Chapter 34

"Your dad really broke up with Melody?" Jace asks his friend. It's been a couple of days since the attacks. With Ash out of the clinic but at home resting, Ariel has been helping her grandmother care for him. Misty is in the town still to run errands for Delia. Misty and Ariel will be going back to Cerulean City tomorrow because the break is over.

Ariel nods. "Yeah! I woke up because Melody was crying really loud!"

"Aw. We only got to do one plan on her." Lauren pouts. She likes their little secret missions.

"I know, but I'm glad she's gone."

"Did your dad say why he was breaking up with her?" Jace curiously inquires.

Ariel shrugs. "He said he's too busy for her. Something like their goals aren't the same and they don't want the same thing from each other. And he said he isn't in love with her anymore."

"Wasn't your mom in the hospital with you guys the whole time?" Lauren scratches Pikachu behind the ears. The children and pokemon are in Delia's backyard because Ariel's parents refuse to let her stray away from them.

The raven haired girl nods. "Yeah. After my dad kept telling Melody he was breaking up with her, Melody started arguing with my mom. They had to get security to take Melody out." Ariel grins as she recalls that morning. She really thought it was a dream that she had to pinch herself a couple of times. It's been days, so Ariel is glad it wasn't a dream at all. Melody is a thing of the past!

"So now what do we do?" Lauren pouts.

Jace leans back with his arms behind his head. "I say we just have fun and relax."

"That's boring."

Ariel giggles and lays in the grass beside her best friend. "I agree with Jace. We leave for our journey in less than a year. So we should all just have fun together."

Lauren sighs. She's going to be so lonely when they're gone. "It was fun doing our operations."

"It was." Ariel glances at them both. "Thanks for your help, guys! You too, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu nuzzles her cheek.

Inside

Misty is dropping off supplies for Delia who is showing her where everything goes in the kitchen. The phone ringing gets Delia's attention, so she has Misty take Ash's medicine to him upstairs. Misty frowns. She would have Ariel do it, but the girl is currently in the backyard with her friends.

Walking up the stairs, Misty knocks on Ash's door. "Come in!"

She opens it to see the man sitting at his desk. He isn't looking at her, so she knows he doesn't realize it's her and not his mother. Delia was just telling Misty how Ash won't rest. He keeps working on paperwork saying he's behind, but Delia wants her son to stay in bed. "You know you're supposed to be bedridden."

His attention snaps to her. "Uh. Why are you here?"

Misty shrugs and puts his cup of water and medicine on the desk beside him. "Ariel and I are leaving tomorrow."

Ash takes his medicine. "I know, but why are you here? Like in my room?"

"Your mom asked me." Misty narrows her eyes at him in annoyance as she grabs his now empty cup. "Believe me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be."

"I'm glad to see we still hate each other." Ash mutters.

"Same here."

He rolls his eyes at her attitude. Just when they were starting to get along, they are acting like children again. However, they aren't arguing as badly as they were before. Standing up, Ash walks over to his mirror to lift up his shirt and look at his bandaged wound. He should change the bandage soon.

"You know you shouldn't have broken up with Melody in public like that." It's been on Misty's mind since that morning. Why didn't Ash wait to do it? He knew Misty was there. Did he want her to see?

He shrugs. "I'm tired of her. If I didn't do it then, I don't know if I'll ever do it." Ariel doesn't like Melody, and Ash realizes Melody doesn't like Ariel too. The brunette had said some awful things about Ariel as security was dragging Melody out. It just angers Ash more. He can't believe he let that person be around his child for so long. He should've listened to Ariel all those times she'd ask him to leave Melody. He'll always listen to Ariel from now on. No matter how much he doesn't like what comes out of her mouth.

"You're bleeding less." Misty notes.

"Why are you still here?" groans the man.

"Your mom told me to wait until she comes back." Else Misty would have left already.

"I'm 31. I can take care of myself." the moment he says this, he doubles over in pain.

Misty rushes to his side as she drops the plastic cup. Holding him up, she steps in front of him to balance him better. Mew, he's heavy. "You were saying?" She smirks while gazing into his annoyed face.

However, when her eyes land on those chocolate ones, she surprisingly finds herself entranced by them. This is what happened when they were having heart to heart conversations on their search for Team Rocket. Ash's gaze softens. Every time he'd get hurt in the past, she was always there to patch him up and make him feel better. It's most likely why he feels so enticed by her worried cerulean blue orbs.

