A/N: ok, I would like to thank for reviewing

A/N: Me: ok, I would like to thank vulpgrowl, Tyrant of Darkness, and AnimeKG for reviewing. I FEEL SO LOVED!!

Scary: Hinata, we found them.

Me: it’s about time! I sent you after them a prologue and two chapters ago.

Scary: well, excuse me, Dramay wanted lunch.

Me: lunch? (Muses nod) WHAAAA!! I want a brownie!!

(AnimeKG pops out of nowhere holding a brownie)

AnimeKG: here you go. (Disappears)

Me: YAY!! BROWNIE!!

Everythingy: ahem…the guests…

Me: (looks away from the brownie) what? Oh right! Readers please welcome, Ash, Misty, May, Drew, Dawn, Paul, Brock, Max, their Pokémon and…TRACEY!! (globs Tracey)

Lovey: I’m a romance muse and even I think that was a little much.

Me: shut up!

Actiony: we also brought Gary

Me: why did you bring him?

Gary: because I’m hot!

Everyone: NO YOUR NOT!! (Gary crawls into corner)

Me: baby. Let’s get onto the story!

Title: Past His Time

Rating: M due to violence, language and sexual themes in later chapters

Pairings: Ash and Misty, May and Drew, Max and April (my own character), Dawn and Paul, Brock and Nurse Joy (finally), Tracey and Mai (my own character again)

Summery: Ash, Dawn and Brock arrive at the cityFurui for Ash’s next battle and Dawn’s competition. There, they meet up with some old friends. While there, they learn of a mysterious gym leader and mayor and her mysterious Pokémon, something Team Rocket hasn’t failed to notice. Is everything as it seems or is there something more within Furui’s walls?

Tracey: (to Everythingy) is she ever going to let go?

Everythingy: who knows.

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Chapter 3

The entire house hold woke to the sounds of two screams. The first scream came from Misty’s room and Ash, being jumpy because of last night’s events, rushed up the stair and broke down her door.

“Misty, what…” Ash stood their in awe and shock. Misty was sitting up in her large, queen size bed, her red hair down in waves, flowing down her back. The strap on her nightgown had fallen off her shoulder. She was crawling toward her backboard, away from a single caterpie at the end of her bed.

“B…b…b…BUG!!”

Ash sighed in relief. There was a small knock on the door (A/N: broken door, I might add.)

“What’s all the screaming about?” asked April, rubbing her eyes.

“BUG!” Misty shrieked again. April walked into the room and picked up the caterpie.

“Bad, Carl,” scolded April.” You’re not supposed to be here. You’re supposed to be with your mommy.” At that moment, the Mr. Mime from last night skidded into the room.

“Jason, can you take Carl back to his mommy?”

“Mr. Mime.” (Of course.) Taking the caterpie, he walked out of the room. As he left, the other boys, May, Dawn and Janice ran into Misty’s room. Everyone was wearing robes over their nightclothes.

“Miss. Misty, what’s going on?” asked Janice. She alone was dressed but she still had some curlers in her hair.

“There…there…there was a bug in my bed! I…I woke up and there was a caterpie in my bed!”

“Carl left his mommy again,” explained April, rubbing her eyes.

Suddenly, there was another scream from two floors above. Carla came running down the stairs, screaming, her hands in the air.

“The madam!” she shrieked. “The madam is missing!”

“Did you look over her balcony?” Janice asked.

“Balcony? What balcony?” Janice sighed and motioned for everyone to follow her. Misty jumped out of bed, grabbed her robe. Ash stared after her until he was the only one left in the doorway. When he realized this, he rushed off after the others.

Janice led them up two flights of stairs. They stopped at a mahogany door with a symbol on the door. It looked like eight unknown, dog like Pokémon.

Janice opened the door.

Mai’s room was decorated with shelves upon shelves of books and journals. Her walls were a leaf green with pictures of Pokémon on the walls. On one wall was a king sized bed with a light red bedspread and curtains. On the wall to the left of the bed was a door and a mahogany desk, scattered with papers and framed pictures.

Janice stepped threw the door next to the desk. Behind the door was a pair of curtains. Pulling open the curtains, she revealed a large balcony.

“The door and wall was built later,” Janice explained. “The madam wanted a desk in her room so the old master had a wall built so she could.” Everyone walked onto the balcony and Janice pointed down over the railing. There was Mai, still in her nightgown, wearing a silk red robe, leaning against a tree, sketchbook in hand, sketching a mother persian cleaning her baby meowth.

Suddenly, Gary came into view, startling the persain and meowth. Mai stood up and faced Gary. Gary, it seemed, was yelling at Mai but they were too far below for the others to hear. Mai just stared blankly at her cousin the entire time. When Gary finally stomped away, Mai sank to her knees, clutching her hair, sobbing.

“How dare Master Gary,” hissed Janice. “How dare he put the madam under so much pressure. Her intentions are good.” Janice shepherded all of them back into Mai’s room. Tracey walked right over to a shelf filled with sketchbooks and took one off the shelf. Although Janice saw this, she didn’t saw anything. Instead, she turned to Carla.

