Christmas is tomorrow! Woop! Now, let's get to de chapter! You might be surprised. I was surprised. But I have to make the last chapter work, so yeah. I don't own Pokemon.

Also check out my new oneshot tomorrow! GeekChic!

Chapter Sixteen

"W-what?"

Everyone glanced at Misty, who had wide eyes and she bit her lip.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I can't. You've got the wrong person!"

Ash stared at her. He ran up to her, and cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I haven't got the wrong person, Misty. I know it's you."

She felt a tear trickling down her cheek again, and she tried to block out some words she had tried to forget over the years. Her head was throbbing, the words getting louder, until she couldn't bear it.

"Y-you said that you would stay with me! You said you would never leave me!"

…

"We can get married in the kitchen!"

"No! Ash, you would just eat the cookies Mrs Delia made! And I need a wedding dress!"

"Who said I would eat the cookies! I would never eat the cookies! And you don't need a stupid wedding dress!"

"Yes I do!"

"No you don't!"

"Yes, I say yes so I hafta!"

"No! You look pretty already!"

The little red headed girl stared at the boy in surprise, not expecting him to say that. The small raven haired boy grinned widely and ran off.

"Don't leave me!" The girl squealed.

The boy ran back, his hand in hers now, eyes innocent.

"I would never leave you! I will always stay with you!"

"Pinkie swear?"

"Pinkie swear! Let's go!"

"Where to?"

"The kitchen, duh!"

"Ash!"

…

The present Ash looked guilty, uncomfortable.

"You know how it is. I never meant it. You know that."

"You still have the ring?"

"What, you still have it?"

"Answer my question! And maybe I'll consider your offer."

"Offer? What offer? And look, here it is."

He reached into the pocket of his jeans, and pulled out a ring made of tin foil, and a small bead strung onto the middle. Misty's eyes widened in surprise.

"Fine. I still have mine. It's in my bag. And by offer, I mean that speech about my being your new toy. And I decline that. Sorry. I don't think I'm in the mood."

"What? You think it's a prank? I was being truthful. I'm giving up being a playboy once and for all. I'm one hundred percent into you, and you only now."

Misty glared at him, not quite sure what to do.

"I'll think about it. We are not girlfriend and boyfriend, Ash Ketchum. I am merely considering the pros and cons."

She turned around and walked away. Ash sighed, and turned to look at Drew and Paul.

"You told me this would work."

Paul nudged Drew quickly, unsure what to say. Drew glared at Paul, before clearing his throat dramatically.

"She obviously likes you back, Ash. She's just playing hard to get."

"How do I make her easy to get?"

"Gifts, maybe?"

()()()()()

"Dawn!"

"Yeah, May?"

"What do you think all that was about?"

Dawn frowned, turning around to look at May.

"I think we should let Misty tell us. I mean, it is about her. But what Ash has to do with it is confusing. And it might have happened before we came along."

"You mean when she was like four? We met her when we were five, I think."

"Yeah. May? Are you nervous?"

May glanced at Dawn strangely.

"Nervous? What for?"

"Uh, prom?"

"What? Prom? You've been looking forward to it since you knew what it was!"

"I know, I know…but what if it goes wrong?"

The room was silent. May stared at Dawn curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It got to be perfect. You know, I come up in the perfect dress, and I go with the perfect guy, and a perfect kiss…"

"It's not a silly dream, Dawn. All girls want that. I do. But I guess some care more than others do. I'm worried for my prom."

"Of course you are! You're going on a blind date! I would be scared stiff!"

"I guess. Oh look at the time!"

"Huh? Crap, I have a exam! Bye!"

"Bye!"

May sat down. She had tech, but the teacher was always late anyway. Who was her blind date anyway? She never really thought about it deeply. She just assumed it was some hot guy. It probably wasn't. Probably a desperate loser.

()()()()()

Ash wandered through the shops, going into every one. And in every one, he came out with either nothing or a bag. He soon had six, and he walked past the rest of the shops, heading to one that caught his eye at the end. He strolled in, and asked the shopkeeper something. The shopkeeper frowned, and Ash tried to persuade him.

Twenty minutes later, Ash came out with a huge bag. He smiled, and left the area. He had what he wanted.

()()()()()

The next morning, Dawn woke up to a huge clatter downstairs. She tried not to wake Misty, who was camping at her house since the Gary incident. Occasionally Misty went to May's house, but May had a bigger family, so she stayed with Dawn most of the time.

