Break Free

Misty, Brock, and Pikachu wake up to discover the unthinkable: Ash has abadoned them! Told in Misty's POV, for now, I'll explain later.

I found his note in the fire pit. It wasn't crumpled up, like he wanted it burnt, it was laying flat on the coals. Three different notes, actually, one addressed to each of us. I was excited then; I was looking for something like those notes, something that would explain Ash's absence from the camp. The notes were just sitting there. Waiting for us to find them. I picked it up and called Brock and Pikachu over to me, and I started reading out loud. I started with Brock's.

"Dear Brock," (read Ash's handwriting,)

"I'm gonna be missing for a few days." (Spelled just like he talked.) "Don't bother looking for me, because I don't want to be found. I'm taking a vacation from Pokemon training. I'd tell you why, but it came to me in a dream, and dreams are easier to explain in person. Plus, my fingers are cold, and it's hard to write, so yeah.

"Take care of Pikachu while I'm gone. She's gonna be a nervous wreck. All of my other Pokemon will be at Professor Oak's lab by the time you read this, so just leave them there until I come back. You shouldn't have to worry about Team Rocket, because I fed them a bunch of baloney about how I was shipping Pikachu to a training center in Acupulco..."

---

James tapped a passing man on the shoulder. "Um, hola? De donde es Pikachu?"

The man shook his head. "You Japanese tourists are weird, man."

Jessie slapped James' head. "Last time we trust you with the phrasebook!"

Meowth nodded, with sarcasm roaring through his voice. "Meowth, that's right."

---

"...So you shouldn't have to worry about them. I've only taken a little bit of the money, you shouldn't miss it. I've made enough battling trainers to last most people a lifetime."

---

Ash's mother noticed the strange, 10,000 yen withdrawl from her and her son's 150,000+ bank account, but disregarded it. "Oh well, we have plenty."

---

"Sorry if I scared you, but I should be back in a couple of days, maybe 2 weeks at most.

"See you when I see you,

"Ash."

Me and Brock stared at the note, Pikachu tugging at our legs to read us hers. Ash had... left. He seemed fine last night; he didn't even make a big deal out of me smacking him in the head with my mallet. I was sure I was going to get screamed at when I accidently splashed hot soup in his face (my mallet slipped), but he didn't do anything. He just sighed... shook his head... I can't believe I didn't think of him doing something like this then. He was so non-reactive... maybe he finally snapped.

I started Pikachu's.

"Dear Pikachu,

"I'm sorry I left you behind, Pikachu, but I'm just going to take a little trip. I'm going to a place called 'Whimsleyworld', and they don't allow Pokemon there." (I tried to mask my disgust; Whimsleyworld was so Pokemon friendly! Ash just told Pikachu, Pikachu!, a bold-faced lie!)

"It's like when I dropped you off at the Pokemon park, except I'm dropping myself off. All the other Pokemon are at Professor Oak's lab. You can go with them if you want, or you can stay with Brock and Misty.

"I'll miss you for the whole time I'm gone, Pikachu."

---

Ash screamed at the top of his lungs as he plunged down Sploosh Mountain, completely unaware of anything even remotely related to Pokemon.

"I should've done this years ago!" he remarked to his roller-coaster buddy, a 74 year old woman from Honduras.

"Si, si, es muy mojado!" she answered, not knowing what he was saying but having fun anyway.

---

"Missing you already,

"Pika-pi."

Pikachu breathed a sigh of relief! She wiped her little forehead, chirping to herself. I think she might've been saying like "I'm glad he's alright," but I'm not sure. I was reading a side note.

"P.S. I'll bring you and Togepi back souvenirs. Tell Togepi for me, Pikachu."

---

Ash had already spent upwards of 2,000 yen on getting into Whimsleyworld, reservations and souvenirs together. He had bought Togepi a Petey Pikachu pacifier, and Pikachu an authentic bottle of Whimsleyworld brand ketchup. He was carrying them in his Sammy Psyduck backpack, upon which was clipped a Wacky keychain (Wacky being everyone's favorite half-man, half-Mr. Mime clown-man). He adjusted his custom-made Petey Pikachu ear hat and laughed his head off, whistling the tune for "I'm Walkin' Right Down the Middle (Of Main Street, USA)".

---

I nearly tore the note in half. Ash had abandoned us... for Whimsleyworld! I could barely contain my anger, but I opened and read my note anyway.

"Dear Misty,

"I would've invited you, but you suck, and I don't like you, so there.

"Ash."

I can't remember what happened next. I only remember waking up covered in bruises; my mouth tasted like paper.

Brock stood over me, watching after me in my bed. "Hi, Misty. You okay now? You're in the hospital; you've been unconscious for a week."

