chapter 13

a crowd had gathered on the beach of Melemele Island around two young adults: Ash and Lana. The two were in white with Lana in a white wedding shoulderless gown. Ash wore a white tuxedo with his wild hair flying in the wind. Harper and Sarah watched on Lana's side with Mallow and Lillie and bonnie. On Ash's side were Gladion, Sophocles and Kiawe. It was a wedding as Principal Oak united the two in the front. A crowd of Pokémon also watched from Pikachu to Primarina. Ash and Lana made their vows, Samson feeling joyous. "With their vows made, if anyone objects to the union, speak MEOWTH or forever WHISMUR your peace," he joked. No one laughed but no one said a thing. "Ash, Lana… I now pronounce you MANTINE and wife!" Cheers began as Ash and Lana shared a kiss, now married. Harper and Sarah came to Ash and hugged him.

"Welcome to the family… big brother!" they greeted.

"Thanks, you two!" praised Ash. The twins released Ash for Lana to be by his side. The rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen gathered for a photo of the wedding.

Alas, it was a dream. Harper and Sarah woke to the rising sun in their home. They gasped and glanced at each other. "I just had a great dream!" they yelped to each other. "We gotta tell Lana!" They hurried out of the room but the door closed. To Harper and Sarah, Lana left. Looking through the window, they saw Lana walking out with Popplio in her arms. The twins missed their chance.

"Sarah, what now?" asked Harper. Quickly, Sarah had a plan.

"Let's follow her!" she declared before pursuing Lana. Harper followed her twin. As they trailed, they did their best to remain hidden from their big sister and Sea Lion Pokémon… or Ash and Pikachu as they arrived among the trail.

"Lana!" he called down. "Alola!" Lana turned to see her classmate and Pokémon.

"Ash!" she called up. "Alola!" To Harper and Sarah, it couldn't be a coincidence.

"Lana's with her boyfriend!" they believed as they monitored Ash reaching Lana.

"I know it hasn't been long since Poipole had to stay home," she started.

"I'm fine, Lana," Ash shrugged off. "The other Poipole and that other Ultra Beast are glad to have the light back with Necrozma." Ash's backpack came open, Rowlet sleeping soundly.

"You've seem to be looking forward and not back."

"What's past is passed." As the two youths proceeded on, Harper and Sarah saw something not right.

"How Magikarpal!" they gasped. "They're not holding hands?" They continued the chase to the Pokémon School. Harper and Sarah hid behind Kukui's desk but moved on around the perimeter of the classroom while viewing others arriving like Lillie and Sophocles. Togedemaru, Marowak and Snowy welcomed each other. Before long, Professor Kukui and Rotom entered as well.

"Alola, class!" the professor greeted. Everyone sat in their seats. Harper and Sarah grew frustrated that Lillie sat closer to Ash than Lana.

"Alola, Professor!" the students greeted back. Ash sat and Rotom came to his side.

"So, did you get the upgrades you asked?" questioned Ash.

"Well, not entirely," Rotom sighed. "I got some for the Ultra Beasts that appeared but not the one with all those Poipole. Aether Paradise… they determined to call it UB-07:Stinger." Kiawe seemed disappointed about the research done.

"At least we returned peace in the Ultra World," he weighed. The class got going where Harper and Sarah began understanding Kukui's lessons. After a few hours, the twins fell asleep while Ash, Lana and the Pokémon had lunch.

"Professor Burnet must be a great person to have around," Lana praised. "She must be if she can cook this before going to Aether Paradise." Ash wasn't concerned about Burnet's abilities.

"I'm just glad that she and Professor Kukui are happy," he smiled. "Heck, if I wanted to… I would just go to Poni Island for the next Grand Trial." Tsareena shared some Pokémon food with Snowy. Out of nowhere, a hiss stirred Harper awake. She turned to find a Pokémon that caused her to scream. Hearing the scream, Sarah woke to find the scary Pokémon as Lana recognized the scream.

"Harper? Sarah?" As guessed, Harper and Sarah escaped their hiding place as a Salandit crawled close to them.

"A Salandit!?"

("Is it that one!?") asked Pikachu. Salandit hissed at the two.

"Don't eat us!" they cried. Salandit flung a Flame Burst at the two, forcing Lana to react with Popplio.

"Balloon!" she called out. Popplio blew a balloon up and threw it, intercepting the Flame Burst. Ash decided to follow up.

"Use Quick Attack!" he commanded. Pikachu raced at Salandit and bashed it to the railing overlooking the courtyard. Ash and Lana glanced to each other and nodded.

"Harper, Sarah, get behind me and Ash!" Harper and Sarah, scared from Salandit's appearance, obeyed and circled to the other Pokémon. Salandit recovered and hissed as Lillie heard smashes.

"What's going on!?" she wondered. Realizing their Pokémon were in the classroom, Sophocles sensed trouble.

"Let's check it out!" he ordered. Kiawe led as Lana readied her Z-Ring.

