A Step In the Right Direction

A/N: Aghhhh! I'm finally back! *Again*! D: I'm sooooo sorry for everyone that still reads this and has been waiting for this chapter. D: Anyway, I'm really hoping to finish this and then when I do, I'll probably end up doing a re-write of it from the beginning to make it better. 3 So, here's the chapter! ^o^

Dawn stepped back as Mamoswine stopped on its hindlegs. "Hang in there, Mamoswine!"

Gary's voice sounded muffled, but she could tell that Gary said something along the lines of 'eventually I'll get through'.

((Misty))

"Sasuke, what'll we do if Gary got there first? What do you think will happen to Ash if Ari and Dawn can't protect him?" Misty asked whispering as she looked at her feet.

"I'm not sure… Gary will try to use him for something, but I have no clue what…" Sasuke told her, giving her a small smile.

"I'm just glad that all this is finally almost over…" she stated with a small sigh. "With everything that's happened since I met Ash back at the gym after he been gone forever…"

Sasuke nodded and looked ahead as they neared Ari's cave. "Ash is strong. He won't be beaten down easily, Misty. You should know that as much as the rest of us should."

She nodded.

(((Kairi))))

"Brock, I'm not going to go back with you guys to see Ash wake up… I've been away from home for much too long… Ash needs someone like Misty by his side and I can't be that…" she whispered as they looked around for Gary.

"Do you really believe that, Kairi? It's easy to see that you like Ash a lot. I'm sure that you have strong feelings toward him. Are you really going to give that all up?" he asked her as he stepped closer to her in the grass that they were searching.

She nodded as thoughts of what might be happening at home flooded through her mind. "I was never really allowed to be a Pokemon trainer when I turned ten. My mom had died so I had to play mom and do all the cooking and cleaning and stuff. I'm lucky that my dad let me leave to come see Ash when I came."

Brock nodded in understanding. With having as many siblings as he did it was hard not to. But then again, he had both of his parents.

"Something is wrong…" Runo said behind them. "I can tell that something is happening at Ari's cave. We need to hurry."

(((Dawn)))

"Come on, Mamoswine! Just a little bit longer!" Dawn yelled to the Pokemon as Ari told her that her friends were coming. (A/N: I'm not sure if Ari was in there or not and it's 2:47 p.m. She's in there now, 'kay? "XD)

"Just give up!" Gary yelled through the small crack in the cave wall.

(((Runo)))

When they neared Ari's Cave they could tell that something was wrong. There wasn't any light or anything coming from it like normal.

"I think that Gary is inside…" Runo whispered to the two beside her.

"I agree. He probably just got here fast than us," Brock stated as he stepped forward.

"We need to get in there and help Dawn and Ari," Kairi said in the same whispered tone that Brock had used.

Runo frowned and stated, "I doubt my singing would do a thing. You guys should get in there and fight him…"

They nodded and went in.

(((Ash)))

Colors swirled through his vision. His train of thought was interrupted every few seconds, he couldn't tell how many, by a new color becoming more vibrant than the rest. The colors seemed like they were in a constant struggle for power. One would dominate the others and then the others would subdue that one and another one would become more prominent. It continued like that for what felt like an eternity. He could hear voice outside, but he couldn't distinguish who was saying them.

Recently, he'd thought he'd heard Gary speaking and then nothing else was heard. It took what felt like another eternity for his body to feel a cold chill run through it as something was being taken from him. His mind froze and his entire being ceased to exist for a total of five seconds before he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders soon after.

"Oh Ash, I'm so glad you're alive!" Misty cried hugging him tightly.

He figured she was the one that had jumped on to him as soon as his eyes had been opened. "Yeah… What happened?"

"We got all the orbs, but Gary showed up and tried to get to you. Once Misty and Sasuke arrived it got a lot easier to stop Gary. He's been taken into custody by the lovely Officer Jennys," Brock stated as a blush appeared on his cheeks.

"Where's Kairi?" he asked as he looked at his circle of friends and noticed her missing.

"She went home. Said that you and Misty belong together," Brock stated. (I keep wanting to put Brok so I apologize in advance if that happens. XD)

Sasuke looked toward Ash and then said, "Sorry to run after you just woke up, but I'm going to go get her."

(*)(*)(*) A Few Months Later (*)(*)(*)

Ash smiled at Misty. They'd begun dating as soon as Ash was out of Ari's cave and were happy together still. Not many fights that were worth while.

Dawn had ended up dating May's brother Max.

Brock was still chasing after any girl that he saw and hoped to find the right one.

"Sasuke, if Misty is Ash's other half then do you supposed that I'm your other half?" Kairi asked him as they sat on the Ketchum house roof and looked up at the stars one night.

"I suppose so… It seems that the part of Ash that you really loved was me…" he replied as he let loose a happy sigh.

"I'm glad…"

A/N: Finally finished! X3 I'm so sorry for the long wait everyone. D: I think the ending kind of sucked, but oh well. I might re-write some day. Maybe. Eventually. Probably not. .

Read and review!

~~MoonlitxAngel signing off another story~~