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Live Leads

Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!
The fiery, orange haired woman grumbles as she pries herself out from under her warm covers. Who could be calling her at this time in the morning? It's only 7:20! She sits up, feeling slightly confused and hazy. Her blue walls are spinning and the floor won't keep still long enough for her to stand straight.
Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!
She throws a pillow at the video phone monitor and screams at it, "I'M COMING." Although she's aware that it isn't voice activated, she is angry that it doesn't listen. When she finally feels stable enough to stand, she drags herself to her desk and takes a deep breath.
Ring ring ring! Ring ring- "Hello, you're speaking with Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader." She leaves the video off incase it's a stranger, but a familiar voice answers.
"Misty! It's me, Professor Oak! Tracey's here too." Quickly she turns on her video. It doesn't matter that she has bed head and she's in her pajamas. It's only Professor Oak and Tracey. Besides, they know how difficult this week is for her. When the screen fills with color, Professor Oak is the focus of the picture.
"Hi Misty!" Tracey waves from the background among the various lab equipment.
"Hi Professor, Tracey." Misty can't keep herself from yawning. "Why the wakeup call?"
"Misty, I need to tell you something very important." The professor hesitates, almost as if he will regret what he says next. "There was a report in Mauville, Hoenn, a few weeks back that someone had spotted Ash. I read over the report and it wasn't detailed enough to confirm that it was actually him. Ultimately, I set it aside."
Misty's heart was in torment. She had tried this week to keep her mind off of him. She couldn't afford the heartache. "Professor, I can't just hold on to dead leads! I can't keep thinking he might come back!" Tears begin to form in her eyes, she hadn't talked about him in so long.
"That's just it, Misty! I didn't tell you because I thought it was a dead lead. However, I received a new report just yesterday. At least fifteen people in Ecruteak claim they watched Ash Ketchum battle when a young trainer challenge him. They said he used a Charizard and a Raichu. They say he claimed he was Ash Ketchum and he looked like Ash."
With her mouth agape, she couldn't just accept this news. "It can't be him! He would never make Pikachu evolve!"
"Misty, you know that the only Pokémon that he had with him when he disappeared was Pikachu. And then when Charizard found out Ash was missing, he flew off with Typhlosion! Just think about it! They found Ash, Pikachu evolved into Raichu, and they're heading this way!"
Was it true? Is he coming home? Where had he been? What's he been doing? What happened to Pikachu? Misty sat in silent reflection for a few minutes and then decided she needed to be alone to think. She said goodbye to the professor and Tracey and switched off the computer. She then lay in her bed and finally resolved not to give into the temptation to believe he was coming back. I will believe it when he knocks on my doors.
Knock knock knock
The milliseconds between each knock feel like a million years each. Her breath catches in her throat and she shakily stands up. It can't be him. That only happens in movies.
Knock knock knock
She doesn't know if she should answer it. What if it is him? What if it's not?
She straightens up resolutely and rushes down the stairs as quickly as she can without tripping. In the semi-transparent window on her door, she can see the outline of a tall figure. It has to be him. Hope seeps back into her bones.
She pulls the door open frantically.
On the other side stands a very stunned Brock. He watches her, with her wide eyes, try to catch her breath and calm her rapid heartbeat.
"Brock!" Although she's disappointed that it's not Ash, she is happy to see her good friend. It was a long shot anyway.
"Hey Misty, why are you so out of breath?" She moves over so he can step passed her into the house. "Did you just work out or something?"
"What? Oh! No." She rushes him to the kitchen offers him the nearest chair. He watches her skeptically as she runs to the other side and sits across from him. "Brock! It's him! He's alive!"
Brock's eyes widen and suddenly he's completely invested in the conversation. "Wait what? How do you know?"
Suddenly, the part of Misty that was at all hesitant about Ash's possible return died entirely. Excitement buzzed through her and she could no longer sit still. She had completely convinced herself that he was gone and that he wasn't ever coming back. That had seemed like the easiest situation for her heart to believe. As much as she would have liked to believe he was coming back, she couldn't live with the disappointment every day when he didn't return. That phone call from Professor Oak was enough to spark something in Misty's heart.
"Professor Oak! He called! Ash was seen in Ecruteak and Mauville! It was definitely him! He battled with a Raichu and a Charizard! The crowd said it was him! Brock, he's coming home!" She finishes by jumping out of her chair and running to the window; as if he were about to show up any moment. She fidgets with a dish towel by the sink and pretends to be wiping up imaginary water.
"How do we know it was really him?" Brock tries not to get excited. If it wasn't him, it would be devastating for Misty.
She pauses momentarily and turns back towards him. "Because it has to be him." He glimpses a pained look on her face that passes quickly. She is putting all of her chips in and this time she feels lucky.
"But what if-"
"There aren't any what ifs! It's him, Brock. He's coming home." A tear falls from her sea green eyes and rolls down her cheek to eventually rest on her lip.
"Okay. It's him." He decides, whether or not Ash is really coming back, she obviously needs this. He stands up and gives her a warm brotherly hug. He's unfazed by the tears soaking his shoulder. She can't stop them from coming anyways.
Eventually she pulls back and thanks him for being such a great friend. "Hold on, why are you here anyway?" She realizes she may have sounded rude, but Brock knows her intentions are good.
"Oh! Well my news isn't quite as exciting as yours. Suzie's Flareon had a litter of Eevee kits last week and we would like for you to have one." Misty is stunned into silence. "Really, Misty, I know you've always wanted a Vaporeon. I figured that the little guys would need homes so, obviously, I want you to have one."
