Ash lied on his back in his bed, crying. He used his shirt to wipe his face clean of tears and looked to the door of his room, directly in front of the end of his bed.. It was wide open. It lead out to an empty and quiet hall way.

He sat himself up and leaned his back against the wall. Then he turned his attention to the nightstand beside the bed. There was a clock radio with the time 3:15pm, and a small picture frame with a photo inside, sitting on top of a black spiral note book. The photo showed Misty and himself. He had his right arm around her shoulders. The two appeared to be laughing.

He put his hands to his face and more tears strayed from his eyes.

Ash wiped more tears from his eyes and looked back to the door way. This time it wasn’t empty. His best friend stood there. It was Misty, and she looked very concerned. Ash smiled, and another tear ran down his cheek.

“Ash?” she walked into the room. Ash wiped his eyes again and covered his face with a pillow. “What happened? Your mom told me something awful occurred.” she asked him, growing more concerned.

Ash put the pillow down and saw his friend sitting at the end of the bed. “Someone died.” he wiped some more tears away.

“Oh…” she looked down at her lap to show compassion.

“A close friend of mine died. A childhood friend.” he told her.

“I’m sorry.” she kept her focus on her lap, still looking concerned.

“What took you so long.” Ash asked her, upset.

“Huh?”

“You were supposed to be here along time ago.” he said angrily.

“I had car trouble.” she told him.

“Yeah right.” Ash shook his head, he was very upset at her.

“I did. What do you think? I stopped somewhere to chat with other people? I didn’t feel like coming earlier? You’re my best friend and I wanted to come see you. It’s been awhile since we’ve been together.” she said, trying to convince him.

“Whatever.” he crossed his arms, disgusted.

“Your just emotional because of what happened. Your not really mad at me.” she said, looking at him, but he had his head turned towards the wall.

Ash couldn’t help it. He started to sob again, putting his hands to his face for cover. Misty felt his pain and took his head and placed him into her body. His face was buried in her chest.

“Why did she have to die, Misty? Why?” he cried into her shirt.

“I don’t know how to answer you, Ash. There is not answer.” Misty felt a tear stream down her face.

“It’s not fair. She was a good person.” he separated from her. And there was a long silence that followed.

“Im guessing she recently passed?” Misty finally spoke.

“Yeah…her funeral is tomorrow.” he said. Misty rubbed his back for comfort. “It’s not completely planned out though. It’s been so hard to deal with it that basically no planning has been done. I need something to wear. We need a song to play. Stuff like that.”

“I’m going to need something to wear if I’m going.” she told him.

“Thanks, Mist.” the two hugged and lied down on the bed in each other’s arms.

Ash’s clock radio now reads 4 pm. He and Misty were asleep. Brock stood at the doorway, looking depressed. He knocked on the open door. “Hey. Wake up.”

“Huh?” Ash opened his eyes and yawned. “What?” he said, dazed.

“We have to go get some dress clothes.” Brock reminded him.

Misty was now awake too. “I don’t want to.” Ash closed his eyes.

“I know this isn’t easy for you, Ash. It’s not easy for me either. But we have to look nice.”

Ash forced himself to sit up. Misty joined him and sat next to him. “What difference does it make?”

“Come on, Ash.” Brock and Misty said in unison. Brock sat down beside Ash as well.

“It’ll be ok. Eventually you’ll have to move on.”

“But-” Ash wanted to argue but Misty interrupted him

“Go Ash. Do it for me, at least.”

“Ok. Let’s go.” Ash sighed and got up.

“The girls are already to go.” Brock told him.

“I better get out there then.” Misty said and followed Ash to the exit of his bedroom.

“Hey could you ask May to get some spaghetti sauce since your going to the supermarket. The good sauce though. I’d ask, but I need the bathroom.” Brock asked.

“Sure.” Misty nodded, and Brock ran past the two and into the bathroom.

Ash and Misty went downstairs. May stood near the front door, while Delia stood in the kitchen. Misty walked over by May and joined her by the door. “Go get in the car. I need to get something and I’ll be right out.” Delia told them as she walked around in the kitchen.

“Ok.” May and Misty said in unison.

“Bye, Mist.” Ash waved to her.

“Bye, Ash.” she waved back.

“I’ll miss you.”

“Me too.” Misty blew him a kiss and disappeared out the door with May.

