A True Christmas Present  
Part 2  
by zapdos1alpha  
Zapdos1alpha@hotmail.com  
AAMRN  
Disclaimer: see part 1

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Ash woke early the following morning. Wanting to be on time for once spurred him to hurry. He had gathered 
his things and as usual pikachu refused to go into his pokeball. "Fine with me," ash said as he began to 
leave. "You can stay here. Because I will not have you frozen to death on my shoulder."
"Pi Pikachu?" he replied
"I mean I'm taking my motorcycle this morning. Didn't you notice I was wearing my winter suit?" Ash 
responded. Pikachu just stood there in disbelief. Sweat dropping and knowing he was beat. He stood there 
waiting to go into his pokeball. "Good I thought you would see it my way. Pikachu return." Ash said. Once in 
pikachu voiced his dislike by sending a light shock through the ball. Chuckling to himself ash left.

Making his way through Indigo and onto the main road leading to Saffron and the airport ash thought of all 
the things that have happened. The receipt of the mysterious package. His now very impromptu trip to 
Hawaii. And of course of misty. Shaking his head he gunned the throttle and felt the cold bite of the air. His 
mind always drifted back to misty. If there was only a way, he thought.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

In Cerulean City, misty was just waking up. She had become a late riser since she had stopped traveling 
with ash and brock. Having already packed she got up and dressed for the cold morning. Stopping in the 
kitchen on her way out she found Sharron already there with a hearty breakfast waiting for her. "Thank you 
Sharron. This was very kind of you," misty said.
"Well miss. After last nights chat and me cutting you off like that…" she replied trailing off.
"You were right." Misty began. "And I deserved it. It made me think and I'm calling ash as soon as I've 
returned. It's time to set this whole thing straight."
"Very good miss." Sharron replied. "Now you need to hurry or you'll be very late." Misty looking at the clock 
only grinned at Sharron before diving into her breakfast. She ate very rapidly. Hurrying from the kitchen she 
grabbed her bags and made for her jeep. She loved the turquoise jeep. She bought it after she had won the 
water pokemon master title. It was a gift to herself and it also reminded her of the time she spent with ash in 
the orange islands. Those were happy times. He mind was wandering through the years she spent on her 
travels with ash. Even though brock was there and Tracey for the orange islands, she hardly thought about 
them, only of ash. Her mind raced as she raced her jeep through traffic and toward Saffron.

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Ash was nearing Saffron. He had tuned his radio to the all weather station. Finally hearing the forecast for 
Hawaii made him smile under his helmet. Sunny and warm highs near 85 lows in the 70's. This was going to 
be a trip that he was going to love, even if it had a mystery attached to it. Keying off the radio and switching 
on the phone he spoke the name of the person he wanted to speak to.
"Brock" he said clearly. Ash waited while the phone rang and was answered.
"Hello," a young voice said.
Brocks little girl Stacey had picked up. "Hello Stacey. This is Ash. Is your mommy or daddy home?" he 
replied.
"Yeah." She said then having his eardrum blown out she yelled for her mom.
"Hello, this is Melanie." Melanie said cheerfully.
"Hey Mel. It's ash. Is Brock home?" Ash said chuckling.
"No he's not. He has been gone for the last two weeks. I swear he is very popular lately. First Professor 
Oak, twice. Misty, then you." She said.
"I see. I'm on my way to Hawaii to play detective for a while. I was wondering if he'd like to go. But since he's 
not home…" ash said.
"Yes. I believe he would have if he were here." She replied. 
"Well thank you mel. Have a great day." Ash replied and ended their call.

At that moment ash looked over and noticed a turquoise jeep flying down the road. Looking at the driver of 
the vehicle his heart jumped into his throat. Seeing misty again after a year just made him feel more in love 
with her and more hurt. It's time to end this he thought and accelerated to keep up with the jeep. 
Concentrating hard on staying with the jeep ash noticed it was heading for the airport. Having committed the 
letters, he received with the pokemon, to memory he quickly scanned them. Falling on the phrase 'if you 
keep them then you and the other trainer must stay together forever'. It donned on ash at that moment just 
who the other trainer was. Pushing his bike hard ash passed misty and rode fast to reach the airplane before 
she did.

Misty was angry at seeing the motorcycle go flying past her and rocket away. As it did she caught a look at 
the license plate. It read 'mstr1'. She put it in the back of her mind and continued on to the airport. 

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ 

Ash had beaten misty to the airport. One good thing about motorcycles they can go where most cars can't. 
Boarding the plane and quickly changing from his riding clothes ash sat down. He knew this was going to be 
a long flight. How long depended on misty.
"Mr. Ketchum, we are ready to leave if you are." The Flight attendant said. "The other master has boarded."
"Is the other master Miss Waterflower?" he asked.
"Why yes sir." The attendant said. "Sir how did you know?"
"Just a guess" he replied smiling to himself "Please tell the pilot we are ready for departure."
"Yes sir." She replied and headed to the flight deck.

Once in the air the flight was mostly uneventful. Ash had released pikachu a few times so he could stretch 
and move around a little. After a short time ash finally decided it was time to confront misty. He also hoped 
that the time they had spent apart healed his wounds and her wounds as well. Getting up he ventured back 
to her seat. Misty didn't notice him right away. She was busy studying her pokemons moves and which ones 
would be effective against all the masters' pokemon including Ashes. She had just scrolled the page to 
ashes pokemon when he cleared his throat making her jump.
"My goodness you scared………" She began and trailed off "…me" she finished looking up and seeing ash 
standing there.

