Misty\'s Nightmare

Chapter 4. Rude Awaking

"togipriii..." Togepi said joyfully as he played with Horsee and Staryu at the edge of the pool in the Cerulean city Gym. Misty was watching their antics with amusement while she was resting in her lounge chair. She was back at home and really enjoying herself. This was something that she never expected. All the other times she had returned home, it was very uncomfortable because her siblings never let her forget that they considered her the runt of the sensational sisters. But this time things were different. Her sisters had finally accepted her for what she was. They respected her as a very good trainer of water Pokemon and as member of the family. While they still called her the puny one of the family and somewhat underdeveloped this was good natured teasing now instead of a stinging indictment. That they respected her was shown in the fact that they asked her to take on any people that came looking for a badge (She hadn't lost once to the dismay of many a trainer that came expecting easy pickings), and they asked her to play the Mermaid in their water show and listened to her suggestions on how to make it better. They had even asked her if she wanted to stay and help run the gym. Of course she declined since she had promised Ash that she would come and help him when he went to the league championships in another month. This was just a break from their adventures.

The last few months had easily been the best in her entire life. She had been there when Ash had become the youngest person to ever win the Johjo league and had taken another big step to becoming a pokemon master. She had also made huge gains in her quest to become a great Water pokemon trainer. In the last few months she had captured more water pokemon than she ever dreamed she could. She even got the Tenticruel that she had wanted since she could remember. Misty had also started to really hit it off with Ash too. They actually spent more time talking to each other than arguing. Of course this led to several embarrassing moments when Brock saw them talking and made jokes about them being "two Lovebirds". But she found that she was enjoying Ash's company more and more. They had even gone on a few "Dates" (if you call going out for burgers a date). Then in a move the shocked even her, Ash let her take custody of two of his favorite Pokemon. This had come about right after he had finished first in the Johjo league Championship. Ash, Brock and her had decided to take some time off before the pokemon league championships in six weeks. Brock had already left them to go back to Pewter City and visit his dad and siblings and they had just reached the point where the roads to Cerulean City and Pallet Town diverged. She was just ready to say goodbye when Ash Gave her Squirtle and Tododile's pokeballs, telling her that they could use a break and the pool at her gym would be the perfect place. Misty was speechless. Ash's pokemon were his life and he was entrusting part of that life to her. When she didn't reply ash said "don't worry, I doubt they could be in better hands" then he took her hand "and it isn't like I am never going to see you again". Ash, then realized what he had done and looked away blushing. Misty then took the initiative and said "don't worry, I will take good care of them and thanks." She then gave him a warm hug that caused him to start quivering nervously and started off down the road before he could recover. She was already starting to miss his company. At the next town, she bought a train ticket to Cerulean city

That had been two weeks ago and as much as she was enjoying herself, Misty was counting the days until she could see Ash again. Squirtle and Tododile were playing in the water with her and her sister's pokemon. Ash was right; they were really enjoying the break. They had been a little confused when she had first let them out but they trusted her. This trust had turned to excitement when she told them about the huge pool at the Gym.

