Disclaimer: Okay, now this is just plain depressing. I WANT TO OWN POKEMON SO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!! (Heh heh. I put in some ones. ^____^)

A/N: Okay, so perhaps we have been lenient with the AAML goodness. Sorry. And perhaps we have EXAGERATED the BubblesxMiguelish stuff. But, then also, we have a whole lotta stuff here. (Mainly bubbles Miguel though...) Read, as this is the last part.

"Where's Pikachu?" Bubbles tried to avert her eager mind from Miguel. She desperately wanted --or was it needed? -- To find him.

"In a room upstairs, so says radar, but it's small, and I don't think Miguel would be in there too."

"Fine, I'll look that way," Misty said, pointing, "Bubbles downstairs and Ash up."

"Fine," Bubbles said, gone in an instant. She knew that Pikachu was Ash's friend, and that he was important, but right then, all she could think about was Miguel. He had been held captive for a week. Would they be able to find him?

She noted the fact that the doors were labeled. But one drew her attention. Basement. There was a lock on it. She slid the chain over and creaked the door open.

Miguel sighed and closed his eyes. If Team Rocket thought he was asleep, they didn't bother him. He heard an excited gasp though, and that forced him to crack open one eyelid. Who he saw made him wake up from this nightmare, and do a double take as she ran, nearly falling (as always) down the steps.

He was in shock. He was in disbelief. The door to his cell flung open. The next thing he knew, she was clinging to his neck and sobbing. That was one moment when he was glad to be sitting. No doubt she would have knocked him down!

He hadn't actually realized until then that she was crying. Was this the first time he had seen her cry? Only otherwise when she was laughing too hard. Then he felt his arms that (somehow) had made their way to her back. One had been rubbing in a circular motion. When had he started doing that? He couldn't help but smile when he realized his mind was running slower than his body. Although he had been known as fast. Then he found that Bubbles had been talking:

"...and mean, and stupid, and a jerk, and, and, I hate you!"

"Yeah," He said, not being able to suppress his grin. She was having a mental breakdown! He finally sighed when his arm was soaked and said, "You're hurting my shoulder,"

She smiled. He didn't see it, but he felt her face move and he always felt better when she was smiling. It was in the air. It meant, well, it meant that the universe was in allignment, the world was returning to normal, and the sun had stopped orbiting the moon.

She moved and sat beside him. "Sorry," she sniffed. She always apologized, even if she wasn't sorry, because she hated people mad at her. He on the other hand was REALLY stubborn when it came to apologies. But of course, he knew she wasn't sorry for his shoulder, she was sorry for bawling like that.

He moved his hand to put a strand of her hair behind her ear. She looked weird with it down, as opposed to her usual ponytail.

She glanced at his ankle. It wasn't swollen, but it looked red and angry. "It's a sprain," she said, pulling the first-aid kit from her backpack. Everyone had band-aids, but it was her turn to carry the big medical kit. It rotated by week.

She took a thin layer of cotton and wrapped his ankle and leg. Then she took gauze and wrapped it around his leg. She knew what she was doing! Around the ankle three times, then around the heel of his foot, then a little up the leg. By the time she was done, it was almost better than a doctors!

But I guess that's what she wants to be... he thought.

She stared at his leg. "You've been sleeping down here?" She was cut off when a buzzer went off.

Bubbles reached down and yanked the walkie-talkie from her waist.

"Did you find Pikachu?" She asked.

"Yes, but his cage is password protected." Misty replied. Apparently she had made her way to Ash. Miguel's eyes widened.

"I know the password!" He snatched the receiver from Bubbles. "Misty," he started, noting the importance of the walkie-talkie, he added, "If you type one letter wrong and alarm will go off. The password is S-P-A-R-K-S F-L-Y."

"Sparks fly?" Bubbles whispered, "But isn't that the name of a constellation?" She thought back to her internet search. Yes, there was a constellation of a Pikachu and Pichu playing called Sparks Fly.

