Part seven:
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Misty shuddered and rubbed her eyes. "He said he was tired of it all. I didn't know what he meant, but I do now. I almost want to give up, too." But if I do, she thought, then who'll take care of Pikachu and the others? And what if something's happened to Ash? "I'm not sure where to go from here, Gary. Maybe it was all because of me. Maybe I should just go home."
They were eating breakfast at the Pokémon center. Misty had nearly become hysterical when they'd gotten the call that an exhausted Pikachu could be picked up first thing in the morning. Despite assurances that the Pokémon was all right, Misty had taken "first thing" to mean the crack of dawn and dragged Gary to the Center before Pikachu was even scheduled to be released.
Gary nodded and swallowed his last piece of pancake. "But you stayed together this long. And you transferred your Pokémon to Pallet...?"
Misty snorted softly and finally dropped her fork. She'd managed to eat her eggs and that was it. "You trying to say that my home is with Ash?" She looked across the table at him with a small smile. "Duh." She said in a way that she was sure sounded like her old self. "Why do you think I'm traipsing all over the country looking for his sorry
butt, when I could be sitting pretty in some Cerulean City beauty salon having my nails done?" She held out her hands for inspection
and sucked in her breath at how much 'older' they looked.
"Ash and I... We never stopped traveling long enough to have a home." She frowned at the way that sounded, then grinned ruefully. "I mean, we were always on the road. Any talk of 'home' meant Pallet Town or Cerulean, but neither of us could stand being in either place for very long. It was like... Like we'd grown out of our old houses. Out of our old roles." She stopped a moment, reminded of how she'd felt when she'd met up with Mark and Kim, earlier in the year. "It's like we grew up and never noticed."
"Well, I was trying to cheer you up and keep you from chickening out on me. I certainly don't want to have to put up with some weeping wuss on the last leg of this journey."
Misty looked up, blinked away her thoughts on how fast time had sped by, and smiled. "Weeping wuss? I don't think so, buster." She tilted her head and squinted at him suddenly. "Did you say 'last leg'?"
Gary nodded. "Yep. If I'm right, Ash is only about a week away. Think you can make it?"
"Just try to keep me here. You'd need an army just to escort you safely outta town, after that statement."
Gary leaned forward, his arms folded on the table between them, and told Misty his theory. Misty sat and listened as Gary explained about Ash's father and the Inn he ran on Gemuoba. She'd known, of course,
that his father was still alive, but Ash had never expressed a desire to visit, at least not to her, and she told Gary so.
"Mmm." Gary nodded. "But think about it... the letter to Mrs. Ketchum was postmarked Pridion, the Pokémon transfer..." and here Misty winced, "Sorry, but it *was* done here. And where better to escape Pokémon than an island retreat that has no naturally occurring Pokémon? Especially if he's got family there." Gary sat back.
"But why come thru Pridion?" Misty still couldn't grasp that part and Gary sighed in exasperation.
"Ash may be an idiot, but he's not stupid." Misty frowned and Gary smirked, "Pridion is the last Pokémon Center on the way to
Gemuoba. Which means that Ash must still care somewhat about what happens to all of you."
"How do you get that?" Misty asked, although her face beamed at the thought.
Gary rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Think about it, Misty. Think of all the possible things Ash could have done to be rid of his Pokémon. He could have traded them, sold them, released them, anything. And instead, he made sure that you got them."
"That's simply because I've known them all so long."
"Hell, Misty. Gramps has known Ash longer than you and has been taking care of the Pokémon for just as long. But he didn't
transfer them to Gramps, did he?"
Misty blinked and stood. "Come on. We're wasting time sitting here. I don't know when they close today."
Gary gaped at her sudden mood swing. He jumped up to follow her and managed to catch up as she was collecting the Pokémon at the front counter, Pikachu climbing to her shoulder.
"Misty? Where are we going? You don't know when *who* closes?"
She lifted Bulbasaur from the counter and smiled, then grabbed Gary's arm and dragged him out the door. "To the car rental place, silly," she laughed as Squirtle and Bulbasaur took the lead. "Where else can
you rent a car?"
"What?" He pulled to a stop and she continued a few steps before turning to look back at him. "Rent a car? I'm not..."
Misty grabbed his arm again and gave a tug. "Not you, dummy. Me. You don't think I'm gonna wait a week now that I actually *know* where Ash is, do you? Let's go spend the last of my savings and get Ash!"
"But? Why now? Why all of a sudden drive instead of walking?"
"Because I didn't know you knew where he was. Now come on!"
She dragged Gary to the car rental place where he managed to talk her out of a racy sportscar ("We'll get there in no time!" "We'll get there in pieces!") and into a nice calm four-door that allowed
everyone enough room and even came with a booster seat for Pikachu.
As they walked from the rental office to the car, Misty tossed the keys in the air and caught them again. She was happy despite the fact that she was now officially broke: they were almost to Ash! "I'll drive."
Gary walked to the passenger side and helped Bulbasaur and Squirtle into the backseat. "Fine. We have to stop by the hotel to pay our bill and pick up our stuff."
Misty looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. "You're gonna let me drive? Without arguing about it?"
He straightened and looked at her. "Would I win? Besides if you're driving you can't hit me." He smiled and gave a small shrug. "Even
driving it will take a while to get there, Misty. We can take turns."
Misty got into the car and started down the road. "So. How come you didn't tell me? That you knew he was at Gemuoba? I thought we were coming here to Pridion merely try to pick up his trail." She took a moment to look at Gary. He had a deathgrip on the dashboard and she sighed, easing the pressure on the accelerator. "And I do have a license, if you're wondering. No need to panic."
"You drive like my wife." She was amazed that he could talk the way his teeth were clenched. "I can't believe they gave either of you a license."
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"Twice! That's twice you've had the map upside down! Is it some sort of defect in the Y chromosome?" Misty growled as she pulled off the road and waited for a break in the traffic before heading back the
way they'd just come. "A whole day wasted traveling in the wrong direction."
Beside her, Gary nearly exploded. "Well, at least I didn't mistake a jelly donut stain for lake, miss I-have-to-have-something-sweet. If I remember correctly, I drove three hours past our turn-off looking for
it."
Misty gripped the steering wheel tighter and was about to reply when a soft "bulba?" came from the backseat. She counted to ten and then smiled into the rearview mirror.
"Sorry guys. Road Rage. How about we stop at that town we passed and get something to eat?" Misty looked back at Gary and saw him nod. She turned her attention back to the road and gave a small sigh. Just a few more days. If they were wrong, she wondered, and Ash wasn't with his father, would she have the strength to go further?
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They finally arrived at the small coastal village that boasted the only ferry to the small island of Gemuoba. They stopped at a small gas station just inside the village and were heartened to discover that the last ferry to the island was yet to leave. The owner of the station graciously allowed them to leave their car in his parking lot and they quickly made their way to the docks. Not a word was spoken, by either Pokémon or human, as the ferry cut its way through the
late afternoon sea.
