Mizu: Wow, I'm finding a lot of my old stories, huh? Anyways, in this story everyone thinks Ash is dead. But what happens when he returns? Just a cute little one-shot AAMR. Disclaimer time. I don't own Pokemon. The only thing that I own is my overactive imagination.

Ages:

Ash- 26

Misty- 26 ½

Brock- 28 ½

Pikachu- not known

The Reason Why He Can't Tell Her

Brock ran down the streets of Cerulean City. He was going to be late. It had took him forever to get Misty to agree to this meeting with him. Misty never let anyone in anymore. Not since Ash left. Brock shook his head. He didn't need that in his head. He needed to get to Misty's gym and cheer her up. She needed someone other than family. Her family didn't understand what she was going through. She wasn't like them. But Brock did understand. Maybe not as well as Ash did when he was with them, but he still understood her.

"Stop it Brock! Stop thinking of Ash! Thinking about him won't bring him back!" Brock shouted at himself.

While shouting at himself, Brock failed to notice the man he was about to run into until he had, knocking both to the ground.

"I'm so sorry sir!" Brock apologized.

"Don't worry about it," the man said kindly, smiling at Brock.

The man looked to be somewhere about 26 years of age. He had jet black hair that was covered with a red cap. The man was wearing a black shirt and black jeans. He had dark sunglasses over his eyes. He had six Pokeballs around his waist. And he seemed to be about 6' 4". The man didn't seem to be dangerous. Not at all.

"May I ask why you're in such a hurry?" the man asked.

"I'm late for meeting my friend at the gym," Brock said, standing up.

"Well then," the man said as he stood up, "Let me give you a ride. My car is right across the street and I'll get you there a lot more quickly than if you ran."

"Thanks, I'd really appreciate that." Brock sighed.

"No problem. I have this one friend that if she's upset and you don't do as she says, she'll blow up on my butt," the man chuckled.

"That sounds like Misty, the friend that I'm suppose to meet with," Brock laughed.

"Really? What a small world," the man said.

They quickly crossed the road. Brock quickly got in the man's car and came face to face with a very high level Pikachu. It just stared at him with wide eyes. Brock just looked into it's eyes. It seemed so familiar.

"Pikachu, come. You get over here. Let that man be," the man chuckled.

The Pikachu quickly moved the man's shoulder. Brock just couldn't help but picture Ash sitting there. Just like from six years ago. Brock was so busy thinking about that he didn't even realize that the man was almost to the gym.

"I hope that this Misty girl isn't as bad as you say. I was looking forward to battling her for the Cerulean Badge," the man teased.

The man quietly parked the car and got out with the Pikachu still on his shoulder. Brock quickly followed him and led him to the living area of the gym. Where Misty sat waiting.

"Hey Misty. Sorry that I'm late. You have a challenger." Brock said, walking up to Misty.

"I'm sorry sir but I'm not accepting any challenges for a while," Misty said, standing up.

She opened her arms for a hug and Brock couldn't help but notice how fragile she looked. He gladly accepted the hug and returned it. But his mind couldn't help but wander off to how this should be Ash holding her. Brock sighed. He knew that Ash wasn't there. Ash would never be able to do this for Misty again. Not since the day Team Rocket took it to far. Not since the day the Cassidy and Butch came after Pikachu. And yes, Brock remembered Butch's name. He was the reason Ash was no longer with them. The two decided to join Jessie and James going after Pikachu. But their tactics was so different.

They chased Ash. Cassidy fired pellets at him to keep him running. They chased him to a side of a cliff. It was then that Butch pulled out a gun. Brock could remember so vividly on how Ash's eyes widened in fear. He knew that Ash realized that he was going to die. That his dream was at its end. And that he'd never see Misty again. Brock knew that Ash loved her and that it was then that he realized he'd never get to tell her. He remembered seeing the tears in Ash's eyes as he threw Brock his Pokeballs in a last ditch effort to save them. He was busy wrapping his injured best poke pal, Pikachu, in his jacket when Butch took aim. Ash said goodbye to Pikachu when Butch cocked the gun. Finally, Ash had started to get ready to throw Pikachu to Brock when Butch shot him. Straight through the middle of his back. Brock could see it rip through his body and out of the bottom of his gut, just below his belly button. He still remembered how Ash spat out blood. He could still see how the very life left Ash's eyes. And it would forever be engraved in his mind the way Ash fell with Pikachu off the side of the cliff.

By time Brock, Dawn, and Ash's pokemon had reached the bottom, they saw the raging river. They followed it down stream and saw Ash's blood soaked jacket limply hanging a rock in the middle of the river. Buizel retrieved and Brock remembered Delia's expression when she heard that Ash had died. It hurt. What was worse was when he had to call Misty and tell her. How he hated that day. They never gave Ash a funeral because they didn't have a body. Delia refused to give up hope that Ash had somehow made it out a loud. So there was no closure for his friends and pokemon. His pokemon now all lived at Professor Oak's Lab. They refused to belong to another trainer. All the pokemon who he had released, came back and lived there as well. Butterfree, Lapras, Primape, Larvitar, Pidgeot, Squirtle, and even Charizard. They needed each other in the absence of their once great trainer.

