Kinda feelsy(?) Kingdrashipping (LancexMisty) this is a sort-of-soulmate au, where everyone is born with a tattoo-like mark on their body that they share with someone else in the world, and only them. The mark (obviously) signifies soulmates. You don't HAVE to settle with your soulmate to be happy, it's just generally accepted that your soulmark mate is the way to go. I may or may not have made Brock bisexual. Oops?

Quick new headcanon: Misty and Janine are BFF's, because Koga and his ninja clan hero-worship her for saving the day with Psyduck that one time. Also Koga insists Janine have gal friends and Sabrina creeps her out, and Erika won't let her near the perfume shop since the last time they hung out because she turned one of the best selling perfumes into a paralyzing concoction. Anyway, on to the oneshot!

The soulmark printed on her flesh seemed to stare right back up at her. Misty had yet to see its matching mate and it kind of wore on her. Soulmarks were proof of soulmates but it was no guarantee they'd meet. That part was entirely up to chance, but after traveling two whole regions and an island archipelago, you'd think she'd have at least gotten a glance of her fated match.

Misty had at one point hoped it would be Ash that was her matching soulmark mate. Unfortunately (or fortunately, considering they were more likely to tear each other and the world itself apart than be a working, cohesive couple) a fateful escapade with Team Rocket had Ash's jacket removed and she got a good eyeful of the sharply geometrical lightning bird on the underside of his bicep. Contrary, the soulmark on the inside of her wrist was a long, uncoiling sea serpent, or what she thought was a sea serpent considering it had an extra pair of questionably-sized fins (wings, her mind occasionally suggested) as well as the several pairs going down its body.

But no, it wasn't Ash. It wasn't Brock either, with his blocky, swimming grizzly bear on his abdomen. It wasn't Tracey or his cat-fox along his nape, or Rudy from Trovita, with a koi fish. She had dared to ask Gary, once, and what she find was a wicked looking scorpion on his forearm. All those years of traveling, all the hundreds of people they had met, and not one had sported a sea serpent.

She sighed to herself.

At least she wasn't alone, since none of her sisters had found their own matching mate.

-o00o-

Turned out Daisy's cat-fox soulmark was just like Tracey's are you KIDDING ME!? Misty wanted to scream. Lily had an inkling about this guy at the Vermillion cafe, and Violet was going gaga over some actor she kept talking to even though they hadn't yet looked at each others' marks and Misty was still a numero uno.

It wasn't so much that she needed a soulmate, but, "It'd be nice to know, you know?" she vented to Brock, settled beside him half-leaning half-sitting on the tabletop while he cooked for his siblings, parents, and their guest (three guesses who). Azurill chirped around her feet, playfully interacting with one of Brock's Geodudes.

"Misty, the mark's point is to tell you that you have someone out there for you." he told her matter-of-factly. He also sounded way more amused than she'd have preferred.

"I know that, Brock." she snapped, then shifted her jacket's sleeve to look at the aforementioned uncoiling sea serpent on her wrist, "I've stared at this thing my whole life, hoping that by memorizing every curve and edge of it that somehow, it'd bring a face to mind. A detail. A name. Something to tell me who it was I was meant for, who was meant for me. I know that I have someone, but... I want to know I have someone. I want to know that my mate's not turned into some psycho killer because of some tragic past, or that they're..." she paused, suddenly feeling it hard to swallow, "...not here anymore."

"Mmh." Brock grunted, and he paused in the soup-stirring to pat her on the shoulder. "I know. It's that big mass of unknown that bothers you. That you'll never meet them, never really know who they are or were, or worse, meet them and find they aren't what you want, or what you need."

She brought her crossed arms apart to loosely hug herself, "Yeah."

"Well, you have an advantage, and it's that your mark's easy to see. Most people have to lift sleeves, or shove aside their collars. The only way I'll ever find my matching bear is if my soulmate's in a two-piece swimsuit... or shirtless."

"Good to know you're open to the whole two-way street part of it." Misty mused. Not everyone was thrilled to know that their soulmate could in fact be the same gender as them, or both, or a variation. It usually worked out for the ones involved, but not everyone was as keen to accepting different relationships.

