The Fear You Won't Fall

by izbee617

A visit to Misty unlocks new feelings and secrets to our favorite heroes, and bring more conflict than ever known. Our heroes discover more about themselves and their past then they thought possible, and their world changes completely. Pokeshipping.

Author's Note:

Hey everyone! So I am just getting back into pokémon, and I thought I'd test the waters with a little one-shot pokeshipping fic. I'm still trying to re-learn everything, so please excuse the mistakes I might make. I don't include a lot of pokémon, because I'm not really good at writing that kind of thing. I'm planning to write a long story, but I'd thought I'd see how it went with a one-shot or two first. Please review, I accept all criticism. The usual person who edits my stories is not available right now, so please also excuse grammatical issues for a bit. Also, no Team Rocket in this one, just pretend they invaded one time with their annoying speech! Thanks!

5/3: I wrote the authors note before the story. I'm not entirely pleased with how this came out, and I would have liked to portray Misty more as she was in the show, but it just didn't really work out. I would really appreciate honest criticism, because I need to know. Thank you! I'm not done with this, but thought I should post what I've done.

Ages of everyone:

Brock – 21

Ash-16

Misty-16 ½

Dawn- 14 (I realize she is supposed to be 10, but it doesn't really fit in with the story)

Daisy- 26

Violet-24

Lily-23

Bentley- 26

Cameron-16

Carly -21

Text in italics means thought.

[pokémon talk is in brackets]

disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

The sky was a clear, bright blue and the sun shined brightly through the fluffy white clouds as our three heroes set out on their journey. Ash Ketchum walked eagerly alongside his best friend, Brock and their traveling companion, Dawn. He couldn't wait until they reached the Cerulean gym, where his old best friend and former traveling companion, Misty resided. However, Dawn was not as eager.

"I don't understand why it matters so much that we get to this gym place or whatever so quickly. We practically just got off the ferry! My legs are killing me and my hair is starting to frizz!" Dawn whined unhappily. Ash didn't even bother to glare at Dawn. Ash frequently got sick of Dawn's attitude and missed May, Max, and Misty's easygoing behavior. Misty was a pain in the ass sometimes too, with all her bickering but she was actually pretty relaxed. Brock chuckled at Dawn before answering for Ash.

"We've really missed Misty, and I know I'm keen just to be able to relax!" Brock answered calmly. Ash nodded in agreement. They had been traveling for so long, and Brock and Ash had mutually agreed that Cerulean City would be the best place because they would see their long-time friend and relax on the beaches off the city before setting off on another quest.

Dawn had her own opinions on why they had chosen Cerulean City. Ever since Dawn had met Ash (and developed a huge crush on him for that matter) all she had heard about was how 'amazing' Misty was, and how close she and Ash were. However, she had also seen pictures of the infamous Misty and Dawn was convinced she no competition for Ash's heart.

Ash continued to walk briskly on the worn path towards the dome-shaped gym. He turned and looked affectionately at the little yellow Pokémon perched on his shoulder. He knew his other best friend was also eager to see Misty. Pikachu and Misty had always had something special between them. Ash was sure it had something to do with ketchup, but he wasn't quite sure.

The group finally rounded a corner and then saw the giant, pink-and-orange dome-like gym with the huge white Dewgong painted on it. The gym looked shinier since Ash had last seen it, and the grass around the gym was now lush and full of flowers. There were blue, orange, and white Tulips, Lilies, and Honeysuckle, which Ash recognized as Misty's favorite flowers.

Ash also didn't recognize the tall, tanned girl pinning something to the bulletin board outside of the gym. She had damp, red-auburn slightly wavy hair down to the small of her back. She wasn't overly tanned, but considering her red hair she was tanned a light golden brown. She appeared not to be wearing any pants, just a pair of purple bathing suit bottoms that showed off her sculpted, muscled legs and butt. She wore a bright blue sweatshirt that had "CERULEAN GYM: A Waterflower is born in water, grows in water, and rises out water to stand above all challenges." She turned around to go back into the gym, and her deep, shining azure eyes and tiny freckles dusting her apple-cheeks and her pert, ski-slope nose startled Ash. She had plump, peach-colored lips and perfectly white, straight teeth. What surprised Ash the most though, was that the girl was Misty. When Misty saw who stood a hundred feet away, she shrieked and ran towards her old friends.

Misty had meant just to hug Ash, but she was running she tripped over a rock and completely flew into Ash's arms. She landed sprawled on top of her old friend, and anyone who walked by would have thought they were doing something not suitable for public viewing. She just grinned and laughed it off, and surprised both Ash and Dawn but not so much Brock, by giving Ash a quick kiss on the cheek before leaping up and bounding over to Brock to give him a tight hug and kiss on the cheek as well.

Misty couldn't believe how amazing Ash looked. He was taller than her now, despite the fact that she had grown three inches herself. He had permanently tanned skin, and his chocolate-colored eyes sparkled. He was surprisingly muscular. When she had landed on top of him, she could easily feel his muscles. He smelled so good too, like mint toothpaste and delicious boy-smell. He had the same shaggy black hair, but had updated his wardrobe with a black and red hat, a simple blue sports jacket, and blue jeans with red sneakers. Misty immediately felt a rush of old and new feelings for Ash, and she tried to quell them before they surfaced. Instead, she acted on her feelings for Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" She shrieked, and the little yellow rodent jumped into his friend's arms with an excited "Pika!" Ash noted that Misty whispered something in the little rodent's ear, but didn't hear what she said.

Dawn herself was shocked at how beautiful Misty was. What pictures Dawn had seen of Misty, she had thought Misty was kind of scrawny. Ash had even described her as a 'runt'. But in real life, She was tall, tanned, and muscular. She had gorgeous eyes, and clear skin. She also had amazing red hair that fell past her slender ribcage. Dawn was instantaneously jealous of this girl. She was also surprised that she was letting herself be seen in a ratty sweatshirt and wet hair in public. Dawn would have NEVER done that.

She felt compelled to tell her what she looked like when Misty introduced herself, even though Dawn already didn't like her. After Misty's huge with Brock, she turned to face Dawn with a smile. "Hey! I'm Misty. You must be Dawn right? Ash mentioned you a few times in his letters but he never said anything else about you!" Misty introduced herself friendly as she reached out her un-manicured hand to shake Dawns'. Dawn herself reached out her moisturized, manicured hand to shake Misty's. She wished Ash had talked about her in his letters, heck she didn't even know he was writing Misty. She cleared her throat, and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Oh well I haven't heard much about you either. But I'm glad to meet you!" She lied easily to Misty. She leaned in closer to Misty and whispered so the boys wouldn't hear. "You know your hair is like, totally wet right? And you're wearing a ratty sweatshirt?" Dawn asked. "I mean like, you know like, boys are here right? I wouldn't want to be seen like in front of them." Misty looked slightly confused by Dawn's words but than she just giggled again.

"Yeah I just went swimming and got a little cold, so I threw a sweatshirt on!" Misty explained. "Anyways, you guys look great! I'm so glad you came to visit!" Misty clapped her hands together, and Ash and Brock both nodded.

"It's been way too long!" Ash agreed. He had dusted himself off, and was still admiring Misty's beauty. "You look beautiful Misty!" Ash surprised everyone there by his compliment, and Misty's cheeks grew bright red.

Brock pointed to the bulletin board where Misty had posted a flyer advertising the newest underwater ballet. "Are you the mermaid again Misty, now that your sisters are back from their tour?" Dawn groaned inwardly. She could picture Misty as a gorgeous underwater mermaid.

Misty nodded. "It's a new ballet, but this is the final week of it. My sisters played the mermaid on tour, but since they got back last month I've been playing the mermaid. In fact, we've only got one more performance! Afterwards, my sisters are going to actually start training to be gym leaders so I can get back out there to be the best Pokémon water trainer I can be!" Misty punched her arm in the air, a signature Ash move.

"Misty!" All four teens turned at the voice, to see a blond boy emerging from the gym. Ash was surprised to see a guy in the Cerulean gym, and he wondered if he was Misty's boyfriend. Dawn also wondered this, but was surprised at how cute this guy was. He had pretty cheekbones, red lips, long-ish blonde hair, tanned skin, and icy blue eyes.

"Oh! Guys this is Cameron. He's the younger brother of Violet's boyfriend Bentley. When my sisters were performing in Hoenn, Violet met Bentley and his brother. Violet and Bentley are still going strong, and he came live with us. Cameron is a really amazing trainer who subbed in for a girl named Annika at the Cyrus gym." As Misty introduced Cameron, Ash immediately disliked him. Did Misty think he was better than Ash? Misty continued introducing Cameron, but Ash didn't pay attention until Misty said, "Ash you and Cameron should totally battle each other! Cameron is leaving to go back to Cyrus gym to be co-leaders with Annika after the final performance, so you guys will have to battle before than!" Cameron nodded and smiled at Ash.

"That sounds fun, but unfortunately all my pokémon are with Annika." Cameron responded, sounding only slightly remorseful. Ash nodded mutely. Dawn glanced at Ash; he had a determined look on his face. Dawn's heart ached. She desperately wanted Ash to like her. She would have to upstage Misty somehow.

"So Misty, what's the new ballet about?" Dawn asked, and Misty's eyes lit up. She clapped her hands excitedly.

"It's this amazingly romantic story! So there is a peasant girl named Malia who's in love with this peasant boy named Alex. However, there is a princess named Dessa who is also in love Alex, despite the fact he is a peasant. When Alex tells Dessa that he can't marry her because he is in love with Malia, Dessa decides to have Malia drowned because she wants to be with Alex. The water pokémon save her from dying by turning her into a mermaid. When Dessa tells Alex that Malia is dead, Alex goes to the ocean to mourn when Malia shows up and tells him that she is alive, just as a mermaid. They try and still have their relationship, but Dessa finds out and wants Alex to be killed. But than their kingdom goes to war with another kingdom, and Alex is needed to fight. When they set out to fight, Malia hires another soldier to push Alex off the boat. Alex almost drowns, by Malia saves him. The pokémon offer the option of turning him into a merman, or returning him back to the human world. But they warn her that if he goes back, he will never be able to visit Malia again. Malia chooses for him to be a human, so he can be with his family and friends and help protect the kingdom. Her selfless attitude proves to help her, because the pokémon turn her back into a human princess and Alex into a prince while Dessa is a peasant." Misty gushed. Dawn nodded; it really was such a romantic story.

Ash however, was still focused on Cameron. He would look up the Cyrus gym once he got to the hotel. He broke out of his revive and smiled warmly at Misty.

He ran his hand through his shaggy hair before talking. "Hey Mist, we should probably get to our hotel to get cleaned up. I know Dawn wants to get freshened up!" He chuckled, glancing at Dawn. Misty's heart dropped. Did Ash have feelings for Dawn? He usually reserved that playful tone for her. Misty breathed deeply, trying to convince herself it didn't matter anyways. She pouted her lips with disappointment.

"Aw, I really wanted everyone to go to the beach!" Misty pouted. She really had missed spending time with Ash and Brock. She had been so busy at the gym that she just wanted to have fun for a week with her best friends.

Ash, Brock, and Dawn all looked at each other, trying to decide what to do. Brock spoke up first, "Well why don't we go check in, and than we'll meet you at the beach!" Brock suggested. Ash and Dawn nodded happily.

"I didn't even know there was a beach around here." Dawn remarked. "I thought it was just like, a huge city." Ash and Brock nodded in agreement. Ash didn't remember there ever being a beach amidst the smoggy city. Misty laughed again, and to Ash it sounded like wind chimes.

"You'd be surprised how much Cerulean City has changed. There's a really pretty beach now, and there's even a carnival going on tomorrow night! We should definitely go!!" Misty exclaimed. The others nodded in agreement. "But first, I should probably but some pants on!" Mist said with a giggle.

The group split off, Misty and Cameron going back into the gym while the others traveled to the hotel, which was about 10 minutes away. They agreed to meet at the beach in about an hour.

Misty didn't know how to handle herself around Ash anymore. She really loved him, and she was fooling herself to think that she didn't love him. She had tried dating other guys, but there had been no spark. She knew Cameron had feelings for her, and since he had taken on the role of Alex in the ballet, they had kissed many times. But again, she hadn't felt anything between them. She loved Ash far too much to have feelings for anybody else. She knew he didn't feel the same way about her, but she wished desperately that he did.

An hour later, Misty arrived at the beach with her Azurill, which had been sleeping earlier. After Dawn's comment, Misty was going to try to look better for the beach, but she hadn't ended up having time because her idiotic sister Lily had got Misty's Horsea stuck in Misty's Gyarados' tank and had need Misty's help to get Horsea out. She had ended up being wet and grimy and smelling slightly of a fish tank.

The rest of the group was already spread out over towels, and Misty secretly swooned over Ash's muscled chest. Brock didn't look too bad either, and Dawn looked cute in a white bikini. "Hey guys!" Misty chirped as she greeted her friends.

Ash gasped inwardly at Misty's appearance. Had she always been that….pretty? She now only wore a royal blue bikini that accented every feature. Her red hair shone in the sun, and her skin practically glowed. Her azure eyes sparkled, and Ash was surprised he had never noticed her eyes before. Her bikini showed her new...womanly figure which included her sexy curves and chest. Wow, Misty's sure grown up! He thought to himself. He then focused his attention to the Azurill that was in Misty's arms.

"Now who's this?" Ash asked, standing up and tickling the Azurill. The little blue pokémon responded with a "Ru ru!" Both Ash and Misty laughed, and Pikachu got up from sunbathing to greet the Azurill.

That was why Misty loved Ash, he generally loved pokémon. "This is Azurill, Tracey gave me an egg and this little guy hatched out of it!" Misty explained. She set her bag and towel down, and produced a brightly colored beach ball from her bag. "Now get off your butts lazies! Let's go play in the ocean!" Misty teasingly said before racing off to the splashing sapphire sea.

Ash and Brock quickly followed her, and Dawn begrudgingly got up from tanning. The teens splashed around in the water, tossing the beach ball to one each other. The quickly divided into teams of boy vs. girl, and really got into the game.

"Dawn! Here!" Misty shrieked as she tossed the ball to Dawn right over Ash's head, right before Ash tackled Misty. Ash grabbed Misty's waist, and pull her close to him so that her arms were pressed to his chest.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Ash teased at Misty. Misty's face turned a bright crimson, she and Ash's faces were literally two or less inches away from each other. Ash blushed too, but didn't let go. He kinda liked holding Misty. He felt really strong, like he could protect her from any evil in the world, like it was his job.

Misty bit her lip. She loved being this close to Ash. She felt his boy heat envelop her like a fuzzy blanket on a cold winter day. She smiled at Ash, slightly bashfully. "Yeah, you got me." She said quietly.

When Dawn looked behind her to see Misty and Ash in a close embrace, she was so shocked she almost dropped the beach ball. However, she was more surprised to see the giant wave coming. "ASH! MISTY! Watch out for the wave!" Dawn screamed. Brock grabbed Dawn's hand and began to pull her to the shore in order to get out of the way of the wave.

Ash quickly realized the wave, and released his grip on Misty and began to swim away, but stopped abruptly when he realized Misty wasn't following him. "Misty! C'mon! I know you're a good swimmer but we have to get out!" Ash called out. Misty responded quickly with a panicked tone.

"I'm trying! My hair is caught on something!" Misty exclaimed as she tugged on her long, red locks. It was too late though, and the giant wave crashed over all of them. Ash, Dawn, and Brock all ducked underneath the surface, and felt the rush as the wave moved over them. Ash popped up once he felt the wave past, and was relieved when he saw Dawn's blue haired head and Brock's spiky locks. But where is Misty? Ash wondered. Dawn wondered the same thing. As much as she didn't want to like Misty, she had really grown on Dawn. And maybe, if they weren't both in love with Ash they would have been best friends. Even though they had only spent a few minutes together, Dawn kind of aspired to be more like Misty, and less, well like herself.

