Hey guys! Well, this is a shock to many of my readers, I'm sure. I've actually never done a one-shot before (unless you count my parody fic), so I decided to try it out. I must say that I underestimated the difficulty of writing something like this. I always assumed that us "chapter fic" people have it a lot harder than those who just write short stories. However, after spending a week on this story, I can affirm that it's just as difficult. While a chapter fic might take a lot longer to write, with a one-shot you literally have one shot to get everything right. You can't waste a lot of time with build-up or character description because it's supposed to be a kind of short story. Therefore, please forgive me if this story isn't up to par with the writing skill that my chapter fic "A New Journey" possesses. Unlike almost every other author on this site, my first fic was chaptered, and so I never got the kind of experience that comes from writing precise, gripping short stories.
"I'm back!" Ash cried, walking through the front door of his old home. To his surprise, upon entering, he didn't see anyone within his humble abode.
"Where do you think Ma is, Pikachu?"
"Pika, pikachu," the small rodent replied from atop his shoulder.
Shrugging his shoulders, he walked towards the kitchen.
It's not like Mom to not be here when I get back from a new region. Turning the corner, he jumped backwards as he and Pikachu were met with a small unison of "surprise!"s.
"Welcome home, honey," Delia greeted cheerfully as her son regained his footing. "We're so glad you're back!"
"It's nice to see you again, Ash," Professor Oak added warmly. "It's been quite some time since we last had you visit our little town."
"And of course, I had to be here to say hello to the most thick-headed guy I know," Misty mentioned with a grin. Spreading her arms wide, she ran forward to greet the weary traveler with a hug. "It's so good to see you again, Ash!"
"Uh, you too, Mist," the trainer replied, slightly surprised to find the redhead waiting for him. Realizing he was just standing there, he quickly reciprocated the hug as strongly as he could.
"It's been at least a year, hasn't it?" Misty asked, stepping back to examine her old friend.
The year had helped him grow at least another inch, and though she hated to admit it, made her seem completely scrawny in comparison to his broad frame.
"Uh, yeah, I think so," Ash answered, dumbfounded and blushing as he caught himself staring at the redhead. Though he'd begun dating over the last couple of years, and even found himself in a serious relationship at one point, he was surprised to find himself admiring his longtime friend's figure as she stood in front of him.
Of course, there's something to admire now, he realized with a small grin. She was no longer the runt he'd grown up with. The last time he'd seen her the year before, she'd definitely grown, but now it seemed as if she was finally filling out in the way her sisters had done years before.
Stop gawking! He turned his head away momentarily as he tried to regain his composure.
"So Ash," Professor Oak interjected during the awkward two second silence which had filled the small room, "I saw you in the last tournament. I think you were excellent."
"Thanks Professor," Ash replied, gratefully sidestepping Misty so he could speak directly with his old mentor who stood behind the table. "But it wasn't good enough. I still didn't win the League!"
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Delia soothed, seeing her son getting frustrated as he replayed the final battle in his head. "You did your best."
"I know," he answered with a sigh. "But that's just it. If I did my best and still didn't make it to the top, then what does that say about me as a trainer?"
Misty grabbed his shoulder and immediately caught his attention. "You shouldn't think like that, Ash." He averted his gaze as her seawater-green eyes bore into him. "I'm the first one to criticize you when you do something wrong, as you know, but even I watched that battle and was impressed. You're not getting worse, your opponents are just getting better. Lance is the Champion of Kanto, and he was like twenty-five before he got that title. You just gotta give it time."
Smiling, Ash lifted his eyes and gave Misty a radiant smile. "Thanks Mist."
"No problem." She shot him back her own beautiful smile. "Now let's have some of this cake and talk." She motioned to the dining table located in the center of the kitchen, upon which was a large cake in the form of a Pikachu.
"It looks delicious!" Ash remarked, his eyes suddenly wide as he noticed the pastry for the first time.
His mom beamed brightly. "I cooked it this morning. It was so much work, but I'm glad you're happy to see it."
