ATTENTION, THIS IS A SEQUEL OF "THE FLAME AND THE EMBER"

Author's Note: Okay, let me start by saying I could not be any more nervous about this fic. I think your great reactions throughout "The flame and the ember" scared me. Left the bar too high for me to try to jump over to, and frankly, I'm terrified! So.. Don't be expecting the updates as quickly as they came in FAE (Sometimes two or three a week, yes I was nuts). But I just feel hopeless, It's like I have a mess of a story in my head, and I'm having the hardest time putting it in words, or rather, type it out. I know the big plot twists, where it's gonna be, the character developments, and climax of the story, but still I'm so frightened! xD

Hopefully you'll put up with me.

Rating: M (For language and stuff in latter chapters) Beware of rating.

Summary: Flames erupt again in Gary and Misty's life, a month after their departure from Pallet, as old friends return and new foes threaten to turn their relationship down to ashes.

Pairing: Gary x Misty. Egoshipping; Again, if you're not fond of it and think you can't open your mind to it, I suggest you don't read. If you read and still dislike it, and have nothing objective nor constructive to say; please, don't flame. Although I haven't had that problem, unleees... o0

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Bursting into flames

By Midnight Mist

Chapter 1: That hollow surprise

Taking out the car keys out of the engine, he ran a hand through his hair and smirked. He was still admiring his newest acquisition; and even though the car itself was much, much less luxurious than the other one he used to have, there was something quite eye snatching about it. Might have been the fact that it had no roof... nor actual doors, really.

Gary stepped out of his "safari" jeep in front of the Cerulean gym and yawned as he picked up the grocery bag and walked inside. Only the Waterflower sisters could forget to go to the supermarket until they woke up and found no breakfast. As he walked in, he was immediately greeted by Daisy, who practically snatched the food away from his arms making him sweatdrop, and dropping quite a few things to the ground.

"Oh my god, Food! We were, like, starving!" her high pitched voice greeted. At the mention of food, both Lily and Violet arrived to the scene looking in a haste to eat, and soon. Lily's face lit up at the glorious vision of the brown paper bag. "Far out! We, like, love you!" Lily gloated rummaging through the bag and taking out a candy bar.

Violet laughed as her sister started to pig out in the middle of the entrance hall. "yeah, you're like, the best boyfriend Misty's had"

Gary raised an eyebrow, wearing an amused smirk on his lips. "I'm the only boyfriend Misty's had"

"Which instantly makes you the best one, Isn't that awesome!" Daisy winked as she motioned with her head the kitchen, Lily and Violet started to pack the mess of groceries on the floor and scurried off to the kitchen hugging the paper bag. Daisy rolled her eyes childishly chewing her gum.

"Speaking of, where is she?" Gary inquired looking. Gary knew she was awake, after all, it had been her best puppy dog eyes that had made him comply and go grocery shopping at 9am. She had sneaked to his room and started to poke him in the ribs, and then, impatient as she was, she pushed him off the bed, making him startle awake once he had hit the ground. His eyes darted around the entrance hall expecting to see the red headed girl, and Daisy smirked.

"Some new kid got here insanely early and demanded a fight, she's probably battling him, like, now" Daisy said with a sigh. "Well, I'm SO off to eat, drag Misty to the kitchen when she's done, we'll have breakfast ready for ya guys!"

Gary just nodded, as he watched her leave. As soon as he found himself alone in the entrance hall he walked towards the door that connected to the Cerulean battling arena, but before he could even reach it, it sprung open, and he stepped back, dodging the door slap he almost got.

A kid, wearing a baseball cap over his curly blonde hair walked out, snickering madly. Gary Oak just stood there, bewildered. "Hey kid, what happened, did you win the badge?" Gary asked; he knew how cranky Misty got when starter trainers beat her in her gym, seeing the kid start to laugh.

"No" The kid chuckled. "She kicked my ass" he said bluntly as another fit of laughter erupted from him. The blonde jogged to the exit, still chuckling and leaving a very perplexed Gary behind. Gary frowned, and opened the door, making his way to the battling arena, that also served the gym as a pool for the water pokemon.

He almost winced as he found himself in front of the door that lead to the pool. He didn't know what to expect, but as he twisted the knob and flung open the door, he gaped.

Misty stood in the side of the pool, cursing under her breath, completely wet and soaked to the bone. His eyes widened as he mentally chanted not to laugh, or she would kill him in a flash. Misty, hearing the sound of the door, looked embarrassed as she found Gary to be there, wearing a strange expression on his face.

"Don't laugh" She warned, raising her fist as a warning.

Gary threw his arms up, practically waving a white flag. He inhaled deeply, trying to keep his laughter at bay as she tried to squeeze the water out of her hair. "What happened?"

She glared at him for a minute for forcing her to tell the story, and he flashed an innocent smile that stole the tiniest chuckle out of her, breaking her crankiness for a split second. She pouted. "I was about to win an easy battle with some kid... When I ordered Staryu to use tackle, I kinda motioned forward too strongly... "

Gary approached her, once she stopped talking and searched her eyes that seemed to dodge everywhere in embarrassment. "...and?"

