A/N: Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen nasi! I know there's really no excuse for me not posting for a practically two freaking months. I never expected to be so darn busy these last two months. High school's taken a toll on me badly and my parents… they've been bugging me to study for the PSAT. So AHH!! I've been really stressed lately. And what happened a couple of episodes ago in Pokémon, Japanese version, didn't help either. Those who follow the Japanese version know what I'm talking about. Don't want to spoil it for those that don't know. Any ways finally after about two months… here's chapter 28.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Reviewer's Comments:

Kit Kat::: Eep! No telling. The 'thing', right, the thing at the first chapter… it'll be back… later. Hmm… maybe… but first I need more Pokémon in this fic… to get a POV. But the way I have the rest of this fic planed I don't think I'm going to… till maybe much later… near the climax. This chapter is longer than 10 pages so is the next chapter. Yep! Ash is back… finally! Thanks for the review.

GoldamonX::: A new reviewer! Yay! Legendary Pokémon. Right! Hmm… I can't tell you whose side they are on… cause that's a big SPOILER!! Sorry. But I can tell you this… hmm… it'll be revealed later, and

they all play a big part in the final battle… even Mewtwo. Thanks for the review, and I hope you will continue to read and review this fic.

Hawaiian Potagee::: A new reviewer! Yay! Really?! This fic inspired you to want to watch Pokémon again?! Wow! I'm deeply honored now! Hmm… sorry I made Ash all cold like that. Stuff happened to him… bad stuff. And that he had or Misty wouldn't have listened to him. Thanks for the review, and I hope you will continue to read and review this fic.

Stuart::: Another new reviewer! Whoa! I got a lot last chapter! Sure thing and thanks! Thanks for the review, and I hope you continue to read and review this fic.

The Crystal Wyvern::: Wow! The four new reviewers! I'm really happy now!! Whoa! That long! Unfortunately I'm only half way though. But it needs to be that long. I haven't exactly explained any of the mysteries that I placed in, in the past chapters. Thanks for the compliment and the review, and I hope you will continue to read and review this fic.

Labannya::: Whoa! Really! I didn't know FFN did slicing of reviews that much! Oh! Currently… he's not going any way unless I decided to do an ending change… I'm at a 50/50 chance of changing the ending… unfortunately. Really? Someone wrote a fic… a really long one in 5 days? I wish I had that kind of talent and time that way this fic can get done sooner… like more fluent postings. Thanks for the review.

Etherelemental::: Hmm… yeah. I've decide on simplicity too. Hmm… are the Pokémon dead or alive? That'll be explained in the next chapter -. - Yeah I know. Sorry. Sorry. I know. The chapter amount is scaring me too right now. But I need that much or maybe more now that I think about it. -. - Thanks for the review.

Melani::: Really? It was dramatic to you? As long as it was too somebody. Then I'm happy. White bird? Lugia? Could be. Oh. I miss middle school a lot right now. If I was in middle school right now, I could probably post faster too. Salver your years in middle school. You're going to miss them once high school starts. Homework! Too much homework! Thanks for the review.

KristiexxNguyen::: Another new reviewer! Yay! Thanks for the compliment and review, and I hope you will continue to read and review this fic,

ZetaBee::: No problem as long as I know you haven't given up on this fic. You know something. I was actually going to be mean at first and made another plot change and bring Ash back later. But I decided that would have made this fic even longer, so I decided against it. Aren't we all happy I did? Thanks for the review.

Crystalstorm21::: That's good. Thanks for the review.

Jarzard::: Interesting theory. Wait till you read… hmm… my idea. You'll all be in for a surprise… hopefully. I hope I didn't give it away too much in this chapter. :curse self for all the coughhintcough: Thanks for the review.

AAMF::: Poor you. Hmm… main plot. Err… I guess I could tell you some of it. It's about a group, Team Thunderbolt, who's trying to live in a world where Pokémon have gone evil. And the only way to live is the destroy the one thing that all use to love… Pokémon. And then there are all these main characters will love problems and such that have… err… unfortunately taken over most of the fic. The thing in the prologue. No, I haven't forgotten about it. It'll be explained in some flashback much later. It's important… later. Thanks for the review.

