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Well gang, here's Chapter 8 of my fic. Once again, special thanks to for doing such a great job drawing these pics! And now without further ado, here we go!
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Chapter 8

Ash's POV

I stayed up all night with Charizard, trying to keep an eye on our direction. Every now and then, I would look back to where my beautiful water flower had fallen asleep, leaning against my back, with her arms wrapped around my waist. I still couldn't believe she was actually MY girlfriend, I never even bothered to think about having one before, I was sure missing out on a lot.

The hard part would be explaining the whole situation to Brock and Dawn. Brock would take it easier, since he already knew about it, but Dawn would probably squeal about it for weeks. But, I felt that Misty was beyond worth it. I'd finally be able to get my head back on the right track, and I'd have Misty cheering me on, like old times…but not exactly.

Normal POV

Dawn and Brock had reached Solaceon Town, where Brock was fighting off a nasty cold. "AAAACCHHOO!" Brock sneezed.

"I can't believe you actually had Buneary nail me with that attack Dawn." Brock said bitterly.

[Flashback]

"Dawn, look, I'd tell you if I could, but it's a really important secret!" Brock yelled, still running from Buneary's Ice Beams. "You'll get tired eventually Brock!" Dawn yelled. Brock stopped, as he realized that they had run all the way to Solaceon Town. "Hey Dawn, look! We're at Solaceon To-" Brock was frozen solid by Buneary's Ice Beam. "Aaah! Buneary! I wanted you to scare him, not freeze him solid!" Dawn yelled with panic.

"Bun bun eary." (I'm sorry.) Buneary said with her ears drooped.

[End Flashback]

"I'm sorry Brock, I only wanted to scare you, not hit you." Dawn said apologetically. "Well, it looks like our plans are on hold until tomorrow; Nurse Joy won't let me go out like this…of course that isn't necessarily a bad thing! I'm going to get undivided attention from Nurse Joy, and while she's comforting and healing me we'll fall in love and we'll work together to heal all the Pokémon and-" Brock was cut-off by Croagunk's Poison Jab. "As…if…I…didn't…feel…bad…enough." Brock strained.

Dawn sweat-dropped, but quickly regained her curiosity. "Brock, if you won't tell me what it is, can you at least tell me when he'll be back?" Dawn asked sweetly. "(Sigh) He should be back later today, possibly within the next half-hour or so." Brock finally semi-gave in. Nurse Joy walked in, and told Dawn to go ahead and let Brock get some sleep.

Dawn's POV

"So, he'll be here soon? Excellent, I'll find out the secret straight from the horse's mouth!" Dawn thought mischievously. "Pi pi plup?" (What's up?) Piplup asked. "Oooh, that secret is driving me crazy! I just have to know what it is!" Dawn said with frustration. "Pi pl- PIPLLUUUUP!" (Well I- LOOK OUT!) Piplup cried.

Misty's POV

I woke up from possibly the best night's sleep I had in a long time, despite my current location and position. Sleeping upright on the back of a Charizard doesn't seem very comfortable, but I had the best pillow anyone could want.

I dreamily looked at the boy in front of me. He was as tall as I was, he might even become taller than I am soon, and muscle was starting to appear on his arms. But with all those physical changes that puberty was doing to him, his heart was the same: Determined, caring, fun-loving, kick-back, and now…loving.

Ash looked back at me with those chocolate-brown eyes I loved so much and smiled. He wrapped me into a one-armed hug and greeted me. "Morning Mist." he said softly. I tightened my grip on him and nuzzled my head into his neck, I was in absolute bliss. I had dreamed of being able to do this with him, but as a ten year old, he was absolutely clueless and dense. He still is dense in some things, but at least not in the most important things…at least what I thought was important.

"Morning Ash." I replied softly, with a soft pink spreading across my cheeks. His expression turned to playful, and he started joking around. "Passengers, we should be arriving in Solaceon Town in a few minutes, please fasten your seatbelts as we prepare for landing, and I'd like to thank you for flying 'Air Charizard'." Ash joked.

I saw an opportunity to tease him playfully, so how could I refuse? "Hmmph, no on-board meal? Pretty low-class flight." I said teasingly. "Maybe no food, but you sure slept soundly." he said with a wink. I couldn't help but blush. He got me…I was stunned, but…I wouldn't let him know that…yet. I was quickly startled when I felt a bump in the flight. "A-Ash?" I said nervously.

Ash's POV

"Oh no…not now." I thought with panic. "C'mon Charizard, Solaceon Town is only a few yards away, you can make it! Remember your training in the valley? Time to put it into full practice!" I yelled encouragingly.

Misty's POV

I was constantly impressed by the fact that even in moments of crisis; Ash was able to encourage his Pokémon without fear. I decided that if he could be strong, I should be strong too.

"Ash's POV

I felt Misty tighten her grip around me; I was going to comfort her thinking that she was scared, but the face I saw showed determination, not fear. I gave her a nod, and pulled out a Pokeball. "Staravia, I choose you!" I called out my other flying-type, who gave out a shrill cry.

