Hey peeps and peepettes!

Bet you all thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth, huh? I know, I know – this chapter is WAY overdue. But I don't want you to think that I don't care about this story, or that I don't care about you, my reader, so please allow me to explain myself as far as I can.

These last few months have been an emotional rollercoaster. I won't go into specifics, being more than a little wary of stalkers, but just know that it involved a very unwilling intercontinental move. I was just overloaded, physically and emotionally; distracted, stressed and above all, unhappy.

I am not Jane Austen. Despite my very best efforts, I discovered that I cannot write something like this under those sorts of circumstances, and the truth is, I didn't even want to. You see, this chapter is Ash and Misty's final hurrah, their happy ending. It is the culmination of a year's hard work on my part, and I wanted to give them the sending off that they so richly deserve. But my own life was in such an upheaval that I couldn't see though it to focus on the end of their story. What I was producing just wasn't good enough.

But in the end, I am so glad that I waited, because I love this chapter. I am so, so proud of it. I have regained my peace and happiness, and it is reflected here in my writing. This is Ash and Misty's goodbye as it was meant to be experienced, not the patchy, weak excuse for a chapter you would have received a month ago. This might not mean a lot to you, but if you saw the truly terrible drafts I labored over, you might change your mind. You all mean too much to me for me to insult you with any less than my best.

Perhaps now is the time I should announce what is essentially my retirement from hardcore fanfiction. I spoke of a sequel for a while, but after much thought I have decided to end things here. I just have too many other commitments and I would never want to start something I couldn't finish. I also have so many of my own ideas that I want to pursue; things that perhaps might once see publication. Don't worry – I might be giving up FF, but I will never stop writing.

This chapter is dedicated to IrresistableAshGirl for gifting me with my second ever piece of fan art. The link is on my profile so check it out - it totally rocks!

Now I lift the curtain for the final time and present to you the last ever installment of All For One…enjoy, my lovely readers!

Epilogue: All for One

The early morning sun slid quietly through the window, speckled by the swaying trees casting their long, pearly shadows across the outside of the house. Ash's eyes fluttered open. He blinked, watching the patches of light chase each other across the ceiling as he tried to remember why he felt so happy.

And he was happy, of that he was sure. An excited swirl pulsed through his body, making his finger tips tingle with anticipation, and he was pretty sure that if the ceiling had a mirror, he'd see his own face staring back at him with an embarrassingly goofy smile. But his brain, groggy from the late night before, was having trouble processing the flood of information that had engulfed his waking mind. Images of the previous day clicked through his head: accepting the Sir Aaron costume from Dawn, Gary's Nidoking lying in a blackened heap, his mother's smothering hug of congratulations, eavesdropping on Drew and Paul's conversation in his first class, Misty's Azumarrill costume…

Ash snorted out loud at his own stupidity. How could he have possibly forgotten, even if it had only been for a split second?

A little growl cut Ash's chuckle short, along with a sizzling sound that Ash would have recognized in his sleep. He propped himself up on his elbows, staring at the little fluffy ball on the end of his bed. But Pikachu didn't seem to have fully awoken, despite the strands of electricity crackling along his long black tipped ears. Ash was glad; his little friend greatly objected to being woken early, and was not averse to giving his disturbers a sharp shock by way of disgruntled morning greeting.

Ash slumped back down on his pillow and stretched, allowing his limbs to sprawl across the narrow bed. He was still grinning foolishly; in fact, the irrepressible smile felt like it was now a permanent feature on his face. Ash honestly felt that nothing would ever bother him again.

I have a girlfriend, Ash thought giddily. And her name is Misty Waterflower. He shook his head in disbelief. After a week that would undoubtedly linger as the worst of his life, it was so bizarre and yet so wonderful to know that things had miraculously turned out so perfectly. And by perfect, he meant red haired, pale skinned and ocean eyed. For Ash, perfect didn't get more real than that.

The square of sunlight crept across his bedroom floor, but Ash paid it no attention. He was busy, immersed in recollections of the evening before. He reveled in every detail; every flash of her eyes, every flick of her hair, every smile, every laugh. She was beautiful through and through, and Ash was determined not to forget a single instant of her love.

Ash was just wondering if it would look uncool to turn up three hours early for their eight o'clock date, as he wasn't sure if he could go nine whole hours without seeing her, when a sharp rap on his door jolted him to attention.

'Ash?' Delia's voice wafted through the door, unusually sharp. 'Are you awake?'

'Mom? Yeah, I'm up,' Ash replied, looking anxiously down at his Pokémon. One of Pikachu's eyes cracked open but to Ash's relief, he looked too relaxed to fry someone's brains.

'Ash, you have a…visitor. You'd better come downstairs.'

Before Ash could reply, Delia's light tread could be heard retreating towards the staircase. Shrugging, Ash got to his feet, firmly quelling the immediate rush of excitement that suggested it could be Misty. He knew that was impossible - it was her weekend to run the Gym. There was no way she could sneak a visit before their date that night. If Ash's calculations were correct, his new girlfriend was probably destroying some cocky young Trainer at that very minute.

Ash grabbed some clothes and hastily running a hand through his messy hair, he left Pikachu to snooze. He barely gave the mysterious "visitor" a thought. Tracey lived just down the road and since Ash was always interested in research that covered Pokémon attacks or battle statistics, he often came around to share his findings with his younger friend. He was not the only one who made himself at home in the Ketchum residence - Drew and Paul were great favorites with his mother and consequently, were forever turning up at his house for Saturday morning breakfast. May and Dawn were also frequent guests, though they tended to have the manners to call before landing on his front door step expecting to be fed.

