DISCLAIMER: For the three thousandth time, I DO NOT OWN POKEMON.

I was suffering with writers block for Crooked, so heres a whole new story. I 
hope you like it. 

AGES:
Misty: 22
Evelyn:21
Ash: 21
Gary: 22

Shotgun Wedding:
	
	The girl strolled down the crowded streets of cerulean city, bobbing her 
head and swaying her hips slightly as she did so. It was a lovely day, bright, 
crisp and delicatley scented with the breathtaking aromas of the freshly 
blooming flowers that were so commonly associated with springtime. In truth it 
was a very near perfect day. The girl's bright pink skirt twirled as she rounded 
the corner, and a slight touch of pink matched the brilliant glimmer in her eyes 
as she smiled. Her eyes were what poets could dwell over for centuries, a bright 
and lustrous clearness, like a forest pool found directly under the sunshine, 
having escaped the shadows of the oaks that surround it. Beyond a poets mind, 
one might call it blue, but the language found within the mind of a city dweller 
is a pitiful thing when it comes to describing beauty. Bleu-vert, then, infinite 
and crystaline. 
	Her skin was a smooth, pale shade of  perfect ivory. Her hair grew to curl 
in charming  profusion near the tips, and was the color of the sun, with all 
it's passion, livlihood and red hot fury intact. Soleil would be a perfect word 
to describe it, because it was indeed much like sunshine, only brighter and 
stronger.
	Her limbs were straight and supple, a marval of delicate strenght. She was 
tall and slender, and her hair swayed as she walked. Her pace increased now, her 
heels clicking gently against the cement of the street. She took a quick glance 
at the watch that dangled from her small wrist before she entered through the 
door of the corporate office. 
	The building was large and impressive, but the girl was familar with it 
and quickly stepped into an elevator. Once inside, she pressed the number 14 and 
smiled as the elevator lurched upward. 
	She got off on the 14th floor and slowly walked to her cubicle. The office 
didn't look very corporate at all, and in fact it was quite colorful. The walls 
were splashed with orange and covered with a panorama of bullitens. It did not 
seem like a workplace at all, but instead like that of an adolescents bedroom. 
Couches here and there, with colorful rugs and bright posters. And each month, 
everyone in the office had only one mutual goal: to put out the monthly issue of 
the magazine they each poured their blood, sweat and tears into. The magazine 
was named "Polaris" and contained everything from politics to fashion advice. It 
was a pretty liberal magazine, and nearly anything could go into it (as long as 
it was okayed by the editors, of course).
	The girl loved her job, and she sat down in her cheery cubicle, ready to 
tackle anything her mind wanted. This magazine had changed her way of thinking 
in many ways, and she was ready to devote her life to it. She was responsible 
for writing the articles on pokemon, and she had no trouble with that. Unlike 
her other young co-workers, she knew a lot about pokemon. In fact, she had 
travelled with a pokemon trainer up till a few years ago, and her sisters were 
in charge of the local pokemon gym.
	Yes, for her, she had found her dream job. She had found her calling. And 
yet...If one looked closley enough into her twin crystal pools of blue, one 
could detect flecks of sadness and wonder.
	The girl turned her computer on and read the notes on her bulletin. There 
were no new notes posted, which meant her monthly assignment had yet to arrive. 
The girl began to check her e-mails when she was interupted by a women of just 
about her age.
	"Oh Misty!" She said, beaming. "The boss just gave us an oppurtunity of a 
lifetime!"
	"Really? What is it Evelyn?" Misty asked.
	Misty looked at her partners smiling face. For three years now, they had 
been the two sole writers for the pokemon section in "Polaris". During these 
years, they had become best friends. Misty loved Evelyn dearly, and they helped 
eachother through everything. Misty could only remember one other person she had 
been so close with. But she never thought about him too often.
	Instead, Misty looked back at Evelyn. To Misty, her best friend was the 
most beautiful women on this earth. And in truth, it was nearly true. Misty 
looked into Evelyn's eyes, which were what poets would call bistre, a rich and 
liquid dark brown that one could stare into for eternity. She had long dark 
lashes that fell onto her cheek as waves break against the sand. Long hair the 
color of pansies at midnight framed her delicate face. Her features were indeed 
like poetry, hauntingly beautiful with a touch of archiac elegance. 
	She was a tad bigger than Misty, with an attractive full figure. Evelyn 
had hips that swung like the pendelum on a grandfather clock, and had the 
ability to place any man under her spell. And like Misty, she was never snobby 
or snotty because of it. She was almost always smiling, and was the contrast to 
Misty's new somber nature. 
	"So Evelyn, is this about this month's assignment?" Misty asked, pushing 
her chair back and propping her well shaped legs on top of the table.
	"Yes!" Evelyn said. "You'll never guess what it is!"
	"I probably wont. Just tell me." Misty said.
	"Well...You know that a new pokemon master has just been announced, 
right?" She said, smiling.
	"Yes, but I dont know exactly who it is." Misty said.
	"It doesn't matter, cause the boss said that he is the youngest pokemon 
master ever in the history of history." Evelyn said. "And that there might be 
something fishy about it. The boss told us to investigate him, his life and do a 
whole story on him, either praising his honest climb to the top or exposing his 
darkest secrets." 
	"It seems a bit underhanded." Misty said, unsure. "I mean, theres no way 
we could find out that much about him unless we follow him around or something." 
	"Exactly! We have to follow him around and get the dirt on him!" Evelyn 
said.
	"But won't the article be a gossip piece instead? I thought we agreed to 
write only about pokemon and their trainers." Misty said.
	"We are!! Don't you get it? This article will be the most impotant article 
"Polaris" will ever put out until a new pokemon master emerges. If we nail this 
assignment, we'd get major raises and promotions! We'd be featured on the cover! 
We could get our own office thingy, and not just a lousy cubicle! We could make 
our names known to millions of people! People would actually begin to read our 
articles and praise them! This is our chance to make it to the top and get 
recognized!" Evelyn said.