Misty awoke to Dawn plodding down the stairs. She rubbed her eyes and peered over the banisters, trying to see what Dawn was up to.

"Misty? You awake? There's a parcel for you."

"For me? Hang on!"

Misty slid down the railings, and took the parcel from a curious Dawn. She peeled the wrapping open, to a box of chocolates, hearts engraved on them. A note peeked out.

'Prom?'

She put the note away, but ate the chocolates. She didn't let Dawn have any of them.

The very next day, Misty woke up first. She was pretty sure what happened the day before would happen again. And it did.

It was a necklace of seashells, and small beads spelling out 'Prom?' were threaded between the shells.

It wasn't that she didn't like Ash. She had finally accepted that she had a tiny wincy crush on him. That was all. But she didn't want her heart broken again. Not after all those years ago.

Dawn didn't know where the necklace went. She assumed it went into the bin, from the look on Misty's face.

()()()()()

"Firstly, you gotta tell me all the juicy details."

"No way! You could tell the whole school, and I could never look anyone, especially Ash, in the face again!"

"You serious? I may be the former oh-so-popular queen of the school, but I wouldn't tell anyone about this. Besides, you're my customer."

"That's true, I guess."

Serena raised an eyebrow.

"Anything minor I could know?"

"Yeah, I guess. He's been sending me gifts for the last few days."

"Really? What? He's never really been a present person, from what I could see."

"Well, the first day he got me a box of heart chocolates, then a seashell necklace, and this morning I got a photo frame with a picture of us when we were little."

"Ah. What? When you were little? What, did you-"

"I said too much! Forget about that."

"Hmm, yeah like I totally believe you. Now spill. Please?"

"No. I'll tell you another day?"

"Two years is not near enough."

Misty groaned and rolled her eyes. Serena glared at her, before pouting and scowling.

"Fine, I'll let you off. Just tell me what you get every day. And you must go to prom."

"What? I'm okay with the first deal, but no way to the second one! I'm going to be a loner!"

"There are quite a few single men who would be happy to take you."

"No! No, just no!"

"Well…how about we smuggle you in and if anyone asks, say that your date stood you up?"

"If that will make you shut up, then yes."

()()()()()

Misty sighed, and picked up her mobile phone, tapping in a number that she had done for the last few days.

"Hello? Misty?"

"Serena? Prom is in two days! And he's still sending me stuff!"

"What kind of stuff? You got a bouquet of flowers yesterday and a huge heart cushion the day before, so what is it today?"

"It's a hair clip with a seashell on!"

"…That's really disappointing compared to the others."

"What?! No, you don't get it. The shell is made out of…diamonds?! Oh my nerdy glasses!"

"Omg! You have got to wear that to prom along with the seashell necklace!"

"No! He'll see it!"

"I doubt he's even going to prom. If he doesn't show up with a date, all the other girls will go to him like a magnet. And it looks like you're the only one on his mind."

"Fine! I'll get a dress, wear the seashell jewellery and sit in the corner!"

"…You don't have a dress?!"

"May, Dawn and I are getting our dresses today! Don't worry!"

"Get something that matches the seashells!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Bye!"

"Bye!"

()()()()()

Dawn ran into the house, looking around quickly. Misty had already left for school. Dawn was going to be late, for sure. But she needed a small amount of money for her dress! She was going to take some money from Misty, but she would repay her after prom.

She sprinted up the stairs into Misty's temporary room. Dawn sighed and opened the door. And her eyes widened as she saw the room. It was still plain, as Misty refused to customise it, but in her room were some things Dawn recognised.

There was an empty box of chocolates sitting by her pillow. A seashell necklace and diamond hair clip sat on her bedside table, obviously well polished regularly. The photo frame could be seen on her bedside table as well, with not a speck of dust on. On the windowsill were the flowers, in a beautiful vase, and peeking from below her duvet was the heart cushion.

Misty obviously treasured everything Ash gave her, but why didn't she say yes to Ash? If she loved him that much, wouldn't it be easy to say 'yes'?

Dawn left the room, puzzled, forgetting about taking the money.

()()()()()

A/N: So that's that chapter! I'm getting so excited! It's almost the end! Sort of.

Please review, follow and favourite! It would make me so happy! Will update soon.

Catsaysmaw xx