Until the Day, Chapter 10

Misty was six when her mother died.

"...Daisy...when people die, where do they go?" She asked, holding Daisy's hand while staring glumly at the grave site before her. Her older sister, whose tears fell from her eyes in heavy drops clung to Misty's hand while the pastor spoke in tongues.

"...Why isn't mom getting up, Daisy?" Misty asked again, though Daisy fell to her knees shortly after to hug Misty tightly while Lily and Violet both looked sick.

"...I don't get it..." Misty whined, looking at the beautiful, mahogany casket at the center of a large crowd.

XOX

Delia stared at the two boys, holding her hand up to her mouth while barely audible noise squeaked out.

"She's awake!"

Had it been possible for Ash's soul to leave his body at that very moment, he was sure that it would have when he jumped from the bench. He didn't give disbelief a single moment before tackling his mother into the warmest, greatest hug he could muster in his current position, then jotted past her with Brock quickly on his heels.

It couldn't have really worked, could it? The doctors whispered of some kind of miracle that brought her back; some assumed her body fought off the damages...but what was more important than that...

Ash reached the outside window of her room, barreling at a screeching halt when his hands grasped the railing at the bottom of the window, and he gazed wide-eyed in a room where the injured redhead was being poked and prodded, and given proper breathing mechanics once again. She looked as confused as the nurses and doctors in the room with her—green eyes flashing in all directions as she struggled to find words.

Eventually, when her caustic gaze fell to the observation window where Ash stood, a visible beep startled the medical staff before her heart rate returned to the normal low range that it was in, and Ash found himself smiling like a goofy, ten year old kid again when she looked away sullenly, then back at him again with a withering, curious gaze.

Placing his hand near the window, Ash waved. Surprisingly, Misty smiled back and for the first time in a very long time: Ash knew that everything was going to be okay.

Thank you, Xerneas.

XOX

"Ash, I'm finished, lets go." Brock voice cut through the chilly morning air of the cemetery and Ash turned to face his oldest friend.

The young pokemon master was tired, his bruises healed over time, and his ribs did not hurt as much. Pikachu was no where to be seen, but he held a bundle of flowers in his hand; another was placed on a neat grave beside him.

"I'll only be a minute."
Brock smiled at Ash, tucked his hands into his large coat pocket, and turned away from the Pokemon Master, heading back to his vehicle while Ash finished his own business. Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Ash faced the bold lettering of the grave, and brushed the dust off the top.

It was strange, accepting and learning to live with situations for what they were, instead of what they should have been. Accepting ones self for all of the mistakes possible, every character flaw and challenging trait was a task no one completed perfectly, and for Ash, simply cleaning off a grave was the most important task of the day. Accepting what he couldn't change was the most difficult situation Ash had ever been in, considering, most situations, Ash always changed.

Individuals that lived in his memories were never truly gone, after all.

"Thank you." he muttered into the cold, barely above a whisper before taking his leave and following Brock back to his car.

XOX

Ash didn't like vehicles, but in worlds other than dream land, it was not practical to be without one. He wasn't ten anymore, so most places were out of walking distance, and he was not able to spent hours traveling. Even though he was still unsettled while he sat in the passenger sear of Brock's former-breeder mobile, Ash knew that vehicles were a necessary evil. Especially in a city as large as Cerulean City.

In the distance he could see the tall structure of a white and gray building with large windows—the same hospital he had been to what felt like a million times.

"Man... why do we have to keep coming back here?" Ash muttered and Brock shrugged quietly while shifting into the left lane.

"Because we still have paper work to fill out, documents to file—" Brock's eyes shifted to Ash, swatting his feet off the dashboard. "It's a lot of work. I figured as a pokemon Master, you would be used to that by now."

Ash scoffed looking to the hospital intrepidly before saying: "I do field work. I hire people to do my paperwork."

Brock shook his head at Ash's unbelievable response as they pulled into the hospital's parking area. Finding a spot was no easy task between the heavy multitude of SUV's and mini-vans. Ash was surprised there were not more sports cars in the underground parking, then again, they were the most likely reason people were in the hospital. Sitting for a few moments, the two of them took in the solitude of the moment before exhaling.

"I can't believe it's already been a month..."

"I know." Brock uttered numbly, nodding to Ash as they both clicked open the car door, and slipped out one foot at a time. Mindlessly following Brock up a flight of stairs rather than taking the elevator, Ash winced as memories flooded in. He was still working on his approach, viewing dire situations in a light of day, rather than the darkness he was clouded by before. Brock veered right, heading into the lobby where he waved to a receptionist, and Ash breathed to calm his nerves.

