Author's note: This story takes place a few years after the most recent Johto episode. I know that the format is terrible, but at least you can read it and that's what counts.


The Long Awaited Confession
By: Sara


Our heros were getting very antsy. They had been wandering the forest for ten days and were wondering if they would ever get out. The nights were freezing and the days were just as cold. Spirits were running low. But thoughts were at an all time high. Hundreds of thoughts were running through everyone's minds, especially Misty's. Something was eating away at her 16-year-old mind but she had no idea what.
She shivered.
"Are you okay, Misty?" asked Ash.
"I'm fine." she replied. "I'm just a little cold."
"Here." Ash reached into his bag and pulled out an extra sweater. "Take this."
Misty didn't know what to say. "Ash, you might need this. I can't take it."
"It's okay, really. Take it." he replied.
Misty put the sweater on, tucking Togepi inside to keep him warm.
"Togi..."
"It's okay, Togepi. We'll be out of here soon." she said, trying to sound more reassuring than she felt. She shivered again, this time not from the cold.
What's wrong with me? she wondered. I've had this weird feeling for a long time now. She looked over at Ash. Since when has he gotten so tall? she asked herself. Wait a minute, what am I saying? She looked back at him. And since when has he been so nice to me? It's not like him. He hasn't tried to scare me in a month. It's like he's finally...maturing. Nah, can't be. She looked over at him again. Then again, maybe he has.


Two hours later, our heros stopped for lunch. After Cyndaquil got a nice fire started, Brock began to make some soup. Misty's mind was still reeling. She looked over at Ash for the hundredth time that day. Then it hit her. I love him, she thought. I've loved him this whole time but I can't say anything. I keep denying it but it's eating away at me. I have to tell him.
"Ash," Misty said.
"Yeah Misty?" Ash said with a shiver in his voice.
"Umm..." Misty looks over to see that Brock is staring at them.
"Nothing." she said. "Never mind."
I'll tell him later, she decides. When we're alone.
Soon the soup is nice and hot and our heros are beginning to warm up a little.
All of a sudden, Pikachu's ears perk up.
"Pika?"
What's wrong Pikachu?" Ash asks in a worried tone.
All of a sudden the bushes behind them come crashing down to reveal...A very large group of angry Ursaring. Apparently, our heros accidentally ended up in their territory.
"RRRRRUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!" Ash screams.
Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi run for dear life, trying to get away from the very grumpy Ursaring. No one dares look back.

They run for what seems like hours before they reach a very rickety looking rope bridge.
"We have to cross!" Ash yells.
"Are you crazy!?!?" screamed Misty. "That thing will never hold!"
But a very loud roar behind them tells them that the Ursaring aren't far behind.
"RUN!" Misty screams, obviously changing her mind.
Brock and Pikachu sprint ahead first, Ash and Misty close behind.
When they get near to the other side, they look back. The Ursaring obviously decide not to cross. But all of a sudden, they start to hack at the ropes. Obviously they don't want them coming back. Our heros quickly continue on.
"Togepi!" Misty screams as her frightened friend jumps out of her arms.
Then the bridge falls. It swings down and hits the other side, now hanging by the one side. Brock, Pikachu, and Togepi are safely on the ground. Ash and Misty, however, are hanging on to the boards for dear life.
"Hang on Misty!" Ash yells.
"Ash, I'm slipping!" yells Misty. She had grabbed the rope, but it was very slippery from the snow.
"Hang on!" Ash tries to reach over and help her. But not in time.
"ASH!!!" Misty yells as she plummets to the icy cold water below.
"MISTY!" Ash screams. "NO!"
Ash watches in horror as she hits the water.
"NO!" He screams.
He watches the water to see if she comes back up, but he can't see her anywhere.
"Brock, we have to do something!" he yells.
"What?" asks Brock.
"I know," says Ash. "Brock, meet me downriver."
"WHAT!?!?" Brock yells.
"Just do it!" Ash yelps. Then he lets go of the bridge and plummets down too.

"Misty!" Ash yells as he surfaces in the icy water. "Where are you?"
He dives down into the water to try and find her. He sees her floating away fast under the surface. Ash swims as hard as he can to get her. He reaches out, grabs her hand, and pulls her to the surface.
"Misty!"
Obviously, she was knocked unconscious by something.
Ash is quickly being pulled downriver.
Still hanging on to Misty's limp body, he swims toward shore.
"Ash!" a familiar voice calls out.
Brock is on shore with Onix next to him.
"Onix, reach in and pull them out!" Brock orders.
Onix reaches and grabs Ash's shirt in his mouth and pulls the two of them to shore.
"Ash, are you okay?" asks Brock.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replies. "But Misty's unconscious, and she isn't breathing well," Ash says in a frightened voice.
"What can we do?" he says, gulping down the huge lump in his throat.
"The only thing we can do is build a fire and keep her warm, and pray she wakes up." Brock said.

