Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

Well, I'm back again guys! If you haven't already, then please go check out my other story "Sidelines" because this one is a direct sequel. Okay now then...let the pokeshipping commence!

Pokemon - Prominence

Chapter 1 (Misty's POV)

It almost didn't seem real. From the sound of Daisy's bittersweet fanboys to the shutter flash of every gossip hungry reporter in Cerulean City. Because the oldest, original sensational sister wasn't going to be topping the list of most eligible starting today. Nope, and I imagined there would be quite a few heartbroken guys moping around because of it. Yeah until the next famous pretty face caught their eye anyway.

I smiled a little as I stared past the crowd of people pushing in just to get a glimpse of Daisy and her "scandalously unfamous" new husband. Because he was just your average pokemon watcher, and probably a little nerdy looking to boot. He definitely wasn't someone I ever would have pegged to be my sister's type. I glanced over my shoulder at Ash who was too busy trying to rub ketchup off his white suitcoat to notice the commotion. I sighed. But I guess I wasn't the best when it came to guessing types myself…

Throwing one last wave to the crowd Daisy locked her arm in Tracey's and they both disappeared into the back of the rented limo. Then rolling down the window she waved toward where I was standing. "Like see you later little sis, love ya!"

I grinned a little awkwardly before elbowing Ash to start making for the exit. I knew now that the main attraction was gone, they'd be on us next. Of course if there was one thing Ash wasn't, it was quick to pay attention when he really needed to.

"Hmm, what is it Mist?" He mumbled still scrubbing at his coat.

I frowned. "Take a guess Ash, we've about to be mobbed."

He looked up just in time to catch the first camera flash right in the eyes. Blinking he seemed suddenly even more dazed than usual.

"Excuse me, we have a question for the champion!" One reporter said as he jammed a microphone toward Ash.

"Do you have any comment on the rumors that have been circulating?" Another asked as they zoomed a camera in on my face.

I hesitated as a frown spread from one ear to another. Daisy just had to ride off and leave me cleaning up the mess like always. She's insisted on a wedding so big it would have been a front page affair even if she wasn't famous. And that was fine, she loved all the attention, but I was getting kinda sick of seeing my personal life across every newspaper and magazine in Kanto.

"Uh what rumors?" Ash asked sincerely clueless as he rubbed the flash out of his eyes. I sighed frustrated that he even had to ask. Since that first almost kiss got plastered across the front page of the paper the status of our relationship had been all the gossip columns wanted to talk about. So much so that I was beginning to consider just eloping and moving to Sinnoh. That or the assassination of key paparazzi members…

"Sorry folks, they won't be able to take your questions at this time." Brock suddenly said as he stepped in front of us and warded off the crowd with a friendly smile. I felt Suzie's hand on my shoulder as she back us away from the mass of gaping reporters. I just gave her a grateful look and she winked. Needless to say when we managed to make it to Brock's car I collapsed into the backseat with frazzled relief. I was more than thrilled when Brock started to drive us down the street.

"Wow they sure are interested in us, huh Misty?" Ash said scratching the bridge of his nose.

I sighed and rubbed at my forehead. "These people must have no lives if all they want to do is read about us…"

Brock laughed. "Well it must be flattering at least, rumors about you and Ash's wedding is creating even more hype than Daisy's did."

I smirked. I'd finally outdone Daisy for once, and it had to be something that made me want to crawl under a rock... Typical I guess.

Ash leaned back in his seat next to me and thought for a second before he shrugged. "Why would we want to keep it a secret anyway? I mean it's good news so…"

I wanted to sigh again, in fact I really wanted to be annoyed at him for missing the point of how awkward a situation it was. But there was no denying that Ash Ketchum lived in a world all his own. So I didn't bother, I just rolled my eyes before sinking deeper into my seat.

"Unless…" He mumbled out as he turned toward me with a suspicious look. "Unless you're ashamed of me or something."

I smirked a little playfully before leaning into my hand. "It's not that Ash, I just don't want my secret boyfriend to find out about you."

He bristled before pouting in the same childish way he always did. "Don't even joke about that Rudy guy…"

I smirked a little wider, finding his jealousy almost as hilarious as it was ridiculous. "Oh Rudy eh, who mentioned names? I didn't mention anyone specifically."

He crossed his arms, still reminding me of a little boy. "Well yeah but he really liked you so…"

I let my smile soften a little as I ribbed him in the side. "I'm just making sure you don't take me for granted Ash."

Suzie laughed as she glanced back at us. "You know you two haven't really changed a bit from the time I first met you as children."

"And somethings won't ever change." Brock added in with a smirk as he adjusted the rearview mirror.

