The Trade

A/N: Sorry for the long time without an update.

The chapter before is kind of outdated since he didn't really win the Johto
league, but I already had this chapter written, and everything outlined, so....
meh.

Chapter 3 "Powers Growing"

"Ash..." a voice whispered, softly. Ash could feel a light tapping on
his shoulder.

"lee me 'lone.." he mumbled, turning over on his side.

Ash could hear an exasperated sigh from the person who had tapped him
on the shoulder.

"Ash..if you don't wake up now, I'll do something you'll regret!" a
voice whispered fiercely. He could tell just by the tone of the voice
that it was Misty.

"Okay..okay.." Ash muttered, yawning tiredly. He sat up, and he
suddenly realized that it was still dark out. "Misty! What time is
it?!!" he cried out in annoyance.

"It's three in the morning," Misty tried to say offhandedly so Ash
wouldn't get too upset.

"Wake me up later." Ash said, climbing back into his sleeping bag.

Misty glared, her face growing red. "Ash! Get up! Don't you care about
what I have to say to you?!" Misty yelled into his ear.

The boy immediately sat up at loud yelling in his ear. "Aah! Misty! Stop
yelling!" he whined.

"I warned you." Misty said with a superior smirk on her face.

Ash decided to let that comment go as he stood up and stretched. "What
is it, Misty?" he asked with an impatient tone of voice.

"I...I just wanted to talk to you.." Misty said, realizing that it would be
stupid to tell him that she woke him up because of some stupid nightmare she
had.

Ash tried to suppress a blush at Misty wanting to talk to him so badly. "About
what...?" he managed after a moment of silence.

Misty was trapped. She had to talk to him about *something* if she didn't want
Ash to think she was crazy for waking him up so early.

"I just had a bad dream.." Misty surrendered, unable to find a better excuse.

"About what?" he asked again.

*About you* Misty answered in her head, but she wasn't going to say it out
loud.

"I was being chased by a rhydon.." Misty lied.

Ash looked confused. Misty woke him up just because she had a nightmare about
a rhydon?

"So?" Ash asked, not in the best possible mood.

"Well, wouldn't that scare you?" Misty asked, trying to make a save.

"Uh..I guess so...but..." Ash trailed off, frustrated because he was getting
too tired to reason. "Can't we just talk about this in the morning?"

Misty sighed and slumped her shoulders. "I guess so..." she mumbled, feeling
disappointed that Ash was too incoherent to talk to.

"Good Night..." Ash mumbled as he was about to put his head on his pillow.

Misty bit her lip nervously, not really wanting to end her conversation this way.

"Ash...Wait..." she started.

The boy looked at her, a little concerned about how nervous Misty looked.

"I...just want you to know....that...I...it wouldn't be the same without you." 

Ash looked at Misty in confusion, but before he could even think of a response,
Misty was already laying on the ground.

***

For a moment, Scott just stared at the pieces of the broken window, his mind numb.

He could have sworn that he had *wanted* the window to break at that moment.
He had practically willed for it to break.

It had happened a lot when he got especially upset or angry. Something in his
room would move or shake....but not to this extent.

Experimentally, he stared at a flowerpot at the corner of the room. Clenching his
fists, he stared at it and concentrated.

*Break! Break!! BREAK!* he willed silently. A bead of sweat ran down his
forehead from the exertion.

The sound of the flowerpot shattering cut into the silence.

He did it.

His fists unclenched and he fell back into his pillow exhausted. Even as he
gasped to catch his breath, one thought remained on his mind.

Things were going to change.

***

For days Scott practiced his skill, making sure that he concentrated
more on moving things rather than shattering him. He really didn't want his
grandmother to find out about his unique skill.

By the fist day, he was able to make his lamp float for a full minute. By the third
day, he was able to keep his whole bed raised about a centimeter for the whole
day with minimal exertion.

Even with all his practice, he didn't lose focus on Misty Waterflower.

On the fourth day, his grandmother came to his room when he was asleep,
placing a dish of food on the table next to his bed.

Angrily she shook him awake.

Scott was jolted awake.

Without thinking, he grabbed onto his grandmother's arm, willing whatever was
waking him up to go away. 

There was a sudden flash of light, which blinded him for a moment, knocking him
to the ground.

The sudden sensation of falling caught him by surprise.

Wasn't he supposed to be on the bed?

Shaking his head from the confusion, he looked up and saw.....himself on the
bed.

"What the-?!" he exclaimed, suddenly shocked at how different his voice
sounded...Like a woman's. He looked at his hand and gasped.

