Truth.

I don't own the song, or Poke' Mon, this is a fic I wrote a loooong time ago that I found in my Documents, and I read it, and finished it, cos it thought it was worth publishing! The Darkest Hour's latest chapter is coming along, and I am sorry for the long spaces between updates, but it is my holiday now so for 2 weeks I should be back! I have been stuck on a boat for 2 ½ days, and escaped a tragic sort of death from 15 bread-hungry swans, Insane? I think so… :P

Misty's POV.

Some people may say that a few people come into our lives and quickly go. Whilst some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And no matter what, we are never, ever the same.

But do I truly believe them?

Others believe that a friend is someone who you hang out with.
But a best friend is someone who can love you even when you're far away.

But do I even dare to believe this?

It's his fault. He hasn't even bothered to answer a single phone call. Not read a single letter I have sent. And not written back or dropped by when he is nearby.

The rest of those sentimental people may also believe this… "The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."

I am not even sure that this is true, well, not for me…

And not for HIM…

So here I stand, waiting in the freezing cold. Where you may ask?

Outside his very front door.

The snowflakes fall, and I shiver, if I had known it was going to be this chilly in this nowhere place of Pallet Town, I would have brought an extra layer.

I simply stand for awhile, not moving, as if my very fingertips are frozen to my blue jacket. But I know that I must knock sooner or later, or else HE might see me first.

I give in, trudging up the white-snow-coveted steps and pressing the dreaded doorbell, I stand, listening in the snowy breeze as the chiming jingles through the house, alerting the people inside that someone is here.

I hear movement, and a familiar voice of a middle aged woman. Delia Ketchum.

She's answered the door. I gulp. It's time to face the music…

Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now

(NOBODY'S POV)

She opened the door, her eye's widening as she spotted the teenage girl shuffling on the spot, avoiding her gaze.

"Why hello there Misty! It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Delia exclaimed, smiling as warmly as a mother at Misty.

Misty shrugged her shoulders, and forced herself to pierce a fake smile to her lips. "Yes, Mrs Ketchum. It has."

Delia shook her head wearily, and motioned with her hand indoors.

"Would you like to come in? I've just baked a fresh batch of cookies…" She asked, watching the redhead with her large russet eyes.

Misty forced herself to take a step forwards and nod, her leg's trembling slightly.

"Y-yes please…"

Slowly, Delia beckoned Misty into the Ketchum Household, shutting the door behind her, leaving Misty to realise; there was no turning back now.

"Would you like a cookie dear?" Delia asked, rushing out of the kitchen, where the smell of warmth and homey-ness was coming from and bringing her a plate full of warm, chocolate-chip-cookies and placing them on the round, oak coffee table by the sofa.

"T-thanks." She meekly whispered, carefully lifting up a warm biscuit and nibbling on it gingerly.

Immediately, her taste buds began to go insane, she'd forgotten just how good Mrs Ketchum's cooking was.

"How are they? You're the first to try them!" Delia giggled, watching Misty sit on the cream sofa and sit stiffly, munching her cookie and not saying a word.

"They're… Amazing!" Misty announced meekly to Delia as she took another baked biscuit off the plate, and then began shovelling it in like a Munchlax.

Delia smiled happily at her guest, and fetched her some hot chocolate in a mug, before sitting opposite the redhead in a small, burgundy armchair.

"Misty… What brings you here?" Delia asked, shoving a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear.

Misty, immediately, stopped eating.

Backbeat the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I'm sure you've heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now

"W-well… I-I…"

"Hey Mom! Where's the ketchup? Pikachu is looking kind of peckish!" A voice shouted from upstairs, before, the noise of feet stomping casually down the stairs rung throughout the house.

Misty felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle, and her throat turn dry and sore.

Delia smiled, "That'd be Ash right now."

Misty nodded nervously, watching as first, a pair of navy and white trainers came around the doorway, followed afterwards by a pair of light blue trousers, then, a t-shirt with a POKe'BALL on it, then, a head.