Seeing her obvious discomfort he broke the tension. "Hello misty. It has been a while."
"Yes it has." She said. "It has been too long."
"Little more than a year." He replied sighing. Pikachu chose that moment to give ash a soft zap wanting to 
be let out again. Releasing him pikachu stretched and voiced his thanks. Eyeing his master he turned to look 
and saw misty sitting there.
"Why, hello pika…" She said
"PI…KA…CHU!" it said angrily and sparks formed at its small red cheeks.
"Pikachu, No!" Ash said forcefully. "You will not act that way toward her." Looking at ash like he had lost his 
mind pikachu glanced at the frightened look in Misty's eyes. "Chu chu pikachu pipikapi pika chu pikachu!" it 
said to ash
"I know full well what has happened the past year." Ash began. "It's okay. Trust me on this one. It will be 
okay. I still don't want you to act that way. Misty is your friend too. Like Brock is now. Besides the only other 
person you did listen to, besides me, was misty."
"Chu." It replied unhappily and took a seat on ashes shoulder and eyed misty like she was going to attack 
his master.
"I see pikachu hasn't forgotten about last year. I suppose you haven't either" she started then beginning to 
cry. "I made a mess of things that night. You stopped talking to me all together. Brock started to talk to me 
less and less. It's all because of my big stupid brain and mouth." Looking at ash with deep sorrow and regret 
misty got up and ran to the only place she could, the restroom. She sat there and cried for a good while. 
When she started to stop she heard ash at the door.

"Misty, are you going to be okay?" he asked quietly. When she didn't answer he continued. "Misty what I did 
last year was to make you happy. When you said those words I felt like my heart was ripped out. I don't 
blame you for what you did or said. It was my fault it happened. I took the chance for something more. I 
came up with the way to tell you. I did it all. I don't blame you misty. I in fact forgive you for what was said. I 
want to thank you for showing me that I'm destined to be alone in this world with my pokemon." She heard a 
soft sob from the other side of the door. She was about to speak when he continued. "After I figure out what 
is going on, and have returned, I'll leave you alone. I'll return to indigo and pack quietly. It's time to move 
on."

With that she heard him begin to walk away. Opening the door she looked at him as he walked away. She 
didn't recognize the man in front of her. His shoulders were hunched; his head hung low, the walk of a 
beaten and broken man who was once full of life and spirit. She had caused this. She had hurt him this 
badly. She couldn't let it end this way. Taking her own chance she let her heart say what it needed to for so 
long. Her mind was saying to leave him alone. Thankfully she ignored her mind and spoke from her heart.

"Ash wait." She began as he sighed but didn't turn around.
"Yes misty." He replied in a broken voice. Hearing the hurt she paused. "Nothing to say. Then I'll leave you" 
that brought her back to reality.
"No ash. Please don't go. There is something that needs to be said. I just never spoken in the way I am 
now." She replied. "It is difficult to express the feelings I'm having right now."  
"Take your time." He said hurt and sitting down. "We have time." Misty took this moment to move in front of 
ash and kneel down so she was looking into his eyes. What she saw there frightened her. There was no 
spark, no fire, and no drive. None of the things that made ash the person he was were there. Taking his 
hands in hers she slowly began. "It was not you."
"But mis…" he started and was cut off.
"Shh." She said lightly touching a finger to his lips. "It's my turn now to talk. I have the courage now. Please 
let me go uninterrupted." Ash nodded his consent and she continued. "Last year was not your fault. It was 
mine. You spoke with your heart that night and it was music to my ears. I loved every word you said. But my 
own shock mixed with what was in my mind created the problem. My mind spoke that night to you ash. Not 
my heart" misty to emphasize her point placed his hand over her heart. "I'm speaking from my heart now. 
Ash I remember those words as if they were spoken only yesterday. I regretted every day the pain I caused 
you. The hurt look in your eyes as I left. You had summoned the courage to finally tell me how you felt about 
me. You faced your greatest challenge and I failed it for you. There hasn't been a day since then that I have 
not thought about you and that night and of the pain." Crying steadily she continued and ash let her until she 
finished. "It nearly destroyed me to know that I had caused you so much turmoil. I pushed myself with the 
knowledge you taught me and became the water pokemon master. It's because of you I hold that title. I did it 
for you. Ash I Love you."

She finished and sat there with her head on his knee crying. Not expecting anything from him she began to 
get up. Ash gently began to stroke her long red hair. Looking up through tear-reddened eyes she saw the 
old fire come back to him. She at that moment felt better than she had since last year. Through his own tear-
laden eyes he saw a whole years worth of pain and hurt drain from misty. She had spoken from her heart, 
and that meant more to ash than anything. Feeling his strength and courage return to him he spoke. "Misty. 
Dear sweet wonderful misty. I never have stopped loving you. I was too hurt to come and talk to you."  

"And I was to angry with myself to reach out to you." She replied and looking softly at him. Overcome with 
the power of the moment he leaned down and kissed her gently. To them the kiss was a lifetime but lasted 
only a few minutes. Misty sat down next to ash and they held each other close. At that moment the two GS 
balls were finally in range and released. Ashes Lailiani and Misty's Anonoa appeared. They looked at each 
other they embraced. "A symbol of true, unwavering love" both ash and misty said together and smiled at 
one another.

"This is going to be one mystery that will be worth solving" Ash said then softly kissed misty again.  
 
~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Well that's it for part 2. Ash and Misty are back together after a yearlong struggle with themselves.

I'd like to thank dazdnconfusd730 for the review and tips.

Reviews are welcome at zapdos1alpha@hotmail.com

If you feel the need to flame be gentle. It's my first attempt at fan fics.