Misty let a soft hum escape her lips as she rode her bike down the empty path. She had just departed from Ash and Brock and although she already missed them deeply she wasn't going to let that stop her from enjoying life. The sun was shining, the sky was crystal clear, and there were no annoying bug Pokémon that could ruin her good mood. "We'll be home soon Togepi." she told her little companion that was enjoying riding in the basket of her bike. She received a happy chirp from her little friend was more like her own child than a Pokémon.

She giggled softy at this and turned her head briefly in the direction of the ocean that was to the right of her. She was very tempted to just jump in the beautiful blue ocean but she had promised her sisters that she would head to the gym before they left for their trip. So despite her desire to go for a nice relaxing swim she peddled onwards towards home.

"Ahhh!"

At least she was until she, and everyone else in the area, heard a terror filled scream. She stopped her bike almost instantly and looked in the direction of the cries of terror. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw boat after boat turning back towards the shore at full speed, not too far behind the boats were a family of Gyarados.

"What on earth?" She pushed power into her feet and peddled quickly to the docks nearby, she figured if one of the Gyarados attacks a boat she could used her Pokémon to help save the passengers. With a sharp stop she dug through her bag and pulled out three of her Poké Balls. "Now everyone, go help-!" she stopped however when she saw that the Gyarados were no longer chasing the boats but had stopped and only watched the boats runaway. They stayed that way for a moment, just staying there and watching as everything ran away from them, before returning back to the sea. "Well that was different," she put the three balls back in her bag and walked up to one of the lifeguards. "Excuse me sir, can you tell me what's going on?" she asked, holding Togepi close to her chest just in case of another attack.

The man on duty looked young with tan skin and sandy blonde hair, but the deep frown on his face did not do his good look any justice. "We're not really sure of that ourselves. For some strange reason the Gyarados haven't been letting any passing ships or Pokémon even cross. It's been going on for almost a week now and if they keep this up we'll have to close to beach down." he sighed, arms crossed over his chest as he looked out at the ocean that held a family of enraged Gyarados.

Misty looked out at the water her, eyes scanning the area, trying to understand what had caused the Gyarados to suddenly start attacking anyone or anything that crossed their path. "Do any coral wreaths grow around here at all?"

The lifeguard nodded, "A lot actually. It's like of forest of coral in these waters. It's what makes our beach so popular, because many people want to explore them but with how things are turning out I doubt anyone will be able to enter the water anytime soon."

Misty nodded but held a small smile on her face. "I doubt that," she looked up at the man and gave him a confident grin. "I'm betting that after a few days everything will have calmed down and soon enough everyone will be able to get back into the waters."

She wasn't surprised by the confused look he was giving her. "What makes you say that?"

She smiled again, "Because the mating season for Gyarados just passed and I'm betting that they laid their eggs among the coral wreathes. They usually like to lay their eggs among a well protected area. I'm also betting that the eggs are getting ready to hatch and the reason they're acting this way is because they're protecting their eggs."

The man looked both amazed and a little relieved. "That makes a lot of sense. It's normal for this beach to have a lot of Gyarados in its waters but they've never bothered anybody unless they were being attacked. I wondered why they suddenly started acting so weird." he looked very happy with the answer she had given him and she was glad for that.

Misty nodded and Togepi chirped happily in her arms at his delight. "Things will probably go back to normal in a few days. The newly hatched offspring will need some time to adjust to the currents so I would suggest not to let anyone go in the water for the next three or four days. After they've adjusted the Gyarados should calm down and everyone can go swimming again."

The lifeguard nodded and gave her a grateful grin. "Yes, you're probably right and thank you so much for your help. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't appeared."

She blushed slightly at the compliment. "It's no problem really," she walked back to her back and waved him goodbye. "I'm just happy to help." she walked back to her bike and with one hand she started to push it off the dock and headed back to the road. "Now that everything is settled it's time to start heading back home." Togepi agreed with her instantly and after giggling at how cute it was she went to put her Pokémon in the basket of her bike but something stopped her.

"Umbreon." the dark-type evolved version of Eevee sat in her basket as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and while she found it very cute she could not for the life of her figure out why it was in her basket. So she and her Togepi stared at it with a confused look as it stared back.

