It's that time of year again! Pokeshipping Week! I have to say, I have a lot to thank these two for. Not only have they been my most successful couple writing for, but more importantly, they've brought me my best friend in the whole world. Holly, you're awesome, and I thank God every day that we've become such good friends!

Now then, with a new year comes a new set of themes, and this time because of a bit of drama that took place with one particular theme, we contributors got the opportunity to play with an alternate set of themes that we could use to substitute any one of the themes we didn't feel like doing. So, that's what's happening here. The ORIGINAL first post was supposed to be centered around the new region, Alola. But, Holly and I (we're collabing this year, awesome I know!) decided we would rather do something else instead (she doesn't like the hat) and we're starting off with the theme "Achieving Dreams."

So with that said, sit back and enjoy, and happy Pokeshipping Week everyone! I own nothing except the story.
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Music began to play on the set of the Saffron News Network, the cameras started to roll, and the host of the show smiled into the lens as the teleprompter started to scroll and the live audience applauded until prompted to stop.

"Good afternoon ladies, gentlemen and Pokémon of all ages! I'm your host, David Michael, and you're just in time for our weekly segment of PokéCelebrity!" the dark-brown haired host turned to the next camera. "We have a very special treat for you all this week folks. We have not one, but two guests to feature on this week's segment, and they don't come much bigger than these two. Give a very warm welcome to our special guests, here to talk about their cover on the official Pokémon Leagues Magazine, 'Trainers Weekly,' Kanto Elite Four member Misty Waterflower and Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum!"

All sense of decorum in the live audience was lost as soon as the names were announced, and the cheers only became louder when Ash and Misty came onto the set, and they couldn't help but kneel down and sign a couple of autographs for some kids who had escaped their parents to meet their idols.

Eventually they took their respective seats and faced David, and the cheers faded as the stagehands were able to signal to the audience to calm down and let the show continue. "Thanks for coming here today you two, and let me just say, it is a real honor to have you on with us."

Misty was the first one to speak up. "Thanks for having us!"

"Yeah, I've been on TV before during battles, but never for anything like this, although I do have a question."

"And what's that Mr. Ketchum?"

"Whoa," Ash put his hands up and sweat-dropped. "First of all, just call me Ash, that whole 'mister' thing is totally overrated to me."

David laughed and nodded at him. "Fair enough, Ash."

"Good. It's still gonna be a while before anyone can call me Mr. Ketchum."

"Well I can understand that, you are the youngest person ever to earn the title of Pokémon Master. So what was your question?"

Ash only got to open his mouth before he got a swift and surprisingly discreet kick to the shin that forced him to close his mouth to suppress a shout. "Never mind, it can wait until we go to commercial or whatever happens during these shows." he grumbled.

"Uh, very well." David cleared his throat and picked up a magazine that was sitting on the wooden table in the center of the set. "So you two are here today not just because of your respective titles, but you're also here to discuss how the two of you both wound up on the cover of Trainers Weekly!"

The cameras zoomed in on the cover for the audience to see, and they began to applaud again even while Misty leaned forward to say something. "Now, we need to discuss that photo a little bit!" she said over the remaining applause. "We've gotta discuss that photo, see, there's just something about that photo that bothers me."

"Aww come on Mist, not this again!"

"Oh be quiet, I already know how you feel about this." she waved him off and directed her attention to their host. "See, Ash loves that photo, but there's just something about it that makes me look like I'm only fourteen years old. Not that I blame the photographer mind you, she did an excellent job, but I think it might've been the angle of my face."

Ash turned his head away and mumbled. "Or maybe it's because you covered up your br- ow!"

"Are you alright Ash?"

"Yeah, my shin just kinda hurts for some reason." he glared at the innocently smiling redhead next to him. "Anyway, I think she looks fantastic in that photo and I wouldn't change a thing about it. We both look awesome and it really shows how we're a great team!"

"And that's the other thing that the public wants to know. There have been duos and even trios featured in Trainers Weekly in the past, but they've always been either family or a tag-team at a particular Pokémon Gym or even a Battle Frontier location. But this is the first time that two otherwise unrelated Pokémon League members have shared the cover. How did this happen?"

