Hope you all enjoy it :)

…

First thing the next morning Ash was back in his usual place by the sea, watching the waves lap against the shore and drag the sand back with it, much like it had dragged Misty away from him.

The sounds of children's games, couples laughter filed his ears but his eyes remained glued to the sea, waiting for Misty to return and when she did he would be waiting for her.

"I thought I'd find you here." Brock said, taking a seat next to Ash who only nodded in response. "I'm not sure why you keep coming here though."

"Because when Misty returns this is where she'll come." He explained, not once looking over to the older boy.

"And why here exactly?" He asked.

"This is where we first met and where we…" He shook his head. "She'll be here, trust me."

"Where you what?" Brock pressed.

"Nothing." He said shortly.

"The night you two disappeared, what happened?" He questioned.

"It's not important." Ash said, absentmindedly stroking Misty's necklace in his pocket.

"I mean it Ash." Brock said sternly. "What happened?"

"We just…" He looked down and ran his fingers through his hair, embarrassed to talk to Brock.

"Just tell me." Brock said, worried what had actually happened between the pair.

"We had sex alright?" He looked back up. "You happy now?"

Brock felt like the breath had been knocked out of him, weeks ago Ash barely knew what girls were for and now he was losing his virginity on a beach. He'd always thought he was like Peter Pan but he'd certainly grown up.

"Alright then." Brock said slowly. "How did that even happen?"

"What?" Ash flushed, not quite ready to go into details.

"Well, the last time I saw Misty she was running away from you, then suddenly you're hooking up with her?" He asked, in disbelief.

"I don't know what to tell you." Ash shrugged.

"You're better with the ladies than I thought." Brock said with a nod of approval.

"So great they run away." He said gloomily.

"Weren't that good then?" Brock laughed, gaining a glare from Ash. "Okay, not ready to joke about it."

"No." He climbed to his feet and started to walk away.

"Ash, come back. I'm sorry." He called after Ash, but he didn't stop.

"I just need to be alone." He shouted, picking up his pace.

He walked off the beach, never looking up, constantly fiddling with the necklace, wishing it was back around Misty's throat. He walked until he felt sticks and twigs crunch under his bare feet, realising he was back in those same woods he'd taken Misty a few days back.

Subconsciously, his feet led him deeper into the woods, towards a particular tree. Once at his destination his fingers traced over the markings in the bark, tracing the letters. Ash + Misty glaring back at him, a bitter reminder that he was all alone.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his pen knife, and held it out towards the tree, his hand shaking slightly.

"I can't believe you." He muttered, anger swelling inside him, after everything that happened she had just disappeared, he'd tried his best to get her stay but it wasn't enough for her.

Was it possible that he'd completely misread the signs, maybe she was just manipulating him, a joke among her merfriends to see who could get a human to fall in love the quickest, then just up and leave when they've captured his heart.

The blade of his knife against her name, ready to be crossed out, discarded like he had been.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't hate her, even if she'd run from him.

Returning the pen knife and the necklace to his pocket he continued to walk, no destination anymore just needed the space.

…

Dawn sat alone in the hotel restaurant, Ash had done another one of his disappearing acts and once again Brock was searching high and low for him.

"Hi." Paul said, sitting down opposite her.

"Hey." She replied, in a small voice, her usual bubbly personality not showing.

"You okay?" He asked, awkwardly.

"I guess." She sighed, poking at her food with a fork.

He debated whether to question her further or to just walk away, in the end his curiosity won.

"What's wrong?"

"Ugh, everything!" She exclaimed, throwing down her cutlery making Paul instantly regret asking anything. "You remember Misty?" She asked, looking up for the first time since he arrived.

"The red head?" He asked, feeling a little uncomfortable under her intense glare.

"Yeah, well she's left and Ash, you know Ash right?"

"The black haired kid?"

"That's the one. Well since she's been gone he's become this pathetic mess of a guy, I mean he's practically suicidal. You'd think the world was coming to an end the way he's behaving!" She rambled, angrily.

"Cut him some slack if his missus has just left him." Paul defended.

"That's the thing, she's not even his girlfriend, just a friend, if that." She groaned.

"Really?" Paul questioned, every time he'd seen them they'd sure acted like a couple. "I just assumed they were together."

