**Part Three: The Outcome.**
Ash and Misty watched from the water. They were secretly planning a race. They needed to stretch! But they weren't going to leave right now, not until Jessie was safe. James looked forlornly at Jessie. Her breathing was getting weaker, her face paler. Using all her strength, she opened her eyes slightly. She weakly looked up at James.
"J...James?" She asked quietly.
"It's all right, I'm here." Ash and Misty looked at each other and nodded. No matter what condition Jessie was in, she and James needed time alone. They dove under the water and started to swim off.
"Mermaids..." Jessie whispered quietly. James looked around, but all he saw were Ash and Misty.
"No, there are no mermaids, Jessie. It's just Ash and Misty." He said, thinking Jessie delirious. Misty decided to play a joke.
"You hoo! Lovebirds, over here!" She yelled, waving her fin. Ash was shocked.
"Hey, Misty, what're-" A glare from Misty cut him off. Catching on, he started doing the same thing. Jessie and James blushed. Well, for Jessie it was more like a small regain of the color she was losing. James was suprised. And so was Misty, when a third mermaid joined them. It was her mother. ((((M...Mother...)))) She gasped out. ((((Yes, my child, it is I. It has been so long since I last saw you. But this reunion can wait, my daughter. I have... something else to attend to at the moment.))))
So saying, Misty's mother swam toward the shore. James went and stood protectively in front of Jessie, for the mermaid was swimming straght towards them. Trying to be brave, he addressed Misty's mother in a firm, commanding voice.
"S.....S.....Stay a...away... f...from her! I...I....I won't let you hurt Jessie! A....A...And if you try to, I...I....I'll h...h...have t...to s...st...stop y...you." Er, maybe NOT so firm and commanding. From the water, Misty's mother laughed to herself. She spoke in a soft, quiet voice.
"Relax, young human. I only want to help, not hurt. I alone can save your love." James blushed at this, but cleared room for the mermaid. Something about her was so easy to trust. He knew that she was telling the truth. How he knew, he did not know.
Misty knew what her mother was going to do, and raced forward.
"Mother, you can't!" Misty's mother smiled softly.
"Yes, my daughter, I can and I will."
"But... Why?"
"Surely you must understand. You know that the only way to save someone who has been stung by a Tentacruel is for a mermaid to give her life."
"I can mother! Just please, don't!" A tear escaped from Misty's eye as she said this. Her mother clasped Misty's hands in hers, and smiled sadly.
"You have your whole life ahead of you. You need to live it out. You need to live. I, Misty, dear, have seen many years. When your father died, I was torn apart. I still had you, but when you had to leave me, my heart was literally shattered, but I still hung on, for hope that I would see you again someday. Darling, I have seen you with Ash. You love him, and I know it would break both of your hearts for you to leave him. No, my daughter, I am the only one who can do this." Misty smiled too, but only a pained one.
"I know. It's just that I'll miss you so..." And with that, she hugged her mother a last goodbye.
"I know, my dear, but that can not be helped. I hate to tell you this, my daughter, but if I do not do this now, this young lady shall lose her life." Misty knew it was true. Jessie was near death. She slowly swam back to Ash.
Misty's mother turned towards Jessie, ad concentrated. Slowly, she shimmered and dissapeared.
"MOTHER!" Misty screamed, then collapsed in tears. Ash did his best to comfort her. Slowly, Jessie sat up, and her color returned to normal. James helped her up. His green eyes filled with tears of joy.
"I... I thought I'd lose you." Jessie grinned.
"You can't get rid of me that easily!"
"I don't want to." Jessie smiled, and then quietly, whispered the three magic words. James stared, then hugged her. The two walked off, totally ignoring the fact that Meowth was napping in the sun. (He missed the whole thing! Talk about a heavy sleeper!)
Misty wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at Ash, who was smiling sadly, gently hugging her. Misty blushed as she realized this. She smiled then. Ash then realized what he was doing. Blushing, he pulled away.
"S...sorry Misty."
