Tonight was karaoke night at the local bar in Kanto. Every Friday night, Ash, Misty and Brock all liked to meet at their favorite hangout spot for an evening of drinks and entertainment. It was one of those hole-in-the-wall places that had a way of attracting alot of attention. And it was one of those places that became successful through word of mouth; one satisfied customer eventually lead to many more of them. Although it wasn't anything extravagant, but it was classier than it sounded and it was a way for them to relax; A variation of lights were always strung along the ceiling to give the atmosphere a cozy vibe, and it came without having a bunch of smoke to cloud up everyone's vision.
And a cluster of people currently occupied the area, lingering close to the stage or hanging out towards the back of the bar where the pool tables and dart boards were set up. The center of the place contained a cluster of a few round tables and stools for when the actual bar itself was filled up. But the stage upfront was what usually captured most of the attention. It was where somebody always happened to be, standing in front of a microphone and belting out whatever tune that he or she attempted to carry. The rest seemed to be nothing but background noise. Whether it be the casual 'clink' sounding from the pool stick in the middle of a game, or the low rumble of cheesy jukebox music that no one really paid any mind to inbetween performances. Music itself hardly ever supplied the actual entertainment unless it was coming from someone on stage.
But the evening was going like any usual night spent there would go. The three of them were holed up on a few barstools, sharing a little tray of trail mix and making small talk while the sounds of chatter from other parties added to it. At least for the moment. Because at some point, the breeder always excused himself away from his seat to saunter over to some unsuspecting female in hopes for a date. He went into it with a confident stride with a square set of shoulders, prepared with something that he deemed romantic enough to win over the young lady. The other two he left behind watched from afar as he slowly started to lose that confident demeanor he started out with the closer he became.
But it was the same thing everytime.
Everything was seen as the vision of Brock's back became smaller and smaller while he made his way over to the latest female who caught his attention. The male had smoothed back his hair, and adjusted his shirt in whatever way he could. But not before it was suggested by Misty that he at least try not to appear as overzealous as he started out with. And that was when he strode over to the young woman with as much confidence as he could muster.
Ash sucked in a breath. "Here he goes..."
He and Misty both watched the situation unfold from a few tables away. The two of them kept their eyes on their friend, almost not even blinking. The brunette that Brock chose to approach was seated at the bar and mindlessly stirring a half empty martini while her attention was casted away from her suitor. Although it wasn't long before the breeder had said something, and she turned around to face him. She hadn't said anything yet and they could only assume Brock was still doing the talking. And it was for certain by the time he casually tried to ease his elbow onto the table, only to accidently dip it into a small dish of peanuts before hastily taking his arm away.
"Uh oh." Ash and Misty both muttered simultaneously at the shaky start of things. And it only seemed to worsen by the reaction of the young woman by the way she pulled her eyebrows together, mouth falling into a slant as she pivoted her body backward. Ash hissed lowly between his teeth as she started to say something while she scooped up her glass and moved out of her seat.
"Poor Brock," Misty commented in a whisper. She genuinely felt back for the lack of luck he seemed to have with women, watching as he stood there in the wake of rejection yet again.
"He never seems to find himself a date."
"At least this one didn't slap him." Ash mumbled while Misty nodded mutely in agreement.
That's when Brock slowly turned back around, and the two of them ducked their heads to make it look like they weren't watching. But the breeder couldn't be bothered to notice. He only dragged his feet back to their small table, scooting into the seat that he left only moments ago.
"Everytime," Brock commented while he fell into a slouch. "No matter how I ask, what I say when I ask, they always say no. Everytime."
He gave his head a hopeless shake. His shoulders were still pinched forward, drooping in the exact way his voice was sounding. But then he drew in a large breath and held his hands over his chest. Ash and Misty raised their eyebrows in question.
"The light in my heart has gone out once again. But why?" he clenched a fist and took on a voice that sounded similar to someone acting in a play. "Why is it that this knight in shining armor of love has been declined like so many times before? Is it too much to ask that I find someone to keep the key to my heart? My future holds no promise. Mrs. Brock Harrison is still lost among me and my noble dreams."
He paused in his dramatic pronouncement, then pulled out a spoon and started analyzing his reflection in it.
"Do you think it's my hair?"
Brock moved a few strands of it around, pulling them to one side before back to the other when Misty turned to look at Ash. But his lips were only folded into his mouth.
Amused, and also careful to note the emotional state of his being at the moment, Misty was the one to slowly extract the item from his hand.
"Try not to worry, Brock. You'll find one next time."
The breeder snorted. Ash and Misty exchanged another look.
"Okay," Ash rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, leaning his elbows onto the table. "What did you say this time?"
"Nothing bad," Brock stressed as he leaned back in his seat. "I walked up to the bar, complimented her hair, her smile... then her eyes... and her perfume.."
Ash slowly rolled his hand for him to keep going.
"Then I simply offered to buy her a drink."
