Hey guys, I'm finally back with another chapter for this story! I'm so sorry that this chapter took so very long to get out, but I've been very extremely busy with college, especially this semester in particular. I also won't lie to you guys either, a lot of my free time recently has been eaten up by Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout 76, Let's Go Pikachu, and BFV. I've also been quite sick over winter break and haven't had the energy to do any writing. But now I'm finally back to get this new chapter out! This chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and will finally have Ash's battle against Misty, which I know you're all excited for! Then we'll be moving onto to the Indigo Plateau portion of this story.

**(PLEASE READ THE A/Ns, THEY'RE IMPORTANT!)**

P.S. I also recently started a Batman story, and I would love for you all to check it out and give me your feedback! It'll feature a BatmanxHarley QuinnxThird Mystery Girl (the mystery girl is revealed at the end of the first chapter) romance, and will be set in the Arkham video game universe, and it takes place after the events of the Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC. The story will show Harley's transformation into a hero and will lead into the events of Arkham Knight. So again, please check out the story and let me know what you think, it's called It's Still Possible to Turn Your Life Around.

P.P.S I just recently saw Spider-man Into the Spider-verse, and I have to say it might possibly be my new favorite superhero movie, definitely my favorite Spider-man movie, and quite possibly my favorite animated movie of all time. I'm not joking when I say this movie is Amazing! Spectacular! Superior! Ultimate! Or any other adjective used to describe Spider-man! Everything about this movie simply oozed style and creativity, from the abso-fucking-lutely jaw-dropping animation, the soundtrack, and the story and characters. This film was simply stellar and I can't sing its praises enough, it absolutely deserves all the glowing reviews it's been receiving. I know that Sony is already working on two possible sequels, one a more direct sequel, and one that is supposedly a spin-off centered around the female versions of Spider-man. All I can say is that if both those movies even have a damn ounce of the passion and creativity that went into this film they will both be fucking fantastic as well, and I cannot wait to see them in theaters when they eventually come out. If you listen to anything I say, GO SEE THIS MOVIE! If you love Spider-man, superheroes, comics, animation, or even just good movies in general, do yourself a favor and support this movie! Hollywood needs to see that movies like this are worth wild and that people want to see creative and amazing animated movies. If we're lucky Into the Spider-verse will open the door for more big budget animated comic book movies in the future. Also stick around for the end credits scene, because it's great and definitely opens the door for plenty of Spider-verse sequels.

P.P.P.S Into the Spider-verse got me so pumped that I even started writing my own little Spider-man fanfiction. It will be similar to my Batman story, nothing too long or serious. Our favorite Wallcrawler will definitely have a harem full of beautiful ladies from the Marvel universe, mainly from the various Spider-man series though. The story is called Spider-man: Love Across Dimensions, and I would love it if you all checked it out and gave me your thoughts.

Well, that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!

"Speech"

"Thought"

Pokemon Attack

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of its characters

(Five Days Later: Ten Miles Outside Cerulean City)

"So we're getting close to Cerulean City?" Dawn asked, setting down plates and bowls for everyone and the Pokemon. "We've been on the road for a few days now."

"Yes, we should be there in about three hours," Cilan replied as he looked back from a large amount of food he was cooking. "We'll hit the road once again after we've eaten and relaxed for a bit."

"Anyone else a little anxious about Ash's battle?" May asked everyone present, before joining Dawn in setting out utensil and glasses. "I can't help feeling a little on edge."

"Yeah, I have the same feeling," Dawn replied with a forced chuckle, as she placed down the last set of utensils. "I know Ash has been really mature dealing with the people who betrayed him...but I don't know...this is the last person...I just hope he doesn't do something rash."

"So this Misty chick was really important to Ash?" Hilda asked, taking a seat at the portable table that had been set up. "I've tried talking to Ash about the people who turned their backs on him a few times, but he's always changed the subject. It seems like it's a topic that he really doesn't like to discuss."

"You don't know the half of it," May said as she slowly shook her head. "Misty and Brock were the first people to travel with Ash when he started his journey, they traveled with him the longest too."

"They were both extremely important to him, and their betrayals hurt him the most," Dawn added, releasing a light sigh before a small smile spread across her face. "But I have to admit that Ash has been handling this situation extremely well. I think all the training he's done, and the time he spent away by himself, really helped him cope with his anger and come to terms with what happened to him."

