A/N: Here it is! The confrontation between Misty and Rudy is just moments away. What happened with Ash after he and Noctowl crashed into the engine. Err… before I let you all read on I have something to say. I'm not very good at romance scenes and stuff like that, which this chapter is kind of based on. So the confrontation might be a… a little… no really, really corny. I'm sorry if this chapter didn't live up to your expectations. I'm not very good at romance scenes, but I hope to get better at them before I really, really to make it sweet.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Reviewer's comments: It's really late but I got to get this chapter posted today. So these are going to be short.

Avenger10::: Yeah I'm tired too. I wasn't planning on doing a cliffhanger, but oh well. I won't forget to post. Thanks for the compliment and the review.

Cybersten::: Yeah! A new reviewer. You like long fics? Go cause this fic is going to be really, really long. You want Ash back. I know. I know. Everyone does. I'm still thinking about it. Thanks for the review.

Labannya::: Wow! Nobody ever stood up for me before. :sobbing: Heh. :smiles: I don't really mind people asking me to bring Ash back. It's actually pretty assuming to see how many Ash fans there are at there. Yeah! I know. I feel sorry for Misty too. Her poor father dying. Err… sorry but I can't answer those questions. Some day in some much later chapter all your questions will be answered. Yeah! Poor Ashy boy. He got burned really badly. Thanks for reviewing.

ZetaBee::: A reviewer, yeah! Waho as in what? I'll take that as a good thing. Thanks for the review.

Overlord::: Please give me another chance. :getting on hands and knees and begging: Yeah! I know another cliffhanger. Sorry. This chapter ends as a cliffhanger too. Thanks for the review.

Crystalstorm21::: Thanks and of course I will continue to post. Thanks for the review.

*****::: A new reviewer! Yeah! I know! I know! Another Ash fan who wants him back. I'm still thinking about it. Thanks for the review.

Joy-girl::: Err… yes I am very poor in may ways. I feel sorry for Misty and Ash. Oh yes I do. Thanks for the review.

SulliMike23::: Let's see. Is Ash died or not? Err... I don't know… yet. Thanks for the review.

Nightswift::: Oh yeah I thought that much. Who's the boy? That I can answer. He's Zachary, and he isn't important to this fic. He was just in the flashback… nothing else. Yes. I know, Misty's dad's death was sad. Oh. Yeah I know. Pokémon is long that's one reason why I like it so much and write fics about it. Yes. I know most of the Pokémon are either simply adorable or cool. Thanks for the review.

Chapter 15

"What about Ash?" asked Misty. Her face was full of worry. It had been two days since she woke up. Brock and Haruka had both healed.

Haruka moved uneasily around the hospital room. Masato and Haruka's parents had came to hospital after hearing what happened. Brock said nothing as he stared up at the ceiling. Misty's face immediately pained. "He… he's d…died?" asked Misty. She felt her tears falling. She had just returned a few months ago. Now she was going to lose him again.

Brock looked up and shook his head. "No." Misty sighed in relief. "B… but he's been hurt really bad, Misty." She looked up.

"How bad?" asked Misty.

"The doctor's think he might not walk again. A…Ash broke almost all the bones in his body. He's in a coma right now," muttered Brock.

"No, no," muttered Misty. She shook her head. Tears fell from her eyes. "NO!"

Misty sighed. She saw Ash the next day. His body was bandaged. She saw that his legs were cast. Horrific burns covered his face. Both his arms had been fractured. She could see that he was on life support…

Tears fell from Misty's eyes as she ran her hand over Ash's. "Pika," mumbled the electric rodent that was lying on Ash's bed. The Pokémon had refused to leave its trainer's side. Even at night when the nursed tried to remove Pikachu it was impossible. After getting shocked a couple of times the nurses decided it wasn't worth it. The rodent was harmless. It cared for his trainer so much to shock into letting it stay that it couldn't cause any harm to Ash.

Misty pushed back a string of tears as she ran her hand through Pikachu's fur. It was so dull these days. Its ears drooped of depression. The light from its eyes was gone. It showed no sign of wanting to fight. No longer wanting to live if anything happened to its trainer. Misty felt the Pokémon pain. She understood it cause deep in her heart she felt it too.

