Chapter 6

The skies outside were grey with clouds which streamed calmly along with the wind, the weather a rare sight in the summer season for Viridian City. Dozens of people of all ages came and went from the train station, seemingly unaware of the fact that among them walked Ash Ketchum the Pokémon Master who now chose the quiet life over the fame and stardom he so craved when he was a little boy. Even during the hour-long subway ride from Celadon to Viridian, not a soul could recognize him. A simple beige hat replaced his trademark red and white cap he was known for, and blue jeans, a simple black t-shirt and blue vest allowed him to blend in with the crowd.

After managing to depart the boisterous subway without a single soul recognizing him, Ash breathed a sigh of relief as he took in the familiar scenes of Viridian which brought all the old memories of his past travels back. Large, rolling hills could be seen to the west, down the road to Johto. And of course, to the north, was Viridian Forest. A smile formed on Ash's lips when he thought of how adorable Misty truly looked whenever she winced and went blue at the sight of even the smallest Caterpie.

Those days were gone, but the memories would surely remain forever. After all, even though he could never enjoy such moments with her again in life, he knew deep down that she walked with him wherever he went. The wind blew gently and harmoniously around him, and part of Ash could've sworn that it was Misty playfully teasing him, subtly nudging him in the rib as a reminder of the good times.

Viridian Forest was a location that always had a special place in Ash's heart. There he caught the very first Pokémon he obtained in the wilds, and it was also the habitat of two friends he hadn't seen in a long time. As much as he wanted to travel inward and find them again, he knew it would be an almost impossible thing to do. Ash was content in knowing that his beloved Butterfree and Pidgeot lived long and happy lives, and that Butterfree at least was blessed with a family of his own, unlike him.

The Pokémon Center lay a few blocks ahead, and across the street Ash could see an off-duty Nurse Joy and her husband enjoying the weekend with their young daughter who sported pink hair in neat curls just like any other Joy. He smirked slightly, knowing all too well that if Brock hadn't finally settled down with Pike Queen Lucy, he would probably be downtrodden to see such a sight. The Pokémon Center was the same as he remembered it as being, save for a few noticeable renovations and recolorings. He could never forget the snarling, panting face of Misty when she showed up with a charred and utterly destroyed bike in hand when they were both inside the building. No-one could've ever foreseen that such a beautiful relationship could have begun on such a negative note.

Although cab services ran actively between Viridian City and Pallet Town (a feature that wasn't even considered in his childhood years), Ash decided to take in all the sights and conjure up the memories of the old days by traveling on foot to his old home. He couldn't tell whether his mother would wrap her arms around him in joy or furiously rebuke him for disappearing for almost a full year. Nevertheless, he was obligated to see his parents again, especially since he gave them so much heartbreak and sorrow.

There were so many people he wanted to apologize to, the first and foremost being Lilly and Violet, Misty's elder sisters. Of course, the one person he owed an apology to above all was Daisy, but he would never have the chance to after she took her own life. It was of some comfort to him that he was assured that she was now happy with Misty in a place where there were no more tears or suffering.

He walked absent-mindedly out of Viridian City and towards Pallet Town, eyes continuously wandering down onto the footpath and up again towards the distance. There were so many friends he wanted to get in touch with again and receive forgiveness from that he didn't know where to start. Brock, May and Max, Dawn, Cilan and Iris, Clemont, Bonnie and Serena…these were just a few of the names he could think of off the top of his head, never mind the possibly hundreds more he befriended.

All of a sudden he began to think of how his life would have turned out had he fallen for any of the other girls he had travelled with. Looking back on his journeys, he bemoaned himself for being such a fool by not being able to pick up the countless hints and signs of affection that they had shown, Serena most of all. What kind of life would he have had had he committed to a relationship with any of them instead of Misty? Would it have been better to break Misty's heart and accept Serena, rather than follow the path which ultimately led to Misty's death? Wasn't it obvious that Misty might still be alive today and enjoying a fruitful life with another man had he made a different choice?