"Yeah, we're lucky Ash waited until he did to start rechallenging the leagues...oh, sorry I just finished up doing some training with Ash and I couldn't help overhearing what you guys were talking about," Iris said as she walked up and joined the discussion, wiping some sweat off her brow with a towel. "But getting back to what I was saying...if Ash had started this new journey sooner things might have turned out much differently."

"I could tell that Ash was a ball rage and emotion the night he was betrayed," Cilan added putting the finishing touches on all the food. "I hate to think what might've happened if Dawn, May, Iris, and I weren't there for him that night. At least he knew that were still people that believed in him and his dream, people that loved him and wanted to see him succeed."

"Iris, you said that you were training with Ash?" Hilda asked, which caused the purple-haired woman to nod her head. "Then where is he?" Suddenly a massive bolt of lightning exploded off in the distance, sending various flying-type Pokemon scattering into the air. "Oh...I think we know where he is now."

"Yeah, he's still training with Anabel, Cynthia, and Flannery," Iris explained sitting down next to Hilda at the table. "As for Roxie...I think she's off trying to write some new music someplace that's a little bit more-" Another large explosion of electricity suddenly rang out, causing the ground to shake briefly. "...quiet."

"Well, they better get their asses back here soon," Burgundy said with an irritated huff as she set down a large pot soup on the center of the table. "Because I don't want to hear them complain if the food gets cold."

"Arceus, Ash really isn't holding back with his training." A new voice commented, causing everyone to turn around, surprised to see Roxie approaching them. The white-haired rocker had her guitar on her back and a notepad in her hand. "I'm glad I went somewhere else to try and get some songs written, there's no way I could've concentrated with that racket."

"Did you manage to come up with anything good?" Hilda asked as she leaned back in her chair. "Cause you were gone quite a while."

"Hell yeah, I managed to think up some real headbangers!" Roxie exclaimed with a toothy grin, holding up her worn-out notebook. "I can't wait to show this to my band members, it's gonna kill at our next gig!" Slipping the notebook back into her bag, Roxie glanced at everyone gathered around the table. "So I take it we have no clue when Ash will be back?"

"Actually I'm right here," Ash said from behind Roxie causing her to actually jump up in surprise. Whipping around, Roxie glared at Ash in annoyance, which caused a playful grin to spread across his face. "Sorry about that Roxie, it was too good to pass up." Patting Roxie on the head, which caused a light blush to dust across her cheeks, Ash walked over to the where everyone else was, with Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. The raven-haired trainer and his Pokemon practically began to drool when he saw the generous spread of food laid out on the table. "The food looks amazing as usual Cilan, and I'm fucking starving!"

"Well you can dig in...once everyone else is here," Cilan said setting down pitchers full of juice and water for everyone to drink. "We're still waiting on Anabel, Cynthia, and Flannery."

"Oh, they're right behind me," Ash said as he gestured behind himself with his thumb. "They were pretty worn out after we finished training, so they'll probably be a few more minutes." Just as Ash had predicted, two minutes later the last three members of the group arrived at the campsite. All three girls looked exhausted and slightly beat up, their hair was frizzy and standing up, while their clothes were completely disheveled. "There you guys are." Ash visibly flinched when the three girls all shot him an irritated glare. "I guess you guys didn't enjoy our training session..."

"I don't want to hear another word about it," Cynthia said in a frustrated tone before plopping down into a chair at the table and attempting to fix her hair. "It's going to take me forever to get my hair back to normal."

"Yeah Ash, your training was a little too intense today," Flannery said with a huff as she adjusted her misaligned clothes. "I know you really want to demonstrate your Pokemon's power against Misty, but don't take it out on us."

"I must agree with Cynthia and Flannery," Anabel added in an unusually annoyed voice, which Ash wasn't used to hearing from her. "You could have seriously hurt my Pokemon back there. You need to warn us beforehand if you're gonna go all out like that."

"Sorry about that girls," Ash said with a nervous chuckle rubbing the back of his head. "I just want to be prepared for this upcoming battle."

"Speaking of your battle, which Pokemon do you plan on using against Misty?" Iris asked as she leaned forward in her seat, resting her elbows on the table. "It looked like you were training with Pikachu, which is smart because of the type advantage you'll have."

