Brock, Misty and Pikachu ran through the woods, the soft glow of the moonlight the only thing that made the outlines of distant trees visible. Brock was in the lead with a flashlight. He was looking for the edge of the river he saw on the map, so they could follow it and find Ash.
He knew it was probably a bad idea to be looking for him at night. He was probably taken too far down the river to follow, as he had been gone for a while, and the river's water flowed quickly. They couldn't see in the dark, and none of their pokemon would be of any use; they didn't have any that could see in the dark, and none of them could fly, not even Ash's.
But still, he knew they had to try.
They ran through the trees, the branches tickling their faces with their soft pine needles. If they found the river's shore, maybe they would find him washed up somewhere along it.
After what seemed like forever, they finally heard the sound of rushing water. They followed it, and emerged from the trees, onto the river's shore.
Brock peered up and down the river, watching the water swiftly wash over the rocks. The moonlight left a glow on the water, the reflecting light making everything more visible.
He followed the shore, going in the direction of the water's flow, the others following him. They kept looking in the river, and down the shore, hoping to find some kind of evidence that Ash was there.
They strained their eyes for an hour, walking farther down the shore, seeing no sign of their friend.
Brock knew that they wouldn't be able to find Ash in the dark. They were all too tired, and might not see him.
When the trees began to thin, he turned into the woods.
"Brock, where are you going?" Misty asked.
Brock hesitated. "… It's too dark… we have to wait until tomorrow."
"We can't!" Misty protested. Her body began to tremble. "He's hurt, and we have to find him!"
"Misty…" Brock turned around to face her. "If we keep going like this, we won't find him. We'll be able to check more areas when it's light out."
Tears fell down Misty's cheeks, and she was about to argue, when she felt a paw touch her leg.
She looked down and saw Pikachu's teary face looking up at her.
"Pikachupi… Pika Pi" (Misty… he's right.) She could tell by his tone that it was not easy for him to say.
Misty closed her eyes tightly, breathing heavily. She finally consented with a small nod.
Brock nodded and led the way into the woods.
The woods were thinner here, surrounded by deciduous trees. They found a wide space in them, and decided to stay there.
They took their backpacks off and tried to get settled. They didn't bother making a fire, they just used the light from the flashlight so they could set up their sleeping bags.
When they were done, Brock turned off the light and got into his sleeping bag. Misty crawled into hers and cuddled the already sleeping Togepi close.
Misty stared blankly ahead of herself, not noticing the tree in front of her.
She felt something brush against her head, and turned to see Pikachu curl up by her, looking at her with tears in his eyes. She saw the same pain in his eyes that were in her own.
Misty smiled weakly and patted Pikachu on the head. He smiled, and laid his head down and closed his eyes.
Misty pulled her sleeping bag closer to her face, then forced her eyes to close. She didn't care as her tears fell, wetting the ground. Her stomach felt sick, and her chest was filled with worry and fear. She sobbed, and fell into a fitful sleep.
- - - - -
Ash warily cracked his eyes open. Light blinded him briefly, then he opened them all the way.
He stared upward, seeing the tops of slightly swaying trees above him. The sky was just beginning to lose all it's color, except a dark blue, showing that it just became morning.
He blinked, and groaned. His whole body was sore. Sleep helped clear his head, but everything still hurt.
He carefully pulled himself up and leaned on his elbow, his side burning in protest. He winced, and blinked tears out of his eyes. He looked around; the surrounding area was covered in trees. No path was visible.
…Where am I…? Ash wondered. He didn't know exactly where he was; all he knew was that the river had carried him away from the cliff, but he had no idea how far.
Taking shallow breaths, he got onto his hands and knees, wincing at the effort. He slowly crawled to a tree and leaned his back against it. He laid his head against it and closed his eyes.
He tried to catch his breath, keeping them shallow. …What is wrong with me…? He wondered, looking down at his burning side. He carefully started pulling his shirt up until his side was exposed.
A blotchy bruise the size of a football spread across his ribs. He pressed a finger on it, and winced. It was hot to the touch.
He pulled his shirt back down and leaned his head against the tree.