"Since you're so good at it, you go do field world, and I'll take care of the papers." Brock waved Ash on a little too quickly. "There were some things left in her room."

"I know." Ash murmured in quick reply.

Ash did not bother looking at Ash while he crossed into the familiar hallway, past a row of blankets, and then into a hallway he had scarred into the back of his mind. Praying that he would never have to visit here again did not seem to work, since this would mark the third visit this month. Twisting around a set of doors, and barreling into an unused room, Ash marched inside of Misty Waterflower's former room, and exhaled quietly. It still smelled like latex, but her perfumes long since depleted.

Her room was mostly untouched- a few patients had come and gone, but the nurse who found the keepsakes placed them in a bag for Ash to find sitting on the bedside table. Ash saw the care that went into each placement of the items laid out for him, and how proper the bedding was pulled to one side. The beeping machines were long gone, but Ash swore he could still faintly hear the soft pattering of her heart.

"Hey, are you here to pick up Miss Waterflower's stuff?" A friendly, plump nurse asked from the door way, alerting Ash to her presence. The raven-haired boy turned quickly, forcing a smile to his lips before politely nodding.

"Do you need some help?" she offered and Ash shook his head awkwardly.

"...No, I'll manage. Thank you." After all, a lot wasn't left behind by Misty's sisters: a purse, a few torn parchments, and—ah-ha, her family's secret heirloom; a cascade badge turned into a necklace. The requested item from the family.

Ash smiled weakly while scooping up the object and gently placing it into his pocket before turning and leaving quickly. The less time he spent in there, the better. Really, the less time he spent in the hospital as a whole was better.

Brock was flirting with the nurse at the receptionist desk when Ash returned, swinging Misty's old purse side to side. Catching his friend in the act forced the older man to freeze, and Ash to grin.

"Did you finish the paperwork, Brocko?" Ash mocked, sucking in his lips while Brock stammered and cleared his throat.

"Ye-yeah, of course." His back straightened.

So there wasn't any paperwork, Ash smacked his lips and smiled to Brock, then to the lady.

"I know this might sound rude..." Ash began, quirking an eyebrow. "But could ya' be a pal and give him your number, it'd be really helpful to me." Brock was surprised by how smoothly the questioned landed, and was even more appalled by how the nurse giggled in response.

"I could give you my number?" Ash was about to reject her offer when large, tanned hands flew in front of his face, and jerked him away from the counter at high speeds.

"Ash!" Brock yelped, "Not cool man."
Chuckling at the pokemon doctor's misfortune, as grinned and wiped his nose.

"She didn't like you anyways!" Ash brushed off, clicking the elevator button while Brock fumed beside him.

"That's not the point."

"..So... you like to hit on girls that will never like you back?" Ash questioned, unsure of Brock flawed logic while he threw up his hands.

"Duh!"

Ash looked forward, slipping into the elevator while looking obscurely at Brock. They had known each other for easily fifteen years, and Ash still didn't understand him. Not even a little bit.

"I think we should order a bride in from over seas..."

"Ash, if I wanted a real girlfriend, I could find a real girlfriend."

As the elevator doors closed, a cocky smirk fell over Ash's lips and he gave a knowing look to his long-time friend and companion who stumbled to keep a straight face.

"Really?" Ash challenged him and Brock would have had words with Ash had he not escaped to the car.

XOX

"And your mom made it back to Pallet Town safely?" Brock asked Ash for the millionth time that day.

"Yes, I've called her six times. Do I hear a seventh?" Ash glared while Brock focused only on the road, switching lanes to the high way. Ash pointed to a sign they passed. "We should grab something to eat on our way back."

"You think so?" Brock asked, concerned for the Waterflowers of Cerulean City, Ash smiled at Brock. "Well, I guess since Delia isn't here to cook. And it beats grocery shopping..."

Sitting back in his chair, glancing at the roses sitting in the back seat, Ash hummed quietly. "Yeah, I'll buy."

"Alright!" Brock grinned. "There are some perks to having a friend who makes millions a year."

"I don't make millions." Ash scowled, a grin tugging at his lips. "I make billions." He joked, earning a solid punch from Brock, and a skillfully timed swerve.

"Brock, eyes on the road! We don't need anymore accidents!"

"I know, I know!" He shouted, straightening out and managing the exit.

