The Sign of the Thunderbolt:

A Girl's Hope

By Thunder Mouse Pikachu

Author's note: So I'm starting a new story so what. I hope you like this story. It actually came to me from a dream.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, and I know I never will.

Prologue: The Beginning

Year 2017

World: Pokemon Indigo Island/ Houen

"Brock, we're lost again aren't we?" moaned a young girl. She was wearing all red and had a red bandanna over her head and was holding a Pokémon that looked like a chicken.

"Don't be silly Haruka. We aren't lost are we, Misty?" asked Brock. He turned towards Misty and gave her what seemed to Misty was a begging look. The red head sighed as she looked down at her cute egg Pokémon Togepi. The Pokémon chirped in a giggling laugh kind of way giving Misty no sign of relief.

"No, we' aren't lost, Haruka. I'm sure Ash knows where we are." Misty struggled through those words knowing it was complete a lie. Just last night when Haruka was sound asleep in her dream world, she, Ash, and Brock had stayed up though the whole night debating on their little problem. All three of them knew Haruka would freak when she found out an evil being was chasing after them. Brock had long lost the map in a rainstorm, and the compass was completely busted. None of them wanted to admit it, but they truly don't have a clue where they are.

"Huh?" asked Ash turning around. The young trainer was in a paranoid state. He and his Pokémon buddy Pikachu had long sensed that the being wasn't far away.

"You know where we're at, right Ash?" asked Haruka nervously. She clung tighter to Brock's arm causing the poor boy to have a near heart attack.

"Uh yeah," said Ash nodding then quickly turned around.

"Told ya. We aren't lost," said Brock. He held a large lump in his throat. He knew that sooner or later the being would on their tails. All their Pokemon were tired and didn't have an ounce of energy left to battle.

"Pi ka," said the yellow rodent in Ash's hands. Ash looked down and saw that Pikachu's eyes were filled with worry. Tiny strikes of electricity came from Pikachu's cheeks as it grumbled and whimpered loudly

"This isn't good," thought Ash.

"What is it?" asked Ash almost afraid to look up.

"Pi," whispered Pikachu. Ash sighed as he looked up. There in front of him was the evil being. Its form was a lot bigger than the last time Ash had met up with it. The being had grown. It had grown a lot. Unlike last time when it was a mere, jelly puddle, this time it held a more recognizable shape.

Words didn't fit in Ash's mouth, as all his brain could tell him to do was run, and run was what he did. The moment Misty and Brock saw Ash running, they both knew. They knew that the being was behind them. Brock pulled Haruka after him as Misty caught up with Ash.

"Ash," shouted Misty quickly. The boy turned around. His face with petrified as all he could say was run. Ash knew the being was behind him and would soon finish them off. A cross road was before them where a large oak had spilt in half.

"Which way?" asked Brock urgently. He too began to hear the pounding in his eardrums as Ash stood still at the joint of the two roads. He quickly turned around and spotted the being. "You guys take the left fork. I'll take the right," shouted Ash. "We'll meet in Pallet if I live," said Ash murmuring the last part to himself.

"What?" asked Misty.

"Go left," instructed Ash.

"No! I'm coming with you Ash," said Misty stubbornly.

"We don't have time to argue," snapped Ash.

"Brock and Haruka will go left. I'm coming with you," said Misty.

"Fine," said Ash nodding. "Go!" shouted Ash to Brock. The boy nodded as he gave Ash a pat on the back. Somehow he knew that one of them might not come out alive.

"Good luck," whispered Brock. Ash nodded as Brock took off for the left with Haruka. Ash waited a couple of minutes till the two was out of sight before cutting into the right fork with Misty.

"Misty, we know we might not make it back right?" asked Ash worriedly.

Misty nodded for she knew that the being would come this way. It always went right.

"Come on," said Ash pulling Misty farther and farther into the ever grove.

"You think we'll ever see Haruka and Brock again?" asked Misty.

"Don't think like that Mist. We'll see them again. We've been though, so many adventures that were all life threatening and lived though them all. We'll get through this one too Mist." Ash smiled as he looked on ahead. His face was determined as Misty sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Misty nodding.

The two young trainers ran for hours though the under grove. Misty watched with much fancy that for once Ash looked like he knew where he was going. Never in her six years of traveling with Ash had she seen Ash so wilderness effective.

"Ash," said Misty breaking the uneasy silence between them. Misty knew to keep quiet. Out of the four, Ash had the best hearing ability to hear the being.

"Yeah?" asked Ash turning his head.

"How do you know where to go?" asked Misty curiously.

"Oh, you know we're near the outskirts of Pallet right?" asked Ash.

"Course," said Misty nodding.