"Just because I have a preference doesn't mean I should shun my soulmate for not meeting expectations." Brock shrugged at her. "I can only hope they feel the same for me."

"Yeah... me too..." she sighed.

Brock gave her a meaningful look through his squinted eyes, "Misty, it'll be alright. Maybe not the way you think, but I'm sure you'll find the one out there."

"The one that matches." she finished, glancing to the serpent.

He shook his head at her gently, "No. The one that will make you happy."

Misty thought about that, and then laughed softly to herself and smiled at her brother from another mother, "Thanks Brock. The feeling's mutual."

"I figured," he smiled back. "Now hand me the paprika."

-o00o-

Misty fell over herself when she read a letter from Brock that he'd found his soulmark mates. Plural.

She was jealous, of course, but this was Brock. She was happy for him that he'd found his matching set, literally a set. He told her about Dawn, how'd they met during Sinnoh and how during some escapade in Hearthrome they'd gotten into swim gear and lo and behold, he and Dawn got to find a swimming bear along both of their navels.

And then it got even more interesting to find an addition to their heartfelt little duo when Conway, a trainer that had gotten to be Dawn's tag-team partner once and had sported a crush on her then. But a brief accidental meeting with Conway at the beachside had the shocked but pleasantly excited duo turn into a happy trio. The only despair to their situation was having to remain separate a while so Dawn could pursue her career to be a Top Coordinator, while Brock pursued pokedoctor.

Rumor had it though that Dawn was making her rounds through Hoenn and would soon be heading to Johto and the Kanto.

She was happy for him, really. Brock was a sweet, balanced, caring person and had certainly deserved someone to make him really smile, and to find he had two? It was amazing.

But as she thought about, Misty found herself wilting. Brock only found his soulmates by jumping two entire regions to Sinnoh. How far would she have to go, if she could go that far, to find her matching mark-mate? Three regions? Six? A whole planet?

-o00o-

Misty didn't usually brag about being a hero, but she could admit being the hero to a head ninja clan was pretty sweet. Koga and Aya liked sending her the occasional gift basket as thanks for her deeds, or to check up on her, her family, and on Cerulean. Also, Janine liked to drop by ninja-style and take her with her shopping in Celadon and Janine had wicked good taste in clothes for other people. Also, HELLO, NINJA FRIENDS.

Janine was secretive about her mark, but Misty had been a good enough confidant for the slightly-younger girl that one day while checking some summer dresses, she'd pulled her sleeves and gloves aside and let Misty peek at the wide-winged hummingbird on her palm.

"Daddy said that maybe I'd meet the one to match but he told me that it doesn't change who I am, or who I will be. I am still Janine, Gymleader and ninja of Fuschia. And whatever could happen with me and my fated match, Daddy said that I have the choice to do as I wish. If I wanted to pursue my match, or leave them be, or something in between." she said steadily to Misty, who was holding up a dress in her hands at a distance trying to judge it for its quality.

"That's... very understanding of him." Misty quipped, impressed and not all sure of what do with the information Janine had spilled to her.

"Yes well, he also said he'd get my match taken cared of in very gruesome and horrific ways if anything were to go awry, but I can expect no less from him. But the point is, the mark only tells me who would match me. The choice of accepting it and them, or not, is entirely my choice."

"Well yeah."

Janine gave her a meaningful look, "You have the same freedom Misty. When you meet your match, regardless of whether you like them or not, you too have the choice to do whatever you think you want about it."

Misty allowed herself a moment to let Janine's words sink in, though she was a little weirded out by the sudden scrutiny and advisement from the younger ninja. "I... you're right. I do."

Satisfied, Janine's scrutiny switched to the dress in her hands. It was a heart-edged bodice and knee-cut dress with a flaring skirt that was a blue-green color. "Not quite the right shade of blue. Something more aqua or maybe bright turquoise would work on you better. That, or yellow or pink if we aren't going the blue route."

