The Calm Before the Storm Written By: Kitsune-chan (kitsune-chan@trust-me.com) Official Webpage: http://www.angelfire.com/pokemon/orG Note: This title doesn't really fit with the episode, but it fits with the next one. So, this episode is NOT calm. Far from it. Now, enjoy ;p Note #2: You'll notice that Ash's father calls him Ashton, and yes, that is Ash's real name, but he just shortened it to Ash. "Bye Dad!" Ash shouted as he happily waved goodbye to his newly found father. "Thanks for letting us stay with you, Mr. Ketchem!" Misty called over her shoulder. "Hope we see you soon!" Brock yelled as they walked away from the gigantic mansion in Viridian City. Giovanni stood there, looking after them. As soon as they were out of sight, he turned and entered his home. "It's really funny when you think about it." Misty said outloud as they were walking through the forest. "What's so funny?" Ash asked. "I mean, you father turns out to be the leader of Team Rocket." she smiled. "Knock it off." Ash snapped, his happy expression disappearing, replaced by a scowl. "We've been screwing up his plans for what, the past year now?" Misty blabbed on, with no disregard to Ash's comment. "Shut up." Ash spoke in a warning tone. "We've been kicking his butt." Misty continued happily, unknowingly cruising into what appeared to be dangerous territory with Ash. "I said, SHUT UP!" Ash shouted, suddenly swinging his arm around. The side of his hand hit Misty's shoulder hard. Instantly her eyes filled with tears as she grasped her shoulder. There was already a bruise starting to form there. "Owww!" Misty wailed, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. Ash drew back, a stricken expression on his face. All of a sudden, he turned and fled. "Ash, where you going?" Brock yelled after him. When Ash didn't reply, he took off after them. Misty and Pikachu looked at each other, then raced after Ash. Ash was running. He didn't know where to, but he knew where from. From Misty. Every time he was about to tell her, she would do something to ruin it. Now he had hit her, "She'll never talk to me again..." he whispered, stopping. He leaned against a tree and sighed heavily. He slid down the tree trunk and hugged his knees. He could hear Misty and Brock yelling out his name, but they were faint. But getting stronger and louder quickly. It would be only a matter of minutes before they reached him. There was a rustling in the bushes behind him. He froze, afraid to turn around. It couldn't be Brock and Misty, because he could still hear them calling his name, farther away. He started to turn around and gasped in shock. Standing there was the most powerful monster, it was Mewtwo... "Ash! Ash! Come out! Please!" Misty called as she ran through the forest, "I'm sorry about teasing you! Please, just come out!" "Pikapi! Pikapi!" Pikachu called out as he ran alongside Brock and Misty, aiding in the search for Ash. "Ash!" Brock called out. Soon, they stumbled into a clearing. They saw Ash with his back to them. Misty looked beyond him and gasped in shock at what she saw. "It's...Mewtwo..." she murmered as she stared at the humongous creature in awe. It looked dociely down at the three humans, a fierce expression on its face. Later, Misty said that it wasn't as fierce as it was when it was angry. "I will help you on your quest..." a voice spoke. Ash looked around for the source of the voice, but his eyes came back to Mewtwo, "You can talk...?" he asked in wonderment. "I can." Mewtwo replied. Misty and Brock stared in disbelief at the creature. "You want to help me?" Ash asked, confused at Mewtwo's earlier statement, his brown eyes showing confusion, "But...how?" "I will come with you on your journey." Mewtwo replied. He suddenly rose a good three feet in the air and floated behind Ash. He spun around to face the monster and held out a Pokéball, "Ok." he raised it above his head as if he were to throw it. "No pokéballs. I said I was going to help you, not be your slave." Mewtwo reprimanded Ash. He sighed in defeat and put the empty Pokéball back in his backpack. "Would you-- Would you be able to take us to the Cerulean Gym, Mewtwo?" Misty asked, her voice shaking a bit. "We were just there Misty." Brock reminded her. "But I want to see Horsea and starmie again." Misty argued back. "Well, I'm up for going back." Ash replied, really, he didn't care one way or another. Brock finally nodded, giving in. "Stand in a circle and join hands." Mewtwo instructed. Ash nodded and grabbed on to Misty's hand who held Togepi's. Brock held onto Togepi and Pikachu's hands. Ash held the other of Pikachu's hands. The three people had their feet on the ground while the two Pokémon dangled a couple of feet off the ground. Mewtwo floated up above the middle of the group. In a blinding flash of blue light, they were all gone from the forest... ...Ash opened his eyes to see that they were floating a good six