“Carla, tell the chef that the madam is under a lot of stress. Tell him to have the chocolate ready.” Carla nodded and left the room. “Everyone, follow me,” she instructed. As the elevator doors opened, they all stepped inside, Tracey still looking at the sketchbook. Janice pushed a floor button and the elevator began to descend.

“Which one are you looking at?” April asked, tugging on the hem of Tracey’s nightshirt. “If it is the one filled with bunearys, that one’s mine.”

“No,” said Tracey, scratching his head. “This one’s filled with…with… with some kind of fire type Pokémon.” Janice turned white. “I’ve never seen any type of Pokémon like this. The only reason I think it is a fire type is because of flame like fur in this running picture.” He showed April.

“Oh, that’s…” Janice suddenly covered April’s mouth and took the sketchbook from Tracey.

“That’s enough Miss. April,” Janice hissed. Tracey looked as though he was going to ask something but Janice glared at him so hard that he could get the word out of his mouth due to his fear.

When the elevator doors finally opened, it revealed a cave like structure, with grassy plains, tall trees and a lake.

“Welcome to the Pokémon Care Center,” said Janice. While April ran out of the elevator, laughing, the others looked in awe.

“This is amazing,” said Brock.

“Isn’t it?” asked Janice smiling. “It took several years to build this.”

“But why is it here?” asked Ash.

“The madam runs a program for abused Pokémon,” explained Janice. “Almost 50 of the Pokémon here are the madams but the other 50 of the Pokémon are abuse victims that some turned in to the madam, ones that the madam found, or ones the madam won.”

“Um…won?” Janice looked at Max, a sad look on her face.

“About 20 of the abused Pokémon we have here the madam won from their abusive trainers. The madam is very good at spotting Pokémon that have been abused, her parents’ Pokémon being abused themselves. If she finds a Pokémon being abused then she will battle the trainer, saying that if they win, they can have any of her Pokémon on hand but if she wins, she gets to keep her pick out of any of his Pokémon. She always fights under an alias so that they don’t know it’s her. One she wins, she tests out all of the trainer’s Pokémon to see if anymore had been abused. 9 out of 10 cases they all are. Once she takes all the abused Pokémon, she reports the trainer to the Officer Jenny in charge. The madam then takes the abused Pokémon home and tries to help it as much as she can. Most get over their fears and lead a fairly normal life but…others do not.” Janice sighed and motioned everyone to follow her.

Soon they arrived at a large Pokémon center. Walking inside, Janice led them to the back of the center. She opened on of the doors. Inside, there was a tentacruel. All over its body, there were everlasting burns.

“This tentacruel was not performing up to its trainer’s standers so every time his trainer lost a match with it, he electrocuted it. We have tried almost everything but it is afraid of even electrical devices being near it. The only person that can really come near it without it attacking is the madam.” Janice closed the door and opened the one next to it. It was a viewing area. Walking to a large window, they looked down to see Nurse Joy and a charmander. The charmander was under a heat lamp, several blankets and its tail was in a furnace.

“This charmander was brought into us three days ago. He was abandoned, dropped off in the middle of a lake. His tail was almost out and his temperature was way too low. Nurse Joy has been trying to get his tail flame larger. Once she does, he can most likely, live a normal life. He may never leave the center though.”

“Have you ever put down any of the Pokémon?” May asked, looking at the charmander.

“No. Most would have but the madam never let us. She insisted that we work with the Pokémon.”

“And Nurse Joy?” Janice looked at Brock and smiled.

“I know you have a thing for Nurse Joys. This Nurse Joy lives here while her sister runs the center in town. You’ll have plenty of time to flirt with her later.” Brock brightened a bit.

As they walked out of the Pokémon center, April came running up to them, panting, out of breath. There was no more glint of childish pleasure in her eyes but a worry of a mature woman.

“Janice,” she yelled. “Gary cornered a bulbasaur! One of the hatchlings!”

“WHAT!! He not even supposed to be in here.”

“This way!” shouted April. Together, they all followed April toward the center of the center.

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When they found Gary he was indeed cornering a bulbasaur. Its mother, a vensaur, was on the ground unconscious, nearby.

“Gary, leave that bulbasaur alone!” shouted April, her voice had lost its childish tone. It as if she matured at the sight of the endangered Pokémon. Gary paid no attention to her.

“Electivire, thunder shock!”

“Espeon, protect!” An espeon jumped in front of the bulbasaur, deflecting the attack away from the defenseless Pokémon.

“What? Who…?” There was a rustle from the bushes and out of them came Mai, anger etched all over her. She had changed into a pair of kaki pants shorts, hiking boots and a blue t-shirt. In one hand was a sketchbook, her other hand was clenched in a fist.

“Have you know shame?” she growled. “First, the magby hatchlings, now the bulbasaurs?”

“It’s easier to train…”

“THIS IS A CARE CENTER!” shouted Mai. “NOT A REAL FOREST! YOU CAN’T CAPTURE ANY OF THESE POKÉMON!”

“Look who’s talking!” shouted Gary. “You…”

“The Pokémon I have were my parents’ or ones that I captured on my journey.” She took a deep breath. “I want you out of this care center…now.” Gary snorted and walked away, brushing past Mai, hitting her in the shoulder.