XOX

The gym was dark when they arrived. It was always dark nowadays because Daisy, Lily, and Violet were having issues being reinstated as the gym leaders in this difficult time; and Misty's ex-fiance was making sure it wasn't easy on them. Being a lawyer had many perks, but mostly it just made him a bigger asshole, and life a little harder.

Brock and Ash had their revenge though, a little bit of gasoline and friends in the police force—they may have had too much fun burning a hole in his pocket. Or, well, his office. But the damage was essentially the same. He had to pay for it; though Ash would have preferred to actually injure him, it was in his best interest to stay out of the media in a negative light; he was still redeemed a hero, after all. At least he didn't get the gym, thanks to Ash's heavy influence over Kanto's league affairs, he called for a new vote in lieu of the circumstances; which only meant that Daisy,specifically, had to prove herself a worthy gym leader.

A task more suited for a seel than Misty's sister.

"Oh! You brought food!" Daisy squealed from the top of the stairs while Ash and Brock made their way up, being careful not to spill anything.

"Three kinds of pizza!" Brock chanted back proudly.

"...I never thought I would say this, but I am so hungry I could eat a rapidash!" She exclaimed ripping the pizza box from their fingers the very moment their heels reached the top of the stairs while Ash looked at her, concerned.

"...Please don't do that."

"Relax. It's a figure of speech!" She shouted while Lily and Violet, who were dressed in work clothes greeted Brock and Ash with a friendly wave.

Since the gym was still under Waterflower name, the sisters were allowed to live here again until the new leader—hopefully Daisy—was chosen. Misty never set any boundaries with the girls, so they were always free to come and go as they liked—they only chose not to. According to their story, Daisy and Lily had never really done anything to hurt Misty, though Violet was trying her hardest to repent and mend the damage she caused. After all, she was only trying to prove to Misty that her fiance was a piece of garbage—one that escalated the lawsuit and staged the situations in his favor.

Ash did not really think too much into it. The girls business was their own, and if he learned anything, it was to forgive and forget. Holding grudges was never worth the ache in the end.

Brock's voice pulled him back into reality while his shoulders slumped and the flowers and grocery bag he held in his hands felt like a million pounds.

"H-hey! The one with anchovies is mine!" Brock screamed at the three vultures while he fell into the crowd to save a slice for himself. Ash stood back, watching them for a moment before Daisy stopped to stare at him.

"You want some?" she invited, moving aside to show off the few slices of pizza remaining. Ash tried not to laugh.

"Uhh," Ash started, "No, thanks. I think I'll go visit for a little bit." Ash hummed, pointing down the hall while they shrugged and returned to consuming the greasy triangles of cheese and bread.

Ash brushed his hair back out of his eyes while he walked, still clutching at the flowers he held so neatly, until stopping at a room at the very center of the hallway. The lights were off still, and he could smell scented candles inside that made his knees weak, and his stomach flip several times. The last time he had been here, it was to find some miracle cure, some absolute solution that would save them all. Now, it was a new, terrifying sensation that occasionally brought tears to his eyes. When he pushed open the door his eyes hit the floor.

"Cha!" The mouse squeaked happily upon seeing his trainer.

"Hey." He muttered into the darkness, hearing pikachu perk up while from across the room.

Silence filled his ears at first, the memory of her voice draining his very soul from his body. A dream, or is imagination. A part of him still wasn't sure this was real, and then finally, movement.

Beneath the rodent, under a heavy sheet of blankets and the flickering of lights, heavy movement shifting pierced his ears, and his heart sunk to his knees in elation while she made herself visible in the otherwise dark room.

Her pasty skin shined bright like a beacon regardless of the sickly features of her face, and he could have leaped at her in the sudden joy embracing every inch of his body.

"'ey." Answered back to him and his eyes lifted from the sheets, to the bed where green eyes bore holes into his skull. A smile a mile wide danced across his face and relief washed over him. This wasn't a dream, after all.

"I brought you flowers." He announced boldly, holding them out while she slowly sat forward and brushed pikachu off of her chest so she could see him better. Her red hair poked up in all directions. Long gone were the white bandages and stitches, but an ugly scar tore beneath her growing hair.

"Ooh, I like roses." She announced coyly while he approached her, slipping the flowers into an empty vase and mentally noting to bring water back later so they wouldn't die right away. While doing so, he took a seat beside her on the bed, twisted his head to hers and kissed her forehead gingerly.

"Sorry I was gone so long. My mom doesn't like taking the train alone and then there was everything in Sinnoh..."