SulliMike23::: Wow! Amazing. Hmm… does Ash know or not? Is he still as dense as even he was younger? Hmm… can't tell… sorry. But I will tell… later. Thanks for the review.

Chapter 28

The touch… the kisses… the heat… the moans coming from a young woman's lips. Pain leaves her throbbing body. The blood that ran through her skin was licked away. The warmth, the comfort, she groans. Pleasure fills her waking soul.

She moans… wanting more.

The action stops.

A small giggle is heard. A hand… no a finger tracing over her lips… entangling them… outlining them. She groans… raising her hands she joins them with his. Their breathing quickens… the air around them thickens. Their bare bodies lay as one… his over hers. She giggles… a thin blanket entangled between the two. A kiss is shared.

Her eyes close… falling into that of deep slumber…

Misty's POV

Falling… falling… falling into that of deep trance once again.

I awake… but I don't open my eyes. I don't want to open my eyes. That dream, it was so vivid. That recurring dream, that I always have once a month. I get to spend time with him… my love. For one night, I have time with him, but this time… this time was different. The heat, the kisses, the touches… this time was the most vivid. I try not to blush at my experience.

The night… it runs though my mind once more. Him… carrying me into the bedroom. The door locks… locking away all intruders. The shyness, the temptation… it starts like always. The boiling to the maximum... the breaking point to that of ecstasy… then… then… I wake up. Always… I wake up…but… but this time… that didn't happen. I fell asleep this time. It was so different this time… this time we actually got to the kiss.

Normal POV

Misty sighs… knowing that she had to wake up… but oh how she wished. She didn't. She groans once before opening her eyes. Her vision is a blur as she strains to clear her vision… making out only that of a yellow blur… and… a human by it. A human! Her mind registers her thoughts… her vision immediately coming into a focus. A yelp of surprise leaves her mouth as she bolts up. The covers are drawn over her. She makes out the human… hunched over her desk… asleep… covered in one of her spare blankets. Small snoozing sounds come from its mouth. She looks at the human… its figure. A drop in her stomach immediately occurs as she realizes something strange about this figure… something holy… inhuman about it.

She immediately shakes her head… closing her eyes. She opens them again and finds the premonition gone. Her brow deepens once again before realizing what's before her… someone else is in her room. Her body freezes trying not to let out a scream. She aims for her nightstand where a spare gun is kept. She grabs the gun. Gripping the gun and the blanket around her she stands up and walks to the figure.

Only then did she notice something beside it. The yellow blur that she first saw… the thing she forgotten when she saw him. She squints her eyes and stares at it. The sleeping figure… it too, is wrapped in a small, yellow blanket. She continues to stare, stunned… unable to recognize what it is. Movement escapes from the blanket as a small yellow ear pops out… then another… then a head. Its are closed eyes, then open. Its nose twitches. Misty walks around the figure who she has now totally forgotten. The yellow bundle catches her eyes. She stares at it. It stares at her. Neither showing recognition of the other.

Silence unfolds for minutes. A mutual game of non-blinking is being displayed, till the yellow bundle breaks the silence. A wide grin appears on its face. Leaping from its blanket and aiming for Misty's arms, it cries out a joyously, "Pikachupi!" Stunned and on intuition, the gun falls from Misty's right hand, and she immediately catches the yellow fur ball… still not showing recognition of any sort.

The small creature grins, nudging Misty playfully. Still Misty stays in awe. Once again the creature repeats what it said before. "Pikachupi."

"Pikachupi," mumbled Misty under her breath. "Pika… Pikachu! Ahh!" She lets out a loud scream, throwing the creature into the air and backing away. Her body trembles as she inches to the wall. She falls to the floor grabbing her gun before she slides to the wall. Such an action, she is all too familiar with. It's the law of survival now. The creature simply thinking that Misty wants to play lands playfully on her bed. Small bolts of lightning appear from its cheeks. It grins happily.

