The next day I lingered in the lobby. Dawn and Brock sat among the other stadium goers, but I opted to watch Ash's next match from the television. It's got better angles.

"You could've done better."

I looked up to Paul. "I could've. How'd your match go?"

"I won."

"Climbing the ranks." I smirked.

He sat beside me, watching the battle. "What comes after this? Are you going to keep sticking to him?"

"Nah." I shook my head. "I've got studies to attend to. What about you?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"The outcome."

I swung my feet. "It's been nice."

"What?"

"Our little moments of reprieve, and ya know, having you for a friend."

Paul glanced at me, his cheeks pinkening. "We're friends?"

"Yeah."

He started swinging his own feet. "So, where will your studies take you?"

"Laboratories mostly. I plan to apprentice under the Pokémon World's leading experts."

"There's one for every region."

"Yep! Lots a plane rides!"

He smirked. "Or your could evolve that Dragonair of yours."

"Only if she wants to."

Paul stood up. "Thank you, Crista."

"For what?"

It seemed he wouldn't answer, he kept walking. Then over his shoulder he said, "for being a friend."

I smiled in return. "Right back at you."

Ash and Paul faced off. Given their skills, it went on for a remarkably long time. However, the clash ended in Ash's favor. Paul took defeat humbly. Even leaving Ash with a few good words before he left.

That night I laid in the training field. Tini curled around me as we stargazed.

I pointed up. "Draco Meteor."

An orange ball of light took form in Tini's throat. She arched back and it shot up. Whizzing unsteadily until the whistle of air faded, and it exploded. Meteors fell all around us, blowing craters into the earth.

"Nice one."

Tini nuzzled my shoulder in reply. Zip landed in my lap a moment later, a familiar cap in her possession.

"What in the world is wrong with you?!" Ash screamed.

We sat up and found Ash trembling between two massive holes in the ground.

"Sorry," I told him. "Didn't know you were there."

"Ah, man." He patted his chest. "My heart wants to pound out of my chest."

"See it from here then." I patted the grass beside us. When he laid down, Tini coiled around both of us. Zip Spread her arms wide in anticipation.

"Ready?"

Ash nodded.

"Draco Meteor!"

Tini repeated the attack. It bursted into smaller balls of light, shimmering with a coat of blue that faded before it touched the ground.

"Wow!" Ash breathed. "How did Tini do that?"

"Dawn's got too much free time here." I chuckled. "Using Draco Meteor repeatedly makes it weaker. And to lessen its power further for appeal, Dawn taught Tini to add Thunder Wave into the end result."

"Well it's beautiful."

"Rair!" Tini nuzzled his cheek.

"Food's ready!" Brock's called from across the field.

I got to my feet, but Ash caught me by the wrist.

He scratched the back of his neck, crossed his arms, then nervously mumbled, "hey."

I turned to face him fully. "Hey yourself. There's food. Usually you dash to it," I suggested. His sudden stiff behavior urged me to move this along, to return to norm. "First one there?"

Ash drew in a deep breath. "Remember the reward?"

His cheeks turned pink, although mine felt full blown red. The kiss. My mind reeled for an excuse to change the subject. Something other than the kiss. Something— Ash took a step closer. Abort. Abort.

"It's okay with me if it's okay with you." His eyes found mine. "That sort of thing."

"Huh?" I exhaled. My sight fell to Zip who curiously watched our exchange. It's okay? meaning; it can happen again. Meaning... meaning...

He didn't expand on the subject, just maneuvered around me to leave. Tini and Zip watched his retreating back. Soon that'll be the last we see of him. Panic seized my voice, and in a burst like the meteor, I blurted, "I like you!"

He stumbled back. "What?"

"I like you," I repeated. "D-do you... feel the same?"

"I—" Ash stammered. "I guess? No— I mean, I do. I mean, what?"

"Or that, that's an acceptably answer."

"Is it?"

"Not really."

"But what should I say?"

"What you want to say."

"I dunno what I want to say!"

"That makes two of us!"

On that final outburst we panted, catching our breaths and our hearts, before breaking into laughter.

Ash lost the semi-finals, but he made a point tell us that's okay. Dawn invited us to her home afterward. A sort of parting gift. Everyone agreed. And on the ferry to Twinleaf Town Brock discovered a passion for the career of a Pokémon Doctor.

"It suits you," I told him. "You've got good bedside manners, also, you get to work alongside Nurse Joy everyday."

A goofy smile pasted onto his face before Croagunk smacked it off.