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The sun had just set, and the stone he was sitting on was getting colder by the second. It was almost time to start back. Too much
longer and he wouldn't be able to see the trail. Ash sighed, wishing life was as simple as it had been when he was ten: when everything was just a matter of "trying hard enough." He was feeling particularly depressed today and he wasn't really sure why. A shadow came into view in front of him and Ash looked up.
"Gary?"
Gary's face looked as cold as the stone Ash was sitting on. "You are an ass, Ketchum. Did you know that?"
Ash chuckled. So old Gar was angry, huh? "Nice to see you, too. Did you chase me down here just to tell me that?"
"No. I came here to beat the living blazes out of you for what you've put everyone through."
Ash stood up. He'd hoped to avoid causing pain by cutting completely away, but it apparently hadn't worked. Not for anyone. "Then why don't you, Gary? Go ahead." He faced his old friend, arms
outstretched in surrender. Gary just crossed his arms and stood there, glaring.
"As much as I would *dearly* love to hit you, Ashy-boy, I promised Misty I wouldn't lay so much as a finger on you."
"Hmmm." Ash dropped his arms and started walking back towards the Inn. Misty. He missed her. If she were here - Well, she'd be yelling at him, if she were here. A rueful grin settled on Ash's face, but
was soon chased off by darker thoughts. No. She hadn't followed him: why would she? After what he'd done... But then again, why did Gary? He walked on, knowing that Gary was right behind him, hearing him breathe and mutter. It wasn't long before Gary cursed aloud.
"Ash, I've known you since the second grade." Gary put a hand on his shoulder, forcing Ash to stop and face him. "But I never thought you'd do something as stupid as this. Why did you just run away? And
don't give me the line you gave Misty. About being tired? Bull, Ash. What's wrong?"
Ash stood there, wondering what to say. Could he confess that he was scared? That he was confused? That he was tired and simply wanted to be selfish for a while? He stared at the fellow Pokémon trainer from Pallet. Would Gary believe that he'd just needed to think about himself and his plans - without distractions? The trouble with that, Ash knew, was that while he'd dropped everything and everyone and fled a half-continent away, he still didn't know what to do. Or even
what he wanted.
He really didn't know when he'd started to feel this way, either. He'd been thinking about it since before he arrived at his father's. And while his father had asked no questions about the sudden desire to live with him, and even though Ash had slowly adjusted to life at the Gemuoba Retreat and Inn, he still felt confused and lost.
"I dunno, Gary. Really, I don't know. I guess, really. I was scared. Everything kinda built up and I just... got fed up. I guess I just grew up? It's not like I was doing anything important anyways. It's
not like anyone cares."
"Yeah. No one cares." Gary snorted. "So that's why Gramps sent for me. Why I tracked you down, why your friends are out scouring the damned planet looking for you..."
"They don't have to do that. I don't need to be found. I'm fine. You should just forget about me. Everyone. Leave me out of your lives..."
"Ash..." Gary tilted his head and frowned.
Ash threw his hands up and turned away. "I'm going to be 22 years old next week, Gary! It's been over ten years! What have I done? Where am I going? I'm obviously not cut out for Pokémon - I haven't managed to make Master yet. All I do now is walk. Walk, walk, walk. A different town, a different gym. Challenging ten year olds to matches... It's embarrassing to lose to a ten-year old. To see other people have their dreams come true when year after year mine gets shelved."
"What the hell?" Gary grabbed Ash's arm. "You idiot. Get over yourself. Do you know how long it took me to stop bristling everytime I'd walk into a town and you'd been there first? Everywhere I'd go it
was Ash this and Ash that. Even Gramps couldn't help talking about your skills and talents and the latest things you'd done." Ash pried Gary's hand away from his arm and started walking again. He didn't want to hear this.
"Dammit, Ketchum! Don't turn a deaf ear to me!" Ash had never really heard Gary use that tone of voice before, and wondered slightly why the man was so angry.
"You wouldn't understand, Gary. You've already a Pokemon master. You've already got your dream." Ash kept walking. The Inn was just around the next stand of trees, and he wanted nothing more than to go to bed.
He just made the last bend in the trail when Gary's arm again snagged his, this time spinning him around. A flash of instict had him ducking as Gary's fist came at his head. The air whizzed as the blow missed him and he looked up with shock. Gary's face was still and grim and Ash suddenly realized that the other man was seriously angry. "I thought you weren't gonna hit me?"
"I wasn't. I'm going to have to apologize to Misty - but I think she'll understand."
Ash gave a small shake of his head. "Yeah. She'd probably be cheering you on." He used his keys and opened the Inn doors. "We lock it from the outside. You have to be a guest to get in after hours. There were apparently some burglaries a few years ago." He led the way to the staff lounge, gave a silent prayer of thanks that it was deserted, and plopped into a chair. Releasing a sigh, he asked the one question he'd been dying to ask: "So. How is she?"
Gary had also taken a chair, and Ash looked over to see him sitting forward, his head resting in his hands. "Do you really care, Ash?" Gary's voice was still harsh, muffled as it was. "If you care so much, why did you leave her?"
Ash was getting angry himself. "I'm a nobody! Why can't anybody see that? I've spent over a decade trying to do just one thing - just to become the greatest Pokemon trainer - and I've gotten nowhere!"
Gary jumped up from his chair. "What's going on with you? You're in how many halls of fame? You've been given how many awards and won countless number of prizes! You've been listed as one of the top five trainers in the world for over seven years running. You're mentioned in training manuals for godsake! What the hell makes you think you're not one of the greatest Pokemon trainers?"
Ash stared at him and simply said, "I've never made Master."
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Misty looked up and saw that the last of the Pokémon was finally asleep. Gary had left hours ago to try to find Ash, but she wasn't
willing to sit still when she was this close.
She grabbed her bag and silently limped into the hall, locked the door, and walked to the lobby. There were quite a few people milling
about and she had to wait a moment for the line to disperse before she reached the counter.
"Excuse me? My name is Misty and I was wondering if you could help me find someone who might be staying here?" She smiled at the woman behind the counter and hoped that it was her sincerity that was obvious in her eyes, and not the desperation.
The woman took one look at her, though, and nearly screamed with glee. "It's you! John! Micah! Marie! Come quick! It's Ash's
girlfriend!"
Misty backed up a step as three more people suddenly popped up behind the counter. "Uhm..."
"Oh, she's just as cute in real life!"
"How could Ash leave her?"
"No way she could be her; she's much too pretty."
"She is!" the first woman stomped her foot and reached below the counter. "She looks just like the picture! Here!" A magazine was
opened and passed around as Misty was apparently compared to its contents.
Boy, was this embarrassing, Misty thought. But at least these people knew Ash. She pulled the magazine from their grips and saw it was a picture of herself and Ash after winning third place at the Peri Double Debut the previous year. She blinked and closed the magazine.
Looking back up she tried her smile again. "Uhm. I don't know about girlfriend, but I this is me and I *am* looking for Ash. Can you tell me where he is?"
One of the two ladies shook their heads. "No. His shift was over hours ago and he usually goes for a walk until after the dinner rush."
