DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokémon! Eeek, what's with the exclamation mark? Ah I dunno, let's just use it anyways!

A/N: The third to last chapter. Sniff…it's all drawing to a close! But ah well, it's all good, let's read on!

Chapter twenty six – The day my life changed

The pain was unbearable, inevitable, never-ending and downright horrible. I had been warned about this, about how enduring it was and how to breathe and all that. Didn't help. I was still feeling like someone was repeatedly skinning me alive.

Well okay, I won't be so dramatic. Labour is something you think is easy until it starts kicking in. Then you realise why people actually call it labour. To go through that much pain is a task in itself to survive and I repeatedly asked for drugs of any and every kind. But remember, this is only when it started to kick in. Before that, Ash was panicking more than I was.

What had we been doing? Oh yeah, we'd been dancing. My memory went a bit foggy as the panic and the big rush set in. Ash had immediately dragged me back to the table and told Delia in a flurry of meshed, panicked words. Delia repeatedly had to ask her son what he was on about until I finally filled in. Then it was her turn to panic.

As for Brock…well, Brock just kinda looked on in a daze. I was sort of feeling like that myself. For nine months this had been building up and now that it was here none of us knew what to do – except Delia. She was panicking but somewhere inside her the common sense shone through and she quickly fired off a million instructions at once.

"Ash, go pay the bill, Brock, start the car." She handed Brock the keys and I watched him walk off, feeling like I was in the middle of something too surreal for the imagination. "Now Misty, just sit down and relax, hun."

Relax? She wanted me to relax?! I was having a baby for crying out loud! I wasn't in much pain by now since it was only the start of the whole 'process' (as they call it) but I didn't know what to think or what I would do once I got to the hospital. Looking back now, I wonder why I didn't just realise that they would tell me what to do at the hospital.

I sat down, grumbling about how unfair it was for this to crop up now. I had been dancing on stars with Ash, I had eaten the most delicious meal, I had been celebrating the victory over my cursed mother and now I had to go into labour. It's just my luck, I guess.

"Okay, I've paid, we can get a move on now. Where's Brock?" Ash asked hurriedly.

"Settle down" I said calmly. I didn't need his panic influencing my own.

"He's starting the car up" Delia explained as we walked out. I think most of the diners knew what was going on but I had sworn to myself I wouldn't care about the looks and I didn't. I just couldn't even look at anyone but managed to keep my head high. I would show them. If I'd survived Mom, I'd survive anything.

I had never, in my whole life, realised that Delia could handle a car with such expertise. The fact that she was driving about fifty kilometers over the speed limit didn't bother her, nor did the prospect of getting a ticket, as Brock pointed out during the ride. But we made it to the hospital in time and I hadn't even had another contraction.

This, I thought to myself, would be cake.

I was pestered over by nurses and doctors, my blood pressure taken, my heart listened to (which doesn't really seem relative but oh well) and then I was bustled into a wheelchair just as my second contraction kicked in.

"Owww, holy mother fu -" I managed to restrain myself from using any foul language in such a public place but I couldn't refrain from squeezing Ash's hand in an attempt to let him know the kind of pain I was going through. I'd been in labour for an hour, one whole hour, and now I was just starting to realise that this could be a bumpy ride.

"I'm sorry Mist, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Ash couldn't stop saying that, even when I told him to shut up. I couldn't put it any nicer when he apologised for about the twentieth time. I didn't even really know what the hell he was apologising for.

"Give it a rest!" I finally snapped before another contraction set in. "OWWW! Someone shoot me!" I yelled. This was insufferable. I couldn't bear another hour of this, let alone another couple of hours. The doctor had warned me that a first labour was usually long.

"Can't you do something?" Ash asked the doctor frantically.

"We could give her an epidural but it's only temporary relief, the pain would be back in a couple of hours or so" the doctor replied.

"What does that involve?" Ash asked cautiously.

"She would have to have a needle injected in her back" the doctor said simply.

"A needle?!" Ash exclaimed. "In her back?"

"Ash, please, that is nothing compared to what – OW!" I screamed in agony. This was so unfair, why why WHY did it have to be me going through this? Ash could just sit on the sideline but he didn't actually have to do anything excruciating like this.

"Well in order to give you the epidural we'd have to move you to the maternity ward now. Would that be a problem?" the doctor asked.

"No problem at all" I said gratefully as the contraction died down. Nothing would be a problem as long as this pain could be blocked. Delia and Brock had to wait outside but Ash was allowed in for some reason I can't quite figure out. Maybe he had negotiated with the doctor. I don't know, the point is I was at the most life-changing moment of my life and he was with me, and that was all that mattered.

Soon enough I was lying down on a bed and letting the drugs take hold. I didn't completely space out or anything, I just suddenly felt very happy. Never mind the fact that I was about to give birth to an illegitimate child, no worries, I was wearing the biggest smile on my face.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked worriedly as he sat down beside my bed.