feet off the ground. He yelped as they started to plunge towards the ground. Misty screamed and clung to his jacket. They all fell in a heap on the ground, Misty lying ontop of Ash who was on Brock's arm. On top of the tangled jumble of arms and legs, Pikachu and Togepi were ontop the mini-mountain, apparantly unhurt. "Like, what is going on here?" Daisy called as she raced out the door of the Cerulean Gym. She had heard people yelling and had run out to investigate. Her eyes brightened as she saw who it was. "Hey Lily! Violet! Guess who's here?" she called behind her. "Who?" Misty heard Lily answer as she walked out the door, Violet following her, "Misty! Ash! Brock. Oh, hi Pikachu! Hey, cutie!" she exclaimed as she picked up Togepi from the top. "Misty, will you get off of me?" Ash asked, he was very uncomfortable...well, he wasn't really, but Brock's arm was digging into his back rather hard. "Will you all get off of my arm?" Brock grunted as he tried to pull his arm free. He finally succeded, leaving Misty lying ontop of Ash. After a long moment, she finally got off of him. As she got up, she pulled him up too. "Why are you back here?" Violet asked. She had been watching her sister and Ash closely and detected a faint blush on both of their cheeks. "Mewtwo brought us back." Brock replied, his eyes turning to hearts at the three older Cerulean Sisters. "Oh. Since you're here, you might as well stay awhile." Lily smiled, still holding Togepi. "Gimme back my Togepi!" Misty shouted as she snached her beloved egg-Pokémon out of her sister's hands. "She's too over-protective of that Pokémon." Ash whispered to Brock. "I HEARD THAT!!" Misty yelled as she turned to Ash and hit him in the head. "Somethings never change." Daisy sighed. She and the other sisters got very large sweatdrops on their heads. Later on, in the evening, they were all settled in at the gym. Ash realized something, "Can I use your phone? I need to call my dad." he asked Daisy. Violet smiled, "Sure you can. It's right over there, in the hall." she said, pointing through the doorway. "Thanks." Ash said, jumping up and walking towards the hallway. Pikachu leaped up on his shoulder. They soon found the video-phones and dialed his father's number. The message 'placing call' appeared on the screen. Presently, it disappeared and the image of Giovanni replaced it. "Hi dad!" Ash exclaimed happily. "Oh, hi Ashton." Giovanni said, loooking up from his work. He thought for a moment, then spoke again, "What Pokémon do you have?" Ash blinked in surprise, "Uh...Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, Krabby, Muk and a Charizard who's a bit..." his voice trailed off to a whisper, "..disobedient," but then his voice rose to normal volume again, "I saw Mewtwo today. It said it was going to help me!" "You saw...Mewtwo?" Giovanni asked in shock. "That's right." Ash exclaimed happily. Then Giovanni changed the subject, "How many badges do you have now?" "Eight." Ash replied, showing his father all of the badges pinned to the inside of his short-sleeved jacket. "Um...well, Ashton...I have to go now." Giovanni said suddenly. "Okay." Ash said in surprise, "Bye Dad." "Good-bye Ash." Giovanni replied, then hung up the phone. Ash looked at the phone after he had hung up and decided to call his mother. Misty came out to the hallway in time to see Ash dialing the phone again. "Who're you calling now?" she asked curiously. "My mom." he replied as the 'placing call' message appeared on the screen. After a couple of seconds of it, his mother picked up. "Hi Ash!" Hannah Ketchem exclaimed happily as she saw him. Then she noticed Pikachu and Misty in the background, "Hello Misty. Hi Pikachu!" "Hi Mrs. Ketchem." Misty replied, then stared at Ash. "Guess what mom?" Ash asked, then barged on without waiting for a reply, "I have eight badges now!" "Really?" Hannah asked, her smile tightening, "where did you win the last one?" "In Viridian City." Ash replied. His mother's eyes widened and her smile disappeared all together. "From who?" she asked softly. Misty saw that she wasn't really needed and when she noticed this, she picked up Pikachu and tiptoed away. "From Giovanni Ketchem..." Ash said. Hannah gasped as he continued, "my father." "So you finally found out the truth." she sighed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Ash demanded, tears of hurt springing to his eyes. "Oh Ash..." his mother sighed, then her eyes widened in alarm, "does he know that you have eight badges now?" she asked urgently. Ash blinked at this turn of topic, "yeah." "Oh..." Hannah sighed. Now that he knew, it would be impossible to keep him away from her son. "I...um, have to go now." she said and hung up. "Bye Mom. Thanks for telling me the truth." Ash said bitterly as he hung up the phone. He turned sharply on his heel and walked upstairs to the guest room that he would be using during their stay in Cerulean City.