Hey Everybody!
I'M BACK!
I could go into the melodrama that is my life and try to give you a reason for my seven-month hiatus, but I won't. I know that's not your concern, and what you really want to do is READ AND REVIEW MY STORY! YAY!
Believe me though when I say I desperately needed a break from this story to focus on some personal issues going on at home. I am so sorry to all of my loyal readers out there who thought they'd never hear from me again. I want y'all to know I read all of your reviews and private messages and was so touched by all of them. I admit I was too chicken to write back to many of you because of the guilt of having just ditched you guys like I did, but you guys and gals really have been - and are - my motivation for getting back into gear and getting this story wrapped up!
Believe it or not, sadly, I've had this chapter done for about a month. However, I'm not afraid to tell y'all that after being out of the game so long, I've been hesitant to post again. The good news is in this time I've already finished the chapter after this one, so at least you're guaranteed a new chapter in two weeks and on time! Finally, something goes right for my fans, huh?
Also, before you read, I want everyone to know the MOST AWESOME THING IN THE HISTORY OF FANFICTION happened over the summer! My longtime fan and friend on this site, Pokémon-Princess.8, actually flew across the ocean and came to Texas to visit me for a week over the summer! It was the first time we'd ever met in person, and honestly it was the highlight of my entire break. I took her across Texas showing her the great sites, and – of course – every night we'd crash and play Pokémon Stadiums 1 and 2 on my Nintendo 64! I won a lot, but, unfortunately, she beat me in our Eeveelutions only battle, so I can't say it was a total victory for my side. To summarize our week: we had BBQ, saw the state capital, drank, went swimming, saw the Alamo, discussed pokéshipping to an embarrassing degree, and even watched my Indigo Plateau DVD! We were total dorks, and it was truly amazing.
As a note: I am NOT endorsing meeting people in person that you meet over the internet. Me and PP8 have a long, storied friendship that spans a long time over this site, but we were friends with each other on Facebook and Skype for two years before we finally decided to meet in person. Always be very careful when doing anything like that, and if you're not an adult like us, please, please, please don't do it at all. There's a lot of weirdos out there, and you can get in trouble!
Anyway, that's enough about me. Let's get on with the show. When you finish, REVIEW PLEASE!
Disclaimer:I do not own Pokemon, or any of its affiliated companies including, but not limited to, 4Kids, The Pokemon Company, Game Freaks, or Cartoon Network. The characters written within this fic are soley based upon the fictional characters created by these companies, and the story is not meant to, nor will it, receive any monetary funding.
Characters' Ages:
Ash: 17
Brock: 22
Misty: 18
Delia: 41
Oak: 56
The distant ring of a far-off siren began to buzz. As the elevator made its landing in Gary's office, the annoying bell was at full decibel strength, causing the exhausted combatants and Pikachu to cover their ears in a grimace.
"What's going on?!" Ash shouted above the noise.
"What?"
"I said, 'What's going on?!''
"The alarm's going off for some reason! There must be something wrong with the gym!"
In the past, Ash would have immediately suspected Team Rocket's involvement. However, for the first time in a long time, he realized it couldn't be.
"Do you think we should get outta here?"
Gary nodded. "Probably for the best."
The two descended further down the elevator and made a sprint for the front doors. Outside, about a hundred trainers stood, watching as the gym rumbled in noise and flashing lights.
"What's happening? Did someone pull the structure alarm?" Gary asked; running over to his receptionist who was taking a head count.
She looked up from her tablet and shook her head. "Sir, it went off on its own after the dome suffered major damage." She pointed above his head to the top of the rounded gym building. The glass covering the upper-portion was completely shattered in thousands of small cracks.
"What happened up there?" Misty asked, rushing to Ash's aid. "We were worried sick about you two, but there was no way to get your attention from the office!"
"Heh," Ash half-laughed, putting a hand behind his head. "Sorry to worry you guys. We were just battling, and it got a little…intense."
"A little?" Brock asked – a bemused smile on his lips. "If it'd been any more intense, I think we'd all be dead!"
"And what happened to you?" Misty asked, noticing the several small lacerations lining her boyfriend's face and arms. "You're all bloody! And your clothes are so dirty!"
"Misty, why do you sound so surprised?" Brock interjected. "It was our Ash in a battle, after all. This is kinda tame compared to how he's looked after some of his battles."
Misty's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, he's right…you do look like you just battled. Which means…"
To Ash's surprise, she suddenly grabbed both his arms and pulled him close – her eyes meeting his directly in an intense gaze. "Did you actually battle?"
"Well, seeing as how the gym's destroyed as well as my clothes, what do you think?" he joked.
Her grip tightened. "But did you, you know, finish the job?" She nodded in Gary's direction. "Were you able to finish the battle, or was it…too much?" Her voice went soft, as if she were afraid mentioning Ash's behavior over the last few days would retrigger his emotion.
To her relief, though, his features softened considerably at the question. "Well, you couldn't call it much of a battle – you know, since I'm the future Master and all – but yeah, I finished it…and won!"