"You know it's not very polite to stare," Misty turn her head quickly in the direction of the familiar voice that held confidence and a hint of ego in it.

"Gary?" she hadn't expected to see him here or his Umbreon hitching a ride in her bike. "What are you doing here?" Last she saw him was when he announced he was going to be a researcher like his grandfather.

He held a small smirk on his face. "I was visiting Grandpa for a few days before heading off to Sayda Island. I'm part of the research group there but it seems like I won't be able to go back anytime soon with how the Gyarados are acting." he shifted the back that he was holding to the ground and put one hand on his hip.

She gave him a soft smile, "Yeah, I doubt anybody will be able to make it across for the next few days."

He nodded his head, "Looks that way," he sent a quick glance at the ocean before turning his gaze back on her. "You wouldn't happen to have a phone on you, would you? I want to call my group to tell them that I'm going to be to make it to the island anytime soon."

Sadly she shook her head. "Sorry, I don't. I was actually headed to the Pokémon Center to use to the phone there so I could call my sisters and tell them that I would be home soon."

He raised an eyebrow at her words. "You're not traveling with Ash anymore?" he seemed surprised at this. He wasn't expecting that answer but it did make sense. He had wondered why he hadn't seen any signs of her two traveling companions anywhere.

Once again she shook her head. "Not anymore. My sisters are going on a trip so I have to head back home to manage the gym." she knew that she had a sad grin on her face but she wasn't going to force herself to try and act like she was happy. She knew it would take her a while to get used to things but until then it was alright to be a little sad.

"That so?" he seemed to think over her answer for a moment before another grin appeared on his face. "Well I guess it's for the best then. No offense but I battled with your sisters and they weren't exactly a challenge."

His words only caused her to sigh and roll her eyes. "None taken. I know my sisters and I know that they would rather get a makeover than battle." she had missed her home deeply but she was worried about what she would find. She was pretty sure that the gym was now known for underwater ballets than gym battles and that scared her.

Gary let out a low chuckle at her words and strange she felt her cheeks start to heat up. "Stupid. What am I doing blushing at this guy?" she silently scolded herself for even letting her heart beat start to speed up at him. So what if he was good looking, he still had an ego that annoyed her beyond belief. "At least he's calmed down." thankfully he had matured and wasn't the same brat that he was when she first meet him. If he was she was sure that she would have slapped him by now. "Hey, I know. Since we're both in need of a phone why don't we head to the center together."

He nodded and his grin increased in size. "Sounds good," he turned his gaze onto his Umbreon who was busy playing with Togepi. "I doubt we have any other choice with how these two are acting." he reached forward and petted his Umbreon on the head and smiled at the happy purr it released.

Misty nodded in agreement before moving her Togepi in the basket with Umbreon. The two seemed happy to be able to sit together as they chatted happily with one another. With a small giggle escaping her when she saw how cute the two were acting she pushed her bike forward and walked alongside Gary Oak towards the Pokémon Center. She had to say that she was really surprised at how much they had in common and how just talking with him was so much fun. When he wasn't busying trying to act like he was some amazing gift to the world he was actually a nice guy that had some really interesting things to say. She told him this of course and she couldn't stop the laugh that came out when she saw the look on his face. His lips turned into a deep frown but he tried to act as if he didn't care what she said but it was obvious that he did and that just made him seem cute to her. "I serious need to stop thinking such weird thoughts." she released a low sigh before directing her gaze up towards the open blue sky. She needed to clear her thoughts before she started thinking even more weird things.

"Hey, wait a minute...?" she stopped in her tracks, eyes squinting to get a better look but the sun was blocking her. "Gary, do you see that?" she asked her traveling companion as she kept her gaze on the sky.

Gary looked at her for a moment before turning his own gaze towards the sky. "No. Why? What do you see?" he put one hand up to try and block out the sun in his eyes but he still didn't see anything.

She bite her lower lip and her eyes tried to get a good look at it but with the sun and how it was moving she couldn't get a clear look. "I'm not sure but I think it's a Pokémon, but it's acting really weird." she pointed up towards the sky, where the clouds were all pushed together and the sun was shining its brightest. She could make out a figure up in the sky, making all sorts of twists and turns but she couldn't tell what it was or what it was doing.

