Whiskey Lullaby
By: Luna Ace
Summary: Pikachu watched them drink their pain away a little at a time, but they never could get drunk enough to get each other off their minds. Until the night... AAML One-shot
She stood there, watching Azumaril (a blue mouse type Pokemon) placing a bouquet of roses on their gravestones. The breeze softly tickled her ears. Her eyes showed no emotion, but deep inside she was sad. She begun to remembered how this happened...
It started at the end of summer four years ago...
She was sitting on her master's lap, listening to what the dark hair, dark skinned boy. There was a new challenge. She knew what that meant. She and her master would set out for this challenge instantly. They had recently had come back from the Shinnoh region victorious. And, had said goodbye to their friend with long blue silky hair; Dawn.
She would be traveling to Hoenn next.
But, that didn't matter. Her and her master returned to Pallet Town with the dark haired, dark skinned boy.
"You have to think is this what you really want?" the darked skinned boy asked.
"Of course." her master responded immediately
"Pika?" she asked unsure.
"We'll be back soon Pikachu."
But, the dark skinned boy, thought for a minute. "And, what of Misty?"
She ran towards the bright orange-haired girl. The orange-haired girl was using her water type Pokemon-- two star type Pokemon-- to water the outside garden. She was sitting down on the dirt humming.
"Pikachu!" she cried as she stopped in front of the garden.
The two Pokemon stopped using water gun and said 'hello' in their own way.
The orange-haired girl looked up and saw a pikachu-- which meant either two things (a) the pikachu's master the boy she had a crush on for years OR (b) the pikachu was wild. She hoped for number one. And, it proved right as a dark haired boy came to a halt in front of her.
"Ash! Pikachu!" the orange haired girl cried.
"Hey Misty," the pikachu's master, Ash; said.
"Hey," she said
She stood up and held out two poke balls. "Starmie Staryu take a break." she said as she called the Pokemon back to their poke balls. Then she put the poke balls away and dusted herself off.
"Okay Ash," she had begun sweetly. "What can I do for you?"
Ash gulped as the pikachu ran towards her master, climbing onto his shoulder.
"Pika pi." she said sternly, in a friendly manner.
Ash then blushed and smiled. "You see Misty. I'm leaving again." he said, sadly.
The orange-haired girl nodded, understanding.
"A new Pokemon journey?" Misty asked quietly.
Her master didn't trust his voice so he nodded. The orange-haired girl expected as much. The two were silent as he looked up towards the sky. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't say good bye when I left for Shinnoh. I'm sorry..."
He was all choked up and Misty didn't care. At first she was angry, upset that he left-- without her. But, in the end she knew it was for the best. They won. She had come to see him battle in the finals. She had met Dawn, the aspiring coordinator from Shinnoh. The girl had run up to Ash as soon as the finals were over.
She saw him hugged her.
Right then she knew. She knew she lost her chance with him. And, the brunette; she had met in the Hoenn region had come along to cheer on Ash. Both girls had gasped as Ash and Dawn hugged.
"Your better next to him then she'll ever be," the brunette said comforting the orange-haired woman.
"Thanks May. That means so much." Misty had whispered to the girl.
"Mist?" Ash asked.
"Hm?" Misty asked shaking the memory away.
"I promise you this when I come back to Kanto we'll start a family."
"It's good to be home isn't it Pikachu?" Ash asked.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
Being on the road all the time was now tiring the poor yellow mouse Pokemon. Even though it's only purpose was to make it's master happy,and it couldn't help but think about quieter times. They had run into Dawn, May, a grass-green haired young lad Drew, and a long haired violet-haired male Harley during their last journey.
"Can't believe Drew and May got together. But, that just shows that anyone could overcome anything."
"Pi."
"Staravia! Fly!" Ash cried as he called forth the gray and white bird Pokemon. Then he turned to his very first Pokemon.
"Let's go Pikachu. We're going to hold up our promise."
"Pika? Pikachu."
They had landed in Cerulean City a little while later. His pikachu ran through the streets happily towards the gym as he called back Staravia.
"Pikachu wait up!" Ash cried and then broke into a run.
"Pi. pi. pi." the yellow mouse counted and then stopped in front of the Gym. It then folded it's ears down and waited patiently for Ash. It was anticipating this. It was the best thing to come home to. At least that what Ash had confided to his Pokemon.
As Ash got close to the Gym he called out to his Pikachu again. The pikachu turned around, embarrassed to see Ash standing there out of breathe.
"Pikachu." it said.
He didn't say a thing, but reach down to grab his pikachu. The pikachu relaxed as it was being held by it's master.. It sighed contently. There was going to be no more battles, no more adventures. Even that dark skinned friend had settled down with someone. All that matter to the pikachu and it's trainer was that they were home.
Home.
It was a strange word. They had visited Ash's mother, Delia; for over a week. They even bumped into a brunette young male who had battled Ash. He won of course. Ash spent time with the professor that lived near them, and his assistant, Tracy. They were glad to have him back-- for good. But, the pikachu could tell they had a guarded secret.
