Ash jumped off Charizard's back rushing through the hospital doors rushing past the receptionist's desk and down the corridor. As soon as the doctor said those last two words Ash was off. He didn't even wait for his mum to get ready; he ran out the door with Pikachu behind him and released his Charizard jumping on his back asking him to fly to the hospital as fast as he can.
Ash jumped into the lift smashing his fist against the button for Misty's floor begging the doors to just hurry up and close. Finally they did, but the wait for them to reach the right floor felt like an age to Ash. As soon as the doors opened he was out of there and rushing down the corridor, the door to Misty's room was open and he rushed in looking at the bed a huge smile on his face. All three of Misty's sisters were sat on one side of the bed, but Ash didn't care about them the only thing that matters is that Misty is awake and okay.
"Hi Ash", Misty said a huge smile covering her face as well.
"Hi Misty", Ash answered moving to the bed placing his hand on the side of her face leaning down pressing his lips to hers, "I've wanted to do that for days and now I finally have. How do you feel Misty?"
"A lot better than the last time we were both in this room together and were both awake", Misty answered and Ash nodded taking a seat next to Misty on the opposite side to her sisters taking her hand in his as Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder onto Misty's bed.
"That's good to hear, you really had me worried for a while Misty I thought I was going to lose you" , Ash replied as Misty used her free hand to stroke Pikachu on the head, Pikachu let out a small happy cry as Misty continued to stroke him.
"Sorry about that Ash, where's Brock and the others? I really want to thank them for helping you get my cure", Misty answered looking towards the door.
"They're still on the way back; I had to leave them back in the Miracle islands so that I could get back in time. When I got the call from my mum saying that you had taken a turn for the worse there was a massive storm raging through the region that the islands were in. I needed to get back here and there was no way that I would put the others and the two Lapras at harm by asking them to venture out into the storm. I called Professor Oak and got him to send over the Mantine I caught while we were on the way to the islands and then set off on it with Pikachu through the storm", Ash replied and Misty turned to him and he could see that he was in trouble.
"Girls could you please give me and Ash a little time alone, i'll get him to come and get you once you've finished", Misty said turning to face her sisters who nodded at her understanding that they just be in the way and spectators to something that's personal between just Misty and Ash. Misty's sister got up from their chairs moving across the room to the door opening it stepping out. Misty waited a few seconds after her sisters left before turning to face Ash, "Ash you ventured out into a storm on your own", Misty added sliding her hand out of Ash's. Misty stopped stroking Pikachu and he jumped back onto Ash's shoulder again looking down at Misty.
"Misty I had to, you needed the cure and it was the only way I get back in time", Ash replied trying to take Misty's hand again, but she pulled it away every time he tried.
"Ash you could have been killed, Ash if you were travelling through a storm the waves it created must have been massive and powerful. If one had crashed into who knows what might of happened", Misty replied.
"Misty I found Pikachu and Mantine in the end and I was only in the water a few minutes until I released Charizard and used him to search for the other two. Other than that my journey back was easy", Ash answered trying to make light of the situation.
"Ash you could have been killed, what did I say to you before you left?"
"Misty I know you told me that you didn't want me to do anything stupid and I promised I wouldn't, but I couldn't keep that promise if it meant losing you. Misty I love you and a world without you in it is not worth being in, scream every name you can think off, hit me and do everything else you need to do to get rid of your anger. Misty if I had the chance to go back to when I got the call from my mum I would do the same thing again and again because that's how important getting back to you was to me. Misty I love you and I don't ever want to spend more than a few hours apart from you ever again", Ash answered and Misty looked into his eyes and without saying a word she closed the gap pressing her lips to Ash.
"Ash Ketchum don't ever do anything that stupid again, you say that i'm important to you well so are you to me" Misty said after she ended the kiss returning to her old position taking Ash's hand in hers.
"Misty I won't I promise", Ash replied and Misty gave him a small smile which he returned.
"My sisters said that Gary helped you get back to Kanto in time", Misty said and Ash nodded at her.
"Yeah he did, he met me in Hoenn in Lilycove City. But you'll never guess who was with him?" Ash replied.
"I don't know who?" Misty answered.
"Team Rocket, I walked onto the boat that Gary used to get to Hoenn from Kanto and found Jessie, James and Meowth standing in the cabin getting ready to set off back to Kanto as soon as I was ready to leave", Ash replied and a expression of confusion crossed her face.
"Team Rocket helped you get back here to me, why?"
"Well they said that even though we think they're bad people they are still human and no one should die before their time and if there is a chance that you can stop someone from dying before their time then they should help and so they did", Ash answered.