"That is enough, Salandit!" she scolded as she extended her arms out. After bringing her arms in and crossing over her chest, she performed a brief Hawaiian hula which powered her Watrium-Z to Popplio. "This is for attacking my sisters! Hydro Vortex!" Popplio's raced after and around Salandit as a whirlpool formed around the two Pokémon. Salandit was caught in its wave and couldn't escape. Ash decided to act as well.

"We're next, Lana!" he warned as he made the same arm gestures, except he brought his arms to the sides, as did Pikachu. Then, Ash made a lightning bolt out of his arms in powering his Electrium-Z. "Popplio, now!" Popplio flew out of its Hydro Vortex. Ash and Pikachu wound up to use their Z-Move. "Pikachu, full power! Gigavolt Impact!" Pikachu punched his javelin of electricity that pierced Hydro Vortex. Struck, Salandit flew out of the whirlpool and away from the Pokémon School like a line drive. With Salandit gone, Ash, Lana and the Pokémon focused their attention on Harper and Sarah as Kukui and the students arrived.

"What happened!?" asked Mallow. What they heard was Harper and Sarah crying hysterically.

"We're scared!" cried Harper as she hugged Lana.

"We thought we're toast!" whined Sarah as she cried on Ash's shoulder. As the twins cried, Ash wondered about the intruding Pokémon.

"Was that the same Salandit that attacked Snowy as an egg?" he questioned. Snowy shivered to the thought as Lana wondered to her sisters being in school.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be at home with Mom?" Their faces told Ash and Lana more of their fear with Salandit than anything. Feeling sympathy, Ash waged a decision.

"Let's have them stay here and learn with us," he offered. Harper and Sarah's eyes grew in awe at the offer.

"Can we, Lana?" they pleaded. Lana huffed a chuckle before accepting the idea.

"As long as you two behave," she advised. The twins cheered as Kukui called class to order.

"Alright, everyone!" he declared. "Let's get going with the next lesson." Everyone returned to their seats as Harper joined Lana and Sarah joined Ash at their desks. After Komala rang the last bell of the day, Ash joined the sisters on their way back home. They reached the fork in the road where Ash came from when Lana grabbed Ash's arm. Ash turned to Lana as the twins also spun to the two.

"Harper, can you come and hold Popplio for a minute?" she asked.

"Okay…" Harper agreed before taking Popplio from her arm. Lana turned to Ash with concern.

"Ash, ever since I introduced you to my sisters, they've believed we were a couple already. However, you helped me with understanding Popplio better, and what we've done together: the fishing battle with Wishiwashi, the encouragement with my Z-Move, the fun with Pikachu and Rowlet… Harper and Sarah… they're right! We are a couple!" Ash gulped to the confession.

"Lana, I know we've seen each other ever since I rode a Sharpedo when I first arrived in Alola," he recalled.

"Yes, I'm aware." Pikachu bailed from Ash's shoulder and joined with Sarah. "The thing is… I've wondered if  this is what Harper and Sarah wanted, and maybe someone I wanted. It  might have been when we lost Popplio and Rowlet, or it  might have been when Dewpider had me for awhile… But seeing how you treated Harper and Sarah today, I feel like now I know what to do." She released Ash's arm but grabbed his hands. "Ash Ketchum, I… I want to rest the rumors and start dating!" Ash stood in shock. He turned to a wishing pair of sisters and their Pokémon. That's when he removed his cap and fitted it on her head backwards.

"Lana… I can tell how happy it will make everyone when I accept it." Elated, Lana leaped up and kissed Ash on the lip as her leg popped up. Her sandal fell to the ground as Harper and Sarah enjoyed the sight, believing the dream they had started to bear fruit.

"It's coming true!" they cheered. "It's coming true!" The Pokémon blinked to Harper and Sarah's claim.

("What's coming true?") asked Pikachu. When they broke their lip-lock, Ash noticed the sandal.

"Lemme get that," he offered. He knelt down and redressed her sandal with her toes wiggling.

"That's more like it," she sighed. Seeing Ash's act, Harper and Sarah nodded before kicking off a sandal each.

"It's our turn!" cheered Harper.

"Dress our feet, Ash!" ordered Sarah. Ash gulped to the twins' acts.

"You two can dress your own feet," Lana groaned.

"Dress our feet!" the two urged as the girls' mother found the kids.

"So there you girls are," she sneered. "I figured you two had to be out doing something mischievous with Lana." Harper and Sarah gulped while the Pokémon returned to their owners.

"We had a fun day today!" claimed Harper.

"Ash and Lana are now married!" claimed Sarah. Ash and Lana gawked to Sarah's exaggeration.

"Too soon!" they snapped back. Pikachu and Popplio sighed in fluster.

"But we dreamed that you married!" proclaimed Harper.

"And look how happy you are now!" added Sarah. Suddenly, the twins felt a strong sensation of anger behind them. Looking back, they saw their mother burning mad.

"Get in the house… NOW!" she demanded. The twins became scared out of their minds and could wonder what the mother would do to them if they didn't obey.

