*Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin but dis story.

The flame from the fire glowed bright as the shadows of the darkness fell over the forest. Ash, Misty, and Tracey sat around the fire. They could feel it pulse through their veins. Tracey knew he was standing in the middle of it, but he didn't know where to go, he couldn't leave them, not after all the things they shared together.

Silence was the only thing they could hear aside from the chirps of the crickets and the popping of the wood in the flames.

Tracey finally broke the silence, "Guys, I'm just going to get some water from that stream over there, okay?"

Silence.

"Okay, then I'm just gonna... go," he stopped talking and hurried out of the eerie silence. Pikachu jumped up and followed him.

When their footsteps could no longer be heard, Misty sat right next to Ash. "So, what are you thinking about?" asked Misty.

"I don't know, I'm not sure about anything anymore... except..."Ash's voice trailed off.

"Except what Ash?" Misty asked, pressing deeper into his thoughts.

"Except that I... I... love you.

As their faces neared each other's, footsteps could be heard from behind them once again.

They quickly stopped themselves. Tracey popped his head into their little camp and asked, "Hey, which way is the stream, anyways?"

Silence.

"Okay, I'm just gonna go out and look for it myself," he said.

"Pika pika?" asked Pikachu.

"Of course I'll bring you along, come on." Once again they walked away.

Ash began laughing a little.

"What's so funny?" asked Misty.

"It's just that we can't hide it anymore," replied Ash, "Tracey tries as hard as he can to stop getting in the way, but he always does."

Misty began to laugh a little, too.

They suddenly stopped and looked intently at each other. Their face neared, once again.

In the distance, lightening shone bright.

Ash stopped himself and quickly turned toward it. "Misty, Pikachu and Tracey are in trouble!"

Misty shook herself awake from the sudden momentary feeling and entered a whole new perspective. She stood up, next to Ash.

"Come on, Misty, we have to go help them," Ash said. They began to run toward the stream where Tracey had gone.

When they got there, a hot-air balloon shaped like a Meowth's head was floating overhead. Once again, Team Rocket held Pikachu in a glass case high above on the hot-air balloon.

"Guys... help," a tiny voice to their right begged.

They turned, and saw Tracey's legs were trapped under a fallen, heavy tree branch that had been knocked down by Team Rocket's balloon. Tracey couldn't move his legs. Ash knew he had to make the decision whether to help Tracey or to save Pikachu.

Ash commanded, "Misty, you go help Tracey and I'll go save Pikachu."

"But Ash..." she pleaded, but he had already gone after Team Rocket's balloon.

Misty ran to where Tracey lay and knelt down next to him. "Are you okay? Can you move your legs?" asked Misty.

"I can't feel my legs," Tracey answered.

Misty thought, 'Oh, this is worse than I thought. Could his legs be broken.' "Just hold on, I'll go get help."

Tracey grabbed her arm before she could stand up. "Misty, don't leave me... it hurts so bad," he cried.

Misty knelt back down. She put her hand on his head and said, "It's okay, Tracey. It'll be all okay in the end."

Ash came running back with Pikachu following behind him. He ran to Misty and asked, "Is he okay?"

Misty looked up at Ash with worried eyes, "I think his legs... are broken. Ash... you have to go get help. Run to the nearest Pokémon Center."

Ash nodded and began to run.

Misty stood up and shouted, "Hurry!"

She sat back down and looked at Tracey. His eyes looked heavy. "Tracey, stay with me. Don't give up now. Stay awake!"

"Misty... I can't... I'm so sleepy..."

Misty hurried to the stream and scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on Tracey. Tracey eyes pried open. She did the best she could to keep him awake.

After almost an hour, Ash came back with Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy in an ambulance. Officer Jenny hurried out of the ambulance and inspected the fallen tree limb and Tracey's legs. She let out an audible, "Oh dear!"

Officer Jenny walked to Nurse Joy, who had just stepped out of the ambulance, and whispered, "I think the boy's legs are crushed under the weight of the branch."

Nurse Joy nodded and turned back to the ambulance and said, "Come on, Chansey."

The Chansey jumped down and followed Nurse Joy.

Ash walked up to Misty and asked, "So, how's he doing?"

"Not so good," Misty replied.

"You two kids, go wait in the back of the ambulance," Officer Jenny commanded.

Ash and Misty did as they were told and waited patiently in the ambulance.