	Misty thought for a moment and realized this was true. "You're right Ev. 
This is a major oppurtunity. We'd better not screw this one up. How should we 
get started?" She asked.
	"Research some info on the guy. Find out everything you can about his life 
before he became a pokemon master. I'll try and find out where he lives and 
where he's gonna be this month." Evelyn said.
	"Alright. I'll get right on it." Misty said, as she pulled up her chair 
and dropped her feet to the ground.
	"I'll come by when I find something." Evelyn said, leaving. 
	Misty watched her go and watched the men's eyes follow her as she left. 
She sighed and went to www.google.com. 
	Once the site appeared, she typed in new pokemon master into the search 
box and pressed enter. After a while, a page of links popped up. She clicked on 
the first one and waited patiently for it to load.
	A picture was loading, and Misty guessed it was that of the new pokemon 
master.
	"come on...this damn computer is so slow!" Misty muttered. She decided to 
go get a cup of coffee as it loaded.
	When she came back, she sat back down and slowly sipped her coffee. When 
she took one glance at the screen, she nearly dropped her mug.
	Staring back at her was the face of a young man, with silky raven black 
hair falling devilishly into his dark brown eyes. Oh, and those eyes! They 
drilled holes through young Misty, able to see into her soul and heart. Honey 
skinned, much like Evelyn, he offered a crooked smile for the world to see. 
Misty's eyes were transfixed, unable to stray away from the image on the screen. 
The words underneath the picture firmly fixed Misty's fears: Ash Ketchum, the 
new pokemon master.
	"Ash..." Misty murmered, painfully remembering. She had travelled with him 
since he was but a boy, and she just a girl. The bond between them had grown 
stronger and stronger, their friendship having spanned for 5 years. 
	When she was 16, Misty began to realize something. She could finally name 
the feeling she had within her whenever she saw Ash's face, whenever she heard 
his voice, whenever she felt his smile. It was love. She had tried to deny it at 
first, because she couldn't be in love with this insolent brat whom she had 
known for so long. But as time progressed it was undeniable. She loved Ash.
	Misty kept her feelings to herself for as long as she could, until she 
just couldn't keep them inside her anyomore. One fateful night, when she was 17, 
she told Ash that she loved him. But dont get carried away. She wasn't romantic 
or anything, and didn't try to kiss him either. She wasn't like that. She just 
told Ash the truth, and waited for his response.
	Ash had been quiet, and his face had turned a bright crimson. Still a boy, 
Ash just said that he didnt feel the same way. That he just thought of her as a 
good friend, almost like a sister. Misty listened, heartbroken. 
	She tried to be a good sport about it, but as they travelled, nothing was 
the same. Ash could never look at Misty straight in the eye, and avoided her as 
much as he could, hanging around with Brock (their other travelling companion) 
more. Soon Misty could not take it anymore. She told Ash that she had to leave 
and persue her own dreams back at Cerulean city. They used to be water pokemon 
training, but when she got back she discovered a new passion for investigative 
journalism. There were tearful goodbyes, but Ash had nothing more to say.
	Misty had waited all these years for a letter, or a phone call, or an e-
mail, or something from him. But she never got anything. She never heard from 
him again.
	Misty was in shock. She could not face him again. She didn't have the 
courage. When he denied his love for her, Misty lost her usual fury and passion. 
She became a normal somebody again, all her hopes drained from her. 
How could she talk to the one person who broke her heart, and never once tried 
to fix it?
	But it's true, Misty's dreams were still plauged with Ash, dreaming about 
seeing him once more, of him apologizing profusly, declaring his love, kissing 
her, touching her, being with her. Misty could not rid herself of these 
thoughts. But what more could she do?
	She began researching more about Ash. She already knew all about his life, 
but didn't understand how he became pokemon master. She smiled, remembering that 
it was his dream. She found out that he had continued to catch and train 
pokemon, eventually beating the previous pokemon master at a battle a few months 
ago. 
	Misty sighed, wondering. What if she had never confessed? She would have 
been there with him, watching his dreams come true. Misty's heart began to hurt 
because all the sadness it tightly held inside had been released. All because of 
one glance at his face. 
	Her thoughts were interuppted by Evelyn.
	"Did you find out anything?" She asked.
	How could Misty ever explain all that she had rediscovered? How could she 
ever explain that the pokemon master was her childhood friend, one who had 
stolen her heart and crushed it? How could she ever explain to anyone that he 
was the one man she loved with every inch of her being but could never have? 
	"Yes...The new pokemon master... I knew him..." She said, a bit sadly.
	"What do you mean?" Evelyn said, confused.
	Misty turned away. "I mean, we used to be good friends. We even travelled 
together for a while. Then, all of a sudden, he just broke off all connections 
with me. I havent heard from him in 4 years."
	"This is great!" Evelyn said, jumping.
	"Wha...What?" Misty asked.
	""It's great because you can reunite with your long lost friend and it 
gives us a cover for following him and getting the dirt on him!" She said
	"But I have no intention of seeing him ever again." Misty said, angirily
	"What for?" Evelyn asked, stunned.
	"He...he really hurt my feelings. After that, we havent really spoken to 
eachother." Misty said, ashamed of telling her the truth.
	"But...c'mon, now you can, you know, settle everything out. I mean, if 
you've really known him for so long, you cant just break up your friendship over 
a single disagreement." Evelyn said.
	"But...But I really dont feel like seeing him again." She answered.
	"Fine. I'm going with or without you. He's gonna be at the Club Motioko 
tonight. I made a few calls and found out. I could really use your help when I 
go out there." Evelyn said, about to leave. "Don't go for him...Go for me...And 
your job." 
	Evelyn started to leave when Misty stopped her. "Alright...I'll go with 
you. But only because you need me." she said.
	"Now that's the Misty I know. Come by my apartment at 8 tonight, alright? 
Be dressed to go clubbing!" Evelyn said, her grin streching from ear to ear.
	Misty sighed and got back to work.