Of course, if Ash's thoughts hadn't been occupied with a certain redhead, he might have noticed the odd manner in which his mother had used to announce his visitor. Usually she just fed his friends and waited for him to wake up in his own time.

Ash ambled into the kitchen, but to his surprise, there was no sign of anyone but his mother. She was beating pancake batter as if it had misbehaved and required strict discipline.

'Who's here, Mom?' Ash yawned lazily.

Delia slammed a pan down on the stovetop. 'He's on the front doorstep. I wouldn't let him in the house.'

Ash's eyebrow's shot up. Delia was the model of hospitality, happily fielding visits from all his friends at any time of day or night. He couldn't recall a single instance where she hadn't invited a caller inside.

Ash opened his mouth but catching sight of his mother's disapproving expression, he decided that it would be easier – and safer – to go and talk to the poor unknown person himself. He retreated quietly from the kitchen, trying to think of some excuse to explain away his mother's sudden rudeness to whoever was waiting for him. Seizing the handle, he jerked it open and peered curiously outside.

What he got was a very nasty surprise.

'Gary!' Ash yelled, starting backwards with horror.

Gary didn't look good. His face was pale and clammy, with dark circles under his eyes. His hair was perfectly styled in its usual sharp spikes, but it was streaked with fading, muddy red dye from the night before. And then there was his expression. He was staring at Ash with mutinous resentment written all over his face.

Several things clicked into place in Ash's head. It was obvious now why his mother had been so testy. When he'd come in the night before Delia had immediately noticed his chipper strut, and demanded to know the cause of such an emotional upswing. Ash had ended up summarizing the events of the previous week for her, and though he hadn't given her many details about Gary's plot, the little he'd spilled would be enough to keep Gary languishing on the doorstep for the next ten years.

No, what Ash couldn't figure out was what on earth Gary would want from him.

'Uhhh…Ash? Still in there?'

Ash snapped out of his reverie. 'What the hell are you doing here?' he said harshly.

Gary snorted. 'I'm here to enjoy your precious company, Ash,' he replied, his voice dripping sarcasm.

A hundred sharp comebacks burned through Ash's brain but he held his tongue. He didn't have to take this crap from Gary any more, and he wasn't going to give his defeated rival the satisfaction of seeing him lose his temper. He took a deep breath.

'Whatever,' he replied indifferently, making to close the door in Gary's face.

'Wait,' Gary said quickly, grabbing at the door. Ash paused, eyebrow raised; Gary sighed, running a hand through his hair. 'I'm here because Gramps made me come.'

Ash was surprised. It had been a long, long time since Professor Oak had forced Gary into calling at the Ketchum house. Gary continued, 'Er, I was unfortunate enough to go straight home after the dance, and –

'You mean you were stupid enough,' Ash interrupted flatly.

Gary's acted as if Ash hadn't spoken, continuing a little louder than before. 'And when I got home, Grandpa insisted on getting a full account of the evening, since Daisy had come in half an hour earlier in floods of tears.' His eyes bored accusingly into Ash.

Ash shifted uncomfortably. He knew it was extremely unlikely that Daisy would cry over anything but a broken nail, but there was no escaping the fact that he hadn't treated her very nicely. Of course, she hadn't treated him very well either, but that didn't stop him from feeling less than a gentleman.

Gary cleared his throat. 'So as Daisy had already informed him of my…idea involving your new girlfriend, he wasn't, er, very happy with me. So he sent me here.' Gary looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon. 'To…apologize.'

Ash's mouth dropped open. Gary Oak, whose DNA seemed to made of nothing but spite, arrogance and narcissism, was apologizing. To him, Ash Ketchum. It was unbelievable.

But then, Ash reflected, not as hard to believe as the crazy plot he put together to ruin my life and Misty's.

Ash's expression changed and Gary watched warily, but he was too late. Ash drew himself up to his full height, snapped his arm back and punched Gary straight in the mouth

Gary staggered backward with a gasp, clutching his fingers to his face and staring up at Ash in disbelief. He straightened slowly, gingerly running his fingers over the bruise already blooming along his jawbone. He looked at Ash, grudging respect creeping into his eyes for the first time since they'd arrived at Pokémon High as a trickle of blood ran down his chin.

'Er…I might have deserved that,' he muttered.

'Yes, yes you did,' Ash said, flashing a dangerous smile. 'But you ain't seen nothing yet.'

xxxxxxxxx

'Misty! Misty, are you, like, okay?' Daisy cried, rushing into the room.

Violet and Lily turned from the closet just in time to see their youngest sister sink dizzily into a chair.

'Oh Misty!' Violet cried, hurrying over. 'Are you…wait,' she frowned, leaning back and surveying Misty critically. 'Lily, did you, like, forget to put blush on her or something? She's as white as a sheet!'

'Of course I didn't forget blush, Violet! That's, like, a crime! It's not my fault she's pale!'

'Of course she's pale, she's hyperventilating or something!' Daisy leaned forward, placing a hand on Misty's forehead. 'Misty, are you going to be sick? Lily, get her some water or something…no, not to throw on her, you'll ruin her make up! To drink!'

'M'fine,' Misty gasped. 'I'll be okay!'

'What are we going to do?' Violet cried, wringing her hands. 'I don't know anything about sick people!'

'Yes you do, you idiot!' Daisy sighed, fanning Misty with a spare fashion magazine. 'You took first aid training before you became a Gym Leader, remember?'

'Yeah, but that didn't exactly tell you what to do when your little sister goes faint at the prospect of her first date!'

'M'not faint!' Misty protested weakly, but Violet ignored her.

'In fact - ' she continued as if Misty hadn't spoken, reaching over and snatching the copy of Cosmopolitan out of Daisy's hand, ' – this would probably give you better advice on how to deal with pre-boy nerves than any first aid manual!'

