Proud family members and cheerful friends sat hip to hip on the countless pews that faced the altar. The church was completely filled with content witnesses of the holy matrimony that was about to take place. The elegant music began to play and the flower girl accidentally tripped on her dress as she made her way down the aisle. The crowd giggled. The little girl regained her composure and began to sprinkle flowers once again. Next was the best man with the three bridesmaids. Then, everyone in the church stood and watched as she slowly strutted down the aisle.
She could see everyone's eyes glistening in awe at the sight of her. They all looked so happy. She envied their feelings of euphoria. Currently she felt the need to turn back and seek out the closest toilet or trash can so she could vomit in it. However, some magnetic force kept her from doing so. She continued walking straight, concentrating on keeping that weary smile plastered on her face. As she got closer to her future husband, breathing became more difficult. She felt her dress constrict tighter around her waist and her mouth became uncomfortably dry. For some reason she couldn't hear the elegant music playing in the background or the whispered comments on how beautiful she looked. She could only hear the click clacking of her heels against the long carpet. He winked at her. She felt her heart flutter and her cheeks rosy. Perhaps she did still love him after all.
Finally, after what seemed like days, the bride reached the altar. She handed one of her bridesmaids her bouquet and then turned to her fiancé.
"You look absolutely beautiful," he told her.
She didn't feel absolutely beautiful. The insurmountable amount of guilt that was tearing at her almost had her reduced to tears. The music stopped playing and the crowd became quiet. Now the only noise to distract the bride from her own guilt-ridden thoughts was the opening, good-natured jokes the priest was making about the unfortunate circumstances of the ceremony. Because Celadon had been invaded by Hoenn soldiers months earlier, and the city was still under their control, the wedding had to be held in a church in the next town over. Although happy, everyone looked tired from travel. But as mentioned to the couple-to-be numerous times by many of their guests, the trip would be well worth it.
Well worth it indeed. After years of being engaged and holding off the wedding because of the war, Misty and her fiancé were finally getting married. As the priest joked about before, the timing of the event might seem a bit inappropriate or inconvenient. However, Misty's defense was that the war probably wasn't going to end any time soon, so might as well have the wedding now, especially before the rebel movement launches. Her fiancé had a bit more of a touching explanation, saying the two of them joining would bring a shining moment of joy to a year riddled with tragedy.
"Although the world has been torn apart by war and people continue to find their differences with each other, there are still couples like the one we have before us, who bring hope to the world's deteriorating social state," stated the Priest. "Is it really so hard for everyone to get along? Love conquers hate, and we know that because this bride and groom went to such great lengths to ensure this ceremony would happen. Even though we are not gathered in our ideal location today, it does not matter where you are but what you make of it. Today we are making history. It may not seem like it, but we are. This ceremony represents what the world currently does not have. Love. And what is love? Trust… respect… loyalty."
Those three words echoed in Misty's head. Especially the last one. Loyalty. Loyalty. Loyalty. Her brain began to ache because it was echoing so loudly. She closed her eyes for a moment, hoping the influx of love-related words would stop torturing her. Of course they did not. The Priest continued on with his annoyingly preachy speech on how important stupid loyalty was. Maybe Misty hadn't been loyal, but at least she was there. She was ready to marry this man. However, the longer she kept her eyes closed the more she started convincing herself that she did not want to marry this man. She snapped them open immediately. What crazy thoughts they were. He was going to love her forever. He was going to provide for her. He was going to do whatever it took to make her happy. And she was just going to throw that all away?
Misty finally came back to reality when she heard the priest declare, "If anyone has a reason these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Misty looked out to the crowd for an answer. If he was there maybe he'd have the courage to speak up. He was her only chance to escape from this. 'But why do I want to escape?' she repeated in her head. Her fiancé was a perfect gentleman. A man with goals and priorities. A man who was always there for her. A mature man. A man who never mixed business and pleasure. A man who barely knew pleasure at all. A man whose only pleasure was her. He did everything for her. She was his world. So why was it so hard for her to love him?
Where was he? She imagined this moment countless times. Ash would stand up and object. He'd profess his love for her in front of all those people. She would run into his arms and he'd carry her off where they could live happily ever after. But of course reality has a harsh way of crushing our dreams. When is there ever a happily ever after?
