A/N: Sorry about the delay in posting this. I've been working a lot lately. I wish I could have a longer chapter for you, but this just happens to be one of the shorter ones. Well here's the first chapter of the last part of the story. We've only got four left after this. I'm not sure when I'm going to post the next chapter because I'm busy on the days I have off for the next couple of weeks. Thanks again for all of you who write reviews and read my work.

Until next time.

-Sarah

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Part V

Chapter One: Desperation

The top of the postcard read "Greetings from the Orange Islands." Daisy and Tracey were on the front of it, posing at the beach in their bathing suits. The two had found a souvenir shop that was able to take photos and make postcards out of them. This one had come into the mail that morning, which Delia carried up to her son, along with his breakfast, a new routine that had become daily in the past few weeks. Ash would not eat otherwise, being shut up in his room since they had returned from the wedding. He took a bite of toast as he read the elegant handwriting—certainly the work of Daisy.

Ash, I can see now why Tracey was always going on about your adventures here. The islands here are simply gorgeous, and the sun is out all the time. I'm getting a nice tan, actually. Did you and Misty make up by the way? It's been three weeks, so I hope so! I mean I know Misty has a bad temper, but she wouldn't be mad for this long, right? I wish either of you would tell me why you got into a big fight at my wedding, but it's fine I guess. You should come visit with us when we get home. I miss seeing your face everyday. I've gotten used to having you around again, like when we were kids.

Daisy

Ash sighed, tossing the postcard across the room. He finished off his toast before drinking his orange juice, remembering New Year's Day. He had tried to knock on her door the next morning before discovering that it was unlocked. He opened the door to find an empty room—all of her stuff was gone. Talking with the front desk was all he needed for confirmation—she had checked out first thing that morning.

His calls and text messages went unanswered. He had tried for weeks now to apologize to her—give her some sort of explanation. However, she was perpetually ignoring him. His emotions went back and forth from morose to miffed. He had finally broken her, he'd decided. He took someone who was so stalwart and hurt her so much that she wouldn't be her anymore (not to mention, would never speak to him again).

There was a knock on the door, to which Ash did not respond. The door creaked open anyway to reveal Delia and Pikachu. She strolled in wordlessly, making a beeline for the tray on Ash's nightstand. She hesitated for a moment, wishing to break the monotony of this new arrangement. Ash had a hard time communicating with anyone, including his own mother. Pikachu's ears dropped at the sight of his trainer.

"You need to talk to her," she said as she sat on the bed next to her son. She waited a moment for him to respond. When nothing came, she continued, "I have watched you grow up together, and clearly there is something there. You can't let her get away like this."

"I'm not letting her get away," he said, the first words spoken to her in over a week. "I've been trying to call and text her, but she won't speak to me."

"I'm sure she'll come around."

"You don't know what happened, and I'm not telling you because it's not something you tell your mom."

"Well," she said before leaving the room. "No matter what happens, it'll work out in the end. I promise."

He sighed as he gave Pikachu a rub behind the ears. The Pokémon emitted a noise in delight. He'd always have Pikachu. His chubby buddy would be there until the end. However, Ash knew that it would never fill the hole that Misty had left – Pikachu could never be enough.

"Ash, you have a visitor," his mom called several days later.

He didn't respond, not wanting to see anyone, except for Misty. He doubted it was, though. He had been sitting at his desk, working on a letter to her. As he crumpled the fourth attempt and threw it in the barrel, there was a knock on his door. The person did not wait for an answer before opening the door. It was Daisy, returned from her honeymoon.

"I thought it would be best to come see you," she said as she entered the room.

"When did you guys get back?"

"Two days ago."

"Oh. I thought you'd be there longer."

"Ash, it's been three weeks."

"Has it really been that long?"

Three weeks. It had been even longer since he and Misty had spoken. It might as well have been three years. Ash was miserable. He had lost his best friend and the love of his life all in the same moment.

Daisy sat on the bed, absorbing her surroundings. Her skin was tan from the sun. She fiddled with her rings as she searched for the appropriate words to say. Pikachu leapt up from the floor and into her arms.

"I want to hear your side of it," she said with a look that told him that she knew.

"You've talked to Misty?"

"Yeah…I know that you might not have meant to, but you hurt her. She was so upset when I talked to her on the phone."

"I—" Ash swallowed the lump now present in his throat. It killed him that Misty was feeling that way. There was nothing he could do because it was his fault. "I tried to tell her about Serena. I did actually…months ago when I was staying with her, but she had fallen asleep."