"Oh, I'm not merely going for type advantage," Ash said with a smirk patting Pikachu on the head, which caused the Mouse Pokemon to coo in happiness. "If that's all I wanted, then there's plenty of other Pokemon I could be using. No, I'm gonna use Pikachu in this battle for personal reasons."

"What do you mean by that?" Dawn asked as she quirked an eyebrow in intrigue. "Is Pikachu special to Misty or something?"

"You could say something like that..." Ash replied, the smirk never leaving his face as he leaned forward in his seat. "Back when I first started on my journey, and I was still traveling with Misty and Brock...Pikachu would always refuse to battle against Misty, no matter how much I would beg him...Misty would even encourage him to battle her, but even then he still wouldn't..." A turned to grin at Pikachu, as he extended his fist towards his longtime partner. "But after what happened that's all changed...Pikachu is ready to fight this time...ain't that right buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered, as a fiery determination blazed in his eyes, holding out his tiny hand to bump fists with his trainer.

"That's what I like to hear!" Ash exclaimed, his grin widening as he allowed Pikachu to hop up onto his head. "We'll mop the floor with Misty and show her how wrong she was to doubt us, then after that, we'll take the Indigo Plateau Conference by storm!"

"Guess we really didn't have anything to worry about," May said quietly with a soft smile as she watched Ash happily play with Pikachu, both of them laughing loudly. "He really is just trying to put all that pain behind him and keep moving forward with his life."

"I'm just glad he can still smile and laugh like that after everything he went through," Hilda added resting her head on her palm. "I think most people would snap if they went through what Ash did, either becoming fueled by a desire for revenge or secluding themselves away from society."

"It's a really a testament to how truly strong Ash is," Cynthia said her smile half hidden by her flowing blond hair. "Not just as a trainer, but his heart as well."

"Yeah, I don't think I'd be able to do what Ash is doing now if I went through what he did," Dawn said gripping the pink fabric of her skirt. "Let alone forgiving the people who hurt me."

"Well we all need to just keep supporting Ash, and always have his back, especially in this final leg of his journey. I mean if he becomes champion of the Indigo League, he'll only have to conquer Jhoto after that." Iris said as she crossed her arms underneath her chest. "As long as he knows there's someone who still believes in him and is rooting for him, he'll have no problem winning all this and achieving his dream." Seeing the rest of Ash's girls nod in agreement to everything that had been said, Iris turned her attention back to the bountiful food spread out before them. "None let's dig in and eat, don't want all of Cilan and Burgundy's effort to got to waste!"

(Four Hours Later: Outside Cerulean City's Pokemon Gym)

"Here we are," Cilan said with a smile tucking his map back into his bag, with everyone gathered outside the gym's front steps. "Welcome to the Cerulean City gym!"

"Are you ready for this Ash?" Cynthia asked as she rested a comforting hand on her lover's shoulder. "This is an important battle, in more ways than one."

"Yeah, I'm ready to go!" Ash said with a smirk, punching his fist into his palm with a determined look blazing in his eyes. "Let's get this battle wrapped up and make our way to the Indigo Plateau!" Without another word, Ash began to make his way up the gym's steps but was stopped when the front doors suddenly opened up and three people stepped out of the gym.

"Well, well girls look who we have here." A familiar voice feminine voice said as the three newcomers walked up to Ash. "Well if it isn't Ash, it's been such a long time!"

"Oh my Arceus!" Dawn exclaimed in surprise, instantly recognizing the three women and sprinting up the gym's steps. "You're the Sensational Sisters!"

"Ah, are you a fan?" The blue-haired woman said with a smile and light chuckle, as she extended her hands towards Dawn. "It's always such a pleasure to meet our admirers."

"Of course I'm a fan!" Dawn cheered with a bright smile, eagerly shaking the blue-haired woman's hand. "My mother and I used to watch your performances all the time on TV! They were so great!"

"Oh, you're too kind." The blonde woman said with a laugh, as she waved dismissively.

"Lily, Violet, Daisy...it's great to see you ladies again, it's been quite a long time," Ash said with a smile doing his best to hide the nervous edge to his voice, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "How have you all been?"

"We've been just great, Ash dear!" Lily said with a smile, stepping forward and closely inspecting Ash from head to toe. "And I must say it really has been a long time...I don't remember you being this handsome..." Lily chuckled when she looked passed Ash and saw seven girls glaring at her in annoyance. "...or being such a ladies man."

