Misty the Concrete Angel

Misty the Concrete Angel

Summary: Misty is being brutally abused at home with her sisters away on vacation. When she meets Tracey Sketchit, her whole world turns around. Songfic based on Martina McBride's song, Concrete Angel.

Disclaimer: Concrete Angel is owned by Martina McBride, Pokemon belongs to Nintendo. I own nothing but this plot.

Warning: Child abuse, character death, Strong Language and violence. Reader discretion is advised

One morning, Misty Waterflower grabbed her yellow 2-tier leakproof bento lunch box with a picture of a Psyduck from the grimy kitchen table and she wrapped it in a clean pink Luvdisc-printed bento cloth with some utensils before slipping it into a clean blue ocean wave-patterned bento bag.

Then she quietly and silently tiptoed into the living room past a middle-aged man with scraggly, greasy dark-red hair, a pair of lifeless dark eyes and black tattoos on his arms, passed out drunk on the recliner in front of the TV. He was wearing an unwashed white tank shirt, navy blue baggy pants and worn-out black hard combat boots. That man in question happened to be her father, Jozef Waterflower.

Without a moment to hesitate, Misty headed right out the door with the lunch she packed: chicken-sesame rice, Poliwag onigiri, snap snow peas, a bottle of fresh water, kiwifruit, red grapes, cucumber sticks and celery sticks, crispy pan-fried chicken with fat-free ranch dipping sauce.

She walks to school with the lunch she packed, 

nobody knows what she's holding back, 

wearing the same dress she wore yesterday, 

she hides the bruises with the linen and lace, ooh...

The red-haired girl walked right out the front door and hurried off to school. Even though her father had been abusing her, she knew darn well not to say a word to anyone or else he would kill her.

Nobody knows, and nobody cares, Misty thought to herself, ''not even my own sisters, Daisy, Lily and Violet. They don't even know about dad beating me. He deserted the family years ago to get a job, and now he's come back after getting his ass fired!''

Of course, she did not mention the incidents to anybody, not even to her Pokemon or her old friends Ash Ketchum or Brock.

The red-haired girl was wearing the exact same yellow sleeveless top with a large blue button on the front and matching shorts, worn over her dark-red leotard along with short and burnt orange ankle boots she had worn the day before; her legs, arms, scalp, head, chest, shoulders, neck and face were covered with purplish bruises (both faint and fresh), cigarette burns, slap marks, welts and cut wounds.

Then she put on a pink long-sleeved jacket with an aqua-blue stripe at the bottom, a pair of dark sunglasses to conceal her black eye, and a red-and-black baseball cap to hide the bruise on her forehead.

She watched as mothers and fathers hugged their children before they headed off to school in envy. She wished she had a loving family, unlike her drunk, abusive father who thought it was her fault that her mother died during her childbirth.

"It is your fault your mother is dead! You killed her when you were born!" those harsh words from her own father replayed in her head over and over again from that previous night, before he kicked her hard in the stomach and stomped her on the chest repeatedly. Misty could remember the repulsive stench of liquor in his breath.

Flashback

Jozef was screaming loud curse words at Misty and repeatedly flogging her with a baseball bat that previous night.

"Daddy, please stop it!" Misty pleaded, as she curled herself into a defensive ball. "No more! Stop it, no more!"

When he was done, he then threw the bat aside and kicked her hard in the stomach, violently knocking the red-haired girl's delicate and fragile body to the floor.

"Daddy, why are you doing this?" Misty asked as tears oozed from her eyes and slid across her bruised and battered face.

Her father did not answer. He proceeded to stomp on the girl's chest over and over again. "YOU LOUSY, STUPID, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING, DAMN SLUTTY WHORE! ALWAYS WHORING WITH THE BOYS!" Jozef screamed. "If I catch you with those boys again, there is going to be trouble!"

End Flashback

Misty's little blue mouse-like Pokémon, Azurill, followed her to school and climbed into her Spheal plush backpack. Inside her backpack was her bento box lunch she had packed and the makeup she planned to use to conceal her bruises.

The tomboy rushed past a shy girl with lemon-blonde hair brushing her Alolan Vulpix, a chubby boy with orange hair and a Togedemaru, a tall dark-skinned young man with an Alolan Marowak, a tan-skinned girl with green hair, and a girl with blue Bob cut hair, and headed to the girls' bathroom mirror and she opened her backpack.