"Nope, I mean they kissed a couple of times but that was it." Dawn said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "And she shows her true colours and leaves and he can't get over it."

"He sounds like an idiot if you ask me." He said, reaching forward and grabbing some food of her plate.

"Thanks, I'll bear that in mind." She said, a slight glare at him for taking her food. "But we're due to leave tomorrow and I just don't think we'll be able to drag him onto the ship."

"So? Just ditch the guy." Paul shrugged, nonchalantly.

"I can't, he may be an idiot but he's still my friend." Dawn said, gaze dropping to her plate again.

"Whatever you say." Paul pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. "But you could do better Dawn, a lot better."

He turned and walked away, leaving his words spinning in her head.

…

Misty swam until her head broke through the surface, the cool air drying the water dripping off her face. In the distance she saw figures on the beach, too far to make any distinct people, wondering if Ash was there or if he'd gone travelling again.

Part of her wanted to swim closer, find Ash again and beg for him to take her with him but she'd lost the necklace so there was nothing she could do.

"Whatcha doing?" Daisy asked, appearing next to Misty.

"Jesus!" Misty jumped slightly, not expecting any company. "Where did you come from?"

"Like duh! We followed you." Lily said, now at her other side.

"We wanted to know where our baby sister was sneaking off to." Violet smirked.

"I just wanted some air." Misty shrugged.

"Some air? Please! You're a mermaid, you don't need air." Daisy crossed her arms.

"So, like, tell us the truth. What you here for little Misty?" Lily asked.

"I just… I was going to… I needed…" Misty stuttered.

"Oh my god! You're here to see your little boyfriend." Violet squealed.

"What? No!" Misty blushed.

"You so totally are!" Daisy joined in.

"I wasn't, I was just…" She trailed off, looking into her sister's excitable eyes she became afraid to tell the truth.

"Is he, like, waiting for you on the beach?" Lily asked. "Planning to have a little reunion?"

"I don't know where he is. He could be at the beach but chances are…" Misty didn't get to finish her sentence, but that was all her sisters needed. Sharing a look they turned from her and swam towards the shore.

"Stop!" She called after them but they continued to swim, with a groan Misty followed.

She chased after them until they were close enough to make out the figures on the beach, features becoming clearer but still not overly distinctive. But she'd recognise that mop of black hair anywhere, she hid behind her sisters hoping to remain unseen.

"Can we just go back?" She hissed at her sisters, despite the fact Ash wouldn't be able to hear her.

"Not until you tell us who your little boy toy is." Daisy laughed, scanning the beach for potential.

"He's not even there." Misty lied.

"Then why are you, like, hiding behind us?" Lily asked with a smirk.

"Fine, if I tell you who he is can we just go back?"

"Totally." Violet nodded.

"Okay." Misty sighed, ready to pick a guy out at random. "He's…"

"Is he the black haired guy sitting on his own?" Daisy asked.

"What? How did you do that?" Misty asked, too shocked to even deny it.

"He looks like your type." Daisy shrugged.

"Oh my god! Which one?" Violet asked.

"That one." Daisy responded, pointing in Ash's direction causing Misty to cringe.

"He's totally cute." Lily exclaimed. "A little young for my taste but perfect for you."

"Great, we've seen him now can we just go?" She grabbed onto Lily's arm and tried to pull her away.

"Aren't you even going to, like, come out of hiding and say hello?" Lily asked, breaking free of Misty's grip.

"No, I don't want to see him."

"Like, why not?" Daisy asked, glancing over her shoulder at her younger sister.

"Because we didn't exactly end on good terms." Misty stated before ducking back under the surface.

Her sisters watched as she swam away, most likely back home to lie on her bed.

"I'm really, like, worried about her." Violet muttered, watching her sisters form sail through the water.

"Me too." Lily bit her lip. "Maybe we should go home and check on her."

With one final glance towards Ash they followed Misty home.

…

Ash felt his heart leap into his throat when he saw three figures swimming towards the shore, too far out for any human to be, it had to be Misty.

But as they got closer he realised not one of these girls possessed the fiery red hair he'd become accustomed to, instead they were blonde, bluenette and pink haired.

A sigh escaped his lips and his gaze fell back to the sand, she wasn't ever coming back.