"I am fine. Absolutely positively fine." I continued to smile through my words and I reached out for his hand. "Oh God, Ash. You are the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Mist, I really think this should be the first and last time you ever take drugs" Ash said seriously. I burst out laughing and shook my head.

"It's not the drugs talking. I swear to you it's not. I want you to know that I don't care what happened when we were thirteen, I've put it behind me and I want you to as well. And I don't care what's happening now. This will all be over soon enough and to be honest it's been worth it. No more Mom and a whole lotta you" I sighed.

"Look, just don't worry about anything at the moment but yourself. I hate seeing you in this much pain, I'm -"

"Stop saying you're sorry. Please Ash" I whined. "The apologizing could turn out to be more painful than the actual labour."

"Okay" Ash finally relented.

For two and a half hours I was oblivious to any sort of pain that could've been dominating me. I assure you, it was total bliss. I chatted to Ash like nothing was going on, Delia and Brock came in for a while, all was good until…

"Okay, I think those drugs are starting to wear off" I said through clenched teeth. Ash eyed me worriedly as another contraction ripped through me. "Owww, oh my God, that was not nice" I whined when it was finally over. They were getting longer now. I thought the silly doctor had told me it would take a while because it was my first, but no, I was having regular contractions now. Why do drugs have to wear off? Why why why…

"Alright Misty, we better head back. We'll be waiting for you" Delia smiled as she kissed my forehead. I weakly smiled back at her and accepted the squeeze Brock gave my hand.

They both left and I turned to Ash, who had been talking to one of the nurses. He looked like more of a wreck than I did but I think the nerves were really getting to him. Never in his life had he experienced anything like this and now he had no choice but to front up to it. I couldn't blame his mind for being a little boggled.

"Are you okay?" I asked him softly.

"I am fine, and for God's sake I don't think you should be worrying about me." Ash had finished speaking when the doctor walked back in, just as another contraction decided to make another friendly pit stop.

"I…can't…take this!" I screamed. This one didn't seem to end. It was like a Scyther had found its way in there and was hysterically performing a swords dance it didn't want to stop.

"Just breathe, Mist" Ash reminded me. I didn't want to breathe, I wanted to die. I swore this would kill me before I could have the chance to breathe. It was causing tears to well up in my eyes and just when I thought I would pass out from the pain, the severity of it toned down.

"Ash…this is horrible. I can't do this" I whimpered with tears cascading down my cheeks. I didn't care how pathetic I looked. I must have been strong to still be alive through all this. Well, that's what I thought.

"Yes you can, Misty. I know you can" Ash reassured me, kissing my cheek and wiping back a strand of hair that I had overseen. Another contraction shot through me and the doctor announced it was time to start pushing.

"What? I've only been in labour for two hours or something" I said feebly.

"No, you've actually been in labour for nearly five hours" the doctor informed me.

"Five hours? Are you serious?" I asked in astonishment. I had to take his word for it when contraction number…well, I had lost count, but another one struck up, one that was so bad I had to grasp Ash's hand till the imprints would probably become permanent

"Come on love, just give us a push" the doctor pleaded.

"Are you nuts?!" I screamed at him. "I CAN'T, it hurts too much! I can't do this!" I was beginning to lose patience at having to deal with so much pain.

"Misty, please, you can get this all over with if you start pushing now" Ash said desperately. I slowly tilted my head to meet his eyes and saw the begging look he was signaling to me. "I hate seeing you in this much pain. Come on, I know you can do it."

Right. For you Ash, I will do it. I will get this over with and we can go back to our normal, happy lives. No baby, no Mom, no trials or media or anything.

It took ages. I mean ages. I had already been in labour five hours and boy, I was starting to feel like it too. I was so tired. I would've easily have fallen into a deep sleep had it not been for the pain that was continually ravaging throughout me. But I tried and tried, I did my best because Ash wanted me to, because he believed in me, and finally I felt something sort of give. It's a weird feeling and I can't really describe it, but I thought it must have meant I was close to the end of all this.

I wasn't wrong. An hour after I had started pushing, six hours in labour and a lot of sweat and tears later, a scream pierced the air and I fell back on my pillow with an exhausted sigh. Was it really over? Could all the hassle and heartaches we had been through really have come to a halt with this one act?

"Miss Waterflower, Mr Ketchum, you have a baby daughter." The doctor was smiling as he said this and he was holding the little girl in his arms. It seemed like a picture perfect scene, even Ash had tears in his eyes…

But I couldn't look at her.

"You can take her away" I whispered, my head turned away so I couldn't see her. Her cries had toned down and she was now gurgling away happily in the doctor's arms and as much as I love babies, I just couldn't glimpse her way.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ash looking at me in shock and then I heard the fading footsteps of the doctor taking my daughter away to be with the other babies. Those babies had parents who could care for them, who would love them and be there for them forever. But my little girl didn't yet, and I couldn't face her for fear of being attached in the slightest.