"Guys..." the blondette asked her friends. "Was that Misty?"

"Why, I believe so, Lillie," the dark-skinned young man replied. "We have not seen her since she and Brock visited us in Alola, I believe that Mallow, you, Sophocles, Lana and I need to speak to Ash. Recently, I have been seeing her with bruises and cuts on her face, her arms and on her legs."

"You're right, Kiawe, " Lillie timidly agreed, as she picked up her Alolan Vulpix, Snowy. "But where do we find him? And how do we explain what is going on?"

In the girls' bathroom, Misty was about to put on fountain and concealer when, to her surprise, a little blue Pokémon popped out. "Azurill!" It cried.

"Azurill, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Azurill, Azurill!" Then Azurill noticed Misty's purplish bruises on her face, legs and arms.

"Oh...I fell off my bike." Misty lied, as she pulled out a makeup brush and some concealer and dabbed it onto he bruises on her leg. Suddenly, a blue-haired girl walked in, followed by a honey blonde-haired girl and a small yellow-haired girl, followed a purple-haired girl with dark skin and a brown-haired girl with a bandana on her head.

"Oh, my goodness!" The small yellow-haired girl gasped in shock. "That girl looks like she got beat up pretty bad!"

"Now, Bonnie," the honey-blonde haired girl chided her. "You know it isn't polite to stare at people."

"Sorry, Serena." Bonnie apologized sheepishly.

"Why, Misty! Where did you get those bruises?" The brunette asked, as she suddenly noticed the bruises, cuts and welts on Misty's arms, face and legs. "You look like you got in a fight with a Primeape and lost."

"Yeah...that's exactly what happened, May." Misty lied, as she dabbed some concealer on her index finger. "After I fell off my bike."

"That is some fight with a Primeape," said Bonnie while Misty finished applying the makeup to her bruises and put her makeup brushes back in her Spheal bag.

"Yes, that's what happened!" Misty lied. "Anyway, I better go now before I'm late for class. See you later!" With that said, grabbed Azurill and made a dash out of the girls' bathroom and hurriedly proceeded to homeroom.

After watching Misty leave, the purple-haired girl was beginning to feel that Misty was holding back a terrible secret and she was concealing the pain. Judging by the size and color of the bruises, she began to suspect that something was wrong.

"What do you mean, Iris?" The blue-haired girl asked.

"I have a feeling that this girl is being abused, Dawn, and she is too afraid to tell." Iris replied. "This is why she is using makeup to hide them."

"I have a feeling that poor girl is being treated really badly, Serena." said Bonnie with worry in her eyes. "what should we do?"

"Oh, Iris," cried Dawn. "That poor girl! Someone might be abusing her at home or something."

May was upset; she and her younger brother Max had met Misty on at least three occasions and could not imagine anyone mistreating her so badly. "Misty is being abused? That's awful! Why would someone do such a horrible thing?"

"Now's not the time for questions," Iris cut her off. "We better get to class now!"

As Iris, May, Dawn, Serena, and Bonnie hurried to class, they paused as they heard Kuwait talking to Lillie, Lana, Mallow, and Sophocles about something serious, regarding a certain red-haired girl being abused.

"If this is something dangerous and serious, we should take action!" Dawn declared. On her way, Bonnie ran into her brother Clemont in the middle of the corridors and explained what was going on while Iris met Cilan.

May's younger brother Max, who was walking down the hall on his way to his first period Pokemon class, overheard his sister talking to Brock, Ash and Dawn about Misty whom they suspected was being abused at home.

The boy gulped in disbelief and fear as he headed on into his class. He could not imagine anybody hurting poor Misty as he and May had met her on three occasions. Max remembered that Misty mentioned having three older sisters but she didn't mention anything about her parents.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Misty hurried off to homeroom class, and she took her seat while the teacher took roll call. The teacher had long, wavy blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes. She also wore a black and white striped chic sophisticated dress, a pair of black loafers and a black cardigan.

As the teacher continued taking attendance, she noticed Misty had bruises on her face, even though they were concealed by the makeup and that she was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses in the classroom.

"Misty," the teacher tapped her shoulder. "Due to school dress policy, dear, I must ask you to take off your cap and your sunglasses and put them away. I do not allow my students to wear them in my class."

