A/N: Don't own Pokemon, sadly. This is my first Pokemon story and I am an old school Pokemon girl. To me, Ash, Misty, Brock and Gary will be the best characters ever. OLD POKEMON 4EVA! Anyway, this first chapter will be written in first person [Misty's POV but the rest of the story will be in third person. This story is rated M because I don't write mushy stuff. What you will see here will make you gasp, cry, shake, and cuss me out. Probably hate me too…but you will be coming back for more.

Warning: AshXMistyxGary triangle

Summary: Ash and Misty's relationship was doing great until one faithful night in Pallet Town changes everything. Left with nothing but her own lonely self, Misty decides it is time to move on and change. Yet, an old and unknown rival appears and is ready to make the youngest Waterflower sister suffer until her last breath.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1 – Matters of Shoes

We arrived to Pallet Town a week before the special day. We were supposed to leave, all together, the day after the party. I guess things don't always go as planned; at least for me they don't. I knew we were staying longer than what Ash had planned, since his mom had asked me to lure him to his hometown for a very specific reason. Ten years had passed since Ash left his home and began his Pokemon journey. Ten years had passed since we met that faithful day and never, in all my years of knowing and traveling with him, did I ever think he would change so much. The past months had been rather different than the wonderful ones we spent before. Ash rarely smiled or laughed; except when he won a Pokemon battle, that is. But it wasn't a smile of happiness, but a smile of superiority. Come to think about it, it wasn't really a smile; it was more of a mischievous and prideful grin.

Brock and I spent sleepless nights, talking about the sudden changes in Ash's attitude. We thought it was only a phase he was going through, knowing he was reaching maturity and was becoming of age. We blamed the hormones, the long traveling, the lost battles and even the weather. We never blamed ourselves, and I certainly never thought of blaming myself. However, with each passing day, Ash grew quieter and spoke only when addressed to or when necessary. It was as if he was caught up in his own little world where nothing else existed but his battles and himself. Even Pikachu felt the difference between the old Ash and the newA sh. Pikachu didn't need to tell us he hated the new Ash; and how much he missed the old one. We all did.

I mistakenly took things for granted when we started dating. Ash and I have been dating for three years now, isn't it wonderful? Or…we were dating, until last night. I was so sure that being around his family and old friends would bring the old Ash back to us, but it didn't. I can't forget the hurt look on Mrs. Ketchum's eyes to Ash's reaction to his surprise party. "I can't believe you made me stay for a party! It's just a birthday…there is nothing to celebrate!" We stayed, nonetheless.

Professor Oak talked to Ash, trying to find out what was wrong with him but he was not successful. He gave short answers and evaded questions saying he had to feed his Pokemon. He knew Brock took care of our Pokemon; he just needed an excuse to leave the interrogation site. Ash hated to talk about his plans, he wouldn't tell us what he felt, even if we begged him for it.

I tried to cheer him up. I dressed up the best I could and let my now long hair down. Ash once told me he liked it this way; he liked to play with it. Yet, that night, he hardly looked at me, yet alone touched me at all. There I was trying to look my best for the boy I liked, plotting with his mother to get him to come to his own birthday party, dealing with his friend/enemy Gary to find his birthday present, and saving up money to get him a bicycle voucher from Cerulean City's best bicycle store; and for what? He didn't even remember it was our three-year anniversary that night. Perhaps, he didn't even care.

The party continued until the wee hours of the morning. Everyone left, even Ash who claimed to have a headache had left to get some sleep. Brock, Mrs. Ketchum, Professor Oak and even Gary helped to clean up the place. For such a small house, we sure did take long to clean it up. Ash didn't even talk to me. It was as if I wasn't even there. It hurt very much. Not only because his attitude was cold but because he had not always been like that.

The first couple of years after we started dating, he had been nothing but a gentleman to me. I saw a side of Ash I never even knew it existed. I can still feel his arm around me those cold nights we had to spend camping outside in some forsaken forest because Brock had gotten us lost for the twenty –seemed more like ten thousand, time. Those were the good old days; and they were now gone. There was that other time when we traveled on the S.S. Anne. I remember that night as if it had been yesterday. That night we shared our first kiss; not only as a couple but our first kiss ever as well.