"Pikachu," whines a voice. She stops trembling. Her heart pounds loudly, afraid that at any second it'll pop out of her chest. She grips the gun tightly, cocking it. Her hand is millimeters away from the trigger. She looks up. The human, who had been asleep on her desk, is now awake. She looks at him… and studies him. He's much taller than Misty has expected him to be… towering a bit over six feet. Messy raven black hair covers his head. A pair of amber eyes glazes down at her. His eyes sparkle from the light shining into the room. A smile is placed upon his face. She watches as the Pikachu jumps onto his shoulders. The young man playfully rubs the spot between his ears. He whispers a few well-chosen words to the Pokémon. Misty watches in horror at the Pokémon reaction. Its face is covered in sadness. This Pokémon actually shows emotion! Dear lord! This emotion… it'll give rage a whole new meaning. She looks up. Diverting from her thoughts and sees the young man looking at her.

He chuckles before speaking. "Geez Mist! What's up with you and guns? If you keep this gun happy thing going, people are going to get scared of you," said the man teasingly. "You don't want to turn out like that warden we met a nearly a decade back in the Safari Zone in Fuchsia, now, do you?"

"I am not, ASH KETCHUM! I happen to be a very respectable and a well rounded person here!" shouted Misty.

A small chuckle left the young man's lips. "Still have that spunk in ya, huh Mist?"

"Hey that's what suppose to mean, ASH? Ash… ASH!" Realizing what she had been saying… tears ran from her eyes. Immediately she runs to Ash. The force and unexpected action once again caused him to hit the ground. Ash groans as he hit the floor from Misty's weight. A small sigh releasing from his mouth.

"Are we going to do this every time you see me, Mist? Cause if we do, I really got to see about getting a hard hat," said Ash jokingly.

Ignoring his comment, Misty continued to hug him lovingly. "You're back, Ash. You're really, really back," she mumbled.

Ash's heart melts as he nods. A depressed kind of look appearing upon his face but not long enough for Misty to catch it. "Yeah. I'm back, Mist. I'm back." He muttered. He enwraps his arms around his love… cuddling her close as he managed to get into a sitting place. Misty moves into that of a sitting/ leaning position against Ash.

She turns away from him to the Pikachu that's sitting beside him. An amused look is upon the Pokémon's face. It studies the two humans, intertwine as one. Misty tightens her grip further on Ash. Her eyes never leaving the Pokémon. She slides a glance at Ash. His expression tells her nothing. Her curiosity gets the better of her as she speaks. "Ash?"

"Hmm?" muttered Ash.

"Is… this Pikachu… the one…?"

Looking down at Misty, his brow furrows before quickly easing back to normal. He slides a brief glance towards the Pokémon. A mutual understanding is shared between the two… confusing Misty even more.

"Yeah."

"But? How?" Her voice shows confusion. Intrigued by why Pikachu is still… normal. How? How is that possible? Sure, Ash has a certain bond with Pikachu. But was it enough to make it not turn… against him?

Ash sighs. He looks away. Troubled by a way to answer Misty's response. He wasn't ready… he wasn't ready to tell her what had happened to him… yet. But deep down he knew he had too. He knew his secret would soon be revealed… but he wished beyond wishing that she wouldn't discover it on her own. "Can we discuss it later? Just trust me on this one thing. Pikachu's good… real good. He'll never betray me or any of us."

Misty nodded. Understanding that whatever happened these last eight years, he wasn't ready to tell her yet. But she knew he was sincere on telling her to trust him. She did trust him, a lot. Slowly her breathing softened and slowed down to a couple breaths a minute as she falls into that of deep slumber within Ash's arms. The young man sighs. Looking at the woman that had given him hope all these years… the woman that had claimed his heart. He entangles a piece of her long, fiery orange hair around his fingers, playing with it.

