Blessings From Heaven

I never would've guessed that I'd be here, I'm here in the Pallet Town Church, wearing a RIDICULOUSLY uncomfortable black and white tuxedo, and I was forced to leave my signature hat at home for this specific event. As much as I didn't like the idea of leaving it, I understood why I needed to. An old, worn down cap isn't something you wear at a wedding…oh…did I mention that it's MY wedding?
That's right, Ash Ketchum, Pokémon Sinnoh League Champion and soon-to-be Pokémon Master is getting married. I know, you're all shocked, and I don't blame you. Ash Ketchum? The most oblivious, dense, romantically-challenged guy in all of recorded history? Getting MARRIED? Well hey, I am 22 years old, it's not like puberty didn't apply to me. Although I will admit, it took me a long time to realize just how great girls were. I no longer question why Brock hits on almost every pretty girl he meets, although I will probably forever question his methods. Speaking of Brock, here he comes now.
"Hey big guy, it's almost time." he said.
"Yeah I know, I almost can't believe this is happening." I replied, shifting my weight from side to side.
"You look nervous; you aren't getting cold feet are you?" Brock asked.
Well these shoes of mine are so uncomfortable…oh wait, that's not what he means, "No Brock, it's just…this is a HUGE step!"
"I know. And to think it might not have happened if it weren't for Team Rocket." Brock laughed.
"Heh, I guess so." I chuckled lightly at the remembrance. What a day that had been, I proposed to my current fiancé over a year ago and now I was waiting for the ceremony to start so we would be officially married. And like Brock said, it wouldn't have happened without Team Rocket.
[Flashback One Year]
"Alright Pikachu, this is it, it's just you and Garchomp!" I shouted.
"Pika Pikapi!" (Right Ash!)
I finally made it to my final battle, I had battled and struggled my way through the Sinnoh Elite Four with my team of Pokémon, and now I was finally facing off against Cynthia, who even after six – or was it seven – years had still remained undefeated and had never lost her title. Although after an incredible stretch of battles, me and my team managed to whittle down her team of incredibly powerful Pokémon until it was just Pikachu and Garchomp in a final sudden-death battle. I could hear the roar of the crowd cheering me on, none more so than my friends sitting in the front row, they had all made it from all the regions around the world, just to see me, ME of all people, try to dethrone Cynthia and take her place as the Sinnoh League Champion. Although admittedly, there was one person that stuck out to me more than the others, someone that gave me an energy boost just by being there…if it weren't for her…well…I doubt I'd be standing here.
"Well Ash, you've done well to make it this far, only two other challengers have ever managed to force me down to one Pokémon." Cynthia said to me.
Of course she was probably talking about Paul and Barry, my former Sinnoh rivals, they had gone up against Cynthia and made it to where I am now, of course Garchomp was able to defeat them as well. Paul wasn't actually here right now, he wouldn't exactly enjoy seeing me win, but Barry was there rooting for me, as we had become great friends over the years, "I owe it all to my friends and Pokémon, Cynthia!" I shouted.
Cynthia laughed, "I knew from the moment I met you that you and your Pokémon shared a bond that would never be broken, and this match has done nothing but further prove to me that you care deeply about Pokémon and would do anything within your power to help them achieve greatness."
"You got that right!" I replied, "So whaddya say we finish this?"
"You have the honor Ash!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"Alright Pikachu, let's start with a 'Quick Attack'!" Pikachu followed my orders and quickly ran forward to bang into Garchomp.
"Garchomp, counter with 'Stone Edge'!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp crossed its arms and launched a barrage of pointed stones at Pikachu, but I was ready for it.
"Ok Pikachu, spin and use 'Thunderbolt'!" I ordered. Pikachu leaped up and used his special training to deflect the rocks, the 'Counter Shield' had really turned into one of my biggest successes ever, and it was my best way of attacking and defending at the same time. Of course versus Garchomp, the offensive side of the shield would fail, but at least I had succeeded in stopping the 'Stone Edge'.
"We're not through yet, Garchomp, use 'Dragon Rush'!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp charged forward in a mighty blue aura, and managed to smash Pikachu with a hard hit.
"Come on Pikachu, don't give up!" I shouted. My Pokémon partner slowly got back to his feet, but it was obvious that 'Dragon Rush' had sapped a lot of Pikachu's strength, "If we're gonna win this, we gotta get back to basics." I said.
"My Garchomp has never lost a battle before Ash, and we have no plans on starting now! Use 'Brick Break'!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp rushed forward at blazing speed with its claw ready to smash down on Pikachu's head.
"Wait for it Pikachu…" I said. Pikachu's muscles tensed as he awaited the order; meanwhile Garchomp was still bearing down on him. Finally once Garchomp was just about ready to execute the attack, I made my move. "Now! Use 'Agility' to get behind Garchomp!" Pikachu disappeared from sight just as Garchomp swung its claw down into the ground, "Now hit it with 'Iron Tail'!" Pikachu leaped up and swung his now steel-hard tail into the back of Garchomp's head, causing the dragon/ground-type to hit the ground with a thud.
"Garchomp, quick! Use 'Dragon Claw'!" Cynthia ordered. Garchomp immediately got up and rushed towards Pikachu to slash at him.
"Ok Pikachu, use 'Iron Tail' to leap up!" Pikachu's tail glowed again, and he sprang up into the air just before Garchomp could reach him.
"Chase it down!" Cynthia ordered. Cynthia was obviously going for the aggressive approach since she was ordering Garchomp to attack head-on, and that was exactly what I was hoping for.
"Alright Pikachu, 'Volt Tackle'!" I went for the win as Pikachu's silhouette blocked the sunlight and made Garchomp shield its eyes, Pikachu hit dead-on and managed to smash Garchomp back down to the ground, leaving both of the Pokémon panting with fatigue, "Stay strong Pikachu, just hold on!" I said. Pikachu winced at the recoil damage and almost fell over. Luckily, Garchomp had fallen first, and the entire crowd gasped in shock as they saw the Champion's final Pokémon hit the ground with a final thud.
After a few moments, the entire audience burst into an uproar of applause and shouting, it took me a few moments to realize that I had actually won, but when Pikachu rushed over to me and leaped into my arms to celebrate, my mind finally kicked in and I hugged Pikachu so tightly I thought I might pop his head off! But we didn't care; we were the champions of the Sinnoh League! "We did it Pikachu, we finally did it!" I cheered. Pikachu cheered right along with me, until he hopped out of my arms to allow someone else to leap into my arms.
"Congratulations Ash!" my girlfriend (yes my GIRLFRIEND believe it or not) had jumped over the railing where my friends were sitting and run to me to give me a tight congratulatory hug…my red-headed best friend turned girlfriend…Misty Waterflower.
