A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to finish this but my inspiration comes and goes like time. This is the final chapter.

Chapter 2: Cleaning and Promises

Cerulean Gym

"Okay, well we'll let you two be on your way," Delia said. "The girls and I have some work to do." She gave a slight chuckle as three light sighs could be heard from the couch.

"Thanks, Mrs. K, don't work to hard."

"You don't need to worry about me," she said, as Misty laughed.

"Bye, Mom, we'll be back," Ash said. "I'm not sure when, but we will."

As Ash and Misty left, Delia told the girls, "Okay, you're going to need to put on some comfortable clothes, and meet me in the kitchen for your first lesson."

Fifteen minutes later, Delia walked into the hallway where the girls' rooms were, and said, "Does it really take fifteen minutes to change into some comfortable clothes?"

"Yes," Daisy said, as the sisters came out looking rather unhappy.

"Okay," Delia began. "First lesson, washing the dishes."

"Okay!" Lily said, a bit excited, picking dirty dishes out of the sink and walking over to the dishwasher.

"No, the dishes stay in the sink and you wash them." Delia said.

"Like, isn't that what a dishwasher is for?" Daisy said.

"Do you even know how to work one?" Delia said, not skipping a beat.

"Like, put the dishes in it and close it." Daisy replied. "Yes, I think I do."

Delia sighed. "Come over here, you three," narrating what she was doing, as she was doing it. "You put soap and water in one side of the sink, and dirty dishes in the other. Then scrub the dirty dishes with a soapy brush or sponge until it is clean, next pass it on to the next girl in line," picking up a towel. "Where she will dry it off, and finally," putting the towel down, "pass it to the third sister, who will put it where it goes," placing the plate in the cabinet.

"Okay, let's give it a try," Daisy said, trying to be optimistic.

A few days later, between Pallet Town and Viridian City…

"Ash, why am I wearing this dumb blindfold?"

"Just wait a bit longer," he said trying to hold in his excitement.

"Okay," the redhead said, a bit exasperated.

"Okay, we're here," Ash, said taking off the blindfold.

Misty gasped.

"You do know where this is, don't you?" Ash asked.

"Yes, this is where I fished you out of the water the day we met," she said, still in shock.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Wanna have a picnic?"

"Sure." 'Wow he really thought all this out.'

'What is it about her that I can't seem to get enough of?' Ash asked himself.

Cerulean Gym

After a few days of learning to wash the dishes, Daisy, Lily, and Violet, had gotten down to an art form.

"Next lesson," Delia began. "Cleaning this dump," referring to the mess all over the floor.

"Like, what if I like, break a nail?" Lily said, mortified.

"It'll grow back," Delia said, bluntly. Lily gaped at her. "Get used to it, the outside world is not kind." Lily closed her mouth slowly.

"Now, first, let's put everything where it goes, and we will go on from there."

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Ketchum," chorused the three voices, as the four women began on picking up clothes and shoes, among other things.

"One quick question," Lily said. "When do you teach us to battle with our pokémon?"

"Good question," Delia replied. "You know your pokémon, and you know their attacks, just trust your instincts."

"Wow, that was deep," Lily said, awestruck.

Back with Ash and Misty…

"Ash, we've been gone a week and a half, shouldn't we be on our way back?" Misty said a bit worried.

"Just one more night," Ash replied.

"Okay." 'Why can I not say 'no' to him?"

"Put on the blindfold one more time, Mist."

"No," she said, bluntly.

"Fine," Ash said as Misty relaxed just long enough for him to slip it over her eyes. "Now keep it on, you're going to love this last stop," he whispered into her ear.

"Okay," Misty said in defeat, while going weak at the knees from his light touch.

"Okay, we're here," he said, leading her to the edge of a body of water.

As Misty took the blindfold off she gasped, "Cerulean Cape," she breathed.

"Yeah, someone told me you always wanted a guy to take you here," Ash said reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a small box.

As Ash opened the box, Misty gasped again. A small silver ring, holding one small aquamarine stone atop it, shone in the moonlight.