"Pikapi!" He heard call out and suddenly Pikachu was at his side, nuzzling his hand.

"Hey buddy." He half smiled, rubbing behind his ears. "I was just about to come looking for you."

"Pika." Pikachu gave his trainer a look, one that implied he was not buying his story.

"Maybe not right this second, but soon." He said, sheepishly.

"Come on Ash, get up." Ash glanced over his shoulder to see Dawn walking towards him.

"Why?" He asked as she came to a stop by his side.

"We're going."

"Can't I just wait here while you and Brock do what you have to do?" He looked up at her, eyes wide.

"No, I mean we're actually leaving. Two hours time the ship will depart and we have to be on it." Dawn crossed her arms, why Brock had sent her to deliver the news she'd never know.

"What? We can't leave." He scrambled to his feet, panic evident in his voice.

"And why not?"

"Because Misty…" Ash started but Dawn cut him off with a growl.

"Oh for god's sake Ash! She's not coming back, okay? I know you want to believe that you're star-crossed lovers or some shit like that, but you're not! Misty has gone and she's never coming back." Dawn stood firmly, ready for whatever Ash was going to throw back at her.

"You're right." He sighed, looking down at his feet he walked back to the hotel.

Dawn stood frozen to the spot, watching him go.

"What just happened?" Dawn asked, looking down at Pikachu.

"Pi." He shrugged before the pair followed after him.

…

"Mist, you okay?" Daisy asked, swimming into her room, she had been the one nominated for talking to her.

"I'm fine." She mumbled, playing with her pillow.

"I'm not an idiot." She said, resting on the end of her bed. "So tell me what happened."

"It's not interesting." She shrugged.

"Well, let's start small. What's his name?" Daisy asked.

"Ash." She said in a small voice.

"And how did you meet him?" She started small.

"He found me washed up on the beach." She said, never once looking up from her pillow.

"Right, then what happened?" She stroked her hair, a gesture she hadn't done in years.

"Then we became friends, spent some time together, then I came home. End of story." She said, hoping her sister would get the hint and leave.

"I know you're keeping something from me." She said sternly, causing Misty to bury her head in her pillow.

"We hooked up." Her muffled voice replied.

"Oh my god! You cheeky minx! I know we joked about it but we didn't think you'd actually, like, do something with him." She said approvingly.

"Yeah, well." Misty picked up her head. "It was stupid of me, I knew nothing could last and yet I got myself hooked." She looked over her shoulder at her sister. "Daisy I did stuff with him that I shouldn't even be able to do."

"What do you mean?" Daisy asked, eyebrow raised.

"Let's just say there are certain things that you need human anatomy for." Misty said, turning away again.

"Oh my god! You didn't!" Daisy exclaimed, not quite as naïve as her younger sister when it came to these things.

"I did." Misty groaned.

"Then what happened?" Daisy dug for more information.

"Woke up the next day and came home."

"You did that then ran? I'm seeing a totally different side to you Mist." She laughed.

"Yeah, and that's why I can't see him again. He probably hates me, waking up to find me gone isn't exactly the biggest compliment ever." She ran her fingers through her hair.

"I guess not. Did you like him Misty? Like, really like him?" She heard Misty sigh at her question.

"Yeah, I did, and now I'll never see him again." Before she could stop them, tears began to pour from her eyes, melting into the sea around her.

"Oh, Misty, sweetie. Don't cry." Daisy lay down next to Misty and held her sobbing body close until the tears eventually tired her out and she fell asleep.

…

Ash stood on the dock, watching people board the ship, staring out into the sea. Misty's necklace wrapped around his fingers. He took a step closer to the edge until the ends of his shoes were hanging off.

Taking a deep breath he held his hand, opening it slightly so the pendent slipped between his fingers, the chain still wrapped around them.

"Goodbye Misty." He whispered, wanting to drop it but not being able to bring himself to do it.

"Ash Ketchum!" Dawn shouted. "Get your ass over here before we miss this ship!"

"Coming." He shouted back, returning the necklace to his pocket, he'd get rid of that later, for now it was safest with him.

He turned on his heels and followed Dawn and Brock onto the ship.

He'd throw the necklace overboard when he was in the middle of the sea, that's where it belonged, just like its rightful owner.

…

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