"All she has left to live for."
(Also known as "The Calm before the storm" [If you want to know why, it'll be in my Authors notes for this series, once I get around to doing them])

Part 1 of 20 of the ongoing saga "Love is such bitter sorrow."

She couldn't even bear to look the small stone tablet in front of her. She didn't want to accept the truth. That what had happened had indeed happened. She felt a hand on her shoulder, heard a voice saying what were meant to be comforting words, but she didn't acknowledge them. To everyone else there, she may as well have been dead herself. No matter what they did, she just sat there, with her head bowed, silent and unmoving. They could well understand her sorrow. They had all been affected by the tragedy to some degree. How could they not be? No one likes to lose a friend.

"Misty, I...."
Ash feels a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he sees Brock shaking his head, with a grim expression set on his face.
"Let her grieve Ash. Right now, she probably feels like that's all she has left."
There is a brief commotion among the others there. Turning back, they could see Misty has raised her head.

She could read now the words engraved into the stone. Though she didn't want to, she forced herself to read them.
Togepi
1997-2001
Your stay among us was but short. Your time came before it was meant.

Fresh tears streamed down her already wet cheeks. Her face fell and the sobbing began anew.

"Nurse Joy, are you sure my Togepi will be alright?"
"Of course I'm sure. It just has a little cold, that's all. It should be alright in just a few days."
"HOW DARE YOU QUESTION SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT WOMAN SUCH AS NURSE!......"
"SHUT UP BROCK!" yell Ash & Misty in unison.
"PIKA PIKA......CHUUUUUUUUU!"
Simultaneous screams of "Owowwwwwwwwwwowowowowowowowowowowow!" are released by all in the general vicinity.
Looking rather like a piece of toast, or rather, a burnt piece of toast, Ash whimpers "Next time Pikachu, can you just shock Brock and not all of us?"
"Pika pika." replies Pikachu, with an embarrassed look on its face and a laugh in its mind.

"Yes folks, it sounds like a normal day in the lives of our three heroes."

"A...AAHHH.......AAAAHHHHHHHHHHCCCCHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOO!"

"Well, perhaps not quite so normal...."

The title screen pops up and one can hear all the main characters shout "All she has left to live for!" before they start talking to each other in wonderment and worry. The title screen is quickly replaced by a man sitting at a desk with a mic and script in front of him. The narrator.

"Hey, what sort of title is that!? What's this episode about anyway!"
Flicking through the script and authors notes in front of him, he answers his own question.
"What the ****! Alright, that's it, I quit! I'm not going to narrate any fanfic series that's going to end up kMMPPHHHH!"
A strange man clad in black with a cloak of darkest green has moved up undetected behind the narrator, and now holds his hand over the narrators' mouth.
"Heh heh heh. I wouldn't want to spoil any surprises for you all. Let's get back on track shall we?"
With that business concluded, the screen resumes its focus on the characters.

As they walked down the road, Misty couldn't help but have a worried look on her face. It certainly seemed worse than a cold to her.
"Well that got us nowhere."
Brock turned his head to her. "Don't complain Misty, at least we know it isn't something worse now, don't we."
"Yeah, Brock's right Misty. Don't worry about it. Nurse Joy said Togepi would be alright, didn't she."
"Well, I guess...."
"ACHOO!"
Misty takes a tissue from her pocket and wipes Togepi's nose, which is all red from repeated sneezing.
"I wish Nurse Joy could have given us some PokéPanadol or something. Togepi just seems to be getting worse and worse."
As usual, Brock races to the defence of his "perfect girl". "Well it's not like it's her fault she was all out now, is it? Considering the amount of trainers who've passed through here in the last few days, it's a surprise she was able to spare us the tissues."
Misty sighs. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just hope that the next town's Pokécentre won't be so understocked. Where are we going anyway?"
"Back to Pallet Town! It's been ages since I was last home. I wonder how my Mum & Professor Oak are doing..."
"ACHOO!"
Misty sighs again. "Oh Togepi..."
She again wipes Togepi's nose, after which it gives out a few sniffles. "Is there even a Pokécentre in Pallet yet?"
"No, not yet I don't think." Brock replies. "Don't worry though, Professor Oak should be able to give it something. We could always take a side trip to the Pokécentre in Viridian on our way if we had to."
"Oh, not more walking." She turns to face Ash. "I wouldn't have to be walking if it wasn't for you!"
"Oh brother, here we go again..."
"Hey, I said I'd pay you back for it didn't I?"
"Well I haven't seen any money yet! You would think that after all you've somehow managed to do that you would have saved up enough to pay me back by now!"
"Excuse me, but all that money is what goes into feeding you! If you didn't pig out on desserts so much whenever we stopped for a meal!..."
"WHAT!!!!"
"And besides, you wouldn't even have Togepi if you hadn't started following me around. Are you saying you'd rather I had Togepi instead?"
"Stop twisting my words! You know that I would never!...."
"Hey now you two, stop fighting already. It's going to start getting dark soon and I'm not setting up camp all by myself, not if you expect to eat tonight !"
Both Ash & Misty looked around, seeing that the sun was indeed setting. As usual, they had both lost track of time while engrossed in their argument. Under protest, they stop and started to unpack their things, glaring at each other.