"It's okay." she hummed back, her voice still coarse from sleep, or lack there of.

"Did you drop off those-?"

"Yeah, both graves. Brock took the flowers to your father's, though, because we were under a time restraint."

"Thank you." Misty hummed against his shoulder in the darkness. "I haven't been able to get out there, and the whole almost dy-" Ash couldn't hear her say it, so he nonchalantly interrupted her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"I just really wanted there to be flowers..."

"I even nabbed fake ones so they wouldn't die." Ash hummed happily while she narrowed her eyes.

"And my stuff from the hospital?" She asked while Ash cleared his pockets, revealing the item she wanted most of all. The cascade necklace gleamed at her in the candle light, and he didn't hesitate before latching it around her neck.

Moments like this were still strained between them, but while she brushed her hand over the healing wound on her head, and tucked her fingers into the growing strands of hair to calm her nerves, Ash kissed the area innocently, then wrapped his arms up and around her back.

She was still black and blue in a lot of places, the light still hurt her eyes from the major concussion she suffered, and until her head healed, she was stuffed with pain killers that she wasn't sure were actually helping her—because her motor functions were all wrong, but that could have been due to the head injury. The doctors made no immediate promises of recovery since so many parts of her body were damaged in the accident—they were still trying to wrap their heads around her longevity let alone the recovery process.

Even though his arms held her dainty, she was exhausted shortly after sitting up and fell backwards in his arms. Dizzy spells came and went, but Ash helped lower her to her pillows, and then hovered above her tired face.

"We brought pizza." said Ash as Misty's face screwed up.

"Oh.." She murmured halfheartedly but then his chaste grin captured her eyes and he reeled away from her to grab the bag he carried in along with the flowers.

"But Brock insisted we stick to the meal plan the hospital gave us, especially since my mom won't be here to cook for you anymore."

"Oh thank mew." Misty uttered quietly thanking the heavens while relaxing beside him. Ash turned to her playfully, tempted to ask her what was wrong with pizza, but decided against it when he saw her face. It hurt to sit up, to lay down, to move, to talk. Punctured organs, broken bones, burned nerves—she was lucky to even be alive, even after a month of healing, she had a long way to go. Without speaking, he set the bag on the night table beside her, then moved two of her pillows to prop her upright. At her side, pikachu jumped from the bed, and went to fetch utensils from the kitchen while Ash awkwardly fluffed her pillowed around her face, and she brushed his arms away instinctively.

"Be careful." She warned him when his upper arm grazed her scalp and Ash quickly apologized.

"..My mom was better at this, I know." Ash mumbled watching while Misty's face darkened when pikachu returned, promptly handing Ash the utensils, instead of Misty. For the first week Misty was home, Delia stayed behind to help her—the mother stayed in the hospital with her after the first week while Ash finished up business outside of the region so he could be here.

Now. When she really needed him.

"I can do it myself." Misty grumbled, but while Ash cracked open the box, he looked at her skeptically.

"The last time you did it yourself, half of it ended up on you." He mumbled sarcastically, but watching her face soften into a pout was poison to his soul.

"Alright, but you'll let me help you when you need it." He demanded while slipping the fork into her fingers, and setting the well balanced meal of ocean fish, vegetables and mashed potatoes in front of her. She grinned, sort of, her brow was curled with determination and she plucked the fork into the meal, stabbing an unsuspecting piece of broccoli and lifting it with great effort.

Ash tried to watch her without a dopey grin, but the pride she took in the little things was commendable, down right respectable when she managed to raise the vegetable to her lips without making a mess. Since she left the hospital, her skin returned to the creamy tone it was before her accident, occasionally even flushed if he said the right things.

"That was the easy one." Ash grinned, and she immediately scowled at him while chewing.

"I don't need you belittling me." She shooed him with her fork while Pikachu watched in awe from the foot of the bed. "Go away."

"No way." Ash retorted quickly, slipping from the seat beside her bed, to sitting beside her over the blankets and relaxing with his feet crossed at the ankles. She ate quietly under his gaze while his fingers mindlessly stroked her upper thigh over the blankets; a few bites here and there, and eventually, as most of her tasks ended lately, her hand was shaking too much on her own to continue. Before she had the time to set the fork down, a careful Ash grasped her fingers and guided the fork to her mouth against her will.

"I don't need help." She scowled and Ash rolled his eyes at her behavior. She didn't fight him when he took the fork from her grasp and started ripping into the last of her meal.