Sweat began to collect on her forehead and her heart began to pound. The longer it took for someone to object the more Misty began to realize no one was going to be coming to her rescue.
The Priest smiled. "Okay, now for the vows. I understand—"
"I can't do this." The words spilled out of her mouth.
No one said anything. The Priest looked utterly shocked. The groom appeared confused.
"I'm sorry, but I can't marry you."
The crowd gasped almost perfectly in unison. Someone shouted crazy bitch from the back.
What she said hadn't quite set in for him. "What?"
She repeated herself. "I can't marry you."
The look on her fiancé's face was a level of shock and hurt she didn't even know existed.
"Misty, darling, are you sure?" he asked.
"I haven't been loyal to you." She bowed her head, embarrassed. She knew she had just ripped this man's heart out and stomped on it.
He looked from the priest, to his family, then back at her. "We all make our fair share of mistakes."
"It wasn't just one mistake. It was multiple mistakes."
He took her hands and clutched them tightly. "Well, I love you and nothing can ever change that. I forgive you and will wholeheartedly, without any hesitation, still marry you."
"You're a great man. But I'm afraid… I can't do this. I just…" Misty looked him in the eyes, "can't."
Realization took over. His shoulders slumped, he released her hands from his, and he took a few steps back. There was no convincing her. It was over.
Within the next hour her sisters tried to comfort her but failed, her ex-fiancé's mother slapped her across the face, and the church emptied out. Once everyone was gone her ex-fiancé confronted her.
"Can I just ask you a couple of questions?"
She was sitting on the steps to the altar, trying not to cry, and he sat down beside her.
Misty was slow to reply and her voice was quiet and hoarse. "Sure," she said.
He took in a deep breath to gain some composure. "Was it multiple men or just one?"
She fiddled with the lace on her dress, avoiding eye contact out of shame. "Just one."
"Do I know him?"
"No."
"Well… could I meet him?"
Misty huffed, "Why? So you can beat him up?"
"No." He looked downcast. "I just want to know what this guy has that I don't."
"It's not about what he has and what you don't," Misty snapped.
"Do you love him?" he asked immediately.
Misty was taken aback by the abruptness of his question. She neglected to answer.
He patted her on the back and flashed an understanding smile. "Well, what's stopping you from being with him?"
Again, she didn't answer.
He smacked his hands on his knees and brought himself to his feet. "I can see you have some thinking to do." He began to walk away but stopped in his tracks. Without turning back around he asked his final question. "Will I ever see you again?"
Misty got up, approached him from behind, and pecked him on the cheek. "Of course."
He disappeared, leaving her alone at the altar.
And there she still was, in a heap on the floor, crying and wallowing in self pity. She couldn't stop herself. She didn't care anymore. She let the tears soak into her expensive dress that surrounded her like a nest made of bunting and lace. She was hoping it had all been a dream. That she really didn't just destroy her relationship or her future. She could've been happy and had a stable marriage. 'What have I done?' she thought to herself.
The sound of footsteps echoing in the hall caught her attention. Misty quickly made sure her face was clean of all tears and snotty liquids. She wondered who it could be. Perhaps her ex-fiancé had returned to seek revenge. The redhead thought about fleeing from the room but that would be impossible in her long, puffy dress. She had no choice but to sit there and shake in anticipation until whomever it was turned the corner. A man stepped through the doors at the end of the aisle, and Misty instantly lit up.
"Did I miss it?" he asked
Misty giggled. "Yeah, you're a little late."
It was Ash. Misty tried her to best to hide her true joy and excitement. She wasn't sure why but she thought once Ash arrived all of her pain and problems would just go away. He was walking towards her, tall and lean with a good amount of muscle on him. He was wearing his formal military uniform. His hair was still short, which made him look older and more mature. Misty flushed at the sight of him.
"Why aren't you with your husband? Shouldn't you be celebrating?" he asked, almost done making his way towards her.
Misty sunk back into the confines of her wedding dress. "There's nothing to celebrate."
"What do you mean?" Ash sat down next to her.
Misty began to cry again. He scooted closer and hesitated to put his hand on her back, but when he saw her body begin to quake he thought a gentle rub might help calm her down.
Ash whispered, "It's okay. Just tell me what happened."
Misty whimpered, "You."
"Huh?" Ash wasn't sure if he heard her correctly.