-o00o-

Conveniently after their first tour through Kanto and Johto, the Indigo-Silver League had decided that in addition to the battling competition, that they should include a casual-dress party just a day after the end of the Preliminary rounds to celebrate those that had persevered, and to allow the trainers to meet on a non-combative field. Misty, Brock, and Dawn were there for one of Brock's siblings and their old friend Casey, both of whom had made it through the Prelims.

On one hand, she was proud of both of them, and it was entertaining to see everyone's reactions to Casey in her yellow and black zig-zag stripped frock dress and heels, who by the way had no care in the world and worked it well. On the other hand though, she was nervous by herself, Brock and Dawn going off so Dawn could meet all the competitors and better acquaint herself with Kanto trainers. She was sure Janine was somewhere in the mass, after all one of the top 16 would include one of their own ninjas. True to their reputation as masters of hiding, she couldn't find them.

So she shifted around, drifting from one clique to the next, worrying her fingertips into the ruched fabric at her midriff. Her own dress was a bright turquoise, with double layered cap sleeves going into a v-neck. The skirt was double layered and asymetrical, going down her hips in folds that picked up every little movement in her body and swayed this way and that like water. According to Janine, it was supposed to bring out the blue in her otherwise blue-green eyes, and to compliment the orange of her hair.

Brock had told her, as did many other trainers that night, that it looked pretty on her, made her look classy but cute. She was sure she was, and the compliments sent small warm flutters into her stomach, but after a while she ignored them and instead sought out something, or someone, to find companionship with, preferably with someone she knew.

A ruckus seemed to have started up somewhere ahead of her between Casey and another trainer. Misty sighed, that girl had a firecracker attitude much like herself and Ash, and unfortunately Misty was more the adult and it seemed she'd have to play the role.

Misty slipped in between bodies, ignoring the various flashes of the black not-tattoos that were brought to attention on the various arms, legs, necks, and backs of the trainers around her. She focused on Casey's voice-

-perhaps a little too much, as she found her world jerking forward and then tipping down suddenly as she tripped over somebody's shoe.

Her eyes shut closed, she readied herself for impact. It never came, though her hand was being gripped firmly and warm by another hand.

Misty's eyes opened and the first thing she saw was a strong, tan skinned hand melded into hers gripping her and keeping her firmly away from falling, and the edges of a black mark along the inside of his wrist. Following it she found navy fabric with gold buttons at the cuffs, up to the button down collar of the dress shirt where the matching navy and gold tie cinched to his neck, tight to keep it together but loose that it didn't choke. From there, her eyes trailed up the neck, past the swallowing adam's apple and to the strong jawline. Up to the fair lips, the pointed nose, and she could acknowledge the spiked red hair on his head before his amber eyes captured hers.

"You okay?"

"Yeah." she said swallowing, and then with a tiny yelp he pulled her to him so she was no longer nearly parallel to the floor. The strength in his move almost sent her sprawling into him, but she managed to stop her momentum before anything hit. They were close, really close though, their hands still entwined while his other had gone to her waist to steady her, and her own hand let itself rest just a hair above his covered chest.

"Thanks, for saving my neck!" she chirped nervously.

"No problem." he said, smiling. Neither of their pair of hands let go, however.

"Lance."

"Misty."

"Oh, I remember!" they both chorused. She shared a look of surprise with him, and then it turned to laughter.

"Been a while, hasn't it?" she said. They both knew better though, it had been more than just a while since the Lake of Rage incident, it had been years.

"You look beautiful." he told her honestly, his eyes shifting up and down her entire form. She blushed, and Misty couldn't understand why his words struck her dumb, warming her stomach and melting her heart into an ooey, gooey, thumping mess.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." she teased emptily, trying to hide her nerves, and more importantly, the absolute mess her feelings were twisting and tangling into. He wasn't bad looking, he was handsome, gorgeous really. Warm, gold irises, bright and healthy carmine red hair, and tanned skin, the Dragon Champion was a sight. There was a momentary pause where they might have realized they were still holding each other and might have opted to let go into fumbling, stuttering apologies and excuses. However, music had begun playing and just her luck they were amidst the designated dancing area.