I said, "I'm gonna KILL Ash once he gets back from Whimsleyworld! Where's Pikachu?"

Brock's voice caught in his throat. "Uh... there's one more note. I got it in the mail this morning."

Brock gave me the note, and I read it.

"Dear Misty and Brock,

"Guess what? You guys don't hafta put up with me anymore! A guy saw me dancing at Whimsleyworld, don't ask why..."

---

Ash could barely contain himself; his mecca, his life goal, was finally finished!

HE HAD GONE ON THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, THE HAUNTED MANSION, IT'S A SMALL WORLD, AND THE JUNGLE SAFARI RIDE, ALL IN ONE DAY!

"I did it" Ash cheered! He swung his legs around in a no-holds-barred dance of victory. "I fi-nal-ly went on-the-Haun-ted Man-sion! And then-I-went on the ride-of-Cari-be-an"

He kept dancing to his weird, sing-songy tune, unaware that the park's owner was watching him through the eyes of a Petey Pikachu suit.

"Those moves... that figure... that attitude... that complete lack of self-control"

Ash was currently doing the Cabbage Patch when the owner, still in the Petey suit, tapped him on the shoulder, waving him to follow. Ash, immersed in the magic and sheer euphoria of Whimsleyworld, followed him without thought.

---

"And now I've got a movie deal with Dalton Whimsley Studios, and I'm a costume-guy and Pokemon feeder at the park! I play Dingo the Dwarf in the Electric Light Parade, and I feed all the bug Pokemon in the 'Bugs Gone Wild' exhibit in the Creature Zone. I invite Brock to come and see me, but I don't invite Misty, because she sucks, and I don't like her, so there.

"I had Pikachu sent to me by wire, and all my Pokemon have been transported to my new house on Whimsleyworld property!"

---

Ash lifted Pikachu above his head, balancing on the corner of his apartment's roof just like Rafuku did in "The Vulpix Queen". "Isn't it GREAT, Pikachu!"

Pikachu's eyes glistened. She watched as her Pokemon friends ran through the acres and acres of Whimsleyworld "Poke-park", where both wild Pokemon and staff member pets could run, swim, fly, and be fed treats by the park guests all day. Pikachu, herself, loved staying in Ash's 21st story apartment in the Jungle Resort hotel, which looked like it might have well be outdoors by the lavish furnishings and spacious interior (it was bigger than Ash's old house!).

"Pi chu pika-pi!" (It's great, Ash!) Pikachu lowered her ears for the first time that day. "Pika, pi-ka pi pi-pika-chu pika pika-chu pika?" (But, doesn't Mr. Whimsley mind you taking up so much room in the hotel?)

"He gave me this room, Pikachu!" Ash said, sounding too excited to even speak right, like he couldn't believe what he was saying. "He said the room was defective because it only got 200 channels instead of 504"

"CHU!" (SWEET!) Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms and laughed.

---

"My mom already knows, don't bother talking to her."

---

Delia was lost in a similar euphoria to Ash, but for a different reason. She had always wanted to work with Dalton Whimsley, even in the days when he was still alive. Now, her own son had a movie deal with Dalton Whimsley Jr., and was negotiating a movie part made especially for her!

She hugged her Mr. Mime and poured her eyes over the thousands of gifts and flowers the insanely happy Ash had sent her "for being the best Mom EVer"

"Life is good, Mimey."

"Mime mime" Mimey nodded, sucking on his Sammy Psyduck lollipop.

---

"Life is GREAT! I'll send Togepi's souvenirs in the mail. Look for me in a movie coming out in a couple of years!

"Ash."

I was numb for the longest time. He, on an impulse, decided to run off to Whimsleyworld without me, where he miraculously managed to get a job working for Dalton Whimsley Jr., a great apartment, tons of money, and a movie deal without me even being there!

I slammed the note down on my bed. "Something has to be up. We're going to get him."

DONE! Or, rather, I have notes.

In light of my upcoming Disneyworld trip, this fic turned into a sort of "Disneyworld is heaven" fic, which I enjoy, for in my mind it has been since I was old enough to understand what they were singing about on my Disney Sing-A-Long song video!

Ash is a bit out-of-character. That's mostly me saying "I don't like Misty, Brock's kinda there, and Pikachu and Ash deserve better" in form of words.

Too many fics out there with bad stuff happening to Ash, or good stuff happening to Ash which tortures him or he gives up because of something to the effect of "I've got nobody to share it with, blah blah nag nag whine" (I'm exaggerating, but only so you'll get the point). FORGET THAT! Let something like this happen to Ask so he can enjoy it without remorse, I say!

I might continue. Depends. This works well stand-alone or prologue, either way. Tell me what you think.