"So, that's where the anger came from," Ash shuttered. Harper and Sarah reapplied their sandals before going inside. After the twins retreated, the mother saw the new pair.

"So, is this true that my eldest daughter's now dating?" she asked.

"We are, Mom," Lana confirmed. Elated, the mother hugged the two.

"My baby girl's growing up…" After breaking the hug, she had a guess to Ash's appearance. "So, will you be staying tonight?" Ash took one glance to Lana as they held hands.

"I think so," he admitted. "I'll need to call Professors Kukui and Burnet, let them know the issue."

"No problem." After being let in, Ash joined the family for dinner. The Pokémon were also fed. Night fell and Ash slept with the girls as Popplio slept with Pikachu and Rowlet. Rotom took pictures of everyone snoozing before he shut himself down. Lana snuggled by Ash's head, Harper was on Ash's arm and Sarah wrapped his leg. It would be a glorious night for the four.

We've been waiting a long time. You don't thi-"

"Harper and Sarah  don't even think that!  lana's gonna be fine. I know, I just know okay. What we probably need to do is get some rest and wait for your mom to come. Just try and calm down."

"You're right Ash,  lana is gonna be okay, I just gotta keep my head."

"Well let's all hope you keep your head young man, we don't want your sister to worry when she gets better now do we?" a familiar voice said.

"Mom! I'm so glad you're here!" Harper and Sarah  said as he rushed to hug his mother.

"Don't you worry bout a thing, now that I'm here, everything's going to be fine, you just wait, okay honey? She said

"O-" sniffle "-Okay. Yeah!  lana's gonna be alright!" he said with reassurance.

"Caroline, after Harper and Sarah  got off the phone with you he said that you didn't seem so surprised that  Lana had gotten sick. Has this happened before?" the breeder asked.

"Yes, in fact it has. This happened before Harper and Sarah  were born. When  lana was about two years old she got sick just like this. We didn't know what was wrong. One morning we came to wake her up, and she wouldn't wake up. Her forehead was warm, but her body was cold. She was sweating and shaking drastically. We didn't know what to do. We took her to every doctor in the region, but they all said that same thing, nothing. We finally decided that the only thing we could do was pray that she would be alright. That night both Norman and I prayed to God that she would wake up again. The next morning she opened her eyes but she was very weak. Although it only lasted a day she looked like she has been sick for weeks. Now that it's been longer, I'm starting to worry. We don't know what it is or how she got better, all we know is that it never came back until now. I was worried that this sickness was going to come back while she was on her journey, and now the nightmare has come true."

The hall filled with silence as they awaited an answer from nurse Joy on the condition of  lana. Heads went down in prayer as they waited. Horrid thoughts went through their heads thinking of what this sickness might be.

The silence was broken when the red light went off signaling that either the operation was a success or a failure. The suspense was slowly killing them.

The pink-haired nurse walked out of the ER with a bland expression on her face.

"We did all we could-"

"-and your friend-"

"-is going to be just fine. She's awake now if you would like to see her. Just make sure you don't move around too much, and stay quiet."

They rushed into the ER to see that what the nurse had said was true.  Lana was awake and already looking much better.

"Hey guys, what happened? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"Oh  lana darling, you're alright. I'm so glad. I was so worried." her mother cried as she hugged her daughter.

"Mom- what are you doing here? What's going on?"

" lana you were really sick and Ash brought you to the pokemon center so the nurse could operate and, well now you're better and that's all that matters. Just try to rest okay sweetie?"

"I got sick? Wow, I don't remember getting sick. The last thing I remember was being lost in the forest and the rest is a blur. I feel so weak. What was wrong?"

"We don't know. You probably don't remember this, but this has happened before, way back when."

"It has? I don't remember ever being this sick before. I'm just- really tired." With that she fell asleep.

" lana"-

"No Harper and Sarah , let her reset. She needs to after the day she just had. Come you guys let's go."

"No, I'm gonna stay here." Ash said.

"But Ash?" Harper and Sarah  asked.

"It's fine, I'm just gonna stay here with  lana, I can do that much."

"Alright Ash we'll just be staying in one of the rooms if you need anything. Just try to get some rest."

"Okay, G'night." Ash said " lana, I'm here and I'm not gonna let go this time. I promise."

Ash opened his eyes to find himself in what looked like an interrogation room. A spot light fell from the ceiling and it revealed  lana. She looked back at him with life gone from her eyes. No emotion, no feeling just blue. She had a dark expression on her face. She turned to him and "You said you weren't going to let me go, you let go. And now…I'm letting you go." He had a terrified look on his face. The floor shattered beneath him, he screamed " lana No!"

He jumped from his sleep, sweating, and thinking about what he had just dreamt. He looked at his surroundings, he was still in the hospital room with  lana.

"Hmm…I must've fallen asleep waiting' for  lana to wake up." He said.

"Ash…what's up?" Came a low quiet voice.