How am I supposed to get out of here…? He thought helplessly, his labored breathing finally starting to calm. I can't walk on my ankle, I can barely breath, and I don't know where I am…
He looked in the opposite direction of the river, listening as it rushed behind him.
He blinked and looked around warily. He looked down as something caught his eye. A long stick lay on the ground a few feet away. He got an idea, and carefully got onto his hands and knees and crawled to it, heaving for breath.
He almost collapsed when he reached it, but forced his shaking arms to support him. He used one hand and retrieved the stick, then put his other hand on a tree. While using the tree for support, he picked himself up, fitting the stick under his left arm like a crutch.
He managed to get on his feet, holding himself up with his good ankle and using the stick as his other foot. He leaned against the tree for support, closing his eyes as he regained his breath with short gasps.
…Ok… he thought, trying to sort his thoughts, …I can try to find a road or something if I just walk away from the river.
With this in mind, he left the support of the tree, and held himself up with the stick. It was pretty easy.
He moved his right foot forward, then tried to limp with his left, using the stick as his leg.
He tried not to cry out as his right side inflamed, as he had to use it a bit to move forward. He gritted his teeth and made himself take another step. It hurt, but was less painful than before.
He advanced forward, trying to concentrate on the path ahead. He forced himself on for what felt like hours.
After about thirty minutes, he was still surrounded by what seemed like never-ending trees. He wasn't sure how far he had gone, but he at least couldn't hear the river anymore. He decided he needed to rest. As if he wasn't in enough pain, he felt hunger clawing at his stomach.
He leaned against another tree, not wanting to let himself sit down. It was too hard to get up, and he didn't want to do it again.
He closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain sent to him by his inflamed side.
Ok… He thought, trying to calm himself, I can do this…
He opened his eyes and looked in the direction he was heading. He noticed a green bush a few feet away, growing colorful berries.
He blinked, and pulled himself away from the tree. Well, at least I have a little luck, he thought as he limped over to the bush.
He supported himself against a thick tree that grew next to the bush. He picked one of the large berries and tasted it. It was very sweet.
His pain was making his stomach a little sick, but he knew that if he ate, he would feel better.
He ate as many as he could, then just closed his eyes and laid his head against the tree, his stomach finally one of the few things that didn't hurt.
He took a shallow sigh. …I'm so tired…he thought as his legs shook, threatening to give way underneath him. But he knew that he had to keep going. He had to get help.
He reluctantly left the tree's support, and continued forward.
- - - - -
Misty found herself in the woods. She looked around, a puzzled look on her face.
Where am I…? she thought, eyeing the dark trees that surrounded her.
She whipped her head around as she heard a sound coming from her right. She squinted, and could make out the outline of a person coming in her direction. When the person came into view, her heart jumped.
"Ash!" she cried, running to him and wrapping her arms around him. "I was so worried! Are you ok?"
He wrapped his arms around her and spoke softly. "Of course I'm ok. Why wouldn't I be?"
Misty looked up at him. She smiled, his sweet russet eyes sparkling. He smiled back, and they leaned in toward each other.
Misty felt like she was falling from the sky. She opened her mouth in a soundless scream as Ash was pulled away from her, and fell into a river below.
Misty's eyes snapped open. Her chest hurt, and her face was drenched in tears. She took a shuddering breath, and looked around quickly. She was laying in her sleeping bag in the woods.
A lump formed in her throat, and she closed her eyes when she realized it was a dream.
…Ash… please be ok… she thought as she sobbed, the tears falling through her closed eyes.
She warily opened them, realizing that the sky was a dark blue, signifying morning. She sat up quickly, waking Togepi who slept next to her.
It's morning! We have to go!
She jumped out of her sleeping bag, making Pikachu, who was sleeping by her head, jump to life. He looked around quickly, then followed Misty as she ran over to Brock.
"Brock! Brock, wake up!" she said, kneeling by him and shaking his shoulder. Pikachu was ready to shock him if he didn't wake up.
He woke with a start, and sat up quickly.