“Hey, Ash.” his mom walked up to him, he was still standing by the stairs. “Wasn’t this Misty’s?” she held out a necklace with a blue and green bead pattern.

“Yeah. She lost it.”

“Oh. Well now she can wear it again.”

“Could I give it to her?” Ash asked his mother.

“Well…ok. don’t lose it.”

“I wont.” he took the necklace from his mom and shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he closed his eyes for a few seconds, before re-opening them and walking outside. “Misty. Look what I got.” Ash said, running up to the car.

“Oh my god! You found it. Thank you!” Ash handed it to her through the door window. Then she reached out and hugged him.

“No problem.”

“Where was it?”

“It was…” Ash closed his eyes…we’re back inside the house. In the living room. As we circle the room we see what lies inside.

There was a fireplace to the left of the entertainment center. Several photos of Ash and his mother and their friends hung on the wall above. There was a couch in the center, with a recliner on both sides.

Ash re-opened his eyes. “It was in one of the recliners.” he finally answered Misty’s question. He took a second to look at the car, sadness filled his eyes. Then he backed up, turned around, and ran back inside. He stuffed his hands back into his pant pockets.

His mom rushed past him and out the door. “Bye, sweetie. Love you. See you later.” she said as she got into her vehicle.

Brock finally emerged from the stairs and walked towards the door. “Are you ready?” he asked. A tear drip ran down Ash’s cheek.

Later that day, Ash sat on the couch in his home living room, following his trip with Brock to get some funeral wear. His eyes were fixated on the television set. Some home movies were playing.

Home movies which contained him and his friends. The center of the mixed video he was watching was Misty. Clips that constantly had her in them. Showing her smile, yell, and do nothing in particular. She was just the center of it all.

The clips brought a smile to Ash’s lips. He closes his eyes for a few seconds before re-opening them. His eyes filled with sadness, and became misty. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. A picture of Misty was set as his phone’s background.

The silence surrounding him was interrupted as his phone rang. He instantly answered it. “Misty?” he asked.

“This is her.”

Ash’s sadness disappeared. He was immediately cheered up to the sound of her voice. “What’s going on?”

“We’re still shopping. We’re getting food at the supermarket right now.”

“Speaking of food. Brock is gonna make meatball subs tonight.”

“Really?”

Brock suddenly emerged from the kitchen. “I’m not making that, Ash.” he said.

“Yes you are.” Ash argued.

“Maybe you imagined I said that. But that’s not what we’re eating.”

“Hold on.” Ash told Misty, and put the phone down on his lap. “We’re eating meatball subs. You said you would.”

“No. I never…” Brock became silent. It lasted about five seconds before he picked back up “All right. I’ll do it. Subs it is.”

“Good.”

Brock nodded and left the room, going back into the kitchen.

“Anyways, where were we?” Ash asked, after picking the phone back up to resume his conversation with Misty.

“We were talking about…food, I think.” Misty reminded him.

“Oh right. So what are you…” Ash was cut off by the sound of a door being shut outside. “I have to go. Bye.” he closed his phone and put it back into his pocket.

The door to the house opened and Delia and May walked in, carrying groceries. They took the bags into the kitchen while Misty walked in grocery free and joined Ash on the couch. Brock then walked out the door, and returned a few seconds later with the rest of the groceries and carried them into the kitchen.

“Did you get everything you need?” Brock asked the women, as he placed the bags down on the counter.

“Yep.” May nodded, while helping to place the products in their proper places.

“So everyone’s up for meatball subs?” Brock asked, getting out the cooking supplies.

“Sure.” Delia smiled, and got out the ingredients.

Back on the couch, both Ash and Misty were silent. The only sounds in the room came from the ticking of the wall clock, and the soft snoring of a sleeping pikachu on the rug.

“Thanks again for finding my necklace.” Misty broke the silence.

Ash smiled at her, she smiled back, and silence followed for a few minutes. Nothing but still sitting, and awkwardness. Misty was the one to end it. “So what have you been up to while I’ve been gone?”

“While you were shopping or when you were in Cerulean?” Ash asked her, while keeping his eyes on the turned off television.

“Cerulean.” she replied quickly.

Ash sighed. “Not much. It’s boring when there’s no one to hang out with. My mom has to work overtime. And she’s always at Professor Oak’s house, because he’s sick. I’m here by myself all day with nothing to do. That was all true up until my friend died and everyone started making time to be with me. My mom cut back on her job and Brock came to visit…and now you’re here. But if my friend dying is what it takes to bring everyone together, I wish it was back to the old and boring way it was.” he let go his feelings on what he had been through. Being alone and then even more alone when his friend died despite the face he was surrounded by so many people trying to help him. Now he broke in front of Misty, and tears leaked from his eyes.