	At 8 o'clock Misty arrived at Evelyn's apartment. She donned a short light 
blue halter that set of her amazing eyes perfectly. A single diamond pendant 
hung loosley from her neck, casting a dazzling glimmer across her face under the 
moonlight. She slightly waved her hair for the occasion, and her bright hair 
contrasted charmingly with her dress, giving her an ethernal appearance. Wearing 
strappy sandals, she pressed the button next to the name Song, Evelyn room 302. 
	"yes?" a voice from the intercom roared into the night.
	"It's Misty." She said.
	"Ok...Come on up." Evelyn said, and a buzzing noise procceded. Misty let 
herself in and climbed 3 flights of stairs and up to Evelyn's room. She was 
greeted by Evelyn who was just putting on her shoes.
	Now Evelyn was a sight to see. While Misty always tried to be simple and 
blend in with the crowd, Evelyn liked to stand out a bit. Not in a bad I'm not a 
hooker but not a virgin kind of way, but in a eyecatching, breathtaking way. 
	Evelyn wore a tight-fitting strapless top that was made to look like a 
corset with a pair of denim jeans. The corset was jet black like her hair, and 
was tight in all the right places, matching the dirty denim of her jeans, that 
was loosley set on her hips. The waistband met the corset at the same place, 
making the whole ensemble look like it was made for her. Her hair was just 
plainly brushed out, the shorter strands in front falling delightfully onto her 
face. Wearing long dangling earrings, eachone with a hanging star, and strappy 
shoes, she was picture perfect.
	"Do I look alright?" Evelyn asked Misty.
	"Of course. You always look perfect. I mean, your'e dressed perfectly for 
a night out clubbing. I feel like I overdressed or something." She answered.
	"Are you kidding? A halter is perfect for clubbing. I wish I had one. 
Ready to go?" she asked, fixing her hair in the mirror.
	Misty ran to check her reflection in the mirror as well. "How do you 
always manage to look so great without any effort?" she asked, pouting.
	"I was just gonna ask you the same question. c'mon, lets hustle." Evelyn 
said, grabbing her purse.
	The two girls left the apartment and climbed into Misty's sleek 2 door 
black car. They drove into the city and looked around for the club, and 
eventually found it. It seemed to be unusually crowded, with a line snaking from 
the entrance to around the corner. The girls parked their car and walked towards 
it. 
	"We'll never get in! We arent V.I.P or anything!! We'll just have to wait 
on line and beg to get in when we come around front. Arghh!!! Ash would've left 
by then."  Misty said.
	"Excited about seeing him, are you?" Evelyn said, smiling.
	"What? No...of course not...I just want to get this assignment over with." 
Misty said, blushing.
	"Uh huh...But we dont have to wait that long..." Evelyn said slyly. 
	"What do you mean?" Misty asked.
	"Pretty girls can get away with anything." Evelyn said, grabbing Misty's 
hand and rushing to the security guard guarding the door.
	"Excuse me, sir?" Evelyn asked, pretending to be shy. "Ummm, can me and my 
friend enter please? We're looking for a long lost friend, and think he might be 
in there. Could you help us out and let us in?" She looked into his eyes and 
smiled softly.
	The security guard gazed into her eyes, unable to look away. He finally 
relented. "Alright, you two can go in... Good luck in finding whomever your 
looking for." he said, still looking at Evelyn. 
	"Oh thank you!" she said and leaned over and kissed his cheek. "You're so 
sweet." 
	The security guard blushed. "What's your name?" he asked.
	"Evelyn. And this is Misty." She said.
	"Alright, have a good time Evelyn." he said, winking. 
	Evelyn faked a laugh and thanked him once more before entering the club 
with Misty.
	"See? Piece of cake." She said.
	Misty felt a fluttering in her stomach as they walked deeper into the 
club. The club was a showcase of lights, with neon color spectrums sparkling in 
every direction. There was a bar area to one side, and there was loud dancing 
music playing to dance to on the dance floor. Misty looked around, getting more 
and more nervous every second. Evelyn walked ahead, and men's eyes were glued to 
her every movement. She had only been in the club for 5 minutes and had already 
recieved four invitations for a drink. Misty felt self conscious. Although there 
were many admiring glances thrown at her, men didnt usually bother coming over 
to her and asking for a drink or a dance. Ever since she was turned away by Ash, 
Misty had lost a part of her personality. She had no confidence in herself, and 
was almost never comfortable.
	She continued to look around and ran over to catch up with Evelyn. They 
were walking towards the bar, and thats when Misty's heart seemed to skip a 
beat. She saw him, through the corner of her eye, and after one glance she could 
not look away.
	There he stood, a drink in his hand, talking casually with a companion. He 
had changed so much in so little time. If it was possible, it seemed as if he 
had risen from the seed of angels, for he showcased unsurpassed beauty and 
grace. Honey skinned and ebon haired, with great dark eyes like black pearls, he 
stood a lean six feet high. His features remained similar to those Misty had 
remembered, only they seemed more experianced and mature. He was wearing dark 
denim jeans with a black suit jacket. The t-shirt he was wearing underneath read 
"Destiny comes on broken wings." Misty could not comprehend how Ash had 
developed such a sophisticated fashion sense. He was smiling a bit shyly, for 
many were looking at him. Whether it was because of his new title or his good 
looks Misty could not tell. Only then did Misty realize the prescence of Ash's 
companion.
	With a shock, Misty realized she knew who he was as well. A paler cast 
than Ash, he was blessed with the same eyes. Dark they were, the same rich brown 
as his hair, that spilled onto his forehead and into his eyes. Dashingly 
handsome, he sported a pair of tight dark jeans with a pinstriped shirt the 
color of wine. The two were talking familiarly with eachother, and seemed to be 
the two most attractive men in the club, in the city, possibly in the world to 
Misty. And it was undeniable that Ash was talking with Gary Oak, his formal 
rival. 
	"How much have I missed?" Misty thought to herself. 
	"I see him!" Evelyn said, excited. "Wheww...He's hot!" 
	"Ha ha." Misty said sheepishly. 
	"Let's see...How should we approach him?" Evelyn said, deep in thought. 
They walked closer to the new pokemon master slowly, unsure of what to do next. 
Just then Gary looked over at the two of them.
	And then Evelyn's eyes met his. They were locked in eachothers gaze, both 
unable to look away. Misty had heard of many people claiming they had 
experianced what she had just witnessed, but Misty never believed them. Being 
there, seeing the two look at eachother, if for only one moment in eternity, 
Misty was sure that this was the meaning of love at first sight. 
	Gary started to walk over to her, but Evelyn seemed to be glued to the 
ground. It almost seemed as if she was nervous. Gary held out his hand and said,
	"Uh...hi, my name's Gary. What's yours?" 
	Evelyn took his hand and shook it. "Evelyn. Evelyn Song." she said.
	They both were holding on to eachothers hands, an invisible bond forming 
between them.
	"Would..umm..would you care to join me and my friend for a drink?" he 
said, looking quite shy and hopeful.
	"I'd love to." Evelyn said, unable to hide her dazzling smile. "But, um, 
could my friend join us?" 
	"Sure, sure. Who's your friend?" Gary said, looking into her eyes.
	Evelyn pulled Misty to her side, her heart fluttering.
	"Misty? Misty, is that you?" Gary asked. "It's me, Gary Oak. Do you 
remember me?" 
	"Of course I do!" Misty said, embracing him. "Goodness, it's been so 
long." 
	"I know. Oh! Ash is here. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you. C'mon." Gary 
said.
	He took Evelyn's arm and guided her to a table were Ash was sitting at 
alone. Misty followed, unable to stop her heart from pounding. 
	Gary sat down and pulled Evelyn down to sit next to him. 
	"Ash, this is Evelyn." Gary said, smiling at her. "And Evelyn, this is 
Ash."  
	"Pleasure to meet you." Evelyn said, smiling and shaking his hand.
	"Same here." Ash said, smiling as most men do when they first hear the 