He brings a hand up to the one she has resting near his wound. With this hand over her small one, Ash slowly inches his face towards hers so that he can get a closer look at those eyes. While they are the same shade as Ariel's, these eyes on his ex look a lot different. They have more experience and emotions. They mean a lot to him, which is why anything that reminds him of them pains him.

Misty too slowly closes towards him. She hears her heart pounding in her chest, but she pays it no mind. Right now, all she wants is to get a better look at those warm chocolate brown eyes she hasn't been near in years. They were always her favorite. Nothing has come close to them since. Nothing has come close to him.

"That was Gary on the phone." Delia opens the door, making the young adults back away from each other quickly. The older woman curiously looks at them. Ash is on one side of the room while Misty is on the other. They're both looking at the wall. "Is everything okay?" She picks up the forgotten cup on the ground.

"Uh yeah." Ash chokes out. His wound doesn't even hurt anymore because he's focused on his beating heart and flushed face.

"Yup! Just great!" Misty squeaks out. She then rushes past Delia. "I'll start on dinner!" It's Saturday, so Misty will be here for dinner. She'd rather go hide in her hotel room right now though. Mew, this is going to be one awkward dinner. More awkward than the first one she had where Melody was here.

Later

"Mom, you cooked this!" Ariel exclaims. She can tell the difference between her parents' and grandmother's cooling. Her grandmother is the best cook. Misty isn't close, but she's second while Ash is definitely the worst. Nevertheless, Ariel will always eat everyone's cooking.

Misty shies away from the comment, so Delia answers, "Yes. I was with your father, which is why your mother cooked."

Ash sweatdrops. Despite being over 30, his mother still dotes on him like he's a child. This isn't even a bad wound. "I'm fine, mom."

"I just keep thinking about my little Ashy Poo hooked up to all those machines in the hospital." cries the older woman.

"I was only hooked up to an IV!" Ariel was much worse. Misty snickers while listening to Ash being treated like a kid. This makes the man glare at her. "What are you laughing at?"

Misty raises an amused eyebrow as a smirk appears on her lips. "You're such a kid."

"You're the kid! You're always picking fights!"

"I only pick fights with you." Misty shrugs. "You deserve them."

"Here we go again!" Ash throws his hands up in the air.

"Pika!" Pikachu sparks his cheeks at the adults. He just wants to have a peaceful dinner for once, especially with Melody gone. The parents glare at each other before returning their attention to their food. Delia exchanges a knowing smile with Ariel. Ariel is happy knowing Melody is now out of the picture. Maybe now, her parents will get along better? They already are.

That night, Misty has left for her hotel room, much to Ash's relief. The man walks into his daughter's room to check up on her before bed, like he always does. Pikachu is curled up beside her on the bed. "Hey, champ." Ash grins.

Ariel smiles back when he sits on the side of her bed. She wraps her small arms around his shoulders in a hug rather than his injured midsection. "Hey, dad."

"I'm feeling a lot better. What do you wanna do tomorrow?" He feels bad for not spending much time this week with her, even though she was in Pallet Town all week. He spent half of the week hunting down Kleon, and then he has been recovering from his wound. The man still feels pain there, but a few painkillers help with that. Nevertheless, tomorrow is Ariel's last day in Pallet Town until next weekend, so Ash wants to spend it with her.

The girl thinks to herself. Should she ask him again? Will it just upset him? As much as she loves her one on one time with her father, she prefers when her mother is with them too. They really feel like a family with all three of them. Ariel's nervous eyes meet Ash's warm ones, and the man instantly recognizes her gaze. It's the one she always gives him when she wants to ask about her.

"Ariel-"

"I know." the girl pouts with a sigh. "I don't care what we do, dad. As long as I'm with you, I know it'll be fun." She genuinely smiles up at him, but Ash can tell she's not satisfied with just this.

Kissing the top of her head, Ash stands up. "Okay, Champ. I'll think of something."

"Night, dad." Ariel lays back down on the bed.

"Night, Ariel. Night, Pikachu."

