… Oh, by the way, I'd disappeared to the Digimon section to write Jenki's, if any of you wondered where I went for a month. Anyway, ahem, I am *not* going to write a side story… I'm only 14, for Lugia's sake, and I'm not going to write anything like that! Thanks to everyone for reviewing!
I write the name of Togetic or Ash based on whoever they appear to be at that moment… who the person or people doing the talking perceives them. For instance, when Togetic is thinking in the first paragraph, he knows he isn't Ash and is just in his body so I call him Togetic then. When it's the public around him, however, they all think he's Ash so that's what he's called (even when it's Pikachu talking to him… there are others around!)
Oh, and the next chapter of Ocean of Tears should be up today. That's what else I disappeared to, tyvm.

Togetic tossed a pokéball into the air over and over, catching it calmly in his best attempt to act like his 'daddy'. I can do this, he thought, taking a deep breath and pulling the hat over his face. Pikachu will help me, and no one will even guess that it's me, not Daddy…

Except, maybe, for Misty. She sat there, eyeing what appeared to be Ash suspiciously. There was only the smallest amount of doubt in her mind that it really was him, but with everything that had happened in recent months there was really no telling.

"I choose you! Bulbasaur!"

"Saur!"

"Butterfree, go!"

And with that, the battle had started. There was no more time to ponder Ash's recent behavior as the battle went underway. Ash had an advantage out here, with two grass types, and Quilava and Pikachu for back up, he was sure to win against the opponent, who was a first-timer in the league. Almost too easy.

Human? If Only…

7-Issues abound

[No, not a song quote. Reviews and a shout out to anyone who can give me a song quote for this chapter. I'm stuck for one.]

"Pi… pika Pipipi pichu pika…" Pikachu said, motioning a bit extravagantly, and Ash nodded in response.

"Leech seed!"

"Stun spore!"

********** [Dah, I can't write battles -_- so I'll just sorta do my standard thing]

"Chikorita, use your Razor leaf!!"

"Chika!"

"And the green trainer's last pokémon is knocked out!! The red trainer Ash Ketchum wins!!!"

"Pipipi!!" Pikachu squealed happily, jumping into Ash's arms as he called Chikorita back (but not into her pokéball.) Misty smiled and ran up to join them, hugging and kissing Ash as they both rejoiced in his victory. Togetic, however, hovered back behind the group, letting the reality of the moment set in on him.

Togetic is doing extremely well in my place, the real Ash thought, contemplating the moment. I wasn't sure how he would handle battles, but he won. Maybe it's not me in the battles, and it doesn't matter who their trainer is, it's only the pokémon I have that count. I make no difference effecting the outcome of the match. And Misty, she's convinced that what she called her baby for the last four years is me!! It's not me, my personality, anything except me physically that matters, is it? he quietly floated there, a tear forming in his eye. Pikachu even acted just like it was me out there, even though he knew and even said that it was Togetic. I'm not really needed, none of them love a fake me any less than the real me. In Ash's mind, things weren't going that well.

"Ash, I need to talk to you when we get back. Alone," Misty smiled, looking into Ash's eyes as seductively as possible and kissing him again.

Which meant that while things *were* going well, Togetic's mind wasn't working that well. Uh-oh… does she know I'm not really Ash? No, if she did, why would she still be kissing me like she always does Daddy? Or does she like me better now? Or… Love me?

All in all, it was so far and was destined to be, a very strange day.

*Meanwhile*

"I'm serious, guys! I have NO idea where the egg came from!!"

"Leave him alone, Brock. He might be telling the truth," Vixie sighed, glancing between the two small pokémon and the green printed egg behind them.

"I don't even know what's going on…" Martha added, plopping down on the ground and staring at the clouds in hope of figuring out what was happening.

"You'll understand when you're older…"

"A likely story! I know very well how often you are hanging out with Chikorita. 'Training' my feathery butt. You two have been to home plate and back it would seem," Brock countered, not listening to the reasoning of his pokémon.

Tracey looked around dumbfounded and tried his best to defend himself. "Look, I'll ask Rita-"

"Pet name, even!"

"-when she gets back if it's hers. It might be a wild pokémon egg, for all we know. But no matter what, I know for sure that I am not the father!!!"

"Got proof?"

"She'll tell you!"

"Cover up for you, you mean."

"Guys, guys, HOLD IT!! If you two can just remain calm for a moment and let the competitive testosterone levels die down then maybe we can get somewhere!!" Vixie shouted, standing up to her full 6 feet of height and glaring down on the two reverse-gijinkas. Martha also looked quite startled at her friend's sudden outburst. In fact, only one member of the little group was not staring at her in awe at the moment.