"Yes." The second lady agreed and her face fell for a moment before an idea struck her. "But if you like, we can let you into his room and you can wait for him!" She turned to the men and snapped her fingers. "John, take her bag." She snapped again. "Micah, let her into Ash's rooms, please."
The men jumped the counter and eagerly followed orders. Along the way, they filled Misty in on Ash's life at the Inn. How he'd arrived in the middle of a storm and how he'd pitched right in with the hired
help despite the fact that his father owned the place. From the way they talked, it was obvious that Ash was a favourite. Misty smiled softly. She didn't know anyplace where Ash wasn't liked.
They finally stopped in front of a large door where Micah selected a small gold key from a crowded ring and let her into what had to be one of the largest suites in the whole inn. He turned on the lights and handed her a key. "Here you go, Misty. Just ring the front desk if you need anything."
The second young man, John, walked past them and into the room. "I'll place your bag in the bedroom. I don't know if you want to leave it there, but there's a massive bathtub off that room and I know my girl
loves to take long baths whenever she can." He clapped Micah on the shoulder and the two walked back to the hall. "Well, good luck,
Misty. We hope you cheer Ash up. He's been depressed since he got here." And they left, pulling the door shut behind them.
Misty looked around the suite in surprise. It was so dreary and empty, she just couldn't believe that it was where Ash had been living since he'd left her. She wandered around and couldn't believe it. No pictures, no books, no nothing. It was an empty room and she wondered if it really was true that a person's house mirrored their
soul. Did Ash hate his life with her so much that he'd run away from even himself?
Well, she'd find out soon enough. She didn't know when he'd be back, or if he'd even be alone when he did, but Misty was determined to wait it out. She peeked into the bathroom and did indeed find herself tempted by the huge tub, but decided not to take the chance on being discovered. Besides, she didn't want to have to explain the scar, not yet at least. She'd just sit down and wait.
She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. It was so soft. And she was so tired. Perhaps she could just lie down and close her eyes for a second - not sleep, just... rest.
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Ash was exhausted. Throwing his keys onto the chair by the door, he pondered his current mood. He'd known someone would find him eventually, so why was he so upset?
He shrugged off his jacket.
Because it was him instead of her? Gary instead of Misty? His ex-best friend instead of his current best friend. His rival instead of, if you asked anyone at the hotel, the girl he left behind.
He walked into the darkened bedroom and flipped the table lamp on. As if conjured up by his thoughts of her, he saw Misty lying on top of the covers of his bed, oddly enough not wearing her usual shorts and
haltertop, but a pair of oversized jeans and a faded t-shirt. From the soft sound of her breathing, Ash guessed she had fallen asleep. Probably while waiting for him to come back. That explained the looks the desk staff had been sending him as he'd passed through the lobby.
He turned the lamp back off, pulled a chair close to the bed and sat. He studied her face in the dim light that came in from the
livingroom. She seemed so tired.
Gary's final question of the night echoed in his mind: "Why couldn't you tell her all this?"
It had been how long since he'd left her? He frowned at the thought, but then had to admit it was the truth. That's what he'd done. He'd left her alone, in the middle of nowhere. Left her with all of his belongings and his Pokémon... all of his responsibilities. Left her. Just left. God, he *was* an ass. He wondered how long it would take to make it up to her. If he even could.
Ash looked at her. He'd missed her more than he'd thought possible. He reached a hand to her face and felt her skin crinkle as she sighed a soft smile at his touch. It had taken him weeks to get used to sleeping alone, without her somewhere nearby; for ten years they had never really slept more than a few feet away from each other. Even when separated by walls and doors, he had known she was near.
He stroked her face again, then gave in. Moving to the other side of the bed, he slid beside her and slowly pulled her close. He felt a small piece of his soul return as she snuggled closer. He didn't realize, though, that she had woken until he felt her draw a shaky breath and heard the tears; he loosened his grip and she turned to face him.
"Misty? I'm s..." She didn't let him finish, instead, she grabbed him and held him tight.
"I missed you so much, Ash. I was so alone and scared and tired and sad." She choked as her tears came faster. "And I couldn't tell
anyone, 'cause no one was there. Everyone was looking for you and... And I couldn't let anyone see because I had to be strong and find you and your mom thinks it was my fault and then Pikachu ran away and I had to find him and then Team Rocket kidnapped him and Gary couldn't do anything about it and Brock said that you probably just needed
some time away but you were gone for so long and Squirtle nearly died in the fight with that dark Scyther and I hurt so bad and Rei kept saying you were a good trainer and she didn't understand it either and then Bulbasaur wouldn't eat the food I bought him and got sick from the berries and I kept waiting and I was running out of money had to borrow some from my savings and kids wouldn't stop bugging me for battles and I needed some jeans and I only had yours and they don't fit ..."
Ash held her while she babbled on, crooning softly to calm her and not understanding most of what she was saying. She finally stopped talking and just cried. "Misty?" He tried again as the sound of her crying softened, then smiled as he realized that she'd cried herself back to sleep again. He tried to pull away, willing to let her have
the bed for the night, but she gasped, her hands grabbing for him. A soft "don't leave me again" broke his heart and he kissed her
forehead.
"Can we talk tomorrow, Mist?" He murmured as he wrapped his arms around her and prepared to spend a long night. "I think I need to
talk."
Maybe he'd been clinging to a dead dream for the past decade, trying to prolong his childhood, trying to relive the happiness he'd known in those first few years. The world had changed; he had changed, why
hadn't his dream? Did becoming a Pokémon Master still hold such an important place in his heart? Obviously not, since he'd left it so easily. But maybe there was a place for him and his dreams after all. Or rather, a new dream. A gym or a school? That was Gary's suggestion. Training trainers and Pokémon.
"Just so long..." she whispered back, pulling him closer. "...as you're here tomorrow, I don't care what happens then."
Ash pulled a quilt from the bottom of the bed and covered them with it. He stayed awake for hours, just holding her and listening to her breathing. It was, he realised, something he would never tire of
doing.
He fell asleep just as dawn was creeping through the windows. His dreams were filled with riddles, none of which he remembered when he awoke. He looked about, but Misty was gone. The shower was running, though, and he fell back to the pillow with a sigh. She was really here. He smiled. He felt almost back to his old self again, with
Misty around.
"Ash?" The shower stopped and Ash heard the bathroom door creak open. He looked and watched Misty's face appear in the cracked jamb. "Oh, good, you're awake."
"What is it, Misty?" His voice cracked a bit at the ideas his mind was tossing at him, and he quickly reigned in his wild thoughts.
She pointed to an open backpack on the floor at the side of the bed. "Could you get into my bag and fetch me a skirt? I am sick to
death of wearing these jeans of yours." Ash scrambled from the bed and reached into the bag. Reaching past the achingly familiar hard plastic of a Pokédex, he pulled out a long piece of fabric, holding it up to her view.
"That's it!" she agreed and she pulled back to open the door a few more centimeters, reaching out a bare arm.
He tossed it to her and she closed the door with a soft "thanks". He waited a second and then reached back into the bag and pulled out his Pokédex, carrying it into the living room with him. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times, and stared at the small machine for over a minute before finally giving in to temptation.