A victorious grin crossed his face as he gave his friends a fingered "V."
"It was no problem, was it Pikachu?" He grabbed the mouse Pokémon's head under his right hand and rubbed it vigorously.
"Pika!" Pikachu mustered, still exhausted, but wanting to put up as good a show as his master. "Pikachu-pika-pikachu!"
"He says it went great!"
Brock and Misty flashed each other an exaggerated look of annoyance.
"Yeah, that's definitely our Ash, alright," Brock sighed.
"Yep. Eager as ever to show off…"
"Oh come on, you guys. I think we deserve it, don't you?" Ash gave his friends the biggest smile they'd seen from him in weeks, and neither could find it within themselves to deny him his moment.
Misty sighed. "Well, I guess this one time you can be a little cocky."
"Yeah," Brock agreed. "I mean, after you finish capturing your remaining Pokémon, this means all that's left is your battle with Red! You're almost done with this little adventure of yours!"
"Little? I've almost died like a bazillion times now!"
The two continued talking, everyone enjoying the lighted mood after the extended drama over the past several days. Even with Ash's physical appearance in tatters, there was no doubt to his friends that his spirit was in better form than they'd seen it in quite some time.
"Hey guys, sorry about all that-" Gary started, heading towards them. He was cut off by the excited and boisterous sound of hundreds of pounds of glass suddenly shattering in unison overhead.
Looking up, all the trainers watched as the top of the dome began to fall in on itself. The weakened structure within was no longer able to support the heavy window frames, allowing the glass platelets to fall in much larger chunks inward on the battle ground and at a much higher rate.
As the last of the glass shattered downward after a minute of full self-destruction, Gary looked sheepishly back at his secretary. "Uh, we may need to call the League about repairs."
"Yes, sir. I'll get on the phone with them right away."
He turned back to Ash and the others, who were still looking at the now-metal frame where the top of the dome once stood. "Well, er, that was unexpected. The League's really gonna tear me a new one over this."
"Just tell them it happened for our match," Ash answered, giving his rival a grin. "They'd understand if they knew it was a Champion battle."
"Two problems with that. One: you're not a Champion right now, so that wasn't an official League match. And two: even if it were, you've never dealt with the Kanto Pokémon League's accounting department before, have you? Those pencil-pushers are harder to squeeze a penny out of than blood from a Geodude."
Ash stayed quiet for a moment, thinking over his friend's predicament. An idea emerging, he snapped his fingers excitedly. "I've got it! Why don't I just give you the money? I already have too much of it to know what to do with."
"That'd be a great idea, Ash," Misty countered, poking her boyfriend's shoulder, "if the League hadn't just sent you that letter saying they've frozen all your assets for contract breach. You're broke unless you're reinstated."
Ash's cheeks went red. "Uh, oh yeah…" He laughed nervously and closed his eyes. "I guess I don't have quite as much on me as I thought I did."
Gary sighed. "Oh well. They'll either have to give me a new dome top or fire me. One or the other, right?"
"You don't seem too worried," Brock noted.
"I'm not, really. I mean, being a gym leader's fun, but it's not like being a trainer. When you're a trainer, you can travel and use whatever Pokémon you want. When you're a leader, you're stuck in a building, focusing exclusively on one type. It gets really old, fast."
"Have you though about quitting?" Misty asked.
"After this stunt, I don't know if I'll have to worry about that. Breaking a gym during a regulated match is enough of a pain, but explaining I was battling the ex-communicated Sinnoh Champion in an unofficial match? Probably not gonna go over well with my bosses."
"Well, you're welcome," Ash sheepishly replied. "I mean, if you get fired, at least you're done with a job you don't really like, right?"
Gary shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked dirt. "Yeah, but the pay wasn't half-bad for a college student's."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Back at his house that evening, Ash regaled his friends and mom with the story of the battle. Every move was hashed and rehashed – every strategy brazenly mulled over in the young champion's words as he felt himself growing warmer with battle fever.
"It really sounds like you had quite the match!" Delia surmised at the end of his speech.
Ash resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Only his mom could listen to such a detailed report of such an important battle, and come to the conclusion that it was "quite the match." Sometimes he wondered if she would call a heart attack "quite the startle" if she were to have one.
Instead, though, he gave her a grateful smile. In a past life, she too had been a Pokémon trainer; but as he learned long ago, this life wasn't really for her. "Thanks, Ma."
"It sounds like you had a slow start, but got more into it as time went on," Brock concluded, getting out of his chair to help Delia with the dishes. Ash and Misty followed suit.
"Yeah, and it really sounds like by the time Charizard came out you'd really figured it all out," Misty added, grabbing her boyfriend's hand and pecking him on the cheek. "I'm proud of you." She gave him a playful wink before returning to the table to grab more dishes.
A little confused, Ash couldn't help the goofy grin that overcame him. Fortunately, Pikachu was the only one looking, and he was more concerned about snatching leftovers from the peoples' plates before Misty picked them up than his master's love life.
