"You can't make someone love you, all you can do is stalk them and hope with time they panic and give in.
Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon.
Beyond the Shadows – Last Kiss
For a few minutes all Misty could do was stand there with her fingers lightly touching her tingling lips.
It was the sweetest thing she had ever tasted, the greatest feeling of content she had ever experienced and the answer to every prayer she had never dared to ask.
There was something about even the thought of it that sent shivers down her spine and made her feel warm all over again.
Maybe it was the way he had pushed his lips against hers, the desperate way that he had kissed her as if it were his last goodbye, as if it was the one thing he wanted to do before he went like a last wish he needed to come true.
Maybe it was something to do with the fact that for at least the last four years all that she had ever wanted was for him to kiss her. For all that time it had haunted her dreams at night trying to will it into reality.
Or maybe it was simply because it was reality and no longer a dream that made her feel this way.
There was so much she needed to tell him right now.
She needed to open her heart to him, to tell him everything she felt inside but part of her knew that right now all that he needed was for her to believe in him.
She stood on the sidelines watching him go through his usual pre-battle prep talks and procedures with Pikachu praying for the best.
Misty hung back slightly behind the rest, but mostly behind Ash. She had to literally restrain herself from running to his side and trying to talk him out of it.
There was so much on the line this time, more than there had ever been ever before. This time he was on the line.
She couldn't quite figure out why he was doing this. Sure, Brock was his best friend but to give up his own life for another's like it didn't matter at all was beyond even Ash.
Ash had always confused her but this made no sense at all. Did he think that she wouldn't care if she were to lose him, her one true love forever? That she thought so little of him that it didn't matter at all?
Did he think she would just forget about all of this? Forget about him? That she could ever forget about him?
Did he really think that in her heart they were just best friends, no more, no less? That he meant nothing to her at all beyond their friendship? That this was a loss she could replace?
If so, why did he kiss her just now?
Misty swallowed back her tears. Now was no time to cry.
Misty looked over at Garnet sympathetically. She could barely believe that Garnet had been able to spend fourteen years of her life with this witch who now planned to take her two best friends and the only guy she could ever loved away from her.
She only hoped Ash was right, for all their sakes.
'Garnet doesn't deserve this,' she thought to herself as she stole a glance at the girl beside her who wore a worried expression identical to her own. 'Nobody does. She deserves Brock, after all she's been through she deserves a happy ending. She deserves love more than I do,' she thought sadly to herself stealing glances at Ash, 'and I think part of Ash already knew that.'
She skipped all her usual pre match rituals, which had become almost subconscious after over five years of having to wait anxiously on the sidelines hoping for the best.
She didn't cross her fingers, or kiss her lucky rabbits foot or any other superstitious omens of luck she had come across.
She didn't hold her hands together, look up to the sky and pray for victory like she often did, this time it wasn't enough.
This time she just looked to Ash; focused on him alone and put everything in her that wasn't trying to hold back tears into him instead. She focused all her hopes, her dreams and every word she longed to say towards him hoping that somehow they would give him the courage that she'd never been able to muster.
"He has to win," she muttered softly to herself. "He just has to."
'And he will,' a reassuring thought echoed in her head. 'No matter what, he will.'
Tears welled in her eyes but she held them back. She had to; she had no other option but to keep up her facade. She had to be strong right now, for Ash.
"It's alright to cry Misty," Garnet said bringing her attention away from her focus.
A single, broken tear rolled down her face before she had the chance to stop it. She hoped Ash hadn't seen it, that he hadn't seen through the walls of her disguise, that he still thought she was strong.
"No, it's not," Misty choked out as more tears threatened to escape. "My best friend is fighting a battle that he may not win and there's nothing I can do to help him. There's more on the line this time than some stupid badge."
She angrily looked down at her closed fist where she held the kowhai badge that he had worked so hard to get only a few days earlier, that he had forced into her open palm without a second thought as he kissed her that last goodbye kiss.
"I have to be strong," Misty added finding it harder and harder to hold back her tears. "He has to know that I believe in him. That against all odds, I believe he can win.
"That's all I have left to believe in," she finished quietly as another tear fell down her face. "All I have left is the hope that he's going to win this and a little fantasy that constantly plays in my head and for the first time in my life I don't think hope is enough, but it's all I have left."
"It's more than enough Misty," Garnet said softly. "It's everything. It's what makes the world go round and it's what makes these tears hold more strength than sorrow."
The two girls embraced each other in hug that they both needed.
Things had changed so much in the span of less than forty eight hours and they were still trying to come to terms with the fact that one or perhaps even both of them may be about to lose the one thing that meant more to them than life itself.
Now the tears drowned out all the words.
'Stop!' Misty mentally scowled at herself. 'He needs you right now more than he's ever needed you before and all you can do is stand here blubbering.'
"He needs me," she whispered quietly to herself as she tried to focus on the match and how much she wanted him to win rather than their impending doom.
Ash took one last glance over his shoulder at her. He took in all of her perfect features simply hoping that this would not be the last time he was given the chance to look at her. That his stolen kiss wouldn't be his last.
