Disclaimer: Neither Shadow Squirtle nor I own Pokemon. I don't think that we 
could own it in a million years. Besides, would we be writing this if we 
owned it? All we know is that someone rich owns it.

Ages: 
Ash- 24 1/2
Misty- 25

Why Did He Stay?
By: Shadow Pikachu and Shadow Squirtle

	Misty stared down at her sleeping friend, Ash Ketchum.  He was truly an 
idiot. He pushed himself to far again. And like always, it was for her. She 
sighed and pulled a blanket up over his torso. Ash was always so kind and 
caring towards her. Misty found herself smiling.
	Misty slowly made her way to the kitchen to make breakfast for her and 
Ash. She’d become a much greater cook and she thought Ash could use the 
break. But once she was alone, the memories came flooding back.
	She remembered it so clearly. Misty had gone to Sinnoh to visit Ash on 
his birthday, even though she was a few days early. When she arrived at the 
town he was in, she found him terribly sick. He had pushed himself too 
hard…again. So she helped their friend, Brock, and the newbie girl, Dawn, 
take care of Ash. Soon, he was all better. But no sooner did he recover, was 
Misty called back to Cerulean to care for the gym. She tried to apologized to 
Ash but she knew it hurt. When she asked what she could do to make it up to 
him, he asked the most bazaar question. 
	“Misty, do you really like me? Like REALLY LIKE me?” he had asked.
	When she would have said no, he interrupted her.
	“Because I REALLY LIKE you, Mist,” Ash had stated.
	She had never been so happy. After that, they became a couple. Ash 
called her first thing whenever he arrived at a pokemon center. And Misty 
would make sure that he was prepared for a battle so that they could be 
together sooner. They were more than happy to say the least. After three 
years of going steady, Ash popped the question. He had returned for a visit 
and had taken her on a moon light picnic. It was amazing. Then she learned of 
his next battle. If he won it, he’d become the Grand Master Champion. Then he 
could live with her. They could be together. It was like a dream come true. 
She knew that he’d be gone for several months and Misty made a mental note 
that as soon as Ash returned that she’d give him the best present she could. 
They’d be married as soon as possible after his battle and she’d give it to 
him then. 
	Then, it happened. Misty was walking home from the pokemon center when 
a dark figure grabbed her from behind. He tried her up and then took away the 
one thing that she could only give one man. He took the thing that was 
suppose to be Ash’s gift. It hurt. A lot more than it should have. It hurt 
both physically and emotionally. When Ash heard of this, he rushed back, 
forgetting his battle. Misty was crushed. He gave up his chance at his dream. 
Just for her. True it was a wonderful thing for him to do, but now what about 
his dream? What would become of it. 
	Ash told her that he couldn’t wait any longer and they were married. 
She knew that he loved her with all his heart and Misty knew that he would no 
matter what. It was then that they learn who was the dark figure. Gary Oak. 
The boy had gone crazy two years prior to the incident do to an accident he 
had witnessed. It damaged his psyche. Misty worried that knowing that his old 
rival took away his gift might hurt Ash. But it never did. Ash’s love never 
faltered.
	Ash left once more to claim that title and promised to be back soon. 
Misty knew that was true. So she waited and waited. Then she discovered 
something. Her abdomen was getting larger. Two weeks after noticing this, Ash 
returned. Victorious. She could remember on how she ran to the door to let 
him in and he instantly noticed her abdomen. 
	Misty place on her abdomen. She was nearly full term now and Ash never 
let her do much except what was necessary for the baby’s health. He was such 
a wonderful man. But she often found herself worrying about the baby. She 
knew that the father could very well be Gary and she prayed that it wouldn’t 
be his. She prayed that it would be Ash’s child. 
	Misty felt the warmth of Ash’s frame behind her and leaned into it. 
Then she felt him grab her wrists and helped her flip the pancakes. It was 
then that she smelled it. She had been burning the food.
	“I’m so sorry, Ash! I must have woken you up!” She cried out.
	“Shhh. It’s ok, Mist. I don’t mind. But I’d much prefer if I do the 
cooking. Living on your own does help in that district. Besides, I think that 
I’m not hungry for pancakes this morning,” he teased, “I think that all I 
want is you. And our wonderful child. I can’t wait for it to join us.”
	Misty felt the all to familiar tears fill her eyes.
	“Not the water works again, Mist. What is it?” he asked.
	Ash quickly removed the remaining pancakes and threw them away.
	“Why? Why do you stay? I can understand if you don’t want to be with 
me. I can’t do anything right,” Misty whimpered.
	He sighed and pulled her into his arms. He gently rocked her back and 
forth. Then he started to sing.

	'You are my sunshine
	My only sunshine
	You make me happy
	When skies are gray
	You’ll never know dear
	How much I love you
	Please don’t take
	My sunshine away'

	 “Misty. I love you with all my heart. I don’t care what you say. You 
don’t fail at everything. You do a lot of things right. No one can do 
everything. So don’t worry about it. And if you’re wondering about our baby 
and who’s the daddy, then don’t worry. I don’t care if Gary helped create it, 
I’m going to love it as a dad would. I don’t care. But I’m pretty sure that 
everything will turn out just fine. Besides, I think it’s time for my sweet 
Misty-Mist to take a soothing bubble bath. K?” Ash stated.
	“I don’t think so,” Misty said, clutching her abdomen.
	“Why?” Ash asked, concerned.
	“I think that it’s time. I think that the baby wants to meet us today,” 
Misty stated.
	She had never seen Ash move so fast. He had ran to their room, grabbed 
her things and made it back to her before she made it to the door. He then 
managed to put the suitcase handle in his mouth and get her on his back. He 
ran out into the garage and placed Misty in the sidecar of his motorcycle. It 
was the only thing that they could afford at the moment. Anyways, Ash gave 
her all the safety equipment she needed and they were off. Ash got them to 
the hospital just in time. He got her out of the sidecar and into the 
hospital just as the baby decided that it really wanted out. In the room 
where they were wheeled into, Misty was breaking Ash’s hand because of the 
pain she went through. Unfortunately, they weren’t fast enough. She was too 
far along. So Misty was in great pain, Ash had his hand broken, and their new 
baby was born. Then they took a small blood sample from the three and they 
soon learn that Ash was the father. Misty was so happy. When she finally got 
to hold her, Ash had returned from getting his hand looked at. 
	“Sorry sweetie,” Misty stated.
	“It’s ok.  Wow, she’s so precious,” Ash said, sitting beside Misty.
	“I know. Want to hold her?” Misty asked.
	Ash froze. She knew why.
	“Ash, you aren’t your father. You’d never dream of hurting another. So 
don’t worry, ok?” Misty told him.
	He nodded and she handed him his daughter. It was then that their 
beautiful daughter opened her deep blue eyes. 
	“Hey, she’s got your eyes Mist.” Ash stated.
	“Pikachu, Pikapi?” Ash’s faithful buddy asked.
	“Yes you can come in,” Ash chuckled/
	“She’s got your hair, sweetie.” Misty stated.
	“Don’t’ worry, daddy’s got you. And I’ll never let anything bad happen 
to you. Or your mother,” Ash joked.
	Misty giggled. Seeing Ash like the way he was, Misty finally realized 
that why he stayed. It was because he did love her that he refused to let her 
go through this even if he held horrible memories of abuse. The two helped 
each other and they needed one another. No exceptions. So that was the 
reason. That was the reason that they loved each other so. That was the 
reason that they’d never leave each other. Never again.