sound of Evelyn's voice.
	Misty hovered by the table, facing Ash's back. 
	"Oh, and Ash, guess who I ran into?" Gary asked smiling.
	"Regis Philban?" Ash said, looking bored.
	"No, even better. It's Misty! Look, she's right behind you." Gary said.
	Ash spun around and saw that Misty was indeed standing there, behind him, 
smiling softly and giving a small wave. 
	"Misty! I haven't seen you in forever!" Ash said, rushing up to give her a 
hug. 
	At that moment, caught inside Ash's embrace, Misty felt complete. She felt 
invincible. She felt like her old self again. Happiness flooded through her once 
more as she said, "It's good to see you too Ash."
	Ash sat down again and Misty took her seat next to him. 
	"Why haven't I heard from you in four years?" Misty asked, although she 
already knew the answer.
	"Uh...I was kinda..kinda busy." Ash said, scratching his head.
	"Well, no duh. You're the new pokemon master! Your dreams have come true!" 
Misty said.
	"Yes, I know!" Ash said, suddenly becoming even more joyful and excited. 
"It's amazing." 
	"I wish I was there to see it happen." Misty said.
	"I know, you should have been. I've really missed you Mist. What have you 
been up to anyway?" Ash asked.
	Misty nearly melted when she heard the name Mist escape his lips. Her 
feelings for him hadn't changed at all. If possible, it seemed as if they had 
grown even stronger. 
	 "I, uh, I'm the writer for the pokemon articles in the magazine 
"Polaris." In fact, Evelyn here is the photographer that takes the pictures for 
my articles." Misty said.
	Evelyn smiled. 
	"You're a photographer? Really?" Gary asked, looking at her. "That's 
really cool." 
	"Well, I dont know about that. But I love what I do." she said.
	"I love it when people have so much passion for what they do. If everyone 
could live life that passionatley, the world would be a much better place." Gary 
said.
	Evelyn blushed. "You're right. What do you do?" 
	"I'm a pokemon researcher. And I love my job with all my heart." Gary 
said.
	"That's so sweet." Evelyn said. 
	As Gary and Evelyn got to know eachother better, Misty and Ash continued 
to catch up. Ash seemed a little shy, maybe because he remembered Misty's 
feelings.
	"Uh, Ash? Could we set up an interview with you for our article? We would 
be so grateful." Evelyn asked.
	"Umm, sure, why not? I'm really not an interesting person and I don't 
think you'll find out too much." Ash said, blushing.
	"It doesn't matter. But the "Polaris" is really looking forword to an 
interview with the new pokemon master." Evelyn said.
	"Okay, why dont you come by my place tomorrow at 3 in the afternoon?" Ash 
asked. 
	"We'll be there!" Evelyn said, smiling.
	"I'll be there too." Gary said, smiling. "I mean, I'd love to see how you 
take pictures and stuff." 
	Evelyn smiled.  Ash wrote down his address on a napkin and handed it to 
her.
	Suddenly the music got even louder, and everyone seemed to be drifting 
towards the dance floor. Evelyn stood up and delicatley touched the hollow in 
Gary's throat. Gary's breath quickened, and he looked up, startled.
	"Come dance with me." Evelyn said, as Gary stood up and followed her. They 
began to dance with the crowd on the dance floor, and it was plain to see that 
they were having a great time. 
	They were playing fast, dance inspired tunes by Panic! at the Disco. Misty 
loved those songs and her feet were itching to dance. 
	Ash and Misty sat in silence for a while. A man slowly approached Misty 
and asked her to join him for a dance. Misty looked at Ash questioningly, who 
beckoned her to go. She danced to the fast songs with another man, but her heart 
was with Ash.
	After a lot of dancing, everyone was ready to go home. 
	"Uh, I had a really good time tonight Evelyn." Gary said, grabbing her 
hands and pulling her to a quiet corner.
	"Yea, me too." She said, unvoluntarily licking her lips. 
	They looked into eachothers eyes, both fully submerged in the moment. Gary 
pulled her closer to him and Evelyn brang her hands around his neck. Their lips 
met in one slow, beautiful moment. Time seemed to stop. They both lost their 
breath for a moment and pulled away. Both blushed and looked down.
	"So, umm, I gues I'll see you tomorrow?" Gary said, his face a delightful 
shade of pink.
	"I guess so." She said. 
	Gary walked Evelyn to the car, both talking as lovers do.
	Ash was walking with Misty as well to her car. 
	"So, how's pickachu?" She asked.
	"He's doing great. He'll be glad to see you when you come by tomorrow." 
Ash said.
	"You know, I've really missed you Ash." Misty said, looking at his brown 
eyes.
	"I've really missed you too." He said genuinley.
	"So, everything's cool between us?" Misty asked, holding her breath.
	"Of course." Ash said, looking down.
	When they got to her car, Evelyn and Gary were already there. Misty and 
Evelyn both got in the car.
	"So, we'll see you tomorrow?" Ash asked.
	"Yup, bye for now!" Misty said.
	As the car slowly left, Gary and Ash were waving goodbye.
	"So, let's go home." Ash said.
	"yea..." Gary said, a bit dreamily.
	They got into Ash's car and drove back to Ash's house. Gary lived with Ash 
too, because the lab he worked at was so close to Ash's house. 
	"Isn't Evelyn great?" Gary asked.
	"Yea. She's beautiful." Ash said, making a sharp turn.
	"Both inside and out." Gary said, sighing. "Ash, I really think she's the 
one." 
	"You may be right. I've never seen you act like this about a girl." Ash 
said. "I thought you might have been, I dont know, gay or something."
	"Ha. No, not gay. I mean, I've dated girls here and there, but none of 
them were worth, I dont know, my attention. Does that sound really lame?" Gary 
asked.
	"Yes. Yes it does." Ash said.
	"But, for some reason, I've only known Evelyn for maybe 2 hours, and I 
feel like I've known her forever. I'm dying for her attention. I can't explain 
it." Gary said, running his hands through his hair.
	"Its plain and simple. Dude, you love her." Ash said.
	"And what do you know about love, mr. pokemon master?" Gary asked, 
smiling.
	"Well, nothing, to tell you the truth. But I can tell with you that you're 
in love. Trust me." Ash said. 
	"I think your right. Damn it! What should I do about it?" Gary asked.
	"Get her to love you too, then get married, have great sex, make some 
babies and live happily ever after." Ash said.
	Gary smiled. "How about you? How's love been treating you latley?" 
	Ash was silent. 
	"That bad, huh? How about Misty?" Gary said.
	"What about her?" Ash asked.
	"I mean, you guys are such good friends. And anyone can tell that you like 
eachother. I even thought that you might love her." Gary said.
	Ash sighed. "You don't understand." 
	"Then tell me. I can tell that theres something going on between you two."  
Gary said. "Maybe I can help."
	"I dont think you can." Ash said.
	"Tell me. Please." Gary said.
	"Well...Here goes. When we were younger, Misty told me she loved me. I was 
young then, and confused, and told her that I didnt feel the same way about her. 
She left soon after that, angry and hurt. Seeing her here, today, made me 
realize that, well, I loved her too. That I had always loved her, and that I 
need her. But now she doesn't feel the same about me. I broke her heart." Ash 
said.
	"But you don't know that." Gary said.
	"What do you mean?" ASh asked.
	"When you two were talking, I could sense something more between you two. 
And you cant just live in the past in fear of the future. You have to try. 
Imagine all you have to gain!" Gary said.
	Ash was deep in thought. "I just never imagined we could ever be together 
like that."
	"Give it a try. I know that Misty is your other half. She completes you, 
and you both need eachother to be happy in this lifetime." Gary said.
	"And do you think Evelyn is your other half?" Ash asked.
	"I know it." Gary said.
	Ash was silent. When he saw Misty again, for the first time in four years, 
he didn't see her as his childhood friend anymore. He saw her as a beautiful 
women, one he could never have. Ash finally realized why he wasn't happy for 
these past few years, even though his dreams had come true. he didn't have Misty 
by his side. To push him to do better. To make him feel better when he failed. 
To celebrate with him when he succeeded. Until the sun goes out, he would wait 
for her.
	They got back home and both went to sleep. They each had very sweet 
dreams. 
	