Flipping it open, Ash noticed that she had updated the information for all of their Pokémon into his index and he smiled. He glanced through the stats for Pikachu and realized with a pleasant surprise that she'd been updating his pokedex since the very beginning - since the day he'd left. He was still flipping through when Misty came out
of the bathroom. He looked up to see her in a loose floor length skirt that made her seem taller than he remembered. He had the
craziest urge to twirl her across the floor to see if the skirt would float up. He swallowed as she walked over to sit next to him on the couch.
"I don't think I've ever seen you in that skirt before." He managed to say, and she shook her head.
"No, I bought it in Pewter. After... well. It was in Pewter." She didn't say anything more and Ash frowned. After? He remembered what she'd said the night before and quickly checked the Pokédex again. Yep. There it was. A scyther caught just outside of Pewter, with a notation from the Professor that it was continuing well in re-socialization therapy. Ash put two and two together and reached out a hand.
"Ash! What are you..." Misty squawked as he lifted her skirt to reveal the scar running down her leg. She slapped his hand away and
rearranged the skirt. They stared at each other for a few moments and finally Misty's eyes fell. "I didn't want you to see that," she said quietly.
"Tell me." He managed to croak the words out, and she looked back at him with huge, tired eyes.
"Pikachu ran away. When he found out you'd transferred him to someone else. We didn't know it was me yet, but that wouldn't have made a difference because even after... Well. He ran and we went days out of our way to find him. We had to take the long, back route to Pewter and we ran across a dark Scyther. Squirtle was hurt pretty bad, but I was able to get him out of the way just in time."
Ash closed his eyes. He'd hurt her in more ways than he could have ever imagined. "I'm sorry." Now he understood the increased battle and health points on the Pokémon. And why she was wearing jeans and long skirts. And why Gary was ready to hit him on sight. He felt like the weight of the world had collapsed onto his shoulders and he wondered that all of it had happened because he'd tried to run away from his problems.
He felt Misty leave the couch and opened his eyes. She didn't move far, though, just to his lap, where she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder.
"Ash. It wasn't your fault. As much as I blamed you at the time, it wasn't your fault. I got hurt saving the life of a friend. That friend is still alive and all I have is a stupid scar. Please don't worry about it."
"Misty!" He exclaimed angrily. "How can I not worry about it? If I hadn't run away, left you with all of my responsibilities, none of this would have happened."
She sighed and pulled back to look at his face. "You want to make it up to me?" He nodded and she smiled a smile that took his breath away. "Then come home, Ash. Let's get Pikachu and the others from Gary and let's go home."
"Home? Home, Misty? I am so confused. I came here hoping to figure things out and nothing is any clearer." The only thing he knew for
sure was that he didn't want to leave her again, ever. That thought was crystal clear and he wrapped his arms around her as proof.
He watched as Misty thought for a moment. "Home is with me, Ash, that much I know. You are not going to leave me ever again. You're stuck with me." He marveled at the way she had almost read his mind. "And I
was thinking. Maybe it's time to do something drastic. Maybe we should settle down somewhere. You know. Like real couples do?"
"Couple?" Ash repeated softly and then winced as Misty tugged his ear.
"Yes, couple. You know - you, me, we, us. Together? Couple?" She let go of his ear, suddenly not joking any longer. "You... uh... do feel the same way I do, right? About me and well, us, right?" She started
to leave his lap, but his arms tightened and he smiled.
"Well. If you think you can possibly ever be in love with an idiot like me, then yes."
She threw her arms around him again and kissed him. When they finally broke apart, Ash was astounded at how much he felt like laughing. Misty seemed to be thinking about something, though.
"Ash, maybe we could open a gym or a school or something, somewhere?"
"You sound like Gary." Ash raised an eyebrow. "Have you two been discussing my future without me?"
Misty's eyes opened wide with feigned innocence. "Me? Talk about someone behind their back? Never!" She smiled again and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "No really, I've been thinking about it for a long time, now. I met up with a couple of kids shortly after you left, and they reminded me of how many people *we* met on our journeys. And I got to thinking that maybe we could be like that. Maybe we could be someone's inspiration, be their driving force."
Misty's eyes grew soft and hazy. "She called me a teacher, Ash. And I... I think I want to be that."
Ash contemplated the thought. Teaching. Misty was right, they'd met many a wonderful teacher on their own travels. Maybe that was it. "Maybe I'll never be a Pokémon Master in my own right. Maybe it is my destiny to help someone else - to be a rung in someone else's ladder... ow!"
He rubbed his head where Misty'd thumped him and frowned. "What was that for?" Misty jumped from his lap in a fury.
"That's what this was all about? That's why you left me? Why you left Pikachu and the others and made your family so worried? It was all over not becoming a Pokémon
master?"
Ash looked at her in amazement. "Well, yeah. I mean, god, Misty, it's been my dream since I was a kid. But it's okay, now. I mean I'm
obviously not cut out to be a Pokémon Master, so I'm not gonna think about it anymore."
Misty looked ready to throttle him. "I chased after you for how long, Ash Ketchum? All because I thought you were mad at me. I thought you left because of me! I thought you didn't like me anymore AND IT WAS
YOUR STUPID PRIDE?"
"Misty, I never meant for you to think I left because of you." Wow. Gary was right again, Ash thought. He really should have talked to Misty instead of running. "I was just so confused about everything, and nothing I did was right, so I figured I was better off away from everyone. And I didn't want you to have to be stuck with a loser like me any longer."
Misty threw her hands up and turned. (The skirt, he noticed with a grin, did flare up.) "I can't believe it! That is so childish! Haven't you realized yet, that the only way to fail is to give up?"
He ducked his head to miss being hit again as she turned back. "Maybe you're not destined to be a Pokémon Master, or maybe you're destined to be the first 99-year old to become a Pokémon Master, who knows. You just don't give up!"
"Yes ma'am." He nodded with a sly grin, only to actually receive another thumping.
"And don't call me ma'am! It makes me sound old!"
"I can't help it, you *look* like one of my old schoolteachers in that long skirt," he kidded her. "And you *are* older than me, you know..." It felt good to be with her again. So good.
"Ash Ketchum! How dare you...." He pulled her onto his lap and stopped her tirade with a kiss. As her arms came around his shoulders, he knew that no matter what lay ahead of them, at least one good thing had come out of all of this.
Misty pulled back, her face somehow happy and sad at the same time. Ash hoped that he'd be able to someday erase the sad part. "Ash. Promise me from now on that when you have a stupid thought in your head you'll talk to me about it."
He smiled. "I'll try, Misty." He watched her eyes roll and he smiled deeper.
~ 'Tis Completed ~
Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on this. It's been *my* dream to finish it and finally get it posted.
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DISTRIBUTION: Please respect my (limited) copyright and ASK permission to borrow this story. This will be posted to my website
(http://draxonious.tripod.com/), fanfic.net, fanfic.org, the AAMRN yahoo group and the PFFML yahoo group.