Immediately, Misty's arms are around Brock's neck and she's screeching "Thank you!" over and over in his ear. He tries to save his ears by pulling away and then he simply chuckles; he loves seeing his best friend so happy. It happened so rarely in the last three years. He knows that this excitement is mostly about Ash. He is hopeful that Ash really might be coming home, but he doesn't love Ash like Misty does. He can't imagine how she's feeling now that it seems he's returning. He frowns momentarily and wonders if Ash has changed. Before he went missing, Brock was sure that Ash was starting to realize he had feelings for Misty. Of course, Brock bet on the two of them living happily ever after during the years they'd travelled together. He wasn't sure anymore though. If Ash is alive, who knows where he's been or what he's been doing. Brock decides the question should be saved for if Ash does return.
"What's wrong, Brock?" Misty smiles hesitantly at him. Is he already doubting Ash's return?
Brock clears his throat and gives her a luminous smile. "Nothing, Misty. Do you think I could get something to drink?"
She immediately spins on her heels and searches the cupboard next to the refrigerator. "I have some of your favorite tea in here! I know I do."
Brock decides to spend the day with Misty and help her out with the gym. It had been a long time since the two of them spent time together. At least, it had been a long time since they'd been happy while hanging out. Being together reminded them of Ash and the holes in their hearts. They had both avoided hanging out too long together because of it. Today was different though. They laughed and joked about their adventures together and about how much of a dufus Ash was when he was just starting out. Just as it started to get dark outside, Brock decided he should get back to Pewter City and help Suzie close up their breeder shop for the night.
"I'll come with you; at least to the edge of Cerulean." She grabs her jacket from the coat rack next to the door and slips the old league hat over her orange hair. "I think a walk in the cool night would do me good anyway."
"Sounds good. You should bring a Pokémon for protection on the way back just in case."
She hesitates. It's her hometown, but who knows what kind of creeps live there. Eventually, she agrees and takes Gyrados' Pokéball.
As they walk through the streets of Cerulean City, she breathes in the cool air heavily.
"What are you going to do now?" Brock questions as they walk side by side toward the west border of Cerulean.
"I don't know. Wait for him, I guess." A sad smile graces her face. Her confidence convinces him that Ash will be back.
He realizes then, as he watches her calmly tuck a hair behind her ear, how much she's grown up in the last couple of years. Brock would never look at her in any way other than as a little sister, but he recognizes her beauty. When Ash did return, Brock doubts he'd be able to take his eyes off her. The thought makes him smile. He could think of nothing he'd like more than to see his best friend back and then for him to profess his eternal love for his other best friend.
"Where do you think he'll go first?" Their paces are light and they don't hurry even as the sun disappears into the horizon.
She thinks for a minute but she's sure she knows the answer. "His mom."
"He always was a mommy's boy." Brock laughs lightly in agreement. "Then he will go to you."
"Me? What about you?" She is shocked he would suggest that she would be his second stop.
Brock looks up at the stars for a moment, contemplating his next words.
"I never told you this because I didn't think he would ever be back... but I actually believe Ash was falling in love with you."
"Shut up." Misty punch his shoulder lightly trying to play his confession off as a joke. Brock grins and chuckles in return.
"I'm serious. It seemed like he was finally thinking about something other than Pokemon. There was one night, just before the Master League, when he asked me about how to know if a girl liked him or not. Now, I don't know any other girl he could have been talking about other than you. All of his other girl friends were in relationships or far away at the time. I simply told him that you liked him."
Misty hits him a little harder this time and looks at him wide-eyed. "Why would you tell him that?"
"Don't worry, he just blushed and mumbled something under his breath. I didn't tell him that you had actually admitted to it. As far as he knows, I was just mocking him. No harm done."
Their pace slows down as they reach the city's edge.
"It's been three years, Misty. I don't think it's something you should be worked up about." He places a hand on her shoulder and pulls her into a hug.
"Thanks for coming to see me, Brock." She mumbles into their embrace. "I needed a friend today."
Brock rubs her back lightly. "I'm happy to be that friend."
She pulls back and smiles; she feels lucky to have Brock there for her.
"Don't forget about the Eevees. They will be old enough in about a month. You can come and pick one out or I could choose one for you."
"I will definitely come pick one out. I want to make sure we'll get along well." Misty smiles at the thought of the little Eevee and the possibility it would be a Vaporeon someday.
"I want you to know that I won't force it to become a Vaporeon if it doesn't want to."
Brock grins; his friend's compassion is endearing. "I know."
They share a wave and part ways. Brock heads west to travel around Mount Moon towards Pewter and Misty walks back towards the gym.
As she walks through Cerulean she replays the day's events in her mind. It's all a bit overwhelming. Ash is coming home and she is going to raise an Eevee. The last baby Pokémon she'd had was a Totodile a few years back which was now a full grown Feraligatr. She allows her mind to roll over the idea of having a baby Pokémon again. However, for the first time, her thoughts travel to human babies. Of course, she had grown up thinking she'd have children someday; however, at twenty-five, this was the first time she had seriously considered it. She quickly banishes the thought to the back of her mind; it's drowning with more activity than it's had in months.
A baby Eevee was an exciting thing and she was ecstatic about the opportunity. She would leave it at that.
Just as she places her hand on the door knob of the gym, she thinks she hears some rustling in the bushes. She's silent for a moment, wondering if it's a nocturnal Pokémon that's wandering around. In the back of her head she hopes Ash will just walk out of the bushes. She snaps herself out of her daydreams and heads inside to ready herself for bed.