Ash raised a brow, and the breeder grew sheepish.
"Er, for the rest of my life."
"There it is."
Brock ran a hand over the tips of his spikey hair; He should've seen all of this coming. But he meant well, as he always did. Although that was never quite enough to soften the inevitable blow. A look of embarrassment fell upon him, and it showed by the way he was hunched over the edge of the table with his nose practically against the surface, crestfallen once again.
"I thought it showed loyalty..."
"It does," Misty quickly intervened, pausing once to throw a pursed lipped look at Ash. "And there's nothing wrong with it. But I think it all has to do with the way you go about it."
She paused, taking in the contemplative look on his face.
"I don't think it hurts to try is what I'm saying. But I also don't think that anyone really meets their soulmate in a bar, you know?"
Ash immediately made a face. "Where'd you get that idea? One of those girl movies you're always watching?"
"They're called romance movies, Ash, and no. That just happens to be my opinion." Misty flushed in response as she took a sip from her beverage, embarrassed that her guilty pleasure was something he knew about. It was an unfortunate discovery he stumbled upon during a visit back home when one of her sisters made the announcement via her big mouth during Misty's twenty minute absence to the door so that she could catch the ending to one of her favorites.
"And I don't always watch them."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Right, whatever. It's the same thing everytime. Some guy chases some girl, someone ends up crying, it rains, there's a sunset, and then it's over. In other words.. a waste of time."
And right on cue, Ash ducked out of the way just in time to miss a handful peanut shells being launched his way from the redhead. Brock's laughter was the response to the exchange. But the trainer only brushed off his thick strands of dark hair with a smirk, watching Misty scowl at him halfway.
"Anyway, Brock," she continued as she turned back to him. "What I'm trying to say is that.. try to approach these girls as yourself, and don't worry about what might happen next. Because what counts is that you made the effort by being subtle and genuine."
"Just don't hurt yourself or anything." Ash interrupted, then promptly received a kick to shin from Misty that he quickly winced in response to.
But Brock hadn't noticed, and only gazed aimlessly around the bar as if he was in some kind of deep reflection of the past two minutes. "Nothing hurts more than a bruised ego."
Misty glared at Ash for a moment before continuing.
"It won't always be that way. All you have to do is keep your head up. I know it's cliche more than anything, but just keep trying. Always be yourself and-... Brock?" Misty looked up to notice that he was no longer seated at the table, but instead on the move toward another female. And this time of the blonde persuasion.
She sighed while Ash shook his head.
"We've lost him again."
Misty shrugged a shoulder and leaned back. "At least he never seems to let it get him down for too long."
"That's true," Ash slid out from his barstool and made his way around the table to where the dartboard was perched across from them. It had the colors of a pokeball; the rings were red, the background was white, and the bullseye that sat in the middle was a circle of black. He had an instant likeness to this game ever since he first started playing it. He didn't know why, but there was something simple and entertaining about it. And it was almost every time he was here that he found himself in front of it.
"You know, Mist, that was some pretty good advice you gave." he commented out of nowhere, pulling the darts from the board up ahead. He extracted them one by one and took a few steps back, then closed one eye as he focused on his aim.
"You oughta take it from yourself sometime."
"What is that supposed to mean?" she wheeled around to ultimately face his back while he arched his hand into position. Her temper flared alongside a curiosity that she already had a fleeting suspicion of knowledge to.
"You know what it means."
Thunk.
Misty squinted her eyes into a slit and fought the urge to wring his neck with her bare hands. This happened to be something that was revisited upon their frequent journeys out here. As if the burden to bear wasn't bad enough, Ash had the annoying habit of reminding her of regretting that he ever even knew about it in first place.
And thus, she folded her arms against her chest.
"If it has anything to do with what I think it does, then you can forget about it right now."
"Forget about what?"
Thunk.
"Forget about the fact that I happen to think that you're letting a perfectly potential talent go to waste?"
And there it was. Ash's persistence rearing its ugly head again. Misty thought it was incredibly frustrating how he barely even remembers to tie his own shoelaces, but never forgets to remind her about her irrational and irrelevant fears. But she didn't spare him the look that she knew he was waiting for. All she did was purse her lips and keep her eyes averted, already irritated that it got to her so quickly. Even though she could still feel the burning question in his eyes that were on her inbetween his shots to the dartboard.
"When are you going to get it through your head?" she angrily snatched her drink from the table and briefly sipped from it.
"I've told you a hundred times that I'm not comfortable with it."
"Seriously, Misty. I've seen you conquer fears bigger than this one. It's just five minutes up there in front of people you don't even know."
Thunk.
"That's easy for you to say. You love attention and spouting your mouth off without thinking who's around to hear it."
Ash grinned a smile that he almost laughed through. She wasn't wrong in the sense that he didn't particularily mind attention, or at least he was more at ease in it than she was. But he found it amusing that she tried to throw him off track with an insult.