	The next day, Ash and Gary were both anxiously waiting for the women they 
loved but were pretty sure didnt love them. Ash looked at himself in the mirror, 
trying to see what Misty would see in him. He tried to smile, but stopped when 
he realized how stupid he looked. He brushed his hair out in maybe 12 different 
ways, but eventually left it the way it usually was, a messy bunch of jet hair 
pointing this way and that.
	He carefully chose his attire for the afternoon, picking a blue t-shirt 
(because he knew it was Misty's favorite color) with some jeans and a pair of 
blue converses. He looked at his watch. It was 3:28. He wondered why they 
weren't here yet. 
	Gary was nervous. He thought Evelyn liked him, but didn't think she loved 
him, and knew that he loved her. He wore a pair of rugged, frayed jeans and a t-
shirt that had the words "Bright Eyes" written across it with a pair of dirty 
black converses. He tucked his hair into a trucker cap and came by Ash's room. 
	"Why aren't they here yet?" Gary asked, nervous. "Maybe they were just 
kidding, and dont even wanna see us!" 
	"I highly doubt that. Calm down. They'll be here." ASh said, a bit nervous 
himself.
	Just then the doorbell rang. Ash and Gary jumped and ran down to answer 
the door.
	Evelyn and Misty were waiting outside, amazed at what they saw. A massive 
estate, maybe a few acres wide, with a huge house set in the middle of it. The 
house towered over them, being perhaps 3 floors high. Beautifully manicured, and 
impressivley modern, Misty was very surprised. 
	"Wow..." Evelyn said, at a loss for words.
	Misty was wearing a pair of denim shorts with a pale pink t-shirt, one of 
her favorite outifts due to the fact that it reminded her of what she used to 
wear when she was but a careless lass, travelling to who knows where with her 
best friend, a boy named Ash. 
	Evelyn was wearing a carelessly tossed together outfit that consisted of a 
black tank top with a pair of baggy olive green cargo pants. Her hair brushed 
out, she wore flip flops and was the image of every teenage boy's dream girl. 
	The door opened 30 seconds after they rang the bell, both Ash and Gary 
opened it. 
	"Sorry we're late." Misty said, walking in. 
	"Yea. We needed to stop for a new roll of film." Evelyn said, lugging a 
bag full of equipment behind her. Gary rushed over and took it from her.
	"It's all right, I've got it." Evelyn said.
	"I know, but let me help you out. Gary said, not releasing the bag.
	Evelyn smiled and let go of the bag. Her bare arm brushed his and Gary 
nearly lost his breath. 
	"Uhmm...so, where should I set up?" Evelyn asked, blushing.
	"Uh, in the drawing room?" Gary said.
	"Drawing room, huh? Fancy a pokemon researcher would have a drawing room." 
Evelyn said, smiling.
	"Well, I mean, this is Ash's place. But I'm crashing here for a while 
until I, well, you know, buy my own place or something. I'm a bit slow." Gary 
said, embarressed. 
	Evelyn took his arm, urging him to continue. Gary smiled. "Well, to tell 
you the truth, I never thought I would be living in such a huge house with Ash. 
Especially with Ash owning the place. You see, we were rivals, a long time ago, 
in pokemon training. Then I realized Pokemon researching was my calling, not 
training. After that, me and Ash became good friends. I really dont think Ash 
minds a bit that I'm living here with him, off of him. I actually think he's a 
bit lonley, and we depend on eachother's company as to not die of boredom 
alone." he said.
	Evelyn smiled and nodded. They reached the drawing room and started to set 
up. Gary watched her do it, unable to do much more for his knowledge of 
photography was minimal. 
	Meanwhile Misty and Ash were seated in another room. Misty turned on a 
recorder and seated herself next to Ash on a couch.
	"I never imagined you would have such good taste in furniture and stuff, 
Ash." Misty said. 
	Ash smiled. 
	"So, should we get this interview over with?" Misty asked.
	Misty started to ask Ash a serious of questions. She really didn't learn 
anything she didn't already know, except for one thing.
	"The battle, with the former pokemon master was a heated one, I expected 
as much. But I won by a hair. Pickachu was quite worn out, but you know how 
stubborn he is." Ash said.
	"Pika Pika!" Pickachu said angirly. He was sitting in Misty's lap, 
evidently pleased to see her once more. 
	"But for some reason," Ash said, "He wasn't congratulatory or anything. He 
just stepped out, in shadows. The next day, he told a bunch of people that I 
cheated. Off course, I had witnesses there that vouched for my honesty, but 
there were still a group of people that claim I should not be pokemon master. I 
guess thats the price of fame, right?" 
	Misty was silent.
	"Well, you believe me dont you? Come on Mist, you know me. I'd never 
cheat." ASh asked.
	"Of course I believe you Ash. I may not have seen you in four years, but I 
know you'd never do anything dishonest. You dont have the guts for it." Misty 
said.
	"What? Of course I have the guts for it. I just wouldn't do it cause its 
wrong." Ash said indignantly. 
	"Right." Misty said, smiling. "You haven't changed a bit, still as dense 
as ever." 
	"You know you love that about me." Ash said carelessly. 
	Misty blushed. Ash was about to say something else when Evelyn and Gary 
came in. 
	"If your done with the interview I'd love to get some shots of you." 
Evelyn said.
	"Yes, we're done." Misty said, getting up.
	"Great. Could you come with me Ash?" Evelyn asked.
	Ash nodded and followed her to the drawing room. She set up a white screen 
with a chair in front of it.
	"Could you sit in the chair Ash?" she asked.
	"Uh.Sure thing." He said.
	He sat down and akwardly crossed his legs. Evelyn took a few shots.
	"Good. Now could you maybe turn the chair around and stradle it?" she 
asked him.
	Ash did so. Evelyn came over to him and placed both his hands over the 
back of the chair and pushed his head over his hands. "Like that." she said, and 
moved back to take some more shots. 
	Ash was blushing. He never had a women touch him like that, so full of 
care and gentle. 
	"Why are you so red?" Evelyn asked, teasing.
	Ash smiled. Gary and Misty came in then, and watched Evelyn work.
	"I love to watch Evelyn work. She's so proffesional." Misty said.
	"I know..." Gary said, staring at Evelyn. 
	Evelyn took a few shots of Ash standing up. 
	"I think that should do it." Evelyn said, "Thanks." 
	"No problem Evelyn." Ash said.
	"Oh, Gary, could I get a few shots of you?" she asked.
	Gary was startled. "Me? Why?" he asked.
	"As the new pokemon master's best friend." she said, smiling. "c'mon." 
	Gary went over and stood where Evelyn told him to. He stood there 
akwardly. "Like that?" he asked.
	Evelyn nodded slowly. "Perfect." she whispered.
	She took some pictures and said, "You know, I love BrightEyes." 
	Gary looked at his shirt. "Really?" he said, surprised. "Me too." 
	"I wanna make love to Anthony Green's voice." she said, packing up her 
equipment. 
	Gary blushed and walked over to help her.
	"He is real good." he said, smiling. 
 	Ash was talking with Misty. "You know, they're really meant for 
eachother." he said.
	"I know." She said.
	Soon, the two girls were ready to leave.
	"Thanks again Ash." Misty said.
	"No problem Mist. Come by whenever you want, all right?" he said.
	"Sure." she said to ASh.
	"So, uh, Evelyn, do you wanna, maybe, get together sometime soon?" Gary 
asked, his face turning 5 different shades of pink. 
	"I'd love to." Evelyn said. 
	"How about you come by here next weekend? At 7 maybe? I'll make us 
dinner." he said.
	"Sounds great. See you then." She said, blushing. She leaned over to kiss 
his cheek. She missed and kissed his lips instead. The kiss became more then 
what she expected, and both pulled away from eachother breathless.
	Ash and Misty looked on, embarressed. 
	"See you next week then." Evelyn said to Gary. 
	Gary just nodded, unable to look away from her eyes. He kept licking his 
lips. 
	Misty waved goodbye to Ash as she left with Evelyn. Gary sighed as he 
closed the door behind them. 
	"Oh man." Gary said, leaning against the door, smiling. "oh man..." 
	Ash smiled. "You're so lucky Gary. You've found your soulmate. You're in 
love, and the women you're in love with loves you back." 
	"You really think so?" Gary asked, his breathing becoming labored.
	"No duh." Ash said.
	"Listen to me Ash. Tell Misty how you really feel. If you don't, someone 
else will. And Misty will lie to herself and go with him instead of you. Then 
both of you will live life incomplete."  
	Ash knew he was right.
	"I'm gonna go upstairs and take a nap." he said, walking up the stairs.
	Gary sighed and followed him, already looking forward to next week.
	