"Of course I am!"
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu jumped from off his shoulder and onto the table, where he quietly examined the tasty treat for a moment before running over and licking Delia's arm.
"I think Pikachu's happy you made it too," the Professor noted with a small laugh.
All five, including Pikachu, took a seat as Delia separated the pieces.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Well, I think that with a little more practice, my team will be unbeatable. I just need some more time to train, and then I think I'll retake the Indigo League challenge. I heard that you can reuse badges, so I'll just take my old Kanto ones out to reenter the tournament."
"You think you'd do better this time?" Misty asked. After the cake, and after Ash had washed the grime of several days' travel off him, the group of adults had moved into the living room, where Professor Oak asked for Ash's next plan of action.
"I'm positive, Mist." Ash's eyes lit up with confidence as he answered. "After all, I made it through to the fourth round last time. Just think how far I could go with the awesome team I've got now? Besides, all the other tournaments are over for the year. The Indigo is the last one in August."
"Well, if you do decide to enter, just know that your regular fan base here in Pallet will be rooting for you," Oak informed with a smile.
"I know you guys will."
They continued with their chit-chat for several more minutes until, looking up at the clock, Delia suddenly gasped.
"What is it Ms. Ketchum?" Misty asked worriedly.
"It's almost midnight! Ash, you need to go to bed!"
"But Ma-!"
Delia shook her head. "I don't want to hear it. You've been on the road for months now, and the best thing to rest those tired bones is to get a good night's sleep." She crossed her arms before Ash could make a rebuttal, officially ending the conversation.
"Fine," the trainer relented. Despite his protest, he couldn't help but feel a little excited at the thought of sleeping in his own bed.
"Sam, you can stay for the night if you want. We have two guest bedrooms for you and Misty."
"Thanks, but no thanks Delia," the old man replied, stretching as he stood from his chair. "I think I'll head back to the lab. Tracey had to watch the Pokémon all day today, and I need to make sure he fed them all appropriately before I hit the hay."
"Oh, okay then, but you be safe on the drive home!"
"I will." With that, the kindly professor bid the group farewell, and promised to see Ash the next day when the trainer came to visit his Pokémon.
"Now Misty," Delia said, turning her attention away from the door and to the redhead, who was still sitting on the couch. "You can stay up for as late as you want. I just need Ash to get some rest."
Sticking her tongue out at Ash momentarily when Delia wasn't looking, Misty responded with a respectful "yes ma'am".
"Suck up."
"What did you just say?" Delia asked, arching an eyebrow as she caught Ash's smart remark.
"Oh, uh, nothing Ma. I was just saying goodnight to Misty!"
"No you weren't, Ash. You called her a suck up, didn't you?"
"Well, no-I mean yeah! Uh, I mean, um, I don't know?"
Placing her hands on her hips she demanded that Ash apologize for his rude behavior. "You should never talk to anyone, especially a young woman, that way."
"Sorry Mist," Ash mumbled under his breath. A few incomprehensible utterances followed the statement, but neither of the women could understand it.
"It's alright, Ash," Misty forgave in an overly sympathetic tone. "I can forgive you."
He was about to make another sarcastic remark before catching a glimpse of his mother from his peripheral and deciding against it. Saying goodnight to the ladies, and giving his mother a final hug, he ran upstairs to his soft, warm bed where Pikachu had already begun dozing hours earlier.
Unfortunately for Ash, the strangest thing began to happen the second he'd brushed his teeth and laid his head upon the pillow. He couldn't seem to keep his eyelids shut. Every time he tried to roll onto his side and begin counting Mareep, he'd begin to think about Misty.
It's been such a long time since I've seen her, he reasoned. No wonder I'm thinking about her. She sure has changed since we last met.
He reflected upon that last thought. Come to think of it, she actually hadn't changed that much. She was still very hotheaded, as he could tell from their discussions over the evening, and she still got into immature arguments about Pokémon and training and other small subjects. She even wore the same-color clothes; a yellow blouse and blue denim shorts.