About this time, her sister Violet running into the room breathing hard cut her relaxation and thoughts short. The look on her face way one of confused apprehension. Something inside her told misty something was seriously wrong and she scooped up Togepi and hurried over to her sister. "What's the matter?" she asked and her sister responded, "I don't know, come outside and look for yourself." With that cryptic remark, Violet turned and lead her down the hall and out the front entrance of the gym. They could see the whole city from the gym. Then her sister pointed to off to the east and said, "Look at that". What misty saw was a strange fog rolling over the hills outside the city with unnatural speed. It paused at the outskirts of the city. Something about the fog really unnerved misty. It was like it was almost...intelligent. The fog spread out along the border of the city like it was trying to decide what to do with it. After a short time though it seemed to make up its mind and reared up and swept into the outskirts. The fog methodically seeped down all the streets and then rose to engulf the buildings on ether side. In what seemed like only a few minutes the leading edge of it flowed out of the canyons of building and into the clearing around the gym. When the fog reached out almost hungrily for the gym, Misty felt a sense of dread shoot though her. She turned to Violet and said, "I think we should go inside" Violet replied "Good Idea" and they both turned and ran into the gym, desperately trying to get all the doors closed before the fog reached them. Just when the last door was locked, the first tendrils of the fog collided with the entrance and swept up turning the view outside into a white haze. Togepi, either sensing her unease or feeling the same dread she did started to cry. She tried to calm him down but she was too upset herself to have much of an effect. A loud rattling sound startled her and she looked up. All the doors were shaking in their frames. Her sister could not take it any longer and screamed " WHAT'S HAPPING MISTY! DO SOMETHING!!! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!" The desperation in her voice shook Misty and she stuttered "I-I don't k-now w-what's happening either. W-What d-do you want me to do". Then the rattling stopped. Misty looked up at the doors and saw that the mist was still there but at least the horrible noise was gone. However, her relief turned to even more fear when she saw that the fog was rapidly seeping though the space at the bottom and the gaps between the doors and the frames. Soon the doors were completely covered and the fog started creeping towards them at about knee level. Her sister gave a horrible shriek and tore off down the hall, Misty thought this was a sound move and took off after her. When she reached the pool at the center of the gym, Violet was already yelling at her two other sisters that they needed to do something. Daisy's and Lilly's questions died on their lips when the fog swept though the doors that Misty had just run though. Misty desperately looked for someplace to go but the fog was coming though all the pool entrances. There was nowhere left to run. Misty turned just in time to see
it envelope her sisters. Their startled shouts faded the instant they were covered. Misty had barely enough time to clutch Togepi tightly to her and close her eyes before the fog swept over her too.

The first thing Misty noticed was the silence. All the noises around her like the air conditioner and the pokemon splashing in the pool were gone. All she could hear was Togepi's crying and her own ragged breathing. She opened her eyes and found her world covered in a shroud of white. She couldn't even see her own body much less anything else. She was
standing right next to the pool so she did not dare move. It was almost ... peaceful. Misty rocked Togepi in her arms and comforted him " Don't worry, its okay. I'm still here." Her soothing voice had the desired effect and he calmed down. Misty decided that the best thing to do was to sit down and wait for a while to see if the visibility would improve. Now that she was sitting, she put Togepi on her lap and started feeling around her. She could just feel the concrete floor of the gym. She called out softly. "Violet... Lilly... anyone. Can you hear me?" There was nothing but silence for an answer. It was weird but her voice did not even echo like she was in a big room. A few minutes later, Togepi called for her attention and she looked down and realized that she could see him now. Then she looked around and noticed that she could also see some things around her. Misty could just make out the edge of the pool. Then the sounds of the room started to return. "Misty, Where are you." It was Violet. Misty turned and Saw her sisters huddled together across the pool from her. The pokemon were swimming around the pool totally confused at what just happened. " I'm over here. Are you all okay?" Misty replied. Lilly answered, "We're fine. Was that totally weird or what?" Misty looked around and saw
that the fog had completely dissipated. "Tell me about it" she replied.