"Ash, that bird looks too small to carry even Pikachu!" Misty exclaimed. "Just hang on, Staravia isn't carrying anyone!" I replied. "Staravia, get under Charizard and use Gust!" I ordered. "Star star!" (Understood!) Staravia flew underneath Charizard and started flapping her wings hard, creating a strong updraft.

"You feel that Charizard? Ride the wind!" I exclaimed. Charizard began gliding under the influence of Staravia's Gust, but it would be a close call to get to the town. We started our descent near Solaceon Town. I was relieved at the fact that we would indeed make it there, but the landing was going to be a really rough one.

I grabbed Misty's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Hang on tight Misty!" I yelled.

Misty's POV

I was already hugging him as tight as I could, anymore and I thought I might pop his upper-body off. As we neared the ground, I saw a blue-haired girl with what looked like a small penguin-like Pokémon standing in the way. "Hey, get out of the way!" I warned her.

Ash's POV

"Waah! That's Dawn! Dawn, move!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Dawn's POV

"Piplup, what's wrong?" I asked, fear rising in my voice. I looked up and saw an orange dragon flying towards me and Piplup at a frightening speed. "Dawn, move!" I heard a voice shout. "That's Ash! And he's coming this way!" I cried. I grabbed Piplup and dived out of the way, just as Ash's Charizard made a crash landing.

When the dust cleared, I noticed that Ash wasn't alone.

Normal POV

Ash, Misty, and a very shocked Pikachu slowly opened their eyes, checking to see if every part of their bodies was where it was supposed to be. "A-Are you ok Mist?" Ash asked softly, still gripping Misty's hand. Misty just nodded. "How 'bout you Pikachu?" Ash asked his yellow friend. "Pi…ka." (Oh…wow.) Pikachu said in shock.

Ash hopped off of Charizard, who was now sprawled out on the floor in utter exhaustion. Ash helped Misty off of the dragon's back, and then tended to his friend. As Ash kneeled down next to Charizard's face, Charizard gave a tired whine. "Charizard, thank you so much." Ash said gratefully. Ash rubbed the neck of his friend, and tears began forming in his eyes. "I've never been so proud of you Charizard, you were beyond amazing." Ash continued. Misty knelt down next to Ash and noticed that tears were falling from his eyes. "I'll get you to Nurse Joy right away; you're going to be just fine." Ash finished. He gave Charizard a grateful hug, and Charizard gave a low grunt in response.

Ash stood up and recalled his friend. "Pikapi? Pi pi chu?" (Ash? Are you ok?) Pikachu asked. "Y-Yeah, I-I'm alright Pikachu." Ash said, trying to hold back his tears. Misty gave him a hug from behind to try and comfort him. "It's ok Ash; we'll get him to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible." Misty said softly. Ash turned and hugged her back. "Thanks Mist." Ash whispered. "You're welcome." Misty replied. Pikachu walked up to his master's leg and hugged it too.

Misty's POV

I could understand what Ash was feeling right now. The bond that he and his Pokémon shared was a marvel to behold. When one of his friends was hurt, he felt the impact in his heart, but I was glad that I could be there to comfort him from now on. I was feeling bold at that particular moment, so I pulled back a bit, and softly pressed my lips against his cheek.

Ash's POV

I forgot about Charizard for a moment when I realized what Misty had just done. "S-She…kissed me." I loved that feeling it brought, it was the perfect cure for this situation. I gave her a reassuring smile, and I broke the embrace. "What is going on?" I heard a voice shout. "Uh oh, it's Dawn." I thought nervously.

Dawn's POV

I couldn't believe what I was seeing…I was almost run over by a giant dragon, Ash's giant dragon no less! It crash-landed next to the Pokémon Center, and Ash hopped off of it while helping a red-headed girl off as well. And the weirdest thing was yet to come. The girl gave Ash a hug, and Ash was hugging back! I think she even kissed him! I was in total shock. I ran up to them, I was sick of all these secrets, so I yelled: "What is going on?"

Normal POV

Ash and Misty glanced at each other briefly, and faced the blue-haired girl who was fuming mad. "Ash? Have you lost your mind? You could've killed someone! Like yourself!" Dawn screamed. "Sorry about that Dawn, but hey, meet an old friend of mine: Misty Waterflower." Ash said, changing the subject. Dawn's expression changed quickly. "Waterflower! That's possibly one of the prettiest names I've ever heard! It sounds so unique!" Dawn exclaimed. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Dawn." Misty said.

Suddenly, Dawn started scanning Misty from top to bottom and back up again. "Uh, Dawn…what are you doing?" Ash asked, obviously confused. "I get the feeling I've seen you somewhere before." Dawn said referring to Misty. "Really? This is the first time I've met you in person." Misty replied.

Dawn's face suddenly lifted, and she snapped her fingers as she realized why Misty was so familiar. "You're the girl who was on the lure! I didn't recognize you right away because your hair is down instead of in that ponytail!" Dawn exclaimed. "Oh yeah, she's talking about the mini-Misty lure you sent me." Ash said to Misty. "Yeah, I still can't believe you wouldn't let me use it though." Dawn pouted. "Why wouldn't he let you use it?" Misty asked suspiciously. "Uh oh, I know where this is going." Ash thought nervously.