The man turns off her light and closes her door. Once in his own room, he lays on his bed in frustration. Being a divorced father sucks, especially when his daughter loves her other parent as well. Mew. Ash already vowed to himself to always put Ariel's happiness first. He hates this. While the man prefers having his alone time with Ariel, he knows she wants someone else involved in their adventure tomorrow.

Pulling out his pokenav, he dials the last person he wants to call. Like he expects, he's left ringing for a while. It's like the person waits until the last possible ring before picking up the call. "What?" comes her annoyed voice. She only picked up in case it's about Ariel. Else, she'd let him ring to voicemail.

Closing his eyes as he swallows his pride, Ash asks, "Wanna explore Route 1 with Ariel tomorrow?"

"Aren't you supposed to be spending time with her?" He better not be passing off his responsibilities.

Sighing, Ash mutters, "Yeah. She wants all three of us."

Misty frowns while thinking about what he just said. She knows her daughter always wants the three of them together. However, Misty feels like she spent enough time with her ex as is this week. Too much time for her liking. This is for Ariel, though, so Misty lets out an annoyed breath. "Aren't you supposed to limit physical activity?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. But our daughter does."

Ash rolls his eyes. "I'll live. We'll have Charizard in case I can't walk, but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine."

"Fine. I'll meet at your house after breakfast."

"Just come eat here. You know my mom would prefer that." Why did he tell her to come earlier? Mew, Ash! This is why he needs to think before speaking.

"I know you'd hate that." she remarks.

"I hate having anything to do with you-"

"Same."

Ash inwardly groans. "But I love Ariel more than anything, even my hatred, so this is for her."

Sighing, Misty sees the time is late. "I guess we can agree on this."

Ash is tired and tired of talking to her. "See ya in the morning."

"Night."

Flashback

"Hey." the hesitant man speaks after a while of silence. He and his wife just argued again. It's something they've been doing a lot of lately. It's all they ever do when they talk. He hates it, but it always happens.

"What?" she grumbles back over the pokenav. Can he just apologize and come home already? Is that so hard? She misses him, but she's tired of this. It's like nothing is ever changing despite his words!

"Can I see her?"

Misty frowns, though she makes her way quietly upstairs. She won't argue with him in their daughter's earshot. Once in the little girl's room, Misty turns on the camera and flips it to the girl silently sleeping. Due to the dim night light, Ash can only make out her silhouette. This is what pains him the most about being away: missing time with Ariel. Even Pikachu is glancing through the screen beside Ash.

After some time, Ash doesn't want to keep his wife standing in Ariel's room. As much as Ash would like to keep watching his little girl sleep, he won't have Misty just stand there due to his selfishness. She already does so much for him. "Okay." When Misty is out of the room, Ash's apologetic eyes look at the woman paying him no attention. "I wish I was there."

"You always say that."

"I want to be, Misty. Please. Believe me."

Misty lets out an annoyed breath while entering their room. Well, it's mostly been her room because he's never around. "I'll believe you when you're here, Ash."

Sighing in defeat, Ash asks, "Are you gonna look at me?" Misty still won't look at the pokenav screen.

The woman turns off the video, much to Ash's dismay. "I can't. I wanna see you here...in person…"

After a few more uncomfortable minutes, Ash mutters, "Good night, Mist. I love you."

"Night."

Flashback Over

The next day, Ash is quietly eating breakfast as Ariel speaks to her grandmother. Delia and Ariel are somewhat confused about the quiet man, but they know Ash struggles with sleeping. He must be tired, like usual. When the doorbell rings, Delia and Ariel exchange confused glances.

"Are Jace and Lauren coming over?" Delia asks Ariel while standing up.

The girl shakes her head. "No. It's just me and dad today."

"It's Misty." Ash mutters, earning him shocked looks from everyone.

"Pikachupi?"

Ariel runs past her grandmother to swing the door open. Like her father had said, there stands the Cerulean City Gym Leader. "Mom!" Ariel tackles her in a hug.

Misty's nervousness subsides as she returns the hug. "Hey, Ariel."

While the girl walks with her mother to the kitchen table, Ariel asks, "What are you doing here, mom?"

Misty and Ash awkwardly avoid each other's gazes. "Uh…" Ash mumbles, making Delia, Pikachu, and Ariel more confused. "We're gonna spend the day with you." Ash finally says.

"Really?" the girl excitedly stands in her seat.

