there something wrong? It's not
embarrassing for you to get changed in front of someone is it?"
Miranda stopped in the midst of another void filling conversational
tidbit, her shirt temporarily binding her arms together. "A- a little,"
she admitted nervously, "But it's okay, I'm fine."
"I see," replied Misty, as Miranda took her time sliding her shirt the
rest of the way off. She could hear the rustling of clothing as the girl
disrobed behind her. The quiet sound of static electricity as Misty's
shirt came up over her head and ruffled her orange-ish hair. The half thud
as her denim shorts hit the cold floor, and stretching of elastic as
Misty's undergarments were casually removed before the towel was donned.
"Okay, it's alright now," replied Misty, trying to sound understanding.
Miranda opened her eyes, which had been squeezed tightly shut the whole
time, and relaxed her jaw, giving her teeth a chance to recover. "I'm
sorry," she half-lied, "Sometimes I get strangely self-conscious, 'tis
all."
"It's alright," assured Misty, "I'll just meet you outside, okay?"
"Okay," responded Miranda with a nod, but deep down she wanted the girl
to stay.
She waited until the door to the outside slid back into place before
turning to Nezumi. The rodent Pokemon, who had been sitting quietly and
obediently on his mistress's coat, gave her a quizzical look as she turned
to face him.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Miranda asked the rattata.
"Ne! Ne! Nez!" the pokemon exclaimed, suddenly getting a prideful grin
on his face as he mastered yet another bit of his name.
"I know," replied Miranda, scratching him behind the ears, "I'm
crazy..."
***
Miranda stepped out into the humid afternoon air after sliding the door
open with her foot, and sliding it closed the same way after her passing,
all the while juggling three poke-balls. She glanced over at where Misty
was lounging waist deep in the warm waters, the girl's hair had been set
free, and she seemed somehow different with it down. After a few steps,
Misty noticed Miranda and laughed as she applauded, her pokemon moving to
watch the performance.
Miranda smiled, somehow managing to keep her towel securely fastened,
and called out her pokemon. "Nezumi! Umi! Wraith!" she called, "Bath
time!"
Instantly, two of the three poke-balls opened, and out sprang a dratini
and a gastly, but the third remained closed. "Nezumi?" inquired Miranda as
the ghost and the serpentine dragon looked up at their trainer expectantly,
"Are you in there?"
She cast a glance by way of Misty, and noticed that she not only had her
attention, but also that of the staryu, goldeen and even the psyduck Misty
had brought with her. "Nezumi?" she called one more time, sounding a
little annoyed, as right on cue the rodent jumped up from behind her and
landed in her hair.
Their audience began to laugh, and Misty clapped her hands in her
amusement. 'So full of life and joy,' Miranda thought inwardly before
returning to the act. "Nezumi! Where are you?!" she demanded as Misty
nearly fell over laughing, "Come out, come out wherever you are!" Miranda
made a production of looking left and right, all the while juggling the
three poke-balls, while for his part Nezumi made faces at their audience,
making even the staryu laugh.
Finally, though, both trainer and pokemon looked at each other. Miranda
looking up, and Nezumi looking down. "There you are!" she exclaimed as
Nezumi cried, "Rattata!" and they both laughed.
"Okay, show's over," replied Miranda with a grin as Misty applauded and
Nezumi bowed before diving off his trainer's head, and into the water.
"That was amusing!" laughed Misty as Miranda stepped carefully down into
the water, slowly submerging herself and finally sitting near her friend,
"Do you have any other hidden talents I should know about?"
Miranda blushed again. "Oh, one or two," she said with a shrug, leaning
back and relaxing as her gastly floated up to her where he hovered in front
of her face.
"Gastly?" he inquired, glancing down at the water with a fearful look.
Miranda opened her eyes and gave the little ghost a stern but loving
look. "You too!" she ordered, grabbing the pokemon by the top of the head
and pushing him underwater.
She laughed as a cloud of bubbles erupted from the water, and a muffled
voice seemed to call out from each one that exploded, "Gast! Gast! Gast!
Ly! Ly! Ly!"
She let go of the pokemon and he immediately popped out of the water
taking several deep breaths and looking overly anxious. "Oh! You're fine,
Wraith!" Miranda laughed as Misty looked on, her eyes more on Umi as the
dratini swam/slithered a path towards the trainer, the dragon's luminescent
eyes glowing eerily just under the surface.
Noticing this, the gastly stopped panting and laughed before flying off
to pester Nezumi, who was apparently trying to teach Psyduck to swim.
"Don't forget to scrub behind your ears!" teased Miranda, feeling truly at
peace, and idly flicking water at the approaching dratini, causing the
pokemon to dive under.
"I don't think gastlies have ears!" chuckled Misty, as the two groups of
pokemon seemed to be having fun introducing themselves to one another.
"And Dratini aren't supposed to be afraid of water," laughed Miranda,
splashing water every time Umi tried to surface, until finally the pokemon
sprang up in front of her and playfully water-gunned her.
"Gah-!" exclaimed Miranda, standing up as Umi tore off in the opposite
direction, her eyes gleaming and amused pinkish, "Come here you!"
Misty didn't even bother to contain her laughter as Miranda half dove
after the fleeing serpent, and caught the dratini's tail. "Ha!" the woman
exclaimed, seeming almost half her age as she played with her pokemon, "I
gotcha girl!"
Umi turned around and wrapped herself around Miranda's arm before
nuzzling her trainer's neck affectionately. "Dra..." she cooed, as Miranda
sat in the center of the pool and scratched the little dragon's eye ridges
affectionately.
"I love you too," she assured Umi before turning to face her companion
with a broad grin.
"Well, I feel better now," Miranda stated, her just past shoulder-length
back hair thoroughly wetted, and hanging in tangled strands across her
face.
"And a little less self-conscious!" laughed Misty.
"Huh?" inquired Miranda, looking down and noticing that her towel was
missing, "Yikes!"
Misty would have laughed as Miranda dove under water for a moment, only
to pop her head up so she could breath, but her lungs were exhausted.
"You're too much!" she sighed, leaning back on the bank and stretching out.
"You've had a stressful day," replied Miranda, moving closer as Umi swam
off to save the suddenly downing Psyduck, "I'm just doing my best to take
your mind off things."
"Is that another one of the services the Courier Crew provides?"
inquired Misty lazily, closing her eyes and sinking a little lower into the
water.
"Only from this CC girl," corrected Miranda, sitting beside her and
sinking back down to the point where only her head was visible above the
water.
"Misty smiled and turned to her. "You know," she commented with playful
suspicion, "You're awfully nice to some one you've only just met."
"Well, actually I've seen you two or three times," amended Miranda with
a shy smile, "Here and there in the places I've been called to."
"But you've never talked to me before," said Misty, turning to the woman
and opening her eyes, "If I'd known you were such a nice person I wouldn't
have objected, that's for sure."
"I- I'm just shy around certain people," explained Miranda as best she
could, "I guess that the argument you had was something of a blessing in
disguise. It gave me the courage to finally talk to you."
"Careful," laughed Misty, "You're starting to sound like my secret
admirer!"
Miranda laughed nervously and replied, "I think it's just that I've
always routed for the 'underdog', and I have these rather hyperactive
maternal instincts at times. So when I see someone who looks like they
need protecting, I just can't help myself..."
"You a regular paladin!" chuckled Misty, finding Miranda's hand and
giving it a squeeze, "But can you do me a favor? Scrub my back?"
Miranda nodded, reluctantly relinquishing the expectedly offered hand
and watching carefully as Misty turned her back to her. The woman
swallowed hard as she watched Misty's damp towel slowly slide down into the
water only to be snatched away by a suddenly returning Umi who then quickly
darted away afterward.
"Hey!" laughed Misty as Umi chased Goldeen, whom Nezumi was using as a
surfboard, around the pool with Misty's towel clutched in her teeth, "Silly
pokemon! They're like children sometimes."
"And thus they need us to protect them as much as we need them to
protect us," concluded Miranda, taking a cloth and wetting it in the water
beside her.
"Maternal instincts again?" inquired Misty, sighing contented as the
warm cloth was pushed slowly up the middle of her back to her neck.
"Personal experience," replied Miranda, carefully moving Misty's hair to
one side, and bringing the damp cloth up to the girl's hairline before
dragging it back down.
"I see," sighed Misty, finding Miranda's strong fingers more than
sufficient to no only bathe her, but to work the tension from her wary
muscles.
"You're all knotted," the courier commented, letting the cloth slip from
between her fingers and slide almost silently below the water.
"Yeah, I know," muttered Misty, leaning back slightly as Miranda's
fingers pushed against her spine as they dragged their way up to her
shoulders, "It's all the running around and dealing with idiots that I have
to do. I guess it's better than being at home all the time, though."
"Back to your self-absorbed, unappreciative sisters, eh?" the woman's
hands moved left and right, her fingers wrapped slowly and carefully around
the curve of Misty's neck before sliding down over her shoulders, Miranda's
thumbs working slow circles over Misty's shoulder blades.
Misty nodded lazily, all the tension in her entire being seeming to flow
out through Miranda's soft, yet firm hands. By this time she couldn't even
hear their pokemon's antics let alone the sounds from the beach some
distance away. "I have to go home eventually," she said almost drowsily,
as Miranda's fingers traced long lines down her back, before the woman's
hands moved back up to encompass joints of her shoulders, "I have two
pokemon there that I'd like to have back at some point."
"The horsea and the starmie?" inquired Miranda, her fingers pushing
their way up the back of Misty's neck, causing the girl to let her head
fall all the way forward as Miranda made her bones feel like Jell-O.
"How-? How'd you know?" she managed, her eyes half closed, but
unseeing.
"The gym leaders mentioned something about them belonging to their
younger sister," Miranda explained, somehow finding the willpower to resist
the urge to bring her lips down upon the back of Misty's neck, to taste the
heated water upon her skin, "Although they blatantly lied about you."
"Not... Surprising," murmured Misty leaning back against Miranda, her
head finding a resting place on the woman's shoulder as she sighed
contentedly.
Miranda bit her bottom lip as she settled back against the edge of the
natural pool, getting comfortable as Misty sat between her legs, leaning
back against leaning her. Miranda then ran her hands around the front, her
fingers sliding across the soft skin of Misty's flat stomach until both
hands rested comfortably in either side of the girl's hips.
The courier listened carefully to the girl's breathing and found that
Misty had fallen asleep under her ministrations, and was probably dreaming
contentedly. "Poor me," Miranda muttered, resting her chin on Misty's
shoulder and glancing carefully down at her friend's pleasantly curved body
listened to the wonderful sensations her legs were giving her about the way
Misty was half sitting in her lap and half just leaning on them. Yet she
dared not act on the impulses that ran through her synapses.
The urge to run her lips across the sensuous curve of Misty's neck, or
to give in to the hunger her fingers felt to either reach up and lovingly
cup Misty's small breasts in hands that would be both gentle and
persistent, or to wander down and run slow circles over her clit. But as
powerful as the temptation was, it was not overpowering.
Instead, Miranda contented herself with simply paying attention to what
every synapse was telling her about the feel of Misty's body against her
own. The way her right ankle hurt slightly with the girl's leg was propped
up on it, the way her breasts tingled at the feeling of Misty leaning
against them and occasionally moving ever so slightly, but enough to
deliver muchly desired friction to her hardened nipples. The way the
girl's soft breath filled her ears like the sound of the sea in a vacant
seashell, downing out all other sounds, the tantalizing, yet blurry,
glimpses of Misty's naked form, concealed as it was by the constantly
rippling water, the way her exquisite legs stretched out not quite as long
as her own, almost begging for the firm touch of Miranda's loving caresses,
the continual aching desire to kiss the sleeping girl's ear, down her neck,
and all the way down to the beads of water that reflected Miranda's face a
dozen taunting times back at her.
"Sometimes life is as painful as it is pleasant," Miranda comment,
closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of the frolicking pokemon not
far away, "But I've never been one to complain..."
***
Misty woke up in an unfamiliar bed, with an odd pressure against her
chest. She opened her eyes and couldn't help but smile as she saw Nezumi
staring back at her with a smile on his face.
"Hello, you," she said, reaching her hand from under the covers to pet
him.
"Hey! You're up," commented Miranda, coming from the other room already
fully clothed, "Sorry for the inconvenience, but you fell asleep and you
were starting to turn the colour of a krabby."
Misty smiled. "That's okay," she relied, stretching out on the large
bed, "I've never felt quite so refreshed and relaxed!"
Miranda shrugged. "This place does that to you," she explained, "Oh,
and I hope you don't mind that I brought you back to my room and gave you
something to wear. It would have been difficult to explain why I was
carrying an unconscious naked person up to my room!"
Misty laughed a little self-consciously, sitting up before swinging her
legs off the side of the bed as Nezumi bounced away. "So, what time is it
anyway?" she asked yawing and stretching again, causing her hotel bathrobe
to fall open a bit in the front.
"A little after three," answered Miranda, a little distracted, and
handed Misty her clothing.
"Wow," her guest commented, "I feel like I slept for a week! I'm
definitely coming back here."
"I always do," replied Miranda with a shrug, "And if you're still
willing to accept my invitation, I'll more than likely back this way
again."
Misty paused in the midst of pulling her denim shorts up under her
bathrobe. "Yeah," she answered after a moment's thought, "I really need to
get away. Who knows, maybe I'll even challenge the League like you
suggested!"
"If that'd make you happy, I'd have no problem with it," commented
Miranda, affixing her poke balls to her belt, "But right now I was thinking
about getting some food, and seeing about getting you a new bike."
Misty clapped her hands together loudly, her eyes going wide as she
shuffled over to Miranda. "Really?!" she exclaimed with a wide grin.
Miranda chuckled, and ruffled Misty's shortish hair. "I never make a
promise I don't intend to keep," she assured the girl.
"Oh, thank you!" exclaimed Misty, throwing her arms around Miranda
enthusiastically, not caring that her robe had fallen open completely.
Miranda gulped down her nervous feeling and returned the embrace. "It's
nothing really," she assured her in a soft, compassionate tone, "It'll be
nice to have another human around for once."
"But, don't you get to go home at all?" asked Misty looking up into the
depths of her clear gray eyes, concern creeping into her voice.
Miranda shrugged. "Not very often," she explained, looking a little
distant, "Usually I just stop by once or twice a year. Too many bad
memories."
"I guess I have an idea of how you feel," replied Misty, leaning her
head on Miranda's shoulder and giving her a reassuring hug.
"Well, it's not as though no one cares about me there," Miranda
continued, tilting her head so that her lips brushed against Misty's silky
feeling hair as she spoke, "It's just that it hurts be there. And to see
Mom."
"Why? What's wrong with your Mother?" Misty asked, her words full of
concern.
Miranda took a deep breath. "One of the pokemon the thieves used," she
began, tears already falling from her eyes to dampen Misty's orange-ish
hair once again, "It was just a machop... It hit her so hard that she's
been paralyzed ever since."
"I-I'm so sorry," replied Misty, holding Miranda tighter, hardly minding
the falling tears.
"If only I'd had Wraith back then," the woman muttered, shaking her head
regretfully, "Even a strong machop is no match for even the weakest gastly.
As I've said before, it's part of my life's work to find these people, and
when I do, I'll show them as little mercy as they showed my family."
"Um, Miranda," Misty asked tactfully, a sudden idea coming to mind,
"These thieves didn't have a talking meowth with them, did they?"
Miranda paused, her dark reverie broken. "Meowths can't talk, dear,"
she told the girl, "It's taken me a few years to get my pokemon to the
point they're at now. Of course I only try in my spare time."
Misty let out a long sigh of relief. "That's good," she breathed,
relief flooding her, "I was worried I might know these people."
"Your associate Ash steals pokemon?!" inquired Miranda, a startled
expression crossing her pale features.
"No! No! No!" laughed Misty, "But we've met a trio of pokemon thieves.
They keep pestering Ash about his Pikachu."
"Why not try Viridian Forest?" offered Miranda, pulling back a little
and looking down at Misty curiously.
"Oh? Why- Why's that?" she inquired with an involuntary shudder, "The
place is just full of bugs!"
Miranda smiled. "I can handle the bugs," she assured, "But every time
I'm biked through there, I've spotted at least one or two pikachu.
"You're joking," replied Misty with a bemused grin.
Miranda shook her head, tossing her dark hair about. "Not a word of a
lie," she stated, "Although it's possible that they're looking for an
experienced pikachu. But I've never understood pokemon thieves. You can't
just steal someone's pokemon and expect it to obey you!"
"I know," responded Misty, shaking her head in dismay, "But at least
these thieves are allot less competent than the ones you had a run in with.
Although I'd have to say that they're more persistent. Say, they didn't
have some stupid speech to recite when they first showed up did they?"
Miranda shook her head. "No, but I was so young I'd hardly remember."
"Oh, oh well," said Misty, trying to change the subject, "But what do
you say we get going?"
"Good idea," agreed Miranda with a thoughtful smile, taking a step back
and adjusting Misty's white bathrobe to protect her modesty, "But I think
you should finish putting your clothes on first, eh?"
Misty glanced down and gave a surprised look that made Miranda laugh.
"Ooops!" she exclaimed, "Sorry! I suppose I was just getting a little to
comfortable around you."
"It's okay," said Miranda with a dismissive shrug, "You're not exactly
the sort to crack mirrors and curdle milk."
"If you keep complimenting me," warned Misty with a slight blush, "I'm
going to get an ego as enormous as Ash's stupidity!"
"Well, just don't get all conceited on me," warned Miranda with a sly
smile.
"Never!" assured Misty, turning around before dropping the protective
garment to the floor and pulling on her shirt.
Behind her Miranda sighed inwardly, watching the girl's muscles shift
just beneath the skin as she moved. 'I would never grow wary of you the
way others have,' the woman thought loud enough for a sleeping abra to
hear.
"Ready?" asked Misty, her voice full of its usual enthusiasm and life,
as she turned to face her friend.
"Our motto is 'Any time anywhere'!" assured Miranda with a smile, and
once she'd called Nezumi to his customary place upon her shoulder, the trio
left the unspoken tension of the room behind...
***
By seven o'clock, Miranda and Misty satiated their hungers for both food
and shopping, with Miranda's still smoking credit card as evidence. Their
backpacks were heavy with new clothes, and trinkets they'd seen found in
Vermillion City's various seaside shops. Not to mention the new bicycle
Misty was now proudly riding down the winding streets, laughing joyfully
the entire way.
"Whoa! Hey, Misty!" called Miranda, skidding her dark blue mountain
bike to a halt, "Check it out."
"What-?" she inquired, pulling up beside her friend and looking to the
right. "Oh my-! Is that what I think it is?"
Miranda nodded. "The Vermillion Gym," she said, speaking the words
almost solemnly and glancing back at Misty meaningfully, "You said you
might want to challenge the league one day."
"I know," replied Misty, taking a deep breath and glancing at the sky,
"But it's getting a bit late, and I really only have water pokemon with me.
It'd be kind of a one sided fight, don't ya think?"
"I'd let you borrow Nezumi," Miranda offered with a smile, and the
little rattata gave a silly grin as he uttered words of encouragement.
Misty blushed and held out her hand to the pokemon. "It's a very
tempting offer," she admitted as Nezumi hopped from Miranda's shoulder to
Misty's hand, "But if I have Nezumi's support..."
"Nezzz!" the rattata exclaimed excitedly, soliciting a surprised look
from Misty, and a laugh from his trainer.
"He's been practicing," Miranda explained as Nezumi ran up Misty's arm
to her shoulder where he leaned against her ear and made happy noises.
"And he certainly seems to like me," Misty commented, carefully petting
the little rodent.
"Like trainer like pokemon," Miranda said under her breath, and then to
Misty, "Oh, you should know, in the process of training him, I've given
Nezumi's techniques some unusual names. It tends to throw off opponents."
Misty nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, let's hear them," she said, smiling
as nezumi showed off.
"Only if you're going in," teased Miranda, pushing her glasses farther
up her nose, making them shimmer.
"With out a doubt!" laughed Misty, giving her most determined pose.
"Very well," explained Miranda, "They are as follows..."
***
The extremely butch woman at the door greeted them with an amused grin.
"Hey, were all just about to have dinner!" she said in a voice almost too
deep to be female as she stared down at the two humans and one rattata,
"What's the big idea?"
"I've come to challenge your gym leader!" pronounced Misty, stomping her
foot on the cement floor and holding out her fist dramatically. Nezumi on
her shoulder did his best to copy the action, but only wound up looking
silly, "I've come for a Thunder Badge!"
The woman laughed out loud, holding her stomach with both hands, a look
of disbelieving amusement in her dark eyes. "You?!" she demanded with an
amused callousness, "One scrawny little girl wants to challenge OUR gym!
HA!"
Misty scowled, having had enough of this gym's quirkiness the last time
she'd been in town. "Look, if you aren't willing to live up to your
responsibilities as the Vermillion Gym, I'll just-!"
"Now hold on, little lady!" the woman laughed, the amused grin never
leaving her face, "The Lieutenant is out of town this week, so all that I'm
saying is that I think you should just come back again some other time."
"Then I'll challenge his second!" growled Misty, knowing better than to
appear weak before these people.
The woman's expression became less amused and more satisfied, if not a
little smug. "That's the spirit, young lady," she replied a little more
levelly, "The League rules allow for that. I was just testing your
resolve. Anyway, I'm Surge's second, Sergeant Hamilton and if you still
want a match, then follow me!"
Misty drew back with a satisfied grin on her face. "No problem," she
assured, following the woman with confidence as Miranda trailed behind.
The arena was as Misty remembered it, Spartan in its d cor, but meeting
all of the Indigo League's stringent conditions, nonetheless. She glanced
around the huge hall and couldn't help shivering against the cool air
caused by the central air-conditioning.
"Afraid?" the woman asked, bemused.
"No way!" assured Misty, glancing back at Miranda who smiled
encouragingly.
"So, who's the little friend you brought this time?" the large woman
inquired a little too condescendingly.
"I am Miranda Lilcamp, Courier Crew," Miranda announced proudly.
"You here for a challenge too, little girl?" the woman called out across
the field as she took her place, "Or did someone order pizza!?"
"Only if you can't keep that smart mouth of yours shut!" called Miranda
from Misty's end of the field.
The muscular woman turned to face them, her short-cropped hair somehow
catching the air-conditioned breeze. "Well, maybe if when I'm finished
kicking this little twerps butt I'll have you for dessert!" she laughed,
pulling out her poke ball.
Both Miranda and Misty scowled. "You're on, steroid breath!" challenged
Miranda, letting her jacket fall from her shoulders and clutching a poke
ball tensely.
"One at a time!" the sergeant laughed back, turning her attention to
Misty, "Okay, little girl! This is a one on one battle. Two pokemon
enter, one leaves! Well, conscious, anyways."
Misty glowed for a moment. "Stop calling me that!" she demanded,
"Nezumi! Kick her butt!"
"Rattata!!!" exclaimed Nezumi, jumping off Misty's shoulder and landing
on his hind legs before her, trying to look threatening.
"That's it?!" their challenger exclaimed in disbelief, Hamilton's eyes
growing wide, "That little rattata is going to kick my Shockers butt?! HA!
Don't make me laugh! Shocker! GO!"
The gym leader's second tossed her pokeball into the arena zealously, a
second later it opened to reveal a rather frighteningly muscular Raichu.
"Hm. Another Raichu," commented Misty nonchalantly, doing her best to look
unimpressed, "You guys aren't very original. Oh well! Nezumi! Burrow!"
"Rattata!" exclaimed the little pokemon, diving into the floor and
tearing his way through the concrete like it was sand before disappearing
out of site.
"That's it?!" the butch woman laughed, "he hides his head in the sand?!"
Both Sergeant Hamilton and her pokemon both laughed at Nezumi's expense
but Misty put her hands on her hips and smiled confidently. "You'll see!"
she assured them, just as Nezumi burst out of the ground behind the raichu,
"Nezumi! Lock jaw attack!"
"Nez!" the rattata exclaimed triumphantly, not giving the other pokemon
time to react before latching on to the back of his neck and gnawing away.
"Shocker!" the woman exclaimed, apprehension creeping into her voice, "
Ground zero thunder shock, NOW!"
The Raichu drove the end of his spiked tail into the ground and gritted
his teeth, focusing all his power on generating an electrical field around
himself. Nezumi, however, was too quick, leaping backwards with a tuft of
reddish fur in his mouth just as Shocker's body seemed to explode in a
shower of sparks.
"Not bad," the soldier commented, "For a newbie! Shocker! Turn and
fire!"
The buff raichu swiveled with surprising agility and faced Nezumi. Both
pokemon snarled at each other for a moment, sizing each other up before
Shocker's trainer called out, "NOW!"
"Raiiiii! Chuuu!!!" the electrical pokemon exclaimed, taking in a deep
breath as static electricity formed all around him, and he prepared to let
it loose on his smaller opponent.
"Nezumi!" called out Misty determinedly, "Bubble blast! Now!"
"Ratta!" responded Nezumi, taking a quick inhalation before sending a
stream of swirling bubbles from his maw like some kind of strange dragon's
breath-weapon, straight into the raichu's open mouth.
Shocker's beady eyes went wide as the bubbles filled his lungs. "Rai!"
he choked out, clutching his throat as the electrical field he was
generating gave out and he collapsed to the floor.
"Shocker!" his trainer exclaimed, running to his side, "Are you all
right?!"
The large pokemon, who was left lying on his back and nearly coughing up
a lung, looked up at his trainer imploringly, only to smile happily as she
returned him to his pokeball.
"Very well," growled the raichu's trainer, "you've earned your badge."
Misty grinned and leaped into the air exclaiming her joy for all to
hear, which almost seemed as music to Miranda's ears as Nezumi ran back to
her looking proud.
"That's two for you now," she told him, chuckling as the rattata ran
circles around both her and Misty.
"Two?" the girl inquired, expressing an immediate mood change from
ecstatic to curious.
Miranda nodded. "Nezumi won me a boulder badge," she explained with a
shrug, "This makes two he's won. Silly geodude..."
Misty nodded, noticing that their opponent was ready to go again. "I
think you're up, Miranda," she commented, quickly stepping off the field.
The woman nodded and held her pokeball before her. "Are you ready to
loose twice in one day?" she inquired.
At the other end of the field Hamilton let out a harsh bark of laughter
that was as to Misty's as sandpaper is to silk. "Bring it on, little
miss!" she challenged in her gym's traditionally condescending manner.
Miranda nodded and the pokeball in her hand opened, sending a puff of
white smoke into the immediate area. From within the smoke a pair of
sinister eyes glowed red, glowering at all who dared meet them.
"Gaaaaaasty!" Wraith hissed melodramatically, making the opposing
trainer laugh.
"Is that it?" she taunted, tossing a second pokeball into the arena.
Miranda gave a slight smirk as she saw the voltorb come out. "Too
easy!" she chided, "Wraith, dear? Would you be so kind as to hypnotize the
silly voltorb?"