"Thanks Mist, I owe it all to you you know, helping me get started on my journey ten years ago, you gave me all the tools I needed to succeed." I said.
"Aww Ashy…" she giggled, as she snuggled into my chest during the embrace. I heard the audience "aww" as the replay screen showed me and her hugging, but I didn't mind, and it didn't seem like she did either.
Luckily for me, I had gone through more than a few growth spurts during my late teen years, so now I no longer had to deal with the awkwardness that came with standing next to her years ago, I'm at least three inches taller than her now. She's been my girlfriend for three years now, I had asked her to be my girlfriend when I came back from Hoenn for the second time, I had tried to conquer that league again and failed, and I was feeling depressed all on my own. May was in Sinnoh taking on their contests, Dawn had moved on to the Johto League to try their contests after becoming top coordinator in Sinnoh. Brock was busy setting up his private practice as a Pokémon Doctor in Pewter City, Tracey was still working in Prof. Oak's lab despite having just been married to Daisy, Misty's older sister…and of course Misty…she was still in the gym.
I probably could've asked Iris or Cilan from Unova to go with me to Hoenn, but Hoenn was practically on the other side of the world. Besides, Iris was all excited about becoming Gym Leader again, contrary to Misty who wanted nothing to do with it at the time. And Cilan, well, he went back to being a Pokémon Connoisseur with his two brothers. For the first time since I started my journey…I was really alone. I had no one to turn to, besides Pikachu that is but…he was just as depressed as I was. I thought I had gotten so much stronger, I had called my best Pokémon from all the regions together in order to try and conquer Hoenn, but I had forgotten that Wallace, the champion of Hoenn and creator of the Wallace Cup, had gotten stronger as well. He was surprised to see me again that was for sure, but he and his Milotic took care of my team without even breaking a sweat.
I had no idea what to do, I had no motivation whatsoever. I had reached Kanto and I was just walking aimlessly throughout the region, I had nothing, no one, I was truly alone, and Pikachu felt the exact same way as he moped on my shoulder, how could we have failed AGAIN? After all we went through? I had no idea what to do anymore…but just as I was about ready to totally give up, a thought reached my head…something I had remembered hearing when I was a little child…when was it…Sunday School? That's right; I used to go to church before I started my journey. Of course I didn't learn much since I was constantly fighting with Gary in class; we were pretty much the two troublemakers as we constantly got put into timeout. But there was one thing I remembered from the class…was it about Arceus? No, not Arceus…well actually it mentioned Arceus but not the way I had thought…Arceus was put in charge of protecting this world…but it was God who made everything, He made Arceus too as a matter of fact, and He had put Arceus in charge of protecting this world.
Then everything I had learned came pouring into my head, God created the universe, He was in charge of anything and everything that happened in this or any world, and nothing could happen without His permission. I also remembered that the teacher said that I could talk to God whenever I felt like it, part of his omnipotence I guess. Yes, I know big words now. The first thing I did, I got angry at God for not letting me conquer the Hoenn League or any other league, not exactly the best way to rekindle a relationship with God but still, I ranted and raved for about ten minutes before I just sat on a bench and broke down, not knowing where I was. I asked God, to please help me, and give me direction as to what to do next, I had no idea really, my friends weren't there to help me, Pikachu had no idea what I was doing, I'd explain that later I suppose…I suddenly felt this feeling of peace wash over my heart, and I looked up and really examined where I was, and I immediately recognized something I hadn't seen in a long time.
The giant Dewgong that graced the top of the Cerulean City Gym, had God led me to Misty? I didn't know where I was going, my feet just walked here for no absolute reason, Misty was actually the last thing on my mind when I was wandering around Kanto. It had to be, that had to be why I was here, God had sent me to my best friend so that I could see her in person for the first time in years. I thanked God for bringing me here and rushed towards the entrance, I made a mental note to myself that I would begin talking to God again after all these years; it couldn't have been mere coincidence that I was here. I knocked on the door and a loud voice shouted from behind it. "Gym's closed, come back tomorrow!"
I knew that voice anywhere, it was Misty alright, no one else I knew was that short-tempered. I knocked again and this time the door opened, and just as she was about to scream at me again, she took a moment to examine who she was about to yell at, and when her brain registered who I was, she bit her tongue down so hard I thought she might draw blood from it. She leaped into my arms and started sobbing, and all I could do was hold her, I had no idea why she was crying, she just was. That day just had a lot of confusion involved I supposed. Finally she stepped back and wiped her eyes, and it was then that MY brain registered what I was looking at, and what I saw made my heart beat faster than it ever had before in my life.
It was still Misty of course, there was no doubt about that…but at the same time, it WASN'T Misty, at least not the Misty I remembered. This Misty was practically a supermodel! At least that's what I thought. Long, smooth legs that naturally had grown longer over the years as she too was much taller than when we were twelve, luckily I had managed to outgrow her by an inch or two, her face was the perfect description of beauty, with her cerulean-blue eyes all wet from crying, she wasn't wearing makeup apparently as I saw no mascara running. Yes I knew what that was; I've travelled with four different girls now after all. Her hair had grown, it was no longer in that trademark side ponytail, but instead it flowed past her shoulders like a silky, straight orange waterfall. Her attire consisted of a light blue tanktop and dark purple shorts that hugged her curves…when had Misty grown curves exactly? I quickly shook that thought away; I had no business thinking about something like that, especially not about my best friend. If there were two things I was sure of however, it was that I would be forever grateful to God for leading me here, and that Misty had grown into the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my whole eighteen year life.
I could feel myself blushing slightly, and I knew why, like I keep saying, I had grown up, I knew about the whole attractiveness thing now, and I had learned what love is exactly. But to think that I had fallen in love with Misty, and in just two minutes? Was THIS a God thing too? Or was this just me being caught in the moment? I shyly took a finger to her face and wiped away the tears that were still dripping down her face, and I saw her blush at the contact, it wasn't hard to spot seeing as she was still pretty white, although her skin had gained a bit of a tan color since we parted years ago, must've been part of being in Cerulean for six years. I thought about all the times we had, and came to realize that Misty actually blushed a LOT while we were on the road; boy was I dense back then. She liked me! It was so obvious! But…it HAD been six years, had she moved on? I couldn't imagine that someone with such incredible beauty, such an amazing body…there I went again. I had to be careful, I recalled Jesus saying that if I lusted after someone in my heart, than I was an adulterer at heart. Well I HAD been attracted to females before, but I don't recall having any actual lustful thoughts about them, I mean, I didn't think about DOING anything with them. I remembered that God had of course wired males to be attracted to females, especially if they were beautiful like Misty, that had to be it, I had no intention of doing anything lustful to Misty, she was my best friend, I would NEVER hurt her in any way.