"What happened to the dense little boy who would miss every signal a girl would send him?" Violet asked with a devious smirk as she slowly ran her hand down Ash's cheek, a teasing glint in her eyes. The raven-haired trainer gulped audibly when Violet stepped closer, her breasts almost pressing against his chest. "When was he replaced by such a strong and rugged looking man?"

"You two are horrible, stop teasing the man." Daisy with a frustrated huff, stepping between Ash and Violet, pushing her sister away from the raven-haired trainer. "I'm so sorry about that Ash, you know how those two are. They both just love to mess with people."

"It's fine Daisy, I'm pretty used to being teased," Ash said as he shot a look back at his group, causing all of them to turn their heads away from his gaze. "I'm sure you three can guess why I'm here."

"We have a pretty good idea." Violet teased, winking suggestively at Ash. "We've all been keeping a close eye on your little comeback tour through all the leagues. I must say that I've been rather impressed with your performance so far."

"All of you?" Ash asked as he quirked an eyebrow in intrigue. "Are you sure about that?"

"Oh my yes," Lily replied, picking up on who Ash was referring too. "She hasn't missed a single one of your matches on TV."

"She even recorded all of them and rewatches them constantly," Daisy added as she released a light sigh. "I think she's actually been dreading having to battle you...it seems to me that she regrets what she did to you all those years ago."

"Well I sure hope she does," Ash said in a mildly upset tone, taking a step towards the three sisters. "What Misty did really hurt me, more than the others. Her and Brock were my first traveling companions, they've been with me the longest. I thought they'd both always have my back, no matter what...but I guess I was wrong."

"Ash, don't be like that," Dawn said as she gently squeezed one of Ash's hands. "You've been really mature when dealing with the people who turned their backs on you, don't stop that now."

"You're right Dawn, I just want to finally put this all behind me," Ash said, releasing a heavy sigh. "If you three don't mind I'd like to get this battle over with."

"No problem Ash, I'll go and get Misty right now. I think finally confronting you about this whole mess will be good for her too," Daisy said as she gestured inside the gym. "You guys can head inside and wait for her, Lily and Violet will show you all the way."

"Alright, let's settle things," Ash muttered underneath his breath, following the three girls inside the gym.

( Two Minutes Later: Other Side of the Cerulean City Gym)

"Misty, you have a challenger come on out now," Daisy called out as she gently knocked on her youngest sister's door. After receiving no reply Daisy knocked on the door once again. "Misty?" Again Daisy heard no response, the only thing she could hear was the muffled sounds of Misty's TV. Realizing what was going on, Daisy groaned in frustration. "Alright Misty, I'm coming in!" Opening the door, Daisy wasn't surprised to see Misty curled up on her bed, not even paying attention to her as she walked over. When Daisy glanced at the TV she saw that a recording of Ash's battle against Wallace was playing. "You're watching this one again? This is like the tenth time."

"Just leave me alone," Misty grumbled, not taking her eyes off the screen. "I don't want to do anything today."

"Misty, you need to get out there, you have a challenger," Daisy said with a smile as she sat down on the bed next to her sister. "You don't want to disappoint them, do you?"

"Tell them to come back tomorrow," Misty said, getting underneath the covers of her bed. "I'm not battling anyone today."

"What if it was someone special?" Daisy asked her smirked widened when she saw Misty's head poke out from underneath the sheets. "Want to come out now?"

"Who's here?" Misty questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly. When Misty noticed Daisy subtly gesturing towards the TV screen, her eyes widened in shock. Instantly Misty threw the covers back over her head. "NO WAY! There's no way I can face him! He definitely hates me still!"

"Oh, come on Misty!" Daisy exclaimed as she yanked the covers off the bed, getting fed up with her sister's behavior. "You can't hide away from him forever! Eventually, you'll have to face him and from what I've heard he wants to bury the hatchet."

"Really?" Misty asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. "He isn't mad at me anymore?"

"I don't know about that, I can't imagine he's completely forgiven you yet," Daisy replied which caused a frown to spread across Misty's face. "But as I said, Ash seems to want to make amends and move past what happened between you two."

"I don't know..." Misty muttered, clasping her hands and staring down at her lap. "What do I say? It's been so long...and I really hurt his feelings...Arceus I was such an ass back then."

"Misty you're a big girl," Daisy said as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "You can't just run away from your troubles forever, you need to face them head-on. It's better to face Ash now instead of pushing it off even more if you keep avoiding him you're only going to worsen your already damaged relationship. But if you talk with him now you might be able to patch things up, and maybe one day you'll be able to be close friends again."

