I hoped you enjoyed Part 1 and I'm assuming you did because you clicked on Part 2! ^_^ Here is the conclusion to my fanfic: Memoir. As always remember to send your reviews, and when you do, please be honest. :(

Ash-14

Misty-14

Brock-17

Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.

Memoir

Part 2

At the fair Misty was definitely not enjoying herself. A little ways off to her left a group of kids were being entertained by the theatrics of a Mr. Mime. They giggled and laughed and clapped their hands and one of them even pleaded, "Do some more! Do some more!"

Misty felt pale. She walked over to a bench and sat down. Ash was in trouble, and she needed to help him. But how? How was she going to help him when he didn't even want her around him?

Brock came and sat down by her. "Hey, you alright?"

She sniffled and shook her head.

He put an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her back. "Look I'm sure he'll be ok. You know Ash; he's always been the immature type. Whatever it is, he'll get over it. And before you know it we'll have the old Ash back."

She nodded "I hope so but," she rubbed her eyes with her wrists "but I feel like I could be doing something to help. Like I could be comforting him somehow, instead I'm here at this stupid fair having fun."

"Your not having fun." He stated dimly

"No shit." She replied "I can't have fun while he is in a state of turmoil. I just can't stand it when he's like this. What am I gonna do?"

Brock understood. He knew right from the very start how Misty felt about Ash. She had confided in him when her feelings had first surfaced, being the big brother figure that he was, and he had listened and assured her what she was feeling was perfectly fine, and that one day maybe he would feel the same way.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "He'll be okay."

She shook her head "I have to be with him." She got up and gave him Togepi. "Tell Mrs. Ketchum I had to leave. Cerulean Gym. Its urgent."

He nodded. "I'll think of something."

"Thanks." She said and ran off.

Misty sprinted in the direction of Ash's house full speed. She had to get to him, she had to do something. Stopping momentarily to get her wind back she bent over to support herself, hands on her knees.

She grimaced; it felt like a knife was jammed in between her ribs. She head to be with him, she had to...

All of a sudden she jolted upright, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Was someone following her? Looking behind her, she saw no one. That was weird, but the feeling was still there. Someone, or something was behind her. She looked as far down the road as she could but the only activity was a small little whirlwind throwing about leaves.

Almost as sudden as it had come, the feeling vanished.

Looking up the adjacent hill, she saw that she was walking across Viridian Cemetery. She laughed; maybe she was just being paranoid. But looking up further, she spotted Ash.

"Ash!" she called and ran after him. Reaching the top of the hill, she stopped at about a dozen yards from his still frame. He was seated atop a tombstone staring at some shiny object in his hand. Both he and the stone were facing away from her.

"Ash," she called softly.

Hearing his name, the boy jumped and hastily shoved the object in his pocket. "What do you want?"

"I just wanted to come see how you were doing." She said.

"I'm fine." He said and looked away from her.

"Ash, you are not fine." She shot back "You've been acting weird ever since we got here. Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you can't keep going on like this! Brock and I are your friends; you know you can come to either one of us if there's something bothering you. And you didn't have to snap at your mother either, she only wanted to help you, Ash all we wanted to do is help you!"

Ash moved to stare at the grave he was sitting on "I don't want you to help me! Just leave me alone! It's not of your friggin business what's wrong with me, and I never asked you to show any concern. Just go away!"

"But -why- do you want me to go away? Whats bothering you Ash? Tell me." Those last two words unlike the others in that sentence were devoid of anger on full of concern.

"What the hell do you care? All you ever do is aggravate me, your not gonna help your only gonna make it worse. I never asked you to worry about me anyway, just GET LOST!"

This more than pissed Misty off. "Fine! Hang out in some stupid graveyard instead of with your friends and family! You're such an imbecile you know that? Grow up! Oh, and, even if you do decide you wanna talk to someone, go to your mother or to Brock but don't come to me okay because I don't care, you hear me? I DON'T CARE!" And with that she sprinted all the way back to Pallet Town.