"Well David, it's really simple. Ash and I have always been a team, even if we haven't always been together. So it seemed only natural that we would take the photo together, especially since we're both just getting started with our new roles in the world of Pokémon."

"And that's also part of your featured story in the magazine." David held it up again. "Ash, you recently defeated the previous Pokémon Master, Red, in an official battle held at the top of Mount Silver, which is why he's recently been seen vacationing in the Alola Region with his former rival Blue. Now obviously, we've all seen the battle take place, but can you tell us a little more about how you got to where you are now from your perspective?"

Ash laughed and looked up as he reminisced on the battle of his life. "Aww man, now that was a battle I'll never forget."

"Here we go."

The young man turned momentarily to stick his tongue out at the redhead sitting next to him, although the bemused smile on her lips robbed her comment of any possible malice. "You love it and you know it."

"I love you, but your storytelling skills leave something to be desired in the truth department."

David raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by that Misty?"

"Just that he loves to exaggerate for the sake of drama." she rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Don't worry, he doesn't lie in his stories, he just makes things seem like a bigger deal than they really were."

"But this was a big deal Mist! This was the biggest battle of my whole life!"

"Yeah, it was." she took his hand into hers and patted it softly. "I'll let you indulge yourself in your creativity just this once."

"Well thank you so much." he scoffed, but didn't break the contact. "Anyway, sorry about that David."

The host chuckled. "No it's quite alright, it's clear you two have quite a bit of affection for each other. Please continue."

"So there I was at the top of Mount Silver..."

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"You've done well to make it this far Ash Ketchum."

Ash normally would've taken the praise as an honor, but with his adrenaline constantly pumping through his veins as he faced off against none other than the Pokémon Master himself in what was without a doubt the biggest battle of his life, all he could think about was the fact that he had somehow managed to whittle Pokémon Master Red's team down to nothing but his Charizard, which had yet to make an appearance this whole battle.

"I won't be satisfied until I've been declared the winner. Bring out your Charizard!"

The Master smiled and pulled his final Pokéball off his belt. "Very well. But be warned, my Charizard won't be as easy to bring down as you think." he chuckled and threw the ball into the icy wind. "Go, Charizard!" With a flash of white, Red's Charizard appeared and unleashed a roar that could be heard as far as Cerulean City, where a certain recently crowned Elite Four member was waiting for the Master's challenger to come home.

Ash took some small comfort in knowing that his Misty was with him in spirit. She'd been crucial to his making it this far, without her willingness to train with him and offer her unique insight into battling, as well as just being there for him even in the toughest of times, the young man knew beyond the shadow of a doubt he would never have made it this far, beating each league's Champions and earning the right to challenge Red in the first place.

Red's team was predictable, Ash knew what to expect. His Pikachu went down easily enough as Red hadn't worked on nearly as many battle techniques as Ash had with his own Pikachu, who was now also down for the count and resting in his fur-lined backpack after getting Ash off to a good start by taking out Red's Pikachu and Snorlax, only to later be taken out in a brutal battle by the Master's Venusaur.

The rest of Ash's team had battled valiantly, but there was never a moment where Ash felt like the battle was his to lose. His own Charizard had managed to finish the job against Red's Venusaur as well as take out his Lapras, but once Blastoise came into the battle, no amount of Charicific Valley-honed strength could get him a third victory.

That darned Blastoise, it was the hardest to take out of any of Red's Pokémon. It was able to take full advantage of the freezing conditions at the top of Mount Silver by using its Blizzard attack to freeze Ash's Pokémon in their tracks, then quickly shifting gears to using a super-powered Water Spout attack to wash away Charizard, Sceptile, and even his Greninja which had long since returned from its duties in the Kalos Region.

It was only thanks to a herculean effort by his own Snorlax that Red's Blastoise hadn't taken out a fourth Pokémon unscathed. It was a strategy he loathed utilizing, but it was clear near the end of the match that he had no choice. He had taught Snorlax Self-Destruct to make sure he wouldn't go down without taking his opponent down with him, and that's exactly what he'd needed to do. He sacrificed Snorlax, and it paid off by taking out Red's Blastoise once and for all.