"Everyone go underneath and look for her!" Dawn shouted. She dove underneath the surface, and felt the salt sting her eyes as she opened them to search for that flash of red hair. All she could see were a few Krabby and a small school of Magikarp. Brock wasn't having much luck either.

Ash swam diligently, his eyes and skin stinging for the salt but he was determined to find Misty. Finally, when he ran out of breath he arose to the surface to see Brock and Dawn. "Brock, go see if there is a lifeguard and bring her out. Dawn, go to Misty's backpack to see if she brought any pokémon with her. Try and grab Corsola, Goldeen, or Dewgong. Let them out and bring them in here. I'm going to keep looking." Ash instructed before he dove underneath.

Dawn and Brock quickly got out of the water and went to do their jobs. Dawn grabbed Misty's pack and quickly began to look through it. It was a large pack, and it became evident that Misty was very messy. She sorted through endless letters and handouts, a small vial labeled: Poképotion, a few sticks of random gum, a few chapsticks, a random pair of gold hoop earrings, and photos before finding a single pokéball. However, before releasing whatever pokémon was inside the ball, Dawn grabbed a picture that caught her eyes.

It was obviously an older picture, because the edges were slightly worn and Brock, Ash, and Misty looked impossibly young. Dawn was pretty sure it was Ash's house, because in the background was a mailbox with the name KETCHUM printed on it. Brock, Ash, and Misty all stood on a cobblestone pathway, and they all looked like they were laughing. Ash and Brock were both holding Misty, with Ash holding her head and shoulders and Brock holding her waist and legs. Misty's arms were around Ash's neck, and they were all laughing about something. Pikachu and Togepi were holding hands underneath Misty. It was an adorable picture.

It was easy for Dawn to see that both Ash and Misty liked each other, probably even loved each other. Ash was too dense to realize it, and Misty was to shy to openly admit it. It didn't mean that Dawn was going to give up, but she sure would have to work a lot harder. She would talk to Brock later, just to make sure that her revelations were true.

She grabbed the pokéball and got up and ran to Brock who was flirting miserably with the pretty lifeguard. For some reason, the girl was eating it up.

"Your blonde hair shines like the sun's sparkling rays on a midsummer night's day and your glittering royal blue eyes remind me of the deep seas you patrol!" Brock gushed. The girl, had curly blonde hair down to her shoulders and had a deep tan. Dawn grabbed Brock's ear and pinched.

"Please excuse my friends behavior, but out other friend got swept under by a huge wave and we can't find her. We need your help!" Dawn spoke so quickly that her words sounded garbled, even to her. However, the lifeguard seemed to understand her. The athletic girl quickly grabbed her red life ring and began running towards the ocean. Dawn released the pokéball, only to find the ball empty.

Meanwhile, Ash was tirelessly searching the ocean floor. In the back of his mind, his brain shouted that Misty might be dead. He refused to believe that, he wasn't sure what her would do. But then he saw a red flash of hair, and his heart leaped. He grabbed Misty by the waist again, and pulled her above water. Luckily, it was shallow and he was able to stand.

Misty's body felt cold and limp in his hands. He swooped her up in his arms, and was surprised how light she was as he brought her out of the water and set her gently in the sand. He heard rushed voices, and saw Brock, Dawn, and a blonde girl running towards him.

"How long as she been unconscious?" The blonde girl asked Ash. Ash shrugged, he wasn't quite sure but knew the girl needed a direct answer.

"Uh I would say at the most, 15 minutes." Ash said hesitantly. The girl nodded briskly, and looked like she was about to perform mouth to mouth when Misty began coughing Ash moved to support Misty's head.

Misty tried to sit up, but the blonde girl stopped her. "Hi Misty, my name is Carly. I think you passed out underwater. Before you get up, we need to make sure you're okay. Can you tell me your last name, what day of the week it is, and who these people are?" Carly asked gently.

Misty nodded, and blinked her eyes a few times. "My name is Misty Waterflower. It's Monday. I'm with Ash, Brock, and Dawn." Misty recited. Carly nodded happily.

"Be careful getting up, and don't exert yourself too much today and get a good night's sleep tonight and you'll be fine." Carly promised. Misty smiled, and thank her and they all got up to leave. Brock and Carly continued to flirt more, and successfully swapped numbers.

"Brock getting a girl? What is the world coming too?" Misty joked as they gathered up their stuff. They all laughed, and the seriousness of the day melted away. Brock and Ash carried Misty's stuff as they began to walk back to the city.

Ash had been meaning to ask Misty a question that he had wondering about the whole time at the beach, and wondered how to phrase it so he wouldn't sound like a jerk. Wow, Ash Ketchum thinking before speaking? I AM growing up! Ash thought proudly. "So Misty, why didn't Cameron join us?" Ash asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, he's spending some time with his brother. Bentley will be staying her with Violet, whilst Cameron is going back out." Misty explained. "So guys, I was thinking we would go out to dinner but I should probably rest tonight for the carnival tomorrow. So I think I'm going to head back, and we'll have dinner on Wednesday night okay?" The others nodded in agreement. It would be nice to have a fun day tomorrow.

"Misty are you sure you'll be alright getting home?" Ash asked, his voice dripping with concern. Misty nodded and smiled.

"I'll be just fine, thanks though. See you guys bright and early at 8:30 at my gym tomorrow, okay?" Misty confirmed because the group went their separate ways.

Later, at the hotel when Ash was in the shower, Dawn took the opportunity to ask Brock about Misty and Ash's relationship. "So Brock," Dawn began tentatively. "Can I ask you something?" Brock nodded with a big smile on his face. Brock was always so easy to talk too, Dawn thought.

"Go ahead Dawn, you can always ask me anything." Brock said, waiting to hear Dawn's question. Dawn breathed deeply and cleared her throat. She sat down on the bed and fiddled with the ends of her hair.

"So like, what is Ash and Misty's relationship like?" Dawn asked, trying not to let emotion seep into her voice. Brock chuckled a little, and sat down on his bed.

"That's a more complicated question than you think." Brock said with a chuckle. He was quiet for a minute, he seemed to be reminiscing. "When we were all younger, they used to bicker like crazy. That seems to have gone away with the years, but I'm sure we'll see it resurface. They're really close, they definitely trust each other with their lives. They can tell each other anything – except the truth. It's obvious to me that they have feelings for each other because I traveled with them for so long. Ash has never seen Misty as a girl, Misty is so easygoing I think Ash forgot that she wasn't just 'one of the boys.' Misty has made her feelings pretty clear, but Ash is too thick headed to see it and Misty probably doesn't feel like she can expose her feelings truly. If Misty hadn't left, I'm not sure what would have happened." Brock explained honestly. It looked like he was about to say more, but than Ash appeared out of the shower.

"Whose ready for dinner?" Ash asked chirpily. Dawn and Brock just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Typical Ash.

That night, Misty was lying awake in her bed. She couldn't let herself drift into sleep's safe arms just yet. She was thinking about Ash, as usual. She felt so whole with him and it was like when she wasn't with him than she wasn't herself, like there was a piece of her missing. She thought about how amazing it had been when Ash had been holding her. She desperately wanted Ash to hold her all the time, for him to be hers. She wanted the playful bicker between them again. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to travel with him. She shocked herself with the last though. Misty hadn't planned on leaving her sisters quite so quickly, but the timing was perfect.

She also wanted to wrap her arms around Ash and kiss him forever. Suddenly, Misty had an idea. Why couldn't Ash, Brock, and Dawn be in the last performance of the ballet? Dawn could play Dessa, Brock could play the army general and Alex's father, and Ash could play Alex! It was so perfect. Misty could finally kiss Ash! Misty was sure that her sisters would agree. Daisy knew Misty had feelings for Ash, and since Misty was the only Waterflower who didn't have a steady stream of boys lining up, Misty was sure Daisy would pity her.

Misty would have to ask Cameron though, and she felt so energized she leaped off of her bed and opened her door. She ran down the corridor to Cameron's room and barged in before knocking.

Cameron was lying shirtless on his bed, wearing nothing but baggy blue sweatpants. He was writing something a worn, leather book. He greeted her with a warm smile. "Hey Mist. What's up? Come for another late night visit?" Cameron asked mischievously. Misty blushed furiously. About three weeks ago, Misty had a dream that Ash was going out with May, which was ridiculous on many levels since May and Ash weren't traveling together and May was in love with Drew, but it had upset Misty anyways. She had come into Cameron's room in tears, and she hadn't meant for anything to happen, but they had shared a tiny, harmless kiss. It didn't mean anything to Misty, but she was pretty sure Cameron was never going to forget it.

Misty instantly felt self-conscious and had forgotten she was wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy shorts and faded t-shirt with no bra on under it. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat down at the edge of Cameron's bed.

"Haha, err no. But I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?" Misty questioned. Cameron nodded, and ran his hand through his blond hair. "I was wondering if you would mind if my friends performed in the ballet, and took your spot as the prince? I haven't asked my sisters or anything, but I'm pretty sure they won't mind." Misty looked hopefully at Cameron, wishing he would say yes.

Cameron chuckled before answering. He closed his leather book, and scooted closer to Misty on the bed. " Of course I don't mind! But I will miss kissing you!" He smiled, and touched his finger to Misty's blushing cheek. "Lemme guess, Ash as Alex?" Misty nodded bashfully. Cameron chuckled again. "How will Dawn like that?:

"Wait, what? Ash and Dawn aren't a thing." Misty stated firmly. She knew they weren't, Ash would have told her in his letters. There hadn't been any signs either. Sure, Dawn was really pretty and she tried really hard but Misty couldn't picture them together. Cameron lifted his eyebrows, as if to say 'whatever you say' but didn't say anything. Misty was sure that Ash and Dawn weren't a thing, but she would ask Dawn anyways.

"I don't mind. It'll give me a chance to get to know your friends better too." Cameron said, and Misty sighed with relief. "But, I do want one last kiss, a good bye kiss." Misty's cheeks turned bright red for the hundredth time that day.

"Alright, fine. But not right now." Misty smiled cheekily and gave Cameron a hug before bounding off to her room again.

That morning, Misty heard a knock on the door of the gym and quickly grabbed her bag from her desk and ran to get the door before her sisters could, so Brock wouldn't start flirting.

"Hey guys!" Misty answered the door a little breathlessly. She quickly shut the door behind her and than turned to her friends and smiled. Ash swallowed deeply. Misty looked so pretty! She wore tiny, dark wash jean shorts and a tight white t-shirt with CERULEAN in dark blue letters. She wore her long hair in braids. Her t-shirt exposed her sculpted abs and Ash had trouble looking away.

Dawn appreciated the fact that Misty looked like she actually tried for once, despite the fact she was supposed to discourage Misty from looking pretty. "So where is this carnival?" Dawn asked. She loved festivals of any kind, they were so fun!

"Well it's actually a fair, it's called the Cerulean Celebration. It's about three miles away, it's closer to the beach than the city. I've never been, but I have a map!" Misty said confidently as the group began walking.

Ash began laughing. "Misty, there is no way I'm following your directions. You used to get us lost almost all the time!" Ash said, grabbing the map from Misty's hands. Misty scowled.

"Okay, excuse me MR. KETCHUM but I always pointed out the directions and you failed to follow them, so actually you used to always get us lost!" Misty retorted, snatching the map back.

"That is so false!" Ash grabbed the map.

"Uh, no! It's not! And this is my hometown so I know where things are better than you do!" Misty tried to get the map back, but Ash wouldn't let go of it.

"No you don't!" He exclaimed.

"Yes I do!" She shrieked.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Brock finally broke up the quarrel by seizing the map from both of them. He chuckled before opening the map. "You guys would always bicker on which was right, and I would figure out how to get there. So I believe you are both bad at directions, therefore I will take control!" Brock settled the dispute easily. He was pro at that, he had a lot of practice.

Dawn suddenly felt left out, as if there was some big inside joke that she was missing. She tried to ignore ht pit in her stomach as they walked around. They finally reached the fair grounds, and walked over to the little blue ticket booth where an acne-ridden boy was selling tickets.

There was a steady stream of chatter among the group, and hundreds of people dressed in brightly colored clothes rushed by. The appetizing smells of popcorn, caramel apples, cotton candy, and burgers wafted through the air. Vividly colored rides and amusements dotted the huge property.

The boy spotted Misty and began waving eagerly. "Hi Misty! Hi!" The boy smiled and shouted happily. Misty blushed again, and gave a small wave back. "How are ya Mist?" The boy asked, a big grin on his face. Ash bristled. Mist was Ash's nickname for Misty. Who was this kid anyway?

"Hi Wally. Can we get four wristbands for the fair?" Misty asked politely, handing him the money. . The boy stared bashfully at his shoes before exchanging the money for wristbands.

"Have a good time Misty. Call me if you ever wanna hang!" The boy exclaimed. Misty nodded and doled out the wristbands to everyone before entering the fair.

"Geez Misty how many guys are in love with you?" Dawn joked. They all chuckled, except for Ash. Misty just kept blushing, and changed the topic quickly.

"This looks great! Want to go on the Tilt-a-whir?" Misty asked eagerly. The others agreed and everyone made their way to the purple-and-white ride. Dawn made sure that she was next to Ash when the ride manager sorted them into pairs.

Ash and Dawn sat down in the little cart booth and strapped themselves into their seatbelts. Dawn tried to keep up a constant chatter with Ash, but it was obvious Ash's mind was somewhere else.

"Hey Ash, where's Pikachu?" Dawn asked, thinking of SOMETHING that might get Ash talking. After a moment of silence Dawn poked him. "Ash? You in there?" She teased. Ash blushed and chuckled nervously.

"Uh yeah, sorry Dawn. Pikachu stayed home with Azurill because Misty and I didn't want them to get lost." Ash explained. Dawn nodded, and then squealed as the ride slowly started.

In the cart ahead of Ash and Dawn, Brock and Misty were having no trouble with conversation. "Ah, I'm so nervous! I love and hate rides at the same time!" Misty squealed. Brock threw back his head and laughed.

"I used to be scared of these things, but all my brothers and sisters made me ride these things so often, I'm pretty much immune to fear on rides now." Brock joked. "So anyways, I was going to invite Carly to come today, but she had to work. I was wondering if you guys would mind if I invited her to dinner with us?"

Mist shook her head, and twirled a finger around the end of her braid. "I was unconscious for most of the time, but she seemed really sweet. Of course we wouldn't mind!" Misty then quietly yelped as the ride started. "'Eeek! I'm already scared!" Misty quickly grabbed Brock's hand and leaned in closer.

Ash hadn't been paying attention until now, but he saw Misty grab Brock's hand and go closer to him. He felt a strange twinge in his stomach. It was weird seeing Brock and Misty embrace. He wondered if Misty maybe liked Brock? He had always felt like Brock was a big brother figure to him, and had assumed Misty felt the same way. But what if they had liked each other the whole time they were traveling? Ash suddenly felt very awkward. He didn't really understand what was going on He almost felt jealous, but he wasn't sure why. He reached for Dawn's hand though, and squeezed it.

"I'm here if you get scared." Ash said kindly to Dawn, and Dawn felt little shivers travel down her spine. Maybe Ash really does care! Dawn thought excitedly. But then she saw Misty and Brock's hand joined, Dawn felt angry. Ash obviously liked Misty, but he probably didn't even know it yet. He just grabbed hand because Misty had grabbed Brock's hand. Dawn breathed deeply she felt resentment towards Ash for using her, but didn't moved her hand away because it just felt too good.

The ride ended a few minutes later, and four teens wobbled off the ride, the equilibrium slightly off. The all laughed about the ride, and then continued to ride the Ferris wheel, the Merry-go-round, and the Twister. Misty suggested they ride one larger ride and then break for lunch.

"That one looks pretty menacing!" Brock said, pointing to a medium-sized rollercoaster. They all agreed and got in line. Ash tried to interpret signs of a Brock/Misty romance, but Misty playfully joked with Ash the same she did with Brock.