((((Sorry for what?)))) Misty asked quietly, in her own language, knowing that he could understand.
((((You know what.)))) ((((Really? I don't see what was so wrong?)))) Ash smiled, finally figuring it out. ((((Misty, I....I...)))) Ash stuttered, not knowing how to say it. Misty smiled. ((((I know.)))) Ash suddenly grinned, racing away, he swam for shore very quickly. At the last minute, he turned tail and dove underwater, splashing Meowth awake.
"Hey, Wha?" Ash laughed and swam towards Misty. Meowth looked disgustedly at the tail that swiftly glided away. "Merpeople. Dey neva leave me alone." Shaking his head, he walked off muttering about how he hated water and how merpeople were always so cruel to him. Misty shook her head and laughed. ((((You shouldn't be so mean to him, Ash. But, I have to admit; it was kind of funny!)))) Instead of laughing, she started crying.
Ash rushed (swam?) over as fast as possible. ((((Are you okay?)))) ((((Yeah. It's just... I was torn apart from my mother twice! I just miss her so....)))) ((((I... know how you feel. I've been through it too.)))) Misty looked shocked. ((((W....What do you mean?)))) Ash poured out his story. (Too long to list here.) Misty gasped.
"I... I'm sorry Ash. I didn't know."
"There's something I don't know either."
"What's that?"
"Did we make it in time?"
" I don't know, but does it really matter?"
"No. But I still really wanna know!"
"Some things never change..."
"What do you mean by tha-" Ash was cut off by Misty.
"If you want to know, you know what to do!" So saying, Misty concentrated and slowly, her fin turned to legs. Ash did the same, with the same result. Laughing, they swam towards shore. No matter what would happen to them in the future, they knew they would come out all right. They had each other.
As Misty and Ash started walking down the path once more, only holding hands, Misty thought that she saw her mother smiling. She swore she heard her mother say, 'Goodbye, my darling', but after a few minutes, there was nothing to be seen and heard of her mother. Misty smiled to herself, knowing that her mother was smiling too.
Ash and Misty watched from the water. They were secretly planning a race. They needed to stretch! But they weren't going to leave right now, not until Jessie was safe. James looked forlornly at Jessie. Her breathing was getting weaker, her face paler. Using all her strength, she opened her eyes slightly. She weakly looked up at James.
"J...James?" She asked quietly.
"It's all right, I'm here." Ash and Misty looked at each other and nodded. No matter what condition Jessie was in, she and James needed time alone. They dove under the water and started to swim off.
"Mermaids..." Jessie whispered quietly. James looked around, but all he saw were Ash and Misty.
"No, there are no mermaids, Jessie. It's just Ash and Misty." He said, thinking Jessie delirious. Misty decided to play a joke.
"You hoo! Lovebirds, over here!" She yelled, waving her fin. Ash was shocked.
"Hey, Misty, what're-" A glare from Misty cut him off. Catching on, he started doing the same thing. Jessie and James blushed. Well, for Jessie it was more like a small regain of the color she was losing. James was suprised. And so was Misty, when a third mermaid joined them. It was her mother. ((((M...Mother...)))) She gasped out. ((((Yes, my child, it is I. It has been so long since I last saw you. But this reunion can wait, my daughter. I have... something else to attend to at the moment.))))
So saying, Misty's mother swam toward the shore. James went and stood protectively in front of Jessie, for the mermaid was swimming straght towards them. Trying to be brave, he addressed Misty's mother in a firm, commanding voice.
"S.....S.....Stay a...away... f...from her! I...I....I won't let you hurt Jessie! A....A...And if you try to, I...I....I'll h...h...have t...to s...st...stop y...you." Er, maybe NOT so firm and commanding. From the water, Misty's mother laughed to herself. She spoke in a soft, quiet voice.
"Relax, young human. I only want to help, not hurt. I alone can save your love." James blushed at this, but cleared room for the mermaid. Something about her was so easy to trust. He knew that she was telling the truth. How he knew, he did not know.