The red-haired girl reluctantly removed her baseball cap and her sunglasses and put them in her Spheal backpack, revealing a black eye and purplish bruise on her forehead. The teacher could not help but wonder what could've happened to poor Misty, but she didn't bother to ask or say anything to her which would call out attention to the whole class. Instead she finished roll call and announced today's lesson.

The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask,

it's hard to see the pain behind the mask, 

bearing the burden of a secret storm, 

sometimes she wishes she was never born...

Misty sighed gloomily as she tried to focus on the day's lesson.

****

During recess that day, kids were engaged in Pokemon battles and other activities while Misty sat alone on the bench looking at an old photograph of a beautiful slender young woman with ravishing sunset orange long hair, a beautiful smile and delicate ocean blue eyes. She was wearing a mint green one-piece bathing suit and a yellow cover-up. That woman in the photograph happened to be her late mother.

"Sometimes I just wish I was never born..." Misty thought to herself as she sat all alone. Maybe it was better that way, maybe it was better if she were never born, then her mom would not have died from complications during childbirth, and then her dad would not have to abuse her.

Through the wind and the rain,

She stands hard as a stone,

In a world that she can't rise above, 

but her dreams give her wings 

and she flies to a place where she's loved, 

Concrete angel 

A few moments later, a black-haired boy with a red headband, carrying a sketchbook in his arms came up to her.

"Hi, do you mind if sit there?" He asked as he sat beside her.

"Not at all," Misty replied with a slight smile. "By the way, what is your name?"

"I'm Tracey Sketchit." The boy replied. "Hey, would you like to come over after school to see my sketches?"

"I'd love to! I bet you have sketches of those Water Pokémon!" Misty smiled with pure delight. "Like Vaporeon, Poppolio, Oshawott, Luvdisc, Mudkip, Squirtle, Piplup, Sobble, Buizel, Lapras, Suicune, Swanna and Wingull."

"Yup!" Tracey smiled. "I've been drawing and sketching for a long time. I believe you haven't told me your name yet."

"Oops, I forgot." Misty said sheepishly. "Oh, yes. My name is Misty, and my family owns a Cerulean City Gym and my favorite Pokemon type is water. I can't wait to see your sketches! That would be wonderful!"

"And after that, we can go get frozen yogurt at the new shop." Tracey suggested. "Ash and Pikachu will meet us there."

"Except I don't have any money." Misty frowned, petting her Azurill. "My dad won't give me a single cent. All he uses the money on is beer, liquor and non-stop gambling."

"Oh, that's okay, Misty," Tracey smiled. "it's on me."

The beautiful red-haired girl giggled happily. "That'd be great, Tracey."

Since she was living with her abusive alcoholic, gambling father, Misty could not remember a much happier moment until now. She used to feel alone because Daisy, Lily and Violet, or as they called them, "The Sensational Sisters" excluded her, calling her the "runt" of the family, making her feel jealous. Misty longed to have a loving family, to be accepted, and someone to love her.

But now that she met Tracey, she felt that she was being loved, truly cared for by someone. She didn't feel alone now that Tracey was here, and she began to forget her troubles at home.

*****

After school at 3:15pm, Misty and Azurill met Tracey at his house and they took a look at his sketches of the Pokémon he's encountered.

"Oh, Tracey!" Misty cried happily, looking at one of Tracey's sketches. "It's a Vaporeon! I absolutely love those details!"

After an about half an hour later, Tracey took Misty and Azurill over to the new frozen yogurt shop in the town, where they met a raven-haired boy, known as Ash Ketchum, and his small yellow mouse-like Pokemon, Pikachu. Misty's face lit up. She knew that she was being accepted by someone.

Azurill and Pikachu talked and communicated with each other.

"Chu, pika Pikachu, pi-pika Pikachu-pi? (How are things going at home for Misty?)" Pikachu asked Azurill as he took a lick of the frozen yogurt.

Azurill frowned. "Azurill, Azu, Azu. (Not so good.)"

"Pika Pikachu pika? (What do you mean?)"

"Rill Azu Zu Azurill; Azurill, rill Azurill. (Her dad came home from gambling and drinking; with her sisters away, Misty has been badly abused every day and night because her dad blames her for her mom's death from complications during childbirth.)"

"Pika! (That's awful!)

"Azurill. (I know.)"

"Pikachu-pi pika pika! (Misty should tell somebody about this!)"

Misty and Tracey talked for a while, and Ash frowned as he began to suspect what was going on at home with Misty.