"I hate rollercoasters! I like them after they're over, but definitely not during!" Dawn exclaimed nervously. She ran her hand over her shiny, straight locks and smoothed her shirt. She was pleased with her outfit choice for the fair. She wore light-washed shorts and a pink puff-sleeve shirt.

Dawn had tried to get with Ash for the seats, but he and Misty ended up being in front and Dawn and Brock behind them. "Ash I'm warning you, I get really grabby on rides." Misty said playfully. Inside she was thrilled she would have a chance to grab on to Ash. She wasn't sure how Ash would react, but Ash just lifted his arm and put it around Misty.

"I'm here if you get scared." He promised. Misty's heart pounded so rapidly, she was surprised that no one else could hear it. She leaned in closer to him and rested his head on his shoulder. "I'm glad we're friends Mist." Ash said happily. Misty's heart sunk. Of course, just friends. She thought disappointedly.

"In fact," He continued. "I'm so glad that all of us are all friends." He embellished. Nobody else quite understood what he meant, but they all agreed heartily anyway. The ride started, and the little cart started slowly going uphill. They reached the top, and then whooshed down the other side.

"Ahhh!" Misty screamed, and grabbed Ash's waist and buried her face in his chest. Ash closed his eyes and brought Misty's closer to him. He buried his face in her air. Her hair smelled delicious, he though, likes vanilla and honey. The ride ended a few minutes later, and the group untangled themselves from one each other.

They got off the ride, and walked over to the food stands. Ash was practically foaming at the mouth he was so hungry, by Dawn wanted to go to the bathroom and Misty decided to go with her. Once the girls were down and were washing their hand and fixing their hair, Misty breathed deeply and began to talk to Dawn about Ash.

"So Dawn, I was thinking and I thought it would be really great if you guys were in the final performance of Changing Tides, you know, the water ballet? It would mean so much to me to have my friends in the performance, and even though we've just met I really like you and consider you one of my friends. But the only role you could have would be Dessa, and I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with Ash being Alex because my character and Alex kiss and I didn't know if you and Ash had a thing or something…"Misty spoke quickly, but Dawn understood;

It became the point where Dawn had to make a decision. She could either tell Misty that she liked Ash deeply and although they didn't have a 'thing', that she thought something might develop. She could say that she wouldn't be comfortable Misty kissing Ash. But Dawn knew that would be wrong. She say the way that Ash and Misty looked at each other. Dawn also knew that Ash really liked Misty, even though he probably didn't know it yet. She had to do the right thing. And now she would, like, totally play matchmaker!

Dawn smiled brightly, now eager to fill her position of matchmaker. "Misty, there is nothing between Ash and I. I used to have a little crush on him, but it think it's just because he and Brock are the only guys I've ever been with alone. I see the way you and Ash look at each other. There is definitely something between you guys, and even if you both are too shy to admit it, there is, I would love to play Dessa in the ballet!" Dawn agreed happily. Misty squealed and hugged her new friend tightly.

"Thank you so much Dawn!" Misty thanked profusely. "And, really thank you for your words. They mean a lot to me." Misty smiled at Dawn, and Dawn returned it.

When the girls returned to the food stand, they were surprised to find Brock, Ash, and Cameron seated at a table for five with multiple foods on the table. Misty gave Cameron a puzzled glance before sitting down between Ash and Brock.

"Hey Cam, what are you doing here?" Misty asked Cameron easily as she helped herself to some fries.

"Just thought I'd stop by." Cameron said with a smile as he reached for his coke. "So guys, what do you think of Misty's proposition for Changing Tides?" Cameron asked. Brock and Ash looked confused, and before anyone could say anything else, Misty jumped in.

"Actually I was just talking to Dawn about this in the bathroom! I would really love it if you guys would be in the last performance with me, it would mean a lot to me and be really fun! They're pretty easy roles to do, no dancing or anything because that's my job. You guys will love it, they're so fun! My sisters think it would be a good idea too. So what do you guys think?" Misty asked hopefully.

Brock and Ash gave each other slightly doubtful looks, but wanted to do the right thing for Misty. "Sure Misty, I'd love too!" Brock agreed earnestly. Ash glanced at Brock suspiciously. He still wasn't sure if Brock and Misty and Misty had something together, but he wasn't going to let Brock one-up him,

"I would too!" Ash quickly followed. Cameron's smile drooped a little bit, but a second later it was back, and there was a gleam in his icy blue eyes.

"Ash you do know that your character has to kiss Misty's right?" Cameron smirked slightly wickedly and glimpsed at Misty. Her face was blushing, as usual.

"It's not big deal." Misty said hastily. She didn't want Ash to back out just because of a little kiss. "It's just a kiss, it doesn't mean anything." Cameron scowled slightly, and Ash looked a little lost.

"It IS a big deal actually, a kiss is not merely just a kiss." Cameron argued. Ash nodded, agreeing with him. Misty was shocked. She didn't really expect Ash and Cameron to get a long that well.

"I agree. A kiss does actually mean something." Ash agreed. Brock looked surprised, but didn't say anything to add to the conversation. Ash's comment set Misty over the edge.

"No it doesn't!" Misty argued back.

"Yes it does!" Ash shot back,

"No!"

"Yes! Misty since when are you so unromantic?" Ash remarked. Misty gasped a little and her face turned bright red with anger.

"No it doesn't! It means something if you like the person, and there is a real connection between the two. However, if you kiss somebody who you don't have feelings for, it really is JUST a kiss!" Misty shrieked. "Look, I'll prove it to you. Brock is like a brother to me, and I have NO romantic feelings for him at all. I can kiss him, not feel anything, and have it just be a kiss!" With that, Misty turned to Brock and grabbed his face a bit aggressively and gently pressed her lips to Brock's face.

Everyone let out a little gasp, not expecting that action at all. Ash felt a twinge in his stomach again and he suddenly felt very angry. "Fine you're right! Are you happy? I agree!" Ash shouted. Misty looked a little smug.

"Yeah right Ash, you just don't want to make me angry." Misty taunted, playful edge to her voice. Ash curled his hand into a fist and bit his lip.

"I've never cared about making you angry, so why would I start now? I actually agree with you for once! And I'll prove it!" Ash retorted. He turn to Dawn, and gently pressed his lips to hers. Dawn had been pretty quiet during this argument, and although she didn't really have any feelings for Ash anymore, she melted inside. It just felt so good! Plus Misty hadn't outright admitted she liked Ash…

Misty gasped. She couldn't believe Ash just kissed Dawn! Sure, she had kissed Brock but it was Brock for pete's sake! "Fine." She said simply. She felt really hurt, even though she had no reason. "Who wants to go to the tunnel of mystery?" Misty asked, trying to sound excited. The group agreed, and they threw out their trash and began walking.

Misty sighed, she was going to go do a really awkward thing now. She ran up to Brock, and tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey Brock, can I talk to you for a second?" Misty asked nervously. Brock nodded and waved his hand in a way to urge Misty to continue. "This is so awkward, but I just wanted to clarify that I don't have feelings like that for you. With all the kissing and grabbing going on today, I just wanted to make sure you and I were on the same page. I think we are, but I wanted to be 100%. You're like a big brother to me, and one of my best friends ever." Misty said hopefully, looking up at the tall man beside her. Brock chuckled and put his arm around his friend.

"No worries Misty, I feel exactly the same way about you. I really care about you, and glad we're so close." Brock agreed. Misty smiled happily, glad her friendship with Brock had not been affected.

Ash of course, had only heard the last part of Brock and Misty's conversation. He felt a pit in his stomach and he knew he needed to talk to Misty.

"Hey Mist, wanna ride together?" He asked, pointing to a two-person boat in line for the Tunnel of Mystery. She nodded happily and seated herself.

As soon as the boat glided into the tunnel, Ash turned to Misty. "So is there something going on between you and Brock?" Ash asked accusingly, his voice hard and angry. Misty gasped a little and then violently shook her head.

"No no! Of course not! Ash how dumb are you? Brock is like my big brother I never had." Misty said, touching Ash's shoulder lightly. "You have to believe me." Misty said softly. Ash nodded, and put his hand on Misty's knee. He was greatly relived.

" I do, don't worry." He said quietly. The pair was silent for a moment before Ash cleared his throat and spoke again. "But, I am curious. Why don't you see me as a big brother? We're practically the same age. Is it because you don't trust me?" Misty's heart cracked a little bit when she heard the slight pain in his voice. If only she could tell him how she really felt…

Instead, she expressed herself the best way she knew how. Through violence. "Ash Ketchum how dare you think I don't trust you! You mean way more to me than Brock ever will." She shrieked smacking him on his shoulder. Ash blushed and just laughed.

The day continued with rides, junk food, and laughs and the five friends were enjoying themselves so much that they decided just to stay for dinner at the fair. It was too late to walk all the ways back to the hotel, so Misty promised that Brock, Ash, and Dawn could just spend the night at the gym. Misty offered that they just say at the gym for the rest of the vacation anyways, saying they had plenty of room and a hotel was a waste of money.

Misty proposed that Dawn would sleep in her room, and Brock and Ash share the only guest bedroom left right next to her room. While Dawn showered and Ash and Brock changed in Cameron's room, Misty set up the guest room for her friends. She brought in extra pillows and blankets for the two single beds, stored all the pointless junk that cluttered the room in the closet, and wiped off the dusty dressers. She was surprised to find a framed picture of her mother inside one of the dresser drawers. Her heat throbbed extra hard, and Misty felt tears forming in the back of her eyes when she saw this photo. Misty guessed her mom was about twenty-three, a year before she got married. She was sitting on a big rock by the ocean, and she wore old looking jeans with a slightly ratty dark blue fleece pullover. She was looking slightly up and to the right to the camera, and she smiled brightly, revealing her sparkling white, perfectly- straight teeth. Her hair was a slightly lighter red color than Misty's, and her hair was bit curlier, but other than that they looked almost identical. Freckles dotted her cheeks and nose, and there was a sparkling engagement ring on her hand.

"Aw Misty is that your mom? She was beautiful. She looks just like you!" Ash appeared behind her. Misty jumped and let out a little shriek. She slammed the frame down on the dresser, shattering the glass. Ash was shocked to see tears running down Misty's round cheeks and was even more startled when she ran out of the room. What have I done now?

Ash pondered, very confused.

Ash waited a few moments, still in slight shock from what had just happened. He gently picked up the photo, and stared it for a few minutes. He took it out from the frame, brushed the broken glass from the dresser into the trash, and dumped the frame in as well. He gently laid the photo back on the dresser and then slipped out his door and went outside. He opened Misty's door without knocking, and was surprised to see Misty completely naked, slipping off her underwear. Misty opened the door to her bathroom in her room without noticing Ash. Ash's mouth was hanging open and he blinked a few times. He suddenly felt like a disgusting pervert, and swiftly ran back to his room. Brock walked in and gave Ash a puzzled look, but Ash just ignored him.

Ash waited until after he heard the squeak of Misty's shower turned off before he stood up to go back to her room. He waited five extra minutes, because hell hath no fury like Misty when she was angry, and she would definitely be angry if Ash walked in on her naked. Again.

He knocked on the door, and opened it when he heard Misty's quiet "Come in." He walked in, and was a little taken back when he saw Misty curled up on her bed. Her hair was sopping wet, and she wore a pair of little blue shorts and a tie-dye sweatshirt. Her creamy skin was a little flushed and her beautiful aquamarine eyes a little red. Ash smiled gently and went lay down next to her. He felt her legs were still damp and resisted the urge to pull the covers over her.

Misty's whole body zinged when Ash lay down next to her. When he touched her knee, she felt like she was being electrocuted. But her body was heavy and tired from crying, and although the nice warm shower had helped, she still felt horrible. Misty glanced at Ash. He looked adorable, as always. She hadn't really had a chance to look at him up close yet. His messy black hair was a little longer, and more freckles dusted his perfect cheeks. His deep chocolate eyes sparkled as usual, and his smile was large and bright. He wore a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants. It was weird to see him without his jeans, jacket, or hat.

"Do you want to talk to about your mom?" Ash asked quietly, not being pushy but being considerate. Misty took a deep breath, and nodded. Ash nodded, urging her to start and Misty squeezed her eyes and took another deep breath.

"I guess I should start from the beginning." Misty began hesitantly. Ash nodded again, and swept a piece of damp hair away from Misty's face. Misty blushed. It felt so nice to be with Ash, she thought. "My mom met my dad when she was traveling with a different group of guys. My dad was the Cerulean gym leader. She was traveling to study different pokémon and their characteristics. She met my dad when her friend was battling my dad." Misty looked slyly at Ash. "Sound familiar?" She asked, thinking of her, Ash, and Rudy. Ash just looked puzzled, so Misty continued on.

"They said they fell in love instantly. Love-at-first-sight kind of thing I guess. My dad decided to leave the gym temporarily and travel with my mom. After four years of traveling, they came back here to Cerulean. They got married a year and a half later and had Daisy. My mom wanted lots of kids, she grew up in a family of five. My dad didn't really want kids, he wanted to go back out there and travel. He loved Daisy, Lily, and Violet though. But when my mom got pregnant with me 7 years after Violet, my dad was furious. He didn't want another kid. I was born though, and my dad pretty much hated me. He encouraged my sisters to taunt and tease me, and he himself called me 'scrawny runt' and 'lazy sloth'. I was my mom's favorite though, and that made it all okay. She loved how I had her hair and eyes, and how although I was quiet that I was feisty. I knew what I wanted and I most of the time stood up for myself. My mom really loved me, we did everything together. I think my parents were madly in love with each other, but it was different once I was born. I feel like my mom grew to dislike my dad's changed personality, but knew she was still madly in love with him. My mom got cancer when I was eight. The doctors found it too late, and they said she only had two months left. My mom refused to spend her last two months in chemo, so she didn't do anything at all. She died a month and two weeks later. I thought my world was over, she was my everything. My dad took it the worst though, he worked constantly. He barely ever slept or ate. He just battled and cleaned and trained. I pretty much took care of myself. My sisters continued to teased me, and I felt like I didn't have anybody who loved me anymore. My dad died of heart failure six months after my mom died. He was a healthy man, and the doctors could not figure out the cause of it. I think it's safe to say he died of a broken heart. Luckily, when I was 9, Daisy was 16 so she could take care of me. Daisy really softened when she became my legal guardian. She didn't tease me half as much, and tried to do things to help me. But I still couldn't take it anymore though, and that's why I left to go on a journey. That's when I met you. You changed my life Ash. I'm not sure where I would be without you." Misty said softly. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and Ash pulled her close to him comfortingly.

"My mom showered me with love, but my dad never once said "I love you. I think that's why it's so hard for me to say it. I can't tell the one I love the most that I love him and he doesn't get the hints. He's too dense." Misty smiled crookedly at Ash, wondering if he knew she was talking about him. Ash was disgruntled. Did she mean Rudy? He was so confused. Misty put her arms around Ash's muscular waist and laid her head on his body.

Ash could feel Misty's petite body trembling, and he wrapped his arms around comfortingly, The pair was quiet for a moment before Ash cleared his throat. "Misty, can I tell you about my father?" Ash asked softly, and Misty heard the emotion burning behind the question." Ash ex

"Yes. I'd like to hear about him actually. I've never really heard you talk about him." Misty responded gently. She was actually really curious about Ash's father, but Brock had warned her never to ask.

"My mom was a freshman in high school when she met him. His name was Gio or something. It was longer than that, but I didn't quite catch it when my mom told me He was a year older than her. She described him to me as 'tall, dark, and handsome'. They dated on and off during high school, they would go out for six months and than break up for two, and then get back together for eight. She broke up with him when he left for college because she thought that long distance relationships always resulted in heartbreak, and their relationship was rough enough plained. Being a girl, Misty felt like she understood what Delia Ketchum must have felt like.