At Dawn's home everyone swapped stories of the future, future plans, future jobs, future aspirations. After hearing so much, I excused myself, and lazed in the field behind her house. The grass is a good place to forget for awhile. Vinci doodled on said grass, and that should have made it difficult, but his end result looked rather marvelous. The half-length portrait of woman with long hair who... was either smiling or frowning, it's hard to tell, must be the angle of the grass... Meanwhile, I created a sketch of my own, capturing a memory to pass the time. When I finished I gave the sketch one last look over before slipping it into an envelope.

Ash and Brock exchanged parting words with Dawn and me when it came time for their ferry ride home. All nice things.

"Are you going to say something?"

I blinked at Ash's words. He plucked the envelope out of my hands to examined it.

"I want you to keep that."

"What is it?" He undid the latch.

I leapt forward. "Don't! Don't open it yet! I- It's the first time I've put something like that on paper."

Ash's frown deepened. He looked at our hands, a souvenir in his, compared to my empty ones. He knelt down, carefully slipped the paper into his bag, and pulled out something else. I tried to examine it, but he lifted it above, then yanked it over my head.

"Zi-" Ash coughed away his shaky voice. "Zip has a knack for making me find you. She takes my hat, and I have to follow." I tugged off what Ash affixed onto my head, a purple hat. In appearance it could be a beanie, but was made of cloth with long strands hanging off either side. The end of both strands carried a hook to attach Pokéballs. "Crista... I hope one day this helps me find you."

I smiled and pulled the hat back onto my head. "Thank you."

Ash's gaze fell to Vinci, with the cement as a better canvas, he drew an intricate painting of people gathering to a large table for some kind of meal. Then Ash stood up straight, jolting me to do the same.

He strode forward and kissed me. Chaste, and his face turned apple red before he departed.

Dawn came up beside me as the ferry rode away, blushing, and wishing them a fond farewell despite it. She lifted my hand, forcing me to wave, as I'd forgotten. I shouted alongside her that we'd miss them while I had the chance. They replied in earnest, and before I knew it, they were gone.

Rowan informed me that Professor Elm is able to accept an apprentice, while others requested time to prepare. Therefore my flight would leave in a week. Dawn urged me to go shopping in Jubilife City before that happened. I agreed, but my mind isn't here now.

"Mom, what does it mean when a boy kisses a girl?"

"It means he needs to get his priorities straight." Mom paused while slicing an onion. Overhead Maple sloppily smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Unless the two are going out?"

I traced the wood carving on our kitchen table with my finger. Does that mean we're going out? He never said anything definite... I think... well, he never said we weren't. And I'm pretty sure his priorities are fine.

"Crista... what happened?"

My finger curled. "Nothing."

She stood up and towered overhead. "Which one was it? Brock? Ash?"

I tumbled out of the chair and retreated to my room. "Neither!" Comet looked up from the bed with wide eyes and circles painted onto his cheeks. In the far corner Zip, Vinci, and Visi were cackling.

"Fine," her shout carried from the kitchen. "I'll dial them up to find out myself."

Yeah right...

"They gave me their numbers before they left."

"They did what?" I scrambled to my feet, shouting, "nonononono!" until I could slam the phone back into it's charger.

"Can we talk?"

"...fine"

"Which?"

"A..."

"Ash?!"

I nodded in defeat.

"When did he kiss you?"

"In parting?" I scratched my cheek. "Ya know what, nevermind, this is weird."

"It could mean what it usually means." Mom chimed. "That he likes you."

My face felt like fire. "Mom!" She giggled, so I left outside to cool off by the pond. Slider napped against the water's surface, while Tini submerged her entire body, aside from her head laid upon the lawn. I sprawled out beside her.

Maybe it did mean more, but we all feel so scattered now. Everyone's home. Brocks in Pewter. Dawn's in Twinleaf. Ash's in Pallet. And I'm here, in Sandgem.

Warmth fluttered in my heart despite that because, somewhere, Ash has it. A picture of all of us, together with every one of our Pokémon during our Sinnoh adventures. The one creation of mine that's not just a Pokémon Sketch.

Author's Note

Special thanks goes to MTPockets You're amazing for sticking with me for so long. Thank you!

And now, dear general audience, it is done. I started writing, and kept going. No looking back, no rewriting. Hopefully this ending is okay. Crista wasn't much of a character to work with, so I did something else. Is it possible to make your own OC OOC?

I digress! Thank you for reading this far readers! Whether it was painful or half-decent, I understand.

This has been one wild ride

now please

leave