"Why didn't you try again?"

"I thought it might have been a sign that I shouldn't tell her."

"But, why not tell her about Serena when you actually ran into her at the hotel?"

"I don't know," Ash said as he ran his hand through his hair. "It was stupid, I know. What do you want me to do? I've tried apologizing to her, but she won't listen to me."

"Then go down there and make her listen," Daisy demanded, leaping to her feet. Ash jumped at her statement. There had been two women in his life that he feared. The first was Misty. Daisy was the second.

"What would I say?"

"I don't know, Ash. How about 'I'm sorry.'"

"She'll punch me in the face."

"Good. You deserve it."

"You know," Ash started, his voice hitching in his throat. "I hate myself for hurting her like this."

Ash got on his feet and began to pace. Daisy said nothing, not wanting to disturb his meditative state. She planted her body on Ash's bed, smirking at Pikachu's face when she scratched underneath. When Ash stopped, she raised an eyebrow, anticipating his response.

"I'm in love with her," he said. Daisy could see the desperation in his eyes. He was being completely honest with her. In the years that they had known each other, she had never seen him this broken.

"Then tell her that. What have you got to lose? You do know that she loves you, right?"

"Yes—" he said, recalling her last words—asking why she had ever fallen in love with him. "I know. It doesn't make it any easier."

"You need to go down there and tell her everything—what happened with Serena, why you didn't tell her in the first place, how much you love her—everything. If she wants nothing to do with you after that, then you'll be able to move on with your life. It'll hurt like hell, sure, but at least you'll go through life not wondering what could have been."

Ash sighed. "You're right, as much as I hate to admit it."

"So," Daisy said, a small grin forming on her face. "Are you going to go win her back?"

"I guess I have no choice."

"I don't know, man, I talked to her last night. Even the mention of your name pissed her off."

After his conversation with Daisy, Ash began his journey to Cerulean. It had taken him four days to reach Pewter City, a new record in his opinion. It caused him to reevaluate his decision to travel with people. He seemed to do better with fewer distractions. That night, Ash was sleeping over at Brock's before continuing to Mt. Moon. They had been having some light discussion when it took a sharp turn to the subject of Misty.

"This doesn't mean that I can't try."

"She'll punch you in the face."

"That's what I told Daisy."

"And what did she say?"

"That I deserved it."

Brock shook his head. They had been so close to finally getting it together. If only Ash had been honest with Misty earlier. He told Ash that it was going to come back to bite him later, but he couldn't help but be stubborn about it. That's who Ash was. Brock had to fight the urge to tell Ash that he told him so, but he knew not to kick his friend when he was down.

"My advice," Brock said, "is to beg for forgiveness…that and catch her another water Pokémon."

"You don't think telling her that I love her is enough?" Ash asked.

"Pikachu!" The Pokémon chimed in. The two of them looked at the electric mouse and then back at each other. Brock sighed.

"I don't know," Brock said. "I don't think Misty would have cared that you had an ex-girlfriend, if you had told her. I mean, if you had seen some of her old boyfriends, you'd be scratching her head. I think she was trying to distract herself from missing you."

"I realize that now," Ash replied. "It was not telling her that upset her more. If I had told her what had happened with Serena, even that night, things might have ended up differently."

Brock grabbed a frying pan and spatula in order to start making Ash some dinner. "I think she feels used."

"It's not like that at all," Ash said, sitting down on a stood, leaning on the island counter. "I had sex with her because I wanted her. It had nothing to do with Serena and feeling rejected or something. It was more like seeing Serena made me realize that I had made the wrong choice in the first place. It's always been Misty. I was too blind to see it."

"That—" Brock began, pointing the spatula at Ash. "—is what you should tell her."

They spent rest of the evening, avoiding the subject. Ash focused his attention to Brock and how his new relationship with that girl Millie was going. They had gone on a couple of dates. Even though they had met in the Orange Islands, she wasn't as far away as Brock thought she'd be. She had been there on vacation from her house in Goldenrod City. Ash felt a bit uncomfortable when Brock talked about their nightly phone calls. So when the phone rang, Ash made an excuse to go to bed.

Ash went to bed, anxious for the morning, for multiple reasons. He desired to see Misty so much that it ached. He was scared to talk to her—scared of her rejection, as well as her fist. In the next couple of days, Ash would be fighting the greatest fight of his life. He just hoped that he would be strong enough to do it.