But back to the though at hand, I couldn't imagine that someone like Misty would wait six years for me to mature and become capable of love, she had to have moved on by now, she must've had HORDES of males begging her to go out with them. I had to try though, maybe it WASN'T too late! She was after all obviously really happy to see me. Misty and I spent the next few hours laughing and catching up, while Pikachu played with his old friends in the Cerulean Gym pool. I never realized until that night just how much of an impact Misty had on me, she had turned me from a moping bum to Ash Ketchum in just twenty minutes, and that was something no one else had been able to before. I guess God knew what He was doing when He brought be here. It had become really late, and I found myself sitting really close to Misty at the end of a movie we had watched, my arm was around her shoulders in fact! I loved the feeling it brought, and she didn't seem to mind that I had my arm around her either; in fact…she seemed to enjoy it as much as I did, she even put her head on my shoulder!
Misty even offered to let me stay the night in her guest room, I was thrilled. I embraced my best friend and she happily reciprocated, and we said goodnight. When I closed the door behind me, I fell to my knees and thanked God for the day He had given me, I was so, SO happy, deliriously so in fact. And I had realized that I loved Misty, with all my heart I loved her, in just a few short hours I realized that I wanted her to be my other half, and God-willing, she would be. I dropped to my knees in prayer, this wasn't something I did out of religious tradition by the way, I did it because I was so overcome that it felt natural. But the prayer was cut short when Misty walked in holding Pikachu, both of them confused as to what I was doing. I explained everything to her, and her face suddenly contorted into that familiar snarl I knew when we were growing up. She wanted nothing to do with God, she used to believe in Him, until her parents died after all the prayers she put in to save them so many years ago. I couldn't believe it…she had never mentioned that part of the story to me before, I knew her parents had died, but I didn't know Misty was a Christian when it happened.
How could such a beautiful angel such as Misty, not believe in the Creator of angels? I tried to explain my story, she accepted the facts, but she was still upset at God for what had happened when she was just a little girl. I couldn't blame her, I'd be upset too if it were me in her place…in fact…at one point I was in her place, but I still had Mom to reassure me…perhaps…time would change her mind? I nodded and said that I understood where she was coming from, and she gave me Pikachu and walked out, but before she got out, I told her goodnight, she turned back to me and said goodnight back.
I prayed all through the night about what I was gonna do about Misty; it was amazing that in just one day my relationship with God had been rekindled through these recent events. As I thought about it, He was probably a big part of why I was able to save the world so many times, and the whole time I never realized it? Dense. Dense. Dense. That was the word that could perfectly describe me all through childhood. But not anymore, I had grown up, and I knew exactly what it was I wanted, and I knew how I was going to do it.
The next morning, I found Misty, who had apparently forgotten about the whole issue last night, and she was more than happy to greet me. I also ran into Daisy, Lily, and Violet, who for some reason wasn't even aware I had shown up yesterday! They must've been absorbed in their own little world, as usual. They teased Misty and me like they always did, but they seemed more serious about it this time, like they were trying to hint towards something. After much angry shouting from Misty, Lily and Violet headed out to go shopping. Daisy had only come to the gym to check on things since she and Misty platooned as battlers now, being married to Tracey had given Daisy a bit of a sense of responsibility, and Tracey and Misty gave Daisy pointers on battling so Misty could take a load off every now and then.
Daisy eventually left as well, but not before coming up to me and whispering "good luck" to me in my ear. She obviously was able to tell how I felt about Misty now. I asked Misty if she felt like taking a day off and hanging out, like we used to. Misty was more than happy to oblige, and suggested that we headed to the beach. How perfect, Misty was practically walking right into my plan to make her my girlfriend. I had Charizard with me so I was able to use him to fly us to the beach, Misty had wrapped her arms around my waist in order to keep her balance, I LOVED the feeling of her arms around me, it gave me Butterfree in my stomach, her hands were so soft, and I once again noticed just how much she had changed, her fingernails had grown long and glamorous. Yeah, Misty had definitely blossomed into an absolutely gorgeous woman.
We made it to the beach, which happened to be packed that day, and we found bathrooms for us to change in. I changed into my red swimming trunks and started on my way out, although when I passed a mirror, I looked at my reflection and saw just how much of an impact puberty had on me, my pecs and abs were something to see that was for sure, and my arms had become very well-toned. I guess all that time wandering the world and training was an awesome way to work out. I hoped Misty would notice, it certainly wouldn't hurt my plan. I walked out and was immediately greeted by Misty, and I think my breath caught in my throat when I saw her. She was wearing a light blue, two-piece swimsuit…it wasn't all that edgy mind you, it showed almost no cleavage, but the simple fact that it was Misty made my heart beat more than twice as fast as it should've been, puberty had obviously been very generous to her as well.
I didn't even notice that Misty was also in a bit of a daze, she had noticed me about as much as I had noticed her. Once my brain finally started functioning again, I decided to make the first move. I offered up my arm, and Misty teased me before taking it, asking when I had learned to be a gentleman. We went to find a spot on the beach, and I discovered a new feeling, jealousy. I could feel the eyes of all the other guys on the beach following Misty like they were vultures, and most of them I could tell WERE committing adultery in their hearts, not that that fact was the first thing on my mind at the moment, I was more concerned with making sure Misty was safe from all those creeps eyeballing her, they reminded me a lot of Conway who used to follow Dawn everywhere around Sinnoh.
Misty hadn't noticed fortunately, she seemed perfectly content to be with me; the day just seemed to get better and better as it went on. Misty was getting more and more comfortable being close to me, I was even able to put my arm around her when we watched the sun set, and she leaned onto my shoulder again! The only thing I couldn't figure out was…why Misty hadn't asked what brought on this change. Just before we got ready to leave…I made my move. I told Misty…just how she had come to mean to me, how much I cared for her, how much I had missed her, and how I wished I could've talked to her more on the road…and it all led up to that I wanted to be her boyfriend. I waited for her reaction, and at first she seemed to be in disbelief, and I didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing…but after a second or two, Misty's radiant smile emerged and she embraced me in the tightest hug she had ever given me before, and that was followed by a passionate kiss on the lips that she gave me through tears of happiness. I reciprocated the gesture, albeit rather clumsily, but she didn't seem to care, she was as happy as she could be.