His head wasn't completely clear, and he didn't remember that Ash was missing. "What?" he said a bit angrily. One look at Misty's face, and he remembered what happened.
"Let's get ready," he said, getting out of his sleeping bag. Misty nodded and went to get her stuff.
They wrapped up the sleeping bags, and picked up the backpacks. Brock looked at the map while Misty picked up the oblivious Togepi, who just chirped with delight as her mother picked her up. Pikachu stood on all fours, watching Brock impatiently as he waited for the breeder to say it was time to go.
"Ok," he said, "We'll keep following the river's shore for now, and see if he washed up somewhere." The others agreed, and they followed him through the woods.
They got back to the river's shore where they were last night, the deep, clear water now fully visible under the sun's light. None of them wanted to waste any time, so they didn't eat. They weren't hungry anyway; their stomachs felt too sick with worry. The only one who ate was Togepi; she was too young to understand what was going on, and was hungry.
They walked along the shore, calling Ash's name as the sun lifted higher into the sky. Misty's stomach was unsettled, and she felt more and more sick as the image of Ash falling off the cliff played through her head without her consent.
They walked for hours, searching the shore and taking brief looks in the trees by it. They began to slow, their rushed search exhausting them. Brock said they should take a break. Misty tried to resist, even though she was ready to drop. Brock managed to convince her that they needed to rest.
They seated themselves on the shore, just by a few trees. Pikachu plopped onto his stomach, tears filling his eyes. Brock pulled some food out of his bag and handed it out. He barely paid attention to it as he ate. Misty had to force herself to eat half of it, then couldn't eat anymore, so she fed Togepi. Pikachu picked at his food, then left it alone.
When Brock was done, he watched Misty for a minute. He knew she was upset, and he didn't want to make it worse, but he didn't know how Ash managed to fall off a cliff. He was worried about something else too, but had to see how possible it was.
"…Misty?" he asked. She turned her sad eyes to him.
He sighed, and looked away briefly, trying to think of how to ask. "…Umm… exactly how did Ash fall off the cliff?"
Misty stared at him blankly for a second. She really didn't want to talk about it, but maybe if she told him what happened, he would know a better way to find Ash.
"Well…" she started, her voice low, "I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk in the woods…" She didn't tell him that she left because she was upset. "And…. I guess Ash was worried, so he followed me. I guess we were in a Donphan's territory, because one started chasing us." She replayed everything in her head as she spoke, her stomach feeling sick.
"Ash said we should split up, and when we did, he threw a rock at it, and made it follow him…" Her eyes became wet as she thought of what Ash did to protect her.
She swiftly wiped them before continuing. "I was worried, so I followed them. The Donphan chased Ash to the cliff. I guess he hurt himself, because he was on the ground, and he couldn't get away when the Donphan charged at him…" Her face started to scrunch up, and she tried not to let her tears fall.
Brock looked away while he processed the information. "What happened to the Donphan?"
Misty avoided eye contact. "It fell after Ash. When I looked down to try and find him, I saw it get out of the river and run away."
Brock shifted. He knew his next question would upset her, but he had to know; they needed to be prepared.
"When Ash fell…." He started. "Did he hit the cliff more than once?"
Misty looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Why does it matter?" she choked, not appreciating that he was bringing up the incident.
Brock sighed. He had to tell her; she needed to be prepared if it happened. "Because… the impact might've killed him…"
At his words, Misty's heart jumped into her throat. She couldn't see Brock sitting in front of her as her tears blocked her vision. Pikachu's ears drooped, and tears fell down his cheeks.
Misty turned her gaze to the ground, the tears falling as she closed her eyes. She had thought it was possible that he was dead, but she wouldn't let herself believe it. Now, hearing that Brock thought the same thing made her lose almost all hope.
She took a shuddering breath, then said, "…He hit it a lot… I don't know how many times…"
Brock's face fell and he looked at the ground. Now he knew that it was very possible that they wouldn't find him alive. He tried to shake the thought from his head; he had to be positive. If he broke down, none of them would have any hope.
Pikachu whimpered as he lay on the ground, tears falling down his cheeks.
