When we last left off, Ash was heading on his way to “Baliston Island” to compete in the “Baliston Melee.” Misty finally confessed her love to him, and Ash replied with a hug, and saying “Thank you…” Which left a heart broken and tormented Misty alone for the next two years while Ash was gone on Baliston.

Ash spent his time well there however, using all the skill and talent that Brock, Misty, and other friends had taught him. Because of this he was able to rank in the top three of the competitors on the island, worthy enough to go fight for a chance to take on the Elite Four.

He had been keeping in contact with his mother, and as well as Brock while he was gone, via the phone or email. But…he had not heard of anything about Misty while he was gone. He was worried about her, and upset for not saying what he truly wanted to say. But, now he would get to go home and spend time with his friends and family for a few weeks.

“Here I am at home.” he said with a smile, as he walked up to the front door. He didn’t call and warn his mother that he would be coming home, though she knew he was done with his competition. He knocked three times on the door, getting excited to see his mother.

The door began to open, and before he could see his mother standing there, he heard her ask “Misty…?” “Hi Mom!” “Ash!” she wrapped him up in a huge gut crunching hug. After the hug, his mother led him inside.

They sat at the kitchen table, where his mother asked about his adventure over on the island. Ash told her about his success, but how he wasn’t as successful as he would like to be. However, Ash wanted to know about his friend’s status at the moment.

“So…how are Brock…and…and Misty?” His mother looked at him, not a smile or a frown on her face.

“Well…Brock didn’t stay here long, he went back to Pewter City after a few weeks. I believe he has met a girl, that could be the one, for real this time. And he works at a breeding center.” Delia told her son.
“And, what about Misty?” His mother looked down at the table sadly, and then back up at Ash.

“She only stayed here for a day after you left. I remember she cried a lot when getting back here, after you had gone. She packed up her stuff, and said she was going home.”

Ash couldn’t believe it, she was that mad at him. “Have you heard from her since?” Ash asked his mother, hoping she would say ‘yes.’

Delia grew sadder as she starred into her son’s eyes. “No…I’ve contacted her sisters, but they promised Misty they wouldn’t let me know where she was. That was about a year and a half ago. I’ve tried to reach them afterwards, but they blocked our number. Sorry Sweetie.”

Ash let a tear fall from his eyes, but he quickly wiped it away. “So…where’s Pikachu?” she asked him, changing the subject.

“I dropped Pikachu off at Professor Oak’s lab.” he said looking down. “Oh…” Delia too looked down.

After more silence ensued the quick conversation topic, Delia decided to bring up something else. “Ash…why was Misty so upset? I know it wasn’t just because you were leaving.”

Ash looked away, afraid to tell her the reason. “Well…Misty told me she loved me…” he started. “And…” his mother continued.

“She told me she loved me…and I said…I said ‘thank you…” Delia couldn’t believe what she heard.

“You told the girl that has been in love with you for all these years, ‘thank you’!” she screamed at him. It obviously wasn’t making him feel any better about it, as tears flowed down his cheeks. “How could you do that?! She is in love with you, and you say that to her, and just leave!” Delia shouted angrily at him.

“Sorry Mom, I just-” his mom cut him off

“You just what?! You just said that, and thought it meant the same thing?!”

“No, it’s just-” he was cut off once again

“Go to your room!” Ash looked up from the table, and glared at his mother. Then he stood up and started to storm off to his room. “You cant send me to my room because I don’t love someone!…”

Delia put down her arm, which was pointing to his room. “He doesn’t love her…?”

Ash laid on the floor of his bed room, thinking about everything that had happened two years ago. “Why did I have to be such an idiot?!” he asked himself, getting up, and throwing his old poke‘ball clock against the wall, breaking it once again.

“Ash…?” he heard his mother call threw the door. She slowly opened it, to see Ash, lying on his stomach in bed.

“Go away.” Ash said into his pillow.

“Honey? I want to talk about this…” she said, as she moved to the bed, sat down, and began to rub his back.

Ash had always felt like he was in Heaven when his mother rubbed his back. He felt that everything was better, it seemed to make everything better. She would always hold him close, and rub his back after his father would treat them so horribly.

“Mom…?” Ash broke the long silence.

“Yes Ash?” Ash rolled over on his back, and then sat up next to his mom.

“I do love Misty…”

Delia smiled, for she knew he loved her. “I knew it…but why did you say you didn’t?”

“I don’t know…I guess my excuse is that I’m stupid, the same reason why I told Misty what I told her.”