"She went to college, and was obviously surprised when she found out that he hadn't gone to college at all, but had been learning the tricks of the trade for his mother's family business near her school. Mom said that his family was a little strange and very secretive. They got back together almost instantaneously and were together for four straight years. They decided to go back to Pallet, where they had both grown up. He decided to travel to become a master, but my mom didn't go because she didn't feel like she could. In the beginning, he wrote every day and kept in touch and even visited almost three times a month. But after about three months, he came to visit and said he couldn't be with her anymore but he loved her. He said he would never love anyone as much as he loved her, and she was his true love. He just left. Two weeks later, my mom found out she was pregnant. She never told him." Ash's voice got a little choked and Misty grabbed his hand and squeezed. She felt so much for Ash.

"She says she's so glad she had me, and I'm the best thing in her life. I believe her, but I think I'm the best thing in her life partly because I'm a piece of him. She has something that she shares with him forever. I know she still loves him, I found a whole huge box filled with memorabilia. I used to think she and Professor Oak had a thing, but she said not to worry because her heart would always belong to someone else." Ash smiled, thinking of his mom. Misty smiled too.

"I love my mom so much. She gave me everything. But I sometimes feel like there is major components missing from me because I didn't grow up with a father. " Ash said softly. He seemed to be mulling over something in his head. Misty nodded. She understood what Ash meant.

"It's really hard for me to tell somebody that I love them." Misty said softly. "I can't tell the person I love the most that I love them, and at this rate they'll never know. I don't want to end up like your mom, being in love with someone forever and not being with them. It's so hard. " Misty murmured. Misty yawned, and than lay her head on Ash's chest and promptly fell asleep. Ash followed in pursuit but was thinking about what Misty had said.

Dawn walked in about fifteen minutes later. She felt so refreshed! She had taken a forty-five minute shower, and than proceeded to paint her nails with Violet and call her mom to tell her to wire Dawn some more money for Dawn to shopping. Dawn let out a little gasp when she saw Misty and Ash entwined on the bed, but she saw they were sound asleep. Dawn grinned hugely, and quietly grabbed her bag before slipping out the door and into Brock's room.

"Ash and Misty fell asleep in the other room so I'm crashing here." Dawn explained as she dumped her stuff beside Ash's bed. Brock nodded. Dawn peered over Brock's shoulder to see him texting Carly. "So how's Carlyyyyy?" Dawn teased, Brock blushed, and than grinned.

"Good." He answered simply. Dawn smiled wickedly. Brock must be really into this girl if he wasn't spilling details about her.

Ash woke up with a startle. He momentarily forgot where he was, and was about to get up when he noticed a petite redhead sleeping on him. He tried not move as not to wake her, and leaned his head back against a pillow He had just had the weirdest dream.

It was like a fast-forward of all the adventures he had with Misty and Brock. From the very beginning when Ash ruined Misty's bike from when Misty, Ash, and Brock had been at the mirage kingdom. It was weird; it was like noticing little details about Misty that he hadn't noticed when it actually happened. Like how Misty blushed when someone though she and Ash were a couple, how she got angry when someone flirted with Ash, and how she always had guys all over her. She and that gym leader Danny had definitely had a thing. Then there was Rudy, who had even asked her to stay. Ash thought about what Misty had said before they had fallen asleep. "I can't tell the person I love the most that I love them, and at this rate they'll never know. I don't want to end up like your mom, being in love with someone forever and not being with them. It's so hard."

Had she meant Rudy? Did she regret staying with Ash because she was in love with Rudy and never got to told him how she felt? Ash felt sick to his stomach. He hated the idea of Misty and Rudy together. He felt so confused. His thoughts were muddled and he felt like his heart was in his stomach. He was surprised by the jealousy that raced that coursed through his veins at the thought of Misty and Rudy together. He felt so protective of his friend. He had never felt like this before. Did he….love Misty?

Is that why felt so protective of her? Why he was so jealous? He had known Misty for almost seven years, and they had been just kids when they had met. Had he always loved her and not realized it? Is that why they fought all the time? Misty was everything Ash wanted in a girl. She was beautiful, but she also very smart. She stood up for herself and had strong opinions. She knew who she was, and never tried to be anything she wasn't. She was very gentle and kind, and she had a great sense of humor. She was easygoing and could adapt to pretty much anything. She had always been there for Ash, and had saved his life multiple times.

But it was Misty. He couldn't love Misty. Or could he? He felt a rush of emotions and gently shook the sleeping girl. "Hey Mist?" Ash asked quietly. Misty groggily opened her eyes and let out and adorable yawn.

"Yes Ash?" Misty responded blearily. Ash put one finger under her chin and lifted her head up to his. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers without even thinking. He gently sucked on her bottom lip, and felt the suction. He practically felt fireworks in his mouth, and he was about to gently thrust his tongue into Misty's mouth when she pulled away and sighed happily.

"This is such a good dream. It felt so real this time." Misty murmured before closing her eyes and dozing off to sleep again. Ash felt so stupid. Misty was asleep when he kissed her. She thought she was dreaming. But did that mean she dreamt of him? Ash felt a little bit better at that thought and drifted off to sleep himself.

Misty woke up about four hours later. The sun was just rising from its nightly slumber and its extensive rays were warming the dew-soaked land. Misty was taken aback when she realized she was in bed with Ash but reasoned they had just fallen asleep after their meaningful talk.

Misty gentle untangled herself from Ash and slipped out of her room onto the tiny balcony she had. One good thing about living in the gym was that she had this little balcony. Her sisters had pretty much kicked her out of the house and forced her to live in the gym and she used to hate it but had grown to love it. She had a large spacious room with a balcony and extra rooms for her friends. The morning air was chilly, and Misty was a little cold as she shut the door behind her but sat down on the balcony anyways.

Misty had the best dream last night. It was about Ash, as usual, and they kissed, as usual but the kiss had felt so real. It was amazing. Misty wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged herself tightly. She really truly loved Ash, but she felt like she could never tell him. She could never feel the hurt that would bombard her if he didn't feel the same way, and she was pretty sure he didn't.

But at the same time, she didn't want to end up like Delia Ketchum. Misty didn't want to live her until life by herself, loving somebody so much but never being alone. Misty could probably pretend to love somebody, like Rudy but she would never be whole.

A single tear rolled down Misty's cheek. She felt so sad, but she was also so happy that Ash was here. She could cry when he left, but right now she would revel in him being here with her. The sun rose, and already cast a warm glow over the land. The tear dried on Misty's cheek, and she smiled. There was still hope, there was always a sunrise every day.

Misty stood up and stretched her legs. She walked back into her room and jumped on the bed. "Get up lazy!" She shrieked, tickling Ash. "We have rehearsals!" Misty proceeded to go wake up Dawn and Brock. After everyone had breakfast, they got right to practicing. Dawn was flabbergasted by the setup. There was a regular stage on top, and then below the stage was an aquarium where Misty would reside for most of the play. The stage was artfully decorated, with the background changing from either a small cobblestone town, a beautiful beach, or a lavish castle. The aquarium was also craftily ornamented with large corals, sand on the bottom floor, dozens of water plants, and a few large rocks.

The group practiced for several hours straight. The script was pretty easy to read, and easy to memorize. Misty had the hardest and largest role, but she didn't seem fazed at all by it. Dawn loved her part despite the fact that Dessa didn't end up with Alex, because she still got to play a rich, beautiful princess. Brock played Alex's father and the army general, Daisy played Dessa's mother and queen, Violet played the male role of Dessa's father and king, Lily played Alex's father, Cameron and Benedict played soldiers, and all the pokémon had roles as well.

After a long day of rehearsing, the group decided to go out to eat at a fancy French restaurant, La Ruelle de l'Amoureux. Misty and Dawn went off to get ready, and after he showered Ash decided to play with his pokémon since he felt like had neglected them a little in the past few days. Brock went to go pick up Carly, who he had invited along.

Misty and Dawn were getting ready in Misty's room, and Misty wasn't sure what to wear or how to do their hair. Dawn was dressed but wasn't sure what do to with her hair. "Ugh, sometimes I hate my hair! It's so short! I wish I had long hair like yours!" Dawn tugged on her medium-length locks with frustration.

"I can do your hair." Misty offered nicely. "I can't do my own hair, I suck at that. But I had to do my sister's hair for all their shows." Dawn nodded happily, and sat down in front of Misty's vanity. Misty artfully shaped Dawn's blue hair into a low curly bun, using her fingers to curl Dawn's hair into an elegant hairstyle. "Dawn you look gorgeous." Misty sighed wistfully. Dawn wore a navy bubble dress that reached down to her mid-thigh. The top half of the dress was navy sequins, and reached until right under her bust. She wore simple satin peep-toe heels on her tiny feet, and sparkly pink dangly earrings in her ears.

"Thanks Mist." Dawn blushed and smiled happily at the older girl. "It took me like 2 hours to get ready! But now, it's your turn! I'll do you hair and makeup, but first let's pick out a dress." Dawn suggested, opening Misty's closet. Misty had plenty of cute dresses, but Dawn wanted Misty to wear a dress that would really knockout Ash. She noticed a row of old-looking green garment bags.

"What are these?" Dawn asked Misty curiously, rubbing a polyester garment bag between two fingers. Dawn turned around when she got no answer, and figured Misty had gone into the bathroom. Dawn unzipped a few, and found the most gorgeous, perfect dress for Misty. It was a dark emerald green silk dress with a tight bodice and flowy skirt. There was a lace-up tie at back and hidden zipper at side. Dawn lay the dress out on Misty's bed. Misty walked in from the bathroom and let out a little gasp. "What about this one?" Dawn asked excitedly.

Misty smiled weakly and walked over to the bed. She loved this dress. "This is my favorite. I've never worn it though. It was my mothers." Dawn smiled happily. She ushered Misty over to her vanity, and worked her magic. She brushed Misty's long, flowing hair and pulled it into a half updo. She curled the bottom and top part of her hair. (A/n: for some reason I had a really hard time describing this, I was thinking something like this: .)

Dawn put a minimal amount of makeup on Misty, knowing she preferred to go natural. She put a little blush on the apples of Misty's cheeks, lined her gorgeous eyes with subtle teal eyeliner, and coated her already-long eyelashes with brown mascara. She went shoe hunting and stole a pair of ivory satin stiletto heels that she slipped on Misty's dainty foot. The shoes were only held on by satin ribbons that crossed over Misty's foot and tied in a wide bow behind her ankle.

"You look absolutely amazing." Dawn complimented. Misty smiled numbly. She couldn't get her mind off that dream she had last night. Dawn noticed something was wrong and immediately questioned Misty what was wrong.

"It's nothing really. It's just- well I had this dream last night about kissing Ash. It just felt so real, and I mean I did sleep in the bed as him last night, so maybe I kissed him in my sleep? I'm just not sure. I've been thinking about it all day." Misty admitted. She started to nibble on her nails. Dawn furrowed her brow. Interesting…Dawn thought.

"Well just forget about it. Tonight is going to be amazing!" Dawn convinced Misty. She smiled nicely and Misty tried to follow her orders. "Now get your butt over here so I can finish getting you ready!"

Dawn also lent Misty a pair of silver earrings. Misty felt like Cinderella, and felt absolutely glamorous as she and Dawn walked downstairs, arms linked, to meet the boys.

Misty gasped when she saw Ash and Brock. Ash wore a simple pair of black slacks and black dress shoes. He wore long-sleeve navy cotton shirt with a collar and button sleeves. He looked absolutely stunning, despite the pokémon cap on his head. Brock looked great as well, in darker slacks and jacket with a bright red polo shirt that looked great against his dark skin. Carly looked beautiful and Mist took the opportunity to look over her. She wore her sandy-colored large ringlets to her shoulders, and she had pinned her side bangs to the side for tonight. She had bright blue eyes and a sparkling white smile that accented her deep tan. She wore a tight, silver strapless dress that accented her figure and tiny red heels. She was tall; she reached Brock's shoulder. The group had also invited Cameron, and Misty had to admit he looked pretty dashing as well. His light hair and icy blue eyes looked great with his light blue shirt and black pants.

Ash's breath literally got taken away when he saw how gorgeous Misty looked. Her dress and shoes reminded him of Cinderella, and all he wanted to do was whisk her away. He noticed she wore makeup, something of Dawn's doing. She looked great either way though. He couldn't stop thinking about their kiss. It had been amazing, but he doubted Misty even remembered it considering she was half asleep.

"We all look so fancy!" Dawn squealed happily, breaking Ash away from his thoughts. They all laughed, feeling slightly uncomfortable in such fancy clothes but glamorous all the same. Cameron escorted everyone outside to the waiting limo, and everyone looked surprised.

"I've never ridden in a limo before. I've always just walked." Ash grumbled. Misty and Brock nodded in agreement, but didn't complain as they slid into the butter-soft interior. The group chattered excitedly on the hour-long car trip. Ash, Dawn, and Misty took the time to get to know Carly.

"So Carly, how long have you lived in Cerulean City? I've lived here all my life and never met you." Misty questioned. Carly laughed a tinkling laugh, and Brock slipped his arm over her. Misty longed for Ash to do the same thing for her, but he was too busy fiddling with the limo's mini fridge.

"I actually don't live here! I spend summer life guarding in different places. I earn pretty good money, and I use a different pokémon every time to strengthen my team of pokémon lifeguards." Carly explained.

"Oh?" Misty was intrigue. "You have a team of pokémon lifeguards? That's so cool! But how come you didn't have one that day at the beach?"

"You got me on my pokémon's day off unfortunately! I have two empolean, two vaporean, a gyrados, a Corsola, a couple goldeen, and a few horsea. I want to be the greatest lifeguard of all time, with the strongest team. It's a relatively new "sport", but there are competitions and such. " Carly explained. Everybody was enthralled, no one had ever heard of anything about that before.

Ash began to talk to Carly about his goal of becoming a pokémon master, and a discussion of how strong water pokémon arose. They were in a heated argument when they pulled up in front of the restaurant.

Ash helped Misty out of the car, and was thrilled by the simple touch of her hand. He had to force himself not think about the kiss last night as he ushered Misty into the fancy restaurant.

"Wow I didn't even know this place existed." Misty commented in a surprised tone. "Where even are we? Not in Cerulean, that's for sure!" Misty exclaimed. Ash knew what she meant.

La Ruelle de l'Amoureux was a large white-brick building that was probably the size of four of Misty's gym combined, and Misty's gym was pretty big. The expansive property included a maze, and a small pond. Sparkly fairy lights dotted the landscape, and romantic music flowed fluently throughout the property. The building itself was very nice, vines crawled up the front wall in pretty coils and curls. The restaurant's name was written in elegant, loopy cursive on the front. There weren't restaurants as fancy as this one in Cerulean City, which was mostly filled with small but delicious mom-and-pop restaurants or cheesy fast food places.

"We're in a little town called Valentown. It's pretty small, no gym leaders so I doubt you've been here Ash. Apparently it's the town of romance, and it feels like Valentine's Day everyday, hence the name." Cameron explained smoothly. '

The group trailed behind Cameron as he walked confidently into the restaurant. When they got to the large, circular table, Ash pulled a chair out for Misty and a red blush creeped into her perfect cheeks. Ash loved to make her blush.

Misty felt butterflies in her stomach. She would give anything to just jump into Ash's muscled arms and kiss him right on the lips. She trembled a little bit, and had to restrain herself.

Dawn eyed Misty and Ash, and chuckled to herself. She could easily see that they both liked, and maybe even loved each other. It was Dawn's mission to get them together. She cast a side-glance at Cameron. He was actually very attractive. His sparkling eyes were as icy blue as the cold sea, and he had long blond lashes. He had red lips that looked very kissable to Dawn. He had longish blond hair, and a deep tan. Dawn tried to get herself to go back to reality and tried to pay attention to the conversation.

