Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon. But I do own this story line and everything that isn't from the series. I also don't own the character Mask, as CrystalMask does, along with the pokémon that she uses.

" "- talking; Italics – thinking; ' '- speaking telepathically

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

It had been five years since Chase had disappeared from her life for a second time. She had him in her arms. She remembered the feeling of his warmth fading. She remembered him handing her his belt, asking her to take care of his pokémon. At first, she didn't think that she could go on knowing that she lost him twice.

But as time went on, Leta slowly tried to put her pain aside and move on. After not leaving her house for a year, she suddenly disappeared. No one knew where she had gone. But they knew she had gone on her own journey to try to heal her heart. It wasn't until she had become a respectable dragon trainer in her own name that she finally returned home the night before Christmas.

"So how many years has it been since you left?" Adam asked, taking a sip of tea. The entire Masters family sat at the dinner table catching up on one another.

"Four and a half," Leta said calmly.

Her father sat his cup on the table. "And in those four years, you never bothered to call or make a house visit. How has that gym of yours been doing lately?"

Having become a dragon master herself, Leta had become a pupil of Claire, the dragon master of the Blackthorn Gym. And for the past year, she had been in control of the gym since Claire's departure.

"How did you know about that?" Leta asked, surprised that her father knew of her becoming a gym leader. Her father held up a newspaper, with the front page with the change of the Blackthorn Gym leader.

"Meet any new boys?" her mother asked. Leta had learned upon her arrival that Adam and his wife, Megan, were expecting to have their first child in a few months.

Leta had travelled with several boys on her own journeys. But she had never let any get close to her. "No mother. There was only one boy that I wanted. And he's gone."

"You know, Ryan's been asking about you a lot lately," her mother stated.

"RYAN IS A RICH SNOB!" Leta yelled, as she slammed her hands on the table, and then left the table quickly. She ran up the stairs to her old room, locking the door behind her. Hiding her face in her pillows, she cried her eyes out.

Xxxxxx

Leta found herself walking through a fog. She had been walking for what seemed like forever. This fog is so thick, I can't see anything. Wait, what's that ahead? She saw a shadow up ahead in the fog. As she got closer, the shadow turned around to face her.

"I've been watching you," the shadow said, as it walked towards her.

Leta couldn't believe it. It was Chase! She had always felt something watching over her. She just assumed it was him all the time.

"And I must admit, you've become quite the dragon trainer Leta," Chase said. "There was no doubt in my mind that you'd do so great."

"I've missed you so much," Leta said, close to tears.

"And I've missed you as well," Chase said back to her. He had stopped just out of her arms' reach. "You've become so strong and have become exactly what you wanted. Leta, you've become one of the world's greatest dragon trainers in all of history."

"But none of it means anything to me. I've searched for a way to bring you back to me," Leta said, starting to cry.

"You've always had me," Chase laughed. "That warm feeling in the morning, that feeling of never being alone, and always never being bored. That was all me."

"It's not the same as having you with me," Leta cried.

"Remember," Chase said with a smile, "I'll never leave you." He reached out his hand, as did Leta, hoping to feel his touch again.

Xxxxxx

Leta woke up the next morning, with a feeling that she was holding someone in her arms. But when she opened her eyes, she knew what she'd see. It was the same thing that she's been looking at for the past four and half years, nothing. She didn't want to get out of bed, because she knew the moment she did, she'd lose the feeling.

"Hey Leta, you coming down for breakfast?" her mother asked from the other side of the door.

"I will in a few minutes," Leta mumbled. She listened as her mother walked back down the stairs. She rolled over to look at her pokémon. Along with her pokémon, she saw Chase's eevees. It was one of the few things that got her out of bed every morning. Knowing that Chase had trusted her to take care of them, she got up so that she could care for them.

By the time she got down the stairs, everyone was unwrapping their presents. She gave out the gifts that she had brought with her. She stepped outside to get away from all the joy that everyone was enjoying. She had told her family that she wanted to go for a walk out in the snow by herself. Without any objections, she left, only going with Shadow.

She had walked some distance before saying anything. "It's been five years Shadow. Five long years."

Shadow's ears dropped down. He was hoping not to have to go through this again. Every year, at this time, just they would go for a walk, and Leta would talk and then cry more. But he sensed a difference in his master of five years.