	"Oh Misty! I'm in love!" Evelyn said, when they were in the office the 
next day. 
	"Everyone in the world can tell that, Ev." Misty said.
	"Mmm. And dont play stupid with me Misty. I know you're in love with Ash." 
Evelyn said.
	Misty sighed. "Is it that obvious?" 
	Evelyn nodded. "Tell him. Believe me." She said. 
	"Well, I guess our article is done." Misty said, changing the topic.
	"Yup. Ash seems like a pretty honest guy." Evelyn said.
	"He is. The fishy stuff the boss was talking about was just that the 
previous pokemon master, Jack Winters, thought he cheated. The evidence from 
witnesses tells otherwise, though."  Misty said.
	"Alright then, lets get the article written!" Evelyn said.
	Misty nodded. Then suddenly she had a great idea. It hit her like the 
iceburg hit the Titanic. She quickly got to work on the idea by starting the 
article. 
	
	The next week, Gary was as nervous as ever. 
	"Ash, do I look alright?" he asked.
	"You really must be nervous if you're asking me for fashion advice." Ash 
said. "You look fine." 
	And that he did. He was wearing a black button down shirt tails out with a 
pair of dark jeans. He ran his hands through his wild brown hair and looked at 
himself in the mirror. 
"Are you sure? Maybe I should change." Gary said.
	"NO!" Ash screamed. "You've already changed 6 times. Calm down. Maybe you 
should start making dinner instead." 
	"Oh man, your right!" Gary said, startled. "I completley forgot that I 
told her I'd make dinner!" 
	Both of them ran to the impressively large kitchen. Gary pulled the door 
to the fridge open and stared at its contents. 
	"I know! I'll make pasta!" Gary said. "Girls like pasta, right?" 
	"I guess." Ash said as Gary took out a pot and the premade pasta sauce 
from the fridge. Gary went into the pantry and brang out a package of pasta. He 
then put some water in the pot and let it boil. 
	"I'll just put the pasta in now. Maybe it'll cook faster." Gary said.
	He did so and started to heat the sauce up. Just then the doorbell rang.
	"Oh shit!" Gary said, running to the door.
	"Ash, are you sure I look alright?" Gary asked, nervous.
	"Just shut up and answer the door." Ash said, pushing him.
	"uh.. so, Ash, are you gonna be, um." Gary asked, embarressed.
	Ash chuckled. "No worries mi amigo. I'll be upstairs and out of your hair. 
It'll be like I'm not even here, you know, in case you wanna..." Ash said.
	Gary blushed and punched his arm. Ash ran upstairs and Gary opened the 
door.
	Evelyn was waiting outside. She was shimmering, shining and radiating 
life. Gary's breath was caught in his throat. 
	"Hi Gary." Evelyn said. She was wearing a tight, sleeveless blue dress 
that made her skin glow like cream. The dress hit just below her knees, showing 
a lot of well shaped leg. She wore black high heeled shoes which were tied to 
her legs like ballet shoes. The neckline of the dress was low, and she wore a 
single star pendent on her neck.
	"Uhh.. Hi Evelyn." Gary said. "You, you look great." 
	"Thanks. So do you." She said, still standing outside. A slight breeze 
pushed her inside. Gary shut the door behind her. 
	"So..." Evelyn said.
	"Uhh...Why don't we sit down in the dining room? Dinner will be ready in a 
few." Gary said.
	Evelyn nodded and they sat down at the dining table. 
	"So, how have you been?" Evelyn asked Gary.
	"Great. Really. Everything's been so great." Gary said.
	Evelyn smiled. 
	"You?" Gary asked.
	"Same here." she said.
	They didn't really need to say much, looking at eachother was enough. 
	"Uhh..Tell me about your family." Evelyn said.
	For maybe half an hour they talked about themselves and got to know 
eachother better.
	"Gary, what's that smell?" Evelyn asked, sniffing the air. 
	"Hmm. It smells like something's burning." Gary said. "Shit! I completley 
forgot!" Gary jumped up and raced to the kitchen.
	The pasta had just about completley melted, and the sauce was burned 
black. 
	"Fuck!" Gary said, turning the burners off. "What am I gonna do now?" 
	He dropped the pots into the sink and hung his head. He felt a tap in his 
shouldar and turned around, startled.
	"Need some help?" Evelyn asked him, smiling.
	"Evelyn! Oh, I'm such an idiot. I completley screwed up dinner. I'm sorry. 
I can't do anything right." Gary said.
	"Don't worry Gary, it's okay." Evelyn said, patting his shoulder.
	"No it's not. Evelyn, I'm such a crappy excuse for a man. I don't deserve 
to be with you." Gary said, his worries coming out in torrents.
	"What are you talking about?" Evelyn said. She hugged him softly and 
kissed him slowly. "I never liked pasta anyway." she said against his lips.
	Gary smiled and kissed her back, harder. She had to lean against the 
counter for support. 
	Evelyn slowly pulled away. Gary was shaking. 
	"What should we do then?" Gary asked.
	"Let's order out." she said.
	So both of them looked through a chinese restaurant's menu, trying to 
decide what to order. After some fighting, relenting and smacks on the head, 
they decided. Gary dialed the number and ordered. 
	The food arrived shortly, and Gary brang the food into the living room.
	"Why dont we watch a movie while we eat?" Gary asked.
	"You read my mind." she said, following him to the living room. They both 
sat on the couch and put the food on the coffee table in front of them. Gary 
turned on the T.V. and turned off the lights. 
	Evelyn was going through the T.V. guide. "Hey, Titanic is on on HBO!" she 
said, flipping the channels. "And it just started! Oh man, I love this movie." 
she said.
	"Really? I've never watched it." Gary said.
	"What? No way, everyone's watched it." she said.
	"Not me." Gary said.
	"Then you're in for a treat." She said.
	They both opened their food and shared it between them, eating straight 
out of the containers. 
	The movie was playing, so talking between them ceased. The movie was, 
maybe over 3 hours long, so they quickly finished their food and settled to 
watch the rest. In the middle, Evelyn brang herself closer to Gary and cuddled 
him. Gary looked at her and smiled, and embraced her. 
	Both had never felt this happy and complete before. Evelyn felt that she 
could die here, in Gary's arms, and it would be alright. Gary felt the same way.
	The movie ended, and Evelyn looked at Gary. The movie always got to her in 
the end. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but she was happy. When she saw 
Gary, her heart seemed to do a sumersault. His eyes were tearing as well, and 
they were glued to hers.
	"Uhh..." Gary said, rubbing his eyes. "Man, there must have been something 
in that food. It have me some sort of allergy." he said, turning red. "Great, 
great movie though."
	Maybe it was because of Titanic, because of the love story, or just the 
moment itself, but whatever it was, it made Evelyn realize something. "Gary...I 
love you." she whispered. 
	Gary looked at her, startled. He tightened his hold on her. "Really? Oh 
Evelyn, I love you too." he said.
	He kissed her then, unable to hide his emotions any longer. She relented, 
and kissed him back. The kiss was like a poem, a prayer, a homecoming unlooked 
for. It was like dungeon walls crumbling to reveal a glimpse of sky. It shook 
them both to the very roots of their souls. All they could do was cling to 
eachother and gasp. 
	Evelyn ended up below him and he pushed the hair out of her eyes, with 
unimaginable gentleness. 
	"Are you nervous?" he asked her, his voice shaking.
	"No." Evelyn whispered, kissing his fingertips.
	Gary kissed her again, moving his lips slowly down her chin and neck. 
Evelyn struggled to find his skin and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. She threw his 
shirt to the ground and ran her hands over his chest. Gary thought about how 
long he had thought over the outfit and realized that that sort of stuff didn'y 
matter to Evelyn. He smiled and took of her dress, covering her body in kisses.
	So it was that Gary and Evelyn made love that night, with "The Suffering" 
by Coheed and Cambria softly playing in the background from the T.V. It was the 
only backdrop to their lovemaking, and if possible, only goaded them further, 
for the song had beautuful lyrics. 
	Afterwards, Gary was shaking. His usual wild hair was now flat and glued 
to his forehead with sweat. Evelyn was sweating as well, and hung on to Gary as 
if there was no tommorrow.
	Gary and Evelyn fell asleep in eachothers embrace and slept soundly until 
morning, clinging on to eachother for dear life on the narrow couch. Gary had 
covered her with the throw on the couch. 
	Evelyn awoke in the morning smiling. Gary was sleeping in her arms, and 
looked quite angelic, like a happy little boy of only 16. She glanced at the 
clock on the wall and jumped up. 
	"Fuck!" She said, and hurried to grab her clothes, which were carelessly 
strewn around the floor. She started to dress, as Gary started to wake.
	Gary awoke to find Evelyn dressing in a hurry. For a moment, he was 
mesmorized by her form. He found his voice finally.
	"Whats wrong Evelyn?" He asked sleepily.
	"I'm gonna be late for work." she said, trying to zip her dress up. Gary 
got up, still splendidly naked, and zipped it up for her.
	 "I'll drive you, dont worry." he said.
	She nodded and sat down to put her shoes on. "The guys at the office will 
think I'm nuts if I show up dressed up like this." she said. Then she smiled. 
"oh well, they already think I'm nuts." 
	Gary smiled and kissed her. "I love you. More than you will ever know." he 
said, holding her hand.
	Evelyn smiled. "I love you too. Much, much, much more than you will ever 
know." 
	Gary kissed her harder and pushed her back on the couch. Evelyn kissed him 
back but pulled him up. 
	"I really have to get to work Gary." she said, licking her lips. 
	Gary nodded and put on some pants and his shirt. They both left the house 
and jumped into Gary's car, and they sped off.
	Gary drove her to her office. She kissed him goodbye and ran to the 
elevator. Her coworkers gave her funny looks and Misty winked at her. Evelyn 
blushed and sat down to read Misty's finished article. 
	"How was he?" Misty asked.
	"Shut up....Wow. This article is amazing. Misty you are a genious. It...it 
just might make me cry." Evelyn said.
	"So, what'd you do last night? I mean, before you guys..." Misty said.
	"Well..." Evelyn said, and retold to Misty the events of last night, and 
the fact that she and Gary love eachother. 
	Gary drove back home and the second he opened the door Ash was already in 
his face.
	"You lucky bastard." Ash said, pusshing him.
	"What?" Gary said, unable to stop himself from smiling.
	"Oh come on. I could hear you too 'getting it on' last night. Gross, I 
couldn't sleep all night, imagining a pretty girl like Evelyn with some ass like 
you touching her. Arghh." ASh said.
	Gary punched his arm and walked into the kitchen.
	"And the living room smells like sex." Ash said, wrinkling his nose.
	"Ash..." Gary said, still on cloud nine. "She loves me. She told me."
	"No way." Ash said. "Way to go!"
	"I know. Ash, I wanna marry this girl. Ash, I am the luckiest man alive." 
he said, grabbing some orange juice from the fridge. "But to make our lives 
together happy, I'm gonna have to get us our own place. I heard Evelyn likes 
lofts and apartments." 
	Ash and Gary continued to talk, and Ash couldn't help but feel a bit 
jealous that things weren't progressing for him with Misty.
	