"Mist, not only do you look absolutely gorgeous tonight but you are doing such a good job of playing Malia the mermaid." Cameron complimented generously. Misty thanked Cameron, her cheeks were rosy with blush again. Dawn glimpsed at Ash, and his stony expression easily said he was jealous. Dawn couldn't let Cameron get in the way of Ash and Misty.

Dawn hatched a plan quickly in her head, and was glad that Cameron was at least cute. She was going to throw herself at Cameron and try and get him away from Misty. She had to admit she was excited to execute the plan, and it also benefited her.

"Cameron I can't believe you were a gym leader! What was it like?" Dawn asked warmly, leaning slightly towards Cameron and giving him a flirty smile. Cameron smiled back, and ran his hand through his hair.

"It's pretty great." Cameron said honestly. "I love proving myself every battle, but I also love giving out badges. I get to meet all types of pokémon, and make my pokémon stronger without leaving one place. It's a pretty perfect scenario for me."

Dawn continued to chatter with Cameron successfully, and the conversation was lively as they ordered their food. The band began to play a light, cheerful song, and Brock asked Carly if she wanted to dance. She happily obliged, and the pair went whirling off towards the dance floor.

Ash turned to Misty and asked her dance. Misty's creamy skin turned scarlet once again, and as Ash took Misty's hand, Misty trembled a little. They made their way to the dance floor, and Ash put one hand on Misty's slender waist and another on her hand. Ash felt the electric current in the touch, he felt it course through his veins. Did she feel it too?

The three couples twirled under the lights, moving their feet fluidly to the beat of the music. After three fast songs, as a slow song filled the room. Misty locked her arms around Ash's neck, and Ash placed both of his hands on Misty's waist. He pulled her closer, and she rested her head on his shoulder. She could smell his shampoo, and felt his unruly black hair against her cheek.

Misty was so full of love, she felt like she was going to burst. Bubbles of emotion filled her body, and she had no idea what to do with them. She felt like jumping around the room and crying at the same time. She wanted to tell Ash so badly, but could never muster up the courage.

The group returned to the table for dinner, and the rest of the evening continued with chatter and laughter. The waiter came by to take their desert order. "Alright, so I have one cheesecake, one apple crumble, and two bowls of cinnamon ice cream for the table?" He clarified. Everyone nodded and he smiled. "I invite you all to explore the maze and the pond while you wait for your desert. Legend says that if you all start out at different places, you meet up with your true love anyway." He smiled and walked away.

Brock and Carly exchanged a private glance. "Why not guys?" Brock questioned. The group made their way outside to the giant maze. Misty shivered slightly, and gazed up at the bright, shining full moon. The Maze was medium sized, and the walls towered over all of them, even Brock. Misty was a little wary of starting the maze by herself, but willingly agreed. Each person started at a different spot, and made their way through the maze.

Misty walked unsurely on the path, her arms crossed. She wasn't really sure why she kept choosing the path she did, but she felt a pull to go either left or right. She was surprised when she crossed path with a few pokémon as well. A few butterfrees flew freely in the air, and a clefairy or two jumped in front of Misty's path. She almost felt like the pokémon were leading her somewhere…

Meanwhile, Ash was feeling the same feeling. He saw some pokémon throughout his walk, and he felt like they were pulling him somewhere. He wondered idly if Brock and Carly had found each other, and where Cameron, Dawn, and Misty were. He had been walking for a while; he could barely hear the tinkly music from the restaurant.

Suddenly, Ash heard footsteps. He tried to follow the sound, but it was too soft. "Is anyone near?" He called out. He felt stupid when no on responded, but then he heard a familiar voice rang out.

"Ash? Is that you?" Misty called.

"Yeah! Mist! Where are you?" Ash replied. He started to walk towards the sound of her voice, and then began to run lightly. He was surprised when he body slammed into Misty when he turned the corner.

He rubbed his head with his palm, and then jumped up to help Misty up. "Sorry Mist!" Ash apologized. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, a little battered, but fine." Misty answered. One of her shoes had completely come off her feet, and she simply took the other one off and tied them together. Ash stared at her, marveling at how beautiful she was. She had a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and her perfect hair was now slightly frizzy, but gorgeous. He loved the way she just took off her shoes without a care in the world.

The pair continued to walk, and were stunned when they saw a small pond up ahead. "Is this the pond the waiter was talking about?" Ash wondered. Misty shrugged.

"I have no idea, but it looks beautiful." Misty ran to the pond, and Ash watched her hair flow behind her. Misty plopped down on the lush green grass beside the pond and stared at the glimmering dark water. Ash followed pursuit, and settled next to her.

They were quiet for a few minutes, and simply enjoyed the moon's reflection on the dark water and clean, pure night air. Ash cleared his throat awkwardly and ran his hand through his long, black locks,

"Hey Mist?" He asked. Misty averted her gaze from the water to Ash, and smiled.

"Yeah?" She said quietly. She drew a heart in the water with her finger.

"I'm going to miss you so much when we leave on Monday." Ash said quietly. " I miss the days when it was just you, Brock, and I traveling. I miss our arguments, and I miss our battles. We spent so much time together Mist, and I'm honored to call you one of my best friends." Misty felt her heart pound faster and faster, and she willed herself not to cry.

"Well," Misty began, her voice slightly choked up. "Maybe you won't have to miss me." She said quietly, but with a smile. Ash gasped, and Misty continued. "My sisters want to stay here and become better gym leaders, and they don't need me for that. I want to get back out there and be the best water pokémon trainer there ever was!"

Ash smiled broadly. "I can't wait! This is going to be so great!" Ash shouted. He quickly enveloped Misty in a tight hug, and Misty felt her insides practically melt. She had to tell him. It was now or never.

"Ash? Can I tell you something else?" Misty asked softly.

"Of course Mist, you can tell me anything. I like to think we can tell each other anything." Ash answered.

"Me too." Misty replied. Ash looked at her expectantly, but Misty didn't say anything. She played with her hands nervously, and Ash wondered what she had to tell him that would make her so nervous.

"Well?" Ash prompted. "C'mon Mist, spit it out." He complained.

"I love you!" Misty shouted quietly. "I think I've loved you ever since I met you. I didn't follow you around just for the bike Ash~ I was fascinated by you. Not only were you impossibly cute, but you had, and still have, these qualities that I had never seen before. You care so much about pokémon, and really love them. But you also care so much about other people, and have saved my life multiple times. I've always loved you, and never had the courage to say it. You're not like a brother to me; you're so much more. I trust you with my life. I feel like you molded me in a good way as a person Ash, you helped me become the girl I am today. I've always been so jealous of all those girls who are in love with you, and expressed their feelings so freely. But now I've said. I love you Ash Ketchum. I don't want to be like your mom, who loves somebody much more than they would ever know, but can't tell them." Misty breathed deeply. She suddenly felt so light, like she could fly.

There weren't words to describe Ash's feelings right now. Shocked, dazed, flabbergasted all fit the description pretty well. Misty loved him? Was that Rudy had meant by saying Ash was lucky. All those years…had he loved Misty too? Ash loved Misty back of course, but he was too stunned to say anything. He had never been the most articulate person, especially not in intense scenarios either. He stared in Misty's shining, hopeful eyes and tried to formulate a sentence. "I…don't…can't….I think…." Ash stuttered. Misty's bright smile immediately disappeared.

Misty couldn't stop the tears now. She had just admitted her deepest darkest secret, and Ash couldn't even say anything. "Ash Ketchum! You could at least have the decency to say something! ANYTHING! I take it all back! I hate you!" Misty shouted. She turned around and ran. She just kept running and running. She finally just collapsed. She fell on the ground, sobbing. She held her waist, and her body shook as she cried.

Ash tried to make his feet run after her, to tell her that he loved her too, but they wouldn't go. He just stared after her. He was pretty sure he had just made the biggest mistake of his entire life and there was nothing he could do about it.

In the meantime, the others were gathered outside of the maze. Carly and Brock had found each other in the maze, and had met up with Cameron and Dawn outside of the maze in front of the restaurant. They had been waiting for Misty and Ash for about half an hour.

"Seriously, where are they?" Dawn asked impatiently. Dawn hoped they were together, but it was getting cold and she was tired of waiting. She leaned against Cameron, who pulled her closer to warm her up.

"Maybe they're lost." Brock suggested. "God knows those two don't have a great sense of direction." Dawn nodded.

"Maybe they're hurt." Carly proposed. Everyone looked at each with a stricken, worried look.

"I say we split up and go look for them. Brock and I go find Misty, Dawn and Carly go look for As-" Cameron stopped talking when he saw Ash stumble out of the maze. He had a stunned looked on his face, and he walked like a zombie.

"Ash!" Dawn shouted happily. She gave him a puzzled look when he didn't say anything. "Are you okay? Where's Misty?" Dawn asked, confused.

Ash looked up numbly. "I'm fine….I just made the biggest mistake of my life." He murmured. Everyone looked at each other, deeply perplexed.

"Where's Misty?" Brock pushed. Ash looked around and seemed to snap

to life.

"I don't know! I thought she would meet up with you guys!" Ash said in a panicked tone. Brock groaned. He tried calling Misty's cellphone, but it was turned off.

"Cameron and I will go look for Misty. You girls stay with Ash, and keep your phones on." Brock directed. He nodded at Cameron and they set off to find Misty.

The two boys walked for about twenty minutes around the maze, but couldn't find Misty anywhere. Suddenly, they heard a soft crying noise. They ran towards the noise and was stunned to see Misty in a little ball, crying. Brock ran towards her, and scooped her up in his arms.

"Misty! What happened!" Brock asked gently. He felt very protective of Misty, he always had. Misty wrapped her arms around Brock, and leaned her head against her shoulder. Oddly enough, she wore no shoes and they were tied together in a knot.

"I….I told him." Misty said softly. Brock knew what she meant. He had always known. He was going to kill Ash for hurting Misty, he really was. He glanced at Cameron, and had a feeling that Cameron felt the same.

"It's ok, it's ok." Brock murmured comfortingly. He carried Misty back to the group, and Dawn and Carly both jumped up when they saw them.

"Is she okay?" Dawn gasped. Brock nodded, and he and Cameron shared a private glance.

"She's fine. She got lost, and freaked out. She's sleeping now. We need to get her home." Brock said quietly, not looking at Ash.

"I'll have my car take her home and than come back and get us." Cameron said as the limo pulled up in front of them. Dawn volunteered to go back with her, so that Carly and Brock could enjoy their date.

Ash looked down at his shoes. He wished Misty wasn't sleeping so they could talk. He felt horrible for not saying anything, but a little angry at Misty as well. She knew him well enough that he needed time to process things, and that he wasn't the most articulate person in the world. The worst part was, he loved her back and wasn't able to tell her. .

Brock deposited Misty gently into the car, and Dawn scooted in. Brock waved and then shut the door. Brock ran back to the others and than put his hand on Ash's shoulder.

"I'm not going to yell at you right now because I don't want to embarrass you or me, but when we get back we need to talk." Brock said gruffly. Ash nodded wordlessly, and Brock turned around to Carly and snaked his arm around her waist.

Back in the limo, Dawn was trying to comfort Misty. "Mist, I know you aren't sleeping." Dawn said quietly. Misty's body started shaking, and deep, throbbing sobs came from her. Dawn stroked Misty's hair gently. She had missed this, comforting a gal pal. She was sorry for Misty's misfortune, but she missed having a best girl friend who she could giggle and talk about clothes and boys with, someone she could comfort when they needed her and vice versa.

Dawn continued to comfort Misty on the way her home, feeling extremely remorseful for her new friend. "Misty, I know this isn't much but at least we're almost home! And Ash won't be back for another good two hours. You should go take a nice, long, relaxing bubble bath!" Dawn said cheerily.

Misty felt exhausted after crying so much, and her body ached. However, she nodded and rubbed her red eyes. It would probably make her feel a little better. Dawn helped Misty out of the car when they reached the large gym.

"Be quiet, and we'll go through the back door. I don't need my sisters teasing me." Misty said quietly. Dawn nodded, and they walked mutely to the back door and up to Misty's room. Misty collapsed on the bed, and Dawn went into Misty's bathroom and turned the large Jacuzzi-like bath on. She tossed in all the bubble bath she could find underneath

Misty undressed quietly, just dropping her dress on the floor. Once Misty was in the bathtub, Dawn quietly hung up Misty's dress. She walked next door, and got ready for bed.

Ash felt like his heart was made of lead, it felt so heavy in his chest. The rest of dinner, Ash was absolutely miserable. He smiled and nodded whenever he needed to, but all he could think about was Misty. He loved her so much, and he just messed everything up.

He had seen it all when she had told him she loved him. For just a second, he saw their future life together. He saw him becoming the best pokémon master, with the greatest water pokémon trainer ever at his side. He saw their simple, beautiful wedding in Cerulean with all of Misty's sisters. . He saw he and Misty on the porch swing, watching their amazing children. He saw the black haired, freckly boy and the twin redheaded girls, all with aquamarine eyes.

But then just like that, it was gone. He had messed things up, once again. He had to make things better. He had to be with Misty.

As Misty opened the door to her bedroom, steam curled from the bathroom into Misty's room. She slipped into a pair of old sweatpants and a sweatshirt. She braided her long, wet hair into a fishtail braid and climbed under her covers.

Her body was heavy with exhaustion, and Misty couldn't wait to drift into sleep. However, she had a thousand thoughts swirling around in her head, and she couldn't sleep take over her. She couldn't stop thinking of Ash's blank face when she told Ash that she loved him.

She wondered what the worst part of it was. There were so many bad things, but the worst part was that Misty had thought she had seen she and Ash's future together after she had uttered those three little words.

She had seen herself standing beside Ash throughout his many victories, and their gorgeous classic wedding in Pallet with Delia and Professor Oak. She had seen she and Ash holding hands on a walk with their pokémon, with their redheaded twin boys and dark haired girl, all with freckles and chocolate brown eyes.

Big, fat tears rolled down Misty's cheeks once again and she quickly brushed them off. She refused to let herself cry again. She made a snap decision, and jumped out of bed. She ran into her bathroom, and dried off her face with a plushy white towel. She searched the drawers for makeup, but quickly discovered she had known. She never wore makeup except for tonight and for performances, and her sisters usually put it on for performances.

She pinched her cheeks to give them some color so her sisters wouldn't suspect anything before breathing deeply and walking to her sister's room. She opened Violet's door. She was about to open her mouth when she saw her indigo-haired sister sitting on Bentley's lap.

Bentley looked a lot like Cameron. He had a thin frame, dark green eyes, dirty blond eyes, and high cheekbones. Violet's toned arms were wrapped around his neck, Her manicured hand showed off a sparkly engagement ring, and Misty felt her throat closing. She quietly shut the door, and ran down the hall. She felt her heart breaking slightly, and her eyes dampen but she breathed deeply again and headed for Daisy's room.

She knocked lightly before entering Daisy's room, where her sister was sitting on her canopy bed, brushing her long blond hair. Misty treaded softly on the hardwood floor, dodging brightly colored, lacy bras; several containers of makeup; a coiled laptop charger, and a How To Catch Pokémon book.

"Hey Mist." Daisy greeted her younger sister. Misty felt her heart tighten once more. That was Ash's nickname for her. She quickly brushed the feeling off, everyone called her that.

"Hey Daisy." Misty replied, going to sit on the foot of the humungous bed. "I was just wondering if I could talk to you about tomorrow." Misty asked hesitantly.

Daisy looked confused as she twirled a long lock of shiny blond hair around her finger, but nodded Misty to go on.

"Uhhh…" Misty stuttered. "I was just going to ask you if I could sit out of the practice for tomorrow. I know my part backwards and forwards, and I'm really tired. I think it would benefit my performance to have a break tomorrow. Don't you want the last performance to be the best?" Misty pleaded. Daisy shrugged.