Daisy rolled her eyes as Violet began feverishly scanning the contents of the magazine, and turned back to her sister.

'Feeling any better, Misty?' she asked in concern.

Misty nodded jerkily. She really was; it was just that with the passing of the nausea, the embarrassment was kicking in. They might be concerned now, but her sisters were never going to let her forget this - she was sure of that. 'I'm fine. Really. Who was that at the door, anyway?'

Daisy shrugged. 'Late challenger. I told him to come back tomorrow.'

Misty nodded, silently cursing the innocent Trainer who'd almost made her heart stopped with his badly timed visit. Her thoughts were interrupted as Lily returned with a martini glass full of water.

'Here,' she said proudly. 'I even found you some Ibprofen!'

Misty briefly contemplated refusing, but Lily's hopeful expression was too hard to resist. 'Er, thanks,' she muttered, accepting the glass.

'Yeah, cause pain medicine is definitely going to help right now,' Daisy inserted sarcastically.

'I don't need help!' Misty intoned furiously, unheeded.

'I was just trying to help - ' Lily began in an offended voice before Violet cut her off.

'I found something!' she cried excitedly, flapping the glossy pages. '"How To Release Your Inner Temptress!"'

'Violet, please, I - '

Too late. Misty let out a silent groan as Violet launched into an excited recitation of the article, squealing over the juicy parts.

She should have known better than to accept help from her older siblings. Sure, she'd been more than grateful when Daisy offered to take over the late afternoon shift at the Gym, leaving her more time to get ready, but allowing Lily and Violet to give her a pre date makeover was definitely pushing her luck.

It wasn't that they'd done a bad job – just the opposite, in fact, as was to be expected from Sensational Sisters. Her makeup was light and natural, and they'd spent forever arranging her hair into a casually disarrayed messy bun. It was the fact that they insisted on giving a two hour monologue on the importance of first dates that really bugged her.

'This is the most important night of your life, Misty.'

'Your whole life hinges on this one evening.'

'First dates set the tone of the whole relationship. Everything you do tonight counts.'

'Boys like to feel like they're in control, but don't let him walk all over you - '

' – but do let him have a say. Just don't be a pushover - '

' – but don't be stubborn either. Misty, are you listening?'

'Misty, this is, like, important, you know.'

It was enough to leave anyone in tears. By the time they turned their attention to her attire, Misty's gratitude to them for making her beautiful had more than worn off. She was just about to kick off one of her famous 'shut up before I kill you all' tantrums, when the doorbell rang. Then suddenly passing out on the floor seemed like a much safer option than going on an actual date with Ash Ketchum.

Daisy smiled a little as Misty's face began to lose its greenish tinge. 'I didn't put you down as a first date fainter, Misty,' she teased. 'It's not like you and Ash didn't get up to plenty last night.'

Misty's eyes narrowed, more color flooding her cheeks. 'And how would you know that, Daisy?' she asked frostily, her voice still hazy.

'We watched from the upstairs window when he dropped you off last night,' Lily said cheerfully, accepting Misty's empty glass and setting it on the make up table. 'Actually, forget everything we said this afternoon. You probably don't have anything to worry about. He seems plenty keen enough already.'

Misty growled. 'I am actually contemplating setting my Gyarados on you all. I know I've never been on a date before but there was no need to scare me half to death with all that crap.'

Violet shrugged. 'Big sister prerogative. It's our, like, job to pass on wise instruction - '

'Wise instruction?' Misty interrupted incredulously.

Violet shrugged. 'Hey, this is the first time you've ever needed it. You've always been the one to do things first – leave home, train decent Pokémon - '

'Meet a, like, genuinely nice boy, win school tournaments…' Lily chimed in.

'Tracey's nice!' Daisy interjected huffily.

'Hmph,' Misty mumbled with a scowl, but her temper was mollified. She wasn't about to admit it, but she couldn't help but be touched – it was rare that her sisters acknowledged any of her achievements outside the Sensational Sisters. She glanced between the three faces, all smiling fondly back at her, and coughed awkwardly.

'Er…'

'Time to get dressed!' Daisy cried suddenly, glancing at the clock. 'Now Violet, what are our options? Where is he taking her?...'

Twenty minutes later the doorbell rang again, but this time Misty was ready. She steadied her frayed nerves and with a final glance at the stranger in the mirror, she wobbled down the stairs and swung open the front door.

It was Ash. He was dressed in an actual shirt and tie with khakis and a sports coat, the smartest outfit Misty had ever seen him in. His hair looked like it had been slicked with copious amounts of hair product but it still refused to lie flat, standing up in its usual style of all over the place. He was clutching a vast bunch of yellow and orange tulips, and it appeared that his jaw had come unstuck from the rest of his face.

Misty was sure she'd never get tired to striking Ash dumb. It was clear that her sisters had made the right choice with a raspberry satin cocktail dress, chunky necklace and silver heels. She smiled nervously, praying to Arceus that Ash would never find out about her little fainting spell. It seemed so silly now. How could she have ever worried about being with Ash?

Ash cleared this throat. 'Hello, Misty,' he said thickly, blinking.

Misty smiled, and Ash's eyes widened. 'Hey Ash,' she said. 'Are these for me?'

'Uhhh, yeah,' he mumbled, flushing as he shoved the bouquet into her hands. Misty felt a lump form in her throat as she stared down at the flowers, admiring them. No one had ever given her flowers before.

'Thanks,' she said softly, grinning happily.

Ash grinned back, gratified that his gesture had gone over so well. 'My pleasure.'

