Misty hated her dress. Sure it looked good; a long form fitting sequin dress that was one of her favorite deep red colors. Sure it was perfect for this formal League gathering. But every time she moved in it she found herself tugging at the top awkwardly, hoping no one saw her. It was so uncomfortable, and she always longed to get back into her jeans shorts and t-shirt whenever she had to wear one to a formal league event.

As the drink tray passed near her again, she inconspicuously grabbed another glass and quickly downed it. Yes she was starting to feel the effects of the Champaign, and no she didn't care. She figured she could be a little buzzed if she was going to have to endure an uncomfortable dress and the occasional annoying meathead who had gotten just deep enough into the Kanto gym badge hunt to have been invited to the event, and thought that entitled them to hit on the head of the Elite Four. Not to mention the myriad of annoying reporters who knew they were supposed to wait until her press conference to ask her questions, but always tried to sneak a few in before she met the final four challengers for the right to face her Elite Four. Then there were the rich donors who had their noses in the air and sticks up their asses for most of the night who she had to placate. Because money, of course, she thought cynically.

On the other hand, there were the very talented younger trainers who had collected an impressive number of badges who also tended to shyly approached her for an autographed Pokeball or a simple hug, and those were the moments that proved to her all of the annoyances were worth it.

After politely turning down another burly suitor, she found herself mingling with an older group of donors while she absentmindedly gnawed on some hors d'oeuvres, not really listening to what they were saying, but nodding every once in a while to seem polite and engaged. Her mind wandered as she found herself wondering what Ash was doing at that moment; most likely out in the elements, no doubt having some sort of hair-brained adventure that she knew she'd scold him about once he told her the details.

Departing her daydream suddenly, she realized the group she was with was looking at her expectantly. Oh crap, they asked me a question, she thought as she scrambled to try to figure out what they'd said.

"Sorry," she apologized, "it's a little loud in here right now. Could you repeat the question?"

An older lady with a clearly distinguished air about her (or is that just sanctimonious snobbishness?) repeated her question, "Have you kept abreast of the trainers who will be in the final two bouts tomorrow?"

Of course Misty was going to have to lie about this. Yeah she'd watched a few matches in the early brackets, but she was an extremely busy person, and the week of the matches were more hectic than the Olympics week. It was impossible to keep track of all of the trainers and their Pokemon. She was lucky when she wasn't being informed of some Team Rocket activity, or having to be a liaison for the Kanto league to other regions, to be able to observe a couple of matches. She normally waited for the challenger to be decided before she began to study them in depth to prepare for the eventuality that they would challenge her. That was just the simple reality of time management as the head of the Elite Four. And it's not like it had hurt her. Of the two trainers who had beaten the third Elite Four member during her time, neither of them had been able to beat her water Pokemon onslaught. She was undefeated in her time as the Elite Four leader.

"Yes, a bit," she lied, "a very impressive bunch this year."

One of the older men, who actually had a monocle of all things, interjected with a strong southern drawl, "y'all certainly aren't wrong about that. Especially that one boy. He done gone and steamrolled everyone he's faced. He didn't have one go down until his last match, and even then it was only one."

That actually caught her attention. Normally the matches at that level were fairly even. Very rarely did you have even three Pokemon remaining total in the final four bouts. A good bit of the time each trainer was reduced to their final Pokemon. She was about to inquire more about this boy when she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind.

"Ma'am, they're almost ready for you," her secretary whispered to her.

She nodded goodbye to the group of people as she turned to follow her young employee to her table at the front of the banquet hall. She was always awed at the size of the venue. The ceilings were at least 50 feet tall, and the large chandelier at the center of the room always gave her the impression that this was more of a castle than a banquet hall next to a sports stadium that seated 120,000 screaming Pokemon League fans. But that was the League for you. Extravagant to the last detail. And it's what kept it in its position of prominence for so long.

Misty smiled as she approached her table and saw her three other colleagues already seated. One in particular she noticed poking at his food and not really paying attention to his surroundings. She decided to take advantage of his aloofness and snuck up behind him. She lightly put an arm on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "You know it's already dead, Brock," taking delight in how high he jumped out of his seat.

"You almost made me dump over the entire table," Brock said glaring at her as tears ran down her face in her fit of laughter. She sat down and tried to compose herself, but she had already caught the disapproving scowl of another of her colleagues.

"How about we try to show a little bit of class here, Leader Misty?" Karen said, scowling at her. Misty cringed at the sarcastic tone that the older woman forced into her title. She quickly stopped laughing and dabbed the tears off her eyes and rapidly developed an annoyed attitude herself due to her colleague's typical air of superiority. She tried to put it out of her mind and grabbed a compact mirror out of her bag to make sure her makeup hadn't smudged and her mascara hadn't run. Satisfied as she could be with her appearance, she looked at the other Elite Four member and, as always, he sat as stoically as he had for the many years he had been in his position as an elite four member. Koga would never change.