Which led him to where he was now, staring down Red's Charizard as it gave him a toothy grin as if he knew victory was assured.

Well, Ash wasn't going to let that happen.

"There's a reason I was saving this one for last...I was hoping it wouldn't come to this to be perfectly honest, but I should've known from the start that it wouldn't be that easy." he looked down at the Pokéball in his hand and missed the raised eyebrow Red was giving him. "I've learned so much, become so much stronger and learned all sorts of new strategies, and I've had help every step of the way..." he looked up at Red and glared at him, holding out the Pokéball at arm's length. "But this Pokémon, I had to raise on my own...because there's no one who could help me to use the aura inside me."

"What?"

Ash wound up his throw, "And now you'll see what the power of aura can do! Lucario, I choose you!" With a flash of light, a four foot tall jackal-like Pokémon emerged from its Pokéball, its paws glowing with blue energy as it stared up at its much larger opponent. "Lucario, it's up to you now. You ready for this?"

"I am."

Ash couldn't help but smirk at the shocked expression on the Pokémon Master's face. "It can talk?!"

"Telepathy." Ash responded. "There have been other Lucario who have shown the ability to use it, but only when their aura is extra strong. Like mine."

"Then I guess that means the kid gloves are off." The Pokémon Master pulled off his right glove and revealed a Mega Stone that was placed inside a bracelet. "This was a gift from Hoenn's former Champion, you know him well I'm sure."

"Steven. Yeah."

"Well I've very rarely ever needed to use this...but since you've brought me down to only one last Pokémon, I think the time is now." he looked at his Charizard. "Are you ready Charizard?" the dragon nodded at him. "Then let's do it!" the Master raised his fist into the air and the Mega Stone in his bracelet began to glow brighter as his Charizard was enveloped in a rainbow colored light and began to change shape. When the process was completed, an orange, streamlined Mega Charizard stood there just as the sun inexplicably began to beat down brighter on them, canceling out the snowstorm.

"That's right. Mega Charizard Y has the ability Drought...so looks like we get to thaw out for a little while." Ash smirked. "I'll have to make sure to thank Steven for giving me this before our match."

"Huh?"

"You're not the only one who can use Mega Evolution, Red!" Ash pulled off his own glove and revealed his own Key Stone sewed into a bracelet seemingly made of cloth. "Let's even the odds Lucario, Mega Evolve!" With a flash of rainbow colored light, Lucario's height increased and its cream colored fur grew longer as its thighs slimmed down. More spikes appeared on the back of its now crimson red paws, and the aura coursing through it formed black markings on its fur. "One on one from here Red, let's see who walks away as the world's only Pokémon Master!"

Red just nodded. "Charizard, Fire Blast now!"

"Dodge and use Iron Tail!"

The five pointed burst of flame went flying towards the Aura Pokémon, but it swiftly dodged the blast and ran up to slam its steel-hard tail into the fire/flying-type's stomach before jumping back to await further instruction.

"How do you like that Red?" But when he got no response, Ash tilted his head in confusion. "What's with the silent treatment?"

"Charizard, Flare Blitz!"

"Whoa!"

Before Ash could even react, Red's Charizard had swooped in and tackled Lucario to the ground in a fiery inferno, doing massive damage to the mega-evolved Pokémon. "Now Fire Blast again!"

"No ya don't! Lucario, Thunder Punch!" Before the blast could be fired, Lucario managed to reel back its fist and slam it into the fiery dragon's jaw, forcing it back as the super-effective move took its toll. "Now use Aura Sphere, max power!"

"Focus Blast!"

The attacks both fired simultaneously and collided, causing a huge explosion that blocked the view of both trainers. "Alright Lucario, are you ready?" The Aura Pokémon said nothing, but it turned back to nod at its trainer before closing its eyes and running into the smoke. "Aura isn't just about power...it's our connection."