Nodding weakly, Misty replies, "Yes. Your father suggests we explore Route 1."

"And a picnic?" Ariel wants to stay at the route for most of the day.

"I do have errands to run today." Delia mentions. The older woman smiles at Misty. "Please watch my Ashy for me, Misty."

The young adults blush. "Yes, Delia." Misty won't argue with Delia about this. Ariel grins at Pikachu. This is awesome! It's what she's wanted for a long time now.

"Yes! I can't wait to see all the wild Pokemon!"

As Ariel talks to Pikachu and Delia about what she wants to do today, Misty hisses at her ex. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"I don't, but it's for Ariel." Ash whispers back in annoyance. Mew. This is going to be one long day. Unlike last time when he spent hours with Misty, this time, she's not sick. She's going to be awake the whole time.

"I know." the redhead sighs as she picks at her food. It's the only reason she's here so early in the morning. Everything is for Ariel, especially since the girl will be going on her Pokemon journey next year.

A few hours later, the three and Pikachu are exploring Route 1. They had flown there on Charizard, much to the adults' dismay about riding together. Fortunately, Ariel and Pikachu sat in between them. Ariel has been talking non-stop, like she usually does. This means the adults can avoid conversation, and they're grateful for it.

"Why'd you pick Route 1, dad?" Ariel curiously turns back to look at her father. Her parents are begrudgingly walking slowly behind her while Pikachu is riding on her shoulder. Misty raises a confused eyebrow at Ash. He picked Route 1? She figured it was Ariel's idea. Misty figured all of this was Ariel's idea. But it was Ash's?

The man shrugs. "You love coming here."

"But you don't." she points out.

"I don't mind." Ash lies and quickens his pace. To her surprise, Misty finds herself agreeing too. It's why a part of her avoided taking Route 1 to and from Pallet Town. She'd always take the backroads, which don't go through the main parts of Route 1.

When they reach a clearing, Ariel exclaims, "Let's have a pokemon battle, mom!"

"Don't you wanna battle your dad?" Misty boredly asks.

Ariel shakes her head. "No way! Dad and I always battle!" Ariel and her mother don't ever battle because they're always taking care of the gym when in Cerulean City. There's not much for Ash to do with Ariel besides visit the lab, battle, or watch films. Thus, Ash and Ariel battle often.

"I don't know." Misty isn't in the mood for her Pokemon teasing her about hanging out with her ex. Plus, they must still be tired from the Rocket battle the other day. Scoffing gets her attention as she shoots the man a glare. "What are you laughing at?"

Ash removes his hand from his mouth to smirk at her. "Sounds like you're scared." Ariel has been getting a lot of battling practice with him. Also, Ash's pokemon are stronger than Misty's. He is the champion.

Misty narrows her eyes at him. Rolling up the sleeves of her hoodie, she declares, "Fine. I accept your challenge, Ariel."

"Yes!" the girl high fives Pikachu and runs to the other side of the clearing.

Misty's gaze doesn't waver from Ash's amused eyes. "When I win, you're gonna eat your words."

He now gives her a determined look. "Fine. When you lose, you need to admit I'm the better parent."

"You're not." No way will she lie. She knows she's the much better parent.

Ash rolls his eyes. "Fine. Then what do I get when you lose?"

"If I lose…" Misty bites the inside of her cheek in thought.

"C'mon already, mom!" Yells the girl, making Misty look at her.

"I don't know. What do you want?"

"I already told you, but you won't do it."

Misty returns to glare at him. "Fine. If I lose, I will tell you everything about Rudy. I won't hold back. You can ask whatever you wanna ask."

"Why would I care about the past?" Though he does. He doesn't want hre knowing that.

"Because you never shut up about him." Despite him admitting that he knows she wouldn't cheat, Misty knows Ash still has a lot of questions about that time.

It still haunts him, just like his absence still haunts her. "Deal."

The woman takes a few steps closer to Ariel while Ash walks to the middle to officiate. "Ready, baby?"

Ariel flips her father's old cap backwards. "You're going down, mom!"

This is one battle, Misty won't lose. She hasn't battled Ariel in a long time, and when they do battle, Ariel is using the gym Pokemon. Misty hasn't battled her ex's pokemon in an even longer time. She also never battled them when Ariel is their trainer. This is going to be one interesting battle.