"Misty, what are you doing?" Ash asked cautiously. "Don't you even wanna see her? She looked gorgeous to me."

"I can't, Ash. She is going to live with other people, not me, so I don't wanna look at her" I explained. I hoped Ash wouldn't probe into this. I really badly needed sleep.

"Misty! You don't wanna look at her? Are you ashamed of her or something?"

"Maybe I am, I don't know. All I know is that I can't face her and I don't intend to. Just drop it Ash, I'm really tired" I sighed.

"Okay. I'll let you rest. I'll go and tell Brock and Mom" Ash announced. He kissed me softly and almost immediately I fell asleep with a toll I had never thought I would take.

I woke up…I don't know how many hours it was later, to see Ash sitting beside me with a pensive look on his face. His eyes were directed at me but he was looking straight through me and I knew it.

"Okay Ash, what's on your mind?" I asked quietly.

"You." He smiled and kissed my hand before sending a worried look in my direction. "Mist, I kinda have something to tell you."

"Oh God, I hate it when people say that. I hate it" I groaned. "Alright, just tell me what's going on then."

"I called Sarah just before" he announced calmly. My eyes widened and I was ready to give him a mouthful but he beat me to it. "I wanted to ask her if we could name the baby ourselves and she said we could. But then she started rattling off about how I hadn't signed the papers and that the adoption wasn't legal until I did. So…" He trailed off and I eyed him severely.

"Don't you dare put this off. Just tell me" I pleaded.

"I told her I wouldn't be signing any papers" Ash mumbled.

"ASH!" I yelled, my strength suddenly returning. "Are you out of your mind?! We need those papers signed, we can't give up the baby until you do that!"

"Uh Mist, that's kinda my point" Ash said. I raised an eyebrow and he grasped my hand again. "I went and saw her after I'd told Brock and Mom. You don't understand, she is the most gorgeous little girl in the whole world."

"Oh my God. Ash, don't say what I think you're going to say" I said shakily.

"I can't give her up, Mist. I just can't. She's you and she's me and she represents the love we have for each other. I can't bear the thought of handing her off to strangers with the possibility that I might never see her again."

"For God's sake, we are sixteen years old, neither of us are employed, we're living with your mother and we've already been through enough without having to look after a baby! Do you have any idea how much work a baby really is?" I asked in shock.

"Well of course it'll be a lot of work, but I know we can do it. You have to see her Misty, she looks exactly like you. Except for her hair, it's kinda –"

"ASH! I want you to stop this rubbish right now!" I yelled. "We can't bring up a baby. I don't want to put that on Delia or myself for that matter."

"We'll move out. We'll get our own flat" Ash shrugged.

"You haven't even thought this through" I sighed. "We haven't got any money."

"I've got that whole damn account from the Pokémon League. That's quite a nice nest egg I've got there. I'll work, I'll get a job, even if it is only flipping burgers or cleaning school halls. I don't want to give her up. It would be like giving you up" Ash said softly.

I couldn't believe he was saying this. We had both agreed that adoption was the only way, we had no choice, and now here he was spurting out ideas in order for us to keep her. He must've been the one who was given drugs, not me.

"Ash, please be reasonable about this. A baby is a huge thing to take on. If you went and got a job I'd be at home by myself all day long with a newborn baby to take care of. I know it sounds fine and dandy to you but I don't want that responsibility because I don't think I could handle it" I explained.

"I think you could. I'd only work half a day so I could come home and help you. Why come this far to give her up now? I love her. I love my daughter and I've already told Sarah that I'm not signing any papers to give her up" Ash declared.

"Well then, I guess it's your turn to start making decisions without me" I sighed. "Look, if we screw up on this we could put her life in danger. I don't want to do that."

"We're responsible enough to –"

"You call making me pregnant at fifteen responsible?!" I spluttered in disbelief. "That was the first mistake! If we took this baby in like we were all one big happy family it would be disastrous. You have no idea…" I trailed off and bit my lip.

"Mist? Will you just think about it? I've told Sarah about the papers and now that little girl hasn't got a home because her mother won't even look at her" Ash said sadly.

"Don't try and lead me on a guilt trip, mister" I smiled weakly. "Have you asked your mom about this?"

"She thinks it would be a very good experience for the two of us. She saw the way I was holding her and she knows how much I love you. To be honest, she thinks it's a great idea" Ash explained. "Plus she said she would help out in any way possible."

"I can't believe this" I groaned. "Alright, give me a day to think about it. But I am not making any promises."

"Do you wanna see her?" Ash asked. I hesitated before I answered.