"You happened," she repeated.
He took his hand off her back. "Uhhhh… I'm lost. Can you just tell me what happened at the wedding?"
Misty held her head in her hands. "I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't marry the guy after I had been sneaking around with you for the last couple of months."
Ash felt a rush of disappointment. "Oh… so you just felt guilty?" Still, he was elated she didn't go through with it.
"I feel dirty and ashamed." Misty buried her face in her hands.
"At least you were honest." He couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Why'd you do it? Why'd you have to let me sleep with you?" Misty asked.
"In my defense, I didn't know you were engaged the first time we slept together."
She glared at him. "All those other times you were fully aware, yet you did it anyway. You're a pig!"
Ash pulled away, startled and confused. "Why are you mad?"
Misty screamed inches from his face, "Because you ruined my life, Ash Ketchum! I was perfectly happy until you came along and you just had to ruin everything!"
"You must've not been very happy if you were so quick to jump into bed with me!" Ash screamed back.
"I was drunk every time! I wasn't thinking straight!" Misty shouted.
Ash grinned and pointed at her. "That's a lie. That is a lie. We were only drunk twice. All the other times-"
"Shut your stupid, little mouth!"
"I don't see how it's my fault that you're the one who prevented your own marriage from happening! Last time I checked I just got here. I wasn't the one to stop you from getting married. That was all you!"
Misty gasped. "How dare you blame this all on me! What kind of man sleeps with a married woman anyway?"
Ash sprung to his feet from all the rage building up inside him. "Uh, you were engaged! Not married! There's a big difference."
Misty hopped to her feet as well. "I was in a relationship with another man and you took advantage of me."
"You let me take advantage of you!" Ash held his head in frustration. "I don't remember one time where you tried stopping me."
"You're a home wrecker," Misty seethed. "You're a disgusting pig and I hate you."
"You don't hate me. You love me and that's why you're so upset right now," Ash snickered smugly. "You don't want to be in love with me but you are. You hate that you love me because I'm so young and immature and short tempered, but I'm just like you, baby."
Tears began to roll down Misty's cheeks again. "Shut up! I am nothing like you! I will never love you!"
Ash crossed his arms. "You can deny it all you want but you know it's true."
Misty slapped him hard across the face. "Get out of here. I never want to see you again."
Ash began walking back down the aisle and laughed, "Oh, you do… and you will."
Misty plopped back down on the ground, crying uncontrollably once again. She just let all of her emotions pour out. Once again she didn't care because she was all alone. Or at least she thought. She spotted Ash enter the room again. She was about to jump to her feet and scream at him, but something stopped her.
"I got you something," he said quietly. "It's your wedding present."
He leaned it against the pew closest to him before turning around and leaving for good. Misty's tears immediately stopped. She stood up and took a couple steps closer to make sure it was what she thought it was. It was a brand new, shining red bike with a white bow tied around the handle bars.
Oak and his troops, with Ash as his second in command, had been in Cerulean for over a month now. A lot happened in that month. They met the small yet feisty group of rebels that have been hiding out in Cerulean. Since, the army and the rebels have been trying to devise a plan to take back the city. It is currently under the control of the Hoes, so almost every day Kanto soldiers have been helping Cerulean citizens who need medical attention evacuate and those who are still there stay comfortable. It's a dangerous task since Hoenn soldier obviously do not want Kanto soldiers in the city.
Today they had another meeting with the rebels to discuss further plans for a surprise attack on the Hoes. Ash sat among the dozens of other soldiers and rebels as Oak stood to deliver his speech. Ash suspected today would be like all the others, they would discuss launching an attack on the Hoes, but this plan would never be finalized or put into action. He was getting sick of it. He was getting sick of all this talking and wanted to start fighting. He wanted to rid this town of all the Hoes and make it safe for all its citizens. Of course, that was primarily because of Misty.
He hadn't seen her since their catastrophic fight. Then again, why would he have? She told him she never wanted to see him ever again. That was almost three weeks ago.
Much to Ash's surprise, Oak's speech today was different. Rather than talking about all the battles they should start with Hoenn, he discussed other ways to help the town. While he and the rebel leaders search for a strategy, the troops need to contribute positively to the community somehow. Although Ash couldn't argue that the townspeople could always use assistance, he couldn't bear the thought of prolonging their plans to do something. It had already been a month and nothing monumental has happened. As second in command, Ash finally grew the courage to say something.