"Nice try, Mist. But the spotlight isn't so bad if you give it a shot. All it takes is one time, and it's not something you have to do again."
"It's not something I even want to do once. So just forget it, Ash. It's not going to happen."
"What's not going to happen?" Brock was now back at their table.
"Oh, good, you're back." Ash paused to glance over his shoulder at him, not even bothering to question him about his latest search.
"Will you tell her how weird she's being with her..." he waved the dart around at Misty. "fear of singing?"
"I am not afraid-"
Ash turned back around. "Then do it."
Thunk.
The female dropped her head into her hands with something that sounded like a growl. She was two seconds away from beating him over the top of his own head with those things. But Brock only uttered a soft chuckle as he slid back into his seat, earning him a mild glare from the redhead through her slim fingers.
"The sooner you realize that I won't give it up until you actually do it, the better it'll be." Ash added as he went to retrieve the darts again.
Misty's voice was flat with agitation. "We've been over this. I just can't."
"You mean you just don't want to." he paused to look at her over his shoulder with an all too knowing smirk.
"There's a difference."
The redhead gritted her teeth. "It doesn't matter. I'm not doing it, and that's that."
"Brock, help me out here." Ash's back faced them once more, and he picked up where he left off with the darts.
The breeder only sighed, however. He was caught in the very familiar scenario of how to solve yet another dispute between his two friends. And normally, he would choose to leave something like this alone. Brock was well aware of their frequent arguing habits and preferred to keep his hands clean from any of it. Adulthood changed alot of things, but this wasn't one of them.
Thunk.
His eyes were on his beverage while he shrugged after a minute of thinking. "I don't know, Misty. Ash might be right about this."
This caught her by surprise. And she could tell it showed by the way a somewhat guilty expression fell over him once he caught sight of it.
"It's only one night, and it's something you've been curious about for a while. I think you should get up there and do it for you." finished the breeder with a smile of encouragement.
Misty bowed her head and chewed on her lower lip in thought. Yes, she's always been curious about it. She sometimes would sing as a child but that was only in front of her family. Misty just sang in the shower these days, and even then sometimes would be berated for it by her sisters beating on the door. Singing in a room full of strangers was completely different and absolutely terrifying. She didn't think she could handle that kind of rejection. What if someone might actually throw something at her?
And because Ash would witness it all. Misty knew Brock would be gracious toward her performance, good or bad. That's just how he was. But she feared what Ash might say. Or think. She wanted to possibly impress him, not embarrass herself in front of him by performing badly. And he had a tendency to speak his mind without thinking about what was in it first. She privately valued his opinion, and stupidly cared about what he thought. That's mostly what was holding her back. Which was something she felt utterly foolish for, but was unable to really help it.
And so, she lowered her head and spoke in a tone that was softer than the one she took with Ash.
"I just don't think it's something I can go through with."
Brock leaned back and didn't say anything further, then glanced at the other male with a half shrug. "I tried."
"You call that trying?" Ash grumbled incrediously as he turned back around. Misty threw an irritated, tired glance at him.
"Will you knock it off before I knock you into next week?"
"Why won't you do it? What is so hard about getting up there and just doing it once?"
"Because it's in front of a bunch of strangers, that's why!"
"Exactly. A bunch of strangers, Misty. Who cares what they think?"
"Will you please just shutup and drop it already?"
Brock resisted the urge to groan, wishing at least Pikachu was here to share his feelings with. Ash and Misty currently were holding eachother in some kind of staredown. It reminded Brock of those old western movies he used to watch as a kid when one cowboy faced the other, ready to strike at the last second. Except it was the both of them instead and it looked like either one of them could pull the last move at any moment.
"Okay, Mist, tell you what... " Ash's voice abruptly cut into the air. He turned his face from her, looking down to where his hand was. A half smile was spread across his face after he took a minute to continue.
"We'll make a bet. Playing darts. Each of us gets three shots and whoever gets to the center first, or closest to it, wins. If I make the shot, then you have to get up there and sing."
Misty faltered. She had to blink and almost doubled back at the suggestion; Her expression broke with the sudden comment, caught by the idea. She wasn't expecting that. But Ash only stood there and watched her watch him.
She also became curious and cautious in that moment, quirking a brow.
"And if I win?"
He shrugged. "If you win, then I'll never bring it up again."
The two of them watched eachother for a minute. Ash didn't blink, and it was almost something she denied right off the bat. She couldn't help but feel the levels of ludicracy that he'd go to just to have his way. But it was also her competitive streak that kept from her from declining as well. She took both conclusions into consideration as she glanced from the dartboard, to the smooth look on his face. On one hand, it was a way to finally settle this nonsense once and for all. But she had to think for a moment of what that might mean for her on the chance she did lose.
Misty went back and forth with it. Ash stood to the side with a fairly confident expression, now tossing a dart from one hand to the other. But that was also when the sharp end of it collided into his palm, and he yelped before dropping the object. Brock just kept his eyes on him for a moment before slowly dropping his head with a shake.