The floating gastly grinned evil as the smoke cleared, the whites of his
eyes suddenly swirling with strange colours like florange and octarine. In
response, the opposing voltorb's eyes took on a glazed look as the same
colours swirled within them.
"Zapper!" ordered the voltorb's trainer, "Snap out of it!"
The floating orb tilted to one side, its tongue lolling out as it slowly
spun in place and Wraith laughed.
"Now, soldier!" its trainer commanded, the voltorb somehow regaining
some of its former equilibrium before flying straight for Wraith at top
speed, "Zapper! Tackle attack!"
The ethereal pokemon's grin widened, his fangs gleaming as he grew to
twice his normal size, and swallowed the incoming voltorb. There was a
gasp from its trainer, causing Wraith to let out an involuntary chuckle as
he tweaked the part of Zapper's brain he still had his psychic finger on.
"Now Wraith!" called Miranda, unable to keep the amusement from her
voice, "Nightmare attack!"
"Zapper!" Sergeant Hamilton exclaimed in sudden fright, "What are you
doing?!"
"Volt! ORB!!!" came the eerier ethereal voice of Zapper from within the
wispy confines of Wraith's body as charged particles filled the air and the
gastly seemed to be holding his breath.
"What the-?!" the voltorb's trainer exclaimed as Miranda dropped down to
her knees and held her ears just before the voltorb invoked its
self-destruct technique.
"Zapper! NOOO!!!" Sergeant Hamilton exclaimed as the inanimate pokemon
dropped out from beneath Wraith, hitting the floor with a metallic clang,
and rolling away all covered in sulfur stains.
Miranda stood up, the tension draining from her muscles, but the
excitement remaining in her bones. "Looks like you loose, chummer," she
called out as the suddenly concern trainer returned her pokemon, "Nice
going Wraith!"
"Gaaaasssstlyyyyyy..!" responded Wraith triumphantly as he swayed back
and forth unsteadily, smoke coming out where his ears would be.
"Oh come on, now!" laughed Miranda, aiming a pokeball at him, "It's not
that bad!"
"Way to go, kid," commented the Vermilion Gym's stand in leader, walking
up to Miranda and Misty, "You definitely earned these."
Miranda shrugged as Wraith was returned and Misty scurried over. "It
was just for fun," the woman explained, "and it gives my pokemon a bit of a
work out before dinner."
"What Miranda's trying to say," chuckled Misty, accepting her Thunder
Badge, "Is that you're welcome."
The woman nodded, a satisfied grin without a hint of contempt or
sarcasm, appeared across her face. "So be it..!"
***
The desk clerk looked up as the two staggered back into the hotel just
after 10pm. He shook his head in dismay at the sight of Misty leaning
against Miranda, the girl at the brink of exhaustion.
"Long day, Miri?" he inquired, shuffling through some papers as he
spoke.
Miranda let out a sigh and nodded. "Yeah, we hit the gym and then went
for supper," she explained, "But it seems Misty's not as used to biking as
I am. Too many hills in this town, I suppose."
"Oh, I'm fine," defended Misty, trying a little harder to stand, and not
minding when Miranda had to keep her from falling, "It's just that my legs
feel like rubber!"
"I'll take you to your room, then, I suppose," Miranda offered in
dismay.
"Oh! No, I'm fine," proclaimed Misty a little warily, "I just need to
sit down. Besides, 'he' might come looking for me there."
Miranda nodded. "Understood!" she announced formally, "And as a member
of the Courier Crew it is my duty to deliver you safely to my room!"
Both Misty and the man behind the counter laughed. "Goodnight,
Miranda," he chuckled, focusing his attention on his paperwork.
"Goodnight, Jerry," replied Miranda, stepping into the elevator and
carefully leaning Misty against the wall.
"What a day," sighed Misty once the doors had slid closed, and put her
arms around Miranda for support, "But thanks, it was fun."
The woman nodded, returning the casual embrace and helping to keep Misty
on her feet. "I take it's been a while since you've been on a bike," she
commented, trying to make conversation and distract herself.
"Yup," replied Misty warily, "Not since Ash stole mine and trashed it.
Now, though, I have this feeling like I have muscles I never knew I had
before, and I hurt in places I didn't know I could! I guess I'm just out
of shape."
"No," assured Miranda, "Just out of practice. It happens. A week or so
of following me around and you won't even notice a day's travel."
"So, what do you do out there?" inquired Misty, the mechanical sounds of
the elevator lulling her to sleep, "All alone in the places between
cities?"
"Depends," replied Miranda with a shrug, "Sometimes it's dangerous and
exciting, but usually it's dead dull and boring. If it weren't for my
pokemon to keep me company, I'd go stir crazy. And maybe I am a little,
teaching them to say the names I gave them."
Misty chuckled. "No," she assured, "I've met crazy. And you're not
crazy."
"That's almost reassuring," pondered Miranda, mentally reviewing a few
of the stories Misty had related to her, "But please don't make any harsh
judgments until you really know me."
Misty adjusted herself and stared up at Miranda with inquisitive eyes.
"Look," she said, "You're the first person I've ever met in my entire life
that's actually treated me like an equal. You've yet to make fun of me,
and you don't think I'm ugly. Heck, you even think tentacruel are cute!"
"You're not! They are!" laughed Miranda, "Cute that is..."
"Am I?" inquired Misty, tilting her head to one side, making the woman's
pulse race for the hundredth time that day.
"Are you what?" asked Miranda, her voice becoming quiet, her tone a
little more serious than Misty's.
"Cute," she stated, in her worn out condition her voice was a little
off, but it still reminded Miranda of wind chimes on a spring day.
"Yes," breathed Miranda, her hands that currently held Misty about the
waist suddenly shaking.
Misty nodded and leaned forward. "Just making sure," she said with a
contented smile, "I've met so many two faced people in my life, I have to
make sure people's opinions don't change on a dime."
"I can assure you that mine will never change," replied Miranda as the
elevator stopped and she reluctantly let go, "Friends forever?"
Misty smiled, stepping backwards out of the elevator and holding up her
little finger. "Friends forever," she assured Miranda as the two linked
fingers and shook on it, "Now then, what's your number again?"
Miranda glanced around and walked over to one of the closed doors,
fumbling with her keys as she went. "Nine-fourteen," she replied, glancing
over her should and smiling as Misty walked over and leaned against the
wall beside the door, "Enter and be welcome!"
"I'm not a vampire," Misty chuckled; following Miranda into the room and
dropping her backpack just inside the door, fell face first onto the bed.
"A little wary are we?" the woman teased, letting the door slide shut
behind her as she turned on the lights and set down a bowl of food for
Nezumi.
Misty's affirmative response was muffled by the pillow her face had
landed in.
Miranda smiled, giving Nezumi an affectionate scratch between the ears
before kicking off her shows and tossing her coat on a chair before sitting
down on the bed, quietly admiring the girl in the dim light.
"Here," she said quietly, leaning over and pulling off one of Misty's
shoes, "if you're going to steal my bed tonight, at least take off your
shoes."
"Oh, I'm sorry," apologized Misty, turning her head to one side, "I'm
not actually sleepy, just worn out. And I can just use the chair or
something."
"Not on my watch," replied Miranda, pulling off the other shoe with an
exaggerated effort, "I've slept in trees, I think I can handle the floor."
Misty shook her head, sighing heavily as her leg fell back onto the bed.
"You're far too good to me," she said with a contented smile, "Anyway, the
bed's more than a double. It'll hold both of us without effort."
"I-! Um, thank you," stammered Miranda, turning away to hide her sudden
embarrassment.
"No problem, ow!" replied Misty, absently flexing her legs and
unconsciously gritting her teeth.
Miranda turned back and a look of concern crossed her face. "It has
been a while since you've been on a bike, hasn't it?" she observed, to
which Misty nodded a little sadly, "Here, I can fix you right up."
"Is there anything you can't do?" Misty laughed quietly as Miranda
repositioned herself on the bed.
"Cook," the woman answered absently, carefully placing her shaky hands
upon Misty's ankles and applying just the right amount of pressure.
"Really?" inquired Misty with a surprised laugh.
Miranda nodded, listening more to the sense of touch than the sound of
Misty's voice. "I tend to carry quick fix rations. I can usually boil
water, just not always," she confessed, running her hands up the length of
Misty's claves and swallowing down her nervousness as she felt the silky
smoothness of the girl's thighs beneath her fingers.
"I used to travel with a guy who could cook," added Misty, sighing
contentedly as Miranda gently rubbed the tension out of her knotted
muscles, "But he was such a letch!"
"Hm, well, I guess the bright side is, is that he at least 'noticed'
you, right?" inquired Miranda, feeling a slight pang of envy.
Misty shook her head. "Not even once," she sighed half sadly, making
Miranda feel as though her heart were trying to sink into her stomach, "He
was always after Joy's & Jenny's. One time I accidentally walked past him
naked and all he did was tell me to go and put something on incase I caught
a cold or something!"
Miranda shook the image from her mind. "Is every man you meet
completely insensitive?" she inquired, a hint of anger falling into the
confused and conflicting mix her emotions were becoming.
"No, I suppose not," she said with a shrug, "But as I've said, anyone
who's taken notice was either kinda scary, or really wasn't interested in
anything long term. Just my luck, I suppose. Silly me, being an incurable
romantic..."
Miranda paused, her hands half way up Misty's slim but firmly muscled
thighs. "There's nothing wrong with being a romantic," she assured, her
voice becoming a bit shaky, "You just have to be careful that your romantic
notions don't get you into too much trouble."
"Anything I should know?" inquired Misty, her soft voice as full of
concern now as it had been full of life when she'd won a Thunder Badge.
Miranda shrugged, leaning forward to push her skilled hands up to just
below Misty's denim shorts before reluctantly dragging her nimble fingers
back down the exquisite length of the girl's legs.
"It's nothing much," she lied, her eyes tracing invisible patterns of
desire up Misty's legs, across her back, over her neck to her slightly
parted lips, "I just have a bad habit of falling for the wrong people.
It's always the one you can't have that you want the most. But I suppose
that unrequited love far sweeter than one easily obtained..."
"Sometimes you sound so sad," replied Misty, rolling over onto her back
and meeting Miranda's distant gaze, "is there anything I can do to keep you
happy?"
"Oh, probably," Miranda sighed, the hint of an embarrassed smile
touching her lips, "But I wouldn't worry."
"Okay..." said Misty, far from totally convinced, and just a bit
concerned about her new friend, "But if you need to talk, you know where to
find me."
Miranda gave a nervous laugh. "I know," she sighed thoughtfully,
silently reveling in the mixed feelings of joy and longing her careful
motions brought her, "And I will when I need to."
Misty nodded slowly, shifting about to make herself more comfortable as
Miranda's talent for muscle relaxation threatened to send her into a
contented unconsciousness once more.
"Alright then," she sighed, closing her eyes and smiling happily,
blissfully oblivious to the fact that her every sigh of contentment sent
guilty chills down Miranda's spine, making the woman bite her bottom lip
lest she say or do something she'd regret. Misty was blissfully unaware of
the woman's deep desire to place teasing kisses upon her gently rising and
falling stomach before sliding up the length of her body and just holding
her.
"Is, is that better?" Miranda inquired, keeping her desires in check, if
not her emotions.
Misty nodded. "Yes," she whispered with a happy smile upon her face,
"my legs have gone from led filled Jell-O, to just Jell-O."
Miranda smiled and crawled beside her, leaning on one arm facing Misty.
"I am at your service, M'Lady," she replied melodramatically causing a
quiet giggle to escape Misty's lips.
"Just what I've always wanted," she chuckled, "a knight in shining
armor."
"Yeah, but I'm missing the armor," replied Miranda thoughtfully, "And I
think I'm technically the wrong gender. Maybe 'samurai-ko'?"
Misty opened her sea-green eyes and smiled up at her friend. "Does that
mean you have to commit seppuku if you fail me?" she asked with a teasingly
cute laugh.
"Hmm," Miranda answered thoughtfully, "I could always use my bokken..."
"Really?" inquired Misty curiously.
"Yup," the woman replied with a nod, "I have it around here somewhere.
It comes in handy for particularly unruly wild pokemon. And the occasional
brigand."
"You're truly a jack of all trades," chuckled Misty, rolling onto her
side to face Miranda.
"Jill," her friend corrected with an amused smile, "I may not be
terribly lady-like, but I assure you that my plumbing is in order!"
"You're crazy!" laughed Misty, yet her expression spoke of admiration.
"You're just noticing this now?" teased Miranda, feigning surprise.
"Should I be afraid?" Misty teased right back, her eyes going wide with
mock worry.
"Mmm, no," her friend replied with a wry grin and her best wicked witch
impression, "I only gobble up girls on the weekends. The rest of the time
I settle for devouring the souls of those who I defeat in pokemon battles!"
"Remind me not to challenge you!" laughed Misty, yawning unexpectedly.
"Maybe you should get ready for bed," offered Miranda.
The girl nodded. "Yeah, we do have to be up early tomorrow," admitted
Misty a little sadly, "But it's just so hard to tear myself away
sometimes."
"I'll be here in the morning," assured Miranda with a shrug, "I'm not
one to abandon my friends."
"Unlike some people," replied Misty a little too bitterly, "Oh, sorry."
"'Tis okay," said Miranda offhandedly, sitting up and slid off the bed,
"I'll just go get changed in the other room. I seldom get the opportunity
to not have to sleep in my clothes. It's something of a luxury!"
"I know that feeling!" agreed Misty, watching Miranda grab a long
t-shirt and slip into the bathroom before sitting up and scanning the room
for her backpack.
"Nez?" inquired Nezumi, hopping up onto the end of the bed and looking
up inquisitively at her.
"Go find a pokeball," Misty teased him as she walked over to her back
pack and removed a carefully wrapped garment, "I have to get changed."
The rattata gave her a downcast look and jumped down onto the floor.
"You've more personality that some of the people I've known!" Misty
chuckled, quickly tossing off her clothes and yawning as she unfolded the
silky nightgown she'd picked up in town.
"It'll probably be a while before I get to wear this again," she sighed,
slipping the garment over her head and standing straighter so that it
unfolded properly, "Best to enjoy it when I can."
"I agree," commented Miranda, stepping out of the other room wearing the
long t-shirt she'd taking in with her, the garment hanging most of the way
to her knees, "It's good to stay in nice places like this every once in a
while. Reminds us that we're human."
"That's rather melodramatic," said Misty with a smile throwing the
blanket back and crawled into the bed's comforting warmth.
"I get it from Wraith," Miranda replied with a shrug, "I suppose our
pokemon rub off on us as much as we do on them."
"I've noticed," said Misty with a yawn as Miranda hesitantly got in
beside her.
"Um, look," explained Miranda, "If this is too weird for you I can make
other arrangements..."
Misty smiled in her most endearing and reassuring way. "No, it's
alright she assured, "I'm fine. It may sound strange, but I feel
completely at ease with you, even though we've only just met."
"Thank you," replied Miranda, lying on her side and looking up at Misty
who was still sitting, "By the way, silk suits you."
"I think I'd feel guilty not wearing it after how much you paid for it,"
she replied a little shyly.
Miranda shrugged. "It's alright," she explained as Misty slid farther
down to lay on her side facing her friend, "I have so few real expenses
that a little splurging on my friends is easy every once in a while."
"That'll take some getting used to," Misty chuckled, "Ash eats so much
we're always broke!"
"He must eat like a snorlax," Miranda commented a little too bitterly.
"That's right!" laughed Misty, surprising herself that she could laugh
about the person who's constant verbal and psychological abuse had finally
driven her away, "If I hadn't met you, I'd have never gotten a new bike.
Thank you, Miranda."
"It was nothing," the woman remarked, a contented smile tracing across
her lips, "I just wish I could take away all the bad things he said about
you. And banish all negativity he's sown in your soul..."
"You're being poetic again," commented Misty, brushing Miranda's dark
hair away from her eyes and seeing the distant look in the cloudy gray
depths.
"It comes and goes," she replied, "I should remember to write more of it
down."
"Probably," said Misty with a yawn, "Hm, sorry, I should get some sleep
now."
"'Tis okay," assured Miranda, snapping her fingers and causing the
lights to dim into nothingness until only the light of the moon shined
through the windows that lined the wall the bed was pushed up against, "We
have to be up early any way."
Misty nodded, rolling over, and as an after thought let her hair down
again. "Goodnight, Miranda," she whispered, moving a little closer and
half curling up under the blanket.
"Sleep well, dear friend," said Miranda a little sadly, and placed a
tentative hand upon Misty's shoulder before sliding closer. Biting back
her nervousness, she slid her arm around the girl and hugged Misty gently
against herself.
"Does this bother you?" Miranda asked into the near darkness.
"No, Miri," came Misty's distant reply, "I feel safe with you..."
Miranda waited for her nerves to settle, listening to the soft sounds of
Misty's breathing as she drifted to sleep, before placing her hand on
Misty's shoulder and holding her protectively.
"Safe," she whispered quietly to herself as Nezumi hopped back onto the
bed and curled up at her feet, "I suppose I should be thankful for that."
Miranda let out a mournful sigh, Misty's hair tickling her nose, but
hardly bothering her. With curious fingers, she touched Misty's hair and
smiled. 'It's as soft as her skin,' she mused half sadly, ennui being as
both joy and pain, 'its colour as unblemished as her soul, and as beautiful
as her heart...'
***
Misty awoke alone, her ears filled with the sounds of the morning's song
birds and the suddenly truncated rushing water as Miranda ended her shower.
Shivering against the early morning chill, she reluctantly squirmed out of
bed and threw on the hotel bathrobe Miranda had thoughtfully left out for
her.
"Did I wake you?" inquired Miranda, coming out of the bathroom, drying
her hair with a large towel and wearing another of the hotel's infamous
robes.
"No, I just found myself cold and alone," joked Misty, causing a pang of
guilt in Miranda.
"Sorry, but I wanted to be presentable this morning," she explained,
sitting down on one of the room's few chairs, "Even if I'm just going to
meet a handful of scientists who barely even know what a woman is!"
Misty chuckled and made her way to the shower. "I hope you saved me
some water," she teased, "After abandoning me all alone with these
dangerous pokemon!"
"Ra-?!" exclaimed Nezumi, looking up from his breakfast with a startled
look, making both humans laugh.
"Sorry, Nezumi," apologized Misty, walking across the worn carpeting to
pat the rattata on the head, "I know you were up half the night watching
over us."
"Ra..." the little pokemon sighed happily, leaning into Misty's hand.
"He rarely sleeps," commented Miranda with a loving smile, "He's always
watching over me."
"Think you can watch over both of us?" Misty inquired with a chuckle,
causing Nezumi to stand on his hind legs and pose confidently.
"Ne, rattata!" he called out, clenching one forepaw into a fist and
grinning.
"I'll take that as a yes, then," replied Misty with a smile, heading
into the bathroom, "See you guys in a couple of minutes!"
Miranda gave a half wave, and proceeded to take out a clean set of
clothes. "I should have asked to have these washed," she muttered before
getting dressed and flopping back down on the bed.
"Nez?" inquired Nezumi, hopping up onto the bed and standing an inch
away from her face.
"It's nothing dear," she assured the pokemon, "just catching a few more
minutes sleep. So, any idea what it is Sylph Corp wants us to transport?"
Nezumi sat down and gave her a puzzled look. "Some new healing potion?"
pondered Miranda, "or maybe a three headed tauros?"
Nezumi laughed in his peculiar way, distracting Miranda from the sounds
of Misty's quiet humming, barely audible over the sound of the running
water that was by now cascading down her lithe body.
"I'm silly," commented Miranda, rolling onto her back and staring up at
the ceiling, "Being envious of water of all things! Gah!"
Her pokemon leaped up onto her sternum and stared down at her. "Nez?"
he inquired, tilting his head inquisitively, trying to make sense of his
trainer.
"Sorry, little one," she replied, idly scratching his fur from head to
tail, making him stretch out like an affectionate persian, "I've been
absolutely infatuated the last little while... It's so unlike me."
"Raaa... Ne!" cooed Nezumi, arching his back as Miranda scratched it
affectionately.
"I'm usually so self assured, so in control," the woman went on, "I've
passed up dozens of 'offers' in my lifetime, yet now her I am. Obsessing
over someone I can't have. We always want the one's we can't have, don't
we, dearest?"
The little rattata let out a helpless sigh and flopped down, his cold
nose poking at the hollow of Miranda's neck. "Ne..." he responded, looking
up at her with eyes that were filled with concern.
"I don't know what's more difficult," Miranda confessed, unconsciously
fiddling with Nezumi's tail, "Telling someone you love them for the first
time, or figuring out why you do..?"
***
"Ready to go?" inquired Misty, waking Miranda from her short nap.
Miranda sat up so suddenly that Nezumi was tossed to the foot of the
bed, letting out an overly dramatic wail as he soared through the air and
landed between Miranda's feet.
"Oh, sorry," she apologized, picking up the uninjured pokemon and
brushing his fur back into place, "Um, yeah, just give me a second."
Misty was already dried off, dressed and was just shouldering her
backpack as Miranda got the rest of her stuff together.
"Hey, I'm forgetting something..." the woman pondered, glancing about
the room as the rattata on her shoulder copied her motions in an
exaggerated manner, "Oh yeah!"
Miranda knelt down and lifted up the edge of the mattress. She then
reached in and pulled out a length of carved wood, made to resemble an
average length sword.
"Almost forgot my bokken," she replied, spinning the wooden blade over
her hand and catching it by the hilt in one well practiced motion before
slipping it through a loop on her belt, "Well, let's go!"
Misty nodded and opened the door. "Oh, I should probably stop by my
room in case there were any messages," she said as they left, "I also left
my extra pokeballs there."
"No problem," assured Miranda as they walked down the hall to the
elevator.
"Oh, by the way," commented Misty, blushing and looking a touch
embarrassed, "I just wanted to thank you."
"For what?" inquired Miranda, her voice going soft as thoughts flooded
her mind.
"No one's cuddled me to sleep since I was a child," she confessed a
little distantly as the elevator doors closed shut behind them and she idly
hit a button, "It was very nice of you. I don't think I've ever felt so
safe, or slept so well."
"I see," whispered Miranda in a barely audible voice, trying to hide her
uncontrollable embarrassed grin, "You, you're welcome."
The elevator stopped again and Misty's attention was pulled to the floor
number. "Oh, here we are!" she said cheerily, and walked out into the hall
in search of the room she hadn't really used.
Miranda took a deep breath and followed, waiting patiently as Misty dug
out her keys. "I think it's this one," the girl muttered rhetorically,
fitting a key into the lock and pushing it in, "Oh my-!"
Misty let go of the door, watching in horror as it pushed open with
nominal effort to reveal a sight that made her heart sink.
"Oh, Misty!" exclaimed Miranda, the sight of Misty's room, trashed and
in a thorough shambles, filling her with sadness and sudden anger, "Who-?!
Who could have done this?"
But Misty just stood there, the annoying pulsing tone of a phone left
off the hook for too long filling the empty silence. "I..." she stammered,
"I can't believe he'd do this..."
Miranda put her hands on her friend's shoulders and felt her fall limply
against her. "Misty, I'm so sorry," she whispered sympathetically. I- I
know what this is like."
The girl nodded. "I know," she replied quietly, her eyes suddenly
focusing on a peculiar object just inside the door. "Flowers?" she
questioned rhetorically, slipping free of Miranda's supporting embrace and
kneeling in the pile of scattered stems and yellow petals.
Miranda knelt down as well, and picked up the remains of a yellow rose.
"An apology, I suppose," she pondered quietly.
"He came to apologies," Misty stated, her eyes unfocused and filling
with tears, "But when he didn't find me, he freaked out and trashed the
place..."
She stood up and stepped farther into the room, absentmindedly hanging
up the phone. "Misty," Miranda called after her, carefully stepping over
bits of broken furniture and moving to stand beside Misty as she stared
down at the broken remains of three pokeballs.
"They were empty," the girl replied hollowly, turning to face Miranda as
tears fell and rolled down her cheeks, "Just like his apology was going to
be..."
Miranda met the girl's saddened gaze and put her arms around her. "I
wish I could change this," she said, hating the same helpless feeling that
had consumed her the day her father and his pokemon died, and her mother
had been paralyzed for life. The feeling of not being able to help the
ones you love, no matter how much you may want to.
"It, it's okay," replied Misty, holding Miranda tightly, not caring
about the tears that were blurring her vision, "I can always buy some more
pokeballs. But I don't think I can buy the power to forgive him."
Miranda nodded, carefully wiping the tears from the Misty's cheek with
the backs of her fingers. "Shh, it's alright," she soothed, staring in
wonder at the devastation reaped by Ash's childish anger, "We'll get in
touch with the authorities and let them take care of this. Even though I
doubt that he's still in the city."
Misty nodded, closing her eyes tightly against the scene. "I hate to
think of what he would have done if he knew where I was last night," she
replied, her voice shaking.
"We could have handled it," assured Miranda, cradling Misty's head with
one hand and rubbing her back with he other, "But it worries me to think
that some one you spent so much time with would be capable of doing
something like this."
"It's never happened before," explained Misty, looking up at Miranda
sadly, "But Ash has always been such a child..."
"I understand," said Miranda, turning Misty away from the room and
leading her into the hall, "But I think right now it's better that we
leave."
"Your appointment," stated Misty, feeling rather numb.
"No," corrected Miranda shaking her head and looking serious, "They can
wait five minutes, but you need to get some air, and we need to report
this."
"You're strange," commented Misty, a small smile coming to her lips, her
usual youthful joy showing signs of returning, "But in a good way."
"Is compassion really so rare, dear friend?" inquired Miranda sadly,
"that it strikes you as odd?"
Misty sighed heavily and leaned against Miranda as she was lead back to
the elevator. "You obviously haven't met Ash," she replied half sadly.
"I'm not sure I want to," shuddered Miranda...
***
Once they had gotten down into the lobby, Miranda paid for the rental of
both their rooms, and did her best to explain the condition of Misty's.
"We're going to the police right now," she assured the desk clerk, just as
the glass doors to the hotel slid open almost melodramatically and an
officer Jenny strode into the lobby, followed by half a dozen lackeys.
"Alright people!" she proclaimed in her annoyingly gravelly voice that
grated on Miranda's nerves every time she heard it, "This is a crime scene!
No one enters, and no one leaves!"
"But-! But-!" stammered Jerry the desk clerk.
"No buts about it Mister!" explained Jenny, forever unwilling to listen
to an explanation until at least three innocent people had been arrested,
"There's been a kidnapping, and I intend to investigate!"
Miranda stepped in front of Misty, surreptitiously pulling out a
pokeball and expanding it. She glanced over her shoulder as it clicked
open. "Wraith, we need an illusion," she whispered as Jenny's underlings
flooded the area.
"Gasssst!" hissed Wraith as he appeared, chuckling quietly as he wove an
illusion that blended his trainer and her friend into the background,
making it seem as through there were just a bare wall where they were
standing.
"Let's go!" Miranda whispered as Jerry argued with Jenny, grabbing both
Misty's hand and Wraith ethereal tail before heading out the back way
through the restaurant.