His mom smiled at him, and said “You know Ash, I don’t think it’s because you’re stupid…it’s because you panicked, and you didn’t know what to do.”

“You think so?” Ash asked.

“Of course…but now you need to go find Misty, and tell her how you feel. You’re Ash and Misty, you two are suppose to be together. No A-A-M-L if you don’t.” his mother explained.

Ash looked at his mom, quizzically. “A-A-M-L?” he asked, raising an eye brow.
“Oh, it’s just something I made up along time ago. It means ‘Ash and Misty love.’” she explained, making Ash turn his head, blushing.

“MOM!” he yelled at her, while his head was turned, still blushing.

“Sorry Honey.” she apologized, and gave him a big hug. “There’s also ‘Ash and Misty forever.’” she continued. Ash coughed loudly after she said that.

After the two parted from their hug, Ash put on his trademark serious face, and turned his hat backwards. “Well, I’m gonna go find her!” he stood up, confident.

“Yes you are!” his mom encouraged him, also standing with him.

The next morning, Ash packed up for his hopeful quest in finding Misty. He decided he would go talk to Brock first, who was in Pewter City.

It took him three weeks to get to Pewter, and once there, he headed for the gym. He knocked on the gym entrance, where…not Brock, but someone that looked similar to him answered. “Can I help you? Are you here for a battle?” the person asked.

“Uh, no, I was actually looking for Brock, do you know who he is?” Ash asked.

“Yeah, I’m ONE of his brothers. And how do you know him?” ONE of Brock’s brothers asked him.

“I’m one of his best friends. The name is Ash.” he proudly said.

“Ash? Yeah, he’s talked a lot about you…I guess I can tell you where he is.” the brother responded.

“Thank you so much!” Ash put his hands together as if he were praying. “He’s down at the breeding center on Stone Street.” Ash got the directions, and headed down there.

He found his way there, and opened the door to the breeding center, called “B-J’s Poke’mon Breeding Center.”

“Hello? Can I help you?” a brunette woman with the perfect body asked when he walked up to the counter.

“Yeah, I’m looking for a guy named Brock Slate. Do you know who he is?” Ash asked her.

“Do I?! I definitely know him!…uh, I mean…Brock! There’s a guy here for you!” she called out for Brock.

Brock walked in from a door behind the counter, the woman gave Brock a kiss on the cheek, and disappeared into the room. Brock saw Ash standing there, and Brock was surprised out of his green vest. “Ash?! What are you doing here?!” he walked over from behind the counter, and gave his friend a big hug.

“I just came by to see how you were doing.” Ash explained after the hug subsided.

“How’d you know where to find me?” Brock asked.

“Your brother, over at the gym told me.” Ash responded while using his thumb to point behind him.

“Oh, he’s the new gym leader now, I have a job running this breeding center.” Brock explained.

“What’s the “B-J’s” stand for?” Ash asked, remembering the sign.

“Oh, that stands for ‘Brock and Jeanie’s.’ Jeanie is my co-worker…as well as my girlfriend!” he said the last part louder and prouder.

“That’s cool, you finally got a girlfriend. And I‘m assuming that woman that gave you a kiss on the cheek is Jeanie? How‘d you bag a girl like that?” Ash asked, surprised.

“Yeah, without Misty around, no one was there to yank my ear.” Brock said, and laughed while feeling his still numb ear.

“Speaking of Misty…that’s one of the reasons I came by.” Ash started.

“Oh yeah?” “Can we talk about this later, in a more private place?” Ash asked.

“Sure, after my shift, we’ll go out to dinner and catch up.” Brock told him. Ash nodded.

After Brock’s shift, they headed over to “StoneCutter’s”, a restaurant. After the two got their food, they began talking. “So what about Misty, Ash?” Brock asked, sticking a fork with steak on it into his mouth.

“Well, I was wondering if you could help me find her. I have no idea where she is, and I need to find her to tell her something.” Ash explained, and then copied Brock’s fork motion, only the steak fell off his fork when he tried it. “Crap.”

“Well…to be honest Ash…she has sent me letters, letting me know how things have been going. And her address is right there on the envelope. Though, I think she told me not to let you know where she is. You must have done something pretty bad to piss her off this much.” Brock assumed.

Ash looked down at his empty plate, sad at the visions two years ago continuously popping into his head. “Well, she told me that she loved me…and I told her thank you…” Ash admitted, sadly.

“You are an idiot Ash. Not only is that girl special in every way with a dynamite personality and a dynamite body, but she loves you truly and you love her truly.” Brock said, starring directly at him, not a nice stare though

. Ash looked up from his plate, and into Brock’s angry eyes. “I know. But, I have to find her, and apologize, and tell her how I really feel.” Ash got a little dramatic in his words.