"Why don't you three head into the living room?" Delia asked sweetly. "Mr. Mime, can you come in here and help me dry?"
"Thanks Mom!" Ash said, happily running from the kitchen and jumping over the backrest onto the couch. "I could use some rest after today!"
Misty followed after him and jumped on top of her sprawled-out boyfriend.
"Oof!" he moaned, a little surprised by the sudden weight after the big meal they'd just eaten. Though he couldn't complain, he was a little uncomfortable.
Sensing his awkward adjustments, Misty moved a little until she was lying in front of him with her back to his chest. Grabbing his right hand, she nestled his arm around her torso. Ash gently rested his chin on her crown, and was now very happy with the positioning.
"I've missed laying with you like this," she muttered as Brock came in after them.
"Yeah, it's been a while since we've had a chance to…or wanted to."
She snuggled closer to him, and though the proximity caused him to blush, he wasn't about to push her away. Her hair smelled like some kind of flower…though for his life he couldn't imagine the name of it.
I bet it's a pink one, though, he thought, inhaling deeply. Almost dreamily, he pressed his lips down softly behind her bangs, and she gave a small giggle in reply.
"Did-did you just giggle?" Brock asked, his attention suddenly off the football show on the television. "Misty…giggling?"
She blushed a little. "Uh, no. Of course not! I-I was laughing at this show! Who watches soap operas like this?"
Brock suddenly looked offended – much to the water master's relief. "This isn't a dumb soap opera! It's a great show about a little town in…well, I forget where it is, but they love football and there's so much going on in it! I watch it every week. You see…"
As he continued, Misty gave Ash's hand a squeeze and pulled his arm in tighter around her.
"I missed holding you so much," he whispered. They hadn't done this since they were on the road alone a couple weeks before; although it felt like years now that he had her in his arms once again.
"By the way that was a giggle, but if you tell anyone, I'll kill you."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
In the morning, the two trainers awoke. He wasn't sure when it happened, exactly, but at some point between the drama and some show about mothers dressing their toddler daughters like dolls, he'd fallen asleep there on the couch.
Looking down, he saw his girlfriend still slumbering peacefully. She held onto his arm as tightly as she had the night before.
Feeling warm, he noticed either his mom or Brock had draped a blanket over the two before they'd gone up last night. Thankful for the covering in the brisk morning, he took another breath of her amazing scent before closing his eyes peacefully.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Ew!"
"Brock, would you please quit saying that?"
"That's the third time today!"
"Exactly! How many times does this have to happen before you two finally just go and get a room?"
Misty huffed and Ash blushed. "We don't need a room. We're just kissing!"
"Y-yeah," Ash stammered in agreement. "I mean, we're allowed to do that, right?"
Misty gave her boyfriend a stern look. "Of course we are! Maybe if some people weren't such pervs, we could enjoy our relationship in peace."
"Perv? You're the one making out in plain sight! We're supposed to be gardening, remember? Not making babies out here!"
Ash's face reddened further, but Misty stamped her foot. "Just 'cause you don't have a girlfriend after all this time, don't blame us!"
Brock threw his hands up in exhaustion. "Whatever. I'll just announce myself before I turn a corner from now on."
"That'd be a start," Misty muttered. She turned back to Ash, clasping her hands behind his neck and pulling him in again.
"Do you think he's right?" Ash asked after a minute. "I mean, we have been kissing a lot more today."
"We were doing this all the time before I left for the competition," Misty reminded. Her heart raced a little in dread.
"Yeah, but, I mean, we are at my house now. I think my mom saw us earlier when we were…you know, on the couch. And now Brock keeps catching us. It's just different than when we're on the road by ourselves."
"Do you not enjoy it?"
His whitening cheeks burned again. "Of course I do!" He waved his hands frantically, trying to dispel any doubts in her mind. "Why would I not like it? I've been the one starting it today mostly. I'm just worried that we're getting on everyone's nerves. Professor Oak called and told me Pikachu was with him, and I'm afraid it was because we've been all over each other."
Misty took her sunhat off the ground and put it back on her head. Placing her hands on her hips, she gave him a strong look. "Ash, do you remember everything we've just been through?"
"Well, yeah."
"And do you think that, after all we've done in the past couple of weeks, we deserve some time with each other?"
"Uh-huh."
"Then what's the problem? We've been killing ourselves trying to save the world! We almost lost each other several times! You've been acting all distant ever since we got out of the hideout – for obvious reasons – and now that we have a chance to finally relax and enjoy each other a little, you're worried some people might think it's gross if we make out in front of them?"
"Well…well I guess you're right," he relented. "It's never easy to admit, but you have a point. I guess I'm just a little self-conscious."
"Why don't we go out this evening?"
Ash looked up in surprise. "You mean, on a date?" The idea sounded so foreign after everything that had happened recently. Frivolities like dates and fun in general had become almost abstract concepts in his mind.
"Duh. That way we could get outta the house and have some privacy."