"Alright. But only for a minute" I said cautiously. Ash grinned and practically sprinted out the door to retrieve her. I sighed with a million thoughts killing any sort of emotions except confusion. The idea of bringing up a baby was very nice and lovey-dovey but it could also be very very stupid. I didn't want to put a baby's life at risk or only give it the bare essentials because we couldn't provide for it.

But suddenly my thoughts, pros and cons were cut short when Ash slowly walked back through the door with a small bundle in his arms. It was like all reality had dissolved as he walked towards me, his eyes fixated on the child he held in his arms before he looked up at me with a look I've never seen him portray.

"Misty, this is your daughter…uh, I guess she's untitled at the moment" he muttered. I laughed weakly and watched in awe as Ash slowly sat down on my bed and stroked her cheek. "She's beautiful" he whispered. "She is the most beautiful being on this planet. Well, of course, she ties for first place with you" he quickly added.

"Sure sure" I grinned. My expression softened when I caught a quick glimpse of her hair and bit my lip before continuing. "Can I hold her for a minute?"

Well a minute turned into half an hour. There was something so captivating about her, I just couldn't put my finger on it. Her eyes held their innocent gaze on me, luring me with their purity and adorability. I couldn't tear myself away from her. She was so placid in my arms, she didn't know the hell we had been through because of her, and I felt a strange sense of peace overwhelming me.

"Mist? You've gone very quiet" Ash noted. I nodded, running my finger over her little cheek and jaw line, and that cute diminutive chin. She was, in every way, perfect. Some insane part of me was mulling over Ash's idea to keep her for ourselves and no matter how desperately I tried to tell that voice to shut up, I can only put it down to maternal instincts kicking in.

"Ash…she's gorgeous" I whispered. She was so attentive. I thought babies just slept, ate and cried occasionally, but her eyes were darting everywhere like rockets were flying overhead. She never failed to look straight into my eyes though. It was like she knew I was tearing myself in two over her and that somehow her visual tools would bring me round.

"Do you wanna name her?" Ash asked me quietly.

"I don't wanna name her something you'll hate" I replied.

"Brock told me you were planning on Stacy or Cassandra. Were you getting ahead of yourself there, Misty?" Ash asked with a broad grin. I laughed quietly.

"I was just fooling round, y'know, I was thinking of my children in the future. But this one does need a name, can't just leave her as untitled forever." I paused and Ash held his finger out to the little girl, who immediately grasped at it and started to examine it with her wide little eyes.

"I don't suppose Maria is at the top of any lists" Ash muttered.

"Good God no" I shuddered. "Or maybe we could just do that to piss Mom off. Nah, that's not fair to this little one." Oh God, I was starting to sound like a mother. This was not good. I was being swayed by my boyfriend and my six hour old child who wasn't even supposed to be in my arms at the moment.

"How about Andrea?" Ash suggested.

"Andrea…" I mused over the name. It was Italian, I knew that much, and she seemed to have the Italian traits about her. Huge eyes that posed a potential dramatic risk when she got older, beautiful skin, a horrible way of persuading me to do something I never imagined doing even a day ago. "She looks like an Andrea."

"Yeah, she does" Ash agreed. "She needs a middle name too."

"Hmm, I suppose she does. Got it. Delia."

"You wanna give her my mother's name for her second name?" Ash asked in what seemed to be amazement.

"Why ever not? Your mother has been a saint, someone I can never ever be more thankful towards, and if this is the least I can do, so be it" I shrugged.

"So you're gonna call her Andrea Delia, even though you still wanna give her up, therefore having absolutely no point in making her second name after her grandmother?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ash…" I trailed off, still enthralled by those enchanting eyes. "It would be a lot of work. We would probably spend a good deal of our lives struggling. That's something neither of us are used to" I pointed out.

"I don't care" Ash shook his head. "I want the both of you by my side forever. Struggle is something I'm used to" he groaned. I smiled at him before speaking again.

"If I agree that we can keep her and we move out and live in this whole fantasy scenario you've got going, will you promise me not to whine or complain every time we can't afford something? Or every time someone makes a comment or every time we have to get up at 3 in the morning to her?"

"Misty Waterflower, you have my absolute and genuine word. I refused to sign those papers for a reason, and I don't intend to go back on what I believe is something so right" Ash replied.

"She was wrong to start with" I pointed out.

"In the past. She is the best now. If I gave her up I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I'm sorry Mist, but I just wouldn't" Ash said.

There was a huge pause as I thought over the pros and cons. This could be so ridiculous…but then again, if something went wrong Delia was always there. And Dad too, I knew he would never abandon me. I closed my eyes and tried to keep the smile that was forming off my face.

"Okay Ash. We'll keep Andrea."

A/N: Gotta run, time limit, eek! The next one and then the epilogue and then finito! Aww. Anyways thanks for the reviews, gotta jet, ahhh!