" lana? You're awake!" gladness overcame his body as he looked into those sapphire eyes to see that life was still there. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know, tired I guess. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well…I stayed in here to make sure that you got a good night sleep, I guess." he slightly blushed.

"You did? That was…sweet. Can you tell me what happened? how'd you guys find me and how'd I end up here?"

"After you fell in the river we came looking for you. When we found you, you had passed out in front of a big tree in the forest. You had a high fever and you were shaking a lot. I carried you to the PC as fast as I could. I brought you in where they nursed you back to health. I gotta admit I was feeling guilty about what happened."

"Why?" she asked.

"When I grabbed your hand after you fell in the river you said, Don't let go Ash, but I let go" He hesitated to go on. "And back when I was carrying you I thought I heard you say it again. If I just could've held on, you wouldn't be sick. It's all my fault."

"Oh Ash." she grabbed his hand to cheer him up. "It's not your fault. If it hadn't been for you, things would've turned out much worse. I might not have made it if you didn't carry me here. You go above and beyond my expectations all the time. I couldn't ask for more even if I wanted to." she paused and continued.

"You always come to my rescue whenever I'm in danger. You never hesitate to save me or protect me. I really appreciate that. Thank You Ash."

"Your welcome  lana, now you just get better, okay?"

"Okay."

The sweet moment was interrupted by the gurgling of both their stomach's. They both let out a laugh.

"I guess some things never change huh?"  lana said.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll run down to the cafeteria and get us something to eat. Any requests?" he asked.

"Could you get me some ramen please?" she asked sweetly.

"No problem, I'll be right back. Get some rest okay." he said.

She silently dozed off again after he left.

Ash was quickly walking down the hall making sure not to keep  lana waiting. As he entered the cafeteria he saw Caroline, Harper and Sarah , and Brock all sitting at a booth. They all looked up at the same time as he approached them.

"Hey Ash! Did you sleep well?" Harper and sarah  asked

"Yeah, I slept fine. How'd you guys sleep.?" he asked.

"Well…how well can a mother sleep when one of her children is sick. I just couldn't keep my mind off of  lana. How is she?" Caroline asked eagerly.

" Lana is just fine, I came down here to get her something to eat. She said she was just really tired, but hungry."

"I'm glad." she said.

"What about you Ash, how are you dealing with this?" Brock asked.

"Much better actually. Before I left I talked with  Lana and I don't feel bad anymore."

"Feel bad? About what?" Caroline asked.

"This whole thing started when  lana fell in a river not too far from here. I grabbed her hand trying to save her. I heard her say don't let go, but the current was too strong and I lost my grip on her. I'm guessing she floated down the river and on to shore. When we found her, she passed out in front of a tree. I carried her to the PC to get her medical attention. On my way there I thought i heard her say it again. I felt worse. I just couldn't help feelin that this was all my fault. If I had held on longer then  lana wouldn't have got sick." He stopped and sadly looked at his feet.

Caroline stood up and gave the boy a hug.

"You are an exceptional young man who has a big heart. You have no reason to feel guilty what so ever." she looked at him and continued.

" lana and Harper and sarah  are lucky to have you around, especially  lana. Ash…you have protected her in more ways than one, and with that, I say thank you so much." she said with tears streaming down her face with compassion in her eyes somewhat like  lana's.

"You're welcome, and…thank you too." he said as he retuned the compassion. He left the table to go get  lana's ramen and his food too.

 lana laid awake in the quiet room looking up at the ceiling. She felt a warm feeling inside that kept her calm. She continued to stare into space as thoughts raced through her head.

"Ash…he's always…looking after me." she said to herself. "What's this feeling I'm getting? Whenever I think about him…my stomach feels weird. What is it? Do I…like Ash? No, of course not, never.  lanabe. I don't know." she sighed with a troubled look on her face.

Ash slowly opened the down and crept in quietly.  lana was wide awake with an uneasy look on her face. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice him enter the room.

" lana? How do ya feel?" he asked quietly.

She gasped in fear. "Ash!…You scared me. Still the same, with hunger on the side." he giggled.

"Well I got your ramen if you're ready to eat, is chicken flavor okay?"

"Yeah" she said as she struggled to get up. "My strength is really gone. I can barely…sit up." she panted.

"Here's your ramen and chopsticks." he set it down on a platter connected to the bed.

"Thanks." she grunted trying to break the chopsticks apart. "This is hard, I don't even have enough strength to break these chopsticks." she sighed sadly.

Ash couldn't watch anymore. "Here, I'll do it." he broke the chopsticks apart with ease and smiled back at  lana. "Here ya go, now you can eat." he said.

"Thanks mister muscle." she said sarcastically. Yet again, she needed help gripping the chopsticks, the noodles, and putting in her mouth. This was becoming very annoying to her.

Ash was about to engulf his hamburger, when he saw her struggling again. He felt sorry for her when she had that pouty look on her face.

He looked at her with a sorry look. " lana? Do you want…me to do it?" he hesitated to ask.