"Excuse me, general, but I have to object." Oak looked at Ash, surprised. "Let me rephrase that, I don't object that we should be helping the citizens more, but I do object to the fact that we are putting off the attack."
Oak crossed his arms, intrigued. "And why is that?"
Ash felt he should stand. So he stood before his fellow soldiers and addressed both them and Oak. "Because we've been lucky enough that the Hoes haven't noticed us for this long, but how much longer can we get away with it? The longer we put it off the less likely it will be a surprise attack, and the only way we're going to win this fight is with surprise on our side."
"What you're saying makes sense, Mr. Ketchum, but we can't exactly attack if we don't have an idea," stated Oak.
Ash smiled. "I've actually been brainstorming for a while now, and I think I have a plan we might be able to build on. Before we came to Cerulean there were rumors that Hoenn might try and obtain control over the lighthouse. Not to be rude, but I thought the reason we came here was to stop that from happening. Well, as we all know they got it weeks ago and we did nothing to try and stop them. And we've done nothing to get it back. General, you said yourself that the lighthouse is an extremely important monument to those who live in Cerulean. So I think if we take it back, it will inspire those in the city and those around us to band together and fight."
Oak rubbed his chin. Ash could tell he was deeply entranced in thought. Oak always had this resolute expression on his face as he weighed all the options. It was the same look he had when Ash advised they should blow up the bridge. Ash felt like this was Fuchsia City all over again. Here he was telling his boss what they should do. Perhaps he should've bit his tongue. Then again, Ash was just doing his job. Oak finally faced his men, and that's when they knew the verdict was coming. After moments of awkward silence, Ash was finally going to hear if his plan was accepted.
"Men, we attack at dawn."
Instantly an aura of uneasiness could be felt throughout the room. Quiet apprehension and panic came across every man's face. After all these weeks of doing close to nothing, these men were suddenly going to be sent into battle. Some of the rebels hadn't physically fought in the war yet, so the worry could be easily seen on their faces especially. However, even with all of the silent anxiety in the room, no one argued against the idea. To Ash's surprise, even Gary stayed quiet. With a closer look at his determined scowl, it seemed Gary was as ready to go out and fight as Ash. He was probably getting sick of doing nothing as well.
"I'll call in some back up later tonight. They'll meet us here tomorrow morning to discuss our plans of attack. I want all of you here at four o'clock and ready to go at moment's notice." He turned to Ash and gave him a strong salute. "Thank you, Mr. Ketchum."
Ash saluted back. "It's my duty, sir."
"Coming!" Misty called after hearing a knock at the door.
She immediately regretted answering it. As soon as she saw who it was she attempted to slam the door in his face, but he stopped it from closing with his forearm.
"Please," Ash said desperately.
Misty removed the spoon she had been using to shovel peanut butter into her mouth from between her lips. "Go."
"I just want to talk to you."
"Well, I don't want to talk to you."
"I love you."
Misty sighed and leaned her head against the frame of the door. Ash waited for her to say it back, but judging by her position and posture it didn't seem like she was going to.
She glanced back at him, her eyes glazed over with sadness. "Is that all?"
"No."
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into a gentle kiss. It tasted like peanut butter and cherry chapstick, not the best mixture, but he didn't care. Misty didn't fight it nor did she give anything back. She just held her jar of peanut butter at her side, waiting for it to be over. When they parted Ash stared deeply into her eyes. He stared so intensely he could describe to you every speckle and strand of color. But it was more as if he was staring into her core, her soul, and taking any bit he could. As he backed away quietly, he took one last look at her. He could describe every ounce of detail about what she was wearing, what her hair looked like, the softness of her skin, or the way she smelled, but all of that wasn't important. It wasn't going to change the fact that she still didn't want to be with him. He honestly could not understand why. He turned to walk away, feeling defeated. Just as he was about to leave, Ash realized this was not like him. It wasn't like him to leave without a fight.
"Why won't you say it?" he asked his voice low and gravelly.
Misty rolled her eyes and finally slammed the door.