Almost a half an hour past, and Chansey finally cam in back, got the stretcher, and then Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy pushed Tracey, who was cover all in a blanket from neck to toes on the stretcher, in the back along with Chansey.

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's head and next to Chansey. He asked, "Pika pik chu?"

Chansey answered, "Chan chansey chan."

Pikachu said in aw, "Piiikk!"

Ash and Misty were still wondering if their friend would be all right. They sat in the back of the ambulance with Tracey as it zoomed to the Pokémon Center.

When they got to the Pokémon Center, the Chansey hauled Tracey off into the facility in a rush. Officer Jenny ordered Ash and Misty to stay in the waiting room. Ash was persistent in trying to ask her a few questions, but Officer Jenny was in too great of a hurry and Ash let it go for the time being because he knew it was for the better. They sat alone and silent for over an hour. Officer jenny came back and sat down next to Ash. Without looking up he asked, "Is... is Tracey gonna be alright?"

Officer Jenny replied, "This is a Pokémon Center... and.... we only have Pokémon medicine. This is the first human patient Nurse Joy and the Chansey have ever tried to treat. They don't have the right equipment to... to help him, but they have tried to run an X-ray on him with the Pokémon X-ray machine. They have concluded that the bones in his leg are very badly broken, but they can't do anything about it. That's why we need your help... if we can't brace his legs, he will be crippled for the rest of his life. We need to get braces for his legs, but we can't get it shipped here until next week, and by then his bones might be growing together again..."

"But isn't that what we want to happen?" asked Misty.

"Yes... but if it does grow in like that... without bracing... it'll be as bad as if it had never grown in at all. So we need you two to go to the nearest hospital- which is 15 miles away- and get a brace and a few other stuff," she gave them a piece of paper with names of materials on it, "and you have to hurry back here if you want your friend to get any better."

"Why can't you go and drive the fifteen miles and get all this stuff yourself... it would be faster that way," stated Ash.

"I would... but I can't... there is no road to the next town. The only trail is the path which most trainers take to get to the next gym or catch Pokémon. And I cannot get them because I have to help Nurse Joy tend to Tracey because she cannot take care of him all the time... she also has to help the sick Pokémon. So, you have to head off now if you are going to get back here in time," Officer Jenny replied.

Ash got up and ran out the door with Pikachu not too far behind. Misty got up and started after them, then when she got to the door, she waved bye to Officer Jenny.

"Ash, wait up," Misty shouted.

"I need to help Tracey... just stay at the Pokémon Center. I'll be back as soon as possible," Ash shouted back.

"But Ash..." Misty was about to say, but he was out of hearing range. "Keep safe my dear Ash," she whispered to herself.

She couldn't bear being without Ash; she hadn't been away from him for so long since she first met him back in Cerulean City. She just sat on the couch in the middle of the Pokémon Center lobby waiting for Ash to come. A few hours had passed and he hadn't come back yet, and she knew he wouldn't be back for another day or so. Just as she was beginning to drift off into her safe, little dream world, when a voice came from the entrance that shouted with crazed-love, "Nurse Joy.... Officer Jenny!"

"Brock," Misty said in amazement.

"Misty?" Brock said with the same amount of shock. "Where's Officer Jenny and... and Nurse Joy?"

"They're in the back... don't think for a second, Brock Slate, that I will go back there and get them for you 'cuz I won't!" Misty stated with strength.

"Oh, that's fine. I'll probably see them tomorrow anyway," said Brock, sounding miserable. He bounced to happiness again and asked, "So, what brings you here?"

"What brings me here... what brings you here?! I mean Ash goes around trying to..." she started.

"Speaking of Ash, where is he anyway?"

"He's out... getting medicine and other stuff for Tracey," replied Misty with sadness.

"Tracey? What happened to him?" Brock asked with curiosity.

"His legs got crushed... and... and we're trying to help Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy by getting the materials that they need to bring him back to good health, but they couldn't get it themselves because they still have to tend to the sick Pokémon."

"So, Ash is finally braving the wild outdoors all by himself... he won't be able to handle that even for a minute," stated Brock with a hint of mockery in his voice.

Misty quickly stood up and took him by the shirt, threatening to hurt him with only the look in her eyes. Her senses caught up to what she was doing and she let go of him and stared at the ground and whispered," I'm sorry," with a look of sadness that rips out peoples hearts with sorrow.