I sighed as I crossed my arms. "Ash just won't admit that I'm the only one alive that would put up with him." Then I grinned a little over at him. "And the reverse is probably true too…"

After a second he smiled a little, so reaching to playfully flick his nose I turned back toward Brock. "Anyway, thanks for the save back there, I thought they had us cornered this time for sure."

Brock nodded with a smirk. "No problem Misty, I didn't think you guys were ready to tell the whole world just yet."

I felt my face go a little red as I looked down. It wasn't that I didn't want anyone to know, it was just… I glanced at Ash, who was rubbing at the red stain again. I smiled a little. I really wasn't ashamed of Ash, no more like I was a little embarrassed at myself. Embarrassed that someone so… I shook the thought away from my head. No it wasn't that either, it wasn't anything to do with the kind of person Ash was, it just...well wasn't easy for me to admit to anyone how I felt. I mean it took years to admit it just to myself.

Pikachu looked up at me from Ash's shoulder and for a second I thought he knew exactly what I was thinking and feeling right then. I smiled a little over at him and he hopped down onto the seat in between us.

"Pika pi." He cooed softly as he crawled into my lap.

I smiled down at him and scratched behind his ears. "Thanks Pikachu…" I whispered causing Ash to look up and over at us. But he didn't say anything at first, no he just smiled slowly. I wasn't sure if Ash was think the same thing I was, but all I could feel right then, no matter how awkward it still seemed, was thankful that they were going to be my family now…

Ash looked down with a little smile and then back over at Pikachu as he dug around in his coat pocket. "Here you go buddy…" He said handing Pikachu a tiny packet of ketchup he'd swiped from the catered buffet at the reception.

"Chaa!" He said excitedly as he reached to take it from Ash and lick at the tiny slit in the packet.

I smiled before winking over at Ash. "Like pokemon, like trainer, huh?"

He grinned at little as he rubbed at the spot on his coat.

I just grinned back as I shook my head before I turned to look out the window. Daisy and Tracey got married today, and I knew life would never be the same for them. But the funny thing was, being engaged to Ash had changed everything too. And yet… Any yet everything still felt absolutely the same. I tightened my arms around Pikachu.

I hoped it always would...

But always was a pretty long time. So long that maybe sometimes I still wondered…

But anything I was thinking about got shoved away when Brock and Ash unanimously agreed to stop at the first fast food shack we passed on the drive through Cerulean City. Because after all, what goes better with rented tuxedos and evening gowns than grease stains? Though I guess with all the ketchup there wasn't much help for Ash's tux anyway…

Again I wondered, just like the thousand times before why I wasn't annoyed at him. But I knew the answer by now, he was Ash, I couldn't expect anything else from him. In fact I didn't even know what I would have done if he ever did act different? My poor cynical romantic heart might not have been able to take it. I sighed a little too loudly I guess, as I stared at the back of Ash and Brock as they were trying to out do the other's score on some crusty old arcade machine at the dinner.

"Not the most romantic setting I suppose?" I heard Suzie say beside me and I almost jumped before I turned to her. I just stared for a second trying to get my head back in gear before I figured out that everything I was thinking must have been showing on my face.

I shrugged. "You might say that…" I mumbled as I leaned into my hand. "But I guess you don't mind, huh?" I asked with a little smile I tried to put on. Something told me the poor woman had probably been near sapped to death by Brock's constant over the top Romeo act.

She smiled back, before covering her mouth to laugh a little. "We'll you've got me there. I kept holding out for Brock to just relax, and it looks like it might finally be happening. Or at least a little."

I grinned back. "You could say we have exactly contrasting problems."

She laughed again. "I figured that Misty, but really was I right, has Ash not changed at all since you were kids?"

I leaned back in my chair before glancing back over at him jamming buttons in competition with Brock. I sighed before looking back over at her. "Not a bit."

Suzie's face softened a little and it gave me the feeling she was 300 times wiser than I'd ever be. "But even so, he's special just like that, isn't he?"

I tugged at the straw stuck in my soda before sighing again. "Something like that Suzie…"

"And what about you, have you changed either?" I heard her ask next, and I guess that really hit home.

I leaned into my hand as I glanced her out the corner of my eye. "I'm a little more salty than I used to be I guess, otherwise no." I sighed and maybe my tone felt a little sharper than I expected it to. "I'm still the same. Still chasing after Ash Ketchum, whether he ever notices or not…"

Suzie didn't say anything for a few seconds, and I didn't really blame her why was I acting so upset? It was just Ash like always, and it wasn't like other things hadn't seriously changed even if mostly he hadn't…

I swallowed hard before clearing my throat a little and rubbing at the back of my neck. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to sound so sour all of a sudden."