"Pikachu," Ash whispered. "I have a feeling that Misty is being mistreated at home."

Later that night, Misty and Azurill sneaked back into her home, hoping not to get caught by her father, who was out gambling and drinking. She came to the gym pool and she was greeted by her water Pokémon, Horsea, her Luvdisc Caserin, Goldeen, Gyarados, Staryu, Starmie, Politoed, Psyduck and Corsola. She was also greeted by Seaking, Shellder, Seel and Dewgong.

She decided to practice for the Pokemon show in her mermaid outfit and dance with her Pokemon. She smiled at the water Pokémon lovingly and she called them back to their Pokéballs for the night.

She went up to her bedroom window to find Tracey in her backyard. The red-haired girl quickly opened the curtain and the window and walked over to the edge of the window and both Misty and Tracey began talking about various topics in general, such as Professor Oak, Ash, Misty's sisters, water Pokemon, and many more...until they heard loud footsteps ascending up the stairs.

"MISTY! GET YOUR GODDAMN, SLUTTY ASS AWAY FROM THAT WINDOW!" A loud, slurred voice boomed in Misty's room.

Misty turned around to the direction of that voice. It was her father, and he was in a drunk rage again. He came running into his youngest daughter's room and grabbed her by the arm and her hair.

Tracey flinched as Jozef shouted at her and cursed at her.

"Misty, what is this I find you whoring with some boy?" Her father demanded, as he pulled at her hair. "I thought I told you never to talk to or fool around with any boy!! You've been doing things behind my back again, haven't you, girl?! I'll teach you to disobey me, you dirty little slut!"

With that said, he proceeded to drag Misty away from the window.

"Tracey!" Misty cried as she was dragged away by her father, who was prepared for a full-blown round of beatings.

Somebody cries in the middle of the night

The neighbors hear, but they turn out the lights

A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate

When morning comes it'll be too late

Jozef delivered a full-blown round of slappings, punchings, beatings and kickings, sending her to flying to the wall. Azurill leaped in the air and tackled Jozef in attempt to protect Misty, but the drunken father punched the little blue Pokémon to the floor, provoking the red-haired girl.

"YOU DRUNKEN BASTARD!" she shrieked at her father, as she picked up a tall lamp and struck him in the face. "How dare you hurt my little Azurill?! I'll show you!" In retaliation, she snatched her Seaking Catching trophy and smashed it over his head.

In return, Jozef kicked her repeatedly in the ribs, knocking her to the floor. The red-haired girl let out a loud howl as her father began stomping her chest, causing internal bleeding, but nobody even bothered to take action while Jozef took off his belt and began slapping her with the said object. The neighbors ignored Misty's screams and cries for help as they turned out the lights.

Tracey wasted no time as he took out his cell phone to quickly call 911 as soon as possible.

The final impact came when Jozef slammed her head hard against the solid concrete wall, causing her skull to fracture and her brain to swell. When his mood finally changed, he released Misty's head, dropping her body onto the floor like a ragdoll, put his belt back on and left her sprawled in a pool of blood, nearly close to death.

*******

At approximately 2:45am, bright red lights flashed outside the window of the Cerulean City Pokémon Center where Ash and Pikachu were staying for the night, along with his other friends.

Through the wind and the rain, 

she stands hard as a stone 

in a world that she can't rise above, 

but her dreams give her wings 

and she flies to a place where she's loved 

Concrete angel 

"Pika?" Pikachu peeked out the window and ran over to Ash's side. "Pika-Pi!" he cried as he lead the boy over to the window.

Ash hurried to the window to see police cars and an ambulance parked right outside the Cerulean City gym. Officer Jenny barricaded the crime scene to keep everybody out. The crowd watched as Jenny and her Growlithe came outside the Cerulean City Gym with Jozef in handcuffs, dragging him into the police car and then she radioed for help.

"Officer Jenny to car 402, I have Jozsef Waterflower in police custody. His daughter Misty's body was found in her bedroom." The blue-haired policewoman said. "Misty's Azurill was injured trying to protect its trainer, but still very much alive. We much rush this Pokemon to the Pokemon Center immediately. Over."

Ash Ketchum, Pikachu, May Maplewood and her brother Max, Tracey Sketchit and Brock Harrison along with the crowd stood at the edge of the yellow police tape to see paramedics wheeling someone onto a stretcher with a bloody white sheet covering a body, but Ash froze as he could see a red ponytail sticking out from underneath the sheet.