Three hours later, Misty's condition is no better. Brock had gone ahead ages ago to try and find help, leaving Ash with Misty. Her condition had gotten worse. She was still unconscious and her breathing had become more labored. A large fire was burning, but Ash still felt cold inside. He was sitting right beside Misty, constantly checking to see whether her breathing had gotten better. It hadn't. Ash stared back into the fire.
"Misty..." he said in a sad voice, as if saying her name would bring her back.
He looked back at her with tears in his eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize she wasn't breathing.
"Misty!" Ash yelled. He felt for her pulse and found it was gone.
"Pikachu! Give her a little jolt! Bring her back!"
"Pika! Pi-ka-CCCHHHHUUUUU" the pokemon screamed as he sent a jolt of electricity into Misty's body. Ash felt again but still no pulse.
"Try again!" he yelled.
"Pika-CCCCHHHHUUU!"
Pickachu continued to give her shocks.. But soon the little pokemon was out of energy. Misty still wasn't breathing.
"Misty, no." Ash said. "Don't go!"
He pulled Misty up and leaned her against him.
"Misty, please!" Ash said, tears streaming down his face.
"Misty, I never got to tell you, I love you. Please don't die. You can't. Please. I'd be lost without you."
Misty was dead.
"NO!" Ash screamed.
"Pikachu."
Tears welled in Pikachu's eyes as he looked upon Misty. Pikachu began to cry.
All of a sudden, all of Ash's, Misty's, and Brock's pokemon (he left his behind) came out of their Pokeballs. Cyndaquil, Chikorita, Totodile, Bulbasaur, Heracross. Psyduck, Poliwhirl, Stamie, Goldeen. Zubat, Geodude, Onix, and Vulpix. The Pokemon moved in on the three others.
Ash looked around in surprise. Then he looked back at Misty. He cried again, his tears splashing onto Misty's body as he held her close. But wait, those weren't all his tears. Ash looked up. What he saw made him gasp.
All the other Pokemon had begun to cry. Tears were pooling in their eyes, falling, and floating into Misty. Ash had no idea what was going on. He had never seen anything like it.
He looked back at Misty.
"I love you." he said as he held her near him. He gave her a peck on the lips and continued to cry.
Just then, the clouds parted. The sun came out and shone down on the group huddled in the woods. A bright light started to glow around Misty and Ash.
It can't be, Ash thought.
"Misty"
And then her chest began to start rising and falling again as her life came back. She opened her eyes.
"Ash." She said.
"Misty, you're alive!" Ash yelled.
"Pika!"
"What happened?" Misty asked.
"You died, but now you're back!" Ash yelled as tears of happiness came into his eyes.
"I died?" Misty said. "But how come I'm back?"
"The pokemon." Ash said. "The pokemon came out and cried and their tears...their tears healed you." he said, realizing how weird that sounded.
"They did?" Misty said. Now why did that sound so familiar, like it had happened before but had been erased from her mind?
"Misty, I was so worried." Ash said as tears continued to pour. "I thought you had gone and left me."
All of a sudden, a light blinked in Misty's head as she began to fully take in the situation. The pokemon. The sun. Pikachu. Togepi. And Ash, with tears in his eyes, crying for her.
"You were worried about me?" Misty asked.
"Yeah." Ash said. "I know I don't act like it but,...I care about you." he said
"Ash." Misty didn't know what to say, except...
"I know I act like a jerk to you sometimes, but the truth is...I care about you, too. And I don't just follow you around for the bike. The truth is..."
"Misty"
"Ash"
"I love you!" they said at the exact same time, like they seem to do a lot.
They both looked at each other, tears now glistening in both of their eyes. They leaned in closer (failing to notice that all the pokemon had returned to their Pokeballs to give them privacy). Closer and closer and then...
They kissed. A long, sweet, romantic kiss that they had both wanted to have for so long. As they kissed, all their hidden feelings about each other were finally set free. All the pain they had felt from keeping their feelings bottled up disappeared. They were both so happy, they wanted to stay that way forever.
"Ash, Misty!" they heard a familiar voice say.
It was Brock and Nurse Joy in a Jeep (he always ruins everything!).
They pulled away but not before Brock saw.
"So, you two have finally admitted the truth." Brock said with a smile on his face.
"Yep. We have." The pair said together, smiling, as they leaned in for another kiss. THE END