I guess it's just her looks that have changed. She's definitely…grown.
He shook his head once more, unable to believe that he was considering her figure for what felt like the millionth time that day. Of all the women he'd found attractive, Misty had never come close to making the list. However, now it seemed she passed his requirements with flying colors as he squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to imagine what she looked like coming to give him a hug.
Flopping around restlessly under the sheets like a Magikarp trapped in a net, he finally gave a deep sigh and forgot about getting some sleep.
I need air.
With that, he hopped out of bed. Pikachu stirred slightly at the rustle of the sheets, but otherwise remained oblivious to his friend and master's actions.
Putting on a black t-shirt and khaki shorts from the closet, he tied his shoes before creeping down the stairs.
"And now let's see what's behind door number two!"
Jerking his head, he was surprised to find that the television was still on. After he finished his slow descent, he made his way to the television .Flicking it off, he turned around and received a second shock when he saw Misty, laying sideways on the couch, dead asleep.
Smiling at her serene presence, Ash grabbed a small blanket from the chair and draped it lightly over her frame before shuffling out the door. After insuring that he'd fully closed the door, and had awoken no one inside, he walked out the small white picket fence and onto the narrow street which ran down his old neighborhood. For a moment he just stood there and smiled. Gazing down the rows of small brightly-colored houses which lined the street, all with their perfect gardens and picket fences, he realized how lucky he was to have grown up in such a quaint, quiet place. In the distance, on top of the hill, he could even make out the dark silhouette of Professor Oak's lab against the light of the full moon which lit up the sky.
Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the one pokéball he'd brought with him. Silently, he tossed the ball gently into the air, and without even a small roar, Charizard came bursting forth from his capsule. After doing a small mid-air somersault and stretching his wings, he landed directly in front of Ash and lowered his neck.
It's like he can read my thoughts.
"Let's just go to the mountains," he whispered while climbing aboard the orange dragon. He'd always wanted to explore the mountains which resided behind his house more as a child, but had never been given the opportunity.
Nodding his head in understanding, Charizard made to take off. However, before he brought his wings down, a tug on Ash's shorts caught the young man's attention.
"Whoa! Misty! Did you just wake up?"
"Yeah, I noticed the T.V. had been turned off and with no noise I could hear a pokéball opening up. Where are you going? It's two in the morning!"
"Uh, well, I couldn't sleep, so I thought that I'd just go somewhere quiet to think alone."
"That sounds cool," Misty replied, grabbing Ash's shoulder for leverage. "I'll come with you." Using all her upper-body strength, she hitched herself atop the great beast, with Ash in front.
Ash opened his mouth to protest, but when he felt her small hands clasp tightly across his abdomen, and her head lean against his upper-back as she braced for take-off, he decided to ignore her rude intrusion.
"Alright. Just hang on!"
With that, Charizard flapped his mighty wings a few times and began to soar. He flew at a moderate pace towards the various mountains which lined the outskirts of the regional boundaries.
As Ash felt Misty grip him even more tightly within her grasp as they gained altitude, he smiled while pulling his cap down to block the wind from blowing into his eyes.
As they drew closer to the mountain, Ash ordered Charizard to descend onto one of the nearer plateaus.
With a low growl, the fiery beast began to slowly make his way down onto a small, grassy, flat area near a cliff on one of the mountains. As he made touchdown with the soil, Ash and Misty both jumped off and onto the soft ground.
Giving a small whistle, Ash looked down from their vantage point. "We've gotta be at least a few hundred feet high," he noted to no one in particular. He had been too distracted with Misty's touch to notice the elevation to which his Pokémon had ascended. "Do you wanna go someplace a little closer to the ground?"
"Are you serious?" Misty asked, crossing her arms. "What do you think I am? Scared?"
"Oh, uh, no! Of course not!"
Squinting her eyes, she shook her head. "Then why did you think I wanted to be closer to the ground?"