"Oh yeah," he finally saw it and watched as it made another sharp turn into the clouds. "It almost looks like it's being chased." he frowned at this. He didn't want to see any Pokémon getting hurt or abused.

Misty frowned herself as she strained her eyes to get a better look. She could see that it was heading their way but it was moving at such a fast pace that she couldn't make out an imagine. It flew high in the sky at a speed she didn't even know was possible but as it started to come closer she could see more of its body and how it looked. Strangely she had a sense of familiarity at seeing it. "Here it comes." Gary announced as it flew closer and as it came closer she gasped in shock when she realized what kind of Pokémon it was. "It's a Pidgeotto!" she cried in amazement as she saw the dual-type creature. She remembered that Ash had one before he released it, but his was nowhere near as big and it wasn't nearly as fast.

They watched as it made a nosedive towards them, trying desperately to escape whatever it was that was chasing it. It's wings were flapping frantically and its feet kept opening and closing, showing them clear signs that it was scared of something. Gary saw this and was able to move out of its way as it flew by them but Misty was not as lucky. "Ahh!" she let out cries of fear as the Pidgeotto carried her away. Somehow it had grabbed the back of her shirt when it was flying by and it had took her along for the ride.

"Misty!" Gary called to her, eyes wide as he watched her get carried away by the frantic Pokémon. "Umbreon, come on." he commanded his Pokémon that had Misty's Togepi on its back as they chased after them.

Misty struggled to keep calm but it was not the easiest thing to accomplish when your being carried away by a scared Pokémon that seemed to be trying to get away from something. She just hoped that whatever it was running from doesn't show up any time soon. "I need to try and calm it down." despite her fears she knew that they only way she was going to get out of this without injuring not only herself but Pidgeotto as well was to get to calm down. "Pidgeotto, you need to calm down. You're not being chased anymore so do you think we can go back to the ground now? Please!" she all but cried as the wind picked up and it started shake a little at the strong currents.

Pigeotto finally noticed it had picked up a traveling partner and the reaction it gave was not one Misty was hoping for. It started to panic when it saw her and began a fast and sudden quick drop back to the ground. It cried out in fear and Misty was right along with it. It made a nosedive right into one of the trees but not before finally releasing its grip on Misty.

She let out screams of terror when she felt her body start to fall to the ground. If she hit the ground at this speed she was going to do some serious damage to her body. "Help me!" she cried again, eyes closed tight to try and block out the fate that she was certain to meet.

"Misty!" Just moments before her body reached the ground Gary managed to catch. His hold on her was strong as they tumbled to the ground, his back hitting the base of the tree, pain shot through his body at the hard impact but he refused to release his grip on her. "Are you ok?" he groaned out, moving them so that he could lean against the tree and his hands were on her shoulders to support her.

Misty took in deep breathes, trying to calm down her racing heart and to keep her breakfast down. Tears started to gather in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. That sudden experience sacred her beyond belief but she couldn't allow herself to break down. So despite her shaking body she was able to sit herself up on her knees and give her savior a kind smile. "Yes, thanks to you. You really-"

Both felt their hearts skip a beat and their breathes seemed caught in their throats as they stared at the other. His hands on her shoulders and her hands on his chest, making their faces only inches apart. Her small frame was wrapped in his larger one and both couldn't help but notice how the other seemed to fit just right. The each held faint pink blushes on their cheeks as they stared, enchanted by the other. It was as if an ancient old spell that was placed over them activated and the only way to break it was to stare. They meet before this but they never really paid attention to the other. Now that they were finally looking they couldn't the strength to look away, ever again.

"Her eyes..." he was captivated by the sea green eyes that seemed to drown him in. They were like the color of the sea and like the sea they were pulling him. These eyes that resembled the ocean were enchanting to him and he never wanted them to look away from him. He want to forever stare into them and to have them stare at him forevermore.

"His lips..." she couldn't take her eyes off those two soft lips that seemed to be calling her. Harsh words could be said from those same lips but when her name escaped from them it felt like her heart want to explode. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him, what feeling she would get when her lips touched his? Would it make her heart soar or would sparks fly? She wanted, needed, to know.

Without realizing it they were moving their faces closer to each other. Eyes closing, hands gripping to the other, and their hearts seemed to be going in time with one another.