"Sure that's fine! The practice will just go on without you. I was planning on doing a bit of travel tomorrow, but I should probably stay here to keep on eye on everybody. Violet is a little bit preoccupied, and Lily is up to god knows what." Daisy said with an eye roll.

"What kind of traveling?" Misty asked, intrigued.

"Well I need some pokémon that I caught myself if I'm going to take care of this gym!" Daisy said playfully. Misty smiled. She had expected Daisy to just use her pokémon. She was proud of her older sister for one.

"Daisy that is so great! Why don't you go do that? I'm sure Lily can handle it." Misty said. Daisy nodded in agreement. She hugged her sister before going back to her room. She climbed back into her comfortable bed and snuggled with her pillow before crying herself to sleep.

Ash and Cameron waked silently into the gym as Brock and Carly said goodnight. Cameron glared stonily at Ash the entire time, but Ash was too busy thinking to explain to him. The two parted their ways when they went down different ways in the hallway.

Ash breathed in deeply before opening Misty's door. He was about to launch into the speech he had planning the entire dinner when he saw her peacefully curled up. She was sleeping deeply, and Ash could see her still-wet cheeks shine in the dim light.

He would talk with her tomorrow, he decided. He felt a flutter of nerves as he thought about his speech. He was more excited than he had ever felt in his life, but more nervous too.

He quietly walked into Brock's room to find Dawn sitting on her bed, reading a magazine about pokémon fashion. Pikachu was sleeping peacefully on Brock's bed, an empty bottle of ketchup.

Dawn didn't glance up from her magazine as Ash walked across the room and sat down next to Pikachu, and stroked his soft, satiny yellow coat.

"Dawn, I messed up big time." Ash murmured softly. Dawn looked up from her magazine and sighed.

"Do you love her?" Dawn asked simply.

"I love her more than I ever thought I could love somebody. It was staring me in the face for almost seven years, but I couldn't see it. But now I do see it! It was like its nighttime, but there are no stars out so it's dark so you can't see anything. Stuff is still there, but you just can't see it. Then stars come, flashing their bright lights and suddenly you see everything. I messed up so badly, but she didn't give me a chance. I'm not sure how to make everything better either, all I know is I cant lose her." Ash exclaimed.

"Ahhem." Ash and Dawn both turned to see Brock standing in the doorway of the room. "It's a good thing I heard that Ash Ketchum! I was coming here to kick your ass, but it won't be necessary." Brock said, coming to sit next to Ash and Pikachu. He clapped his hand against Ash's back. "We'll figure something out tomorrow, but right now we should all go to sleep because it's pretty late. But no worries Ash, you will find a way." Brock comforted his friend. Ash nodded.

Ash wasn't exactly sure on where to sleep, since he had slept with Misty the night before and Dawn and Brock's stuff was all in this room. He and Pikachu wandered around the gym for a few minutes, trying to figure out if there was another guest bedroom. He found a much smaller room with an old, twin bed in it. The room had a musty smell to it, and there were boxes everywhere but it would have to do. Ash quickly got ready for bed and climbed into the sheets, and fell asleep easily despite his racing mind.

"Get up lazy!" Ash awoke to a high-pitched girl's shriek and a jarring motion. He opened his eyes groggily, and was surprised to see a pink-haired girl. "Practice starts in an hour!" Lily said. Ash nodded. Lily looked around the crowded room and her wrinkled her pert little nose. "What are you doing in the storage room anyway?" Lily asked, confused.

Ash groaned. Of course this was the storage room! "I couldn't find anywhere else to sleep." He explained lamely. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Uh right. There's one more guest room next to the room Cam's sleeping in. Now get up! You have to eat and get ready for practice! Misty isn't practicing today and Daisy went out so I'M in charge, and I will not let a lazy little runt ruin our last performance!" Lily exclaimed before stomping out of the room. Ash groaned again, he saw where Misty got her anger from. Misty wasn't practicing today? Just joyful!

The rest of the day went by slowly for everybody. Dawn, Ash, and Brock practiced their parts relentlessly, and Misty hid in her room. Misty only went down to the kitchen once when she was sure Ash wouldn't be there.

It was late when Misty's phone rang. She was almost asleep, and was a little confused on who would be calling her. All of her close friends were here at the gym. People who wanted to battle her, get directions, get called one of the gym's several phone lines.

"Hello?" Misty asked in a daze. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It was almost 10:30. Who would be calling so late? She wondered.

"Misty? Hey!" A familiar voice that Misty hadn't heard in a long time shocked Misty.

"Oh my god! Hi!" Misty said excitedly. "How are you?"

"I'm great! Sorry to be calling so late, but I just heard about the last performance from a friend. I'd love to see you. I'm at conference about two towns away, can I come visit and see those gorgeous eyes of yours? " The voice asked hopefully. Misty giggled.

"Of course you can! I'd love to see you too Rudy!"

Ash made sure to get up early for once in his life. He and Misty were both late risers, Brock always got up before them when they used to travel. Ash just loved sleep and being lazy, but Misty claimed she needed beauty sleep. Ash was pretty sure she just loved sleep and being lazy too, but had never said anything. He hadn't seen Misty once yesterday, and she had to eat sometime. Ash would be there when she did. Besides, today was the performance! Ash woke up at nine, a large feat for him.

Ash was surprised to see the large kitchen full of people and noise. Violet and Bentley were pouring over a real estate magazine on the kitchen table. Lily was flipping pancakes with one hand on a pink griddle on the kitchen table, and talking into her cellphone with the other hand. Surprisingly, Dawn was sitting on Cameron's lap giggling about something. Brock and Carly were seated close together and he was drawing something on the kitchen table and she was laughing. Daisy was packing a bag full of pokémon ball, food, and a book.

Ash took a seat next to Brock, and grabbed plate from the center of table. He thanked Lily for the pancakes and grabbed a heap of them and slathered them with butter. He was shoveling them in his mouth when he heard footsteps, and then heard the front door slam close. He heard a female and male voice, and laughter.

Everyone glanced at each with puzzled looks. "Hello? Anyone there?" Bentley called out in a deep voice. Everyone was shocked when Misty walked in the door of the kitchen.

"Sorry guys it was just me!" She said smiling. Ash was really confused, what was going on?

"Misty where were you?" Lily questioned.

"I had to wake up early to pick up a visitor from the train station." Misty explained.

"Who?" Brock asked. He glanced at Ash who shrugged his shoulders. 'Have you talked to her yet?' Brock mouthed to his friend. Ash shook his head and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. He was stressed out enough about talking to Misty without pressure from his friends.

"Rudy!" Misty said excitedly. Ash felt his heart drop. What was he doing here? Why was Misty so excited! Does she still love me? Ash wondered nervously.

Lily groaned. "Misty next time ask before you invite all your twerpy friends over. We don't have enough room for everybody!" Lily said crossly. Daisy put her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Oh, right." Misty said, her brow furrowed. "Well whatever, Rudy can just sleep in my bed with me!" Misty exclaimed. She started munching on a pancake. Ash inwardly gasped. Misty couldn't!

Daisy raised her brows at her younger sister. "I have to go, but we'll just sort the sleeping arrangements out later. Misty can I talk to you before the last performance? Pep talk, or something." Daisy said smiling, but Misty could see something behind her sister's eyes.

"Sure." Misty agreed. Dawn gave Misty a long look, but Misty ignored it. She did not want to talk to Ash right now.

"So where is this Rudy?" Cameron questioned. He had heard a fair bit about Rudy from Misty, and was eager to meet him.

"Oh he went to call Mahri." Misty answered. She glanced at her watch and gasped. "Guys we have to go get ready, it's almost ten thirty and our first show of the day is at noon!" She exclaimed. "Cam, mind just entertaining Rudy?" Cameron nodded. "C'mon Dawn! Brock, go get ready!" Misty said before grabbing Dawn's hand and running towards her room.

Misty breathed evenly once they got to her room. It had been so hard for her just to see Ash, however was she going to say all these romantic lines and kiss him in the play? She had to do what she had to do, and she decided she would pretend like it was real and Ash really loved her.

Ash and Brock went to go get ready about twenty minutes later, and Cameron was left alone in the kitchen when his brother, Violet, and Lily.

"So you and Dawn little brother?" Bentley asked, clapping Cameron on the back. Cameron blushed a little and smiled.

"Yeah I guess…she's really sweet. " Cameron answered, tracing a heart on the kitchen table with his finger.

"So are you over our little Misty?" Violet teased lightly.

"Was never on her." Cameron said quickly, before realizing what he had said. He chuckled. "Misty and I shared a kiss or two off of the play, but nothing else. Plus, she loves Ash." Cameron said. The three adults nodded solemnly.

"I wish those two would figure out they are meant to be together." Lily said quietly. The group was silent for a few minutes until they heard footsteps and a tall boy entered a room.

"Hey! I'm Rudy!" Rudy introduced himself to everyone, shaking their hands. Cameron studied Rudy. He was tall, probably as tall as Brock and had dark auburn hair. He was pretty muscular, and had dark brown eyes. He had a great smile as well.

After chatting with Rudy for about half an hour, Cameron could easily see why Misty liked him. He was charming and funny, and very nice. Cameron could also easily see he and Misty as a couple.

"So, has Ash figured out why he's lucky yet?" Rudy asked easily. Cameron chuckled and shook his head.

"Something has happened between them, I'm not sure what. But they aren't speaking right now. I'm not sure Ash has figured it out though, to answer your question. I've only known the guy five days and I saw it the minute I saw them together. It's easy for us to see, not for him." Cameron answered. Rudy nodded in agreement.

"Well, I let her go last time. But it Ash hasn't gotten it by now….well I won't let her go again." Rudy stated. Cameron stared at his feet. This was going to be interesting.

"Are you sure I look okay?" Misty asked Dawn anxiously. Dawn nodded.

"You look beautiful, even as a peasant!" Dawn exclaimed. Misty giggled. She wasn't even thinking about Ash…well now she was. But she hadn't been before! Misty shook her head to get her thoughts away.

"You look beautiful too Dawn, you make a great princess." Misty complimented, Dawn really did look great. She wore a tight silvery blue dress that had a corset bodice and a skirt that flowed out. Dawn even wore a skirt hoop and a petticoat to make her really look like a princess. Misty had. Misty had done Dawn's hair the same way Dawn had done Misty's the night of the dinner, and had lent Dawn a pair of long, swirly silver earrings. Since Dawn had no water scenes and only changed her outfit once, so it was a pretty easy role.

Misty changed twice, from a peasant to a mermaid and then from a mermaid to a princess. She wore a simple brown dress with her hair braided into two French braids. She wore no makeup or shoes. She would switch into her mermaid costume after Dawn ordered her to be killed.

The girls made their way to backstage, where Brock and Ash were already waiting. Brock, as Ash's father wore a simple brown shirt and pants as did Ash. Misty had to admit that Ash looked pretty gorgeous, his usually spiky hair was slightly smoother and he wore no hat. He skin was tan against his white shirt and brown pants.

The play commenced, and it began smoothly. The play bean with Ash and Misty walking on the beach, holding hands and talking. Ash felt a shot of electricity course through his body at their simple touch, but kept in character.

"Isn't it a beautiful day!" Misty-as-Malia exclaimed. "After a hard day's work for our Princess, it's nice to enjoy the clear blue sky. It's especially nice to be here with you." She said shyly to Ash-as-Alex.

"I know the feeling." Ash answered. He turned to Misty and brushed a stray lock of red hair that had fallen out of her braid away from her face. "But you're more beautiful than this day or any day could ever be." Ash said softly. Misty giggled, but inside she gagged. These lines were incredibly cheesy, and there was no doubt in her mind that her sisters had written them. "But you know how you would look even more beautiful?" Ash had to control himself so he wouldn't burst out laughing.

"How?" Misty asked.

"With sand all over you!" Ash shrieked, picking up the fake sand beneath them and throwing it on Misty. Misty faked screamed and pretended to push Ash away. The two 'laughed' as they 'stumbled' and Ash 'caught' Misty as she 'fell', Misty breathed deeply for a second before throwing her arms around Ash's neck.

Ash also breathed deeply as he encircled his arms around Misty's slender waist and pulled her close to him. The two pressed their lips together and neither could pretend like they didn't enjoy it. Both Ash and Misty pretended like they were in love, this was a real kiss.

They both would have loved to prolong the kiss longer, but the play must go on and Brock-as-Mr. Kasum appeared on the set. "Alex! Malia!" He boomed. Ash and Misty broke away guiltily and stared at Brock.

"Good afternoon father." Ash greeted Brock. He had to stop himself from giggling as he called his best friend 'father'.

"Good afternoon Mr. Kasum." Misty greeted. Brock did his best to give Misty a gruff look.

"Good afternoon Malia. Alex, your mother needs you at home." Brock ordered brusquely. Ash nodded, and gave Misty's hand a squeeze and a reproachful look before walking off the stage.

"Malia. Next time please refrain from such public displays of affection with my son. " Brock said coldly, nodding to Misty before walking off the stage.

Misty sighed and plopped down on the fake beach. She twirled the end of braid around her finger absentmindedly. "I love him too much for my own good." Misty said, her voice choked with emotion because although she was saying at as Malia, she felt exactly the same way.

The play continued on smoothly, and when Misty "drowned", she went backstage to change into her mermaid costume. It was about a twenty-minute change, because before the audience saw that the pokémon changed Malia into a mermaid they saw Dessa unsuccessfully tried and seduce Alex.

Daisy was waiting for Misty, and Misty quickly stripped down to her bra and underwear and sat in the makeup chair. Daisy applied the sparkles all over Misty's body and then applied blue, purple, and green eye shadow to Misty's eyes. She carefully lined Misty's eyes with sparkly eyeliner, and fastened long, black fake lashes to Misty's eyes. She coated the fake lashes with a coat of mascara before placing a tiny gem on the insides of both Misty's eyes. Misty hated wearing all this makeup, it made her eyes feel heavy and itchy but she had to admit it looked very mermaid-ish and very dramatic.

Misty slipped on her glittery green mermaid tail while Daisy fished around the tiny wardrobe room to find the seashell bikini top. "Daisy c'mon! I have to be on in five minutes!" Misty cried out anxiously. Daisy appeared quickly, holding the purple seas-shell strapless bikini top. Misty quickly took off her bra and held the top over her chest. "Will you fasten it for me?" Misty asked. Dawn nodded and went back to clip the bathing suit.

"UH Misty? What's your bra size?" Daisy asked after a minute not being able to clip it.

"I don't know!" Misty cried exasperated. "Maybe a 32 or 34 C?" Daisy shook her head.

"Well this is a 32C and you are POPPING out little sister." Daisy said with a giggle as she finally managed to clip it.

Misty rushed to the mirror and gasped in horror. Her boobs were barley concealed, and she was bursting out. "Do we have another one!?" Misty asked anxiously.

"Nope, the rest of us are all 32Cs, we just assumed you were too! What about the other shows you were in?" Daisy said. Misty groaned of in agony. She wasn't sure; she thought it had fit fine last time. She knew it would it fall off when she was dancing. "But okay! I'll just tape it a little! It will hold up for the dancing at least!" Daisy reasoned. Misty heard her stage queue and Daisy quickly taped what she could before Misty put her breathing piece in and quickly ran to the stage, where she opened the secret door and swam out.

Misty performed her dancing piece alongside her pokémon, and then came the scene where Ash came to the beach to mourn his lost love.

Ash ran to the "beach", and collapsed. "Why did this happen?" He shouted angrily. "It wasn't fair…it wasn't what was meant to happen! She was jealous of our love, with good reason. The love I held in my heart for Mist-Malia was nothing like Dessa had ever seen before. And now, Malia is gone. I will never hold her again, all because of someone's envy." Ash faltered over the name, simply because he felt the same way about Misty. He spat out the rest of his lines in heartbreaking anger, as he was supposed to.