Even the boy who Ash battled left as soon as their battle was over.
One night as Delia was doing the laundry she found Pikachu awake. She let the Pokemon out Ash's room. Pikachu followed her and her Pokemon ( a Mr. Mime). She smiled sadly at the mouse Pokemon, even Mr. Mime had done it as well.
"There are things I don't understand about my son," Delia said to no one in particular.
"Mime." Mr. Mime said.
"Pika?" the Pikachu asked.
"Pikachu haven't you seen them when they have visited?"
"Pika?" the pikachu asked again.
"Mr. Mime. Mime Mime." Mr. Mime said as if the yellow mouse didn't know.
"Pikachu?!" the mouse asked in shock.
"Now guys. You can't tell him. It'll break his heart." Delia said sternly.
"Pika."
"Mime."
The pikachu sighed. This was going to be a disaster. It had the word written all over it. Ash was determined. And, the pikachu couldn't stop him. Sometimes it wish Ash had the others to back it up. It sighed and jumped out of Ash's arms.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The Pokemon ran towards Misty's room. The room it had been in only once before. It was scared for it's life. Scared that Ash would find out any moment. Ash's mother had told it something that Pikachu promised to take to the grave. But there was no way stopping it's master.
"Pikachu?" it's master asked.
As Ash rounded the corner Pikachu thought of the only thing it could.
It used thunderbolt on Ash, it's trainer.
"What was that for?" the master asked a little fried.
"Pikachu. Pika pi pikachu." the pocket monster said.
"My own good?" Ash asked, confused.
It's master laughed it off. He then walked over to the door and turned the knob. The sight he was greeted with was a sight indeed. There was Misty in her bed naked with some guy. No, not just some guy. Gary.
They had kissed.
All the color had drained from Ash's face and he turned away from them both. The yellow Pokemon shook it's head. It didn't want to see it's master upset. But, then it heard the sheets ruffled.
"Ash!" Misty cried in horror.
The yellow mouse looked at Ash's rival. Gary was smirking. Footsteps could be heard from the bed to the door, and the yellow mouse followed a clad-sheet Misty down the stairs.
"Alex wait!" Misty cried, trying to use his real name to get his attention.
It worked though. He turned around, disgusted at Misty. Pikachu stopped and watched this scene. It's small heart thumped loudly in it's small chest.
"I don't ever want to see you. Ever again." Ash said, and then his chocolate brown eyes looked at Pikachu. "Come on Pikachu we're leaving."
Pikachu didn't say a word, but followed Ash towards the exit of the gym.
A Year later pikachu found herself trying to convince Ash to live his life. To love again, but nothing could motivate him.
"I've tried. I've tried to be the best person I can be. I swore to not be like my father. But, I'm his spiting image." Ash slurred.
Pikachu watched sadly.
They were back in Pallet Town, under a willow in his back yard. He was holding a bottle of Whiskey, and drinking it away. He was trying to forget her. Trying to forget her curves, her beauty, her sapphire eyes and short orange hair. Even he, didn't want to see her innocence.
Pikachu couldn't see her master drowning himself in alcohol. She turned away from her master not wanting to be apart of his life anymore. It wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth trying to convince him to live his life, and yet she tried again.
"Pika! Pikachu! Pika!" she said.
"No Pikachu. I'm sorry. I can't." the man said dimly.
"Pika!" she cried and begun running away from her master. But, minutes later she heard a gun shoot. She turned around and gasped.
Ash lied there, the bottle had rolled away, a pistol laid in his left hand and a note in his right.
"pika pi! Pika pi!" Pikachu cried.
She had ran back to her master. She grabbed his pants leg and shook him, hoping he'd wake up.
"Pika pi! Pika pi!"
Nothing happened. Pikachu started crying, and remembered the last time she was in this situation. Nothing like that would happen again. But, Pikachu grabbed the note and ran towards the house of her master.
It was a warm summer day. Ash's old friends had gathered to say farewell.
There was Brock. He had dark hair and dark skin. He was studying to become a Pokemon breeder, yet he was helping his father, Flint; run Pewter Gym.
Besides him was a fourteen year old boy who traded in his glasses for contacts. Max stood there holding onto Ralts, the Pokemon he had helped saved once. His silky raven hair was gelled back and he looked like someone out of the sixties. His promise he had made Ash had fallen through. But, it didn't seemed like Max was fazed by this.
Then there was Todd. Todd was a brunette boy who was a photographer that the trio had met during their adventures to the unknown. The trio had taught Todd it was okay to shoot poses once in awhile.
Tracy was holding onto Pikachu. He was trying to calm the Pokemon down. But how do you calm a Pokemon down when it's master had died? And, he was the best one for the job, since he was a Pokemon Observer. And, most importantly Professor Oak's Assistant.
Professor Oak on the other hand was trying to calm down Delia. No one wanted to see their children go first-- especially their first born. But, it wasn't just that. Ash wasn't just Delia's first born, but only child as well. Even Molly, a friend of the family's; was trying to cheer her up. She was now about ten years old. She was learning about Pokemon easily. She wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. He was a professor as well. Her father and Professor Oak were close friends.