"Miguel?" Misty asked, "Oh my God, are you alright?" She was silent as Pikachu jumped gleefully to Ash's shoulder. Miguel had no time to answer, because within seconds Jessie and James were standing in the door, and another Rocket was behind them. And that other Rocket shot, shot a spore dart. And as that spore slowly released into Bubbles bloodstream, she felt more and more sick to her stomach, until she passed out, crumpling onto the floor. The cage was relocked and the Rockets left.

Miguel was stunned. Had that just happened? He raised the walkie-talkie to his lips and said, "They have guns," and turned it off. He looked at the girl next to him. She was on her side, and her head was leaking a stream of blood where she hit the cement.

Blood? He wouldn't have thought she had blood, as cheerful as she was. Well, not that he really didn't think he had blood, but she would be the one, if anyone, to prove someone's blood can be soda-pop. And there she was, bleeding, and he was thinking about soda! But it seemed all he could do was stare.

He shook her gently. Nothing. He jerked her harder. Still nothing. He froze. Her breathing was shallow. Was she... dying?

She better not be, I'd die! Miguel thought, that or Tracy would kill me!

The walkie-talkie beeped and Ash said, "We're out, where are you two?" Miguel bit his lip to keep from crying.

"I can't walk." He said slowly. His sister asked about Bubbles. Miguel stroked his friend's arm. "She's getting cold, and her breathing is slowing down." He turned off the communicator. (For real this time. Last time he just hit the volume key. ^_^)

He took the sleeping bag from Bubbles backpack and unrolled it on the floor. Then he lifted Bubbles onto it, propping her backpack as a pillow. Then he went about cleaning her cut.

He winced for her as the disinfectant touched the open wound. He put on a square bandage. Then he leaned against the wall, clinging to her hand.

"Don't die," he whispered, brushing her purple bangs away from her eyes. She didn't look happy. She looked scared. As the stars got brighter and brighter he saw the Luck Dragon. "I can't do this without you." But her flesh was getting colder and colder.

Then it happened. She coughed, sat up too fast, felt dizzy, and then slumped back down. She tried sitting up slowly this time, but needed Miguel's help.

It was strange what had just happened. What had just been too cold somehow transformed into a raging fever! She sat there confused and dazed.

"Miguel," she started to speak, but stopped. His arms had wrapped around her shoulders.

"Jeez I thought you'd die!" It was honest. She blinked. Twice. Was he... Scared? No, worried was a better word.

She couldn't even hug him back. It was like her body had shut down for the moment. She gasped the started choking. When the coughing subsided, she forced her legs inside the sleeping bag.

"I'm not gonna die," she mumbled, "Not until I tell you that Ash kissed Misty, and then *choke* the following couple nights they shared a bed."

"You're kidding! I missed that?" Miguel sighed, noting that his arm had been moving by itself again, and caressing her cheek. When he realized that, he blushed, but he couldn't tell if the red on her cheeks was from the fever or not.

Speaking of the fever, he recognized it now as the one Tracy and Ash had when they fell into the Vileplume's spore sack. But he was no where near the antidote. He didn't even have cold water to bring down the fever!

"So, have you been contemplating our arrival?" Bubbles smiled, "Because no matter what, we're getting out of here. Tonight."

"You can hardly breathe idiot! Not tonight!" Miguel wouldn't have though he'd say that. Stay another night? But she took a pill.

"First night, fever and aches. They go away when you take pain killers. Tomorrow, that won't work. Let's go." She stuffed her backpack then strapped it on.

"You're crazy." Miguel said, "And too sick." Too sick. Pfft. Who was he talking about? Bubbles always had energy!

Though, the fact that she carried bombs was a new theory. That hadn't really occurred to him until they were running through the woods and Bubbles was speaking into the walkie-talking that she and Miguel would be at the rendezvous point within two hours. If they ran the whole time.

Running by the way was too much, pills or not. Especially with the fever she had. And the run overheated her, and before she knew it, she was waking up. Fifteen minutes from the meeting place. She could feel the heat on her face, just as she realized she was on Miguel's back.

Almost like when we were little. She thought, but back then I probably didn't hurt his back and his leg... His leg!

She slid off his back and gaped at the rough tree branch he was using as a crutch.