"Well I just didn't notice how high up we were," he explained, starting to grow frustrated with her quick-tempered response. "I was just asking is all! You don't have to bite my head off for it."
"Oh." Misty lowered her head for a moment as Charizard and Ash watched on. Lifting her gaze slightly, she let out a slow breath. "I'm sorry Ash. I guess I'm just remembering how it was when we were kids and everything would end in an argument. It seemed like no matter what happened, we'd find a way to make a fight out of it."
Giving a small laugh, Ash nodded. "It's alright. I sometimes have trouble remembering that we're grown-up too. I mean, it's weird to believe we're almost adults now, isn't it?"
"I know!" she replied, her eyes wide as she gladly realized she wasn't the only one to think like this. "I mean, sometimes I wonder how it is that we've just gotten older all of a sudden. When I saw you today, I could hardly believe that just a few years ago you were some scrawny wannabe."
"I thought the same thing when I saw you!"
Misty narrowed her eyes once more at his response. "Whaddya mean?"
"Well, that you used to be kinda like a runt," Ash answered, his smile dissipating as he saw the scowl crossing Misty's face. "But I mean, well, you're definitely not anymore! Just look at you!" With a flourish of his arms he indicated the young woman's body.
Despite herself, the redhead began to blush. "So I'm not just a little kid in your eyes anymore either?"
"No way," Ash answered, giving another small laugh.
Charizard gave a small whimper from beside the trainer, breaking him from the conversation.
"Oh, Charizard!" Ash cried suddenly, startled after having forgotten that his loyal friend and Pokémon had been there. "Why don't you go fly around for a little bit? Take a rest."
With a gleeful roar, Charizard took to the skies once more. Ash and Misty watched him soar towards another distant mountain, occasionally spouting some flames to help himself relax.
"He'll probably be gone for a little while," Ash mentioned. "You wanna sit down?"
"Sure!" Misty replied, a little too happily. Being with Ash again was making her feel happier than she'd been in quite some time.
Taking a seat next to the trainer on the soft, swaying grass, Misty closed her eyes for a moment to appreciate the warm breeze which tenderly kissed her cheek. She could feel her long, red hair move along with the flow of the wind's current, and she felt something else too…something peculiar.
Opening her eyes, she looked to her right to find Ash staring at her with a small smile playing on his lips.
"What're you looking at?" she inquired, worried a bug had landed on her.
"Nothing!" the trainer hastily replied. He shifted his gaze back onto the horizon. In the distance, a few lights could be seen flickering from his hometown.
There are people in Pallet who are still awake?
As he looked on, he suddenly felt uneasy as well. Snapping his head quickly, he caught Misty now staring at him.
"What were you looking at?"
Blushing, Misty gave him the same answer. To hide her embarrassment, and to keep herself out of his vision, she laid down on the grass, stretching her legs so that her feet momentarily dangled off the edge of the cliff.
Unfortunately for her, Ash was swift to mimic her action. Laying down against the soft grass, he allowed one leg to lie flat as he bent the other. Staring off into space, both teens were quiet for several minutes as they listened to the wind rustle about them. Somewhere behind the two, a small tree proudly shook its foliage with each gust of air, and the teens found the scenery and noise quite calming.
"Look at all those stars," Ash finally mentioned after minutes of silence. Because of Pallet's almost nonexistent nightlife, the stars featured themselves prominently across the inky-darkness of the night sky.
"Look at that beautiful full moon."
"Sure is cool to look at, huh?"
"Yeah, it is."
Another silent pause.
"Ash?"
"Yeah?"
"What are your plans for the future?"
"What do you mean?" He rolled onto his side so he could face the gym leader. "You mean like what to do tomorrow, or-"
"No, I mean like in five or ten years. What do you plan on happening in your life?" Reciprocating his action, Misty turned to face him.
Tapping his chin thoughtfully, Ash's eyes lit up. "Well, I'm gonna compete in the Indigo League, and then I might go back to Hoenn to visit May and Max for a while. Then I'll probably go to Isshu to visit-"
"But what about being here?"