Ash ran over to the kitchen, and found the ketchup, not noticing the surprise guest until he came back out, almost spilling ketchup in his left eye as he spotted Misty on the couch.

"Wha…Misty? What are you doing here?" Ash yelped, gathering his footing and placing the ketchup on the drawer beside him.

Misty just gulped, and tried desperately, not to make eye-contact with her best-friend.

"I'll leave you two for awhile…" Delia murmured, getting up from her chair and walking into the kitchen, handing Ash a mug of hot chocolate as she did so, shutting the kitchen door behind the two.

Ash stood in the doorway, staring at Misty, who in turn, was not looking at him, but swirling her hot beverage in its china mug.

Slowly, he made his way over to the sofa she was sat on, and sat on the other edge of it, glancing at her as he sipped his hot chocolate.

"So… What's up Misty?" Ash asked casually, stealing a cookie from the plate and inhaling it in two seconds.

Misty sighed, and finally, she looked up at him, her eyes cold.

"Ash. We need to talk."

Ash was surprised at his friend's tone of voice; it was distant, and chilly, like the snow which hung about outside his house and al the way around Pallet Town and the rest of Kanto.

"O-okay…" Ash agreed, smiling at her in an attempt to break the icy cold exterior she was hiding behind.

Misty stood up, and walked into the kitchen, with her empty mug and handed it to Delia, "Thank you very much Mrs Ketchum for the hot chocolate and cookies."

Delia smiled at Misty, "Not at all! And Misty dear, you can call me Delia! You're almost like Ash and I's family!" She announced, pulling the redhead into a friendly hug.

Misty blushed at the 'family' compliment, "T-thank you, Delia."

Delia shook her head, and carried on putting food smothered in tomato sauce on Pikachu's food in his bowl.

Pikachu hopped up onto the counter, and began eating his dinner with great enthusiasm, waving at Misty as she left the room.

As she shut the door behind her, Ash pushed past her, and announced he and Misty were going for a walk.

"Be careful! It's cold out!" Delia warned Ash, handing him a large coat and wellies.

Ash and Misty waved bye to Delia and Pikachu, and stepped out of the door, Ash shutting it behind them.

He glanced at Misty, and almost fell over backwards.

She'd changed.

A LOT.

(Ash's POV)

Whoa! Misty sure has changed a lot! I mean, she looks… Amazing! Hehe, I wonder if she's got a boyfriend?

I turned to face Misty, a smug grin plastered on my face.

"What was it; you wanted to talk about Mist?" I asked, smiling at her cheekily.

All of a sudden, a sharp pain slapped against my cheek.

I winced in pain, and covered my raw cheek with my hand, glaring at the redhead in front of me.

"What was that for?" I yelled, my anger allowing my voice to tremble slightly.

Misty simply, for the first time since she'd arrived, looked me in the deep into my eyes, which was when I saw the pure fury apparent on her face.

"Why didn't you call?" Was all she growled, crossing her arms and awaiting an answer.

"W-Wha? When?" I asked, glaring back at her ferociously, my toes crunching up inside my boots.

Misty shook her head, before, bringing her magic mallet down on my head, "Ever?" She snapped.

I winced, and stood back up, glaring daggers at her.

She seemed to be a little taken aback by the strength of my glare, and I watched as she jumped off of the steps and stood outside my front gate.

I followed after her.

Misty continued walking along the snow covered path leading through the town of Pallet, staring up at the crisp sky.

The snow underneath our feet crunched loudly as we left our footprints in it.

And all the roads we have to walk along are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
I don't know how

(MISTY'S POV)

He was just walking beside me as my anger began to die down.

We carried on just strolling, not a single word travelling between us as the snow began to float around us, mixing with the crisp and fresh breeze in the wintry air.

Eventually, I stopped.

I felt him stop beside me, and his gaze fix on me.