"Everyone needs help sometimes, Mist." he told her while stabbing the meat, and holding it up to her lips. She might have refused to open her mouth under any and all circumstances, but her gaze was soft. Generally, she refused to be fed, a reoccurring problem Delia and her sisters were both having. Once she was too tired to feed herself, she refused help from everyone.

Ash didn't budge though, not until she opened her mouth, then looked away bitterly when she bit down. Everyone except for him.

"Good job." he complimented her as if she were a child, an instant, unintentional jab that she reiterated by pushing his hand off her thigh.

"Don't do that."

"Sorry." he said immediately, preparing another bite while looking bashful and sincere.

Ever so often, She would pause between bites, trying to determine if the shame was worth eating; but Ash was so heartfelt about the gesture, she couldn't say no. He was not motherly like Delia, or demanding like her sisters. He was oddly gentle, and caring, and it disturbed her greatly.

"You're going to give me hell for this when I'm better, aren't you?" She asked sharply while he curled his lips and after she finished up the first half of her meal, he packaged it up at he request.

Her medication didn't leave her with much of an appetite, but every little bit helped—she ate at least half today, that was an improvement from the liquid diet she was on originally, then the soft food diet after that. Ash was not good at the complicated procedures, but this, he could do.

"Maybe," he finally replied, taking her frail hands into his own. "But you never know; what if I'm in this boat someday?" he questioned while dusting his hands off while she licked her lips clean; Ash fumbled for a napkin when she leaned forward and grazed her lips against his shirt and he was left gawking at her.

"Thanks for that." he replied sarcastically.

"You're welcome; I was just sharing the awesome smell of fish." She hummed happily while leaning backwards with little effort, thanks to the pillows he stuffed behind her.

"I was wondering when you would come back." her voice was low and uncomfortable while Ash pursed his lips.

"Yeah, Brock gave me a lift from the station."

"Did he?" She grinned. Ash gave her a fitting glace. "Finally getting into cars again?"

"Can't be scared of them forever." Ash muttered, though it was not him that was scared of them now. Misty flinched at the suggestion of riding home from the hospital, it was the reason she didn't want to go back. Even though her sisters, which had a rough patch to work through even now, Brock, and Delia stayed with her after the first week, she was not adjusted to her injuries; she barely recalled what happened.

"I'm sorry..." She started again and Ash let out a frustrated sigh.

"Misty, we've been over this. Don't apologize." he urged, nudging her arm then immediately regretting it when she flinched like a toddler. She was so brittle right now, learning to be gentle was still a priority.

"I know, but..." She might have rubbed her temple if her arms were not so tired from feeding herself, numb from the minor exercise, and Ash's warm fingers laced between her cold ones.

After everything, there was still a lot that needed to be said between them, situations to mend, emotions to heal—but until she was better, they both agreed to let the anger and grudges go for now and focus on what was happening right now.

"Do you think I'm going to get better?" She asked finally, unable to look up at him. Ash snapped at her, eyes blinking wildly with pikachu as his back up.

"Of course! Look at how much better you've gotten in the last month. They said it would be a while before you returned to normal, but you can already use your arms again; that's a major improvement." especially since all of her initial motor functions were shot, courtesy of the spinal injury from projecting forward.

Her eyes caught his blind optimism and she pursed her lips. "I can't walk."

"So?" Ash questioned blinking while her eyes squinted, usually an expression followed by tears and so he thought quickly before adding: "And you can wiggle your toes. That's just as good right now."

"Ash," she huffed, sounding like a wounded animal. "They aren't even sure I don't have brain damage or something like that, and with these weird medications, I can't tell if I'm coming or going and my whole body is numb and I have a million tests coming up that could determine the rest of my life and..." before the tears fell, he nudging her again which resulted in another jot of pain coursing through her body, and a nasty glare.

Ash was complete unfazed by her complaints and pursed his lips. "...So?"

"So!" Misty gasped, throwing her arms down. "What if it was you!?"

Ash paused, thinking for a long time. "Well, would you be the one taking care of me?" He questioned, watching her face screw up, then twist into a crooked and twitchy smile.

"...Maybe... probably." She inhaled. "I don't know, that's not-!" She started, though her words were stopped by his hands pressing firmly against her cheeks and his lips grazing her own sweetly.

Ash should have felt the difference, between kissing her now and kissing her in his imagination; her lips were rough in the worst way—she couldn't drink too much water because of her medication, but her medication dehydrated her. Even though her lips were not soft or delicate, they were hers and her warmth fueled his entire body. Then there was the way she kissed him, it was not like those cheap romance movies she adored where each kiss resulted in heavy panting, puffy lips and the exchange of saliva; instead, her lips moved sensually against his own, parting just enough to give him goosebumps.