	After reading Misty's article, Evelyn completley re-did he whole photo-op. 
She inserted different pictures, and retouched some thing. The end product was 
amazing. Now the only problem was getting the editor to approve it. 
	Using the combined flirting efforts of Misty and Evelyn, the editor 
finally let the article print in the magazine. Misty was hanging from the sun. 
She couldn't wait for the magazine to print, but was a bit scared as well.

	Evelyn waited outside the office building, two days before the new 
"Polaris" was gonna be on shelves nationwide. The breeze stirred her skirt, and 
she repressed a shiver. It was a cool night. She was waiting for Gary, who told 
her he had a surprise.
	The black convertible pulled up, with its top up, and Gary was inside. 
Evelyn got inside and kissed Gary slowly. She hadn't seen him since the morning 
he dropped her off. 
	Gary was enjoying this. He groaned. 
	"I have something to show you." he said, breathless. He started to drive. 
Evelyn couldn't recognize where they were. It seemed to be a very urban area in 
the city. He parked in front of a vintage looking apartment building thing on a 
quiet street. 
	"Where are we?" Evelyn asked.
	"My new home." he said, smiling. "C'mon." 
	She stepped out and followed him as he unlocked the door. She stepped 
inside and gasped.
	After they climbed to the upstairs, she was in a very lovley loft. It was 
perfect. Urban, with different levels here and there, with very modern furniture 
and lights.
	"Gary...Its...It's...great." she said.
	Gary walked around. "Really? do you like it?" 
	"I love it." Evelyn said.
	Gary smiled. "I'll show you around."
	They walked to the living, dining, and kitchen areas, and then climbed a 
few steps to a bathroom and bedroom. A few more steps led to a master suite with 
a bathroom. 
	"Gary, this room is huge!" Evelyn said. The bed was lined with red satin 
sheets and lots of pillows. She raised an eyebrow.
	"Evelyn..." Gary said, grabbing her hands and kissing her. "I would love 
it if you could stay here with me, on my first night." he said, and kissed her 
again. "And every night after that." 
	Evelyn stared into his brown eyes and nodded. "I love you Gary." She 
whispered. She kissed him again and pulled him down to the bed. He looked into 
her eyes before he plunged the room into darkness. "I love you too Evelyn." he 
whispered as he embraced her and undid the buttons on her shirt. 

	Today. Today the magazine was printed. Today the article on the new 
pokemon master was inside millions of Polaris's all over the world. All over the 
world, people were gasping as they read the artocle. All over the world, people 
were crying as they read the article. All over the world, people suddenly wanted 
one mutual person to succeed and find happiness. Not themselves. A certain Misty 
Waterflower.
	Ash had left the city for an important appearnce in Viridian City. He had 
yet to read the article. 
	Misty was walking. Walking towards a secluded area, towards a very private 
place. She hoped with all her heart that there would be someone there when she 
got there. She hoped she would see someone waiting there for her, someone, 
anyone. Someone special.
	Evelyn was at work when she read the last part of the article, something 
Misty had written at the last minuite. It was too late. Evelyn souldn't stop her 
now. She looked around at her coworkers, who either had tears in their eyes, 
were full of happiness, or confusion. Evelyn sat down and waited. Everyone did. 
There was nothing else they could do.
	Gary was at work at the lab when he read the article. After he read it, he 
stood speechless for a moment. Then something hit him like a stack of bricks and 
he ran to his boss, saying that there was an emergency. That he ws deperatley 
needed somewhere else. The boss read the article and understood. He let Gary 
leave and bade him good luck.
	Gary jumped in his car and headed for Viridian City. He kept glancing at 
his watch and drove as fast as he dared. 
	In half an hour, he got to the huge party where Ash was the guest of 
honor. He had tried calling Ash on his cell phone several times, but it didnt 
work. Gary had no way to get in.
	He spotted Ash as he was just about to step into the house where the party 
was held. So Gary, summoning all the power he had within him, all his strenght, 
with all his might, he screamed, "ASH!!!!! WAIT!!!!" 
	People to this day swear they heard him scream from Oklahoma. This may be 
true, because Ash spun around and spotted Gary in an instant.  Ash ran towards 
Gary as if the leaning tower of Pisa was about to fall on his head. If anything 
else, Ash was the most loyal person in the world. He would do anything for his 
friends, and they meant more to him then a bunch of rich guys anyway. And Ash 
could hear it in Gary's voice that this was very important.
	When Ash reached Gary, he was out of breath. "What's the matter? Gary, 
whats wrong?" 
	"Ash, you've got to read this." Gary said, shoving Misty's article at Ash. 
	"What? You scared the shit outta me, all for a stupid story?" Ash said.
	"ASH! Read it you lousy son of a bitch! If you dont, you'll ruin your 
life." Gary said.
	"What are you talking about?" Ash said.
	"JUST READ IT!" Gary screamed.
	Ash took the article and started to read it. His mouth hit the floor.