And from that moment on, we were boyfriend and girlfriend, I eventually went back to travelling of course, but we talked every day as often as we could, I couldn't stand to be without her for more than a few days at a time, and the best part was that she returned those feelings. I thanked God with all my heart and soul for what He had done, He had not only brought me back to Him, but He had blessed me with the most beautiful woman in both mind and body to be my girlfriend, my best friend Misty.
And now here we were, embracing on the battlefield after my victory against Cynthia, I was the Sinnoh League Champion, life couldn't be better…unless Misty went along with what I did next. I stepped back from her and grabbed her hand, and dropped to one knee, and the entire audience began screaming as they realized what I was about to do. "Misty…I love you with all my heart, and now that my life has been made all the more exciting by becoming the Sinnoh Champion, I want you to share it with me forever and ever…" I pulled a box out of my pocket and opened it, an engagement ring I had bought the day before, a fourteen karat gold ring with a tear-drop shaped topaz, and small diamond chips surrounding the topaz, it had cost me over five-hundred dollars of my hard-earned battle money to purchase, but it would be worth every penny and then some if Misty accepted, "Misty Waterflower…will you marry me?" The crowd cheered even louder, but the only thing I saw was Misty, her face showing pure shock…had I made a fatal mistake?
Just as I was about to give up hope, an explosion took place in the middle of the field, I knew what was going on, it had happened too many times for me not to know, although I wasn't sure if I should've been angry or relieved at this point, given the current circumstances. But I quickly made up my mind when two mechanical arms burst out of the smoke and grabbed both Misty and Pikachu. I dove to reach for Misty's hand before she got pulled away, but I couldn't reach her and I just hit the ground with a painful thud. "AAAAAASSH!" I heard Misty cry out to me for help, and I quickly got up, almost tripping over myself in the process, and rushed into the smoke. And of course, there was Team Rocket, apparently back in black as their uniforms had gone back to the top agent black uniforms they had for a time in Unova. That could only mean one thing…Giovanni had sent them. And he had given them quite the vehicle to get them through it. A slick black mini-blimp with a big red R on each side.
"Mission accomplished sir." Jessie snickered though a walkie-talkie.
"You give them back right now!" I roared.
"What's the matter twerp? You're the Sinnoh Champion now, your life is about to become one big roller coaster ride, can't you handle the first big down of your new life?" Jessie laughed at me.
"It won't be a down once I get them back!" I raised my fist and charged for the trio, but I got a very nasty repercussion when an electrical force-field knocked me back, and what was worse…it was being powered by Pikachu! "You dirty crooks; you won't get to keep them!"
"Dat's where you're wrong twoip, every time you take a charge at us; WE take a charge outta Pikachu to stop YOU from charging!" Meowth cackled.
"And now one final guarantee to make absolutely sure you don't follow us." Jessie pressed a button on her control panel, and an absolutely huge suction hose suddenly came out of the plane, and began sucking in every single Pokéball and Pokémon in the stands, which of course included Garchomp, what I couldn't figure out was why the humans weren't being affected. The blimp inflated as the Pokéballs and Pokémon got sucked into it, and I could hear the released Pokémon crying for help, their voices extremely high because of the helium inside of the balloon, if they stayed there too long, they might suffer serious repercussions!
"That's enough James, there's no way they'll catch us now." Jessie said.
James gave a thumbs-up and retracted the suction hose, and they started to rise up into the air and prepared to fly off, "Suction hose retracted!" he exclaimed.
"Alright, let's get out of here!" Jessie shouted. The blimp turned and slowly began to get out of range of the stadium.
I watched as the three crooks got further and further away from me, there was nothing I could do, all the Pokémon had been stolen and there was no way for me to get to them…I did the last thing I possibly could've done…I dropped down to my knees in prayer, I couldn't do anything, but there was nothing that God couldn't do, "Dear God…please, don't let them get away, bring Misty back to me, and the Pokémon back to their rightful owners…you must have a reason for what you're doing Lord, but I beg of you, PLEASE bring them back! Bring HER back! Give me some way to get to them!"
My friends came up to me and put their hands on my shoulders, but I shoved them off, I was focused, I needed to be one-on-one with God, no distractions. After a few minutes, a voice got my attention. "Ash, look!" Brock exclaimed.
I opened my eyes to see what Brock was looking out, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing…their blimp had returned! And there was now a rope dangling from an open hatch that led to the interior of the blimp. That wasn't there before! And then another revelation led me to conclude that this was yet another God thing. "Hey! I thought Team Rocket took all my Pokémon!" that was Dawn, she had one Pokéball by her side, one that she could've sworn wasn't there before.
This was no coincidence, what had gone from hopeless suddenly became the perfect opportunity to save my sweetheart and all the Pokémon that had been captured with her. "Thank you Jesus!" I grabbed the Pokéball off Dawn's belt, and out popped my old friend Ambipom, who had been returned to Dawn thanks to an agreement between her and O a couple of years after Ambipom left with O that they would rotate using Ambipom, since Ambipom began to miss Dawn a lot. And it seemed Ambipom missed me too, since she seemed really happy to see me after so long, after all she was my Pokémon originally, "Alright Ambipom, I need your help to get to that rope!"
Ambipom nodded determinedly and used her two tails to launch me up into the air. I grabbed onto the rope and held on tight, and started climbing up. But before I got too far, Dawn called out again, "Hey Ash, catch!" Dawn had Ambipom throw her own Pokéball up at me, and I let go with one hand to catch it. I then returned Ambipom and stuck the Pokéball in my pocket, and once again started climbing up the rope. I made it to the interior of the ship and carefully made my around, making sure not to make any noise. I could hear Jessie screeching at James and Meowth up above, they evidently were aware that they were once again over the stadium.
Finally I found the capture bay; at least Team Rocket had enough decency to move the Pokémon from the helium-filled atmosphere. The Pokémon cheered when they saw me, "Hang on guys, I'll get you out!" I started looking for a way to release the Pokémon, when I was blasted back by an 'Ancient Power' attack. That could only mean one thing, Jessie had her Yanmega back. Sure enough, Jessie, James, and their Pokémon were standing in the doorway. "You're real determined aren't you?" I growled.
"We could say the same thing about you." James replied.
"Well I do have a girlfriend to rescue, not to mention my partner Pikachu and every single Pokémon that you just stole." I said.
"We're just doing our job." Jessie replied.
"Since when is kidnapping people your job? I thought you guys were strictly Pokémon thieves." I said.
"We are, but you could call this payback for all the hell you put us through for the past ten years." Jessie hissed.
"And now we'll have to put an early end to your tenure as Sinnoh Champion! Carnivine, use 'Bullet Seed'!" James ordered. Carnivine fired right at me, and I crossed my arms and took the hit. The attack pelted me and almost made me fall over; they were practically at point-blank range, so I could tell already that my body had taken a serious beating.