Please send any feedback to maeyan@mailcity.com
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Misty shuddered and rubbed her eyes. "He said he was tired of it all. I didn't know what he meant, but I do now. I almost want to give up, too." But if I do, she thought, then who'll take care of Pikachu and the others? And what if something's happened to Ash? "I'm not sure where to go from here, Gary. Maybe it was all because of me. Maybe I should just go home."
They were eating breakfast at the Pokémon center. Misty had nearly become hysterical when they'd gotten the call that an exhausted Pikachu could be picked up first thing in the morning. Despite assurances that the Pokémon was all right, Misty had taken "first thing" to mean the crack of dawn and dragged Gary to the Center before Pikachu was even scheduled to be released.
Gary nodded and swallowed his last piece of pancake. "But you stayed together this long. And you transferred your Pokémon to Pallet...?"
Misty snorted softly and finally dropped her fork. She'd managed to eat her eggs and that was it. "You trying to say that my home is with Ash?" She looked across the table at him with a small smile. "Duh." She said in a way that she was sure sounded like her old self. "Why do you think I'm traipsing all over the country looking for his sorry
butt, when I could be sitting pretty in some Cerulean City beauty salon having my nails done?" She held out her hands for inspection
and sucked in her breath at how much 'older' they looked.
"Ash and I... We never stopped traveling long enough to have a home." She frowned at the way that sounded, then grinned ruefully. "I mean, we were always on the road. Any talk of 'home' meant Pallet Town or Cerulean, but neither of us could stand being in either place for very long. It was like... Like we'd grown out of our old houses. Out of our old roles." She stopped a moment, reminded of how she'd felt when she'd met up with Mark and Kim, earlier in the year. "It's like we grew up and never noticed."
"Well, I was trying to cheer you up and keep you from chickening out on me. I certainly don't want to have to put up with some weeping wuss on the last leg of this journey."
Misty looked up, blinked away her thoughts on how fast time had sped by, and smiled. "Weeping wuss? I don't think so, buster." She tilted her head and squinted at him suddenly. "Did you say 'last leg'?"
Gary nodded. "Yep. If I'm right, Ash is only about a week away. Think you can make it?"
"Just try to keep me here. You'd need an army just to escort you safely outta town, after that statement."
Gary leaned forward, his arms folded on the table between them, and told Misty his theory. Misty sat and listened as Gary explained about Ash's father and the Inn he ran on Gemuoba. She'd known, of course,
that his father was still alive, but Ash had never expressed a desire to visit, at least not to her, and she told Gary so.
"Mmm." Gary nodded. "But think about it... the letter to Mrs. Ketchum was postmarked Pridion, the Pokémon transfer..." and here Misty winced, "Sorry, but it *was* done here. And where better to escape Pokémon than an island retreat that has no naturally occurring Pokémon? Especially if he's got family there." Gary sat back.
"But why come thru Pridion?" Misty still couldn't grasp that part and Gary sighed in exasperation.
"Ash may be an idiot, but he's not stupid." Misty frowned and Gary smirked, "Pridion is the last Pokémon Center on the way to
Gemuoba. Which means that Ash must still care somewhat about what happens to all of you."
"How do you get that?" Misty asked, although her face beamed at the thought.
Gary rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Think about it, Misty. Think of all the possible things Ash could have done to be rid of his Pokémon. He could have traded them, sold them, released them, anything. And instead, he made sure that you got them."
"That's simply because I've known them all so long."
"Hell, Misty. Gramps has known Ash longer than you and has been taking care of the Pokémon for just as long. But he didn't
transfer them to Gramps, did he?"
Misty blinked and stood. "Come on. We're wasting time sitting here. I don't know when they close today."
Gary gaped at her sudden mood swing. He jumped up to follow her and managed to catch up as she was collecting the Pokémon at the front counter, Pikachu climbing to her shoulder.
"Misty? Where are we going? You don't know when *who* closes?"
She lifted Bulbasaur from the counter and smiled, then grabbed Gary's arm and dragged him out the door. "To the car rental place, silly," she laughed as Squirtle and Bulbasaur took the lead. "Where else can
you rent a car?"
"What?" He pulled to a stop and she continued a few steps before turning to look back at him. "Rent a car? I'm not..."
Misty grabbed his arm again and gave a tug. "Not you, dummy. Me. You don't think I'm gonna wait a week now that I actually *know* where Ash is, do you? Let's go spend the last of my savings and get Ash!"
"But? Why now? Why all of a sudden drive instead of walking?"
"Because I didn't know you knew where he was. Now come on!"
She dragged Gary to the car rental place where he managed to talk her out of a racy sportscar ("We'll get there in no time!" "We'll get there in pieces!") and into a nice calm four-door that allowed
everyone enough room and even came with a booster seat for Pikachu.
As they walked from the rental office to the car, Misty tossed the keys in the air and caught them again. She was happy despite the fact that she was now officially broke: they were almost to Ash! "I'll drive."
Gary walked to the passenger side and helped Bulbasaur and Squirtle into the backseat. "Fine. We have to stop by the hotel to pay our bill and pick up our stuff."
Misty looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. "You're gonna let me drive? Without arguing about it?"
He straightened and looked at her. "Would I win? Besides if you're driving you can't hit me." He smiled and gave a small shrug. "Even
driving it will take a while to get there, Misty. We can take turns."
Misty got into the car and started down the road. "So. How come you didn't tell me? That you knew he was at Gemuoba? I thought we were coming here to Pridion merely try to pick up his trail." She took a moment to look at Gary. He had a deathgrip on the dashboard and she sighed, easing the pressure on the accelerator. "And I do have a license, if you're wondering. No need to panic."
"You drive like my wife." She was amazed that he could talk the way his teeth were clenched. "I can't believe they gave either of you a license."
---------------
"Twice! That's twice you've had the map upside down! Is it some sort of defect in the Y chromosome?" Misty growled as she pulled off the road and waited for a break in the traffic before heading back the
way they'd just come. "A whole day wasted traveling in the wrong direction."
Beside her, Gary nearly exploded. "Well, at least I didn't mistake a jelly donut stain for lake, miss I-have-to-have-something-sweet. If I remember correctly, I drove three hours past our turn-off looking for
it."
Misty gripped the steering wheel tighter and was about to reply when a soft "bulba?" came from the backseat. She counted to ten and then smiled into the rearview mirror.
"Sorry guys. Road Rage. How about we stop at that town we passed and get something to eat?" Misty looked back at Gary and saw him nod. She turned her attention back to the road and gave a small sigh. Just a few more days. If they were wrong, she wondered, and Ash wasn't with his father, would she have the strength to go further?
---------------
They finally arrived at the small coastal village that boasted the only ferry to the small island of Gemuoba. They stopped at a small gas station just inside the village and were heartened to discover that the last ferry to the island was yet to leave. The owner of the station graciously allowed them to leave their car in his parking lot and they quickly made their way to the docks. Not a word was spoken, by either Pokémon or human, as the ferry cut its way through the
late afternoon sea.