Misty swam up to the surface to see who was at the beach. She was shocked to see her lover, Ash-as-Alex. "Alex!" She cried joyfully. Ash looked up, and gasped when he saw Misty. He was shocked to see her looking so…well beautiful. She was and always had been beautiful but with all that glitter and makeup on her she looked absolutely magical.

"Malia? How can it be? Dessa told me you had drowned when you were searching for a rare pokémon. However, one of the guards at the palace tipped me off that she ordered you to be drowned! How can you be alive?" Ash questioned, happy but confused.

"Well…" Misty said softly, breathing deeply before continuing. "Dessa did have me drowned, but there are magical water pokémon who live in the deep depths of the sea. They turned me into a mermaid when they saw me drowning. I understand if you don't want to be me, but I will always love you." Misty explained.

Ash clasped Misty's hands and squeezed. "Malia, I will always love you too, you know that. I would rather die than live without you. You are a part of me now, and you always will be. But I'm confused, how did she order you to be drowned? Are their others of your kind? How are these pokémon different?" Ash questioned.

"I was just sitting at home alone, waiting for you to come home after a hard day's work. My parents were still out, and my little brother was playing in his yard. A royal soldier came through the door, and I greeted him politely by bowing as I have always been taught. He murmured something, I didn't quite catch it but it sounded like 'I'm sorry I have to do this.' He must have knocked me out, because that's the last thing I remember before being dropped in the cold water. I had some kind of rope binding my feet and arms so I couldn't swim. I basically drowned, but than these pokémon brought me back to life. These pokémon – I don't know how to explain it. They have a certain aura to them, they glow. I'm not sure if there are more of my kind, I've only been a mermaid for a few hours!" Misty chuckled. Ash looked down at her with adoring eyes.

"Malia, I still want to be with you. I couldn't care if you were a fire breathing dragon or a worm I would still want to be with you." Ash said, Misty nodded. "Can we still make this relationship work?" Ash questioned.

"Of course! You just need to come on in!" Misty giggled. Ash nodded, and took off his white shirt and shoes, and dove right into the water. He encircled Misty in his arms. The two were supposed to just hug each other for a minute, but due to Misty's costume malfunction, she needed some help.

"Ash." Misty whispered into Ash's ear. "My bikini top is going to completely fall down and I'm going to flash everybody in the entire audience. I need you to keep yourself pressed against me instead of playing a game of swim tag. I'm sure my sister will get it, and end the scene early. Okay?" Misty said urgently. Ash stifled a grin, and nodded. "Ash Ketchum you better not enjoy this!" Misty said crossly before kissing Ash on the lips. She had to admit, there was not a better feeling in the world that being in the arms of the boy you loved and kissing him over and over.

The rest of the show continued without a hitch, and the cast got multiple standing ovations. Misty signed autographs of adoring little girls, and the occasional too-eager young teenage boys for about an hour before washing off her makeup and changing into shorts and sweatshirt.

Misty tiredly walked into the living room of the gym to see all her friends and family gathered. They greeted her enthusiastically, and Misty made awkward eye contact with Ash before sitting down next to Rudy.

"Did everyone like the show?" Misty asked eagerly.

It was great! You were all amazing!" Rudy complimented warmly. Misty smiled happily and leaned against the couch, her thigh almost touching Rudy's leg.

"So how are you Rudy? We didn't really have a chance to catch up…" Misty trailed off, and tried to smile flirtatiously at Rudy. She wasn't even sure how to flirt, but she did know she wanted to make Ash jealous.

"I'm doing the well. The gym is great, and so is Mahri! I was just nearby at conference for making gym tests slightly harder, and involving more elements. But how are you doing Misty? I hear you've kissed every guy here but me!" Rudy teased. Misty felt heat creep into her face, and she could tell her cheeks were turning bright scarlet.

"Well, not Bentley!" Misty tried to laugh easily, but she was deeply embarrassed. Ash glared at Rudy from across the room, but Rudy was too busy staring at Misty to even notice the death-daggers that were shooting out of Ash's eyes.

"Well this is not the Misty Waterflower I know! Misty 2.0 kissing everybody? What happened to the shy but adorable girl I once knew and loved?" Rudy asked, a teasing edge to his voice.

"Oh not this again!" Misty cried out in exasperation, referring to the carnival-kissing incident. "Kissing is NOT a big deal!" Misty shouted. She turned to Rudy and kissed him softly on the lips. "Happy now?"

Rudy laughed. "Of course!" He said good-naturedly. The conversation continued lightly for a while, before Misty excused herself up to her room to rest before the next show. Daisy reminded Misty to come to her room before the performance, and the rest of the group continued to chat. A few minutes later, Ash slipped away and went to Misty's room. He entered without knocking and saw Misty curled up in a little ball on top of her bed.

"Hey there." Misty murmured quietly, not meeting Ash's eye. Ash padded over to the bed and curled up next to her. He wondered briefly if she had forgiven him, but then he saw how she flinched when he lightly touched her arm and got his answer.

"Hi." Ash said finally, after a few moments of silence. More silence. "We need to talk." Ash said firmly. Misty nodded in agreement, but didn't say anything. "Misty?"

"Fine. Talk." Misty said shortly in a clipped tone. Ash took a deep breath.

"First of all, Misty you have to know that I love you too but you should have known I needed a minute to absorb the information before you ran away-" Ash started to say but Misty angrily cut him off.

"Wow Ash Ketchum you're blaming me for this mess? SO typical!" Misty started to get up but Ash grabbed her elbow.

"NO! Listen to me!" Ash shouted, but not angrily. He sat her down gently, and her sparkling aquamarine orbs finally met Ash's. "I LOVE YOU! It shouldn't matter that I didn't say it right away! I didn't figure it out until this trip, but I feel like I subconsciously knew it all along. We belong together, not because we're perfect and alike but because we aren't. We argue all the time and bicker like crazy, but we always end up great. We always make up in the end. We are completely different people but we also share some of the same qualities. We're both headstrong, determined, passionate, kind, caring, and most importantly, we're in love with each other." Ash breathed deeply and reached over and clasped Misty's hand. He realized Misty was trembling and he lifted her chin up with his finger.

Her face was shiny with tears, and Ash's heart sank. "What's wrong?" Ash asked anxiously. Could she have fallen out of love with him? Ash couldn't quite fathom the emotions coursing through him at that moment, because he couldn't imagine life without Misty. "Misty?" Ash asked again urgently.

Misty continued sobbing and through her arms around Ash's neck. Ash pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. He enjoyed the warmth of their bodies so close together.

"Ash, it's not the same…. I still love you but you hurt me so much without even doing anything. I don't know if I can be with you now but I love you much. Why is this such a big mess? I'm not sure we can ever be together." Misty cried. Ash shook his head.

"I don't know. Why did it have to be this way?" Ash questioned. Misty continued sobbing, and Ash held her tightly because the truth was, neither of them wanted to break apart.

Misty walked into Daisy's room a few hours later. She had tried to make it look like she hadn't been cuddling with Ash and crying all afternoon, so she had put eye drops in her eyes, spread some blush on her cheekbones, and pulled her hair into a bun. Daisy gave her a strange look, but made no snide comment.

"So Mist, sit." Daisy said, sitting down on her fuchsia bedspread and patted the high silk count fabric. Misty hesitantly joined her sister, and stared curiously at the slightly worn brown box sitting on the bed.

"So what's up?" Misty asked cautiously. Although she was closer to Daisy now that they were older, they had never been close-knit sisters who had deep talks with each other.

Daisy opened the box with a deep breath. "Misty, there are some things you don't know about me and your sisters. I've noticed that you've changed a lot, your kissing all these boys and are so much more outgoing. And now boys are sleeping your bed? I think it's time fro you to know what really happened when mom and dad died…" Daisy said her voice choked with emotion. Misty was too shocked to even respond.

"When our parents died, it hit Lily, Violet, and I took it pretty hard. I tried to cover it up for you – I mean you were only like nine! It was hard for me, I was your legal guardian and I was barely even nineteen. We had parties here almost every night, and got totally drunk off our asses. Probably three hundred boys have slept over here, and I'm ashamed to admit that they weren't exactly sleeping. I'm honestly so glad you left to travel with Ash, but not because I don't love you. I was so happy because I knew you wouldn't end up like us, and that Ash would help shape you to be the person I should have been, the person who mom was. Ash was probably the best thing that ever could have happened to you. " Daisy took a breath and searched Misty's sapphire eyes with her olive green ones.

Misty was too shocked to respond for a minutes. "I don't believe it…it couldn't have been that bad?" Misty asked hesitantly. Daisy shook her head, her thick blonde hair slipping out of the loose, high ponytail it was in.

"It was. I slept with so many boys and did so many harmful things to my body. I have so many stories to share with you but they aren't really mine to say. Lily had a really scary event happen to her, but I won't tell you that because I believe it's her story to tell and when she's ready to tell you she will. But I am going to tell you about Violet, because I think she's buried her secret down to her core and won't ever bring it down again." Misty rubbed her eyes in slight shock. "Violet was with a lot of boys –way more than me – and she drank a lot. She fell in love with this great guy, and they were together for like five months. Then, he suddenly just left without any explanation and Vi's world got turned upside down. She spun into a world of drinking 24/7. She had an eating disorder Misty…she was bulimic. She managed to hide it from us for a while, but we discovered it eventually. But it was too late; it had already affected her body. Misty, Violet can't have kids. But luckily, she found a great guy who could care less. Bentley has helped Vi so much, and they're going to lead a long, happy life together with gorgeous adopted children. But don't you see Misty? Ash was the best thing that's ever happened to you." Daisy clasped Misty's trembling hand with hers.

"I…can't believe it." Misty choked out. She had no idea these secrets even existed in her family. Her mind was racing a hundred miles a minute. She barely registered that Daisy's arms were around her. "Thank you for telling me Daisy, I really appreciate it but I have to go think about something." Misty thanked before running out of the room.

Ash was just about to head down to his dressing room to get ready for the second performance when he ran into a smiling Dawn. "Hey! I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages!" Ash exclaimed. Dawn smiled, and Ash thought she looked a little flushed. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips were chapped and red, as if she had been kissing for a long time.

"I know! It's totally crazy!" Dawn said with a chuckle. "Well we've both busy I guess." She looked down at her bare feet and was surprised to see her nail polish was chipped off. When had that happened? She had never let herself go like that before.

There was a moment of silence before Ash cleared his throat. "So…what's going on with you and Cameron?" Ask asked awkwardly. Dawn shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure, I think we're just having fun. But whatever you know? He's cute and nice and funny…" Dawn trailed off; realizing Ash probably didn't want to hear about the gritty details. "How are you and Misty?" Dawn asked softly. She thought she saw a small tear forming on the edge of Ash's eye but she wasn't sure.

Ash leaned against the wall, crossing his arms before answering. "I don't know either. I love her so much, and I know she feels the same but everything is so messed up and I don't know what to do." Ash explained.

"It'll be okay Ash, everything happens for a reason." Dawn said comfortingly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think so…I've done everything I think I can do. I just hurt her too much or something I guess. I think she got a taste of what would happen if we were to break up, and it was just too much for her to handle." Ash said, giving up with a sigh. Dawn suddenly got an idea, and she had to restrain herself from bursting out to Ash.

Ash glanced at his worn blue pokémon watch and startled. "Shit!" Ash swore loudly, something Dawn knew he only did when he was stressed. "I'm so late to get changed! Mist- uh I mean Daisy is going to be pissed!" Ash groaned and started running towards his dressing room. He glanced behind him and saw Dawn running the other direction, upstairs. "Where are you going?" Ash shouted.

"I have to grab something from my room!" Dawn responded. She scampered up the stairs and ran into Misty's room where Misty was sitting at her vanity, staring at her feet.

"Dawn!" Misty said, surprised. "I was just about to go get ready, I'm like crazy late." Misty said jumping up.

"I know, I know. But I really need to talk to you Misty." Dawn said, slightly breathlessly. Misty nodded for Dawn to continue and sat back down. "Why aren't you and Ash together?" Dawn asked seriously. Misty sighed and fingered a lock of her hair.

"It was too hard after he rejected me to accept his love I guess. That sounds so cheesy but it's the only way I can really explain it." Misty said simply.

"Bullshit." Dawn said in a hard voice.

"What?" Misty asked in a startled tone.

"You heard me. Bullshit. You're afraid of being in love." Dawn said gently but strongly. "You're afraid of getting hurt, and you're afraid of risking everything. But you know Misty, you can't win in love unless you play the game."

"Maybe your right." Misty wiped away the tear that was running down her cheek. "But it's harder than it sounds. I never realized…" Misty trailed off. She imagined her being with Ash, them traveling together and Misty standing by Ash's side when he became pokémon champion. Then, she saw life without him, her staying at the gym thinking about him the entire time and ending up watching pokémon matches on television with Wally. Great.

"Wow, I'm being so dramatic!" Misty choked out through her tears. Misty chuckled and Dawn joined in laughter. "So, what can I do now anyways?"

"Well, now that you mention it…" Dawn smiled as she launched into her plan.

It was the end of the play, and Ash had to say that he was pretty proud of himself for holding up his acting chops for two performances. He was standing facing Misty, and holding her soft hands in his. Misty looked gorgeous, as usual. Her fiery red hair was in loose waves, but thick braids were weaved into her hair along with long strands of tinsel. She wore a flowing white dress, and had dusted some sort of glitter on her eyes. Her lips were pale pink and they shouted for Ash to kiss them.

Ash pulled Misty close and she locked her arms around his neck. "Thank you for being in love with me. You've changed me and my outlook on life forever." Ash murmured, staring into Misty's eyes. Misty almost forgot to say her line back; she was too entranced by Ash. She finally snapped back into focus.

"You are my best friend, my shoulder to lean on, the one person I know I can count on, you're the love of my life, you're my one and only, you're my everything." Misty said passionately. Ash grabbed Misty's small head gently, and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss continued until they both broke away reluctantly. They stared at each other for a minute before realized that they were still on stage.

They turned to face the audience, and clasped hands as they bowed to the audience. The rest of the cast clasped hands behind them, and followed pursuit. The crowd went wild, and the teens bowed over and over again. Finally, the crowd quieted as they noticed Misty had disappeared and had returned with an armful of flowers.

"Hi everyone! First of all, thank you SO much for coming! These performances wouldn't be possible without all of you amazing people! But these performances would also not be possible without the help of my lovely three sisters – LILY, VIOLET, AND DAISY! These girls carried this play on tour and did an amazing job!" Misty shouted happily. All three sisters flounced onto the stage, pink, yellow, and blue hair bouncing. Misty handed them each a bouquet of their namesake and tried to pretend she didn't hear Lily when she grumbled about her flowers.

"Next I would like to thank my good friend Cameron who was Alex in the traveling version of this play!" Misty called for Cameron, and he loped onto the stage, his gleaming white smile and floppy blonde hair raising murmurs from the girls in the crowd. Misty handed him a small bouquet of orange poppies and kissed him demurely on the cheek.

"I also have to thank my friend who has always been there for me, and a newly discovered best friend who I was overjoyed to have as a part of this play! Brock and Dawn!" Brock and Dawn ran up to Misty, and each gave her a huge hug. As Misty handed them both flowers, Ash was shocked. Misty hadn't even addressed him, did he mean that little to her? He felt so angry and hurt, and suppressed the urge to cry.

"And finally…my Alex. I want to thank my best friend in the entire world, Ash Ketchum." Misty said, a huge grin appearing on her face. Ash broke into a smile as he ran up to hug Misty. He was little surprised and slightly hurt to see that she had no flowers left. "I don't have any flowers for him, but I have a lot more. Ash and I have been through an enormous amount together, and he is one of the most important people in the entire world. I recently told him that I loved him, and he didn't say anything back. He then later told me he loved me, but I couldn't accept it because I was too afraid of getting hurt. But there is no way for me to live without this boy, and I meant every word I uttered in this play. I love you Ash Ketchum and I want to be with you!" Misty said exuberantly. She wrapped her arms around Ash's neck and stared at him with her big, shiny blue orbs. "So, what do you say?" She questioned playfully.