"I guess you're right..." Misty said, releasing a heavy sigh before she got off her bed. "I can't keep avoiding Ash...I just need to get out there and talk to him."

"Good girl," Daisy said with a warm smile as she ushered Misty towards the door. "They're all waiting for you at the battlefield, better not keep them waiting."

"Thanks sis," Misty said with a weak smile of her own, taking a deep breath to calm herself before making her way towards the gym's battlefield. "Alright, let's do this."

(Five Minutes Later: Cerulean City Gym's Battlefield)

"What's taking her so long..." Ash muttered to himself as he stared across the large pool at the battlefield's entrance, tapping his foot impatiently. "Is she really that nervous to see me again?" Just then the doors to the battlefield opened and in walked Misty, with Daisy trailing slightly behind her. As Ash watched Misty walk towards him, he took a moment to take in how she had changed since he'd last seen her. Her bright orange hair was considerably longer, with long bangs framing her face, the rest of her hair reaching down to her shoulders, and her side ponytail now reached all the way down to her elbow. Her usual attire hadn't changed at all, she still wore her rolled up jean shorts, red suspenders, and a yellow tank top. Next, Ash noticed slight bags underneath Misty's eyes, telling him that she wasn't getting much sleep. Lastly, Ash couldn't help but wince slightly when he saw that Misty was much skinnier than he remembered, and she wasn't a heavy girl to begin with. This told him that she also likely wasn't eating properly either, it didn't seem to be a problem yet but it was something he was worried about. "Damn, she looks pretty rough...she must really feel terrible about what happened...I can't let this go on any longer."

"H-Hey Ash..." Misty said in a nervous tone, smiling weakly as she avoided his gaze. The raven-haired trainer quickly noticed that Misty was trembling slightly. "Been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yeah it has Misty," Ash said as he approached the orange-haired gym leader. Stopping in front of Misty, Ash leaned forward and whispered to her. "I know this is kinda sudden after not seeing each other for so long, and not leaving on the best terms, but can we talk in private for a minute?"

"Uh...sure thing..." Misty said in a somewhat nervous tone, following Ash to the other side of the pool, away from where everyone else could hear them. "What did you want to talk about? Are you going to tear me a new one for what I did to you? Because if you are I won't stop you, I really deserve it after hurting you as I did..."

"No Misty, nothing like that..." Ash said before he placed a hand on Misty's shoulder, causing her to flinch slightly. "Is everything okay? You don't look so good Misty, I didn't want to say anything with everyone else around. You just look so tired and it doesn't seem like you're eating properly."

"After what I did to you...you're actually worrying about me?" Misty muttered, moments before tears welled up in her eyes. The orange-haired gym leader hid her face in her hands, tears now freely streaming down her cheeks. "How can you even look at me? I wasn't there for you when you needed my encouragement...You put your trust in me and I stabbed you in the back. You should hate me and never want to speak to me again."

"I'm not going to lie Misty, that's exactly how I used to feel. If we had met a few years ago I'd still be furious with you and I might've done something really irrational and stupid. You have no idea how much you guys hurt me, I thought I could believe you guys but you turned your backs on me..." Ash said as a sad smile spread across his face. "But luckily there were still people who loved and believed in me, without them I'd probably be a much more spiteful man. But over the years I learned that constantly dwelling on the past was holding me back and that I needed to start moving forward. I still plan to show you all that it was wrong to doubt me, I will become a Pokemon Master...but I don't want to spend the rest of my life hating you guys, plotting ways to earn petty revenge..." By now Ash's smile turned into a full-blown grin. "I'd much rather see all your faces when I'm crowned Pokemon Master and prove to everyone that you were wrong to doubt me...that'll be sweeter than any revenge could be."

"So...you don't hate me?" Misty asked hesitantly, sniffling several times before she started to wipe away her tears. "I still have a chance to save our friendship?"

"No Misty, I don't hate you...at least not anymore..." Ash said which caused the orange-haired trainer's face to light up in excitement. But Ash decided to cut her off before she could get her hopes too high. "However, I still can't forgive you for what you did to me Misty...and I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully trust you again..." Misty's happy demeanor instantly vanished when she heard this. "But I'm willing to let you back into my life, even possibly be friends again...and given enough time...I might be able to trust you again one day."