Hours passed without any incident. Not a word was spoken between either Ash or Misty while the camp was being set up, or during dinner. During the whole time, Togepi continued to sneeze, becoming even more miserable as time passed, just as Misty became more and more worried for it.
"ACHOO !"
"Oh Togepi.... I wish I could do something to make you feel better."
Togepi managed a weak "Toge." before it not so weaked sneased again with a loud "A..A..A...ACHOO!"
Misty wipes Togepi's nose, which is becoming redder by the minute.
"Don't worry Togepi. Colds don't last that long. You'll be alright soon enough."
Ash couldn't help staring at Misty while all this was happening. This was a side of Misty he didn't get to see that often. Whenever it did show, he couldn't help but thinking she looked cute. He just had to be careful not to let Misty see him staring at her like this. If she did, it would probably be the last time he saw anything, let alone her compassionate side.
Ash was broken out of his reverie by Brock walking up behind him. He turned to face his friend with a blush and a guilty look on his face. "Well, well, well... What do we have here?"
"Um...well....you see......it's like...."
"I wonder what Misty would think about this....."
"Think about what Brock?"
Both Ash & Brock jumped at the sound of Misty's voice, before Brock looked up with a cheeky look on his face.
"Just..."
Ash's hand shot up and covered Brock's mouth.
"AsMMMMMMPPHHHH..."
"NOTHING, NOTHING!"
Brock grabbed Ash's hand and freed his mouth.
"Nothing my foot! Ash.."
Ash quickly whispered "Professor Ivy" into Brock's ear, which gave the desired results. Brock curled up into a ball on the ground, mumbling to himself "Don't mention that name." Misty in the meanwhile had lost interest in the two as she answered the call of another of Togepi's sneezes. Ash wiped his brow of the sweat that had formed from the close call, and went back to watching Misty.

With the exception of Brock, still lying on the ground curled up into a ball, who Ash just threw a blanket over, they all went to sleep soon after. Their sleeps were restless, with them all being awoken more than a few times within the first hour by Togepi sneezing. The sneezing did stop though, and they all fell into much needed slumber.

The next morning, Misty was the first to wake up, and she did that with a load "Yawn!"
Turning over on her side, she could see that Togepi was still curled up into its shell.
"Morning Togepi. Feeling any better?"
Togepi didn't respond.
"He must be tired. I can't blame him, not after all we've been through recently. I may as well let him sleep in. The best cure for a cold minus Chicken Soup IS bedrest after all."
She moved to stroke Togepi's face, but her hand shot back after only a slight touch. Togepi was cold. Deathly cold.
"Togepi! Togepi, wake up!"
She started to try and shake it awake, but to no avail. Togepi made no motion other than the rocking caused by Misty shaking it. By now, tears were streaming down Misty's cheeks as she realised the enormity of the situation. Her frantic screams had awoken the others, and they now surrounded the crumpled form of Misty as she sobbed next to the still, silent form of Togepi. They too tried to revive Togepi, Ash showing that he indeed did have a brain in there somewhere when he tried to use CPR. Their efforts did nothing, for there was nothing they could do. Silently, they all sat down next to Misty, their faces showing their anguish & shock. Ash  put his hand on Misty's shoulder and squeezed. She turned her face up, then suddenly threw herself onto Ash's shoulder, crying. Almost by reflex, Ash's arms enfolded Misty into a tight embrace, before he too layed his head on her shoulder and wept. Within moments, Brock surrounded them with his arms and they lent on him, while Pikachu climbed onto Misty herself and gave her the best hug he could considering his short arms. By the time they all separated, they were all soaked from their tears. None of them could believe this had happened. None of them wanted to believe.

The hill was bare now but for four things. The gravestone of Togepi, their dear friend and companion, a small oak tree, before which the grave stood, and two people. Misty, still grieving by Togepi's final resting place, and Ash, who had refused to leave his friend to morn alone. Slowly, he walked up to her and knelt down, before starting to speak to her in a soft voice. It took him more than a few goes, but he finally managed to get out what he was trying to say.
"Misty, I know you must be feeling like there is nothing left for you now but to morn for Togepi. We all feel like that. I just want you to know,  that I'm here for you if you need me. I'll always be here for you Misty."
Misty didn't move, nor did she say a word. If she had ignored him, or simply hadn't heard, Ash did not know. All he did know was that he would keep his promise, and when Misty did finally leave the grave, Ash was still there, waiting for her.