Ash stood there for a moment, hoping she would open the door back up and jump into his arms, kissing him and saying "I love you" over and over. Sadly, she did not. He touched the wooden door with his fingertips. He waited. Suddenly, he heard a slight thud on the other side of the door. It was Misty. She had just fallen back against the door and started to cry. Ash wanted nothing more than to hold her, and to comfort her at that moment. Of course, he could not. As long as she kept this door closed between them she was alone and he was alone. A few minutes later the crying stopped and the gentle sound of footsteps carried her away.
Ash's eyes fluttered open, making light flicker in between the increasing cracks of his eyelids. The sting from the blinding light was nothing compared to the sharp pain in his chest. His breaths were shallow and empty, which is exactly how his chest felt. Ash's eyes crashed closed when suddenly his ribs felt as if they were caving in on his heart. He gripped the ground as pain swelled his heart, causing dirt to cram under his fingernails. Loud thumping boomed in his ear drums. It took him a few seconds to realize it was his pulse. He could feel his heart overworking. Ash didn't have to see the immense amount of blood seeping through his uniform to know this is what dying felt like.
With his eyes still closed, he wondered how he got to where he was at that exact moment. He honestly couldn't remember. For some reason, one of the first thoughts to come to his head was "this is for you, mom". Truly, that's what got him there. He joined the army to defend his country for his mother. He never expected everything that has happened since to happen.
Ash felt a soft lick on his right forearm. He summoned the strength to open his eyes and see Pikachu cleaning blood off his skin. The pain in his chest was so fierce he hadn't even detected the deep cut wound on his arm. Ash was able to zone out the banging of his own pulse to slightly focus on the chaotic uproar surrounding him. There was screaming, gun shots, and what sounded like vicious winds whipping the air, but the sound of cracking wood signaled it was actually the roar of relentless and unforgiving flames. Houses were probably being burned to the ground. Ash sensed he was in the center of it all, with only Pikachu by his side to protect him.
"Ash! Ash!"
Scratch that.
It was Brock's voice. He slid to Ash's side and immediately picked up Ash's nearly lifeless hand. Brock squeezed it tightly.
"You're a fucking rock star, you know that?" Brock told him.
Ash instinctively tried to make a confused expression, but stopped because even the simple muscle contractions to do so hurt him.
"What?" was all Ash had the strength to grumble.
Tears collected in Brock's eyes when he noticed the giant blood spot sprawling over Ash's chest.
"Man, you're hurt bad," Brock inhaled.
"I can feel it," Ash groaned.
"We have to get you help."
Brock buried his hands under Ash's shoulders and knees, ready to scoop him off the ground. Ash yelped out in pain due to the sudden movement. Brock withdrew his hands and looked around in a panic. Men were dying all over. No one had the time to help Ash specifically.
"What happened?" Ash finally asked.
Brock couldn't help but laugh. "You don't remember?"
Ash didn't answer.
Tears of pride and sadness rolled down Brock's cheeks. "You fucking did it, man. You saved this town. Shit, maybe even the whole country."
"How?"
"Man, you seriously don't remember what you did?" Brock laughed again.
Ash took a deep breath. "Well it's a good thing you're here to tell me, so I'll at least hear it once before I die."
Brock shook his head. "Don't say that, man. You're going to be fine."
Where was he now? Suddenly, Ash wasn't lying stained with blood in the middle of the street anymore. He was standing next to Gary outside the troops' secret base. The sun's rays were starting to stretch over the horizon and grace the town with their gentle morning illumination. Ash could see the lighthouse pierce the horizon in the distance, and he felt a strange sense of confidence that by the end of the day the lighthouse would be theirs. He looked down to see Pikachu sitting at his feet and Gary's Squirtle was spinning on its shell close by.
"Sun's coming up," Gary stated. "Pretty soon we'll be out there showing those Hoes what's what."
Ash remained quiet. He was still confused as to how he got there.
Gary gave a nod of his chin toward Ash. "Thank God you talked some sense into old gramps. It was getting unbearable watching the Hoes run everything around here."
Ash sighed. "Well, if everything goes as planned it won't be like that much longer."
"What's your plan anyway, Ashy boy? You really just expect us to capture the lighthouse with a surprise attack?"
Ash turned his head toward Gary. "You think that won't be enough?"
Gary spat in laughter, "I know that won't be enough."