"You've always been stubborn, which of course makes our job that much harder." Jessie sighed, "Yanmega, 'Sonic Boom'!" Yanmega acknowledged and hit me with a sound wave that hit me straight in the gut; the wind got knocked out of me as I flew backwards and slammed into a wall, there'd probably be a huge bruise there later, if it wasn't there already. Then stuff fell from above me and buried me in a pile of sharp scrap metal and other miscellaneous stuff. One piece of metal sliced my arm open and caused blood to come out, and I felt throbbing pain in every part of my body, I was barely able to even keep consciousness. This was not the same Team Rocket from the beginning of my journey. Ever since Unova they had become serious threats, and they had gone even past that. I could taste blood dripping into my mouth, I could only assume that either my nose was bleeding, or my mouth was, either way, I was in serious trouble.
I tried to move my arm, but the one that was bleeding had been weakened too much and I could barely move it, and my other arm was trapped underneath a piece of metal. My head was throbbing from not only the impact with the wall, but from all the stuff that had fallen on me. I was trapped, and I could feel my consciousness slipping, although I was able to hear that Team Rocket left, thinking I was dead…and if I stayed like this, they'd be right before long. I went into silent prayer once more, as it was all I was left with since I couldn't summon Ambipom. "God, I know it was You who gave me the chance to save everyone, now I need You again, strengthen me please, I need Your power!" Miraculously, I felt a surge of strength fill me, and I was suddenly able to move my arm again! I started shoving metal off of me, until I was able to get up and stand. I was still in a lot of pain; the true amount of damage done to me was evident now. My legs were severely scraped and dripping blood, the arm that had been sliced open was now spreading blood all over my arm and all over my hand. I was afraid that if I didn't get it wrapped up with something I'd lose too much blood.
I ripped the sleeve off of my shirt and tied it around my arm to act as a temporary bandage, and I could already see the blood soaking into the fabric. All I could do was hope and pray it would work, speaking of work; it was time to get back to it. "Alright Ambipom, I choose you!" Ambipom emerged and faced me, but chattered in horror when she saw how much of a beating I had taken, my clothes had been ripped to shreds thanks to the scrap metal, so my skin was exposed from the ripped fabric, luckily that one sleeve now wrapped around my arm was left untouched so I could use it. "Don't worry about me Ambipom; we gotta get these Pokémon out of here! Use 'Focus Punch' and 'Double Hit' and break these locks!" I ordered. Ambipom acknowledged, and one of her two tails glowed white as the powerful attack activated.
With a mighty smash, Ambipom broke each of the three locks, and with a little help from her, I was able to drop all the Pokéballs back into the stadium that we were STILL hovering over, the released Pokémon merely thanked me briefly and jumped out of the hatch to escape. "This HAS to be a God thing too; we should've been halfway to Team Rocket's home base by now." Unfortunately when the locks broke, an alarm had gone off in the blimp, and from above I heard Team Rocket coming down to see what was going on, "Here we go again!"
"You're still alive?" Jessie hissed, as she rushed through the doorway.
"Alive and well you creeps, and I've already freed your haul of Pokémon, now where are Misty and my Pokémon?" I spat back at them.
"You didn't really think we'd leave her right where you could get to her did you? If you want your red-headed twerp girlfriend back, you'll have to get through us first, and I'd say you're outnumbered." Jessie called out her Seviper and her since evolved Swoobat to flank Yanmega, and James called out Carnivine and his recently evolved Cofagrigus to join the battle as well. Needless to say, the situation looked grim, it was just me and Ambipom versus all of Team Rocket's Pokémon…but we had to try.
"Alright Ambipom, hit them with 'Swift'!" I ordered. Ambipom leaped up and used her tails to send out a flurry of golden stars at the trio.
"Hmmph, Seviper use 'Haze'." Jesse countered calmly.
"Cofagrigus, you use 'Haze' as well." James added.
The two Pokémon created an enormous black cloud of smoke that enveloped me and Ambipom, and also negated the power of her 'Swift', we coughed violently as the smoke overtook us, and to make matters worse, Team Rocket was once again on the attack. "Yanmega, use 'Sonic Boom', Swoobat use 'Air Slash', and Seviper use 'Venoshock'!"
"Carnivine, 'Bullet Seed', and Cofagrigus use 'Shadow Ball'!" James added.
All five Pokémon fired into the smoke and bombarded us with their attacks; Ambipom was in serious trouble now as she was barely able to stand now. The smoke finally cleared, and Team Rocket chortled evilly when they saw what shape we had been left in, Ambipom was all scratched up from battling, and as for me, it felt like I had been set on fire I was hurting so badly. "You won't win…Team Rocket." I panted.
"Maybe if you were a REAL champion that'd be true, but since you're not you're in no position to declare anything." Jessie said.
"Indeed, look at you! You're barely even able to stand, but we're still standing tall!" James added.
"You think you guys are so tough, but to me you're nothing but a speck of dust!" I growled.
"Listen to him rave; he's delirious from all the hits to the head." Jessie cackled.
"I've found, Team Rocket, that the measure of a man is NOT how tall you stand, or how powerful you are as a battler, or even how much money or how many Pokémon you have at your disposal…I've found that the measure of a man is decided by how much faith a man has, in both his Pokémon, and the God that gave him those Pokémon to begin with! My power comes from Him! And that's why the likes of you will NEVER be victorious!" I shouted. Ambipom had apparently been motivated by my speech, as she suddenly began glowing in a harsh white light, and she suddenly charged towards Team Rocket, chattering angrily with her two tails extended into fists at them.
"Oh no you don't! Seviper, Swoobat, Yanmega, stop that monkey in its tracks!"
"Carnivine, Cofagrigus, you halt it as well!"
The five Pokémon fired their attacks again, but Ambipom blasted right through them and hit Team Rocket and all their Pokémon with an incredibly powerful attack I had never seen before, and just like that the tables were turned. "What was that?" I pulled out my Pokédex and scanned what had just happened.
"L-L-L-Las-Last Re-Re-Reso-Resort…" my Pokédex died after stammering out what the move was called, apparently I wasn't the only one that had taken damage. But I couldn't worry about that now; I still had a job to do.
I ran past the thugs and their Pokémon as fast as I could, and sure enough, up in the cockpit there was Misty and Pikachu. Misty had been bound and gagged while Pikachu had been placed in a rubber sphere that negated his electricity. Oh and of course, Meowth was there, desperately working with the navigation console to try and get them out of the area.