"Contrary to what Janine and Clair insist, I can in fact clean up." he told her, making her laugh. Janine had once rambled during a shopping trip that Lance was a man incapable of being in anything else other than two-piece jumpsuits and capes. They began swaying to the music, heedless of the lyrics or the melody but matching their movements into the rhythm.

"So, who brings you here?" he asked. His grip on her waist had become firm so he could lead her, as did her hand on his shoulder. They were evolving past simple swaying and slowly expanding into the steps and actually moving.

"Oh, and what makes you think I'm here for someone? Maybe I'm a challenger myself." she challenged him, smirking.

"I have no doubt you could give plenty of these trainers a run for their money," he granted her, his smile warping into a crooked grin, "but I've had to look through the challenger listings myself, and I'm sorry to say yours wasn't written there."

"Touche." she admitted with a dramatic sigh, "I'm here for an old friend. And for another friend's brother. Both made it past Prelims." she told him so.

"Well congratulations to them." he said, smiling at her and Misty had no doubt that he meant them, "I'll be looking forward to seeing them further up in the finals."

"Me too."

"Long time to cover, but how have you been? Since the Lake." he asked, finishing with quick clarification. He spun her to the left, just barely keeping an eye out of the other dancers around them.

"Well, after the Lake," she began wracking her brain for the details, and decided to give him a spin-off of what her life had been after they first met. It was easy enough to say she had to go her separate ways from Ash, who by now was finishing a circuit through Unova. Then it had been getting home, taking care of her gym and bringing it back up to its feet. "Nothing much else in that way. I mean, I saw Ash for a quick bit when he finished through Hoenn, but other than that I was just being a gymleader and taking care of it-and keeping my sisters' paws off it."

"They sound like an interesting handful."

"They are." she assured him. "I love them, of course, but they are sometimes difficult to live with."

"I can relate. Life with Clair was not exactly sugar cookies and rainbows." he said, though he was grinning and his eyes twinkled with amusement. Sugar cookies and rainbows, maybe not, but Misty'd bet her left leg they were some interesting tales to be heard.

"I'll tell one of mine from traveling with Ash, if you tell me one." she offered, mostly meaning it as a teasing but she admitted only to herself that she was curious.

"Deal." and so they swapped quick tales, dancing all the while. She was mid-laugh when he dared to let his hand on her waist lift and he lightly ushered her into a spin that sent the fabric of her skirt into a delightful cascade around her, like rushing water. When she was brought back to him, his hand was just a little more warm on her waist, and shivers were rolling down her spine where his thumb laid on the inward curve of her hips. Everything about her, and about him, was warm, and bright, and she'd almost think she were drunk if she weren't absolutely sure she hadn't touched a single glass since the party began, save for a water bottle.

He didn't once ask her about her soulmark, asking only about her, her life, her friends, her passions. She found herself doing the same, neither heedful of the black marks uncoiled on their wrists. All too soon though, the dancers and partygoers were disappearing, the crowd thinning until finally the party was announced as officially done and that they were to return to their rooms or other spaces. Both were reluctant to let go, but then as their lifted, clasped hands let go and began to fall she saw it.

She saw the uncoiled winged sea dragon she realized on his wrist, directly above the threads of arteries and veins pumping the blood to and fro his heart and hand. Her went wide, and painstakingly she pulled her gaze to meet his, where he shared in her stupor having seen her own sea dragon on her wrist. The surprise seemed to melt into something foreign to her, something that sent shivers down her spine and a warmth to pool in her chest and her stomach.

"Lance, I-"

"Misty-"

But then Casey and several other departing trainers managed to butt in between them and before she could struggle or speak a word she was lost in the crowd. Suddenly she was winded and tired, and decisively blank feeling.

No, not blank...

...empty.

-o00o-

She ignored the monetary exchange between Brock and Janine's hands as she told them what had happened. Normally she'd be furious that they had bet on her, more so that they'd bet about her and Lance. Somewhere along the lines of communication they must have admitted to the other about hers and Lance's mark and for a moment she felt horrified. What if it had all been a setup, and what if Lance had known the entire time?