When we finally finished cleaning up, I saw Ash standing at the entrance door of his house. Brock had gone to sleep while Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak prepared coffee to drink during their long after-party chat. It was only me and him, and I was scared. I held my left arm with my right hand and managed to give him a small smile. He looked at me up and down, as if just realizing that I existed. His eyes then locked with mine and for a mere second, I saw the spark of the old Ash in his eyes. It happened so fast that had I blinked, I would have most certainly missed it. At that moment, that old spark gave me comfort, but I now wish I had not ever seen it and had not fallen victim of a false sense of security and hope.

I began to shift uncomfortably where I was standing until he cleared his throat and began walking my way. I felt my heart beating fast and my hands sweat. Ash had finally noticed me again and I was so nervous; so nervous that I almost didn't hear him when he spoke to me. "Mist, I think it's time we had a long talk, care to go with me for a walk?" I nodded and he began walking in front of me. It took me a few seconds to order my legs to move and follow him. I finally moved and walked next to Ash as he had his eyes fixed upon an invisible object to me. I walked, hands crossed, eyes staring at the high and uncomfortable shoes I had bought for the night. My mind was racing with the thoughts of possible topics he wanted to discuss with me until his voice broke my concentration. "You look very nice tonight, Misty."

I couldn't help to smile.

"I'm sure you could find a nice boyfriend if you dress like that more often."

I panicked.

What was he talking about? He was my boyfriend! He wasn't always nice but he still was my boyfriend. I stopped walking and he did too. We had arrived to his favorite hill in Pallet Town. He sat on the grass and patted the place next to him, inviting me to sit down. I didn't move and he just shrugged and continued talking.

"Look, Misty…I don't…I don't think this is working…us, y'know?"

My heart fell to my feet and the shoes became slightly more uncomfortable. How dared he tell me I looked nice, make me walk all the way over here, to tell me that what we had wasn't working? I clenched my fists and took small breaths to relax myself. I wasn't going to let him talk me out of it, I wasn't ready to let go. I felt my eyes begin to fill with tears but I blinked them away. I swallowed hard to ease the lump that was forming in my throat before I spoke to him, trying to sound as calmed as I could. "What do you mean?"

Ash sighed while he lowered his cap to cover his eyes. He always did that when he had to talk about something serious; something he wanted to avoid. I cursed under my breath for knowing him so well. Something bad was coming my way; something I myself had tried to escape from for a long time now. "I thought I felt something more for you; something more than just a good friendship, but I was wrong. I don't think us dating is a good idea. I think we should take a break…give ourselves some time to think…"

I swallowed again. The lump in my throat was getting bigger by the minute and all I could do was attempt to get rid of it by taking deep breaths. I was failing miserably, but I didn't know what else to do. "Are you upset because I made you stay?"

Ash sighed again, almost sounding…aggravated…maybe even irritated. Without looking at me he responded, this time in an angrier tone. "Not anymore. I was upset because staying here meant having to spend time with you, and I couldn't avoid you like I could while traveling. I didn't want to hurt you but I had to tell you the truth. I'm leaving again…and I don't want you to follow me anymore."

My heart broke that instant. My sight was clouded by the tears that I now allowed to run freely down my cheeks. I couldn't believe he had been so honest…so direct…so…blunt! Didn't I at least deserve an explanation? A reason why he thought he didn't even have to bother to try to work things out before just throwing everything out the window? I deserved an explanation; I had the right to know, didn't I?

"Why now, Ash? Why not before? What made you change your mind? It took you three years to figure out you didn't like me that way?"

He didn't reply.

I stomped the floor with my foot and my heel sank in the damp grass. I didn't care. The person I had cared for the most these past ten years of my life was saying goodbye with no apparent good reason at all! I was not ready to let go! "Ask Ketchum, I asked you a question? What is it? Am I not worthy of an answer from you all of sudden?"

"It's not like that, ok? I just told you why. I just don't feel like that anymore."

I couldn't help but snarl.

"You can't expect me to believe that one day you woke up and your feelings for me were gone. That is impossible!"