"You ready Ashy-boy?" Kirsten asked tormenting him with his most hated nickname.
"You bet," he replied determinedly glaring at her forcefully.
"Then let's get this match started little boy," she smiled her teeth showing in an evil smirk. "I choose, Catamaran."
"Pikachu, go," he said as he sent out his most loyal and trusted Pokemon. "This ones for keeps."
The yellow rodent nodded his head as it took one last glance at its master before making it's way into the battlefield.
"I think you underestimate me boy," she replied scorning at his pitiful pet of a Pokemon stepping up to fight her powerful partner.
"We'll see who's doing the underestimating," he hissed using her temporary lapse of attention to make his first move. "Pikachu, thunder wave!"
"Catamaran, fade," she said simply.
The ghostly cat disappeared before Pikachu's attack even had the chance to hit his catlike target.
"Good, now reappear and hit it with your furry swipes."
Again, catamaran did exactly what was asked of it. It reappeared where Pikachu least expected it to come from and slashed it's long claws across the poor mouse's skin.
"How about a bite attack catamaran."
Ash waited patiently for the exact moment to strike giving Pikachu the signal not to do anything until he said. Pikachu looked concerned but nodded his head with determination and understanding.
"Ok Pikachu, thunder shock!" he yelled once catamaran had its deathly fangs almost around his Pokemon. "Good kitty," Ash muttered to him self as he saw the slightly singed cat recoil it's self from Pikachu.
"Catamaran, payday," Kirsten called.
"Pikachu, use agility to dodge!" Ash countered.
The glowing spheres of the payday attack scattered across the field and Pikachu dodge each and everyone with complete ease. This, of course, angered Kirsten who as predicted by Ash, had completely underestimated Pikachu's power.
"Screech attack!" Kirsten tried slowly moving up to stronger and stronger attacks.
"Pikachu, use thunder wave to neutralise the effects," Ash commanded.
Ash didn't know what to think of it. He had no idea what Catamaran was capable of so until then all he could really do was counter every attack she sent at him until he was given another opening like before.
Both Pokemon followed orders. Ripples of light erupted from each Pokemon, spreading towards one another until they met one another in a powerful blast proving that the two Pokemon were equals.
Kirsten was getting tired of using Catamaran's mere catlike grace and attacks. Now was a time to get thing over with. It was time to use some ghost power she had forced upon the creature unethically to win this match.
"Confuse ray," Kirsten called.
"Do anything you can to dodge it Pikachu!" Ash yelled worriedly.
It was obvious that Pikachu was tiring; he still needed time to recuperate from recent battles. Pikachu didn't have the power left in him to defeat such a Pokemon right now.
Misty had been right. He was fighting with a blunt sword, a tiring Pokemon if you must, and it was too late to back out. This wasn't a battle he could win, but at least some good would come out of his sacrifice, his hearts ultimate sacrifice.
It is exactly as they say. In times of desperation, the mind finds the means, what the mind gives the heart receives. But those aren't the times that people write epics about, that people write songs and poems and novels about.
It's the times of loving when the mind asks why. When the heart is the only one to answer the questions. When the mind resists and the heart insists. It's the times when the mind looses, and the heart wins.
For so long he let his mind rule, forced his heart to be the one to follow. For so long he asked the questions constantly coming up with the wrong answers and constantly forcing himself to look away first when he found Misty's eyes staring back into his own with a brilliance only matched by the sun.
Finally, after spending over four years listening to his head instead of his heart, he stopped resisting the hearts words of encouragement and in that last grasp for happiness before what could possibly be his end, he did something he had longed to for so long.
"Dream eater," Kirsten called pulling Ash away from his distracting thoughts.
Ash and Pikachu didn't even have the chance to react. The attack was upon him and hit Pikachu full force knocking him back with such force. Pikachu's energy was dwindling and all knew he wouldn't be able to last it much longer.
Misty continued to watch the match from the sidelines her face contorted in pain and fair. It was as if her feet were suddenly glued to the floor, no matter what she did she couldn't get the messages to her legs for them to move, so she could run to his side and drag him away from the battle before he really did loose.
'It's all wrong,' she thought to herself sadly. 'This isn't how it's supposed to end.'
She looked at him just standing there watching in sadness. It was if he shared his Pokemon's pain, as if he could feel the attack eating at his own dreams, scratching at his own wounds and killing him from the inside.
She could feel it too. She didn't think she could just stand there much longer just waiting for the love of her life to be taken away from her without him knowing exactly how she felt about him.
"Ash," she sobbed quietly as loud as she could muster through her strained tears that flowed freely down her cheeks, "I love you."
Somehow, over the noises of the battle, Misty's voice run clearly in his ears filling him with a feeling of content he had never, ever felt before and feared he would never feel again.
Ash knew it was a stupid thing to do. He knew it was a bad choice, but everything inside him, told him to despite all this. Everything told him to trust his heart, to resist the mind, to follow the hearts insistent call to her.
Ash turned away from the battle. Despite everything inside him that told him not to, that told him what a big mistake he was making, that warned him of the consequence of this decision, he turned away from the battle.