With its eyes closed, Lucario sensed the confused Charizard's aura and went on the attack under Ash's mental command as it saw the dragon's figure in a deep shade of blue. First a Thunder Punch to the gut, then an Iron Tail, a barrage of Aura Spheres and finally a Dragon Pulse, each attack further damaging the powerful Pokémon and bringing Ash closer to victory.

Then Red saw an opening.

"Blast Burn!"

Just as Lucario was going in for another Thunder Punch, Charizard's eyes snapped open and its body became engulfed in blue flames, then it slammed its fist into the ground, knocking the Aura Pokémon off balance...and then Lucario gave a cry of agony as it was suddenly engulfed in a huge explosion of red-orange flame.

"Lucario!" When the flames dissipated, Lucario was on the ground, barely moving and fighting to stand back up as it glared up at the fire/flying type looming over it. "Come on Lucario, you can do this!" Ash looked up at Red again, and the Master again refused to say a word. "I dunno why you've suddenly gone quiet, it's pretty weird to be honest. But I can tell in your aura that you think you've won."

Ash's accusation was rewarded with a slight lift of an eyebrow, which was all he needed for confirmation. "You're the reigning Pokémon Master for a reason Red, and for a long time I looked up to you, wanted to be you...it was my dream...but then I realized that it's better to be me. When I become Pokémon Master, I won't be trying to live up to your legacy, I'll be building my own! Lucario, let's show them what the power of aura can really do!"

Lucario's eyes widened and glowed a bright shade of blue, and with a new burst of strength, its paws and feet started glowing bright blue as well as its aura unleashed its full strength.

"You don't need to say anything, I can sense you didn't expect that. You're considered the best Red, but you aren't perfect...and you just made the biggest mistake of your life. When Lucario takes damage, the aura it commands makes its power grow!" Lucario roared out a battle-cry and leaped into the air as it formed what appeared to be an Aura Sphere. "Alright Lucario...AURA STORM!"

"Watch the power of aura!"

"Charizard, Flare Blitz, maximum power!"

The two Pokémon's strongest attacks collided, and with a bright flash of light, an explosion took place that completely covered the area, and the pained cries of the opposing Pokémon.

"Charizard!"

"Lucario!"

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"The live feed went down after the attacks collided, so I was stuck waiting until Ash came back from Mount Silver to find out who won." Misty looked at him for a moment and squeezed his hand with a tender smile. "When my oldest sister Daisy let him into the Cerulean Gym, he was covered in snow and looked like he was in shock...at first I thought he'd lost and I was getting ready to play the supportive girlfriend."

"Then I finally snapped out of it, and Misty keeps telling me she wished she'd had a camera at the time because apparently my face lit up like the Fourth of July." he looked at her and smiled. "I picked her up, twirled around with her in my arms and we celebrated all night long. One of my dreams had finally come true, I was a Pokémon Master, and I'm loving every minute of it."

"That's truly an inspiring story Ash," David nodded with a smile. "And it's especially interesting how you brought up Misty's role in your success. Has she always been that important in your life?"

"Well, she's always been one of my biggest motivators, and there's no one else I'd rather spar with when it comes to Pokémon training...but since we became boyfriend and girlfriend a few years ago, she's become much more than that. Like I said, without her, I don't think I ever would've gotten this far."

"For once, you're being too modest." Misty smirked at her boyfriend before turning back to their host. "I won't deny that I helped Ash get to where he is now, but the same goes for me too. Without him, I probably would have never been put in a position where I could become a member of Kanto's Elite Four."

"And you're still fairly new to that title yourself, having only been a part of that elite group of trainers for a few months now. So now it's your turn, tell us how you got to where you are now, being one of the strongest trainers in the world and on the verge of being named a true water Pokémon Master!"

"Well David, my story isn't quite as exciting as Ash's, but what I went through wasn't any less challenging. You see, to be a member of the Elite Four, you need to have a true mastery of the type of Pokémon you specialize in, even if it's only unofficial."

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It was the least glamorous moment Misty had ever looked forward to in her life. After spending years honing her skills as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, she finally got the call that she'd always dreamed but never imagined she would get.

There was a slot opening up in Kanto's Elite Four, and she was the first one on the list of candidates.