Ash watched her go until she disappeared from view, but instead of following her he slowly walked off in another direction where he could be alone with his thoughts.

<><><><><>

It had been drawn to the girl this time. That was strange, why was it drawn to her? It was not connected to her. But she seemed to be connected to him. Emotionally. That must be why. He felt many emotions when he was near her: lament, concern, worry, unhappiness. She seemed to have felt It too, that's why she turned around. She didn't see It of course; It was invisible to all humans; only high-level Ghost pokemon were able to see It clearly.

It could sense him again. He was farther down to the East. Again It felt drawn to him. His feelings were the strongest they had been in a while and they were pulling It towards him. It felt that tug, that pull that was coming from him. It had to do something, or else it would continue to follow his aura around everywhere. Or at least until the time had past.

Earlier, at the graveyard, when the girl had shown up. Suddenly it had an idea. Sensing the direction that the pull was coming from, It rushed forward with all speed.

<><><><><>

Misty trudged home as hot as all the fires of Hell, the setting sun she was sure couldn't compare to how heated she felt. What an asshole, didn't he know she was just looking out for him? She couldn't take this. First he made a scene at dinner, and then yelled at her when she offered him consolation, now she runs after him worried and again he doesn't care.

She bit her lip in an effort to prevent the tears. Well it didn't matter to her anymore. He can sulk around as long as he wants, she didn't care.

She pushed open the front door to the Ketchum residence and stepped into the living room where Ash's mom, Brock and the pokemon were.

Mrs. Ketchum who was dusting a vase caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye.

"Misty, are you okay? You look upset."

Brock who was sitting on the couch reading looked up from his book and asked her a similar question.

"Nothing, just....him." she said pissed. "I found him at the graveyard on the outskirts of Viridian. He was just sitting there, and he saw me and asked what I wanted, I told her I just came to see him and he...oh..." She rubbed her forehead.

"A graveyard," Delia mused. "Why would he be in a graveyard?" She stood thinking for a moment, her forefinger on her chin. Then a thought came to her. "Misty, what day is today?"

"The twenty-first," she replied, "why do you ask?"

Delia's eyes went wide and she put her hands to her face. "Oh dear," she said, "Misty, sweetie, I think you better come with me."

Pushing past the young girl, she opened the front door and walked outside. Misty followed her being motioned at to do so. Walking back down the direction she had just come, she kept asking Mrs. Ketchum questions such as 'Where are you taking me?' and 'What's going on?' Throughout her constant questions though, Ash's mom stayed silent, until finally they had reached back at the graveyard where she had last seen the sad, dark haired boy.

Delia stopped in front of a gravestone which Misty recognized as the one Ash had been sitting on. She motioned for Misty to walk towards it. Misty did so. She reached it and read the inscriptions engraved on the other side. When she had done so, she covered her moth with her hands and said "Oh my god." For carved into the tablet was:

Sage Ketchum

1990-2031

Left behind a wife and son, who miss him terribly.

Gone, but not forgotten

Above the name was a picture of the man that lay below her feet. A muscular man with a scraggly beard and moustache, and hair just like his sons grinned kindly at her.

Mrs. Ketchum finally spoke. "We were walking home one day after an afternoon in the park," she said sadly "when this young boy approached us and demanded my husbands wallet." Tears started to creep down her cheeks. "He couldn't have been any more than sixteen. When Sage refused to hand it over, he shot him."

Misty let out a small gasp.

"To boy ran away and we called for help. Professor Oak who just happened to be driving by saw us and rushed him to the hospital." The tears were flowing harder now. "He died the following afternoon. The bullet was lodged deep into his heart. He was bleeding internally and they needed to do a blood transfusion. After contacting Saffron for the right blood type they said he would be ok, but by the time the packets had arrived," she began to cry harder "He was already..." she fell to her knees, covered her face with her hands and started to bawl.