He was in his grandmother's body!

He slowly got to his feet, grinning as he walked around the room.

If he still had his powers, he could switch with Ash right now and...

He held his breath for a moment to calm himself before he looked at a nearby
television screen intently.

He focused on it......and nothing happened.

Groaning, he racked his brain on finding a way to get Ash to come to him. He
would have to have his grandmother switch him back so he could have his
powers again, but if Ash came close enough to him so he could touch him...

He could send  a letter! According to the article, Ash was in pallet town,
resting up after his victories.

He fumbled around, searching for a piece of paper, some envelopes and stamps,
before he sat down on his desk and started writing.

Ash,

You're the only one who can help me

I heard about your recent victories....and I know that you're really strong

My grandmother is keeping me prisoner in her home, and I need to get
out so I can return home.

I can't call my parents because I'm in a training journey and they will
make me stop if they find out.

Please help me.

From

Anonymous.

ps. I am at the attic.

He winced at the fact that he had to flatter Ash so much, but he had to make it
sound desperate.

Smiling, he mailed the letter and walked back to his bedroom.

Scott took a necklace from his grandmother's jewelry box, and placed it around the
neck of his sleeping grandmother.

He would get in trouble for stealing it, but it would be much better than having
his grandmother finding out about his powers and ruining his plan.

He had to wait for an hour before she finally woke up.

He sat patiently while she panicked over the fact that she was currently in Scott's
body.

"What's going on?!" she finally spat out after a few shocked exclamations.

"I think you're necklace did it....when I touched your arm...I can't change us back..
but if you grab my arm and will me away, you can do it. Unless you give me
the necklace."

"No way!" She spat out, predictably.

Scott pretended to look disappointed but inside he was smiling because she was
following his plan perfectly.

"This better work." She muttered sourly.

"It will." he promised, trying to sound fully confident.

He was relieved when she grabbed his arm and a flash of light filled the room.

***

Misty raised a suspicious eyebrow as she stared at Ash's letter.

"I don't know Ash....Something seems strange about it..."

"I can't just ignore it!" Ash cried, "This person is in trouble!"

"But....why YOU?!" Misty cried, "There are stronger guys that they could ask
for help."

Ash glared at her. "Oh REALLY?!"

"Um.....Ash..Misty..." Brock started out nervously.

"WHAT?!" both of them yelled simultaneously.

"oh....nothing..." Brock whimpered, deciding wisely to stay away from this
battle.

"Okay, Misty, if I manage to save this guy, you will have to acknowledge that
I am a strong guy."

Misty grinned at the challenge. "And if I you can't, you get a stronger to person
to help AND you will be my personal slave for the week!"

"DEAL!" Ash yelled, shaking Misty's hand vigorously.

***

The house wasn't very far from pallet town, and it was pretty easy to find because
of it's large size.

Misty smiled as Ash looked at its size nervously.

"Hey, didn't you plan on climbing in through a window at the top."

Ash pouted at this, but without a single thought, he walked up to the front door...

and knocked.

"I think you're going to have a personal slave this week." Brock whispered.

Ash glared in Brock's direction until an old lady opened to door.

"Hello, I'm in Pidgey Scouts and I am selling some candy for our troupe!" Ash
said with a smile.

An image of Ash wearing a pidgey scout’s uniform came to mind. Misty covered
her mouth to avoid laughing. A part of her found the image kind of cute.

"Get out of my property, brat!" the lady hissed in a tone fierce enough to cause
Brock and Misty to shiver.

Ash ducked the accompanying swing of her fist, and rushed under her arm into
her house.

"He's in..." Brock gasped.

"She's gonna catch him." Misty glared.

The woman was surprisingly fast for her age, but Ash managed to evade her as he
ran up the stairs to the top floor with her at his heels.

He searched frantically for an entrance to the attic, when he saw a cord hanging
at the end of the hallway. He jumped up a few times, but he could reach it.

He could hear the woman running up the stairs before he grabbed a broom that
was laying on the floor and used it to bring the stairs in the attic down.

He could hear her yelling a few curse words, before he ran up the stairs and
reached the attic.

"Hey! Is anybody here?!" he cried out, looking around in confusion. It was so
dark....maybe he got the wrong room.

"You came!" a boy's voice called out in relief.

Relieved, Ash ran to the boy, and reached for his arm to help him up.

Ash cried out suddenly in pain as a light suddenly blinded him before everything
went dark.

TO BE CONTINUED

I went forever and a day without an update......so um...I dunno...I just wanted to
work on something today...