She smirked. "You're on."
Ash then swiftly retrieved the fallen dart on her word and straightened back up, ignoring the sigh that came from Brock in the background.
"Alright then. It's settled." he smirked as he thumbed through the items before finding three of them, and handing them over to her.
"Ladies first."
"How uncharacteristically gentleman-like of you." Misty eyed him suspiciously and slowly slid out of her seat, accepting the three darts. But his smirk only grew as he stepped aside for her.
She couldn't help but feel that there was no way she could lose this now; Darts might not have been her favorite way to pass the time, but it was definitely a skill she picked up. And she was already a decent shot, so she figured that alone would be enough to seal her victory. Slightly nervous as she was. But by the seemingly unsteady hand of her opponent, she was bound to leave some dust behind.
Misty then raised the dart, but couldn't stop herself from looking over to Brock first. And she didn't have to ask to know that he didn't approve of this method in the slightest. But the fire of determination was stronger than anything else, and she passed the contrasting expression of smugness on Ash's face when she gazed straight back ahead of her.
She bit on her lip again. The noise in the bar escaladed with cheers every so often, or loud, obnoxious laughter that cut into her concentration. Her fingers nervously squeezed the darts that sat in her other hand as she tried to find the right alignment. Misty then glanced down and moved one leg backward, all the while bowing her head from the spot she was in to the board again.
"Today would be good." Ash interjected lazily. It was ironically abrupt in the noise that was already crowding the area, nearly startling her.
Irritation flamed her cheeks, and without thinking about it, Misty pelted the dart forward. It landed on the outer-most ring, and she scowled.
She didn't say anything, nor did she look to Ash as he moved to take her place. He passed the darts over to one hand and moved forward. Although he caught Brock's eye for a moment first, and the breeder pursed his lips at him. But Ash ignored the unspoken message and turned his back with his hand arched into position. His fingers rolled over the item, focusing on the target in front of him. That's when he made his first move to strike and sent it flying at the board.
And missed.
Misty remained expressionless. But not expressionless enough to where it wasn't noticeable that a smirk wasn't far behind. She then held up three fingers and put one of them down, signaling that he had two turns left. Ash caught the gesture and rolled his eyes.
"Guys..." Brock tried to intervene. But Ash flattened out his hand from behind his back so that only he could see, indicating for him to drop the subject. The older male softly sighed and bowed into the background once again.
Misty was up again. She clutched the remaining pieces in her hand and pulled one out, just as nervous as before when she stepped into position. Her heart was a little faster as she raised her hand with it poised. She slowly moved her arm back and forth this time, holding one eye closed.
"Keep that grip steady, now." Ash suddenly spoke as she was about to throw it, causing her to jump this time. She paused once to glare at the juvenile tactic. But he just smirked, and Misty was more determined than ever to wipe it right off of him by letting it fly in the next second.
It landed a little closer to the circle this time.
This time she radiated some of her own confidence. Her hands were slick with nervous sweat, watching as Ash stepped in to make his second strike. But she couldn't tell what he was thinking by the look on his face. All she could see was the pose he chose to put himself in and throw the dart forward.
This time it hit the wall. Misty couldn't help a triumphant smile from spreading across her face. Again, Ash's face wasn't clear enough to read the expression sitting there. He only stood back with his arms crossed. But Misty didn't care. All that was on her mind was that she was one step closer to never having this be an issue again, and she couldn't wait to have it.
She kept that thought in mind as she simply raised the last dart, and sent it toward the target for the third time. And it landed on the smallest ring that sat outside of the center.
Misty flexed her arms out and crossed them, then stretched her back slightly. That was it. And that was probably the closest she's ever even gotten to the mark. This bet was as good as won. Her smile was lazy and almost tired as she was just about to take a seat, almost looking forward to dealing with Ash's sullen attitude he'd undoubtedly have after losing to her.
Until he stepped up for the third time and hit the mark.
Her mouth dropped. Her arms immediately untangled from being crossed as well, almost jolting her entire system enough for it to physically stutter. She glanced from the victor to the guilty expression on their friend, lost for words. The three of them all exuded very different emotions in that moment.
"What in the... how did you...?" Misty stuttered.
"Lucky break." Ash shrugged, appearing more smug than ever. Which was also the subject for Brock's wordless, yet accusatory stare upon him.
"For you..." Misty spoke in a breath, running her hand through her hair. She turned her eyes over to the stage ahead of them and swallowed; This was it. She lost the bet, and now she'd have to get up there and actually do this. Her hands were twisting under her chin as she realized this all at once. It was difficult for her to even stand at this point at all, breathing in a very unsteady breath while her feet were rooted to the floor.
Ash said nothing all the while.
Brock was watching everything unfold. And he started to move forward with the intention to prevent Misty from following through with the stakes, when Ash saw it coming and cut him off from doing so.