When he pulled away, she was glaring at him, but her face was flushed a bright red that forced him to grin.

"I hate it when you do that." she gawked, smacking his chest playfully. During their exchange, he had brushed the pillow out from behind her, letting her lay beside him while she brushed gentle kisses onto his neck. She didn't have to, at first they did not want to, but when he saw her alone for the first time in the hospital room recovery, they felt compelled to.

Since waking up, neither told anyone, but it wasn't exactly a secret. Misty's sisters were a bit disturbed by Ash's advances at first; fearful he would take advantage of her, but then he left for three weeks. Misty didn't reject him, though part of him thought that she should have. Oddly enough, it felt like they were picking up where they left off, but the line between when and where blurred the argument.

He grinned while accepting pikachu's slow movements to sit beside them. "I would be okay."

"You don't know that." She whined in response and Ash smiled wide.

"I do."

Her brows twitched. "How?"

"...because I'd be alive... and that alone seems like a pretty big miracle right now." he managed, a grin tugging at his lips while she huffed and if she had movement in her hips, she would have writhed and flopped down under her covers.

"I hate how optimistic you are." She whined, throwing her blankets over her head.

"No you don't." Ash growled, pulling the blankets back down and crawling beneath them in order to wrap an arm gently around her waist, and pull her cheek to rest against his shoulder.

"It's so weird." She hummed, exhaling softly. "I was convinced for awhile none of it happened. That by some chance I woke up in another time with the option to redo everything..."

She sighed into his shoulder. "It felt so real."

"Did I tell you I time traveled?"

A sincere, but knowing smile covered her lips. "I don't remember saying you were there."

"Oh." He grimaced, but heard the humor in her voice. Deciding to keep the truth his little secret for awhile, he kissed her temple. "Tell me about it."

XOX

No one wants to die, but everyone does. A part of life was dying.

Lucky for him, Misty wasn't quite ready to go yet, and neither was he.

Misty's recovery was not easy, and it was not just the physical wounds that needed to heal. Their sketchy past wasn't so easily put behind them after the second month, when Misty decided to move from the gym, into an apartment closer to the Cerulean City hospital where her physical therapist worked. Since Ash was determined to help her, he filed for temporary leave from his normal job for personal reasons, and helped her move.

Her pride wouldn't let him live with her though. Not officially. Regardless, he still stayed most nights on the couch, held her when she laid awake in gruesome pain, and handled the small details and paperwork of her recovery. Once Brock had returned to Viridian City to run his clinic, it was just the two of them, and it wasn't always easy to handle their tempers.

Daisy was eventually dubbed the temporary gym leader until Misty healed. The hospital sent a letter to the league verifying that in time, she would heal. Only, they never specified how long it would take, and the depression following her injury was starting to weigh on Ash, who did everything possible to remain positive.

Couldn't she see that being alive was enough? The other option was much worse...however, pretending like nothing ever happened wasn't any better. Ash knew that reversing the problems didn't fix them. Like adults, they had to fix them little by little.

Misty was just... difficult.

"Hey, I'm here." Ash uttered from the doorway while he made his way into the small apartment to see Misty standing between two bars in her bedroom, holding herself up.

Naturally, pikachu, who spent most of his time with Misty while Ash was away (her personal caregiver, with no exception or argument) stood at her feet, scampering back and forth in fear that she would fall down.

Falling down was also very common, but she always got back up.

Brimming with pride, Ash approached the determined redhead, who flushed upon seeing him.

"C'mon, Misty, you can do it!"

"Could you not?" She breathed, blowing a strand of hair from her face while she gripped the railing of the two bars she was supposed to use for physical therapy and held her self up with sheer upper body strength. Ash chanted to her quietly, only infuriating her while he watched from one end of the bars. She was embarrassed by her recovery, but Ash thought she should have wore it like a badge of honor.

"Would you shut up!" Even though she was mad now, later one when the mood passed, she always thanked him for being so encouraging even when she was at her worst.

"Only if you come over here and make me." he taunted her while wagging his fist at her playfully and she growled—had she not been struggling so much with walking, he might have actually been a little more scared than he was.

"Ash...you..." She exhaled, then felt the world whoosh around her when her arms gave out. Luckily, two strong arms, and two tiny paws were at her side, grabbing her around the waist before her head met the floor.