"Miguel you jerk!" She said. Realizing how hard it was to breathe, she slowed down. "You shouldn't have carried me."

"Why not?" He scowled, "I do it all the time."

"Not when your leg is nearly broken you don't!" Bubbles hissed. "Idiot."

"Stupid," Miguel challenged.

"Jerk." She accepted.

"Loser,"

"Butt-face,"

"Dumb a--..." He saw the town come into view. Had they really been walking for fifteen minutes? One glance at how hard his friend was trying to stay standing and he knew they had.

Just a little further and they would be at the pokemon center.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, watching her labored breathing.

She was shocked. Him, apologizing? To her? Never! She put her hand to his forehead. "Are you sure you don't have a fever?" He laughed, but only for a moment. He was exhausted. Two hours walking on crutches made of fallen tree branches with a fourteen year old on your back is too much!

"You should have called a pokemon to carry me."

"My sister has mine!" He shot back.

"So," She stopped when the make-shift crutch snapped and Miguel started to fall. She snatched his hand to support him, acting strong although the pill had worn off.

A car caught her attention. “Hey!” she called to the woman entering it, “Officer Jenny!” She looked up, then, with a man following her, rushed to the teens.

“What’s going on?” She asked, taking Bubbles arm. “Where’s your I.D?” Bubbles pointed to the side pocket of her backpack.

“Jenna Sketchit, I.D. number: 301776.”

It came from her Pokedex. “My sister, Misty Waterflower, is waiting for us at the pokemon center with Ash Ketchum.” Miguel put in, “Could you give us a ride? Given the circumstances, I’m hurt, and she can’t walk any farther. She inhaled too much stun spore, and has a fever.” Not exactly how it happened, but that got Jenny to take them to the center. So it was a white lie.

“You’re here!” Misty cried upon seeing her brother. But seeing Bubbles being carried in by an officer made that smile fade. She recognized it. The frowning Nurse Joy called for a stretcher and ran to the officer holding the girl.

“Stun spore?” Misty asked. Miguel nodded. “A Rocket shot a dart full of it into her bloodstream.” He frowned. “Then she tried to walk here. She passed out, and I carried her most of the way, but when she woke up she had a meltdown about me carrying her with my leg.”

“Keep that elevated,” Joy said, taking a needle with vaccine in it from Chancy. She injected it into Bubbles arm.

“She’ll be fine if the medicine works.”

“If?” Ash asked, but the nurse simply walked behind her desk and gave them keys to a bunk room. As they were walking, Miguel leaned on Ash’s shoulder, he said, “So, a very reliable source told me that you two slept together.” Miguel smirked. He caught Misty tighten her hand around Ash’s.

Misty glared at Ash, who had a cheesy smile plastered on his face. “I TOLD you that Bubbles would say something to him. They’re practically one person!” They started bickering like an old couple.

Tracy put his hands behind his head as he walked. He glanced at Brock, who was walking next to him. “I can’t believe she had that fever. Not only that, but was so active with the fever.”

“I can’t believe I missed all that great stuff between Ash and Misty…” Brock moaned. Not cool. But Bubbles, after showing Miguel, did give him that picture.

Speaking of Bubbles, she was having the time of her life doing what she did (on a normal basis) every other day. This time, Miguel was helping make her brother mad.

They were walking, her head on his shoulder, and their fingers weaved through each other’s. Although at first Miguel couldn’t stop blushing; now it was just funny. Every three seconds Tracy turned around and glared at him. Then Bubbles stuck her tongue out, and he rolled his eyes and repeated the process a second later.

“This is sort of getting painful,” Bubbles said after almost thirty minutes. “But by now your life is in danger. The second we’re a foot apart he’s gonna tackle you.”

“So, let’s not be a foot apart, and all will be good.” Miguel said.

“I have a crick in my neck.” She said. She removed her head from his shoulder, and with the hand that wasn’t in his, rubbed the back of her neck.

“That’s not even fair,” Brock said to Tracy. “They do this just to taunt me. They have more of a relationship than I do, and they’re just friends playing jokes!”

“They’re not taunting you; they’re trying to make me mad, because obviously Miguel over there has a death wish.