"Well let's just say before I started my Pokemon training I loved the wilderness. I loved to go exploring and hiking though the forest around Pallet. I could bet anyone in Pallet that I knew the forest of Pallet better than anyone out there did. I knew Pallet better then someone who had lived there for more than sixty years," said Ash proudly.

Misty nodded as beads of sweat leaked from her forehead. Even though Ash was doing most of the running, and he was pulling Pikachu, Togepi, and her. Misty still felt awfully tired.

"Ash, I can't go on," whimpered Misty. She knew her words sounded labored

"Yeah, it is getting late. I think the being is at least, a nightfall's distance from us. We'll stay in that big tree up ahead," said Ash. Misty nodded for she knew relief from running anymore was only a short distance away.

Ash quickly threw his and Misty's backpacks on a tree before letting the exhausted and a bent out of shape Pikachu climb on the tree first. Ash gave Pikachu a signal for him to climb to the top before helping Misty up the tree. Ash had Pikachu take Togepi, so it would be easier for Misty to climb. Which to the two trainers delight the top wasn't that far, and soon they were all nicely settled on a thick branch.

"We're sleeping on a tree?" asked Misty.

Ash nodded as he drugged into his backpack. "Sure, where else are we suppose to sleep at? You don't want to be down on the ground where the being got easily destroy you, now would you?" asked Ash teasingly.

"No, but how do you sleep on a tree?" asked Misty curiously.

"You never slept on a tree before?" asked Ash.

"I never even climbed on a tree before today," said Misty.

"No wonder. Well, I use to sleep on trees a lot. It's really easy actually." Ash grinned when he found what he was looking for. In his hand were two long leather straps and the bottom of a baby string.

"Ash!"

"What?" asked Ash curiously.

"Why did you destroy two swings?" asked Misty.

"What?" Ash looked down and smiled at what he guess Misty was talking about.

"I guess you must mean my invention. I made it the first time when I was six and was forced to sleep on a tree. The first night I nearly fell out of the tree. The second night I knew I couldn't repeat history once more, so I made these."

"And they are what?" asked Misty, her eyes bunging out from curiosity.

"You'll see." Ash grinned as the tied the top of the straps of leather to a thick branch then let the bottom half swing below. "Now you get in this part," said Ash motioning to the part that Misty thought was the bottom half of a kiddy swing.

"Ash, you're nuts right?" asked Misty horrified. "I ain't going to dangling from a tree all night when an evil being is roaming the streets under me."

"Fine, whatever you say Misty. Either this or the prospect of falling off the tree and right into the evil being's waiting arms." Ash grinned for he knew he had got to Misty.

"Fine," moaned Misty. Ash helped her into one of the straps as Ash tied Pikachu and Togepi both to another one. Ash then tied himself down before digging back into his backpack.

"What you look for?" asked Misty curiously.

"Our food supply," said Ash. He grinned as he pulled out two sandwiches. He handed one to Misty then found two bowls and a can of poke chow and presented it to the two-tired Pokemon. The small group dug into their dinner without a fear in the world. Even though it was only a fortnight's walk before the evil being would be on them, they still weren't that worried

"You're the best, Ash," said Misty. She finished her sandwich and gave the wrapper back to Ash who disposed of it according.

"Nah, I can't take all the credit for it. Brock made it for us last night after you fell asleep. Next time we meet up with him and Haruka, we got to make sure we say thank 'em," said Ash.

"Yeah, if we see them again," mumbled Misty.

"Don't be so negative Misty. If you believe you'll see them again, then you will."

"How can you be so positive right now with an creature chasing us?"

"Easy, all you have to pretend is its Team Rocket and not a blood sucking monster," said Ash grinning. The remake caused Misty to burst into fits of laughter.

"I wonder what happened to them," said Misty.

"Yeah, I kind of wish Jessie, James, and Meowth were back. They're much easier to deal with them, then the new gang Team Magmar and Team Aqua."

"Well, haven't seen any of them since… well since forever I guess."

"Yeah, well we can't have it all, I guess." Ash smiled as he laid on one of the branches as Misty did the same.

"The view's beautiful up here," said Misty with wonderment.

"Yeah, we'll much closer to the heavens then on land. I use to love the treetops when I was young. Before my dad died, he promised me that if I looked up in the sky. He'd be there with all the other Pokémon Masters. I use to stand by my window for hours glazing up at the stars and looking for my dad's star. I use to dream of being up there someday with him in the stars with all the other famous Pokémon Masters."

"And that you will be, Ash," said Misty.

"Yeah, we can all get back to training after all this is over. I really want to finish the Advance League," said Ash.

"You will." Misty sighed. She turned to face Ash and saw that he was no longing looking at her. Instead he was glazing straight up at the stars. "You find your dad's star?"

"Uh huh. Right there," said Ash pointing to one of the brightest stars in the heavens. "If you look at it closely, you'll see it makes one of the last sides of a thunderbolt."