"Huh? Do what?" she said knowing what he was offering.

"You know," he blushed slightly. "Uh…do you want me to…f-feed…y-you?"

"Feed Me? Do think I'm really that incapable of doing it myself?!" she asked angrily.

"NO! I was just asking! You seemed like you were struggling a bit, and I'm just offering to help." he fired back. "But if you wanna keep trying then forget I even asked." he said.

"Alright, I need your help. Could you please…feed me?" She said with an angry tone as a crimson blush crept upon her cheeks.

"Sure, you don't have the strength do you?" he asked.

"No, I don't and it discourages me when I can't even feed myself." she said as a tear came down her left cheek.

" lana, don't cry." he wiped the tear from her face. "You'll be better in no time, I know."

"Thanks Ash." she said.

"No problem. Okay." he said as he placed the noodles in his hand. "Open wide."

 lana sighed as she opened her mouth. He slowly placed the noodles in her mouth again and again until the bowl was empty.

"There, all gone!" he said. "Was it good?"

"Yeah, but I will always prefer Brock's cooking." she said with a yawn.

"I think we all prefer his cooking. Hey  lana-" he said. He looked up and saw her sleeping peacefully.

He sighed with a smile as he slowly tucked her in. She looked so innocent when she slept. He reached over and kissed her on her forehead. "Sweet dreams,  lana." he said as he reached for his unfinished hamburger. He made quick work of that and left the room.

As he walked down the hall way he heard a lot of screams and shouts. He continued down the hall and the noise grew. He turned the corner to see a large group of people all standing in one spot. He walked closer to see a familiar face.

"Hey Norman!" he shouted.

"Please excuse me. Hello Ash. How are you?" he asked.

"I'm doin' just fine. Are ya hear to see  lana?"

"Yes I am. How is she?" he asked with concern.

"She's well but she's really weak and tired. She's sleepin right now."

"Oh, can you show me to her room?"

"Sure. Do know what's wrong with her?" Ash asked.

"No, I don't. But I will find out."

They quietly entered the room where  lana was slightly snoring in her sleep. She still looked innocent in his eyes.

"I'm so relieved." Norman said as he sighed happily.

"What's up?"

"Oh, I'm just glad she's alright. I'm relieved that it's nothing serious. The joy a parent feels when the child is alright is just overbearing." Norman said.

"What is this guy talking about?" Ash thought to himself.

Norman saw the confused look on his face. "You'll understand when you become a parent." he laughed.

"Ssshhhh! You don't want to wake her honey." Caroline said as she walked in the room following Harper and sarah  and Brock.

"Dad you're here! This is-" "Shhh!" he was quieted by his mother.

"-great!" he said in a low whisper.

"I'm glad you could make it Norman,  lana will be glad to see you." Caroline said. "Come on, we probably should leave, that means you too Ash." she demanded.

Ash had an uneasy look on his face as he left. After they left the room, they scattered to different parts of the center. Brock went to flirt with nurse Joy. Harper and sarah  was talking with Norman, and Caroline sat in the lobby and a read a book.

When she opened her eyes, she was surrounded by darkness. She saw a figure in front her. She quickly recognized it to be Ash with his back turned to her, but for some reason she didn't feel right. Suddenly she began to sink into the floor like something was pulling her into the darkness. She called out to Ash for help but he couldn't hear her. She cried out to him as loud as she could, but no response.

Ash couldn't get  lana off his mind. " lanabe if I train then I won't think about it." he said. As he headed for the door he noticed that his backpack was gone. "I must've left in  lana's room.

He slowly opened the door of the room. He quickly spotted his backpack on the floor next to her bed. He reached down to pick it up when he saw  lana struggling in her sleep.

"Ash, no come back. Please don't leave me!" she screamed through her nightmare. Ash began to shake her awake. " lana wake up! It's just a dream!" he said. She opened her terror filled eyes to find Ash looking at her with a concerned look. "It's okay, I'm here and I'm never gonna leave you. I promise." Ash said as he embraced her with a hug. Heavily breathing and tears steadily flowing,  lana calmed down and went back to sleep. "Man, that must've been some dream.  lana, get better okay." he said as he left the room.

He headed out the door and into an open area. "Okay, Aipom I choose you!" he threw the red and white ball. It revealed a purple monkey like pokemon happily bouncing on its tail. "Ei ei ei po pom pom!" it said as it greeted it's trainer.

"Okay Aipom, use swift!" he commanded. "Ai-pom!" it exclaimed as it jumped in the air and shot yellow stars from its tail. "Alright! That was awesome Aipom, keep it up!" he shouted in praise. "Now, use focus punch!" he shouted.