Ash's eyes diverted to the ground as a growing concern that Gary was right churned in his stomach. He watched Pikachu scratch his ear with his hind leg, and that's when the idea hit him. He didn't tell Gary about it at the time. In fact, he didn't tell anyone about it. While he stood with his fellow soldier, waiting for the sun to make its full appearance on the skyline, he hoped that he wouldn't have to put this idea into effect. It would only be a last resort if capturing the lighthouse with simple combat proved to be unsuccessful. But when has combat ever been simple?
Now where was he? With quick glances at his immediate surroundings, he knew he was in the center of Cerulean. A few Kanto soldiers and those from the Cerulean rebel movement were helping women and children evacuate the city, while they tried to recruit the men and the tougher women to join the fight. There was a lot of commotion in the streets but none of it was hostile yet. Every once in a while there would be explosions or a flurry of gun shots that would echo in the town, but Ash eventually realized it was all coming from the lighthouse. The battle was in full swing at the monument and the Kanto soldiers knew it would eventually swallow the city as well. Ash boiled with slight anger when he wondered why he wasn't up at the lighthouse with his fellow soldiers fighting in the real battle.
"Pikachu!" he called.
The yellow rodent leapt off a nearby rooftop and landed on the ground before hopping up on Ash's shoulders. Now that he had Pikachu he was ready to race up to the lighthouse and make himself useful in battle. He turned to start running but skidded to a stop at the sound of his name.
"Ash! Ash!"
Before he spotted whoever was yelling for him two hands spun him around. He had never been so shocked to see someone in his life. Her soft skin brushed against the stubble on his cheek as she went to embrace him tightly. He held her close, knowing just from the touch of her delicate skin and the feel of her warm body that it was Misty.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, barely breathing because his nerves started setting in. He didn't want to mess this up after what happened yesterday. He really thought he'd never see her again after that.
She was having trouble breathing too, but more so because she was scared. "I heard what was happening and I—and I just had to come find you."
He held her close again and stroked her hair to calm her down. "Well, it's okay now. You found me." Ash felt a smile of relief creep onto his face when he said that.
Misty started getting choked up. "Do I even have to apologize? You know I'm an idiot, right?"
Ash looked at her with a grin from ear to ear. "The biggest idiot I know."
"I love you, Ash," she finally admitted.
"I love you, Misty."
The two kissed, and it was perfect. They consumed each other with absolute passion. They kissed long and hard, as if they knew it might be their last.
When they finally parted, Misty gave Ash an almost nauseated look.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I have to tell you something. Something important."
"Uh, it might have to wait."
Misty looked at Ash, puzzled. "Why?"
Suddenly, Ash pushed Misty away from him on the shoulders. Misty was about to erupt in rage at this abusive gesture, but seconds later she saw the reason behind his shove. Multiple high-pitched screams rang in the air as an orange, winged beast swooped down and attacked Ash with its large talons. It barged into the young man with such force that it sent him flying into a pile of wooden boxes stacked on the side of the street. Ash disappeared in the debris and Misty shrieked his name, fearing he had been gravely injured. The Charizard continued to fly around and set fire to the already shabby houses of Cerulean.
The once organized routes of evacuation out of the city transformed into complete disarray. More Charizards swarmed the sky and intimidated townsfolk with their fiery breath. Everyone ran screaming from the sight. Ash emerged from the pile of now broken boxes and Misty jumped to go check on him. She couldn't easily make her way too him though. There were too many people running between them and everything around them was starting to crumble. Ash cringed as a piercing tingle ran through his right arm. He glanced down to see a deep cut in his right forearm from the Charizard's talons. He began to feel light headed, so he clutched the wound tightly to stop the bleeding.
"Ash!" Misty called again.
"Go!" Ash demanded as a Charizard flew closely overhead. It sent a stream of flames from its mouth toward Ash, but he was able to dodge it. Ash looked back at Misty, who standing there, frightened. "Get out of here! Go! I'll be okay!"
Ash could see tears swimming in Misty's eyes. But she nodded, knowing her staying there with him would be no use. Ash watched her run away with a crowd of evacuating citizens, and even he had to keep himself from tearing up. After watching Misty run until she was no longer in his sights, Ash turned toward the lighthouse in the distance. He assumed the battle must not be going in Kanto's favor if the Hoes have already sent their Charizards to attack the town. He had to get there quick, before it was too late. Pikachu took down two of the Charizards with its ruthless electric shock before he followed Ash to the lighthouse.