Every year, Brock would cook Ash's favorite meal and take it to his pokemon. Every year, almost all of his friends would show up. All but Misty. She never left the gym. She barely ate. Brock sighed and hugged Misty tighter.

'Why'd you have to leave us Ash? We need you,' Brock thought.

The two finally broke apart. But not for long. Misty broke down into tears.

"I wish ash was here! I miss him so much!" Misty cried out.

Brock pulled her into another friendly hug. He tried to calm her down to no avail.

"Misty, you know that Ash wouldn't want you to cry over him. You know that he hated to see your tears," Brock said.

"I don't care! I want Ash! If he was here, he'd beat up the man that did this to me! Why'd he have to die all those years ago!" Misty cried out louder.

"It has been a long time hasn't it," the man stated out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" Brock asked, looking at him.

The man slowly pulled off his sunglasses revealing warm chocolate brown eyes. He then pulled out a bottle of water and washed cover up make up from his cheeks revealing strange marks on them.

"I'm here Mist. Just like you wanted, right?" the man asked.

"A-A-…" Misty stuttered, pushing Brock away, "Ash!"

Misty ran into his arms. He just held her tight and told her that everything was going to be ok. Brock sank to the floor. He had been with Ash the entire time. Unbelievable.

"How? How is it that you're still alive?" Misty asked, after thirty minutes of crying.

"Believe it or not, Jessie and James saved me. They caught me in their balloon before I hit the water. Then they took my jacket and through it into the water. Jessie had had nurse training before Team Rocket so she helped me heal. And all the while, they never tried to take Pikachu away from me. They had quit Team Rocket. And before you ask why I didn't come back, it's because Cassidy and Butch would return for Pikachu. So I hid. To protect you. But I suppose that you have heard the news by now, right?" Ash explained.

"You mean the news about Team Rocket being no more?" Brock asked.

"Yep." Ash stated.

"Yeah, they said that a mysterious man destroyed the entire group's organization. That he dragged every last one of the organization to jail. Including Giovanni." Misty added.

"Well, guess who that was. Me," Ash said.

Misty just hugged Ash tight.

"So that means that you're coming back into the open right?" Misty asked, begging.

"Of course that's what it means." Ash said, hugging her tighter, "You don't know how hard it was to stay away."

"That's great!" Brock exclaimed.

But neither of the two heard him. They were too busy looking into each other's eyes.

"Misty. Once I heard what that man did to you…that he raped you, I came running. I couldn't bare the thought of anyone hurting you. I'm sorry that I wasn't here for you," Ash said, sorrowfully, "F-Forgive me…"

"It's ok…just don't leave me ever again," Misty cried.

"Misty…" Ash whispered, "Misty, I love you. I love you with all my heart."

"What?" Misty gasped.

"I never told you before because my real dad," Ash explained.

"Why? Was he abusive?" Misty questioned.

"No…well yeah, but that wasn't all of it. It was who he was that scared me the most…My dad is Giovanni. That monster's blood runs through me and it makes me sick. I never thought that I deserved you," Ash stated.

"I don't care who is your father is, Ash," Misty said, pulling Ash into another hug, "All I care about is that your alive. And that you feel the exact way that I feel for you."

"Misty," Ash whispered.

Brock quickly pulled out his camera and caught the two's first kiss. He then noticed Pikachu at the video phone.

"Whatcha doing Pikachu?" Brock asked.

It held up a note.

"Let's see. Dear Friends and Family, Guess who? It's me Ash! I'm alive and kicking! Meet me at Professor Oak's Lab in two months if you don't believe this. Hopefully when you come, you'll get to meet my new fiancé. Later! The Soon To Be Pokemon Master, Ash Satoshi Ketchum. So Ash is planning on marrying Misty. Well maybe, this will help bring them running." Brock said as he placed both the picture and note on the teleporter. He then sent it to all of their friends and to Delia.

"Pikachu Pikapi chu Pikachu kachu pika," Pikachu said happily.

"I still have no idea what you say Pikachu," Brock sighed.

He turned to the love birds. That was when he saw Ash getting down on one knee.

"Misty Kasumi Waterflower, will you marry me?" Ash asked.

"YES!" Misty screamed.

Brock watched Misty tackle him and smiled.

"Hey Pikachu. What do you say I treat you to something to eat? My treat. I think those two need a little private time," Brock suggested.

The small electric rodent nodded and followed Brock to the door. It turned to look back at the happy look in his trainer's eyes.

"Pika Pikachu chupi pika Pikachu pika chu pika pichu pika, chu pikapi?" Pikachu said happily.

'It seems that the reason why you could never tell her is gone, right Ash?'

FIN

Mizu: What do you guys think? Too fluffy? Reviews are still very much welcomed. Ciao for now!