The announcer had made his way to the podium and began the final ceremony of the evening. "Ladies and gentlemen. Esteemed gym leaders, revered Elite Four members, we thank you for being here at our 105th annual league year-end invitational dinner." Soft applause filled the banquet hall and Misty took a bite of whatever it was that was on her plate (she couldn't tell). She decided she would rather go hungry and spat it into her napkin, suddenly hoping the cameras hadn't panned to her in that moment. "It is now time for the final four league challengers to enter the hall and meet the Elite Four. If our esteemed Pokemon Masters would please make their way to the stage."

Misty let Brock help her up and found herself tugging at the top of her dress again, not really caring anymore if the cameras picked it up or not. She followed her other three colleagues to the stage as the crowd applauded a little more vigorously. Even though they were the Elite Four, Misty pondered on just how ironic she thought it was that the four of them were together so rarely. They all had so many responsibilities with the League and individually throughout the year. Each offseason they all had a short vacation, followed by many humanitarian aid mission or consultations. Sometimes she visited Pokemon universities as a lecturer or a visiting professor. Brock did charity work for sick Pokemon quite often when he wasn't acting as a liaison himself to other regions. Koga and Karen had a set schedule that they had followed since before she had been a member. Add in time to catch and train Pokemon, and an Elite Four member's time was rapidly consumed. Really, the only time they were for sure together was once a year during the Indigo Plateau Conference. So it was a treat for the public to get to see them together, and she was always pretty excited about it herself.

She and the other members waved a bit to the crowd and posed for several pictures for the media briefly until the announcer moved the event on. "Now we'd like to welcome the final four challengers to the stage for their privilege to meet the Elite Four!"

Spotlights, cameras, and eyes all panned to the doors at the side of the room as, one after another, the four strongest trainers that year entered the banquet room and began making their way to the front. Misty smiled as the first challenger that entered was a young girl. Misty immediately liked her style, as the young girl's bright yellow dress reminded her of an old outfit she liked to wear while out traveling. Her blonde ponytail bounced as her bright smile showed off spunk and enthusiasm. The next trainer was a young man with brown hair and rather large glasses, which she noticed he constantly reached up to adjust. The third was a young woman with long brown hair, a white had with a Pokeball imprinted on it, and a blue top with a red skirt. Then Misty's eyes landed on the fourth trainer who entered the room, and one of them began to twitch.

"We'd like to welcome to the stage, in no particular order, Bella McKinley, Joey Young, Leaf Green, and Ash Ketchum!"

Misty's vision began to tunnel and her head felt like it was being filled with Jumpluff cotton. She felt the back of her neck start to burn and she knew her face was getting red and some prominent veins were more than likely beginning to bulge on her forehead. She shook her head and tried to recover from the initial surprise and then turned to glare at her boyfriend, hoping the audience was too busy with what the announcer was saying and with the busyness of the proceedings in general to notice her familiarity. Ash winked at her and it was almost enough to send her over the edge. No Misty, you can get through this, and then you can throttle him later! She glanced over at Brock accusingly and he looked far too smug to not have known what was going on. He caught her glaring at him and looked a little bit scared briefly, followed by the dopiest shrug she thought she had ever seen. She was wrong, she had two people to throttle.

"…and now we come to the moment where the esteemed leader of the Elite Four will end tonight's festivities with a brief statement in preparation for tomorrow's matches! Please put your hands together for Misty Waterflower!"

Crap! Misty knew was definitely not in the proper place to give an inspirational speech. The announcer handed her the microphone and the crowd quieted. Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't look at him, she thought over and over, knowing the minute she did she would not get through her speech.

"Ah…um…," she stammered, not really sure where to start, "It is certainly an honor to be able to take part in another exciting season of Pokemon League activities. I wish our finalists luck in their battles tomorrow."

She quickly shoved the microphone back into the hands of the announcer, who was a bit taken aback as he seemed to be expecting a longer speech from her, but he rolled with it and brought the night to a close. The Elite Four members began to shake hands and say a few words to the challengers on stage with them. With the way they were positioned, Misty and Brock were going to be speaking with Ash last. She said a few words of encouragement to the other three as they made their way to her, and then came Ash. He extended his hand to her as he rubbed the back of his head with his other hand. She hadn't really gotten a good look at him since he'd come in given her initial shock, but she had to admit he cleaned up pretty well. His hair was actually combed and he was wearing a very nice sports coat over a button up shirt and a pair of dark jeans. Pretty business casual for a formal event, she thought, but he made it work.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it a little harder than she meant to, causing him to gasp.