"He said it was way too special to him." Dawn said with a wink. Misty glanced at Ash, whose face was now growing redder as they spoke. "But it was fun to see his reaction when he lost it." Dawn said innocently, "He went crazy chasing it down."

Ash got slammed by Misty's mallet after the story ended. "What was that for?" Ash yelled angrily. "That was for being careless with mini-Misty." Misty replied. Dawn backed off a bit, frightened by Misty's temper tantrum. "But didn't you hear the re-" Ash was cut-off by Misty's finger on his lips.

"And this is for getting it back." Misty said sweetly. Misty leaned her head to the side and kissed Ash's cheek, which caused them both to turn pink.

"Say, are you the reason that Ash decided to take off so suddenly?" Dawn asked with a sly grin.

Ash's POV

"She must've been driving Brock out of his mind, she looks like she's about to learn the secret of the sphinx. I wonder where he is anyway. Oh well, I guess I better get it over with, why try to hide what can't be hidden?" I reasoned.

Normal POV

Ash saw that Misty was at a loss for words, something that was extremely rare for her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him, which caused her to blush harder. "Misty is my girlfriend." Ash stated simply. Dawn's eyes grew wide and her face showed utter happiness.

"Congratulations to the both of you! I never thought Ash was the type to get a girlfriend, but it looks like it's working out." Dawn said giddily. Ash and Misty both blushed as they looked at each other. "Pi pi plup?" (Are you satisfied?) Piplup asked. "Yes, I'm satisfied Piplup, all I wanted to know was what the secret was." Dawn replied. "Secret? What secret?" Misty asked. "Oh, um…I talked to Brock about this whole…situation. I told him not to tell Dawn." Ash admitted.

"Yeah, why was that exactly?" Dawn asked, narrowing her eyes at Ash. "I…just…didn't want you to know yet…but you know now, isn't that enough?" Ash said fearfully. Now both Dawn and Misty were eyeballing him, Misty just enjoyed watching Ash squirm like a Caterpie.

"Waahh! I forgot about Charizard!" Ash exclaimed suddenly. Ash took off in the direction of the Pokémon Center, leaving Misty and Dawn by themselves.

Ash's POV

"If I had stayed there any longer, I think I would've melted under their gaze! Those two are worse than Slowpoke's when it comes to staring down!" I thought. "Pikapi! Pi ka chu!" (Ash! Wait up!) Pikachu cried. I slowed down for my buddy to catch up to me, and hop on my shoulder, and then walked into the center.

Misty's POV

"He'll pay for that escape later. Oh well, gives me a chance to talk to Dawn, she doesn't seem interested in Ash, so I think we can be friends." I thought. "So what's your favorite Pokémon type?" she asked me. Now this question, I loved! I got all starry-eyed as I told my story. "I live for water-type Pokémon! They're the perfect mixture of style, grace, and power, and my goal in life is to become a water-type Pokémon Master!" I exclaimed.

"Wow, that's so awesome! Piplup here is actually a water-type too, aren't you Piplup?" Dawn said cheerfully. "Pi plup!" (That's right!) "Well, we better find Ash, say isn't Brock supposed to be here too?" I asked as I turned to walk to the center. Dawn followed, along with Piplup. "You know Brock too?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, before my sisters called me back to the gym two years ago, I was following Ash on his journeys because he had wrecked my bike running from a flock of wild Spearow." I said, recalling the memory. "He wrecked your bike too? Pikachu actually fried mine!" Dawn exclaimed. "Somehow I'm not surprised, Ash always had the worst ways of running into people. He did that to May's bike too." I said.

"Oh yeah, Ash brought her up once or twice." Dawn said. "Oh…really?" I was feeling a bit hurt on the inside, knowing that Ash had mentioned May before. Dawn neglected to notice, but her next comment changed things. "Yeah, but that's nothing compared to how much he talked about you, he never mentioned you by name, but he always talked about a friend of his who he missed a lot." Dawn said.

My face lifted as she said that, I think I even turned a bit pink. We walked into the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy pointed us in the direction of Brock's room.

Ash's POV

"Hey Brock, how are ya?" I asked my older friend. I felt a bit guilty knowing that he got sick and he still defended my secret. "Hey, welcome back Ash. I've felt better, but I'll be alright." Brock reassured. "How'd you get sick?" I asked. Brock hesitated, and then spoke.

"Dawn's Buneary nailed me with an Ice Beam." he said. "Huh? Why would it do that?" I asked in shock. I wouldn't tell Dawn your secret. She didn't mean to actually get me; she just wanted to scare me. But…I don't scare easy." Brock said with a grin. Now I felt really bad, first Charizard, and now Brock.

"So…how was your visit with Misty?" Brock asked. I wondered what and how much I should tell him. He knew I loved Misty, but he didn't know she was here, or what happened between us. But I didn't have to worry about telling him she was here, since she and Dawn had just walked in.