"Huh?" He was surprised that she'd cut him off so quickly.
"What about coming back home and, you know, starting a life?"
Furrowing his brow, he gave Misty an inquisitive look. "But I have a life, Mist. I'm travelling to become the Pokémon Master."
"But do you really think you can make it?"
"What do you mean do I think? Of course I'm gonna make it!" he almost yelled the last statement as his confidence got the better of him. "Why would you even wonder that?"
"It's not that crazy a thing to wonder, Ash," she mentioned, plucking at a few pieces of grass as she focused on the ground. "I mean, there are thousands of other trainers wanting the same title and all."
"You just said that Lance didn't even become Champion until twenty-five earlier today!"
Misty nodded. "That's right! He became a champion then. Becoming the Master's way more difficult. I'm just saying that haven't you thought about, I dunno, just living a normal adult life?"
"This is my adult life, Mist," Ash answered sincerely.
"How can you call what you're doing adult? I mean, most kids our age are getting jobs or going to college or something." She was beginning to sound frustrated with Ash's lack of understanding. "You're only making small money through winning battles."
Ash shrugged. "Well, I've won a lot in some tournaments I've entered. I'd say that as long as I'm not having to beg my mom for money that I'm pretty grown up."
"But it's not a real job!"
"I'm making money and doing what I enjoy," he answered simply, wondering why she was pressing this issue so hard. "It seems like the same thing to me."
"That's not the same!" she practically yelled in response. "You're constantly off having all of these great adventures and doing all of this fun stuff. You just said it yourself; we're practically adults now. You should be wanting to go to college, and should be looking for a job, and even thinking about stuff like getting a house! It's not fair."
"Not fair?"
"It's not fair, that while I'm back at the gym, working hard every day just to make ends meet, you're gone and doing whatever you like." She could feel tears begin to well in the corners of her eyes. "It's like I had to just grow up too soon, and you never grew up at all."
Frowning, Ash replied. "It's not like I don't work hard too Mist. I've risen and trained well over fifty Pokémon. That's a lot of work and responsibility. I don't just go running around in random directions, sometimes winning huge matches. I'm on T.V. and in those big tournaments because I've earned the right to be there."
"But it's not how things are supposed to be when you grow up," Misty replied while trying to make sense of why she'd wreck one of the few precious times she had alone with the young man by arguing with him. "You're supposed to go to school and then get a job, and maybe have a family and just live normally. That's what I've been doing this whole time."
"Well, maybe that's the problem."
"What are you talking about?"
"Maybe that's why you're so mad at me," Ash answered. Though he wasn't the most emotionally-connected person, he knew Misty well enough to sense why she was really upset. "Being a grown up isn't about doing something a certain way. It's about knowing who you are and being a good person. I do both of those things. I think you're frustrated because you're not doing what you wanna do."
For a moment, Misty just stared at the young trainer.
When did Ash get so smart?
"I mean, I'm not sure, but it does sound kind of like you'd rather be doing something else, doesn't it?"
Taking a breath, and forcing the tears which had temporarily threatened to escape back, she gave a small nod. "I guess I'm just getting a little tired of the gym. Everyday it's the same rookie trainers, and it's the same fights with my sisters. I never wanted to be a gym leader in the first place. That's why I'd left home the day we first met."
"Then why are you one?"
"Because someone has to take care of the gym," she explained, rolling her eyes. "You can't just leave it alone. The League barely gives us support as is. If we stopped winning battles, they'd close us down for good."
Laying back down, Ash gave Misty a grin. "What's the problem with that?"
"What's the problem with that?" Misty cried. She couldn't believe he'd even ask such a question. "That gym is my home! What would I do? Become a hobo?"
"No," Ash answered, "but you could start travelling with me again. My last travelling partner's gone, and I'd rather not be alone."
"Even if I could, the League's only a couple of months away. What would I do after that?" Though she refused to admit it, her subconscious already knew the answer she hoped for.