"Pika Pika Pikachu. Pika Pikachu Pika Pikapi" (It's all my fault. I couldn't protect Ash) Because Misty and Brock knew Pikachu for a long time, they were able to make out what he said.
"Pikachu…" Misty said, lightly stroking the yellow mouse's head, "It wasn't your fault. If it wasn't for you, the Donphan would've gotten both of us." Pikachu looked at her with glistening eyes. He seemed unsure, then smiled.
Brock smiled lightly. "We'll keep looking. If we don't find him, we can get a search team at the next town."
Misty smiled weakly and nodded. She turned her face to the ground and closed her eyes.
I won't give up on you Ash… she thought, her heart aching, I'll find you…
- - - - -
Ash walked for as long as he could. He didn't care how much pain he was in, and how much his body tried to resist him; he would do whatever it took to find Misty and make sure she was ok.
He forced himself forward for an hour. The pain set his mind into a steady throb; only his determination kept him going.
Because he could barely see through all the pain, he didn't see a rock lying on the ground. He continued to walk forward. Before he knew what was happening, his foot struck it, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto his stomach.
He started to curl up on the ground as he rolled onto his back, his eyes watering uncontrollably as his side singed. He breathed quickly, his head swimming as his head pounded.
He groaned, and gradually slowed his breathing as the pain finally softened. He stayed in his position on the ground, letting his head clear. He didn't want to be in pain anymore. He just wanted it to stop.
…I can't give up… he thought as he slowly opened his eyes. He didn't know that the Donphan fell off the cliff with him. He thought Misty might still be in danger.
I have to make sure she's ok…Even with his determination, his body got the best of him, and refused to let him get back up. He couldn't fight it anymore, and slowly lost consciousness.
- - - - -
Misty and Brock continued their search. They walked along the river's seemingly endless shore, trying to find any sign of him. They called his name and never got an answer.
Brock looked at the map. The river was long, and he wasn't sure how far down they had gone. It was hard to decide where to go because they didn't know how long the river was, and, if Ash was alive and managed to get out of the river, they didn't know how far he could get by himself.
He continued to scan the map, and spotted a road that wasn't very far away. He figured if they followed the road for a while, they could look in the surrounding woods. He also noticed a Pokemon Center not too far away where they could get help.
Brock turned to Misty. "There's a road nearby," he said. "Let's follow that for a little while. There's a Pokemon Center not too far from here, and we can check the surrounding trees as we go."
Misty nodded, and followed him.
They walked for a few minutes, then emerged into an open dirt road, dense tree on both sides. Brock looked at the map and headed to the right, the others following him.
Misty lost herself in her thoughts as Brock called Ash's name.
…Ash… You have to be ok…She thought, a tear sliding down her cheek. I can't live without you… I can't… She turned her face to the ground.
If you're ok, I swear to tell you how I feel about you… I won't let fear stop me… Not when I could lose you…
- - - - -
Ash opened his eyes. He looked up at the trees above him, puzzled. His head cleared, then he realized that he passed out.
He sat up on his elbow, trying to ignore the pain that inflamed in his side. He looked around, and saw that he must have been out for a while; the sky was gradually losing its blue color, and beginning to reveal red and yellow as sunset approached.
His head hurt, and it was still hard to breathe. He just wanted to fall back to the ground and never get up. But he forced himself to stay up. He couldn't stop until he knew that Misty was ok.
He winced as he used a tree to lift himself onto his feet, supporting himself on the stick. He took shallow breaths, frustrated at how hard it was too breathe. After it slowed, he forced himself forward.
He walked for a few more minutes, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. He knew that he shouldn't even be moving; if he was hurt this bad, walking like this could kill him. But he didn't care. He had a mission, and he was going to accomplish it.
The more he walked, the more exhausted he became. His breathing was labored, and he didn't stop to rest; he wouldn't be able to last much longer if he stayed in the woods.
Suddenly, he felt the ground underneath his feet change. He opened his eyes, and found that he was out of the woods and standing in a dirt road. He couldn't help a little smile at his success. He looked back and forth, not sure which way he should go. Hoping he was right, he turned left and continued walking.