Ash was totally shocked. He had really thought that he and Misty had missed their chance to be together. "What do you think?" He asked gruffly, pulling her in close to him and kissing her forcefully on the lips. The entire crowd roared in applause, but Ash could barely hear them. He was to busy with the love of his life.

The sun's bright waves warmed Misty's skin, as she lay splayed out on her red-and-white striped towel. As far as she was concerned, it was a pretty perfect day. The weather was warm and the sun was shining. Her Azurill and Pikachu were building a sand castle and frolicking in the sun nearby. She surrounded by all of her friends, new and old. Most importantly, she and Ash were together.

She sat up from her spot of tanning, and grabbed her black Ray Bans and slipped then onto her thin face. She felt her skin tingle, and worried she might get burnt so she grabbed Ash's shirt from his bag and slipped it over her head. She gazed around the beach, trying to locate Ash and the others. She spotted Cameron and Dawn kissing in the ocean and smiled.

Ash was coming back from the snack shack with Brock and Carly when he saw Misty lounging on the beach. Her silky hair was falling out of its messy bun and she was wearing a pair of black sunglasses that contrasted sharply with her creamy skin and red hair. She wore Ash's slightly faded shirt that hugged her chest but fell loose everywhere else which Ash found unbelievably sexy.

He ran towards her and scooped her up from behind. She shrieked as he picked her up and ran towards the water. "Ash let me go! I don't want to get wet!" She screamed hitting him lightly on his defined chest. He ignored her and threw her into the water and dove in after her. They rose to the surface and she jumped into his arms. "I'm so going to get you back! You got your shirt all wet silly!" Misty giggled as she kissed his wet lips. She pulled away and studied Ash's face. Water stuck to his long, black lashes and shadowed his deep chocolate eyes. He had some light freckles on his nose and on his apple-round cheeks. His lips were chapped red but the water made them moist. His shaggy black hair fell lazily over his left eye, and his white teeth sparkled against his deep tan.

"Well we'll just to have get rid of that." Ash said huskily as he peeled the soaking wet shirt off of Misty and threw it towards the shore. He leaned in for a kiss and instead got a splash.

"Catch me if you can!" Misty shrieked as she dove under the water and swam towards the pier. She reached it far before Ash, simply because she was a more experienced swimmer. She lean against one of the tall, pier poles and thought about her plan that would be sure to get to Ash. As she waited for him, she thought about her previous night.

She and Ash had enjoyed an amazing wrap party with all their friends, and had gotten to bed late at night. They hadn't done anything but cuddle and kiss in bed that night; they were too tired to do much else. It had been absolutely perfect but now she was ready to do more.

"Gotcha!" Ash shouted as he popped out from under the water and grabbed Misty's waist. Perfect Misty thought wickedly. She grabbed Ash and kissed him forcefully. She pressed herself against him forcefully so that there was not an inch between them, and ran her hands down Ash's body lower and lower. She skillfully wrapped both her legs around Ash's muscular waist and he moaned softly. As he began to explore her body, she spun him around so that he was the one leaning against the pole.

She kissed his lips, then his cheek, then his ear, and finally his neck before breaking away. "Sucks for you!" She called teasingly. Ash groaned and run his hand through his rangy black hair before running after her.

As Dawn sat on the hot, sandy bench in front of a grungy picnic table, she reflected on how much the vacation had changed her. Never in a million years would she have let herself sit with wet hair, wearing a slightly damp pink sundress in front of a gorgeous boy. But Cameron looked at her with adoring eyes anyway. As they talked over greasy fries and thick milkshakes, Cameron stroked Dawn's hand gently.

"So you know we have to talk about it…" Cameron said softly. Dawn bit her lip and nodded. She knew that this was coming, but she had been trying to stall the inevitable.

"Yeah I know. I'm going to be traveling with the group and your going to the gym. Well it was fun while it lasted." Dawn said in a defeated tone. Cameron shook his head, his blond hair flopping around.

"Don't be like that….we can make it work." Cameron said confidently, and he smiled as he saw the huge grin on Dawn's face.

"You mean it?" Dawn asked wistfully. He nodded and leaned in to kiss her on the lips. Dawn ran her hand through his hair, enjoying the bright sun and this perfect moment.

Meanwhile, the rest of their group was lounging on the beach also enjoying the sun. Carly had taken the day off, and was sitting on Brock's lap, laughing about something with him. Ash and Mist were sitting on their towels next to then, outlining a map of where they were going to start traveling again.

"I am so unbelievably excited to be traveling with you guys again!" Misty squealed happily. Brock and Ash both laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Just wait until we're tired and smelly, and all our equipment is dirty and broken. I'm sure you'll be excited then!" Brock teased. Misty just tossed her hair.

"Maybe you've forgotten, but I traveled with you guys for like four years! I know when the going gets rough, but I don't care." Misty said with a chuckle as she cast a look at Ash. "Carly, I'm going to miss you so much! I've gotten to know you so well!" Misty said with a pout. She really was going to miss the perky blond.

She and Dawn had become quick friends with Carly, they both loved her spunky personality and she was just plain nice. Misty also liked her because she believed that Carly genuinely liked Brock, something Misty was sure would never happen for her loveable yet unlucky friend. Carly was beautiful as well, and Misty thought that Brock and Carly were an adorable couple.

"I'm going to miss you too!" Carly said sadly. But then she perked up and grinned at Brock. "But Brock and I were talking, and I think I'm going to try to coincide my journey with Brocks'!" Carly said happily. Brock nodded and kissed Carly's forehead.

"I'm pumped!" Brock said. "That is, if it's okay with you guys?" Brock questioned. Misty and Ash looked at each other in slight shock.

"OF COUSE it's alright!" Misty exclaimed. She leaned forward and enveloped both Brock and Carly in a giant hug. She lay backwards on her towel, enjoying the warmth of the dying sun on her face and the manly hand entwined with hers. It was an amazing day.

Misty felt that same comfort that nigh when she came out of the bathroom that night to see Ash on her bed, looking through a worn box. "What are you doing?" She questioned curiously as she went to sit next to him. He didn't respond for a moment, and Misty quickly got annoyed. "Ash?" She pressed. "Ash talk before I get you all wet!" Misty teased before shaking her long, wet hair on him.

He shook his head before answering. "Oh, sorry Mist. Daisy dropped this outside when your were in the shower. Your mom really looks just like you." Ash explained. Misty bit her lip, not this again. She signed and looked at the picture he had been looking at.

It was her mother when she was Misty's age, and it was hard to defend Ash's statement. Misty's mother's reddish orange hair was a little shorter, lighter, and wavier. She had a slightly greener version of Misty's eyes, and her nose was a little pointer. But it was impossible to deny that they were related, they both had the same creamy skin, long spindly legs, and cheerful smile. She was in the arms of a black-haired man, flashing a bright smile. Misty grabbed another picture, and her mother was with this guy again and she wore a short, tight black dress and ridiculously high bright pink heels. Her hair was a little darker, and was swept back in a tight chignon. She looked deliriously happy as the dark haired man swept her into his arms.

Misty flipped to another picture, which again was her mother with the same mysterious man. She wore the same ratty blue pullover and jeans from the picture Misty had seen in the guest room, but she was kissing the man with her hair whipping in the wind. Misty was confused. Her mother was wearing an engagement ring, but she was with this other mom. She had never heard of this guy, who could he be?

"Ash I have no idea who this guy is, and why is she kissing him when she's wearing her engagement ring?" Misty asked, completely confused. Ash shrugged.

"He's in a lot of these ones to…" Ash trailed off, showing Misty the thick pile of pictures he had been looking at. Misty bit her lip, and started digging through the box. Their stacks and stacks of photos, a random carnival plush toy, a Polaroid camera, which was bizarre since none of the pictures were polaroids, a silver tiffany charm necklace, and a musty, moth-eaten pullover. Misty continued to root through to box, until she gasped. She held up a photo and shoved it to Ash.

"What Mist? It's just another picture of this guy and her." Ash said, totally confused now as well. He looked over the picture again. Misty's mother looked a little older, her face was little more taunt and her hair was darker, very auburn.

"No no, Ash look! She's wearing my bracelet!" Misty shook her wrist in effect to show Ash that she was wearing an, old faded leather braided bracelet with the word: MISTY painted in blue letters on the bracelet. "My dad got a bracelet made for her for each of her children, even me. I got it after she died, and if she's wearing it in the picture it means I was born already!"

"I'm not sure Misty." Ash said skeptically. "It could be one of your sister's bracelets or something." He pointed out. Misty shook her head vigorously.

"No! My dad got my mom engraved silver bracelets for the rest of my sisters and my mom had to buy herself a leather one. Anyway, it would still mean my mom was married and had children! Did she cheat on my dad? I wouldn't be surprised I guess, but how come there is no pictures of my dad?" Misty pondered. She rubbed her temples and groaned. "Ugh, this is giving me a headache. Let's just forget about it." Misty said, putting the photos back in the box and set the box on the floor and pushed it under the bed. She rolled over next to Ash and kissed him.

"Mhmm well this is nice!" Ash said, pressing his body close to hers. She nodded while they kissed and she continued to kiss him slightly frantically. She broke away and grinned at him wickedly before pulling up her shirt, revealing her bare chest and she pressed herself against him. He kissed her back for a minute, and then pulled away. She pulled away as well, and hurt flashed in her confused eyes.

"What Ash? You don't want me?" Misty asked, venom leaking into her voice. Ash shook his head and pulled her close again.

"Of course I do." He said comfortingly. "But Misty…I want to wait." Ash said finally. Misty pulled away again and slipped on her worn shirt again. She pulled her wet hair into a messy bun.

"Yeah right Ash, You've never wanted to wait for anything in your life. If you didn't really want to be with me, I would understand. Seriously. Just don't lie to me." Misty said crossly. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling very unconfident. Ash tried to pull her close again, but she resisted.

"Shit Misty. Don't be like that. I want to wait so its special. You are so important to me, and I want to have a long relationship with you. I don't want to ruin that by having sex . I just want to wait until we're both truly ready." Ash explained. Misty looked at him warily as if there was no way in hell she believed him.

"Well, I want you…and I'm ready." Misty said softly. She couldn't shake the feel of rejection that was welling up inside of her. She was confused again. Ash touched her elbow and sighed.

"Misty, I want you. I want you so much, and you wouldn't be able to fathom how much I am in love with you. I truly want to wait so it can be as special as it possibly can." Ash said, trying to comfort her. She stared into his eyes, looking for any sign of dishonesty but then realized that this was Ash she was with, not some random guy.

"Fine." She huffed slightly, and rolled over and turned off the light. Ash pulled her close to him so that they were spooning. She was about to pull away when he whispered something in her ear.

"You know, there's a lot of stuff we can still do…" Ash murmured, trailing off suggestively. Misty giggled, and turned back around to face him. Unable to resist his pink lips, she promptly kissed him.

It was a hazy day, thick purplish brown fog covered the grassy grounds and the muggy heat circled around Misty as she walked along. She trailed over the soggy ground, walking for miles. Various people passed by her, but they with blurs without faces or personalities.

Suddenly, a small girl appeared in front of her. She had long, thick black hair. Her skin was creamy with small brown freckles dusting her cheeks. Her eyes were bright pools of turquoise and long dark lashes fluttered against her rosy cheek. "HI!" She said brightly, grabbing Misty's hand.

"Hi! I'm Misty, what's your name? Are you lost?" Misty asked the little girl. She just shook her head and started running, still holding Misty's hand. Misty followed her, and then suddenly two figures appeared.

One was a tall, thin woman with flowing red hair. She had the same creamy skin and freckles as the girl. This woman had long, coltish legs and bright aquamarine eyes. She wasn't a teenager, her face was more mature but she had no lines on her face or gray in her air. She was in the arms of a black haired man, whose tan skin and chocolate eyes contrasted with his bright white teeth. The man seemed around the same age, he had slightly boyish features so he maybe was a little younger.

"Those are my parents!" The little girl said chirpily. Misty nodded, and stared at the couple. She assumed it was her mother and father, but who was this girl? What did this mean? Misty began walking towards the couple when she realized with a start that the couple was she and Ash in the future. The way that they touched each made it so obvious that they were so intimately in love. Misty was going to go over to talk to them, but they were deep in conversation.

"This is nice." Dream Misty murmured Ash, kissing him softly on the neck. He nodded and pulled her closer to him where she rested her head on his shoulder. "I should go though…" Her voice trailed off sadly. Ash jerkily pulled away.

"What do you mean? You and Adi just got here!" Dream Ash protested visibly. Dream Misty glanced at the little black-haired girl, presumably Adi. Dream Misty put her hand on her shoulder and rubbed it stressfully.

"You know her real name is Adrianna." Misty said quietly, evading Ash's protests. Ash shook his head vehemently, and thick poison clouded his eyes.

"Her name is ADI!She's my daughter Misty. I miss her, and you everyday! This isn't fair…none of it is fair." Dream Ash said angrily. Dream Misty nodded softly, tears soundlessly rolling down her cheeks.

"You think I like this situation? Ash I live and breathe you everyday, and I wish I could be with you and you know that. But all those years – your hurt me too much. I have three other children with Rudy, and I just can't leave him. You know that also." Dream Misty choked on her words. "You know he knows about Adi…he doesn't love us anymore." Dream Ash looked towards Adi, apparently not noticing Misty.

"Good." Dream Ash said roughly. "Because you're mine." He grabbed Dream Misty again and they hugged each other tightly. Adi tugged on Misty's shirt.

"See? It's a clue! " She questioned. Misty shook her heard. She didn't understand at all.

"No? See what? What clue?" Misty asked, deeply confused. Adi shook her head. The scene suddenly dissolved into a scene where Dream Misty greeted a tall, auburn-haired rangy looking man. There were three redheaded girls behind him, all tall and thin with massive brown eyes. Then there was Adi, sticking out like a sore thumb with her black hair and blue eyes. Just as quickly as the scene had come, it left and Misty was suddenly in a different place.

There was a different redheaded woman now, and Misty quickly identified her as her mother. But the man next to her was not Misty's fair-haired green eyed-father but the dark haired man from the pictures. There was a small redheaded toddler in their arms, and her blue eyes pierced through Misty's soul.

Adi suddenly appeared next to Misty again. "C'mon, figure it out! All the clues are here!" MISTY!" She urged.

Misty woke to a jarring motion, and to Ash screaming her name. She sat up in shock, and immediately felt her eyes water and throat close. Thick smog made her cough, and the acidic smell of fire burned in her nose.

"Misty we have to get out!" Ash commanded. He was already out of bed, and he quickly grabbed Misty's hand to push her out. She resisted and he gave a funny look. "Misty we have to LEAVE!" Ash shouted. Misty knew this but she had to get that box after that dream. She plunked down on the floor and slid under the bed. She grabbed the box and pushed it into Ash's arms. She grabbed an shirt from her floor and quickly tied it around her mouth and nose.

"I have to get all the pokemon, go and meet me in front." Misty commanded. Ash looked about he was about to protest, but he didn't say anything. He knew he would do the same thing for his pokemon.

"I'll come with you!" He suggested as he follow Misty as she sprinted out of the room into the hall. The smog outside the room was so thick, the two couldn't talk. Misty just motioned for him to go and ran towards the gym.

Misty couldn't identify where the fire was exactly, partly because of the smoke clouding her vision and burning her nostrils, but partly because the temperature didn't seem to rise anywhere Misty went.

Misty bumped in a blonde girl, and she automatically grabbed her hand. The two sisters ran towards the gym to save their beloved pokemon. Luckily, all the pokemon were in their balls due to tank and pool cleaning but unluckily, Daisy and Misty had nowhere to put them. They haphazardly grabbed all the balls and pulled up their shirts to store to the balls there in the pouch.