"It must be love," muttered Misty bitterly, glancing over her shoulder
in time to see Jenny pull out her handcuffs as Jerry looked like a magikarp
out of water... Or in water for that matter...
***
The Sylph Corporation's lab was locating in an office tower several
blocks away. The mega corp. owned the entire building out right, but had
rented much of it out to several smaller businesses that took up the bottom
twenty floors. Sylph Corp used the other five for mainly computer
research, the pharmaceutical, and main pokemon labs being located at their
home office in Saffron City.
Miranda and Misty were met at the doors by a man in a lab coat who had
previously been staring up at the repair crew on top of the building fixing
the transposition array.
"Idiots!" he grumbled, shaking his head in dismay, before yelling up at
the workmen who couldn't possibly hear him, "Hey! That's a delicate piece
of equipment! Be careful with it!"
"Excuse me," Miranda interrupted politely, causing the man to turn
around with a startled expression.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, his glasses almost falling off his face, "Ms.
Lilcamp! Sorry, I didn't see you."
"No problem, professor," she assured him with a shrug, "I'm just hear to
pick up the package..."
"Ah! Yes, yes! Right this way," the scientist babbled; still
distracted by the construction as he led them into the lobby, "Dr. Iago is
expecting you."
The two followed the techie into a huge lobby complete with three sets
of elevators, men in women in suits and lab coats going about their
business and an air headed receptionist to top it all off.
From there, they took a special elevator up to the twenty-fifth floor,
and their escort had to use a special key to open the doors once the
elevator had stopped. "This is Dr. Iago's office," he said almost
reverently, "I'll be waiting for you. Good luck!"
Miranda smirked at the comment and put on her most ingratiating grin as
she walked into Sylph Corp's regional VP's expansive office. She almost
felt guilty as her old running shoes padded silently across the plush
carpeting, and couldn't help but chuckle as Misty oohed and ahhed at the
scientist's collection of what was mostly aesthetically pleasing junk.
"This is pretty impressive," commented Misty, her eyes passing over
statues of rare pokemon, strange inventions she'd never seen before, and
even a prototype pokeball in a display-case.
"Why thank you, young lady!" replied a friendly voice from across the
room, followed by a golf ball rolling it's way past the two, only to be
caught by an obliging shellder.
"Good morning, Professor," replied Miranda, bringing Misty's attention
to the diminutive figure in the traditional lab coat and glasses, wielding
a golf club and waiting for the ball to return.
"Ah! Miranda Lilcamp!" he replied all too happily in a tone that was
both ingratiating and sinister, "So good of you to come!"
"No more problems with gastlies, I hope?" chuckled Miranda, walking over
and waiting politely for the eccentric scientist/VP to knock another golf
ball across the room.
"Oh, no! No problems with that," he laughed, "But it was nice of you to
take that little ghost off our hands. No, this time the ghost is of our
own creating!"
The golf ball was tossed back, and the scientist thwacked it as hard as
he could, sending it rebounding off the wood paneled wall, and back in his
direction. The man turned at the last moment, picking up a new golf ball
off his desk as the previous one shattered its way out through the window.
"Have either of you ever heard of a 'porygon'?" he inquired, dropping
the ball at his feet, "No? I didn't think so. They're still fairly rare,
but soon they won't be! Soon every business and lab from here to the
Orange Islands will have one on staff, servicing their computer systems,
managing files! Fighting off hackers! Deleting viruses! They're the wave
of the future! Anyway, I need you to transport one to our lab a ways south
of here."
"How far south?" inquired Miranda, bending like a reed to avoid being
hit by a golf ball.
"Oh, about a day's travel if you walk it," the man explained, "But I'm
sure you can make it there in half that time. Oh, please forgive my
manners. Who's your new friend?"
Misty came forward, holding out her hand. "Hi, I'm Misty," she said a
little pensively, watching the ball roll back, "I'm going to be helping
Miranda out for a while."
"Taking on an apprentice, Ms. Lilcamp?" the scientist remarked with a
sly smile, or is the job getting to dangerous for you?"
"A little of both!" laughed Miranda, "So, professor, where's this
pokemon I'm supposed to deliver?"
"Oh! Sorry," he apologized, walking behind his huge oak desk and
opening a drawer, "I almost forgot. Here you go!"
He tossed Miranda a pokeball that she caught one handed. "Mind if I
take a look?" she inquired.
"Not at all!" Dr. Iago assured, "Just don't ask it to interface with
that beaten up old pokedex of yours. It's been trained for this task and I
don't want any of its data being corrupted."
Miranda nodded, and Misty looked on with interest as the pokeball
snapped open, sending a cone of soft red light shining forth towards the
ceiling. A second later, a strange creature who seemed to be comprised of
poorly pixilated yellow and orange light appeared. The peculiar pokemon
seemed to resemble some kind of bird, but it was probable that birds would
be offended by the comparison.
"Pory?" it inquired, swiveling its whole body to face Miranda and fix
her with a blank stare that somehow gleamed with intelligence.
"It's cute in a ridiculous sort of way," commented Misty as Dr. Iago
handed Miranda a slip of paper, "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Its brainwaves were patterned off my assistant Erich's," the man
explained thoughtfully, "So I suppose that in theory, it's a 'boy'. But
it's just an AI. Oh, and we call it 'Polygone'. Because we're handing it
off."
"Interesting techniques," interrupted Miranda, putting the paper in her
back pocket and ignoring the pun, "Hopefully I won't need them."
"You might," confessed Iago, returning to his golf game, "The accident
with the array was no accident."
"It never is," muttered Misty, her hand covering her face in dismay.
Dr. Iago nodded, bouncing the golf ball off the shellder and into a
clay pot. "I'd be careful out there, but please don't take any more than
two days. We'd like to optimize the system over there."
"So, if you don't mind me asking," inquired Misty, her tone careful,
"What is it that you're doing down there?"
"Studying water pokemon," the scientist said nonchalantly with a shrug,
not noticing Misty sudden need to go flying thought he ceiling.
"We are sooooo there!" she exclaimed excitedly, making Miranda smile.
"Your enthusiasm is inspirational," she commented with a happy sigh,
"Very well then, professor. We're out of here!"
"Have fun!" the man called after them as they turned to go, bouncing a
golf ball off the elevator button and causing the doors to open.
"Is he always like this?" inquired Misty.
The waiting assistant in the elevator nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!
Absolutely! All the time!"
"It's almost scary, isn't it?" chuckled Miranda.
"What do you mean almost?" laughed Misty, "He's almost more frightening
that the musak in this elevator!"
Their escort signed heavily and shook his bowed head. "Kids!" he
muttered as the elevator's rapid pace brought them to the lobby in almost
no time at all.
"Until next time, Dr. Kipp," Miranda said politely as the doors opened,
"I'll be sure to have the package delivered as soon as I can."
"That's good!" the man called from the elevator, "One less thing to
worry about! Stupid workmen..."
"Is every one here a little kooky?" inquired Misty as they walked down
the steps to where their bikes were parked.
"You don't know the half of it!" laughed Miranda.
"Oh?" pressed Misty, "Are there people worse than Dr. Iago and the guy
from the elevator?"
Miranda paused, straddling her bike and looking thoughtful for a moment
as Nezumi awoke from a short nap he'd taken in her coat pocket and crawled
on her shoulder. "Firstly, yes," she explained, a little bemused, "And
secondly, Dr. Kipp's a woman."
"No way!" exclaimed Misty with a laugh.
"Yup," replied Miranda with a nod, "She flips a coin every morning to
see what she'll be that day. Scares even me! And I have a gastly in my
entourage..!"
***
As the two headed off down the road that would take them out of town,
three figures watched with interest from a near by rooftop. "This plan is
actually working quite well," the shortest of the trio chuckled, "Not that
I'm surprised!"
"Yes, you've certainly done it again, old friend," one of his companions
replied, his voice befitting his bishonin lifestyle.
"We'll have that porygon before the day is out, and have it in the
boss's hands in time for lunch!" agreed the third, a woman with strange red
hair, "Now come on, we have to get ahead of them as quickly as we can..!"
***
The ride out of Vermillion City was uneventfully, and the travelers soon
found the paved road turning to gravel. Fortunately, though, it ran
parallel to ocean, giving them a beautiful view as well as cool breezes.
"I wish every trip was like this," Miranda commented, staring out at the
ocean as Nezumi clung to the handlebars, enjoying the wind in his fur.
"I take it not every delivery is to a lab studying water pokemon by the
sea, is it?" replied Misty rhetorically, her voice bordering on
disappointment, but not surprise.
"No, it can be a beautiful seascape one minute, and a damp swamp the
next!" chuckled Miranda, "But you've done your fair share of traveling.
I'm sure you've had time to take in quite a few of the sites."
Misty shook her head, watching a passing ship on the horizon,
surprisingly unenvious of its freedom. "No," she explained, "With Ash, it
was always rush to this gym, rush to that gym! Servers him right loosing
on his first attempt at taking on the Indigo League."
"That must have hurt his ego," Miranda commented, slowing her pace so
Misty wouldn't be left in her dust, "Might explain his earlier conduct."
"Well, Ash never did take rejection well," Misty replied thoughtfully,
"I just hope he doesn't take it out on his pokemon."
"You think he would?"
Misty shook her head. "No way, he loves them more than people," she
explained, "He's rude, overbearing, and thick headed when it comes to
humans, but he treats his pokemon with respect. I can at least give him
that. But you..."
"Me?" inquired Miranda, embarrassed by the sudden scrutiny.
"You don't just care about your pokemon," Misty explained carefully,
thinking through her words before speaking them, "It's like they're an
extension of you! Like they're your children. Love just isn't a strong
enough word to describe their apparent affection for you."
Miranda bowed her head, blushing profusely as Nezumi stared up at her
with eyes full of endearment. "As I've said," she managed to reply, "In
some ways they are like children. And they need us as much as they we need
them."
"Nez!" called out Nezumi, suddenly ending the conversation with a shrill
warning.
"Hey look!" called Misty, pointing down the road to where three figures
were busily digging a hole in the middle of the dirt road.
"City workers?" questioned Miranda.
"Oh no, not them again!" muttered Misty, recognizing them even from a
distance.
"Friends of yours?" inquired Miranda, skidding to a stop some distance
away.
"Team Rocket," spat Misty, glaring across the distance that separated
her from her old enemies, "With another of their lame traps."
"Let's check it out," commented Miranda in amused tone, dropping down
the kickstand and hopping off her bike.
"Um, are you sure about this?" Misty asked nervously, following her
friend's example.
"No problem," replied Miranda, "Besides, I can't just allow brigands to
vandalize the road. I'm Courier Crew after all!"
Miranda strode confidently up to the two humans and a meowth who were
hurriedly digging. "Excuse me," she inquired politely, but with a hint of
humor, "Don't you have a pokemon that can use the 'dig' technique?"
The man stopped in mid shoveling and stared blankly at her for a moment
before turning to his companion. "Jess?" he inquired.
"What is it?" she demanded impatiently, a pile of earth forming just
behind her.
"Can't your arbok use 'Dig'?" he asked a little sheepishly.
The woman paused for a moment, her left eye twitching. "Hey!" exclaimed
the meowth, a suddenly angry epiphany crossing his furry face, "It can,
can't it?!"
"Then than means we've been digging all these holes ourselves for the
last goodness knows how long, for no reason!" the man concluded.
The woman, seemingly having no control of her anger, made a fist and
clenched her teeth. "Shut! UP!" she hissed, glaring evilly at her
companions, "It's obviously Moewth's fault for not reminding me of this
fact sooner!"
"My fault?!" the feline exclaimed as Miranda walked back over to Misty,
leaving the argument to settle itself.
"I can't stand arguments," she confessed with a shrug, as Misty shook
her head at the trio.
"They never give up and they never learn," the girl muttered.
"What is it you suppose they want?" inquired Miranda, the infighting
behind her becoming a furious dust cloud of in-party fighting.
"Oh, they're probably after Ash again," she replied bitterly, "Oh, I
think they've settled it."
Miranda turned back as James, his clothes ripped and torn, his face and
hair dirtied by the work and the fighting, clambered out of the hole and
pointed an accusing finger at Miranda.
"You there!" he called out dramatically, "Are you the member of the
Courier Crew who was assigned to deliver a rare pokemon?"
"Oh no, not again!" muttered Misty, hiding her eyes and shaking her head
in dismay.
Miranda grinned, pleased that the day wasn't going to be completely
boring. "That I am," she told him, her voice full of confidence, "My name
is Miranda Lilcamp, a rightly appointed member of the Courier Crew, and if
you stand in my way, the consequences will be dire."
The man laughed loudly at this, as did his companions as they extricated
themselves from the pit they had dug, none of them noticing the small
pokeball rolling out of Miranda's sleeve and landing in her hand.
"Are you implying that there might be 'trouble'?" the woman inquired
hopefully.
"That's up to you," said Miranda with a shrug.
"Well in that case!" laughed Meowth, the terrible trio taking dramatic
poses.
"Wraith, dear," Miranda nonchalantly ordered, "Silence Wall."
"Gastly!" the ghostly pokemon exclaimed, popping up behind his trainer
and hovering over her head as the members of Team Rocket found their intro
speech cut short.
"Well, that's original," chuckled Misty as Jessie and James attempted to
give their speech, only to find no words escaping from their mouths.
The trio shook their fists angrily and mouthed more words at them, but
the Miranda and Misty merely laughed. Finally, though, Jessie could take
no more and pulled out a pokeball.
She tossed it gleefully at them, and tried to call out her pokemon. But
to no avail, Wraith's field of silence made it impossible for the pokemon
to hear its trainers command.
The woman glared angrily, and stomped forward until she was out of the
barrier. "That's no fair!" she exclaimed, "As the villains we have an
obligation to our fans to give our dramatic opening speech every episode
and you've just ruined it!"
"That's right!" argued James, finding the edge of the field, "Aren't
there some kind of league rules against that sort of thing?"
"Probably," replied Miranda with a shrug, "Wraith, hypnosis."
"Gasssst!" hissed Wraith, his eyes swirling with colour.
"Oh no not again..!" were James' last words before the members of Team
Rocket fell into a pile of sleeping bodies.
"Too easy," muttered Miranda, getting back on her bike.
"Wow," commented Misty, "You must have to deal with this sort of thing a
lot!"
"Not really," assured Miranda, thanking Wraith and returning him, "But
it's nice to have an opportunity to give my pokemon some exercise. Okay,
let's go!"
The two rode off, carefully avoiding the half completed hole in the
road, as Nezumi waved good-bye from the safety of Miranda's shoulder...
***
As the sun began to set out over the water, the Sylph Corporation's
water pokemon research lab became visible through the semi-tropical trees
just ahead. The main building was fairly tall, it's transposition array
seeming to be in working order several stories off the ground. Around it
were several smaller, more makeshift buildings and a few large tents that
were centered around the main building. Down by the ocean, was a small
harbor and beach. A few small boats were moored to the wooden dock and
three people were fishing off the end of it.
"Hey, they even have a beach!" commented Misty happily as the voices of
those on and off duty became clearer, "I thought this was supposed to be a
research lab?"
"Not every science lab is in some climate controlled, white walled room
a hundred stories underground," teased Miranda, giving Misty an amused
grin.
"I suppose not," she amended, watching as several people brought out
half a dozen long tables for the evening meal, "And actually, we did sort
of leave Brock in a place kinda like this."
"Well, I have no intention of just 'leaving you somewhere'," assured
Miranda, noticing the thoughtful look on Misty's face, "So, what'cha say we
go and introduce ourselves, eh?"
Misty nodded in agreement and the two walked their bikes onto the
compound grounds, over to where an official looking woman was supervising
the group of lackeys who were setting up the tables and bringing out plates
and cutlery.
"Excuse me," called out Miranda, smiling amicably as she caught the
older woman's stern eye, "I'm with the Courier Crew, we have a package here
for you guys."
The woman's stern expression faded somewhat and she gave a relieved
sigh. "The porygon?" she inquired, her voice as stern as her appearance.
"His name's Polygone," offered Miranda, pulling out the virtual
pokemon's pokeball, "Dr. Iago's joke. Not a very good one if you ask me."
The woman nodded thoughtfully. "He wasn't a very good husband either,"
she added mirthlessly, accepting the pokemon, "Anyway, my name's Dr.
Forester, feel free to stay the night if you wish. We were just about to
have dinner, as I'm sure you can see, so if you'd like we can accommodate
you and your apprentice, Miss...?"
"Lilcamp," offered Miranda, "But just call me Miranda. And this is my
friend, not my apprentice, Misty. She's the world's greatest water pokemon
trainer!"
Misty blushed at the introduction. "Well, maybe the second or third
greatest to be honest," she replied, holding out her hand, "Nice to meet
you."
"Water trainer, eh?" the scientist inquired, ignoring the offered hand,
"As you probably were told we study water pokemon here. You might find
some of our work... Interesting."
"Definitely!" agreed Misty, "Especially if I can see your collection of
pokemon."
"All in due time," Dr, Forester replied, "But just now our test subjects
have had quite a work out and need a rest. Perhaps tomorrow-"
"Test subjects?!" demanded Misty, suddenly offended, "Is that all they
are to you?!"
The scientist sighed heavily and shook her head. "Pokemon are tools,
nothing more," she explained, "With the proper training the more
intelligent ones can serve humanity and help us obtain our goals cleanly
and efficiently."
"And what about the less intelligent ones?!" demanded Misty, soliciting
and amused smirk from Dr. Forester.
"We simply let them go," she explained, "Our work here is far too
important to waste time on stupid creatures."
"If I may ask," inquired Miranda, hoping to stave off Misty's anger,
"what sort of research are you doing here?"
"It varies," Forester replied with a shrug, motioning to the main
building, "On the top floor we're developing special enzymes that increase
a water pokemon's resistance to electrical techniques. Over at lab 13
we're running some experiments on evolution-stones. In theory, we can
alter the energies they radiate to affect all evolvable pokemon. Thus
making it possible to force evolve a pokemon that cannot be normally
affected by an evolution-stone. We're also working on a cure for forced
evolution that allows a pokemon to maintain any techniques it acquired in
its more evolved form once it's been devolved to its original state."
Misty's eyes lit up, she barely heard a thing after hearing the part
about making non-forced evolution pokemon evolve. "Does, does that
mean-?!" she stammered scrambling in her back pack for something, "That I
can make this stupid psyduck of mine finally evolve into a golduck?!"
She pulled out a pokeball and wasn't surprised when Psyduck popped up
and stared up at her blankly. "Psi?" he inquired, as always holding his
head.
"In theory, one day," assured the scientist, giving the pokemon the once
over, "Hm. But I think this one will evolve before we perfect the
technique."
"Think so?!" inquired Misty, full of hope and optimism.
"It's possible," the woman replied noncommittally, "We'd have to run a
few tests to tell for certain."
"Oh well," sighed Misty, returning Psyduck and stashing the ball in her
backpack, "It was worth a try."
"Don't worry, dear," assured Miranda, putting a hand on Misty's
shoulder, "I'm sure I'll be old and gray before I see Umi make her third
evolution."
"What is this 'Umi'?" inquired Dr. Forester, eyeing Miranda
suspiciously.
"A dratini."
"Really?" the woman pondered, "Interesting. Well, thank you for the
porygon. I'm certain that it'll be full of my ex husbands usual quirks and
we'll have to spend a week trying to adapt our computer system. But for
now enjoy our hospitality."
The woman turned and strode off, her bare feet leaving deep holes in the
sand as she went, her hard eyes cold and calculating.
"We'd be crazy to completely trust her," muttered Misty, half expecting
Miranda to inquire as to why. So much time spent with Ash had made her
used to being questioned about even the simplest leaps of logic. But she
was quite pleased when the woman merely nodded.
"I'm mildly afraid to ask what sorts of tests they run in their other
labs," she commented, "So I'm keeping Umi where I can see her."
"Good idea," agreed Misty, smiling inadvertently as the little dragon
popped out of her pokeball and draped herself across Miranda's shoulders.
"Say, would you like to hold her?" inquired Miranda, almost feeling
Misty's intense stare as Umi and Nezumi said hello to each other.
"Would I?!" the girl laughed, holding out her arms with a wide grin.
Miranda sighed, savoring the feeling of endearment Misty's enthusiasm
filled her with as she carefully removed Umi and placed her in the girl's
gentle hands. "Be careful with her," she teased as Misty's eyes went wide
with delight, "that's a VERY rare pokemon you're handling."
Misty could only nod as she took Umi in her arms. The little dragon
turned to the water trainer and let out a small happy sound, showing her
approval by her eyes swirling emerald green. "She likes you," Miranda
observed, knowing her pokemon well enough to understand their limited
vocabulary.
"She-! She's-!" stammered Misty, laughing as Umi coiled happily about
her shoulders and rubbed her head affectionately against Misty's cheek,
"Beautiful!"
"And so are you," sighed Miranda under her breath, half wondering which
one she was feeling jealous of.
"Oh wow!" one of the younger scientists exclaimed, running over as soon
as he spotted the dratini, "Is that what I think it is?!"
"Yup!" laughed Miranda, grabbing up Nezumi and holding him out proudly,
"It's a real rattata!"
"Rattata!" agreed Nezumi proudly.
The young man stopped dead and stared at Miranda with a state of slack
jawed confusion for the length of time it took his brain to reboot.
"I, um, meant the dratini..." he said meekly, causing Miranda to smile
and resist the urge to ruffle his hair.
"Yes," she agreed, trying not to laugh, "Umi's for real."
"And she's the cutest thing I've ever seen!" exclaimed Misty, unable to
take either her hands or her eyes off the dratini, who seemed more than
happy about the attention, as made evident by the contented turquoise her
eyes became.
"I probably shouldn't be mentioning this," the young scientist replied
watching Umi with fascination, "But Kathy's trying to catch herself a
dragon. That's why she has people out on the water day and night. We've
had no luck so far though."
"They are rare," agreed Miranda a little bitterly, "Not that I can blame
anyone for wanting one, but why does this Kathy want one so badly?"
The scientist glanced around a little nervously, the smell of food
tempting him out of his sudden confession. "Well, you see," he replied,
staring longingly at the platters that were being brought out, "Dr.
Forester found out that dragons are resistant to electricity, and she'd
kinda like to isolate the gene that makes them that way. It's part of her
plan to make tougher water pokemon."
"I see," commented Miranda, suddenly feeling a little possessive, "Well,
tell her that once Umi matures and I can find a male I'll be sure to send
an egg her way. Of course that won't be for quite some time. Dragon's are
slow to grow and to evolve."
The man nodded, carefully reaching out a hand and carefully petting
Umi's tail. "They-! They're not scaly!" he replied, taking his hand away
as Umi focused her attention on him.
"That's like saying ekans are slimy," commented Misty, giving Umi's eye
ridges a gentle caress and causing the dratini's eyes to shifted back to a
contented blue-green colour.
The scientist nodded in agreement. "Yes, well, the food is here," he
said, changing the subject, "Would you ladies do me the honor of
accompanying me to the table?"
"Of course, kind sir," replied Miranda with a slow nod of her head and
knowing smile, "We've been traveling all day and we're absolutely
famished!"
"I guess we won't get to find out how bad your cooking really is until
later," teased Misty.
"Another job perk!" agreed Miranda, "people are usually so glad to see
me, I get a free meal now and then."
"Wow!" laughed Misty, "Maybe Ash should have become a courier! All he
thinks about is food! And pokemon... And himself..."
Miranda stopped and put her hands on Misty's shoulders as the girl stood
staring distantly at the ground at her feet. "Are you going to be okay?"
she inquired quietly as Umi and Nezumi looked on with worry.
Misty nodded and stepped closer to Miranda, letting the woman's arms
embrace her. "Sometimes he just makes me so angry," she admitted, being
careful not to squish Umi between them, "I just can't imagine how he could
be so insensitive to someone else's feelings. He's so in touch with his
pokemon, almost as much as you are, but it's like humans are completely
alien to him."
"Did... Did you have feelings for him?" stammered Miranda, her heart
feeling heavy in her chest.
Misty was quiet for a moment before letting out a long held breath. "I-
I don't know..." she replied, "I just don't know. Maybe I just wanted him
to notice me. Maybe I just wanted him to stop being so surprised any time
someone paid me a compliment. Maybe I was just being more childish than
him..."
"No," said Miranda, holding Misty close and staring up at the darkening
sky, "You just have a deep desire to be loved and cared for. And there's
nothing childish about that. You're a strong, independent young woman, but
even loners need someone some times. He just caught you when you were
vulnerable."
Misty looked up, her sea-green eyes searching the stormy gray of
Miranda's. "Do, do you suppose the flowers he had with him," she pondered
aloud, "Were because he finally learned to like me?"
Miranda met Misty's gaze and felt as though her soul was going to
shatter at any moment. "No," she said levelly, shaking her head as she
thought her words through, "If that were true he wouldn't have trashed the
room. He especially wouldn't have gotten help from his pokemon. I get the
feeling that you were more of a possession to him than a friend. Friend's
don't freak out and do that to each other. Even if they can't understand
one another's feelings."
Misty nodded, trying to stem her flow of tears, unfortunately her hands
were mostly wrapped up in Umi's serpentine body.
"Hey," said Miranda with a weak smile, gently brushing the tears from
Misty's face with the backs of her fingers, "Don't cry, Misty. Eyes as
beautiful as yours were never meant to harbor tears."
Misty smiled in spite of her feelings. "Always the bard?" she asked
pseudo-rhetorically.
"Amongst other things," replied Miranda, reluctantly taking a step back
and linking arms with Misty, "Now then, I believe that we're keeping a real
gentleman waiting."
"Okay," said Misty with a genuine smile, her stomach making longing
noises for the food a dozen or so scientists and generic techies were
enjoying, "Let's get going."
The two quickly caught up to the young scientist who was respectfully
waiting for them a short distance away. "So!" inquired Miranda, smiling
broadly, "What's your name?"
"D-Dave," he stammered as Misty and Miranda linked arms with him and led
him to the table.
"Then get us a good seat!" laughed Miranda as several of Dave's friends
smiled and made amused remarks about the eight shades of red he was
turning. A few people made room for them, and Miranda sat beside the
younger man as Misty took a seat across from her, Umi still wrapped about
her shoulders.
"Do you always make friends so easily?" inquired Misty, her tears all
but forgotten as people graciously passed down platters of food, all the
while commenting on Umi.
"It's good for business!" chuckled Miranda handing Nezumi some kind of
fish cake.
"You, your Courier Crew, right?" inquired Dave, noticing the insignia on
the sleeve of Miranda's jacket as she slipped it off and stashed it safely
under the table with her backpack.
"Guilty as charged," she replied awkwardly, opening the pack and fishing
out her teacups, "Because of myself and Misty, you guys have yourselves a
brand new porygon."
"Oh good!" said Dave thoughtfully, "I'm really quite close to perfecting
my latest experiment and I need access to one of those. I have the feeling
it's conversion technique and ability to project realistic holograms are
exactly what I need to test out theories."
