Hello readers! A few more chapters to go! Then off to ikarishipping! And I promise that the plot will stay on its original plot line this time. Pinky promise. I swear on my Sylveon plushie's life. I don't own Pokemon.

Chapter Twenty Three: Without You

It was a Monday, the sun was shining, and the skies were clear. Who couldn't be happy on a day like this? Of course, our female protagonist.

Misty slammed the door behind her. What was even worse than a break up? Students following you for information. And it was consistent. Luckily, she had her mallet on her, so after a few hits, they had all gone. She wiped her hands and opened her locker. A pink post it note was wedged between the door and the edge, and Misty glanced at it.

…

To Misty

Please come to our headquarters ASAP. I'll be there waiting for you.

Iris.

…

Misty glared at the note. Oh well, she might as well go, there was still a good ten minutes before home room.

She knocked on the door, an expressionless look on her face. The newspaper crew were numerous in numbers, so the room was huge. The quality of the furniture were good as well.

"Hi Iris."

"Misty. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the…"

"It's fine. It's been done."

"No. It's not fine. The rest of the crew begged me to do it. They even threatened for me to get expelled."

"Oh, that's mean of them. But what do you want with me?"

"You see, Professor Oak asked us to find someone to be the head of the dance committee. Like you know, organise the Christmas, Valentine and any other dances. You seem like a born leader, so I immediately thought of you. You can choose a co leader, and we've already put up sign up sheets for you."

Misty blinked, taking it all in. Her? To be the head of the dance committee?

"All right. I'll do it."

"Great! And Oak said the co leader has to be a boy."

"A boy? Why?"

"He said that both the female and male opinions had to be considered with things like the dance."

"Right. Thanks Iris."

"No need to thank me. You really should be hitting me with your mallet right now."

"Ha ha."

()()()()()

Misty stood outside the classroom, panting slightly from running to home room. She wasn't late, just, everyone, really.

"Oh for Arceus's sake, why don't they leave me alone?" She leaned on the wall, a tear escaping her eye, without meaning to. "My life is already hectic without them."

She gritted her teeth.

"I still don't get what M has to do with our break up." She murmured quietly. Talking to herself made her feel better. "I wish we didn't have to break up."

She furiously rubbed her face with the back of her hand. She shuffled into the classroom, a sad smile in her face.

Ash stood around the corner, hearing all of Misty's words.

()()()()()

"Misty? Can we talk?"

No one said a word.

"Please?"

There was a pause.

"Fine."

Ash grinned. It was working out so far.

"It was a misunderstanding." He started.

"Oh yeah. I get it. Boy dumps girl for another girl, other girl turns the boy down, boy goes running off to the first girl cliché. Ha ha. I'd like to thank the girl who turned you down. You can't take everything for granted, Ash." Misty scoffed.

"No, you don't get it! It really was a mis-"

"Forget it. My life is a whole lot better without you." She ran down the corridor, her books clutched tightly to her chest.

Ash sank onto the ground, the words that Misty spoke stung him. Perhaps it was better that he wasn't in her life. He had electrified her bike the first time they met. They had argued lots when they were travelling. Their first date had ended with Misty rushed to the hospital. They had broken up twice. And the paparazzi was getting on her last nerve.

"You're right. I shouldn't have interfered with your life at all." Ash whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.

A crowd started building up around Ash, but when they realised that he needed time alone, they left. Soon, the only people left were Dawn, May, Drew, Paul and Ash. The gang, minus two people, were behind Ash, awkwardly patting his back or saying word of support. They still didn't know the full story, but they had to help a friend in need, right?

()()()()()

"What do you mean?"

The girls were at May's house, in Petalburg City. Their 'emergency bff meeting' had been summoned by Dawn, but May was the only one who could host it.

"What I mean, is that Ash broke you two up for a good reason to, but then realised it was a misunderstanding." Dawn stood on the chair.

"Wait. What?"

"Dawn means that you should talk to Ash. He looked so sad after you ran off. He kept saying things like, 'I should've never popped into your life' and stuff like that." May pointed out.

Misty pushed her head into her hands, not knowing what to do.

"You should listen to him. Maybe then you'll understand." May broke the silence.

The doorbell rang, and May ran to the door.

"Marina?"

"Hey May! I got the address from your boyfriend."

"Oh that's great! I'm glad you were able to find it! You have to help us cheer up Misty."

"I have a great idea…"

()()()()()

"You know guys, dressing up is not a way to cheer me up…"

Misty sighed as her friends ignored her and kept bringing out dresses.

"But Misty, we've gotta get ready for prom!" Dawn cried, rampaging through May's wardrobe. "We need to figure out what style, what colour, what everything!"

May, Misty and Marina face palmed.

"Prom is about ten months away." May sighed.

"Plus we can always get dresses later." Misty trudged through the heap of dresses.

"I can ask my stylist for advice when we get closer to the time." Marina offered.

Dawn beamed, dropping the silver dress that had been in her hand.

"Thanks guys." She smiled.

()()()()()

The four girls skipped up to the school entrance, in matching clothes, only in different colours for each of them. May red, Misty blue, Marina purple and Dawn pink.

"You ready, girls?" Dawn shouted.

"Yeah!" They all cried.

They strode down the corridor, where all the students parted like the Red Sea for them to walk through. They laughed and talked loudly at their lockers, and arrived at home room 'fashionably late'. They all smirked when everyone stared at them. Sure, they might be the queen bees of the school, but as Misty knew clearly, they were still the average students underneath. But Dawn had said to take advantage of their popularity, and show everyone that no matter how many rumours there were, they were still the four girls that everyone wanted to be.

Misty flopped into her seat, and turned her head eagerly to talk to Ash, but he was staring out of the window intently. She blinked, confused. Had he given up on her that quickly?

"Ash? Can we talk after class?"

Silence.

"We can fix this, all it needs is a li-"

"I thought you said your life was better without me." He snapped.

"No! I didn't mean it!"

"Oh, of course you didn't." Ash rolled his eyes.

"Please! Just listen to me! Meet me outside the classroom after this lesson is done!"

"Fine. But only for you I will."

()()()()()

A/N: warning: you are about to read a huge rant. If you happen to be a amourshipper on a pokeshipping story, then go. You won't like hearing your little Serena like this.

Serena is pretty much an improved version of Misty, May, Dawn and Iris. Why? First, Serena has all the girls good points. Dawn's prettiness, Misty's sort of confirmed crush, Misty's handkerchief business. Then she has been cleansed of all the negative points, Misty and May anger issues, Misty's mallet, the line of friendship and crush with Dawn and May. I still get annoyed that they actually just plonked something into Ash's past so everyone would be so excited and forget their OTPs. Seriously? Like it's saying that Ash almost got eaten by a mega garchomp when he was three and he saved the world when he was ten. Oh right, he did. Ha ha.

So in a nutshell, all the poke girls were trial and errors for their 'perfect' new invention. Ha ha game freak, Nintendo, blah blah, we poke shippers are still strong…I hope.

Please review favourite and follow.

Catsaysmaw xxx