- - - - -
Brock and Misty were searching for hours. As they walked down the road, they would check the surrounding woods, then make their way back to the road if they didn't find anything.
They came back to the road after searching in another part of the woods. The sun was now beginning to set, leaving an orange light along the sky.
They had searched so many times, Misty was starting to get hysterical. Her face was pale, her cheeks were wet, and her body felt numb. Togepi decided that she wanted to be in Misty's backpack, so Misty was fiddling with her hands nervously.
They walked down the road and Brock turned to go look in the woods yet again. Misty started to follow him, but suddenly stopped in her tracks. Not knowing where Ash was, if he was alive, or if she would ever see him again finally got the best of her.
Her legs gave way underneath her, and she fell to her knees. She buried her face in her hands, and cried uncontrollably.
Brock turned around as he heard her hit the ground.
"Misty!" He ran to her and kneeled next to her, putting a hand on her shaking shoulder.
"Misty! Are you ok!?" Misty tried to speak, but the lump in her throat made it impossible. She just shook her head helplessly, gasping for air.
"Misty, calm down," Brock said, worry in his voice. "Just take a deep breath… good… do it again…"
Misty obeyed him, her breaths coming in greats shudders. She finally started to calm down and sat with her head on her knees.
"Ok, good…" Brock said. "Just stay here, and calm down. I'm gonna go look in the woods, ok?" She nodded her head without looking at him.
Brock stood up and headed for the woods. Pikachu looked at Misty sadly. He trotted up to her and licked her face, then bounded after Brock.
Misty tried to calm herself with a few more shuddering breaths. It helped her to breath, but the worry and fear in her chest felt like it was going to explode.
Her breathing finally began to calm down, and her tears stopped. She just sat there, her helplessness trying to consume her.
I can't do this… Misty thought. …I can't… She just hoped in her heart that Ash was ok.
She was pulled from her thoughts as she heard footsteps coming from her left. She slowly lifted her head and looked down the road. It dropped in a small hill, so she couldn't see the road a few yards ahead. She just watched as the footsteps got closer.
When the owner of the footsteps came into view, Misty's heart stopped. She blinked, thinking she was dreaming, but he was still there.
Ash gradually came into view, limping and supporting his weight on a stick, his gaze on the ground.
Her breath caught in her throat and her body went numb. She just stared. Ash was alive.
After limping up the small hill in the road, Ash looked forward. His vision was blurry, but he thought he saw something on the side of the road. He blinked to clear his vision, and his breath stopped as he saw Misty.
Misty finally forced herself to her feet as the two looked into each other's eyes. She tried to speak, but her mouth just moved wordlessly. When she was finally able to feel her legs she ran to him. Ash dropped the stick he was using, and wrapped his arms around her when she reached him.
"Ash! You're alive!" Misty choked, burying her face into his chest. His touch lifted her heart. She thought she'd never feel him again.
"Misty…" Ash said hoarsely, resting his cheek on her head. "You're ok…"
Misty pulled her head back and looked at his face. A worried look came across her face as she saw dry blood on his forehead.
"Ash! You're hurt!" she said frantically. She pulled away from him slightly to see if he was hurt anywhere else. She gasped and caught him as he almost fell over without her support.
"What's wrong!?" Misty asked, starting to panic. "What hurts!?"
Ash pulled in a shallow breath. " I can't breath…."
Misty's heart dropped. Using both hands, she gently lowered him to the ground in a sitting position, and put a hand on his back to support him.
"It's ok, Ash," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "Just breathe…"
He closed his eyes and took a labored breath. "I can't…"
Misty's face became hot as she panicked. She looked around then screamed, "Brock! Help!"
What she didn't know was that he and Pikachu were already on their way back, so they answered her call within seconds. Their eyes became wide as they saw Ash.
"Ash!" Brock exclaimed, rushing over with Pikachu beside him. He quickly kneeled down on the other side, Pikachu sitting in front of his trainer with worry on his face.
"He can't breath…" Misty choked.
Brock looked at Ash. "Ash, where does it hurt?"