"I guess that's a start..." Misty said, a small smile spreading across her face. "I'm just glad that you don't hate me anymore, now I can work on rebuilding our relationship."

"I'd like that," Ash said as he extended his hand towards Misty. "Friends?"

"Friends," Misty said, fresh tears forming in her eyes as she smiled and shook Ash's hand. "Now...I think it's safe to assume that you're really here for a gym battle?"

"That would be great," Ash replied as Pikachu hopped up onto his shoulder. "After I beat you we're heading to the Indigo Plateau."

"Oh, you may have grown up, but it seems like you're still the same cocky little kid on the inside," Misty said with a smirk, some of her usual sassiness pouring out. "You think you can beat me that easily?"

"I don't think I'll have any problems." Ash countered with a cocky grin as he patted Pikachu's head. "This battle will be over in five minutes."

"We'll see about that," Misty said, chuckling lightly as she gestured towards the pool battlefield behind her. "Put your money where your mouth is Ketchum."

(Two Minutes Later)

"This will be an official three-on-three battle between the challenger Ash Ketchum!" Violet called out, giving the raven-haired trainer a suggestive wink, which caused his cheeks to flush slightly. "And the gym's leader, my little sister, Misty!" Hearing the teasing tone in her older sister's voice, Misty simply rolled her eyes in response. "Are you both ready to start!?" Seeing both trainers nod their heads, Violet gestured for the battle to begin. "Then will both trainers please bring out their first Pokemon!"

"Alright Ash, let's get things started!" Misty cheered as she threw out a Pokeball. "Come on out, Starmie!" In a bright flash of white light, the Mysterious Pokemon appeared in front of Misty, its red gem glowing faintly.

"Wow, looks like you finally decided to evolve your Staryu," Ash commented with a smile, closely observing the evolved Pokemon. "It looks a lot stronger now."

"Yeah, I figured it was about time," Misty said as she gently patted one of Starmie's limbs. "Staryu wanted to get stronger, so I decided to use a water stone and help it out."

"Well it definitely looks stronger, that's for sure," Ash said before turning his head to look at Pikachu, who was perched on his shoulder. "Okay Pikachu, I choose you! Time to get out there and do some work!"

"You're using Pikachu?" Misty asked as she quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "I thought Pikachu didn't like to battle against me?"

"Pikachu has grown a lot since you last saw him," Ash explained with a grin, the yellow Mouse Pokemon hopping off his shoulder and onto one of the floating platforms in the pool, his red cheeks crackling with electricity. "He's gotten a lot stronger and you'll see that he's got no problem battling you now."

"You may have a type advantage, but you'll need more than that to beat me." Misty declared as Starmie leaped into the pool, causing a large splash of water. "I've specifically trained my Pokemon to better withstand electric-type attacks."

"We'll see about..." Ash muttered with a smirk as gazed at Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon nodding at him. "Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Getting down on all fours, Pikachu's entire body began to buzz and crackle with electricity. Moments later Pikachu fired off a large burst of lightning, aimed directly at Starmie.

"Starmie, dodge and get out of the pool!" Just before Pikachu's attack struck, Starmie leaped out of the water and narrowly dodged the bolt of electricity. "Now use Hydro Pump!" With its back appendages spinning and its red gem glowing, Starmie fired a massive stream of water at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use Thunder!" Leaping into the air above the floating platform, Pikachu's small body was immediately encased in powerful lightning. Misty watched in shock as Pikachu unleashed a massive blast of lightning. When the stream of electricity hit Starmie's Hydro Pump, the blast of water was instantly blown away. Pikachu's immensely powerful Thunder easily pushed through the Hydro Pump and struck Starmie. The Mysterious Pokemon howled out in pain as electricity coursed through its body, doing massive amounts of damage. When Pikachu landed softly back on the floating platform, Starmie crashed back into the pool face down.

"Oh my, that didn't look good..." Violet muttered underneath her breath as she walked up to the pool's edge to get a better look at Starmie. After not seeing any movement from the Pokemon for several seconds, Violet decided to call the match. "Starmie is unable to battle, the winner is Pikachu! Misty, please bring out your next Pokemon!"

