Ash - 17 years old
Misty - 19 years old
Kenji - 17 years old

Chapter 1

Ash, Misty, Pikachu and Kenji were walking along the path leading to who-knows-where, because Ash had gotten them lost (again) by taking one of his famous "shortcuts". Misty hadn't started yelling at him yet, even though she already knew they were lost just by looking at the foreign surroundings. They were in the middle of some open plains, and if a thunderstorm decided to pop up, they were in serious trouble.

"Ash, are you sure this is the way to Fuschia City?" Kenji finally asked as they reached the top of a gently sloping hill in the road.

"Um, sure it is! I know where we're headed!" Ash piped up too quickly as the they stopped for a minute.

Misty smacked her forehead and groaned in frustration. "Kenji, you haven't been with us long enough to know; sometimes, he's just lucky if he finds his bedroom after running around his home all day, looking for it."

"That's not true! You're just being mean, Misty!"

"Sometimes the truth hurts, Mr. Pokemon Master." Misty folded her arms in front of her and dared Ash to defy her.

"Alright, if I'm such a loser, then why are you still following me?!"

Kenji sweatdropped.

"Because YOU owe ME a BIKE!"

"FINE! I'll send you a check in the mail when I get the money, Misty. And if that's not good enough, I'll deliver the money, in person, to you when I get home. Now go back to Cerulean Gym and STOP FOLLOWING ME!!" Ash looked at Misty hard, anger showing in his eyes. Misty, for once, was scared of him, because she knew he was serious.

"Come on Kenji. We 'losers', have to keep away from her. After all, we wouldn't want to ruin Ms. Hanosea's reputation of hobnobbing with the upperclass."

"Ash, I never called you a loser!" Misty cried, desperately trying to calm Ash down, and failing.

"Oh really? Well it sure sounded like it! Goodbye, Misty." Ash turned away, and started down the slope of the hill, his heart, his eyes still afire with anger. He had had enough of Misty's whining and complaining. Kenji gave Misty a look of confusion, not really knowing who to stay with.

"Ash! Please, wait!" Misty called after him. "I'm sorry!"

"Pika-pi! Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, sitting on top of Ash's backpack. (Ash, cut it out and go back to her!)

"Not on your life, Pikachu. I'm sick and tired of Misty. She acts like a jerk."

"Pika-pi-Pikachu." (Ash, please reconsider.) Pikachu said sadly, knowing he couldn't really change the trainer's mind.

Kenji then caught up with them. "Ash, I think you'd better go back and apologize. Misty's really upset."

"Good! I don't know why I put up with her in the first place. All she ever does is whine about that dumb bike of hers, or tells us how cute that dumb Togepi is, or...that's right! Togepi's really mine! She stole it from me!!"

"Pikachu?!" (What?!) Pikachu cried. "Pika-pi! Pikachu-Pika-pi-chu! Chu Kachu!" (Ash, you've already ruined your friendship with Misty, don't do something else that's dumb!)

"I don't care if that little egg doesn't like me! I'm rightfully it's trainer, and I'm going back for it." Ash cried and turned around to walk back the way they'd come. Suddenly, Togepi, from afar, could be heard screaming hysterically, "Briiiiiiii!"

"Pikachu!" the electric Pokemon looked up from their argument worriedly.

"Togepi!" Ash cried the obvious.

"Something's wrong! Come on!" Kenji yelled and started back up the hill. Pikachu, without any prompting, jumped off Ash's backpack and ran with Kenji. Ash was still angry, but he too, started shuffling up the hill, hands stuffed in his jeans pockets, mumbling, "Togepi probably just tripped over a stone and fell down. Nothing to worry about."

Ash didn't know how wrong he was.

Kenji kept yelling Misty's name until he saw her: she was sitting on the ground, facing a *very* angry, wild Arbok. Togepi was sitting in her lap, sobbing and wailing.

"MISTY!" Kenji cried, which was big mistake. The Arbok lunged at Misty, and grabbed ahold of one of her legs with it's poisonous fangs. Arbok's generally don't bite their prey, but this was a rare, deadly exception. Pikachu immediately dispatched a thundershock, making the Arbok let go of Misty. Kenji ran to her and tried to suck the venom out of her leg but it was too late; already, the Arbok's venom was running through Misty's blood.

In other words, she was going to die, in a matter of minutes.

Ash strolled up to the top of the hill, and immediately saw what was happening and ran to the scene, where the Arbok was slithering away. "What happened?! Misty!"

"An Arbok bit her! I tried to get the venom out, but..." Kenji trailed off.

"Bri?" Togepi asked, walking up to Misty's still form and touching her on the cheek. "Toge?"

Misty's eyes fluttered open. "Togepi?" she asked, with much difficulty.

"Misty!" Ash cried and knelt down next to her.

"What happened?" Misty asked him, "I don't remember...I feel so weak..."

"You fell down and hit your head." Ash lied. He looked up at Kenji desperately. "We have to get her to a doctor, NOW!"

"Where, Ash, where?! We're in the middle of nowhere!" Kenji threw up his hands. "I've done the only thing that could be done. Now she's going to..."

"Shut up!" Ash ordered angrily. He lifted her head, and rested it onto his lap. "Just lay here for a little while, you'll be fine."

"Ash," Misty lifted her arm to his face, which felt like three tons of iron to her at the moment, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...the bike's not important..."

"Shhh, I know. I'm sorry too. I didn't mean what I said."

"I never got the chance..." Misty coughed, tears forming at her eyes. She knew she was dying, even Ash couldn't tell her otherwise now. "I never told you how much I loved you."

Ash couldn't hold back his tears any longer. Somehow, he wasn't shocked at Misty's sudden revelation. He'd loved her for a long time too, although neither of them would have ever had admitted it to anyone, especially to each other.

Until now...

"I love you too, Misty. I always have." He gently grabbed her uplifted arm and held it to his tear-stained cheek.

Misty coughed again, crying. "Please take care of Togepi and all my Pokemon for me."

Ash nodded, but said, to try to encourage her. "They'll be in tip-top condition when you get back from the doctor."

Misty smiled. "You always did love to dream, Ash. I love you."

With smile on her lips, she closed her eyes for the last time, and died.

Nothing happened for several seconds after; then Ash, using all his energy and strength, let up an ungodly howl that could be heard by the entirety of Pokemon Island.

For a very long, long time after that, the two humans and two Pokemon could only cry over the fallen fourth Cerulean Gym Leader.

End Chapter 1