A/N: Oh m'Lord! The last chapter of the story...I'm gonna miss writing this terribly D: but I hope you enjoy the end, and maybe, just maybe I'll start on a sequel eventually. I love you guys for staying with it this whole time, and it really means a lot to see how far this has come. From being just a thought to an entire story! Anyways, don't forget to R & R, and enjoy :)

Epilogue: Ansly Marie Ketchum

One year later

That smile. He'd never get over that toothless grin beautiful little Ansie-bug would give him every time she saw him. "That's it, Little Ledyba! You're doing it, sweetie," Ash exclaimed as Misty gave him the evil eye.

"You had to nickname her that, didn't you?" Ash smirked. Of course he did. Anything to drive Misty up a wall was perfect. And what better way than to name her daughter after a Bug Pokémon?

"Not my fault you're Miss Bug-a-phobia," Ash chuckled, watching Ansly take her first steps in their direction. "Come on, Ansie-bug, you can do this! You're almost here!" Misty sighed, annoyed by her fiancé's immaturity. At least he'd finally learned how to drive, she thought. After the Hospital Incident, she forced him to learn in case another emergency required such ability.

Pikachu followed little Ansly, making sure she didn't hurt herself or fall before she got to Ash. He'd taken to becoming her bodyguard, more often than not, and treated her much in the same way he treated Togepi years ago. He hated seeing her hurt, especially despising the loud wails she let out when something went wrong; she was ten times louder than Togepi ever was! She almost slipped, but Pikachu steadied her just enough to stop it. She walked, baby step by baby step, toward the two she'd learned were her mommy and daddy.

"Pika, pi!" the Pokémon behind her yelled, and she smiled when she saw him walking beside her. He was her friend, after all.

"Ansie-bug!" Ash hollered as she toppled over into his arms. "Whoopsie daisies!" He laughed, falling backwards and lifting her up in the air like an airplane. Pikachu crossed over to Misty, who wore a very amused expression, and jumped into her lap.

"Aw, Ash finally found someone his own age," Brock chuckled, walking in with a tray of hot chocolate and marshmallows.

"You're telling me," Misty muttered, watching him blow on Ansly's little belly button to make her laugh.

"Dada," she giggled. Misty's thoughts froze.

"Did she just—?"

"I think she did—"

"She said her first word!" Ash jumped in, sitting up and embracing the little girl. "That's right, Ansie-bug! 'Dada,'" he repeated, finding a new amazement at such a small word. "She called me her 'dada.'"

"Dada!" she screamed, clapping her hands and smiling at him.

"Can you say 'Mama?'" Misty asked, crossing over to sit by Ash and Ansly.

"Dada," she answered, shaking her head. Misty was kind of disappointed. Why hadn't her first word been 'Mama' instead? Ash wasn't even her real 'Dada.'

"Come on, Little Ledyba. Can't you say 'Mama?'" Ash repeated Misty, looking down at the little girl.

"Dada?"

"No, 'Mama,'" he replied, shaking his head. She thought about for a moment.

"Mama," she finally reiterated, "Mama!"

"Well, that's two words," Ash counted, holding up his fingers. "Way to go, Ansie-bug!" He high-fived her little hands, making her giggle again as she repeated the words. Delia walked in, taking a cup of hot chocolate from Brock's tray.

"I hear little Ansly's learned something new," she said, taking a seat by Brock.

"Mama! Dada!" Ansly exclaimed, rejoicing at her newfound ability.

"Well, I'll be! Ash didn't learn his first word until months after he first walked!"

"Yeah, she's something special, all right," Ash remarked, smiling at the thought. "What was my first word?"

"Food. What else?" Misty joked, taking Ansly from Ash and rocking her back and forth. Ash rolled his eyes.

"Really, Mist?"

"Well, it was actually 'Pika.' You were trying to mimic a Pikachu from your favorite kids' show, Pokémon Channel. Kind of ironic that you ended up having a Pikachu for your starter almost nine years later."

"Now that explains a lot," Misty remarked, lulling the little girl to sleep. "See, Pikachu? It was all meant to be. Written in the stars." Pikachu looked up, as if checking to see if the stars really had stuff written on them.

"It's a figure of speech, Pikachu," she explained.

"Pi," it sighed, a trifle upset by the clarification.

"Yeah, Pikachu. If only things were that easy. I'd look up there for all the answers if I could," Ash added as Pikachu perched onto his shoulder. "Then I'd never screw up again."

"Sure you would, Ash. Even if the future's spelled out for us, we're all going to mess up sometimes." Misty stood, cradling the girl in her arms. "I'll be back in a minute." She walked toward the guest room, where a baby blue crib had been added for the newest little Ketchum. Kissing the little girl's forehead, she tucked her into bed, stroking her auburn curls lightly and smiling to herself.

"Sweet dreams, Ansly Marie. Sweet dreams."