"Careful."

"I told you I was fine." She groaned and Ash squeezed her happily, though she wasn't pleased.

"There's always later; how many steps was that today?" Ash asked proudly while flinging her light body up, then draping her legs over his forearm while he carried her off to her chair. Since her physical therapy started, her body was still gaining the muscle it lost from nerve damage. Her athletic body was a work in progress, and she had a long way to go.

Didn't stop her from trying to squirm away from him, though.

"Put me down, I can get there myself!" She shouted, but only playfully fought him.

Eventually when he placed her on the bed, she let out a frazzled sigh. "...and that would have been my second trip back, you ruined it."

Ash laughed from his belly and crashed onto the bed beside her, "That's great, you're doing a lot better. I'm proud of you."

Where Misty hated when people took pity on her, she loved Ash's compliments. They were sincere and-

"And it's not my fault I make you weak in the knees."

"You have to ruin every nice thing that you say, don't you?" his lopsided grin answered her.

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't, would I?"

Her eyes rolled while she fell backwards. Three months following, her hair had grown into a pretty bob that Lily cut for her, she switched from wearing pajamas everyday to a more conservative top that covered the hideous scars and sweat pants. She always wore sweat pants. Jeans squeezed her in all of the wrong places, and for the same reason as her tops; she wouldn't be caught dead in shorts right now.

"Why don't we go out today?" Ash asked, watching her face pale, then scrunch up in frustration.

"I don't wanna." She rejected, sitting up immediately. Ash knew that if she could walk freely, she would have jumped from her bed and into the living room, but unfortunately for her, their current predicament left them stationary.

"Why not?"

"Because people stare are me. Especially when I'm with you. You're famous, you know? And I'm pretty sure everyone knows my face in this town..." She sighed. "If I have one more person tell me that they're so sorry, I might.."

"Misty." Ash scolded her, watching her face brighten and then she poked her tongue out between her teeth.

"I know, I'm being bitter." He titled his head in a way to her agreement, and she shifted to touch their shoulders together.

"Why don't we stay here and watch some television? Oh, or you can tell me about your recent challenges."

Ash wasn't amused by her obvious avoidance. "Or, we could go out."

"I don't want to." She offered, more serious an hostile that time while she forced herself to stand.

The way her muscles twitched made his body tense. Even after so many months, she was plagued by chronic pain in her legs; pins and needles, and the occasional gun shot. Yet, she refused help. When they suggested that she get used to a wheelchair, she cried for two days. Swore that she would get her mobility back within the year, and while the doctors doubted it; she was moving great for someone in her condition. Her body was like a toddler's again; she had to relearn everything. Unfortunately, that put battling on the back burner as well.

"Well, then I guess I'll keep that surprise to myself." He muttered while she fell into her wheelchair with a satisfied breath.

"...what surprise?" She asked, eyebrows high.

"I can't tell you if you won't come with me." Her face twisted, clearly disturbed by this new game he was playing. Though, he knew he piqued her interest.

"Please?" He asked, moving toward her to knee at her legs and look up at her with adoring, puppy-dog eyes. She could withstand it for a moment, breaking eye contact only to roll her eyes, but the long he gazed up at her, the more damage her walls took.

"Okay, fine!" She shouted, throwing her arms up and earning a wild grin from the man.

"We're going somewhere special, but you have to trust me...and we can't take your chair."

If she was scared before, she looked terrified now.

"No." She answered hotly, but she could see by the set of his jaw he wasn't going to take no for an answer much longer. Still, she tried again. "Absolutely not."

"How come?" he whined, "Please?" He asked smiling at her.

"We'll stop by Pallet Town to visit my mom?" He blinked happily and Misty's lower lip quivered—she did enjoy seeing Delia, and getting out of Cerulean City would only be a god send; still, she couldn't just agree, either.

"Well...what is it?"

His eyebrow quirked. "If I told you, it would ruin the surprise. Don't be a party pooper, Mist!"

"...the last surprise I had resulted in an unwarranted amount of visits to my family physician." Misty barked sarcastically and Ash rolled his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, grinning sharply.

"Don't you trust me?"

"Ash..." She whined, letting her head loll backwards while he kissed her lips temperamentally, then whisked her out of her chair, against her flailing arms; slowly, she threw her arms over his back, and wrapped her legs around his waist which he held with his arms.