No, don't think like that, Ash, the wind told him again, swirling about his body and enveloping him in a warm breeze of air. The past is the past. I'm happy to have been your lover and wife in the short time we spent together. I cherished every second of it, and wouldn't change a thing even if I could.

Everything reminded him of that one day he would never forget for as long as he lived. Though it was more than a full decade ago, he could still remember the day he and Misty first met as if it were yesterday. The dirt road beneath his feet was damp and some parts of it a boggy mudpit, exactly the way he recalled it being when he was fleeing the vicious flock of Spearow which hounded him and Pikachu. Part of him wondered with amazement how a girl like Misty could ever have fallen for him, when at the time he was just a dense and stupid little boy who had unwittingly left her for dead in the wilds at the mercy of the Spearow.

Then, as the dirt footpath cleared out at the end of the woods and met the gravel of the main road, he finally came upon it – the pond where the most precious person in his life was gifted to him before being brutally taken away. Flashes of that traumatic day haunted his eyes as he looked around at the exact spot where Misty was hit. Months and months of rain and the rolling of car wheels meant that the bloody red blotches had washed out of the road, but Ash could've sworn he could still pick up the smell of fresh blood.

Letting the eerie shudder pass, he walked down over to the bank of the pond, that same place where he was comically fished out by his wife whom he could've sworn possessed super strength to accomplish such a feat. He looked reflectively across the water, thinking back on all the adventures he shared with Misty and Brock. The guilt, of course, would never go away. By choosing to be with him, Misty had not only ended up losing her life, but also could never accomplish her childhood dream of becoming the best water Pokémon trainer in the world, instead inadvertently sacrificing her own ambitions in the process. The least Ash could've done was to protect her and to make her happy and raise a family with her, and he failed miserably in that regard.

Still, he smiled. Smiled because she wished him to, and she didn't want to see him melancholy and depressed anymore. After all, he would see her again someday, and he would also be able to be with his young son Dean.

Thunder rolled gently overhead, and the grey clouds began to grow thicker and dark while tiny droplets of rain fell on his head and shoulders. He chuckled a bit, thinking ahead to the scolding he'd surely receive from his mother for allowing himself to catch a cold. Satisfied with the knowledge that he would be with his family again one day, he walked back up the hill, looking to make his way back onto the pedestrian footpath which lined the inner side of the road, adjacent to the woods from which he came.

Wait…what's that sound?

A car…the sound of its engine is so familiar…

Could…could it…?

He spun around, hoping that his ears were merely playing tricks on him with a touch of déjà vu. However, he was to be sorely disappointed. Chills ran up and down his spine and he felt that his feet were simply molded into place right in the middle of the road, as the very same car that killed his wife was now hurtling towards him, the driver hardly even making an effort to slam on the brakes.

The images began to play out again in his head. His proposal to Misty, their wedding, and that fateful day when she lost her life at the hands of this psychopath who was headed straight for him. But while he was there to hold her as she died, nobody was here to witness what would surely be his own death. Not even Pikachu.

Part of him was paralyzed with the fear of his life being cut brutally short, with no chance to make amends; another part was overjoyed, eagerly anticipating his inevitable reunion with his wife and son. It was now far too late for him to do anything, as the car was barely six feet away from crashing into him.

I'll never get to see them again, he realized, his eyelids welling up with tears. Mom, dad, and all of the friends I've missed for so long…and Pikachu, most of all.

No. In the end, we'll all be together again. We'll never be truly apart, and we'll all see each other again. He closed his eyes, resigned to accepting his fate. Mom, dad…forgive me for being the first to leave you like this. Take care of Pikachu for me. Goodbye.