---------------
The sun had just set, and the stone he was sitting on was getting colder by the second. It was almost time to start back. Too much
longer and he wouldn't be able to see the trail. Ash sighed, wishing life was as simple as it had been when he was ten: when everything was just a matter of "trying hard enough." He was feeling particularly depressed today and he wasn't really sure why. A shadow came into view in front of him and Ash looked up.
"Gary?"
Gary's face looked as cold as the stone Ash was sitting on. "You are an ass, Ketchum. Did you know that?"
Ash chuckled. So old Gar was angry, huh? "Nice to see you, too. Did you chase me down here just to tell me that?"
"No. I came here to beat the living blazes out of you for what you've put everyone through."
Ash stood up. He'd hoped to avoid causing pain by cutting completely away, but it apparently hadn't worked. Not for anyone. "Then why don't you, Gary? Go ahead." He faced his old friend, arms
outstretched in surrender. Gary just crossed his arms and stood there, glaring.
"As much as I would *dearly* love to hit you, Ashy-boy, I promised Misty I wouldn't lay so much as a finger on you."
"Hmmm." Ash dropped his arms and started walking back towards the Inn. Misty. He missed her. If she were here - Well, she'd be yelling at him, if she were here. A rueful grin settled on Ash's face, but
was soon chased off by darker thoughts. No. She hadn't followed him: why would she? After what he'd done... But then again, why did Gary? He walked on, knowing that Gary was right behind him, hearing him breathe and mutter. It wasn't long before Gary cursed aloud.
"Ash, I've known you since the second grade." Gary put a hand on his shoulder, forcing Ash to stop and face him. "But I never thought you'd do something as stupid as this. Why did you just run away? And
don't give me the line you gave Misty. About being tired? Bull, Ash. What's wrong?"
Ash stood there, wondering what to say. Could he confess that he was scared? That he was confused? That he was tired and simply wanted to be selfish for a while? He stared at the fellow Pokémon trainer from Pallet. Would Gary believe that he'd just needed to think about himself and his plans - without distractions? The trouble with that, Ash knew, was that while he'd dropped everything and everyone and fled a half-continent away, he still didn't know what to do. Or even
what he wanted.
He really didn't know when he'd started to feel this way, either. He'd been thinking about it since before he arrived at his father's. And while his father had asked no questions about the sudden desire to live with him, and even though Ash had slowly adjusted to life at the Gemuoba Retreat and Inn, he still felt confused and lost.
"I dunno, Gary. Really, I don't know. I guess, really. I was scared. Everything kinda built up and I just... got fed up. I guess I just grew up? It's not like I was doing anything important anyways. It's
not like anyone cares."
"Yeah. No one cares." Gary snorted. "So that's why Gramps sent for me. Why I tracked you down, why your friends are out scouring the damned planet looking for you..."
"They don't have to do that. I don't need to be found. I'm fine. You should just forget about me. Everyone. Leave me out of your lives..."
"Ash..." Gary tilted his head and frowned.
Ash threw his hands up and turned away. "I'm going to be 22 years old next week, Gary! It's been over ten years! What have I done? Where am I going? I'm obviously not cut out for Pokémon - I haven't managed to make Master yet. All I do now is walk. Walk, walk, walk. A different town, a different gym. Challenging ten year olds to matches... It's embarrassing to lose to a ten-year old. To see other people have their dreams come true when year after year mine gets shelved."
"What the hell?" Gary grabbed Ash's arm. "You idiot. Get over yourself. Do you know how long it took me to stop bristling everytime I'd walk into a town and you'd been there first? Everywhere I'd go it
was Ash this and Ash that. Even Gramps couldn't help talking about your skills and talents and the latest things you'd done." Ash pried Gary's hand away from his arm and started walking again. He didn't want to hear this.
"Dammit, Ketchum! Don't turn a deaf ear to me!" Ash had never really heard Gary use that tone of voice before, and wondered slightly why the man was so angry.
"You wouldn't understand, Gary. You've already a Pokemon master. You've already got your dream." Ash kept walking. The Inn was just around the next stand of trees, and he wanted nothing more than to go to bed.
He just made the last bend in the trail when Gary's arm again snagged his, this time spinning him around. A flash of instict had him ducking as Gary's fist came at his head. The air whizzed as the blow missed him and he looked up with shock. Gary's face was still and grim and Ash suddenly realized that the other man was seriously angry. "I thought you weren't gonna hit me?"
"I wasn't. I'm going to have to apologize to Misty - but I think she'll understand."
Ash gave a small shake of his head. "Yeah. She'd probably be cheering you on." He used his keys and opened the Inn doors. "We lock it from the outside. You have to be a guest to get in after hours. There were apparently some burglaries a few years ago." He led the way to the staff lounge, gave a silent prayer of thanks that it was deserted, and plopped into a chair. Releasing a sigh, he asked the one question he'd been dying to ask: "So. How is she?"
Gary had also taken a chair, and Ash looked over to see him sitting forward, his head resting in his hands. "Do you really care, Ash?" Gary's voice was still harsh, muffled as it was. "If you care so much, why did you leave her?"
Ash was getting angry himself. "I'm a nobody! Why can't anybody see that? I've spent over a decade trying to do just one thing - just to become the greatest Pokemon trainer - and I've gotten nowhere!"
Gary jumped up from his chair. "What's going on with you? You're in how many halls of fame? You've been given how many awards and won countless number of prizes! You've been listed as one of the top five trainers in the world for over seven years running. You're mentioned in training manuals for godsake! What the hell makes you think you're not one of the greatest Pokemon trainers?"
Ash stared at him and simply said, "I've never made Master."
--------------------------
Misty looked up and saw that the last of the Pokémon was finally asleep. Gary had left hours ago to try to find Ash, but she wasn't
willing to sit still when she was this close.
She grabbed her bag and silently limped into the hall, locked the door, and walked to the lobby. There were quite a few people milling
about and she had to wait a moment for the line to disperse before she reached the counter.
"Excuse me? My name is Misty and I was wondering if you could help me find someone who might be staying here?" She smiled at the woman behind the counter and hoped that it was her sincerity that was obvious in her eyes, and not the desperation.
The woman took one look at her, though, and nearly screamed with glee. "It's you! John! Micah! Marie! Come quick! It's Ash's
girlfriend!"
Misty backed up a step as three more people suddenly popped up behind the counter. "Uhm..."
"Oh, she's just as cute in real life!"
"How could Ash leave her?"
"No way she could be her; she's much too pretty."
"She is!" the first woman stomped her foot and reached below the counter. "She looks just like the picture! Here!" A magazine was
opened and passed around as Misty was apparently compared to its contents.
Boy, was this embarrassing, Misty thought. But at least these people knew Ash. She pulled the magazine from their grips and saw it was a picture of herself and Ash after winning third place at the Peri Double Debut the previous year. She blinked and closed the magazine.
Looking back up she tried her smile again. "Uhm. I don't know about girlfriend, but I this is me and I *am* looking for Ash. Can you tell me where he is?"
One of the two ladies shook their heads. "No. His shift was over hours ago and he usually goes for a walk until after the dinner rush."