Brock's POV

"Hi Brock, long time no see." Misty said cheerfully. "…Ash you brought her to Sinnoh? How in the world do you expect her to get back to Cerulean?" I yelled, I had forgotten that I was sick. "Um…Brock, there's something you should know." Ash said. "What, what is it?" I yelled, still upset at Ash's extreme irresponsibility.

"You tell him Mist." Ash offered. "I'm not going back to the gym Brock; I'm staying here with you guys!" Misty said happily. "Really? That's great! Wait…only half great, now I have to listen to you and Ash argue with each other again." I really didn't want that to start again.

"You tell him this part, Ash." Misty said. "Tell me what?" I asked, now the secret was being kept from me. "So this is how Dawn felt." I thought. I watched in awe as Ash placed his arm around Misty's shoulders, and pulled her in close to him. "Brock, Misty is my girlfriend now." Ash said with a smile. Misty nodded to confirm, then snuggled her head into Ash's neck.

"Awww! You two finally confessed your love for each other and I missed it?" I exclaimed with disappointment. "Heh heh, yep, sorry Brocko. But look on the bright side, there's probably going to be a lot less arguing from now on." Ash said. I crossed my arms and made the best pouty face I could make, it was all in good fun, and now our little family was back together completely.

"So Ash, how'd your mom react to your being attached now?" I asked. Ash did a face-fault as he realized something. "I haven't told her yet!" Ash exclaimed, "I guess I better do it now, huh?"

"That'd probably be a good idea…now everyone out! I feel like I'm gonna sneeze." I said jokingly. I started to fake a sneeze to get everyone to scatter quicker, and after they all left, I laid down for a nap.

Ash's POV

"Come with me Misty, I'm gonna call my mom now." I said. Misty followed me to the nearby videophone, and I motioned for her to stay out of the picture for a moment.

After a few seconds, my mom answered. "Hi mom." I said. "Hi sweetie! How are you?" my mom said excitedly. She always enjoyed when I gave her a call.

"I'm doin' alright, hey I have something important to tell you." I decided to get straight to the point; I was both curious and scared to how she would react. "Ok, what is it? I'm with you no matter what." she replied.

"I have a girlfriend now." I said. My mom's face drooped. "Oh…but I always thought that you and your friend Misty made a cute couple." she said. "Did everyone think this before I realized it?" I wondered.

"Actually mom…" I paused and motioned for Misty to come into the picture. "Meet my new girlfriend." I said cheerfully. Misty blushed and smiled. "Hi Mrs. Ketchum." Misty said.

My mom's face lifted to the point of going through the roof. "I am so thrilled for you two! After all the talk my Ash did about you I just knew you two were destined to be together!" she exclaimed.

"Mom!" I felt my face growing flame-hot. I glanced at Misty, who had some blush on her face as well. "So I guess this is just a short visit then Misty?" my mom asked. "Uh oh, I think I know what's coming next." I thought.

"Actually Mrs. Ketchum, I'm going to be travelling with Ash and his friends again, I'm no longer needed at the gym, thanks to Ash." Misty said cheerfully. "Oh really? Ash, I need to speak with you privately." My mom said with a serious tone.

"I knew it. She wants to explain the 'rules' that I already figured were obvious." I thought.

Misty's POV

"Poor Ash, his mom is going to drive him crazy now." I thought. I gave Ash a quick kiss, and proceeded to walk away. I couldn't help but giggle when I heard him cry out in disbelief. "Mom! How irresponsible do you think I am?"

LATER

I saw Ash walking over to me, and he looked rather exhausted, his mom probably gave him the works about traveling with a girlfriend.

He plopped down on the couch next to me and gave a big huff. "Geez, you'd think she'd trust me a little more than that. I mean all the stuff she told me, a Slowpoke could've figured it out!" Ash said in an annoyed tone.

"I know, I'm looking at one right now." I teased him. "Oh yeah?" he replied. "Yeah!" I said back. The banter went back and forth for a few seconds until we both got tired.

"So Ash, since Brock doesn't get out until tomorrow, what should we do for the rest of the day?" I asked sweetly.

"I dunno, what do you feel like doing?" Ash asked me. When did Ash become such a gentleman as to let me decide what to do? I wouldn't get the chance to answer, since my stomach decided for me.

"Sounds to me like you want to get something to eat." Ash said with one eye closed. I blushed out of embarrassment.

"Well, let's get some lunch, then maybe we can see how Dawn's Pokémon Contest training is going. Sound good to you?" Ash suggested.