"I can't figure out why dis stupid ting is stuck over da stadium!" Meowth yelled as he angrily pulled at his fur. Then he turned around and spotted me and Ambipom, and he extended his claws to battle, "I dunno how you yahoos got past Jessie and James but you won't take me and my 'Fury Swipes' down!" Meowth charged towards me and Ambipom with his claws ready to slash at us.
"Alright Ambipom, use 'Double Hit'!" I ordered. Ambipom charged towards Meowth with her two tails glowing purple, and she easily used one tail to knock Meowth's claws down, and the other one was used to knock Meowth into a large, glove-compartment type container. It opened from the impact, and out rolled all of mine and Misty's Pokéballs. "Keep Meowth busy Ambipom, I'll free Misty and Pikachu!" Ambipom acknowledged and readied for battle with Meowth. Meanwhile, I went over to Misty and pulled the gag off of her mouth, "You ok beautiful?" I asked softly.
"I am now, but Ash, what happened to YOU? You look awful." Misty gasped.
"I feel awful, trust me." I said as I untied her, "But…I know you don't wanna hear this…I honestly had no way of getting to you, but…I think God made it possible for me to save you."
"I gotta tell you something about that Ash! I actually…" Misty got cut off when Jessie and James showed up again with their Pokémon.
"Jess, Jimmy, get dis dumb ol' monkey off my back!" Meowth cried.
"Yanmega, 'Steel Wing'!" Jessie ordered. Yanmega charged forward and knocked Ambipom off of Meowth, and ultimately knocked her unconscious. "One down, two to go!" Jessie hissed.
"Oh man, Ambipom, you did good, we'll take it from here." I returned Dawn's Pokémon to her Pokéball for a long rest, and then I grabbed a Pokéball that had rolled onto the floor and tossed it, "I choose you!"
Out popped my trusty Sceptile, who had previously battled against Cynthia's Gastrodon, and now he was ready to go up against Team Rocket. "Sceptile, you're outnumbered, be careful!" I exclaimed. Sceptile nodded and blasted with 'Bullet Seed'. "Come on Mist, we gotta give Sceptile some help!" I finished untying her, and she leaped into my arms for a quick hug before going to free Pikachu.
I grabbed some Pokéballs and unleashed the Pokémon inside, and out popped Heracross and Infernape, and they immediately started the battle with Team Rocket. "Keep 'em busy guys! I'll work on getting the blimp down!" I yelled. I went over to the navigation console and started pressing buttons.
"Good luck wit dose controls twoip, I know da ins and outs of dis here blimp and I can't get it ta leave." Meowth hissed as Heracross held him still.
"I got news for you Meowth, I know EXACTLY why your ship wouldn't leave, the only thing I DON'T know is which buttons do what." I kept pushing buttons until something happened…I turned the windshield wipers on. "Aww man…ok, new plan…Misty, is Pikachu free yet?" I shouted over the battle noise.
"Almost Ash! Come on you, open!" Misty ripped the sphere open and Pikachu immediately leaped out, "Ok Ash, Pikachu's ready to go!"
"Pikachu, blast this panel with 'Thunderbolt'!" I yelled. Pikachu smirked as his cheeks sparked, and he blasted the control panel with electricity, causing it to spark and crackle. And just like I planned, the blimp started to descend…although it was going down a little faster than I had planned. "Misty, find Charizard's Pokéball and let him out, we gotta blow this place!" I shouted.
"Got it!" Misty started letting Pokémon out left and right. Most of them were hers however, as Corsola, Politoed, and even Psyduck decided to join the battle. "Come on, where are you?"
Misty, anytime now!" I yelled.
"This has to be him!" Misty tossed out the last possible Pokéball, and out came Charizard, "Ash, I found him!" Suddenly the blimp started exploding from the inside, "We gotta get out of here now!"
"Everyone, return!" I called my Pokémon back, they had done a great job knocking Team Rocket around, and now it was time to escape. Misty did the same with her Pokémon, and together we hopped onto Charizard's back and blasted through the window of the blimp before it exploded completely, and sent Team Rocket blasting off. We made it down to the stadium where we saw everyone reuniting with their Pokémon, and our friends were down there as well, happily embracing their recovered Pokémon.
When we finally landed, our friends surrounded us and congratulated us on a job well done, and then after a few minutes, they saw how badly I was beat up, and they tried to convince me to get to a hospital as soon as possible. I agreed, and had Charizard transport both me AND Misty to the hospital, where Nurse Joy tended to my wounds.
Once we were left alone, I presented the ring to Misty again, and this time…she was more than happy to accept. She even explained that during her capture, she had actually prayed, that God would give me a way to get to her, and the miracle that happened was enough to convince her that God really did care for her, and that she even thought that this whole situation was God's way of showing her just that. That settled it. My life was officially perfect.
[End Flashback]
"I'll never get tired of that story." Brock said.
"Neither will I Brock," I replied, "It just goes to show you that…God can take the absolute worst of any circumstances and turn it into something amazing…and sure enough, here I am, about to marry the love of my life."
"Is this the same Ash Ketchum I traveled with for over five years?" Brock teased.
"No Brock, that Ash Ketchum went away a long time ago. This is the new Ask Ketchum, and I'm about to marry the soon-to-be Misty Ketchum." I said.
"Good for you." Brock smiled at me and placed a brotherly hand on my shoulder. Suddenly Barry came rushing in. Since Barry didn't have a date for the wedding, I decided to give him a place of importance by making him head of security. I was leaving NOTHING to chance, Team Rocket had been trying to get to Misty and me for the past year now, and I didn't want them ruining the happiest day of both our lives, "What's up Barry, everything ok?"
"Nothing to report, all your Pokémon seem to be ok." Barry said. I had given Barry an army of my strongest Pokémon to keep the church secure."Good…now I just have to worry about waiting for the ceremony to start, I wanna be married already!" I groaned.
"You know it's funny, a lot of guys say that marriage is a trap." Barry said.
"Well if they didn't wait for the right girl to come along and got married anyway, then yeah, marriage is a trap. But if the guy lets God choose who he's going to marry, then more often than not marriage can be the greatest thing that can ever happen to a guy…short of having their first child…" I sighed, as memories came rushing into my head.
"You sure sound like you know a lot about this Ash." Brock said.