'I'll look after those for you, Misty,' Daisy said briskly, appearing conveniently out of nowhere and whisking the flowers out of Misty's hands. 'They're beautiful! Oh, hey Ash – don't you look handsome!'

'Hey Daisy,' Ash replied. '…uhh, hey Lily, hey Violet,' he tacked on warily as Misty's other sisters popped out from behind the doorframe, ogling him gleefully.

'Oooh, Misty, how are you going to keep your hands off that?' Violet said wickedly.

Misty hissed like an angry Seviper, making a swipe at her older sister, but Violet dodged easily out of her reach. 'You should have seen her just a couple of minutes ago, Ash,' she continued in a singsong voice. 'She was just dying to see you!'

'Yeah, practically fainting with anticipation!' Lily added with a smirk.

Ash looked quite chuffed at this sliver of inside information, but Misty was less than pleased. She snatched her clutch from Daisy's outstretched hand and ignoring her oldest sister's cringe, slammed the door in Lily and Violet's laughing faces. She could still hear them giggling as she pushed past Ash and stomped down the front path.

Misty growled as she heard Ash's footsteps following her. 'Don't even think about ever – '

Ash seized her arm, jerked her around and kissed her firmly on the mouth.

Misty's knees knocked together, her embarrassment disappearing in a puff of smoke. Ash took advantage of her absent moment, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

Several quiet minutes passed before he leaned back with a grin.

'Let's roll, Misty Mermaid,' he murmured, offering her his hand.

Misty's eyes were still hazy as she clasped his hand and let him lead her helplessly away.

xxxxx

Ash burst through the doors of Pokémon High, grinning so widely that several passers by worried that his face was about to split in two. Truth be told though, he really did have plenty to smile about.

To begin with, Ash's first date with Misty had gone entirely to plan. Ash had checked a map so he didn't have any problems locating Ruby's the exclusive restaurant he'd promised to take her to – which was a good thing, because Misty still seemed to be recovering from their little embrace by her front gate. The place was in the chic area of downtown and even fancier than Ash had expected. The lofty building was striking enough on the outside, with the name scrawled in loopy cursive above the towering front doors, but inside it was even more impressive. Vaulted ceilings with elegantly scrolled edges ran into lavishly decorated walls, with silk laden tables scattered across the shiny mahogany floor. The room flickered with candlelight, the strains of a live quartet wafting down from the gallery.

Ash gave his name to the maitre'd and Misty appeared thrilled when he steered them to their table and presented them with their menus. The spent many minutes mulling over the delights on offer, but eventually they made their selections and settled down to conversation – something Ash and Misty had never been short of. A blow by blow account of their triumphant double victory took them through the starters, and the main course was spent deliberating over the best way to punish Gary for his behavior. Ash thought tying him to a railroad track was particularly fitting, but Misty favored throwing him into a shark infested pool. Eventually they agreed he deserved both.

Then came the dessert course. Misty's chocolate cheesecake was innocent enough, but when Ash's banana split arrived he made the mistake of telling an X-rated joke about whipped cream. Misty laughed so hard she almost choked on her ice cream. The sight of her snorting through a mouthful of pie was too much for Ash to bear, and within seconds they were both doubled over their desserts. After an irate waiter visited their table three times and dropped several non-too subtle hints about throwing them out, Ash decided that they'd better leave before they were arrested.

After a short stroll through downtown Cerulean, enjoying the fancy shop windows and the lights and music spilling out of clubs and bars, Ash asked Misty what she wanted to do.

Misty considered for a moment, cocking her head to the side.

'Actually, I wanna kick your butt at something,' Misty informed him with a grin, 'so I guess we could go bowling.'

Ash stared at her for a moment, and then burst out laughing. 'I should have known you'd say something like that.'

With Misty directing it didn't take long to find the Cerulean Bowl-A-Rama, and Ash even remembered to get the car door for her when they found a parking space. But as he led her inside the bright, modern building, Ash suddenly remembered why you never saw people in movies go bowling on their first dates. The place was packed. With teenagers crowding the lanes, yelling excitedly at each other over the blaring rap music and crash of falling pins, it wasn't exactly where you'd picture holding an intimate conversation.

Misty didn't seem to mind. Her eyes gleamed as she stared eagerly around, head bopping along to the music. She turned to Ash with an impish grin.

'Five bucks says I win the first game.'

'Ten says I get the first strike!'

'Done.'

'You are so going down, Waterflower.'

'Oh you wish, Ketchum!'

She dragged him through the throng towards the bar, the smell of pizza and beer wafting through the air. This was where the older patrons sat; several of them turned to survey Misty with deep interest. Ash scowled deeply, tightening his grip on her waist.

Oblivious to the attention, Misty launched into a conversation about lanes with the man behind the counter. They soon secured one to rent, but it was only when he asked their shoe sizes that it hit Ash how out of place they must look among the crowd of grungy hoodies and jeans. Ash blinked at the sight of the red and white monstrosities peeking out from his smart khakis, but he looked positively stylish next to Misty. The sight of her in a slinky cocktail dress and bowling shoes was downright hilarious.

'Don't laugh, Ash!' Misty moaned half heartedly as she clambered gingerly to her feet. 'Daisy'd have my head if she saw me in these!'

'Actually, I think they rather suit you.'

Misty giggled, striking an exaggerated model pose that drew every male eye in the vicinity.

'Hot or what, Ash?' she smirked, spinning around.

Ash's face split into a grin. 'Definitely hot.'

They played three games, Misty outplaying all the boys in the lanes either side – not that she noticed, of course. She ended up winning the first game, and much to her delight, Ash swept her off her feet and spun her around, just like in a romantic movie. Of course, that didn't last long; Misty spent the next half an hour demanding her five dollars. She ended up eating her own words when, late into the second round, Ash finally got the first strike of the night. But she didn't really care; she was too busy laughing when he fell to his knees and beat his chest like a happy gorilla.