"I didn't say that. They slowly went away."

I held a sob.

"Ash…how could you…how can I…it's not fair!"

"Misty, I am twenty years old and still haven't become a Pokemon Master! Look at you! You are almost 22 and still nothing more than a trainer! I feel like I wasted the last years of my life on other things that weren't as important as the reason why I left home!"

"These last three years weren't a waste of time for me, Ash."

"Having you around distracts me, a lot. I will never achieve my dream of beating the Elite Four if I stay with you, and you will never be the best Water Pokemon Gym Leader if you stick with me. It's time we move on." Ash stood up and walked a few feet away from me, towards the road to his home. "You can pick up your stuff tomorrow morning."

I shook my head. "No, Ash! Please don't do this."

"Brock and I are leaving as soon as I get back home right now."

"What? Brock agrees with this?"

Ash remained quiet.

"He doesn't know, does he?"

"No. It's none of his business either. If he doesn't want to come with me, then that is fine by me."

That was harsh. I knew Brock will go with him anyway, and I somewhat preferred that over not having anyone to talk to me about how Ash was doing without me. We had been breaking our heads trying to figure out what was wrong with him. We both knew our chances of helping Ash –even if he didn't want to be helped, would be better if one of us stuck with him. I now knew it wasn't going to be me as I had secretly hoped.

"Will you keep in touch?"

Ash started walking without saying a word. I took a few steps and repeated my question, this time louder and more demanding than the first time. "Are we staying in touch?"

Ash stopped but did not look back.

"Goodbye, Misty."

And he was gone. I could have run after him and stopped him but I didn't; I couldn't. What difference would have it made? He was obviously consciously taking this decision and he did not seem to have second thoughts about throwing down the drain what I had cherished the most for the past ten years of years. This was not a 'see you later.' This was a definite 'goodbye.'

I stared at my shoes that were now covered by mud and dew as the first rays of sun began to light the horizon. My hair was damp and had lost its shine. I could feel the grass flies feeding on the flesh of my legs and arms. I felt lonely and miserable; too tired to even cry.

I saw Ash's figure disappear in the forest as he began increasing his pace from a light jog to full run. Knowing him he would run nonstop until he made it home, grab his belongings and tell Brock it was time to leave. Brock would look around searching for me and quickly figure out what had transpired.

Brock might be quite of a playboy but he is no fool.

Neither am I.

I reached for my necklace which I had never removed before. I held the star locket in my closed hand for a second; reminiscing about the time I got it as a gift from the boy that had just dumped me like a rock just now.

"Oh, Ash! It's beautiful!" Misty said as she held the gift on her hand.

"I knew you would love it!" Ash said while looking at the picture of him and Misty inside the locket he had just given her. "Now you can say that you have me, Ash Ketchum, the future Pokemon Master, in the palm of your hands."

"I knew I did already. A long time ago."

"And you always will, whether you have that locket or not."

The memory hurt. I had the necklace, but I didn't have the guy. I held tightly onto it and before my mind realized what my hand was about to do, the pressure of the pull I was putting on the chain was too much and the necklace snapped. The chain split in half and dangled from my hand while the locket remained –unmoved, in the palm of my hand. Ten years gone down the drain. I was broken.

"Happy anniversary, Misty," I told myself.

I looked at the picture one last time before I closed it and threw it away behind me. I didn't care where it landed; I wasn't going to come back to this place to search for it. In fact, I was not returning to Pallet Town ever again. I had no reason to come back, and for this I was grateful. I looked at my shoes again and realized they were going to be hard to clean. I sighed, not truly wanting the task of cleaning the uncomfortable shoes and thought of a better idea: I didn't need the shoes anymore.

I carefully slipped my feet out of the high heels and growled at the sight of seeing them still sunk in the mud. The only reason I had began wearing heels was to look nice for…him. "I definitely don't need you anymore," I told my shoes. I stared at them, and they looked back as if they were pleading to go with me. Pleading in the same way my eyes pleaded to Ash not to leave me behind. Here I was, reduced to a comparison of some filthy pair of shoes left behind because the thought of cleaning them up was just unbearable. I took a few steps downhill towards the road to Ash's home and stopped when I saw him and Brock run down the path to leave Pallet Town. Ash didn't look back but Brock did. I waved at him and he gave me a quick nod.