But she just smiled at me. And right then I felt like she really understood, yeah even though I didn't really myself.

"You know, I can't really say I understand, since I was an only child, but… But it's hard isn't it? Always comparing I mean."

I wasn't really sure what to say to that. I thought we were talking about me and Ash, but now we were suddenly talking about me and Daisy. But the funny thing was that it all made more sense to me now. I just nodded before I got up the nerve to answer back with a weak: "Yeah…"

Suzie didn't say anything else, I didn't think she wanted to push it, so she was just waiting for me to say the rest. Sighing again I stared down at a small chip out of the table. "Daisy has always meant well, all my sister have, but sometimes…" I shrugged. "I guess I still sort of have a stupid complex about it all or something. Daisy and Tracey just rode off into the proverbial sunset, and maybe it bothers me…" I crossed my arms as I felt about as petty as I sounded.

"Why is that?" Was all Suzie volunteered gently.

I felt my forehead bunching as I tried to figure out just how to answer that myself. The truth was, if I was still in an unrequited love with my best friend who hundreds of miles away it would have made sense. But as it was it didn't, at least not to me… I looked over at Ash fist pumping his apparent victory, before turning back to Suzie.

Shaking my head a little I went on. "Well I guess I just have a bad habit of seeing things negatively even when they aren't. Like maybe I'm still waiting to wake up one day and everything will be just the way they always were between us… Nothing, it'll be nothing again."

Both of us were quiet for a few moments before I suddenly felt Suzie's hand on my shoulder. And there it was, a truth I didn't even see coming. I didn't even realize how much I needed a friend until I felt all her concern, her presence, touching my skin.

"I really don't believe it was ever nothing, Misty. And I don't think you really do either. But you know…" She smiled. "Relationships can be as hard as they are wonderful. Finding them is one challenge, admitting to them is another, and keeping them strong is something that you have to do everyday. And losing them is what we're most afraid of it seems." She touched her chin thoughtfully before looking back at me with a smile. "We all feel that way. But in the end, when you really love someone, it means you have to trust them too. And maybe the hardest thing is learning to trust yourself as well, that you're worth it." She smiled a little. "And mostly that, in the end you always get more than you give up, that it's worth all the effort."

I let go of a deep breath I didn't realize I'd been keeping in the whole time she was talking. Of course she was right, just like Tracey and everybody else had been right before. I really already knew it all, but maybe the problem was that I had trouble believing it all. I hated always being the jumble of emotions, but I couldn't seem to help it lately. And now I didn't even have time to compose myself before Ash plopped down in a chair across from me and started slurping the last bit of soda through his straw.

I took in another deep breath before I just glanced up at him. Then before I could look away he looked up and our eyes locked. They were brown, just like always, but I couldn't really say they were clueless this time. If anything they looked confused, unsure why I was giving off the vibes I was, but he was at least aware of them.

"Are you okay…?" He mumbled out.

I felt my eyebrows flinch. What was I supposed to say to that? Everything should have been just fine, in fact I wasn't even sure why they weren't… But before I could just brush off the topic Suzie bolted up and took Brock's hand. "Why don't you teach me how to play Brock?" Suzie asked gesturing back toward the arcade machine in the corner.

"Uh well I lost, but um s-sure Suzie, whatever you say." He asked with a slight blush as he surrendered to being pulled across the room. I sighed. It didn't take much to read through Suzie's attempt at giving us some time alone to talk, but I didn't really know what to say anyway…

Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder to the table and started ripping open another packet of ketchup. And I guess I just found it easier to focus on him rather than his trainer.

"Well, are you?" He asked again with a concerned frown.

I frowned back at the pressure. I didn't know what to say, there wasn't any revelation to reveal. If I was jealous of Daisy, and insecure about myself it wasn't anything new.

"I'm fine!" I huffed feeling somehow satisfied to at least have given an answer.

But Ash just recoiled like I'd bitten him, which I guess I had… "Um I'm sorry…" Was all he mumbled out before frowning wider. And now it was my turn to feel like a jerk, because even Pikachu was looking up in confused alarm.

I bit my lip a little before letting go of another sigh. "No look, I'm sorry Ash, honestly I've felt better."

I tried the honest approach if for no other reason than I was too exhausted to handle it any other way. He didn't say anything at first he just kept frowning before leaning a little over the table and putting a hand on my forehead. "Are you sick? I know you don't really like greasy food."

I smiled a little weakly. He was as clueless as ever, but it didn't stop him from being so sincerely concerned. And that, I knew, was why I cared about him so much. "No I don't mean actually sick Ash…" I said gently.