Ash didn't open his eyes as he moved his hand to his burning side, his breath becoming more shallow.
"Ok, lay back," Brock said, carefully helping him to lie down. Brock gingerly lifted Ash's shirt, exposing the giant bruise on his side.
Misty's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. She stared at the injury, terrified.
Worry consumed Brock's face. He lowered Ash's shirt and tried not to panic. "Ok, Ash, just….. Ash?" They watched as Ash's breathing slowed and he passed out.
"Ash!" Misty yelled, almost shaking him. "Ash! Wake up!"
Brock didn't waste any time. He carefully pulled Ash up and hung him over his shoulders. He stood up. "Let's go." He went down the road as fast as he could, Misty and Pikachu following.
They ran as fast as they could, set on getting Ash help. Misty's only interruption was when Togepi began to get upset, so she held her in her arms and continued to follow Brock. She kept calling Ash's name, checking for any sign of consciousness, but found none.
They quickened their pace as the Pokemon Center came into view. It was put there for anyone who was traveling through the woods, and needed their pokemon healed before the next city.
Misty ran ahead and opened the door for Brock. She and Pikachu followed after he entered.
"Help!" Brock yelled, gasping for air as sweat dripped down his face.
A Nurse Joy was behind a counter, and came to them immediately. She looked at Ash's lifeless body slumped over Brock's shoulders.
"What happened!?"
"He… fell off a cliff and… he's hurt really bad…" Brock managed to say through gasps.
Nurse Joy ran back to her desk and picked up a phone. "Emergency, I need a stretcher, stat!" she said. Just seconds after she hung up, two swinging doors behind her opened, and a stretcher came out, being pushed by two other nurses.
"Put him here," one of the nurses said. Brock quickly but gently lowered Ash onto it. As soon as he did, the nurses hurried it back through the doors.
"Do you know anything of his injuries?" Nurse Joy asked Brock.
Brock, who didn't even think about flirting because of the situation, took a breath and said, "The only thing we know is that he has a big bruise on his side, and he couldn't breathe."
"What's his name?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Ash," Brock breathed.
Nurse Joy nodded. "Wait here, we'll do what we can," she said, her voice sympathetic. "I'll come back when we know more." She quickly went through the door after the other nurses.
Brock and Misty watched the doors swing, their hearts pounding. After they closed, Brock turned around and slumped into a chair. He put a hand on his head, a blank look on his face.
Misty stared blankly at the doors. She couldn't bring herself to move. She had been worrying that Ash was dead, then found he was alive. Now, he was injured so bad, he might still die.
She turned around and walked on stiff legs to a chair. She plopped into it, breathing heavily and setting Togepi in her lap. Her eyes were fixed open, tears unnoticed as they fell. Pikachu jumped onto the chair next to her. He lay on his stomach and fixed his gaze on the doors.
Misty's vision blurred as her tears fell. Ash… she thought, … Please… please be ok…
Her worry and exhaustion began to take over her body. She curled up on her chair, taking her feet off the ground, and closed her eyes.
- - - - -
Hours passed, and there was still no word. Misty was in a fitful sleep; Brock dozed in his chair while sitting up. Pikachu's eyes drooped, but they stayed fixed on the doors his trainer was taken in.
Finally, the doors swung open, and Nurse Joy walked out. Brock jerked his head and stood up quickly. Misty's eyes opened slowly, then she got up hastily, waking Togepi who had fallen asleep next to her. Pikachu leapt from his chair and stared at Nurse Joy.
"Well…." Nurse Joy started before they could start asking her questions, "He couldn't breath because he has three broken ribs. He had a deep cut on his forehead, and his ankle was badly sprained. He's lucky he wasn't coughing up blood, or punctured a lung."
Misty took a deep breath, trying not to let herself get upset.
"Is he going to be ok?" Brock asked, sounding desperate.
Nurse Joy sighed. "He's going to have to stay here for a while, and he's going to be in pain for a few days, but he should be fine."
A wide grin spread across Brock's face. Pikachu stood on his back feet and cried out happily. Misty listened to the words, and smiled. For once, tears of happiness ran down her cheeks.