The call had come from Kanto's reigning Champion, Lance the Dragon Master. Despite losing to Ash mere weeks ago, Lance had retained his title as Ash had no desire to stay rooted to one spot. He was going for his ultimate goal, and now here Misty was with the opportunity to be only one step away from reaching hers.

She'd always said she wanted to be the world's greatest water Pokémon Master, but as a child she had no idea how much work that entailed. It wasn't just about being a strong battler, it was also about having the necessary knowledge of the specific type to deem yourself worthy of the title.

Obviously, being stuck in the Gym for all those years meant Misty's choice of Pokémon to capture in her own region was limited. But that's where her boyfriend Ash Ketchum came in.

As a traveling trainer, Ash had gotten the opportunity to revisit all of the regions he'd previously competed in, and knowing that Misty was aiming for her goal, he took it upon himself to be her proverbial arms and legs, capturing unique water Pokémon and sending them to her so she could get first-hand experience of what it was like to command them.

She still had her core team members in battle. Gyarados was her most powerful Pokémon by far, and thanks to the Mega Stone Ash had gotten her for her eighteenth birthday, her water-dragon's strength had only increased and her reputation skyrocketed.

She'd made sure she rewarded Ash for his efforts in spades.

Now though, she had to prove that her claims weren't just for show. With Koga deciding to retire as a member of the Elite Four, and Lorelei declining to take back her old position, there was an open spot and she had to prove she was truly a master of water-types.

Unfortunately, the first step in that process was an oral exam given by none other than Champion Lance himself. She felt ready for it, she'd learned so much about all sorts of different water Pokémon over the past few years, but the very idea of going in there and being put on the spot was causing her anxiety.

"What's the average weight of a Gyarados in pounds?"

"518.1 pounds."

"When it mega evolves?"

"It goes up to 672.4 pounds."

"What's the base speed stat of a Buizel?"

"85."

"Name all of the Pokémon classified as water/ground."

"Those would be Wooper, Quagsire, Marshtomp, Swampert, Barboach, Whiscash...Gastrodon..."

"There's two more."

"Uh..." the redhead wracked her brain for the answer. "Oh! Palpitoad and Seismitoad!"

"Good job." Ash sighed and put down the study sheet Misty had given him to test her with as she waited for Lance to come and get her for the test, watching as his girlfriend paced back and forth. "You're good Mist, you've got all this stuff down, now can you please relax? You're gonna wear a hole in the floor."

"Ask me another question."

"Misty-"

"ASK ME!"

"Okay okay!" Ash picked up the sheet again and looked for a question that maybe he hadn't already asked her eight times in the past few days. "Here's one, what's the only currently known water/fire-type?"

"That would be the legendary Pokémon, Volcanion."

"What is Azumarill's secondary typing?"

"It was given the secondary typing of fairy a few years ago when the type was discovered."

"Very good...now, here's a really hard one." he smirked behind the paper. "What's my favorite food?"

"Ash!"

"Ew, no way, come on Mist, get your head in the game!"

"My head is in the game! Yours is on another planet as usual!" The black-haired trainer frowned and put the study sheet down on the chair next to him, and he got up and wrapped the redhead in an embrace which she fought to escape from. "Let me go Ash Ketchum or I swear to God I'll-"

"Misty..." she blinked and stopped struggling almost immediately after he whispered her name in her ear. He always did have that ability over her, or at least, since they became a couple. "Relax, you're going to do great, there's nothing you don't already know." the next thing she knew, he'd pulled back a little to take her face in his hands. "You're going to be the next member of the Elite Four, and if all you're worried about is a stupid test full of stuff you already know, then it's already a done deal."

"You don't know that." she sighed. "Ash you don't understand, this is everything I could have ever dreamed of. I'm this close to finally achieving what I've dreamed about all my life! This isn't just some college final exam I could retake next year, this could very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity!"

"And there's no one on this planet more capable of pulling it off than you." he led her to the seats in the waiting room and sat her down, taking the seat next to her for himself and wrapping his arm around her shoulders so he could lean her on his own. "You know water Pokémon like the back of your hand, you know what they like to eat, you know what each Pokémon's best capability is in battle...heck, you even know which Pokémon they are and aren't compatible to breed with for crying out loud!"