"You people are really dedicated around here," commented Misty, more
concerned about feeding Umi than herself.
"Oh! We have to be!" assured Dave with concern, "Otherwise Kathy'd have
our heads!"
"So what is it that you're working on here?" asked Misty.
"Oh, just a de-evolution stone," replied Dave as Miranda handed Misty
one of the dragonair decorated teacups and grabbing the handle of the tea
pot someone passed down.
"Actually I'd prefer something cool right now, sorry," apologized Misty.
"As you wish," assured Miranda with a smile, "So, de-evolution stone?
This is the second time we've heard something to that effect."
"Oh! Yes," stammered Dave nervously, "I'm studying the effects of the
standard evolution stones, and trying to track the effects they have on
pokemon. That way I can back track the process and find a way to reverse
it. I believe that if I can cause, for instance a water stone, to emit
opposite energy waves, it may return the pokemon's DNA to its original
state. I'm close. VERY close."
"We've also heard about a special evolution-stone that can force evolve
a pokemon who isn't usually affected by evolution-stones," Misty commented
with interest, "Is that one of your projects too?"
"Nope," confessed Dave, swallowing what he was eating, "That would be
Victor. He's got it easy! He even has Kathy helping him out most of the
time."
"It must be important to her," commented Miranda, "Even if pokemon are
just 'test subjects' to her."
"She's just clinically detached," explained Dave dismissively, "Also, I
heard awhile back that as a child her seel left her. Just swam out to sea
one day. Never came back apparently."
"How horrible!" gasped Misty, the thought of loosing any of her pokemon
making her shudder, and causing Umi's eyes to swirl red with alarm.
"I suppose that's why she studies the water types," Dave continued, "To
try to find out more about them and maybe find out why her seel took off. I
know she seems a little cold, but Kathy does care about pokemon. Why else
would she be trying to weed out the gene that makes them weak against
electrical attacks?"
"I suppose you're right," replied Miranda, glancing up at the windowless
top floor of the main building.
"Don't worry too much about it, miss," assured Dave with a laugh,
noticing the look of concern on Miranda's face, "She mostly only uses
magikarp for her experiments. It's practically all there around here."
"Their still living things!" defended Misty, banking her fist down on
the table, making Umi coil tighter and utter an unhappy sound.
Dave leaned back in his seat and swallowed hard. "I-I'm sorry miss!" he
stammered, "I didn't know they meant that much to you... If it helps, we
also have a few tentacruel-"
"Hey! I happen to like tentacruel!" exclaimed Misty, causing Dave to
slowly slide under the table.
"Is there a problem here, Ms. Lilcamp?" inquired the voice of Kathy
Forester, as stern and unyielding as ever, but with a hint of amusement.
Miranda looked up at their hostess with an apologetic smile. "No,
ma'am," she assured, "Everything's just peachy keen!"
"I see," replied Kathy in a slightly disapproving tone, "I just came to
tell you both, that I've arranged for a place for you stay tonight.
Assuming you still wish to."
She glanced at Misty who was now pointedly paying attention to Umi,
before motioning to a double row of prefab buildings made to resemble straw
huts, even though they were mostly made of modern plastics.
"Yes, and thank you, Dr. Forester," Miranda agreed with a nod, all the
while maintaining the pleasant grin she didn't feel.
"Very well then," responded the scientist coolly, "If you need anything
else, seek out Dr. Lazarus. He will see to your needs. I also won't be
around to see you off tomorrow, due to complexity of the experiment I'm
working on. Good evening, ladies, David." Dr. Forester then turned and
walked away once more, her path taking her ever closer to the main
building.
"That's a bit more than clinical detachment!" commented Misty, a little
bitterly.
"More like clinical callousness," agreed Miranda with a smirk, "But then
I'm used to the more goofy variety of mad scientists. No offence!"
Dave extracted himself from the awkward position he'd gotten himself
into with the table and sat up straight. "None taken!" he assured as
volunteers came to clear the dishes away, "But don't be too hard on Kathy.
She's just that way with new people."
Miranda shrugged and stood up as several people began heading off, some
back to work, and some just to sit by the beach where a fire had been
started to ward off the chill of the night air. Or possibly Kathy's
personality.
"No worries," Miranda assured him, grabbing her jacket and backpack
before picking up the all too sated Nezumi and placing him on her shoulder,
"I'm not sure when we'll be down this way again anyway."
"That's too bad," remarked Dave wistfully as Misty shouldered her pack
and headed for the their temporary accommodations.
"Want to go swimming later?" she asked Miranda, still a little touchy
about the tentacruel thing.
"In about an hour," replied Miranda, giving Dave a polite good-bye
before having to run to catch up to Misty.
"I always thought Sylph Corp was about helping pokemon," commented Misty
a little distantly.
"They are really," replied Miranda quietly, desperately wishing that she
could brighten her friend's mood.
"But who knows what their doing up there late at night!" continued
Misty, turning to Miranda with a look of deep concern in her eyes, "I dread
to think what she's doing to those poor tentacruel..."
Miranda put her hands on Misty's shoulders as a sign of support. "Hey,
if it makes you feel any better, I'll send Wraith to check it out," she
said reassuringly.
"You will?" asked Misty, looking up and meeting Miranda's gaze.
The woman nodded and a gentle click sound came from one of the pokeballs
on her belt. A heartbeat later, Miranda's gastly was hovering to one side
of them.
"Nez! Nez!" called Nezumi, frantically pointing at the main building.
Wraith turned towards it, his smile broadening. "Gassssstly!" he
chuckled.
"This is strictly recon, dear," Miranda told him in a motherly tone, "If
you inhabit the computer system this time, I won't take you to the
graveyard in Lavender Town this Halloween!"
"Gah!" the little ghost exclaimed with sudden fright and nodded
repeatedly, making affirmative noises all the while before fading from
site.
"It must be a ghost thing," pondered Misty with a shudder.
"It's not as scary as it sounds," replied Miranda thoughtfully, "The
city puts on a huge Halloween party every year in an unoccupied part of the
graveyard. Just about every gastly, haunter and gengar trainer for leagues
around show up to show off their pokemon. The tourists seem to enjoy being
scared almost as much as the ghosts enjoy scaring them."
"I think I heard something about that once," admitted Misty with a
shrug, "But I've always been a little bit afraid of ghosts."
"They're just pokemon," said Miranda, keeping a defensives tone from her
voice, "They may be pranksters, but their just as loyal and loving as any
pokemon."
"Ratta!" agreed Nezumi before letting out a loud belch that seemed to
reduce the size of his bloated stomach by at least half.
"I think you needed that!" laughed Misty, brightening a little and
scratching the rodent under his chin.
"I think that one was on purpose," Miranda commented, eyeing the rattata
suspiciously, but silently thanking him for bringing the light of joy back
into Misty's eyes, "Anyway, we should go and drop off our stuff. By the
time we're settled in it should be safe to go swimming."
Misty nodded, her smiled still present. "You know," she commented as
they walked between the rows of mostly high-tech plastic, pre-fabricated
buildings, "I think I'm getting used to biking again. My legs don't hurt
much anymore."
"Hey, that's great," Miranda half-lied, easily disguising her sorrow at
loosing any further opportunities to massage Misty's legs back to a
functional state, "We'll make a Courier Crew member out of you yet!"
"I'm not that used to it!" laughed Misty as they found a door that had
had note hastily tacked to it.
"Must be for us," commented Miranda, ignoring the fact that "Lilcamp"
had been spelt "Lillencamp".
She reached into the little mailbox and after digging out the key,
opened the door. "Lights!" she commanded, causing the uncovered light
above them to illuminate the main room.
"'Be it ever so humble'," quoted Misty as Umi and Nezumi slithered and
hopped down to explore their limited surroundings.
"As a child I once had to sleep in a linen closet," replied Miranda half
jokingly, "And as a baby my crib was the second drawer of a dresser. So
for me this is luxury!"
She dropped her gear between the two mattresses that served as two beds
and fell backward on to one with a contented sigh, her arms and legs
sprawling out in four directions.
"Hey, it's not like I'm complaining," assured Misty lying down on the
other bed and staring up at the ceiling where a fan slowly spun, "I've
slept outside more time than I can count."
"When you go camping, does it entail going into the city and finding a
cheep hotel?" laughed Miranda, lazily turning her head to see Misty.
"Yeah!" laughed Misty, her right hand hanging off the bed tantalizingly
close to Miranda's, "And when we were roughing it we'd go to an expensive
one!"
Miranda's smile faded as the girl's expression became more neutral, her
eyes idly following the blade of the ceiling fan. "You okay?" asked
Miranda.
"I'm fine," assured Misty, "it's just been a long few days."
"Do you... Regret leaving with me?"
Misty took a deep breath and held it for an excruciatingly long moment.
"No," she breathed, "No, I think that Ash had it coming."
Miranda quietly watched her for several minutes before sitting up.
"I-I'm going to see if we have a shower in this place," she said, but
wasn't completely sure she'd been heard. Misty seemed thoroughly lost in
thought, and Miranda had run out of things to say.
Instead, she stood up and walked over to the small bathroom that had
been wedged into the east-facing wall along with the small closet. With an
unsteady hand, Miranda turned the handle and stepped into the small,
cramped bathroom. She then quietly shut the door and leaned against the
paper-thin wall, sighing heavily.
'I'm insane,' she thought to herself, sliding off her glasses and
placing them carefully on the small counter, 'absolutely crazy. Why do we
always want the one's we can't have?'
Miranda shook her head in dismay, disrobing without really thinking
about it, her mind still on Misty. 'Although I suppose she's a little
crazy too,' she pondered mirthlessly, turning on the shower, 'She's still
clinging to him. Even if she won't admit it...'
The warm water felt cold as she stepping inside the stall and let it
cascade over her. "Must have forgotten to pay the electric bill," Miranda
muttered, turning the temperature up until she could feel her skin
protesting the abuse. "That's better," the woman commented, tilting her
head back and leaned against the shower wall, letting the hot water claim
at least one layer of skin, as she tried to clear her head.
"Miranda?" came a polite but muffled inquiry, followed by the gentle
click of the door opening and a slight exclamation at the amount of steam
trapped in the small room, "I, I just wanted to apologize."
Miranda opened her eyes and stared at the tap for a moment before
adjusting the temperature so that it wouldn't melt human flesh. "What
for?" she inquired, glancing at the vague silhouette she could make out
through the shower curtain.
"For shutting you out," came Misty's quiet reply, "It's just that when I
think about Ash... It hurts."
"I understand, it's okay," Miranda assured the girl, her heart twisting
in her chest, "There are things I find it hard to talk about too..."
Misty stepped closer and Miranda heard a strange sound as Misty went on.
"I, I really don't want to be alone right now," explained Misty in a
quavering voice.
"Neither do I," agreed Miranda distantly, "I shouldn't have just left
you. I'm sorry, I guess sometime I forget that you just can't return
people to their pokeballs when you're not sure how to deal with them."
Misty laughed nervously at the comment, and nearly caused Miranda to
slip and fall as she pulled the curtain back. "M-Misty!" stammered
Miranda, taking half a step back and staring with conflicting emotions as
the girl stepped naked into the shower with her, "Misty, I-! I!-!"
Misty looked up at Miranda, her eyes full of sadness, her face betraying
embarrassment. "Please, just hold me," she said quietly, moving towards
Miranda with her arms held apart.
Miranda gulped down her nervousness, and took the girl in her arms.
"I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable," said Misty, her head upon
Miranda's shoulder.
"N-No, it's fine," she replied, feeling a chill run down her spine
despite the warmth of the water that Misty was now blocking, "I'm more than
happy to help you in any way I can."
"Thank you," said Misty; looking sadly up into Miranda's eyes before
continuing, "You're the best friend I've ever had."
"It's nothing," assured Miranda, absently rubbing Misty's shoulders,
"But you sure picked a funny time to tell me that."
Misty smiled in spite of herself. "I suppose," she agreed with a shrug
that made Miranda tense up, "But I suppose it's just my affinity with
water."
"That'd do it," agreed Miranda, hoping her smile didn't seem too silly.
"Here," offered Misty, reaching for a bar of soap, "You've helped me
time and again, let me help you for once. Turn around, I'll wash your
back."
Miranda blushed and reluctantly turned around. The woman gritted her
teeth as she felt Misty's small hands upon her, an unaccustomed feeling of
vulnerability coming over her. Miranda bowed her head, crossing her arms
over her chest, leaving Misty to her work.
"You know," commented Misty, smiling at the memory that came to her as
she lathered her way across her friend's back, "You never did write me a
better poem like you promised."
Miranda glanced over her shoulder and smiled. "Yeah, you're right," she
agreed, turning around to face Misty, who's hands were cloaked in
soap-suds, "Now, allow me to derive some inspiration."
Misty gave a slightly confused look as Miranda took her hand and slid
the soap out from between her fingers. "Yes," the woman said thoughtfully,
the bar of soap in one hand, her other still holding Misty's fingers, "Yes,
I think I have it!"
"Have? Have what?" inquired Misty, looking down at the soap.
"Inspiration," whispered Miranda, relinquishing Misty's hand so that she
could untie the girl's hair before putting her soap-wielding palm against
the side of her neck.
Misty sighed in response, tilting her head to one side as Miranda gently
caressed her neck before moving down to her shoulder. "Your eyes are the
turquoise colour of the sea that you love so much," she whispered, her free
hand upon Misty's opposite shoulder as the other made it's way down her
left arm, "And your voice is whispered upon every Summer's breeze I feel.
Where as all others seek solace in the vastness of this world, I seek only
the small contentment that can be found in your arms. And only the taste
of your sweet lips can make you seem more real..."
Miranda stopped, turning away and blushing profusely as she cursed her
muse. "I, I'm sorry-!" she stammered, feeling tears welling up in her
eyes.
"No," whispered replied Misty softly, touching the side of Miranda's
face and turning her head back, "It's okay. Please, continue."
Miranda took a deep breath, observing the strange mix of emotions in
Misty's eyes. "Where as others have overlooked all that you have to
offer," she managed, letting her muse speak through her, the words she
couldn't have articulated otherwise, "I long only to savor every treasure
that you hold, as though they were a sacred gift of the magi. Where as
others take you for granted, ignoring the finely honed skills you posses,
my respect for you is as unquenchable as my desire. Even though I am well
aware, that there can never be a you and I..."
Misty wiped the tears from Miranda's eyes, before leaning in close and
sliding her arms around her. "Go on," she whispered, the look in her eyes
making Miranda want to both laugh and cry.
"The severity of their contempt for you, is equaled only by my
devotion," she continued, finding herself holding onto Misty as though her
life depended on it, "While so many others seek only to be rid of you, I
would willingly spend the rest of my days with you, making love on a beach
by the ocean..."
There was silence between them for a time, Miranda's words filling the
small cubical. The woman felt tears pressing against the backs of her
eyes, her heart full of both relief and regret at admitting such things.
Miranda tried to speak, but her words were lost to her, and only her tears,
which flowed from her eyes unhindered, were able to express her feelings.
"Don't cry," soothed Misty, a sad smile upon her face, "'Eyes as
beautiful as yours were never meant to harbor tears'..."
Miranda smiled, trying not to laugh. "You're memory's too good!" she
chuckled, shaking her head slowly in dismay before asking, "Misty? Can you
forgive me?"
Misty looked up at her sadly for a moment, brushing Miranda's wet hair
over one ear. "What's to forgive?" she asked, her voice full of the
compassion, "Maybe this is the answer I've seeking all my life."
"And you are a yang to my yin," replied Miranda, suddenly awash with
inspiration, "A sun to my moon, a light to my darkness. And if I could
only hold you for forever, eternity would come far too soon..."
Miranda leaned down, every muscle in her body tense with nervousness she
sensed in Misty as well. She paused mere centimeters from Misty's lips,
watching carefully as the girl sighed contentedly, tilting her head and
closing her eyes in anticipation.
"I've never believed in love at first site," admitted Miranda, brushing
her lips so lightly against Misty's that the girl wasn't even sure the
woman had done anything, "But when I saw that fire in your eyes, and heard
the passion in your voice, I knew that I could not live without you."
"Please," came Misty's barely audible but faintly pleading response,
"Please, Miranda, kiss me..."
Miranda swallowed nervously, seeking out the reserves of self-confidence
she used in every other situation. "As you wish, my beloved Misty," she
replied so softly that not even the water could hear, and with aching
slowness brought her lips closer.
Miranda trembled as she felt Misty's fingers dig inadvertently into her
back, the anticipation an almost physical entity. Then, banishing her last
bit of apprehensiveness, Miranda pressed her lips against Misty's.
New tears fell from Miranda's eyes as she felt all her longing drain
away in one simple act. She did her best to resist her urge to express the
full depth of her longing in one passionate kiss, however, still fearful of
frightening Misty. Instead, Miranda drew back, kissing Misty lightly upon
the lips twice more before the girl returned the gesture and returned her
head to its normal position.
Miranda sighed contentedly, drawing back again, and looking longingly
into Misty's now open eyes. The girl's pleasure and longing were now
clearly visible, yet Miranda felt a tinge of guilt.
"Misty?" she asked quietly as they both caught their breath, "Are you
sure-?"
Misty cut her off by pulling her head down and kissing Miranda lightly
upon the lips, "It's alright," assured Misty, her voice a little shaky,
"Maybe this is just what I need. Something to make me forget about all my
bad memories, and maybe make some new good ones."
"I don't want to take advantage of you, though," explained Miranda,
still feeling a little guilty.
"That's okay," said Misty with a shrug and a reassuring smile, "If
anything, I'm probably taking advantage of you! You've done so much for me
lately. You gave me the opportunity to start over, you bought me all kinds
of nice things, and you've given me back some of my self-confidence. But
yet, you barely know me."
"I can't help it," admitted Miranda a little sadly, "From the first time
I saw you I only wanted to make you happy. I don't know, maybe it was a
maternal instinct. But there's just something about you that just makes me
want to hold you forever. I don't know what it is, maybe I've just been
alone too long-"
"Maybe you're just an incurably romantic and didn't know it," offered
Misty, leaning her head on Miranda's shoulder.
Miranda blushed, nodding in agreement. "I can't deny that," she
replied, "But I've just never believed in love at first sight. Yet, when I
found you... Oh Misty, please forgive me."
"No," said Misty soothingly, "There's nothing to forgive, Miranda."
"But I'm love you!" blurted Miranda, her heart feeling heavy in her
chest, her face flushing hotly with sudden embarrassment, "I thought it was
just lust at first. And I tried to ignore it, telling myself it wasn't
what I thought. But here I am jeopardizing our friendship."
"No, you aren't jeopardizing anything," Misty told her, running a gentle
hand down the side of Miranda's face, "Please, just kiss me..."
Miranda gave the palm of Misty's hand a gentle kiss before leaning
forward and placing another upon her lips. She pulled back and waited for
Misty's reaction, but the girl simply stood there, her eyes closed, her
lips slightly parted in anticipation.
"This will only go as far as you want it too," promised Miranda,
bringing both hands up and cradling Misty's head before kissing the girl
again, this time pressing harder in hopes of releasing the passion she
felt.
Misty let out a little sound of contentment that caused Miranda's heart
to melt, and she couldn't help but pull back to run her hands down over
Misty's neck, before her fingers traced lines over the girl's chest to her
small breasts.
Misty opened her eyes, her breathing shallow and her eyes focused on
nothing but Miranda. She clenched her teeth, smiling unconsciously as
Miranda's skilled fingers traced a teasing path across bother her breasts
at once, carefully avoiding her nipples.
With little thought, the girl took Miranda by the wrists, holding her
hands in place as the woman massaged her in a way that Miranda had longed
to. With a short sigh of ecstasy, Misty tilted her head back, laughing as
the warm water from the shower sprayed in her face, sending water cascading
down her body in little rivulets.
Miranda leaned forward with half closed eyes, all the dread and worry
she felt being pushed so far back that her whole world was consumed with
the single motive of bringing Misty to the point of ecstasy as many times
as the girl could stand.
While continuing to caress the small twin rises of Misty's firm breasts,
Miranda knelt gave her lover an open mouthed kiss between them, not caring
about the water that splashed down into her face. Almost hungrily she made
her way up to Misty's neck, teasingly nipping at her skin once she reached
her mark.
Misty let go of Miranda's wrists, and found herself instead gripping her
shoulders for support, spreading her legs to more firmly plant her feet
against the slippery surface on which they both stood. She looked up as
Miranda kissed her way back down, blocking the spray of water, and
shivering in anticipation as Miranda kissed her navel.
"Mi-Miranda!" she gasped, feeling her feet slipping, "I think I'm going
to fall!"
Miranda chuckled, reaching behind Misty and standing up straight as she
swept the girl into her arms. "I'll never let you fall, dearest," she
promised, kissing Misty before the girl could utter another word, "Even
though I already have..."
"I- I know," responded Misty breathlessly when Miranda pulled away, "And
I'm very flattered. Thank you."
Miranda nodded, brushing Misty's orangish hair over her ear. "Love is
as fragile as an egg," she whispered, giving the girl's ear a loving kiss,
"Let it go and it shatters. And I only shall if you so desire it, my
dearest Misty. Such is the strength of my devotion for you."
Misty pushed her back a little and met Miranda's serious gaze. "You'd
be willing to end this right now?" she replied, her voice full of
bewilderment.
"Only if it is what you desire," Miranda explained a little sadly,
"Otherwise, I am yours for eternity. The light of your soul is as a beacon
in the darkness that I travel. How can I not love you? You the most
exquisitely beautiful creature on this planet. How can I not adore you?
You've filled the emptiness in my heart by simply being. How can there be
anything that I would not do for you...?"
"You're being poetic again," replied Misty with a smile, and gave
Miranda a quick kiss.
"Can't help it," admitted Miranda slyly, "You inspire me. To more than
just poetry, I'm afraid."
"No worries," assured Misty, suddenly shivering as the hot water ran
out, "But I think we've out stayed our welcome."
Miranda nodded, and reached behind Misty to shut off the water. "We
should probably get out of here anyway," she said sadly, "Wraith's probably
gotten himself in all sorts of trouble by now."
Misty chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't think I could handle a ghost
pokemon," she admitted, "But so long as you can keep yours in line, I won't
worry about it."
"That's good," said Miranda, reluctantly stepping out of the shower and
into the cold air and chilly floor of the bathroom, "But really, you
shouldn't be afraid of most to them. Their surprisingly harmless... Well,
except for that whole dream eating thing..."
Misty accepted Miranda's help in stepping out of the stall, and smiled
as the woman draped a huge fluffy towel over her shoulders. Even if it did
have the Sylph Corp symbol in one corner.
"I hope my other pokemon aren't too lonely out there without us,"
commented Miranda as she helped Misty dry off, "They tend to get into
things when they get bored."
"So long as neither of the eats everything in sight," chuckled Misty,
raising her arms as Miranda rubbed the towel along her flanks, "Ash has a
snorlax like that..."
Miranda looked up, and seeing the sudden sadness in Misty's eyes, gave
one of the girl's breasts a kiss before running her tongue in a spiraling
circle around her nipple and suckling gently against it.
Misty's dark reverie was instantly broken, and she let out a quick gasp
as she grabbed at Miranda for support. "Hey! Oh-!" she exclaimed, panting
as Miranda stood up straight.
"If you keep crying, you'll run out of tears," the woman said with a
careful smile at Misty's questioning look.
"I know," replied Misty, looking a little downcast, "But it seems like
there's a lot more of them that I need to cry before I can move on."
"Then I'm here for you," assured Miranda, taking Misty's hands in her
own, "I'll gladly you hold you until they stop."
Misty sighed with thoughtful contentment. "It's like you're trying to
make up for my whole life being awful," she commented, "But it's not your
fault I made the wrong decisions now and then."
"I know," Miranda told her sincerely, "I just wish I could change the
past for you. And for myself..."
Misty reached out and put her arms around Miranda. "I'm being selfish.
Aren't I?" she asked rhetorically.
"No," assured Miranda softly, "You have as much right to your pain as I
have to mine. Let's just try to get through it together, okay?"
"Okay," agreed Misty, nodding slowly before looking up at Miranda with a
gentle smile, "But for now let's go, get some air, and see what your gastly
has to say."
Miranda dropped her arms and reached for another towel. "Alright," she
contemplatively, feeling more at peace than she had in several days, "Then
let's take advantage of the beach and maybe count a stars..."
***
Nezumi rolled over on to his back; his front paws behind his head as he
lay upon Miranda's pillow, his tail twitching idly as he listened to the
muffled sounds from the bathroom. Umi sat, coiled like a serpent upon
Misty's pillow shaking his head in wonder.
"You know, I really don't get humans some times," she admitted in
dismay.
"Eh, what's not to get?" inquired Nezumi nonchalantly, "You just act
cute, and they treat you like a king. Or queen in your case, draco-babe."
"Well," explained Umi thoughtfully, ignoring the rattata's usual
wisecracking remarks, "If Miranda loves Misty so much, why not just tell
her?"
Nezumi opened one eye and glanced at the na ve dratini. "What makes you
think she hasn't?" he chuckled, his ears picking out his trainers words of
adoration even over the sound of the water.
"She has?!" exclaimed Umi, extending her body and raising her head up to
stare intently at the closed bathroom door, here eyes turning a combination
of red and violet.
"Yup!" explained the rattata, "And if I'm not mistaken, I'd say they're
doing things in there."
Umi turned back to the chuckling rodent. "Things?" she inquired, eyeing
him suspiciously, here eyes shifting to a dark lavender, "What sorts of
things?"
Nezumi sighed heavily, shaking his head in dismay as he stared at the
ceiling. "You'll understand when you're older, kid," he assured her, the
gleam in his eyes betraying his thoughts.
"'Kid'?!" exclaimed Umi, partially offended, her eyes swirling yellow,
"I'll have you know I'm older than you!"
"Yes, but in relative time, I'm older," Nezumi explained in his most
paternal tone, "We rodents grow up a lot faster than dragons. When you get
to be my age, relatively, you'll understand."
Umi looked thoughtful for a moment, her eyes turning slowly greenish.
"Does that mean," reasoned the dragon, "That you'll evolve soon?"
"Ha!" laughed Nezumi, his right paw against his chest, "I'm 35th level,
draco-babe! I can evolve anytime I want to!"
"Then why don't you?" the dratini inquired in the patiently inquisitive
manner of most dracoforms.
"Eh, yeah know," replied Nezumi with a shrug, "I'm just milkin' this
small and cute thing for all it's worth!"
"Did I miss anything?" inquired an ethereal voice as Wraith materialized
between the two pokemon.
Nezumi shrugged. "Eh, not much, fang-face," he assured with a
dismissive wave of his paw, "Just the boss lady finally gettin' around to
gettin' around to it!"
Wraith laughed at the remark, but as a ghost pokemon, he found nearly
everything funny. Especially the confused look on little Umi's face.
"Well, I can guarantee Miranda's not going to like what I found," he
explained once the humor faded.
"Bad?" inquired Nezumi.