	THE NEW POKEMON MASTER: an article by Misty Waterflower. Pictures by 
Evelyn Song.

	Ash Ketchum. A young man of 21 years. A loyal friend. A stubborn trainer. 
A lover of Pokemon. The New Pokemon Master. 
	Ash Ketchum travelled around the world ever since he was 11. He learned 
how to master pokemon and how to become a better person. He recently defeated 
Jack Winters, the previous Pokemon Master, in a battle, and rightfully claimed 
his title. Some, however, accuse Ash of cheating. I can vouch for his honesty. 
In fact, I'll bet my soul that Ash DID NOT cheat. 
	I bet your asking yourself, how does she know? Who is she anyway? I know 
this because I was there with him as he travelled. I travelled with him for 6 
years, across the world and back again, through danger and success, through fear 
and hope. I was there, I knew him, and I still do.
	Ash is the most loyal person on this earth. For his pokemon, friends and 
family, he would sacrifice it all. He loves pokemon, not as pawns in a game, but 
as friends. Ash is so terribly honest it can get him into trouble. He cant lie 
to save his life. Sure, Ash can be stubborn, dense and a bit thick headed at 
times, but he has never been dishonest.
	Ash was my best friends. To this day I still consider him as that. But I 
wanted to be more than just his friend. I wanted him to love me as a man loves a 
woman. Because, as I travelled with him, I realized how much I loved him. I 
loved the way he walked, the way he talked, the way he cared for pokemon, the 
way he cared for his friends and family.
	I told him that I loved him one fateful day, but he denied me. He said I 
was like a sisiter to him. I left him after that, I couldnt bear the tension. I 
haven't heard from him in 4 years. This article brought us together again, I 
want it to help us stay together. 
	Ash, I just want you to know, that my feelings have not changed a bit. I 
love you every bit I loved you then. Maybe more. I now, it's crazy, but I cant 
help the way I feel. I love you. I want you. I...
	I'll be waiting. I'll wait for you the day this article goes public by the 
river where we first met. I hope you remember. Because my life changed that day, 
by that very spot. I met you. I'll wait for you until the sun goes down. After 
that, I'll realize you dont feel the same way about me. This is the last time 
I'll fight for your affections. If you aren't there by sunset, I'll leave. I'll 
leave for a new life somewhere else. I'll leave my past and start over. I can't 
wait forever for you Ash. I wish I could, but I can't. 
	Only come if you love me Ash. I'll understand if you dont. Do you remember 
all the good times we had? I miss them terribly. I wish we could have even 
better times now. Together.
	No matter what you do, Ash, remember that I will always love you. Always. 
But I wont always be there if you realize that you love me too. This is our last 
chance Ash. 
	This might be the last time you hear from me, so I'll say it again. I love 
you Ash. I love you. 
	
	Ash started to tremble. The pictures that followed the article were those 
of him and Misty as children, together, so carefree and happy. 
	"Gary. She loves me too! Still!" ASh said, ecstatic.
	"Then we'd better hurry up, lover boy, cause the sun sets in half an 
hour." Gary said.
	"Shit!" Ash said as they started to run for Gary's car. 
	"Where's the river she was talking about?" Gary asked, starting the 
engine. 
	"It's a ways off from here. I'll show you. Drive faster then you've ever 
drove before Gary. Please." ASh said. "If I dont make it in time, 
I...I...I'll... MY life will have no meaning." 
	Gary nodded and floored the pedals. The car zoomed off into the night. Ash 
felt like he was flying. Wheter it was into the stars or into hell, he could not 
tell. He kept his eyes fixed to the sky, which was already turning a brilliant 
orange.

	Misty was waiting by the river, backpack by her side, watching the sky as 
well. Wondering, hoping, wishing. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as the 
golden sun started to plunge into the horizon.

	Gary was driving as fast as he could, and Ash was directing him where to 
go. The forest they had to pass in order to get to the river had no clear paths, 
and the car ride was bumpy and dangerous. Ash didnt care. He'd run if he had to. 
The car started to skid, and Ash offered a silent prayer to the God he rarely 
called upon to get him there on time. That's all he needed. To tell Misty that 
he loved her too. With Misty by his side, his life would be complete. His heart 
was racing as the sun was beggining to disappear. 
	
	Misty watched as the sky slowly turned from a beautiful mix of magenta and 
orange to a dark and menacing dark blue. As she lost sight of the sun, she 
collapsed into a frenzy of sobs on the ground.

	Gary's car hit a huge branch and got a flat tire about a mile away from 
the river. 
	"FUCK!" ASh screamed, and jumped out the car. It was nearly dark. Gary 
watched as Ash ran towards deeper into the forest, a blurr now, running faster 
then a bullet flies through the air.
	"RUN ASH! RUN!" Gary screamed, as he bent down to fix the tire.
	
	Misty had collected her wits and gotten up. She realized she couldn't keep 
living life like this. She just had to accept it. That Ash didn't love her. And 
nothing she did could change that. She picked up her back pack and slowly 
started to walk away.

	Ash's lungs were on fire, and he couldn't feel his legs. You never know 
how fast you can run until you actually have to save your life. And Ash had to 
save his life. He had to save Misty from going away. He had to save Misty from 
breaking her heart.
	He finally caught sight of the river and started to run along side it. He 
finally saw her. Pale and ghostly by the moon light, Misty looked like a fallen 
angel. Ash could tell she had been crying.
	"MISTY!!!" Ash screamed, his lungs about to give out. 
	Misty spun around as Ash fell to his knees, exhausted. She ran towards 
him. 
	"Ash, are you okay?" she said, kneeling down beside him.
	"Misty, Misty...I love you. I always did, but I never realized it. I love 
you so much Mist. You're my  soulmate. You complete me. Oh Misty...I love you 
with all my heart and I'd give up being pokemon master in an instant for you." 
Ash said.
	Misty smiled, trully smiled, for the first time in four years. "Really? 
Ash...I love you too." she said.
	"I know." Ash said, and grabbed her face and kissed her with all the might 
he had within him. They fell onto the ground, both of them complete. 

	Ash and Misty got married 6 months afterwards, in June. It was a wonderful 
wedding, and it took place in a garden. There were hundreds of guests, even JAck 
Winters was there, because he finally realized that he was wrong.
	In December, Gary and Evelyn got married outside in the snow, Evelyn's 
dress matching the snow that covered the ground. Gary and Evelyn were so happy, 
as were Mr. and Mrs. Ash Ketchum, who looked on happily as they kissed for the 
first time as husband and wife.
	Misty and Evelyn recieved awards for their work on the new pokemon master.  
Gary got a promotion and Ash retained his title to his deathbed.
	Ash and Misty gave birth to a beautiful son 2 years later, whom they named 
Alcuin.  Gary and Evelyn gave birth to a breathtaking daughter 2 weeks after 
them, and named her Ella. 
	And they lived in Cerulean City for the rest of their lives, happily ever 
after. 
	

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