"Misty? What is wrong…?"

"Five years." I growled, staring at my red boots in the snow.

"What?" I heard him murmur, confusion obviously hitting him like a tonne of bricks.

"I have waited FIVE WHOLE FRIGGIN' YEARS ASH KETCHUM!" I suddenly burst out screaming in a torrent of angriness.

I saw him flinch from the corner of my eye as I lowered my head again.

"Five years… For what?" Ash asked, moving away from me, afraid I'd lash out at him with the answer.

I stared up at him, my eyes almost pleading.

"Why haven't you ever called me?" I asked again, stiffening up as the breeze spun around us as we stood in the middle of a snow dusted pathway.

I saw him sigh, and look at me.

"Misty, I've been in Unova, Hoenn and Sinnoh! I've been very busy!" He yelled his hand's clenching into fists.

I suddenly, felt a single tear drip down my cheek.

"Oh come off of it Ash!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air and snarling at him, "Yes, you have been training, but I KNOW there has been times where you've had a break Ash!" I screamed.

He yelled back, "Oh yeah? Well there hasn't! I've had things to do!"

I felt the anger swell inside of me… That was when. I punched him.

He writhed in pain as he clutched his stomach, before, getting up to face me.

Before I could stop him growing closer, he'd grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back towards him, letting me go so I fell over into a snow drift.

I spluttered as the cold and wet substance almost choked me.

I silently, stood back up, not looking him in the eye.

"What's your point, Misty?" He yelled, anger infiltrating his voice as two, fury-ridden russet orbs fixed on me.

"W-what, what's happened to YOU?" I cried, facing away from him.

He wasn't the Ash I had known. Not the stupid, friend-loving, POKe'MON geek I'd travelled with when we had been ten. He'd changed.

Ash yelled back at me again, "Nothing's happened to me Misty! I've just been working my ass off for the last five years!"

Today was gonna be the day
But they'll never throw it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you're not to do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do
About you now

(NOBODY'S POV)

Misty stiffened up, shivering in the cold.

"What are 'we' Ash? Cos I don't know anymore."

Ash looked at her with wide eyes, "What? What do you mean, 'we'?"

Misty narrowed her eyes, pulling her red scarf tighter around her neck. "US ASH! What the hell has happened in these last five years? You're different Ash!" She yelled, a sob creeping into her last few words.

Ash sighed again, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Why should any of the things I do matter anyway? Why should you care?" He asked.

Misty was silent for a moment after this question, eventually, after a few minutes, she retorted, "Because I'm your FRIEND Ash! And I thought I was yours too!"

"Misty, you are my friend!" Ash reassured her, shaking the snow from his boots. He attempted to place an arm around her shoulder but Misty shrank away from his touch.

"Well, you wouldn't know…" Misty mumbled.

"Know what?" He asked, staring at her.

Misty eventually gathered the courage to look at Ash.

And all the roads that lead to you were winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
I don't know how

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall

"You haven't the faintest idea, how hard these last five years have been for me Ash! I've waited, even sent you I don't know how many letters! I've emailed, phoned, but still, does anyone ever answer? Anyone ever write back? NO they don't! They never have!" She yelled.

Ash smiled weakly at her, "Misty, you'll always be my friend."

Misty grew hot again, "Yeah right Ash! You couldn't wait to be shot of the annoying, moaning, scrawny, bad-tempered brat when she finally got her bike back!" She yelled, snow falling from the trees as Misty's voice echoed all around. The snow did little to blanket her noisiness…

"Misty, you're wrong…" Ash began.

"Tell me how then Ash Ketchum! If you were a real friend, why didn't you try to keep in touch? Like you did with other people like May and Tracey?" She bellowed her eye's scrunching up.

Ash placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder, but she shrugged it off again.

"Misty- I wanted to, I really did but…"

"Oh don't give me that total shit Ash! If you didn't want anything to do with me, at least have some friggin' decency to tell me!" Misty suddenly screamed, louder than Ash had ever heard.