None of which was something Misty noticed at all. She started to become very nervous in that moment, already feeling like she was beginning to sweat; her stomach was turning, her hands grew cold and she felt she lacked the courage to even walk. With a pale set of hands, she reached for her drink and took a very long sip of her lemonade.
The glass made a 'clunk' sound as she set it clumsily back onto the table.
"Well... alright then." she concluded, feeling her throat go dry. Ash nodded wordlessly while he stepped aside for her entrance into the other area. Misty wanted to say something to him, anything, but nothing came. She got as close to opening her mouth for something to come out of it but only ended up closing it. That was when she shook her head, and slowly started moving toward the bar to speak with the bartender about the choice of song.
"I can't believe you did that." Brock muttered under his breath the moment Misty was out of earshot.
Ash slid back into his seat. "A bet's a bet, Brocko."
But Brock didn't change his penetrating gaze from him. He knew all too well that this was where it was bound to lead one day, and partially kicked himself for not saying anything about it sooner. Now he didn't have a choice but to sit here and watch whatever was about to happen.
He lowered his voice. "Not when it's hustling."
Ash took a sip of his beverage and looked away, smirking from behind the glass. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The breeder shook his head. "Shame on you, Ash. This is something she's obviously terrified of doing."
Ash set down his drink and dropped the facade. "This is also something she obviously has the potential for. She can do this. You know it, I know it, and it's about time she knows it too. And there was literally no other way to get her up there."
He shrugged again and leaned back, folding his arms. "I had no choice."
Brock exhaled, but didn't press the matter. And part of it was because he agreed with him. But this was definitely not the way to go about it. It was also too late to try and stop her now, and he could only watch as his friend weaved her way throughout the small crowd of people in the bar and toward the stage.
Ash was in observation of this as well. His heart started to thud a little more with every step she took that neared it; It was strange to see Misty actually do this. He expected her to shut him down. But what he wasn't expecting was the anxiety of watching her approach it at all. He could visibly see her hands trembling at her sides, and felt a twinge of guiltiness for it.
He bit his lip. C'mon, Mist...
Misty had no idea of how she did it, but she somehow made it to the stage on her own two feet. She squinted her eyes against the heavy brightness of the lights and held up a hand against them, ignoring a few whistles and slurred comments that were casted her way. She tried not to make a face under the intensity of all the lights and have it show. But she was able to distinguish the faint images of Ash and Brock themselves before gathering up the final bit of courage she needed to follow through.
(Ash heard the catcalls and snapped his eyes in attention to the idiots they came from. Another unpleasant emotion swept his system like a tidal wave and his face twisted in disgust. Brock laughed into the sip of coffee he took, then covered it up with a cough when Ash turned to glare at him.)
But Misty ignored the disturbance and focused on what came next. She'd seen it enough times after watching the people she used to envy for taking the stage before, intoxicated or not. And she decided not to start off with some clumsy introduction like they sometimes would. She just wanted to get this over with.
That was when the bartender caught Misty's eye and gave her a thumbs up. By now she was shaking like a leaf as she gripped the microphone, and the soft beginning of the song started to gradually build into the air. She closed her eyes, telling herself that she wasn't actually doing this, but that she was in front of her mirror at home instead. One of those age old mechanisms to help ease the nerves. And it had zero effect.
Here goes nothing.
"I know you see me standing there... out of the calm of the coldest air..."
Misty started off with a voice that was shaking nearly as much as she was. It was mostly in a whisper, trying not to think of all the eyes that were upon her. She was going to kill Ash for this.
"I can't believe the words you said, but I can't find the words I want..."
She swallowed. Her stomach lurched with nerves, and it felt like every one of them were being pinched.
"I can't find the words I want..."
Misty inhaled slightly in those few seconds, then did everything she could to find the strength in her voice.
"If you were gone in another life... I don't believe I would just survive..."
Ash almost wasn't blinking as he stared at her.
"I could feel you next to me, and escape from the world I'm in..."
Both hands were on the mic now, and she was beginning to fall into the rhythm song.
"I'm afraid of the world I'm in.."
Misty was slowly able to relax the more she vocalized the lines, finally able to lift her voice with the strength of her resolve. Alot of onlookers started to lower their drinks as well with fixated stares ahead of them in complete fascination as she reached a break in the verse by this point.
"One day I will see heaven's reach... I'll find the one who left me sleeping..."
By now she was leading the song more than it was leading her.
"Every war was another seed, that could feed every soul in me... I'm worn by the war in me..."
A smile broke out on Ash's face. And he could've sworn that a ripple of goosebumps erupted over his arms as she continued, watching in a dazed sense of facsination.
But she finally entered the chorus and put more effort into it.
"Somebody found me here... somebody held my breath..."
"Somebody saved me from the world you left..."