Misty rushed over to Delia and wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, Mrs. Ketchum, I'm sorry I had no idea..."

Delia sniffled. "Don't be." She said and wiped her eyes. Bringing herself to her feet she told her, "Tomorrow will be the seventh anniversary of his death. Ash must have known the day was approaching, that's why he's been behaving the way he has. Oh Misty, he was so close to his father. When the doctor told us he passed away, Ash was wrecked. He cried and cried all night and all day. At the funeral, he leaned on Sage's dead body and bawled until he couldn't stand up, begging God aloud to please give him back." Now it was Misty's turn to cry.

"Professor Oak offered us his condolences. He said if we ever needed anything to just ask. Samuel was Sages best friend; he's Ash's godfather. Its no wonder he pushed and encouraged him so much on his Pokemon journey. We've tried to deal with it, but it's been so hard. Oh Misty, don't you see?"

Misty sobbed and nodded. "I do Mrs. Ketchum, I'm-"I'm so sorry I was mean to him!"

"It's okay dear." She said and walked Misty away from her husband's grave. "I just hope...that Ash will be okay."

They reached home again and found that Brock had made some hot chocolate after having a cup for herself she ran upstairs and balled. How could she have been so heartless? Ash was simply mourning, mourning for his father. Sure he had taken out his anger on them, but could she really blame him? She sobbed harder. And she had said those horrible things to him. With how he was feeling, she must have pushed him over the edge. What if he does something drastic? What if he decides it's not worth it? And that he wants to be with his dad? Oh God, she thought, what have I done?

<><><><><>

Ash sat alone on the edge of the lake. He was crying silently to himself and asked the same question that he had been asking for seven years: Why? Why did his father have to be taken from him? Why couldn't that kid have robbed someone else? Why did he have to choose Ash's family? He grimaced as he recalled the memory. That fateful day playing over and over in his mind.

***Begin Flashback***

The day was sunny and warm as The Ketchum family walked through the town square. A beautiful woman who looked too young for her age walked along side a rugged and equally fit man. The married couple laughed and joked as they made way for home. Riding on the mans back was little eight year old Ash.

"Daddy, are you ever gonna teach me how to swim?" he asked. He had been playing in the shallows of the beach down the coast when a playful Dewgong had clamped its jaw around his ankle. Ash had fought back but to no avail when the Water/Ice pokemon dragged him into the sea. It bounced and bobbed and pushed him all about, and the little boy had had fun but unfortunately couldn't keep himself afloat. Every time he went under, the pokemon pushed him back up to the surface and flung him high into the air, causing Ash to land with a large splash and laugh energetically before asking it to do it again.

His father chuckled. "I tell you what boy," he said. "I'll teach you how to swim, when you're fat enough to float!" he laughed, mocking his son's skinny physique.

"Oh honey," his wife said, he long auburn hair being swept up in the breeze. "Don't be so posh." Ash grabbed hold of his fathers ears and stretched them outward, giving him a raspberry behind his back and blowing spittle on the back of his head. "Meanie."

Sage reached behind him and tickled his son's underbelly.

"Hey!" Ash exclaimed and chuckled loudly "Stop it, your gonna make me fall off!"

When Sage tickled him harder Ash started to punch at his shoulders.

"Okay, tough guy," he said finally relieving Ash of his torture. "I'll take you to Cerulean beach tomorrow, and before the day is over, you'll be swimmin'"

"You mean it?" his son asked.

"I promise."

"Yay!"

"Then maybe I'll teach you how to train pokemon like the greatest master there is!" he said laughing and striking the V for victory pose. His son also laughed and repeated the gesture.

Delia smiled brightly at the relationship between her husband and son. She knew she should be grateful, how many women her age could brag that they'd married their childhood sweetheart? And that they not only had a wonderful home, in a wonderful neighborhood, but a wonderful son to boot?