She told herself there was no way he could have faked the surprise on his face when he'd seen her wrist though.

"Well, you found your match. I don't understand why you're sitting here moping and being in shock." Janine told her sharply.

"Because I just found out that my soulmark's match-my soulmate, is the Champion and on-going G-man." she retorted back.

"So?"

"So? I'm just Misty, the gym leader!" she shrieked at her. "I'm supoosed to find my mark-match be some trainer working at a coffee joint, or a travelling coordinator, or-or-or something not big!"

"Misty, you're being ridiculous. Yeah, he's not your average joe but you aren't either."

Misty sent her a sharp, doubting, 'Oh really?' look that had Janine rolling her eyes. "You're in the top three leaders of Kanto, right next to Sabrina and Giovanni. I've heard more bitching from trainers about how hardcore you are a lot more than I have heard them bitching about Sabrina's recent announcement of becoming a movie actress. And believe me, I've heard a lot."

"Misty, look at me." Brock cut in, his arms crossed and his figure stern. Misty did so, and he asked her seriously, "Were you happy?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together as she replied with a confused, "What do you mean?"

"Were you happy? Before you had seen the mark, did he make you happy?"

"Well, yeah but-" she paused, mind flashing through the entire event over and over again, cycling through all the emotions and fun she had had. "Yes. I...I was."

He nodded in understanding, glancing toward Dawn who was still trying to wrestle her way out of her own dress. "Then do what makes you happy."

Misty's eyes went distant for a moment as she contemplated. She sought out Janine, who shrugged and let herself fall to the couch behind her with a sigh, "It's up to you, Mist. It's your choice."

-o00o-

It was hard to find him after that party. In between the continuing battles, cheering on Casey and Brock's younger brother, and having to call to make sure her sisters weren't doing anything wrong at the gym, it was surprisingly hard to find a man with spiky red hair and gold eyes. Before she knew it, the Conference was over, Casey being the third runner up and Brock's sibling in seventh. She was proud of them both, but the hopelessness of finding Lance had weighed her down.

"Hey Mist, wanna come with me to celebrate a near-successful Conference?" Casey offered, "We've got a room set up at the Pokecenter, and there's a dance bar nearby!"

"Ooh, that sounds fun, can we go?" Dawn asked, gesturing between herself and Brock. Casey nodded with a punctuating, "Of course!" before all of them waited for Misty's answer.

"Nah, thank you. I'll hang back at the Center. Gotta get a good rest before I head back home in the morning." she told them, "You go on without me."

"Are you sure?" Brock asked, concerned.

Misty nodded, "I'll be fine Brock." He still hesitated, but eventually Casey and Dawn pulled him away as they headed out for their fun. She watched them go, watched the held hands of Brock and Dawn with a wistful gaze when she heard a shuffle of feet and a cough behind her.

She turned to find none other than Lance.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around since-" he stuttered off, but they both knew he what he was meaning, "-but Clair and the League officials kept dragging me somewhere, but I've been trying to find you but..."

"You are surprisingly hard to find." she told him, arms crossing against her chest.

"Yeah, you too. Who would have figured?" he emptily joked. "I just... I wanted to, well..."

Misty nodded, and put her left arm forward. She then turned the underside to face the sun, where her sea dragon mark could bask in full light. His same hand offered itself next to hers, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows so his mark was able to be hid. Seeing the identical marks side by side did something to her though, made the beat of her heart pump hard against her chest like a hammer. His hand turned over half way and his fingertips trailed over the sea dragon on her wrist. The tips were warm, and the touch of fingers to the soulmark sent strange shivers up her arm, through her heart, down her spine, and right back up into her head. His eyes were half-lidded, serious but thoughtful. Contemplative maybe, and as she lifted her gaze from their marks to his face she realized that his eyes, despite the serious gaze, were soft.

Eventually they both pulled back their wrists to themselves, his being pulled underneath the edge of his cape while she tucked hers into her side.