“Well, that’s dumb.” Brock said. “They’re taunting me either way.”

Ash and Misty were up front, but aware of the whole thing, because Ash had this way of walking backwards every five minutes. He said to Misty, “I don’t see why they do that. Besides making Brock jealous and Tracy mad, all they’ll get later is Miguel with a broken nose.”

“Maybe this is a sign.” She said. “Are they trying to prove that when traveling among friends, you can say or do anything? I bet they’re doing it to make fun of us.”

“Make fun of us?” Ash said, turning around. “Oh, hey, they stopped.” Misty glanced back. They had. Now Bubbles was ranting about her latest joke and tripping over every rock in the road. Yeah, the universe was definitely back in order. “So, does this mean that the whole adventure last month is just a memory? That seems a shame. It was amazing.”

“Amazing? All the cool stuff happened to Bubbles or Miguel!”

“It was,” Misty walked closer to him, “More than just that.”

“So, the guys threw stuff. One threw a brick out a window, one threw a knife out a different window, and one threw a bomb out the last window. They’re walking down the street and come to a girl crying. They ask what’s wrong and she says her dad was hit in the head with a brick. They call it coincidence and walk on. Then they come to a boy crying. They ask what’s wrong and he says his mom was hit in the back by a knife. More coincidence. Finally they come to a boy, cracking up. They ask what’s so funny. And the boy says, “I farted and the building behind me blew up.”

Miguel laughed. He knew a different version of that one. He stopped laughing and noticed her hair was up in the ponytail again. That meant she wasn’t depressed anymore, because she had perk enough to put up her hair.

“I still hate you.” Bubbles smiled. “Beyond reason.” She looked forward and realized that they were far behind the rest of the group, because of her tripping probably. Well what, did you expect her to walk flawlessly, talk, and try to breath at the same time?

“You know,” Miguel thought out loud, “This would be the part of the story where we kiss…”

“You want a kiss?” Bubbles asked. He blushed.

“I didn’t realize I was speaking out loud...”

“I bet it comes from talking to yourself for a week when you were being held captive.” She grinned. “But now that you said that, I’m not letting you live that down.”

“Don’t tell them!” He said, grabbing her wrist as she started to run. “Tracy will skin me alive!”

“And what makes you think I shouldn’t tell them. I think that watching my brother skin you sounds funny.”

“Well, then,” He thought. “Who’s going to carry you when you get tired of walking?”

“Okay,” She said, “I’ll swear to secrecy, but you have to carry me, because me feet hurt.”

“Deal.” He lowered himself about a foot, and she put her hands on his shoulders and jumped to his back. They had almost caught up to the others. Bubbles had taken Miguel’s backpack; she always did when on his back, and held it over one arm. Juggling that and her backpack she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“There,” She smiled. Now you don’t have to be sad you didn’t get a kiss.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.” But he blushed either way. “I meant a real kiss.”

“I know,” She grinned, “But being this close to Tracy, do you really want a real kiss?”

“No.” he said, smiling. “Maybe some other time.”

Bubbles started humming. “When we get to the town, I’m going to buy hot chocolate.” She said between verses.

“It’s eighty degrees outside!” Miguel challenged. “Why hot chocolate?”

“I love chocolate.” She smiled, leaned her head on his shoulder and said, “I’m tired.”

“Chocolate to sleep, you’re like a two year old!” Miguel said. “I told you not to stay up all night watching “Friends”.”

“Well,” she yawned, “You shouldn’t have let me.”

“I’m not your mother,” He said, “You should have known better.”

“You’re not my mother, but you’re my best friend. Boy-friend.”

“Boy-friend? When did that happen?”

“When we met. Like your sister once said, and my brother overheard, you’re a boy and you’re my friend.”

“But not a boy friend?”

“It could be arranged.” Bubbles said, falling asleep. He rolled his eyes and shifted her weight. She never grew up. She could marry Peter Pan. Miguel smirked. If I don’t get her first. But by that time he was having the door to the Viridian Pokemon Center held open for him. Maybe this was the beginning of another adventure entirely? He may never know.