"Worse," replied Wraith, "I made a deal with the porygon they installed,
though. Seems he doesn't like that scientist lady too much, and after what
he saw on her system, he's willing to alert the authorities!"
"Oooh! Sounds juicy!" exclaimed Nezumi excitedly, leaping to his feet
and staring eagerly up at the gastly, "Go on! Go on!"
Wraith chuckled in self-satisfaction for a moment, before concentrating
on weaving a room filling illusion. The walls and ceiling seemed to melt
away, to be replaced by two stories of wall-to-wall fish tanks of varying
sizes that would make a marine biologist drool.
Within each of the tanks was a water pokemon. As promised, over 90%
were old and young magikarps, but a few held unhappy looking tentacool and
tentacruel. There were even two staryu and an ancient starmie, kept
company by a few shellder two cloysters, three goldeen and a kingler.
Wraith's image became hazy as he simulated his invisible observation of
the scene, and the stern figure of Kathy Forester came into view. She gave
one of the magikarps an evil smirk as she walked over to an elaborate
workstation and fiddled with the controls. After a moment, she turned her
attention back to the suddenly frightened looking fish, her grin broadening
as she threw an oversized switch.
Immediately, the lights in the room dimmed, as several hundred volts of
electricity filled the test subject's tank. The fish let out a terrified
scream of pain, as Kathy laughed and hit a button, causing a purple
coloured liquid to fill the tank.
"Breath deeply!" laughed Kathy, as the magikarp unwillingly inhaled to
substance.
To the fish's surprise, the pain of being electrocuted subsided and the
magikarp stared out at the mad scientist with an even more bewildered
expression than usual.
"How's the new serum coming along?" inquired a male voice.
Kathy spun around, taking a defensive posture and pulling a pokeball.
"Victor!" she exclaimed, her voice angered yet pleased, "What did I tell
you about sneaking up on me?!"
The man who stepped out of the shadows was at least a foot taller than
Kathy, and looked more like he'd been made in a lab. From his confident,
winning smile to his broad shoulders and intense blue eyes he seemed more
like some kind of model than a mad-scientist.
"I'm sorry, dear," he said almost sincerely, the smile never leaving his
lips "But when I heard your laughter I couldn't resist seeing how the
experiment was going."
Kathy did her best maintain a disapproving look, but all too soon gave
in and found herself kissing Victor. "Only you," she warned, running a
fingertip down his chest, "Would I allow to do this."
Victor chuckled, smiling in self-satisfaction before turning to the
magikarp. "It seems to enjoy it," he commented, tapping on the glass.
"Yes," commented Kathy, "The altered DNA sample from specimen 'Mv04'
seems to integrate with the test subjects better than expected. I'm
certain that our employer will be most pleased!"
The scene faded out as the two embraced, kissing passionately, leaving
the two observers to ponder what they had witnessed.
"That's so cruel..." commented Umi barely above a whisper, her eyes
turning a deep blue in her sadness.
"It gets worse," replied Wraith, for once not smiling, "It seems that
Poly had his program altered so that we can't access certain files."
"A porygon who can't access a database?!" exclaimed Nezumi in disbelief,
"That's not possible! I thought those holo-hackers could go anywhere in a
computer."
Wraith gave a helpless expression, unable to shrug without arms. "He
says they added some kind of subroutine that makes him forget what he's
doing every time he tries to access the files on Subject Mv04," the gastly
explained, "But that didn't stop me!"
"Ah!" laughed Nezumi, leaping to his hind legs and bowing dramatically,
"Our own little ghost in the machine strikes again!"
Wraith chuckled to himself and nodded. "It took some doing," he
explained, "Some nasty black IC they got gave me a run for my money, but I
managed to access the file and download them into Poly."
"So... What is 'Mv04'?" inquired Umi, her eyes ablaze with lavender
hued interest.
Wraith attempted to look stoic as he spoke, but found it difficult to
remain serious for more than a few moments. "Well, you see," he began but
immediately lost it as a smile came across his face, "No one can be told
about 'Mv04'. They have to experience it!"
Umi gave the gastly a disapproving look, her eyes glowing deeply red and
seeming to swirl violently. "Wraith!" she growled menacingly, a jet of
water forming in the back of her throat.
"Okay! Okay!" laughed the gastly as Nezumi looked on in amusement,
"I'll tell yeah, but you're NOT going to like it..."
"That's fine," assured Umi, her serpentine body tensing as Wraith formed
yet another illusion. It came as no surprise to the little dragon, that
what she saw displeased her greatly.
"Wraith!" exclaimed Miranda as she bounded into the room wearing only a
towel, running up to the fuzzy purple and black shape floating on the edge
of her near-sighted vision, "You're back!"
"Gast!" he greeted her, dropping the illusion that only Umi and Nezumi
could see.
"Find anything?" inquired Misty, drying her hair as she entered the
room.
The gastly nodded sadly.
"It's bad, isn't it?" inquired Miranda in a serious tone.
All three pokemon nodded.
"Alright then," their trainer replied, steeling herself against the
inevitable. "Let me have it..."
***
Somewhere on the top floor of the Sylph Corp Water Pokemon R&D branch's
main building, three figures emerged from the darkness. The trio crept
silently from their hiding place in one of the air vents, and quickly
scanned the fish tank filled room.
"This is it?!" exclaimed James in a harsh whisper, "Nothing but
magikarp!"
"Pokemon, are pokemon," replied Meowth with a shrug as he walked around
there corner, "Besides, there's more than just magikarp here."
"You're just bitter," chuckled Jessie, turning on a of the computer
terminal, "And you know better than anyone what magikarp evolve into."
"Quiet you!" the man demanded, turning his back to her and glaring
disapprovingly at pitiful looking fish, "Am I not aloud to make one little
mistake?"
"One?" inquired Meowth with surprised sarcasm.
"Hey, I think I got something!" interrupted Jessie, causing her
companions to crowd in close.
"What is?!" they demanded in unison, the glow of the monitor
illuminating their faces in the dim light.
"There's another pokemon they're not keeping out in the open like the
others," replied Jessie, her gloved fingers flying across the keys as she
broke through a surprisingly easy password encryption.
The screen shifted, and a window popped up showing a live feed view of a
huge tank of water, taking up at least two floors of the building. The
camera panned down towards the water, showing a dark shape looming ever
closer, causing the trio to lean in expectantly, waiting for the pokemon to
become visible.
"It's-!" began Meowth as another image transposed itself on the screen.
"That stupid porygon!" all three Rockets exclaimed.
"Porrrry!" warned the pokemon on the screen, closing the window behind
him.
"Oh, you think so, do you?!" growled Jessie, bringing up a rocket
launcher.
"Don't you think that's a bit excessive?" inquired Meowth, backing away
slowly.
"No one keeps secrets from Team Rocket!" she proclaimed, pulling the
trigger, and sending a high-powered projectile through the monitor and into
the wall behind it.
"I wonder if she got it?" pondered James as he ran from the flying
rubble.
"I'd better have!" grumbled Jessie as the smoke cleared and she found
herself covered in soot.
"Well I suppose it was therapeutic," commented Meowth.
"You fools!" exclaimed a voice, ending further speculation, "What have
you done?!"
The trio turned to the sound, and saw a diminutive figure approaching
through a cloud of dust and smoke.
"You're the fool if you think you can oppose Team Rocket!" countered
James, striking a dramatic pose.
"Idiot!" Kathy growled, startling James as she came out of nowhere to
grab him by the lapels, "I am a member of Team Rocket!"
"Oh no," muttered Meowth, burying his face in his hands, "Not again!"
"Now look what you've done!" exclaimed Kathy, pointing to where Jessie
had partially blasted a hole in the concrete wall, "You're on the verge of
ruining over twenty years of careful plotting!"
The small crater sent out small cracks in all directions, which then
began to spray water. As the water increased in pressure, more fissures
appeared, threatening to flood the room.
"We're going to be fired for this, aren't we?" asked James rhetorically
as sirens and klaxons began sounding all around them.
"That's the least of your worries!" assured Kathy, dropping James and
running towards the door as two sheets of metal moved to seal the only way
out.
"We're going to drown again!" gasped Jessie, running for the exit, only
to find herself banging futilely against the blast doors.
"It's all your fault!" accused James, grabbing up Jessie's discarded
rocket launcher and glaring evilly at one of the trapped pokemon, "Stupid
magikarps! If I have to die, I'm taking you with me...!"
***
Miranda led the way from the living quarters to the main lab building
with Nezumi on her shoulder, and a thinly veiled anger. Misty found
herself staying a step behind the woman, carrying Umi over her shoulders,
with Wraith trailing behind. She knew better than to ask Miranda what was
wrong. The images Wraith had sent to them seemed to loose their impact
when they saw the pokemon Kathy Forester had locked up and tortured for the
last two decades.
"So, what exactly are we going to do?" inquired Misty carefully.
"If she's lucky, I'll have her charged with breach of contract,"
grumbled Miranda as the building loomed ahead, "But I don't think this is
her lucky day."
Just outside the lab was mostly deserted, those not on duty were hanging
out on the beach, listening to music or fishing off the dock, so Misty and
Miranda were the first humans to see what caused the noise they all heard.
The East-facing wall of the building suddenly blew out, sending chunks
of concrete in all directions, and a cloud of dust into the air. Miranda
grabbed Misty by the hand and ran back the way they came, just in time to
be missed by one of the larger pieces of wall, and turned back in time to
see a jet of water blast out the large hole.
"What are they doing up there?" asked Misty rhetorically, as the water
filled with a horde of flailing magikarp, most falling to their deaths as
they hit the ground.
"Nothing good!" commented Miranda, glancing at her rattata, "Nezumi, I
need you to dig a hole where those pokemon are falling! I don't want any
more to die than have to!"
"Nez!" the rodent exclaimed, bounding off and burrowing into the ground.
"He's fast," commented Misty in amazement as the rattata disappeared
under the soft, muddy ground.
"I just hope he's fast enough," commented Miranda, taking Misty's hand
and giving her a concerned look.
Misty gave her a grim smile, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "I think
he was," she commented, pointing to the flood of pokemon just as the ground
gave way beneath them, carving out a pool of water at the base of the
building.
Miranda smiled. "That's my Nezumi," she replied as the rattata leaped
out of the water and shook himself off.
"Hey!" called a familiar voice, "What's going on?!"
Misty and Miranda turned in time to see Dave leading the group from the
beach. "I'd say your boss just had a little accident," explained Miranda,
"Do you have access to the top floor?"
Dave shook his head. "Only Kathy and Victor do," he explained, looking
up at the impromptu waterfall in dismay, "But if they're up there, they're
going to need help. Anyway, I can get you most of the way."
"Great!" replied Miranda, "I knew we could count on you. Now let's get
in there!"
Dave nodded and headed towards the front doors, followed by Miranda,
Misty, and several curious on lookers. "Do you think they're still alive?"
one of the off duty scientists asked.
"It'd take more than a little water to kill Kathy!" assured Dave over
the alarm bells that filled their ears the instant he flung open the front
doors.
As they crossed the lobby, the group found their passage momentarily
hindered by a flood of escaping lab technicians, fleeing from the water
that was draining down from the upper floors.
"I think you'd all better join them!" cautioned Miranda, giving the rest
of her entourage a concern look, "I think the three of us can handle it."
"This installation's our home," replied an older man, "Sylph Corp's
taken care of us for a long time. We owe this company, and we owe Kathy.
She's not all that friendly at times, but she's a good scientist. And I
for one respect that."
Miranda nodded. "As you wish," she commented with a shrug, silently
hating to have to shatter so many people's allusions.
"We'll have to take the stairs," came Dave's concerned tone, "The
elevators shut off in case of fire, flood or plauge."
"That's just brilliant," muttered Misty, waiting for Miranda to follow
Dave up the stairs, "And I'll bet the all the doors seal themselves
too...!"
***
By the time the assembled group had reached the small foyer on the top
floor, the stairs were flooded with water up to their ankles, causing
several people to fall back and head for safety.
"Beyond this door is Kathy's lab," explained Dave over all the noise,
pointing to the impressively armored door, "The only problem is, is that
none of us have the pass code to open it."
Miranda gave a sly smile and glanced over at Wraith. "You know what to
do," she replied, bringing a wide grin to the gastly's face.
"Gaa!" he replied happily, phasing into the electronic locking
mechanism.
"This may take a minute," commented Miranda, as the machine made several
distressful sounds and a few sparks shot out from it.
"Gastly!" came Wraith's triumphant exclamation as he popped back out and
the door hissed open, only to reveal a set of sealed blast doors just
beyond.
"Couldn't you have opened those too?" inquired Miranda, giving Wraith a
disapproving look.
The gastly pouted as he shook his head. "Wra, ga..." he muttered sadly.
"I see," commented Miranda thoughtfully, turning to Dave. "It seems
that your porygon doesn't want us to get in there," she explained.
"Why not?" asked Dave, full of concern.
Miranda shrugged. "Apparently he doesn't like Dr. Forester too much,"
she commented.
Dave's eyes widened with concern. "He'd let her die?" he gasped in
surprise.
"Well he was programmed by her ex-husband," offered Misty as Dave ran
over to the intercom beside the door and frantically hit the button.
"Porygon! Can you hear me?" he called into it frantically.
The little wall screen came to life, and an image of the porygon
appeared in it. "Pory?" he inquired politely.
"You can't do this!" exclaimed Dave half panicked, "There's someone in
there, porygon, and she'll probably drown if you don't open the doors!"
"Polygone," corrected Misty, "He was named Polygone by the scientists
who made him."
Dave nodded, and was horrified as the pokemon turned away and the screen
began to fade. "Polygone!" he beseeched, "Don't you understand? If you
let someone die, they'll take you off-line!"
The porygon turned back and did his best imitation of a shrug.
Dave took a step back. "Don't you even care about your own survival?"
he implored, "It's bad enough you're killing a human, but come this time
tomorrow, you'll be joining her!"
Polygone looked away sadly and nodded. "Pory..." he muttered
defeatedly.
"You don't want to die? Do you?"
The pokemon shook his head in dismay.
"Then why?" inquired Dave compassionately, "Tell me why you're doing
this?"
The porygon gave him a meaningful look and faded out as a window popped
up. The assembled group gasped as one at what they now saw on the monitor.
"It- it's just like what Wraith showed us..." commented Misty sadly,
glancing up at Miranda who seemed on the verge of tears.
On the little monitor was a real-time image of a haggard looking
dragonite. Dozens of wires and tubes were hooked up to it in various
places as it floated in stagnant looking water, kept in place by heavy
chains and shackles. Small mechanical orbs armed with vicious looking
serrated blades and horrifically long needles floated around it, poking at
the poor creature now and then, making it whimper as it could no longer
scream. All the while the tubes and hoses that had been cruelly implanted
into its body took samples, weakening the dragonite all the more.
"Tha-that can't be real!" exclaimed Dave in disbelief.
"I'm afraid it is," replied Miranda grimly, drying her eyes and turning
to the group. "This is the secret that Dr. Forester has been keeping
here. This is her plan to breed water pokemon that aren't affected by
electrical attacks. By torturing this poor creature and extracting it's
DNA in the cruelest possible way, then torturing the captured pokemon with
blasts of electricity. Not just low currents, but near lethal dosages!
This goes way beyond inhumane, but I'm willing to put that aside to save
someone's life if you're all willing to help me free that dragonite."
There was next to no discussion, and Miranda couldn't help but smile as
the group's disbelief became support. "We're with you, miss," assured the
old man from before, "But how do you suggest we get that door open?"
Miranda looked thoughtful for a moment, and was about to speak when a
tall figure emerged from the stairwell. "Stand aside!" he ordered, his
deep voice on the verge of controlled panic.
"Dr. Victor!" gasped Dave in surprise, "I thought you were in there
too!"
The man smiled confidently in an attempt to reassure the others. "No, I
was downstairs conducting some very important experiments," he explained,
"But I hope I'm not too late..."
With that, the scientist took out a pokeball and tossed it into the air.
"Tashiro! Go!" he commanded, causing the ball to pop open and send out a
familiar red glow that soon coalesced into a tall, muscular, green skinned
pokemon.
Miranda gritted her teeth taking a step back, as Nezumi growled a low
warning. Even Umi let out a hiss and Misty felt her body tense as Wraith
moved to protect them.
"I hate those things," muttered Miranda, moving protectively closer to
Misty.
Victor's machoke flexed his muscles and grinned broadly at his master.
"Tashiro," Victor ordered, "Take down that door!"
The machoke nodded, banging a fist into his open palm before turning to
the door. He looked thoughtful for a moment, before pulling back his fist,
which suddenly burst into flame before hitting the blast doors with all his
might.
A series of loud clangs filled the room, making everyone's ears ring as
Tashiro battered a dent in the center of the blast doors until water
sprayed out into his face. "Machoke!" he growled, reaching forward and
prying the two halves apart with his bare hands. With a loud grinding
protest the doors gave way under the pokemon's strength, sending a torrent
of water into the small room and down the stairs.
"Misty!" exclaimed Miranda, grabbing the girl's hand as she caught the
worst of the blast.
"Sorry about that!" apologized Victor as Miranda pulled Misty back from
being carried back down the stairs.
"Whatever," grumbled Miranda bitterly as the water died finally died
down and the room ceased to be flooded, "You okay, Misty?"
Misty nodded. "I'm a water trainer, remember?" she teased with a
reassuring smile, "I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about."
She motioned towards the proud looking machoke as his trainer recalled
him. "I'll be fine," replied Miranda unconvincingly, "I just don't know
how anyone can use those things."
Victor ignored the comment, rushing into the room as soon as he could,
followed by the other concerned scientists. "We'd best get in there,"
replied Misty, "I don't think a lynching is what you had in mind."
Miranda shook her head. "No, I'm willing to let the authorities take
care of this so long as we can set that dragonite free," she replied
warily, following Misty into the unsealed room.
The once sinister lab seemed to loose a lot of it's dread ambiance once
Miranda and Misty saw the condition it was now in. The florescent lights
along the ceiling had all died, and only one or two of the emergency lights
flickered dimly, casting and eerie red glow over everything. There was
shattered glass and bits of broken wall everywhere, with several
floundering water pokemon that were quickly being saved by compassionate
Sylph Corp scientists.
The banks of fish tanks had all been broken open by the blast that had
blown a hole in the outer wall, and the first breach in the room's central
pillar had finally stopped leaking.
It was there that Wraith headed to, making encouraging noises as he
motioned for Miranda to follow. "Is that were it is?" asked Miranda,
carefully picking her way thought he debris.
Wraith nodded by bobbing up and down before moving out of the way. His
trainer leaned forward over the blackened husk of a computer terminal and
looked through the window-sized hole in the wall behind it.
"This is it," she replied grimly, "Wraith, think you can find the door?"
"Ga!" the gastly assured, floating up to one of the security cameras
near the ceiling and phasing into it.
A moment later, he returned with Polygone. "You!" exclaimed Dave,
spotting the AI and running over.
The pokemon gave a frightened noise and hid behind the gastly. "Go easy
on him," cautioned Miranda, "He was only obeying his conscience."
Dave nodded and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay, Polygone," he said
calmly, holding out his hand, "I forgive you."
"Pory!" the porygon exclaimed, leaping into Dave's arms and making happy
noises.
"I think he likes you!" laughed Misty.
"Well, I hope he likes me enough to help out a bit more," Dave replied
nervously, unsure about how do deal with the peculiar pokemon who seemed
intent on making the bewildered scientist his trainer.
"Porygon!" assured Polygone in a strange tone, turning his attention to
the remains of the computer terminal.
After a moment's concentration, a beam of amber light shined from his
snout, hitting the wall socket where the device had been plugged in. A
second later, the sound of stone on stone filled the suddenly shaking room
as a section of wall slid open in the room's central pillar. From within
the secret alcove, came a pitiful cry for help, sending nearly everyone
running to look.
"Just as I said," replied Miranda sadly, staring down at the chained
dragonite who rested half submerged in fowl smelling water in dismay, "This
is what Kathy called 'Specimen Mv04'."
The room filled with various comments of disbelief as several people
moved to free the trapped creature, and Dave politely walked up to Miranda
with a concern in his eyes.
"Do you think it will forgive us, Ms Lilcamp?" he inquired meekly.
"I'm sure it will," she responded, watching the dragonite with the
greatest of concern, "They're extremely intelligent, and I'm sure this one
knows who's to blame. Speaking of which!"
She turned away from the scene, satisfied that the others could handle
it, and marched off to find Victor and Kathy. She found them standing near
the hole in the outer wall. Kathy looked like she'd live once she'd forced
the remaining water from her lungs and dried off, and Victor seemed full of
concern despite the smug look on his face.
"It's over Dr. Forester," said Miranda in her most authoritative tone,
Nezumi posing dramatically on her shoulder to add effect, "No more innocent
creature will suffer at your hands. The Lilcamp Trading Company here by
finds you in breach of contract, and thus forth will afford no support to
you or your cohort. This will of course not effect our contract with the
rest of Sylph Corp, but I'm sure they'll still have a thing or two to say
to you."
"Oh, boo hoo!" replied Kathy sarcastically, "This operation is over
anyway! What do I care?"
"You'll care when the police arrive," responded Misty, walking up behind
Miranda.
"Let them!" laughed Kathy as a dark shape rose up outside the hole in
the wall, "Cause we're out of here!"
"I don't think so," glowered Miranda, all three of her pokemon giving
their most menacing looks.
Kathy smiled broadly as Victor picked her up from behind. "Catch us if
you can, Ms. Lilcamp," the man chuckled, leaping backward out of the
building, and landing in the basket of a rapidly rising hot air balloon,
"But I doubt you want to share your Father's fate!"
Miranda stopped and stared in stunned silence at the comment, but Nezumi
needed no encouragement. He leapt to the floor and ran to the opening in
the wall.
"Nez!" he exclaimed threateningly at the laughing group of five Team
Rocket members as they floated way, "Nez! Nez!"
The rattata took a deep breath, and sent out a stream of bubbles that
impacted harmlessly against the balloon's surface.
"Is that the best you can do?" taunted James as the others laughed.
"Nezumi..." whispered Miranda, barely able to move as she realized just
who Kathy and Victor were.
"Nezzz!" growled her pokemon, his fur standing on end and he glared
menacingly at his departing mortal enemies, "Nezzz! Uuuu! Miiii!"
With that, Nezumi's entire body began to glow with a brilliant white
light, before more than doubling in mass until his evolution was complete.
"Nezzzummmiiii!!!" he cried as the light faded and the newly evolved
raticate was revealed before taking a deep breath and sending out a bean of
crackling blue tinged energy from his mouth and impacted with the balloon,
and caused the air within freeze.
"Not again!" cried Jessie, James and Meowth as their balloon shriveled
to nearly nothing before beginning to fall, only to be caught up in a
strong wind and be sent out far over the ocean.
"Nezumi!" exclaimed Miranda, tears falling from her eyes as she ran to
embrace her pokemon, "I'm so very proud of you!"
"Nez, nezumi," the raticate commented nonchalantly with a shrug before
happily leaning against his trainer with a self-satisfied grin.
"He... Evolved!" stammered a voice from behind, causing Miranda to
glance over her shoulder, a proud grin on her face as she looked up at
Dave.
"I-I heard the commotion," he commented, clutching a small obsidian
stone in both hands.
"I seems that your fearless leader was working with Team Rocket,"
explained Misty, somehow not surprised.
"That's, that's awful!" exclaimed Dave, making his way carefully to the
hole in the wall, "On top of everything else, Kathy was with the Rockets?
When it rains it pours I guess."
"So what's with the rock?" inquired Miranda, still clutching her
raticate protectively.
"Oh! This? It's one of the stones I was working on," explained Dave,
turning back to face Miranda and Misty, "I found it here in the lab for
some reason. I guess it was in case Kathy evolved something she couldn't
easily control. Hm. She must have gotten it to work..."
"Does that mean it's a Devolution Stone?" asked Misty with interest.
"This? Oh yes!" stammered Dave, his brain still a little frazzled, "She
must have worked out some of the bugs I guess, but we'll never know until
we use it. Oh well."
"Nezumi!" exclaimed Miranda's favorite rodent, causing the woman to look
back at him in surprise.
"Really?" she asked, a little startled, "Your volunteering?"
Nezumi nodded.
"Are you sure? You've only just evolved and all-"
"NEZ!"
"Okay! Okay!" laughed Miranda, giving her super-sized pokemon one last
joyful hug before turning to Dave. "He wants to try it out, Professor. If
your willing."
"Um, sure," replied Dave a little nervously, shaking as he held out the
stone to the raticate.
Miranda stood up and walked over to Misty as Nezumi took hold of the
Devolution Stone and held it close to his chest.
"You think it'll work?" whispered Misty, taking Miranda's hand in a show
of support.
"If it's what he wants, I hope so," she answered, giving her friend's
hand a squeeze as the ebony rock glowed faintly purple, and Nezumi's body
was enveloped in a blinding white light for a second time.
"Nez..." he commented in wonder as his body shrank to its former size
and the stone fell from his grasp, a small piece breaking off and
skittering across the floor to rest at Miranda's feet.
"Hey, it worked!" laughed Misty as the light faded, revealing Nezumi as
a rattata once more.
"Amazing!" commented Dave, grabbing up the larger chunk of stone, "It's
going to take me weeks to figure out how she got past the instability
problem!"
"But you'll enjoy every moment of it," chuckled Miranda as Nezumi ran
over to snatch up the smaller piece of stone in his now smaller jaws,
before scrambling up his trainer's pant leg and shirt to sit happily upon
her shoulder.
"For me?" the woman inquired with a shy smile as her pokemon held out
the small black stone.
"Nez-umi!" assured the rattata, dropping the piece of Devolution Stone
into Miranda's open palm.
"You can still say it!" exclaimed Miranda happily, resisting the urge to
hug him.
"Nez, nezumi," the rattata commented nonchalantly.
"Can you still use the ice beam?" asked Misty.
Nezumi gave the girl his most confident grin fore aiming his snout
towards the opening in the wall and taking a deep breath.
"Dave!" exclaimed Miranda in alarm, "Get down!"
The scientist hit the deck just in time for Nezumi's somewhat smaller
ice beam to fire over his head and light up the sky outside.
"Yikes!" he commented both alarmed and impressed, "The stone works
perfectly!"
"Well, that remains to be seen, Professor," corrected Miranda, "But
we'll be sure to keep you updated."
"Thanks," replied Dave, struggling to his feet, still clutching the
spent, yet still precious stone, "When I finish my research, I'll be sure
to send you a few samples! But right now I think we should deal with that
pool of pokemon we have down there..."
A few of the other scientists came forward and looked down at the water
filled hole Nezumi had dug and shook their heads. "Can your rattata dig a
trench to the ocean?" one of them inquired.
Miranda and Nezumi nodded in unison. "No problem!" she assured and
turned towards the exit, followed by Misty and Dave...
***
At the base of the building, the group found a small crowd of spectators
and was immediately assaulted by questions, which Dave politely decided to
take care of, leaving Miranda and Misty to save the stranded pokemon.