As they continued to walk down the road home, They were suddenly approached by a boy of about twice Ash's age. He was tall, and reached almost Sage's height of six feet. He wore a jacket over a gray T-shirt and faded baggy jeans over old and dirty sneakers. The wind rustled his dark blonde hair and he stared at them seriously with glass green eyes.

Delia eyed him quizzically. "Can we...help you?"

He was staring at Sage, his expression unchanged. "You can help me to your wallet."

Sage blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Your wallet sir. I only need about everything you've got." he said.

Sage laughed and balanced Ash further up on his back. "Look kid, I don't know what you think this is but, you cant just go around saying things like that to people. I'm sorry if your having financial problems," he remarked taking in his homely appearance "but you cant just demand that-" He was cut short as the youth drew a .44 Magnum out of his jackets left pocket.

"Kid-"

"I'm not playing around sir, hand over your money."

"Kid just calm down."

"NOW!"

He let Ash down off his shoulders and gave him to Delia. "Deli, get him as far away from hear as you can. You hear me?"

"Sage, don't-"

"Don't argue with me!" he whispered loudly "Just do it!"

Delia was shaking; she was frightened for her husband. But she took hold of her son regardless and scuffled past the blonde haired youth. He didn't do anything to stop her.

"Last chance, give me your money." He said.

Ash, being carried on his mother's bosom looked up over her shoulder. "Daddy?"

"Look kid, just relax. You don't have to do this."

"Momma, what's that boy over there doing? Why does daddy look so scared?" Delia didn't answer; her walk broke into a jog.

"You've got five seconds." He cocked back the hammer "Five."

"Momma, that boy's gonna hurt Daddy!' Delia started to cry.

"Kid put the gun down. We can talk."

"Four."

Momma! Momma do something!" She did. She began jogging faster.

"Put the gun down! Look kid, if you fire a bullet out here, there's gonna be pandemonium."

"Three."

"There's gone be police out here in a heartbeat."

Just give him the god damn money, Delia, now running, thought to herself.

"Two."

"Do you wanna go to jail? Do you wanna spend the rest of your life in prison?"

"One."

"Daddy!" young Ash shouted from over his mother's shoulder.

BLAM!

His mother turned around. "Sage!"

BLAM!

Her husband collapsed and his assailant jump over his body, fished around in his pocket for his wallet, then once he had found it, ran off into the street.

Delia ran towards her lover, her heart racing.

"Daddy!" Ash called over to his father, who lay on the ground, unmoving. "Daddy!" Ash's whole world began to come down. "Daddy!" His inside felt twisted, he was gonna be sick. "Daddy!" Finally the tears came. "Daddy NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

***End Flashback***

Ash shivered, a sudden gust of wind had passed which chilled him to the bone. When the news had come that he had died, Ash just couldn't believe he was gone. He had taught him how to ride a bike, he had taken him out observe pokemon in their natural habitat from time to time, he had said to him "One day, those pokemon out there are gonna obey your every command. One day, your gonna be a great trainer just like your old man.' Ash swore that if he ever got his hands on the one that took his father from him, he would rip him limb from limb.

He sighed. The memory of his father haunted him, but it also drove him on. Every pokemon he caught, he did so with pride and dignity, every battle he was in, he came out victorious. Every location he set out for, no matter what he had to do to get there, no matter whether he had to go through rain, hail, or godforsaken snow he got there and each time it made him a stronger person. His heart had swelled with joy when his mother told him after reaching Viridian in one day that it took his dad a week to get there, because he was sure his father was looking down on him from Heaven and all throughout his journey Ash had wanted to make him proud.

But whenever the day of his death came near, he couldn't help but lament. Ash's father was everything Ash had wanted to be. He had made up his mind a long time ago that when he got older, after he was done with his journeys, that he would write a memoir of his fathers life in order to come to terms with his death, and just so the whole world would know how great of a man he was.

Ash gazed out at the sapphire blue lake, his heart heavy.