I nodded, and then stood up and took his arm, and we walked to the Pokémon Center to get something to eat. A lunch date with Ash? Nothing could be better.
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And that's Chapter 8. For those of you who are still wanting to continue reading, there's currently a total of 44 chapters and still going! All you gotta do is go to fanfiction.net and look up "AAML: Diamond and Pearl version". But hey, the dA version is more lifelike! Am I right? Thanks again ! ^^

Chapter 7: [link]

Chapter 9: soon

Description
Well gang, here's Chapter 8 of my fic. Once again, special thanks to for doing such a great job drawing these pics! And now without further ado, here we go!
_______________________________

Chapter 8

Ash's POV

I stayed up all night with Charizard, trying to keep an eye on our direction. Every now and then, I would look back to where my beautiful water flower had fallen asleep, leaning against my back, with her arms wrapped around my waist. I still couldn't believe she was actually MY girlfriend, I never even bothered to think about having one before, I was sure missing out on a lot.

The hard part would be explaining the whole situation to Brock and Dawn. Brock would take it easier, since he already knew about it, but Dawn would probably squeal about it for weeks. But, I felt that Misty was beyond worth it. I'd finally be able to get my head back on the right track, and I'd have Misty cheering me on, like old times…but not exactly.

Normal POV

Dawn and Brock had reached Solaceon Town, where Brock was fighting off a nasty cold. "AAAACCHHOO!" Brock sneezed.

"I can't believe you actually had Buneary nail me with that attack Dawn." Brock said bitterly.

[Flashback]

"Dawn, look, I'd tell you if I could, but it's a really important secret!" Brock yelled, still running from Buneary's Ice Beams. "You'll get tired eventually Brock!" Dawn yelled. Brock stopped, as he realized that they had run all the way to Solaceon Town. "Hey Dawn, look! We're at Solaceon To-" Brock was frozen solid by Buneary's Ice Beam. "Aaah! Buneary! I wanted you to scare him, not freeze him solid!" Dawn yelled with panic.

"Bun bun eary." (I'm sorry.) Buneary said with her ears drooped.

[End Flashback]

"I'm sorry Brock, I only wanted to scare you, not hit you." Dawn said apologetically. "Well, it looks like our plans are on hold until tomorrow; Nurse Joy won't let me go out like this…of course that isn't necessarily a bad thing! I'm going to get undivided attention from Nurse Joy, and while she's comforting and healing me we'll fall in love and we'll work together to heal all the Pokémon and-" Brock was cut-off by Croagunk's Poison Jab. "As…if…I…didn't…feel…bad…enough." Brock strained.

Dawn sweat-dropped, but quickly regained her curiosity. "Brock, if you won't tell me what it is, can you at least tell me when he'll be back?" Dawn asked sweetly. "(Sigh) He should be back later today, possibly within the next half-hour or so." Brock finally semi-gave in. Nurse Joy walked in, and told Dawn to go ahead and let Brock get some sleep.

Dawn's POV

"So, he'll be here soon? Excellent, I'll find out the secret straight from the horse's mouth!" Dawn thought mischievously. "Pi pi plup?" (What's up?) Piplup asked. "Oooh, that secret is driving me crazy! I just have to know what it is!" Dawn said with frustration. "Pi pl- PIPLLUUUUP!" (Well I- LOOK OUT!) Piplup cried.

Misty's POV

I woke up from possibly the best night's sleep I had in a long time, despite my current location and position. Sleeping upright on the back of a Charizard doesn't seem very comfortable, but I had the best pillow anyone could want.

I dreamily looked at the boy in front of me. He was as tall as I was, he might even become taller than I am soon, and muscle was starting to appear on his arms. But with all those physical changes that puberty was doing to him, his heart was the same: Determined, caring, fun-loving, kick-back, and now…loving.

Ash looked back at me with those chocolate-brown eyes I loved so much and smiled. He wrapped me into a one-armed hug and greeted me. "Morning Mist." he said softly. I tightened my grip on him and nuzzled my head into his neck, I was in absolute bliss. I had dreamed of being able to do this with him, but as a ten year old, he was absolutely clueless and dense. He still is dense in some things, but at least not in the most important things…at least what I thought was important.

"Morning Ash." I replied softly, with a soft pink spreading across my cheeks. His expression turned to playful, and he started joking around. "Passengers, we should be arriving in Solaceon Town in a few minutes, please fasten your seatbelts as we prepare for landing, and I'd like to thank you for flying 'Air Charizard'." Ash joked.

I saw an opportunity to tease him playfully, so how could I refuse? "Hmmph, no on-board meal? Pretty low-class flight." I said teasingly. "Maybe no food, but you sure slept soundly." he said with a wink. I couldn't help but blush. He got me…I was stunned, but…I wouldn't let him know that…yet. I was quickly startled when I felt a bump in the flight. "A-Ash?" I said nervously.

Ash's POV

"Oh no…not now." I thought with panic. "C'mon Charizard, Solaceon Town is only a few yards away, you can make it! Remember your training in the valley? Time to put it into full practice!" I yelled encouragingly.

Misty's POV

I was constantly impressed by the fact that even in moments of crisis; Ash was able to encourage his Pokémon without fear. I decided that if he could be strong, I should be strong too.

"Ash's POV

I felt Misty tighten her grip around me; I was going to comfort her thinking that she was scared, but the face I saw showed determination, not fear. I gave her a nod, and pulled out a Pokeball. "Staravia, I choose you!" I called out my other flying-type, who gave out a shrill cry.

