"She's WHAT!?!"
(Yes, that IS a reference to all the other "She's WHAT!?!" fics that
have been created. Only 1 Pokémon one to my knowledge, and that was
in 1999, so I shouldn't be stepping on anyone's shoes.)

Part 4 of the 5 part mini-series "There for you."

Part 5 of 20 of the ongoing saga "Love is such bitter sorrow."

NB If you have not yet read the first three parts of "Love is such bitter sorrow", go read them now. Unlike parts 1, 7 & 17, this cannot be read as a standalone, at least, not without missing out on necessary backstory.

"She's WHAT!?!"
This incredible scream, for once and in complete defiance and lack of regard for all tradition regarding this and similar lines, did not come from someone's mother, nor was it about someone being pregnant off their boyfriend (And in that one case of which I am aware, girlfriend, but let's not go into that.). Instead, it came from Ash, in reply to the incredible news just related to him by Misty, as they lounged together in their Viridian City apartment.
"My mum's getting engaged!?! You're kidding!" Ash yelled, flabbergasted by the news. With the volume of his yells, it stands as something of an amazement that Pikachu or any of the other Pokémon were not roused from their respective sleeps.
"Not getting engaged Ash. IS engaged. He popped the question this afternoon." said Misty, already exasperated in anticipation of a long discussion.
"To who? How? WHY?" cried Ash,
"The who would be Professor Oak. As for the how and why, I'd assume in the usual way and for the usual reasons."
"But, Professor Oak?" he said, searching in his head for some sort of reason this couldn't be true.
"She loves him Ash. Haven't you seen it whenever he's over at your house for one of his little 'visits'? I'd imagine they do a lot more than just visit when we're not around."
"But...Professor Oak!" he reiterated.
Misty could only sigh as Ash collapsed back on their couch, completely overcome by the unexpected, for him anyway, turn of events.
"Ash.....do you mean you seriously never saw it?"
"I thought he was just a good friend. Just a good friend. I..." babbled Ash, completely confused.
"I know it's going to take a little getting used to for you Ash, but look on the bright side. At least you'll all be one big happy family
again."
"Yeah...I guess...wait, what do you mean AGAIN?"
Misty's eyes all but bugged out.
"Exactly what it sounds like. Your mother and father will be a married couple again. Aren't you excited?"
"But Professor Oak isn't my father...is he?"
The confused look on Ash's face was priceless, and Misty wished she had a camera of some sort with her to capture the occasion.
"Didn't she ever tell you?"
"You mean..."
Misty shook her head and smiled as she again sighed, unable to contain her amusement at Ash's obvious cluelessness of the situation. That over, she sat down next to Ash and put her arm around him, laying her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry Ash. I thought you knew. We all found out years ago. I would have thought your mother or father would have told you everything by now. I guess they'll tell you themselves soon enough."
"I guess..."

Meanwhile, in Pallet Town, Deliah Ketchum and Samuael Oak were now well into celebrating their engagement in what one would assume is the traditional way. This isn't an X rated work, so I'm afraid we can't detail that celebration for you. To say that it wasn't as calm as that of Ash and Misty in the first part of this mini-series would be such a gross understatement that it would have to be awarded a Guniness World Record.

"She invited us to this big party they're planning to have at Oak's lab next week to celebrate the engagement. We WILL be going, won't we Ash?"
"Yes....." Ash replied in an almost dismissive tone.
Misty brought herself back to a sitting position, with a concerned look evident on her face, her brow winkling with worry.
"Ash.....what's wrong?"
Ash let himself lean back against the couch and looked towards the ceiling, sighing as he did so.
"It's just....that things are happening so fast. Everything's changing. I'm just not sure if,.."
His sentence cut off suddenly with a troubled sigh as he lowered his head, shaking it as if to clear his thoughts.
"...I don't know. It's nothing. It's just..."
"Just what Ash?"
"Just...I wish we could have the old times back. Back when we used to travel all over the country, without a care in the world. Just you and me and Brock and Pikachu and Toge...."
His sentence stopped suddenly as he felt Misty's hand squeezing his, and saw her head downcast. If he could have seen her eyes, he would have laid odds that they were slowly brimming with still unspent tears.
"Please Ash. Don't. You know as well as I do that those times ended long ago."
"I'm sorry."

They sat there in silence for a long time, just holding each other close as they each drifted off into thinking about their lives. Inevitably, those thoughts soon turned to the events of the past few years. Misty's eyes we held tightly shut as her mind wandered and her thoughts drifted to Togepi. Knowing that it was well past time for her to accept the cruel blow fate had dealt was not the same as being able to do that. Silent tears slowly formed and streamed in tiny rivers down Misty's cheeks, creating a small stain on Ash's shirt.

The stain went unnoticed. Ash was consumed by thoughts of his own. Thoughts he hadn't yet got over, as foolish as they may have seemed to a hypothetical observer such as yourselves. They were thoughts of self loathing and disgust. Almost daily such thoughts had crept into his mind over the past years. No matter what had happened between them since, how they had grown closer together and how their romance had blossomed, Ash still felt like he was taking advantage of Misty and her feelings. If it had been Brock who had been taking care of her, would he be in Ash's place today? Would their relationship have happened if Togepi hadn't passed away? And what about.....that. Thoughts like these churned over and over in his confused mind. Together with them now were thoughts of insecurity. How could he possibly have missed it? How could he not have seen what his mother and the professor had together and for each other when everyone else did. He saw it now, yes, but if he hadn't been told would he have managed to figure it out on his own? Together, these were thoughts sobering enough that even Brock (Currently occupied shacking up with Duplica) would be thrust out of drunkenness by them.