After Misty got rid of the lump in her throat, she asked, "Can we see him?"
"For a little while," Nurse Joy said. She turned and led them through the doors.
They entered a small room with a single bed. Ash lay in it. There was a splint on his ankle, and his shirtless chest was wrapped. A bandage was on his forehead, and an oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose. They warily walked forward.
"I'll be back in a few minutes," Nurse Joy said, then left the room.
They returned their attention to Ash. Pikachu leapt onto the bed and stared at his trainer's face. Brock was overjoyed that Ash was ok, but stayed back so the others could see him.
Misty looked down in her arms as she heard Togepi whimper. "Toge Toge Togeppprii?" (Mommy, what's wrong with daddy?)
Misty hugged her baby egg pokemon and said, "He's just fine, don't you worry." Togepi chirped happily.
"I'll hold her, Misty," Brock said. He didn't want Misty to have any distractions, and Togepi might get upset again if she saw Ash's injuries too much.
"Thanks, Brock," Misty said thankfully, giving Togepi to Brock. She returned her attention to Ash, and looked at his closed eyes.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she gently took his hand in both of hers. She squeezed it lightly, hoping he would respond.
"Ash…" Misty said softly, "I'm sorry… it's my fault this happened… I'm gonna make it up to you…."
Her breath caught as Ash stirred slightly. He cracked his eyes open and stared ahead of himself, a puzzled look on his face.
"Ash?" Misty said, squeezing his hand tighter. Ash turned his head in her direction, his vision blurred. He blinked, and when his vision cleared, he saw Misty standing by him.
He tried to speak, then noticed that a mask was covering his mouth. He moved his free hand to it and pulled it off.
"Ash, don't" Misty said, trying to stop him. Ash still lowered it away from his face.
Pikachu's eyes lightened, glistening with tears. He rubbed his cheek against his trainer's face, wetting it with his own tears.
"Hey, Pikachu," Ash said weakly, briefly scratching the top of his pokemon's head. Pikachu moved away and smiled.
Ash looked at Misty and took a shallow breath. "Misty… are you ok?"
"Ash, I'm fine," Misty said, lightly rubbing his hand, "You're the one who's hurt."
"No, I'm fine," Ash said. He betrayed his own words by slightly wincing.
"Ash, you have to rest," Misty choked, trying to put the mask back on his face. He resisted.
"Misty," he said, eyes drooping, "Don't cry… I'm ok, you don't have to worry."
A tear rolled down Misty's cheek. "Yes I do."
Ash frowned, concern on his face. "…Why?"
A lump formed in Misty's throat. She swore to tell him how she felt; she tried, but the lump in her throat blocked the words.
Just then, Nurse Joy walked in. "Ok, he needs to rest," she said, holding the door open for them.
Misty sighed in her defeat, and lifted the oxygen mask back onto Ash's face. "Just rest," she said. He stared into her eyes, not wanting her to leave.
"Get better, ok?" Brock said, winking. Ash looked at him and nodded.
Pikachu licked Ash's cheek and smiled, then jumped off the bed and followed Brock as he went through the door.
"Miss?" Nurse Joy said when Misty didn't leave.
Misty looked at Ash, then bent down and lightly kissed his forehead. "We'll be back," she whispered. They reluctantly let go of each other's hands as she walked to the door. Ash kept his eyes on Misty until she was out of sight.
- - - - -
Misty slowly opened her eyes as morning sunlight came through a window and covered her face. She, Brock and the pokemon were given a room in the Pokemon Center for the night.
She sat up and looked around. Brock was in a bed next to hers, and Pikachu was sleeping by her feet. Togepi had her usual spot by Misty's side.
Misty got out of bed and stretched, waking the two sleeping pokemon. Togepi chirped happily as Misty picked her up. Pikachu arched his back in a stretch, then gave Misty a big smile.
Misty smiled back. She was glad that Ash was ok. But an uneasy feeling started to build up in her chest.
I swore I would do it… she thought to herself. …I have to tell him.
Brock stirred in his bed, then sat up, yawning. He turned to look at Misty.