"Ash, that bird looks too small to carry even Pikachu!" Misty exclaimed. "Just hang on, Staravia isn't carrying anyone!" I replied. "Staravia, get under Charizard and use Gust!" I ordered. "Star star!" (Understood!) Staravia flew underneath Charizard and started flapping her wings hard, creating a strong updraft.

"You feel that Charizard? Ride the wind!" I exclaimed. Charizard began gliding under the influence of Staravia's Gust, but it would be a close call to get to the town. We started our descent near Solaceon Town. I was relieved at the fact that we would indeed make it there, but the landing was going to be a really rough one.

I grabbed Misty's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Hang on tight Misty!" I yelled.

Misty's POV

I was already hugging him as tight as I could, anymore and I thought I might pop his upper-body off. As we neared the ground, I saw a blue-haired girl with what looked like a small penguin-like Pokémon standing in the way. "Hey, get out of the way!" I warned her.

Ash's POV

"Waah! That's Dawn! Dawn, move!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

Dawn's POV

"Piplup, what's wrong?" I asked, fear rising in my voice. I looked up and saw an orange dragon flying towards me and Piplup at a frightening speed. "Dawn, move!" I heard a voice shout. "That's Ash! And he's coming this way!" I cried. I grabbed Piplup and dived out of the way, just as Ash's Charizard made a crash landing.

When the dust cleared, I noticed that Ash wasn't alone.

Normal POV

Ash, Misty, and a very shocked Pikachu slowly opened their eyes, checking to see if every part of their bodies was where it was supposed to be. "A-Are you ok Mist?" Ash asked softly, still gripping Misty's hand. Misty just nodded. "How 'bout you Pikachu?" Ash asked his yellow friend. "Pi…ka." (Oh…wow.) Pikachu said in shock.

Ash hopped off of Charizard, who was now sprawled out on the floor in utter exhaustion. Ash helped Misty off of the dragon's back, and then tended to his friend. As Ash kneeled down next to Charizard's face, Charizard gave a tired whine. "Charizard, thank you so much." Ash said gratefully. Ash rubbed the neck of his friend, and tears began forming in his eyes. "I've never been so proud of you Charizard, you were beyond amazing." Ash continued. Misty knelt down next to Ash and noticed that tears were falling from his eyes. "I'll get you to Nurse Joy right away; you're going to be just fine." Ash finished. He gave Charizard a grateful hug, and Charizard gave a low grunt in response.

Ash stood up and recalled his friend. "Pikapi? Pi pi chu?" (Ash? Are you ok?) Pikachu asked. "Y-Yeah, I-I'm alright Pikachu." Ash said, trying to hold back his tears. Misty gave him a hug from behind to try and comfort him. "It's ok Ash; we'll get him to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible." Misty said softly. Ash turned and hugged her back. "Thanks Mist." Ash whispered. "You're welcome." Misty replied. Pikachu walked up to his master's leg and hugged it too.

Misty's POV

I could understand what Ash was feeling right now. The bond that he and his Pokémon shared was a marvel to behold. When one of his friends was hurt, he felt the impact in his heart, but I was glad that I could be there to comfort him from now on. I was feeling bold at that particular moment, so I pulled back a bit, and softly pressed my lips against his cheek.

Ash's POV

I forgot about Charizard for a moment when I realized what Misty had just done. "S-She…kissed me." I loved that feeling it brought, it was the perfect cure for this situation. I gave her a reassuring smile, and I broke the embrace. "What is going on?" I heard a voice shout. "Uh oh, it's Dawn." I thought nervously.

Dawn's POV

I couldn't believe what I was seeing…I was almost run over by a giant dragon, Ash's giant dragon no less! It crash-landed next to the Pokémon Center, and Ash hopped off of it while helping a red-headed girl off as well. And the weirdest thing was yet to come. The girl gave Ash a hug, and Ash was hugging back! I think she even kissed him! I was in total shock. I ran up to them, I was sick of all these secrets, so I yelled: "What is going on?"

Normal POV

Ash and Misty glanced at each other briefly, and faced the blue-haired girl who was fuming mad. "Ash? Have you lost your mind? You could've killed someone! Like yourself!" Dawn screamed. "Sorry about that Dawn, but hey, meet an old friend of mine: Misty Waterflower." Ash said, changing the subject. Dawn's expression changed quickly. "Waterflower! That's possibly one of the prettiest names I've ever heard! It sounds so unique!" Dawn exclaimed. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Dawn." Misty said.

Suddenly, Dawn started scanning Misty from top to bottom and back up again. "Uh, Dawn…what are you doing?" Ash asked, obviously confused. "I get the feeling I've seen you somewhere before." Dawn said referring to Misty. "Really? This is the first time I've met you in person." Misty replied.

Dawn's face suddenly lifted, and she snapped her fingers as she realized why Misty was so familiar. "You're the girl who was on the lure! I didn't recognize you right away because your hair is down instead of in that ponytail!" Dawn exclaimed. "Oh yeah, she's talking about the mini-Misty lure you sent me." Ash said to Misty. "Yeah, I still can't believe you wouldn't let me use it though." Dawn pouted. "Why wouldn't he let you use it?" Misty asked suspiciously. "Uh oh, I know where this is going." Ash thought nervously.