"That's all necessary information to be a water Pokémon Master."

"And do you know it?" his question went unanswered. "Do you know it?"

Finally she looked up at him and sighed. "Yes, I know it."

"Then there's nothing left to discuss." he kissed the top of her head, and Misty felt her heartbeat slow as she closed her eyes and relaxed in his embrace. "I've met a lot of water-type trainers in my travels, and there's no one who knows more about water Pokémon than you. And you know I'm not just saying that because I love you."

"I know." she looked up at him again and smiled. "Thanks Ash, for everything."

"You don't need to thank me Mist, we're a team. It's what we do."

"Oh yeah? Well we're boyfriend and girlfriend too Mr. Almost Pokémon Master...any idea what we do with that?"

"I can think of one thing."

Misty beamed and closed her eyes after Ash started to lean in, just waiting for the rapturous experience of having his lips molded to her own. She felt his breath on her face and she knew in mere seconds she'd be in bliss.

"Am I interrupting something?"

They both jumped back with beet red blushes as Lance stared at them with a bit of an embarrassed blush of his own. "No, sorry Lance..." she fixed her hair and tried to regain her composure. "Is it time?"

"Yes."

"Alright." she looked to her boyfriend and took his hands for a moment. "I'll be back."

"You got this Misty." With a determined nod and quick peck on the lips, Misty walked out of the room and Lance closed the door behind her, leaving Ash to wait until his redheaded girlfriend returned with the results. "Good luck, Miss Almost Elite Four."

An hour later, Ash was surprised to find that Misty had returned without Lance, and he jumped to his feet as he waited for the answer. "So? How'd you do?"

He got his answer when Misty leaped forward and captured his lips with her own, and she didn't stop until they were both completely numb from kissing.

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"To be perfectly honest, the battle I had with Koga a week later as part of the initiation was harder than the exam itself. That doggoned Toxicroak of his with its Dry Skin ability made all of my water-type attacks completely useless...luckily, Starmie knew Psychic and took care of it for me."

"You know, it really is amazing how you two have found a way to be such integral parts of each other's lives." David said as he glanced between the young couple. "You've managed to accomplish your dreams but it never would have happened without the incredible support you've afforded each other."

"No doubt." Misty hummed. "So that's why we insisted the cover have both of us David, because really, it's never been just one of us. We're a team, and we've reached a point where you can't have one without the other. We both have our own dreams but neither of us would have achieved them without having the other there for support."

"And I suppose that's why you two work so well as a couple too, if you don't mind my saying so."

"Uh well, heh heh..." Ash rubbed the back of his neck and missed the glare Misty suddenly shot at him. "You'd be surprised. I mean, there's obviously more than one reason we work, but we're by no means a perfect couple."

"Are you really about to go there on national television?" Misty hissed.

"Well it's not like it's a secret!"

"Ugh." Misty rolled her eyes and looked at David. "What Ash is about to say - and yes I'm taking it out of your hands Mr. Pokémon Master - is that ever since we were kids, we've had this bad habit of bickering with each other over the dumbest reasons you could possibly think of."

"Dumb is an understatement." Ash scoffed. "You used to get mad at me for getting us lost when you were the one holding the map!"

"Because you had already gotten us lost!"

"Yeah right! I think your memories are a little mixed up! In fact, I bet you don't even remember half of the stuff you learned about water Pokémon these past few years!"

"Is that a challenge?!"

"You bet it is!"

"Well then by all means, ask away Ash Ketchum, there's nothing I don't know about water Pokémon!"

"Um, we may have to go to break soon."

"Don't worry David, this won't take long. Just three quick questions." Ash smirked and looked at the smug looking redhead who had her arms crossed proudly over her chest. "You close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes. There's way too much technology in here that could let you cheat, unless you don't think you can pull it off."

Misty rolled her eyes. "I'll play along, but you're being ridiculous." she closed her eyes and waited for the first question.