That is when Togepi let out a strange grunt. She looked down and saw that Togepi had a frightened look on his face. Misty asked, "What's the matter?" Togepi looked up at her like he was about to answer when his eyes went wide and he let out a squeal of pain. Fear raced though Misty and she franticly looked over him to see what the problem was but couldn't find anything visibly wrong. "Togepi, what's wrong?" she said fearfully but Togepi's squeal turned into a heart-rending shriek and he started writhing in agony. Misty desperately called to her sisters "Help Me! Something's wrong with Togepi!" but her sisters had their own problems. Misty saw that whatever was happing to Togepi was also affecting the other pokemon. They were all thrashing around in the water and howling in pain, her sisters franticly trying to help them. When Togepi's screams got even worse and Misty could take it any more and lost what was left of her composer. "T-THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!! SOMBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!" She cried. She was sobbing openly now. She cared for Togepi more than anything else in the world and now he was suffering, maybe dieing and she could do nothing. Togepi then started going into convulsions and she shook her head screaming, "PLEASE, PLEASE.STOP HURTING HIM!!!" Finally, she remembered that there was a pokemon center right down the street and took off out the door. Her sisters were yelling at her to stop but she was beyond listening to anything but Togepi's agony. As she ran she tried to reassure Togepi with her shaky voice but his screams did something she thought was impossible. They got even worse. Misty was so panicked now that as she ran down the street with tears streaming down her face,
she didn't even notice that there were other people with Pokemon doing the same thing. All of a sudden Togepi's cries changed tone and what she saw when she glanced down caused her to screech to a stop and scream in Horror. Something was happening to him. As Misty watched paralyzed with fear, Togepi was....CHANGING. Patches of black were spreading vein-like over his white body and she could see things pulsing and moving under his skin. His cries took on a distorted quality as if even his voice box was writhing. Finally, when the contortions of his body became so pronounced that his eggshell started to crack, Misty shook her self out of her paralysis and started running to the center again. As she did, she whimpered franticly "Please hold on, we're almost there. Nurse Joy will know what to do." She was saying this as much to herself as she was to Togepi. Then Togepi's cries became horribly wet and gargled. She looked down and her heart stopped when she realized that Togepi was vomiting up his insides. She whispered "please stop, please don't leave me" but it was too late. Togepi gave one last shudder and then was still. Misty hugged his ravaged little body tightly to her and sank down on her knees, sobbing violently,Completely oblivious to the total chaos around her.

"NOOOOO!!!" Misty sat up, her whole body shaking. Starime was at her side patting her on the shoulder. She hadn't dreamt about the day of the change for a long time. She felt tears welling up but quashed them mercilessly. Misty hadn't cried once since Togepi died and there was no way she was going to start now. Many other Pokemon had died during the change, their bodies unable to handle the terrible transformations that happened to all pokemon. It was better anyway that Togepi didn't survive. He was so kind and gentle that he probably wouldn't have been able to handle what he would have become. At least his suffering was over. for everybody else, in one way or another, that was just the beginning.

Misty finally leaned over and put her hand on Starime. "I'm alright, I was just having another bad dream." She then looked around. She was sleeping in the center of the living room in an abandoned house that they had come upon just before sunset. The battered down door and the gnawed bones scattered around told her all she needed to know about what had happened to the owners. But it was better than sleeping again out in the open. Polywrath was right beside her fast asleep. He had been up for over 24 hours and really needed the rest. She looked at her watch. It was only 2 am. She was still weak and needed the rest even more than Polywrath did. So she told Starime goodnight and laid back down to try to get some more sleep. Starime looks sadly at his trainer and friend and continued his watch.

I'm back. This still isn't the end but that is in sight. Aren't flashbacks fun? The story is called "Misty's Nightmare" so I think that they are appropriate. As you can tell the story is starting to get more intense. This will even be more pronounced in the next chapter. It will live up to its horror designation and it's R rating. By the way, misty is 17 years old in this story though she was only 14 in the flashback which happened right after the Johjo league season on the TV series (~since the series continued after that, I guess this makes this a AU Story~) . Till next time. And remember, please leave a review. I want to know what you think even if it is constructive criticism (I know there are plenty of holes in the plot but as I said before, My knowledge of the pokemon world is still limited)

~June 4 2008, I did a little editing on this chapter to make some of the parts less choppy sounding and a little more dramatic, I had just finished college when I originally wrote this and I think all the Technical writing I had there sunk in a little too deep. I also revised Misty's age based on what I have read about the series since I wrote this. I think I might put a small appendix at the end of this for those that might be interested in how I let the nightmare lands seep into the fabric of the pokemon world. I based some of how people(hint, Misty in particular) react on the actual game mechanics, though you would REALLY need to know about Ravenloft, and the added rules for you to spot what I did .~