Ash ended up winning the second game and when the time cut off before they could finish the third, they agreed it was a tie. Ash bought cotton candy in lieu of the five dollars, failing to mention that technically it was Misty who owed him.

Ash didn't mind. She tasted sweeter than ever when he finally kissed her goodnight.

The next day was even better. Ash invited Misty to spend Sunday in Pallet, and she landed on his doorstep in shorts and an old t-shirt, hair pulled back into a ponytail. They spent the day doing what they did best; training.

Ash took her down to the river where they'd first met and after a couple of warm up exercises, challenged her to a full six-on-six battle. It ended up taking most of the afternoon; with the water close by, Misty was even more of a formidable opponent than usual.

When Pikachu finally took down Gyarados, Misty's face fell and her bottom lip began to tremble. Ash didn't know what to think. They'd battled together hundreds of times and he'd never seen her react to defeat like this. Ash hurried over, babbling clumsy words of comfort and eagerly offering a rematch as he wrapped his arms around her. But Misty twisted out of his embrace, shrugging off his grip on her shoulders. Ash froze, hurt, and worried that he'd done something wrong.

Misty flashed her wicked grin, reached out her skinny arms and pushed him straight in the river.

Of course, Ash wasn't going to let her get away with that too easily, and the forest rang with Misty's screams as he chased her through the trees, laughing manically. Chucking her in was quite a satisfactory revenge. They actually ended up having a proper swim, despite the cool November air, racing each other up and down the small pool and spying local Water Pokémon.

They turned up late for dinner, flushed from their latest make out session and soaking wet, but Delia didn't mind. In fact, she almost exploded with pride to see the girl she'd loved as a daughter, sitting at the dinner table in Ash's clothes and bickering with him over who'd truly been responsible for their Intraschool Tournament win.

So, after such a weekend, it was understandable that Ash was feeling pretty pleased with himself.

He hurried down the hall towards his homeroom, barely stopping to acknowledge people as they called out congratulations. He burst in through the classroom door, ignoring the yelps of surprise from inside the crowded room, but after a quick scan Ash was left disappointed. She definitely wasn't here yet.

'Looking for someone?'

Ash spun around. Misty was standing right behind him, her hands on her hips as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Ash grinned, taking a casual step closer and snagging her waist with his arms. 'Not any more,' he murmured as he leaned down to touch his lips to hers.

A sharp cough interrupted their embrace, which admittedly, was getting a little out of hand for a public place. Ash jerked his head up to see Professor Birch surveying them both with a mildly reproving expression. Ash felt a hot flush creep up his cheeks, forgetting to move his hands, which were slung dangerously low on Misty's waist.

'Homeroom began thirty seconds ago, you know.'

'Yes, sir,' Ash replied quickly, lying through his teeth; how had he missed the bell?

Professor Birch raised an eyebrow pointedly; for a moment, Ash just stared at him, uncomprehending. Then he made a grab for Misty's hand and tugged her hastily into the classroom.

May, Drew, Dawn and Paul were already in their seats but there was no time for any sort of conversation; Professor Birch took his place behind his desk, looking more severe than usual. The class lapsed into instant silence as he began his lecture.

Ash found it very difficult to concentrate. He fought the constant, overpowering urge to twist around in his seat and grin at Misty, to touch her hair, but he knew better than to try anything. The last thing he wanted was a double detention clouding up his week's social calendar; he had better things to do.

About ten minutes into class the door swung sharply open, banging against the wall, and Gary marched in. He handed Professor Birch a note without a word; Ash recognized the distinctive red paper of the Headmaster's office. Gary had been with Professor Oak.

There was a shocked murmur as Gary turned to take his seat. His lip was cut and swollen and along one side of his jaw was a nasty purple bruise. The rest of him didn't look much better; the red dye had faded to a streaky burnt orange, and he still looked like he wanted to kill something.

Ash watched with his old rival took his seat. He'd been so caught up with Misty this morning that he hadn't even noticed Gary's absence, but since he had a vested interest in Gary's behavior over the course of the rest of the day, it was interesting to observe him. He didn't seem to be handling the pressure very well – in fact, he twisted around in his seat, shot Ash a filthy look and then buried his head in a textbook. Ash was mildly affronted – after all the things he'd done in the past week, Gary really didn't have the right to accuse anyone of being evil.

It was then that Ash noticed that Daisy Oak's seat was empty. He sighed, grinning a little to himself – how many other details had he missed so far? He hoped that being with Misty wasn't going to permanently damage his concentration. He couldn't say he was sorry for her absence. He was bound to giving Daisy an apology, and delivering it wasn't something he was particularly looking forward to.

When the bell rang, Gary was the first one out of the classroom door. Ash idly watched him leave, without the curiosity of his classmates; after all, he was the only one who knew what Gary was facing in just a few hours time.

But Ash had more important people to worry about. He sprang to his feet, seized the pile of books on Misty's desk and gallantly offered her his arm.

'Care to be escorted to Battle Practice, fair lady?' he crooned.

Misty rolled her eyes. 'Such a dork, Ketchum,' she replied, betraying herself by eagerly seizing his arm.

It was a long enough walk to the Battle Complex, but virtually impossible to hold a conversation. The hallway was packed, but that wasn't the problem; everyone stood back to let the two Champions through. Ash noticed Misty's faintly gratified smile with amusement.

'You should be used to attention, you know,' he murmured. 'You are a Sensational Sister, after all.'

Misty giggled. 'Yeah, but this is better.'

'How come?'

