Ash: 14

Misty: 14

Brock: 17

N. Joy: 19

A/N: Um... Finale..? I-I'm not so sure... I'm winging it in this chapter so I don't know how it'll end but if they make up in this one (Which hints to you that after Misty leaves they do make up), there will still be a sort of epilogue just to wind things up all nice like! It'll be kinda cute, kinda funny, and kinda... Uh... Aggressive..? Oh, come on! What's a PKMN AAMRN finish without some stupid stunt on Ash's part that leads to Misty getting all bitchy (Though romantically bitchy)? Yeah, I thought so..! Don't worry, nothing leads to an early death.

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"We all begin with good intent// When love is raw and young// We believe that we can change ourselves// The past can be undone..."--Fallen, Sarah McLachlan.

But tomorrow, that was it. He'd say goodbye and then she'd depart, baring her turn to see him and Brock vanish in the opposite direction, Pikachu hanging off of his shoulder. There would be no laughing, no giving, and no taking. It was truly over.

**************

She stared at it, forcing the tears to fall back behind her lids. No... It couldn't be over yet... He wouldn't just do this to her. Correction, the other Ash wouldn't do this to her... But it looked like the new and un-improved Ash had no problem with it. She wondered where she'd be another year from now. Probably sitting at home watching as her sisters turned their town into a mockery, being caught up with tending to the Pokemon and being chased around by her sisters who'd be holding things like hair mouse and beadery and feminine designing and-and... She shuddered just thinking about it.

Again, she turned to stare at the pokeball on her desk. Stupid thing... After all, it was Suicune's fault that everything was being dumped to the side like it was, and that was just putting it lightly. It was Suicune's fault that her life had been ruined in a mere three days. And the worst part was that it wasn't even over yet. Today was the day. By three they'd head off and by three o-one she'd be wandering alone towards Goldenrod for a train ride back home. All she had to wait for now was a knock on her bedroom door by Ash, who'd tell her it was time to go...

And it was all this stupid, good-for-nothing Legendaries fault! She wanted to pick up the thing right now and throw it into the ocean but she knew that it wouldn't help so she only ended up spending her time glaring at it. It was all she could think of doing but by noon she'd softened her gaze to a slight stare.

It was true that she'd only just met Suicune at the time, almost making it seem like he was the source of her harsh comment that day but... She knew that it wasn't his fault. It was her own and in saying that, let alone realizing it was completely factual, she'd come across the truth that she didn't deserve to keep such a precious friend. It was a shame, it was as though she truly loved the creature. Like it was a piece of her that she was forced to part with. But, in any case, she knew that it wasn't rightfully hers.

She stood up and stretched, pulling her pack over her shoulder. She'd hardly slept a wink last night, her mind being too preoccupied with all that there was to lose today. All that she'd worked so hard to keep through all the trouble and the complaints... It just seemed so wrong, having to get along without it. She comprehended now that she should have paid closer attention to everything she'd thought she'd always have. Maybe took a few more pictures or recorded more of the greatness of having friends. She should have paid better mind to her temper, tried to cease-fire a bit more. Maybe then she wouldn't be in such a situation now... Maybe she'd still be on speaking terms with Ash. Maybe they'd converse about something that wasn't her stupid bike, or his idiotic future title of Pokemon Master, or the consequences of splitting the group up after the tournaments were all over and won.

But those 'Maybe's' were no longer helpful to her anymore. She never wanted to accept that but it was just something that had to be forced upon her.

A knock arose from the door, slow and steady, only three times. It was like some sort of death call to her or something. But it was only twelve-fifteen by the look of her clock. Why would he be here for her all ready? She refused to answer the question, walking over to the door and opening it to let him in, her eyes shut as if almost expecting him to pull out a scythe like the Grim Reaper and cut her head off.

He only stood there, a cool and unfazed expression on his face as though he couldn't risk showing emotion. He looked as if he were inspecting her, like he was trying to be sure he was exposing her to an immense amount of suffrage before opening his mouth to speak.

" Come with me. I want to get this over with. And Brock's waiting." Why did he want to leave so soon? Did she disgust him that much? She shuddered a sigh and picked up the pokeball that she'd had a silent battle with over the past three hours. It was not hers. As she placed it in her pocket she noticed a look of contempt on her-well, she guessed-former best friends face. It didn't matter though... In no time at all, the pokeball would be in the best hands, or, at least she hoped it would...

*************

Brock stood outside the Centre, waiting for Ash to appear with Misty trailing behind him. He had a feeling he knew exactly why he wanted to leave so early in the day but he wasn't positive. At first it would seem that he couldn't stand to know that Misty was a mere twenty feet away whenever they were in their rooms but, somehow... It seemed like the old Ash was doing it as a way of caring for her. After all, they had been planning to leave later on however this would give Misty much more traveling time before dark. In other words, though he was sorta kicking her to the curb, he at least shoved with modesty.

Finally the Centre doors flooded open with a swishing noise and Ash walked out, stone set on his face. Misty was behind him, just as Brock had figured, though she looked much less resolute. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Ash broke it with a clearing of his throat. Evidence that he wanted their attention one last time. Misty felt a chill sweep over them and yet, their hair did not blow in the wind. It was like some sort of bad omen of sorts. She tried to ignore it but the tension was of great distraction to her so she felt more than immense surprise when she noticed Ash standing right in front of her a moment later. Something told her that he wasn't there to state happy greetings either.