Its tail began to glow as it focused its energy. Then in slammed its tail into a big nearby rock. It split the rock into tiny pieces. "Wow Aipom, you've gotten a lot stronger." "Ei pom!" screamed. "I think that's enough for today, return." he recalled his pokemon." As he walked back to the center he heard his stomach growl. "Ah man, hungry again? Well, when the belly calls, right buddy?" "Pikachu!"

 lana was still sleeping peacefully when nurse joy entered the room quietly to check on the patient. "Well it looks like what ever it was is gone now. She should be better the day after tomorrow but she gave me quite a scare." she said as placed the clipboard back on the bed. Then she left the room.

The sun slowly crept over the horizon signaling the beginning of a new day. Everyone was asleep in their rooms sleeping quietly. The pokemon center was quiet and almost completely empty with the exception of Ash,  lana, Harper and sarah , Brock, and  lana's parents. Ash opened his eyes and let out a big yawn. He looked around to see his friends still sleeping. Pikachu also let out a yawn and stretched then jumped on Ash. "Good morning pikachu. Did ya sleep well?" "Pikachu!" he exclaimed. "That's good, come on, let's get ready for the day." he said. He lept out of bed and put on his usual attire. He quietly left the room to avoid waking his friends. "Hey pikachu, I've got and idea. Why don't we surprise  lana with breakfast, that'll make her feel better for sure! What do ya think?" "Pika pika!" He walked down the hall to the cafeteria. He picked up pancakes, eggs, bacon, and orange juice and set it all on one tray. " lana can be as big a eater as me sometimes, so I hope this is enough." he said.

He slowly entered the room to find  lana sitting up trying to get out of bed. " lana what are you doing? You shouldn't be trying to get out of bed." he said with concern. "I have to…I have to go." she said struggling to stand. He quickly put the tray down and tried to lay her back down. "No  lana, you should be resting, you can't go anywhere." he said. "But Ash…I really, really, have to go." she put an emphasis on the second really. "I'm sorry  lana but you have to stay in bed." he said. "No…I mean I..I have to-." he interrupted. " lana just lay back down." "Ash, Listen!" she yelled. He had a surprised look on his face. "I have to go to the bathroom." she confessed. "Oh" he blushed slightly. He left the room embarrassed. "That Ash, he worries too much. I do feel a lot better than yesterday but I don't think my strength is all the way back though. What's that smell?" she scanned the room and saw a tray of food. "He must've brought me some breakfast, he's too sweet." she thought to herself. She slowly got out of bed and walked to the bathroom in the room. "This floor is cold!" she felt her legs begin to wobble, so she held onto something the rest of the way.

"Ms. Caroline,  lana I have a speak with you for a moment?" asked nurse Joy. "Yes, how's  lana?" " lana is just fine, she'll be out in a couple of days. She  lana have some trouble walking though, so she'll probably be in a wheelchair until she gains her strength back. Other than that she's in perfect health." "Oh thank goodness. Thank Nurse Joy, you don't know how much this means to me." "It's no problem, it is my job after all." she giggled. "Well, you do a great job,  lana I see her?" "Why yes of course, right this way."

The two women walked down the hall towards  lana's room. They opened the door to find  lana struggling to get back in bed. " lana honey, do you need some help?" "No mom, I got it, thanks." "How do you feel?" her mother asked. "A lot better than yesterday. How's everyone else?" "They're all doing just fine. Your father is here too." "Dad's here? That's good." "Oh I've got good news. Nurse Joy said you should be out in a couple of days, isn't that great?" "In a couple of days? That doesn't sound so bad." "You might be in a wheelchair though." "Okay." " lana there's something that I have noticed." "What is it" "It's your friend Ash, I think he has a crush on you." she said slyly. "W..why would you think that?" she asked nervously. "Well I saw how much time he spent in here with you making sure you got better. Do you like him back?" she asked with a big grin on her face. "Who me? Hehehehe." she laughed nervously and then let out a fake yawn. "Really tired, going to sleep now, G'night mom." she said at a fast pace and pulled the cover over her head and blushed. "Well okay, sleep tight honey." "Oh mom, you can be so embarrassing sometimes" she thought to herself and sighed. She heard her stomach growl and remembered the food Ash had brought. "Yes, time to dig in!" she quickly scarfed down her food when she heard a knock at the door.

"Ms.  lana? Your received flowers from someone." said the nurse. "Really? Come in nurse Joy." She opened the door with a purple vase full of red roses in her hand. "They are very beautiful and they smell divine, you are very lucky." she said as she placed them on a night stand and left the room. "These can only be from one person, Drew." she picked up the card and read it. "Hey  lana, heard you were sick and thought I'd send you a pick-me-up. Get well soon so I can beat you at the next contest. Your rival, Drew. "Wow. That was, really nice of him." Then there was another knock on the door. "It's me again." said nurse Joy "Come in" "I brought a wheelchair in case you want to get some fresh air. You've been cramped in this room for two days now." "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, I could use some fresh air." She hopped out of bed and into the wheelchair. Nurse Joy rolled her out of the room and into the courtyard. "Ah"  lana sighed. "It's feels so good, I could stay out here forever." she exclaimed. "Well let's no get carried away. Would you like to see your pokemon?" the nurse asked. "Would I ever! I bet they're all worried about me."