Misty shrugged. 'I'm a Champion now, not just some girl in a bathing suit.'

Ash tightened his grip on her arm. 'You've never been just some girl in a bathing suit, Misty,' he said severely.

Misty smiled up at him, her eyes warm. 'Maybe not to you,' she said softly, '…but I guess your opinion is all that really matters, in the end.'

Ash's throat constricted oddly, but luckily that was all the talk they could manage. That was the downside of all the attention; half the school was there to watch their every move and with it being so busy, people were standing close enough to hear their every word. Ash sighed. The gossip network would be breaking this down all over the internet tonight.

They parted at the doors of the Battle Complex and Ash sailed through his two training battles. Sometimes he got rankled by the ease with which he won, but today nothing could dampen his spirits. He barely noticed either of his opponents.

Wartortle was still delivering its final attack when Ash started gazing around, trying to locate his girlfriend, but she was nowhere to be found. Disappointed, Ash quickly ended the final round of the battle, gathered his stuff together and trooped towards the exit.

His heart did a funny stutter when he caught sight of bright red hair waiting by the tall double doors. Misty was squinting down onto the Ice Fields, as if expecting him to pop out from behind a snowman.

Ash sidled forwards with a sneaky grin and snaked his arms around her waist.

'Looking for someone?'

Misty's head jerked around, her mouth forming a little "o" of surprise and indignation. Then she smiled, snuggling into him.

'Hello. I didn't know where you were.'

Ash chuckled. 'I was looking for you, of course. Come on, let's go,' he said, leading her out of the doors and towards the lunchroom.

'How were your battles?' Misty asked as they made their way down the hallway.

'Oh, nothing special. How about you?'

Misty shrugged. 'I got one of Gary's old fangirls for my second opponent. She didn't waste time in telling me that they've all decided to transfer their undying loyalty to you.'

Ash winced. 'Great. That's just what I need - another bunch of fan girls ringing my doorbell at all hours of the night and leaving their underwear in my mail box.'

Misty smiled dangerously, baring her teeth. 'Oh, you won't have to worry about that.'

Ash frowned. 'But you just said - '

'I told her that if she or any of her little friends went anywhere near you, I'd set Gyarados on them.'

Ash snorted with laughter. 'Why doesn't that surprise me?'

'I don't want anything distracting you from your battling, that's all.'

'You mean you don't want any other girls sniffing around me, looking for a date.'

'Dream on, Ketchum. You couldn't find another date if it hit you in the face.'

'You know, you're sort of insulting yourself there, since you're the one that's dating me right now.'

'…I sort of am, aren't I?'

They laughed together as Ash bought Misty lunch and then piled another tray high for himself. Misty looked on in disapproval.

'Ash, that's disgusting. Do you really need hot wings, a baked potato, lasange and a hamburger?'

'Hey, I've got you for a girlfriend. It's hard work. I need to keep my strength up.'

Misty didn't dignify that with a response; she simply smacked him over the head for his cheek. She was still giggling as she followed Ash to a new table in the center of the lunchroom.

Their friends were already there. May was sitting with her legs across in Drew's lap, and somehow they were managing to feed each other fries in a disgustingly flirtatious manner and hold an argument at the same time. Misty rolled her eyes as scraps of their conversation reached her.

'Hey, it's not my fault you haven't trained your Beautifly right.'

'Oh be quiet, you self righteous git! You're one to talk, you haven't come anywhere near Flygon's potential – hey, I don't like ketchup, remember?'

'Sorry, gorgeous. Here you go…but seriously, I still can't believe you think you have a chance against me next month. After my Eevee evolves it's going to destroy that Glaceon of yours…'

'Yeah right. My Glaceon is so much better than any of your Pokémon…'

On and on and on. Misty bit her lip to smother a giggle; only May and Drew could be so outlandish and get away with it.

Dawn and Paul were behaving much more sensibly. They were sitting very close together, their entwined hands resting on the table between their respective trays. Dawn was talking nineteen to the dozen, recounting every detail of her Appeal class while slurping her soda with gusto. Paul didn't say anything, just nodding as her story required, but his eyes never left her face. A small, fond smile that Misty had never seen before was playing on his lips.

'Greetings, various idiots,' Ash announced as he set the trays on the table and pulled Misty's chair back for her.

'Aww, look how cute,' Drew crooned as Misty took the proffered seat.

'Shut up Drew, you did that for May two minutes ago,' Paul cut in, shooting Ash a grin.

'And you'll do it again in half an hour when we go to Advanced Training,' May added, looking stern.

Drew looked surprised. 'Of course I will,' he said, shrugging. 'But that doesn't mean I can't laugh at Ash for doing it too.'

'You know, that makes absolutely no sense,' Misty said, ripping into her chocolate pudding.

'You get used to it,' Dawn grinned, chewing on a carrot stick. 'So how are things going with you two? Did Gary bother you today at all?'

'Nope, he hasn't been anywhere near us,' Misty said, shooting Ash a small grin.

'Maybe he knows what will happen if he does,' Ash replied innocently.

'Now how would he know that?' Misty said in a mock thoughtful voice, playing along.

'I don't know…maybe because I told him?' Ash grinned.

Dawn wasn't listening. She was staring past both Ash and Misty, her eyes narrowing.

'Speak of the devil…' she interrupted softly, '…here he comes.'

The lunchroom had grown quiet and when Ash turned, he easily caught sight of Gary walking towards them. His face was drawn and taut, his hands clenched into tight fists.

'Want me to deck him, Ash?' Drew said in a hushed voice.

'I'll help,' May and Paul added simultaneously.

'No, no,' Ash said lazily. 'Let's see what he wants first.'

