Summary: While on blind date as a publicity stunt, pokemon master Ash Ketchum meets the girl of his dreams! There's only one problem - the girl isn't his date! And more, he doesn't even know who she is! He tries everything to find this "mystery girl," but everything seems to get in the way - from a clingy fan, to a jealous pokemon trainer Ash beat years ago, and everything in between. Will Ash ever find her? Romance/Humor, Pokeshippy

A/N: Hey everyone! I decided to write this fic 'cause... well, honestly, I got a little bored. Haha. Anyway, the idea just came to me, so I decided to write it down. This is an Ash and Misty fic... hope you like it! Please read and review, 'cause reviews kinda encourage me to finish writing. Oh yeah, I don't really like the title for this one right now, so ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If anyone gets any ideas from reading the summary or throughout reading the parts, just run it by me... BTW, this is SOMEWHAT an AU alternate universe fic. So things haven't exactly happened like they did on TV.

Edit: Ack! I just noticed a couple of mistakes that I didn't catch before (mostly grammar stuff. Haha.) And also, I just realized that I didn't accept anonymous reviews. So, please review, tell me what you think! (Chapter two is on the way - hopefully I'll have it done by this weekend or maybe next week!)

Disclaimer: Pokemon doesn't belong to me. Please don't sue. Haha. Ok, onto the story...

Prologue

The night sky twinkled. The stars seemed to glow against the black sky, casting a glow over the countryside. A lone pokemon trainer sat, thinking. This was his favorite spot to come and clear his head - no one knew where it was, and he liked knowing that for one tiny moment, he was alone. He ran his fingers through his spiky black hair - a habit he had picked up over the years - and tried to collect his thoughts. He was, you could say, a celebrity. A pokemon master. But the tasks of being a "master" had taken their toll. He just wanted to relax, like a normal teenager - no responsibilities, no burdens, no paparazzi... Well, it's not like that last one was a problem anymore. Fame was a strange thing. One day they like you, and the next... well, he didn't like to think about that. He stretched out, and his eyes caught a glimpse of the brightest star he had ever seen. It glimmered like a diamond in the jet black sky, giving off it's light to the countryside. He smiled. It was these kinds of nights that he liked the best.

Gazing over the ocean, a teenage girl sighed. She loved the ocean, and tonight, it looked especially beautiful. The moon and the stars made the rising tides shimmer, and the crashing of the waves on the rocks below her added to the calming effect. As she gazed up at the moonlit sky, she knew that for just one moment, this was one thing she had all to herself. It wasn't easy having three older sisters, let alone three FAMOUS older sisters. Everyone thought that they were everything she wasn't: pretty, talented, pretty, popular, pretty... and, well, pretty. She turned her head up to catch some of the warm, salty sea breeze. And as she curled her head upward, she caught a glimpse of a shiny ball of light, brighter than the rest. A warm feeling came over her, almost like she was feeling the heat radiating from the glistening star in the distance. Her sight returned to the ocean, but only for a second. Staring at the sky, her eyes followed the path of the star, and she sighed again. Although she had this awesome spectacle all to herself tonight, she had the weirdest feeling - that she would have to share it all, and soon... But that was OK. Although the prospect of sharing wasn't appealing to the teenager, the same feeling also told her that when the time came, she would want to.

The two teenagers sat, alone, yet together, mesmerized, staring at the same sky. Sitting, both thinking they were by themselves, neither knowing that as they gazed at the same bright star, that they wouldn't be alone for much longer...

Blinded - Chapter One

Old. It was all getting old. Ash Ketchum, only seventeen, youngest pokemon master in history... and he was bored. Every day, hopeful trainers would come in search for that one break in their training careers. And everyday, Ash would beat them. But what could he do? He loved pokemon, and the money was an added perk. But was it really worth it?

"Ashy baby, we're losing popularity!" A very hurried woman entered Ash's dressing room. Her stringy green hair was poofy and big, and Ash had always thought it looked like there was a bird's nest on her head. Today, she had a pair of black, oversized sunglasses resting on her head. Her hair looked like green cotton candy with eyes.

Ashy baby? That was a new one. Ash was used to the affection from his agent, but sometimes, some of the names she came up with were downright strange. He always wondered why agents talked like they did. Now that he thought about it, Ashy baby wasn't THAT much off of the deep end...

"Whaddya mean, Kristina?" Ash asked her. He hadn't wanted an agent at first, but after the publicity of being the youngest master, he was appointed one by the Elite Four. "She'll work wonders," they had said. Ash though that they just wanted to get rid of her. But he had gotten used to her, although she did have her moments.

"The fans," Kristina stressed, as if it was completely obvious. "They're losing interest!" She banged her fist on the table to emphasize her point. "We all know that you can beat these trainers. Would it kill you to let them win something once in a while?"

Ash started to protest, but Kristina held her finger up to stop him. "I know, Ashy darrrling," she continued, rolling her tongue. "But you can't let just Pikachu faint just once? He doesn't even REALLY have to faint," her voice got higher with excitement. "he can just... kind of lie down. Just to get the crowd into the battle." Kristina got a far away look in her eyes, as if she were envisioning a screaming crowd. "It would be maaaarvelous...."

Ash rolled his eyes. "I'll see what we can do," he said, sarcastically.

So Pikachu hadn't fainted. And neither did any of Ash's OTHER pokemon. Ash wandered aimlessly back into his dressing room, and waited for his usual post-battle talk with Kristina.