"As long as no one recognizes us."
"Well, we could go for a moonlight stroll or something like that. I mean, it's not exactly like you're Mister Moneybags anymore, so we'd have to do something cheap anyway."
Ash thought about it for a moment. Some time alone with Misty did sound good. Maybe it was the near-death experience fueling their energy, but all day he couldn't seem to get enough of his longtime friend.
"Okay, it sounds like a good idea to me! We could use some fun."
"Perfect. Let's hurry and finish mulching so we can get ready!"
"Thank goodness!" Brock yelled from the other side of the house.
"Oh, shut up!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Ash and Misty stood by the door, saying goodnight to Delia and Brock.
"Are you sure you couldn't wait till tomorrow morning for your little date?" Delia asked worriedly. "It's cold outside, and who knows who's wandering around out there after eight o'clock."
Ash shook his head and gave his mom a reassuring smile. "Trust me. She's a gym leader and I'm a champion. I think we can take care of ourselves." For safe measure, he patted a lone pokéball that was attached to his hip carrying Charizard.
"Yeah, I'm bringing Gyarados too," Misty assured. "They wouldn't be too smart to mess with us. Besides, we need the dark to avoid people noticing who we are."
Delia hesitated. "Well, okay, but don't be out too late, please? I know you think you're all grown-up, but you two are still babies to me! And Ash, don't you dare let her go cold! Give her that jacket if she needs it."
"No way!" Ash joked, giving Misty a look of disgust. "If that pink thing she's wearing won't do the job, it's not my responsibility."
Misty slapped the trainer in the back of the head.
"Ow!"
"You deserved it."
"Mom? You're on her side?"
Delia ruffled her son's messy hair. "Of course! I always take the right side."
"She never had an attitude before she met you," Ash mumbled as the two walked out the door.
"You were just never smart enough to notice," she answered under her breath, waving goodbye to Brock, Delia, and Pikachu.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"So what do you boys think we should do?" Delia asked, clasping her hands together happily.
The two boys gave the mother a confused look. "Do?"
"Chu?"
"I was thinking we could have some fun of our own since those two are ditching us for the night. Who's up for a good meal out in town?"
"Oh, we don't have to do that, Mrs. Ketchum!" Brock answered immediately. "Really, you've already been so hospitable letting me stay here on my vacation, I couldn't let you take us out!"
"That's nonsense, Brock," Delia answered, her smile wide and sincere. "It's always so much fun having you kids here, and you've been so great getting Ash out of the bad mood he was stuck in. You deserve a lot more than a good meal, but I'm afraid that's all I can offer you!"
Brock was about to refuse again, when his stomach began to growl at the thought. "Well…if you insist! I'll go get my jacket too!"
"Pika!" the mouse Pokémon agreed, jumping on Delia's shoulder and licking her cheek.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
As they walked past the rows of quaint suburban households, the two trainers held each other tightly.
"So did you really feel like yourself battling Gary again?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah. It just felt like I was back in the old days…you know, before all of this started. There were no politics or games or money. Just the two of us out there battling like when we were kids. It was perfect, kinda."
"Do you think it was good for the Pokémon like you planned?"
"I really think it was. I'm surprised I thought of it, but I'm really glad that I did. Having all of Venusaur's friends battling together really made me feel like we were all sort of honoring his memory. I think the Pokémon felt it too."
Misty stopped the pair for a moment to kiss him again. "I heard that speech you gave them at Oak's ranch before you brought them with you. I know they felt the same way you do."
"I'm glad you think so. Gary was right – I could've beaten him a little faster with a better combination of Pokémon, but that match wasn't about the combination."
"It was about the heart."
"Exactly."
The two continued walking down the sidewalk in silence. In one yard, a family was playing Frisbee with a pet Growlithe under the orange glow of a streetlight. In another, the two could see a young couple watching television through an open window.
"So what do you plan on doing next, exactly?"
"Mount Silver. Now that I have the drive to battle back, it's time that I face my destiny."
Misty looked up and gave her boyfriend's hand a reassuring grip. "You sound really determined."
He looked straight ahead, as if trying to discern the future in the black void of the night sky. "I'm more than determined…I'm ready."
"You know you can't battle him yet. You're just going to ask him some questions."
Ash shook his head. "There's more to this guy than that. I know it's not gonna be that easy."
"How do you know? He told you you'd just have to get to him."
"Mount Silver is one of the scariest places a Pokémon trainer can ever visit. You've heard the stories."
"Well, yeah, I know all about it, but still. I mean, I know you can handle anything you find in there as long as you bring your strongest Pokémon."
"It's not just the Pokémon I'm worried about. Red and I…I dunno. It's like I know that nothing's what it seems with him."
"Well, you did grow up idolizing him, so I'm sure you know him better than most people, considering he's been holed up in that mountain since we were babies. He's not exactly the most vocal person."