At least Ash wouldn't be alone, getting himself into trouble.

At least I wouldn't be left in the dark about his whereabouts. Brock would keep me informed; I was sure of this.

At least I would be able to cling onto that last piece of hope of someday seeing him again. At least I could still hope.

"Take care of him for me, Brock."

I saw the two most important men in my life disappear on the curved and downhill path of old Pallet Town-Pewter City road. I would take my time; I had nothing to lose, and –more realistically, nowhere to go. "This is where we part ways…shoes…"

The grass underneath my feet was damp and cold but I did not care much about it at the moment. There was mud accumulating in between my toes and leaves stuck to my heels. As I took another step I sighed deeply, knowing this would be the last time I would breathe this air, and walk this road ever again. "I found more comfy and reliable footwear…I am sorry."

I walked on the road to his house without even thinking. I knew these roads and pathways like the back of my hand. I didn't even bother to look up as I knew where I was heading, and what to watch for as I did. My head hung in shame and pain as my slow and short steps took me closer and closer to my destination. What was I supposed to tell his mom? What was I supposed to say at all? I secretly hoped Delia would be tired enough from the party to be awake so early, but in the back of my mind I knew she had seen the boys leave quickly and without me.

I finally arrived to the front door and turned the knob. I slowly walked inside and saw Delia and Professor Oak sitting on the table, drinking coffee and talking. I wanted to turn back and leave all of my belongings here just to avoid the questioning. I took a step back but the door betrayed me and slammed shut. Both adults turned to face me in my sad state.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to slam your door, Mrs. Ketchum."

She just smiled. "Want some coffee Misty? Did you ever get in touch with your sisters?"

"My sisters?" That was unexpected.

Delia nodded. "Ash took a message from your sisters saying they needed you back home. Isn't that why they left without you, sweetie?"

I was speechless. Was this why Ash had broken up with me? Did he know something that I didn't know? Or did he use whatever piece of information he had as an excuse to end our relationship? I looked at Delia and then at Professor Oak, waiting on any of them to tell me the news I had been kept in dark about. "I packed all of your things, Misty. You may use the phone to call your sisters. It seemed to be a very important situation for them."

"Thanks, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Misty, call me Delia."

Delia. She had asked me several times to call her by her first name. I always forgot and when I remembered and used it, it made me feel uncomfortable. "If you excuse me, I will get in touch with my sisters." I walked out from the kitchen and headed to the living room. As soon as I was out of sight, I heard Professor Oak make a comment that stung what was left of my pride. "I sure wish Ash knows what he has done."

"So they know," I thought. I closed my eyes to stop the tears that suddenly had made their way back to my eyes. I could not breakdown in front of his mom and his mentor. I could not show weakness in his own home. I pulled a chair and sat down comfortably in front of the phone. I picked up the phone and dialed my home's phone number. After the third ring, Lily answered my call. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Lily, it's me."

"Oh, my God! Misty? Like, where have you been, girl? We've been looking for you for, like, AGES!"

"Well…here I am."

"DAISY! VIOLET! LIKE, MISTY'S ALIVE!"

The yelling hurt my ears but at the same time, I was glad to hear from them. Anything they had to tell me could not be worse than what Ash had told me the night before. I was ready for anything and everything coming from them. In a matter of seconds, my other two sisters appeared in small screen on the phone, all crammed together in an attempt to look at me. They hadn't changed a bit!

"Misty, like, why are you wearing a fancy dress at 8 in the morning? Where is your sense of fashion?"

"I…had a big night."

"Oh, did your boyfriend ask you to marry him?"

Boyfriend. That word hurt.

"I want to be maid of honor!"

"Why do you get to be maid of honor? Like, I am Misty's favorite sister!"

"You are so out of luck! It is obvious I am her favorite sister!"

"Girls, you all are but he didn't ask me to marry him."

That line made the pointless argument stop, for now at least. I wasn't ready to tell them what had really happened so I would let it slide at the moment. It was too soon for the wound. "So, what is so important that you are all awake so bright and early during a weekend?"