"Yes." The second lady agreed and her face fell for a moment before an idea struck her. "But if you like, we can let you into his room and you can wait for him!" She turned to the men and snapped her fingers. "John, take her bag." She snapped again. "Micah, let her into Ash's rooms, please."
The men jumped the counter and eagerly followed orders. Along the way, they filled Misty in on Ash's life at the Inn. How he'd arrived in the middle of a storm and how he'd pitched right in with the hired
help despite the fact that his father owned the place. From the way they talked, it was obvious that Ash was a favourite. Misty smiled softly. She didn't know anyplace where Ash wasn't liked.
They finally stopped in front of a large door where Micah selected a small gold key from a crowded ring and let her into what had to be one of the largest suites in the whole inn. He turned on the lights and handed her a key. "Here you go, Misty. Just ring the front desk if you need anything."
The second young man, John, walked past them and into the room. "I'll place your bag in the bedroom. I don't know if you want to leave it there, but there's a massive bathtub off that room and I know my girl
loves to take long baths whenever she can." He clapped Micah on the shoulder and the two walked back to the hall. "Well, good luck,
Misty. We hope you cheer Ash up. He's been depressed since he got here." And they left, pulling the door shut behind them.
Misty looked around the suite in surprise. It was so dreary and empty, she just couldn't believe that it was where Ash had been living since he'd left her. She wandered around and couldn't believe it. No pictures, no books, no nothing. It was an empty room and she wondered if it really was true that a person's house mirrored their
soul. Did Ash hate his life with her so much that he'd run away from even himself?
Well, she'd find out soon enough. She didn't know when he'd be back, or if he'd even be alone when he did, but Misty was determined to wait it out. She peeked into the bathroom and did indeed find herself tempted by the huge tub, but decided not to take the chance on being discovered. Besides, she didn't want to have to explain the scar, not yet at least. She'd just sit down and wait.
She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. It was so soft. And she was so tired. Perhaps she could just lie down and close her eyes for a second - not sleep, just... rest.
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Ash was exhausted. Throwing his keys onto the chair by the door, he pondered his current mood. He'd known someone would find him eventually, so why was he so upset?
He shrugged off his jacket.
Because it was him instead of her? Gary instead of Misty? His ex-best friend instead of his current best friend. His rival instead of, if you asked anyone at the hotel, the girl he left behind.
He walked into the darkened bedroom and flipped the table lamp on. As if conjured up by his thoughts of her, he saw Misty lying on top of the covers of his bed, oddly enough not wearing her usual shorts and
haltertop, but a pair of oversized jeans and a faded t-shirt. From the soft sound of her breathing, Ash guessed she had fallen asleep. Probably while waiting for him to come back. That explained the looks the desk staff had been sending him as he'd passed through the lobby.
He turned the lamp back off, pulled a chair close to the bed and sat. He studied her face in the dim light that came in from the
livingroom. She seemed so tired.
Gary's final question of the night echoed in his mind: "Why couldn't you tell her all this?"
It had been how long since he'd left her? He frowned at the thought, but then had to admit it was the truth. That's what he'd done. He'd left her alone, in the middle of nowhere. Left her with all of his belongings and his Pokémon... all of his responsibilities. Left her. Just left. God, he *was* an ass. He wondered how long it would take to make it up to her. If he even could.
Ash looked at her. He'd missed her more than he'd thought possible. He reached a hand to her face and felt her skin crinkle as she sighed a soft smile at his touch. It had taken him weeks to get used to sleeping alone, without her somewhere nearby; for ten years they had never really slept more than a few feet away from each other. Even when separated by walls and doors, he had known she was near.
He stroked her face again, then gave in. Moving to the other side of the bed, he slid beside her and slowly pulled her close. He felt a small piece of his soul return as she snuggled closer. He didn't realize, though, that she had woken until he felt her draw a shaky breath and heard the tears; he loosened his grip and she turned to face him.
"Misty? I'm s..." She didn't let him finish, instead, she grabbed him and held him tight.
"I missed you so much, Ash. I was so alone and scared and tired and sad." She choked as her tears came faster. "And I couldn't tell
anyone, 'cause no one was there. Everyone was looking for you and... And I couldn't let anyone see because I had to be strong and find you and your mom thinks it was my fault and then Pikachu ran away and I had to find him and then Team Rocket kidnapped him and Gary couldn't do anything about it and Brock said that you probably just needed
some time away but you were gone for so long and Squirtle nearly died in the fight with that dark Scyther and I hurt so bad and Rei kept saying you were a good trainer and she didn't understand it either and then Bulbasaur wouldn't eat the food I bought him and got sick from the berries and I kept waiting and I was running out of money had to borrow some from my savings and kids wouldn't stop bugging me for battles and I needed some jeans and I only had yours and they don't fit ..."
Ash held her while she babbled on, crooning softly to calm her and not understanding most of what she was saying. She finally stopped talking and just cried. "Misty?" He tried again as the sound of her crying softened, then smiled as he realized that she'd cried herself back to sleep again. He tried to pull away, willing to let her have
the bed for the night, but she gasped, her hands grabbing for him. A soft "don't leave me again" broke his heart and he kissed her
forehead.
"Can we talk tomorrow, Mist?" He murmured as he wrapped his arms around her and prepared to spend a long night. "I think I need to
talk."
Maybe he'd been clinging to a dead dream for the past decade, trying to prolong his childhood, trying to relive the happiness he'd known in those first few years. The world had changed; he had changed, why
hadn't his dream? Did becoming a Pokémon Master still hold such an important place in his heart? Obviously not, since he'd left it so easily. But maybe there was a place for him and his dreams after all. Or rather, a new dream. A gym or a school? That was Gary's suggestion. Training trainers and Pokémon.
"Just so long..." she whispered back, pulling him closer. "...as you're here tomorrow, I don't care what happens then."
Ash pulled a quilt from the bottom of the bed and covered them with it. He stayed awake for hours, just holding her and listening to her breathing. It was, he realised, something he would never tire of
doing.
He fell asleep just as dawn was creeping through the windows. His dreams were filled with riddles, none of which he remembered when he awoke. He looked about, but Misty was gone. The shower was running, though, and he fell back to the pillow with a sigh. She was really here. He smiled. He felt almost back to his old self again, with
Misty around.
"Ash?" The shower stopped and Ash heard the bathroom door creak open. He looked and watched Misty's face appear in the cracked jamb. "Oh, good, you're awake."
"What is it, Misty?" His voice cracked a bit at the ideas his mind was tossing at him, and he quickly reigned in his wild thoughts.
She pointed to an open backpack on the floor at the side of the bed. "Could you get into my bag and fetch me a skirt? I am sick to
death of wearing these jeans of yours." Ash scrambled from the bed and reached into the bag. Reaching past the achingly familiar hard plastic of a Pokédex, he pulled out a long piece of fabric, holding it up to her view.
"That's it!" she agreed and she pulled back to open the door a few more centimeters, reaching out a bare arm.
He tossed it to her and she closed the door with a soft "thanks". He waited a second and then reached back into the bag and pulled out his Pokédex, carrying it into the living room with him. He ran his fingers through his hair a few times, and stared at the small machine for over a minute before finally giving in to temptation.