"Before my dad died…he would tell me that my mom and me were the best things that he had ever been blessed with in his life…my mom and my dad were the perfect couple, they loved me so much, and we were…the perfect family…" my voice started to crack as the sad memories started coming, "When he was diagnosed with cancer when I was six…he told me that just because he was sick, didn't mean that God was mad at us, He must've had a reason for why this was happening. We all prayed as a family for him to be healed…but…he didn't make it…Mom and I tried to go on without him but…we never totally got over it, there was always a feeling of emptiness that was left in our hearts…that spot was where Dad was…the only comfort I could find was that Mom kept telling both me and herself, that Dad was in Heaven, and one day when WE died, we'd get to see him again…I wish he could be here now…I don't know if this is true or not, but I'd like to believe that he can see what's going on down here, and that he's happy that his son is getting married."
"Wow Ash…I…I've known you for over ten years…but I never knew just how deep your family story was…" Brock said.
"Yeah…well…I'd rather focus on the family I'm starting right now, when's the stupid ceremony starting?" I asked impatiently. Suddenly Kenny rushed in, "Hey Kenny, how's it going out there?" I asked.
"I should be asking YOU that! Everyone's waiting for you! I think Dee Dee said that Misty's starting to think you ran out on her!" Kenny exclaimed breathlessly.
"Oh God no, I'm coming! Go tell them Kenny, please!" I exclaimed in a panic. Kenny nodded and ran back outside, while Barry and Brock waited with me, "Well, this is it." I said.
"Yeah Ash, don't worry, I'm right behind you." Brock told me.
"Barry…" I said. Barry looked me in the eyes, "Don't let Team Rocket get within fifty miles of this church, I'm counting on you."
Barry smiled and held up his fist for me to pound it, "Don't worry bro, anyone who isn't supposed to be here is gonna get a million dollar fine, courtesy of our favorite Pokémon security guards." Barry said reassuringly. I pounded his fist and walked out the door with Brock.
I saw everyone looking at me, I could feel my face heating up with embarrassment, and I quietly made my way up to the altar, while Brock joined Tracey, Drew, Cilan. On the other side were Misty's bridesmaids: May, Dawn, Iris, Lily, and Violet, and of course her maid of honor, Daisy. After the embarrassment wore off, I realized everyone was smiling at me; they had come to expect something like this from me already and didn't mind it at all. Even the minister: Pastor Bob was smiling. The only ones who weren't there were the ring bearer and flower girl, and they came walking in right after I got there. Pikachu and Buneary came walking in, with Buneary throwing flowers and twirling while her ears spun so they blew everywhere elegantly, "Guess Dawn worked on a contest technique for this." I thought. Pikachu meanwhile simply walked in with two golden rings on a blue pillow.
The whole wedding had been catered for Misty's tastes and her love for water-type Pokémon. Everything had been coordinated in all different shades of blues, and also a few yellows since Misty enjoyed wearing yellow a lot. Finally Misty walked in, and my heart stopped as I saw her in her dress. Misty had only grown more beautiful in the four years we'd been a couple, she had peaked in development and her body was now even more womanly than when I first fell in love with her, if that was even possible. She'd never be more beautiful than she was now…well…at least not until our honeymoon…what a fantastic body…hey, she's about to become my wife, I can think about her that way now. Now Professor Oak walked in and took Misty's arm. Since Misty's parents were dead, her father was obviously absent from the wedding and couldn't give away the bride, so Misty had asked Prof. Oak to be the one to escort her. Prof. Oak was honored to say the least, as he had always held a fatherly affection for Misty, just as my mom considered Misty to be the daughter she never had even when we were kids. Through her veil I could see Misty's gorgeous face, her cerulean-blue eyes sparkling with pure joy, it was quite clear to me that she was quite probably the happiest woman on Earth right now. Finally it was time, as Pastor Bob began the service.
"Dearly Beloved: We are gathered here, in the presence of God and of this company, that Ashton Satoshi Ketchum and Misty Kasumi Waterflower may be united in holy matrimony. We are here to celebrate and share in the glorious act that God is about to perform - the act by which He converts their love for one another into the holy and sacred estate of marriage. Therefore if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace." Pastor Bob said.
I looked around the room, and no one looked like they were going to say anything, but there WERE a lot of weepy eyes, mostly from the girls…although I was personally amused to see that Brock was crying. Always the big brother figure, Brock loved me and Misty like we were really his siblings, and of course, his real siblings were sitting in on the wedding of course. Satisfied with the silence, Pastor Bob prepared to continue, that is until a hole appeared right in the middle of the floor where everyone had entered. And sure enough, there was Team Rocket…wearing a dress and a suit? "Security!" I yelled out of instinct.
Barry immediately came rushing in with all of my Pokémon and Empoleon, and they surrounded Team Rocket who had put their hands up in the air without even a motto recitation. I walked through and confronted the trio…why were they smiling? "You guys have some nerve…ruining my wedding of all things! This time I'm not showing any mercy…" I growled.
"Wait wait wait! The wedding is why we're here!" James exclaimed nervously.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"We may be your number one pain in life, but we've always known that you and the twerpette would get together one day!" Jessie replied.
"Yeah! So dat's why we had ta see da two of you tie da knot!" Meowth added.
"So, what do you say to a twenty-four hour truce?" James asked.
I looked around, and my eyes fell on Misty. She smiled and shrugged, evidently it was ok with her. I smiled and looked back towards Team Rocket, "Alright, you can stay, but if any Pokémon turn up missing, you're gonna get it." I warned. Team Rocket nodded, and I helped the trio out of their dug out hole. "Barry, find some warning signs so no one falls through here." I said. Barry saluted me and ran out, and I walked back to the altar with Misty, and now I could see James and Meowth sobbing almost uncontrollably, while Jessie just crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at her partners' lack of emotional control. I laughed and allowed Pastor Bob to continue.
"Well…now let us continue…this relationship is an honorable and sacred one, established by our Creator for the welfare and happiness of mankind, and approved by the Apostle Paul as honorable among all men. It is designed to unite two sympathies and hopes into one; and it rests upon the mutual confidence and devotion of husband and wife. May it be in extreme thoughtfulness and reverence, and in dependence upon divine guidance, that you enter now into this holy relationship…being assured that your love and your choice of each other as lifelong companions are in God's will and that you have your families' blessings. I now ask. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Pastor Bob said.
Prof. Oak stepped up and made his statement, "I do, I merely wish that Misty's parents could be here themselves to do this…" Prof. Oak placed Misty's hand into mine, and I rubbed my thumb against her hand to comfort her, I was sure that what Prof. Oak said had struck Misty emotionally. I looked at her face, and it was obvious that she was hurting, but her genuine smile remained, she had a renewed faith in God, and she believed just as I did, that our parents could see what was happening down here on Earth, which provided comfort for us both.