"I know. But what doesn't make sense to me is why he suddenly went into hiding. I mean, okay, so maybe my father knew him, and maybe there was some big showdown with Team Rocket, but if they really took his wife away like Ma said, then wouldn't he have gone out for revenge? What would have stopped him?"
"Maybe they had some kind of leverage on him that we don't know about. I mean, no one knows he even had a wife. Who knows what else he had that they could've threatened?"
"Like his money?"
"Or a family."
"I guess there's a chance that's the truth."
The two quieted for a spell, both contemplating the unraveling mystery that was the current Pokémon Master.
Clearing his throat, Ash looked down and gave Misty a grin. "Anyway, let's talk about something light for a little while. This is starting to put a damper on our fun night out."
Misty sighed. "Yeah, I think so too. Tonight should all be about having a good time!"
"You know what would be fun?"
"What?"
"Run up to that doorbell and ring it and then run away!"
Misty gave her boyfriend a look of mixed disgust and disbelief. "You seriously want me to ding-dong-ditch someone? What are we? Six?"
"Well me and my friend Jeremy used to do it all the time!"
"When you were six, right?"
"No!" Ash paused for a second, doing the math. "…we were more like eight."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh."
"C'mon, Mist! You said tonight was all about having fun! This would be sooo much fun!"
"Yeah, for you to watch and laugh at me."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"…no."
"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"
She hesitated, looking down at her boyfriend who was now on bended knee with his hands clasped together tightly. "…fine. Just this one time, and then you have to do something stupid for me."
"Deal!" he agreed without a second's thought to what his girlfriend might have in store for him. "Now get over there!" He pushed her roughly past the front gates and towards the front door of a house that looked similar to Ash's.
Nervously, she tip-toed towards the door. Every step sounded like a bulldozer to her sensitive ears.
I'm going to kill him for making me do this, she thought, glaring back at her smiling boyfriend. He shot her thumbs-up, and she narrowed her eyes in response. Seriously, he's dead.
After what felt like ten minutes, she finally made her way to the sleepy home's front door. Her hand shaking, she slowly brought her forefinger to the doorbell. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The blood rushed through her ears, the adrenaline coursed through her veins, and her heart hammered inside her chest. A bead of sweat began to plummet towards the earth.
"While we're young?" Ash yelled from back near the fence.
Startled, she quickly jabbed the button with her finger – setting off a melodic tune that reverberated inside.
"Run!" she screamed, panicking and sprinting down the pathway leading back to the sidewalk. "Let's get outta here!"
Ash could barely breath from laughing so hard at the look on his girlfriend's face. Here was a girl that, not two weeks ago, was staring down the barrel of a gun, and now she was running away scared to death after ringing the doorbell of a home Ash knew to be empty and for sale.
Though it took him a minute, he finally caught up with her on the next block.
"Oh-oh-oh my gosh! That has-has to be the f-funniest thing ever!" He sat down on the edge of the sidewalk, still grabbing his sides in amusement as Misty shot daggers at him with her eyes.
"No it wasn't! That was terrifying!"
Looking up, he couldn't resist the bubbling laughter emanating from his ribs. It was all just too perfect, scaring her like that.
She's so cute.
She shoved his shoulder, causing him to tumble onto the pavement. Rolling onto his back, he put his hands under his head and looked up. "So what's your dare for me, then?"
Still flushed from excitement and embarrassment, Misty brought a thoughtful finger to her lips.
"Let's see…I could have you do the same thing, but something tells me you have too much experience from your past." She thought a moment longer before snapping her fingers.
"I got it! You're going to do the one thing that humiliates you more than anything else."
Ash gave her an inquisitive stare. "What? Admit my girlfriend's afraid of doorbells?"
She shook her head; her confident smirk refusing to be besmirched by the insult. "You and Charizard are gonna lose in a battle to me and Gyarados!"
"Uh-oh."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"This looks delicious!" Brock admired, examining his mushroom burger. "Thank you!"
"Don't forget the salad bar!" she reminded, examining her own chicken fillet. "I used to take Ash's dad here all the time when we were younger. They have pretty easy food, but they cook it so well. Even I couldn't fillet a chicken breast this perfectly!"
"Pika," Pikachu whispered from beneath the table cloth.
"Oh! Right! Here you go Pikachu," she replied in a whisper. Looking subtly to her left and then right, she slowly slid an opened ketchup packet down to the yellow mouse Pokémon. Animals weren't allowed in, but she didn't have the heart to exclude the little fighter from the humans' night out. "Let me know when you want more, sweetie."
Brock began gulping down his burger and soda. "So you used to come here a lot? If you don't mind me asking, why'd you move to a sleepy place like Pallet after going to college in a big place like Vermillion?"
Delia smiled, taking a small bite as she digested the question.
"Well, I was always more of a city gal, but Jay never was. He loved training, and he loved Pokémon. Big cities aren't the best place to train – unless you live in a gym like you or Misty. For trainers, though, as you know, it's easier to live in a place with a lot of open space and no worries about major property damage."
"So he came down here for the training?"