"Mi... Misty? Are you all right?" Brock asked. She didn't reply. "Hey, I'm sorry... I didn't mean that... you know me... Brock the joker. What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Ash?"

"Ash... why?" Misty mumbled to herself.

"Misty..." Brock tried. "Hello..."

Tears began pouring down Misty's eyes and Brock tried to comfort her as much as he could with so little information on why she was crying. She sat back down onto the couch and put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. Brock sat down with her and put his arm around her. With consideration of time, Misty finally drifted off to that safe dream world of hers lying on Brock's lap.

Ash ran with all his might with Pikachu not too far. "Pikaa," shouted Pikachu.

"I can't, I have to keep going..." Ash replied, as he tripped and fell into the mud.

"Pika pika?" asked Pikachu.

"Yes, Pikachu, I'm fine. Just a little trip," he said, getting up and running again.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted.

"I'll be alright. I only need about 5 more miles. Don't worry about me, Pikachu," Ash said.

Ash pushed on, running through the thick brush. It had already four hours since he left the Pokémon Center.

"Hey, look... there are the twerps," said Jessie as she looked inside one of the windows of the Pokémon Center.

"Should we try stealin' Pikachu again?" asked Meowth in a whisper.

"Of course!" whispered Jessie in a reply. "And while we're at it, we'll steal the rest of the Pokémon."

"But what if Officer Jenny is inside?" asked James.

"Who cares?" Jessie angrily replied as she dragged James with her.

When they got inside, it was almost pitch black. "Jessie? Jessie? Where are you... I can't see anything!" James complained"

"Keep quiet of I'll make sure you don't see anything even when there's light!" Jessie retorted.

"Hey, Jess..." began Meowth.

"Meowth, keep quiet!"

"But..."

"Meowth!"

"There are only two of 'em," Meowth said above a whisper.

Brock moved a little, but neither of them woke up or showed any signs of it. "Isn't that the girlfriend of the twerp that has Pikachu and isn't that the twerp that left?"

"Yeah, they are... but where's the twerp with the Pikachu and why are THEY the ones together?" Jessie wondered.

"Hey... it's dark, but how do you that they're sleeping?" asked James.

"Their eyes are closed! How else do you think we know they're sleeping?" replied Meowth.

"Yeah... but that guy's eyes are always closed," said James.

They stopped whispering and thought about that for a moment.

"There's someone coming!" Jessie stated.

They hide in the darkness, and Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny came out of the lightened room and Officer Jenny said, "I hope Ash gets back soon... Tracey is in real pain. But I hope Ash does not get hurt out there, it's quiet rough."

Nurse Joy nodded back in reply. They checked on the Misty, and then went back through the swinging doors. As the light from inside danced around, Jessie said," So that kid with the Pikachu is trying to get to that hospital we saw when we were in the balloon. That's a few miles away. We can get the Pikachu from him while he's all tired out!"

"Hmm," James let out with a look of deep thought on his face.

"What is it, James? Got a plan?" asked Meowth.

"That's the first time any of us has called any of them a different word aside from twerp."

Meowth hit him upside the head and said, "I knew you were a good for nothing! Jessie, why do we still keep him around?"

"I don't know. Just come on, we have to catch up to Pikachu and the twerp before they reach that hospital," Jessie exclaimed softly. They hurried to their hot air balloon.

"I think we're almost there, Pikachu," Ash said to his tired partner.

After 10 more minutes of walking, they finally got to the town. "Come on, Pikachu we have to hurry!"

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu replied, sounding very tired.

Ash put Pikachu on his head and started to run. They headed for the wide building with the red cross on it. When the entered, Ash exclaimed, "Help! Emergency!" When he reached the counter, he handed them the piece of paper and fainted.

When Ash woke up, the sun was beginning to come up and the thought, "Tracey!" ran through his mind.

He ran out of the room he was in and went to the front counter and said, "Emergency! I have to get all the things on this paper." He reached into his pocket, but couldn't find it. He searched through his other pockets, but couldn't find it anywhere.

"It's okay, Mr. Ketchum. We have all the materials you needed here," said the man behind the counter, taking out a bag and handing it to Ash.

"Thank you!" he said and hurried towards the door.

"Aren't you forgetting something, sir?" the man said, putting Pikachu on top of the counter.

Ash ran back to the counter, "Thank you," and started running again.

"Slow down before you hurt yourself!" the man shouted.