"Adam and Megan are preparing for their first child. Mother is happy about that. Mask, I mean Marianna, and Ash are out exploring some new region together. Misty and Gary are married, with one child, and expecting another. What do you think? You think I should try to find some guy and fall in love again?" she asked Shadow.

Before Shadow could answer, he turned his ears to the right of them. He could've sworn that he heard something. But the only thing he saw was a tree. Leta had caught onto Shadow's actions, and looked at the tree herself. They both looked at each other, then turned back to the house to go back home.

"I've been watching you."

Leta froze in mid step. She couldn't turn her body. Did I just hear his voice?

"I must admit, you've become quite the dragon trainer Leta."

She turned around to see a figure standing in front of the tree. Her mouth opened to try to say something, but no sound came out.

Shadow was in shock just as much as she was. He had watched his old master fade from existence years ago.

"There was no doubt in my mind that you'd do so great," the figure said, walking towards Leta and Shadow. In a few seconds, Chase stood in front of Leta. He wore the same clothes he wore when he fought Master all those years ago.

Leta couldn't believe it. Everything told her that this had to be another dream. But he's closer than he's ever been in any of my dreams. He's never come closer than just out of arms reach until the end. She reached up with her hands, and placed them on his face. This isn't a dream! The tears started to fall as she wrapped her arms around Chase, saying, "I've missed you so much!"

"I know," Chase said, wrapping his arms around her. "And I've missed you as well."

She pulled away. "But I thought that you were gone forever, to maintain balance in the universe. Why now?"

"I guess there are some things that even the great Arceus can't even control," Chase answered. "But, sooner or later we were going to be together again. Arceus figured it best to be this way"

"So, are you here to stay?" Leta asked hopefully.

"As long as you want me," Chase smiled. Next thing he knew, he was tackled onto the snow by Leta.

She wouldn't let him up, for she feared that this was still somehow a dream. But all doubt flew out of her mind when he rolled them over in snow, and softly kissed her lips. At that moment, she knew that she wasn't dreaming. And that he was here to stay.

When they finally sat up, Chase looked over to Shadow, who was smiling and waving his tail back and forth. "I see that you've taken care of Shadow," Chase said, patting his old Umbreon on the head. Shadow barked in appreciation.

"Come on, let's get back home!" Leta said, excited.

Just before entering her house, Chase paused for a second outside. "What's wrong?" Leta asked him.

"Oh, nothing. Just, wear this as you walk in," Chase said, pulling off the pendant that he was wearing inside his cloak.

"Why?" Leta asked with a puzzled look, putting on the pendant.

"You'll see," he replied, with a smile.

"Oooooookay," she said, catching onto his little surprise plan.

"Hey everyone!" Leta said, walking through the door.

"Hey honey," her father said from his recliner.

"Have a good walk," asked her brother Adam.

"Yup," Leta answered cheerfully as she walked past him on her way to the kitchen.

That's odd. She hasn't been this cheery for a long time, Adam thought. Both he and his father exchanged glances and nodded. They followed her into the kitchen.

"Everything ok?" her father asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Why, what's wrong?"

"You just seem more cheerful than usual," Adam said.

Leta was trying hard to not just blurt out her surprise. She kept tipping back and forth, from left to right, swinging to pendant. She watched as Adam saw the pendant, and saw his brain try to figure out who would give her such a pendant.

Suddenly, Adam realized what that pendant was. It had been fifteen years ago. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't speak. He just pointed at the pendant, and Leta giggled. It was the same pendant that Leta had given Chase on their first Christmas. At the sound of her giggle, the front door opened and a young man with a cloak over his arm entered, with a red ringed Umbreon beside him.

"Hi Leta! I'm home!" Chase said.

"CHASEY!" Leta yelled, running around her father and brother to get to Chase, and kissed him.

Her father and brother looked at each other with a confused look, then to Chase. "Chase?" they both asked together.

"Oh, hi Mr. Masters, hi Adam," Chase said, still holding Leta in his arms. "Miss me?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Well, there you go! The ending to The Return of Chase. Hope you liked it!

If you thought I was done with the last chapter, did you really think I'd end it without saying 'THE END'? Hope not. I like to let you know when I'm done. Soooooo, THE END!

Tell me what you thought. I encourage all types of reviews. So, REVIEW BEFORE I COME AND HUNT YOU DOWN! Hehehe.

Now, after the New Year, I'm going start on my next project. So, catch you next year!