Misty couldn't stand the sadness any longer. She reverted her glaze back to Ash. She raised her bandaged hand and ran it through Ash's face. "Ash," muttered Misty. There was no response. The only sound within the room was the sound of the monitor beeping. The forcing of the air through the life support as it lead to Ash's mouth. "Ash." This time her voice seemed more persistent then the last. "Ash, I know you can hear me. I just know it. You can't die Ash. You can't. You'll done so much. You've cheated death so many times. You can do it again." There was so response. Misty bit her lip. She felt like laughing, not the happy type of laugh, the hysteric type of laugh. Misty lowered her head. Gently she stroked Ash's hand. "I know you can't respond, Ash, but… but…" Misty rolled her eyes. Drops of salt water fell from her emerald eyes.

"You have to live, Ash. Live not for me, not for Pikachu or any of the Pokémon, not for Brock, Haruka, any of our friends, not for your mom, not for Prof. Oak, and not for the world. Live for yourself Ash. Every heroic action you did was for the world, now don't live for the world, Ash. Live for yourself."

Misty remembered those words. Those words she said to Ash in a coma. Now seeing Rudy like this just made her angry. She rolled over to Rudy's bed. The man was lying there. His eyes seemed distant. "Rudy," said Misty. There was no reply. Misty moved her hand closer till Rudy moved the hand in the sling. Screw it! Misty got up out of the wheelchair and stood before Rudy. Her face was angry. She was way angrier now than she was when she arrived.

"Why you do it, Rudy?" asked Misty angrily. There was no answer. "RUDY! I know you're awake. Now answer me." The man sighed before turning his head. His voice was slurred as he talked.

"Don't you get it, Misty? I did it cause I love you." Misty sighed. She was afraid of that answer. She clasped on the bed.

"No, why did you try to kill yourself?"

Rudy shook his head. A poor smile appeared on his face. "Don't you get it Misty? I did it cause I love you."

"You don't mean that Rudy."

"I do, Misty. I've loved you since the day you saved my sister."

"Rudy." Misty sighed. "You don't love me."

"Yes, I do."

"Rudy." Misty bit her lip before continuing. "Rudy, tell me. What did you feel when you… kissed me?"

Rudy raised an eyebrow before continuing. "Good, I guess," muttered Rudy.

"That all?" asked Misty.

"Yeah, and good."

"Nothing else?"

Rudy shook his head. "Nothing else."

"Nothing?"

"No."

"Rudy, tell me the truth. When you first saw me, what did you think?"

"Err?"

"When you first saw me, what were you thinking?" asked Misty.

"Err…I was worried about my sister… I thought you were beautiful."

Misty groaned before pinching her nose and rubbing her forehead. "Rudy, do you know what jealously feels like?"

The man looked at Misty funny. "Why?"

Misty bit her lip hardly. She didn't want to push it farther, but she knew she had to. "Answer me."

A faint yeah could be heard. "Who's your biggest rival, Rudy?"

Rudy didn't know how to answer that one. He tried to answer but couldn't. He never thought of anyone as a rival. No one… well almost no one. Misty saw the change in Rudy's face. She knew he had a rival, but not the normal type of rival, more like a rival of the heart.

"Drake," answered Rudy. Misty could tell it was false, and Rudy knew she knew it too.

"Okay… what's your definition of love… no true love?"

"Err."

Misty sighed as she cupped her hands to her breast.

"What's your definition, Kasumi?"

Misty looked down for a second. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah."

Misty bit the corned of her lips then looked out the window. It wasn't the scene she could wish for, but it would have to do. "My definition of love… is… no… love is too intangible to describe. Love is like life itself. It doesn't stop. It gets bigger and bigger. Just like a person gets older and older. As time goes on it gets bigger. It fills that spot in your heart that nothing else can. A sensation that burns for hours… each kiss… each touch… you want more. You long for it. It feels you… your soul. It's unbreakable. A simple word… a simple touch… it inflames everything." Rudy could see a tear falling from her eyes. He understood now what Misty was telling him. He understood it all. How could it have blinded him so after so long?

He knew love when he was younger. He knew it when he first saw Misty. The way she looked like HIM. It wasn't the same way she looked at him. He had understood it before. When he first met her, he wanted her to stay. He was so young then. Both parents dead. He, having to raise his younger sister Marie not even eight. She longed for a motherly touch. A mother, a woman guardian, a sister, someone to guide her though the rough sports. Rudy tried being that person. He read dozens of books on the subject. He tried hard, but it wasn't the same. Then he met her. She managed to inflame everything about him. She was perfect. A Water Pokémon trainer, a female, Rudy knew she could guide Marie in a way that he could never do.