"So I guess that it was just a one off, we'll se them again before long and things will return to what they used to be like, they'll try and steal Pikachu and all our other pokemon as well", "Misty replied and Ash nodded.
"Yeah they said they give me a few more days off piece as a token of goodwill I guess, but then they're coming for Pikachu. They won't ever get him so i'm not going to dwell on it, right now the most important thing is me and you", Ash answered and Misty nodded. "Misty we promised each other that when I got back we would tell each other all the things that we like about each other."
"Indeed we did, how about we each say one thing each and then continue like that taking it in turns to tell the other what we love about each other", Misty suggested and Ash nodded, "Ash you go first."
"Misty I love your feistiness and your many other layers, you never back down from a challenge no matter how bad the odds aren't in your favour. When we travelled together you kept me on my toes and challenged me every step of the journey. Back then I thought it was annoying and wished you just let me do what I wanted, but I see now that you've helped me become a better person and a better pokemon trainer by challenging me", Ash started and Misty smiled at him.
"Ash you needed to be challenged sometimes, you're very head strong and rush in to a situation without thinking. Right my turn what to say first, um I know your kindness. Ash when we travelled together and we used to meet someone new you would always be ready to help them no matter what they needed and it didn't matter that you had only just met them, you treated them like a friend and I guess that what they were. May and Brock told me how great you were when you first met May and Dawn and how you helped them grow into the trainer and performers they are today. May started her journey not really liking pokemon just wanting to travel, but you helped her find her calling in pokemon contests and now she's up with the best of them. Ash our friends think the world of you and you only have to look at how they all rushed to help you when you called about the journey for my cure. Ash your kindness is only of your best qualities and I know that you'll make loads of more friends in the future because of it", Misty replied and Ash smiled back at Misty.
"Misty our friends mean the world to me and I knew how to help May and Dawn because I had the best two teachers you and Brock. On our journey you both taught me so much and I carry those lessons with me to this day. Okay now for my second thing, Misty I love your cheerful personality. When I felt down after a loss or a I reached a obstacle in my road you always knew how to lift my spirits and help me move past it and learn from that loss or obstacle until I was a better person for it and I went back and won the next battle or cleared the obstacle on my second attempt", Ash answered.
"I hated to see you down Ash and Brock did help as well, Ash it worked in reverse as well, you could always pick me up when I was down and we did have some great times together didn't we? We laughed we joked and we made some great memories that I know i'll carry for years to come because they were the best times of my life. Some of those memories were the only things that kept me going the days that your were off getting my cure. When I felt things were getting to much I think about one of the things we did while travelling and the worry and pain went away", Misty replied and Ash thoughts moved to the letter this was part of what she had said in the letter. "Ash I guess another thing I love about you is that you're amazingly smart. You act like you're not, but I know that it's just a mask and you find it's easy to just go with the flow. I've seen quite a few occasions when your quick thinking has helped us out of a sticky situation while travelling and you've also used it in battles by using a move in a way no one would expect to scrape a win, Ash you're amazing and I just wish you show your great mind a lot more often" Misty continued and Ash nodded.
"I guess you're to smart for me to fool you and I guess part of it is because you know me to well Misty and i'm glad you do there should be nothing we don't know about each other so when you get out of here we need to talk about a few things i've been keeping from you not on purpose, but because I never really knew how to tell you", Ash replied and Misty nodded.
"Okay sounds good Ash, should I be worried?" Misty replied and Ash laughed before shaking his head.
"No they won't change anything between us I promise; okay no it's my turn again. Another thing I love about you Misty is how beautiful you are and I don't mean that in just physical appearance because you are the most stunning girl I know i'll ever meet and there isn't anyone who could come close to your greatness in my eyes, but I also mean how beautiful you are as a person a whole. You are loved by everyone who meets you and I know trainers love to challenge your gym because even if you beat them you help them to understand how they can improve because you're so kind and caring. Misty you're amazing and I don't want to spend another day apart from you, whatever the future holds I want us to face it together as a couple", Ash replied and the words just spilled out without him even having to think to hard about it.
"We will face everything together Ash, I don't want to spend more than a few hours apart from you, my illness has shown me what's important and that is you. Ash what I love about you so much is that you make me feel safe, I know that no matter what happens if I need you that you will be there for me in a flash", Misty replied and Ash nodded closing the gap between them pressing his lips softly to Misty's.
"I'll always be here for you Misty like I have since we first met. When my mum called me close to two weeks ago to say you were ill I had no problems with coming back here right away and help you in anyway I could". Ash replied as he pulled back from Misty again.
Knock, Knock both Ash and Misty turned to look at the door as it opened and Delia, Professor Oak and Gary looked in, "Is it okay if we come in or would you like some more time alone first?", Delia asked.
