Hello fellows! This is the last chapter of The Wishing Lake! I hope you all loved it!
Disclaimer:-) I don't own Pokémon or any of its characters. Plot inspired from an Bengali ( Indian) script writer whose name I don't recall. :)
...
Dawn walked down the road, her head feeling dizzy and her mind vulnerable.
"May be if I would have backed off, Serena would have got Ash and he would have been with his family."
"May be the boy was not Ash, he was Ritchie."
"I lost the trust of my family. They are thinking I am disrespecting their son."
"May be it would have been better if I would have met that accident instead of Ash."
She stopped waking on smelling something strong. It was intoxicating yet alluring. She looked up.
"Celadon Bar"
She entered inside without a second thought. Ordering the strangest yet strongest drink available, she pondered over her life.
Her marriage, her identity, her family, everything was a mess, which was tightly held together by Ash. With him gone, she didn't know how to make everything all right.
Ash. He was her saviour, showed her the potential, gave her hope, a reason to look forward.
"If I would have not gone on a trip, if I would have declined going on a honeymoon, then the accident would not have happened at all," she whispered to herself while swallowing the pinkish alcohol down her throat. Her tongue burnt on tasting it.
"If I would not have tried so hard to bring his memories back, Ritchie or may be Ash, would have been okay now," she said before gulping down another shot. Her eyes were drooping and she felt warmth rushing to every part of her body.
"Do you want more Mam?" The bartender tenderly asked. She flashed him a smile and handed him the money,"May be some other day."
The walk back to her home was quite uneventful. She remembered bumping into a few person while walking and accidentally throwing up all she had in a nearby gutter. She smelt extremely drunk and looked like one too.
"I am home," she weakly said while entering the house. Her house. Ash's house. Her in-laws house.
"Are you drunk Dawn?" May asked, shocked.
"I guess so," Dawn smiled.
...
Darkness
Darkness everywhere
Sound of cascading water
Soft giggles
Low humming tune
A melodious voice
A girl standing alongside a river
Ritchie stretched his hand to touch the girl but it faded before he could touch it.
"Who are you?" He screamed holding his head,"Please tell me..."
"You told me that you will always remember me," he heard. He turned around seeing the back of a girl. He extended his arms to catch her, she vanished in thin air again.
"Don't run away, please, tell me who am I?"
"You promised to be by my side forever..."
"Help me remember you!"
"You said you loved me beyond limits, Ash..."
"Ash... I am Ash?"
He saw the girl walking away and chased her. Extending his hand, he cried out,"Take me with you! Help me remember what I left behind! Tell me why do I feel someone is waiting for me? Crying for me? Yearning for my presence, my touch?"
He gripped the girl's arms tightly, and turned her around.
"You're..."
"Promise me, you will always love me... Even when I am gone.."
Ritchie woke up with a start on feeling a sharp pain running through his entire body. Blinking his eyes repeatedly, he murmured,"Dawn?"
"No! It is me Misty! Ritchie, are you okay?" Misty said her voice heavy and concerned.
"I told you, this injection always works," Daisey boasted off. Misty rolled her eyes, smiling and genuinely happy that the boy woke up.
"Where is Dawn?" The boy asked, his voice happy yet filled with excitement.
"I.. You were in pain so I thought she hurt you someway. I made her leave. Why, what's going on?" Misty asked.
"I remember now Misty! I remember who she is!"
"Calm down! So you regained your memories?"
"Not everything. I just remember she and I got married, my name is Ash and I.. I was pushed down a cliff.. Except that, I don't remember anything." Ash said with hint of sadness in his voice.
Misty and Daisey were equally shocked,"You were being murdered? By whom?"
Ash shrugged,"I don't remember."
Daisey bit her lip,"But, you remember how you were killed, your past life but why not everything?'' She sighed to give a dramatic effect,"Isn't that what happens in cinemas?"
Misty gave Daisey a harsh glare,"This is real life, not some scripted drama!" Misty turned to Ash,"Enough now, lets take you home."
...
A blond girl was walking aimlessly in the street, holding a piece of paper in her hands. She occasionally stopped a people or two to ask for directions.
Putting some strands of hair behind her ear, she sighed heavily.
"Misty Waterflower turned down the offer as she has to take care of the gym," a frustrated look covered her face,"Where is this Ketchum's residence?"
She saw a girl with blue hair, wearing a white top with pink embroidery and black jeans walking aimlessly on the street. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Grinning widely, she crossed the road and found the girl turning to the right.
Running to catch up to her, she found her staring at a couple feeding each other ice cream. Delighted she caught up to her, she placed a hand on her shoulder making the girl turned around.