" You know, Misty, I nearly regret telling you to leave." She almost saw hope, until he continued with what he had been saying, "But it's definitely been made clear to me that you don't want to be here. So, as a friend... I've decided to let you go. Bike... And all." He finished and turned abruptly, dragging a tandem from beside the Centre walls. She would have been extremely happy if not for the fact that she knew exactly what the figuratives meant. Ash stepped up to her again, pulling her new item at his side, "I wanted to give you this so that there would be no regrets when we left each other. After all, I'm sure the feeling of happiness and gratitude between us is mutual."

Misty couldn't think of anything to say to that so she put her hands over the bike rails and felt the cold steel slip under her fingertips. At the same time, a bitter lump settled in her throat as she watched Ash's look of nothingness. There was no way she was going to back out of this. She couldn't let him think that she couldn't support herself. She at least had that much aptitude. But she wouldn't go without telling him either, she decided in that single moment. He'd given her a little speech of sorts and now she was going to do the same.

" Ash, you know..." She stopped and bit her lip. Where to start? "I-I don't have much that I feel I can say to you c-cause if I did... I'd never stop speaking. But here I am, and you, and Brock... I'm sorry I never said this before but thank you." Where had that come from..? She wasn't even listening to herself speak anymore, let alone thinking before she said what she was, "I wasn't meaning to be a problem all this time, though when you've lived the life I have, you might understand better." Again she stopped, "Though I never meant to hurt you, and I'm sorry. I never wanted to upset you but... But..." There was nothing else she could say to him, "But you're right. I'm also sure that the gratitude is mutual. And I'm happy that our problems have finally been settled... Almost..." She halted and felt around in her pocket for the small pokeball that she'd stashed there upon exiting the Centre. 'I want him to know... I don't wanna take this when it wasn't me who... It isn't mine. That's the point. It belongs to him and I'm sure he knows that.' She thought, remembering that look he'd given her when she'd picked up the ball earlier in her room, "I really did like this." Ash caught sight of the pokeball and immediately thought that she meant holding such an extraordinary Pokemon but she quickly cleared it up, "No, Ash. I mean... I loved having you and Brock to look to. To look forward to when I woke up in the morning. The times have been great. The battles have been great. And you... You, Ash, have been the greatest." She held out the pokeball and shoved it into his hand while his neutral face showed the slightest sign of a grimace, "And so you deserve this, not me. I helped you get it to the Centre for help. But if you hadn't found it in the first place, no one would have seen it and right now it'd be... You know." She broke off and shook the hand holding Suicune inside, "Anyway, it has been great to spend the last two years with you. I'm sure that they will mean something to us, even if not right now. And... Well... Goodbye, Ash." With that, the hand she was using to shake his relieved him of its grip and climbed upward to his shoulder and tugged on his collar, her other following it.

And, with every single scream she'd held down, every tear she'd refused to cry, and every ounce of love that she'd regretted not showing to him, she kissed him for all she was worth. Meaning that this was not a quick peck but a sensuous, opulent, implausible still moment in time of which she knew she'd never forget. And she was hoping and praying that, no matter what terms she and Ash were on, he'd felt the same in that one clear second that they were connected with more than just words.

She stepped back and watched Ash's face for any visible sign of change but found nothing. Sighing, she threw her bag more securely over her shoulder and backed towards the path that would lead her to the Magnet Train. The quickest way home, back to the Hell from which she originated. God, life was just splendid, wasn't it?

In any case, she wasted no time in quickening her step into half a jog, now praying that she'd be out of reach before Ash got a hold of himself enough to stop and question her about it. Something told her that things might just get worse if she even tried to change what could only be referred to as a cruel fate for the both of them.

***************

Back at the front doors of the Centre, Ash still stood stone-still, his face unmoving. Brock was waiting behind him, waiting for him to get over what would probably be the hardest decision of his life. Now he wasn't sure who to place the blame upon. Misty never deserved to be left alone but Ash clearly had thought she wanted to go, even if the words went unspoken. Unspoken... That was probably the worst way for words to go.

" So, are you ready, Ash..? We should try and hit it just as early as he--" He was interrupted by his younger friend who turned to look at him with an unsure expression.

" She-She did want that, right? I-I didn't just make the biggest mistake of my life, did I?" It seemed that the old Ash was clearly beginning to shine through.

" ...Ash... I... Can't say but... Do you want the truth..?" At this, Ash's face paled considerably and Brock realized that he didn't have to go on for his buddy to understand. Brock sighed and tried to go on, "Ash..? What are you waiting for, go on after her, all right? Don't worry, I'll wait here with Pikachu..." Ash nodded gratefully, still very unsure, very skeptical, and very much toneless about what he was going to say to her. After all, it had been him who'd just shoved her off in the direction of her disastrous home-life.

***************

Run child, for nether of you are as replaceable as you seem. And you should never forget that. Stop her before it's too late. Only despondency awaits those who decide so willingly to turn their backs on love.

***************

Misty continued her rush towards the Goldenrod Train Station. The only thought running through her head being that the sooner she got there, the better. And then she could leave everything behind... Including her heart. Probably not the best thing to lose in another part of the continent but it wasn't like she could help it. She felt a soft pang in her chest but she was unsure as to what it signaled.

... That was, until she heard the last voice she expected to calling her.

" Misty--!"

'... Ash..?' She turned with a thought.

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A/N: Okay. I had no idea where I was gonna end this but here I am. At the end. Expecting a lot of angry fans and criticism. But hoping that there is still a glimmer of a chance that people will read the *Cough*... Epilogue...*Cough*. Erm, you didn't hear that, did you. Well, as long as it reduces anger. I'm okay with it. That's right. Epilogue. I wouldn't leave you hanging. At least not so badly *Smirks idly while fans ready tomatoes and empty soda cans/bottles*. I-I'm sorry! I'll make it work! I'll write a really good one! Only for you... I didn't say nothing!