Misty knew what her mother was going to do, and raced forward.
"Mother, you can't!" Misty's mother smiled softly.
"Yes, my daughter, I can and I will."
"But... Why?"
"Surely you must understand. You know that the only way to save someone who has been stung by a Tentacruel is for a mermaid to give her life."
"I can mother! Just please, don't!" A tear escaped from Misty's eye as she said this. Her mother clasped Misty's hands in hers, and smiled sadly.
"You have your whole life ahead of you. You need to live it out. You need to live. I, Misty, dear, have seen many years. When your father died, I was torn apart. I still had you, but when you had to leave me, my heart was literally shattered, but I still hung on, for hope that I would see you again someday. Darling, I have seen you with Ash. You love him, and I know it would break both of your hearts for you to leave him. No, my daughter, I am the only one who can do this." Misty smiled too, but only a pained one.
"I know. It's just that I'll miss you so..." And with that, she hugged her mother a last goodbye.
"I know, my dear, but that can not be helped. I hate to tell you this, my daughter, but if I do not do this now, this young lady shall lose her life." Misty knew it was true. Jessie was near death. She slowly swam back to Ash.
Misty's mother turned towards Jessie, ad concentrated. Slowly, she shimmered and dissapeared.
"MOTHER!" Misty screamed, then collapsed in tears. Ash did his best to comfort her. Slowly, Jessie sat up, and her color returned to normal. James helped her up. His green eyes filled with tears of joy.
"I... I thought I'd lose you." Jessie grinned.
"You can't get rid of me that easily!"
"I don't want to." Jessie smiled, and then quietly, whispered the three magic words. James stared, then hugged her. The two walked off, totally ignoring the fact that Meowth was napping in the sun. (He missed the whole thing! Talk about a heavy sleeper!)
Misty wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at Ash, who was smiling sadly, gently hugging her. Misty blushed as she realized this. She smiled then. Ash then realized what he was doing. Blushing, he pulled away.
"S...sorry Misty."
((((Sorry for what?)))) Misty asked quietly, in her own language, knowing that he could understand.
((((You know what.)))) ((((Really? I don't see what was so wrong?)))) Ash smiled, finally figuring it out. ((((Misty, I....I...)))) Ash stuttered, not knowing how to say it. Misty smiled. ((((I know.)))) Ash suddenly grinned, racing away, he swam for shore very quickly. At the last minute, he turned tail and dove underwater, splashing Meowth awake.
"Hey, Wha?" Ash laughed and swam towards Misty. Meowth looked disgustedly at the tail that swiftly glided away. "Merpeople. Dey neva leave me alone." Shaking his head, he walked off muttering about how he hated water and how merpeople were always so cruel to him. Misty shook her head and laughed. ((((You shouldn't be so mean to him, Ash. But, I have to admit; it was kind of funny!)))) Instead of laughing, she started crying.
Ash rushed (swam?) over as fast as possible. ((((Are you okay?)))) ((((Yeah. It's just... I was torn apart from my mother twice! I just miss her so....)))) ((((I... know how you feel. I've been through it too.)))) Misty looked shocked. ((((W....What do you mean?)))) Ash poured out his story. (Too long to list here.) Misty gasped.
"I... I'm sorry Ash. I didn't know."
"There's something I don't know either."
"What's that?"
"Did we make it in time?"
" I don't know, but does it really matter?"
"No. But I still really wanna know!"
"Some things never change..."
"What do you mean by tha-" Ash was cut off by Misty.
"If you want to know, you know what to do!" So saying, Misty concentrated and slowly, her fin turned to legs. Ash did the same, with the same result. Laughing, they swam towards shore. No matter what would happen to them in the future, they knew they would come out all right. They had each other.
As Misty and Ash started walking down the path once more, only holding hands, Misty thought that she saw her mother smiling. She swore she heard her mother say, 'Goodbye, my darling', but after a few minutes, there was nothing to be seen and heard of her mother. Misty smiled to herself, knowing that her mother was smiling too.