A/N: Next to last chapter you guys! So exciting! As for a sequel, I've decided I will make one, but it'll be a while. I'll still write things, but right now my focus is on two other fanfics I want to publish. I really hope you understand, and I promise this will still have a satisfying ending! R and R please! :)

Chapter 13: Not Letting Go

"I came as soon as you called." Mrs. Ketchum burst through the double doors into the Waiting Room. "How is she?" Ash had been freaking out inside, and was finally relieved by his mother's soothing voice.

"I don't know. Nobody's told me anything," he replied, running his fingers through his scruffy black hair yet again.

"Well that just won't do," she muttered to herself. "Give me one minute. I'll be back, honey, I promise." She strutted off, looking for the nearest doctor or nurse to scold for such negligence. Ash sighed. His mother would be her usual, assertive self. He just hoped she wouldn't get them kicked out.

Brock came in shortly after, surprising Ash when a spritely magenta-haired girl strolled in beside him. "Guess now's as good a time as any. Cecilia, meet Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon Pikachu."

She waved hello, saying, "You must be the father, right?" Apparently Brock had failed to fill her in on the details of the situation. Ash shook his head.

"Afraid I'm not. The father couldn't make it today." More like he hadn't called to tell the father. But knowing Pallet Town, word travels fast, so he'd be there sooner or later anyway.

"Oh," she frowned. "You're his friend, then?" Again, he shook his head.

"Misty's." Her blue eyes widened slightly.

"Ah" was all she could think to say.

"Mrs. Ketchum here yet?" Brock asked, crossing to sit beside Ash. He pointed in the direction of the hallway.

"Yeah, harassing the hospital staff for not telling us anything so far." Brock chuckled.

"Sounds like her, all right." Cecilia gave a confused look, apparently missing the humor of the situation.

"Couldn't that get her kicked—?"

"We're sorry, ma'am, but you're going to have to leave if you don't go and take a seat in the Waiting Room. We'll be there as soon as we find out something," they heard a male voice say, making Ash click his tongue in amusement.

"Here she comes now," he mumbled as his angry mother came up and sat on his other side.

"People these days," she huffed. "You about have to kill yourself and become a ghost in order to find out anything around here."

"Did you? Find out something, I mean."

"Well, she's doing fine and in a room now, but other than that, I'm afraid not. I guess we're stuck here for the time being." She then noticed the girl sitting by Brock and asked, "And who might this be?"

"Oh, that's Cecilia. Cecilia, this is my mom," Ash answered, pointing her out.

"Hello there, Mrs. Ketchum." She smiled, showing off her pearl white teeth.

"Pleasure to meet you, Cecilia." They sat for what felt like an eternity, until a lone nurse finally walked in and said they could go in. Ash jumped clean out of his chair, readier than ever to see her. The baby, too. "Calm down, honey. All in good time," his mother pacified him, walking down the hallway beside him.

"I know, I know," he murmured, though he couldn't help hiding the excitement in his voice. For a moment, he felt like things were starting to look up.

"Here we are, room 211," she read off. "Why don't you go in first, Ash?" And go in first he did. He flew over to Misty, kissing her forehead in hello. As soon as he saw the baby, his entire heart melted into a jumble of emotions.

He fell in love with her immediately, though the hurt in his heart didn't go away. She wasn't his, no matter how much he wanted her to be. He wanted to be the father he never had, protecting her, loving her, and treating her just as if she were his own. She had her mother's beautiful green eyes, he noticed. She looked up at him, smiling without a single tooth inside her head.

"Do you want to hold her?" Misty asked as the others filed in. Ash nodded, but it kind of scared him. As much as he wanted to, he worried he might drop her; she was fragile as a porcelain doll, after all. He took her in his arms, and as soon as he did, he didn't ever want to let go. Babies just know how to soften a guy's heart.

"What's her name?" he whispered, rocking her back and forth as she began to fall asleep.

"Ansly Marie," Misty replied, smiling down at her daughter.

Pikachu walked over to its trainer, its eyes visibly widening when it saw the little baby. "Cha?" it asked, pointing over at Misty. Ash nodded.

"Her name's Ansly. Would you like to meet her?" Pikachu gazed up at him in disbelief.

"Pi pi pi?"

"Sure, I'm sure, Pikachu! Would I lie to you?" Pikachu shook its head. "Then there you go. Pikachu, meet Miss Ansly, the world's newest Pokémon Trainer." He leaned down and let Pikachu take a peek at her.

"Pika, pika!" Pikachu laughed. Everyone was captivated by the newborn, from loving Mrs. Ketchum all the way to bubbly Cecilia. After quite a bit of gawking over the child, Mrs. Ketchum decided she'd best be getting home. Brock agreed, offering her a ride, which she graciously accepted. Ash had decided to stay a bit longer, promising to bring the car back in one piece if she'd allow it (aside from his still not knowing how to drive, which he conveniently forgot to mention as she kissed him goodbye).

Then the only ones left were Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and little baby Ansly, who had been placed back into Misty's arms. Or so they thought. "I'm going to see my child!" They heard someone exclaim from outside. "And you're not going to stop me!"