He sat back down as he just kept staring at me. "Oh… Well then what is it?"

I sighed for I hoped the last time before I looked up at him again. "I mean I'm...um a little down I guess."

His face went from a concerned frown to a look that seemed almost hurt in a matter of seconds. "Oh…" He looked down and then back up at me. "I'm sorry, I wanted you to have a good time but…" He frowned a little tighter. "I guess I got too caught up in beating Brock's high score…" Then he looked down. "That was stupid…"

I was a little taken aback by him, and this time I felt my heart drop for all the wrong reasons. Or were they the right reasons? Because it tore at me to see him looking so down on himself. To see him so concerned about me and how I felt. Honestly it just made me feel like the stupid one. Why was I jealous of Daisy when I already had everything I ever wanted? More than I even felt like I deserved. Because Ash didn't deserve anyone to make him feel the way he looked like he did right now.

"Ash no…" I said without even thinking through where I was going with it all. "Ash it's not you, so stop feeling bad about it okay?" Reaching for his hand laying on the tabletop and squeezed it until he looked back up at me.

"Are you sure…?" He asked narrowing his eyes. "I don't want to be a lousy-" He stopped and looked up at the ceiling in thought before glancing back at me. "Um what was that word again, Misty?"

I smiled a little and it almost felt like a weight suddenly melt off my shoulders. "Fiance, Ash. Fiance."

Ash nodded and gave a sudden determined look. "Yeah, I don't want to be a lousy one." Then he looked at me a little more seriously. "Only bad guys make girls cry, ya know?"

I smirked. "Hey you know I wasn't actually crying, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah but feeling bad or crying is basically the same thing. One leads to the other, and then you could end up deciding I'm not that great of a guy…"

I cocked my head to the side a little surprised. "So you're really worried about that? About me calling the whole thing off?"

He frowned and looked down. "Sort of, but mostly I just don't want you to feel bad around me. I'm supposed to make you happy, right?"

I smiled a little softer at him. I was funny, neither of us really got it, did we? We still didn't really understand how we felt about each other… It was like we were both too stubborn to accept what was right in front of our faces…

"Hey, you do make me happy, don't you get that Ash…?" I asked softly.

He looked up, as his face seemed a little hesitant. "Well...I was hoping so anyway."

I sighed, yes again. I knew it was my own fault for keeping the drama going when there really wasn't any reason for it. Things may have been hard once between us, but that was before. Now I just wanted us to be as open as possible. I knew that wasn't going to come automatically either, but it had to be what Suzie was talking about, right? Working everyday to keep a relationship strong.

I smiled before leaning to kiss him quickly, then pulling back I shook my head. "Nut, don't ever worry about that, okay?"

He blinked a little stunned before he smiled shyly. "Oh um okay…"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu suddenly chimed, seeming happy our strange conflict had seemed to resolve itself, so he went right back to his ketchup. I guess it was funny to think how we both must have seemed from Pikachu's perspective. In fact, when I thought about it that way it made everything seem simpler. I felt a little dumb for ever trying to complicate it. We were who we were, flaws and all… I wasn't crazy enough to ever think that was really going to change.

A thousand years from now we'd have grown a lot, but we'd still be us at heart. And I really was glad. Life with Ash wasn't always going to be easy, I sure knew life with me wasn't going to be, but still I… I still knew just how badly I wanted, needed, to be there for it all. The ups the downs, and all the madness in between. Nothing or no one was ever going to change that, my crazy self doubts included...

So smiling back over at him I stood and stretched. "How do you bet I can beat your high score, Mr. Pokemon Master?"

He frowned seeming confused for a second before he finally smirked the way he had at ten when he was sure he was better than anybody else on the planet. "Sorry, not gonna happen, Mist."

I pinched the side of his cheek. "Oh really, well allow me to wipe that smug look right off your face."

"Hey!" He grumbled as I drug him over to the arcade machine where Brock and Suzie already were.

"Excuse me," I said gesturing for Suzie to let me play. "But Ash's ego is in dangerous need of being put back in line.

She seemed a little confused at first before she smiled and stepped aside. "Please, be my guest."

"Don't mind if I do…" I said reaching to grip the joystick and narrow my eyes in determination.

It was an average day, where four very overly dressed people were camping a two bit childish distraction. I figured Daisy was probably knee deep in roses and sweet nothings by now, but for once I didn't mind.

No matter how hard it would have been for my younger self to believe, for that self that hadn't ever fished Ash Ketchum out of a river…

Well, there really wasn't anywhere else I would have rather been…

There you go guys, please stick around for the next chapter coming at you soon! And as always, reviews make my day!