Author notes and shout outs: Thanks to all who read and reviewed 'My Tender
Strength', I am so glad you enjoyed it! Well this is another short story I
have been thinking about writing and uploading while I still work on my
challenge fic. This story line is based on another universe Pokemon timeline.
Dedicated to all my readers and reviewers!
Why Don't You Love Me?
Prologue: Background info
Ash-tachi, had long from split after Ash won the title of Grand Pokemon Master,
at the age of 18. The youngest to have been awarded the highest of all Pokemon
Master levels; he had won the title of Pokemon Master at the age of 15 and
continued to beat the best.
Brock Slate continued to journey for a while longer before settling down with
his first true love, Suzie. Suzie and Brock both married within a month of
their reunion and now own very successful Breeder centres all over Pokemon
Islands.
Tracey Sketchit continued his training along side Professor Samuel Oak, now a
great scientific partner alongside his idol, Tracey Sketchit also followed his
dreams.
Misty Waterflower left Ash a year after he won the title of Pokemon Master.
Their split was not on the best of terms. Misty Waterflower went on to follow
her dreams and became the greatest Water Master.
It has been almost 4 years since Misty or Ash have seen or spoken.
***
~FLASHBACK~
three ½ years ago; Indigo Plateau/Pallet.
It had been a long day for Ash, he just finished coordinating this years League
celebrations with the chairman of the Indigo grounds festivals and was now
looking forward to a relaxing night with no interruptions and worries…
What he didn't expect was that his best friend/secret desire, Misty Waterflower
would be leaving that very night…
***
Ash yawned as he turned the key in the door of his Mothers house. He was
staying there along with Misty and Pikachu while he was at Indigo for the next
few days.
"Hello, anyone in?" he called out.
Delia Ketchum walked out of the kitchen to welcome Ash.
"Oh hello, sweetie." She said in her usual cheery voice.
"Hi, Mom, I am so tired."
"Hard day sweetie?"
"You bet I can't wait to get into a nice relaxing hot…WA!" Ash never got the
chance to finish.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried as it tackled its best human friend to the ground.
"Hey buddy, nice to see you too" Ash chuckled.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu greeted back.
***
Misty knew Ash would be due home soon; she quickly finished the rest of her
packing and made her way down stairs.
She smiled when she noticed Ash and Pikachu on the ground laughing.
"Hi, Ash"
Ash stopped for a moment and looked up to see Misty walking toward him and
Pikachu. "Oh, hi, Mist"
"Looks like someone is pleased to see you today, huh, Ash?" Misty giggled.
Ash smiled and nervously rubbed the back of his head. " Yeah…" he replied while
staring into Misty's eyes.
Over the years during his journey Ash always acted nervous when Misty would
smile or laugh, he didn't know why at first, but understood now.
Delia smiled and stared at the two young adults in front of her; she always
knew Ash had feelings for Misty, she had blossomed and out grown the tomboy
look a few years back. Her hair was kept shoulder length, but instead of the
ginger red colouring it once was, it now possessed a beautiful shade of red
that shimmered in the light.
"Are you hungry sweetie?" Delia interrupted the staring contest or 'The Lovers
Gaze' as Brock always used to call it.
Blushing beet red, Ash stuttered an answer sounding a bit like a "Yes"
Misty giggled, which made Ash blush a deeper shade of red. 'Man, I have got
to get a hold of myself'
***
Later that evening Misty had plucked up the courage to let Ash know of her
decision to leave for a while. She walked up to Ash's old room and knocked on
the door.
"Come in"
Nervously, she opened the door and walked in. "Ummm…Ash, I umm…need to talk
with you", she stammered, looking straight into her best friends bright and
friendly brown eyes. She smiled; Ash had grown a lot since he was 10. The boy
she first met the day he started his journey, he was taller now, his
hair had not changed much and still spiked out at all sides. His famous league
hat and blue jacket had long from gone now.
"Sure, Mist, what's up?" he replied while petting Pikachu on the head.
"Well you see, Ash, I umm… have umm…decided to um…well, leave, and continue
training for a while."
Ash looked up from stroking Pikachu, "Wh-what?"
"I'm leaving"
"Why and when?"
"Well, I have been thinking for a while now, I really want to start my badge
quest and challenge the gyms so I can compete for Water Pokemon Master. I was
thinking about going first thing tomorrow morning." She replied.
"Tomorrow, that soon huh?" Ash spoke softly.
"Yeah, I thought I would make better time if I leave from Pallet." Misty
answered in an equally hushed tone.