Ash ran for five miles straight, but then he became very tired. "Pika, pika!" Pikachu said to him.

"Yeah, maybe it is a good idea we rest here," Ash sat down, "Tracey isn't gonna get his bones growing in 5 minutes."

Pikachu looked into the bag with the medical stuff and took out a bottle of water. "Pika," said Pikachu.

"They put this in for me?" wondered Ash as Pikachu nodded. "They probably knew I'd run and get tired, again. I don't think they want me to faint again." Ash lay down on the grass and looked up at the blue sky, but blue soon turned into shadow. "Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed as he quickly stood up.

The hot air balloon hit the ground lightly and the three stepped out. "Prepare for trouble," Jessie said.

"And make it double," James said.

"To protect the world of devastation," Jessie said.

Pikachu shocked them before they could get another line out. Looking all charcoaled, Meowth let out an, "Ouch!"

Ash said, "You guys do know you don't protect the world from devastation and no one protects you from it, right?"

James sat on the floor and said, "He's right."

"I know, but don't let him know that!" Meowth said.

"Why do you guys always show up where I am?" Ash asked angrily.

"Well, we went to the Pokémon Center where that girl you're always with and her boyfriend are and Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny said that you were going to the hospital in the next town..." James started.

Meowth hit him upside the head again and shouted, "You don't have to tell him all the things we do!"

"I guess my plan didn't work... cuz we were supposed to catch up with the twerp before he got to the hospital," Jessie said, leaning against the base of the balloon.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"Well, before you went to the hospital, you were tired and it was would have been easier for us to seal Pik..."

"Not that... James said the girl I'm always with and her boyfriend. What did he mean?" asked Ash.

"We were confused about that, too. We thought she was your girlfriend... but I guess not," James said.

"Why are youz guys talking to him? Why don't youz just steal the Pikachu!" Meowth said.

"Because it's matters of the heart! When it's matters of the heart, anything can be put on hold!" Jessie replied.

A sweat drop ran down Meowth's head. "If you need me or any GOOD ideas, you'll find me in the balloon thing," Meowth said, walking towards the base of the balloon.

Jessie shook her head, "You're friend... the one that left..."

"The one that all the readers think looks blind," James joined in.

"Yeah, well, he had his arm around that girl you're always with, so we thought... you know... that they were..."

"Pikachu, come on! We have to hurry!" Ash said, beginning to run again. Pikachu followed silently.

Brock woke up. Misty was still sleeping on his arm. His felt his face suddenly get hot, but he made it go away. He tried to move his arm without waking up Misty, but she began to move. She opened her eyes, and Brock's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Brock," said Misty, as she turned away and her face became bright red.

Officer Jenny came through the swinging doors and said to them, "If you kids want breakfast, the kitchen is that way," pointing to her left, "We're sorry we didn't make you kids breakfast, but with all the Pokémon and Tracey, we just don't have enough time. So, you two enjoy your meal."

Brock, not willing to skip his chance, jumped up and held Officer Jenny's hands and said, "Will you care to join us then? I am a really good chef, I can make anything you wish."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't," she said, getting out of his grip. "Maybe next time." She went back through the swinging doors.

Brock turned back to Misty, who had stopped blushing, and said with a smile, "Let's go have breakfast."

They silently walked to the kitchen. When they got there, Brock started to cook and Misty just sat at the table, drifting away in her thoughts. Brock went to the refrigerator, letting the food fry for a little while. He turned to Misty and broke the silence, "Do you want milk or orange juice?"

"No, I can get it myself," she replied.

"Well, you have no other choices. Want milk?" he asked, already pouring her a glass. A few drops fell, but he didn't mind that much.

He went up to Misty and handed her the glass. "Thank you," she said.

He went back to his cooking, and was finished after a few more minutes. He took a plate and put the rolls on it and placed the plate on the table. As he headed back to the refrigerator to get a few more things, he slipped on the drops of milk, which he had forgotten to wipe up.

Misty hurried to his side and put his arm around her neck and helped him up. "Are you okay," Misty asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine," Brock said.

The door suddenly swung open, and Ash came through. "No... Team Rocket was telling me the truth. Misty..." he said, before he ran out again.

Misty was about to run after him, but when she let go of Brock, he nearly fell all the way to the ground again. She first helped him to the chair and ran to the front door. The sliding doors had just closed when she went through it. "Ash!!!" she shouted into the forest.