"Good job Starmie, you tried your best..." Misty said with a small smile, returning her unconscious Pokemon and grabbing another Pokeball. "Ash wasn't kidding, Pikachu has gotten way stronger...I know I have no chance of winning this battle...but I can't just forfeit...this battle is something we both need...it'll be good for both of us..." Chuckling softly, Misty tossed out her second Pokemon. "Corsola, let's get out there!" In an explosion of bubbles, Corsola appeared and landed in the gym's pool.

"Corsola, eh?" Ash asked as he stroked his chin, watching the Coral Pokemon swim around the pool. "Has decent defense stats, so not a bad choice, but I don't think that'll help very much."

"Ah, quit talking and start battling," Misty said with a smirk as she glanced at Violet, signaling for the next battle to start. "Corsola use Rock Blast!" The Coral Pokemon leaped several feet out of the water, firing several medium-sized boulders at Pikachu.

"Use Iron Tail to send those rocks right back!" Flipping into the air with his tail glowing brightly, Pikachu swatted each boulder back at Corsola at an incredible speed. Unprepared for the unusual counter, most of the rocks ended up hitting Corsola, although they didn't do very much damage. "Now use this opening to attack with Volt Tackle!" While still in the air, Pikachu's body became encompassed in flowing electricity. Then to Misty's astonishment, Pikachu rocketed towards Corsola, moving so fast that the Mouse Pokemon appeared to be running on the water's surface. Then Pikachu slammed into Corsola, flooding its body with electricity before sending it flying across the pool. Violet yelped in surprise as Corsola went sailing past her, landing several feet outside the pool.

"Ouch, that didn't look good..." Violet said, inhaling through her teeth as she approached Corsola. Standing over the Coral Pokemon, Violet could see that it was definitely unconscious. "Corsola is unable to battle, the winner is Pikachu! Misty, please send out your last Pokemon!"

"Nice try Corsola, you gave it your best shot..." Misty said with a light sigh as she returned Corsola and grabbed her final Pokeball. "Let's just get this over with...I want to finally get this whole ugly mess over with and try to fix my mistakes..." Enlarging the Pokeball, Misty tossed it over the pool. "Come on out, Gyarados!" Letting out a ferocious roar, the Atrocious Pokemon landed in the pool, kicking up a large amount of water. Spotting Pikachu on the other side of the pool, Gyarados let out another mighty roar to try an intimidate the smaller Pokemon. However, the small yellow Mouse Pokemon stood defiantly, completely unfazed by Gyarados' ferocious bellowing.

"I figured Gyarados would be your last Pokemon, still looks as strong as ever..." Ash said with an approving nod, a smirk soon spreading across his face. "But why don't we take things a step further...why don't you mega evolve Gyarados?"

"How did you-"

"I noticed the keystone in your bracelet," Ash explained with a cheeky grin, showing off his own keystone. "I have one too."

"Are you sure, Ash?" Misty asked as she quirked an eyebrow. "Gyarados can be pretty nasty when it mega evolves."

"Bring it on, I want to face your strongest Pokemon," Ash said, beckoning Misty to use her mega stone. "Give me everything you've got Misty!"

"Alright, you asked for it, Ash!" Misty exclaimed as she pressed the keystone on her bracelet, instantly bathing Gyarados in bright pink light. When the pink light died down Mega Gyarados towered menacingly over Pikachu, his shadow completely eclipsing the small Pokemon. "You ready, Ash?"

"You bet your ass I am!" Ash cheered, twisting his hat backward. "Pikachu, rush in and Volt Tackle!" Charging his body with electricity once again, Pikachu charged towards Gyarados.

"Gyarados, use Surf!" Letting out a brief roar, the water surrounding Gyarados began to churn, before a large wave of water raced towards Pikachu. Instead of trying to avoid the wave of water, Pikachu simply charged into it. Seconds after Pikachu disappeared into the wave, the water exploded in a burst of electricity with the Mouse Pokemon still rocketing towards Gyarados. Pikachu slammed into Gyarados' stomach, knocking the massive Pokemon back several feet. Gyarados howled in pain, powerful electricity coursing through its body. But, unlike the previous two battles, Gyarados managed to tough it through Pikachu's first attack and was still standing.

"Way to stay strong Gyarados, now use Dragon Tail!" Fighting through the pain, Gyarados bellowed out and swung its glowing tail at Pikachu.