"He said it was way too special to him." Dawn said with a wink. Misty glanced at Ash, whose face was now growing redder as they spoke. "But it was fun to see his reaction when he lost it." Dawn said innocently, "He went crazy chasing it down."

Ash got slammed by Misty's mallet after the story ended. "What was that for?" Ash yelled angrily. "That was for being careless with mini-Misty." Misty replied. Dawn backed off a bit, frightened by Misty's temper tantrum. "But didn't you hear the re-" Ash was cut-off by Misty's finger on his lips.

"And this is for getting it back." Misty said sweetly. Misty leaned her head to the side and kissed Ash's cheek, which caused them both to turn pink.

"Say, are you the reason that Ash decided to take off so suddenly?" Dawn asked with a sly grin.

Ash's POV

"She must've been driving Brock out of his mind, she looks like she's about to learn the secret of the sphinx. I wonder where he is anyway. Oh well, I guess I better get it over with, why try to hide what can't be hidden?" I reasoned.

Normal POV

Ash saw that Misty was at a loss for words, something that was extremely rare for her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him, which caused her to blush harder. "Misty is my girlfriend." Ash stated simply. Dawn's eyes grew wide and her face showed utter happiness.

"Congratulations to the both of you! I never thought Ash was the type to get a girlfriend, but it looks like it's working out." Dawn said giddily. Ash and Misty both blushed as they looked at each other. "Pi pi plup?" (Are you satisfied?) Piplup asked. "Yes, I'm satisfied Piplup, all I wanted to know was what the secret was." Dawn replied. "Secret? What secret?" Misty asked. "Oh, um…I talked to Brock about this whole…situation. I told him not to tell Dawn." Ash admitted.

"Yeah, why was that exactly?" Dawn asked, narrowing her eyes at Ash. "I…just…didn't want you to know yet…but you know now, isn't that enough?" Ash said fearfully. Now both Dawn and Misty were eyeballing him, Misty just enjoyed watching Ash squirm like a Caterpie.

"Waahh! I forgot about Charizard!" Ash exclaimed suddenly. Ash took off in the direction of the Pokémon Center, leaving Misty and Dawn by themselves.

Ash's POV

"If I had stayed there any longer, I think I would've melted under their gaze! Those two are worse than Slowpoke's when it comes to staring down!" I thought. "Pikapi! Pi ka chu!" (Ash! Wait up!) Pikachu cried. I slowed down for my buddy to catch up to me, and hop on my shoulder, and then walked into the center.

Misty's POV

"He'll pay for that escape later. Oh well, gives me a chance to talk to Dawn, she doesn't seem interested in Ash, so I think we can be friends." I thought. "So what's your favorite Pokémon type?" she asked me. Now this question, I loved! I got all starry-eyed as I told my story. "I live for water-type Pokémon! They're the perfect mixture of style, grace, and power, and my goal in life is to become a water-type Pokémon Master!" I exclaimed.

"Wow, that's so awesome! Piplup here is actually a water-type too, aren't you Piplup?" Dawn said cheerfully. "Pi plup!" (That's right!) "Well, we better find Ash, say isn't Brock supposed to be here too?" I asked as I turned to walk to the center. Dawn followed, along with Piplup. "You know Brock too?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, before my sisters called me back to the gym two years ago, I was following Ash on his journeys because he had wrecked my bike running from a flock of wild Spearow." I said, recalling the memory. "He wrecked your bike too? Pikachu actually fried mine!" Dawn exclaimed. "Somehow I'm not surprised, Ash always had the worst ways of running into people. He did that to May's bike too." I said.

"Oh yeah, Ash brought her up once or twice." Dawn said. "Oh…really?" I was feeling a bit hurt on the inside, knowing that Ash had mentioned May before. Dawn neglected to notice, but her next comment changed things. "Yeah, but that's nothing compared to how much he talked about you, he never mentioned you by name, but he always talked about a friend of his who he missed a lot." Dawn said.

My face lifted as she said that, I think I even turned a bit pink. We walked into the Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy pointed us in the direction of Brock's room.

Ash's POV

"Hey Brock, how are ya?" I asked my older friend. I felt a bit guilty knowing that he got sick and he still defended my secret. "Hey, welcome back Ash. I've felt better, but I'll be alright." Brock reassured. "How'd you get sick?" I asked. Brock hesitated, and then spoke.

"Dawn's Buneary nailed me with an Ice Beam." he said. "Huh? Why would it do that?" I asked in shock. I wouldn't tell Dawn your secret. She didn't mean to actually get me; she just wanted to scare me. But…I don't scare easy." Brock said with a grin. Now I felt really bad, first Charizard, and now Brock.

"So…how was your visit with Misty?" Brock asked. I wondered what and how much I should tell him. He knew I loved Misty, but he didn't know she was here, or what happened between us. But I didn't have to worry about telling him she was here, since she and Dawn had just walked in.