She nodded. "Red is from Pallet, you know. His family was one of the first to move here – back when this entire town was just the Oaks' home and the research facility. Blue, Gary's father, was once the Champion of Kanto, and then Red passed him up and ran on to become Master. This small town's bred some of the most famous trainers in the last fifty years."
"I noticed. If Ash succeeds, it will be the first time in almost a hundred years that two successive Masters have been from the same region…much less the same city!"
Delia nodded. "Jay was smart. Some people are just now starting to pick up on what he knew twenty years ago. The open space here just allows for great training and interaction with all kinds of Pokémon. We have a lake, we're next to the ocean, we have prairies and mountains. Very few cities have so much terrain with so many Pokémon!"
"That explains Ash and Gary's success."
"They were raised here," Delia elaborated. She seemed to forget her food as she thought back to her child's past. "They were always out with their friends looking for some rare Pokémon they never found. Most days they never came back with anything more than a blurry picture of a Caterpie."
"But getting to roam like that explains where their desire to travel and be trainers came from."
"And it explains why Gary would follow his grandfather's steps to become a researcher," Delia concluded, picking back up her fork. "But enough about Ash for now. I took you out to hear how your life is going! You're so grown-up! How's the job?"
Brock smiled. With all the drama surrounding Ash, he'd barely thought about how his life was going himself. It was nice to be the center of attention – if only for an evening.
"Well, the breeding center's keeping me busy. They pay pretty well, and I'm out of the internship phase. They officially hired me, and now I'm working under about a hundred different bosses. It's ground-level work, but they're a good company, and if I stay on track, I'll be working my dream job in a few years."
"What are you doing now?"
"Grunt work, mostly. My official position is as a breeding specialist, but that's not even a real thing. I mostly tend to minor wounds and make sure the Pokémon's living quarters are kept clean."
Delia stuck her tongue out. "Sounds a little dirty. Maybe I should ask what your dream job is instead? What are you working towards?"
"There's a really famous breeder in the company. He takes a few grunts like myself under his wing every couple of years. He pays for them to go to school and study pharmacy."
"You want to work as a pharmacist?"
Brock nodded. "I really want to work on developing real medicine for Pokémon. You know, the stuff Nurse Joys and doctors use on Pokémon to help them heal faster. I figure getting into school is the first step."
"That's a pretty serious goal," Delia lauded. "It sounds like you've been thinking about this."
"Well, yeah. For a long time I just wanted to work as a breeder. But now that I've been with the company for about a year, I'm seeing that breeder is just a starting position – not really something I still want to do twenty years from now."
"And how about your love life?" Delia asked innocently. "I hear Misty joke about it from time to time, but surely it's getting better now that you're older."
Brock gave a short laugh. "Yeah, I don't think Misty gives me enough credit. I still act goofy, but I like to think I've grown some since I was fifteen. I'm actually seeing someone, but I just don't know how to break it to those two. If they found out I had a girlfriend, I don't know who they'd make fun of!"
Delia clapped her hands excitedly. "That's so great for you though, Brock! You must tell them. Who's the lucky young lady?"
"Well, her name's Lucy. We met about five years ago when me, Ash, May and her brother were all traveling together. She's one of the Frontier Brains here in Kanto!"
"That's quite a while ago," Delia noted. "How did you two get back in contact?"
"Well, I sometimes sent her messages and emails while I was still traveling with Ash, but after I went to the breeding center, she actually came to breed one of her Seviper. She knew I was working there, which is why I think she actually came rather than just teleporting her Pokémon, but when she arrived we went on a date and she's been with me ever since!"
"Is it hard having a long distance relationship like that?"
"Well, I haven't told Ash or Misty yet, but before I go back to Sinnoh, I plan on going to visit her for a few days using some of my sick days at work. And she actually is coming to visit me at Christmas time, so that should be fun. I thought it would be really hard being apart, but she's worth waiting for.
Delia gave her son's friend a large smile. "You're definitely right about that. Right before we were engaged after we graduated from Vermillion, Jay went off for about six months to try and compete for the Indigo Plateau. He actually wasn't going to, after we'd met he didn't think I'd let him, but I told him I wanted him to be happy and that I'd be waiting there in the city for him when he came back as the Kanto Champion…I don't think he ever gave me a bigger hug!"
"That's really sweet," Brock chuckled. "He almost made it, too!"
Delia nodded. "That was actually after we got married that he made it to Lance. That six months he was gone? He actually left eight months before the competition."
"I don't – oh!" Brock laughed again. "I guess he just couldn't stay away, huh?"
She winked. "I guess I was more important than Pokémon. And that's saying something when you're talking about my husband!"
"It's saying something when you're talking about your son too!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"This place'll be perfect," Misty announced, swirling around in the empty field. It was growing cold, and the grass crunched under her feet.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Ash asked cautiously, reaching for Charizard's pokéball. "I mean, I thought we were gonna have fun."
"Since when are Pokémon battles not fun? I thought you told me that you'd gotten your drive for battling back?" She gave the trainer a small sneer. "Or are you just chickening out because you know how bad you're going to lose this match?"