He looks at her… studying her image. His heart burning with love. She had grown up glorious… just as he has expected. He looks at Pikachu. A small smile had claimed the Pokémon's face. For once in a long time, it was happy because its trainer was finally happy. Reverting back to Misty, he watches her for a couple of minutes. Liking what she was doing, he too follows in suit, as did the Pokémon by his side. Together the three fall into sleep, dreaming of tomorrow.

Hours had past before Ash re-awoke. He groaned as he stretched, loosing his stiff muscles. That's when he realized that Misty wasn't there anymore and neither was Pikachu. Curious at where the two had gone Ash walked around Misty's suite admiring her home for the first time. Surprised at how many pictures in the room are of him and Misty. He couldn't help but chuckle at their first picture together. Taking the crystal picture frame into his hands, he looked at it. The picture was old, but within the picture frame it looked brand new. Holding the frame in one hand, he reaches into his back pocket pulling out an old wallet. From it he finds what he was looking for, the same picture, only his is in much worse shape. The once colored picture had long lost its brightness. The picture he possess truly sawed that over a decade had gone by since the day they took this picture… twelve years and four months to be exact. Ash stuck his copy back into his wallet as he continued to look at the one that Misty had framed.

He remembered that day clearly… as if it had happened just yesterday. It was their first dance together. The first time that he saw her hair down, the first time he saw her in a kimono… and boy did she look cute in it! They were so young then. He was just ten and she, twelve. Neither had entered puberty, and besides she was still sore over the bike that Ash owed her, and to this day nearly thirteen years later he still hadn't paid her back for that bike he… Pikachu cremated.

Placing the picture frame back, Ash continued to explore Misty's suite. It was huge which Ash soon discovered. There were three bedrooms, a kitchen, a huge living room, a small utility room and two bathrooms. Making his way to the last bathroom, he found a faint trace of light griming through the door frame. Thinking that Misty forgot to turn off the night, he barged into the room… only to find it not at all unoccupied. There in big Jacuzzi bathtub was Misty floating in a tub full of bubbles. Beside her sat, on an overhanging, Pikachu also covered in bubbles. Misty was currently scrubbing the rodent's back finding much dirt and bloodstains had covered its fur.

Surprised, just as he was backing away knocked over Misty's tube of toothpaste. Cringing knowing that Misty probably heard him. He tried to back away only to be stopped midway. "Ash!" Said Misty grinning. The young man looking defeated turned back around.

"Yeah, Mist?" He gulped hard, walking back into the bathroom. His face blushing badly in that of twenty different shades of red. An old habit overcame him as he scratched the back of his neck, his face still looking down at Misty's tiled floor.

A small giggle escapes from Misty's mouth. Lazily she gets out of the tub and sits on the edge of it at the end closest to Ash. In her hands held a hand full of soap bubbles. "Hmm… oh Ash. You're so funny. We've been a couple for so long, yet you still refuse to look me in the eye when I'm bathing. Why Ash?"

"Err… err," mumbled Ash. The red glow around his face intensified.

Misty rolled her eyes before sinking back into the tub. A small chuckle left the rodent that was beside her. "I'll let you off this time cause… cause it's Christmas."

"Christmas?" asked Ash bewildered. He immediately looked up… surprised. "It's Christmas already?"

"Yeah… it's been Christmas for over…" Misty looked at her side-wall where a large clock was mounted. "Fifteen hours."

"It's three already?" asked Ash bewildered.

"Yeah, you lazy bum. So you want to take to a bath before the second half of the Christmas party tonight?"

"Christmas party?"

"Yeah… it's a tradition here. All my… I mean our old friends gather together in Masera…" Looking up and seeing a confused look on Ash's face she sighed… "I mean what you once knew as Pallet…"

"Pallet?! Pallet wasn't destroyed?"

"No, it…" Confusion filled Misty's face. How does Ash know Pallet was destroyed? Sure… everyone knows its destroyed… but how did Ash find out? He's been… been somewhere.