Meanwhile on the other side of the center Caroline was spreading the good news to Ash, Harper and sarah , Norman, and Brock. "Really! That's wonderful news!" Norman shouted. "I formulated a plan. The day she gets out of the hospital, we should throw her a party." she suggested. "I'll take care of the food." Brock added in. "This is gonna be great, a get well party!" Harper and sarah  exclaimed "Yeah!  lana's gonna love it!"

" lana's gonna love what?" a voice said. " lana! You're alright!" Harper and sarah  exclaimed as he ran to his sister. "Of course I'm alright silly, you didn't think I'd be sick forever did you?" she winked at him. He just smiled and continued to hug her.

With another passing day came better results from  lana's condition. The party that was being planned had almost been complete. It would just be Ash and the gang and  lana's parents but the other people in the center would be welcome to enjoy the food prepared by no other than Brock.

It is now the day before the party and everyone is very excited. Of course there will be gifts presented to  lana, but the real question is…

"…What should I get  lana?" the young trainer asked himself. "I know were going to be going our separate ways soon but I want to get her something she'll remember me by." He was very deep in thought. "Clothes…she has enough."

HOLD ON! Since when does a girl ever have enough clothes! HELLO!

DENSE ALERT! DANGER DANGER

"She's too old for toys and dolls." He then looked to his yellow friend and was struck with genius. "I know! I'll get her a pokemon! And I know which one too." he quickly ran over to a video phone.

Meanwhile…

We find  lana in her hospital room reading a magazine. "I cannot believe that outfit is back in style! Oh well." she sighed placing her hands behind her head looking up at the ceiling. "I wonder if what mom said was true? Does Ash really have a crush on me?" she was very deep in thought. "Do I like him back? I don't know, I guess he's kinda cute, and funny. We are alike in a lot of ways. But do people think I copy him? I don't mean to, that's just the way I'm am. Can I help it if my appetite is out of control?" she thought.

"What about pokemon? I didn't mean to catch the same ones as him. Bulbasaur and Squirtle practically wanted to come with me, and I didn't know Ash had a Snorlax when I caught Munchlax.  lanabe great minds think alike?" she giggled. " lanabe I do like him, but I could never bring myself to tell him." She sighed sadly, dozing off again.

Back with Ash…

"Thanks Professor! When will it get here?" "It should be there tomorrow morning. If you don't mind me asking, why do you want a pokemon?" asked professor. "It's for a friend." he said not giving the name. "For  lana I presume?" Ash was shocked. "How'd you know it was for  lana?!" "Who else would you be giving a pokemon to?" "I guess your right." He said scratching his head. "Just don't tell anyone." "Your secret's safe with me, goodbye!" "Bye professor! Aahh! What's up Brock? You scared me."

"Sorry about that pal. I think it's time talked." he said placing his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Okay, about what?" Ash asked confused. "About you liking  lana." Ash's eyes widened. "I don't like-" "I've known you for too long, and you know you can't lie to me. When did it happen?" Ash sighed "I guess I started to like her whenever she needed my help. Whether it was advice or protection or whatever. It made me feel important and strong. The more and more we traveled together the more she started to grow on me. Traveling was more exciting because we had something else to do, go to her contests. I loved cheering her on and seeing her smile when she won." he paused.

"And I liked to be there for her whenever she lost. Were also a lot alike too. I was amazed when I saw her love for food and how she always kept up with me when it came to eating. I guess you could say, I like her a lot." he confessed. "Is there anything else that you like her about?" "There is one more thing. I've been known to have a temper at times, and  lana keeps me cool. I know Misty did it too, but  lana is gentler and kinder when she does it. She knows just what to say to calm me down."

"Do you ever think you could tell her?" "I've thought about it, but I don't know if she feels the same way for sure." Ash said sadly. "Look Ash, if anyone knows about rejection it's me. You should tell her how you feel, preferably at the party tomorrow." he suggested. "But what if she doesn't like me back?" "If she doesn't like you back, what can you do really. But if she does and you don't tell her, you'll never know." "I guess your right." "Anywayz,  lanabe she likes you back."

"Yeah,  lanabe."

Standing in a grassy field on a windy day, a young girl awaits the new day. Little does she know she is being watched. Across the field is a young man watching the girl from a distant, admiring her beauty as the breeze brushes her hair. As the sun creeps upon the horizon the boy inches closer to the girl. Once in reaching distance, he taps her on the shoulder. She turns her head to reveal her beautiful sapphire eyes that glow with the morning sun. The boy and the girl, now side by side, watch the sun rise bring a new day and a new opportunity.

"Yawn! What a dream! That was amazing. Hey, I feel better today!"  lana said being energetic for the first time in a long time. "Good morning honey! How do you feel?" Her mother asked. "I feel a whole lot better thanks." "Well I went to the store and got you a new outfit to wear today. You want to look pretty when you're released."