Janice turned to face the trainers. “Alright, nothing to see here. Why don’t you all get dressed and have breakfast.”

“YEAH! BREAKFAST!!”

“Jeeze, Ash, is food the only thing you think about?”

“No, I think about Pokémon too.”

“Pokémon and food. You’re sooo insightful.”

“Be quite, Misty.” The group followed the bickering pair, leaving Janice, April and Mau. Tracey jogged back.

“I really like your sketches,” he said to Mai. “They were really good.”

Mai blushed. “Th…thank you.” Tracey smiled and ran back to the Ash and the others. When they were all out of earshot, Janice turned to Mai, shoving the sketchbook she had taken from Tracey and shoved it into Mai’s chest. Mai stood there paralyzed, a smile on her face. April grinned,

“Mai and Tracey, sittin’ in a tree…”

“Shut up April,” snapped Mai, blushing deep red.

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G…”

“Shut up!”

“MADAM!” April and Mai looked at Janice. “Madam, do you realize that those strangers…”

“They’re not strangers,” said Mai. “I know them.”

“But they nearly found out about…them.” Mai snorted.

“Maybe THEY want to be found.”

“…Do they?”

“Of course they do!” said Mai, throwing her hands in the air. “They’re tired of hiding.”

“But Team…”

“I know Team Rocket is after them,” said Mai, walking toward a wall of the cave. “My parents worked for them.” Mai pushed a stone into the rock and a counseled door slide open. Together, the three girls walked into a cavern with a small spring. There lay eight dog like Pokémon.

The one closest to the door had red, orange and yellow fur. Around its paws were small flames. There were two near the spring. One had dark blue fur with small water droplets around its paws while the other had blue, white fur with snow around its paws. There was one lying on a small mossy patch on the left hand side of the cave. It had greenish brown fur and leaves flowed around its paws. Close to the back of the cavern, there was a black and yellow Pokémon with lighting around its paws. There was one, with deep black fur and a moon shape crescent on its forehead, lying in the farthest corner, where there was hardly any light. Then, there were two. One had bright, yellow fur with a black sun on it’s for head. Near its belly, there was a small creature, with cream colored fur, snoozing slightly.

At the sound of the door opening, they all lifted their heads and their aura became very happy.

“Friend,” they said in unison. Mai smiled as April ran in and began playing with the smallest creature.

“Madam,” Janice looked into the room. “What would happen if Team Rocket found the eight guardians of Pokéygpt?” Mai sighed.

“Then the care center would be attacked and we would put all the Pokémon in danger, ect, ect.” Mai looked Janice in the eye. “But if they stay here, away from the Pokémon and people they vowed to protect, they…they…well, I don’t know what could happen but it can’t be good.” Janice scowled.

“Come on Janice lighten up,” said April, rubbing the Pokémon’s belly. “If Pastna can’t run around and play, she’ll become as anti-social as Darkma.”

“Hey,” said the black Pokémon, her voice vibrating in Mai’s head.

“And Ra needs some sun,” said April, walking over to the yellow, furred Pokémon. “Being the Pokémon god of sun in Pokéygpt.”

“And soon,” continued Mai, walking over to the spring. “This spring will need cleaning and we don’t want Aquana or Isis to get sick by contaminated water, do we?”

“Are you said we contaminate our own water?” asked the snow Pokémon.

“Not at all Isis, I’m merely suggesting that we get it clean.”

“Like Isis would even think of that,” said the grass Pokémon. (Note to readers: only Mai can understand them otherwise they sound like barks and such. Sometimes, they don’t say anything at all but Mai can still understand what they are saying.)

“Watch it Flornot,” growled Isis, baring her teeth.

“Both of you stop,” said the fire Pokémon.

“You be quiet too, pup,” Isis growled, barring her teeth at him.

“Isis!” Isis’s ears flattened at Mai’s raised voice. “Stop snickering Emtone.” The fire Pokémon lowered his head to the ground.

“Insolence,” said the black and yellow Pokémon. “You dare show such childish behavior when SHE is here? The one who protected and raised us?”

“Currnot, thank you but I really can handle it.” The Pokémon laid his head back on its paws.

“Are we going to go out soon?” Mai looked down at Pastna. “Are we going to see the sun?”

“Someday, Pastna,” said Mai. “For now, you have to stay here, in the center.” Mai walked over to the door in the cave wall and looked out. Seeing no one, she opened the door wider.

“Go on,” Mai said, smiling. “Go on out and stretch your legs.” Cheers echoed inside her head. Seven figures rushed past Mai. Looking over to the dark corner, Mai saw Darkma, still lying on the ground.

“I’ll stay here,” she said and Mai smiled.

“I hope you know what you are doing,” hissed Janice.

“Yeah, me too.” And, with that, Mai walked toward the elevator, toward breakfast, toward a new adventure.

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A/N: Me: and that was chapter 3

Ash: remind me why we’re here.

Me: because I said so. Review people!

Tracy: is she going to let go of me?

Everythingy: again, who knows.