“Please don’t cry, Ash. Seeing you like this is bringing me down. I came here expecting to see the happy Ash I used to know.”

“All I know is, things are a lot better now that you’re here.” he said, and turned to her with watery eyes.

She smiled at him and he reciprocated. Then she took his hand in hers and he squeezed back tightly.

“Hey, Ash.” Delia walked into the room and in front of the TV. “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but you have to choose a song for the funeral.”

“I don’t want to.” he crossed his arms and looked down at his lap. He was trying to think himself out of the situation and imagine him somewhere else and at a better time in his life.

“Don’t say that. This is your choice. Everyone has to know what you feel about her.”

“No.” he shook his head, while still looking down at his lap.

His mother sighed and spoke with her eyes closed “I have to know now.” and that led to a brief period of silence.

“How about ‘Good Riddance,’ Ash. It’s by Green Day.” Misty suggested.

“All right. How bout it, Mom. ‘Good Riddance’ by Green Day.” a smile crept on to Ash’s face. His mom smiled too.

“I have the CD, Mrs. Ketchum.” Misty told her.

“I’ll get on it.” and with that Delia walked out of the room and back into the kitchen.

“Thanks for your help, Mist.”

“I just threw something out. Not sure exactly how you feel about your friend. But I’m guessing you feel pretty strongly about her.”

“I do.” Ash nodded. “I feel really strongly for her. Or felt really strongly for her.” he sighed. “But I don’t want to get into it.”

“What do you mean? get in to it?” Misty was curious now.

“I never got to tell her how much she meant to me.” he stopped as he tried to fight back the tears that were welling up. “It’s gonna haunt me the rest of my life.”

“Even if you had come to terms with her you’d still be regretting everything.” Misty tried to re-assure him the best she could.

“But I had so-so much to tell her. More than most people do when someone this close passes away.”

“I had no idea.” Misty frowned and rubbed her left eye.

“I think I was in love with her. And I feel to bad for not telling her.”

Misty got off the couch and stood between Ash and the coffee table. “Come with me. There’s something you need to see.” she took his hand and pulled him up. She walked to around the couch and up the stairs, with Ash following close behind.

The two walked down the hall and into Ash’s room. They transferred their sitting arrangement from the couch to Ash’s bed. “See my diary?” Misty asked.

Ash looked at his nightstand. Then he got up and took the photo of Misty and himself off and put it aside. Then he moved his black notebook aside to reveal Misty’s blue diary.

“I want you to flip through it.”

“But Misty, I don’t want to invade your privacy.” Ash turned to her with big, wide, scared eyes.

“Oh but in the past when you’ve noticed my door was open and I was changing clothes you weren’t concerned about invading.” Misty smirked at him.

“That’s different.” Ash blushed, and put a hand behind his head.

“Look. I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Either you read or don’t read while I’m gone.” she got up off the bed and walked out of the room.

It didn’t take long for Ash to grab her diary and sit down on the bed and examine it. “Misty’s Diary: Edition 10.” he read the title on the cover. He opened it up and started skimming.

He wasn’t finding anything interesting, all pretty basic and normal things. Then he came to the first interesting part in the book. “It’s getting harder and harder to sleep, knowing that I don’t know exactly what is happening with Ash. I don’t know if he’s all right or anything. This is killing me. I lay awake thinking about him, about us. I hope this doesn’t have to continue that much longer. It’s too much.”

“Huh? Get out of here.” Ash couldn’t believe what he was reading. He had no idea that Misty felt this strongly about him. “Maybe there’s a catch.” he thought and continued reading.

“Today I got asked out by a pretty cute and nice guy. But all I could think about is how I would be disrespecting Ash, even though we’re not a couple and I don’t even know how he feels about me. I have built up an imaginary relationship with him in my head and it has taken over me. Maybe the cure is to actually move on and take the date, but when your in love with someone, that’s an impossible thing to do.”

‘If Ash were ever to propose to me, it would be perfect to dance to ‘Wonderful Tonight’ by Eric Clapton on the night of our engagement.’

Ash’s stomach was filled with butterfrees, and he was sweating profusely. “Where’s the catch?” he asked, and continued on.