Brock just nodded, wanting his friend to succeed. “Long live A-A-M-L!” he said, knocking on the table with his fork.

“Not you too Brock.” Ash said making a disgusted face.

“Yep, your mom and I have talked about that.” Brock smiled, at seeing Ash’s embarrassed expression. “I came up with the abbreviations.” he said proudly.

“So…if I see her address on accident…it doesn’t count on you telling me does it?” Ash asked, growing a little bit of a smile.

“Uh…I guess not, but why do you…oh, ok, yeah, I guess that wouldn’t count. How about we go to my house, and you can search through my garbage for a Gary Oak signed poke’ball that ACCIDENTIALLY fell in there, and you might ACIDENTIALLY find Misty’s letters in there, and see her address.” Brock suggested, making Ash laugh.

So they went to Brock’s house, and Ash went searching through Brock’s garbage. “Uh Ash…that’s the wrong garbage can.” Brock told him, while holding the correct garbage can up above his head. “I should be careful about that.” he said, lowering it to chest level.

Ash scooted over to it, and quickly found the letters, and got her address down. “She’s living on Trovita Island. That sounds familiar.” Ash read from the letter.

“Isn’t that one of the Orange Islands?” Brock asked, sitting on the couch while watching Jay Leno on NBC.

“I think so.” Ash replied. Brock let Ash spend the night, so Ash would be full rested to go find Misty the next day.

Brock woke Ash up at 6:22 a.m. the next morning. “Why so early Brock?” Ash asked, in a tired voice, while rubbing his eyes, and yawning.

“Because, I got you a boat ticket, that leaves for Trovita Island at 7.” Brock explained, showing him the ticket. Ash took it from him, a little bit ‘out of it‘, and asked “Could I get some coffee?”

After Brock made Ash some coffee, Brock decided to help Ash with how he should present himself to her. “You wanna make sure you have some flowers in hand, her favorites.”

“So I should buy some lily’s? Lily‘s are nice, they sure sure are. Yeah baby.” Ash said, full of energy caused by the immense amount of coffee he drank from being nervous.

“Yes! And I’m gonna let you figure out what to say to her. Since you got yourself into this mess, you have to get yourself out of it.” Brock told him, poking him in the chest. “Stop it Brock! I get it!” Ash yelled, smacking Brock’s hand away.

Jeanie went out and bought Ash some lily’s to give for Misty, and he headed for the docks. Brock and Jeanie drove him there, and waited for him to get on the boat. “Well, here we go…” Ash said, and got out of the car. “Thanks guys, for everything.” Brock then got out of the driver’s seat, and walked up to Ash.

“Ash…I love you.” Brock said, seeing Ash with a confused expression on his face. “You see Ash, now that would have been better to do than to say “thank you.” Brock teased him.

Ash didn’t think it was funny, as that had ripped a hole in his friendship with Misty.

Ash boarded the boat, and it headed out. Soon after, Pikachu’s head popped out of his back pack. “There you are buddy! You’ve been in there for awhile.” Ash said, petting his head. “Pikachu!” Pikachu cried happily. “Don’t worry “Peek”, I’ll win back Misty, I know I will…” Ash petted his head again.

“Don’t forget to change your underwear, Ash!” Jeanie shouted. She and Brock began laughing. “Damn Brock, he’s telling people about my personal life.” Ash covered his face in embarrassment.

Around six to seven hours later, the boat had arrived at Trovita Island. He followed the directions to Misty’s location from the letters she sent Brock, and was now in the drive way of her house. Ash gulped, getting more and more nervous with each step he took towards the door. The sound of each step seemed to grow louder as he neared. But, maybe that’s because noise becomes heightened when your scared.

Ash pulled out the lily’s from his pack, and looked to Pikachu on his shoulder. “This is it buddy.” “Pika.”

He walked up onto the patio and knocked three times on the door, each softly, but they sounded to him like a wrecking ball banging against bubble wrap. He heard the loud thudding foot steps coming towards the door. He felt like running…but he wouldn’t cower like when he didn’t tell Misty how he really felt, he would stay, even if he knew he might faint when she opened the door.

The door knob began to turn, and the door started to slowly open. ‘Please God…for me…let her forgive me…’ Ash prayed to God in his mind. Then, the door fully opened…but it was not Misty that stood there…it was…

“Rudy?” Ash asked…

(To Be Continued…)