"Just hold on." He told her and Misty groaned, into his back while he marched out of the apartment, through the fire exit stairs so no one would see them, and then out the back door, where he threw out a pokeball, gleaming with a champion level charizard that grew larger each time she saw it.

"Chaaa!" The mouse squealed, jumping from the ground and up onto charizard's head while Ash neared the pseudo-dragon pokemon, and it licked Ash's face in response.

"Hey, we're gonna take a short trip, do you mind if Misty rides on your back, too?" Charizard huffed in approval while Ash grinned at a scared Misty and hoisted her up onto charizard's shoulders.

"You'll be fine, just don't fall off."

"I swear to... Ash, this better be safe."

Hearing her doubt, charizard breathed smoke from his nose reassuringly, and Ash took a careful seat behind her and locked his arms around her waist, then pressed them against charizard's neck for support while she grasped his arms for dear life. When the pokemon went from standing still, to zooming quickly over the tree branches, Misty screamed; and Ash and pikachu bellowed in laughter.

XOX

It was cliché, and cheesy—he knew that, bringing her back here; she probably thought he was crazy. Route one, somewhere along the river, he helped Misty to sit on a rock and rushed over to where he stowed away two fishing rods, and brought one back for Misty while charizard and pikachu caught up with one another.

"Ash, what is this?"
"Vacation." Ash announced, ignoring the frigid temperature while he wrapped a blanket around her waist that they could share and grinned happily at her while he threat the line through a hook.

"but why here? There are a lot of fishing spots near Cerulean City, did we really have to fly three hours?" she was clearly sore, and while her words presented complaints, she was glowing in unbridled happiness.

"You liked it." Ash said nonchalantly, and she sighed.

"Ash..."

"But this one's special." He specified quickly, then pointed to the stream. "If I remember correctly, this would be the first time you saved my life—fifteen years ago? If you hadn't been here to fish me out of the water that day, I probably would have drowned. We would have never met. None of this would have ever happened. For better or worse..."

Misty's lips curled while he continued and cast his line into the river; though, he knew he wouldn't catch anything of value here. Winter was the worst time to catch river pokemon. Misty smiled.

"You can be so sweet sometimes, and so damn frustrating, too." She growled, casting her line professionally, as if she hadn't missed a single day of fishing. Watching her brought a smile to his lips while he brushed out the hair that grew slowly from the previously shaved scalp—checking to make sure the injury was healing properly; mostly, it was a habit.

She didn't speak for a long time while she watched the bob float at the surface of the water.

"You saved my life, too, you know. A lot, in a lot of different ways." She finally managed.

"You think so?"
"I know so." She smiled, grasping his hand with her own and leaning onto his shoulder.

The breeze danced between them, and Ash felt whole for the first time in years. No parts missing, no halves broken. Quietly, she spoke again while looking into the distance with a charming smile meant only for him.

"...and Ash, thank you..."

For everything.

Author's Note:

(Just fyi, I'm a sucker for happy endings.. ;w;) Well, a bitter-sweet ending at the least.

I hope that was a happy enough ending for everyone? (A bit cliché, to, eh?)

Well, what did you think, Mrs. Nose!? When I was given the prompt, originally I didn't have a set legendary (it was also going to a humor fic haha), (turn back time was not in the literal sense, btw. Typically when people die, as Brock stated in the last chapter, people 'imagine' things didn't happen beacuse it's easy to pretend it's all a bad dream the phrase "if I could turn back time" is very common in life or death situations; also "if I knew then what I know now" is a common phrase as well.)

So, anyways, I went on a legendary pokemon hunt, and something specific about Xerneas caught my eye.

"Legend says that it can share eternal life"

So, and if you haven't already figured it out, there was always foreshadowing. -runs away- I'm also not going to reveal if it was Ash's dream, or Misty's dream, or if Xerneas truly gave him a glimpse of what could have been; because from Ash's POV, it doesn't really matter, so long as she's alive.

I've really enjoyed reading the reviews for this story, you guys have really made my days with the reviews you have left! I will reply to them as soon as possible! :) Kudos, cheers, and thank you for all the feedback/favs/follows -hearts- I hope to see you all again! Let me know what you thought.

NINT

P.S. I forgot to mention that yes, the chapters are labeled specifically after one of my favorite songs. Even though I can't technically include them in the story, there are no rules against having chapter titles as partial of lyrics, and I felt like the lyrics really fit. IF you want to listen to the song the titles were influenced by it is: "When we die" by Bowling for Soup.

P.S.S I'm soooo sorry for double posting? I updated the unfinished version by accident last time!