Misty cocked her head as she tried to see Ash's imagination. She grinned and sat up. "Yeah, I see it, and there's room for one more star too."

"No, two more you and me. Someday we'll both be up there in the stars together. We'll be together forever in our life on Earth and in afterlife."

"Oh Ash." Misty squinted her eyes for she felt tears coming out of them. Ash smiled as he turned to face Misty. Gently he stretched his hand out and brushed the tear streaks from her eyes.

"Come on, let's try to get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day," said Ash with much enthusiasm.

"You mean, another day of running." Misty sighed.

"Yeah, you could put it like that. But remember positive attitude counts," said Ash grinning.

"Right. Hold me tonight, won't you?" asked Misty. Ash smiled hoping that Misty would say that. Gently he enwrapped his arms around her.

"Sweet dreams, Mist," whispered Ash. Misty nodded as two trainers fell into deep sleep as the near full moon rose over them.

*********

The bright sunlight awoke Ash as did the loud thumping in his ears. Ash quickly looked down and nearly screamed at what he saw. The being was right under them. The dark figure, even without a clear face, Ash could tell was nothing more than plain merciful. There was no sign of sympathy what so ever.

"Misty wake up," said Ash gently. He shook Misty awoke and quickly silenced her. Ash turned around and found both Pikachu and Togepi awake and was indulge in a small game of chase. Ash smiled before unbuckling the swing from himself, Misty, Pikachu and Togepi. He swiftly put the back in his backpack before picking up Pikachu then gave Misty her stuff.

"Come on. We don't have time to eat or anything. I can feel that the being is close in finding a way to climb up here."

"What do we do?" asked Misty, her voice mast with those of fear.

"We jump across the next three trees then land on the ground."

"And what if the being catches up with us?"

"I'm praying that the being hasn't gain its smarts yet, and won't notice we're gone. Come on," said Ash urgently. He pulled out a rope and lassoes the next tree. Ash tug on it to make sure it was safe before motioning Misty to get on. He flung her out and waited till Misty grabbed hold of the next tree before sending him the rope back. Ash took hold of Togepi while Pikachu clung to his head and swung to the other side to join Misty. The next two trees won't that difficult and soon the two trainers landed safety in one piece at the bottom.

"Ouch," moaned Misty when she took her first step.

"What's wrong?" asked Ash worriedly.

"I think I twisted my ankle when we landed. Ash, go on. I can't walk another step," moaned Misty.

"Yes, you can you must."

"Ash, I can't," moaned Misty with much more pain in her voice this time.

"Here, take Pikachu," said Ash. Misty gave Ash a questionable look before agreeing. To Misty surprise and secretly those of delight, Ash picked her up and started running.

"Ash! Stop!" said Misty with much concern in her voice.

"Why?" asked Ash questionably.

"I'm slowing you down. One of us has to leave, and it has to be you Ash. This world needs you more than me," said Misty.

"No, I couldn't leave without you."

"But…" Before Misty could possibly continue Ash silence her with a kiss.

"Ash," murmured Misty.

"Yes, I love you Misty Waterflower, and when we get out of this will you marry me?" asked Ash.

"Oh yes," said Misty. Her heart was full of delight as her childhood wish of marrying Ash was finally coming true.

"Good, then you'll listen to me this once?" asked Ash. Misty immediately snapped out of her fancy as she looked up and saw Ash with a stern look on his face.

"I want you to go left here. There's a fork here, and I know it'll lead you to Brock and Haruka," said Ash.

"No! I won't leave you," said Misty sternly.

"Yes, you must Misty. You can't run, and you must live. If I don't destroy this being, we'll never have any peace. You want to have peace in our lives again don't you?" asked Ash.

"Of course, but I also want you," said Misty.

"I swear to you Misty Waterflower. I will live, and we will get married. But to do that you must live. I'll come back when it's safe again," said Ash.

"All right," said Misty nodding. "But what if you're wrong Ash? What if we lost the being ages ago?"

"We didn't Mist. I still hear it. Remember last night when I told you about positive attitudes?" asked Ash.

"Yeah, but it's hard," moaned Misty.

"Well, remember that if you're positive about meeting each other again, then we will. Remember Misty when life is too hard look at the stars. They will always guide you," said Ash. He clasped his hand around Misty's then sighed

"Ash, when will it be safe again?"

"Cause I'll be home," said Ash smiling.

"No, I want to know before I see you. Give me a sign," said Misty.

"All right, Mist. Before I see you, look upon the heavens and you will see my sign, the sign of the thunderbolt," said Ash nodding.

"All right," said Misty. "You promise."

"Ash Ketchum, all ways keeps his promises," said Ash grinning.

A/N: What do you think so far? Should I continue? Also this chapter has almost nothing to do with chapter 1 it just tells what happened before the actual story starts.