Disclaimer: The writing of this fic injured me so grievously that I cannot imagine trying to claim Pokemon or it's properties as my own. I didn't make any money, so please don't sue.
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am a GYMSHIPPER. Obsessive, dedicated and loyal. To such a degree that I can not only argue 'Misty's Song' but 'He Drives Me Crazy' as Gymshippy. I shall NEVER again write an Ash/Misty piece. EVER. I wrote this as a thank-you to Vickie211 and to my husband Edward, both of whom are avid Ash/Misty fans. Vickie didn't ask me to do this, didn't try to seduce me to this side of the fence and offered me heartfelt words of wonder and praise. Any person who tells me to 'write more A/M' or to say 'I'm glad you've seen the light' or anything to that effect, will get this fic shoved into every bodily orifice I can find. And some that aren't there at all. Writing this fic made my eyes bleed and my soul scream. I don't like Ash/Misty in the least. I don't see them as a couple at all. For your own safety, do not test this.
I remain a Gymshipper; I shall die a Gymshipper.
Dedications: To Vickie211, for praise beyond all measure. And to Chelle, for the beta and the promise to beat me, should I commit such a crime again. I thank you.
Day of Reckoning
"The eve of destruction is upon me." Ash Ketchum groaned into the grass. "The final judgement before the apocalypse has come." He added, rolling over to face the darkening sky. "The end of the world is arrived this moment, " He nodded. "And it has found me…"
"It's found you talking to yourself." Misty said before he could finish. "And it's not end of days, it's the day before the League Games open." She sat down beside him and looked out at the lake.
"I know." He very carefully did not look at Misty. Misty in the sunset light made him lose his mind and if they were going to carry on a conversation, it might be good to be able to think.
"What's up, Ash?" She asked when he didn't say anything else.
"I face Ritchie in the first round." He sighed. "And I'll probably face Gary too." It was half the truth.
"You've beat them both before, Ash." He could hear the frown in Misty's voice and it was a cruel betrayal by his own mind that he could see her even without looking at her.
"You won't be there, this time." He was horrified, absolutely and completely, to hear himself say that to her. It was true, but still…First his mind and now his body; Ash was turning turncoat on himself with surprising ease.
"Is that what's bothering you?" Misty's voice was curious and curiously hesitant. "The fact that I'm leaving for Cerulean in the morning?"
Ash sat up and wrapped his arms around his legs. "No." He lied. Then buried his face against his knees. "It's a big honor that your sisters want you to do the Gym battles." He said, muffled. "They can do their silly water shows and you can be a really great trainer there."
"Oh." Misty was quiet and Ash chanced a sideways look at her. She skipped a stone out over the lake. "It's really just for a few months, you know." She said, picking up another rock. "Maybe only a year, while I work with the Junior Trainers. Daisy still likes battling."
Ash nodded against his knees and focused on a tiny hole in his jeans. "Yeah. Daisy." Ash said inanely. "She's…uh, she's pretty good. She's not as good as you; you're great. You…" he trailed off. 'Shut up!' he berated himself.
"Thank you." Misty smiled. Again, without seeing her, he could see her. It was a lovely smile. Ash didn't say anything, didn't try to make any further conversation. This one was killing him as it was and he didn't want to risk making it worse. Although he didn't know how it could possibly get worse than Misty leaving.
"I've said good-bye to Brock." Well, maybe there was a way. "I wanted to say good-bye to each of you separately, and not just rush through it in the morning." Ash lift his head, he lay his cheek on his arm and looked at Misty before turning to the lake. "He said…" out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw Misty worrying a flat rock between her fingers before skipping it. "He said some, uh, interesting things. He, uh, he told me…" she trailed off and looked back over her shoulder at their camp site. Ash twisted sharply, looking just in time to see Brock smile sweetly in their direction. Ash felt sick.
"Yeah." He said shortly, unwilling to listen to more. "Brock, he's got a lot to say."
"He said he was going to miss me." Misty continued and Ash wondered if drowning himself in the lake wouldn't be better than having to listen to Misty talk about herself and Brock. "And he said I reminded him of his sister Suzy." It took several minutes to process that statement and by the time he did, Misty had moved on. "He thanked me for helping him train his pokemon to be strong against water types. That was really sweet of him."
"He…what?" Ash wondered, vaguely, if he'd fallen asleep and was having this odd conversation in some bizarre dream.
Misty smiled grimly at the water. "He offered me some advice. Brock said that I should…if I had." She took a deep breath while Ash stared at her. "Brock said that if there was somebody that I had special feelings for, I should talk to him. And let him know how I feel. He was…Brock was pretty sure that it wouldn't be a mistake."
Ash stood, quickly, his mind working frantically. Screaming, he lectured himself, was not a viable option. "Good." He croaked out. "That's good! It's…great. I'm sure that he…"
"Ash? Misty?" Brock's voice interrupted and Ash was glad, mostly; the part of him that wasn't glad wanted to smack his best friend for saying anything. Ever. "I'm going over Carnival Road now." Brock aimed a look at Misty and Ash turned back to the lake, unable to stand watching. "I'll see you there, right?"
Ash cursed his mind for supplying him with Misty's face on the water as she called back to Brock. "Yeah. In a little bit." She waved to Brock and turned back to him. Ash stared resolutely out at the water.
"You should catch up to Brock." He told her even as his hands clenched themselves into fists. "I'm just going to turn in."
"Ash!" Misty shot to her feet and grabbed his wrist. Her touch branded him and he wanted to run, needed to, but couldn't. "Brock said…" She hesitated and bit her lip. "He said it wouldn't be a mistake."
"I'm sure he was thrilled when you told him." Ash muttered, bitterly.
"When I told him to have a good time on his date with Vickie." Misty said firmly. "And came down here to talk to you." She looked down and seemed to realize that she was still holding onto his wrist and let go. "I wanted to talk to you." She said softly.
"Misty, you…you…" Ash stuttered, unable to find words to frame the hopes of his soul. "You…and…me?" He finished lamely. "Talk to…me?" Hope was flooding his veins like fizzing bubbles of champagne.
Misty laughed quietly eyes shining. "I've loved you, Ash Ketchum, since the day that you offered to buy me new bike and I said 'no'."
Ash stepped forward, one hand coming up to hesitantly touch her cheek. The other reached out to tangle his fingers with her own. "You love me?" He whispered, unable to manage any more.
"With all my heart." Misty assured him, pushing his hair away from his eyes. She beamed up at him.
"I love you." He told her. "I've loved you since I don't even know when." He gathered her close, cradling her against his chest. "I thought…"
Misty cuffed him gently on the back of the head. "I know what you thought, moron." It was gentle and affectionate and Ash laughed from pure joy.
"I love you." He said again, happily. He dropped a kiss on to her forehead, her cheek, her eyelids and finally, gently, on her lips. "Misty."
Misty hugged him. "I know that too, now." She drew away from him, keeping her hand in his. "Come on, I told Brock that we'd meet him and Vickie at Carnival Road for ice-cream and a few rides on the Midway before the fireworks."
Ash let himself be towed along and reflect that today, the day of final reckoning, hadn't been so bad. In fact, it was one of the best days of his life.