"Ash, I'm too young to get married."

Not missing a beat, he replied. "It's a promise ring."

"You mean," Misty's voice trailed off.

"Yes," Ash said. "I love you, Misty. I can't see myself with any other girl but you, and I want you to know that. Would you wear this for me?"

"Of course," she replied, beaming. "I feel the same way about you, and I can't see any part of my future without you. I love you, Ash," she was cut off by his lips against hers.

When they finally parted, Misty asked. "So where are we sleeping tonight? There aren't any Pokémon Centers or hotels anywhere close by."

Ash reached into his backpack he had been carrying the whole week and a half and pulled out two sleeping bags.

"Why two?" Misty asked, grinning. "It's a little chilly tonight."

Ash just stood there, his turn to be stunned.

"Are you going to put it on the ground, or not?"

Ash did as he was told, and they both slept better that night than they had on the entire trip, the first night of the trip without a mattress, but first night of their lives next to someone they loved.

Back at the Gym

"Okay, the gym is completely spotless. Now what do we do?" Violet asked.

"Maturity lessons," Delia said.

"I'm 25 years old, I can be mature." Violet said.

'I'm not sure how to respond to that.' Delia thought.

"Yeah, we can like, be mature and all, we just don't," Daisy said.

"Okay, first thing, saying 'like' all the time, is a sign of immaturity," Delia said.

"Okay, I think we should stop saying that anyway," Lily said. "It gets really annoying.

"That works," Violet said. "Anything else we need to know."

"Take on your own responsibilities, and do them," Delia replied.

"You mean what we have been learning, this week?" Lily asked

"Exactly," Delia said.

"We can do that!" The three younger women exclaimed.

"Good, one more thing,"

"What's that?" Violet asked.

"That squealing thing you all do," Delia began. "Don't do that, unless completely necessary."

"Yes, ma'am."

Back to Ash and Misty

As the sun rose, Ash and Misty awoke in each other's arms.

"Good morning, Mist."

"Good morning, Ash."

"We should get going," Ash said as he got out of the sleeping bag and stood up.

"Yeah," Misty replied. "Let's hope your mom is still sane."

"Worry about the other side of that battle," Ash retorted.

"Yeah, good point," she laughed.

Ash and Misty walked up to the door of the Cerulean Gym and rang the doorbell.

"I'll get it girls, just sit tight," Delia said, as she opened the door.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, Mrs. Ketchum."

"Hey, Ash, Misty."

Later, while all six of them, were in the front room talking about how the gym had been cleaned up over the past week and a half, Daisy noticed something on Misty's finger.

"Misty!" she squealed. "What's that on your finger, and where did you get it?"

"It's a promise ring, and Ash gave it to me."

Delia just looked at her son, tears welling up in her eyes, Ash just smiled.

"Ash and I love each other, and we can't see our futures any other way, but I assure you, we aren't getting married." Misty clarified.

"Yet," Ash added. Misty nodded in agreement, as the three older sisters looked at Delia, not wanting to lose their "maturity points".

"Go ahead," she said plugging her ears with her fingers, motioning for Ash and Misty to do the same, as each girl let out an ear-piercing squeal.

"Okay," Delia said. "I know we're happy for them, but let's give them their space."

"Okay," the young women said.

"Misty, would you come out back with me," Ash said, as he pulled Misty out the back door.

"What's up, Ash?"

"I love you, Misty, I fell in love with you a long time ago, Maiden's Peak? I don't know, but by the time we left Lavender Town I realized you cared quite a bit for me."

"I love you too, Ash, and by the way, it was there I realized the same thing."

As the Dewgong in the outdoor pool next to the deck they were standing on began to glow with a faint blue tint, Ash smiled.

As Misty looked at him, he slowly closed the distance between their faces, as she leaned in to accept his kiss, a light rain began to fall around them.

The End.

A/N: Please read and review. AAML Forever!!!

P.S.: If you caught the pokémon move, put it in your review, by name, and I'll tell you if you were right. If you didn't catch it, don't worry about it.

Super Secret Squirrel