"What are you doing?" she whispered to him through gritted teeth, making sure the multiple media recorders surrounding her and the other members of the Elite Four and the other challengers didn't hear her.

"I'm here to challenge the Elite Four!" he replied proudly as he performed a silly handshake with Brock.

"Stop that!" she said smacking their hands down and immediately regretted how loud she was. She just laughed at the couple of reporters who took notice and waved them off, which she knew wasn't going to last for long. She poked Brock in the chest and said, "I want to see you in my office tomorrow morning," and then quickly shifting to Ash she leaned in and whispered, "Expect a text soon."

She turned away and headed toward the group of reporters who were desperately trying to get her to answer a few questions, which she began to attempt to field with her typical strong demeanor, leaving Ash and Brock to another group. She grabbed her phone and quickly typed out a short text message while navigating through the crowd toward the exit. She needed to get out of that damn dress already!

Misty stood by the pier just down the road from the league stadium several hours later, trying her best to blend into the small crowd of tourists who were staying up late and enjoying the crisp night air. The city lights shined behind her casting an impressive reflection on the small lake, and she gazed out on the water letting the sounds of the small waves caused by the steady breeze ease the nerves that had been building since the ceremony earlier that night. Since she was a small child, water had always calmed her down, whether she was swimming in it or just standing near it. It had always been an escape for her from her sisters as they were growing up, and a distraction from her constant loneliness throughout her childhood. Perhaps that's why she had developed such an affinity for the Pokemon that made the water their home.

She wore a thin headscarf that concealed her bright orange hair and part of her face and a white jacket and blue jeans. She was actually happy the weather had taken a cold turn since she needed an excuse to bundle up so she could move through town partially disguised without drawing a crowd or the paparazzi. Thankfully, no one had even given her a second glance as she strolled down the street in the dark in her disguise.

She looked at her phone to see if she'd received a reply to her earlier text, but all that met her eyes was the last one she had sent: "Pier, 1 AM, don't tell anyone! Don't get tailed!" She hoped that was clear enough for the recipient, as she knew he could be quite clueless sometimes. The phone suddenly buzzed in her hand and she nearly dropped it, but recovering quickly she saw a reply text appear on screen: "Look behind you."

Misty slowly turned around to see a tall, thin young man with shockingly recognizable disheveled hair and a blue and black jacket approaching her. He had his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans and looked a bit sheepish as he approached her. She took several steps toward him and closed all of the space between them. Her face touched his chest and she nudged it a couple of times with her forehead before she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him to herself. He hugged her back and they stood that way for several minutes. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, but as soon as his lips grazed her skin she quickly smacked him on the chest and pushed him back slightly.

"No, I'm supposed to be mad at you," she said, halfway seriously.

"Aw Misty, how come? I just wanted to surprise you! And don't get mad at Brock. I made him promise not to tell you….and to keep you busy with other things during my matches…"

She growled at him slightly, "So that's what all those stupid Three Stooges marathons were about. I thought he was just going through a thing because he was dumped by his girlfriend!"

"Oh he still has that girlfriend," Ash admitted with a sideways grin on his face.

"HE LIED ABOUT HIS GIRLFRIEND!?" she seethed. "Of all the no good…."

Ash grabbed her face and gave her a kiss before she was able to continue cursing their friend and she resisted for a second before giving in and putting her arms around his neck, returning the kiss. The night was so still and the wind felt so good on her skin. The flickering streetlights made for a surprisingly nice ambiance next to the water, and she just wanted to enjoy the moment with Ash before she had to talk to him about what really needed to happen in the next several days.

Having expended her supply of air, Misty finally pulled away and moved to Ash's side and they began to walk down the pier together. She leaned her head into him as he wrapped his right arm around her. She liked how tall he had gotten as opposed to when they had first met, as it gave her head the perfect spot to lean into his chest whenever they were able to walk together.

"I really missed you, Mist," he said softly.

"I missed you," she said, "how was Kalos? Did you see Serena and Clemont?"

"Yeah. I stayed with Clemont for a couple days before I came back to challenge the Kanto gyms. She was at the gym every day. They helped prepare me for this actually. I think she was there mostly to see him, though," he said chuckling.

"So she finally got over my boyfriend, eh?" Misty teased. She and Serena had been friends for several months now, but there were some tense times when they had first met because Serena's longstanding crush on Ash didn't simply disappear overnight. But nothing had gotten too catty or immature and Serena seemed to have eventually taken a liking to the smart young gym leader from Lumiose. She was glad to hear things seemed to be working out.