"Come in mum, we'll talk more later. We've said some of what we need to say to each other anyway and we'll continue later", Ash answered and all three of them nodded.
"Gary I want to thank you for helping Ash get back to Kanto" Misty quickly added and Gary nodded smiling taking a seat next to Oak and Delia on the opposite side of Misty's bed to Ash's.
"No worries Misty, we both know Ash needs some help some times and I was glad to be the one to help him this time. I could have helped him more if he actually asked me to go with him to the islands", Gary answered.
"Gary I was going to ask, but I already had asked Tracey and the others. I was also thinking of Professor Oak and how he might need some help at the lab so I decided I would leave you here in Kanto and i'm glad I did because who would of helped me get back here if you were on the islands with me", Ash replied and Gary nodded.
"True, I guess i'll let you off. Misty where are your sisters I would of though they be by your bedside", Gary replied looking at Misty as he delivered the second part of his reply.
"I asked them to give me and Ash a minute alone so I could shout at him for travelling through a storm. Gary could I be cheeky and ask you to go and find them for me", Misty replied and Gary nodded.
"I'll go find them, be back in a minute", Gary answered as he got up from his chair moving to the door stepping out.
"So how you feeling Misty?" Delia asked.
"Not bad thanks Delia, I think in a few days i'll be back to my best", Misty replied.
"Good to hear Misty, you do look a lot better", Delia answered giving Misty a huge smile which Misty returned.
"Have the doctors been in since you woke up?" Professor Oak asked and Misty nodded.
"Yeah they were in the room when I woke up and they took some bloods and told me that they would come back a bit later and do some more tests to see if all of the illness has left my body yet", Misty replied.
The door opened and Gary and Misty's sisters moved back into the room pulling up more chairs placing them round the bed sitting down.
"So I see you and Ash have solved your argument", Daisy stated and both Ash and Misty nodded at her giving her a small smile.
"Yeah we did Daisy, we agreed that it was necessary for Ash to have travelled through the storm and have agreed that Ash won't do anything as stupid again and I guess he'll break that agreement sometime in they future and we'll probably have another conversation where we'll make up and the cycle will begin again", Misty replied and Daisy nodded.
Ash, Misty and the rest of the room's occupants spent the next two hours chatting and laughing together happily before the doctor turned up to do a check up on Misty. "Hi Misty i've come to do your check up, could I ask you friends and family to please step outside for a minute so i've got a bit of room?"
"That's fine we'll wait outside for you", Delia answered and everyone got up including Ash.
"Is it okay if Ash stays with me please?" Misty asked and the doctor slowly nodded.
"Yeah if you want him to stay he can", the doctor replied and both Ash and Misty smiled as Ash sat back down in the chair watching everyone else step out the room closing the door behind them. "Okay Misty how are you feeling right now?"
"Excellent actually, I still feel slightly fatigued, but i'm sure that's to be expected, but I feel a lot better than I have in like two weeks", Misty replied and the doctor nodded.
"That's good to hear, Misty could you please sit up a bit so I can check to see if your rash has decreased yet", the doctors replied and Misty nodded sitting up. The doctor lifted the back of Misty's top looking at her back before lifting the front of her top looking at her belly. "Well the rash has gone down quite a bit from this morning and I would say that if we give it till tomorrow morning to check it again I would say that it would probably all be gone."
"That's great new isn't it doc", Ash said and the doctor nodded.
"It is, it means the cure has worked perfectly and is now pushing out the rest of the illness. We weren't sure how quickly the cure would work, but it seems to be working fast than we ever expected. Misty you remember I took bloods from you earlier well i've sent them off for quite a few different tests and so far only one has come back, but it shows no abnormalities like it did when you were first admitted to the hospital so we're happy on the front as well."
"So I can go home soon", Misty answered.
"Well we've still got some of the tests to come back, but once we've got them and checked that there's nothing worrying in them then yes you can go home. Misty I say that the earliest you be going home is tomorrow afternoon, the latest the morning of the day after, but I can't see any reason why you won't be fit to go home tomorrow", the doctor answered and both Misty and Ash smiled. "Misty although you'll be well enough to leave the hospital I recommend that you don't return to the gym for at least a week. It's going to take you a few days before I think you'll have the same amount of energy you used to have before the illness."
"Misty we can use that time to hang out and make up for the time we've not been able to spend since we got together. You can come stay in Pallet town for the week and we can spend all the time together, I know my mum would love to have you come and stay and I know I would", Ash suggested as he could see Misty isn't to pleased to hear that she can't return to the gym straight away.
"Yeah I guess", Misty replied.