He covered his ears and when he pulled his hands away, Misty had stopped shouting.

She began to sob, her voice trembling as she stood away from him, her hands over her face. The snowflakes continued to drift around them, the trees continued to jangle like sleigh bells as the wind blew them about.

"Misty-" Ash saw her glare, "I wanted to phone you, Arceus, I did. I don't know how many sleepless nights I had." He started, listening as her vibrant sobs began to die down.

"Then, why didn't you call me?" Misty asked, wiping a lone tear from her icy cheek.

Finally, Ash moved towards Misty, and held her mittened hands in his fingerless gloves, however, Misty didn't face him, instead she kept her eyes fixed on her shoes.

"Because- I thought you wanted your space, Misty." He stated listening as an eerie silence surrounded the teens.

The redhead glanced up at Ash, and cerulean eyes met russet.

"I thought you would be too busy for me just if I always were pestering you. I thought you had a new life. I thought- I thought you'd moved on." He finished his eyes downcast as he uttered the last words to leave his lips.

Misty watched horrified as tears began to drip slowly from Ash's eyes and watched them as they burnt into the snow, like acid.

"Ash," Misty whispered, "I'd never be too busy for you. And, a new life? Some life with three ditsy sisters who can't even spell 'orange'? Well, Mr Ketchum, whether you like it, or not. You're a part of my life. Always have been, always will." She smiled, lifting his chin up with her fingers and staring into his eyes.

Ash gulped as her aqua pools of light burned into his.

I said maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me?
And after an
You're my wonderwall

Immediately, Ash lifted his head, and stared into Misty's eyes.

"Misty- There's something I need to say to you, but-but I don't know how…" He muttered, smacking his hands over his eyes, a pink blush creeping to his face.

Immediately, Misty unwrapped his hands from his face, and smiled at him.

She whispered something into his ear, the warmth and mutter making Ash tremble and grow hotter than before.

A flock of Pidgey, Pidgeotto and a Pidgeot soared their way through the snowy trees, cawing as they created a powdery hurricane of snow.

Then, Misty said something.

"Let me help you out."

With that, she leant in, and Ash began to realise what was happening. Slowly, the pair leant in, and kissed.

Just as their lips touched each other's, a noise rang through Pallet Town.

They gasped as their forehead's smashed together, and still holding a single hand over their heads, they gazed up to see a large, orange bird, breaking through the blizzard conditions and grey clouds like a sunbeam that hasn't been able to land somewhere for a long time.

"Whoa! Ho-Oh!" Ash yelled, pointing up at the sky in wonder.

Misty grinned, and linked arms with her new boyfriend. Ash glanced at the redhead, and took her hands in his.

"Let's go to mine." He assured her, and picked her up, bridal style, and dumped her in a flurry of snow.

"Hey! Come back here!" Misty hollered playfully, jumping up and chasing the raven-haired boy, a snowball held firmly in her grip.

Said maybe
You're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me
You're gonna be the one that saves me

You're my Wonderwall…

Some people may say that a few people come into our lives and quickly go. Whilst some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. But no matter what, we are never, ever the same.

But do I truly believe them?

Others believe that a friend is someone who you hang out with.
But a best friend is someone who can love you even when you're far away.

But do I even dare to believe this?

Well, I have decided. Yes. Every word of it. Cos I have my proof now. And my proof's name, is Ash Ketchum.

FIN

Hope you enjoyed it! I certainly enjoyed writing it! Next up on my list to soon be finished is 'You Traded Your Baseball Cap For A Crown.' Please Review? Dedicated to everyone who likes Pokeshipping! Keep your eyes open nearer Xmas for a NEW FANFICTION, COLLABORATED WITH THE ONE, THE ONLY, IVYBEAN! I can't wait to start work on that!

So, with that, Review and Enjoy!

-AAML;)