"Is that—?"

"It sure is." Gary burst through the door, crossing the room in a matter of seconds.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure, Gary?" Misty spat, cradling her baby closer.

"Pleasure? Why, the pleasure is all mine. And who's this little bundle of joy?" he asked, reaching out to take the baby.

"Ansly, and you can't have her!" Misty jerked away, leaving a dumbstruck Gary speechless.

"Who said I wanted her? Can't I just have a look-see?"

"No!" She wasn't about to let this man near her baby, regardless of the fact that half of her DNA belonged to none other than the creep himself. "Leave me alone!"

"Alright, you wanna play that way, do you? Let me have her, Misty!" he screamed, slapping her across the cheek. She winced, flinging a hand to her mouth. She refused to cry out in pain.

"Now hold on a minute. Just what do you think you're doing?" Ash demanded as Gary swerved to face him.

"This isn't your concern," Gary replied acidly.

"Oh, but it isn't? That's no way to treat a lady, Gary. Especially not a way to treat Misty," he answered, glaring at him.

"And who's going to stop m—?" But he never got to finish the question. Ash's fist connected with his face, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"I am." Before Gary could bounce back, Ash had him pinned to the ground. "I believe Misty told you to leave her alone. Now I suggest you leave or else." The stark acidity in his tone proved just how serious he felt on the matter. Gary wasn't about to go without putting up a fight though.

"Or else what?" he hissed, glaring up at Ash indignantly.

"Or else I'll just have to show you the door myself," he retorted, pulling Gary up by his collar and pulling him toward the exit.

"You can't do this, Ash!" he screamed. "That's my child in there, not yours!"

"Oh yeah? Who said? Because last I heard you left your ex-fiancé to freeze to death in the pouring rain. While she was pregnant with that baby you claim as yours. If she's really yours, then why don't you start by treating her mom right? And slapping her in the face sure isn't right, by any means."

"You can't get away with this," Gary replied as he was pushed out the hospital room door.

"Really?" Ash answered sarcastically. "Because I think I already have." The door slammed shut, leaving Gary to bang on it until the hospital staff had to personally escort him out of the hospital. Finally, peace at last.

Ash crossed back over to Misty's bedside, smiling at the sleeping baby in her arms. How she could sleep through all the chaos, Ash had yet to figure out, but he sure wanted to be let in on the secret, if only to escape the complicated life he'd come to live. As if being Champion and being chased by a bunch of bloodthirsty creeps weren't enough on his plate. Now he had a baby to think about, and hopefully sometime in the future, a wife to call his own. Misty looked at him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, shining her bright green eyes up at him. He laughed, a bright, bubbly, unforgiving laugh that made Misty narrow her eyes at him quite crossly. "What's so funny, Ash?"

"Nothing," he answered, "Just thinking about what I'm going to do when I get home. We've got so much to do, you know. Baby clothes, a crib, baby food, the works! We can't just let her starve or run around naked, right?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, I certainly can't allow that to happen," she answered, emphasizing her "I" on purpose. Where was all this "we" stuff coming from anyway? It kind of scared her, but in a weird sort of fuzzy way.

"And then there's the baby shower, I mean, you want to have a baby shower, don't you? We've got to."

"Ash," she sighed. "Baby showers happen before the baby is born."

"So? It's not like it makes a bit of a difference to May or Dawn. You know they'd go crazy just getting to meet her! And Mom, well, as you very well know, isn't about to let you miss out on something like that." Misty rolled her eyes. Ash wasn't the one to bother arguing with over stuff like this. Besides, he'd win anyway, if not from his stubbornness than from his mother's incisiveness on the whole situation.

"No, I guess not…" she trailed off, looking down at her newborn child. Ansly Marie…what? Waterflower? Oak? Or, despite earlier misconceptions, Ketchum? She wasn't quite sure yet. Luckily the doctor hadn't made her decide right away. "Ash…would you mind…if I gave her the last name 'Ketchum'?"

Ash looked at her incredulously. "Why should I? If it takes us fifty years to get married, she'll still be our daughter in my eyes. Even if she isn't. Mine, that is."

As much as her betrayal had hurt, he realized he hadn't exactly been too honest with her over the years either. Plus, to tell the truth, his affection for little Ansly was just a bit bigger than the pain right now. And if she could do that now, then spending the rest of his life taking care of her would be absolutely, one-hundred-percent worth it. Misty looked slightly shocked, either from his insisting it'll take her fifty years to marry him, or from his agreeing to her question; he wasn't quite sure. Probably the latter, though, if he had to guess.

Her expression soon changed, however, as slowly the corners of her mouth turned upward into a grin he instantly recognized as pure joy, a smile so subtle yet so profound it had a certain bioluminescent effect to her entire face. It seemed to glow, bright as the sunlight. No, better yet, it was a star. Small, even dull at first glance, but so unique that it could light up an entire galaxy, or even destroy one in a blink, if the opportunity ever arose (and Misty could certainly do both).

"Oh, Ash," she breathed. "I was hoping you'd say that."