The song was able to carry a sense of light that she needed in order to be able to flow into it more clearly. And that's what it did for her. Misty was finally able to relate it to something she had every bit of experience in; the right flow. Just like it was with water, that's all it was. It was just like being carried over the wave of a large ocean, or finding a steady way to navigate through it from underneath. She'd just have to ride it out with what she knew of it in the best way she could.
"If you're gonna cry my tears... if you're gonna hold my breath..."
Misty laid one hand over her chest.
"If you're gonna let me see the sun you set..."
And that's when Misty raised a brave eye to the crowd before her, checking for any signs of disapproval or facial expressions that indicated they weren't enjoying it. The fear of it was crippling under the blazing lights, but one look at the enraptured crowd banished those worries on the spot. Misty was shocked at the impression she left on them. She almost forgot to follow the rest of the song, but was able to jump back into it at just the right moment.
"I am lost and found... I am lost and found..."
There was another break in the song. The music hit an empty spot that was void of any lyrics, and it gave her a chance to observe the crowd a little more clearly this time; half of the bar's occupants were swaying to melodic beat to it, and one couple was even seen slow dancing in the corner. Misty was extremely relieved by this. And a little taken aback, to be honest.
But none of them could have topped the look on Ash's face. He was hardly even aware that his mouth was hanging open, and that he was close to the point of slipping from his seat. His throat was completely dry as well. He had no comprehension of anything other than what was happening right in front of him. And Brock was struck in the same sense of wonder as he was, only he looked to be much more contained. It came across as if he were watching something pleasant on television instead of actually witnessing it live before him. It was surreal to see Misty in a different light that could be taken in the literal form; The lights that once seemed to glow accusingly over anyone who stood under it, now seemed to fade into existence altogether. It only surrounded her now in a soft looking glow.
And this time she excelled the image even further.
"Somebody found me here... somebody held my breath..."
"Somebody saved me from the world you left..."
Brock was nodding his head along to the song.
"If you're cry my tears... if you're gonna hold my breath..."
"If you're gonna let me see the sun you set..."
"I am lost and found..."
The song was tapering off. Misty was reaching the last lyric by fading her voice out, and didn't even have a chance to properly finish before the entire bar was filled with whistles and applause. Brock was clapping with them as well, delighted by her performance. Except for Ash. He was the only one in the rambunctious crowd who wasn't an active participant, leaving him to stick out like a sore thumb in all the movement that erupted around them. All heads were in her direction before she departed the stage after graciously accepting the cheering by mumbling a few shy "thank you's" into the microphone.
Ash reached for his drink with a shaking hand. He didn't bother with the straw, and instead almost drained it of its contents as if he hadn't had water in days. But it was successful in soothing his parched throat. Now there was only the issue of trying to tame his rapidly beating heart in time before Misty made it back to them.
But no such luck.
"I did it," her face was flushed, her eyes were bright and there was the tiniest bit of sweat across her hairline once she reached their table. "I can't believe I actually did it!"
She started fanning herself with the most captivating smile.
"You were great up there, Misty. That was amazing." Brock grinned. "Don't you think so, Ash?"
Misty turned toward him, surrounded in a cloudy nervous haze. Her eyes were still shining and she was slightly out of breath by the exhilarating experience, hoping that maybe he didn't totally despise her performance.
But his thoughts were still on her voice. Ash didn't think he ever saw her so... uninhibited. He was more distracted than ever by still trying to register that a voice like that came out of her. Even though he knew it was there. Misty had her breathtaking moments that left him to question alot of things to himself, but this literally stole the show. But that's when he was beginning to realize that his silence was causing the doubt to rise in her eyes.
"Yes," he suddenly blurted. "That was... you were..." Ash shook his head with his mouth open, trying to think of something that could properly validate exactly how he was feeling. And he wasn't blind to the subtle hopefulness in her eyes.
He swallowed. Brock was looking between the two of them, almost feeling as if he might've been intruding on something personal while they both kept their eyes on eachother. He resisted a smirk before slowly sliding out of his seat.
"I'll go take care of the tab." using that excuse to grant them some privacy, he left, hoping Ash would get the hint.
Misty was the only one to notice before nodding to him once. But a brown pair of eyes never left her, still trying to come up with something other than silence. His head was literally a roadblock. The feeling was still sitting in his stomach, chasing the concentration right out of him.
"Ash?" she now whispered. "Are you alright?"
He blinked. "I'm.. yeah, yeah. You were just.. you were great up there. That was better than Jigglypuff."
Jigglypuff? What the hell is wrong with me?!
"Not that I thought you could put people to sleep! That's not what I meant. That's a voice that can wake people up- no, no.. that's not what I mean either... I uh..."
Misty raised her eyebrows, thoroughly amused and seemingly flattered.