"Brave man," chuckled Miranda as Dave led the group away from the impromptu
pool of water.
"But I think he'll make a good leader," commented Misty, kneeling down
and peering at the menagerie of water pokemon, "Probably a thousand time
better than their old one."
"We can only hope," replied Miranda scratching Nezumi under the chin and
giving him an affectionate look before ordering him into action. "We need
a trench out to the ocean," she explained, "Think you can handle it?"
The rattata stood on his hind legs and nodded confidently. "Nez!" he
assured, jumping from Miranda's shoulder to the ground where he began
burrowing his way towards the beach.
"It'll probably take him two or three passes," explained Miranda,
nodding to Umi, "Plenty of time to get our other pokemon in position. Time
to come out, Umi!"
"You need one of my pokemon?" inquired Misty, as Umi slithered from
Misty's shoulders, "What for?"
"Staryu's got 'water gun', right?" explained Miranda, to which Misty
nodded, "Well, I think between the two of them, Umi and Staryu could make a
pretty good river. At least long enough for us to herd those fish back to
where they belong."
"Oh! I see," responded Misty, releasing Staryu in time for Nezumi to
return and head back to the ocean in an unerring line from the pool to the
sea, "But how are you planning on convincing the pokemon it's safe?
They're probably all terrified of humans now... Poor things."
"This might seem to be a bit of a cruel trick," she replied,
thoughtfully, "But it's for their own good. Wraith! You're needed!"
"Gaaaastly!" the ghost exclaimed, floating around to face Miranda.
"We'll need you in a minute, dear," his trainer explained, "Just as soon
as Nezumi's done with he trench, and Umi and Misty's staryu flood it."
"Ga?" he questioned, looking puzzled.
"I need you to make something really scary appear!" replied Miranda with
a mischievous grin, "Something that'll really get those pokemon moving!"
"Ga'ly!" the ghost pokemon laughed reassuringly as he faded out of sight
and waited.
"All done?" inquired Miranda, turning her attention back to Nezumi as he
popped out of a pile of sand to one side of the trench.
"Zumi!" he exclaimed proudly, grinning broadly and flexing his muscles.
Miranda shook her head wearily and Misty laughed as the rattata made a
show of pretending to accept the adoration of his fans.
"Don't let it go to your head!" chuckled Miranda before turning to Umi,
"Ready?"
The dratini nodded to the woman before giving Staryu an odd look, to
which the water pokemon stood up straighter before aiming an arm at the
trench.
"Umi!" exclaimed Miranda dramatically, glancing at Misty who nodded in
reply.
"Staryu!" the girl ordered.
"Water Gun!"
"Hydro Blast!"
Both pokemon let out a blast of water at the same time, Umi spitting it
out like a draconic breath weapon, and Staryu firing it from his top most
arm. Umi glanced over at the other pokemon as the torrent of water eagerly
reached for the ocean, and tensed her serpentine body, forcing the water
out at an accelerated rate. Not to be out done, the rounded red gem-like
object on Staryu's chest glowed more brightly as he too increased the
output until the current was so strong that almost no one could have swam
to the other side without being carried partway out to sea.
"Wow! Looks like we have a bit of a rivalry!" laughed Miranda,
shielding her face from the spray.
"But it seems to be working!" replied Misty, barely able to hear herself
over the sound, but pleased as a few either very brave or very stupid
magikarp jumped into the river, only to be swept away by the impossibly
strong current.
"Okay, now for the rest of them!" Miranda said determinedly, "Wraith! I
need that fear factor now!"
The gastly appeared momentarily as a hazy wavering image, which rapidly
changed into the one thing that would scare the stranded pokemon into
action. An image of Kathy Forester solidified between the pool and the
building. She then raised her arms menacingly, her evil laughter echoing
through the night as bolts of blue tinged electricity radiated from her
thin fingertips and crystallized the sand around the pool, all the while
her image grew to three stories tall, scaring a few unsuspecting onlookers.
Almost as one the cowering pokemon bolted into the stream created by the
twin water gun attack, swimming for all they were worth for the ocean.
Misty gave a worried look as several of the smaller magikarps were pushed
aside by their larger brethren, but as the water spilled out over the sides
of the trench, it became something of a non-issue.
Finally, though, after a frantic five minutes of listening to an
illusionary Kathy spout obscenities and threats while firing ineffectual
lightning bolts, the water in the pool calmed to nothing, and two exhausted
pokemon fell over to recover.
"That should about do it," commented Miranda proudly, taking Umi up in
her arms and cuddling the worn out dratini.
"Um, no, I'm afraid we missed one," corrected Misty, kneeling down and
staring into murky water.
Miranda came closer and looked over her glasses. She could just barely
make out the shape of a single magikarp floating near the surface, staring
almost angrily at the illusionary Kathy. "I think we made him mad," she
said rhetorically, "Wraith, I think you'd better-"
The courier was cut off as a suddenly glowing white magikarp broke the
surface of the water and began to expand in size. "It's evolving!"
screamed Misty in a sudden panic, grabbing up her staryu and heading for
cover.
Miranda nodded, planting both feet firmly in the sand as the light faded
to reveal a newly evolved gyarados which reared up and roared menacingly at
the illusionary Kathy. "Wraith! Get out of there!" the woman ordered,
"Nezumi! Lightning bolt!"
The rattata leaped off his trainer's shoulder and opened his mouth,
letting fly an ark of electricity that hit the dragon in the back of the
head, the attack enveloping the gyarados's entire body. The pokemon didn't
even so much as flinch, not so much as acknowledging Nezumi's existence.
Instead, the apparently unharmed water dragon let loose a burst of flame
that some how managed to hit the still invisible Wraith dead on.
The illusionary Kathy vanished instantly as Wraith was wreathed in
searing hot flames that not even his phased nature was proof against.
"Wraith! No!" exclaimed Miranda, reaching to her left side with her right
hand and gripping the hilt of her bokken.
"Miranda, no!" exclaimed Misty, running and jumping over the still
flooded trench of muddy water, "You'll only get hurt!"
The woman paused, her whole body shaking as Wraith went unconscious and
fell to the ground in a puddle of purplish ooze. "Wraith..." whispered
Miranda, tears flowing freely from her cloudy gray eyes.
"Let me take care of it," replied Misty as Miranda fell to her knees,
her bokken dropping to her side, "I can handle it."
Miranda looked up at Misty, meeting the girl's determined gaze, and
falling in love all over again with her sea green eyes. "I have faith in
you," she whispered, watching silently as Misty turned around and tossed
down a pokeball.
"Psyduck! Go!"
Miranda's heart sank as the only psyduck in existence who couldn't even
swim appeared before his trainer with a confused look on his face, and his
hands on his head.
"Psy?" he inquired in a pained, nasal voice.
Misty turned back to Miranda, her face betraying the depths of her
determination, and snatched up Miranda's bokken. "Alright psyduck!" she
ordered, holding the weapon over her head in both hands, "It's time to kick
some gyarados butt!"
"Psi?!" the pokemon exclaimed fearfully as the dragon turned his
attention from the slumbering ghost to his next victim.
"Psyduck!" commanded Misty, bringing the wooden sword down on top of her
pokemon's head with all her might, "Confusion attack!"
"Duck!" the pokemon exclaimed, staggering forward from the force of the
blow, causing the gyarados to chuckle before rearing up and preparing to
bite psyduck in half.
"Now, you stupid duck!" exclaimed Misty, thwacking her pokemon on the
head several times until her arms became a blur and Psyduck stopped
clutching his head.
"That's it!" laughed Misty, leaping back as Psyduck's eyes glowed red
and he levitated a few feet off the ground.
His opponent gave a quizzical look, but decided to attack anyway. With
a triumphant roar, the gyarados surged forward, his gaping jaws widening in
anticipation until the hungry pokemon snapped them shut like a vice.
To the gyarados's infinite surprise, he found himself blocked by a
translucent sphere of energy. The sea serpent blinked loudly and reared up
before shaking his head from side to side in an attempt to dislodge the orb
from his clamped jaws. Unfortunately for him, though, all the gyarados
managed to do was jostle Psyduck all the more, thus intensifying his
headache.
"Psy..." growled his opponent menacingly from the center of the sphere,
raising his arms dramatically as his eyes glowed brighter, "DUCK!!!"
With a blast of white light, the gyarados was thrown backwards through
the air. It sailed end over end away from the hovering Psyduck, and
finally landed in a heap amongst a grove of palm trees. In almost no time
at all, the serpent rose above the trees, shaking his head until his jaw
snapped back into place.
"Gya..." he growled, letting out another jet of flame.
Psyduck's eyes blazed all the brighter as he raised his hands. As the
flames washed over his barrier, the pokemon summoned forth a blast of
blue/white crackling kinetic energy from his palms and sent it back along
the path of flame. The gyarados gave him a surprised look and intensified
the blast, his dark eyes gleaming with anger.
"Finish him off, Psyduck!" called Misty from the ground, jumping up and
down excitedly.
Her pokemon obliged by increasing the strength of the hyper-beam until
it doubled in girth and began to overwhelm the jet of flame the gyarados
was issuing forth. The once more surprised dragon actually had to slither
backwards as the beam intensified, moving ever closer, until it was in
danger of smothering the flames.
"Now!" exclaimed Misty, clutching a vacant pokeball in one hand, and
Miranda's bokken in the other.
Psyduck nodded, and every last bit of energy he had went into channeling
his power. The hyper beam easily cut though the remainder of the flame,
and caught the gyarados square in the mouth. The beast let out one last
unhappy roar, and toppled over backwards as the rest of his flame-jet fired
off into space.
"Way to go Psyduck!" laughed Misty, tossing the pokeball into the air
and preparing the thwack it with the bokken even as the unconscious Psyduck
fell to earth, only to splash down in the pool of stagnant water,
"Gyarados! You're mine!"
Miranda couldn't help but smile as Misty hit the pokeball and sent it
sailing across the landscape at an incredible speed. It descended at a
near perfect angle, bouncing twice off of the gyarados's scales before
opening and absorbing the unruly pokemon.
Misty stood perfectly still, Miranda's bokken clutched almost painfully
in both hands as the slightly dented pokeball landed in the sand and rocked
back and forth several times. "Stay in there you pain in the butt..."
grumbled Misty under her breath, her eyes never leaving her prize until the
red and white orb stopped, and let off a small cloud of steam.
"I think you got him," commented Miranda warily, but still proudly.
Misty relaxed only a bit, staring in disbelief at the silent, non-mobile
pokeball that sat in the midst of several felled trees. "I, I caught it?!"
she stammered as several people rushed out of hiding and began applauding
and cheering.
"Yes, yes you did," replied Miranda, struggling to her feet and rushing
over to Wraith. "You okay?" she asked the puddle of ooze.
A moment later, as the woman took out a pokeball, a pair of half closed
eyes appeared in the ephemera. Miranda smiled lovingly down at them and
asked, "You okay, dear?" Wraith let out a weak pitiful sound and was more
than happy to be returned to his pokeball.
Misty glanced over at Miranda as she stood up and walked back towards
her. "I-! I-!" stammered Misty as one of the techies ran out to retrieve
the pokeball for her.
"Caught a gyarados," finished Miranda, putting her arms around Misty and
smiling down at her.
"Imagine that!" she laughed, blushing at the adoration and graciously
accepting her newly filled pokeball from a grinning techie.
"So, what are you going to name him?" asked Miranda, slipping her bokken
out from Misty's lax grip and sheathing it.
"Um, how does Leviathan sound?" the girl inquired, to which several
onlookers gave their wholehearted approval.
Miranda glanced down at the pokeball in Misty's hand. "I think he'd
approve," she responded with a sly smile, "And after that battle, I'm sure
he knows whose boss."
Misty held the occupied ball up to eye level, at which point Nezumi
leaped onto Misty's shoulder and ran down her arm. She laughed as the
rattata sniffed at the pokeball and chattered excitedly. "Nezumi seems to
think you've won him over," replied Miranda, "but I'd still give Leviathan
a few days to cool off."
Misty nodded, giggling as Nezumi ran back up her arm to sit on her
shoulder. "Yes," she laughed, "But I think you might need to remind your
pokemon who their trainer is!"
Miranda glanced down and sighed heavily in mock disapproval as Umi
wrapped herself partially around Misty's bare leg and made contented
noises, her eyes swirling a happy green.
"Traitor," grumbled Miranda with a grin before sliding her hands up
Misty's arms and drawing her close. "So," she asked in a quiet tone, with
a sly grin as the onlookers went back to whatever it was they'd been doing
previously, "It seems that we've rescued the hostages, defeated the
villain; at least for now, saved humanity, and even slain the dragon. Does
this mean I get the girl...?"
Misty looked up at Miranda with eyes full of respect and adoration.
"Yes," she whispered, ignoring Nezumi's approving nod, "Yes you do."
"And when I kiss you," asked Miranda, moving so close that their auras
surely overlapped, "What if I should fall in love?"
"Then I shall be there to catch you," replied Misty, running her fingers
through Miranda's dark hair, and not caring who saw as she pulled the
woman's head down to kiss her...
***
The only illumination in the small room was provided by a few emergency
candles from Miranda's backpack. The quiet, slow, soothing music that
filled it came from the small radio/cd player she usually had attached to
the handlebars of her bike. And the subtle ocean breeze that cooled the
air passed through the open window, stirring the thin curtains until they
resembled ghosts, waving approvingly in the dim light.
Miranda put her arms around Misty, holding her carefully as they swayed
slowly to the soft music. She smiled in what she hoped wasn't a silly
manner, noticing that her nervousness was echoed by Misty.
"Y-you're sure you're alright with this?" stammered Miranda, her heart
feeling heavy in her chest as she searched the depths of Misty's eyes.
The girl nodded, bringing her hand up to hold hone side of Miranda's
face. "I wouldn't be here otherwise," she assured, gently coaxing Miranda
to within kissing range, "I just hope you're alright with it."
"The feel of your skin beneath my hands has haunted my thoughts since we
went to the hot springs," Miranda confessed, "And I feel as though part of
my soul has broken off and taken up residence in your beautiful eyes..."
Before Misty could respond, Miranda covered the distance between them,
pressing her lips firmly, yet not forcively against her friend's. She
pulled back as she felt Misty's fingers entwine her dark hair, and a soft
moan escaped the girl's lips.
"And the taste of your kiss has become a vice that I am far too weak
willed to overcome," whispered Miranda before kissing Misty several times
in a quick teasing manner.
Misty could only look longingly up at Miranda as the woman pulled back
and smiled at the blush that had come to her companion's cheeks. "Every
new emotion that crosses your lovely face, makes you seem all the more
beautiful," Miranda went on, running her hands down Misty's spine until she
found the bare skin of her lower back, "And I only fear that at the high
point of your ecstasy, I shall be so overwhelmed with love for you, that my
heart shall surely burst..."
Misty smiled and leaned against Miranda, her small hands wandering over
the woman's back, soothing Miranda's tense muscles. "You've already
seduced me," giggled Misty, closing her eyes and trying to suppress her
suddenly compulsive blushing.
Would you have me stop?" inquired Miranda; brushing Misty's hair aside
before nuzzling her ear, "Say the word and you shall be granted my
silence."
"No!" exclaimed Misty, laughing at her own outburst, "No way. I'm not
giving up on a fellow incurable romantic that easily!"
"I'm glad," sighed Miranda softly, giving Misty's ear a gentle nibble
before a quick kiss, "I know what it's like to have to deal with being the
only romantic around. It's not fun."
Misty nodded, tracing her fingers down the woman's back as Miranda
traced her lips down the curve of her neck, pushing Misty's shirt aside
before planting a kiss upon her bared shoulder.
"When I'm with you I almost forget what that's like," sighed Misty,
pulling back, leaning into Miranda's embrace as the woman's kisses moved up
the front of her neck and over her chin before stopping a frustratingly
small distance from her lips.
"Then I shall write you poetry every day," Miranda promised, quickly
kissing Misty to just one side of her mouth, "On the anniversary of the day
we met, you shall find roses where you least expect them," again Miranda
kissed Misty, this time on the opposite side, "And I promise to fulfill
every desire that you present me with, for as long as you shall have me-"
Misty cut her off by leaning forward, kissing Miranda a little roughly,
and causing the woman to take a step backwards into the wall. Misty
giggled as Miranda struggled to maintain both her balance, and lips pressed
against Misty's.
Instinctively she flung her hands hard against the wall behind her,
shaking the foundations of the pre-fab building, and making Misty laugh all
the more. Miranda shuffled her feet further apart in an attempt to stay
upright as Misty relentlessly pressed their lips tighter, cushioning
Miranda's head from the thin wall with one hand.
"You okay?" inquired Misty in an innocently sarcastic tone that made
Miranda smile, and her gray eyes flash with desire.
"You're passion is overwhelming, yet appreciated," chuckled Miranda in
reply, smiling as she kept her arms away from Misty in an inviting gesture
of mock submission.
"And so is yours," assured Misty, putting her free arm around Miranda
near the small of her back and kissing her lovingly, "So long as we don't
tear this building down."
Miranda laughed, brushing Misty's short hair from her eyes and kissing
her on the forehead. "Then it'd be one more thing for the clean up crew to
deal with in the morning," she joked, slipping her arms around Misty once
more and spinning her around.
"What are you doing?" inquired Misty with a laugh as Miranda danced her
around the room in several slow circles before sitting down heavily on the
edge of the bed with Misty still standing before her.
"Nothing..." teased Miranda, giving Misty's navel a kiss that ended with
her running the tip over her tongue around it.
"Miri-!" exclaimed Misty, leaning back and taking twin handfuls of her
companion's hair as her body quivered in response to the sensation.
"What?" teased Miranda, kissing a line across Misty's stomach where her
denim shorts met bared flesh.
Misty caught her breath and glanced down in time to see the woman bring
her hands around long enough to undo the button on her shorts. Miranda
then looked up, meeting Misty's intense gaze before sliding her hands
around and giving the girl's bottom a firm yet gentle squeeze.
Misty bit her lower lip, watching with both apprehension and longing as
Miranda took down her zipper using only teeth, and pushed the opened fabric
aside with her face before kissing Misty through her undergarments.
Misty gasped, taking a firm hold of Miranda's shoulders as she felt
Miranda's tongue probe the cotton surface her lips had encountered,
teasingly moving lower, but not far enough.
"It- It's hard to stand!" confessed Misty, shuffling a bit so that her
legs were farther apart and she was leaning on Miranda's shoulders for
support.
"It'll only get worse," promised Miranda with a barely suppressed
giggle, running her hands down Misty's legs, her fingers taking full
advantage of the taut muscles just beneath the soft skin.
"What, what if I fall?" asked Misty a little hesitantly as Miranda
admired the girl, running her hands back up until her fingers pulled
lightly at Misty's denim shorts.
"Then I shall catch you," replied Miranda, quoting Misty's earlier
promise, and chuckling unconsciously at the mild embarrassment she still
felt.
Misty smiled and shook her head, secure in the knowledge that with a
word she could end Miranda's explorations, but without an ounce of desire
to do so. Instead she encouragingly adjusted her stance to allow Miranda
pull her shorts down.
The woman gave her a mischievious smile as the denim garment slid easily
down over Misty's firm thighs, and leaned forward to follow it's passage
with a string of crisscrossing kisses down her lover's legs.
Once Misty's denim shorts had hit the floor and were in a heap around
her ankles, Miranda stood and took Misty by the shoulders, guiding her in a
small circle until Misty's back was to the bed. Miranda then smiled, and
after running her hands down Misty's arms to her hands, gently pushed the
girl down onto the mattress.
"I think I'm trapped," commented Misty, her voice full of mirth as she
bent her legs at the knees, bringing them up where Miranda could help her
out.
"Oh, good..." chuckled Miranda with a mischievous smile, running her
hands up the backs of Misty's legs before taking hold of her nearly
discarded shorts, "But I promise not to take advantage of you too much!"
Misty laughed, hiding her embarrassment with her hands and letting
Miranda pull the garment the rest of the way off. "Unless of course you
want me to," amended Miranda, pushing Misty's legs back down before moving
her hands back up to just under her panties.
Misty relaxed and smiled at Miranda trustingly. "I'm not worried," she
encouraged, chills running along her spine as Miranda began to kiss her way
back up her legs, the woman's hands tracing their way back down.
"You should be," teased Miranda, giving Misty's inner thigh a careful
nip with her teeth before moving to rest upon her forearms, her face so
close to Misty that she could feel the warmth emanating from the girl as a
result of her heightened tension.
Misty didn't respond, instead she gave Miranda a nervous smile and
simply nodded, gritting her teeth and falling back into the pillows as the
tip of the woman's tongue traced the line between her inner thigh and
undergarments before moving across the thin fabric so lightly that Misty
imagined she felt it more than she actually did.
Miranda pulled back, observing Misty's reaction, and only resumed once
she'd caught her breath. Once more, Miranda ran her tongue over Misty's
panties, this time pressing harder, but not with as much pressure as the
girl would have liked.
In response, Misty took two handfuls of the bed sheet beneath her, her
small hands clenching into fists as she closed her eyes against the
tingling that traced invisible paths all through her body until she almost
wept.
Miranda smiled as she looped her index fingers over the top of Misty's
panties and began to slowly slide them down. The girl arched her back in
frustrated anticipation, her whole body suddenly aching for Miranda's
touch. The woman was forced to oblige, as her own hunger for Misty flaring
within her, making Miranda plant a slow, deep kiss just above where Misty
wanted her the most. Misty cried out in response, her half anguished
exclamation of desire muffled by clenched teeth as Miranda's breath touched
her skin, nearly setting her off.
Miranda closed her eyes against the sound, the realization of Misty's
passion filling her entire being with overwhelming emotion. "Patience,
patience," she whispered, more to herself than to her lover as Misty's
panties clung for a moment as she pulled them down past the girl's sudden
wetness.
"Miranda, please..." came Misty's quiet voice, causing Miranda to look
up, "Please don't tease me."
Miranda smiled reassuringly, and reached out her hand to hold Misty's.
"I always finish what I start," she promised, catching her breath and
giving the girl's hand a squeeze, "I just want to make sure this is both
special and memorable. I don't want you to regret this."
"I won't," assured Misty with a weak smile, reaching down to run her
fingers through Miranda's hair, "I wouldn't be here if I thought I would."
Miranda nodded, sighing happily as Misty's hand moved across her cheek,
giving Miranda the opportunity to tilt her head to one side and give
Misty's palm a playful kiss.
Misty smiled, blushing at the gesture, almost forgetting her vulnerable
state until Miranda surreptitiously slipped her undergarments off and
leaned forward to give the girl's stomach a teasing kiss.
Miranda soon found her companion taking twin handfuls of her hair,
keeping the woman's raven locks from interfering with her handiwork. She
looked up; catching the desire in Misty's eyes as she slowly traced a line
of slow kisses downward before pausing with her lips mere millimeters from
Misty's clit.
Without breaking eye contact Miranda moved slightly parting her lips and
letting her tongue slide between them. Misty gulped down her nervous
tension, her breathing becoming difficult as her body screamed out for
Miranda's touch.
Miranda took a deep breath as she moved closer, trying to keep her own
desire at bay, not wanting to end the effect she was having on Misty by
rushing herself, no matter how much she wanted to.
Instead, Miranda carefully slid the tip of her tongue in a slow, random
pattern across Misty's infinitely soft and supple skin. The girl cried out
in response, the sound causing Miranda to involuntarily shiver. With
infinite patience Miranda explored until she found the small, hard object
she longed for.
With a hint of satisfaction, Miranda ran her tongue around Misty's clit,
coming close, but never actually touching it as her hands ran up the girl's
legs, feeling goose bumps rise along her skin as she went. When at last
Miranda's fingers were in place, she gently pushed aside the folds of
Misty's outer labia and rested the end of her tongue against her lover's
clit.
Misty let out a sound that resembled a long whine mixed with a moan as
Miranda probed her new found prize gently, barely touching it with her
tongue, yet feeling the undeniable heat of Misty's body. The girl closed
her eyes in response, slowly letting out the breath she hadn't realized
she'd been holding, as Miranda wove her tongue in careful circles around
her clit, both teasing and satisfying her lover, yet leaving Misty needing
more.
With a gasp, Misty let go of Miranda's hair and clawed her fingers
across the mattress, arching her back, and pushing herself against the
woman's mouth. Laughed with a touch of hysteria, Misty found herself
overcome by joy as Miranda's lips closed about her, beginning a pleasant
suckling of her clit.
Misty fell back down, nearly crying as Miranda's mouth came away.
"Please-!" she managed, sitting up on her elbows and catching her lover's
gaze, "I- I-!"
"Don't want me to stop?" teased Miranda a touch breathlessly, running
her tongue over her teeth in anticipation.
Misty nodded weakly, her toes curling of their own accord as Miranda's
index finger traced a line up between her labia and spreading moisture
across her clit. Misty could only quiver as her lover licked her again,
this time making approving sounds before moving a little lower, and
allowing her fingers to do more of the work.
Misty soon found that Miranda's fingers were as nimble as her hands were
strong and comforting. As she slid her tongue slowly down between Misty's
labia, tasting the girl's sweet wetness, Miranda's finger traced playful
circles around her clit, occasionally rubbing it gently.
"As I thought," commented Miranda with a little sigh of satisfaction.
"Wha-?" began Misty, her vision blurry as her mind swam in near ecstasy,
yet she managed to see Miranda's smiling face clearly as she slid her
tongue back down, this time pressing a little harder.
"It's like sweet mana," Miranda replied with a bit of a giggle;
separating Misty's labia with her probing tongue and finding the girl's
body complying as she hoped.
"Don't say such things!" gasped Misty, loosing her train of thought as
her lover's tongue changed from its slow caressing penetration, to pushing
itself forward, testing her resistance.
Miranda only chuckled under her breath, covering Misty's womanhood with
her mouth and suckling gently as her tongue explored inside, and her
fingers took turns teasing Misty's clit.
"You-!" moaned Misty, her body squirming against the all consuming
sensation that seemed to well up from Miranda's ministrations and fill her
entire being with desire, "You're going to-!"
"To what?" teased Miranda, pulling away again as she felt Misty's body
coming close to sensual release.
"Ohhh!" Misty cried out pleadingly, as Miranda ceased all contact and
watched her lithe, athletic body quiver beneath her.
Miranda waited for a few agonizing seconds, letting Misty's body calm
down a little before leaning down to take the girl's clit gingerly between
her teeth and slowly assault the captured protuberance with her tongue.
Misty felt as though she were rising and falling through layers of
ecstasy at Miranda's slightest whim, but was far to enraptured to care.
She both laughed and cried, breathing shallowly and letting out a pitiful
sounding moan of longing as one of Miranda's fingers poked tentatively at
her labia. Misty only vaguely heard the woman's quiet exclamation over her
own, as one of Miranda's fingers slowly slid its way inside of her, testing
for resistance at each step.