"Good morning," he said.
"Good morning," Misty said with a slight smile. Her heart pounded nervously. "Can we see Ash?"
Brock smiled. "Sure, if the nurse says it's ok." Misty nodded, and they all got ready.
They left their room and made their way to the front desk. Nurse Joy stood behind it, and saw them approach.
"Hello," she smiled after they reached her. "Can I help you?"
"We'd like to see our friend Ash," Brock said. Nurse Joy nodded. "Of course. He seems to be doing better this morning." They all smiled and followed her. Misty's chest filled with anxiety with each step.
When they entered Ash's room, they saw his bed in an upright position, letting him sit up. The nurses let him take off the oxygen mask for a little while, so he wasn't wearing it. He turned in their direction as he heard them come in and smiled.
"Try not to stay too long," Nurse Joy said before leaving the room. They all walked up to Ash.
"Hey Ash, you feel any better today?" Brock asked, his voice joyful.
"Yeah, just fine," Ash said, his voice still weak. He was still taking shallow breaths, but it would be hard to breath until his ribs healed.
"Good," Brock smiled. Pikachu jumped onto the bed and hugged Ash carefully.
"Hey, Pikachu," Ash said, putting a hand around his little pokemon. "You did really good protecting me and Misty from that Donphan. Thanks, buddy." Pikachu looked into his trainer's proud eyes, and smiled.
Misty watched as Ash scratched Pikachu's head. She smiled; seeing him feeling better made her happier than anything in the world.
Ash looked up from Pikachu and looked at Misty. He gave one of his sweet smiles that she loved so much.
"Hey Misty," he said, his voice still sweet, even though it was weak.
"Hi," Misty said, tears welling up in her eyes. She just stared at him, trying to gather up the courage to tell him what she swore she would.
Brock smiled slyly to himself. He knew Misty well enough to know what she was trying to say. He walked up to her and said, "Hey Misty, why don't I take Togepi and Pikachu and get them ready for breakfast?"
Misty looked at him and blinked in surprise at the sudden request. She saw his slight grin, and didn't really know what was going on, but she consented.
"Sure. Thanks, Brock," she said, handing Togepi to him.
"No problem," Brock said as he accepted Togepi. He headed for the door. "Come on, Pikachu."
Pikachu took one more loving look at his trainer, then licked his cheek and bounded after Brock as he left the room.
After the doors shut, Misty looked at Ash. She blushed, and got butterflies in her stomach.
"…Misty?" Ash said, noticing her face turning red. "You ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Misty said. She reached for his hand and held it with both of her own. Ash watched her, a puzzled look on his face.
Misty looked down, lightly rubbing his hand. "Ash… there's something I want to tell you…"
Ash's heart leaped; could she be saying what he thought she was saying?
Misty looked back up at him, tears filling her eyes. "I….. I walked away from camp that night because I was upset about something…" She squeezed his hand, taking a quick breath.
"I said I couldn't tell you, but… now I'm ready." Ash's heart beat faster. His breathing was already shallow, so he was glad when it didn't get worse.
Misty blinked, letting some of the tears fall before she continued.
"Ash… I love you."
Ash's heart almost stopped. His stomach filled with butterflies, and he momentarily forgot all his pain.
He moved his free hand and put it over hers. Misty looked at him, surprised.
He fixed his gaze into her eyes, smiling. "Misty…" he breathed. "I love you, too."
Tears of joy flowed from Misty's eyes. She smiled, and hugged Ash, being as gentle as she could. He hugged her back with one arm, his heart feeling like it was flying.
They parted and stared into each other's eyes. Misty blinked as more tears flowed. Ash smiled, his sweet smile that she loved.
They slowly leaned in and their lips met in a gentle kiss.
After they parted, they stared at each other, squeezing each other's hands affectionately.
Even though what happened almost cost Ash his life, it made them realize that no matter how much they were afraid, they couldn't keep their love inside; not when something they never expected could tear them apart. It helped them find the courage, and they were rewarded.
They finally had each other.
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There's the end. I hope you liked it. Reviews are important to me, so please write one. Thanks.