Then he came to something that made him feel upset and sad. It was an entry that depicted the last time the two saw each other.

‘Today Ash is coming to Cerulean City to hang out with me. If there’s a hint that Ash might like me more than a friend, it’s probably the fact that he’s coming to see me and nobody else with nobody else. Hopefully everything goes well…’

‘Ash hasn’t been himself so far during his stay here. He’s been much more quiet than usual and is kind of acting like a jerk. I know that he just lost a major Poke’mon battle, but that’s no reason to act the way he is.’

A tear fell from Ash’s eye and on to the page he was reading. He didn’t want to read anymore, but he felt maybe he should.

‘It’s over. The worst thing ever in my friendship with Ash just happened tonight. Something that I will regret for the rest of my life. I always stress about other people reading my private thoughts. But tonight, I violated my own law…’

(flashback- 7 months earlier)

Misty sat in a chair in her empty living room. Ash was taking a shower and she had nothing to do. “I’m bored out of my mind. This is not what I expected.” she said to herself, and got up off the chair. She walked around the room, as she boiled with boredom.

Then her foot kicked a green back pack on the floor and a blue notebook fell out. She kneeled down to place it back inside the back when she realized that ‘Journal’ was written on the cover, along with a drawing of a pikachu.

Her curiosity spread through her mind. “Should I?” she asked her self. She closed her eyes and opened it up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the page. “There can’t be anything too bad in here. And besides, if I read this I’ll know what he thinks of me. He’s never gonna say anything anyways, he’s too damn stubborn and shy…as am I” she thought.

She flipped through it, but wasn’t finding anything juicy at all. Most of it had to do with his pokemon battles. “Pokemon, pokemon…pokemon.” she said the topics of his entries with not much enthusiasm, and a dull expression.

Then came the entry she was looking for. ‘I don’t know why, but all I could think about today was Misty. I haven’t thought about her like this in quite some time. After trying to erase her from my mind to a certain extent, my mind has been burned once again by her memory. My heart aches for her, and I must have her now. If I could I would end this journey to go be with her. I never thought a girl could have such effect on me. I think it’s safe to say that I am in love with her. If only she felt the same way.’

“Oh my god…really?” she was in disbelief about what she had just read.

“What the hell?!” Ash stood in the hall, his hair damp from his shower. He stood there starring at Misty, with his journal in her hands.

“I didn’t, I mean I-I-I-I don’t know-” she stuttered, trying to find the words to say

“How could you do that, Misty?! You read my journal. My private journal. Your always so serious and uptight about your diary, even if no one is near it. And then you go and do this.” Ash glared at her. He wasn’t really angry at her though, he was still thinking about the pokemon battle he lost.

Misty felt tears coming on as her heart was cracking, ready to fall apart. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.”

“You can’t apologize for something like that. Apologies are for accidents. You can’t accidentally read pages in a notebook.” Ash was being meaner than he wanted. But he couldn’t control his emotion.

Misty sat there on the floor, ready to bawl. She wasn’t sure what to do.

“I thought you were my friend.” he walked over and picked up his backpack and then passed her to the door and out the house.

(Flashback ended)

Ash felt worse than he ever had in his life after reading that entry. It tore him. It destroyed him inside.

“Ash?” his mom appeared at the door way.

He was startled and threw Misty’s diary on to the nightstand. It landed in an open position, open to the last page of the notebook.

“Can I come in?” his mom asked.

“Sure.”

She walked and took a seat beside her son on the bed. “My how you’ve grown.” she said as she admired him. Then she put her head on his shoulder. “Are you thinking about her?”

“All the time. And I’m seeing her everywhere too.” he said and wiped his eye.

Misty was about to walk into the room, when she noticed Delia there, and retreated back into the hall. She put her back against the wall to the hallway and listened in.

“It’s natural to see someone you lost everywhere, because the mind doesn’t want you to forget them.” Delia replied.

“I miss her so much. I’ve never felt pain like this before.”

Delia removed her head from her son’s shoulder and placed a hand on his back. “I felt the same way when your father died.”

“How did you get over it?” Ash turned to look at her.

“I didn’t. you will never get over this. But you do have to try and move on. Eventually your pain will ease and your sorrow will decline.” she used her other hand to wipe a tear trail off of Ash’s cheek.

Misty remained in the hall, shedding tears herself. Pikachu ran through the hall and into the bedroom, and into Ash’s arms. Ash pet his pokemon and then hugged him tightly.

