Mr. Waterflower stared at Ash. He defiantly didn’t know what to belief.

“Ash…” Ash’s friends whispered.

They had never seen this side of him. Never in a million years would they even belief that he even had this side. But Misty knew that if Ash did what he wanted to do, Ash would leave. She didn’t know why but she knew that if Ash did so, she’d never get to see him again. So…Misty knew what she had to do.

“ASH!!!! STOP!!!” Misty screamed, running to Ash.

She gripped the back of his shirt tight and cried onto it, “Ash don’t do it. You always believed everyone deserves more than one chance, right? What about him?”

“Misty…you can feel, right? The feeling that I’ll go away, correct?” Ash questioned.

Misty nodded. Ash sighed.

“You’re very intuitive, you know that? I always loved that. But unfortunately, you’re correct. The technique to take away another’s power is strictly my grandfather’s technique. I may have the power to do it, but at a great cost…my life,” Ash said.

Misty just tightened her grip whilst everyone broke out in a cold sweat. Was he serious?

“It’s true. I don’t have that ability but I can perform it if I so wish it. But it takes literally EVERYTHING out of you. And by the off chance that I did survive it, I’d be scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally. I would most likely no longer be the boy you knew. But,” Ash explained. He turned his head enough so that Misty could see his face and she saw him smiling a gentle, comforting smile, “If it means that Misty is safe from his murderously sick desires, than it’s worth it.”

“ASH NO!!!!!!!!!!!” Misty cried.

Misty clung even tighter to Ash. She refused to lose him again. She absolutely refused to lose him. Her father saw this and realized something…

But it seemed to be too late. Leon managed to free himself from Ash and had taken this chance to attack. He had a clear shot on Misty and he didn’t use any psychic attack. He used a gun.

Ash, the minute Leon was free, saw the brief flash into the future and saw Misty dieing in his arms. He would not allow it. He would not lose Misty again. He waited to hear the gun go off before blocking Misty with his very own body. Ash could feel it going through his back. He could feel the bullet ripping through the muscle he had worked so hard to gain. Through the ligaments and tendons that helped hold him together. And finally, he could feel it clip his heart before exiting through the bottom of his gut. Time was nearly gone and Ash had one last shot. He took it. The enemy’s image embedded in his mind, Ash released all his energy. It passed through his friends, telling them that this was most likely the end. It passed through his parents, saying that he was sorry for all the trouble he had caused them. It passed through Misty, speaking of nothing but how much he loved her. Through her father telling him that he wished that they could’ve gotten to be better friends. And through his uncle, locking away his powers and paralyzing him for the moments. Ash then fell into Misty’s arms, hoping, praying that his grandfather would finish what he had started. He could the familiar warmth and safety of being in her arms. He coughed and then smiled. This is where he wanted to be and to stay forever. A drop of moisture fell upon his face. Misty was crying. He forced himself to look up at her and smile.

“Hey Mist,” He said, telepathically, “Don’t worry about me. I’m just glad that you’re safe.”

That only brought more tears to her eyes. Ash gently, and shakily wiped away her tears.

“Don’t cry,” Ash whispered, “I’m here.”

“A-A-Ash,” Misty cried.

“Shhh,” Ash said, “It’s going to be ok. I promise.”

Misty held him tight. She knew he had lost to much blood. There was nothing she could do to save him. But she’d gladly do anything to.

“Ash…You dumb idiot!” Misty cried.

“hahaha…Same old Misty,” Ash chuckled, “It’s no wonder I fell so head over heels for you.”

Misty cried even harder, “I love you, Ash. You can’t leave me.”

“I won’t leave you…Not ever again,” Ash whispered, “I promise that I won’t.”

Brock had raced to find the closest Nurse Joy. He returned to the worst thing he could have ever imagined. Ash dieing in Misty’s arms. Brock grew pale. He saw the tears staining everyone’s cheeks. And he saw that…Ash was fading fast. He was struggling to cling to his thread of life. And Brock knew why. All of his bonds. His parents, his friends, his pokemon…but mostly for Misty. He hated to see her sad so he was trying to hold on. Brock knew that Misty knew it. But she refused to let go of him. Nurse Joy had finished her brief evaluation and ran to call an ambulance…and to begin funeral arrangements. Brock forced himself to walk over to Misty. He bent his head beside her ear.

“Misty…I know you don’t want to let him go…but you have to…He’s in pain…the only thing we can do for him to let him finally be free of all this pain…Trust me, I don’t want to see him die…Ash is like my brother, no is my brother, but I don’t like to see him like this…We couldn’t do anything for him before…hasn’t he gone through enough pain?” Brock whispered to Misty.

Misty nodded, not wanting to believe it and not wanting to do it.

“Then tell him that everything is going to be ok and that he can rest. He doesn’t have to be so strong. That he doesn’t have to hang on,” Brock told her.

Misty took a shaky breath and looked down at Ash’s blood stained face.

“Ash…sweetie, look at me,” Misty said, as kind and gentle as possible.

Ash forced his eyes open.

“Sweetie, everything is going to be ok. You don’t have to be so strong. You don’t have to hang on. Just rest now,” Misty said, crying even worst.

Ash was surprised. Then he smiled and said, “I already know that, Mist. But the thing is…I want to hang on.”

Delia finally stepped up to Ash, “Sweetheart, I don’t have enough energy to heal you fully like I used to, but I’ll do as much as I can. But I need you to tell me if you know what damage was done.”

“The bullet clipped the side of my heart…barely scraped it, but the damage is there,” Ash stated, “Question, you just now decide to heal me?”

“I can only heal the near dead if they wish to be healed and to live. I was afraid that you were already set for your death,” Delia stated.

“Don’t worry about that, mom,” Ash smirked, grabbing hold of Misty’s hand, “I don’t think I’ll be ready for that for a long, LONG time.”