<><><><><>

Misty was still crying when a strong gust of wind filled the room. It was so cold; it chilled her down to her marrow. Out of the gaps in her fingers she glimpsed something shiny. Moving her hands away from her face, she looked over at the bureau by the window and saw right next to the lamp, a small golden locket.

She picked it up. It was heart shaped; inside was a picture of her hand Ash. It was an old pic of them on the beach at Acapulco. Misty had one arm around his neck and was grinning. Her other hand was doing the V for victory sign. Ash was also grinning and doing the sign. Under the locket was a note.

She picked up the pink envelope on which her name was written in cursive writing, and tore it open.

Dear Misty,

I know you and I haven't gotten on that well in the past and I know there are probably a million other guys out there who are probably a lot better than me. But I want you to know that all these years, even though I haven't always shown it, I have felt a deep longing in my heart to be with you. Misty, I love you. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. There isn't a woman out there whom I can say compares to you.

Every time I battled, you were there to give me encouragement. Every time I fell flat on my face, you were there to help me up. You have done so much for me in the past, Misty, and I want to do just as much for you. I know you'll probably say no, and I know that you may think I'm just an immature kid, but I promise you, if you choose to be with me Misty, I will give you all my heart, and make you the happiest person to walk God's green earth.

Misty brought her hand up to her mouth in order to stifle a sob. Ash didn't hate her after all, he loved her! She couldn't believe it. Her prayers had been answered, her dreams had come true! She sprinted out the room, down the stairs and out of the house. She was going to be with Ash after all, and she needed to find him.

Standing outside his house however, she realized she didn't have any clue where he was, she didn't even know where to start looking.

The large lake down Route Three.

She turned, who said that? Some one had spoken in her ear just now, but looking around she saw no one. Well no matter, she knew where Ash was, and she was determined to let him know how she felt. She made a break for Route Three. The large lake, that's where she had first met Ash, when she fished him up along with a Gyarados. More determined than ever, she sprinted forward at breakneck speed.

<><><><><>

Ash sat gazing thoughtfully out at the lake when all of a sudden he heard an all too familiar voice call out his name. He turned around and saw Misty running toward him, when she got close enough she threw her arms around him.

"Oh Ash, I'm sorry for what I said to you. Ash, I found your locket," she held it up for him to see. "and your note," she held that up too. "and I wanted to tell you that I love you too. Oh Ash, I've wanted to tell you for ages! But I was afraid, afraid you would say no, but to find out that you love me back, oh Ash it's the greatest feeling in the world!"

He patted the left leg of his jeans. "Misty, I-"

"Shh, don't say anything." She put a finger on his lips and kissed his cheek. "Come on, let's go home." And together the walked arm in arm back down Route Three and in the direction of Pallet Town.

Ash was blissful at the news that Misty loved him too, but he just couldn't figure it out. The locket had been in his pocket not long before, he stuffed it and the note in there quickly when Misty had found him at the graveyard and he knew he still had it when he had come to the lake. So how did it end up in her hands?

High above the lake, and under the crescent moon, the ghost of Sage Ketchum drifted aimlessly. He looked down on the new couple and smiled. "I'm watchin over you kid, and you know it. I'm glad to see you happy, and I know you'll make this young woman happy too," He looked far across the tops of the trees and set his view down on a small picturesque house with one light on in its living room. "Just like your mother made me..."

Inside Ash's house, Delia Ketchum stood over the sink doing dishes. Just like your mother made me... She let out a 'huh?' and looked out the window, but saw only the moon filling the sky with its eternal glow.

That's all folks! Sorry if I made Brock a little dull and inactive, I felt I didn't need him all too much so I only used him when absolutely necessary. The same with Pikachu and Togepi. Remember to send me your reviews, I'd like to hear what you think of my writing. Its my passion and I want to develop it as much as I can. I had a lot of fun writing Memoir and am currently on work on another story. Its a songfic, I thought I'd try my knack at that next. This next one may not come in right away because for me school starts back on Wednesday X_X so until next time this is Rayza16 signing off! ~_^