"You wonder how I know that Pallet was destroyed?" asked Ash seeing the sudden look of deep thought appear upon Misty's face.

"Well… yeah."

"I saw it… or what remains of it… a few years back," responded Ash. "Mist."

"Hmm."

"Please don't ask me what happened to me all these years… yet. Promise?" asked Ash hopefully. Upon his face was that of his famous puppy dog look that always broke Misty's heart. Even now when he wasn't a child anymore but instead in his early twenties. It still worked like charm.

"I…"

"Please?"

Misty nodded simply. A smile appeared on the young man's face once again.

"Thanks Mist. But about the party… I don't think I should go."

"Why?"

"Because… well because… you know. I kind of just showed up yesterday. You think I should make an appearance at something this big?"

"Hmm… Ashy." Misty sighed at his response knowing that everyone would question her if Ash didn't show up. With the big mouth that Haruka had, it wouldn't at all be a surprise if everyone already know about Ash's 'dramatic' entrance this morning. "You know you want to, besides when's a better time to get reacquainted with your friends than on Christmas. Come on you know you want to."

"Well… I guess. I'll leave you to finish washing and stuff. Think I'll hit the village and see if I can pick up a suit for the party now that I'm going and all. Come here Pik." The Pokémon gave a cha of good bye to Misty before following his trainer out the bathroom.

Misty nodded, watching Ash leave. His words had surprised her. How did he know she was about to ask him that? Then again it probably wasn't something unexpected. "Mist!" Came a voice from her leaving room.

"Yeah, Ash?" she shouted back.

"Where's your house key?"

"There's no key to this room. It's a number lock."

"Oh! Well, what's the number?

"08232017!" shouted Misty. Wonder if he'll realize the importance of it.

"Very funny, Mist. Very funny!"

"What is?" asked Misty innocently.

"Using the date we parted as your door code!"

He remembered! "Yeah! Well it was the easiest number to remember!" shouted Misty. She could have sworn she held a light chuckling coming from the young man before he slammed the door shut. "You still don't know how to close a door do you, Ashy boy?" muttered Misty under her breath as she sunk back into her tub, being once again covered fully in the bubbles. She sighed as all her tense and wishful thinking over the past seven years start to ease away. No longer did she have to go to bed alone at night. No longer would she become depressed every time she saw someone happy with their love. No longer would Haruka or any of her friends have to worry about her sanity. No longer would she be dream or wish for Ash to return to her arms. Now he was finally here, yet... yet she still didn't feel complete.

Misty's POV

But why? Why do I think… feel unhappy? Why? Ash is here. He's back. But why? Why do I still have this empty feeling inside. Is it because… because seven years have passed… and in these seven years I have fully become a woman? Seven years ago I was still young… just leaving my teenage years. But… but these seven years, they have changed me. I've become more responsible… I know the true meaning of life and death. I've killed so many things these years. Could it be that… that… I don't love him as much as I thought I did? I mean… Ash has grown up too. He was only sixteen when we parted. He was so young and naïve then. Now… that seven years have passed… even Ash is no longer a child. He's already twenty-three. Ash, twenty-three, why doesn't those words sound like they go together?

Sure, he still has his childhood nature in him… but he has grown a lot too. The way he acts… the way he looks. This coldness and sadness… he doesn't know that I've noticed it… but I have. So much has happened… we've been apart for so long. Can we possibly pick up all the pieces and continue where we left off? Can we possibly be like we once were? So much has happened to us… so much that we don't know about the other.

Could… could it be that I don't love him as much as I thought it did? Could it be that… that I lead myself to believe that I loved him more than life itself… but I don't? Could… could it be?

A/N: Waa! :ducks a tomato: Don't hurt me please!! I know! I know! These thoughts must be running though your head. Like, 'she brought Ash back, but Misty is doubting her love for him.' Yeah! I know! More problems, but these thoughts play a pretty big part later. Any ways please review! It helps me post and write faster!!