Hey there,

The next chapter of the Master Challenge should be up on the 5th. Since the 4th is a holiday in the U.S. But here's a little oneshot to hold some of you over :D

I know some of you have been wanting Misty's oneshot and here it is :)

I certainly hope you like it, Enjoy!

ZZZZ

She could remember dolls, pink dresses, dancing and tea parties, but they seemed so foreign. She had these memories but she had been so young that they didn't seem like hers, then… there was- Mom…

Her sisters had gone through the same process. Princesses, dolls ,and tea parties turned into bikes and fishing. They were daddy's girls. Then in their preteen years they started talking about boys, wearing make-up, talking about water shows and less about battling. Misty was stubborn and was at the daddy's girl stage. She loved her mom and sisters dearly but she wondered how they could act so silly about shopping and doing girly things.

She would never forget the day… The day she learned the power pokemon can have and that she wasn't as tough as she thought she was.

zzz

"But Daddy! You said you would play battle with me," A young Misty, no more than four or five, spoke loudly as her father marched through the gym's kitchen and grabbed his suit coat from the coat hanger.

"I know sweetie but something's come up at the office. Remember what I told you before I became mayor? It's a busy job," Misty's father spoke and gave his youngest daughter a sweet and slightly sad smile. He was Richard Waterflower, Waterflower being a very very old name within his family that went back hundreds of years. He had brown well-groomed hair and shared Misty's ocean colored irises. He fixed his coat and cuffs before patting Misty on the head, "How about you swim with your mother and sisters?"

"They're practicing some kinda play, yuck," Misty grumbled and stuck out her tongue.

"Aw don't be that way darling, you might like it. Bye now," Richard chuckled and leaned down to kiss Misty's cheek. As the man walked out the door, Misty huffed in annoyance and stalked away. She walked back to where the aquariums were. The pokemon, that her mother and sisters weren't swimming with, would be there. She walked along the hall, looking at each case with various pokemon swimming in them, trying to see how many she could name. She came to the end of the hall and stopped when she saw a different case. It was darker. She remembered that her mother had recently received a new pokemon from Nurse Joy. It was a vicious sort like most Gyarados were. Her mother, Misteria, used to have one before but she had told Misty that she had given it to a friend for save keeping years ago.

Misty furrowed her brow. She wanted to see this big monster. Her sisters used to tell her how she had crawled into a Gyarados' mouth once. That couldn't be real though, right? She would've been eaten. She walked over to steps that led up behind the tank and elevated her halfway up the tank. Misty tried to look over into the water but could see nothing but murkiness behind the glass. She huffed and leaned on the small control panel next to her. She heard a click and the lights in the tank came on to show a truly monstrous serpent curled up. She froze in pure terror when its eyelids slid open and its pupils contracted in fury. She had definitely been face to face with this beast before, even if she couldn't remember. The serpent rose and started trashing viciously within the tank, bashing against the glass walls.

The rest happened… so quick.

Misty's mother ran in to see what was wrong and ran forward to grab Misty as the Gyarados slammed against the glass and broke it, water rushed towards them, Misty's mom protected Misty with her body acting as a shield… then… black.

zzz

"…"

"I think she moved!"

"Easy sir, you might startle her."

"But… ah-alright…"

"She's stable… She should be okay."

Misty opened her eyes slowly and was almost blinded by the lights above her. She slowly blinked her eyes enough until she got used to the lights. She saw a white room with people all around. Then she saw her father's face; he looked slightly pale and his eyes were bloodshot as if he had been crying.

"Daddy?" Misty asked though her voice was hoarse.

"Yeah, baby, I'm here," Richard smiled somewhat sorrowfully and stroked her face. She felt so tired and started to drift into sleep again.

"Tell momma I'm sorry," Misty mumbled as she faded. She would never forget the pain that flashed through her father's face after she spoke.

zzz

It was a few days later that she was allowed to go home and it was the first time she saw her sisters after those days. Her father carried her into the house. She saw her grandmother talking to her sisters at the table. She finally asked the question that had been bothering her.

"Daddy, where's momma?" Misty asked quietly. She looked at the table again and saw her father's mother look away and start ushering her sisters out of the kitchen. She saw some sort of anger pass from her sisters' eyes to her in their gaze, before they disappeared with her grandma. "Are my sisters mad at me?"

Richard sat Misty down carefully on his knee once he took a seat himself. He looked Misty right in the eyes, "No baby, they're just sad."

"Why?"

Richard's eyes watered slightly, "Baby, do you remember what happened with the Gyarados?"

Misty's body shivered against her will at the mention of that beast. She had already had begun having nightmares of it slithering towards her with its mouth wide. She didn't want to even think about it, "It broke the tank."

Richard nodded, "Your mom ran in there to help you and well she did, but… Misty darling… your mother isn't coming home."

"You mean she left us!?" Misty's eyes watered, "No! I didn't mean to make her mad! I promise! I'll never ever go to the tanks again! I'll even help with that play!"

Richard soothed Misty, "No sweetie… She's not mad… no… no…"

"What do you mean?" Misty whimpered with tears still on her lashes.

"She… that Gyarados hurt her really badly. She's gone to heaven now," Richard whispered.

Misty shook her head.

"Kinda like that old Dewgong that had to go away…" He explained.

Misty's mouth opened wide and she started to cry and wail. All Richard could do was hold her and cry himself.

zzz

-clink-

"…"

-clink—clink-

"Misty…"

-clink-

"Don't play with your cereal. It'll get soggy, sweetheart," Misty's grandma expressed and sat down beside the young girl. It had been a week or so since the funeral and Misty wasn't sure what to do anymore. She did have one concern however.

"What will happen to the gym, grandma?" Misty asked quietly.

Elizabeth, Misty's grandma, sighed and then smiled, "Your sisters really want to keep it open. They're training with a family friend so that they can take the reins. Then maybe one day you can help them too."

Misty nodded quietly before putting down her spoon and growing still, "Grandma…"

"Yes dear?"

Misty looked up at her grandmother with more convention than a five year old should have, "One day I'm going to be the best water pokemon trainer, ever! For momma, because that's what she wanted so much! She loved water pokemon and never got to be an elite four member."

Elizabeth smiled softly, "One step at a time sweetheart."

"Until then… until that day… I'm going to make sure the gym stays strong," Misty nodded.

With those words a dream was born…

zzz

She would never forget her promise. For a while, Misty felt her sisters blamed her for their mother's death, but that seemed to fade away for the most part. She got angry when her sisters seemed to not take running the gym serious. Her father continued as the mayor of Cerulean and after his terms came to an end, he continued working for the city in City Hall. Finally Misty got angry enough at her sisters to run… and run… and run… until she decided to go fishing on Route one.

ZZZZ

So I hope I did okay. Her sisters were mad but not for very long. I'm not one to make her sisters out as truly bad people. Silly, yes. Mean, sometimes. Bad? no. :)

So there you have it, folks. My take on Misty's past. :3