"The rest of our friends should arrive in Kanto soon and we can hang out with them have some fun and just enjoy being back together again" Ash answered and Misty nodded.
"Yeah I would like that", Misty replied with more excitement than her last reply.
"Well i'll let your friends come back in and i'll come back later to check on you Misty, it's good to hear and see that you've got passed the worst stages of your recovery. Ash we've got you and your friends to thank for that so I like to say thank you from everyone at the hospital for getting the cure in time", the doctor answered and Ash nodded.
"I couldn't lose her I love her to much", Ash replied and the doctor nodded giving Ash a small smile as he stepped out saying a few words to Misty's sisters and the others before moving out of view. Everyone moved back into the room sitting down in their old seats.
"So what did he say?" Violet asked looking from Ash to Misty and back to Ash again.
"Well he said that one of the tests he did on the bloods he took earlier have come back clear and the rest should be back tomorrow. Once they've come back and as long as they are clear as well i'll be allowed to leave the hospital", Misty replied.
"That's great news", everyone except Ash answered together.
"Yeah it is, he also said that it's not recommended that I return to the gym for another week so you three will have to kept the gym going for a little bit longer if that's okay with you", Misty answered turning to face her three sisters as she mentioned the gym watching as all three of them nodded at her.
"Yeah that's fine, we want you to get better Misty and as soon as you feel ready you can return to the gym no matter how long it takes we'll keep the gym going at the high standards you've brought to it since you took over from us all those years ago", Lily answered and Misty nodded.
"Mum we were wandering if Misty could come and stay with us until she feel ready to return to the gym, she'll never relax if she's near the gym", Ash said turning to his mum.
"Of course Misty can stay with us, i'll make up the spare room later ready for her", Delia answered.
"Cool, I was thinking if it's alright with Misty and her sisters that we could stay tomorrow night at their house and then head to Pallet the next morning. It'll give Misty time to sort anything she needs to and I was thinking that once Misty's released from the hospital we could head somewhere round the city and have the date I promised her. I was thinking a nice picnic somewhere round the city that we can watch the sun set tomorrow", Ash replied and Misty squeezed Ash's hand giving him a huge smile.
"Sounds romantic and perfect, Ash I can't wait", Misty replied and Ash smiled.
"Well sounds like we've got a plan once Misty's released from the hospital, Misty I would love to stay a bit longer, but while we were outside I got a call from the lab. I'm needed back in Pallet town so I better get going", Professor Oak said and both Ash and Misty nodded at him.
"I'll come back with you as well gramps give you a hand", Gary offered and the Professor nodded at his grandson.
"I'll come back to Pallet as well, i'm sure Ash and Misty would like some time alone and there's a few things I need to do today back at the house", Delia added and Oak and Gary nodded at her.
"Delia you're right I think me and the girls will get going as well, we should open the gym just encase there's any gym challengers today", Lily added and Misty's other two sisters nodded in agreement.
"Thank you all for coming to hospital today and all the others days i've been in here. You were all a great help and you all helped kept my spirits up while Ash was away getting the cure. Daisy, Lily and Violet i'll see you three tomorrow when I get released", Misty answered and her sisters nodded giving her a small hug each before getting up moving to the door stepping out. "Professor and Gary i'll see you when I get to Pallet town", Misty added and both Gary and the professor gave her a big smile before joining Misty's sisters out in the hall. "Delia I just want to say a separate thank you for the talk we had alone and just want to ask you one more thing get rid of the thing I gave to you for me would you", Misty finished and Delia nodded at her and Ash let a false expression of confusion cross his face like he would of had on his face if he didn't know about the letter already.
"Will do Misty, see you in Pallet in a few days and Ash i'll see you later don't stay to late, give me a call before you leave and i'll whip up something for you to eat when you get home", Delia answered and both Misty and Ash nodded at her as she moved out the door joining the others in the hallway before closing the door leaving Misty and Ash alone again.
"What did you give my mum?" Ash asked.
"It doesn't matter anymore Ash, but i'll tell you anyway. I wrote you a letter just encase I didn't make it, it was supposed to tell you all the things I never got the chance to tell you while I was alive I wanted you to know how much you mean to me, but now that i'm cured I can tell you in person and i'm going to so the letter doesn't matter and we should both forget about it like it never existed ", Misty answered and Ash nodded.
"Sounds good to me Mist, so now that we're alone want to continue telling each other what we love about each other?" Ash replied and Misty nodded, "Well it seems it's my turn again so here goes. Misty another thing I love about you is how amazing you make me feel inside, just being in your presence makes my heart beat ten times faster than it usually does", Ash added and Misty smiled closing the gap between pressing her lips to Ash's.