Ash could feel his heart shattering into a million pieces inside his chest, the
hurt was unbearable and to think she had caused so much of his
suffering and constant putdowns over the years of his journey. She
was the one he had given his heart to, she was the one who made
him thrive, and she was the one he had grown attached too. She
was his life and now she decides she has had enough and
wants to leave him.
His hurt was now turning to instant anger; he looked her straight in the eye.
*SLAP*
SLAM
BANG
SLAM
Misty had betrayed his feelings, and rejected him, and from that day on, Ash
swore he would never love another again.
~END FLASHBACK~
***
3 ½ years later: Cerulean City Gym.
Misty heard the doorbell ringing for the third time. "Coming, hold on a
minute!" she yelled at the supposedly impatient guest.
Running as fast as she could while desperately pulling on her pants over her
blue swimming costume to answer the door, she opened it gasping a little out of
breath. "Sorry about that." She apologised.
"That's quiet alright, Miss Waterflower." Misty looked up to see the handsome
face of her daily messenger of gifts and letters. She smiled nervously as he
handed her yet another small package and note. "Your package Miss Waterflower."
Every day for the past few months Misty received gifts and letters from many
male admires. Her popularity had increased since she had been awarded the title
and honours of Water Pokemon Master.
Her popularity matched that of the current Grand Pokemon Master, Ash Ketchum.
Neither of them had seen or spoken for nearly 4 years, but she still kept in
touch with Delia Ketchum and wrote to her regularly. Ash hardly ever appeared
in public view anymore, so Misty wouldn't even know what Ash looked like if she
was to pass him on the street. He was a past memory she had learned to blot out
over the years.
"Umm…you know, you've been coming here every other day for nearly two months or
so, and I haven't asked you for your name", Misty smiled and looked up at the
dark headed messenger. His eyes were a dark shade of chocolate brown, his hair,
black as the night was tied together neatly.
"My name? Oh…it's …" 'No…quickly think… middle name' umm…Satoshi"
"Well, thanks for telling me your name, Satoshi. Oh, my name is just Misty,
from now on. Okay"
***
After Misty had gone back inside the Cerulean Gym, Satoshi sighed. 'That was
way to close' he thought to himself while making his way back toward the
entrance of the gyms grounds.
"Pika, pika"
"Yeah, your telling me that was close."
***
"Like, more gifts, Misty?" Daisy asked when Misty entered the pool area holding
yet another package.
"Yeah" She replied not really paying attention.
"You, like, going to open it?" Lilly interrupted.
"Um, oh yeah, I guess."
"Like, what's wrong little sis?" Violet asked noticing Misty's dreamy
expression.
"Well, the messenger that brings these packages every other day… it's… a stupid
thought, ignore me."
Lilly, Daisy and Violet looked oddly at Misty for a moment before shrugging off
her odd behaviour.
"Like, what ever little sis, just open the package already." All three girls
huffed.
Misty smiled; her sisters loved the idea of gifts and the whole not knowing
whom they were from. Misty on the other hand hated not knowing and always got
irritated.
***
"I keep on doing this, Pikachu, I see her, and then the feelings and the
memories of when she left keep coming back." Ash sighed. 'Maybe this whole
thing was a bad idea, I can't believe I kept going back…'
"Pika-pi, Pikachu-pi, pika, pika" Pikachu said, pointing at the magazine page
in front of him.
"I don't know, Pikachu, I think this will be our last visit." Ash told his best
Pokemon friend, staring at the open magazine article in Pokemon monthly. 'I
think it's time to say goodbye for good'
***
~FLASHBACK~
"I'm leaving"
"Why and when?"
"Well, I have been thinking for a while now, I really want to start my badge
quest and challenge the gyms so I can compete for Water Pokemon Master. I was
thinking about going first thing tomorrow morning." She replied.
"Tomorrow, that soon huh?" Ash spoke softly.
"Yeah, I thought I would make better time if I leave from Pallet." Misty
answered in an equally hushed tone.
"……"
"Ash…I…"
"What… what else do you have to say Misty? Oh yeah! Wasn't it hey Ash, Nice
knowing you, congratulations and all so goodbye Ash" Ash hissed sarcastically.
"What?" she asked with a hint of worry.
"You really think I care that you're leaving. Well I don't. So just…just leave
already!"
Misty gasped at Ash's sudden outburst, it was like a force of pure anger and
hatred that made her do what she was going to do…
*SLAP*
~SLAM~
BANG!
Misty ran as fast as she could down the stairs not even stopping to Mrs
Ketchum's pleas.
~SLAM~
"Good, leave, I don't care. A thorn in my side, that's what you were. A stupid,
annoying, grouchy girl" Ash spoke quietly holding onto his bruised face. Tears
filling every corner in his eyes, pain seething through every inch of his
chest. "But, didn't you know, I loved you?"