"Oh. My. God, Misty, we are in deep, deep trouble!"

"Trouble? Why? Is Team Rocket at it again?"

"Psh, no! This is much, much more serious and real!"

I started fidgeting in my seat. I knew my sisters could be very well be exaggerating a broken nail or a fashion disaster but for some reason, this time it didn't seem like a case of an exaggeration to me.

"Just tell me! What is wrong?"

"Misty, we might have to close the gym…permanently."

I didn't say a word.

"Misty?"

I took a deep breath and stared at my sisters for a sign of joke. There was absolutely none. "It's the curse of the shoes, isn't it?"

"W-what?"

"Never mind. What do you mean we have to close?"

All three of them began crying and sobbing in unison. "You see, there was this audit of all Pokemon Gyms, like, worldwide, and our gym was the worst rated one. We were called the 'easiest Pokemon Gym to defeat.'"

"Oh."

"Yeah, like, total bummer, right? Anyway, our license to be Gym Leaders was revoked and if we want it back, we have to go through this 6-month training on how to become better leaders and trainers and such."

"Well, that is good that you are given a chance to remain leaders, isn't it?"

"NO! You don't understand our tragedy! So, the Gym can't be closed for 6 months, so they told us we would get sent a temporary Gym Leader and a full-time Auditor/Researcher to observe how the Gym is run."

"Someone else will live in our home?"

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Girl, you now see the predicament?"

I could see it alright. Our parents had been Gym Leaders and when they passed away, we inherited the Gym and the leadership positions as our family right. We never got officially trained or had to go through the paperwork, we just did it by what he had seen from our parents and what we learned at Gym Leader conventions. We knew we were risking it but we had no other option. The Gym was not only our job, but our home as well.

The only place we could call home!

"But, I am not an official Gym Leader anymore. Do you want me to go with you to get trained?"

"Of course not! We can't have you give up your adventures as a Pokemon trainer for us! After this training has ended, we will be on probation for 5 years. We can't leave the Gym, and our defeats have to be decreased by 55 or our license will be revoked forever!"

"I don't mind switching gears for 5 years."

"Nonsense! Like, we just need you to cover for us for 6 months while we train."

"Yeah, we don't want a creepy stranger living in our house, probably going through our undies drawers!

"EWWWW!"

"So, will you come home for 6 months, please?"

"But, I am not certified to be a Gym Leader."

"You will be, we asked if we could choose our own replacement, and even though it is against their policy, they said they would let us because of mom and dad. God bless their souls! You will get a temporary Gym Leader permit for those 6 months. It is all fixed; we just need you to agree! Please?"

How could I say no? I had nothing else to do or lose. Ash and Brock had left hours ago, and I had no one to travel with. All I had now was to go home, and if I didn't help my sisters, I would lose my home too.

"I see. I will do it. I am on my way to Cerulean right now, ok?"

"Thank you so much, Misty! Oh, just one thing! Please don't wear that outfit when battling other trainers."

I smiled. "I won't. I promise."

"Ok, we love you, Misty! We won't be here when you arrive but the Auditor will be here, ok? Bye!"

And the screen went black.

I sighed deeply, not really knowing what I had gotten myself into. However, I knew that at least for the next six months, my life would have meaning and purpose. I had plenty of time to think about what I wanted to do after that. I was almost 22 years old and had no definite plan for my life.

"Bummer, indeed."

I went back to the kitchen and saw Delia and Professor Oak hadn't really moved an inch. I asked Delia if I could use her bathroom to take a quick shower and get ready for my trip to Cerulean. "I will be there for six months," I told her.

She smiled and said I should feel at home. I bowed and quickly left to gather my belongings and take a nice, warm shower. "Cerulean, here I come."

And my own journey began. Perhaps not a Pokemon journey, perhaps not a trainer journey, but my own journey at last. Ash Ketchum had left Pallet Town for the twentieth time in his life, and this time he had left without me but with my heart.

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A/N: Like? Dislike? Review? Not Review? For those who know and like my writing style, welcome back! For those who have never read one of my stories, get ready to be confused:D