Ash opened his eyes. He was back on the ground, wounded. Brock was still hovering above him. He squeezed his eyes closed. His brain ached from the flashbacks he had just experienced. He remembered it all now. He remembered how he saved the city. It was just too bad he couldn't have saved himself.
"You hear me? You're going to be fine," Brock assured.
Brock was so confident in the fact that his best friend was going to live, that he didn't even notice right away when Ash's breathing stopped. His hand fell dead in his. Brock shook it, hoping Ash had just slipped into unconsciousness and would wake up with enough force. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders and gave him another light shake. Brock repeated Ash's name over and over for the slight chance that he'd respond. He put his ear to his friend's blood stained chest. Nothing.
"C'mon, don't do this to me, man," Brock plead, tears conjuring in the corners of his eyes. He looked all around for someone nearby. "I need some help over here! Man down! Man down!"
Gary and his Squirtle came running and Brock began to perform CPR on Ash.
"What happened?" Gary asked.
"He got shot." Brock pushed on his chest three times before listening for a heartbeat again. Still nothing.
After a minute or two more of unsuccessful CPR, Brock fell back on his rear end. His lip trembled as tears blurred the sight of his dead best friend lying in front of him.
"No, no, no, no, no," he said over and over, unable to process the fact that Ash was really dead.
Gary stood by with a somber expression. He'd never be willing to admit it to anyone, but at that moment Gary Oak had to keep himself from crying. Brock and everyone else in history may credit Ash for his brilliant idea, but if Ash had never had that critical conversation with Gary before the big battle, he would have never thought of it. Soon other members of Ash's troop ran over, thinking a fellow soldier was in need of help. But when they got there it was too late. The only thing left to watch was Brock sob into his blood covered hands.
There was a great deal of people at the funeral, primarily soldiers. Ash was buried in his uniform and with a Kanto flag draped over his casket. The sun shined with a subtle brightness and barely any heat radiated from the oversized star. The temperature seemed perfect. Everything about the day seemed peaceful. But no one's mind was at peace knowing that Ash Ketchum was forever gone.
Brock stepped forward with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He cleared his throat as he fished for his speech in his coat pocket. He pulled out a small sheet of white paper. Delia watched the paper shake as Brock tried not to start crying before he began his speech.
"There's no doubt that Ash Ketchum was a brave man, but what everyone might not know is how great of a friend he was. He would do anything he could to protect the people he loved." Brock's head fell to his chest to conceal the few tears that trickled down his cheeks. Many other people started to cry as well. "It's just a shame he couldn't protect himself. It's a dangerous world out there. But hopefully now it's a little better for us all after knowing Ash. Just as his gravestone says, I think the three best words to remember him by are fun, loyal, and brave." Brock looked at the slab of stone sticking out the ground. He said to it as if no one else were there, "You were my best friend and I'll never forget you."
As Delia listened to Brock speak, she spotted an unfamiliar face amongst the crowd. This was the only unfamiliar face not in uniform. It was a petite, redheaded woman. Delia spent a few moments analyzing her face, trying to think if she knew her from somewhere and had simply forgotten. Nothing came to mind. She wondered what effect Ash had on this woman's life.
General Oak stepped forward next to speak. "Mr. Ketchum was my second in command, which is probably the smartest move I ever made in my career as a military officer. Ash had the brightest ideas I had ever heard, and from a man of his age, it was quite impressive." Delia started crying, and she noticed the redhead was quietly bawling as well. "One could even argue that Ash was the turning point of the war. Because of his work in Fuchsia and Cerulean, Kanto may actually have a chance at turning this war around. For those of you who don't know the story, in Ash's final hours, he sacrificed himself to lure all of the Hoenn soldiers out of the Cerulean lighthouse and into the nearby river, and with the help of his Pikachu, defeated all of the soldiers with a single electric shock. Unfortunately, he was shot by one of the few Hoenn soldiers that was still alive. It was a major victory for Kanto that day, but there's no denying that there was a major loss as well. Ash Ketchum will forever be remembered as a war hero, and that is why it is my distinct pleasure to award him with a medal of honor."