She was first to speak, gaze down at her feet, "I uhm... I want you to know that if you don't want..." good mew, she sounded pathetic and fragile, but that's how she felt. Normally spunky, fire-spitting Misty was nowhere to be seen and it sucked feeling that vulnerable. "I mean, if you wanted us to, uhm, that'd be fine too, great really, but if you don't want... that is, don't want it, I want you to know that I'd be okay. With that." A lie, really, but she would one day get over it. Just like she got over everything else.

"Misty," he said softly, earning her gaze, "I want it, I want you. But more importantly, I want you to be happy. I knew the moment I caught you falling, the moment you smiled and laughed for me that all I wanted was to make you happy. When we started dancing, I thought to myself, I don't care if we're marked for each other or not, I wanted to make this woman-make you smile. I just want you to be happy, Misty."

She could probably be having a heart attack right then from how hard her heart thumped against her chest. Her jaw had dropped, probably making her look like a fish-mouthed moron but she didn't care all that much, too enraptured by him, by his words, by the warmth and sincerity in his gold eyes.

"If you don't want it," he said, his eyes growing pained and it made her sad to see that, "if it doesn't make you happy, Misty, then-"

"It would. I want it." she blurted out immediately. "You. I want you." she corrected. A pause, then, "You make me happy."

His smile grew on his face until he was beaming at her and she hardly knew she was beaming back at him, and he stepped closer to her and their foreheads touched as he leaned in, "Then you have me."

"Good." Then she lifted her head up just a little, enough that she could reach and then they were kissing. Lips meshed and melding together, noses pressed to noses and cheeks, and then there were hands. His hands on her waist and around her back, moving up to cup the back of her head while hers gripped at the collar of his shirt, at his shoulders, and one made its way to thread her fingers through his hair. One second was all it took and the world, as if it had been on a tilt she had never quite been able to place, was suddenly righted and everything clicked into place.

Warmth, sweet joyful warmth and electricity flooded through her system, pooling at her core, and then his tongue touched the seam of her lips, making her squeak in surprise but she didn't let him retreat. Misty chased after him, and he opened for her and sweet mew's lollipop tail-he tasted amazing. Her tongue tasted his, tasted the sweet essence that she couldn't quite name, and needed to get more, had to get to know. Then his tongue and hers moved so he was tasting her, lips mashed and tongues entwined in a permanent dance around each other, both trying to touch, to taste more.

Eventually, of course, they had to break for breathe, faces flushed and lips swelling from the kissing. His thumb came up to trace her lips, and then he stole another quick kiss from her, "Too much too soon?"

"Waiting is overrated." she told him matter of factly, "Now kiss me."

"Yes ma'am." he punctuated with a grin.

-o00o-

"Rudy, just don't." Tracey told the Trovita gym leader over the video phone.

"I know, I know, our soulmark's don't match, but I just know we can make it work, I just need to talk to her." he insisted.

"No, Rudy, you don't understand." Tracey sternly and very seriously said. "Her soulmark mate will kill you."

"That's ridiculous, he w-wait, she found her mate?" Rudy stopped cold in his tracks, taken aback.

"He has dragonites, Rudy. Three of them. I'm trying to save your life."

-o00o-

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN MISTY'S SOULMATE IS LANCE FREAKING WYVERN?!"

"Ash, shut up and let me continue." Brock snapped. His friend had just come back from Unova, a new region for him to running off to just past the horizon, and Brock was not going to waste a single minute trying to explain simple things to him when there were more important things to tell him of all that he'd missed since going to Unova.

Like Misty finding her soulmate. Oh, and how he and Janine had been in on it the moment he had let slip about Misty's mark one drunk night with Janine and Lieutenant Surge.

I've grown fond of the phrase "Sweet Mew's lollipop tail". Misty and Brock make good bros, in my opinion, even if Brock's going to be the one splurging secrets while drunk XD. FYI, Janine drunk them both under the table. I don't know where the Brock-Dawn-Conway thing came from, but it seemed like a thing to do. I didn't think of anyone in particular for Ash's matching mark-mate, so feel free to theorize for yourself.

It's not that I hate Rudy. It's that in the episode he was a liiiittle creepy. KO13 does not like creepy.

Feel free to review-or flame, if that's your thing.

KO13