However, to Misty's utter shock, Pikachu grabbed ahold of Gyarados' tail mid-swing. Then using Gyarados' own momentum, Pikachu spun the Atrocious Pokemon around, and in an amazing display of strength, threw it out of the pool. Gyarados was practically helpless as it flew through the air and slammed into the ground. Stunned by what had just happened, Gyarados flopped around on the ground beside the pool, its massive size causing the entire gym to shake.

"Now Pikachu, finish this with Thunder!" Landing back on one of the floating platforms, Pikachu fired off a massive stream of electricity. When Thunder hit Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokemon roared in pain, his entire body jittering in pain. When the lightning died down Gyarados wasn't moving anymore and appeared to be singed slightly.

"Yeah, I don't even need to walk over there to confirm this..." Violet said as she threw up her hands, signaling that the battle was over. "Gyarados is unable to battle, the winner is Pikachu! Since all of Misty's Pokemon have been defeated, the winner is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"Aha! Great job buddy!" Ash exclaimed with a large smile, with Pikachu jumping into his arms. Both were laughing as Ash hugged Pikachu against his chest. "You were amazing out there Pikachu! You really showed off how strong you've gotten!"

"That's for sure..." Misty said with a small smile as she walked up to both Ash and Pikachu, with her hands clasped behind her back. "You've gotten so much stronger in only a few years...both of you."

"Thanks Misty," Ash said, patting Pikachu on the head. "Glad to see you recognizing my skills."

"Yeah...took me long enough..." Misty muttered quietly as she began to nervously rub her arm. "Listen Ash...about what happened between us...I'm-"

"You don't have to say anything Misty," Ash said with a soft smile, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I can tell how sorry you are...so let's just move passed apologies and work on making things right."

"I'd like that...I'd like that very much..." Misty said as she bit her bottom lip to fight back her tears. "I know you can't forgive me yet Ash...and I know this probably won't mean much...but I'll be rooting for you on the rest of your journey...I know you'll become Pokemon Master one day."

"That's all I wanted to hear," Ash said, shaking Misty's hand before giving her a brief hug, something that she wasn't prepared for. "Make sure to take care of yourself Misty...and once I finish my journey maybe I can stop by and we can hang out...catch up a little."

"I look forward to it," Misty said as she tried to control her flushed face. "Well you guys better get going, it's starting to get late."

"See ya around Misty! Violet, Lily, Daisy, see you, girls, later!" Ash called out to the four girls, following his group out of the gym.

"Are you fine with how things turned out?" Daisy asked as she walked up next to Misty.

"Yeah...I'm just glad he doesn't hate me and wants to try and work things out between us..." Misty said with a sad smile, watching Ash's group exit the gym.

"So you're not upset that you didn't get to tell him how you feel about him?" Daisy prodded as she wrapped a comforting arm around her younger sister's shoulders. "I mean he had all those pretty girls around him...and you know they're all together..."

"I'm glad Ash was able to find girls that love him, he needed all the love he could get after what he did to him..." Misty said, staring down at her feet. "Besides I don't deserve to be with Ash after how I hurt him...I don't think I'll ever be able to rebuild that trust between us...for now I'd rather just be his friend again and stay by his side."

(Outside the Gym: With Ash's Group)

"Well that went much better than expected," Cilan said as he looked up from his map. "I must say I'm impressed with how you handled that situation with Misty."

"Yeah, you were very mature Ash..." Cynthia said with a smile, before kissing her lover on the cheek. "You even seemed to help Misty out, she looked kinda rough."

"I'm just glad this whole fucking mess is finally behind me," Ash said as he released a long breath, gazing at the road ahead of them. "Now there's only one more major obstacle standing in my path towards becoming Pokemon Champion..." Tightly balling his fists, Ash shifted his gaze towards the clear sky overhead. "I'm going to take that bastard Tobias down and I'm going to free those legendary Pokemon he's abusing."

"Next stop, the Indigo Plateau!" May cheered with a large smile as she pumped her fist into the air, causing the rest of the group to cheer as well.

And done! Again I am so sorry this chapter took so long to get out, but again I've just been so extremely busy the passed with months that doing any writing has been a real challenge. Well, the next chapter will start the Indigo Plateau portion of this story. Then once that is finished we can get to Johto and head into this story's final stretch. I have to work on my other stories first before I start writing this one again, so I can't guarantee the next chapter will be out soon, but it will be out eventually, just be patient. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK), check out my other stories and my profile, and lastly send me any ideas you might have for any of my fics. So until next time, I'm outta here!