Ash grit his teeth defensively. "I have gotten my drive back! I just don't know how much fun battling is gonna be right now! I mean, I was kinda looking forward to just spending time with you."
He thought for a moment before quietly adding, "Alone."
Shocked at the sincerity, Misty stumbled a little before giving the trainer a soft smile. "Well, I guess I can't blame you. Now that you mention it, I kinda was looking forward to just being with you too." Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "I don't want you getting away with embarrassing me like that, though!"
She poked him in the chest and he backed away defensively.
"I won't! First thing when I get back from Mount Silver, you and I will battle everyday to get you ready for the scholarship competition in April. That should give me plenty of time to embarrass you again." He gave her a subtle wink, and she gave him a less subtle punch in the arm.
"Ow!"
"So what did you wanna do if we're not gonna battle, and we can't afford to go anywhere?"
He thought for another moment before suddenly moving in. "How about this?"
Without hesitation, the raven-haired champion grabbed his girlfriend from behind the waist and head and locked her lips into his own. There, in the middle of the open field, the two began a passionate kissing session that quickly evolved into more.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"That was so much fun," Brock thanked again as the trio reentered the Ketchum household. All the lights were off, meaning their friends hadn't come back just yet. "It's been a while since I went out for a good meal!"
"Well you need to start taking your girlfriend out for them more! She deserves to have more than a working relationship with you, you know," Delia lightly scolded with a smile.
Brock slid his hand sheepishly behind his head. "Yeah, she's been telling me the same thing. I know I need to get on that."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu thanked graciously, jumping up to Brock's shoulder.
"Do you wanna watch some television? I think I'm heading to bed, myself. It's been a full day!"
Brock yawned alongside the yellow mouse Pokémon. "Actually, I think we're headed to bed too. It's been a full year! We'll see you in the morning, Mrs. Ketchum."
"Night-night! Let me know if you need any extra blankets!" With that, Delia walked towards her bedroom next to the living room and Brock carried Pikachu upstairs to the guest quarters.
"Do you think Misty and Ash will be back soon?"
Pikachu shrugged. "Pi?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
The kiss in the field was quickly evolving as the powerful mixture of young love and hormones began to take hold over the two teenagers in a way it never had before.
"You taste so good," Ash whispered breathlessly, straddling Misty from above.
"So do you!" she panted. "I've never had so much fun kissing you before."
"Me either."
Both teens were exhilarated. Ash likened it to riding Charizard during a thunderstorm, and Misty could only compare it to doing a dangerous stunt in one of her sisters' shows. Both knew that neither wanted the feeling to end.
"It's so cold out here," Misty half-moaned as Ash began to kiss her neck. "It's like f-freezing!"
"Ma warned us about the cold. You shoulda listened!" Ash jokingly whispered – his hot breath tickling her inner ear and eliciting another low moan.
"You're such a mama's boy," Misty huffed back, her words creating puffy clouds in the air between the two. "You always do everything she says."
He backed up his face an inch from hers – a confused smile tickling his lips. "No I don't!"
She gave him a playfully daring stare. "Oh really? Then why are we still in our clothes?"
At that moment, the entire world seemed to break for Ash as Misty's eyes grew wide at the realization of what she'd just let slip through her lips.
"Uh-I mean, um…"
Ash's mouth hung open, as if in disbelief and shock. He looked straight ahead as he continued straddling the redhead.
"Listen, Ash. I didn't mean I wanted – well, I mean, I do want, but…"
Ash shook his head slightly, not appearing the least bit recovered.
"I mean, I didn't mean for it to come out sounding like-like I was a whore or something. I just-"
Ash shut her up with another quick kiss – this one deep and meaningful in more ways than before to the water trainer.
When the two were done, he lifted his head and looked down at his longtime friend. "Did you mean it? Do you really wanna…you know…"
Misty nodded eagerly. "We've both been so patient. But we've been waiting for so long, and after everything-"
"Everything that's happened!" Ash concluded, quickly jumping off and helping her up. "Everything that's happened has just been crazy!"
He was speaking fast, and she began to do the same.
"Yeah! We deserve to let ourselves have fun after all that!"
"I almost lost you!" He grabbed her again in a hurried rush of frenzied passion. He grabbed handfuls of her waved hair as she tried to bite through his lower lip.
"I came even closer to losing you!" she cried, in pain from the hair pulling, but clinging even tighter to his lip in response. Her hands were roaming over his body, and as his grip loosened, his began to do the same. "I can't believe how close we came to never being able to have this moment."
It was as if the teens were in fast forward. Every word, every movement was rushed to its maximum speed as each searched for the courage to continue.
"What if we're not here tomorrow?" Ash panicked, planting several small kisses all over her face and neck "What if we don't wake up? And we never really showed each other-"
"How we feel about each other!" Misty finished. "What if this is our last chance? You're going to Mount Silver in the morning, after all."