Oak went to place the medal on top of Ash's casket, but Delia couldn't help but reach for it. He stopped and looked at her expectantly.
"Actually, would it be alright if I kept that?" she asked quietly.
Oak flashed a small smile. "Of course, Ms. Ketchum."
He walked over and handed her the medal. She watched the gold glisten in the sunlight and imagined it as Ash's smile beaming up at her.
Brock put his arm around Delia as "Taps" filled the breezy, autumn air with its melodies. The dirt had settled in around the sunken casket. Those who didn't know Ash well dispersed from the area. A few stayed for a while, some just stared at his headstone and others approached Delia with their condolences. As more and more people began to leave, Delia noticed the redheaded woman was still there. When there were only about six people still around, the redheaded woman slowly strode over to her.
"Are you Ash's mother?" she asked.
Delia nodded. "Yes."
Her lip began to tremble. "I am so sorry for your loss."
Delia sniffed, trying not to start crying in front of this stranger. "So did you know him well?"
She turned and looked at the gravestone, as if he was standing there. "I would like to think so."
"I don't believe we've ever met," Delia pointed out. "I'm Delia."
The redhead smiled tiredly. "I'm Misty."
"How'd you two know each other?" Delia asked.
"We met in Cerulean City right before he joined the military," Misty explained. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Your son was very special."
Watching Misty cry made Delia grow teary eyed. "Thank you. I'm very proud of him."
"You should be. He saved my life," Misty looked down and mumbled, "in more ways than one."
Delia smiled faintly. "I'd love to hear about it some time."
"Great." Misty smiled back, but it quickly turned into a nervous frown when she remembered what she came to tell Delia. "But first, I have something important to tell you." Delia didn't know how to react. She had just met this girl, what important information could she possibly have to tell her? "Please know that I love your son with all my heart… and he loved me too… but unfortunately," Misty began to weep, "I was never able to tell Ash this before he passed away. I'm… I'm pregnant."
"And Ash is the father?" Delia asked.
Misty nodded. "Yes."
For a couple seconds Delia's face seemed frozen. No sign of recognition came across. Then suddenly, she burst into tears. At first Misty felt humiliated. This woman probably thought she was a whore. However, unexpectedly, Delia wrapped her arms around Misty and gave her a squeeze. Misty sunk into the woman's warm embrace after understanding they were tears of joy. Misty was relieved. She knew since the day Ash died that she had to tell Delia. If this baby's father couldn't be in its life, then it at least deserves to have an involved grandmother.
Delia finally released Misty from her arms, smiled at her, tears still strolling down her cheeks, and said, "Welcome to the family."
A/N: So I just realized this is the first time I've updated this story in almost two years. The reason I decided to come back to it is because I am incredibly proud of how this story turned out. I always knew that this was going to be the last chapter. It just took me forever to write it because I wanted it to be perfect. I held it off for a really long time and I didn't like the first few drafts I whipped up. But I am satisfied with this ending and I hope you all are too. I know a few of you asked me if I was ever going to finish this story and that was a big source of inspiration for me to finally write the last chapter. I really hope those of you who have stuck with this story since the beginning thought the ending was worth the wait.
Let me just say that I had so much fun writing this story. I feel like I really challenged myself when it came to language, relationships, and plot. I typically write more light-hearted stuff so writing about such a serious topic like war was quite refreshing actually. I'm really proud of this story despite the lack of popularity I expected it to receive. I thought this story would be a big hit because it's so different and mature compared to every other Pokemon story out there, but I hope those few of you who kept up with it enjoyed it anyway.
Also, in case you're wondering, no, I did not just pull that ending out of my butt last second. I've known from the very beginning that Ash was going to die, and I'd be interested to hear if anyone knew that I was going to kill him off or if it came to them as a total surprise. Not going to lie, my goal was to make at least one person cry or get teary eyed. So be honest, did any of you cry? Did I make it sad enough?
Also, if you didn't go "awwww" after Ash gave Misty a new bike you have no soul.
Thanks so much to all of you who have read, favorited, and alerted this story over the years! I truly appreciate all the support! I hope if you like this story you'll check out my other ones or you'll keep your eye out for my future stuff. Now that I have this completed I can concentrate on my other Pokemon fanfic called "Bianca's Tale" which I would love if I got some extra feedback on. Thank you all again for reading!
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