Flipping it open, Ash noticed that she had updated the information for all of their Pokémon into his index and he smiled. He glanced through the stats for Pikachu and realized with a pleasant surprise that she'd been updating his pokedex since the very beginning - since the day he'd left. He was still flipping through when Misty came out
of the bathroom. He looked up to see her in a loose floor length skirt that made her seem taller than he remembered. He had the
craziest urge to twirl her across the floor to see if the skirt would float up. He swallowed as she walked over to sit next to him on the couch.
"I don't think I've ever seen you in that skirt before." He managed to say, and she shook her head.
"No, I bought it in Pewter. After... well. It was in Pewter." She didn't say anything more and Ash frowned. After? He remembered what she'd said the night before and quickly checked the Pokédex again. Yep. There it was. A scyther caught just outside of Pewter, with a notation from the Professor that it was continuing well in re-socialization therapy. Ash put two and two together and reached out a hand.
"Ash! What are you..." Misty squawked as he lifted her skirt to reveal the scar running down her leg. She slapped his hand away and
rearranged the skirt. They stared at each other for a few moments and finally Misty's eyes fell. "I didn't want you to see that," she said quietly.
"Tell me." He managed to croak the words out, and she looked back at him with huge, tired eyes.
"Pikachu ran away. When he found out you'd transferred him to someone else. We didn't know it was me yet, but that wouldn't have made a difference because even after... Well. He ran and we went days out of our way to find him. We had to take the long, back route to Pewter and we ran across a dark Scyther. Squirtle was hurt pretty bad, but I was able to get him out of the way just in time."
Ash closed his eyes. He'd hurt her in more ways than he could have ever imagined. "I'm sorry." Now he understood the increased battle and health points on the Pokémon. And why she was wearing jeans and long skirts. And why Gary was ready to hit him on sight. He felt like the weight of the world had collapsed onto his shoulders and he wondered that all of it had happened because he'd tried to run away from his problems.
He felt Misty leave the couch and opened his eyes. She didn't move far, though, just to his lap, where she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder.
"Ash. It wasn't your fault. As much as I blamed you at the time, it wasn't your fault. I got hurt saving the life of a friend. That friend is still alive and all I have is a stupid scar. Please don't worry about it."
"Misty!" He exclaimed angrily. "How can I not worry about it? If I hadn't run away, left you with all of my responsibilities, none of this would have happened."
She sighed and pulled back to look at his face. "You want to make it up to me?" He nodded and she smiled a smile that took his breath away. "Then come home, Ash. Let's get Pikachu and the others from Gary and let's go home."
"Home? Home, Misty? I am so confused. I came here hoping to figure things out and nothing is any clearer." The only thing he knew for
sure was that he didn't want to leave her again, ever. That thought was crystal clear and he wrapped his arms around her as proof.
He watched as Misty thought for a moment. "Home is with me, Ash, that much I know. You are not going to leave me ever again. You're stuck with me." He marveled at the way she had almost read his mind. "And I
was thinking. Maybe it's time to do something drastic. Maybe we should settle down somewhere. You know. Like real couples do?"
"Couple?" Ash repeated softly and then winced as Misty tugged his ear.
"Yes, couple. You know - you, me, we, us. Together? Couple?" She let go of his ear, suddenly not joking any longer. "You... uh... do feel the same way I do, right? About me and well, us, right?" She started
to leave his lap, but his arms tightened and he smiled.
"Well. If you think you can possibly ever be in love with an idiot like me, then yes."
She threw her arms around him again and kissed him. When they finally broke apart, Ash was astounded at how much he felt like laughing. Misty seemed to be thinking about something, though.
"Ash, maybe we could open a gym or a school or something, somewhere?"
"You sound like Gary." Ash raised an eyebrow. "Have you two been discussing my future without me?"
Misty's eyes opened wide with feigned innocence. "Me? Talk about someone behind their back? Never!" She smiled again and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. "No really, I've been thinking about it for a long time, now. I met up with a couple of kids shortly after you left, and they reminded me of how many people *we* met on our journeys. And I got to thinking that maybe we could be like that. Maybe we could be someone's inspiration, be their driving force."
Misty's eyes grew soft and hazy. "She called me a teacher, Ash. And I... I think I want to be that."
Ash contemplated the thought. Teaching. Misty was right, they'd met many a wonderful teacher on their own travels. Maybe that was it. "Maybe I'll never be a Pokémon Master in my own right. Maybe it is my destiny to help someone else - to be a rung in someone else's ladder... ow!"
He rubbed his head where Misty'd thumped him and frowned. "What was that for?" Misty jumped from his lap in a fury.
"That's what this was all about? That's why you left me? Why you left Pikachu and the others and made your family so worried? It was all over not becoming a Pokémon
master?"
Ash looked at her in amazement. "Well, yeah. I mean, god, Misty, it's been my dream since I was a kid. But it's okay, now. I mean I'm
obviously not cut out to be a Pokémon Master, so I'm not gonna think about it anymore."
Misty looked ready to throttle him. "I chased after you for how long, Ash Ketchum? All because I thought you were mad at me. I thought you left because of me! I thought you didn't like me anymore AND IT WAS
YOUR STUPID PRIDE?"
"Misty, I never meant for you to think I left because of you." Wow. Gary was right again, Ash thought. He really should have talked to Misty instead of running. "I was just so confused about everything, and nothing I did was right, so I figured I was better off away from everyone. And I didn't want you to have to be stuck with a loser like me any longer."
Misty threw her hands up and turned. (The skirt, he noticed with a grin, did flare up.) "I can't believe it! That is so childish! Haven't you realized yet, that the only way to fail is to give up?"
He ducked his head to miss being hit again as she turned back. "Maybe you're not destined to be a Pokémon Master, or maybe you're destined to be the first 99-year old to become a Pokémon Master, who knows. You just don't give up!"
"Yes ma'am." He nodded with a sly grin, only to actually receive another thumping.
"And don't call me ma'am! It makes me sound old!"
"I can't help it, you *look* like one of my old schoolteachers in that long skirt," he kidded her. "And you *are* older than me, you know..." It felt good to be with her again. So good.
"Ash Ketchum! How dare you...." He pulled her onto his lap and stopped her tirade with a kiss. As her arms came around his shoulders, he knew that no matter what lay ahead of them, at least one good thing had come out of all of this.
Misty pulled back, her face somehow happy and sad at the same time. Ash hoped that he'd be able to someday erase the sad part. "Ash. Promise me from now on that when you have a stupid thought in your head you'll talk to me about it."
He smiled. "I'll try, Misty." He watched her eyes roll and he smiled deeper.
~ 'Tis Completed ~
Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on this. It's been *my* dream to finish it and finally get it posted.
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DISTRIBUTION: Please respect my (limited) copyright and ASK permission to borrow this story. This will be posted to my website
(http://draxonious.tripod.com/), fanfic.net, fanfic.org, the AAMRN yahoo group and the PFFML yahoo group.
Please send any feedback to maeyan@mailcity.com