"Umbreon!" at the sound of Gary's Pokémon approaching the two trainers quickly jumped apart, faces burning as realization sunk in at what they almost did. Their hearts were skyrocketing as they thought over the almost kiss and how crazy they were for doing that. "I can't believe I just did that!" both scolded themselves inside their own minds, each sneaking a glance at the other before quickly looking away. Their hearts beating even faster. Yet even with the embarrassment and the thought of how unbelievable they were behaving they didn't know it but both held a feeling of disappointment deep inside their hearts.

"Umbre!" Umbreon arrived soon after, setting the worried Togepi down so it could run to its mother. "It's ok, Togepi. I'm fine now." Misty reassured the small crying Pokémon that was holding onto her in a tight hug. She giggled at how cute it was behaving and gave it a soft kiss on the forehead. "See, I'm ok."

"Toge?" Togepi titled its head to the side, as if examine her but when it saw that she was indeed fine it let out a happy chirp "Toge Toge prii!" it jumped out of her hold so it could sit on her lap and hold her close from there.

Gary watched this from his spot on the ground, Umbreon was next to him checking its master for any injuries he may have but Gary wasn't even paying attention to his own body. He couldn't stop himself from looking at Misty. "It looks like Togepi was really worried about you." he spoke softly, cheeks still burning, and his hand went to pet Umbreon to try and distract himself. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so out of place but this whole experience was weird for him and he didn't know how to handle it.

Misty felt her heart skip a beat at his voice and her cheeks became a bright red once more. "Yes, it seems so," she held tight to Togepi, burying her head in its own soft one, trying to hide herself from this situation. She still couldn't believe that she almost kissed Gary Oak, the rival of her best friend and someone who at one time annoyed the heck out of her. She knew that he wasn't the same person she had first met back on their journey but she was still shocked at what she almost did. "Thanks again for saving me." she sent him a sideways glance, trying her hardest not to appear totally embarrassed.

Gary sent her the same look. "Yeah, no problem."

They seemed to tense up when their gazes met and quickly turned away from the other.

"Um?" Umbreon watched the two and how they were behaving, finding that their strange and sudden actions towards each other very odd. "Umbreon!" however something more important caught its eye and caused it to cry out at the sight. Gary and Misty saw this and followed its gaze up towards the tree that was behind them.

"It's the Pidgeotto," Misty gasped when she saw the tried and completely worn out Pokémon passed out in the tree above them.

"This is bad. It looks really hurt and its energy is probably all worn out," Gary jumped to his feet and slowly started to climb up the tree. "We need to get it to a Pokémon Center and quickly." with a quick drop he landed on his feet with ease and making a quick grab for his bag he pulled out a blanket to wrap the Pidgeotto in.

"You're right," Misty nodded in agreement and followed after him. She had no time to be embarrassed, not when there was a Pokémon that needed their help. "We should-!" she stopped however when she saw Gary putting Pidgeotto in her bike's basket and him getting on. "I've seen this scene before." it was like meeting Ash all over again. She bite her lip to keep from whining but she had just gotten her bike back and she didn't want to lose it all over again. "Is it some weird tradition that guys from Pallet like to steal bikes and totally destroy them?" she couldn't help but wonder as this was the second time some guy from Pallet was taking off with her bike.

"Well?" he turned around to look at her, one hand on her bike handle and the other holding a Poké Ball as he called back his Umbreon. "Hop on." he motioned for her to sit behind him.

She stood there frozen, utterly confused and amazed. "What?"

He seemed to smirk at her confusion. "You didn't really think that I would steal your bike and leave you here, did you? I'm not an idiot you know. Now hop on, Pidgeotto needs our help and its faster to ride than it is to walk." his words seemed to have a certain hold on her because for whatever reason she put her Togepi in her bag and hopped on the back of her bike without putting up a fight. Once her arms were wrapped around his waist Gary took off in a flash, surprising her at the speed but she adjusted quickly and let herself softly look at him. "Gary Oak," her eyes traveled up to his face that was set in stone hard determination, making him somehow appear older than he really is. "You really are something else." her eyes traveled down to where her hands were, wrapped tightly around his waist. She smiled softly at the nice feeling she was experiencing. She may have left Ash and the group but her adventure was far from over.

In fact it was just starting.