"Who says you have to stay only for the League? We could go and visit May and Max and Dawn, and everyone else together! If I win, then there's a ton of prize money we could use to go travelling around the world together!"
Her heart skipped a beat as he mentioned travelling the world together.
She shook her head. Ash wasn't like that. He'd never think of her in that way, and she was sure he was simply interested in a platonic travelling partner.
Still, it would be nice to get away from the gym…for good.
"But what about my sisters?" She'd completely forgotten about them. If she left the gym, it would almost certainly lose its certification and her sisters would be on the street.
"What about them? They're grown women, Mist. It's time that you stop supporting them as if they were children. Besides, aren't they models or something?"
"Well, they've gotten a few jobs, but nothing huge."
"Then they might have to do something else. The point is, it isn't your job to keep running the gym if you don't enjoy it. If they really wanna keep the gym, then you leaving will force them to finally become better trainers."
She was a little surprised by his flippant attitude towards her siblings.
"Anyone who could treat you so badly doesn't deserve to be in charge of a gym anyway."
She gave a luminescent smile as she realized he was mad at them for her.
"Thanks Ash."
"No problem," he answered, waving his hand as if what he said were insignificant.
She laid back down and smiled. "So you really want me to start travelling with you again?"
"Why wouldn't I? Of course I do!"
They both laid there for several more minutes, both dwelling on the idea of travelling together.
Despite his cavalier attitude, Ash almost instantly began to worry after the invitation left his lips.
What if I keep staring at her while we're travelling? he worried. What if I try something stupid after being with her for so long?
Misty for her part was both excited at the prospect of leaving the gym and her sisters for a while, but at the same time faced the same doubts as her companion. What if he doesn't ever feel the same way? What if I ruin our friendship?
"Do you ever wish on stars?" As she agonized over these revived feelings, she'd become increasingly aware of the awkward quiet between herself and the young trainer. Staring up at the starry sky, she blurted the first question that came to her mind.
"Uh, not much, really." He was clearly wondering where such a question would come from.
Hoping to make the question relevant, she continued. "I wish there was a shooting star right now. That'd be cool to see from a place like this."
Ash didn't respond for a moment. Then he suddenly jumped back to his feet.
Oh man. For a moment, Misty's heart sank as she worried that Ash had grown bored and was ready to leave.
"Charizard! Come here Charizard!" His order echoed throughout the mountain, and after a second the dim light of his friend's tail shone through the darkness.
Misty slowly stood up, wishing she hadn't bothered saying something so childish.
How dull do you have to be to make Ash Ketchum bored talking to you?
As the dragon-like Pokémon neared the two, Ash held up his hand, signaling for the monstrous creature to stop. Hovering several feet above their heads, the Pokémon heeded the command.
"Charizard, use a Dragon Rage at the, uh, sky!"
Though he looked a little bewildered, the fire Pokémon turned around as his eyes glowed a bright white, and the flame on his tail magnified several times. A large orb of fiery power formed and then shot out from his jaw and flew through the night sky.
"Make a wish!" Ash yelled above the noise from the large attack.
Laughing, Misty closed her eyes and made her wish.
Ash followed suit.
When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find Ash no longer standing next to her, but instead directly in front of her. Looking up, she saw her feelings reflected back in his eyes, and without a word, the two immediately knew what the other had wished for.
Author's Note: Please leave me a review on this. I'd like to know how I can improve in my one-shot writing abilities because, truthfully, some of my favorite stories on this site are only one chapter. I really admire how some authors don't need over thirty chapters to make their story interesting (guilty), and I'd like to become one of those authors as well. While encouragement is always appreciated, if you've written a successful one-shot in your time, please give me some tips.
Also, I'd just like to thank my awesome girlfriend for giving me the inspiration for this story (as cruddy as it might be). We were at a place similar to the mountain plateau thing mentioned earlier, and though she doesn't know about my being a Pokémon fan, she really did help me during our conversation to come up with Ash and Misty's dialogue.