To his luck Marie fell for Misty. She loved the girl that had saved her from drowning. She wanted Misty to stay almost as much as Rudy wanted Misty to stay. He knew what all girls loved, to be pampered, to be surrounded with romantic things. Rudy treated Misty like a queen. Gave her flowers, danced, gave her a lovely dinner, gave her candy, before the night was over he even proposed to her. It was for the best. He loved her; Marie loved her. But the next day, everything had changed. During the battle, Misty showed her true color. Back then Rudy was young. He thought that he could find another. He thought that there would be another Misty. But in matters of the heart Rudy believed he was much, more mature then. Rudy understood what love was then. He also understood that he could never have Misty.

But as the years passed, things changed. Rudy hated himself as he thought back how bitter it became. Within his heart a hidden war was taking place. His feelings resurfaced. He wanted Misty. It became an obsession. He dreamt of her everyday. He pictured their wedding together. Him in a white tux, Misty in a beautiful white gown, her beautiful emerald eyes sparkles, as she becomes his wife. It was perfect. In his head he had it all planned out to last detail. It would be perfect. He wrote about it. He built a shrine for her in his head. No longer was Pokémon battles of any interest to him, but still he was the gym leader. He watched his Pokémon fall under the same spell he was. The spell of love, a love, you could never have. Rudy understood it all now. He had been so foolish. Whenever a female trainer came, he compared them to Misty. That might have been his downfall in love.

But now Rudy understood, it was more than love. Rudy scoffed. It might never have been love. Now that he thought of it. He wondered if it was more of a sense of jealously. When he first met Misty, she was with HIM. That naïve boy knew nothing of love, yet he had captured Misty's heart without knowing it. All along it had all been out of jealously. He looked up and saw Misty staring at him. Those glorious emerald eyes, that beautiful face yet it was strange how for once he saw past all that. He saw what he had seen so many years ago when he said good bye to her. He saw a friend.

Misty saw the change in the way that Rudy stared at her. She knew that he finally understood. Once again Misty asked Rudy the question. "Why did you do it?"

This time Rudy knew the answer. He knew it so well that it scared him. The true purpose had finally shown through. He was finally freed of the curse, the longing that he felt for more than a decade. "Cause I wanted to end it all," muttered Rudy.

Misty nodded. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Rudy… what do you feel about me?"

Rudy looked down. He would have bit his lip if he could. "Love…" Rudy saw the look that Misty gave him. "No… not that kind. Not that kind, not the kind I've being getting confused with. Love for a friend…" Rudy looked up, a looked of uncertainty. "We can still be friends… right?"

For once since it all happened Misty smiled. She nodded. "Yeah. Friends… but nothing more."

"Right."

Misty muttered as she looked down at Rudy. He had gone quiet. Misty felt pride in herself. She had freed Rudy from his longing. They were friends… only friends. They couldn't be anymore. She had already given her heart away to some one else. Someone, she was still waiting for.

"Misty."

"Hmm?" Misty turned around to see Rudy speaking again.

"I'm sorry that I've been acting like such a real jerk to you the last seven years. Guess… when I saw you again after so long. I couldn't contain it. I had to express it. But… but now I know. You never really loved me, did you Misty?"

The young woman sighed. She played with her fingers before answering. "When I first met you, I was smitten with your affections. I felt the same way you did. I was confused. You were the first person to show that kind of love, feelings to me…"

"Have you ever really loved me, ever Misty?"

Misty looked down. Her eyes closed. Rudy knew the answer. "No… no… I didn't love you…"

… The door to the room opened. Misty immediately turned around to find her friends barge in. Misty could see that Gary was pulling Jessie and James after him. "What's wrong?"

"They got something to admit."

"What?" asked Misty looking at Haruka. Gary immediately pushed Jessie and James forward. In one hand James held a camera in another a package.

"What?"

"I…"

A/N: I got some explaining to do. I was going to have Misty slap Rudy okay… but then I decided that this way would be better. A slap would do no good. Rudy would keep bugging Misty, so I had Misty tell Rudy the truth in a different way. Plus… this way I can let Rudy off easily. Hopeful it would make people like Rudy… a little bit. I kind of destroyed him with him going out with Misty. So I was trying… to get him back on everyone's good side. Yeah… that's it. See… see not a cliffhanger right… yeah I know I'm stretching the line a bit… but oh well. I know this is a cliffhanger. Guess I never could get off of doing cliffhangers.

See I told you it was corny. Just like I said before this chapter would be corny. I'm horrible at doing romance scenes. Really, really bad at them. Oh yeah I'm on Spring Break this week, so I should be able to write a lot more then a usually do. Maybe if you all get lucky I'll post two chapters this week instead of the usual one chapter.