Brock's POV

"Hi Brock, long time no see." Misty said cheerfully. "…Ash you brought her to Sinnoh? How in the world do you expect her to get back to Cerulean?" I yelled, I had forgotten that I was sick. "Um…Brock, there's something you should know." Ash said. "What, what is it?" I yelled, still upset at Ash's extreme irresponsibility.

"You tell him Mist." Ash offered. "I'm not going back to the gym Brock; I'm staying here with you guys!" Misty said happily. "Really? That's great! Wait…only half great, now I have to listen to you and Ash argue with each other again." I really didn't want that to start again.

"You tell him this part, Ash." Misty said. "Tell me what?" I asked, now the secret was being kept from me. "So this is how Dawn felt." I thought. I watched in awe as Ash placed his arm around Misty's shoulders, and pulled her in close to him. "Brock, Misty is my girlfriend now." Ash said with a smile. Misty nodded to confirm, then snuggled her head into Ash's neck.

"Awww! You two finally confessed your love for each other and I missed it?" I exclaimed with disappointment. "Heh heh, yep, sorry Brocko. But look on the bright side, there's probably going to be a lot less arguing from now on." Ash said. I crossed my arms and made the best pouty face I could make, it was all in good fun, and now our little family was back together completely.

"So Ash, how'd your mom react to your being attached now?" I asked. Ash did a face-fault as he realized something. "I haven't told her yet!" Ash exclaimed, "I guess I better do it now, huh?"

"That'd probably be a good idea…now everyone out! I feel like I'm gonna sneeze." I said jokingly. I started to fake a sneeze to get everyone to scatter quicker, and after they all left, I laid down for a nap.

Ash's POV

"Come with me Misty, I'm gonna call my mom now." I said. Misty followed me to the nearby videophone, and I motioned for her to stay out of the picture for a moment.

After a few seconds, my mom answered. "Hi mom." I said. "Hi sweetie! How are you?" my mom said excitedly. She always enjoyed when I gave her a call.

"I'm doin' alright, hey I have something important to tell you." I decided to get straight to the point; I was both curious and scared to how she would react. "Ok, what is it? I'm with you no matter what." she replied.

"I have a girlfriend now." I said. My mom's face drooped. "Oh…but I always thought that you and your friend Misty made a cute couple." she said. "Did everyone think this before I realized it?" I wondered.

"Actually mom…" I paused and motioned for Misty to come into the picture. "Meet my new girlfriend." I said cheerfully. Misty blushed and smiled. "Hi Mrs. Ketchum." Misty said.

My mom's face lifted to the point of going through the roof. "I am so thrilled for you two! After all the talk my Ash did about you I just knew you two were destined to be together!" she exclaimed.

"Mom!" I felt my face growing flame-hot. I glanced at Misty, who had some blush on her face as well. "So I guess this is just a short visit then Misty?" my mom asked. "Uh oh, I think I know what's coming next." I thought.

"Actually Mrs. Ketchum, I'm going to be travelling with Ash and his friends again, I'm no longer needed at the gym, thanks to Ash." Misty said cheerfully. "Oh really? Ash, I need to speak with you privately." My mom said with a serious tone.

"I knew it. She wants to explain the 'rules' that I already figured were obvious." I thought.

Misty's POV

"Poor Ash, his mom is going to drive him crazy now." I thought. I gave Ash a quick kiss, and proceeded to walk away. I couldn't help but giggle when I heard him cry out in disbelief. "Mom! How irresponsible do you think I am?"

LATER

I saw Ash walking over to me, and he looked rather exhausted, his mom probably gave him the works about traveling with a girlfriend.

He plopped down on the couch next to me and gave a big huff. "Geez, you'd think she'd trust me a little more than that. I mean all the stuff she told me, a Slowpoke could've figured it out!" Ash said in an annoyed tone.

"I know, I'm looking at one right now." I teased him. "Oh yeah?" he replied. "Yeah!" I said back. The banter went back and forth for a few seconds until we both got tired.

"So Ash, since Brock doesn't get out until tomorrow, what should we do for the rest of the day?" I asked sweetly.

"I dunno, what do you feel like doing?" Ash asked me. When did Ash become such a gentleman as to let me decide what to do? I wouldn't get the chance to answer, since my stomach decided for me.

"Sounds to me like you want to get something to eat." Ash said with one eye closed. I blushed out of embarrassment.

"Well, let's get some lunch, then maybe we can see how Dawn's Pokémon Contest training is going. Sound good to you?" Ash suggested.

I nodded, and then stood up and took his arm, and we walked to the Pokémon Center to get something to eat. A lunch date with Ash? Nothing could be better.
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And that's Chapter 8. For those of you who are still wanting to continue reading, there's currently a total of 44 chapters and still going! All you gotta do is go to fanfiction.net and look up "AAML: Diamond and Pearl version". But hey, the dA version is more lifelike! Am I right? Thanks again ! ^^

Chapter 7: [link]

Chapter 9: soon