The pain was excruciating, but lasted only for a moment. A ripple of agony shot right up and down his body as the car made full-bodied contact, knocking him high into the air and sending him rolling down the hillside and towards the pond. His spinal cord and nervous system damaged beyond repair, Ash was completely paralyzed and unable to feel or move a thing as he splashed into the water. His arms and legs couldn't do as commanded, and he could only look upwards while he continued to sink to the bottom of the pond. The light dimmed before his eyes while his blood gushed out of his body and formed reddish clouds in the normally pure blue water.

Sinking head-first, his nostrils and lungs became inundated with water, suffocating him. His hat slipped off his head and floated off towards the surface, leaving behind what would become evidence of his death. Without even the will to call out to Sabrina for help that would've arrived late by any measure, he closed his eyes and accepted his fate, his last thoughts being of his beloved wife and son.

-o-

Warm…bright lights.

Feel so full of life…can breathe again.

Where am I?

The haziness lifted from his eyes as Ash looked around to study his surroundings. Instead of the painful agony he felt merely seconds ago, he felt rejuvenated and full of life, and that all of his miseries were washed away in an instant. The skies above were clear and blue, and he experienced a warmth like no other.

"Ash," a soft voice called out to him from his right.

"Huh?" he mumbled, blinking to regain his senses as he looked sideways. "Who's calling for…for…." He couldn't speak. Not when he saw just who it was that was speaking to him.

"Ash…it can't be," said Misty, dressed in a beautiful blue gown which gave her the elegant look of a swan. Those deep green eyes he had been missing for so long were focused squarely on him, while their baby son was cradled in her arms, smiling with his mother at his father who was looking at them with dumbfounded eyes. Standing behind Misty was her eldest sister, Daisy, in her old happy and relaxed self, and an older man and woman, presumably Misty's parents.

Taking the cue from her older sister who took her child off her hands and encouraged her to go forth with a gentle touch, Misty walked forward and took Ash by the hand, helping him back up onto his feet.

"Mist…," he mumbled, hardly believing what his eyes were telling him. "Is it…really you?"

She chuckled and leaned in, pecking him softly on the cheek. "Try cooking me a dish with carrots and peppers and find out."

There was no more need for words. They embraced each other tightly, relishing the sensation of the other's soft lips, and their hands ruffling through each other's hair. Misty was exactly the way Ash remembered and loved her for, right down to the blissful scent of roses.

Of course, Ash had regrets. His parents and friends would undoubtedly be devastated by the news of his death, and the world would mourn the passing of a trainer who would forever be known not just for his skills in Pokémon battle, but also his kind heart. But then he would always be there to watch over all of his loved ones, comforting them in their dreams if need be, especially his mother along with Sabrina and Latias, the two people whom he was ever grateful for. Even if his death was an inevitable fate that could not be avoided, Ash didn't want to have it any other way. Between continuing on a life that was miserable, full of anguish and worse than death, and an afterlife of eternal happiness with Misty, there was no hesitation as to which Ash wanted.

Now he was finally at peace. Their hands joined, he breathed a sigh of bliss as he leaned in once again to kiss her, his hands caressing her soft hair.

Whether it was in life or death, they would spend the rest of their days together.

One destiny, one dream.

-o-

"…it is of some comfort to us both, that the term is not very distant, at which we are to deposit in the same cerement, our sorrows and suffering bodies, and to ascend in essence to an ecstatic meeting with the friends we have loved and lost, and whom we shall still love and never lose again. God bless you and support you under your heavy affliction."

- Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to John Adams, following the death of Abigail Adams.

- Fin -

A/N: Hope you've enjoyed this story. Thanks to everyone who's followed, favorited and reviewed this story, especially if you're someone who's been following my stories ever since the Chosen One series and Letters. I hope I've also satisfied readers who have also viewed the doujin on Miyatoriaka's DeviantArt page, since it was a real challenge to write it from scratch while adding in new ideas of my own.

It'll probably be a long while until I start on writing in the pokemon ficdom again, seeing as I'm tied down with fics in other categories. But if I do, I'll definitely be writing my Chosen One series again. It's not dead yet, so please be patient!