A slight breath on his arm broke him out of his meditation. Slightly restless in his arms, Misty was speaking in her sleep, her words too soft to be heard or understood. What betrayed her dreams was the tears, still continuing to soak her companions shirt. Her hands were tightly clenched, huddled close to her chest, and she shivered slightly, though not from any obvious cold. Not wishing to disturb her rest, however dubious a rest it might be, Ash slowly and carefully extricated himself from her, allowing her to lie down properly on the couch. Withdrawing a blanket from the nearby closet, he placed it over her carefully, before sitting down on the couch beside her prone form. Reaching out, he let his hand caress her hair softly and looked over her with loving eyes. For better or for worse now, they were tied together forever. Ash only hoped that was a good thing. With a final sigh as he raised his gaze to the moon, visible only as fractured beams of light through the partially opaque glass, before standing up and moving over to the nearby desk. With a quick look over his shoulder to make sure Misty was still asleep, he slowly drew the bottom of the two drawers out, and sifted to the bottom of it through piles of papers and other items designed to keep someone from seeing what they hid. A small velvet box. Ash opens it, to reveal a magnificent, diamond ring. It might have been a trifle small in comparison to the others he had been looking at, but this one just seemed all the more appropriate. It had been a gift from his mother, long ago. His grandmothers engagement ring. With the box still open, Ash slowly turned, and started to move back to the couch. Within a step, as Misty stirred in her sleep, he had turned back, closing the box and replacing it in its hiding place. He wasn't ready yet, and neither was she....they needed to have a talk.

Misty awoke with the early morning light streaming in through the windows, illuminating the room in a soft orange glow. Feeling a soft touch upon her hair, she turned her still groggy head to see Ash's warm face, smiling at her.
"Morning."
"Mmmmm. Morning Ash. You're up early." she yawned, stretching her arms out above her head.
"I didn't sleep.......Misty......we need to talk."
That tone of voice, a serious tone only seldom used by Ash, brought her out of her sleepiness almost instantly. She now could see Pikachu, standing on his shoulder...with a very sad look on its face.
"..... About what?" she queried him softly.
"Misty.....I think it might be best if we......if we took some time apart." said Ash, almost in a whisper
Misty cried out in alarm. "WHAT!?! Ash, no! You can't! I.."
"Just until next week." said Ash hurriedly, cutting off the rest of Misty's sentence. "Just until the party. It's not that long away. Less than a week actually. I wouldn't be gone for long, and I'd be back the moment anything goes wrong."
"But Ash.....why?" sobbed Misty, sniffling.
"I....I just need some time alone. Some time to think..." he replied, bowing his head to the floor and closing his eyes.
"Does....does this mean.....does this mean that you don't....don't l"
"NO!" he yelled, violently cutting off that line of thought and putting Misty on the edge of tears. Composing himself slightly, Ash continued. "No...of course it doesn't mean that. I made a promise, remember? You remember my promise."
Misty nodded her head, though kept it downcast, so that Ash couldn't see her eyes, from which small tears were already beginning to flow.
"I'll just be gone a few days. I'll be back. Don't worry."
Pikachu jumped onto the floor from his shoulder as he enfolded her in his arms, pulling her tightly to him. For her part, Misty managed to keep her tears back for those few seconds.
"I'm sorry. I'll be back, and that's a promise. You'll see me at the party."
Misty nodded again, and Ash let go of her slowly.
"I....I've got to go. I'm sorry about this Misty."
He stepped back while Misty remained with her eyes downcast, not looking at him in the slightest, before turning and leaving, running, Pikachu in tow, down the stairwell of the apartment block, with tears flowing freely and streaming out behind him.
"I'm sorry Misty...."

Back in the apartment, Misty slowly brought herself to her feet, and shuffled over to the desk. Hands shaking, she pulled out the bottom drawer, and let its contents spill out on the floor. Going on her hands and knees, she sifted through the assorted junk, looking for something. A small velvet box. It was missing. He'd taken it with him.
"Ash..."
Tears now flowed freely from her eyes, falling down onto the papers with loud plops, and providing the only noise in the otherwise silent apartment.
"Ash.....I thought you loved me.....Ash......was everything you did because you felt how I do, or....or.....oh Ash....."
Misty collapsed onto the floor, next to the papers, making no attempt whatsoever to get back to her feet. The tears flowed freely, and she curled herself into a ball, hiding in her own sorrow.

5 days later, a mere hour before the party was due to start, the rays of the sunset reflected and sparkled in the diamonds of the ring as Ash held it up to the light, turning it this way and that to get a better look at it. The last week had involved a lot of soul searching, and he only hoped that he hadn't hurt Misty by leaving like he did. He hated it when he hurt her, however intentionally it may have been. His time alone wasn't wasted however, and he had finally come to a decision. He no longer cared if it was the right one or the wrong one to make, but either way, as far as he saw it, it was a necessary decision, and for more than one reason. For more than just the promise. Placing the ring back in its box, Ash stood up, Pikachu at his side doing the same. They smoothed their tuxedos as best they could, and began walking down towards the Oak Laboratory in the valley below that was Pallet Town, bathed in the dying light of the sun.
"Misty...."
"Pika-pi...."