“We’re all here for you.” Delia got off the bed and pushed her son’s chin up and pet Pikachu before exiting into the hall.

Misty walked in after her exit and took her turn next to Ash and gave him a hug.

Eventually everyone sat down to eat dinner. A depressing dinner for everyone. When it was over, Ash and Misty were the only ones that remained at the table, sitting with empty plates. “She was a pretty girl with an exciting personality.” Ash explained and smiled. “She was full of life and always had something to say.”

“She sounds just like me.” Misty said and laughed at her own self compliment.

“Yeah. She was like you in a lot of ways.” Ash nodded in agreement.

“How come I never met her before?” Misty asked.

“Oh…um, she moved to a different city when I was ten.”

“Where did she move?”

“Well, your gonna make a big deal out of this if I tell you, but…she moved to Cerulean City.”

“Really? She had good taste.” Misty’s line followed with the two laughing. “Hopefully I can help you get through this.”

The two were joined by May, who walked into the room and started cleaning up the table. “Let’s go somewhere quiet.” Misty whispered to him and the two got up and went up the stairs.

About ten minutes later, the two lied on Ash’s bed beside each other on their backs, looking up at the ceiling. “You read my diary right?” Misty asked, while turning on her side to face him.

“Oh…yeah. Sorry.” Ash quickly glanced at her and looked back up.

“Don’t be. So you know how I know how you feel about me?” Misty asked, a smile formed on her lips.

“Uh…yeah.” Ash responded after thinking about the question.

“And you know how I feel about you?”

Ash grew nervous “Yeah”

“Perfect.” a slight giggle escaped her throat. Then she slowly crawled on top of him and brought her lips to his. Ash kissed back and she kissed back with more intensity, and so the pattern continued.

Ash was forced to remove his shirt due to the warmth and intensity being created. The two continued making out, and it became very passionate.

The passion was interrupted however when Brock walked into the room “Hey what are you…?” he froze as he saw the scene on the bed. He starred for a few seconds before speaking again. “OH…sorry.” he backed up and left.

Ash held a pillow in his arms that he forced to the mattress and punched with anger.

“What’s wrong?” Misty was fearful of his sudden angered emotion.

“I can’t get her out of my head.” he punched his pillow again.

“Calm down.” she put a hand on his shoulder for reassurance.

“No!” he moved away from her and got off the bed. He stood there, the two eye to eye. Ash full of anger and Misty full of remorse.

“Everybody hurts…everybody cries.” Misty began to sing ‘Everybody Hurts’ by REM.

Ash’s anger disappeared quickly as the beauty of her voice comforted him.

“If you feel like letting go, hold on. If you think you’ve had to much of this life, well hold on.”

Ash was entranced by her. And it relaxed him. He got back on the bed and sat with her, and sang with her.

“Everybody cries, everybody hurts…sometimes.” the two continued to sing until they felt weary and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The following morning Ash was in the bathroom, starring at his reflection in the mirror. He was in a black dress suit. He looked down from the mirror at the photo he had of Misty and himself from his nightstand. After a few minutes he slipped it into his pant pocket.

“Are you ready?” Brock poked his head into the bathroom.

Ash glanced at himself in the mirror one more time. “Yeah.”

The two walked down the stairs, where May and his mom stood waiting. “We’re already, Mrs. Ketchum.” Brock said, with his hands on Ash’s shoulders.

“Then lets go.” she said and they walked out the door. Misty was on the right side of the car in the back seat.

Ash got into the back and sat in the middle while May sat next to him behind the driver’s seat. Brock hopped into the front passenger’s side while Delia was at the wheel. She started the vehicle up and drove away from the house.

The ride was silent. Not a word was spoken. Everyone sat still. Ash had the biggest frown in the car, his eyes fixated downwards, as it had been for the past week.

May noticed his depression and scooted closer to him. She took his hand and held it, and then lied her head on his left shoulder. Misty realized this, and reciprocated. She took Ash’s right hand and lied her head on his right shoulder.

The car later arrived at the cemetery. Everyone got out and walked to the spot where Ash’s friend would be buried. But Ash stood there by the car, looking at the graves ahead. Misty stood there with him.

“You’re gonna make it through this. Just know I’ll be watching over you.” Misty reassured him.

“I guess I should start being a comedian and use humor to deal with this.” Ash smiled, as a tear rolled down his cheek. “How many people does it take to fill up a coffin?”