Miranda could see Misty holding her breath as the girl's inner walls
clung tightly to her finger, but only offering a token resistance. Miranda
smiled at the way Misty's body tensed up as she pushed her finger forward,
only to allow her passage as she leaned down and lovingly rubbed Misty's
clit with her tongue. Miranda caught her breath as her finger disappeared
completely into her lover, and looked up in time to see Misty let out a
held breath and arch her back invitingly.
Miranda then waited for Misty's breathing to slow before pulling her
finger back, and sliding it forward slowly, still finding the going a
little difficult, but well worth the effort.
"Is this alright?" Miranda asked as Misty's body writhed beneath her,
Miranda's finger moving carefully back and forth, collecting moisture as it
went.
Her lover let out a long sigh, and looked up, her eyes sparkling in the
candlelight. "It-" Misty managed, her vocabulary unsuited to describing
her current situation at the best of times, "It's alright, I like it!"
Miranda chuckled at the sight of Misty blushing again, continuing to
slide her finger back and forth, this time running her free hand up, over
Misty's stomach, and under her shirt. After a moments teasing, Miranda
moved her hand to cup one of Misty's small firm breasts, causing the girl
to grab Miranda's wrist almost involuntarily.
"What's wrong?" Miranda inquired, her voice full of concern.
"I, I'm just self-conscious," Misty replied, moving her head to one side
and staring out at nothing.
"You have nothing to feel self conscious about," assured Miranda,
pulling her finger free, and sliding it across her tongue experimentally,
"nothing at all..."
Misty turned back to face her, her eyes going wide as Miranda suckled
her own finger for a moment. "Oh! Sorry!" the woman exclaimed, blushing
in embarrassment and covering her face with both hands, "Force of habit..."
Misty giggled at the comment, and struggled up to a seated position.
"That's okay," she replied, leaning forward and kissing Miranda gently on
the backs of her hands until the woman moved them.
"You sure?" Miranda asked in mock concern, reveling in the feel of
Misty's soft kisses upon her lips.
"Yes, definitely," Misty responded a little distantly, her thoughts
still scrambled as she moved onto her hands and knees so that she was
looking down at the still kneeling Miranda, "Now stand up for a minute."
Miranda gave her a smiling questioning look and got to her feet, as
Misty looked up at her hungrily, moving forward until she was sitting on
her knees, and undoing Miranda's pants.
"But I'm not done with you, yet!" protested Miranda with a laugh.
"I just want to level the playing field," assured Misty with a coy smile
as Miranda's jeans dropped to the floor before her small hands moved up
under the woman's shirt.
"Careful," cautioned Miranda, sighing contentedly and leaning her head
back as she felt Misty's carefully placed hands run experimentally across
her breasts, "It wouldn't take much to set me off right now."
"Really?" inquired Misty innocently, her hands moving along Miranda's
breasts as though she were handling some ancient artifact of unimaginable
value.
"Yesss," hissed Miranda, biting her tongue as Misty's soft touch drowned
out nearly all other distractions, "Far too easily..."
Misty laughed quietly, coaxing Miranda a few steps back before
struggling to her feet and lifting off Miranda's top. The woman opened her
eyes and smiled reassuringly as she lifted her arms and let the garment hit
the floor.
"I think I'm a bit jealous," Misty commented thoughtfully as she ran her
hands down from Miranda's shoulders to cup her breasts once more.
"Don't be," said Miranda seriously, running her fingers though Misty's
hair and tilting her head up to make eye contact, "You're beautiful in your
own way. Please don't feel inadequate over nothing..."
Misty nodded, her eyes seeming to search Miranda's. "I, I think I love
you," she admitted, the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes.
Miranda smiled, choking on her words, joy flooding her heart as she held
Misty's face in her hands for a moment before kissing her beloved with all
the passion she could muster.
"I've loved you since the first time I saw you," whispered Miranda, her
lips so close, that Misty could almost taste them, "And I think that even
if you could never love me back, it wouldn't matter..."
"But I do!" protested Misty, her hands around Miranda's waist as she
pressed her lips against her lover's and slid her tongue between them.
Miranda let out a surprised, but muffled exclamation, accepting Misty's
probing tongue and wondering if the girl's flavor was still upon her own.
Misty pulled back after what seemed like a life-time holding Miranda's
gaze as she ran a hand down Miranda's body to her simple undergarments.
"If I do something wrong, tell me," she urged, but Miranda only chuckled.
"I doubt you will," the woman told her, placing reassuring hands upon
her small shoulders and waiting expectantly.
Misty nodded, carefully watching Miranda's expression as she slid her
fingertips tentatively inside her lover's panties and slowly moved them
ever downwards. Miranda swallowed hard as the sensation of Misty's caress
slowly began to overwhelm her. Patiently she allowed the girl to carefully
probe about for her clit before rubbing her finger back and forth
experimentally across it until Miranda's breathing quickened.
"Not so hard!" she cautioned, leaning forward and kissing Misty's should
her as she hugged the girl, trying to contain herself.
"Like this?" inquired Misty, her tone full of curiosity and then triumph
as she laughed at Miranda's reaction to the slower more random movements
she tried.
The woman only nodded, her breathing heavy in Misty's ear. "But I don't
know if I can keep standing!" Miranda warned.
"I said I'd catch you if you should fall," assured Misty, rubbing
Miranda's back with her free hand as she made slow circling motions against
her lover's clit with the index finger of her other.
Miranda failed to respond, her combination of physical stimulation and
love for Misty overcoming her self-control as gritted her teeth and leaned
against the girl.
Misty watched in bemused amazement as Miranda cried out joyfully as she
slid finger inside her lover. "Wow," commented Misty under her breath,
slowly rotating her wetted finger, feeling Miranda's inner walls contract
tightly against it after only a few seconds as Miranda reached orgasm.
"Misty-!" the woman almost pleaded, holding onto her beloved as if for
dear life as she whispered harshly, trying to contain herself, "I- I love
you!"
Misty sighed contented, a feeling of deep satisfaction filling her as
her pulse quickened. She tilted her head up and nuzzled Miranda's neck
before kissing her just under the ear. "I know," she whispered back,
uncertain as to whether the woman could hear her words, "And I love you
too..."
Misty stood as still as she could manage, supporting Miranda as her body
spasmed, she seemingly on the verge of toppling both of the them to the
floor. After what seemed like hours, Miranda's breathing slowed, and she
found the strength to open her eyes long enough to kiss Misty.
Her lover accepted Miranda's kiss with equal fire, pushing harder than
she meant to in attempt to express her feelings. As Miranda began to come
to her senses, she found Misty's probing finger still at work, and she
moved her body just enough to reach one of her own hands between them.
Misty jumped in surprise, giggling into Miranda's mouth as the woman's
fingers teased her clit before sliding another up inside of her. She broke
their kiss to catch her breath, panting as Miranda slid her thumb across
her clit in opposite time to her middle finger's penetration.
Miranda smiled as the girl stared up at her in amazement, and used her
free arm to draw Misty close once again. "I fell so... 'Close' to you
like this," she admitted, blushing at her odd choice of words.
"It's wonderful," agreed Misty, her inexperienced, but nimble fingers
doing their best to copy Miranda's movements, "But it's hard to keep up
with you."
Miranda chuckled, kissing Misty on the nose playfully, "Just follow your
instincts," she instructed, trying to keep her voice level, and free of
perceived condescension, "Just do to me, what you'd like done to you."
Misty nodded half thoughtfully, sliding her free hand between them and
watching carefully as her fingers traced their way across Miranda's breast.
Miranda let out a small sigh of appreciation, catching her breath as Misty
squeezed her nipple between two fingers.
"Am I hurting you?" Misty asked, her voice full of concern at Miranda's
sudden reaction.
"No! Goodness, no!" laughed Miranda, running her strong fingers up
Misty's spine, and over her neck to playfully run her finger's through her
lover's shortish hair, "Just sensitive. Like here!"
Misty cried out in surprise, laughing at her own reaction as Miranda's
slow, patient fingering became more hurried. Misty's breathing soon
matched the harried pace, and she found herself gripping Miranda's arm for
support as her own body was wracked by pleasure induced spasms.
Miranda watched intently as Misty leaned back, her pretty face
contorting as her mind flooded with the unfamiliar sensation of orgasm,
causing Miranda to want her all the more.
"Come on," she urged as Misty squirmed about, her sweet voice altered by
the half formed words she uttered, "It's easier if you lie down." Miranda
easily turned the smaller girl towards the bed and carefully guided their
fall onto the joined mattresses.
Even with the change of position and suddenly plummet to the bed, Misty
still seemed lost in the sensation. Seeing this, Miranda smiled and didn't
let up, even when Misty's wetted fingers came free and her arms wrapped
around Miranda's neck.
"Oh! Oh, Miri!" Misty exclaimed, not caring who heard her through the
thin plastic walls of their cabin, "I love you!"
Miranda caught her breath and slid onto her side, one leg draped across
Misty's as her fingers continued their work. This time, her buried middle
finger made slower curling motions, Miranda's thankfully trimmed fingernail
gently scraping against top most surface within Misty.
In response to both the slower pace Miranda was taking, and to her own
sudden lack of energy, Misty managed to calm down. She looked up at
Miranda with the beginnings of tears in her eyes and a happy smile as the
woman leaned down to kiss her.
"I don't know if I'll ever get my fill of you, dearest," Miranda
promised, kissing Misty lightly upon the lips before bringing her hand up
and soliciting a slight sigh of disappointment from her lover.
Misty watched in fascination as Miranda examined the wetness of her
fingers for a moment. "One day," she replied, absently licking the liquid
from her fingers, "I'm going to find out what you need to eat to make you
taste so good!"
Misty blushed, laughing as she hid her face. "You're embarrassing me-!
Oh!"
Miranda silenced her by dragging a finger up between the folds of
Misty's labia, before teasingly poking her wetted finger against the girl's
nose.
"Hey!" laughed Misty; pulling her hands away and suddenly stopping dead
as Miranda playfully traced her finger across the girl's lips, "Oh..."
Miranda watched with interest as Misty tasted herself upon her lips and
glanced away shyly. "You're right," she admitted, "It's interesting."
"And I just can't seem to get enough of it," admitted Miranda, running
her hand up under Misty's top, "But do you know what's really unfair?"
"What?" asked Misty, her voice full of concern, even as Miranda dragged
four of her fingers across her lover's nipple in sequence before holding
the small firmness of Misty's breast.
"That I'm completely naked, and your not!" Miranda announced with a
silly expression that made Misty giggle.
"Then do something about it," Misty offered, sliding her hands behind
her head and looking relaxed, even as her body still hungered for Miranda's
touch.
"And so I shall," assured Miranda dramatically, "For your most frivolous
whim, is my greatest desire..."
Misty sighed happily as the woman's words echoed in her ears, and
Miranda sat up before straddling her. "This may take a while," Miranda
commented, moving her hips so that she rubbed herself against Misty's clit.
The girl took a sharp intake of air and laughed nervously as Miranda's
soft but firm hands slid their way over her flat stomach. Misty slowly let
out her breath as the woman's hands disappeared underneath her tank top,
her breasts seeming to tingle in anticipation. Miranda smiled at Misty's
expectant expression, the look of longing and desire in her lover's eyes
filling Miranda's entire being with a wonderful sensation.
Without rushing herself, as part of her so longed to do, Miranda brought
her hands closer together, just barely avoiding the small rises she could
just make out underneath the faded yellow of Misty's shirt. Then, lifting
her hands so that only her fingers touched Misty's skin, Miranda dragged
her fingertips around the girl's breasts in a slow circle before resting
her palms against Misty's ribs. Miranda paused, feeling Misty's chest rise
and fall in time with her breathing, and slowly moved her hands upward,
pausing whenever Misty inhaled.
Misty tried to hold Miranda's intense gaze, finding the love and longing
in her stormy gray eyes fascinating, but as her body tensed in
anticipation, she found herself watching Miranda's hands beneath her top,
willing Miranda to continue.
Seeing that her lover had held her breath, Miranda paused and waited,
smiling as Misty stared up at her with wide, pleading eyes. "Let it go,"
urged Miranda, moving her hands up farther as Misty slowly exhaled,
catching her breath as Misty gasped in response to her hands taking firm
hold of her breasts.
Miranda caught Misty's glance, and closed the gap between her index and
middle fingers, effectively trapping Misty's nipples between them. "See?"
she commented as Misty arched her back slightly, her pulse quickening in
response to Miranda moving her fingers back and forth, causing the girl's
already hard nipples to be twisted ever so slightly back and forth.
"Uh, huh..." agreed Misty, nodded slightly as Miranda gave them a gentle
squeeze, before bending down to kiss her on the lips.
"I just want you to know," replied Miranda in a more serious tone as she
continued fondling Misty's breasts, "That I'd still love you, and still
want to travel with you, even without 'this'."
Misty nodded, her lips barely an inch away from Miranda's. "It's okay,"
she assured, taking hold of Miranda's wrists, "I like it when you... When
you make love to me..."
"You know," replied Miranda mischievously, taking her hands reluctantly
away from the warm soft skin of Misty's bosom and sliding her fingers
through her lover's, "When you say 'making love TO you', it implies
something."
"Oh?" inquired Misty hesitantly as Miranda brought their joined hands up
her mouth where she kissed each of Misty's knuckles in turn.
"Yes," continued Miranda, slowly moving Misty's hands back down, and
maneuvering them so that they rested on either side of her with Miranda
mere inches from her face, "You imply that someone's holding you down and
doing things 'to' you-" she accentuated her point with a kiss, one which
found her tongue passing between Misty's lips as she held her down, "-As
opposed to 'with' you."
Misty smiled in response, stretching out as Miranda leaned back, the
woman's hands sliding down the length of her lover's arms before moving
across Misty's sides, causing her to giggle at the tickling sensation.
Miranda sighed contentedly, enjoying the feeling of Misty's skin beneath
her fingers as she slid her hands up under the girl's top and leaned down
to kiss her.
"Oh, and I'm glad," commented Miranda as their lips parted.
"For what?" inquired Misty, running her hands through Miranda's hair so
that she could see her lover's face.
"I'm glad that you you're enjoying yourself," Miranda responded, closing
her eyes and focusing on the sensation of Misty's nimble fingers tracing
careful paths across her earlobes, "Just tell me if it gets to be too
much..."
"You'll have to try harder," assured Misty teasingly, giving Miranda a
quick kiss upon the chin that was followed up by another that touched her
lips.
Miranda sat back up, letting Misty's hands slide their way down her neck
and over breasts. "I won't put too much effort into it," replied Miranda
with a sharp intake of breath as Misty's small fingers pinched her nipples
unexpectantly, "I like to take my time."
Misty simply smiled, finding no reason to complain, even as Miranda
began pushing her tank-top farther up and adjusting her positioning to
allow her to kiss Misty's stomach.
From there, as she slowly pushed her lover's shirt higher, Miranda
traced a path of playful kisses up and over Misty's upper torso, carefully
avoiding the girl's hardened nipples that seemed to demand further
attention.
"Lift up for a moment," Miranda requested, pulling Misty's top up over
her head and chuckling as the static electricity caught her lover's hair in
it's grip.
"Hey!" laughed Misty as she struggled to extricate her arms, "No fair
laughing!"
"I'm sorry," assured Miranda with a tone full of both amusement and
desire, before kissing her lover full upon the mouth and sitting up as she
pulled the garment the rest of the way off, "It's just that sometimes
you're just so... Cute..."
Misty blushed at the comment, shivering as she found herself completely
naked. The strangely pleasant feeling of vulnerability gripping her as a
breeze blew in from outside, rising goosebumbs across her skin.
"You are beautiful beyond words," replied Miranda, sitting back and
admiring her lover, even as the girl covered herself self-consciously, "And
I think that it's going to take several years for me to express the depth
of my affection for you."
Misty turned away, a shy smile showing upon her blushing face. "When
you tell me I'm beautiful, I almost believe you," she commented a little
sadly.
"But you are," assured Miranda soothingly as she slid her legs down and
moved to embrace Misty, "And you've even said yourself that some people've
noticed..."
"I, I guess it's just an ego thing," commented Misty, burying her face
in Miranda's hair as the woman rolled the both of them onto their sides,
"Always wanting to be acknowledged by the ones with the coldest hearts.
Ignoring those who would have me, and only winding up hurting myself..."
Miranda shifted again so that she was on her back and Misty was lying on
her chest. "You're beginning to sound like me," she chuckled, brushing
Misty's hair from her eyes and kissing her lover affectionately on the
forehead, "But I know how you feel. I actually thought you'd never think
of me this way."
"Sometimes it's good to be wrong," mused Misty, lifting her head and
leaning up to kiss Miranda lightly.
"Intuition isn't infallible," Miranda replied with a shrug, feeling her
unstated desire for Misty still gnawing at her psyche, "But sometimes just
going with your instincts isn't a bad thing."
"You mean like now?" inquired Misty, reading Miranda's expression with
ease, and slowly sliding herself down.
Miranda caught her breath as Misty dragged herself across her, kissing
Miranda's neck as she descended before reaching downward with curious
fingers. Misty held her lover's gaze as she ran her fingers downward,
teasing Miranda's clit as she passed it, and lightly rubbing her fingers
over the sensitive skin of Miranda's labia.
Her lover gritted her teeth in anticipation as Misty's middle finger
found moisture, and slowly began pressing against it. For her part,
Miranda had to admit that Misty's fingers were a bit clumsy, but the girl's
lack of experience was more than made up for by the woman's desire for her.
Miranda nodded assuringly, closing her eyes as Misty's finger entered
her at the same time as her tongue found one of Miranda's nipples. She ran
her tongue around it in slow circles as her fingers explored, finding
Miranda's sensitive spots, and causing her lover to cry out.
Miranda arched her back, giving into the moment, and gasping out her
release. She surprised herself at the how easily the orgasm came, but
Miranda knew it was only because of how she felt about Misty.
As the sensation faded, and she felt Misty's free hand upon her opposite
breast, Miranda placed her hands upon the girl's shoulders and pushed
lightly. "I-I need something more..." she pleaded, her words catching in
her throat.
Misty made an affirmative sound and slid the rest of the way down,
dragging her nipples across Miranda's suddenly sensitive skin, and making
the woman's body to jump at the sudden sensation.
Misty paused for a moment, licking her lips nervously, and willingly
allowing Miranda to requisition her hands. Miranda moved them back up to
her breasts, pressing them against herself, causing Misty to cup them
gently.
At the same time, Miranda felt Misty tongue tentatively licking her,
immediately causing Miranda cry out, her limbs flailing at the sudden loss
of control.
Misty pulled back, suddenly panicked by her lover's reaction.
"Miranda!" she exclaimed, sitting up as best she could and half scrambling
to her feet.
"No!" Miranda half laughed/half gasped, grabbing Misty's shoulders in an
attempt to keep her from leaving, "Don't stop-!"
Misty looked at her in amazement, and unconsciously touched her lips as
Miranda stared back at her. The look in the woman's eyes suggesting tears
at the sudden end to her second orgasm.
"Oh..." replied misty, feeling the wetness upon her lips and pulling her
hand back to stare at her fingers curiously.
"Please, don't do that again," Miranda said in a pitiful voice, "It's a
shock to the system when you stop so suddenly..."
"I-I'm sorry," replied Misty blushing, "I thought I'd hurt you. It was
all so sudden."
"You just have that effect on me," Miranda responded, smiling as Misty
shuffled back to her original position.
"Okay," promised Misty, lapping up the sweet wetness she found, "I
promise not to stop this time."
"Good!" laughed Miranda, loosing her ability for coherent speech the
instant she felt Misty's tongue slide inside her.
Misty couldn't help but giggle as Miranda squirmed beneath her, but was
surprised to find that her inexperienced tongue was enough to drive Miranda
so close to the edge with so little effort.
'She'll probably laps into a coma once I get good at this!' Misty
thought mirthfully as she dragged her tongue up to Miranda's clit, tracing
circles around it as Misty carefully slid her index and middle fingers
where her tongue had previously been.
It took Miranda several minutes to find release again, her body adapting
to the overpowering sensations. And as her body began to shiver, Misty
reached up, taking Miranda's hand as she continued licking her lover's
clit, prolonging the woman's orgasm to the point where Miranda was
thoroughly exhausted by the time she came down.
"No fair," panted Miranda with more than a hint of mirth, her body
shivering as the sensation of Misty sliding up to hold her was almost
painful.
"What is?" inquired Misty coyly, kissing Miranda's neck before sliding
her arms around her beloved.
"Sapping all my energy like that," replied Miranda happily, running her
hands up and down Misty's back affectionately, "Especially when you have
more than I do!"
Misty smiled, sighing contentedly as she laid her head on Miranda's
shoulder. "But I like making you happy," she whispered, giving Miranda's
ear a gentle kiss.
"And you do," replied Miranda, sighing contentedly, "But would you
object to me seeing if I could lower that energy level of yours a little
more?"
Misty stifled a giggle, hiding her blushing face in Miranda's hair.
"No," she admitted shyly, "But I... I had no idea I was so...
Insatiable!"
Miranda laughed, holding Misty tightly and kissing repeatedly until she
found the girl's lips. "I love you!" she replied rhetorically, holding
Misty a little tighter, "And in that way, I'm just as insatiable."
Misty closed her eyes, smiling as she tried to regain control of her
emotions. Miranda's words and affection that evening had dislodged her
feelings of self-doubt, giving her new self-confidence and making her feel
truly loved for the first time.
"I think I can live with that," Misty commented happily.
"Good," Miranda replied with a glint of mischief in her eyes, "Because I
have every intention of getting my fill of you this evening."
"I thought you already had," giggled Misty, running her fingers down
Miranda's cheek affectionately.
"Only in some ways," the woman amended, "Yet, my ears still hunger for
the sound of your sweet voice so impassioned. My fingers still long to
caress your soft skin, and feel of your muscles beneath. My eyes thirst
for the taste of your beauty, and my heart cries out to know your ecstasy
one last time..."
Misty closed her eyes as her body shivered in response. "I love you so
much," she whispered, her eyes on the verge of tears, "I just wish I could
tell you how much..."
"I already know," assured Miranda, carefully wiping away the beginnings
of Misty's tears with the backs of her fingers, "Now let me show you the
depth of mine."
Misty opened her eyes and gave Miranda a soft kiss. "I don't know why
I'm crying," she replied.
"It's just an emotional release," explained Miranda with a gentle smile,
"It's good for you."
Misty laughed at the thought, but had to agree. "So, how do you
want...?"
"Just sit up," instructed Miranda, keeping her tone soft, and watching
intently as Misty moved to sit upon her knees, straddling Miranda, "Okay,
now come forward..."
Miranda reached out her hands, placing them lightly against Misty's
bottom, guiding the shuffling girl closer to her mouth. "That's it," she
urged, licking her lips unconsciously in anticipation, "A little closer..."
Misty glanced down, and already her breathing became shallower as she
realized what Miranda had in mind. "Oh wow..." she muttered, feeling
Miranda's tongue trace a careful path along each her labia in turn, all the
while gently massaging the firmness of Misty's bottom.
Miranda closed her eyes, sighing contentedly as she felt Misty's body
shift so that she could hold onto the windowsill, not far above the
headboard. As she continued her tongue's slow caress, Miranda coaxed Misty
forward and back by gently pushing and pulling with hands, making it so
that Miranda barely had to move her head.
Above her, Misty gritted her teeth and closed her eyes as the wind blew
the curtains of the open window into her face, tickling nose. "This is too
much," whimpered Misty euphorically, opening her eyes half way, and seeing
the deserted beach through the sparse palm trees outside. The gibbous moon
hung just over the water, giving the dark ocean a more silvery tinge, and
the wind seemed to whisper its approval as Misty felt her body tense up.
"Oh, oh Miranda..." she muttered under her breath, taking a firm hold of
the window sill, "I think I- OH!"
Miranda opened her mouth and surrounded Misty's womanhood with her lips
before sliding her tongue in as far as she could, desperate to taste her
lover's passion. As she felt and heard Misty climax above her, Miranda let
out a long stifled cry of desire. She bent her legs at the knees as her
toes curled and pushed against Misty's gently rounded bottom in an attempt
to bring the girl closer.
All the while, Misty kept muttering her name over and over again as her
ragged breathing sounding almost like sobbing as she squirmed upon
Miranda's tongue. Her body seemed intent on holding onto the feeling, and
Misty was more than willing to let it. She closed her eyes tightly,
letting go of the windowsill and reaching back for Miranda's hands. The
woman responded quickly to her lover's need, and the two linked fingers as
Misty attempted to ride out the storm of her orgasm.
For her part, Miranda suckled gently against Misty's labia, her tongue
swirling, and darting in and out in random patterns. She forced her eyes
open and felt her heart almost burst at the look of passionate joy upon
Misty's face. Miranda quickly closed her eyes, holding onto the image as
Misty leaned against their joined hands and moved her hips against
Miranda's mouth, desperately trying to force out every ounce of pleasure
she could get.
At long last, Misty cried out one last time, catching Miranda off guard
and smearing wetness down the woman's chin as she fell back onto the bed
exhausted. Miranda took a moment to catch her breath, and quickly sat up
on her elbows. She then tried not to laugh as she saw Misty lying with her
limbs far apart, breathing heavily and staring at the ceiling.
"Are, are you okay, love?" asked Miranda half concernedly.
"Uh-huh..." Misty managed as Miranda struggled to her knees.
"As long as you're sure," replied Miranda with a mirthful smile and the
deep desire to hold the girl.
Miranda soon got her wish, as she walked on her hands and knees over
Misty's small body and slowly lowered herself to one side. With one hand,
Miranda slid her arm under her beloved's head, cushioning Misty with her
arm and draped one leg across Misty's as she her free hand idly explored
the girl's sensitive skin.
"Thank you..." whispered Misty, closing her eyes and turning on her side
to snuggle closer to Miranda.
"You're very welcome," the woman replied, holding Misty with her free
arm and quietly observing as Misty rested until the candles had burned
low...
***
When she opened her eyes, Misty found herself lying on top of Miranda,
her head resting on her lover's chest. As she looked up, Miranda stirred,
and smiled down at her.
"Did I wake you?" Misty inquired sleepily.
"Not really," confided Miranda, shaking her head, "I always have trouble
sleeping after making love. Usually about five minutes after I get just a
bit hyper. No big deal, though. Oh, and don't worry, I didn't take
advantage of you..."
Misty bowed her head, chuckling softly. "Don't worry," she assured, "I
have no problem with your hands going anywhere they want."
Miranda sighed happily, and hugging Misty before kissing her. "I hate
to say it, but I have to put the candles out," she replied sadly.
"You could have done that while I was asleep," commented Misty
quizzically.
"No," said Miranda, shaking her head, "I'm afraid I just didn't have the
strength to tear myself away from you."
Misty smiled, sighing happily as she rolled off Miranda and reluctantly
out of her arms. "I'll still be here when you get back," she assured.
"I hope so," responded Miranda with an exaggerated look of loss as she
sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her hand running the
length of her lover's arm as she stood, until her fingers at last lost
their grip on Misty's.