"I'm sorry. I've just never.." Ash rubbed his face in embarrassment and averted his eyes. "I've never seen that side of you. And it was... well.. it was.. nice to hear. Your voice. Cause you can't... hear a side, but the singing part was I guess a side to see, I mean to actually see you sing into a microph-"
"Thank you, Ash." Misty cut him off to save him the stress of continuing. But she was as grateful as ever, smiling at him in a way he didn't think he deserved at such a poor way of responding. And he was still trying to gather something better to express himself when Brock arrived back at their table. He was able to gather in those few moments that not much else had changed.
"Alright... well, I'm ready to go whenever you guys are."
Ash didn't say anything and only slid out of his seat with a nod. And Misty was next, taking one last sip out of her glass.
"Okay then. Let's get going." Brock gave his head a shake as he went to retrieve the jacket he had hanging from the coatrack. Ash slithered into his own with a million thoughts racing through his mind, while Misty followed their lead. The motions were simple enough to go through, but Ash felt like he was in a different universe. Too many thoughts and emotions were pushing him into a corner all at once.
He gave one last glance around the bar and took in a large breath. But the three of them edged their way out of the clustered area, and were met with a fresh blast of cold air as they opened the doors. And it was instantly welcomed against the closed quarters that they just came from. Brock seemed to be newly invigorated by nature's offer of natural energy and bounced up once with a smile, and continued to where they were parked.
But they were only about five steps away from the bar before Ash couldn't stand it anymore.
"Guys, wait."
She and Brock both stopped and turned around, pivoting in his direction. He swallowed when he was met with their curious gazes.
"Er.. Brock, could you uh... bring the car around or something?"
The breeder stared for a moment until he realized what was going on. He jolted on the spot, as if it was a bolt of lightning that informed him of it. Misty only curiously looked between both of them during the interaction.
"Right, sure. Of course. I'll-I'll be right back." and that was all he said before he bowed out of the scene.
Meanwhile, Misty turned back to Ash after watching Brock head towards the car.
"What was that about?"
Ash could feel his face grow uncomfortably warm; this would be the second penetrating gaze that's been focused on him tonight. But the words were lost on him. As they usually were whenever he found himself succumbing to his nervousness. Part of him felt like an idiot, and part of him felt like maybe he deserved it.
"It's about the bet."
Misty watched him from the corner of her eye. "Go on."
"Uhh, well..." Ash started off with an awkward laugh that he instantly hated himself for, not knowing what to do except bow his head for the moment in some kind of shame.
"It wasn't a real bet. I hustled you. I've been better at the game than I was letting on, and I used that experience to win so that you'd get up there and sing."
Expecting her to be angry and possibly violent, -cause, c'mon, it's Misty- he flinched before anything actually happened. But when a few moments passed and nothing did happen, he peeked an eye open at her. And he saw that nothing changed about her expression. She looked as if it wasn't really news to her at all. Ash slowly relaxed his shoulders, watching as she inhaled a breath and slide her hands into her pockets with a subtle grin.
"Well.. I did think it was a little strange how you were able to overthrow me so quickly. But I guess I never really thought about it."
Ash smiled sheepishly. "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think you couldn't do it."
The grin faded somewhat from her face. Not out of disappointment, but out of surprise for hearing him say that.
"Really?"
"Well yeah. That's what I've been trying to tell you all this time. I figured a bet was the only way to do it, and it wasn't to just win for the sake of winning."
He paused and then smirked. "This time."
Misty snorted. If he didn't finish his statement off with that, then she certainly would have. There's been enough proof of his behavior in the past for her not to. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized she should've caught onto it sooner. Especially since he usually has the regular habit of gloating like he breathes.
"Not bad, Ash. For once I can't say I saw it coming."
"So.. you're not mad?"
"I was, a little bit. I was mad that losing a bet was the way it happened, and for the way I started out. But then..."
"You realized I was right?" Ash was smiling.
"Don't push it."
He fell back into a more humble demeanor, and Misty grinned before continuing.
"But then it was more than that. It was... different. I found my place. I don't know how, since it came out of nowhere, but I just channeled some kind of energy when I hit the right note. And then I was able to do what I was afraid of doing and enjoy it at the same time."
"That's the first and last time you'll ever get away with something like that, though." she added as an afterthought that didn't come without a smirk.
But Ash fully embraced it. He didn't think he probably would've gotten away with it anyway, and was beyond disbelief that he was even able to do it once.
"Hey, that's fine with me. It was for a good cause." he raised his hands up.
Misty eyed him warily. "Save it, Ash. I'm not sure I'm ready to let you off the hook just yet."
He doubled back. "Wait, what? I thought you said you weren't mad!"
"I'm not. But you did trick me, after all. And I can't just let that go."
"And what am I supposed to do?"
She shrugged. "You'll think of something. And you better think of it soon before Brock gets back with the car."
"I have to do this now?!"
"Yep."
"I don't believe this!"
"Should have thought about that before you hustled me."
"Misty, you're killin' me here..."