And that one had been laying inside, asleep, minding his own business for the last 20 minutes until Vixie's yelling had woken him. Celebi yawned and peeked out the window, his eyes widening as he saw what the rather noisy argument was over. "Uh-oh…"

**********

"Ash? You're awfully quiet…" Misty frowned, leaning her head onto his shoulder. Their date had turned into pizza and a movie, and frankly, she was bored. It took the weight of her head to make Togetic realize she meant him by 'Ash', and that he still was, apparently, him. He looked at her for a brief moment, looking sadly up at him, wearing a set of sea blue pajamas with little Lapras and Staryus printed all over them.

"Yeah I'm just thinking," Ash responded, truthfully sounding lost in thought.

"About what?"

"You," he admitted. In his mind, where he was Togetic still, he was wondering what he actually was thinking. He'd discovered quite quickly that humans and pokémon did *not* think the same way, at least in comparison to the last fragments of Ash's mind and his own. But he truthfully was thinking about Misty… about how he'd always called her Mommy and said he loved her… but now that new ideas were being placed into his young mind… Logically speaking, Togetic was a teenager. The baby form he'd been in had only just disappeared, and his recent evolution into the adult form of his species had left him a little confused anyway. But the last 48 hours had been more than he could ever bargain for.

"Oh, really?" she smirked, fiddling with the top button on her PJs. "Like what? Just me? Or us? Or," she smirked a bit more and blushed lightly, unfastening the button she'd had in her hand, "What we could be doing right now?"

Ash continued to stare into midair in front of him, not noticing Misty's actions, tone of voice, or even what she'd actually said. "Yeah something like that…" Misty grinned playfully at him, then kissed his neck gently, before kneeling on the sofa and looking at him with puppy eyes. Ash's eyes grew wide at the touch of her lips, and he turned towards her struggling to think of what the true Ash would say.

"Ah, c'mon… I'm bored…" Misty whined, the now enlarged neck of her PJs slipping over one of her shoulders. "It's not like we're anywhere near innocent anyway…"

"I…" Ash was cut off when Misty lowered her face back towards his, her tongue roaming his mouth freely. He tried to stifle a gag reflex and pushed her away for a moment.

"Ash?"

"I'll be right back, ok?" he stuttered, walking at a rather fast speed out of the room and into his, opening and then closing both doors.

"Oh, I get it!" Misty called after him. "I'll be waiting in here, then!"

"Ash, Pikachu, what's going on?!" he demanded, looking between what used to be him and the small yellow mouse in the room.

"Hmm?" the true owner of his body looked up at him, munching on a piece of a sandwich while reading an issue of some trainers magazine.

"She was like… kissing me, and her mouth… and her shirt was partially undone and… my mind was running at a like, million miles an hour and, and…" Togetic stopped for a moment, trying to regain calm. "What exactly does she mean by innocent?" both the other members' of the room's eyes became huge at the comment.

"Ash, is there something you'd like to tell me?" Pikachu asked his master.

"No, not at all," Ash sweatdropped, resisting the temptation to split the remaining sandwich in two and chuck one piece at each of the two others. "Togetic, the way I see it, you have three choices. One, tell her the truth. Two, run for your life because if you're not back in 5 minutes she'll be pissed and crying and I'll be very upset because it's your fault Misty's upset. Or three, the option that we'd really rather you not take, go through with it."

"With what?"

"See, it kinda helps if you know what, so that options almost a nil anyway. And it's also the most likely to get you grounded should she ever find out."

"Not too mention that'd just be gross," Pikachu added.

"Shut up!" Ash stopped resisting the sandwich-chucking temptation.

"Not if it were you! Only if it's him, not that it wouldn't be… odd, at least, if it were the real you," Pikachu corrected himself.

"Which option would get me in the least trouble?" Togetic asked shyly, trying to avoid getting involved in the brewing argument.

"Tell her," the others said in unison. Togetic stood there, looking helplessly at his 'daddy' and best friend/'uncle'.

**********

Chikorita sighed and smiled, curling up silently next to her egg. Less than a week and it'd be hatched… She knew quite well who the father was, but she wasn't about to tell anyone voluntarily for fear of ruining his reputation.

"Hey, 'Rita…" came a familiar voice from above her.

"Hmm? Oh, Vulpix! Hi!" Chikorita grinned, hoping the egg was hidden enough to keep her from seeing it.

"So… who's the dad?"

Heh-heh… looks like it mostly boils down next chapter, not that there isn't more to come! And this time, I'm NOT gonna just sorta skip over the important explaining part and make it all flashbacks. Nope, this time the problems get solved formally!!! Review Please! Oh, and the winner of the contest for the original series is posted on my profile! ^^ be back soon, until the I'm gonna plug 'Ocean of Tears'!

Please, if ANYONE knows Alan Wang in Washington D.C., tell him that Katie is looking for him, and e-mail me his E-mail address… I have ways of knowing it's him, so any link to him is greatly appreciated and will merit the giver a piece of signed art from me ^_^ thankies!!!