Only seconds after Ash had entered the room, he heard hurried footsteps coming in his. And was it his imagination, or did they sound... angry? Worried?

Well, he was about to find out.

He held his breath as Kristina entered the room silently. Her shoes clicked against the polished floor as she circled the room, deciding what to say.

"You didn't even get hit once," she muttered to herself quietly. She shook her head, as if to erase the images of the battle from her head. She turned to Ash, and took a deep breath. Ash noticed that she wasn't her usual happy self.

"Ashy, there's something we have to talk about." Kristina said suddenly. "What does being a pokemon master mean to you?"

"Well." Ash cleared his throat. "It's being the best." He stated the last part simply. This is what he based his training on. Being the very best. His very best.

Kristina looked at him sadly, and nodded. "Well, yes, that's part of it. But masters are also heroes. Idols. Not only do they have to be good trainers, but they also have to be good people. Universally liked." She sucked in another deep breath, and tried to prepare for the bomb she was about to drop. "Ash, I had an appointment with the head of the Pokemon League. The top of the top. We just got you're popularity ratings... and they aren't happy. They're the lowest ever in league history. Twenty-three percent."

Ash was confused. "So what?" he asked. "All that matters is that I win, right?"

"That's the thing," Kristina answered. "Right now, more people want you to lose then win. The League has decided that..." she took another deep breath. "Well, unless your popularity ratings increase, you're going to have to take a break for a while. Someone new will take your title."

The realization hit him like a punch in the stomach. It was like all the oxygen in the room had been sucked away. He struggled to breath, and when he had regained his composure, he looked up at Kristina and barely managed to utter a word.. "Wha... what?"

"I know," Kristina said. "What are we going to do?"

Ash sighed. Maybe he did need an agent. Twenty-three percent? It couldn't be. He always thought he was liked. He remembered back when there were all those screaming girls dying to even get a whiff of his hair as he passed them in the stadium. And the aspiring little boys that had stars in their eyes as he walked by. Was all that gone?

"I need to take a walk." And without another word, he grabbed his jacket, and was out the door.

Ash's head swirled. A break from training? From being a master? Just because people didn't LIKE him as much as they used too?

He sucked in some of the brisk fall air and tried to clear his head. There was only one place he could go to think. It was a place that almost no one knew about, located on the League Complex: a secluded countryside overlooking the pokemon habitat. Without a second thought, he was on his way.

When he returned to his dressing room, Kristina was still there waiting patiently. He glanced at her quizzically, and then gave her an awkward nod as a greeting. She took this as an invitation to talk.

"Well, Ashy baby, I've been thinking while you were gone." Apparently, Kristina was still trying to make "Ashy baby" work. "It's not too late to make your popularity rating go up. I've taken the liberty of setting you up on a blind date." She beamed at her handiwork, and looked at Ash like she was waiting for applause.

Ash was intrigued. "What?"

"Well, what do all the other stars do when they're in a slump?" Kristina answered. "They go and get married or something, and then BAM, they're back on the front page of every magazine!"

Ash cocked his eyebrow in disbelief. "You want me to get MARRIED?!"

"Oh, come on Ash, be serious. It'll be fun! And plus, people LOVE hearing about famous people's personal lives." She beamed again. "And she might even be that special girl. What about it, huh?" She eyed him slyly. "I see how you check out some of the lady trainers." She chuckled at Ash's discomfort. "How about it?"

Ash blushed, because he knew what she said was true. He even vaguely remembered one girl that he almost let win so that he could just be with her longer. Pathetic, right? Some redhead... he couldn't even remember her name anymore, or even what she looked like. Feeling even more embarrassed, he quickly tried to change the subject. "I dunno... who am I going with? And when? Where?"

"Well," Kristina said, barely containing her excitement, "I set you up with the League President's daughter! Beautiful girl. And you won't believe where you're going - The Seaking Café!"

"Eh? Never heard of it." Ash replied lazily. "Besides, forget it. I think I can handle my own lovelife." Kristina chuckled at this, knowing that Ash could hardly handle walking and talking at the same time, let alone his own love life. But hey, that's what agents are for, right?

"It's this new place in Cerulean. It's supposed to be have the best food of all time." Kristina seemed to get bored of the subject, so she changed it. "Anyway, it's no use saying you won't go because I've already alerted the media." She flashed another toothy smile, evidently proud of herself. "Be ready by 8:00 tonight. The limo should be here to pick you up." And with a flip of her stringy green hair, she left.

Sixteen year old Misty Waterflower strolled along the beach. Life was good for the redheaded teen - she had nothing to worry about. Coming from a town known only for it's water pokemon, it's main attraction, not counting the fancy restaurant that just opened across the street, was it's gym. As she wandered aimlessly on the beach, she was thankful for her peaceful life. But little did she know that starting that night, with the mysterious meeting of a pokemon master, her life would be turned upside down - but in the best way possible.

To be continued...

A/N: So there you go... haha, that's the first part. It started kinda slow, kinda cheesy, not really romancy/funny, and I REALLY wanted to get to the part where Ash and Misty first meet, but I had to lay the background stuff down first. Sorry! The next part will be jam-packed with romance (hopefully! Haha). And longer, too. This one was kind of short, but this seemed like the right place to end it! Bear with me as I get all the background stuff settled. Anyway, I hope it caught your attention so far... tell me what you think! Next chapter - A&M meet, Ash goes on his blind date, and some more stuff... Until next time, later! Oh yeah, please R&R! Who knows, maybe you'll inspire me. I MIGHT get the next part out faster!