Gary continued purposefully towards him, totally ignoring his silent, ogling classmates and the nosy lunch ladies leaning over the counter, straining to catch a bit of what was happening. He didn't even look at Ash as he drew to a stop in front of him; his eyes were fixed on Misty.

'Can I talk to you?' he mumbled.

Ash didn't even flinch. 'Why hello Gary,' he said loudly, ignoring the fact that Gary clearly hadn't been talking to him. 'What can I do for you?'

Paul, Drew, May and Dawn, along with most of the rest of the lunchroom, turned to gape at Ash. Why hadn't he hit Gary yet?

Only Misty smiled, serene.

Gary sent Ash a look of pure loathing. 'I'm here to speak to Misty, as you already know, you asshole!' he hissed.

'I'm sorry, what was that?' Ash said, raising his voice in the silent room and cupping a hand around his ear. 'It's just so noisy in here that it's impossible to hear anything!'

Gary gnashed his teeth together. 'I said, I'm here to speak to Misty!' he growled, switching his glare back to the redhead.

Drew tightened his grip on May protectively, as if Gary might suddenly turn on her instead. 'How can you even think of coming anywhere near her after what you've put her through?' he hissed. Paul cracked his knuckles in agreement, shifting a little so that his body was slightly in front of Dawn, like a shield. She peered beadily around him regardless.

Misty turned to them with a smile. 'It's okay, guys,' she said. 'I got this.'

Then, with every eye in the cafeteria fixed beadily upon her, Misty stood, a slow, lithe and overtly sensual movement that rippled down her body. She shook back her hair, ran her hands up to her hips and looked Gary straight in the eye.

'Yes, Gary?' she crooned sweetly.

Gary blinked; even at her most devious, Misty knew how to be irresistible. Then he remembered himself, coughing sharply as he fixed his scowl back into place. His eyes bored into her as he began in a loud, wooden voice.

'I just wanted to say that I'm…sorry. I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have treated you that way. Are we good now?'

A smile spread across Misty's face as she cocked her head to the side, apparently, deep in thought. 'Well…almost,' she replied, glee seeping into her tone.

Steam began to billow from Gary's ears. 'What more do you want, you - ' he began in a furious tone, but then Ash stood up very quickly, his face suddenly murderous. He stomped hard on Gary's toes as a little warning, ignoring the growl as Gary remembered the second part of his side of the deal.

'Fine,' he fumed quietly, before raising his voice again. 'I'm an arrogant, self righteous asshole,' he announced flatly, staring around as if daring anyone to contradict him.

A scandalized titter ran through the cafeteria, people who'd been terrorized by Gary exchanging gleeful glances, but Misty ignored then. She smiled pityingly, narrowing her eyes at her helpless victim.

'You didn't honestly think it would be that easy, did you?' she purred.

And then, without any further preamble, she flashed her palm backwards, and slapped Gary straight in the face.

Gary made no noise as the blow struck home, but when he looked back at Misty there was a vivid red handprint left on his pale cheek. She surveyed her handiwork with satisfaction.

'Now we're good.'

Ash smirked. 'Nice work, Misty. Goes well with the purple jaw, Gary. Maybe everyone else you've hurt will want to leave their own mark as well.'

Dawn stood up. 'We can help there.'

'Yeah, I've always wanted to give someone a black eye,' May added, pushing back her chair.

'Er, how about we handle this, ladies?' Drew said in alarm as he and Paul leapt quickly to their feet.

'You wouldn't dare,' Gary snarled, looking a lot less threatening than he usually did, now that he had a girl's handprint embedded into his cheek.

'Oh yes, we would,' Paul snarled, leaning forwards over the table.

'Is that a threat, Purple?'

'I think so, you…'

Ash stepped in quickly before a fully fledged fight could break out. 'Guys, guys, its okay,' he said. 'Gary and I have come to a mutual, mature reconciliation of our differences, and as much as I appreciate the sentiment, it is no longer necessary for you to beat him into a pulp. Got it?'

Drew exhaled sharply, looking disappointed. 'Got it,' he said grudgingly. Paul said nothing, his dark eyes fixed still trained on Gary's every move.

Ash turned to Gary. 'We're done here.'

Gary's eyes narrowed. 'Yes, we are,' he snapped. And with one last contemptuous look at the six around the table, he turned on his heel and stalked away.

'Oh, and Gary?' Ash called casually after him. Gary stopped, turning unwillingly back to face him.

'I haven't forgotten my end of the deal. I'll speak to Daisy as soon as I see her.'

Gary's eyes narrowed. 'She'll be in tomorrow. Don't forget, Ketchum, or you'll end up with your own Technicolor face.'

'I won't,' Ash replied, his expression unusually serious

Gary nodded once, sharply, and once again Ash was sure he saw something that looked like respect flash across his rival's face. But then it was gone, and Gary turned and walked away, leaving silence in his wake.

The cafeteria door slammed, and for a moment, there was utter silence. Then, like a pane of glass shattering, a buzz of excitable chatter broke out throughout the room. Drew sat down hard in his chair, his eyes bugging so far out of their sockets they seemed in danger of tumbling to the floor.

'And what the heck was that all about?' he demanded.

Ash chuckled, lounging back into his seat and slurping on his soda. 'Oh, let's just say Gary paid me a little visit that he soon regretted.'

'You gave him that on his jaw?' Paul put in incredulously.

Ash pouted. 'No need to sound so surprised, Paul.'

'So are you ever going to tell us what happened?' May interrupted, her tone agitated.

'I just did,' Ash smirked. Misty chuckled.

Dawn slapped the top of the table. 'That's not good enough, Ash,' she said sharply. 'I need details and I need them now. In other words, if you don't tell me exactly what happened, you're going to be washing soup out of your ears for the next week!'