She saw the look of confusion on the face of blue haired beauty. Smiling, she offered,"We have an offer for you."
...
He was excited, so excited that he could barely control the smile which was fixed on his face. He was murmuring continuously that everyone would be so shocked to see him again. He had been gone for four months after all.
Taking a left, Misty asked,"Seriously, your name is Ash? I thought it would have been something more stupid."
"You think my name is stupid?" He glared at her. Daisey flicked Misty's forehead,"She is stubborn. Forget it."
Ash smiled,"You both saved my life. I don't know how I will repay you back."
Misty stopped the car in front of Ash's house and signaled,"We are there."
Ash suddenly hit a wave of nostalgia on entering the main gate. His childhood memories, his growing up years, the picnic party everything came flooding back to his mind and a tear of nostalgia escaped his eyes. Nostalgia, a word which bring sweet memories along with stinging pain.
"Ready to go?" Daisey asked and Ash nodded. Daisey stopped Misty by the arm,"No Misty, we mustn't destroy his reunion. Ash, we will meet you tomorrow, right now, you should meet your family alone."
Ash shook his head,"They deserve to know who saved my life."
Daisey put an encouraging hand on his head ,"Kiddo! We will meet you tomorrow, you owe us a big treat."
He gave them a thumbs up,"You got it."
...
"Misty?" Daisey asked while trying to focus on the road in front of her.
"Hmm?" Misty answered.
"Why did you decline the offer?" Daisey asked. Her expression said it had been troubling her for long. Misty smiled,"I was never that interested in singing. Yeah, earlier I took it as a hobby but now, my gym is everything for me."
Daisey smiled at her answer.
Misty continued,"Moreover, I don't have anyone to address these songs to. Not yet. Music requires feelings Daisey. Only those who can understand that can truly bring out the magic in lyrics."
Daisey ruffled her hair,"My little sissy has grown up. Well, not beautifully but at least physiologically." Misty gave a cute pout,"I will ignore the remark. Thank you very much."
...
He pushed open the door and found the drawing room empty. It was exactly like what he had last seen it.
"Mom?" He called out,"Dawn? May? Gary? Leaf? Drew? Mani? Uncle? Where are you all?"
It was Drew who arrived first. Seeing him in front of his own eyes, he rubbed his eyes to double check. Ash gave him a cocky smile,"Looks like your eyes need a little treatment."
Understanding it was no such dream, Drew smiled widely and engulfed him in a big hug, saying,"Back! You're back!"
Delia and May came next. At first Delia wasn't sure whether she was imagining things or not. She often dreamt that one day her son would emerge from the door and say,"See Mom, I am back."
A few tears escaped May's eyes and she pinched herself, feebly saying,"It is not a dream Delia, he is back."
The next thing Ash knew was a bone crushing hug from his mother. He knew she was happy but right now, he was suffocating,"Mom, can't breathe."
Delia rubbed her nose on his shirt,"My son. Oh,Ash..."
Kissing her forehead, he sweetly asked,"Where are others?"
May smiled,"Gary and Leaf have gone to some exhibition of Gary's and Paul has gone to office.." Ash cut her,"Paul is back?"
Drew happily punched him in the stomach,"Yes! and it is a shame that Mom and Dad had to leave for Kalos. They will be back soon."
Ash nodded understandingly. Another thought crossed his mind, hadn't Dawn heard him?
"Mom, where is Dawn?" He asked.
The faces of everyone present there darkened.
"She left..." May slowly said.
"Left? Umm.. She is at Daniel's house?" Ash asked. Delia nodded softly,"She came home, drunk and was murmuring something about Ritchie and all. Then she went to her and came out with a picture of you and her and without any word left.''
Ash's voice dried in his throat. He looked at Drew for confirmation and then at May, who nodded sadly. Ash shook his head,"You're lying! Everyone of you is lying!"
Delia placed a hand on his frame and he harshly put it away. Getting up, he declared,"We have to find her!"
"But where will we start searching from? She said not to follow her," Delia whispered. Ash gave her a cold stare,"And what do you want? Do nothing about it?" He turned away, wiping his tear,"Mom, I will die without her."
Delia gripped his arm tightly and whispered,"We will search for her, we will find her. I promise."
...
I am cruel, aren't I? :p I am really sorry! Really sorry! But this story isn't over yet!
Yeah, you heard me right, this story is far from over.
That means, a squeal is coming up!
So, stay tuned. The squeal will be posted within a week or something! So, stay alert!
~ darkestlightofhope