Behind them were May and Drew. May was crying on Drew's chest. He tried to console her, but it wasn't working. May would only break down harder. They were two top coordinators-- May taking the top four in Kanto, and Drew in Jhoto. Once in Jhoto they had become close (as Harley had started stalking May, and Drew was hired by her family to stop the violet-haired man).
Dawn and Paul sat under the willow. Paul's hard stoned face told it all. He didn't want to be here. But, Dawn had force him to come. Secretly, he was glad he had came. He wanted to pay his last respects to his rival-- however short of time they had been rivals.
Richie held Sparky (his Pikachu) close. Tears were coming from the young man's eyes. He thought it wasn't far. He thought someone had killed Ash. Well, they all thought that. But, Brock, Misty, Professor Oak and Delia had known the truth.
Ash had drunk himself to death.
"Anyone seen Misty?" Brock asked.
"Nope." Tracy had said.
Pikachu chose then to jumped from Tracy's arms. She had seen a dark figure wearing a cloak awhile ago. She then began to search for it as the funeral had begun. The words of the pastor had flew through her ears as she wasn't really listening. And, then Pikachu ran into the dark figure.
"Pikachu!" the figure cried.
Pika?" it asked.
"Yes, It's me. It's all my fault." the figure cried.
She broke down as the hood fell off her head. She had long orange-hair. It was longer than it use to be. Pikachu place a paw on her leg.
"Pika pi."
"Thanks Pikachu." she said and picked up the Pokemon to hugged it.
Five months past. Misty and Pikachu had become inseparable. Ash's Pokemon had been released back into the wild. Misty had broken up with Gary that night after she said 'Good bye to Ash'. She begun to blame herself for Ash's death. If only she waited a few more months. Just a few more months and this would've never happened. Ash wouldn't have died.
She was angry at him. Angry at herself. Drinking slowly begun to be a solution. She would drink his memory away. The note they had found with Ash was on the table. She had read it a million times. It had read:
"I'll love her till I die."
She gone out to visit his grave a million times-- whiskey in hand. One day she had plans with Brock and Max. She knew she had to hide the whiskey that was on her breathe. She hadn't slept much since his death. She would always pass out on the sofa in the gym. Even her sisters' began to worry about her. But, none of them asked.
It was a bright sunny day, and she met Max and Brock at the fountain in Cerulean City. She had decided it was time. Today she would act as if she hadn't been depressed, as if she didn't blame herself.
"Hi Brock!" she said (a little too cheerfully).
"Uh, hi. You remember Max, right?" Brock asked.
Misty looked at the fourteen year old boy.
"Hey Max." Misty said slyly.
"Pika!" Pikachu said as he came from behind.
"Hey-- isn't that..." Brock's words fell dead.
"Mmhm. We became close. Come on Max. You ready for a gym battle?"
"You bet!"
Day turned into night, and Misty had bid farewell to Max and Brock. She then slumped into a chair and removed her happy personality. She replace it with her normal depressed one.
"I'm sorry Pikachu," she said quietly.
The mouse Pokemon stepped into the room and saw that Misty was holding a gun-- the same gun Ash had.
"Pika! Pikachu!" it cried.
Misty stood up from the chair. "It's better this way. My heart won't get over him."
"Pikachu?!"
Misty laughed. "It's not worth my time. I blame myself for his death. I'm just... I'm sorry."
And, with that she put the pistol to her head and pulled the trigger. Pikachu knew then that her best friend was gone. But, she was happy for them. Maybe this way... this way they could be together.
Another day, Another funeral.
Pikachu watched everyone say their good byes to her. To them. They hoped they were happy somewhere out there in Heaven. Maybe then they would see that they loved each other. Each person who attended Misty's funeral could sworn they heard music playing. They looked at each other and smiled. This was their song.
"The angels are singing a Whiskey Lullaby." Todd said as he took a snapshot of their graves that now lay under a willow tree.
Not to far away Ash was watching them say good bye to his love: Misty. He then jumped a few feet as a hand was placed onto his shoulder. He turned around, and gasped. This shouldn't surprise him, and yet it did. Her orange hair was down, and her sapphire eyes glowed with happiness. She was wearing a multi-colored kimono. As for Ash he was wearing a white business suit.
"Oh Ash," Misty cried sadly. "Look what I did to us." she motion their graves, and their sad friends.
"Mist, it's okay. That doesn't matter." Ash tried to reassured her.
"It doesn't?" Misty asked, confused.
"No. What matters is we're together. A,nd I love you Misty."
"And, I you."
He inched closer to her and captured her lips. They tasted sweet-- like cherries. Maybe they couldn't be together in real life. But, maybe their love could blossom in the afterlife.
Fin.
A/N: Ah. This was actually challenging. I practically worked on this for about four hours. And, now I'm done. This is my first Pokemon fan fiction so be nice.
Alex is Ash's real name, I believe. It was noted in one of the earlier Pokemon Episodes that Delia (Ash's mom) called him that.
-Ace.