She chuckled. She didn't even know if she really meant it, but she couldn't deny the amusement it brought her to see Ash be the one to squirm for once. But she knew that he was coming from a genuine place. He believed she had the honest talent this entire time and only did what he thought was necessary to show her just that. Like hell if she would allow him to see it, though.
She finally waved her hand. "It's not like there isn't anything that you haven't done, anyway. You and your big mouth."
This caught Ash off guard. He didn't think she really believed it from earlier; he only thought she was using that to get out of the argument.
"You really think that?"
Misty shrugged.
"I haven't done everything, you know. There's still tons of challenges and stuff that I haven't faced yet."
She scoffed. "Like what? The only things left for you are girls, and doing your own laundry instead of having your mother do it."
Ash's heart was racing a mile a minute. He missed the insult of the latter entirely, feeling the walls of the corner he just backed himself into close in. It was a very strange and dangerous place to be. And he wasn't even sure if she realized where it was going, or if she even gave any serious thought to the what she said. He didn't really expect her to respond with something like that to begin with.
"Misty..." was all he could say.
"What? It can't be the laundry, I've never seen you do a load in your life. And I'm the only girl you ever hang out with." she concluded flatly. She was still caught up in the assumption that there was really nothing he was actually struggling with in that moment. But that couldn't be farther from the truth for him.
"Misty..." he spoke again, almost accusingly this time.
She glanced over to him in the rare obliviousness that he suspected of her. It looked as if she was waiting for a real answer, but wasn't aware that it was standing right in front of her. She looked at him in a question and that's when he shyly averted his gaze from her. And she didn't have to look into his face to know that an equal amount of color rose to it. But he tried to cover it up by shoving his hands in his pockets and clearing his throat.
And then it hit her.
Her mouth fell slightly ajar, and resembled the look that she hadn't seen on Ash earlier that night. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Misty almost asked him to repeat himself, just to be clear that he meant what she thought he meant, but she couldn't find her voice. That was something it didn't have the strength for. And she was paling in complexion by the second, lost in disbelief and shock. And although it was a lovely sight to see, it was also a more terrifying sight than anything Ash has ever seen before.
But he didn't know what he thought he expected out of her. He knew he didn't plan for it to ever go like this, or feel like he was about to faint from embarrassment. He supposed he let his sub-conscience get away with the image of Misty accepting it a way that was completely different than this.
But there she was, staring at him as if he descended from another planet. Ash immediately started stumble through his words for some kind of way to make up for what he just got them both into.
"I'm-I'm sorry, Misty. That was.. I should've explained, I guess. But.. I mean you can't really blame me for being a little afraid.. this was just.. it was something I thought that-
But he was abruptly cut off from finishing his rambled rant, and everything he's ever known, by a pair of hands that seized the front of his coat and pull him forward. Ash was instantly thrown off guard and almost found a way to trip from standing up; Misty had pulled him directly to her in a flash, kissing the breath right out of him. And he literally almost lost his balance. There was nothing in the world that could've prepared him for that one. But through all the chaos of his delightfully confused mind, he had the sense to close his eyes and try not to smile into the kiss that he reciprocated.
But Misty was the first to pull back with shimmering astonishment in her eyes. It was a look Ash didn't think he's seen before, but it was one he wouldn't exactly mind seeing again.
"That took you long enough." she breathed through a smile.
"Right back at you." he offered weakly in response. He was so lost in the moment, that he was pretty sure he couldn't even tell anyone where he was at if someone asked him. All he knew was that he was just really glad he wore that coat.
"Took you even longer." Misty shook her head, still grinning.
A smirk spread across his face. "Wanna bet?"
"Ash!"
Both of them nervously laughed and bowed their heads together as this happened. It was a glorious sight for the other to see, and it left each of them feeling lighter as the tension from earlier took flight. That was the same moment, however, when Brock just happened to pull up in the car. Now this was something he could vouch that wasn't seen everyday; two people who were at eachother's throats nearly an hour ago now looked as if that moment never even existed. And not just any two people, but the same two people that he secretly hoped would have the sense to see one day of what was right in front of them. And that looked to be the case in that very moment. He failed to restrain a smile from spilling over his face at the scene. Especially because the sound of the engine should've alerted them to his obvious presence.
He cleared his throat.
Both of them jumped up and sprang apart. Their smiles faltered for a moment, then grew back out of embarrassment and partial guiltiness. They traded a look and moved toward the car, keeping their eyes averted from the knowing look on the breeder's face. Misty took the front seat and Ash took the back. Brock let his gaze wander from her over to the rearview mirror, and he noticed that they both had their heads turned away from them with the same burning look on their face.
They failed at keeping it hidden just as much as he had.
A/N: Happy Pokeshipping Day, everyone! I apologize for the length of this monster fic. I truly intended for it to be much shorter, but my imagination got away from me. But I hope all of you guys enjoyed it. Thank you for reading! :D
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, and I don't own the song Lost and Found by Katie Herzig.