"The apostle Paul compared the relationship between husband and wife to that between Christ and the church. Marriage is a decision of two individuals to share the same type of pure, Christian love described by Paul. It says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails'...this kind of love enriches each part of life and marriage enriches love. Two lives, shared with this kind of love, can hold more fulfillment and happiness than either life alone…" Pastor Bob said.
I laughed a little at the "not easily angered" part. It wasn't that I didn't believe what it said; it was that I was marrying Misty, and Misty ALWAYS was easily angered. Oh well, what could I do? Pastor Bob continued after averting his gaze towards me.
"Ashton Ketchum, are you ready to enter into this marriage with Misty Waterflower, believing the love you share and your faith in each other will endure all things?" he asked me.
I looked him in the eye and responded with more sincerity than I ever had before, "I am." But then I added something, "Uh Pastor, could you please just call me Ash?" I asked sheepishly. Everyone including Misty burst into laughter when I said that, looks like I managed to make the somber statement Prof. Oak said disappear…although I really did want the Pastor to not call me Ashton…whenever I heard that name growing up, I knew I was in trouble.
"Misty Waterflower, are you ready to enter into this marriage with Ash Ketchum, believing the love you share and your faith in each other will endure all things?" Pastor Bob asked Misty.
Her face showed nothing but love, and my heart swelled when she whole-heartedly said, "I am."
Now Pastor Bob continued, "Ash Ketchum, do you take Misty Waterflower to be your wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in holy matrimony? Do you promise to love her, to honor and cherish her, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, and to be to her in all things a good and faithful husband as long as you both shall live?"
I looked at Misty and smiled lovingly at her, "I do."
Now Pastor Bob turned his attention to Misty, "Misty Waterflower, do you take Ash Ketchum to be your wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in holy matrimony? Do you promise to love him, to honor and cherish him, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, and to be to him in all things a good and faithful wife as long as you both shall live?"
Misty looked at me and gave me a loving smile back, "I do."
"Now Ash, it's time for the vows. Repeat after me." Pastor Bob was about to start the scripted vow, when I stopped him.
"If it's ok with you Pastor, I have my own vow to give." I said, hoping that the Pastor would allow it. He smiled at me and nodded, allowing me to take it for myself. I looked at Misty and gave her hand a squeeze, "Misty, when you fished me out of that river when I first started my Pokémon journey, my life was changed forever. You mentored me, you were really tough on me actually, but through that, I was able to become a much better trainer than I ever would've on my own. You gave me the boost I needed and gave me the motivation to become what I am today. I think I ALWAYS loved you; I was just too dense as a child to realize it. When God brought me back to your gym four years ago, I finally realized my true feelings for you…and now I take you to be my wedded wife, and I will have and hold you, love you and cherish you, no matter what life throws at us, I will love you faithfully until death do us part."
Misty's eyes seemed to be getting teary from my speech, I was glad I had made a personalized speech; it seemed to mean all the more to Misty. Now Pastor Bob turned his attention to Misty, "Does the bride have a personalized vow as well?" he asked. After a minute, Misty nodded and looked up into my eyes, and I locked our gaze by looking back into hers.
"Ash, you're my best friend, I fished you out of the river and you took my bike in order to get Pikachu to the Pokémon Center, and from that day on I swore that I would follow you on your journey until you bought me a new one…as time went on, I cared less and less about the bike, and I just wanted nothing more than to be close to you, you gave me a life, a life beyond the gym's walls that I will cherish forever, and when I left you after Johto, my heart was in pieces, it was so heartbreaking to leave you, but I had responsibilities…when you showed up at the gym four years ago, all those feelings I had for you were intensified tenfold, and you opened your heart to me and revealed your love for me, which allowed me to do the same. And now that we're here getting married, I take you to be my wedded husband, and I will have and hold you, love you and cherish you, no matter what life throws at us, I will love you faithfully until death do us part."
My heart was overflowing with love for Misty after her speech; her heart was just so pure. Underneath her tomboy exterior, was the heart of a beautiful angel, and it was showing today at our wedding. Pastor Bob then rose his hands into the air to pray, "Father in heaven, You ordained marriage for your children, and You gave us love. We present to You Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower, who come this day to be married. May the covenant of love they make be blessed with true devotion and spiritual commitment. We ask that You, God, will give them the ability to keep the covenant they have made. When selfishness shows itself, grant generosity; when mistrust is a temptation, give moral strength; when there is misunderstanding, give patience and gentleness; if suffering becomes a part of their lives, give them a strong faith and an abiding love. Amen."
We all came out of prayer, and my heart began beating faster with excitement, I was one step closer to being officially married. Pastor Bob then performed the ring ceremony, and Misty and I exchanged rings…finally it was time for one last prayer, before we were officially married, which Pastor Bob began, "Let us pray: O thou eternal God, who art our Father and our Friend, as you have heard these words of promise just spoken, may the Holy Spirit deepen in the mind of this man and this woman the sense of the sacred and binding power of their vows. And as in Thy Name these words were spoken to make these lives one, may your rich blessing be added. Give them Your grace and guidance that they may loyally fulfill the vows they have taken. May Your joy abide with them always, that thus they may be a blessing to each other, and to those about them, finding in the blessedness of the home life on earth a sample of the happiness of Thine eternal home. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
I took Misty's other hand and looked her in her eyes, and she was practically glowing with happiness. There was only one step left, and it was sure to be the favorite for us both. Pastor Bob proceeded as I stared into my Misty's eyes, "What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Forasmuch as Ash and Misty have consented together in holy matrimony, and have witnessed the same before God and this company and have pledged their love and loyalty to each other, and have declared the same by the joining and the giving of rings, I, therefore, by the authority of the state, pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."
I raised the veil and got the first clear look of my new wife's face, and her eyes were…well…misty with tears of joy. We were married, it was official, her name was now Misty Ketchum. Perhaps it wasn't as exotic as before, but the fact that we now shared a last name made me feel so happy. And by her own admission, Misty's dream had just come true. Pastor Bob finally gave us permission to do what I had been dying to do all day, "You may now kiss the bride."
I slowly made my way to Misty's luscious lips, she tasted like apples. This was it, as the guests all applauded for our marriage, all I could really focus on was that I was now kissing my wife; just thinking about the fact that this absolutely wonderful woman had been put in my life was proof enough for me that God existed. People may argue it; there always will be those who refuse to believe. But for me and for Misty, God had planned this marriage just for us, and now it was up to me and Misty to make sure His plan wasn't wasted. But that wouldn't be hard. Misty was the perfect woman in my opinion, we shared so many of the same interests, we shared the same beliefs, and now we would become as one, husband and wife, never to be separated, until death did we part. My life had been made perfect, "Thank you God, for giving me this incredible blessing from Heaven."