She glared at him again, making him grin. "I lost my balance, okay? I fell into the pool." Misty pouted and crossed her arms, huffing and shook her head, making water splatter all around. Gary unconsciously stepped back to avoid getting wet, something she took notice of. A sly grin settled on her lips. "I... I just need a..."

Gary raised her eyebrow. She was up to no good.

"HUG!" she yelled out, opening her arms and started to chase a running Gary to the exit door. "Stay away from me, Crazy!" he yelled back, running with all his might.

This girl was a seriously fast runner, so when he felt her feather arms wrap around his torso he instantly desisted his attempt of escape. Slumping his shoulders and lowering his head, he sighed as he felt her soaked clothes wet his own, and slowly turned around to face her. Misty smiled, evilly, and hugged him again, resting her drenched hair on his neck on purpose. He sighed, and rolled his eyes, reluctantly patting her back lightly. "There, there..." he said, amusedly annoyed.

Misty released the bear grip on him and let him go, opportunity he took to breathe properly again and check the damage done. Gary sweatdropped; he was very much wet, and it made his clothes stick to his skin. Glaring at the red head, he remembered breakfast.

"Right, breakfast, are you hungry?"

Misty's eyes widened, forgetting the entire pool incident. "I'M STARVING!" She took his hand and ran to the exit door, dragging him to the kitchen, and not the other way around as Daisy had first suggested. They crossed the gym at a record speed, and stumbled into the kitchen to find Daisy, Violet, and Lily eating their weight on waffles.

Lily raised a suspicious eyebrow as she saw the couple enter the kitchen. "Hey!" She said through a mouthful of food. "No making out in the pool!" she scolded failing miserably at being upset.

Gary opened his mouth to protest but flustered for a quick second, before regaining his composure. "We didn't make out in the pool" he said, calmly as he took a seat down next to Misty in the kitchen table and saw her grin evilly. He glared at Misty, she was trying to embarrass him back, wasn't she? "... Much" He added, and grinned victoriously as he saw Misty's eyes widen and blush. Before she could utter her indignation out loud, she heard Violet giggle, and Daisy put down her fork loudly.

Daisy covered her ears "Oh my god, Lily! I SO don't want to know this!"

Violet sneered. "Oh come on, you prudes!" she chuckled, as she snatched the cereal box and re filled her bowl. "Misty's a grown girl now, she can make out with her boyfriend in the pool if she wants to!"

"Gahh!" Daisy protested pressing her hands against her ears harder.

Misty blushed a deeper shade of red. "We were not maki---"

The ringing of the phone in the next room unsettled the already awkward conversation, Daisy uncovered her ears, breathing out a sigh of relief. Lily just shook her head trying to shake the subject out of her head, as Gary looked at the four sisters not even trying to hide his amusement. Lily cracked her neck to one side and got up to answer the phone, in the next room.

Silence settled on the table as everyone resumed their eating activities in silence again, but it was broken yet again as Lily peeked her head through the door. "Gary, she says she's your sister...?" Lily announced, motioning him to come to attend to the phone. Gary and Misty both shared a questioning glance, as the brunette stood up from the table and made his way across the room. Lily let him through and soon returned to the breakfast table.

Misty took another bite out of her sandwich. It was weird, they had been in Cerulean for almost a month, yes, longer than expected, but May had never called, she did send an unbelievable number of handwritten letters... May often said they were much more personal than a phone call. What could she want that was so urgent?

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"Hey, stupid" the brunette greeted as Gary showed up in her screen, with a hint of bitterness staining her usual cheery voice.

"May? This is odd" Gary questioned, instantly suspicious. May seemed fidgety, and she let out a shaky breath. Gary raised an eyebrow, noticing her distress. A moment of silence went by "May? What's wrong?"

May remained silent for a couple of seconds, and let out yet another breath. "Gary, you have to come home"

Gary's heart almost came to a halt, fearing the worst. "Is Grandpa okay?" he immediately questioned.

May frowned. "Yeah he's okay" she said, visibly relaxing a little "Why wouldn't he be?" May added with a genuinely confused expression. "Gees, Gary, he's not THAT old"

Gary let out a breath, as he felt his heart start beating again. "Okay then, then why exactly do I HAVE to go home?" a glint of mockery seeped into his voice.

And there it was, the nervous edge he had spotted again earlier in the conversation surfacing in her. May sighed again and darted her eyes around the room.

"Gary... "She started. "They came home, they arrived... you know..." she drifted off for a split second

"...Our parents" May added after a pause.

Gary's eyes petrified, as he felt a wave of indescribable feelings wash over him, stealing the expression out of his blue eyes. He knew it was bound to happen, he knew they would return someday, ever since their departure; eight ago, and was reminded again of such fact three, no, almost four years ago when they last heard of them.

But knowing such inevitabilities does not mean you'll be ready for them when they finally arrive.

And in that instant, there was nothing truer in Gary's life.

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Author's Note: Muahaha, evil me. Who thought this sequel was going to be about Cerulean or Professor Oak? Muaha, raise your hands! I was toying around with the thought of Gary's parents returning home before I finished FAE: But it was too long of an arc to even HINT in that story.

So... Comments?

Please review!

A little welcome back present for you!

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Midnight Mist