“I don’t know, Ash.” Misty couldn’t help but shed a few tears as well.

“One, because that’s all that will fit.” Ash chuckled.

“Ash. What are you doing? It’s starting.” Brock was now beside him.

Ash turned to his friend, smiling. “I’m just joking around with Misty.”

“What?” Brock gave his younger friend a complex look. “Where do you think you are?”

Ash remained smiling and then turned around to his other side. Misty was no longer there…and his smile dissolved, and changed into a frown. Brock placed his arm around Ash’s back and led him to the grave site.

Ash was now seated with a bunch of people that he knew in the cemetery. He sat next to his mother, and Brock on the other side. Tracy, May, Max, Gary, Professor Oak, the Daisy, Lilly, Violet and many others were there, grieving the loss of Ash’s friend.

Tears leaked from his eyes as Brock, Pikachu, and his mom all had their hands on his shoulders.

Straight ahead in everyone’s direction was the grave stone of ‘Misty Waterflower:1985-2007’

A pastor was speaking, but all Ash could hear was the song, ‘Good Riddance’ in his mind.

So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good heath and good time
Tattoos and memories and dead skin on trial

(Flashbacks)

“Something awful occurred.” Misty said. “I had car trouble.”

Ash sits at a desk in his room, writing in his journal. ‘Misty’s dead. She was killed in a car accident on the way to come see me here in Pallet Town. Nothing will ever be the same again.’

Delia sat next to Ash on the bed in his bedroom. “Are you thinking about her?”

“All the time. And I’m seeing her everywhere too.” Ash replied.

He sits on the couch in the living room watching home movies all centering around Misty, showing her smile, yell, and do nothing in particular. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, a picture of Misty was set as his phone’s background.

Then he imagined it ringing and Misty being on the other end as he answered it “Misty?”

Ash and Misty made out on the bed, when their passion was interrupted by Brock walking into the room. “Hey what are you…?” he froze and starred for a few seconds. He looked at the photo of Ash and Misty to the left of the bed on the nightstand, and then to Ash on the bed. He was shirtless and hugging a pillow. Then he left.

Ash throws his pillow against the bed and punches it a couple of times in anger.

After Misty’s casket was in the ground, Ash was the only one that remained at the cemetery, standing in front of her grave. He got down on his knees and reached into his front pockets. First he pulled out the necklace that his mom found the other day. Then he pulled out the photograph of him and Misty. He scooted forward and placed the objects in front of the tomb.

(Flashbacks)

Ash lies on his bed, crying into his pillow. A knock was at the door. “Go away.” Ash said into his pillow.

“It’s your mom. I have something for you.”

“I don’t care.” he turned around on his back.

“It’s kind of important.” she said, and opened the door without his permission. She walked in with a blue notebook in her hands. “Misty’s sisters sent this to you.” she said and placed it on his night stand, and then left.

After awhile he finally picked it up and sat it on his lap. He turned to the last page. He noticed that there was writing on the inside of the back cover. He read it.

‘If something were every to happen to me I would want Ash to be the one to read my thoughts. I read yours and it’s only fair that you read mine, Mr. Ketchum. And also if I were to die, I wouldn’t want to be buried in Cerulean. That place is full of horrible memories. And the song that I’d want playing at my funeral would be ‘Good Riddance’ by Green Day.

Another page in her diary had some significant meaning. ‘For the last several weeks I have written about wanting to commit suicide. I have had nothing to live for. I have a horrible life here at the gym and my one true love has abandoned me, and rightfully so. But I have become accepting of everything going on around me. Death is not the answer. Because tomorrow the sun will rise, and a new day will be born. And you never know what can happen. Ash has called me and wants me to come visit him at his house. Hopefully we can make up and become friends again.’

(Flashbacks ended)

Ash still sat in front of Misty’s grave, looking down at the earth, tears falling from his eyes to the dirt.

“Out of all the people that tried to help me cope after your death, you were the only one that could do so. Though I will never get over your death. I’ll try my best to move on. Good riddance, Misty. I mean that in a nice way.”

Ash got up on to his feet and turned to walk away. “Goodbye, Ash.” the soft calming voice of Misty echoed.

He turned around to see his memory of Misty standing with her back to the grave, and her eyes to his. “Bye.” he waved, and turned around to leave.

Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find
You and I collide (‘Collide’ by Howie Day)