"Alright, question one...what formerly extinct Pokémon is known as the Prototurtle Pokémon?"

"That would be both Tirtouga and Carracosta."

The crowd applauded the answer. "Not bad, but that one was easy."

"They're all easy, but go ahead."

"We'll see about that." Ash grinned. "Not counting mega evolutions, which water Pokémon have more than one form?"

Misty smirked. "Betcha thought you could catch me off guard with that one. But nope. The answers are Shellos, its evolved form Gastrodon, Kyogre and its Primal Form, which technically is not mega evolution, Basculin, the legendary Pokémon Keldeo, the Alolan Pokémon Wishiwashi, and just as an added bonus, your old Bond Phenomenon form with your Greninja, simply named Ash-Greninja."

The crowd cheered even louder and there were even some shouts of "burn!" in the audience after Misty threw in her sassy barb at the end.

"Gotta hand it to ya Mist...you know your stuff...now...I just have one more question for you."

"Your voice is wavering, getting a little nervous?"

"You could say that."

The redhead perked up an eyebrow at that, but she paid it no mind. "Well let's get it over with, David doesn't have all day to play games with us." Moments later, the crowd started cheering at the top of their lungs, and that's what really confused her. "Ash, why is everyone cheering?"

"Never mind them!" he shouted above the noise. "You ready for the question?"

"What's going on Ash?"

"Question's coming!"

"Ugh, alright!"

"Will you marry me?"

Misty's brain stripped a gear. "W-What?" she was sure she'd heard that wrong, but then when she put her suspicion together with the live audience's screams, she knew she just had to open her eyes. What she saw caused her to gasp.

"Will you marry me?"

There on one knee was her boyfriend Ash Ketchum, with a black velvet box in hand with a sapphire ring inside. "A-Ash...are you...is this..."

"Mist, we've been there for each other as we achieved our professional dreams. You're about to be named an official water Pokémon Master and you're already a member of Kanto's Elite Four...while me, yeah, I'm the Pokémon Master now, the most powerful trainer in the world...but, that's not my biggest dream."

Misty said nothing.

"So...I'll ask one more time..." he gulped and looked her in the eyes. "Misty Waterflower, will you make my greatest dream come true and become my wife? Will you marry me?"

Tears began to flow from her blue-green eyes as she looked back and forth between the ring and her waiting boyfriend. Was this real? Was this another dream? She leaned forward to try and touch him, and she started to laugh when she felt his skin and realized that he wasn't just a figment of her sometimes overactive imagination. He wasn't a fantasy, he was real.

"Well Mist?"

He was waiting for her answer and starting to think she might actually be thinking of saying no!

"Yes! Yes of course I will you big dork!" she practically tackled him to the ground and kissed him over and over, all urges to keep her dignity lost despite being filmed on national television. As far as she was concerned, the rest of the world didn't exist. It was just her and her boyfriend - no, fiancé! - and that was how it was always meant to be.

"Thanks for helping me achieve my dream Mist." Ash said as he hugged her tight.

"No Ash," she pushed herself up and looked down at him. "Thank you for helping me achieve mine."

He laughed at that. "Guess we both had the same dream huh?"

"Yeah, but I figured I'd have to be the one to make the move."

"No way Mist." he hugged her even tighter. "There's no one else I could ever picture as my partner in life than you, so I decided it was time for me to make my dream a reality." he smiled brighter. "And now it is. It's gonna be you and me Mist, together forever."

"Together." she choked out a happy sob and fell back on top of him. "Forever."

"What a stunning development ladies and gentlemen, our newest Elite Four member and Pokémon Master are now engaged to be married, and you saw it here first on PokéCelebrity! Stay tuned for more after the break!"
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A/N: Hope that was a good start! Now folks, I mentioned that HollyLu and I are doing a collaboration this year...which means that my stories are only the tip of the iceberg. If you want the real pull to all of this, you need to go find Holly on Tumblr at hollylu-ships-it and see the amazing artwork she did. That's where the real feature is, I'm just adding a little extra depth.

So with all that said, see you all tomorrow for another theme! I'm really excited about this year, it's gonna be a doozy, I can feel it!