He felt himself drawn to her and couldn't turn away even if he wanted to. At that very moment all he wanted to do was take her in his arms.
It was almost as if they were the only ones there. Everything about them began to fade including the sounds of the battle being fought in the centre of the arena.
He didn't even hear Kirsten call out for another attack, for the most powerful attack her ghost Pokemon could muster, he was to lost in his own thoughts to even care anymore.
Luckily, Pikachu dodged the attack on instinct without any instruction, but the blast held such force it just continued. It's one of Newton's laws; an object once put in motion must stay in motion unless acted upon by another force. Or in simpler terms, the attack would surely just keep on going, continue on it's course until something got in it's way, like perhaps a brick wall . . . or a person.
And that's exactly what it did. It simply continued on its course, continued moving closer and closer towards Misty, it's new target, a force to reckon with.
"No!!!" Ash screamed forgetting about anything else for the time being. Misty was simply more important.
His own safety was disregarded despite Pikachu's cries as he ran to her side. Without a single thought towards his own well being he pushed her aside and took the blast himself, making him the attacks target.
The room glowed black as the object met its force and proved Newton right once again.
"Ash!" Misty cried out as she ran to where Ash lay lifelessly on the floor. "Oh god, please Ash, say something," she sobbed as she lightly shook his shoulders praying for any kind of response.
He cautiously opened his chocolate brown eyes and smiled up at her as best he could. "I'm glad you're ok Misty," he said his voice slightly strained as he tried to lift himself up again.
Misty gently pushed him back down as she watched him with complete awe. "Of course I'm ok," she gaped at him as her tears of excruciating pain she hadn't even realised were falling down her face easily turned to those of happiness. "I'm not the one that got hit by Catamaran's deadly night shade attack. Now why would you go and do a silly thing like putting your own life in danger for me Ash? What would I ever do if you hadn't survived it?" she asked sobbing at the thought and turning away so he wouldn't see her weak.
"Shh," he said softly as he reached up to touch her face.
Misty turned to face him, her eyes looking into his searching for something she didn't think she would find.
"It's because I love you Misty," he said with all the sincerity he could muster. "I have to be brave for you, do stupid things for you and risk everything for you because you're the only thing in this world that's worth it. I don't think I could bare it for very long if it let you get hurt like that."
More tears of joy filled her eyes as she gently kissed his forehead. "I love you too Ash," she told him.
He smiled and gently stroked her face bringing it closer to his as they finally shared their first real kiss as it was meant to be. It was filled with everything that was kept inside of them and meant all that was unable to be spoken.
Ash closed his eyes as he took a shaky breath. There was complete, almost deathly silence as her one true love laid presumed dead in her arms. The only sound was Misty's desperate pleas for him to come back to her.
'How can I just let you walk awayJust let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you
You're the only one who really knew me at all'
"No Ash," she cried into his chest trying to wake him. "You can't leave me likes this, not now. I need you Ash. I can't make it without you, not now, not ever. Please don't go Ash."
'How can you just walk away from meWhen all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we shared the laughter and the pain
We even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all'
"Yuck," Kirsten said disgustedly breaking the silence. "Like I want him now he's like dead. I think you can have him, I'll stick with rock boy."
Misty turned away from the lifeless body of her best friend and turned the infamous 'Waterflower glare' on Kirsten with all its might.
Misty bright blue green eyes suddenly seemed dead and lifeless. Her face was like a stone statue lacking any emotion whatsoever other than the pure unadulterated hate aimed directly at Kirsten.
Misty had changed in those few short minutes. It was as if the Misty Waterflower Ash had loved had died along with him and all that was left was an empty shell.
'So take a look at me nowCause there's just an empty place
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
So take a look at me now
Cause there's just an empty space
And you come back to me
Is against all odds
And that's what I've got to face'
So with that she turned to the only thing that could possibly cause Kirsten half as much pain as she had caused Misty.
"Togepei," she said darkly her voice monotonous. Her eyes never left Kirsten as she spoke. "Ultimate Metronome," she stated simply waiting for the reaction she wanted.
Kirsten gasped. Even her dark Pokemon, though superior to most, didn't have that kind of power or even the capacity to perform such a feat. It didn't have it in it to perform the strongest and most unpredictable attack ever, and quite frankly she wasn't brave enough to test her luck with it.
Togepei chirped happily waving its tiny paws back and forth in a pendulum motion before doing as her mother/master asked.
The room shone a blinding shade of blue and by the time it finally faded away, there was nothing left in the room to say they had even been there to begin with.
~ to be continued ~
Gosh that was one long chapter. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too bad, like I said battle scenes isn't something I'm really good at and I don't actually have a clue how any of the uncommon attacks work. I mean sure I know what a basic thunderbolt does but I don't have much of a clue on what payday is like.
I would like to thank my friend Kris for letting me use her for advice on this. I don't know the first thing about battling and if it weren't for her it probably would have made even less sense than it does.
Please review and I hope you're all looking forward to the conclusion of Beyond the Shadows.