"What is going on?" Serena asked, she hurried over to the crowd, followed by Clemont and his sister Bonnie. Dawn and Piplup dashed over to see what was going on, followed by Chloe and her Eevee, Goh and his Grookey, Inteleon and Cinderace, Iris and Cilan, Kuwait, Lillie and Snowy, Lana, Sophocles and Mallow.

"Pikachu-pi!" Pikachu cried.

"Oh, my God! Misty!" Ash cried out in horror as he recognized the body. The crowd gasped in shock and horror.

A few minutes later, a car pulled up and out came Daisy, Lily and Violet who returned home from their vacation.

"OH, MY GOD!" cried Daisy, as she dropped her luggage in shock. "Like, what is going on?!"

"Are you Misty's sisters?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Yes." Lily replied.

"While you were away, your sister Misty was brutally beaten to death by your father. She died at approximately an hour ago, and we found her body in her bedroom." Officer Jenny explained. "We will be taking him to jail. Where is your mother?"

"Our mom died from complications during childbirth when Misty was born," Lily explained sadly.

Officer Jenny asked the three girls to come with her to the police station to file paper work and the whole report. About an hour and a half later, she let them go home, but the Cerulean City gym was closed until further notice. Daisy, Lily and Violet wept tears of guilt and remorse for being irresponsible gym leaders.

As for Jozef, he was charged for the crime of child abuse and murder. He was convicted by the jury and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

****

A few days later, a funeral was held at the Cerulean Cemetery. Misty was dressed in her mermaid costume and accessories for the open casket wake ceremony.

Ash, Brock, Daisy, Lily, Violet, Marina, Lillie, Kiawe, Sophocles, Lana, Trinity, Mikey, Sakura, Danny, Rudy, Mallow, Mahri, Todd Snapp, Casey, Gary, Georgio, Ritchie, Egan, Dorian, May, Max, Tracey, Professor Oak, and everybody else Misty had met her whole life were dressed in traditional Japanese funeral robes and kimonos. Her grave was covered with bouquets of flowers and burning incenses.

Right next to her mother's grave was a single teardrop headstone with a ceramic stone bluish-gray mermaid statue right above it along with the inscription:

Misty Annabelle Waterflower

2007-2017

Our beautiful tomboyish mermaid

Gone too soon

A statue stands in a shaded place

An angel girl with an upturned face

A name is written on a polished rock

A broken heart that the world forgot

May was crying uncontrollably as she was comforting her crying brother Max while they were being consoled by their parents, Norman and Caroline.

Ash sobbed as he was comforting his crying Pikachu while being consoled by Professor Oak and his mother Delia.

Azurill, Caserin, Goldeen, Politoed, Staryu, Starmie, Gyarados, Corsola, Horsea and Psyduck cried uncontrollably.

Daisy, Lily and Violet were crying hysterically and uncontrollably while they were being comforted by Luverin (Daisy's Luvdisc), Seel, Dewgong, Shellder, Seaking, Dorian and Brock.

Sakura cried as she was being comforted by her older sisters and her Espeon.

Sophocles and Togedemaru were crying uncontrollably.

Casey was crying while being comforted by Georgio and her Pokémon, Meganium and Elekid.

Lillie and Snowy wept tears of sorrow while Kiawe and Marowak comforted them.

Lana, Mallow, Tsareena and Popplio uncontrollably bawled their eyes out.

Tracey stood in front of the statue with a solemn look on his face. And then all of a sudden, out of the blue there was a glowing bright light. Before him stood Misty...and she wearing a bright flowing white gown, a golden halo floating above her head and a pair of white, fluffy angel wings.

Through the wind, and the rain

She stands hard as a stone,

In a world that she can't rise above

"Thank you, Tracey." Misty smiled as she embraced him. "I'll never forget you."

"Misty, it is time to come home, darling..." a voice called out to her. Misty turned around to see a familiar figure with flowing ember-hair, beautiful ocean-blue eyes and a kind, gentle smile. She was also wearing a bright flowing white gown, a golden halo floating above her head and a pair of fluffy angel wings.

"Mama..." Misty walked over to her mother as they made their way to the Pearly gates together.

But her dreams give her wings

And she flies to a place where she's loved

Concrete Angel