Ash laughed out loud. 'Fine,' he grinned.

He proceeded to recount how Gary had turned up on his doorstep to apologize, and with a little exaggeration, described how he'd delivered the death blow to Gary's pride.

'So after I'd punched him, he asked if we were even, and I said no way. He still owed Misty an apology. He looked more frightened than ever at that, and started mumbling something about calling her, but I wasn't going to let him get away that easily. I said it had to be at lunch, in front of everyone, as payback for making everyone believe that Misty actually wanted to be with him. After all, he did have the whole school convinced that she was a cheater.'

'Yeah, he deserved it,' Misty intoned fervently.

Drew shook his head in disbelief. 'How the heck did you get him to agree to that?'

Ash laughed again. 'I think he was just so stunned that I'd hit him, he would have agreed to anything I asked. But when I mentioned the lunch room he got all uppity, so I had to threaten to spill more details to his grandfather…I guessed that he'd only told Professor Oak the bare details, and luckily, I was right. You know what Gary's like – he respects his grandfather more than anyone else on the planet. He'd rather be the school laughingstock than brave any more of Professor Oak's disapproval.

'I also promised to apologize to Daisy for…you know. The stupid thing is, I was going to do that anyway!'

There was a little silence around the table.

'So you knew this was coming, Misty?' Dawn asked.

'Oh yeah,' Misty said dismissively. 'Ash told me about it on Saturday, so that I wouldn't be caught off guard. Of course, he didn't know I was going to hit him…'

'I had a fair idea,' Ash grinned.

'And you didn't stop me?'

'Of course not!'

She turned to laugh with the rest of her companions, but they still looked a little shell shocked by the turn of events. Dawn was blinking rapidly as she processed the information; Paul looked graver than ever. May's expression was blank with shock. Only Drew had gotten over it already – he was busy shoveling in fries again.

'So basically, you both smacked the hell out of Gary and paid him back for being for being a jerk,' he mumbled through a mouthful of food. He paused, considering. 'That sounds pretty fair.' He sighed happily, snuggling closer to May. 'Ah, I love a happy ending.'

Ash chuckled quietly as he reached out and took Misty's hand, squeezing it tightly as he smiled down at her.

'Me too, Drew,' he murmured. 'Me too.'

xxxxx

So there you have it, my lovelies. Gary did get the humiliation we were all hoping he would…and of course, Ash and Misty got exactly what they deserved; each other.

Truth be told, I am sort of in shock. I can't believe this is over…it doesn't seem real, somehow. This story has been an intrinsic part of my life over the last year, always in the back of my mind. I don't know what life will be like without it. And though I have shed sweat, blood and tears to bring it to you, I absolutely love it, and I am so proud of what I have achieved. Writing it has been one of the most eye opening experiences of my life.

Now, I may not be a real author yet and this may not be a published book, but there are plenty of people I need to thank:

Thank you to all the people at Bulbapedia – this story would be a shadow of what it is now without the invaluable information your site provided.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to all my lovely readers, especially those who leave such wonderful reviews. I will mention a few, who have been especially supportive: Pokemon-Princess.8, your reviews and private messages ALWAYS make me blush and I appreciate the extra mile you go to support me. You are a truly special reader, and it has been a pleasure to write for you! SteveAAML – you haven't been with me long but your detailed, specific reviews spur me to better myself, and I appreciate the time you have put into supporting me. Thank you! Crystalgurl101 – your reviews make me squeal and I love the virtual waffles you send me :D seriously though, you go out of you way to encourage me, and its people like you that kept me going when it was hard! You rock! Samia-chan – when you tell me that I have what it takes to be a writer, I believe you, and that in itself is a miracle. I will miss that – thank you so much!

If there is anyone else I am forgetting, please forgive me. I really do appreciate every single one of you, especially those who left reviews urging me to get on with this. I also just want to mention those who have been with me from the start – you know who you are. It's been a long year, and I appreciate you sticking with me for so long!

Thank you to waterfalls and IrresistableAshGirl for the marvelous fan art; you are both wonderful!

Thank you to Texas Longhorn, my so-much-more-than-just-a-beta, for your months of help and support.

Thank you to my lovely family. None of you will ever read this, but I appreciate you all so much. Sorry for shutting myself in my room and then emerging with an angry case of writer's block!

And finally, thank you to , for existing. Without this site I may never have realized that this is what I love, what I'm good at and what I want to pursue as a career. I owe you one :D

Now, one final thing. My brother, who knows about my Pokémon passion, showed me something the other day. It was a supposed secret trailer of a new live action Pokemon movie. I'm not a movie buff so I really couldn't tell if it was real or not – my reasoning had me divided. On the one hand, it looked very professional to be a fake, and it sort of made sense that they would try and reach the older market who grew up with Pokémon (i.e. me) – and to be honest, after everything else Pokémon related that they've created, it seemed about time that they do something like it. On the other hand, why wouldn't they have made it (though obviously a toned down version) years ago, when Pokémon was huge in the USA and Europe? And why keep it a secret? I couldn't decide, but i really hoped it was true.

Then, literally an hour after posting this chapter, I came across this, which explains everything:

http:/ www. / watch?v = sDX1m0Y2Vkg&feature = topvideos

I was disappointed that it wasn't real, but i really reccommend you watch it - i was pleased with the general air of Pokeshippy-ness, and I think you will be too! Here's the original 'leaked' one, just in case:

http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v =WFUD7thPctQ

So that's it, I guess. Fair ye well, all you wonderful people, and let us hope one day that we will see Ash and Misty together in the anime, and not just in fan made movies or in our heads. I love you all, God bless!