Misty enjoyed the still night air at her boyfriend's side for a few more minutes before deciding she needed to tell him what was on her mind.

"Ash, the league, the media, everyone…they can't know there's this between us if you're going to challenge for the championship," she motioned with her hand, pointing to both of them.

He looked at her a bit confused, "Why not? There aren't any rules against girlfriends and boyfriends battling in the league finals."

"Officially, no," she said, "but what the rules are officially doesn't matter to the tabloids. And they certainly don't matter to the league curators if it makes the league look bad. I know Karen is in their ear, and I know some of them are watching me more closely right now. I'm wondering if they're looking for excuses to bump me from the Elite Four. We're honestly taking a big risk even being out here tonight together."

Ash turned to her a little shocked, "I had no idea, Mist! I'll drop out first thing tomorrow…"

"NO!" she said a little too loudly, then quieter she said, "No. Ash I'm not going to stop you from trying to fulfill this dream. I know how much a league championship means to you, and while I was a little annoyed when I first saw you tonight, I realize how close you are now! And I think someone at the event mentioned how easily you're handling the competition."

"I did think it would be a bit harder," he said laughing.

She bopped him on the arm. "Don't get cocky, mister. But as I was saying, I won't hear about you dropping out. I don't want you to dare even think about it. But you have to know there can't be any indication of a conflict of interest here. I don't want to give Karen any more ammunition against me. She's had it out for me ever since I knocked her out of the top spot, and I know she has the ears of at least two curators. It's just precautionary."

"Geez, Mist, it seems like an awful risk for you to take when it's on me for not telling you I was entering," he said, and she could tell he was still considering simply dropping out.

"Look, Ketchum," she said sternly, "if you drop out I'll just resign."

She got him there. She knew how proud of her he was and how much support he'd shown during the process of her becoming a member of the Elite Four. That support had been what had ultimately brought them beyond their shy flirting and dancing around their romantic feelings into their current relationship. He had worked long hours with her preparing her and her Pokemon for the initiation tests and battles it took for her to take the position. It was that time together that finally broke through years of stubborn denial.

"Fine," he relented.

She squeezed him with her left arm, pulling herself in closer to his warm body, "Besides. It won't even be an issue. It's not like you're going to beat me or anything," she said, unable to contain her giggling.

Ash dramatically moved to face her and leaned over so that he was looking directly into her eyes and said proudly, "Oh no? You mean how I wasn't going to most certainly beat you for the cascade badge in our first battle?"

She blinked at him faux-innocently and replied, "No hun, I mean how like I beat you at the Whirl Cup."

Ash was actually visibly shaken for a moment, which pleased Misty quite a bit, until she saw a smug smile form on his face. "Well let's just ask Totodile who he thinks will win."

At that Misty's face turned to a pout and she turned to leave with a dramatic flair, "We'll see in a couple of days then, Mr. Ketchum. I think you'll be lucky to even reach Brock, let alone me."

He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around and kissed her again. It had been so long since they'd been together, and everything about reuniting with him again made her feel as good as she had in months, but she knew that the more time they spent together the more risk they took of their relationship being plastered on tomorrow's issue of Poke-Gossip Weekly. The kiss ended and she smiled as she backed away slowly, not letting go of his hand until they were simply too far apart. They exchanged good-nights and she turned and quickly began making her way back to her apartment near the stadium. He waited for a few minutes before making his way back to his hotel.

Whatever happened in the next few days, Ash was determined to make an impact on the Pokemon world. One way or another.

Note:

Hey everyone. I wrote my short one-shot, Champion, as kind of a tribute and celebration for the upcoming 20th anniversary of the Pokemon anime, but now I can't get the idea out of my head, so I wanted to write a prequel of the events that led up to that story. I'm not entirely sure where the story will go, but I have a general idea in my head. I kind of want it to flow organically.

A few details, this begins 12 years after Misty and Ash first met (making them about 22). They're both experienced and (clearly) successful trainers, but their romantic relationship is only a couple years old at the most. I haven't really decided how long they've been together, but it wasn't long after Misty became an Elite Four member at 18. As the story makes clear, her relationship with him isn't widely known, which they decided was for the best since Ash still has personal ambitions and didn't want the distraction of being known as the boyfriend of the leader of the Kanto Elite Four. He was willing to reveal it at this point, but as you see Misty has other reservations. Brock knows, Ash's mom knows, her sisters know. That's about it.

Bear with me if I get some continuity details with the anime wrong. I haven't really watched it in years. I love the early seasons and love these characters and hope this is a fun and fitting tribute to them.