~END FLASHBACK~
Satoshi walked down the path toward the Cerulean gym and knocked at the door.
"Coming"
He heard the sound of Misty's voice call from inside.
Misty slowly opened the door and smiled, "Oh hello, Satoshi"
"Morning"
"Another package?" Misty inquired with a smile.
"No, not today." Satoshi replied nervously.
"Oh, umm did you want something, Satoshi" Misty asked.
"Well, I was…" he started, looking up into her beautiful enchanting eyes
"coming to say…goodbye. I will not be delivering any more packages to you
anymore."
"Oh." Misty replied lowering her head toward the ground. "I see, I guess this
is goodbye then."
Satoshi bowed slightly before turning and leaving.
Satoshi was nearly out of Misty's site, when she started to run as fast as she
could to catch up to him.
"Wait…" Misty called running toward his retreating form.
***
~Earlier that day, Cerulean gym~
Misty was in the kitchen eating an early morning breakfast with her sisters.
Daisy was busy skimming through this month's latest issue of Pokemon Monthly,
Lilly was humming to a tune on the radio while blowing on her newly polished
nails and Violet sat next to Misty eating her breakfast.
"So, like, Misty any new packages?" Lilly asked excitedly.
"Nope, not yet anyway" Misty replied.
"Oh, like, why can't someone…" Lilly started to moan before being interrupted
by a *gasp*
"Like, Misty, you really have to, like, see this article." Daisy said handing
Misty the article.
Misty gasped when she saw a full two-page spread on The Water Master and Grand
Pokemon Master history. "What the…where did they get all these photos from,
there are so many of them. I never agreed to this."
"What's it all about, anyways, Misty?" Lilly asked.
"It's a full page spread out of my child hood and Ash's. There are so many
photos of us as kids and then later years. This really makes me mad, I can't
believe this. When did they take the recent picture of me?"
"Is there one of Ash there?" All three sisters asked at the same time.
"Hold on, um… yeah, here it is…" Misty stared at the picture in front of her. 'That
can't be Ash, he…he looks like…'
"Like, what does he look like Misty?"
Misty stared at the picture of the young 20 year old man in front of her; he
had beautiful chocolate brown eyes, and wore a warm and friendly smile on his
lips. His hair was long and dark as midnight black tied neatly out of his eyes.
On his shoulder, a bright yellow rodent Pokemon standing in Ash's old victory
pose.
"Ash Satoshi Ketchum" she whispered under her breath.
***
"Wait…Ash…!" Misty called running toward his retreating form.
Ash stopped immediately, not making any move to look back at her when he heard
her call his name.
"It is you, Ash, right?" she asked him.
Ash nodded and closed his eyes.
……………
"Ash…" Misty sobbed through tears. "Did…did you really mean what you said to me
before I left?"
"No…" he replied barley audible.
"I never meant to hurt you, Ash."
"And I never meant to hurt you, Mist. I never was any good at expressing my
feelings to anyone, and you were the only one I felt close to. I…it hurt, and I
couldn't handle the pain and felt rejected. The one thing I was scared of was
rejection and Misty, I feel in love with you, and I never told you. I was
scared that you didn't feel the same, so I bottled up my emotions and feelings
toward you and you left me…"
Misty smiled slightly at the mention of Ash's true feelings toward her. She
moved quietly toward him and reached for his hand.
Ash jumped slightly as Misty softly touched his hand, and cupped it in her own.
"Ash, I'm sorry. Please don't go."
Ash opened his eyes slightly and turned to meet her gaze.
***
~Later that night~
Laying together in Misty's room, wrapped around soft sheets, Ash's hands rubbed
her upper back. Misty had found sleep a few hours ago, but Ash couldn't find it
for himself. He still found it hard to believe this was real, and even if it
was real, his feelings and emotions still continued to reap inside his mind.
His breathing told her of his dreamless state, causing her to stir and open her
aqua coloured eyes. "You're still awake?" she inquired softly.
A brief moment of silence passed before another word was spoken between the two
young lovers. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, still looking
down.
"Thank you for staying." With that, her breath matched his as they
both fell asleep.
***
Hey again, wow! 2 fics in one week! Well anyway, this is yet another of these
short romance stories I have had trapped inside of my head and decided to
write. Obvious alternate reality story line. I hope you enjoyed reading this as
much as My Tender Strength.
I would like to thank Trevor aka Neongene for the great plug, so as promised
here is yours!
Many thanks also goes to Latonya Wright, Misty Wildflower, MistY BluE, Classic
Cowboy and Neongene for pushing me to write and upload! Thanks guys without
you, I would have never got off my butt and upload these here fics!
Angie*