Chapter Two: The Letter


Brock gently shook Ash to bring him around. He had just woken up, thinking what had happened to just be a terrible dream, but then realized it hadn't been when he saw Misty's back pack still there and Pikachu gone. Ash's eyes slowly started to open, and he looked up at Brock groggily. Ash smiled at the sight of his friend. "Are you OK, Ash?" Brock asked.

Ash sat up. "Yeah, but I had the worst nightmare." he began. Brock bit his lip, unsure of how to break the news to Ash. "I dreamt that Misty was a spy for Team Rocket, and that she helped Jessie and James steal Pikachu, and-" Ash looked around frantically. "Oh, my God! Where's Pikachu?" He looked desperately at Brock, praying he'd say Pikachu was in the next clearing.

Brock's expression told Ash the truth. Ash buried his face in his hands. "Oh, Pikachu...." he sobbed. "How could Misty do this to us?"

"I don't know." Brock replied. He had no idea what else to say.

Ash continued to cry as images of Pikachu flashed through his mind. Slowly, his sadness gave way to anger. "She thinks so clever.... That little.... I'm gonna get her.... and get Pikachu back...." He began to mutter through clenched teeth, his eyes narrowing in anger and hate.

Brock scowled and tried to think about the situation. "It doesn't make any sense, Ash... Misty's been with us a long time. Why would she suddenly turn on us?"

"Remember what Meowth said? He said 'How did we always know where you were'. That means Misty's been a spy for as long as we've known her." Ash replied.

"But if that's the case, then why didn't she ever help them before?" Brock asked. "That's what I can't figure out."

Ash had to admit that he, too, was stumped by that fact. "When I asked Misty why, she said I wouldn't understand. Why would she say that?" Ash asked.

They stared at the ground for a minute, thinking. Suddenly, they looked at each other, and then over at the blue back pack lying on the ground. "Do you think the answer could be in there?" Ash asked.

"One way to find out." Brock said as he walked over and picked up the back pack. He set it on the ground between himself and Ash, and looked over at Ash. "Care to do the honors?" he asked.

Ash's hand reached out and opened the zipper holding the backpack. One by one, they started to remove the items from the backpack and lay them out on the ground.

Soon, the back pack was empty, and Misty's items were neatly laid out on the grass. The objects included: 4 Pokeballs (containing Goldeen, Starmie, Staryu, and Psyduck), a hairbrush, extra hair bands, a change of clothes, a bag of Brock's doughnuts (left over from the last meal they had eaten as friends), an envelope that simply read, "Misty" in fancy cursive script, and a few photos of her sisters and her mother. Ash and Brock mulled over the objects, not getting any clues. "What's in the envelope?" Ash asked.

"I don't know." Brock answered. "I just pulled it out and laid it down." He reached for the envelope, and pulled out a letter written in the same handwriting as the writing on the envelope. He started to read it, and his normally tight eyes opened wide.

Ash noticed this, and looked at Brock. "What is it? What does it say?" he asked.

"It's from Misty's mother." Brock replied.

Ash looked surprised. "But isn't Misty's mother...."

"Dead. Yes." Brock said simply, his eyes still wide from the contents of the letter.

"Well, what does it say?" Ash asked, more than a little intrigued. Brock handed him the letter without a word, and Ash began to read.

My Dearest Misty,

If you are reading this letter, then I have passed on and your sisters have done as I have asked them to do. This letter contains a secret that I have told no one but your father through the years. You are one of the very few people who will know of it.

Misty, I am sure you have noticed through your life that you are not quite like your sisters. Though you are every bit as beautiful, your beauty runs differently from theirs, as does your way of thinking. This is not without reason. The man you always called father was not your real father. Years ago, after I gave birth to your sister Daisy, I was traveling through Viridian City to gather supplies for the family gym in our hometown of Cerulean City. During my brief stay in the city, I met a Pokemon trainer new to the city and I'm afraid we got along too well.

When I returned to Cerulean City, I tried to hide what I had done, but when I realized I was pregnant, I confessed to your father. After some time, he was able to forgive me. I knew I could never get rid of the baby inside of me, and I had you, swearing never to tell your sisters the entire story or love you any less for it. After you were born, I traveled to Viridian City to tell your real father of your birth. There, I found that he had become a gym leader. He was surprised to see me again, and was very surprised to hear of your birth. He agreed to not interfere with our family situation, but asked to be sent news of you each year. Secretly, your father and I sent letters to him each year. When your father died two years later, he asked me to keep the information going to your real father so that he may still know you. Both your fathers, real and adoptive, loved you, even though I know you have only met one of them.

My dear daughter, I can only imagine how this letter must be hitting you. I am so very sorry that I could never tell you the truth while I was alive. All I can promise you is that I have always adored and loved you as much as any of your sisters, and that your adoptive father has always done the same. We never treated you any differently from your sisters, and never would. There is a companion to this letter that will be sent out to your real father around the time you receive yours. I have not told your sisters what is in either letter, and they have been instructed to see it through as my last wish. Whether or not you tell them will be your choice entirely.

Please forgive your father and I for not telling you the truth sooner. We simply could never bring ourselves to do it. We have always loved you, and forever will continue to do so in heaven above. Never forget us, my darling daughter, for we shall never forget you.
With all the love I have in my soul,

Mother

P.S. Should you want to make contact with your biological father, he is still the leader of the Viridian City Gym. His name is Giovanni. I love you.

Ash finished reading the letter and looked at Brock. "Wow." he said, in a state of shock.

Brock nodded. "Can imagine how this letter must have hit Misty?" he asked. "I wonder if her sisters know the truth or not."

"I don't know." Ash scratched his head. Suddenly an idea struck him. "Brock, you used to be a gym leader. Did you ever know anything about this Giovanni guy?"

Brock thought for a minute, and tried to remember what he knew about the other gym leaders. "Yeah", he replied finally. "He took over the Viridian City gym sometime ago. Their specialty is ground Pokemon, and the prize is an Earth badge. He's a really tough leader to beat."

"Anything else?" Ash asked.

"Well, a few rumors." Brock replied.

"Like what?" Ash asked.

"Well, that he has some super, ultra-rare Pokemon in the gym.... oh, the suspicion that he's connected to.... Oh, my God."

Ash stared at Brock. "Connected to what?"

"Team Rocket." Brock replied.

Ash's mouth dropped. "If Misty's real father is Giovanni.... He must be connected to Team Rocket! No wonder she thought I wouldn't understand!"

"Thing is, what do we do now?" Brock asked.

"There's only one thing we can do." Ash replied, looking up. "Even if Misty has turned on us, I can't leave Pikachu. I have to get him back. We've got to go to Viridian City and get Pikachu back from Team Rocket- if it's not already too late."

They picked up their packs, and started off in a new direction- the direction of Viridian City.

Loyalties Chapter Three: Misty's New Life