"Yeah!" He almost jumped from excitement. "What if a Geodude falls on my head and I get amnesia? Or if I fall off a cliff?"
"Or if you slip and break something?"
"Or if Red beats me?"
"Or if you get lost!"
Between each scenario, a thousand heartbeats and a thick layer of small, passionate kisses emerged. Neither teen was able to speak in coherent sentences after another moment; each was lost in their own world of dread wherein they'd never have this opportunity again.
But beneath the thinly-veiled guise of dread pumped the exhilaration of what both knew was coming.
"I mean," Ash said, starting to slow his kisses, and pulling back from the redhead a little; their hands still tightly held as he looked down, "if tomorrow never came, could we say that we're happy leaving our relationship like this?"
Misty took a few breaths, slowing down too. She looked up and gave her boyfriend's hand a squeeze. "I don't know. Will you still love me if I say that I could?"
His eyes grew wide. "Of course! I love you no matter what. I love being with you no matter what. You could tell me to never hold your hand again, and I'd still stay by your side until we were dead…just a few feet away in case you ever changed your mind."
Tears began to swell in the water trainer's eyes. "I want to take that next step with you. I just need to know…"
"Know what?" The urgency in his voice fed into the mild panic that seemed to permeate the air between the two. It felt as if they were dreaming. A moment ago they were kids holding hands.
Now she looks like a woman.
"I need to know you'll never leave if we do this. That you won't take me for granted or back out just because you got what you wanted from me." Tears began to actively fall and she looked down in shame.
"Misty…" Not knowing what to do – and feeling such a rush of emotion in his heated state that he simply settled on the first that crossed his mind - he grabbed her arms and practically lifted her off the ground as he pulled her face close to his. "Look at me."
Sniffling, she looked up.
His eyes narrowed, and his grip was almost painful. "You know me. You've known me longer than almost anyone. Do you even have to ask me whether I'd ever leave you? Do you even have to wonder if this is all I want from you?"
The hurt in his voice only made Misty want to cry more.
Instead, though she dried her eyes and quickly shook her head. "You're right. I know who you are. I know better than you do. I'm sorry."
He shook his head and loosened his grip. "It's a big step. It'd be weird if you weren't a little worried."
"No," she answered, softly removing his right hand and grabbing it with her own. "It isn't weird. That's the problem; that's why I asked. This feels so natural – so right. I can't imagine this not happening. I can't imagine taking this next step without you, and it almost feels like I'm on a snowy hill, just sliding down. I have no control over this, because I know you and I know me, and I know this is all just too perfect."
"Too perfect?"
"Yeah. You're the answer to everything I've been looking for – even if I didn't always know it. And now that we're about to cross this line, and it feels so easy to just close my eyes and go down the hill without thinking about it…"
"You panicked?" Ash hazarded.
She nodded. "I like being in control. I like controlling my own destiny. That's why I don't want you to pay for my school. That's why I left you when we were kids. That's why I ditched my sisters. But, with you as my boyfriend, it's like I have no control. I can't stop something that's so inevitable, so I…well, I just had to ask to feel like I had some hand in what's about to happen."
Ash tightened his grip around her soft hand. "I know what you mean, but this feeling isn't one-sided. It's not like I'm anymore in control here than you, you know?"
She gave him a confused look.
"We're both just riding down this hill together. You think it only feels natural for you? I've been fighting this feeling since we got together, and now that I know the fight's coming to an end I know exactly how you feel. Neither of us – I mean, I don't think either of us can really resist the next step. It's scary."
He took a step back from her, letting go of her arm and hand and reaching his left hand out.
"But I'm ready to take this ride if you'll go with me."
He gave her a small smile – the same smile she'd seen so many times before, and the tears threatened to return as she grabbed his hand.
Author's Notes: Well, I know that it was kind of slow. That was probably even more disappointing given how long you've waited for this new chapter. But! Let me assure you that next chapter things pick up steam pretty quick, and all the romance and action you could hope for are jam-packed in there!
However, as always, if there's anything you thought I could do better, or wish I would fix, let me know! I'm always open to any constructive-criticism! Also, if you have any questions, let me know in your review and I'll respond as soon as I can!
Please, please, though, leave me a review.
I'm not above begging. I know how long I've left this story out of commission, and I know I don't deserve it. But, the truth is, this is truly the final arc of this great adventure we all started together over three years ago. I needed the break I took so I could honestly give this story the great finish I know it deserves, and I want as many people as possible to be a part of that finish. When you review this story, the review numbers show up underneath it, and that lets people know it's decent and worth looking over. My goal from the beginning with this fic was to take fans of the Pokémon universe (and Pokéshipping, in particular) on a fun, dangerous adventure with our favorite protagonists. Now that this story's coming to a close, that desire's stronger than ever, and so I really want as many people on board as possible.
Thank you all so much for your support. If you're mad at me, I understand. But please know that I'm working hard to gain back your favor. And if you forgive me, thank you for your kindness and friendship. I won't let you down again.
See you in two weeks, and LATER DAYS!