"Okay mom." she said nervously. "Wait 'til you see it, it's so cute!" Out of the shopping bag came a red zip up, sleeveless shirt, with a black collar. A red skirt with pokeball insignias, the classic black biker shorts, white gloves with black finger tips, red, black, and white clad shoes, a green fanny pack, and a green bandana to top it all off.

"Wow! You're right! It is cute! It looks almost like my old one." she exclaimed. "Well here try it on and come down to the lobby when you're done." she said leaving the room. At first she had a little trouble putting on all the clothes but eventually got them on. "Wow! I look great, if I do say so myself." She said making poses in the mirror.

Meanwhile…

"Hello? Professor Oak? Do you have it?" Ash said anxiously. "Hold your horses young man, and yes I have it. I'm sending it to you now." he said placing a pokeball in the transfer machine. In a few seconds, the pokeball had arrived. "I got here okay." "That's good, tell everyone I said hello." he said. "Alright, thanks Professor! Bye!" He said turning off the video phone. "All I have to do is give it to her, right buddy?" "Pika, pika!" he answered back.

After leaving transfer area of the center, he headed towards to lobby where the party was being held. "Hey Ash! Hurry up and get over here!" Harper and sarah  exclaimed. "What's up?" he asked confused. " lana's comin' any minute! What's in the pokeball?" he asked. "It's a surprise, you gotta box I can wrap it in?" "Here, now hurry!" he handed him tiny blue box with pink ribbon.

Back to  lana…

"Well, better get out THERE, mom's probably waiting."  lana said dressed fully in her new outfit, from head to toe, literally. She positioned herself from in front of the mirror to towards the door. "I hope I didn't keep her waitin too long." she said turning the knob.

She slowly walked down the hallway. "Where is everyone?" she said getting nervous. As she turned the corner all of the sudden…

Back to the Party…

"What's taking so long?" cried an impatient Harper and sarah . "We're waiting for  lana, remember?" his mother added. "Well, where the heck is she?" he fired. "Young man! You will watch your mouth, or none of Brock's dessert!" she scolded. "Okay! Okay, I'm sorry, please don't take the dessert!" he cried.

"Ssshhhh…she's coming! Quick! Get in you positions!" They all hurried to their places and waiting for  lana to come around the corner. "On three. One, two, three…SURPIRSE!" They all yelled in unison.

"What's all this?" she asked, surprised (duh!) "Well, we thought we'd throw you a party, since you got better." her mom exclaimed. "So all this, is for me?" "Yep, it sure is kiddo!" her dad added. "Dad! You're here!" she said rushing to hug him. "Oh, and please don't call me kiddo." she said once in his arms. "Hahaha! Sure thing kid- I mean  lana." She laughed. "We also bought you gifts. The outfit is me and your father's gift." said her mother.

"Here's my gift sis." Harper and sarah  said handing her his present. "What's this?" she asked curiously. "They're programs you can add to the PokéNav. One's a game, the other a map of Johto, and then there's Match Call where you can all anyone as long as you have their number." He said with superior smartitude. "Aww! This is a great present lil' bro!" she said hugging him. "Alright, alright! Enough of the mushy stuff. Sheez!" he said pushing her away. "But I'm glad you got better  lana." he said hugging her again.

"I'm glad that you're better too  lana, here you go." Brock said handing her a box. "I know how much you love my cooking so I made all your favorites and put it in there. I hope you like it." he said. "Thanks Brock, I would expect anything else from you." she added with a smile. "Hey  lana?" she looked up to see Ash right in front of her. "H-here's my gift." He said nervously handing her the small box. The box was tied cutely around it. "Thanks Ash." she gently pulled the ribbon to undo the knot and took the lid of the box to reveal a minimized pokeball. It baby blue on one side and light pink on the other.

"A pokeball?" she said. "Open it and see what's inside." he said. She maximized it to the size of her palm and released the mystery pokemon. Nobody knew what it was except Ash, who was now smirking.

Once out of the ball it materialized to be…

Once out of the ball it materialized to be…

A Pichu curled up in a ball sleeping. "Gasp! It's so cute!" she gasped as she cradled it in her arms. "I knew you'd like it." he said with a triumphant smile. "Like it? I love it. This is the best gift ever Ash. Thank you." she said embracing him in an affectionate hug.

Just about everyone in the center did the classic "Aww" As they broke the hug. Once all the presents were opened, the long awaited dinner was served. "Everyone dig in!" And of course, that's what everyone did especially, you guessed it. Ash and  lana.

"Oh, Brock at his best." Ash said with a full stomach (for once!) "You can say that again."  lana said right next to him. Ash said he had another gift for her and she said what is it he got on one knee and said we have been friends for a long time and i know you fell the same way about me that I feel about you because every time I'm Near you you get red to the face so it makes this easier to do and pulled out a red ring box, opened it to reveal a twenty-four carrot gold ring with pure diamonds surrounding a bright red ruby in the middle,and said well you be my girlfriend and she was shocked to say the least but said that she would love to be your girlfriend than they kissed