Misty watched patiently as Miranda circled the small room blowing out
candles, watching her naked form seeming to fade out as the lights dimmed
until only the light of the moon and stars revealed the path back to
Misty's open arms.
"See?" inquired Miranda a touch mellow dramatically as she crawled
across the bed towards her beloved, "I would walk naked and unshielded
though the darkest night for but a single kiss from the woman I love..."
"Any one I know?" inquired Misty teasingly, laughing aloud as Miranda
pounced upon her, holding the girl down and tickling her mercilessly as she
repeated kissed Misty's face all over.
"There!" replied Miranda, half out of breath, "That'll teach you!"
Misty let out half a giggle, her pulse still racing. "Sorry, couldn't
resist," she replied, leaning up to kiss Miranda.
"I think I can forgive you," Miranda told her with a smiled, "But only
if you say you love me."
Misty paused, teasingly looking thoughtful for a moment before replying.
"Okay," she said softly, as they held each other, "I love you, Miri."
"As the Moon loves the Sun?" inquired Miranda in mock sadness, "Only to
feel the full force of your lover's light but once a year? Or as the Night
loves the Stars? Holding them forever in its never ending embrace?"
"I love you as I love you," Misty whispered, her lips almost touching
Miranda's, "As I've never loved another, as I never will again."
Miranda leaned down, and kissed Misty with all the passion she could
muster, her tongue passing between their lips to find Misty's and moving
her hands to take handfuls of her now unkempt hair as the woman pushed one
of her legs between Misty's.
"I love you, so much," repeated Miranda, leaning down to kiss Misty as
she moved her captured leg back and forth, rubbing her bare thigh against
Misty in a pleasurable manner.
Misty caught her breath and let out a long sigh, relaxing and giving
into the sensation. "That feel so nice," she professed, "But I don't know
if can again..."
Miranda chuckled as she rolled onto her back, taking Misty with her.
"I'm sorry, I was only teasing," she replied sincerely, "It's just so hard
not to now that I know I can. I love you so much, and I just want... I
dunno. I guess I just want to let it all out somehow."
"There'll be other opportunities," assure Misty, optimistic as always.
"I know," admitted Miranda, laying back, holding Misty, "We have the
rest of our lives ahead of us..."
***
Miranda was awakened by the sounds of shouting voices and hammering.
'They're fixing the hole Team Rocket made...' she thought wistfully,
glancing down at Misty, still cradled protectively in her arms, sleeping
contentedly. "At least you're not a light sleeper," Miranda told the
girl's sleeping form, a happy smile etched across her pretty face, "Now if
I could remember what I did with my watch..."
Miranda looked around the room, feeling a little disoriented until she
remembered that the two were sleeping backwards in relation to where the
beds were positioned, and spotted their pokeballs sitting on the small
dresser.
"Hey! Nezumi!" she whispered, trying not to wake Misty, "Yo! Come on
out!"
But the ball containing the rattata remained closed. "Jerk," muttered
Miranda, surreptitiously reaching over the side of the bed with her foot
and grabbing the first garment her toes could find.
She lifted her leg and gave Misty's panties a startled look. "Oh well,
they'll have to do," Miranda muttered quietly, and swung her leg in the
general direction of the dresser, tossing the undergarment in the process.
Misty's panties hit Nezumi's pokeball, causing it to roll backwards to
the wall the dresser was against, and roll sideways along it to the edge of
the dresser where it promptly stopped.
Miranda gave the stubborn object and annoyed look, and reached her foot
under one of the pillows they hadn't bothered using. She then kicked up,
tossing the pillow into the air and caught in with her hand.
'Wake up!' Miranda thought as loudly as she could, and threw the pillow
at the dresser.
It struck the fake wood and caused the whole dresser to shudder,
fortunately causing Nezumi's pokeball to fall off the end. The pokeball
bounced several times, and rolled to within a few feet of the bed, just out
of Miranda's reach.
Miranda sighed warily, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "I have to have
the voice activation system in those things upgraded," she muttered, hoping
the pokeball was close enough for it to respond to her whisper, "Nezumi,
dear. Could you come out for a moment?"
The pokeball rattled, shaking back and forth before splitting open and
sending forth its arching beam of crimson light. As it faded the still
sleeping form of Nezumi materialized.
"Maybe I should just give up," muttered Miranda, looking at the beam of
sunlight that was shining through their window and trying to judge how long
she'd been asleep, "But it would be sorta impolite to just lie here all
day."
"...say something?" mumbled Misty, stirring a little under the bed sheet
Miranda had thrown over them during the night.
"It's nothing dear," whispered Miranda, as Misty snuggled closer.
"Nez?" came Nezumi's quiet inquiry, followed by the small rodent
scrambling onto the bed and giving Miranda a wary look.
"Hello, dear," Miranda replied happily, reaching over to scratch him
between the ears, "Could you find my watch?"
Nezumi gave his trainer a curious look, and glanced over at Misty before
meeting Miranda's eyes with a sly grin.
"Don't even think it!" chuckled Miranda; blushing as she covered her
eyes and shook her head, "Just find my watch, okay?"
"Nez! Umi!" the pokemon assured her with a sarcastic salute before
bounding off the bed and riffling through the pockets of Miranda's jacket.
He came back a minute later and dropped the object into Miranda's
waiting hand before scrambling up to the window to watch what the humans
were up to.
Miranda glanced warily at her watch. "9:32" it told her. 'I suppose
it's about that time,' she thought reluctantly, hitting the bottom on the
side to make the device go into pager mode. "4 New Messages" scrolled past
the display. "Mom must have heard what happened," reasoned Miranda,
dropping her hand and staring at the ceiling, "She's probably worried."
Misty stirred again, this time leaning up on one arm to look Miranda in
the eye. The woman glanced back and couldn't help but smile in amusement
at her friend's disheveled appearance.
"We should get up," admitted Miranda, and Misty nodded with half closed
eyes before falling back down and giving Miranda a hug before sliding off
the bed, trailing the bed sheet behind her.
"Hey! No fair!" laughed Miranda, leaping up and chasing after Misty
before wrapping herself up in the sheet and grabbing the girl from behind.
"Sorry," responded Misty with a weak smile, holding onto Miranda's arms
and nuzzling her neck, "I'm still asleep."
"I think I can fix that," replied Miranda with a chuckle, kissing
Misty's neck as she lead her into the bathroom...
***
Miranda stepped into the shower first, spreading her hands before her to
test the water before gesturing for Misty to follow. "I should warn you
ahead of time," said Miranda as Misty followed her, "We may have to take a
trip to Lavender Town today."
"Oh?" inquired Misty through tightly closed eyes, adjusting the
showerhead so that the running water hit her in the face.
"Yeah," explained Miranda, finding the soap, "My Mother left a few
messages when she found out what happened last night."
Misty tensed up for a moment, and Miranda laughed as she adjusted the
water's direction. "Not about us, silly!" she teased, giving Misty a hug
and kiss from behind, "About the thing with Sylph Corp and Team Rocket."
"Oh, yeah!" misty laughed a little nervously, turning to face Miranda,
"You scared me for a second there."
Miranda shook her head smiling. "My personal life is my own," she
explained, rubbing her hands against the bar of soap she held, "But the
business with Kathy's experiments is another matter."
"Do you think it'll reflect badly on the entire corporation?" inquired
Misty as Miranda began washing her skin.
"Unlikely," assured Miranda, lingering on Misty's breasts with her soapy
hands, waiting just long enough to get Misty's attention before moving on,
"It'll probably spark and internal investigation, but the Lilcamp Trading
Company isn't likely to walk away from our number one client that easily.
Our company IS completely 'Jenny Free' after all!"
Misty laughed at the comment, stepping forward as Miranda's hands went
around to her back. "But seriously," she continued in a worried tone "what
will your Mother say... About us?"
"Not much," replied Miranda with a shrug, turning Misty around and
lathering her back, "I think she'll be happy just to see that I've finally
found someone. She's worried that I'll turn into one of those silly
pokemon trainers who's never satisfied and has to collect at least one of
each and every single kind. But Mom seems to think that more human contact
will stem any of those urges. Not that she really needs to worry or
anything."
Misty gave a nervous laugh as Miranda's fingers sought out her tense
places. "It is silly, isn't it?" she commented, bowing her head
contentedly as Miranda rubbed her shoulders and neck, "If someone were to
catch one of each kind of pokemon, how could you keep track of them all?"
"I'd be worried that I'd be neglecting most of them," added Miranda,
reaching for the shampoo, "I only have Nezumi, Umi and Wraith to take care
of, yet I feel like I'm neglecting them sometimes."
"Will having me around change that?" asked Misty in a more serious tone
as Miranda's fingers began washing her hair.
"No, I don't think so," Miranda replied, "If anything, I might slow down
a little and spend more time with them. If I hadn't met you, I would
probably would have left last night, and been half way home by now. See?
You're a good influence on me."
Misty smiled, tilting her head back and sighing happily, Miranda's
fingers massaging her scalp as they ran through her hair. "Do you think I
have too many?" she inquired, suddenly worried by the fact that her
collection was so much larger than Miranda's.
"Misty, dearest," assured Miranda, turning the girl around and holding
her close, "You have a big heart, and you have a lot of love to give.
There's no doubt in my mind that you cherish each and every single one of
them. And hey, our pokemon are like an extended family. And after meeting
your sisters, I'd have to say that you need all extended family you can
get!"
Misty surprised herself by laughing. Usually the thought of her three
self absorbed siblings either made her angry or sad, but today she could
laugh at them. Just as they always laughed at her.
"Well, I'm very glad that you've accepted me as part of yours," Misty
said happily as Miranda tilted her head back and rinsed her hair.
"You're more than that to me," chuckled Miranda running her fingers
through Misty's hair so that the water could catch all the left over
shampoo, "I feel as though you're a part of me that I've been missing for a
very long time. And I'm glad to have finally found you."
Misty tilted her head back up as Miranda's hands slid down her neck,
over her chest and around to her lower back. "That just comes naturally to
you, doesn't it?" inquired Misty, bringing her hands up to take a careful
hold of Miranda's breasts as the woman pulled her close.
"My muse gives me little rest," replied Miranda forlornly, yet with a
subtle smile upon her lips, "Nor does my desire for you."
Misty closed her eyes, smiling contentedly as Miranda leaned forward to
kiss her. "I love you, my dearest Misty," the woman continued, "You've
given my life new meaning, and I shall always treasure you."
"And I you," promised Misty contentedly, leaning into Miranda as the
woman's hands caressed her back and ran downwards towards her bottom.
"I'm glad," Miranda replied a little sadly, stepping back and kissing
her lightly, "But we should probably hurry. I wouldn't want to out stay
our welcome... And I have that phone call to make."
Misty nodded, managing to move behind Miranda without slipping.
"Alright," she said, reaching for the shampoo, "But first I return the
favor."
Miranda smiled, chuckling happily to herself as she leaned back and let
Misty wash her long, tangled hair. "You know," she commented, sighing
contentedly as Misty's fingers ran through her raven locks, "I sincerely
doubt that I could ever say no to you."
"I'm sure I could think of something you'd say no to," giggled Misty,
bunching up Miranda's hair to capture it all on one soapy tangle.
"Well, I doubt that I could deny you anything serious," Miranda amended.
"Dang," teased Misty, pushing Miranda's hair forward into the spray of
water, "And here I was hoping for a first class trip to the moon..."
"Would settle for second class?" inquired Miranda with equal mirth as
the shower caught her hair.
"Only if I'm with you," replied Misty, putting her arms around Miranda
and kissing the back of her neck, sending chills down the woman's spine.
"No fair taking advantage of the helpless victim," Miranda teased as she
felt Misty's hands upon her breasts, the girl's fingers rubbing against her
nipples until they hardened.
"Sorry," replied Misty, almost sounding sincere as she leaned against
Miranda's back, "I guess I'm just suffering from an old trainer's habit."
"Oh?" inquired Miranda, reaching up and covering Misty's hands to guide
her movements.
"Yup," explained Misty laughing, "When you get a new pokemon, you just
can't help playing with it!"
Miranda laughed, understanding the sentiment. "So long as you don't
trade me I won't worry," she said with a laugh, flinging her hair to one
side and leaning her head back.
"No way," Misty continued, rubbing her check against Miranda's face
affectionately, "You're my favorite!"
"Hm. I don't know," responded Miranda with a chuckle, "I saw the look
on your face when you had Umi over your shoulders..."
"Yeah," agreed Misty, hugging Miranda as best she could, "But you're
much more eloquent."
"Ooo! Ooo!" called out Miranda, doing her best impression of how far
her dratini had come to saying her name, and making Misty laugh.
"Although I think she'd hold me a little more securely," Misty teased,
causing Miranda to spin around and grab her before she could react beyond
laughter.
"How's this?" inquired Miranda with a grin and a look of passion in her
eyes as she moved one leg to hold both of Misty's in place. Her arms
wrapping around the girls small frame to the point where Miranda's fingers
touched her own ribs.
"I feel very secure!" laughed Misty, reaching out and grabbing the
shower curtain as she leaned against the wall, "But not very safe. The
tub's a bit slippery!"
"Sorry," apologized Miranda, acquiring a more secure footing and
releasing Misty, "I'll be sure to only do that when there's no chance of
falling."
"Well, into the tub at least," corrected Misty, reaching around Miranda
to shut off the water that was already starting to grow cold...
***
Miranda exited the bathroom wrapped only in a towel, and shivered
against the cool air. "Nezumi?" she called out, her intuition giving her a
bad feeling, "Where are you, dear?"
"Something wrong?" inquired Misty, following Miranda out of the bathroom
a moment later.
"I think Nezumi's off getting breakfast or something," replied Miranda
nonchalantly, not wanting to worry the girl, "I'm sure he'll be back soon."
"Oh, there he is," commented Misty, pointing to the window as the little
rattata leaped up onto the windowsill from outside.
"Nez!" he exclaimed in a panic, waving his small arms and jumping up and
down, "Ratta ra! Nezumi!"
"A trainer?" pondered Miranda with a curious expression as she tried to
make out what her pokemon was trying to say, "Who? Anyone I know?"
Nezumi shook his head, a panicked expression crossing his furry face as
he pointed a paw at Misty. "Nez," he replied in a serious tone.
"Are you sure?" inquired Miranda, her eyes widening as Misty gave her a
confused look.
"What is it?" inquired the girl as Nezumi gave his trainer a sarcastic
look and pointed at his nose.
"Rattata," he replied flatly causing Miranda to laugh nervously.
"Yeah, yeah," she assured him with a wary smile, walking over to the
window so the rodent could jump onto her shoulder, "Your nose never lies."
"So who is it?" asked Misty again, a deep sense of dread filling her.
Miranda paused, taking a deep breath before walking over to Misty and
putting her arms around her. "I'm sorry, my love," Miranda replied
forlornly, trying desperately to find the right words, "It's Ash. He's
here, and he's come looking for you..."
***
All work had ceased as Miranda and Misty ran from their temporary living
quarters to the open field between the main lab and the beach/docks. The
scientists, techies, and even the catering staff had dropped everything in
order to get good seats for the coming conflict. Many people sat at or
stood on picnic tables, quite a few had lawn chairs, and some simply sat on
beach towels that had the Sylph Corp symbol embroidered on them. Looking
around, the two spotted at least three people moving about the crowd
offering concessions, but there was no sign of Ash.
"Oh good!" exclaimed Dave, running over to Miranda and Misty, "You made
it!"
"How long has 'this' been going on?" inquired Miranda, keeping her voice
level, and gesturing to the crowd.
"Oh, only for a couple of minutes," the scientist admitted, feeling a
bit embarrassed, "But when they heard about the challenge, they all wanted
to watch. The thing with the gyarados really turned some heads around
here!"
"Challenge?" inquired Misty, "What challenge?!"
"Oh! Sorry!" apologized Dave, "The trainer, he... He asked of you were
here, and when it turned out you were, he..."
"Decided to challenge Misty," finished Miranda with barely veiled
contempt.
"I see," commented Misty, her voice loosing its emotion.
"You don't have to do this," said Miranda, taking Misty's hand and
giving it a gentle squeeze.
"You know I do," replied Misty, holding back her feelings as she stared
straight ahead at the open field, "He's had this coming for a long time."
"That's the spirit!" encouraged Dave, happily running to the center of
the field and waving his arms to quiet the crowd.
"Now everyone!" he announced, causing a restless stir, followed by
thunderous applause, "The moment you've all been waiting for! Behold! The
heroine of Sylph Bay! Capturer of an angry gyarados! And Thwarter of Team
Rocket! Misty of Cerulean City!"
Misty gave a weak smile as she stepped forward onto the field, the
cheering crowd making her feel a little self-conscious. "Aren't you over
doing it a little?" she asked Dave, but the scientist only smiled, and
gestured dramatically to the other end of the field.
"And now her challenger!" continued Dave unabashed, "Some guy named Ash
from some obscure little village called Pallet Town!"
"I'm not just some guy!" exclaimed Ash, his voice cracking badly as he
stormed out of the crowd and onto the field, full of self-righteousness,
"I've collected all eight Indigo League badges and I've caught over seventy
pokemon! And I'm going to be a pokemon Master!"
"But only nine different kinds!" taunted Misty, gritting her teeth and
forcing a smile to her face even with the encouraging laughter that
followed.
"I'll show you!" cried Ash, his feeble mind not quite able to formulate
an appropriate reply as Pikachu finally ran up behind him.
"So tell me, Ash," continued Misty confidently, her anger boiling just
beneath the surface, "do 'great pokemon Masters' always trash their
friend's hotel rooms just because they can't get their own way?!"
Ash glared back at her coldly, shaking with rage as he responded. "That
wasn't me!" he lied, shaking his fist at her dramatically, "When I heard
about that, I thought you'd been kidnapped!"
"I'd rather be kidnapped than spend the rest of my life following you
around!" replied Misty, taking a step forward and practically crushing the
pokeball she was holding, "I'm sure my kidnappers would treat me a whole
lot better!"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" continued Ash, his pikachu
nodding in agreement, "I went up to your room to apologize and I found your
room completely trashed!"
"And that's why you came all the way down here?" inquired Misty, her
eyes narrowing, "To apologize by challenging me?"
"When I found out that you ditched me I ran all the way down here!" he
blurted, not helping his case any, "If you hadn't run off, none of this
would have happened!"
"None of what, Ash?" Misty asked, a terrible calm overcoming her.
"You know!" he replied bitterly.
"Oh, you mean you wouldn't have taken a temper tantrum and had your
pokemon trash my room?" stated Misty rhetorically, "You know, there's a
Jenny looking to ask you a few questions about that."
"I called her," admitted Ash, a sly grin coming to his face, "That's how
I found out you were here."
"Okay, so I'm here," Misty conceded, folding her arms across her chest
impatiently, "Now what? Did you come here to challenge me, or argue?"
"I came here to challenge you!" exclaimed Ash, "One on one! Chose your
pokemon, Misty!"
"Why, Ash?" Misty inquired with a hint of mirth.
"To-! To try to knock some sense into that thick head of yours!"
shouted Ash, throwing a pokeball towards his opponent, "Charizard!
Attack!"
"At least I'm not a juvenile delinquent!" countered Misty, tossing her
pokeball, "Leviathan! Go!"
The two huge, dragon like pokemon materialized at about the same time,
soliciting "ooh's" and "aww's" from the assembled Sylph Corp employees.
The two gave each other an appraising look, their eyes gleaming with malice
as they sized each other up.
"What's wrong, Charizard?" asked Ash, "Not enough of a challenge?"
Charizard glanced down at this trainer, and back over at Leviathan. He
brought his hand to his chin for a moment and made a rumbling noise deep in
his throat before giving a toothy grin and nodding slowly.
"Great!" laughed Ash, "Then go get him, Charizard!"
Leviathan growled quietly as he watched his opponent leap into the air
on huge leathery wings before swooping towards him. "Charizard!" ordered
Ash, "Flame Thrower now!"
"Is that the best you can do?" taunted Misty as the flames cascaded
harmlessly off her pokemon's scales, "Leviathan! Bite attack!"
The monstrous serpent seemed to grin hungrily as Charizard began his
ascent. Seeing an opportunity, Leviathan lunged forward, arching upwards
and biting down hard on the flying reptile's throat.
"Charizard! No!" exclaimed Ash, adrenaline making him panic, "Get out
of there! Now!"
The great orange dragon struggled to free himself from his Leviathan's
maw by flapping his wings hard, sending swirling tornados of sand in all
directions, blinding most of the spectators.
"Don't let him get away!" ordered Misty, coughing and shielding her
eyes, "Use wrap attack!"
Leviathan let out a booming reply and Charizard roared out his anger as
the serpent's tail wrapped around him, pinning his wings to his body and
sending both opponents crashing to the ground.
"There's too much dust! I can't see what's happening!" complained Ash
as the ground beneath his feet shook under the weight of the two battling
dragons, "This isn't fair!"
"There's nothing in the League rules against it," corrected Dave from
the sidelines.
"Who asked you, anyway?!" demanded Ash, just as a gout of flame shot
into the sky, burning a hole in the cloud that obscured the battle,
"Charizard?"
Without bothering to reply, Charizard tore Leviathan free from his
throat with his forepaws, tearing the skin from his own neck in the
process, but hardly caring. With his three fingered hands upon the
gyarados's neck, Charizard slammed Leviathan's head into the ground.
Leviathan let gave an outraged howl, snapping at Charizard menacingly every
time the dragon pulled him closer, only to slam his head back down even
harder.
"I've got you now, Misty!" laughed Ash, "Once my Charizard beats that
over grown fish, your mine!"
"I'm NOT a possession!" screamed Misty, forgetting about the battle for
a moment, "I don't belong to you! I never did and I never will!"
Ash smiled evilly, chuckling as Leviathan neared unconsciousness. "You
should have used a more experienced Pokemon, Misty," he taunted, "Even I
know that!"
Misty balled her fists and gritted her teeth as she tore her anger
filled gaze away from Ash. "Leviathan!" she commanded, raising her fist
into he air dramatically, "Thunder attack!"
"Ha!" laughed Ash, "At this range your pokemon'll hit himself!
Charizard's barely getting started, and your gyarados is almost finished.
Looks like I win!"
"We'll see," promised Misty determinedly, watching as her gyarados came
to his senses and glared menacingly at Charizard before arks of electricity
danced across his teeth.
His opponent looked down at him and grinned. With an over confidence he
borrowed from his trainer, Charizard let go with one hand and drew back an
awkward fist. Just as the electrical attack was forming in Leviathan's
mouth, Charizard struck. His heavy fist came down hard, but was stopped
short as the electrical blast issued forth, paralyzing Charizard as the
voltage filled his body.
Both trainers looked on, their eyes full of determination as both their
pokemon were wreathed in sparks of dancing electricity, casting eerie
shadows that would make an arc welder envious. For several long moments,
both pokemon seemed unable to move, their roaring and snarling barely
audible over the crackling energy that enveloped them.
Finally, though, as everyone watching felt as though they could hold
their collective breath no longer, the electrical field abruptly died, and
both pokemon fell to the ground in a huge tangle.
"Leviathan!" exclaimed Misty.
"Charizard!" cried Ash.
As both trainers ran to the center of the field, Leviathan raised his
head wearily and seemed to smile hungrily down at Ash. "Char... izard?"
the boy inquired meekly as he stared up at the monstrous serpent.
In response Leviathan growled menacingly, daring Ash to make the first
move. "Had enough?" inquired Misty, walking over and leaning against her
triumphant Pokemon.
"How-? How-?" stammered Ash.
"It worked!" Dave laughed nervously before throwing his arms into the
air and shouting, "Our winner! Misty of Cerulean City!"
The crowd cheered as Miranda ran towards her beloved with Nezumi a few
steps ahead of her. "I'm glad to see some good came of Kathy's evil," the
courier laughed as Misty practically leapt into her arms.
"Huh? What do you mean..?" inquired Ash, looking dumbfounded.
"Oh, nothing," replied Misty with a satisfied grin she knew would last
for the rest of the day, "We just blew the lid off a Team Rocket plot to
make an army of indestructible water pokemon. That's all."
"That's right," agreed Miranda, looking appreciatively up at Leviathan,
"And because of the experiments they were doing here, this gyarados is the
only one of it's kind to be immune to electrical attacks, despite being a
water pokemon!"
"That's-! That's no fair!" shrieked Ash, nearly having a tantrum, "I
demand a rematch!"
"Nezumi, dear," replied Miranda calmly, "Please be so kinda as to use
cryokinesis on this hoser. Thank you, dear."
Nezumi grinned broadly and took a deep breath. "Oh, and what's a little
rattata going to do?" scoffed Ash, laughing even as the temperature air
around him dropped to below freezing, "What the-?!"
Nezumi stuck out his tongue and laughed as Ash found himself frozen in a
block of ice from the waist down. "You were saying?" inquired Miranda
politely as she put her arm around Misty.
"That's-! That's against the League rules!" yelled Ash as loudly as he
could, while Pikachu looked on in dismay, "You can be banned from League
competition for attacking a trainer!"
"And I care, because?" inquired Miranda with a smirk, "As I've said
before, these badges are pretty little trinkets. Souvenirs of my travels,
and little else to me. As far as I'm concerned, they belong to my pokemon
more than they do to me. And besides, I have no intention of challenging
the League. I'll leave that to Misty."
"But Misty can't challenge the Indigo League!" exclaimed Ash, tears
forming in his angry eyes, "I'm going to be a pokemon master! Not her!
She's can't!"
"Bite me dough-boy," laughed Misty, holding up a pokeball and returning
Leviathan, "Come on, Miranda, I hear there's a nice gym not far from here."
Miranda laughed to herself and took Misty's hand. "Now, now," she
cautioned as they walked away, "You're bitterness is showing love."
"Actually," commented Misty as Ash's screaming and yelling mixed in with
Pikachu's trying to melt the ice with repeated thunder shocks become more
distant, "I feel a whole lot better. I feel as though I've taken something
back that he stole from me a long time ago."
The two lovers stopped at the shoreline and turned to one another.
"Your self-respect?" inquired Miranda.
"That too," Misty agreed, putting her arms around her, "But also my
freedom, my courage, and my ability to love."
"I'm glad," Miranda replied, her heart feeling heavy in her chest as
tears formed in her eyes, "I'm just so happy for you."
"Miranda, what's wrong?" Misty inquired, wiping her tears away.
"It's, it's nothing," Miranda assured her, "It's just that I love you,
Misty. That's all."
"And I love you too, Miranda," Misty replied, leaning forward and
accepting her lover's kiss.
"But just one thing," said Miranda as they pulled apart, "What about...
Him?"
Misty glanced over at the still struggling Ash, yelling at Pikachu to
help him as the Sylph employees laughed and went back to work. "Oh, Ash is
stubborn," she replied, "I think we'll see him again."
"Well, life can't be perfect," Miranda sighed, "Now then, I hate to cut
this short, but I think I'd better go call mom..."
THE END
Copywrite September 13, 2000 Nikolai Mirovich (Nicholi_M@Excite.Com)
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